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cookiesupplier · 8 months

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Out of the Rain

Summary: Just a little fluffy one-shot about Ricky, coffee, and cafes. It's not special, just a bit of rambling lol, don't look at me.

cw: None.

tags: @tearfallpixie @cncohshit @nyxthedestroyerofworlds @lyschko666 @lacktoesandtoddlerants @bngurngheart

Rick isn’t a coffee snob, he isn’t, it's the atmosphere here. Coffee can be many things, he has drunk all kinds of coffee, all over the world, and some of the different kinds have been quite strange, he will admit that. For instance, the time in Australia, they put milk in their coffee instead of creamer, milk, out of a little milk box, it was weird. So strange. It had been amusing as anything watching it stream out of the straw that he stuck into the carton though, pouring right into his coffee like a little spout, hilarious actually. Tasted weird, but hilarious to look at.

When he’s home, though, sure, he has his coffee machine, and he can make himself a perfectly good cup of coffee right at home, but when he stumbled upon the café purely by chance one day, a quiet little place trying to get out of the rain, it had changed everything.

It was the atmosphere.

It was just a little coffee shop, nothing special to look at when you first saw it, a counter, table, chairs, a reading corner to the far side with a small area with some worn books that people could pick up and look over. Ricky had gone in, pushed his hood off his head, and brushed off the rain droplets from his hair as he looked around, it was nice, it was quiet. While Ricky was waiting for his order he went over to have a look at some of the titles of those books that first day, the girl behind the counter told him he could read while he drank, or if he was willing to leave his information, borrow a book.

Even after she had set his coffee in front of him, and he’d paid her for it, the place was so quiet, quiet and a perfect spot out of the rain that day, so perfect that he found himself still talking with her. Aimee her name was, she was nice, and before long he realised his coffee had almost gone cold, then an elderly woman was coughing softly behind him to let him know she was waiting to order.

Apologising for getting in the way, he moved to the side and cringed when he went to sip his now stone-cold coffee. Waving goodbye to Aimee, realising he was long overdue to be on his way anyway. With the thought of returning at a later date, the rain had eased and was on his way.

It was a few days later that going back to the café crossed his mind again, after a recording session, tired, and looking to have a bit of time to relax. Around now, he would usually go home, make himself a good cup of coffee, and either pull out a book or even work on one of his projects. Today he felt like a book, but the moment he thought of settling in with a coffee would be nice, he could have but consider, why at home, why make it himself? It might be nice to just sit back. It wasn’t that he wanted to let someone else do the work, and far more along the lines, that he craved a different place to settle in and relax today. He smiled softly as he left the studio, his mind made up.

He did go home though, but only for a minute. Just a minute. He went by so he could drop in and collect a small stack of books he had been putting aside over the last couple of days, and then was out the door again. After that, he was in his car and driving, making his way back to the quaint little café that he had found on that rainy day. Unfortunately for Ricky, this time, it was a little bit more busy, you could almost call it the afternoon rush, at least it was a rush for a tiny little café like this.

Before he got in line to order his coffee, he went over to the wall of shelves that were lined with books, the reading book nook and added the books he’d decided to donate from his collection to the shop, to some of the semi-empty shelves, finding wherever he could fit them in. None of them were his published book, because that would just be pretentious, and he was not going to be doing that, absolutely not. Once all the books he had brought with him, had found new homes on the shelves, he made his way back to the counter of the café. By this point, the line to wait had diminished, and he was thankful that he wouldn’t have to wait as long.

Smiling as he came to stand at the front of the counter, Aimee was there before him, it seemed she had noticed him by the books with her following remark.

“You know, you’re supposed to hand those books in so we can make sure they're suitable reading.”

Ricky raised an eyebrow at that,

“Are you suggesting I’d steer anyone wrong on their literary journey?”

She couldn’t help but smile slightly at that.

“I am offended.”

A gasp of mock offence as his hand came to his chest with the word, still, it was followed by a wide grin from Ricky,.

“Not enough to go collect them for you, though. I guess you’ll just have to search the shelves if you are that worried, little book hunt for you. Make sure I am not poisoning any young minds with foul words over there.”

She laughed at his teasing before he gave her his drink order, and he did with a smile on his face. Ricky watched after she finished making his drink, heading over to one of the tables in the far corner of the café, liking the enclosed spot, he sat with a book. She stole a minute while she had no new customers, to stroll over to the shelves to peek at the books, and see which ones she could make out were new. He saw her pick out two of them from the shelf.. She had at least five more to find by the time he was finished with his coffee.

“Enjoy your reading, Aimee.”

She glanced over her shoulder, seeing him head out the door.

“Looking forward to it, Ricky.”

dividers by @saradika-graphics

#ricky olson #motionless in white #miw #fluff #fanfiction #ricky olson fanfic #miw fanfic

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uncloseted · 2 months

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Do you have any tips for decluttering and getting rid of clothes when you love clothes? I have so many clothes in my closet I can't even move the hangers back and forth to see the article of clothing. I thought having a lot of clothes would make me more trendy but I literally just wear whatever because I'd have to excavate my closet to see what I have. I know I need to get rid of some just to have a normal amount of space but I get so attached to them for some reason. Any advice?

So the first thing I want to say here is that there's nothing inherently wrong with having a lot of clothes. I think over the past decade especially, people have started to assign a kind of moral goodness to minimalism, but I don't think anyone is morally obligated to have a capsule wardrobe. If you like the pieces that you have and the problem is really a storage issue more than anything else, you don't necessarily have to get rid of clothes in order to solve the problem.

For example, if you live somewhere seasonal, you might be able to put your fall/winter clothes in a vacuum sealed bag and then put them in a different closet/storage area/in suitcases/wherever you have room until you need to take them out again. That way, you have more room in your closet to see the items you might actually wear in the next few months, but your clothes are available if you want them. If you have the space, you could also add more storage for your clothes, like under-bed storage containers, a clothing rack, shelves, a dresser, or a wardrobe. You can also get clothes hanger extenders that allow you to fit clothes in your closet more easily and keep them more organized.

If you do want to get rid of some of your pieces but you're emotionally attached to them, I would start by just pulling out the clothes that aren't practical for you any more. This would be clothes that physically don't fit you or that don't fit your lifestyle. Then, I would go through again and pull out the clothes that don't make you feel good about yourself. Try not to judge yourself for this, but let yourself say, "this piece highlights an insecurity I have, so I don't feel my best when I wear it." Don't be picky with this- if you don't like how a color looks on you or how a texture sits on you or how long a piece is, pull it out of your closet.

Between these two exercises, you may have removed enough clothes that your closet feels manageable again. If you're struggling to actually donate them, I would put them in a bag and then put that bag somewhere you won't see it. Leave it there for three months and see if there's anything in there that you end up wanting. After three months is up, donate or give away everything that's left in the bag. I suggest doing this because I think it's much easier to let go of clothes being in your closet when you know they'll still be accessible if you want them, and it's much easier to donate clothes when you don't actually remember what pieces you're donating or when you know they're pieces that you're not actually going to wear.

If you've done all of that and still want to downsize your closet, then I would think about what you want your style to be. Are there certain celebrities whose style you admire, brands that you like, or pieces you find yourself drawn to? What it is about those styles/people/items/outfits that you like? Try to describe your goal style in three adjectives, and then describe what those adjectives mean to you. What kind of cuts, colors, fabrics, textures, finishes, and ways of styling represent those adjectives to you? Then, I would go through your closet again and pull out any pieces that don't fit with those adjectives. Once you've done that, think about whether or not you can make those pieces work with your desired style. Could you wear the piece differently so that it fits with your desired style? Is there a way you could alter it to make it more in line with the style you want? If the answer is no, do what you did with the other clothes and put them in a bag for a few months. If you don't find yourself reaching for them in that time, donate them or give them away.

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gabriellerudessa · 3 months

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Compass (Norm Maclean x OC) - Part XV

“What about just cutting the fabric?”

“Can’t go around destroying my clothes, Norm-boy. It’s hard to come by any that fit me.” Marigold shook her head, then grinned, the extra trouble one, even if somewhat forced. “But if you really want to and ask nicely, I’m pretty sure we can fix something up.”

PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE

Words: 3.319

Warnings: Gunshot wounds being taken care of. Spicy thoughts lol

Marigold went first, and he followed close behind. On the inside, beside the door, there was a light switch; he flipped it, and lights overhead lighted up, showing a narrow straight hall, a metal staircase at the end of it, another terminal close to the door, and an intercom. The only sounds were their breathings and the electricity buzzing through the lamps and terminal.

They explored cautiously, but it soon became obvious there wasn’t much to explore. The place was empty, no people or animals, most of the doors boarded off with metal or wood, windows blocked off with wood and metal. Only narrow slivers of space between the pieces let in some of the fading light of day.

In the ground floor, only three rooms were accessible: a kitchen, with a wood stove, an old counter with a functioning sink, a cabinet, and a wood table that should already be ancient when the bombs hit, solid and stable, with a group of mismatched chairs around it; a living room, with one sofa and armchair carefully positioned around a moth-eaten rug, and a bookshelf, some of the shelves containing pre-war books and an assortment of decorations; and what they a called “storage-room”, full of boxes and lockers and tool cabinets, carefully organized from their brief inspection.

The stairs led to a longer hallway, but similarly to the ground floor, only three weren’t blocked off: a bathroom, the shower head rusted off and broken on the ground, but overall in working condition; a bedroom, with a double bed with bedsheets and covers properly made, a drawer and a tall wooden wardrobe; and what Marigold had called a “chem-lab”, with a desk with another terminal and a chair, and another wood table, this one full of lab equipment. It seemed to have everything he would need to make Goose’s recipes, if he had the time.

All the lamps seemed to be in working order, no lack of electricity, from wherever it was coming from, and his Pip-Boy’s Geiger count accused only the barest radiation on the water when they opened the taps. It was at a level that, according to Goose’s notes, they should be able to solve through filtering and boiling, more related to radioactive sediments than to the water itself.

The place was empty and dusty, paint peeling from the walls, the linoleum floor warping at some spots… But besides those expected signs, otherwise the place was spotless, in the sense that everything had its proper place, and lived in, with things scattered around indicating that someone had, at some point, lived there.

Someone had arrived at that store, closed what they couldn’t use, modified the rooms as possible, turned it all into a home… And then never returned.

While Norm was grateful, because they needed a place for the night, he couldn’t help but feel a pinch of sadness, trying to imagine what had kept its inhabitant from returning.

They ended back at the metal door, slightly open like they had left.

“See if there’s a stimpak here, I’ll lock the outside terminal.” Norm threw the bag at Marigold, stepping into the cramped hall, keeping the metal door open.

His fingers flew through the keypads as he put a new password in it, making sure it was the same level of security he had broken – it had given him trouble and he was certain it would give anyone else even more. Hopefully it would keep them safe throughout the night.

Marigold showed him three stimpaks and one med-x as he came back inside and closed the door.

“There’s also some radaway, food and water.” There was clear relief in her voice, her shoulders relaxing a little.

“Good. Where’s the better place to take care of your leg?” Norm asked while making sure the door was properly fitted in the frame, then used the inside terminal to lock it.

Another grind and muffled bang; he tried to pull at the handle, but it didn’t budge. Good.

“The kitchen. It has a sink, space, and places to sit.”

Marigold started limping away, and Norm followed, eyes glued to the injured leg.

The flow of blood had diminished, but not stopped, and he was pretty sure it was worse after her stunt of going up and down the stairs – he had tried to convince her to stay on the ground floor, but the woman was damn stubborn and refused to let him go up alone. At least they had stimpaks now.

Marigold was leaning against the table when he entered the kitchen, backpack, bag and gun above it, stimpaks and med-x close by. She kept the injured leg extended, trying to unbuckle the bag-belt from around her thighs, fingers sliding because of the blood.

Norm sighed and approached.

“Could you please let me help, for God’s sake?” he pushed her hands away and she let him, instead holding the buckle around her hips.

He unbuckled the uninjured side with fast movements, but the buckle on the injured leg was slippery with blood, and he needed to go more carefully, hearing Marigold curse and hiss under her breath as it became loose around her leg. She unbuckled the last piece and left the bag-belt above the table.

“I’ll take off the tourniquet now.” Norm touched the leather, looking at Marigold’s mismatched eyes.

She breathed deeply and nodded.

The coat’s belt was off in an instant, and blood poured out. He raised his eyes at Marigold again, and she had her teeth gritted, hands gripping the edge of the table tight enough that her knuckles paled.

Norm looked at the torn fabric, and noticed Marigold doing the same. It covered the wound on the outside of her thigh, and at most he saw how the fabric bent inside into the wound, some spots of blood already starting to dry.

“Fuck. Taking the pants and the bullet off will hurt.” She slumped in place.

“Can’t we just jab a stimpak in the wound?”

“If it was some common shotgun ammo, sure, but I can feel there’s something inside, that’s not normal with shotguns. Since some people put teeth and other nasty things in their ammo, it’s better we take whatever the bullet is off before we use the stimpak. And Goose would burst from the ground if I did any of this while there’s fabric in the wound.” Marigold’s hands dropped to the button and zipper of her pants.

Teeth as bullets? Wastelanders were insane.

“What about just cutting the fabric?”

Norm spluttered at that, feeling the heat rising through his neck as her words sunk in – was she really suggesting what he thought she was while bleeding and in pain? – and Marigold winked even while opening her pants and pushing it down her hips, faded black panties becoming visible.

He dry-swallowed, looking away and feeling like a moron – for God’s sake, he wasn’t a virgin, and he had been ogling her the whole day with permission, what was his problem?

Marigold hissed as the fabric reached her thighs and started pulling at the wound, and Norm jumped ahead to help pull it down past it, doing his best to focus only on helping her. The pants stopped at her boots, and Marigold pulled herself sitting over the table with a sigh of relief.

The wound was still bleeding, with a central bullet hole, deep and gaping, with smaller wounds scattered around it, more burns than perforations, becoming sparser the farther they became from the central one.

His eyes wandered a little; the exposed skin, what wasn’t covered in blood, was slightly lighter than her face, but not by much, still golden-brown; multiple scars covered her thighs, lines and circles crisscrossing the skin, and those helped sober him up.

How many of those were a result of having to be a Black Widow?

He didn’t know. He didn’t know if he wanted to know. Too much pain so close to such a sensitive place… It was wrong.

---------

“I’ll get the things from your backpack.” Norm said quietly, and Marigold helped him, doing her best to not move her leg too much.

The wound was better than she had feared, worse than she had hoped. Thank God there were stimpaks in the bag, there would be no need for stitches and be too careful. And with them taking care of the wound so soon, one stimpak should be enough to heal the insides to a point where she didn’t need to worry about wound reopening and her bleeding out, or having deep infection – sepsis, as Goose called.

She also had found paper bounties, including hers, but since they were as safe as they could be, it could wait. Besides, the Bounty Hunter was dead, so that problem had been taken care of, at least for the time.

Marigold found her old pair of tweezers in an internal side pocket as Norm spread and organized the supplies close to her leg. The tweezers were rolled in a piece of fabric, too long to fit in the medicine tin.

“Spritz the vodka here and in my hands, please.”

“You’re not thinking of-”

“Taking it off myself? Yes I’m.” His eyebrows frowned and Marigold kept going before he could protest. “Sorry, Norm-boy, but I have more experience with this. I’ll still definitely accept any other help.”

Norm pressed his lips in a line, still frowning, taking the perfume bottle from the medicine tin and doing as she had asked, the smell of vodka spreading around them.

“How much will this hurt?” He asked, shining his Pip-Boy’s flashlight into the wound without her asking.

“Thanks for the light and… Lots, Norm-boy, but it’ll be worse if I get an infection, so…”

She shrugged, and jabbed the closed tweezers inside.

---------

Marigold cursed the whole three minutes it took for her to find the bullet and pull it out; it was lodged deep, blood coming out with her prodding the wound. Only the fact that she was feeling it, added to the fear of it being something that would cause a worse reaction if not taken out, kept her going.

Her fingers trembled as she managed to pull the tweezers out, the bullet held at the tip, and both almost fell to the table. Norm’s hands were there to take them from her, carefully.

“Fuck.” She mumbled a last time through gritted teeth, hands splayed against the wood as she leaned back, breathing deeply, eyes tightly closed. The pain had dulled, now that there wasn’t something inside flaring it when she least expected.

“Damn.”

“What?” She opened one eye, and noticed Norm looking at the bullet, hands stained with blood.

“It’s a tooth.”

“Told you.”

Norm shook his head, a small smile even while frowning, and put the tooth down.

“Now we can use the stimpak, right?”

“Yes we can.” She extended her hand, but Norm caught the stimpak before her, and Marigold raised an eyebrow at him.

“This I know how to do.”

She shrugged with a grin, leaning back again, just watching him.

“Be my guest, Norm-boy.”

He turned off the flashlight and approached, color appearing along his neck as he put a hand close to the wound – she couldn’t help but notice how his skin felt against hers, in general soft, even while she felt some smaller callouses; it was a good feeling, after all the pain –, pressuring to keep her leg in place. Carefully, he aligned the needle’s stimpak close to the wound and pressed, the needle sinking into the skin with little resistance.

Marigold clenched her teeth at the sensation, of the needle and whatever drugs cocktail inside of it spreading throughout her flesh.

The wound started burning from inside out, and as they watched, it knit together, the flow of blood diminished to a small trickle. The smaller burns around remained and there was still a small hole, but she didn’t felt that burning, spread pain anymore. And if the tooth had left any bacteria or whatever inside, the stimpak should’ve taken care of it.

Norm put the empty stimpak down and started cleaning the blood and the wound, before spritzing the vodka and spreading some healing powder over it.

“Do you have bandages or whatever? I don’t think it will be good to walk around with it all exposed, it’s worse than the one on your arm.”

Marigold had to stop and think for a bit, then pulled her backpack over and breathed in relief at finding the squares of clean bandages in a small plastic Ziploc bag – Goose always cleaned some and kept any bandages she cleaned and sterilized in them – and a roll of duct tape.

“Here.” She handed him the duct tape and took one square of bandage out, laying it over the wound.

“Duct tape? Really? This will take your skin off too.” Norm complained, even while still using the scissors to cut it.

“It’s what we have, Norm-boy.” She grinned and shrugged as he taped the bandage in place.

“I think that’s it. How you’re feeling?”

He stepped back and Marigold bent and extended her leg in test; she only felt the skin pull a little, nothing from the muscles deep inside.

“Tired, but overall just feeling the skin. Internal damage totally taken care of.”

Norm’s shoulders relaxed and he leaned against the table besides her, letting out a relieved sigh of his own.

Marigold leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and pressed her shoulder against his.

“Thanks, Norm-boy.”

He pressed right back.

“You’re welcome.”

There was a loud thunder, followed by a dull sound outside that she easily recognized: the sharp, fast wind of a rad-storm against metal and wood, whistling through any space it could find, but Norm’s Geiger count remained in silence, so the place was well isolated, thankfully.

It was a sound she had heard a lot growing up, and not always with a Geiger count giving her reassurance things were safe.

Norm tensed beside her, head bolting upright towards the sound.

“What’s that?”

“The rad-storm. Let’s hope it move away soon.”

---------

Rad-storm. He had been so focused on Marigold’s wound he had forgot those clouds in the horizon. He also hadn’t been expecting that sound, so… All-encompassing. It was clear it would be a noisy night.

“How long until it does?” He looked back at her, and Marigold was loosening her boots. “What… Are you doing?”

“I need to clean and mend my pants, can’t do it while using them.” She shrugged, taking one pant out and putting on the boot again. “And it really depends. It’s the first rad-storm of the season, so they can last at least a few day, but sometimes we’re lucky and they move fast.”

Norm nodded, dry-swallowing as she finished taking off her pants and dropped from the table, and really he should stop looking, she had said he was welcome to look while she had pants on, Norm, for God’s sake…

Marigold got hold of his chin and turned his head towards her face. Before he processed it, he felt her lips on his cheek, close to the corner of his lips.

“What-?” his neck, his face, everything was burning, and his heart beat so fast inside his chest that he thought he was about to pass out.

“For pulling me, that shot would’ve hit some big artery otherwise.” She interrupted him, turning his face and kissing his other cheek. “And this one for getting the door open.”

Marigold let go of his chin and stepped back, giving him the extra trouble grin before winking. Norm opened and closed his mouth, no sound leaving him, and something in her face twisted in a way that he only could call “smug”.

“I’ll use the bathroom upstairs to take care of these.” She raised the hand holding the bloodied pants and got hold of the medicine tin with the other.

“… All right.” He managed to say, and with that Marigold left the kitchen, limping a little, not a drop of shyness or whatever as she did it.

Half of him couldn’t believe how better her legs and behind looked without pants, the shift of skin and muscle as she moved making his mouth dry. Norm heard her steps fading up the metal stairs, a door closing, and slumped against the table.

“Holy… Damn.”

---------

Norm forced himself to take everything bloodied to the kitchen sink, methodically taking his Pip-Boy off before cleaning it all under the running water, then carefully cleaning all traces of blood from under his nails. Occasionally a thunder echoed, making him jump and curse – the holomovies and such in the Vault really failed in showing how loud they could be. And… Was that really how normal storms sounded, or just the radioactive ones?

His brain had tried to convince him to go up the stairs, knock on the bathroom door and ask if she wanted to have sex, determined that having her legs around his head would solve half of his problems – especially the ones bellow his belt, damn it. And if he hadn’t heard the door closing, he probably would’ve heard those horny thoughts.

But he had heard, and she had just gotten shot, and the both of them hadn’t even eaten yet, so really those thoughts weren’t the best judges of timing – they never were that good for starters, but they clearly had devolved in the surface.

The time it took to get everything clean was enough to get himself under control, for his problem to go away, and make his stomach rumble, just giving strength to his argument of “they hadn’t even eaten yet”.

As he stored everything of hers into the backpack, he found two cans; both had tapes to the bottom with “ant” written, and a small, simplified drawing of an ant besides it. The forks were a little harder to find, but he managed, ascending the stairs while holding both items.

He stopped in front of the bathroom door. He could hear her inside, humming an old familiar song, and unconsciously he tapped a finger against the can to the same rhythm – “’cause babe it’s just you”, the words softly reached him, more humming following them, and he shook his head with a small smile.

Good to see that some pre-war music had survived.

“Marigold!” He called, and the humming immediately stopped.

“Yeah?!”

“I brought a can of food for you! Ant!”

“Righty!” The door opened, exposing Marigold, still pant-less and with leather bracers and fingerless gloves missing, the sleeves of her shirt folded to her elbows, pants in the sink. “Thanks, Norm-boy.” She smiled as he handed her a can and a fork, digging in with the same gusto he had come to expect.

He forced himself to keep his eyes on her face instead of sneaking a look – all his talk of “timing” would flee his mind the moment he did it, he was sure of it.

“Is the blood coming off?”

“Most of it, yeah, but it’ll probably be forever stained.” She shrugged, leaning against the doorway.

“Need any help with it?”

“Nah, I have it under control. But tell you what, I was remembering that other terminal we saw. Think you can take a look, see if there’s any chance of anyone else appearing or whatever? I know you said the door hadn’t been opened in years, but… Just to make sure.”

“I’ll get right into it.” Norm nodded at her, a step already in the direction of the so-called chem-lab, glad to have something to do and distract his head from her.

#norm maclean #norm maclean x oc #fallout #fallout series #fallout prime #Marigold doesn't know what 'shame about naked body' is lolololol #Norm is In Trouble lolololol

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one-silly-cart00nist · 1 year

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Sunset after the Rain [Mark/David]

(because AO3 is down and I was planning to post the sequel to this fic soon so here you go tumblr: my ode to the creek and the start of my Elders brainrot)

Rated: G Word Count: 5k Pre-slash, Original Side Character (Jackie's gf for plot purposes)

It was a sunny afternoon at the creek the day when the Elder’s rock was busy outdoors. For the longest day of summer the three friends prepared a special celebration—a campfire and a sleepover under the rock with a few special guests to shelter.

Omar, despite being quite the youngest in the group, captured the hearts of the elders easily through his love of comics and videogames. Now that the Overpass didn’t need a guard and he had free time to spare, he found himself frequently showing up at the Elder’s rock borrowing manga and listening in on the DnD campaigns. He didn’t quite have the confidence to join in.

David insisted Tabitha and Courtney would be invited to commemorate their friendship formed from sharing the pain of part-time at the smoothie bar. Mark wasn’t quite thrilled about it—and was still taking his time to get used to David’s new passion for the Goth lifestyle. But the wound of almost losing his friendship over a petty grudge was fresh and so he caved.

Then there was Annie. While her anime consumption was more casual than the elders, her passion for singing OSTs and her cheerful intrigue for all things nerd made her a favoured company.

And wherever Annie went usually followed… Jackie.

Currently looming above David who has just excitedly been telling Annie about the new shop he found online selling all kinds of clothes to fit his new aesthetic.

Mark observed from a distance.

The cold stare of his glasses that reflected nothing, the panic in David’s eyes as he trailed off mid-sentence, the smirk that bloomed on Jackie’s face at the reaction, and finally, how it faded into a much gentler smile when Jackie took the spot next to Annie. He extended his hand towards Annie, pinkie, pointer and thumb sticking out—Annie copied the gesture as she slotted her fingers alongside his.

Mark didn’t understand what it meant.

Correction: he knew exactly what Jackie was showing was jealousy. Admittedly, he was familiar with that, even though he didn’t have a cute date to justify it. He just didn’t know what the sign meant.

He looked at David again. He recovered from the scare quickly and was now back on his excited monologue, fists held up and his whole body bouncing as he talked. It was less noticeable than what it used to be when they were younger but Mark knew what he was looking at to notice it.

Past the logs they collected around the campfire, Barry has just emerged from the woods carrying a couple of sticks to roast on. Omar was right at his tail carrying rocks to circle the campfire. The kid was taking his contribution so seriously.

Tabitha and Courtney arrived a minute ago with loads of snacks and cola. Now they sat across from Annie and David and chatted among themselves.

Mark has tasked himself with tidying up the rock to welcome so many people—it was gonna be stuffy anyway but putting away some manga shelves and life sized replicas was the least he could do. Now that’s done he found himself watching the life around him.

It hasn’t been that long since the fight after which he spent weeks alone at the rock before he packed up and started hanging out at home instead where his messy room and the internet would distract him from the sorrow and guilt eating him up.

He was just going to the Elder’s rock to borrow the last volume of Two Piece when he found Barry sitting there all by himself. He feared the moment but found relief when Barry said he wasn’t mad anymore. Mark apologised regardless. Spending that afternoon with Barry gave him courage to reach out to David too.

He didn’t realise how much he missed them both.

---☀---

“As the good hosts we are,” David spoke with enthusiasm, “we should introduce everyone. I’m David and I work at the smoothies with Tabitha and Courtney. Who wants to go next?”

Barry took the spot next to him and greeted everyone, claiming his turn. Mark scanned the circle to see where he could sit—they prepared more logs than necessary to use them as spare tables for board games. The other side of David was still empty even though Mark would need to carry a log all the way over and he didn’t want to look that desperate. There was space next to Jackie on the fallen tree log but Mark wasn’t so fond of that kid. He didn’t even invite him.

He chose to sit on one of the spare logs in between Tabitha and Jackie. It gave him a direct view of David…

David and his ripped off sleeves and just one of many chokers Mark definitely hasn’t been keeping track of. His hair started growing out even more now that he didn’t trim it to fit under the old helmet, and Mark recalls how he mentioned wanting it pink eventually.

It’s been weeks. It feels like they met again in college—it feels like seeing Kenneth on that phone call. He changed so much. He grew up to be popular and handsome and not into anime anymore. David grew up to be popular and handsome too.

With pink hair and edgy clothes…?

Maybe that too.

He looked really happy and confident in his skin. Sure he had been before—walking around the rock topless despite not being the type to work out required that kind of confidence already.

Ah. He never really cared for anyone’s opinion. David always cared about personal joy and harmony first and foremost.

Mark had to admit that he was happy for him, seeing him like this. Even if he was in two minds about his own feelings towards the new gimmick.

He still loved anime and Mark’s DnD campaigns. If he wanted to play as a sorcerer instead of a bard now, that was not Mark’s place to complain.

He smiled to himself.

Then he looked up, disturbed from his thoughts by the sudden silence. He noticed David’s eyes on him. His heart skipped a beat. And then he slowly realised everyone had their eyes on him like they expected him to do something. For a brief moment he panicked if he wasn’t saying all that aloud, but David soon cleared the table, cheerful as ever: “It’s your turn!”

“Oh,” he scratched his neck awkwardly as he willed away the scarlet of his cheeks. “I’m Mark. I am the expert of all things anime… and…” his gaze travelled to David who listened to him too intently for someone who already knew him. “And I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole to you David.”

“Aw… We’ve been over that,” David waved his hand in dismissal. “But your apology is appreciated. I’m happy we’re friends now.”

Mark swore he heard coos from at least one of the girls present and felt his cheeks heat up at the attention. If either one of them decides to tease him about it, or about how he stuttered through his apology when his attention stuck on David’s eyeliner, he will consider drastic measures.

Next was Jackie. He waved at everyone and pointed at himself. Then he gestured with his hand what Mark assumed was his name because Annie filled in the silence with a verbal introduction. He signed more and Annie translated that he likes swimming and baseball.

At the end he turned to her with a sign akin to a blown kiss.

Mark never had a reason to learn ASL but he wondered how hard it is. If it was any different from learning Japanese like he did in his free time—a completely new sentence structure and a thousand of signs so unlike the english alphabet.

“My name is Annie. I like to dance and sing and… a lot more things… but singing OSTs with the guys is what brings me here tonight.” She smiled and gestured at Jackie, as she continued to sign the rest of her introduction. “Jackie is my boyfriend, I hope no one minds him here. We’re both from the other side of the creek.”

“What is it like on the other side?” David inquired. “That’s where Kenneth is from.”

The sudden mention of Kenneth’s name had unwanted thoughts flashing through Mark’s mind. His dyed blonde hair and blue contacts. His room, bare of any trace of his origins. He was almost unrecognisable. And the crushing reality of David keeping contact with him and yet he never reached out to the rest.

It wasn’t surprising it was David whom he remained friends with. Who wouldn’t… It hurt nevertheless.

“Pretty chill after King Xavior was overthrown.” Annie said, then turned to Omar, “We thank Omar and his friends for that effort.”

Omar set his can of soda aside and wiped his mouth on his sleeve while keeping eye contact with Annie, then her boyfriend. “We faced Jackie in combat back then. So pardon my uneasiness. It’s been a lot to get over after all those years.”

Annie tapped Jackie to make him focus as she signed what Omar said. She smiled as she watched Jackie sign back. “He says it was fun and that he will be better prepared for a future water balloon fight.”

He smirked at Omar and nodded. “We’ll see that fair and square.”

Annie continued. “It wasn’t a matter of choice to be on Xavier’s side. No one believed Xavier could be defeated. If Jackie turned his back on the king he would be in serious trouble afterwards. And being a champion wasn’t so bad—he could keep doing what he loved.”

“Where were you during the war, Annie?” Omar wondered. “I don’t think we passed you in our search for the flag.”

“I was casted out of the creek before the war began…” she laughed. “I might have punched Xavier. More times than I can count. It was… uh… deserved… but it wasn’t so bad. My only connection to the creek was Jackie, which allowed me to sneak in and before that, to get away with more than a regular kid could. I can’t blame him for sticking to the king to the very end.”

“Hold up— What?” Tabitha drew everyone’s attention to herself. “You guys had a monarchy in the creek? Dude that’s— What.”

“It’s kinda been a thing for a decade now. We grew up into the system, messed up as it is.”

“Queen Cheyenne was chill.” Annie narrated Jackie’s signs again. “If there was a problem we sought help with, she would help, otherwise she was just a teen hanging out with her best friend at the royal tree house. She took her status seriously and wished to expand her rule across the overpass but she wasn’t that persistent about it. Xavier was crowned a couple of years ago and that quickly turned into a whole tyranny.”

“What happened to that Cheyenne?”

“The worst possible thing—she concluded she was too cool for the creek.” Annie rolled her eyes. “Could never be me.”

“No one is too old for the creek,” Barry exclaimed. A chorus of agreements came from everyone while Tabitha and Courtney shrugged their shoulders.

“I can stand behind that,” Mark joined in. “Except for when we’re in college somewhere far away. Because you guys have plans or whatever.”

Tabitha and Courtney exchanged grimaces. “Yeah, let's not talk about that.”

“Let’s dive into the juicy part.” Tabitha cheered, getting up to pass around the plastic bag. She sat down throwing her legs over Courtney’s lap.

Her girlfriend grabbed a can of cola from her hands and popped it open. “Literally, we bought smoothies. But you have to pay in gossip!”

“Yeah. Barry—has someone captured your heart recently?”

“Uh. No…” Barry scratched his neck awkwardly. “My heart is being crushed by advanced bio summer homework.”

“Booring…” Tabitha complained with an exasperated sigh. “You guys really do your summer homework?” she shook her head in disbelief. “David, you tell us what you’ve been up to.”

“Well… I’ve been experimenting with my clothes. I really like the stuff you picked out, I never thought I would be so comfortable in this.” He smiled bashfully as he twirled a hair between his fingers. “It’s really growing on me.”

“It looks really cute on you,” Annie said. Jackie gave a thumbs up. Barry also muttered something encouraging. Mark felt his voice stuck in his throat.

David curled into himself but despite that he glowed with all the praise. “Thanks guys.”

Even when the rest of the circle shifted attention towards the next person in line, Mark’s eyes lingered on his friend. He had to agree with the compliments.

“Annie, what about you and Jackie? How did you two become a thing?”

Mark wasn’t particularly interested in that but he found himself following the story as Annie spoke animatedly. “To be honest… I was never gonna tell him that I liked him. I would say so out loud because I knew he wouldn’t hear but I couldn’t let him know.”

That made Mark pause. It was beyond him why Annie thought she needed to keep her feelings hidden. It wasn’t like it would be weird to like him. They have been friends for years and Jackie was clearly interested in her if he kept coming back.

David never had to ask him to show up under the rock on his birthdays or to speed watch his latest anime favourites so they could spend the next few days discussing them. But they also simped for anime girls together. It didn’t make sense. It brought so many questions Mark didn’t have answers for.

“…All until Elisa noticed my crush. She thought it would be fun to tease me, to make me insecure, that Jackie would never like me back. I was so frustrated and Jackie noticed. I had to tell him. I didn’t know how to sign it at that time, so I just drew a heart on his chest and he returned the gesture.”

“Aww that’s so sweet!” Courtney cooed.

Tabitha howled beside her. “That bitch can suck it! Look who’s got a boyfriend now!”

“Language Tabi! There are kids with us!” Courtney calmed her down.

“Huh?” Tabitha threw a look at the circle until her eyes landed on the hoodie kid. Her gaze darkened and her sharp teeth flashed in a dangerous smirk. “Oh. Omar?”

Mark watched in disinterest as the kid’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Nothing of that sort.”

Jackie signed something with a snicker that only Annie understood and chose to not share. If Mark had to guess those two knew of some non supporting evidence for the kid’s statement. Not that he cared.

Could kids like him already have crushes?

Mark didn’t even remember when he… no, nevermind. That wasn’t a crush. Whatever it was, which he couldn’t name, it was not a crush. He would have noticed sooner.

“Does David want to share his romantic discoveries?”

Mark shot his eyes towards his clearly panicking friend. “No. David doesn’t want to.”

That was both a relief and a concern. He was better off if he didn’t have to hear about whoever David was interested in but the answer made him wonder—what was the point of such defensiveness if there wasn’t someone in his mind?

He really, really shouldn’t have thought of that.

---☀---

Annie tore a pack of chips open and threw a couple into her mouth. “Should someone set up the games?”

“Suit yourself. What are we playing?” Mark jumped to his feet, happy to distance himself from the conversation. He lifted the tower of board games he carried outside the rock for the occasion. “The choices are endless.”

“David promised us he would show us your DnD business,” Tabitha shouted from the back.

Annie shook her head as she mindlessly reviewed the game collection. “We should play something non-verbal. Like double.”

Annie lifted her head with a grin as she signed her idea to Jackie who signed back quickly. “You’re right I’m unbeatable. Not even Keun Sup could outspeed me.”

“What about uno?” Tabitha suggested.

“Do we want to have a good time or do we want to scream at each other until sundown?”

“We could play cards?” Omar tried.

“Have any of you heard of Kent?” Annie asked then. A couple of people shook their heads while Jackie showed a toothy grin. “We send codes to our teammates when we have collected an all-symbol combination and try to not be caught by the other teams. Sounds good?”

An excited chorus followed.

“Grab a teammate and come up with a secret code.” Annie instructed. “I’m with Jackie!”

“Calling dibs on Courtney!”

Mark looked around hesitantly. The choices were running out quickly. Even Barry already teamed up with Omar by the time Mark made up his mind to ask him.

Which meant the only person left was… David.

“So what code should we pick?” David beamed at him. His voice dropped into an excited whisper. “A wink?”

Very predictable, the code and the mannerism that had Mark leaning away for personal space all the same. “Uh… oh… Sure. Yeah. A wink will do.”

Annie and Jackie set up the cards while the rest of the teams were discussing strategies, likely already having a vault of different codes to switch between as they played. Mark expected no one could compete with the excited duo but he held some naive hope he could win at least a few games once he grasped the rules. He hadn’t spent his entire life playing games for nothing.

The game itself was more about attention than the cards.

In the first round Mark had his last ace snatched from under his palm. It meant two things—he was left to observe instead of collecting like all the rest, and that Omar who swept his card was out of the round with him.

The game was also about knowing people.

He called out Barry pretty easily when he rapped his fingers on his thigh out of nowhere. That was a classic impatient Barry thing.

Annie fared just as well in terms of catching people red handed.

“Courtney, your make-up is so pretty today.”

“Out! Tabitha is out!” Annie would exclaim cheerfully.

“What? Not fair! Can I not compliment my girlfriend?”

Somehow the banter only added to the pleasant experience. It built Mark’s competitive spirit and brought laughs and had the time fly so fast.

“What’s your code even supposed to be?”

“We will never tell!”

---☀---

The sunlight soon faded too much to see the cards in front of them properly and so the group of friends moved on to the main event of the night. Barry and Tabitha crouched by the campfire with crumbled newspaper and a lighter. Omar sharpened the roasting sticks quietly in the corner. Annie and Jackie set up an actual table to place all their food on.

David and Courtney sat back engrossed in a conversation.

Mark stood there idly as he tried not to look at them too much.

He spent most of his childhood with Barry and David and Kenneth. He never looked to make more friends—he already had company that shared his interest in anime so what more could he gain. Not like he expected to ever lose either of them. They were supposed to be inseparable, if not for their shared hobbies then for the fact there wasn’t anyone else they would turn to.

Now David had actual friends outside of the Elder trio. Mark was happy for him. At least he tried to be.

But… It seeded a worry that David would no longer need his old friends when he found another place to belong like Kenneth did, would no longer need to settle for someone who’d been so hurtful towards him without realising. Mark wanted to turn back time and make sure David didn’t set foot out from under the rock on that fateful day.

Would that mean he’d still sit here in front of them shirtless with his cape warming him against the chill of the evening and his helmet set down on his lap so he could lean his forearms on it and support his head?

The mental image competed with the sight before his eyes until they faded into one.

David with one knee supporting his head, hiding his choker and the front of his shirt. His hair flowing down the sides of his face, untamed even as he tucked stray strands behind his ears. The eyeliner only made his wide eyes more noticeable. Like it wasn’t hard to look away from them already.

---☀---

As darkness covered the clearing and dimmed the view, Mark found it easier to keep his eyes and thoughts away from David. The campfire added a nice layer of warmth to the summer night and the roasted bacon and marshmallows brought the same warmth to Mark’s stomach.

There was program as well—Courtney and Tabitha telling spooky stories that allegedly happened in the creek. Mark knew half of them from his own childhood, being scared while Barry and David always rushed into the adventure of finding out its truths. It was mostly Barry. David was curious and eager to learn but not so much a brave soul, sweaty palms always enclosing Mark’s wrist or sleeve.

An innocent soul, even now. He was so easy to push around that Mark hadn’t even realised he had been doing so.

---☀---

At some point during the night David pulled out a ukulele. Mark recalled hearing him practise at the rock a few years back but David back then was terrible and he couldn’t stand the noise. He must have practised a lot since then because he was nothing like the awkward off key performances of ninth grade.

He played a melody that everyone at the circle knew as they all hummed along but among all the voices only David stood out to his ears. That part of his performance was still… less than charming.

Mark supposed that was good. It was familiar. It was his David.

---☀---

First yawn of the evening and the emptied supply of food slowly moved the program inside.

Jackie slid under the rock with ease and extended his arms towards Annie whose eyes were already falling shut as she crawled in. He took off his cap and glasses before he climbed into his futon. It looked like they were both done for the night. Not like anyone else here could use ASL to help him keep up with the conversations.

Omar set his futon underneath the anime figurines shelf. He flipped through the comics scattered nearby as he waited for the rest of the group to settle down. It wasn’t long until he was snoring nose deep in the pages.

Tabitha tried to play cool as she challenged the rest to stay up the latest but ended up falling asleep in her girlfriend’s lap early on as well.

Soon it was just Courtney and the elders.

They formed a much smaller circle and kept their voices hushed so as to not disturb the rest. It felt weirdly intimate to huddle up—especially with David leaned against the wall by his left, not exactly leaning into him but close enough to let his mane brush over Mark’s shoulder now and then.

Speaking in a whisper, David’s voice was much more stable and calming. “Is this the part when we tell each other secrets?”

“I don’t know. This is the part for anything that felt too out of the left field in the sun.” Courntey replied and yawned. “If there are any thoughts you want to share, the floor is yours.”

David seemed to think about it for a long while. His eyes always wandered off when he was deep in thoughts—a habit that was rare, for David’s mind usually worked at a speed unmatched by others, but prominent nonetheless. At one point it was clear to Mark he was no longer caught up in his thoughts. Rather, waiting for a cue to speak.

When no one else took the spotlight, he finally spoke up. “I was really sad and hurt when I left this place behind. I feel that bitterness at the back of my mouth now that I’m back. It’s on my mind all day.”

Mark averted his eyes in guilt.

“But it’s being rewritten by new memories, both here and at the smoothie place. And it helped me push myself to meet new people and try out new things. I would have never dared to show up like this to the creek. At least… not now. I’m still exploring how I like to see myself.”

He fidgeted with his sleeve. It caught Mark’s eye and urged him to reach out. He didn’t know where that action would have ended so he suppressed it quietly. Maybe he wasn’t quiet enough.

David looked up at him. Mark swallowed. “When you walked up to the counter and saw me and still wanted me to come… I care about what you think. It frustrated me when I realised how much I let myself be stomped on because of it.”

The lump in his throat grew more uncomfortable as he listened to David’s words. I care about what you think. That was a new one. Something he might have only figured out recently, or didn’t feel like saying when they first spoke about the argument.

Mark had thought about his own apology too, how he could have been more open. “I never meant to make you feel… to hurt you. I was really happy that I had you by my side. I took that for granted.”

The rest was a familiar tune on the tip of his tongue. “It felt terrible to be here alone too. Like when your favourite show never airs its final arc. All you’re left with are the hopes of what could have been.”

And lastly, what fell out of his mouth when David reached out for his hand and he felt like he was staring for too long: “I don’t know if I like this… everything… but I’ll get used to it. I promise. It’s okay to change. Just don’t ditch me again. Please.”

“Listen to me when I tell you that you’re pushing too hard. Okay?”

Mark shut his eyes. “I will. I promise.”

The silence was unnerving—so much so it led Mark to open his eyes again. He didn’t want to face David’s reaction but he couldn’t stand being left in the dark about it.

David was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t read. It was uncommon, David wore his heart on his sleeve, or so Mark thought until now.

Soon David’s gaze softened as he reached out with open arms. Mark was never so relieved to hear someone speak. “Come here, I missed you…”

Everyone who grew up with Mark knew he wasn’t one for hugs, for any physical affection really. He didn’t like getting up and personal. Still he found himself clutching onto David’s waist and enjoying the warmth the simple gesture brought to him, like he was still at the campfire.

As they pulled away their gazes lingered on each other. It was Mark who looked away first, weak against the gentle smile on David’s lips as well as suddenly aware of Barry’s presence. He looked at him but couldn’t think of what to say. The apology was meant for him as well… Mark was just completely scooted by the heat in his chest that he kept for his best friend.

Barry seemed to understand what was going through his head, patting his shoulder and letting Mark’s palm rest on the back of his hand to thank him for the silent understanding.

Mark’s heart soared with relief. Like they haven’t had the same heart to heart a few weeks ago. Like he hadn’t heard them accept his apologies half a dozen times already.

David hugged them both back then, hesitant but earnest. It was the same and yet so different when he hugged Mark a moment ago. It felt intimate. Like it was meant for only the two of them. Like there was no one watching.

David never cared about who’s watching. Mark had always adored that about him. How he existed in his own bubble sometimes, savouring happiness and completely oblivious to the world around him, by choice or otherwise. Mark felt being a part of that bubble just now.

No one has spoken a word since David invited him for a hug. All the same people could be shouting right into his ear and Mark is sure he wouldn’t hear a word of it.

He stared ahead until David’s cheeks gained a scarlet colour and he finally looked away sheepishly. Mark felt his face heat up as well.

“Well, I’m out,” he announced abruptly, getting onto his feet. “Do whatever you want but I shall head to sleep.”

David leaned backwards. “O-Oh. Yeah. I’ll follow suit.”

Mark felt his eyes leave a warm trace on his back as he walked over to his sleeping bag. He didn’t bother turning around even when he heard hesitant footsteps.

“Okay, let’s tuck you in then…” that must have been a whisper by Courtney, probably awkwardly manoeuvring Tabitha off her legs. Not Mark’s problem.

He turned to face the wall. He could hear the rustling of the sleeping bags and some whispers. It had never been this lively at the Elder’s rock before—not ever since the three friends used to stay the night from time to time in middle school. It certainly never was this crowded. Mark’s mind was never so restless.

He internally laughed at himself, at how the evening with friends and extended company and plenty of distraction still led his head to wrap around David. He probably thought about him so much he’ll think of him in his sleep too. For the better or worse.

Probably for the better. If he had to admit to it—and if this was going to be a theme in his life now. Then he should look at the bright side.

#craig of the creek #elders of the creek #cotc fanfic #mark cotc #david cotc #barry cotc #omar cotc #tabitha cotc #courtney cotc #jackie cotc #a bowl of my favourite characters #if I could justify secret keeper's presence the super bowl would be complete #would you believe me if I said Mark took over the keyboard halfway through to gush about David #when all I meant to write about were silly childhood memories

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lostlegendaerie · 1 year

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I can't tell if you're genuinely asking for help with floor design, or if you're just venting to the void with a problem- if you're just venting please disregard this message. My parents were hoarders I was left to store their stuff in manageable ways until they slowly collected more. I had some thoughts of what I might do/have done if I were in your shoes while looking at your floorplan Making a model floorplan to move items around without Actually Moving The Items Around is brilliant and an excellent idea, honestly. You might change your mind anyway if you move furniture off of it, but you'll have a much better idea on how to work with your space and will save your arms/back 1a) If you want to just stack boxes in the "HELP" room, put it on the side guests would see less. So if they spend most of their time in the Living Room, put it against that same wall (and vice versa if they spend more time in the dining room). Then a floor lamp or other tall/thin storage unit could get put on the end they'd still see to better hide it from view in the adjacent room 1b) Depending on how much depth there is from the entry way or dining room walls to the wall of the desk+PC area, you could also make a temporary or permanent curtain fixture to hide the boxes behind. The curtain could add color to the room and you could pin art on it. It would also leave everything behind it easily accessible and guests wouldn't see the boxes at all. Maybe buying a tall shelving unit and attaching the curtain to the top level? - Bookshelves/Cubbies with Baskets. Anything that looks presentable can just sit on the shelves, and things that you'd use monthly can be put into a basket on it to still look nice. Maybe the electronics/PC parts could serve as decoration? A small lamp could then sit on top of the shelf to light the room a bit - Alternative to a bookshelf, get a dresser. If the drawers are deep enough you may be able to put boxes right in. Things you use more often in a higher drawer, things you use less often in lower drawers. With a dresser you wouldn't need to decorate any shelves, just the top of it - Vacuum cleaner can honestly just go wherever it fits. As long as it is out of the way with the chord up, and (maybe) empty, it'll look fine. I personally wouldn't have an issue if I saw a vacuum neatly out in someone's house - Depending on what and how big your tools are, they could be stored in your vehicle instead (if you have one). If you need them frequently inside this might not be a good option though. Otherwise I personally feel the same way about tools as a vacuum cleaner: as long as they can be stored out of the way safely, it'll look fine - Put things behind your furniture. If something is thin enough to fit, and you don't use it that often, it can be stored behind the sofa. Those things will be hidden, out of the way, and easily accessible when you do need them. I have my fabric cutting boards stashed there currently - Store things under furniture too. It's a chore to get things from under a bed, but for items you rarely use it gets them out of the way. I store sentimental things I can't let go of, and wrapping paper/gift stuff that I only use a few times a year - A blanket chest or a boxy bench with storage inside will also hide items if you want to add seating in "HELP" - To add lighting you might be able to get some non-christmas lights to wrap around/pin to the stair banister. If I understood correctly, the stairs are furthest from any light source (outside of anything it leads to), so it could add some brightness to "HELP" if you like that style Ultimately this is your home, the place that you're supposed to spend a majority of your life inside of. Eventually you'll be working together seamlessly, but it's not stupid or unreasonable if it's overwhelming currently <3 I wish you the best of luck figuring out a way to organize "HELP" to best suit your needs! Regardless of how you decide to design your space, I hope it becomes 100% you and brings you joy

😭😭😭

This was so kind and so thorough, thank you so much!

I've currently moved my dining room table (which I only ever used for DND) into the HELP room and am using my computer chair as a DM chair and it's working pretty good so far!!!!!

But these tips are INCREDIBLE. Put things behind the sofa!!!!! BRILLIANT!!

#thank you so much!!!

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paigelts05 · 2 years

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FNAF Renegade AU designs: the maintainance firm

https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/FNAF-Renegade-AU-designs-the-maintainance-firm-826701666

Published: Jan 12, 2020

Every company that took a contract with fazbear entertainment suffers from thier email server ‘bug’. This small maintenance and storage company included.

The only emails unaffected are some of Anna and Luis's outgoing emails, although 99% of the emails are Cc'd to everyone there anyway. From left to right, we have: Raha Salib She's usually quite busy, but enjoys her job, and tries her best to manage what she needs to do as well as being available to do all the power tool related things. She tends to get engrossed in tasks way too quickly, so it's best to find her and talk in person if a question or request is time sensitive. Luis Cabrera A friendly person who keeps an eye on everyone and cares deeply about the mental state of everyone he works with, even though his job is really just the IT systems manager. As a result, people tend to come to him first to help with their emotional problems before going to a therapist, usually at Luis's request. Anna Kwemto Shy, but not shy about being tall. She can usually be found dealing with incoming, outgoing, and internal paperwork and afairs, so she's always the first to know about clients and their requests, as it all goes through her. Fitting, seeing as she kind of runs the place. She may seem cold, but she's just not that great at talking to people. Mark Cho He's usually the first to point out when something seems off, in part because of his short fuse before breaking down when it comes to scary things, and the fact that he's usually the one cleaning the animatronics that are being stored in what limited storage the small maintenance firm has access to. He may be the shortest, but he's learned how to climb up things that shouldn't be climbed in order to reach high shelves: a skill that serves him well in work, and in grocery shopping. Daniel Rocha Daniel spends most of his time taking animatronics apart and putting them back together for a living, but as he isn't certified to use power tools on site, it's a bit of a back-and-forth between asking Raha to help get the casing off, and then being able to do the rest of his thing himself before he comes across another task that he doesn't have the tools to complete. This wouldn't be a problem, if he wasn't so impatient and so bad at estimating how long a task takes. Steven Wilson He could probably let a while day slip by and he wouldn't notice a thing. As a result, if anyone needs him, they usually both email him, and go to wherever he is working to make sure he got the message, and the stuff needed. He usually deals with computer things related to the animatronics that they are maintaining as opposed to the company's own IT system, which as Steven puts it, is "Luis's problem". On a more meta level as an artist and unrelated to plot or the characters themselves, the reason why I gave Dan scars is because I couldn't rub the sketch out properly. Sometimes, as a traditional artist, the art decides a bit of what it wants to be all by itself. Also, my phone's camera hates focusing, so after over twenty attempts (the usual amount of attempts) at taking a photo, the one I went with mostly focuses on most of them. If someone is blurry, that's not a hint or an easter egg: it's just my camera refusing to focus on all of them at once.

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deathblizzard · 2 years

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Office space: Rukia keeps her office space usually pretty clean and clear but she also has small little personal touches. First of which is more just habit and tradition for her: She has a habit of creating a trail of drawings wherever she goes. She draws on way too many a thing, desk, paper, faces– you name it. Particularly though if she occupies a desk for long enough it will probably get a chappy carving in the corner. So far it includes her own desk at the Kuchiki manor as well as her office, and there’s probably some desk somewhere at the shinigami academy somewhere that still has a chappy drawing carved into it to this day. I think Karakura high might have one that has a near finished but not fully complete one from her first months there.

Secondly, she still has very tall shelves despite her height. She inherits some shelves from Kaien. Usually if its two, maybe three shelves above where she can reach she’ll just climb the shelf itself, sort of like a rock wall. She’s light enough it probably has yet to fall on her. But Rukia will resort to using a chair to get to the top ones, in which she just typically will verbally curse at having to resort to it. The top shelves don’t usually have much on them to avoid this; typically they get put there by other people without thinking and she suffers the consequences later.

Lastly, Rukia is 110% all-in on purikura photos– once someone shows her them [Looking at you Orihime]. I’m pretty sure you’ll have to pull her away honestly. (”One more– just one more!” or “We still need to try that one sticker!!!”) She leans more towards the animals, cheesy words, cute fonts, whiskers and noses, and hearts, than the more beauty and larger eyes kind of themes. That’s not to say that she goes way too hard on using too many stickers at once though. I think it fits her drawing style far too much for her to not adore purikura. And at that point any time she spots a booth of them she’ll drag whoever is with her to it whether she has the funds or not. She wants to “become a master” and learn the ways!

If she is lucky enough to get her brother in one she probably has the picture in a special drawer of her desk. Along with a bunch that just get put all haphazardly in a separate drawer she just keeps collecting with whoever she pulls into doing with her at the time.

#;headcanons #tsp activity check #;she was that person that carved in your desk in high school don't @ her

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insaraffurniture · 1 day

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Furniture Ideas That Will Make Your Kids Jump for Joy – Insaraf Furniture

Children enjoy it if they are able to have their own special room. They can play in it, study in it, and just lay down on the floor if they wish to do so. And if you want your child to have a personal room, then having some good furniture is also necessary.

Kids Furniture – Transform Your Child’s Room into a Magical Space | Saraf Furniture

We suggest reading Saraf Furniture Reviews and get the furniture with the best reviews. But wait. A lot of people keep asking that which furniture should I buy for my kid's room? Are you also thinking the same? Don't worry because we are here to present you some excellent tips which can help you transform your child’s room. Now let’s have a look at how to create an awesome room for your kid.

1. Multipurpose Bed with Storage

No one can deny the fact that kids have a lot of toys. A bed with storage helps keep things neat and organized. These Saraf Furniture beds have drawers or shelves built in. You can put toys, books, or clothes in them. This way, the room stays neat, and your kid has more space to play. It's like having two pieces of furniture in one!

2. Colourful Modular Wardrobes

Children are always growing and so do their clothes and other belongings such as shoes. It is good to have modular wardrobes because as the child grows, you can always change it. They are also available in fun colours as well. You can add or remove parts of it, as well as change the position of the parts. This means that your kid’s wardrobe can be perfectly fit regardless of their age.

3. Study Corner with Ergonomic Desk and Chair

Every kid needs a good place to do homework. A comfy desk and chair help them focus better. Look for a desk that's the right height for your child. The chair should support their back. This study corner can be a special spot for reading and drawing too.

Read Also : Saraf Furniture's focus on solid wood product quality inspires many in the industry

4. Fun-shaped Bookshelves

Books are significant, and entertaining bookshelves will encourage more children to read books. Why not a tree like shelf or a rocket like shelf? Such cool designs make books appear interesting. Children will be excited selecting books from these shelves. Indeed, it is one of the best methods of arranging books so that they do not get mix up and are easily accessible.

5. Playful Bean Bags and Floor Cushions

Kids love soft, comfy spots to sit. Bean bags and cushions are perfect for this. They're easy to move around, so your child can sit wherever they want. These make great reading nooks or places to play with friends. Plus, they're fun to flop onto after a long day!

6. Themed Loft Beds

Saraf Furniture Owner gives you a Loft beds are like having a treehouse inside. They lift the bed up high, leaving space below for play or study. Some look like castles or spaceships. This turns bedtime into an adventure. The space under the bed can be used for a desk or toy storage.

7. Wall-mounted Folding Table

Small rooms need smart ideas. A table that folds against the wall is super clever. When it's up, there's more floor space to play. When it's down, it's great for crafts or homework. This table grows with your kid, useful from colouring to teen study sessions.

8. Toy Storage Solutions

Toys can take over a room fast. Good storage helps keep things neat. Try toy chests or shelves with baskets. Label them so kids know where things go. This makes cleaning up easier and faster. Plus, it teaches kids to be organised.

9. Height-adjustable Furniture

Kids grow quickly, but furniture doesn't. That's why height-adjustable pieces are smart. Desks and chairs that can be made taller save you money. You won't need to buy new furniture every year. These Insaraf Furniture pieces change as your child does.

10. Safety-first Furniture Choices

Kids' safety is super important. Look for furniture with round edges to avoid bumps. Make sure everything is sturdy and won't tip over. Raghunandan Saraf a Saraf Furniture Owner cares about safety. They use materials that are safe for kids. This way, you can relax knowing your child's room is a safe place to play and grow.

Conclusion:

These ideas can make your kid's room amazing. With the right furniture, the room becomes a fun and useful space. Saraf Furniture has many great options for kids' rooms. Visit our store or website and discover Insaraf Furniture Reviews to see more. We can help you pick the perfect pieces for your child's special place. Let's make your kid's room awesome together!

Read Also: Raghunandan Saraf: The Journey from a Tier-III City to a National Brand

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atheniaami · 12 days

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The Rise in Better for You Beverages

As consumers continue to look for healthier alternatives from traditional beverages such as soda and juices that contain ingredients with high sugar, artificial sweeteners, and other additives we are continuing to see the rise in better for you beverages. Today’s consumer is expecting more from their beverage than just hydration, they need something that can help them perform well exercising, recover from a long night out, and even recover from or prevent sickness. Those consumers are looking for the same great taste but in a healthy alternative. The fitness fanatic has always been concerned with what they are putting in their body but in today’s post pandemic world we are seeing this trend in a much wider audience. As people continue to exercise more and focus on their health they are looking for a RTD beverage that can help them perform and recover wherever they are. Better for you beverages gives consumers a product that can help give those same nutrients they need with none of the harmful ingredients previously included. The beverages that you are seeing on the shelves today are vitamin, protein, and nutrient rich. These products also are going with the new trends of being vegan, plant based, GMO-free, gluten-free, and all natural. This is because more consumers are interested in what they are putting in their body and paying attention to what is on the labels of the products that are enjoying.1 The better for you beverage space is expected to continue to see high growth for the foreseeable future as consumer education has played a large part in the shift to healthy alternatives.2 As more beverage products are being developed around the world we will no longer need to harm our bodies with high levels of sugar and additives but instead have more health conscious options. By Bretton Dovey 1) Health, wellness driving growth, innovation in the soft drinks market (foodbeverageinsider.com) 2) Functional Beverage Market Report | Size, Share, Growth & Trends (2023-28) (mordorintelligence.com)

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mycology-supplies · 3 months

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Top 7 Reasons Why You Need All-In-One Mushroom Grow Bags 🍄🌟

It used to be a lot more difficult to grow mushrooms, but all-in-one grow bags made things easier. Kits like this simplify the process. Now everyone can start cultivating mushrooms. They're perfect for both pros and beginners alike. Here are the top 7 reasons why you need All-In-One Mushroom Grow Bags.

They are so easy to use🛠️

For first-timers, starting with one of these bags is highly suggested because these grow kits exist to make things easier. It has allowed people to grow mushrooms who don't want to go through the trouble of mixing and sterilizing. They're convenient because they provide consistent results every single time without the hassle of putting things together. Ultimately saving time and effort.

Premade and Good to go

They come complete, with the substrate, ready to use and inoculated. This eliminates the most labor-intensive and technical part of the whole growing process the substrate and introducing the spores to it. All of it—is fully prepared for you.

Uncomplicated Directions

These kits have step-by-step instructions that guide you from setting your spores to harvesting the mushrooms. This makes it a good option for people who just started growing mushrooms and are a bit challenged by standard methods. Typically involving sterilizing substrates, ensuring precise conditions, and keeping any form of contaminants out.

No Complex Equipment Needed

These bags are just what you need to grow your mushrooms. You don't need to buy fancy equipment, like pressure cookers, Sterilization equipment, or moisture control systems. What you need is inside the bag, simple and easy.

2. You lessen Contaminants 🚫

Ideally, you want your mushroom-growing experience to be easy and enjoyable. The last thing you need is for your flawless batch to be ruined. Contamination is a very big problem for people cultivating mushrooms. This is where these bags come in handy. They already contain the grains and the substrate you need to grow your mushrooms. Plus, it’s already sterilized so you don’t have to touch it, lessening the chances of getting it contaminated

They’re tightly sealed.

The bags are secure sealed reducing chances of contamination. You have the sterilized substrate inside and the spores already added so there's no need for you to touch it at all. Keeping it clean and safe from contamination.

Equipped with a filter patch

Every bag comes with a filter patch designed to help get better airflow while keeping out contamination microbes. The good stuff stays inside and the bad out.

Less Handling Required

All Mushroom Grow Bags came premade and shut tight. Lessens handling as it grows. You don't need to open and touch it inside the bag. So you don't introduce contaminants.

3. It doesn’t take much space🏢

Traditional mushroom-growing equipment takes up a lot of space. Having All-in-one grow bags is handy for people living in small spaces because they can fit just fine in them. They’re perfect to carry around everywhere and can be placed just about anywhere because of their portability. They can be placed on kitchen counters, fit shelves, and even under your sink

Vertical Growth Potential

Some bags can just be piled in heaps and stacked. A real space saver in confined spaces.

Portability

Place them wherever you think they'll be most useful. This is handy since you can move them around without upsetting the mushrooms.

It's Portable + Convenient 😳

Given that these grow bags are compact and lightweight due to their all-in-one design, mushroom growers often choose them.

Vertical Growth Potential

Some bags can simply be heaped and stacked, while others can be hung to save space in tight areas. It's the best solution for mushroom producers because it takes up less space.

Portability

These bags are meant to be moved around. You can place them anywhere you need them. This is convenient because they can be moved about without disturbing the mushrooms.

Convenient to take around

The bags are so lightweight that they may be easily moved from one location to another. These containers can simply adjusted to optimize sunlight or humidity conditions.

This portability is especially advantageous for persons who frequently alter their growth environment or live in places with changeable seasons.

Travel-Friendly

For mushroom fans who travel frequently, all-in-one grow bags are a convenient alternative. You can take your grow bag with you wherever you go and keep it handy so you don't lose track of your mushrooms throughout this time. This is very useful for folks who want to grow mushrooms and conveniently take them places.

Effortless Upkeep

There's not much maintenance that needs to be done with the use of grow bags. Since the bag has the inoculated substrate ready and the bag is fully sealed. It eliminates the need to always monitor and adjust conditions for optimal growth.

5. It’s Pocket-Friendly 💰

Mushroom cultivation can burn a hole in your pockets, especially when you are to use specialized equipment. All-in-one grow bags are the perfect alternative.

Low Startup Cost

The beginning cost of cultivating mushrooms is much lower with the use of mushroom grow bags. You don't need to buy complex and expensive types of equipment such as sterilization equipment, humidity controllers, and other tools. The bag has everything you need inside.

Cutback on Ongoing Costs

The bags have everything included and are highly low-maintenance, ongoing costs are quite small. There's no need to buy extra supplies or spend more on other equipment. They're a good choice both for beginners and more seasoned growers.

Ability to Produce Successive Yields

A lot of these bags are created to yield multiple flushes of mushrooms. That means that you can harvest many batches from using just one bag. Save you money. When you take good care of your grow bags they can even produce mushrooms for months.

6. It Works for All Levels of Experience 🌱

May you be a newbie or a seasoned grower. The bag is easy to use no setup required, and no complicated steps to follow. All you have to do is add water and watch it thrive.

Made with Beginners in Mind

These kits are ready to use, with easy-to-follow instructions so you can easily start cultivating mushrooms without that much experience in growing them.

Seasoned Growers

Intermediate and advanced gardeners will benefit from the ease and dependability of all-in-one grow bags. These kits can be a convenient way to grow mushrooms while people work on more difficult or experimental growth efforts. Furthermore, the quality of the substrate and inoculation process in these kits frequently exceeds the high expectations of experienced growers.

Learning tool

It is the perfect instructional tool for people who want to get further knowledge about mycology and growing mushrooms. Keeping an eye on and observing how it grows, and learning about the things that affect its growth will equip users with knowledge and experience that can be used for more advanced techniques in the future.

You advocate for sustainable living. 🌍

If you want to grow mushrooms while benefiting the environment, mushroom grow bags are the right answer.

Helps Use Resources Wisely

These grow bags are created to help us use our resources well. The material used for the bag helps the mushroom reach optimal growth. It doesn't produce more waste but yields more. These bags retain water, eliminating the need to water them often.

Eco-Friendly Material

Commonly grow bags are typically made of recyclable material, they naturally break down making it a more environmentally friendly choice of material. When you're done harvesting your mushrooms, you can also use them as compost.

Low Energy Use

Unlike traditional methods of mushroom cultivation that need specialized equipment, special lights, and heaters. Grow bags don't use a lot of energy. You can place them in a space with natural light at normal room temperature, which cuts down carbon emissions.

Conclusion 🎉🍄

Mushroom Grow Bags puts the easy in mushroom cultivation. It offers a lot of benefits such as Ease of Use, Portability, and Simplicity. Not only that it's a very sustainable option, making it good for people that want to try growing mushrooms. You can now start enjoying and exploring the world of mushrooms, minus the effort and hassle of having to prepare it yourself. This is indeed a great solution for all your mushroom-growing woes.

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