#container food kiosk

[schickwheel]

Crafting Culinary Adventures- The Artistry of Food Van Manufacturers

In the dynamic world of culinary entrepreneurship, Food Van Manufacturers stand as the architects of mobility, transforming ordinary vans into culinary hubs on wheels. These visionary craftsmen blend innovation, creativity, and practicality to engineer mobile kitchens that redefine how we experience food on the go. Let’s embark on a journey into the unique realm of Food Van Manufacturers, where each van is a testament to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of its creators.

Culinary Creativity Unleashed: Food Van Manufacturers are the pioneers of culinary mobility, harnessing the power of design and engineering to create movable feasts. From sleek urban food vans to rugged outdoor kitchens, these manufacturers craft vans that bring gastronomic delights to unexpected places, turning every street corner into a culinary adventure.

Tailoring Culinary Ambitions: The hallmark of Food Van Manufacturers is their commitment to customization. They understand that every culinary entrepreneur has a unique vision. These manufacturers collaborate closely with their clients, translating their culinary dreams into tangible designs. Whether it’s a gourmet food truck or a retro-style ice cream van, each van is tailored to reflect the personality and brand of its owner.

Ingenious Design and Functionality: Operating a mobile kitchen is a delicate dance of design and functionality, and Food Van Manufacturers excel in this craft. They optimize every inch of space, ensuring that each van is equipped with the necessary tools for efficient food preparation and service. From foldable countertops to clever storage solutions, these manufacturers engineer vans that are both practical and visually appealing.

Visual Storytelling through Aesthetics: Visual appeal plays a crucial role in attracting customers, and Food Van Manufacturers understand the power of aesthetics. The exteriors of these mobile kitchens are not just metal and wheels; they are visual narratives that tell a story. Vibrant colors, eye-catching graphics, and creative branding elements transform each van into a work of art that captivates the senses.

Navigating Regulatory Waters: Operating a food van involves navigating a maze of regulations, permits, and health codes. Food Van Manufacturers are well-versed in these complexities. They ensure that each van complies with local health and safety standards, facilitating the process of obtaining licenses and permits for their clients.

Sustainability and Environmental Consciousness: In an era where sustainability is paramount, Food Van Manufacturers are embracing eco-friendly practices. Many incorporate sustainable materials, energy-efficient appliances, and waste reduction strategies into their designs. These vans not only serve delicious food but also contribute to the broader initiative of creating a more sustainable and environmentally conscious culinary landscape.

In conclusion, Food Van Manufacturers are the visionaries behind the mobile culinary revolution, turning simple vans into movable feasts that delight and inspire. Their craftsmanship, innovation, and commitment to excellence create culinary experiences that transcend traditional dining boundaries. The next time you encounter a food van on the street, take a moment to appreciate the artistry and ingenuity of Food Van Manufacturers shaping the culinary landscape of our cities.

Original Source: Food cart manufacturer in Delhi

[miss-floral-thief]

kind craving pop corn but too lazy to make it

[oneforthemunny]

santa claus is comin' to town |janitor!eddie munson x teacher!reader|

prompt: oliver's first christmas with you and eddie, since the adoption, is off to a not so great start. luckily, eddie knows exactly how to make both your spirits bright <3

read the entire janitor!eddie and teacher!reader series here!

contains: parents eddie and reader. oliver is adopted by you and eddie. past talk of parent trauma and neglect. a little angsty, a lot fluffy <3

“Ollie, look,” You nodded, pulling the young boy’s attention to the center of the mall, right outside the food court, settled in mounds of fake snow and twinkling snowflake lights was Santa’s Village. Children of all ages jumped with excitement, giddy at the chance to tell the man at the end perched on a red velvet throne, what they desperately wanted for Christmas. Their parents handing over wads of cash for a photo, a framed memory they could cherish for years. 

This was the first year you and Eddie would get the chance.

“Do you want to go see Santa?” You asked, grinning down at him with a smile so bright, it rivaled the lights around you. 

Oliver didn’t match your excitement. Instead he looked over solemnly, head shaking in a sad bob that had your stomach plummeting. “No, ‘s okay.” Oliver shrugged. 

You blinked, looking up at the lines. “It’s ok if you do.” You pressed gently, a soft smile to reassure him. He was still getting used to you and Eddie paying for everything, still skittish about it even after the judge made you his legal guardians. “I can go with you, if you want. I just want to make sure you tell Santa so he can get you what you want.” 

Oliver shook his head again, bottom lip jutting gently, small enough to have your face dropping in worry. “No, it’s ok.” He shook his head. “Santa never comes to my house anyways. I don’t think he knows about me, or he forgets.” 

“What do you mean, honey?” Your voice was strained with emotion, trying desperately to stay level, not to sound upset though your stomach was twisting in the most painful way. 

Oliver looked up at you through long, dark lashes. “He never came to my house.” He muttered, a tiny huff of a sigh that made you want to sob. “I’d always send him the letters at school, but he never came.” 

You felt every ounce of his disappointment, bore it heavy on your heart. Your throat constricted, unable to find the right words. What did you say to that? What could you say to make it better? You didn’t know, so instead you nodded, squeezing his hand gently, stopping for a cookie at the small corner kiosk and heading towards the music store Eddie was at. The once cheery, festive music felt mocking now, playing through the speakers. 

Eddie stood by the counter, strumming the newly repaired string of his guitar to test it. His face lit up, excited to show you how they’d fixed it, how much better it sounded now with a proper tune up. Instead, his smile fell. 

“Hey,” Eddie muttered, hand running over Oliver’s locks, ruffling them in an affectionate greeting that had him giggling. “What’s goin’ on?” 

You didn’t meet his gaze, swallowing the burning bile that rose in the back of your throat, eyes downcast towards Oliver. “Hey, you alright?” Eddie muttered, his hand touching yours, calloused thumb gliding across your knuckles. “Somethin’ happen?” 

“No,” He knew you were lying, your voice tight the way it was when something was wrong. “Did you get it fixed?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie frowned, scanning your features carefully. “Are you sure-” 

“-Can I go look at the CDs?” Oliver pointed towards the aisles of CDs, hand gently pulling yorus for attention. 

You nodded. “Stay towards the front, ok? Where we can see you. If you can’t see us-” 

“-Then you can’t see me.” Oliver grinned. “I will.” He chirped, giddily skipping over to the CDs. Somehow, his innocent happiness made your heart break more. 

“Hey, look at me, baby.” Eddie muttered, knuckle brushing under your chin lightly, pulling your gaze into his. “What’s’a matter? What’s wrong?” 

You pressed your lips together to stop the shake you felt coming. “I, uh, I asked Ollie if he wanted to see Santa. Tell him what he wanted for Christmas so we could get an idea for him.” Your gaze wandered to the small boy, on his tiptoes to flick through the CDs in the rock section- the ones he was starting to favor since listening with Eddie. 

“He said,” You swallowed, voice quivering with emotions that you were trying your best to keep in. “He said Santa never visited him, Eddie. He thinks he forgets him every year.” 

Eddie watched your face crumble, turning away to try and compose yourself. His own heart dropping. Rushes of his own childhood, the hope that maybe this year Santa would visit if he stole the Borden’s lights, threw them up on his roof instead so Santa could see. He even kept his light on so Santa would know he was home, but still, he never came. 

Until he stayed with Wayne. 

“Does he,” Eddie ducked, eyes cutting around the store. “He still, like, believes in him and all that?” 

You paused, brows furrowing lightly. “Yeah, I mean, I think he does-” 

“-I got it.” Eddie nodded, finality in his tone. “I got it, baby. Don’t worry.” 

“Ed, wait, just-” You stopped him, eyes cutting to Oliver. “You can’t make him, ok? If he doesn’t want to, then we should respect that.” 

“I’m not gonna make him, baby.” Eddie smiled softly. “I got it, ok. You trust me?” You nodded slowly. You did trust Eddie, in every way with everything. 

“Then let me handle this, alright? Don’t worry about it.” Eddie pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, squeezing your hip lovingly, walking back to the counter to gather his guitar. 

“Hey, Ollie, gotta ask you somethin’, little guy.” Eddie hummed, strumming his guitar, tongue poked out in concentration. 

Oliver was in front of him, mindlessly playing with his own action figures while Eddie practiced, flipping Spider-Man off the couch cushions and launching him over the coffee table with pure childlike imagination. “Yeah?” 

Eddie watched him carefully, trying to play it cool, easy- not to scare the kid. “Mama told me something,” The beloved name you’d adorned before the papers went through. Eddie had christened you with it happily, grinning at the way it made you gleam when he’d call you it. “Said you didn’t want to see Santa.” 

Oliver stopped, action figure hanging in midair, eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something wrong. “Yeah.” Oliver said quietly. Eddie knew he was trying to read his tone, see if he was mad or upset. 

Eddie smiled at him softly, playfully throwing a hand out to him. “Dude, why?” He grinned. “You gotta tell the big man what you want for Christmas.” 

Oliver’s head lowered, dragging the plastic feet of the superhero across the coffee table. “Santa doesn’t come to visit me.” He mumbled. “He never has.” 

Eddie tried not to let his face falter. He knew it was coming, and it still hurt. Instead, he tried to remember what Wayne said, exactly how he’d said it and convinced him years ago when he was in Ollie’s shoes, hurt and disappointed. 

“He didn’t?” Eddie cocked his head to the side. Oliver shook his head, face falling. “That’s weird.” Eddie quipped, lips twisting in thought. He could feel Oliver’s eyes on him curiously, he wanted to play it up for him. “You know, I bet you’re not registered.” 

Oliver blinked. “Registered?” 

“Yeah, your parents,” Eddie cringed at the mention. “You, uh, you have to register everyone to Santa. There’s a lot of kids in the world, and he can lose count sometimes. If you move or if you have more kids, anything, you gotta get them registered so he’ll know. Kinda like attendance, y’know?” It wasn’t nearly as smooth as when Wayne did it, much more rambling, but Oliver’s eyes lit up. 

“You do?” Oliver asked, setting Spider-Man down completely. 

“Oh, yeah.” Eddie nodded, setting his own guitar down on the stand. “I’ve been meaning to call anyways, make sure they were sending me a form down so I could let them know that you’re here now. Let me just call really quick.” 

Oliver followed him, close on Eddie’s heels into the kitchen, where you were cutting carrots for the soup. “Hey, babe,” Eddie called, opening the junk drawer by the sink. “Have you seen the phone book?” 

“The phone book?” You frowned, turning to look over your shoulder at them. “It should be under the coffee table.” 

“No, the one for the North Pole.” Eddie muttered, eyes lifting to yours, shooting you a wide eyed look. 

You paused, tracking his sharp side eyed glance to Oliver, who’s eyes were wide and hopeful, hanging on Eddie’s every word. “Oh,” You squeaked. “Um, I think I put it in the address book in my purse.” 

Eddie fumbled through the contents of your bag, swiping the floral printed contact book with a sloppy grin. “Ah, found it.” He muttered, tongue poking out when he thumbed through the names and numbers. 

“Can I see?” Oliver asked, rising on his tip-toes to look over the edge of the book. 

“Hey, no way, c’mon.” Eddie shook his head. “Santa only gives it to parents. So we can call when you’ve been bad, or when we move and stuff. Can’t give it out or he’ll be mad.” 

Oliver hesitated, scanning Eddie’s face carefully. He was a little suspect, but Eddie said it so confidently, it was hard not to be convinced- hell, you were convinced, listening with careful amusement from the kitchen. 

Eddie pulled the phone off the hook, dialing the number with a covered hand, winking over at Oliver playfully. The line rang and rang and rang, until-

“Hello?” 

“Hi, this is Eddie- sorry, Edward Munson.” Eddie said cheerfully into the phone, just like he would talking to a customer service rep. “I was needing to talk to someone about registering a new house to Santa’s route.” 

There was a pause, the rustling of the line on the other end. “Eddie, what the fuck- are you high?” Dustin Henderson’s confused voice rang from the other end. 

Eddie grinned, jaw clenching at annoyance he tried to hide. Thankfully, Oliver didn’t seem to notice, eyes shining with awe at the phone call. “Yeah, we were just needing to talk to someone about registering our house for Santa to stop at.” Eddie’s tone was clipped behind feigned cheerfulness. “We have Oliver living here now, and we wanted to get the form sent.” 

“Eddie, what-” Dustin laughed on the other end. “Are you messing with me? You’re messing with me.” 

“Yeah, just a second-” Eddie covered the phone, leaning towards Oliver. “Ollie, can you grab my wallet? By the bed?” 

Oliver nodded, scampering down the hall. Eddie waited before turning, cradling the phone close to his mouth. “Henderson, play the fuck along, ok? I told Oliver I was calling the North Pole.” 

Dustin laughed, a loud cackle of a laugh, full belly and entertained. “Why? What are you doing-” 

“-Because Santa has never visited him.” Eddie hissed lowly, ceasing Dustin’s laughter. “And I am trying to get the registration form just to make sure we get added on Santa’s route, so Santa will be sure to visit us this year.” Eddie’s tone lifted, changing instantly back to that cheery tone he had before when Oliver ran in. 

“Thanks, bud.” Eddie grinned, taking the wallet. “Just my license number?” He hummed, flicking it open. 

“Eddie, I’m-I’m sorry, man. I thought you were messin’ with me-” 

“-Yeah, it’s W23-016.” Eddie cut the other man off through gritted teeth. “And it’s Oliver Munson. He’s eight, and his new address is 172 Azalea Lane in Hawkins, Indiana.” 

The line was silent. “What do you want me to do here, Eddie? Like pretend-” 

“Yeah, if you can send the form here, that would be great.” Eddie fought back an eye roll. He should’ve called Steve. “And my wife wanted me to ask, can Oliver go see Santa now and tell him what he wants, or should he wait until after we mail the form back?” 

“Uh, now? Is that what you want me to say? Dude, why didn’t you call me before so I could prepare-” Dustin huffed. 

“Great. We’ll get that filled out, and we’ll go next weekend.” Eddie smiled over at Oliver, heart swelling with warmth over the irritation he felt. “Thanks so much for your help, Nog. Have a good one.” 

“Oh, wow, use my ninth grade dwarf name. Real mature-” Eddie didn’t wait to hear the rest of Dustin’s whining, slapping the phone on the receiver. 

Oliver was bouncing, practically exploding with anticipation and excitement. You thought your heart might burst at the sight. “They’re sending it over.” Eddie clapped his hands. “Told you it was easy, Ollie. They said you just have to sign something when it comes, and we can send it back off to the North Pole, and can go see Santa next week.” 

“Wow,” Oliver beamed, smiling at you. “Thank you.” He muttered, barreling into Eddie’s side, squeezing his thighs in a tight, loving hug.

“You’re welcome, bud.” Eddie smiled, patting his head affectionately. “Can you go put my guitar back in the garage? In the case, please? Make sure to fasten it.” 

Eddie waited until Oliver was running back into the living room to slide over to you. Your eyes shining with adoration, awe. “That was the sweetest thing I think I’ve ever seen, Ed.” You muttered, arms wrapping around his torso. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so in love with you in my whole life.” 

“C’mon,” Eddie blushed, rocking you gently, a half stepped sway. “Not gonna let the kid have a bad Christmas.” 

“How did- How did you even come up with that?” You blinked, chin resting against his chest. “That was genius.” 

“Well, gotta give credit to Wayne.” Eddie shrugged. “He, uh, he did it first. When I came to live with him the first time after my mom passed. Dad hadn’t got me a gift since she died, too fucked up to remember the whole Santa thing. So Wayne told me it was because he forgot to register my house after we moved. I believed it. Made me feel better thinkin’ my dad just forgot to register the house, instead of forgettin’ me, y’know?” Eddie muttered, voice dropping lowly. 

Your heart ached in the most uncomfortable way, squeezing him tighter into your chest. “It was sweet.” You whispered, arms circling around his waist, pressing a kiss to the soft fabric of his t-shirt, right over his heart. It made him flush with heat. “Thank you for that.” 

“Baby, do you have construction paper?” Eddie asked, sliding into your classroom. It was still early, the sun just barely lifting into the grayed Indiana morning sky, frost still fogging at the windows. 

“Um, in the cabinet in the red drawer.” You pointed to the arts and crafts area, neatly organized safety scissors and crayons tucked away. “What are you doing?” 

“I got this idea last night. Ollie’s real excited-” Eddie paused, scanning the classroom for the little boy. 

“He went down to the gym with Mrs. Bronski.” You waved it off lightly, passing out the morning activity papers to each of the spots. “Excited about what?” 

“Excited about Santa this weekend.” Eddie muttered, flipping through the stack of construction paper, shimmying out a sheet of red and green. “Anyways, I got this idea about making the form. I found these letter stamps and ink pads in the art room, asked Lois if I could borrow them and she’s letting me. I think it’d be better printed like that so it look more legit, ya know?” 

You beamed, smiling brightly under the fluorescent lights of the classroom, making Eddie’s heart skip. “Yeah, that’s- that’s really sweet, Ed.” 

Eddie paused, shoulder’s tensing slightly, that familiar wide eyed, scared look creeping into his features. “You- It’s stupid, isn’t it?” He asked, voice tight. “I, fuck- sorry- I just, I dunno I thought it would be cool. Better than… It doesn’t matter. That was too much, I’m sorry, I just got excited-” 

“Eddie, what?” You lifted a brow, tone steady and calm, like it always was when he’d spin out like this. “Ed, I think that’s a great idea. I think it’s really sweet, and I think Ollie will love it.” 

Eddie scanned your features, looking for any reason not to believe you- a quirk in your lips, a blink that felt off, anything. “Are you sure? It’s not… too much?” 

“You think I’d judge you for doing too much?” You tilt your head to the side playfully. “I’m jealous I didn’t think of it because it’s perfect, Eddie. All of it. You’re just,” Your breath hitched, heart fluttering at the sight of him. “You’re just a really good dad, and it makes me so inexplicably happy that I get to be with you. Watch you be a good dad, and a good husband, and just be with you. I’m so happy with you.”  

Eddie blushed, cheeks reddening at your words. If you weren’t in school, the looming threat of HR surrounding you, he’d push you up against the poster board, make out with you right there. 

“Thank you.” Eddie muttered instead, looking down at his work boots, cheeks burning with the praise. “I, uh, I- yeah, I feel the same way, y’know. About you, and you’re a good mom- the best mom.” You rolled your eyes bashfully, grabbing his hand, squeezing it softly. 

“Hey, lovebirds,” Steve grinned, head ducking in your doorway. Eddie rolled his eyes, scoffing with exasperation. “Gotta go get the kids. Do you want me to walk yours up too?” 

“No, I’ve got it.” You smile politely. “Thanks, Steve. I’ll be right there.” 

Eddie was already reaching for your lanyard of keys, dropping them in your hand, pressing a sweet, parting kiss to your cheek quickly. 

He worked tirelessly in his tiny janitor’s closet, pulling out a broken ruler to make sure it was lined correctly, taking breaks in between the lunch cleanup and fixing a ceiling light, until it was perfect. 

Oliver was thrilled when Eddie came home, the bright red paper in his hand. “Guess what came in the mail today, Ollie?” Eddie sang in a silly tone, a grin so wide and dazzling it made you want to melt. 

Oliver signed the dotted line with careful, slanted handwriting. You thought you were going to cry seeing him sign Oliver Munson beaming with pride at the last name that was all his now. 

Eddie snuck it back into your bedroom after going to “mail the letter back”, neatly laying it in your bedside drawer. That night, the two of you lied in bed, looking over every careful detail of the paper, your own prized possession. 

“How long did this take you?” You muttered, fingertip tracing over Oliver’s pen scrawled signature, lip trembling all over again. 

“Not too long,” Eddie’s chest rumbled under you, lips pressed into your hair, holding you against him as close as possible. “Worst part was trying to make sure I didn’t miss a letter or something. I started on green but fucked up Santa. Spelled Satan, so had to start over.” 

You laughed, a small, watery giggle that had Eddie’s grin on you tightening, an affectionate squeeze to your hip. “Yeah, that might have him confused.” You beam, head lolling back on Eddie’s shoulder to look up at him. “He was so excited though, I don’t think he would have cared.” 

Eddie’s lips curled in a soft smile, hand moving to cradle the back of your head, pulling you in for a sweet kiss- the kind that left your head reeling with devotion, letting him press you back into the pillows, body sliding on top of yours. 

“Wait,” You panted, tapping on his chest gently. 

Eddie frowned, rolling off of you. “‘M sorry. I thought you wanted to-” 

You placed the paper back in your bedside drawer, neatly tucking it under a book so it wouldn’t get crinkled. “I didn’t want it to rip.” You smiled softly, flicking off the lamp. 

Eddie could see your eyes, glowing with that devious hint that had his heart jumping with excitement. You crawled over him, legs straddling either side of his hips, your hands in his hair this time, pressing him into the pillow, pinning him with a feverish kiss that left him reeling.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

California zoo accessibility data dump

I just recently got back from a short (and fully covid-cautious) zoo road trip in Oregon and California, and wanted to share my notes re: accessibility at the facilities I visited. I'll get this all integrated into the spreadsheet, too.

Wildlife Safari - Winston, Oregon

This is a large drive-thru safari park with a free walk-about area attached that contains some small exhibits. Guests stay inside their cars the entire drive-thru, although there's at least one place to stop and sit in a gazebo to rest and use the bathroom (porta-potty only). You can pull over to watch animals for longer, and go through multiple times if you missed anything. It's a long drive-thru and there isn't really a good way to truncate the experience if you've got some kind of emergency. The roads are not flat, but they're well maintained and not bumpy.

The walkabout area is very small and contains bathrooms, food options, and other guest services. The paths are mostly concrete and well tended, although you do have to cross the steam train tracks to get to lion/some of the lemur viewing. I believe the Australia walkabout area was also unpaved. There's lots of parking in a big, flat, paved lot.

Sacramento Zoo - Sacramento, CA

This is a very cute, small inner-city facility - a good option if you don't want to try to walk a huge zoo in one day. There's lots of shade from all the plants and a good amount of benches throughout, including picnic tables with shade canopies. The paths are almost entirely flat and paved, with the exception of a boardwalk ramp up to the giraffe feeding and okapi viewing platforms. The cafe has gluten-free and vegetarian listings (maybe vegan?) on their menu. No straws are provided for animal safety, but if you need one, they can give you a reusable curly-straw from the slushies (kinda long and awkward for a normal cup) as an accommodation. They've got both water fountains and water bottle filling stations. Being build in a larger city park and recreation complex, there isn't a dedicated parking lot just for the zoo: the closest is across the street, shared with another attraction, and is kinda small. I've never had issues finding parking when I've gone, but sometimes it does involve a bunch of walking to get to the zoo entrance - if you have mobility or stamina limitations, probably best to get dropped off at the entrance and wait (there are benches).

San Francisco Zoo - San Francisco, CA

The SF Zoo is huge. There's lots of green / garden / swamp space that doesn't have habitats in it, but it means exhibits can be pretty far away, so plan your route accordingly. (Going out to the grizzly bears is the longest loop). Depending on the time of day, there's not always a ton of shade for guests either. There's a decent amount of benches, and quite a few are in decent proximity to animal viewing. After a somewhat long but not steep hill right at the entrance, the paths are all paved and fairly flat. There's a hill going down into/up from the Australia area / kids playground, but it's the only one I really noticed. There's a long elevated boardwalk through the lemur habitats that connects to the top of the new Madagascar construction - if you can't do stairs, as of Spring 2024, that's the only way to get up there to look down on the mandrills or see the top of the fossa habitat. (It's still under construction, so there might be an elevator in the building in the future). Back by the grizzlies, there's an old indoor rainforest building - while there's buttons to automatically open the door going in, I didn't find any on the first inside door going out. It makes sense they don't want both doors to open at once since it's a bird airlock, but not having independent ones on each door meant the day I used an ECV I got stuck in there until a nice staff member noticed.

All three times I've ever been to SF most of the little food kiosks haven't been open, and the vending machines for drinks have been hit and miss - so bring your own, or stock up at the cafe if you need to have supplies with you - but there are water fountains and water bottle filling stations around the zoo. There are interpretive audio boxes through the zoo in English and Spanish, used with a key you get at the entrance(?), but I heard a lot of complaints in passing about some of them not working. There's lots of parking at the zoo in a flat paved lot, and there's a specific dropoff area on one side for rideshares/mobility needs.

Oakland Zoo - Oakland, CA

To be clear up front - Oakland was the hardest facility to visit on this whole trip, with regards to mobility. We went twice, and I used an ECV (electric scooter) one and walked the other. Neither option was easy and both were exhausting. Oakland is a super hilly facility - you basically have to drive up a major hill to get to the zoo. The bottom half of the lower zoo can only be reached by going down pretty steep paths. The hills are also not graded to be "flat", so if you're in a wheelchair or ECV, you're going to have to lean to compensate for the tilt and balance the chair... while controlling it going down a steep hill. It's exhausting and kinda scary. (I don't even let other people carry my camera because $$, but I had to ask for help so I could focus on driving the ECV on those hills). There's also a lot of areas of the pathways that are not in the best repair, or patterned with pressed-in images, and multiple places actually have brass bugs embedded in the pavement so that they stick out above the surface. Lots of tripping hazards and/or things to rattle your teeth out rolling over. A couple places in the upper zoo (the California wilds area) the paths switch from paved to sand and back again, for drainage, maybe? On the upside, there's a lot of benches everywhere, including directly across from prime viewing areas.

Getting up to the upper zoo requires using a gondola - there's no walking option. You can actually take wheelchairs and ECVs on these, but you have to be ready to advocate for yourself. Normally, they don't stop the carriages completely, and expect people to walk on while they're still moving slowly. You can ask them to slow them down for you (I did, because knee issues plus torque is bad), or stop it completely if you need the time/help. When I took an ECV on, they had me disembark and get in one carriage, and they loaded it into the subsequent ones. This is fine because I can walk and stand on concrete for a while without it, but I'm not sure how that practice would work for people who need their mobility aids the whole time. They were very nice about managing the stopping and the loading and didn't make it feel like an imposition, too. If they stop the carriages completely at any point, there will be a loud buzzer/alarm when the ride starts back up. If you're close, it's pretty loud and startling. As they leave the track at the bottom the gondolas tip and dip a little, which can be scary if you're not expecting it - I think it's just the transition of the car from the loading bay onto the track itself. The rest of the ride is very smooth. The track is pretty high up and gives a great view of the bay and the surrounding cities, but face uphill if you don't do well with heights. Once at the upper zoo, the path from bald eagles through jaguar is mostly a boardwalk, but it's not too bumpy.

Oakland's parking is hard if you're not there early in the day, IMO. The overflow parking gets pretty far from the entrance, and starts to go up the hill towards the upper zoo. If the lot looks busy, drop anyone with mobility/stamina issues off at the entrance before parking. Unlike many other zoos I've visited, Oakland's ECVS have added sunshades, which is really nice (and which I should have used).

Monterey Zoo - Salinas, CA

This is a fairly small facility with most habitats on one level, but some big cats and bears are up a pretty big hill. The walkways are paved and flat, and there's an ADA-graded boardwalk ramp that takes you to the top of the hill. The pipes used for the handrails on both the stairs and the ramp get very hot in the sun, however. There's a boardwalk up to the rhino overlook. They indicate that their bathrooms are accessible, but the ones in the main building didn't have bars for transferring - I didn't check the ones up on the hill. At one point in the day speakers along the path started playing really loud pop music (drowned out the birds) and it was very overwhelming. There's lots of handicapped parking spots across from the front entrance, but if you don't have a tag, the rest of the spots are up a bit of a hill and a small walk from the entrance. They do have a note, though, that they can help if you need accessible parking and don't see any, so you could probably call/have someone to go in and ask for an accommodation.

Sequoia Park Zoo - Eureka, CA

This is another nice small facility, very doable for a half-day trip. The paths are paved and flat, and there's benches available. There's a lot of shade, although it can depend on the time of day, and places to fill a water-bottle. The sky-walk through the redwoods is accessible, but might be a little difficult depending on mobility limitations - its' a very sturdy boardwalk through the canopy of the tall trees. (I had more thoughts on this from my last visit, I'll dig out those notes). If you can do even part of it, it's worth it, and there's places to turn around. Because it's in a residential area of the town there's not a huge dedicated parking lot, but lots of street parking and a decent lot directly across the street. I've never had difficulty finding parking, and you can drop people off at the entrance easily.

[shadowsandshapes]

[𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲] 𝐃𝐔𝐃𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐜𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐃'𝐒 | (afab!Reader/Dabi)

◇ summary: You're craving some McDonald's so you drag Dabi along with you to go get a burger and fries, but the man cannot keep it in his pants around you. ◇ contains: Unprotected Naughties, Semi-Public Smut, Creampie, Swearing, McDonald's Bathroom (that's a warning on its own) ◇ wc: [2.4K] (Ao3)

Minors DNI 🔪

Taking Dabi with you to McDonald's was a mistake.

You were just trying to get a fucking burger, not get your back blown out in a public restroom. But alas, here you were, shoved up against the toilet paper dispenser with the man’s hands groping your ass, squeezing the flesh with his large palms as he backed you up into the stall. You pressed your hands against the powder blue toilet partition wall, stifling a laugh as you read one of the little messages scrawled on the bumpy surface.

‘The future is in your hands’ — and scribbled beneath it in different handwriting: ‘my dick is the future?’ How truly poetic. Ah, public bathroom stalls: the home of the funniest jokes and best life advice you’ll ever read. And, apparently, Dabi’s favorite place to fuck. To be fair, it didn’t really matter to the villain where he got his dick wet, as long as he could have you choking on it with that pretty tongue of yours dangling aimlessly against the underside. 

“Dabi–” you complained half-heartedly.

The only reply he graced you with was a breathless chuckle before cutting you off with a searing hot kiss. Of course. There was no arguing with the man once he’d made up his mind. He fumbled, shoving his fingers beyond the edge of your waistband, eager to get his hand cupping that precious cunt of yours. 

You just had to wiggle your ass at him on the way in, didn’t you?

It started with Dabi’s hand on your waist as you went over to the digital kiosks to place an order. Whenever the two of you went out, he made it a point to hold onto you in some way, shape or form. Your hand in his. A tight grip on your waist, or middle. Anything to keep you nice and close. By his side, where you belonged. You didn’t know why Dabi was so insistent on touching you in public — perhaps he simply wanted to be close to you, or maybe he liked to show off who his pretty girl was. Whatever Dabi’s reasons were, his fingers brushed against the hem of your clothes, playing with fabric as he wrapped his arms around you from behind.

“What do you want?” you asked, feeling the villain move to rest his head on your shoulder and peer at the screen. “I’m gonna just get a burger and fries.” 

“Milkshake.” Dabi’s voice was gruff as he grunted his response in your ear. Navigating the categories until he found what he was looking for, he pointed at the menu to show you what he was craving. “And a 10-piece of nuggets.”

Having you in his arms always had the unfortunate side-effect of eroding Dabi’s ability to restrain himself. You just looked so fucking perfect with his hands on your hips. With every passing second you spent choosing your meal, Dabi became more impatient with the situation. Not for the food no. You were wearing that good perfume again. The one that made his dick hard whenever he so much as caught a whiff of it. And now that the man had his hands on you, Dabi couldn’t help himself anymore. You were so damn delicious — he was practically salivating already. His cerulean eyes traced the curve of your exposed neck, drinking in every dip and curve of bare skin you had on display. It looked so soft, inviting — and far too pristine and flawless to his liking. Not nearly enough marks and hickeys to decorate your beautiful body. He should change that.

Bruised was a really nice color on you, after all.

You gasped feeling his lips on your neck – a rush of energy flooding your body. The shiver that ran down your spine made Dabi’s grin grow wider.

“Fuck — Dabi!” you scolded, feeling his teeth sinking into the tender flesh of your exposed nape. The man was shameless as he sucked your skin between his teeth and bit down. There was no way he wasn’t leaving a hickey behind with how ferociously he was lapping at your body. Every little noise you made only riled Dabi up more – the sound of your voice, gasping and scandalized by his actions made his cock throb in anticipation.

“If you insist, baby…” he hissed out, dragging you away from the kiosk toward the bathroom. You stumbled over your own feet, trailing after Dabi as he made his way to the back of the McDonald’s dining area. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was on his mind right now and you knew for a fact that Dabi didn’t give a shit about having a quicky in public. He’d have you anytime, anywhere. As long as you were willing to spread those pretty fucking thighs for him, he was ready to stuff you full of cum without hesitation.

That’s how you ended up with one foot on the toilet seat and your hot-blooded boyfriend rutting his hard cock into your clothed pussy. Dabi’s fingers slipped into your underwear — a pleased, guttural groan rumbling in his chest as they brushed against your cunt, finding it already nice and wet for him.

“Shit, babe,” he cursed, pressing a couple of fingers into your aching heat. Just feeling your walls clench around these two digits drove him wild. His breath feels hot against your ear as he leaned in, resting his head against your shoulder while his fingers got to work prying you open to get you ready for his throbbing cock. “Here I thought I was bein’ the needy one but look at you. Guess you’re just as filthy as me, hm? That’s okay, it’s what I like about ya.”

“Dabi,” you whined desperately, back arching against the partition wall as he curled his nimble fingers inside of you. “Hurry the hell up, we’re gonna get caught —”

“We won’t be if you keep that pretty mouth of yours shut, baby.” Dabi clamped his free hand firmly over your lips, muffling whatever retort you were about to spit back at him. It was probably some sarcastic bullshit comment anyway so he wasn’t sorry about shutting you up in the slightest. “Just keep that leg up on the seat and let me handle the rest, yeah?”

When you mumbled an affirmative series of noises against the palm of his hand, Dabi chuckled. Even when he tried to keep you quiet you just couldn’t resist trying to get the last word in. It was part of your charm and just made him want to fuck you so hard until that chatty attitude of yours shattered and all you could say was his name. You knew that too. It was a fun little game the both of you liked to play, especially in a public setting like this one.

Eventually, one of you would crack and Dabi would end up balls deep inside of you.

There was no time for romance right now. He fumbled with his belt, pulling his pants down just enough to free his cock. You could feel it pressing against your inner thigh, pre-cum smearing against the edge of your panties as he rutted against you in anticipation. The fabric stretched and tensed, cutting into your skin when Dabi yanked at them — your voice catching in your throat as he ripped your underwear clean off. A twinge of annoyance flashed in your mind — that was one of your favorite pairs. Your eyes followed the fabric scraps to the floor where they lay discarded against the greasy tiles of the McDonald’s bathroom, ruined and destroyed. You didn’t have time to mourn their loss: Dabi was done wasting any more precious seconds of not fucking you senseless. The man shoved his cock inside of your sweet, warm pussy — groaning with a desperation that set the hair in the back of your neck on end.

Your head lightly banged against the power blue partition wall and your foot nearly slipped off the toilet seat as Dabi began thrusting into you. The movements were shallow and sharp, grinding deliciously against that spongey spot inside of you that he loved to bully with his pierced cock. It’s like the guy knew exactly where to hit you to make you whimper and cry like a common whore. He could feel your hungry breaths catching against his palm — fingers clasping tightly over your lips to keep you from screaming.

“Keep it down, princess, this is a fucking family establishment,” Dabi taunted with a breathless whisper, never once slowing down his pace or pausing to let you catch a break. 

You could only mewl into his hand, struggling to keep your heavenly cries under control each time he slammed his hips into you. Dabi’s burning blue eyes are glued to yours as he roughly pistoned his cock as far as it would go into your precious pussy. You felt so fucking perfect — he couldn’t get enough of you. Hell, half the time you two ended up fucking in a bathroom it was because Dabi couldn’t keep his dick from twitching at the sight of you. Even now, when he had you clenching on his fat cock, he wanted more. Harder. Deeper. Faster. It would never be enough. The toilet stall walls groaned and creaked with each thrust, shaking as they threatened to shamble off the hinges the longer you two spent inside the cubicle.

You could feel his tip grinding up against your cervix as Dabi leaned his full weight into you.

For now, the bathrooms were deserted but it would be naive to think they would remain that way. It was both thrilling and terrifying to know that the threat of someone catching the two of you in the act was very real. It added an itching urgency to the way Dabi moved, goading him into finishing this little romp as quickly as possible. He was doing a bang-up job at that. Your legs trembled as he fucked himself into you, eagerly slamming you down on his cock.

“Ssh, ssh, ssh —” he cooed when you got too loud again, pressing his lips against your forehead for a quick kiss. If it were any other man, the gesture might have been soothing. But this was Dabi: you knew better. The man was taunting you, taking pleasure in the fact that his pretty girl couldn’t moan for him like she wanted to. “Shut the hell up, you’re gonna get us caught…”

The way your eyes fluttered each time Dabi shoved his cock into your sweet cunt, your breath fanning against the palm of his hand — there was just something so fucking hot about your flushed face leaning back against the toilet stall like that. You looked completely helpless and desperate, just the way Dabi liked to have you. Grinding on his cock like you had something to prove, gasping and whining into the palm of his hand. You sounded almost like you were choking. He was utterly obsessed with that blissfully fucked-out look in your eyes. The sight alone was enough to make him wanna fill that pretty pussy of yours with his spunk. His fingers tightened their grip as he picked up the pace, digging into the soft flesh of your cheeks and admiring the way your face puffed up in his grip.

“You look so fucking good like this,” Dabi panted into your ear. His cock twitched in anticipation of what was to come. The man was so ready to fill you up with his thick, velvety cum. Every muffled moan you let out pushed him closer to the edge, urging him to cum in that heavenly cunt of yours. But there was one more thing he needed before he could finally give in to that desire. “I need you to cum on this dick, baby. C’mon, do it for me. I need to feel that pussy gushing on my cock, give it to me…” Dabi’s free hand grabbed your thigh and pressed it against the stall, spreading you open even more so he could shove himself even deeper and harder into you. You cried out, squirming at the feeling of his flushed tip plunging into your quivering pussy.

There was no holding back anymore. You couldn’t if you tried. Not with the man’s cock practically spearing you into oblivion.

Dabi felt your sweet cunt clenching, walls fluttering furiously and tightly around his hard cock as your orgasm crashed over you. He fucked you through each wave, shoving your body against the partition wall as it buckled and shook under the pressure. Feeling you clenching on his dick was all Dabi needed to drop his load inside of you as well. His teeth sank into your neck in an attempt to muffle his groans as he spilled his cum into you, cock pulsing with each ripple of pleasure that coursed through him. You felt your legs trembling, struggling to stay upright in the cramped toilet stall as he pumped you full. Thank fuck for Dabi holding you up or you would have sank through your knees ages ago. Every sweet, hot ounce of his cum poured into you, dribbling down and gathering at the base of his cock as he churned your insides until he was completely, utterly satisfied.

Once Dabi was completely spent, he pulled out and released your breathless mouth from his grasp. Quickly shoving his cock back into his pants and buckling up, the man cast a glance through the cracks of the toilet stall to see if anyone had walked in. The room was deserted. You were in the clear — having gotten away with a quick fuck in a McDonald’s bathroom. It was quite thrilling but also deeply embarrassing. Not exactly the type of passionate encounter you’d brag about to your friends.

You were perfectly happy to never tell a damn soul what had happened here today.

“Looks like it’s our lucky day,” Dabi chuckled out, grinning from ear to ear as he basked in the thrill of your public little tryst. Ripping a piece of toilet paper from the holder, he dabbed you clean and wiped away his spunk before chucking it in the bowl, flushing. It was a nice gesture, really, since you didn’t have a pair of panties to cover yourself with anymore.

As you both made your way out of the bathroom, you smoothed out the creases in your clothes, trying to act normal. Luckily for you, no one seemed to be paying any mind to the two of you stumbling back into the restaurant, looking like you just ran a marathon. 

“Y’know, babe —” Dabi said, wrapping an arm around your waist as he pulled you in close. You could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke, whispering into your ear like he was telling you a secret. “I McLoved that.”

“You’re the fucking worst.”

[Masterlist]

[rotworld]

Fitting the Collar

that weird guy from the club wants to go for a walk in the woods in werewolf territory. a continuation of sheep's clothing and savior.

->sawyer/reader/corbin. explicit; contains noncon, coercion, implied stalking, feral behavior, typical werewolf-pack human power imbalance, outdoor sex, thighfucking, knotting (doesn't actually happen but discussed in detail)

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WOLVES IN THESE WOODS screams the vandalized trail kiosk. These words are scrawled over a map of the mountain, each big red letter spray painted in so many thick, messy layers that they drip like blood. This eyesore greets you at the edge of the parking lot where gravel turns to dirt and sunlight strains through the leaves. It’s not news, to you or to anyone who’s lived near the mountains for any amount of time. Dogwalkers and families on bikes barely spare the sign a glance as they set off, because of course there are werewolves. They shop at the hardware store and sell produce at the farmer’s market. Once a year, they come to Eastridge City Hall to negotiate another year of peaceful cohabitation and give the local news something to catastrophize about.

And yet, the graffiti gives you pause. It’s probably just some mischief but it looks so dire, clashing with the rustic charm of the wooden kiosk and the tranquil beauty of the forest all around it. You tell yourself there’s nothing to worry about. You’ve seen werewolves before. But the fearful part of your brain that makes you flinch and look around nervously every time a twig snaps reminds you that this is different. You’ve seen them in town, in public, at gas stations and second-hand stores, one time at a coffee shop. You’re on their turf now. You glance back at your car, parked in the shade, and think about backing out. Texting an apology and an excuse, some last minute emergency that you can’t neglect.

“Hey, you made it!” You don’t see him coming because you’re watching the parking lot, not the trail. An arm slings around your shoulder, dragging you into a sideways hug. You’re startled and off-balance, too stunned to do anything about a relative stranger nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck with an uncomfortably deep inhale until it’s already over. He pulls away with one last stroke of his thumb against your cheek, and then he shoves his hands in his pockets and stands at a distance like it never happened. “I’m glad you came,” Corbin says. He looks like he’s been hiking without you, prickly seeds stuck to his jacket and mud caked to his boots. Those vicious markings littering his neck are on full display with his hair pulled back. You try not to look at them but your gaze is repeatedly drawn back down. Some of them look fresh, still puffy and irritated. “It wasn’t too hard to find, right?”

“No, it was fine,” you say, wondering for the hundredth time how he talked you into this. 

“Great! You’re gonna love this trail. It’s super easy, don’t worry. And we can go slow…” Something over your shoulder catches his eye and his brows furrow, his mouth pressing into a tight frown. “Well, that’s annoying. And covering up the map like that! Packless—” He cuts himself off abruptly, glancing at you with a sheepish smile like he said something you might find offensive. Strangest of all, he goes out of his way to take a picture of it, standing back with his phone raised so he can get the whole sign in frame. “Some people, right? Anyway, let’s get moving.” 

You remember the conversation that led to this outing. Idle chatter in a mall food court, held hostage out of polite obligation because he’d bought you lunch even when you insisted he didn’t have to. You smiled nervously while he went on and on about how nice the weather had been lately, how perfect it was for long walks in the woods and how all the best trails were in the next town over. You should’ve seen the invitation coming but instead you were thinking that it was weird, right, that this random guy had suddenly become such a big part of your life, weird that you kept running into each other when he didn’t even leave in Eastridge. 

You were relieved when he stopped showing up at Club Mountainview to tip you obscene amounts of money for serving him appetizers and occasionally refilling his water between drunk, demanding customers, but then he started showing up everywhere else. Not all the time, though. Not so often or so conspicuously that you could confidently call it stalking. Sometimes he comes into your favorite coffee shop just as you’re leaving and he doesn’t even wave. Sometimes he disappears for weeks at a time without explanation. But when you do talk, when he smiles at you and pulls you into his shamelessly intimate affection, rubbing his face in your hair or humming in contentment against your neck, something in you responds with embarrassing eagerness. Maybe you’ve just been too busy lately, starved for interaction. You can’t shake the feeling that he can see right through you. You never say much, but he seems to know you better than you know yourself.

“I appreciate you coming all this way. It doesn’t seem like you get a lot of time off,” Corbin says. The trail is wide enough that you can walk side by side with some room between you, but he sticks close. Your sleeves brush sometimes.

“I’m glad I did,” you tell him. “You weren’t kidding, it’s really nice out here.” 

His eyes light up, smile widening as though you complimented him instead. “It is, isn’t it?” 

The trail is a gentle winding path into the mountains full of birdsong and warm breeze. You see speckles of moss and wildflowers, a sea of swaying greenery that seems to go on forever. Corbin stops halfway across a bridge straddling a river and you clasp the railing beside him, watching the water stream white-capped over the rocks below. You linger for a while, enjoying the sound of the rapids and the occasional glimpse of a fish darting downstream. You catch him staring in the corner of your eye. He smiles, unashamed, and scoots closer. His shoulder rests against yours.

“This is wolf territory,” he says. His tone is strange and hard for you to identify. It’s not sad, exactly, but it’s stern. Solemn. Like he’s telling you something profound. “Do you know much about the pack that lives here?” 

He’s watching your expression carefully and trying to pretend he isn’t. The scrutiny makes you uncomfortable. You push back from the railing and he follows with a small frown but begins walking again, giving you more distance than he did before. “Not really,” you say, shrugging. “I don’t know much about werewolves in general.” 

It’s an odd question, you think, and it’s odder still when he hums in acknowledgement and drops the subject. You keep walking, keenly aware of his presence beside you. You’ve wondered for a while now if Corbin might be a werewolf. You’re sure he was with some when you first met. It wasn’t just that they were a little intense and eccentric. You felt cornered when they looked at you, a spark of fight-or-flight igniting in your chest. It was instinct. You sensed something wild and powerful, and you braced yourself to run if it bared its teeth.

“What’s on your mind?” he asks. The way he looks at you, the sly smile on his lips, makes it seem like he already knows.

You don’t want to ask. That would be rude, right? And what difference does it make? Werewolves haven’t been going around hunting and eating people for centuries, no matter what the tabloids say. “Just thinking,” you say. 

“Mhm? About what?” 

“Just…stuff.” Now he’s staring and not being subtle about it at all. You keep expecting him to trip but he keeps his eyes on you the whole time instead of on the path ahead without any trouble. Like he’s walked this trail a thousand times, you think. Like it’s second nature. “What do you do?” you ask, desperate for something else to talk about. 

“Like, for work?” His gaze wanders away for a moment and he tilts his head, his expression becoming amused and wistful. For such a simple question, he takes a long time considering his answer. “I guess it’s kind of like a human resources job.” He grins. You feel like there’s a joke you’re not getting. “Not the stuffy office kind. I work out here, actually.” 

“Out here?” you echo. “Like with the Parks and Rec service?” 

“With parts of it, yeah.” The path splits, a fork meandering into thicker brush and foliage. You’re not sure if it’s a proper trail or just a common footpath worn into the grass. It’s narrower, rougher and more uneven, carpeted in fallen leaves as though few people have been through to disturb them. There’s a tree right where the smaller path breaks off, a symbol carved into the bark. You don’t know what it is; a mishmash of jagged lines intersect with squiggling curves, gouged into the wood with something sharp. Corbin insists on going this way despite your reservations. “It’s part of the trail, I promise,” he assures you, his hand resting on your lower back with just the slightest pressure, urging you to keep moving. “Unless you’re tired and wanna go back?”

You wouldn’t mind seeing more of the trail, but you stare down the path with apprehension. You see it curves gently upwards as it goes, slowly ascending further into the mountains. “We could head back,” you say, but Corbin doesn’t let go. He keeps pushing, offering a reassuring smile.

“Can I show you one more thing?” he asks. “Just a little further. Then we can go.” Just like that time at the mall, you plan on refusing. The words are on the tip of your tongue but you can’t seem to get them out. There’s something about Corbin—not any particular thing he says or does, just the way he is. He stands close to you. He looks you in the eye. His hand rises from your back and slides up and down your arm instead, a soothing gesture that you find yourself embarrassingly reactive to, and then he takes your hand in his. “You’re afraid of wolves, aren’t you?” 

You shake your head, not trusting your voice to stay steady if you answer. He just smiles. 

“It’s alright, I get it. They seem kind of scary, right? A lot stronger and faster than us. But y’know, they’re actually pretty gentle. I’ve been living and working with one of the local packs for a while now. They take good care of me.” 

“You live with them?” you ask, disbelieving. 

Corbin laughs. He takes your hand in both of his, rubbing his thumbs into your skin. “I want to show you something,” he says softly. “Please? I promise, you’re safe with me.” He does it again somehow; quells your worries and draws you closer, talking you into something you didn’t want to do. He keeps holding your hand when he starts walking, looking over his shoulder periodically to smile and tell you it’s not far now. You pass a fallen log with squirrels shuffling around inside, a wooden guardrail at the edge of a ravine, a hill dotted with wildflowers. The birds are louder here, the sunlight even softer where it manages to trickle through the trees. Corbin slows his pace when you almost trip and fall, the toe of your shoe catching on a tree root snaking across the path. He’s looking for something. He keeps talking, telling you the scientific names of everything you can see, but his gaze scans the forest as you walk. 

He must find it, because suddenly he stops and drags you to a halt beside him. You’re quickly ushered off the trail, dragged into a crouch beside Corbin behind a mossy boulder. He doesn’t respond to your nervous stammering except to press his finger to your lips with a mischievous smile. Then he points, over the boulder and up ahead. You don’t see anything. Corbin exhales sharply in amusement at your pinched, confused expression. He gets closer, an arm draped over your shoulders to pull you in as much as he can. He smells like these woods; earth and grass stains, sharply evergreen. His body heat warms your side. He points again. 

This time, you see it but only because it moves. There’s something out there. A blur. A shape. Brown, black and gray, drifting in the spaces between the trees. With a sudden surge of breathless panic, you realize those are wolves. Not one but several, moving with nearly silent, predatory grace. Their tails flick as they trot briskly through the dappled shade. You can tell they’re enormous, even from here, bigger than any dog you’ve ever seen. The one in the lead has thick, coal black fur, and it stops suddenly with a quiet bark. The others spread out in a semi-circle, ears pricked and attentive. 

Corbin squeezes your shoulder as if to remind you he’s there. He leans in, whispering into your ear. “Shepherds. They’re on patrol.” 

You’re not sure if you’re watching a meeting, an argument, or something else altogether. The wolf in charge chuffs and paws at the dirt, the others watching, tilting their heads. They seem to reach some kind of understanding because all but the leader start moving again. That one lingers, watching them leave. It sits in a sunbeam, its dark fur looking silky in the light. Then it lurches forward with a strained whimper like it’s going to be sick, foamy saliva dribbling from its open maw. You watch in speechless horror as the wolf’s fur starts to bulge and shiver like something is moving under its skin. Corbin’s grip on you tightens just as you tense, ready to run.

“It’s alright,” he whispers. “He’s just shifting. He has trouble with it sometimes.” 

You don’t want to watch this but you’re afraid to look away. The wolf curls around itself with limbs that are all wrong, too long and bending strangely. Its paws stretch and lengthen. Its snout shrinks. It groans and the sound is wet and throaty, its fur receding in patches that expose the shift of sinew in sudden, cracking snaps that hurt to hear. You see skin, slick and shining with sweat. You see fingers tipped with thick, black claws. The sound of bones popping in and out of sockets finally fades and you hear soft panting. The wolf is halfway to man. It goes no further. Still breathing heavily, he sits up and runs a hand through long, messy bangs the same dark color as the stubborn patches of fur still clinging to his limbs and back. He climbs to his feet and—

he’s naked. Completely head to toe naked, soft cock and heavy balls dangling between his legs. You think, for the second time, that you shouldn’t be seeing this, but Corbin still doesn’t let you get up. You find him watching you, studying your expression intently. Has he been doing that the whole time? 

“Corbin.” The werewolf’s voice is low, rough and growling. He’s looking right at the two of you like the boulder’s not even there. Corbin laughs. He lets you stand up when he does, but he keeps you trapped against his side. His hand slides from your shoulder to your waist. 

“Beta,” Corbin greets. He lifts his head and tilts it to the side, exposing his throat. The werewolf makes a sound in his throat, something like a dismissive grunt. “This is Sawyer,” he tells you, nodding to the wolf. “He’s not a shepherd anymore, but sometimes he goes with them—”

“Who is this?” Sawyer asks. He approaches slowly, almost cautiously, pointed ears twitching. 

Corbin tries to push you forward but you dig your heels in. “My friend—”

“Shouldn’t be here.” Sawyer’s eyes are like a wolf’s—no sclera, only inky black and golden-brown. You’re afraid to even breathe when his wide-eyed animalistic stare pins you in place. “You’re lucky I found you first, before this became a problem. No one’s thinking clearly this time of year.”

“My friend,” Corbin insists. “The one I told you about, from the club in Eastridge.” Sawyer’s gaze leaves you momentarily, meeting Corbin’s eyes instead. Corbin’s practically vibrating with excitement. His fingers tap a quick rhythm into your side. 

“Ah,” Sawyer says. He looks at you again, still frowning and pensive. “Should I go?” you ask nervously. 

“No.” Your heart skips a beat when Sawyer and Corbin answer in unison, the word pronounced as a firm growl. Corbin laughs. Sawyer doesn’t, shifting uncomfortably. His tail sways in a slow, uncertain wag. “No,” he repeats quietly. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I’m…cautious with outsiders.” 

You never expected to hear a werewolf sound so anxious and awkward. “It’s okay. I get it, I’m in your home.” 

“My home is open to you.” He looks off into the distance. It’s hard to deny that he’s handsome. He has unusual features, everything sharpened and wolf-like but still recognizably human. He’s taller than both you and Corbin, lithe and muscular, the story of a long, difficult life told across the many scars carved into his skin. His limbs are long, unnaturally so, like something didn’t settle where it was supposed to while he was shifting. 

“They’re a little nervous around werewolves,” Corbin chuckles, making your face fill with embarrassed heat. 

“I just haven’t met very many,” you insist. Sawyer glances at you and you still can’t tell if he’s angry or not. You break eye contact and hear him take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 

“You can look at me, if you’d like,” he offers. He tilts his head, a gesture that strikes you as very dog-like and endearing. “I prefer doing search and rescue in wolfskin, but some people are afraid of dogs. So I approach slowly. I lay down and let them get a good look at me first. It tends to help.” You try to insist that it’s not a problem, you’re not afraid of dogs, but Sawyer just shakes his head. “Come look. It doesn’t bother me. I know I’m a little strange compared to the others.” 

Corbin nudges you gently. You resist the first time, more weakly the second. The third soft push sends you a few steps forward. Sawyer doesn’t move, letting you come to him. You’re still nervous but Corbin encourages you with a nod and a grin. “He doesn’t bite. Not unless you’re really good, or really bad.” 

“Corbin,” Sawyer says, his tone almost scolding. He’s still not smiling, but maybe that’s just how he is. He looks calm, at least, no longer terse or frustrated. His posture is loose and open, arms at his sides and gaze casually wandering the woods, but his tail is moving faster now. Wagging, like a happy dog. It’s hard not to find him cute. The closer you get, the more details emerge. He has freckles on his shoulders. A habit of leaning, resting all of his weight on one leg or the other. Old scars, mostly on his chest and upper body, a few bald patches in the fur on his arms in jagged stripes. When you’re close enough to touch him, you notice he has scars on his face, too, mostly hidden by his unkempt hair. “You’re from Eastridge,” he says. It doesn’t sound like a question, but you nod. “Corbin says you work at a…nightclub.” He says “nightclub” like it’s a city in a foreign country, some place he’s heard of but never seen. 

“Yeah, in the restaurant. I wait tables, nothing fancy.”

“Hm. Sounds unpleasant. Thankless.”

Thankless. Didn’t Corbin use the exact same word when you first met? “It can be sometimes,” you admit.

Sawyer looks at Corbin again. You get the feeling that they’re communicating somehow, sharing an understanding you’re not privy to. “Do you mind if I…greet you?” Sawyer asks. There’s a rasp to his voice that wasn’t there before, some emotion he’s trying to mask. “The traditional way.” 

“Uh, I guess that’s fine?” You’ve barely finished speaking when he steps forward. Two long strides and he has you, his thumb on your chin tilting your head to the side. He has to bend slightly to bury his face in the side of your neck. He takes long, audible sniffs and rubs his face into your skin, one cheek and then the other. Your hands are on his shoulders but you don’t push him away because this is familiar, you realize. Corbin does this to you all the time. It’s a little more intense with Sawyer because he wants you as close as possible, right up against him so it’s impossible to ignore the twitching heat of his cock nestled against your abdomen. 

Sawyer makes a low, rumbling sound, something between a growl and a purr. “Mm. Hello,” he drawls. He sounds happy, almost intoxicated. He nuzzles into you again with a relieved sigh. “Sorry, again. Hard to tell at a distance. You smell trustworthy.” 

It’s such a strange thing to say that you can’t help but laugh. “What does that smell like?” you ask, nervous. Trying to pull away doesn’t get you anywhere. Sawyer’s arms are a vice around you and it’s a struggle just to turn far enough to look back at Corbin for help.

“Like me, basically,” Corbin says. He almost sounds smug. 

“Like him,” Sawyer agrees. He cups your face in his large, clawed hands and “greets” you again, cheek to cheek, forehead to forehead. Your heart flutters when he noses along your jaw and under your chin, maneuvering you as he likes. He speaks in a low, steady murmur while he explains. “Some emotions come through, if they’re strong enough. Some intentions. What isn’t there also matters. No wolf blood. No gunpowder. No chemical accelerant. I can tell the difference, you know. Whether you were just filling up your car or if you’ve been…up to something. Especially out here.”

“Gunpowder?” you repeat, startled. “Accelerant? Wh—why—?”

“Hunters.” Corbin is closer than you remember him being. He stands right behind you, rubbing your shoulders. Trying to move away from Sawyer presses you against Corbin instead and he chuckles like you did something cute, nuzzling the back of your head. “The regular kind’s bad enough,” he mutters. “But the worst ones are infiltrators, acting like they want—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sawyer says sharply. You feel Corbin stiffen behind you. He bows his head meekly, kissing your shoulder. Sawyer takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He rubs his cheek against yours one more time and then he pulls back far enough to look you in the eye. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeats, his tone softening. “It was nice to meet you. I should…” He trails off. You watch the muscles in his throat tense and bob when he swallows. His gaze lowers to your lips, your neck, your chest. His cock twitches again. You feel it stiffening, filling with blood. 

“How do they smell?” Corbin asks. His hands slide down to your hips, fingers kneading their way into the waistband of your pants. 

Sawyer grips the back of your neck with sudden firmness. He makes that rumbling sound again in response to your frightened stammering, hushing you softly before he inhales against your throat. “Afraid,” he murmurs. “But not just afraid.” He rocks his hips, grinding his hot, hardening cock against your clothes. There’s not enough room to struggle. Trying to wiggle out from between them just makes them both close in harder, chest to chest with Sawyer while Corbin drapes himself against your back. 

“You’re okay,” Corbin coos, his gentle tone completely at odds with how roughly he grabs your wrists and yanks them behind your back. “Shhhh, no, you’re okay. He’s not gonna hurt you.” 

Sawyer tilts your head back and makes you look at him. Fight or flight fails you. You freeze in terror. Those haunting black and gold eyes don’t belong to a man but an animal, hungry and about to pounce. “Please let me go,” you beg him, your voice quivering. “Please, please don’t—” His hand wraps around your throat. He doesn’t squeeze. He doesn’t have to. The threat is there, his callused palm resting on your windpipe. Why didn’t you scream earlier? Why aren’t you screaming now? You can hear your own thudding pulse in your temples. “It’s okay,” Corbin whispers. “It’s all okay. You’re safe, and you’re so special and so loved. Do you want him?” You stammer out a refusal, pleas, scared sounds. Corbin chuckles and noses against your ear. “You can be honest. It’s okay if you do. Wolves want us, and we want them. That’s just how it is.”

Sawyer’s trying to undress you. He tugs at your pants but he stops when you make a shrill sound of panic and start to twist and fight. He seizes the back of your neck again, harder this time, and you go completely still when his teeth scrape the tender flesh of your throat. 

Corbin takes over for him. He holds both of your wrists in one hand, the other gradually exposing your hips to the cool air. “You’re being so good. That’s it. Deep breaths. He’s not mad at you. He wants you so much.” He’s hard, you realize. Fully hard and throbbing in his pants. Corbin’s breath hitches and he moans softly into your ear, getting off on all of this. “He’s gonna use your thighs,” Corbin whispers, low and excited. He gets your pants down just far enough to expose your sex and the swell of your ass, keeping your legs trapped. “Just your thighs. Don’t be scared. He’s gonna let you feel his knot.”

Sawyer growls. He grabs you by the hips and you feel his cock poking your inner thigh. He drags you into his movements, long, slow thrusts against your sex that make you whine. He’s still growing, still getting harder every time he pushes against you. His fat, flared tip narrows to a point, a pearl of precum beading right on top. He changes his angle to smear it into your skin, rubbing his tip back and forth against your sex until you’re both a sticky mess. His hands slip behind you, between your bare backside and Corbin’s clothed erection, groping your ass and kneading the cheeks apart. He gets your thighs open just enough to slip his cock between them, nestled right under your sex. You feel every inch of him when he moves back and forth. His shaft is long and thick, bulging along the bottom. 

You can’t remember when you started holding onto him, when Corbin let your wrists go, but Sawyer growls, “Good,” in a gravelly rumble that sends heat rushing between your legs. The praise startles you, makes your heart race faster. “So good, giving in like this. Your instincts know what to do.” He moves faster, harder. You hear your bodies together, skin to skin, the slap of his balls against your thighs every time your hips meet as if he’s really fucking you, as if you’ve taken him all the way to the base. Your sex throbs. Sawyer pants and grunts and ruts like an animal, needy like he’s been waiting for this all his life. You’re lightheaded with a heady mix of fear, shame and desire. He mouths at your pulse, hungrily lapping at your neck like he can taste how much you want him. 

“God, you’re a natural,” Corbin whispers. He’s still touching you, still humping your ass while Sawyer fucks your thighs. When did he get his pants off? You can feel the metal of his open zipper warming on the back of your legs, his cock sandwiched between your cheeks. “That’s it. Don’t think so much, just feel. Move with him. Just like that, sweetheart. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.”

You feel delirious, dizzy and burning. You’re really doing it, grinding back on a stranger, a werewolf, in the middle of the woods. It feels good to let go. To not worry or think or even decide what happens next, letting him guide you, letting Corbin tell you how perfect you are for it. You arch your back, pushing yourself into Sawyer’s steady thrusts and Corbin’s frantic grinding, hearing them both groan appreciatively. There’s something swollen at the base of Sawyer’s cock, an engorged, sensitive bulge that he loves to shove between your thighs and grind back and forth, shaking his hips so you feel just how big it is, hot and pulsing under your sex. 

“Squeeze your thighs together,” Sawyer says. His voice is low and broken, more growl than human speech. You do what he asks without hesitation. It feels good to trap his knot right under your sex and feel it throb against you. It feels even better when he hisses “yes, fuck, yes!” and ruts mindlessly, short jackhammering thrusts into the tight warmth of your thighs. “Good, so good. Sweet bunny,” he moans. He buries his face in your neck again, alternating between deep breaths and sloppy kisses with his sharp teeth threatening to break the skin. He says more but you can’t understand him with it all slurred and muffled, sounding like another language entirely.

“Fuck!” Corbin wraps his arms around you when he cums, clutching your waist. He presses against you everywhere he can reach, his chest to your back, his cheek against your shoulder, humping like a rabbit in heat. He babbles and whimpers as his thrusts go from fast and hard to long and trembling, cum splattering your hips and ass and dampening your shirt. “You’re so good, so sweet, want you again, wanna see you on alpha’s knot…” He’s determined to take you over the edge with him, groping and grabbing at you even while he’s still trembling and catching his breath. He nuzzles into your neck on the opposite side from Sawyer, kissing and licking, nipping the lobe of your ear. “You want that? You wanna get stretched on a werewolf knot? There’s nothing else like it. You’d be so fucking full. And our beta’s so big, he’d get nice and deep. You’d be stuffed…” He rubs your stomach. “All the way up to here,” he whispers.

Sawyer swivels his hips again, grinds his knot against your sex one more time, and that’s all it takes. You’re grateful when he surges forward and crushes your lips together, swallowing the embarrassingly loud sounds you make as you buck your hips and ride out your orgasm. You cling to him like you’re drowning, arms around his neck and moaning helplessly into his mouth. His claws dig into your ass and you wonder what this would feel like if those hard, grinding thrusts were inside of you instead, if his length was dragging on your inner walls and his tip was hammering your sweet spot, his knot popping into place. The heat and the friction build to maddening overstimulation and you’re whimpering, begging wordlessly for mercy. His tongue strokes yours and you’re drooling, slack-jawed and fucked senseless from nothing but this frantic, animalistic humping and Corbin’s voice in your ear. 

“You’re so cute,” he purrs. “It’s like you already know how to submit. Not so scared now, are you? No, you’re perfect. You’d take a knot so well. Fuck, I knew I was right about you.”

You don’t know when Sawyer cums. You don’t know much of anything but heat and sensation, pleasant friction and painful chafing, Sawyer’s tongue and teeth and claws. Eventually, his knot shrinks. His cock slips out from between your legs and you’re lowered gently to the forest floor, held between two spent, sweaty bodies. You feel sticky and disgusting. Someone strokes your hair and someone squeezes your hip and you aren’t sure who’s doing what, just that they’re there with you.

“Really wish you’d warned me first.” You can feel the vibration of Sawyer’s voice against your skin, a deep rumble. 

“If I did that, you’d just run and hide,” Corbin says quietly. One of them kisses the top of your head. “You and Linden have that in common.”

“Watch yourself, hrefn.” The words are playful. They shift around you. You hear a kiss exchanged, a soft sigh. “Are we bringing them up now?” 

“No. Gonna do it properly, next time. This was just a test. I had to make sure.” 

“Next time?” Sawyer asks, concerned. “I’m not the human expert, but…” 

“Well, I am. So trust me.” Corbin reacts immediately when you start squirming, trying to sit up. He helps you, steadying your shoulders. “Hey,” he coos. “Welcome back. Feeling alright?” 

You don’t say anything. The reality of what you just did—of what just happened to you—creeps in slowly. He tricked you. Pressured you into this. Kept pushing even when you didn’t want to, even when you were terrified. You tug your pants back on, wincing at all the cum sticking to your skin. Sawyer tries to touch your shoulder and you flinch, leaning away from him. His fingers twitch like he thinks of grabbing you, forcing you to show him your neck again, but he never does. He lowers his hand slowly and you let out a shaky breath. You only let Corbin pull you to your feet because your legs are shaking too badly to stand up alone. 

“Let’s get you back to your car,” he says sweetly. Like he didn’t just lure you into the woods to trap you between him and a werewolf. “I’ll be back in a bit, just gonna walk them down the trail.” 

“Mhm.” You don’t look at Sawyer but you feel him staring. His gaze burns into your back when you stumble away, clinging reluctantly to Corbin. You look back just once to make sure he doesn’t follow you. The trail is empty. There’s only trees and bushes and fallen leaves. Somehow, you still feel like you’re being watched all the way to the parking lot. 

“It was so nice to see you—”

You slam the door in Corbin’s face. He just smiles, stepping back as you hurriedly shove your keys in the ignition. You need to get out of here. Need a shower, need the safety of your home, need to throw a few things in a bag and find somewhere else to stay for a while. Corbin is still standing there at the start of the trail when you start driving. He waves at your rearview mirror and then he walks away. Not into the parking lot, but back up the trail. Into the woods and up the mountain. When he’s gone, all that’s left is the trail kiosk standing sentinel, casting its shadow across the trail.

WOLVES IN THESE WOODS, it says.

[jampc]

angeleyes ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

ʜɪ ! ɪ ꜱᴀᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏꜱᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʙᴢ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴀɢ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ :) ɪ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴜʟᴛ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ ᴛʀᴜɴᴋꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ɢꜰ (ʏᴋ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ʀɪᴄʜ) ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴛᴄ !! ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴍ <- anon

pairing: trunks/f!reader

words: 1,224

content warnings: none.

tags: fluff, drabbles, romance, sfw.

rating: G

a/n: so fluffy it might make you explode. or at least cause massive amounts of eye rolling 😭. hope you enjoy it nonetheless ⋆˙⟡♡✧˖°

"I've told you before, it's my money. I can do whatever I want with it!"

"But-"

"And no buts! This is my house and if I say we're going out to the fair then that's what we'll do." The young man smiled down at his girlfriend as she pouted up at him in a sulk.

She knew how much he loved this time of year, when all the local businesses would set up stalls around the town square for people to come along and buy their wares from them.

It was like Christmas on steroids, with everything being open until late into the night every day of the week. There were rides, games, food stalls and so many other things to see and do.

“But you know I don't like crowds," she whined. "And there's bound to be lots of drunk people who might try something."

"I promise I won't let anyone take advantage of you while we're here. And besides, everyone knows me. They'd never dare mess with us." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before standing up and pulling her up by the hand. "Come on, let's go."

She sighed as she followed him out of the door and towards the car. He had a point though; he could probably handle any trouble that came his way if it did arise.

Even now, they only needed to look at each other for a few seconds and they both knew exactly what the other one was thinking.

They drove through the town centre and parked up near the edge of the market area.

“We should get some tickets first," he said as they got out of the car. "That way we can ride all the rides without having to wait in line."

"I suppose so," she replied. "But you know I'm not really that fond of rollercoasters or anything too fast."

He laughed as he took her arm and led her over to the entrance gate.

A few moments later, they were inside the grounds and walking amongst the stalls which lined either side of the walkway.

Most of them sold clothes, jewellery and other accessories but there were also plenty of food stands selling hot dogs, chips and candyfloss.

"It looks busy already," he commented as they made their way slowly through the throng of people.

"I think we're going to have to fight our way through. But I think I know a shortcut."

"Oh goodie!" she replied sarcastically. "How exciting! Let's go."

The finally found the ticket booth.

“Two please," he said to the lady behind the counter. "For two adults."

She handed them each a paper ticket as well as a plastic bag containing a pair of wristbands.

He slipped his on and watched as his girlfriend did the same.

Once they'd put their bags back in the boot, he looked around and spotted a small kiosk on the far side of the field.

"Come on," he said excitedly. "Let's go on the merry-go-round."

He grabbed your hand and pulled you along after him as he made his way across the grass.

You could hear the music playing as you walked towards the brightly coloured horses.

When you got to the front you realised there was a queue leading onto the ride itself and several more queues waiting to get on once the previous ones had left.

"I knew i should've bought out the fairground earlier," he muttered.

"Oh hush, it doesn't matter," she whispered sweetly in return. He started pushing the people in front of him aside until he reached the head of the queue.

As soon as his turn arrived, he held your hand tightly as you stepped aboard the ride.

You held on to his waist firmly and gripped tight the metal bars above your head.

Then, the whole thing began moving round and round, faster than you thought possible.

Your boyfriend's hands tightened even further as you squealed with excitement whilst trying desperately not to lose grip of the bar.

After about five minutes of dizzying motion, the ride stopped again and you felt yourself start falling forwards as it slowed right down.

Luckily your boyfriends strong arms kept you from plunging off the seat completely, although they couldn't keep hold of one hand for very long.

“Wheeee!! That was fun," you cried breathlessly. "Let's do another!"

“We should go on one of those little bumper cars next," he suggested with a chuckle. You nodded your agreement eagerly.

They headed towards the exit and went outside where there were dozens upon dozens of these miniature vehicles racing around a large wooden track.

You choose a vehicle and climbed inside. Your boyfriend choose one nearby, hopped in beside you and wrapped his arms around you protectively.

"Hold on baby," he growled softly in your ear.

"Ooohhhhhh!" you screamed in delight as you careered around corners, narrowly missing other cars on numerous occasions.

You bounced up and down against the seat as you spun around, laughing madly, feeling safe in your boyfriends embrace.

Eventually he released his grasp on you suddenly and you fell forward as you tried to grab the steering wheel. The force sent you hurtling off the seat and crashing to the floor, hard enough to knock the wind out of you.

"You alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Y-yeah I think so," you stammered between gasps for air.

“I love you," he told you as he leaned down and kissed you tenderly.

After a moment you recovered your senses enough to smile at him and reply.

"I love you too."

A short time later, you were sat back down enjoying yourselves on one of the benches whilst he was feeding you ice cream.

You were giggling like children, holding hands and talking about all the stupid things that happened to you during the day. Eventually, the sun started setting and the crowd started thinning away.

“I know sometimes we argue but it makes me happy to spend time with you," he told you earnestly.

"It does make me happy too," you admitted. "I wouldn't want to change a thing."

"You’re so beautiful," he continued dreamily. "So caring and compassionate too. If you weren't so shy, I could tell you how wonderful you are to me."

You blushed deeply, embarrassed at having been spoken to quite so openly.

But still you felt your heart begin to beat faster as the words sank in deep within your mind. He leant in closer, his voice dropping even lower.

"I've fallen in love with you," he mumbled quietly into your hair. "And I intend to marry you someday."

You froze up instantly and stared wide eyed at him. His face dropped slightly and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, it’s getting late we better head home," he said with forced jollity. "It's a long drive tomorrow."

You nodded dumbly and allowed him to lead you back towards the car.

Once they were both seated safely inside, he turned towards you with a big grin plastered across his handsome features.

"So..." you murmured uncertainly. "Are you sure...you meant that...?"

His mouth split into a huge grin and he shook his head playfully as he spoke.

"Yes, of course. What kind of idiot do you take me for? Now buckle up, sweetheart, 'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

[goodluckclove]

hey clove ! long fucking ask wow i apologize. this is just me rambling so conserve your brain if you wanna

i was thinking a lot about fancy foods today and had some interesting thoughts . i work at my local mall selling frozen macarons/chocolates/gelato and other pastries etc at a little kiosk in the middle of the food court for "luxury" prices (like almost 4 dollars per macaron). everything in the display cases is visually enticing - the macarons are brightly colored, the chocolates are in different shapes and colors and textures, the gelato is, ,, well you know how cute gelato is it's pretty damn cute. and the kiosk is white and generally pretty spotless as well, and the decor is french-themed cus that's the genre of stuff we sell. overalll it's marketing toward the WASPs of the area and their young kids. but something i've realized is that while everything we sell might be super yummy to look at, it's not really that yummy to eat. the macarons largely taste the same, and that flavor is mostly just almond. the colors are just colors, they're like froot loops. the gelato - which i've only recently properly tried - tastes pretty damn good (we sell a praline hazelnut one - OH BABYYYYY. i will be embalmed in that stuff when i die) - but the texture is just way, way off. it's grainy and just not like gelato at all. it feels like a scam or a multi level marketing scheme. its advertised as being super high end and bougie but it's really not.

compare that to the other restaurants in the food court. they're not glamorous. there's only a few chain restaurants; the rest have generic names, have fast-talking employees with beautifully diverse accents, have graphics with three different logo iterations and menus with low-quality photos. today i bought an egg and mozzarella crepe from one of these restaurants, and watched it being made while the employees threw friendly jabs at each other in a language i didn't recognize as an icon of the virgin mary gazed at them from the wall. the crepe wasn't pretty or brightly colored or aesthetically packaged. it cost me ten dollars with a tip and it was more food than i could ever eat. i sat crammed next to the sink in the kiosk using our big rubbermaid freezer cart as a table and tried not to cut the aluminum foil and styrofoam container along with the crepe. that thing made me so nostalgic and calm; the flavors were so familiar and comforting.

there's bigger nuances here than just "pretty food bad, unpretty food good", but it was a really interesting observation for me. i already knew my job was lowkey scam-ish, but to see real food actually being made without much fretting over how visually good it is to focus on how good for the eater it is - it was cool. i'm quitting my job soon. who knows, i might apply to the pancake place they're putting in.

anyway this was just a neat day, and i thought you might find it interesting. i hope you're doing well, and congrats again on blind trust !

God I loved reading this. Your descriptions of these two conflicting environments ring so true in my head. I'm gonna go ahead and drop a read more because I do have some food thoughts related to this and I'm also feeling like rambling.

Because we've all been there, right? The type of fancy bakery that sells a cake for like six dollars that looks amazing but is mostly moose or like stale almond cake. Macaroons are so enticing in theory, but because of the effort it takes to actually make them in the way they're intended they're surprisingly difficult to do right. You have a good macaroon and it's fucking worth 4 dollars, though. The combination of the crisp outer shell with the plush meringue and thick frosting. Plus they come in fun flavors - rose, lavender, earl grey. Yum yum. But a bad one just turns into paste in your mouth.

One of my favorite things in the world is what I call a medium-fancy dessert. It's usually a cake for me, although gelato would also suffice. It's something that feels fancy without losing that base level of quality and satisfaction. There's a bakery in Portland that stocks a 24-hour vending machine with their cakes (I know man it's crazy), and they're a pretty solid source of medium-fancy treats. They look pretty, but they have a ratio of soft, moist cake to quality frosting that really gives you a filling experience.

If that's not accessible, tiramisu works nearly every time for me. Plus it's not usually that more expensive than other cakes.

Compare that to smaller, usually immigrant-run restaurants that sometimes choose to let the quality of their food speak over the aesthetics of the storefront. What comes to mind when I imagine that is Sivalai Thai Restaurant, which is my favorite place for Thai food in my part of Portland. That's saying a lot too, since there are a TON of Thai places here for some reason.

Riley and I order from there a lot, and the portions are really good. The Thai Iced Tea is delicious. But I'm always impressed by the little touches the owners add - mainly how they always throw in a free portion of mango sticky rice, but also that they don't mind packaging a container of their Prik Nam Pla, which is like my favorite Asian condiment ever. It's Thai chilis and green onion in fish sauce and it is this insane mixture of sweet tanginess and sharp, fresh spice. I just learned how to make a vegan version from scratch and it's changed my life.

What I've loved to do in food service is combine these two experiences. I worked at Zupan's which is a boutique grocery store here in the Pacific Northwest, and one of my favorite things to do was provide an extra homey quality to the place that is otherwise asking you to pay like seven dollars for a bag of Doritos.

We had a different meat special at the deli every day, and on Sunday (I think) it was prime rib. Like, actual prime rib - very good, very expensive. A serving for one person would be like thirty bucks. We were allowed to give out samples though, so I'd summon like everyone I saw and invite them to try it.

They'd all love it, of course. It was fucking spectacular. Crispy, but with the perfect amount of rich fat and meat. Delectably salty. Rubbed with herbs and spices that would char as it smoked on the grills outside the store. It was truly remarkable stuff - but I'm not about to push cooked meat that's like sixty bucks a pound, maybe more.

What I would say, though, is that while Sunday is our prime rib roast day, we cut the ribs off in advance and cook them up for people to buy on Monday. So you can essentially get the deliciousness of the prime rib for like a forth of the price. People always seemed to like to hear that.

Food takes care of people, you know? And the people that serve food also take care of people. And I've always found that to be an incredibly important thing. If I am ever in a situation where I have to go back to a conventional full-time job, I'm far more likely to go back to food service than copywriting. I feel like I did much more good waiting tables at a Denny's than I did writing pest control websites for my bullshit media job.

[gnostichymns]

We may not know where our wishes will end up. But together, they will light up the night sky and turn it as bright as day.

ABUNDANCE:

[NEW YEAR MARKETS] - With so many vendors setting up shop, now is the best time to purchase a trinket as a reminder of the new year, or to get some much needed errands done.

[WANMIN MEAT CART] - Despite how short a trip it is, Chef Mao has some classic recipes right on the water, along with some brand new cuisines just for the Lantern Rite. Try some classic Mora Meat pastry, Dragon Beard Noodles, or his latest: Rex Lapis’ Delight! 

[XINYUE KIOSK DESSERT CART] - If sweet treats are more your thing, just a few spots down is a stand specially reserved for Xinyue Kiosk’s brilliant desserts! Buy one dessert, get one free “New Moon Cake,” with not one, not two, but SEVEN original fillings.

[TEA TASTING] - Third-Round Knockout is offering a rare, once a year opportunity to personally taste test some of their newest flavors. Jasmine Pearl, Dragon Cinnamon Oolong, Aged Golden Dawn, Phoenix Fire Oolong, why not indulge in some of the finer things in life?

ELATION:

[DRAGON DANCE] - Join the Lantern Rite parade! With so many dragon puppets needing twice as many hands, join the show and dance until you drop.

[MAHJONG] - How about one of Liyue’s quickest games? Mahjong, known for its lightning rounds and fast-paced gameplay, is a classic this time a year. Surely you won’t be here all night…

[SHADOW PUPPETS] - Puppet shows are quite popular this time of year, using lights and small paper designs to convey thrilling tales. Comedies, Romance, Tragedies, woe, these poor hearts will be forever changed.

[DRESS UP] - Red and gold, the colors of each festival this time of year, are absolutely stunning. Glimmer and shine for the kamera, dress up and serve on the runway.

BEAUTY:

[LANTERN MAKING] - Each year, we send up glorious lanterns with our thoughts, prayers, and hopes for the future, and what makes them so special is that no one lantern is the same. Create your own work of art to carry on into the vast expanses of the night.

[CUSTOM FIREWORKS] - Art is passion and desire, fleeting as it is eternal. With brilliant dyes, light up the night in a wondrous explosion for just a moment, and create those lasting memories.

[DRAGON CHARMS] - Representing good luck and strength, creating a little charm of the dragon itself can often inspire hope while passing into the next year. Though, many Adepti now have become popular faces of such ornaments.

[JADE TALISMAN] - Pure and indestructible, jade is the embodiment of virtue and benevolence. Taking days to etch at a time, these talismans are truly a rare and valuable gift.

HARMONY:

[WORSHIPPING ADEPTI] - The protectors of Liyue are often secluded and forgotten about per their distance, though for the Lantern Rite, small shrines of each prominent Adeptus are made. With incense burning, make a prayer or offering to the illuminated beasts.

[PROSPERITY TOSS] - A common tradition to signify the end of the year and the birth of a new one is to create a bowl of fruits, vegetables, fish, and other fresh foods, and to feast. Many restaurants host these during the Lantern Rite to bring us together.

[RED ENVELOPES] - Though much more common, a sign of good faith and friendship often comes in the form of a red envelope. Containing a small sum of mora, each envelope is a gesture of amity.

[FEED THE KOI] -  Koi represent harmony and wealth in Liyue, and a common tradition is to visit when the moon is at its highest. A small sacrifice, in the shape of some crackers or bread crumbs will often please these simple creatures.

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #97

Brain Curds are lightly edited flash fiction - practically first drafts - posted daily and sometimes written with the express intention of being terrible… but, you know, in an endearing way. Please enjoy.

Read the rest of Government Man here on Tumblr! That is, if the search function is working properly today.

Government Man walked into Boss Man’s office. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

Boss Man held up a finger to imply “Wait a minute,” as he sucked on the straw of a soda cup, which was already nearly empty and quite loud. This went on for longer than it should have, which speaks volumes about the man’s lung capacity. He stopped for a moment, took a breath, and continued sucking on the straw, almost certainly not getting any soda in his mouth as he did since all that was left was solid ice. Satisfied that he had gotten his money’s worth, he placed it to the side to try again later.

“Thank you for coming, Government Man. I have a new assignment for you.”

“Yes, that is what I expected.”

Boss Man got out of his seat and walked over to the corner, where a preteen boy stood wearing a fitted suit and an arm sling.

“This is Government Boy. Say hello, Government Boy.”

“Hello.” Government Boy waved with his good arm.

“I would like you to show Government Boy around our headquarters. He is our new recruit.”

Government Man squinted his eyes. “Boss Man, why is a child our new recruit? CIA business is dangerous.”

“I need a summer job,” Government Boy answered. “And I am not allowed around deep fryers anymore.”

“Oh, okay.” Government Man smiled and held out his hand. “Welcome to being from the government!”

Government Boy reached out his good hand, but it was the wrong one, so Government Man took his right hand back and reached out with his left. Government Boy had a good, firm handshake.

Government Man led Government Boy through the halls. “It is a great honor to serve and protect your country, Government Boy. I am certain your parents are very proud of you.”

“What do we do here?”

“We protect the country.”

“From what?”

Government Man paused. He hadn’t thought about it before. “Other governments, mostly. Sometimes milk.”

They arrived at Government Woman’s office. “This is where my colleague, Government Woman, works. You can see she has decorated her space with venomous insects and reptiles. This is normal for her.”

Government Boy looked through the window. He was particularly fascinated by a wall-mounted diorama of a tarantula.

“I do not enjoy the creatures.” Government Man added. “Come on, let’s go to the next place.”

Next was the men’s room.

“Why are you showing me this?” Government Boy asked.

“This is my favorite place to take a rest. That is why they call it the restroom. No one uses this one except for me, but I want to share it with you as a gesture of hospitality.” Government Man turned on one of the taps. “Isn’t that neat how the water comes out like a waterfall?”

The last place was the food court. Their shoes hit the marble floor and echoed through the large, open room. There were a handful of tables scattered around, but most of this space was left for foot traffic and presently went unused. Government Man led Government Boy to a kiosk at one end of the room, typed a code into the keypad, and a door opened up in the wall to reveal a paper bag that contained a fried chicken sandwich. GM took a bite.

“Where are all the people?” Government Boy asked.

“They are behind the wall,” Government Man replied through a bite of sandwich. “To keep us away from the fryers, maybe.”

“No, the people who should be in this room, with us.”

“They are all away on missions. Just as Government Woman is.”

“All of them?”

“I do not see them very often.”

“Have you ever seen them?”

Government Man stopped chewing. His hands shook. He swallowed. “I am sure I have.” He wrapped up his sandwich and put it back in the paper bag, which he rolled up tightly. “Let me show you to your new office. It is across the hall from mine.”

[phoenixyfriend]

Masterlist: Polls (non-Star Wars)

Navigation Post

Fun fact, tumblr allows 250 links on the old editor and 100 in the new. So. Network of masterlists.

Make a Choice!

Your favorite character is a mad scientist of the engineering subspecies. As a child, teenager, or sleep-deprived young adult, what random appliance have they taken apart and possibly set on fire in the course of trying to "improve it?" New and unanticipated sentience for the appliance optional.

Anti-plagiarism check! Pick your favorite citation format.

You can only pick one: Jokes about how white people don't know how to spice or season food. Jokes about how white people shotgun cinnamon the second September hits.

Is it vaguely dystopian for large elementary and secondary schools to have numbers instead of/before names? (e.g. the students of PS 91Q only know it by that code, not Richard Arkwright)

How long does a daily commute ROUND TRIP need to be to qualify as 'long'?

It is easier to change... your appearance OR your personality

When you see DSM-V, how do you pronounce it.

microwaving water for tea

Everyone Pick The Same Number

Writing and fandom polls!

Posting WIPs or unfinished works?

Best non-standard narrative format (that I've personally used)?

How well do you know omegaverse?

What does "it reads like bad fanfiction" mean to you, WHEN YOU SEE IT IN THE WILD, assuming no context?

What do you mean when YOU say "it reads like bad fanfiction," assuming no other context? (Unfortunately, typo messed it up)

Have you ever posted something Anonymously on AO3? (Not counting temporary anonymity for events.)

Tell me about your culture (and opinions on such)!

Did your school have you do a Mole project where, while learning what an atomic mole was, you took home a pattern and made a stuffed mole (animal)?

How close is your nearest grocery store? (Or farmer's market, fruit stand, butcher, etc. Food shop that is not a restaurant.)

Did you have to stand and recite a Pledge of Allegiance type thing to your country of residence in elementary school (and possibly beyond)

Taking off shoes on an airplane

Favorite elementary/middle school "everyone just learned a new body part" phrase

Did you know that bagels are a whole Thing and just as important to the New Yorker identity as pizza, if not more so?

Is "Whistling will bring mice into the house" a thing for you guys?

Do schools in your area do active shooter drills?

Does your culture/region have 'ants on a log' as a snack? (contains peanut butter brand discourse)

Do you do egg battles?

Tell me about yourself!

Think of your favorite band! Make sure it it is a band and not a solo artist. Now tell me the gender breakdown.

If you're trans, what's your preferred way to finish this sentence?

Pronounce "Sixth"

When you see the letter J in an unfamiliar word that you don't know the origin of, how do you pronounce it? (Assume you are reading a text in English.)

How important is the eco-friendliness fabric content to you when buying clothes?

What is your least favorite kind of makeup to put on?

Did you ever go to a big box store with your parents, get bored, and decide to take your blood pressure at the kiosk while you waited for them to finish?

A question for the pals who grew up bilingual: Have you ever had to translate from 'the language of the home country' to 'the language of where we live now' for your immigrant parents?

Last app you downloaded?

Can you reliably identify the various national blue/red/white tricolor stripe flags? (e.g. France, Russia, Netherlands, Serbia, and so on.)

Which of my "childish for someone over 21" traits are you?

Which syllable do you stress when saying Zagreb?

Do you ever heat up your milk* for cereal? - In defense of Panda Puffs

First grey hairs?

Ladies, where do you buy (most of) your undies?

How tempted are you pronounce processes (the plural of process, not the verb) as "PRO-seh-SEES" when you write it out?

Which New Doctor Who companion First Meeting™ career are you?

What are you willingly sacrificing DESPITE it being important* to you the next time you go to the hair salon/fuck it up in the bathroom?

What's your comfort/background noise show that you can rewatch indefinitely to turn off your brain a bit?

How often do you wash your bra?

How often do you change/wash your sheets?

Oh shit, the peanut butter you just opened is separated, and you need to mix the oil back in with the rest. How?

Mayonnaise

Nonsense!

let's make a bell curve!

But I am le tired... 🚬

I use an Android because

Blood on ya undies (funny phrasing)

If you're NEW to tumblr (like joined in the last two or three years), are you seeking out guides on how to engage with tumblr?

Without context, FTW stands for

Rocky Mountain Oysters

Is pilaf/pilav* a casserole?

Tag meme, not a poll: Who’s your fake late spouse?

[schickwheel]

The Expertise of Food Cart Manufacturers and Services

In the dynamic world of culinary entrepreneurship, Food cart manufacturers and Services stand at the forefront, providing the tools and support necessary to bring culinary dreams to life. These visionary entities don’t just build carts; they offer comprehensive solutions that encompass design, customization, support, and more. Let’s explore the unique realm of Food Cart Manufacturers and Services, where innovation, creativity, and practicality converge to create culinary convenience.

Innovative Cart Design and Fabrication: Food cart manufacturers and Services are the architects of culinary mobility, harnessing the power of innovative design and precision fabrication to create mobile kitchens that redefine culinary experiences. From compact coffee carts to elaborate street food stalls, these entities specialize in crafting carts that are both visually striking and highly functional.

Customization for Culinary Expression: The hallmark of food cart manufacturers and services is their commitment to customization. They understand that every culinary entrepreneur has a unique vision, and they work closely with their clients to bring these visions to life. Whether it’s incorporating specific branding elements, designing a layout that maximizes efficiency, or integrating specialized equipment, these entities tailor their services to meet the unique needs of each client.

Comprehensive Support and Services: Beyond cart fabrication, Food cart manufacturers and services offer a range of comprehensive support and services to their clients. This may include assistance with regulatory compliance, help obtaining permits and licenses, training for cart operation and maintenance, and ongoing technical support. By offering a holistic approach, these entities ensure that their clients have the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in the competitive culinary industry.

Navigating Regulatory Requirements: Operating a food cart involves navigating a complex web of regulations, permits, and health codes. Food cart manufacturers and services are well-versed in these requirements and can help their clients navigate the regulatory landscape with ease. Whether it’s ensuring that carts meet health and safety standards, obtaining the necessary permits for operation, or understanding local zoning laws, these entities provide invaluable guidance to their clients.

Incorporating Sustainable Practices: In an era where sustainability is increasingly important, Food cart manufacturers and services are incorporating eco-friendly practices into their operations. This may include using sustainable materials in cart construction, incorporating energy-efficient equipment, implementing waste reduction strategies, and more. By prioritizing sustainability, these entities help their clients reduce their environmental footprint while also appealing to eco-conscious consumers.

Fostering Culinary Entrepreneurship: Ultimately, Food cart manufacturers and services play a key role in fostering culinary entrepreneurship. By providing the tools, support, and expertise necessary to launch and operate a successful food cart business, these entities empower aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs to pursue their culinary passions and bring their unique creations to the masses.

In conclusion, Food cart manufacturers and suppliers are the driving force behind the mobile culinary revolution, offering a wide range of expertise and support to aspiring culinary entrepreneurs. With their innovative designs, comprehensive services, and commitment to sustainability, these entities are shaping the future of street food and redefining the way we experience culinary convenience on the go.

Original Source: Food Cart Manufacturers and Services

[luvrsux]

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓

❝ 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆 ❞

other chapters

➠ ┊word count: 6k

➠ ┊characters: trafalgar law, perona {mentioned}, nami {mentioned}, robin {mentioned}, monkey d. luffy {mentioned}, portgas d. ace {mentioned}

➠ ┊cw: minor swearing, arguing

➠ ┊modern au !!

𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒑

❛ previously, you and Law shared a rather pleasurable moment in the music room by singing a duet. you were shocked by his amazing guitar-playing skills, as well as the fact that wasn’t the only talent he had tucked in his sleeve. you arrange more time to spend with the music boy and even obtain contact information. to cancel out the happiness it created, your mother, unfortunately, as you do chores for the beginning of your weekend… ❜

As ordered, you found yourself getting dressed to go into the autumn outdoors to “enjoy” your weekend by doing chores. There you wore a cream colored turtleneck paired with a black skirt. To cover the blistering wind from your legs, you shielded them with sheer black tights. Your soft hazelnut trench coat topped it all together. You initially wanted to hang out with the goth, pink headed girl; Perona. But, atlas, you were entering your car to find the nearest store to grab everything in one go.

It was rather early in the morning, around 8AM to be exact. Mid-way down the road you realized the kind of stores you’d been meaning to go to wouldn’t be open for another few hours. There was no turning back now, though. You were already in the city driving away and fully dressed but you then quickly considered the idea of lounging in a coffee shop until the hour came along to begin your shopping spree.

The streets of this familiar city were rather busy for it to be so early in the morning, but cities never rest, do they?

Traffic was blocking the streets like any other. You could’ve sworn you felt like jumping out the car to scold the dense drivers ahead with a shaken fist. You felt cleansed in relief when you pulled into the driveway of a random coffee shop.

“Some people deserve to get their license revoked” You hissed, slamming the door of your vehicle shut.

You heard the bells jingle above you by the populated coffee shop. Considering it was bright and early in the morning, the seats were filled. You laid eyes on a stranded empty seat like it was a rare sight.

“Welcome!” The cashier chirped. You immediately curved a smile on your lips, approaching the desk.

“Good morning” You replied. “Can I have a medium mocha? Oh, and a breakfast bagel” You smiled. As the words slipped your mouth, you could feel your mouth water. You watched the cashier tap on the computer screen at the voice of your order.

“That’ll be… 5.95! Cash or card?”

“Card”

You tapped your debit card on the kiosk that had a substantial amount of money for your food, and also your purchases for the errands to come. Your mother made sure to send you money from her own pocket and a decent amount to be certain everything was paid for.

The cafe was rather big, but it was no shocker considering this was the city so money funded the building as much as possible. As you waited for your order, you sat a two person table on your own. Arguably, it was rather ironic but it was better than invading a strangers booth or seating. To pass time, you pulled out your phone and get captivated in it until your name was called for your purchase.

“Trafalgar Law?”

A familiar name made your head perk up. Granted, the pronunciation of his name was sort of butchered by whomever spoke his name but you still flickered your eyes around to find your newfound friend from the other day. The amount of people made it hard to pin point the grunge boy before he walked straight toward the front desk.

“Thanks” You heard him say, grabbing a coffee and a bag that might’ve contained food for his morning hunger. You watched him sit in his own seat, which was almost across the building from where you were.

It made it hard for Law to notice you, mainly from the fact his eyes were glued to his jet black phone you were all too familiar with. He had a fitted black crewneck and dark colored jeans, nicely paired with boots. You peered your eyes to a black, leather jacket sluggishly laid out on the cushioned seat beside him.

You abruptly pulled your body out of your seat to analyze his table, which was empty other than the presence of his own. He had a steel colored laptop before him as well as a cracked open text book, scattered with papers. He immediately got back to work on his laptop, the clicking sounds being muffled out by the chatter from the people surrounding you. Law took a single sip of his lidded coffee cup, not taking his eyes off the screen for a moment.

You took it upon yourself to feel welcome to him now that you two were now at least acquaintances. Law didn’t notice your presence while you were approaching the table. All of a sudden, your nerves took advantage of you and caused your heart to thump out of your chest as you watched Law’s figure get closer and closer as each step crept closer to his booth. Law hadn’t acknowledged your presence until you placed a hand right by his fast, typing fingers.

“Crazy how we keep bumping into each other in places” You saw Law form a smile and relax his tense body from his computer.

“You mean that both figuratively or literally?” He asked as he focused his eyes on you situating on the seat in front of him. He folded his arms.

“Oh, shut up” You giggled, stripping off your warm trench coat.

“It’s the weekend, why are you working you, weirdo?” You asked curiously. Law sighed and eyed his illuminated computer screen. You immediately sensed a snarky remark from knowing the tan boy this long

“Sorry that I’m a medical student and care about my career,” He remarked jokingly, which he realized that it frequently got a rise out of you.

“Yeah, yeah whatever no need to brag”

Law replied with a careless shrug before taking another swig of his own drink. He exhaled in delight.

“Well, you are distracting me” He informed. Law wasn’t entirely wrong, you did just show up uninvited to his booth during his study time. He looked completely focused deeply on that computer that sat in between the two of you. In your eyes, you did him a favor by pulling his deep trance away from his hypnotized state. You thought he’d stay in the cafe wide awake for 24 whole hours. It was bad enough that his eyes gave away that he had a bad sleep schedule from the pure darkness of them.

“Doesn’t really sound like you’re complaining, Traffy”

“I’ll have you thrown out, believe me”

You laughed in his face while he tried to maintain a straight one. You heard him gently shut his computer, giving it a break from however long it’s been on for. You assumed it’s been on longer than you’ve in been there.

“Since you want to put your nose into my weekend plans, how about you? What are you up to?” He asked curiously. You calmed your miniature fit of laughter.

“I have errands to run for today”

“Oh, but I’m the weirdo? How hypocritical, (F/N)-ya”

“Shut up, you're still a weirdo”

You threw an isolated napkin that lay on the table right at him. He chuckled and peeled it off his body. It swayed and drifted down to his lap at a slow pace before he grabbed his hand around it.

“That might leave a bruise, ouch” He teased, setting the loose paper down by where it initially was.

“Have you already started or are you procrastinating?” He asked, crinkling open his tan bag that held a glazed donut.

“I’m not procrastinating. I’m just waiting for the stores to open. I got a little hungry” You rested your chin in your palm. Law nodded as he chewed hungrily on his donut. Some of the flakes sprinkled on the table in front.

“(F/N) (L/N)?” Your name echoed throughout the building. You both looked at the employee that pushed your items on the pick-up counter. You sighed, getting ready to grab your things before Law halted you with a single hand.

“Thank me later”

He set his bitten treat on the same bag before sliding his body to grab your things for you. You admired his kind gesture, wondering why he even wanted to do that for you in the first place. It seemed like he reassured the person guarding your items that he was grabbing them for you when they realized he wasn’t the customer they initially called for. He had a smug grin once he held both items in hand to deliver them to you.

“What did I do to deserve ‘delivery man’ Law?” You asked, immediately taking a few sips from your cold mocha drink. You felt the ice-cold, caffeinated beverage course down your esophagus.

“Oh, sorry I only got up because I needed a break from your annoying voice” He replied with that same grin that always ticked you off. You were ready to toss your drink, which you barely drank from, at his smug face.

You choked on your drink before you tried to angrily say some back. Law watched with laughter while you coughed out a lung.

“Ass… hole!” You breathed. His laughter eventually became contagious and you couldn’t help yourself.

“I hope you choke on your donut”

“And miss out on laughing at that dumb face? Don’t make me cry” He smoothly said. You just averted eye contact while crinkling open your breakfast and chomping away at it.

“In all honesty, I don’t need to study as much so if you’re willing…” Law slouched in the cushioned chair. “I wouldn’t mind helping you with your errands. Maybe I can help you not bump into other people”

Your cheeks lightly glowed with pink. You realized that he actually offered to spend more time with you for the rest of the day, knowing it could take a few hours of this bright Saturday. Not to mention him nicely delivering your food knowing that you were fully capable of getting it for yourself.

“Shut up” You replied at his last remark. “But I could use the help, I suppose”

Law nodded happily at your confirmation—but here was an opportunity you couldn’t shake away.

“Sounds like you’re obsessed with me, Traffy” You sang. You saw Law finally twitch an eyelid.

“I can quickly change my mind, dumbass”

・❥・

Every aisle you went to was unproductive and filled with bickering. Ever since you tagged Law along, all you did was annoy the dark-haired boy and he reciprocated just as easily, if not more. Out of the dozen upon dozens of items on the list your mother entrusted you with, you only gathered a handful. Law was heavily distracting you, despite the fact he offered a helping hand. It seemed like he was giving you a taste of your own medicine back at the city’s coffee spot.

Your hand grabbed a bottle of painkillers you’d usually have tucked in your house. Law peered over your shoulder and you could feel his judgmental eyes pierce through your very soul.

“I don’t think you should get that one” His remark made you groan, feeling every urge to throw the item on his face.

“And why not, Law?” You asked, but you couldn’t care less considering you were dropping the item in your cart despite his warning.

“Well, it’s awfully expensive for starters,” He picked up a duplicate model to eye the small text on the labeling. “Especially when these ingredients can cause more pain than not” Law mumbled the ingredients that were read on the bottle. To you, they were practically hieroglyphics but to Law, it was completely fluent to him. His intelligent eyes trailed to any other painkiller brands that were safer. You watch his hands grope around a bottle you weren’t quite familiar with.

“Here, this one is better” Law threw the bottle into your metal shopping cart, tossing the previous bottle on the floor carelessly. The sound upon impact echoed in the isle.

“Law! Don’t be so rude!” You scurried to pick up the bottle that crashed on the cold, white floor by Law’s hands. You placed it where you found it and glared at him.

“What’s with you? You’ll get us kicked out” Your statement made Law chuckle and push your cart away to fetch the next set of items like he didn’t hear a single word you were scolding at him.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” You scolded, chasing the boy down—who stole your cart of lingering items.

“What’s next, (F/N)-ya?” He asked. Your grouchy attitude lightly dulled while you pulled out a folded piece of paper.

“Toilet paper” You grumbled, pushing the taller boy away to stroll your own cart with your own hands. He let out a familiar chuckle once again.

Upon arriving in the aisle, you glazed each row to find the familiar brand you, once again, use frequently. Law made it to the very end of the aisle to help you search, hands tucked into his pockets while he trailed his eye’s similarly to yours.

You hadn’t realized the vast amount of money each pack cost. You were slightly anxious if you’d even be able to afford everything with these skyrocketing prices.

“Hey, catch!”

You heard down the very aisle you were lost in. Your head quickly turned to see a flying pack of toilet paper shooting straight to your face. After freezing for a few moments, your arms moved on their own to catch the package despite it almost slipping from your grasp. You glared a the human canon that shot the soft pack of toilet paper.

“Warn me next time, you moron!” You scolded. At this point, you felt like you were a tired mother with a reckless, immature toddler following you around on your tail.

Law approached you, hand tapping your shoulder smoothly as he made his merry way to the cart.

“I did”

That is all he said. You regretted accepting him to help you along. You pondered if it was really worth it, discarding his rude and teasing actions. To your surprise, you realize that Law was, in fact, a pleasure to have beside you. Granted, he’d get on every trillion nerve you had in your body but you enjoyed the company. Each individual time your mother hounded you outdoors to grab items, you were bored and awkward being on your own. Now, you felt like Law changed your point of view—not only on him but also shopping. Law didn’t feel any different as well. With every moment being around you, whether it was teasing you or helping you, he always grew a smile. Law traced back to the coffee shop scene and came to terms that he’d rather be here paired with you than drowning in his own studies. It was merely something about you that was drawn to, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

You were approaching your last few items on the list. As time progressed, more people came to flood the aisles of the store. You were worried the last few items would be out of stock from the sheer amount of people coming in. It was the weekend, after all. As for you and Law, the bickering began to die down and you two shared nice small talk, paired with actual cooperation, throughout the shopping spree.

“Alright, we just need a little bit of groceries and we’re done!” You exclaimed, turning your body away from the cart to eye the folded paper. Law smiled at your excitement.

“Then let’s hurry up” He wrapped his hands around the bright-colored handle of the cart and began to rest his arms on it while he escorted it to the produce area, giving you a break.

While you had your eyes set on finding the items carefully, Law just mindlessly followed you until he was given an order from you—this was your job he was only helping you with after all.

“Right, cereal” You finally said. Law turned his head, biting his lip to scan any brands in sight for the infamous breakfast item.

“We’re definitely not in the cereal section, (F/N)-ya” His statement made you aware of your surroundings. You were in the middle of the aisle which had nothing but seasonings and other culinary ingredients. Your cheeks flared out of embarrassment

“But I could be wrong” Law turned his head towards you with that iconic grin. You replied with an eye roll to search for the desired item outside of the current aisle you were unwontedly in.

You finally spotted the aisle you longed for. A plethora of cereal went down the entire aisle ahead of you. You gleamed and immediately ran to search for your favorite, which you and your mother shared. Taste buds truly are hereditary.

Your hands snatched the box. It was none other than a flavor totally doused in sugar and sweetness, with nothing remotely healthy about it. Law crept behind you, once again, to scan the box. His gaze was identical to the one he gave you back at the medicine aisle.

“That one? It’s nothing but sugar and a guaranteed toothache” He placed a sassy hand on his hip, watching you snap behind him. You shoved the box into his chest since he was now in charge of the cart.

“I get it you’re a soon-to-be-doctor, but I don’t need your input. Breakfast is supposed to be good, not boring” You strut your body away from him. He stayed silent, minus a minor grumble, and dropped the box with the rest of the items.

You felt your stomach roar from your creeping hunger. The breakfast sandwich from this morning didn’t last very long before you needed a refuel.

“Hungry?” Law said beside you. You sighed.

“Very. The last thing is bread so I guess I can make us sandwiches back home-“

“I’d rather starve”

Law’s remark caught you by surprise from how quickly he replied, and his distasteful face—like you said the most vile words on Earth.

“Jeez, my cooking isn’t that bad” You folded your arms and kept your legs moving toward the last item.

“It’s not that. I just don’t like bread”

“How can you not like bread?”

“Firstly, it’s dry. Why would you willingly eat something so dry? Secondly, it’s bland. See a pattern here? Nothing delectable about that ball of yeast” Law rambled on and on about the absolute disgust of a simple food item. You smiled in amusement as he went on a tangent about it. You completely forgot that this was bread, of all things, from the burning hatred tone he had while he rambled about it.

“Doctors say it’s healthy” You teased.

“This doctor says it’s disgusting. End of story” Law pushed the cart in front, speeding ahead. He was tired of the bread conversation, but yet it unlocked a new thing for you to tease him about. You internally thanked him for just a kind gift.

You grabbed a loaf of bread and tossed it into the metal cart, thus concluding your shopping spree. You placed your hands on your hips with a smile, eyeing each item in pride.

“We did it! We can finally leave” You exclaimed.

Law pushed the car towards the area where everyone paid for their belongings to exit the facility, the place where it was most populated. You could tell he was getting antsy, probably due to the sudden mass population built in the store.

“Let’s pay first” He smiled.

He lent you a hand by setting each individual item on the belt of the cashier. The bagger looked like he hated every moment of his job while he scanned your items as well as you every so often when you and Law would make teasing remarks to each other.

You analyzed the total of each item that was now tucked into plastic bags. Law was too busy putting the bags in the same cart that once carried the bare items to this point.

“Everything’s bagged. I’m gonna grab something to drink really fast, though” Law spoke, immediately speed-walking to the nearby mini fridges filled with crisp beverages

The baggers' eyes sliced through you menacingly, most passionately between you and Law whenever you two conversed. There was nothing romantic, but a stranger could assume you were a couple—which he seemingly found distasteful.

“Card declined” He coldly hissed after you retracted your card away. You were taken back, and also completely embarrassed.

“Are you… sure? I could’ve sworn I had the money. Is your computer working?” You tried to de-escalate your own embarrassment as much as you can. It didn’t make it any better that he looked like he wanted to throw you out the door himself.

“Lady, I work here? I think I know when someone’s too broke to afford something” He snapped. You felt your fists clench and your brows furrow.

“Excuse me? You work at a literal supermarket”

“And yet I can afford everything on here. So are you gonna think of a new payment method or get out?”

You couldn’t believe this guy. At this point, you wondered if your luck only attracted rude guys, aside from Law. You didn’t see a point in arguing which it’ll only make a bigger scene and have you leave empty-handed. Not to mention a lecture from your mother if you were to come home empty-handed and have zero confidence to defend yourself. You scrambled in your purse to find anything to cover the rest of the purchase but left with nothing.

“I don’t think I have anything to cover-“

“Then get out. Don’t waste my time, I’ve been here long enough”

Your hand was still tucked into your purse that matched your outfit while you stared at the cashier with menacing, all while defeated, eyes. He looked completely unfazed.

“Do I need to repeat myself-''

His voice was cut off by a firm hand being placed on his shoulder. It was your so-called "knight in shining armor" with a crisp cold drink in his fingers. You could faintly see a strong indent buried in his uniform, meaning that Law gripped him pretty roughly.

‘Not again…’

“Real big talk for a thin loser like you” He sneered. Law tucked his toned hand, which once cut off the circulation of the angsty employee into his pocket, and immediately tossed single dollars in his workspace carelessly. It was roughly a few dollars or less, nothing remotely close to the initial total.

“That satisfies you enough?”

The cashier's mean, cold expression collapsed by Law’s actions. Without letting the “prideful” staff member reply, Law happily struts out of the cart towards the exit. You watched with an agape mouth. The entire fiasco reminded you of the gas station incident and you starting to pick up on a pattern. A question still lingered in your head; Why was he protecting you?

None of it mattered, at least at that moment, since Law pulled your body with a remaining hand to leave the building.

“This is the second time you basically stole from a place” You nervously giggled, afraid security would detain either of you, but nothing. You managed to leave the facility and meet with the early afternoon breeze.

“Trust me, I’ve committed far worse” He grinned. You felt slightly intimidated.

“Like?”

“I don’t wanna traumatize your heart, (F/N)-ya. Sorry not sorry”

You playfully smacked his shoulder, despite it having quite the force. Law chuckled, feeling the ragged cart ride along the pavement on the way to your vehicle. The process of lugging the items into your trunk was oddly silent. Law’s new information about him made you question more about him and his “hobbies”.

“Why do you keep… Y’know?”

Your sudden voice startled Law ever so slightly. He leaned his body on the now empty cart with his broad hands. He raised a brow.

“What?”

You smiled sheepishly. It was undeniable that you were flattered by his two “shining armor” moments, but you were unable to comprehend why he did it.

“Why do you keep defending me? Breaking the law twice for me?” You asked. Law paused.

He honestly didn’t know exactly why, he just knew there was something about you that he was drawn to. He himself didn’t know why he felt this strong attraction towards you, and in all honesty—it annoyed him. He never felt this way about anyone. The constant need to make sure they’re alright, or safe. The pleasurable feeling of being around them while accompanied by the despair feelings when the time shared between them would conclude. He could only think of one blatant answer.

“Because I like you”

Those words stunned you completely. He admired your state for a few seconds before pushing the cart away to enter your car. You were left there with more questions you had in your head than before.

‘He what?’ ‘It’s only been a couple days’ ‘What was so special?’ ‘Did I cast a spell on him or something?’ ‘Wait did he mean that like… he like likes you?’ ‘No way’ ‘Get in the damn car, (F/N). You look like an idiot'

You scurried to the driver's side, not intending to mention anything about what he said. Law seemed to telepathically share your intentions and started a random conversation as if nothing happened. But it bugged you. How he could go on and on in an out-of-the-blue conversation like his statement didn’t completely break you. Your cheeks felt piping from pure embarrassment, while also being completely flustered. Law did notice but just simply refused to say anything.

He couldn’t deny that his words stunned his own self, ironically enough. Sitting by your passenger side window, his face was covered in red tints of blush while he conversed with you. At first glance, you’d think he was talking to the passenger window with the way his body was turned. He gracefully thanked your eyes for being focused on the road instead of his vulnerable state.

“Where to next?” Law finally asked, now that his face completely settled down. You gave him one quick glance.

“My place?” You offered. You didn’t exactly mean to invite Law into your home again so soon, but the extra set of hands to luggage the items into your home is an opportunity you weren’t going to let go to waste.

“Again? I feel honored” His remark gave him a nice whack on his arm to shut up him up.

“I just need help putting everything away and I’m dropping you off… wherever” As soon as you replied, you realized that Law wasn’t going to be the only person arriving at someone’s sacred home. Law tensed up.

“I think I can walk. After I, not to brag, saved your spine the other day I realized your place isn’t far from mine” Law replied.

He wasn’t entirely truthful, though. It was a small town, sure. But Law’s place was a hefty walk away from yours, no different than the walk you attempted to take the course back at Robin’s. You didn’t know that, though. You decided to take his word for it.

“Are you sure? I was going to compensate you for gas money but I’ll gladly negotiate” You giggled, your own statement reminding you of your dear friend Nami. Law formed a smile.

“So you’re robbing my pockets after your embarrassment at the store?”

“Shut up! Never mind, have fun on your walk” You huffed, birthing a fit of laughter out of the raven boy.

・❥・

“Nice place you got” Law whistled, turning on his heels to scan the entire vicinity of your home and its aesthetically pleasing decor. You hadn’t eyed him a bit considering you were too busy bringing unpaid items inside.

“Yeah, but y’know what’s even nicer?” You dropped the tan bags on the floor by your kitchen island making the thumping sound echo in the room. Law separated his eyes from the neatly decorated room to lay them upon you.

“Hm?”

“If you help bring in the bags”

Law rolled his eyes like an angsty pre-teen before turning his body to do as you ordered. As soon as his figure exited the opened door, you couldn’t stop yourself from releasing an amused giggle.

You two shuffled around the house to put everything away. Law was a great helper, to say the least. He was in charge of putting away the non-consumable items in their appropriate places while you did the same with the consumable items. You two were finished before you knew it.

Law met you back on that same marbled table in your kitchen with his arms pressed against the table. His tattoos reflected off the shiny tabletop. He gazed at your back while you prepared the two of you some sort of snack to tame your hunger a smidge.

During your preparation, and usual, you hummed a song as some sort of stim. You humming or softly singing was completely normal for you considering the vast amount of times you do it for absolutely anything, but this time, in particular, was different—at least to Law.

The song harmoniously coming from you was the same song you two shared back in the music room. Law immediately noticed, but then again how could he not? He was gazing at you and his eyes were practically glued onto you, so the melody seeped through his ears easier than a knife cutting butter.

“I see you enjoyed our little performance yesterday” He finally grinned. His voice sent a slight shiver down your spine.

“You do play really nice, I can’t lie” You smiled.

You turned your body to present a bowl of assorted fruits, stemming from your mother's lovingly sweet snack from the other day. You clinked the bowl on the marbled table and Law didn’t hesitate to pick off a berry in it.

“I saw your band practice on 'Piratesgram'. You have quite the group, Traffy” You popped a berry into your own mouth while you stood on the other side of the island. You caught a glimpse of Law twitching his brow at the rather annoying nickname you gave him, according to him.

“Yeah, but they’re a bunch of morons sometimes. Especially Shachi and Penguin, don’t get me started” Law rolled his eyes, keeping them on the fresh fruit calling to him while he mercilessly devoured one by the second.

“How so? Hey, leave some for me!” You jerked the bowl away from Law’s grubby hands that were vacuuming the fruits. It quickly reminded you of Luffy and his void appetite.

“All they do is laugh, argue, and be loud. It takes forever for us to actually begin playing” Law explained, popping the ones that he had secretly stored in his hand and into his mouth.

“But I’d be lying if I said they sucked at playing” Law dumped the remaining fruits into his mouth after his sentence. You replied with an understanding hum.

“Who are they to you?” You asked curiously. Law replied with yet another tense pause. You began to notice that Law had a side to him that he seemingly didn’t want you to know about, not yet at least.

“I hate it say it, but brothers. They’re practically brothers to me” He sighed, joking about the first half of his statement. “I didn’t have the best childhood growing up, but they made it a tad more bearable. But they’re only human, and can only do so much. Probably why I only have those two idiots and no one else…” He explained. That teasing, smug demeanor shifted to a more stone-cold, serious one. Your heart stung out of pure empathy.

The room echoed off Law’s buzzing. ‘Of course, he’s the kind of guy to have his phone silenced’ You internally teased. Law exhaled and slipped his phone out to find out who disrupted the moment he shared with you.

“Speaking of the devils, they’re about to raid my residence” He dramatically remarked. His words forced a giggle out of you.

“Is that your queue to leave?”

“Unfortunately…”

Law tucked his phone into his pocket and dusted off his calloused palms that left fruit residue on them. The leather jacket he once had wrapped around his body made a comeback as he draped it on his shoulders.

“I’ll see you at school, (F/N)-ya” He exhaled after slithering his toned arms through the sleeves.

“I had a lot of fun” You randomly blurted out. Law heard the porcelain bowl make contact with the marbled table top before you parted your body with it. You spoke your truth to comfort Law after his heartfelt conversation. You knew he had baggage he hasn’t gotten over and it pained you to see it, for whatever odd reason. You hoped your words would soothe him and at least make his day a little better.

“I did too,” Law said lowly. As you stood right before his eyes, he felt himself get lost in a small trance in your eyes. You noticed a smidge of blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Y’know, people are going to think you’re weird” Law grew a grin on his tanned cheeks.

“What? Why?”

“Because you’ve been hanging out with the “out-law” tattooed boy instead of your jock best bud” Law reminded.

While he was right, you didn’t have a care in the world for Law’s rather “intimidating” nature. Sure, a student having tattoos scattered all over their body could be seen as a threat but you knew who Law was. He wasn’t a monster like how people's clouded view would like to put it. You knew the Trafalgar Law that liked playing the guitar, helping you with errands, and an odd choice of coffee at cafes. Underneath that cold blanket was just a boy that never really got that sense of warmth from the cruel world surrounding him. You liked that about yourself. The fact you knew you understood him more than anyone else.

“Well, those guys don’t know you like I do, 'kay? The “out-lawed” boy I know has a soft spot for sweet things like fruit and is always willing to help certain people” You smiled. Your hand comfortably caressed the side of his shoulder.

Law was stunned and quiet, but nothing like his tensed-like demeanor when he’d stump into a serious conversation regarding his past. It was the love-struck kind of stunned. His once lightly tinted cheeks grew a couple shades brighter. Law felt his hands slowly inch towards you to hold you in some sort of tight embrace. He didn’t know what he wanted to do, his flustered mind shielded his common sense. His movement seemed antsy and needy like he needed something. Like he needed to do something more intimate you in a way. A kiss immediately flashed his mind when he realized his sudden urges, not to mention your lips presented before him.

“And that same tattooed boy is now blushing because he knows I’m right” You teased, gazing upon his flustered face as if it was most mesmerizing to you.

“Shut up,” He said out of embarrassment. He pushed passed you, almost regretting it, and continued to make his way out the door. His sudden shove gave you a millisecond of deja vu. The realization that he was now embarrassingly flustered by your words only made his body flare up more. All he could hear were your cheerful giggles.

“See ya at school, Traffy~!” You sang, widely waving your arm as Law sped and walked away from your entire home premises. You saw Law’s tattooed middle finger bid you farewell before he left your field of vision.

You shut your door after waving a flustered Law goodbye. Your entire facade collapsed once you were secluded and alone. Immediately, you collapsed your knees to the cold hardwood floor and repeated Law’s words in your brain, hoping this was just a fantasy.

“Because I like you…”

You buried your head into your own arms. Your face grew piping hot the more his voice echoed in your brain like it was said in a deep cave. You didn’t believe him, not at all. You felt nice around him but he was still Law. There was no way a pair-up like you two could work out, you thought. But your feelings said otherwise. As much as you were confused about them, it didn’t change the fact they contradicted your standpoint.

“What if I like him too…”

← prev ┊next →

𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔

✎ ❝ another fic in one day!!!??? LOLLL i hope you enjoyed! i did just post a nsfw ace x reader fic because i absolutely adore him soso much! sorry for going mia yesterday, i wanted to post i really did but i realized i was so behind on works. now i have not ONE but TWO FANFICS COOKINGGGGG i’m so excited to post them. a small hint is that *one* of the themes used for it is going to be a somewhat series of different characters (๑•̀∀- )و (if that makes any sense LOLL) but all i have left to say is THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT MWA MWA MWA ♥️♥️♥️ stay sweet my luvies!!!❞

All licensing and ownership belong to Eiichiro Oda

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Info for Faith In The Future World Tour SEATTLE, WA - JUN 24 2023

With special guests THE SNUTS & ANDREW CUSHIN!

Important Times:

6:00 AM – Parking Opens 

7:00 PM - Doors Open

8:00 PM - Andrew Cushin

9:00 PM - The Snuts

10:00 PM - Louis Tomlinson

Times are all approximate and subject to change.

General admission (pit tickets):

The ENTIRE VENUE IS GA. All areas are first come first serve. Any seating is on a first come first serve basis.

No overnight camping is allowed.

Fan arrival is allowed starting at 8am day of show.

We do not permit lining up earlier than 8am.

We do not encourage fans to lineup at any offsite locations, as we can't honor the line positions when arrival starts at 8am.

Overnight camping is not permitted on WAMU Theater property. Guests will be escorted off of the property.

No wristbands will be given out (x)

Check the venue’s socials and website for updates!

⚠️ HYDRATION ADVISORY ⚠️

Hydrate before the show, while waiting in line and during the show

For optimal hydration drink something with electrolytes such as Gatorade or LiquidIV

Eat well!

Here are important things to know:

The venue is CASHLESS! Pay with cards only.  Cash-to-card kiosks available on site.

Parking: Venue parking is sold out ($20). Other parking options available in the area.

ADA info here 

Cameras: NO Professional Cameras (anything with a detachable lens).

Coat check is not offered at every event. When there is a coat check, we do not check bags, skateboards, or other items at coat check. The charge is $6 per garment. Card only.

Food: Outside food in a clear plastic bag or pizza in a pizza box is allowed  (food must be single serving).

Water: factory-sealed water bottles (non-enhanced, flavored or carbonated), baby bottles, beverages related to medical needs, and unopened, soft-sided single serve containers (i.e. juice boxes) ALLOWED. Empty reusable plastic water bottles are okay.

Food & beverage menu here.

NO Bottles/Flasks (glass/aluminum/metal)

NO Coolers

NO Animals (except service animals)

NO Marijuana or any cannabis products

NO drugs

NO smoking

NO Umbrellas that are not collapsible (collapsible umbrellas are fine)

NO Flammable products

NO knives, firearms, Brass knuckles, Tasers & mace/pepper spray or weapons of any kind

NO Hydration Packs/Backpacks

NO Inflatables

NO Jewelry with spikes/studs

NO Laptop Computers

NO Stools or any equipment used to stand on

NO Selfie sticks

NO Laser Pointers/flashlights

NO Scooters/Skateboards

There is NO RE-ENTRY!

Lost & Found info here

VIEW VENUE MAP 

VIEW SEAT MAP

*This list is not exhaustive. Items not appearing on the list may still be prohibited at the discretion of Security

For more details click here 

Bag Policy:

Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″ are allowed; or

One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (ziploc bag or similar); or

Clear backpacks that are within the dimension guidelines and do not have more than 2 pockets; and

Small clutch bags or fanny packs, that do not exceed 4.5″ x 6.5″, with or without a handle or strap, may be carried into the theater along with one of the clear bag options.

Over sized bags cannot be placed in acceptable clear bags and will be denied entrance.

Exception for medically necessary items after proper inspection.

*Lockers will be located outside the entrance and are available for purchase.

For more details click here 

Banners, signs and flag policy:

Small signs and flags are ok but cannot interfere with other guest’s experience of the show or obstruct views

No poles or sticks allowed

Soft straws allowed as poles

Content of signs may be restricted at the door at the discretion of Security

Contact:

For additional questions please call the venue at 206-381-7848 or (206) 381-7555. You can also access their website. Message them here. Check their twitter here and IG here for updates. Address: 800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134. Venue: WAMU Theater

[jessaerys]

just finished a short stay in hell by steven l peck (basically fanfiction of borges's the library of babel - a hell where you have to find a book of your life in a library containing every combination of characters possible, so, more books than there are electrons in the universe) and while i did like it and had a very good time reading it AND white it was skillfully written and very good at conveying the despair it wishes to convey, im left kind of meh... about it. there's a certain lack of creativity to it i guess?

even with the parameters set (population homogeneity: everyone is a white american, about 25, and from around the same modern century) i can imagine very many ways to find meaning, pleasure, knowledge and fun with people through the billions and billions eons. specially with the kiosks that can give you any food you want. i can imagine cultures building around the pleasures of food and arguably its equally infinite possibility of combinations. the nightly resets of the injured and the dead -- through the millennia you could go the cenobite way and find the delicacy in all forms of pain and torture. the lack of diversity seems to be part of the torture and is remarked upon over and over to the point of fetishization of the other. BUT i think even in the very small subsection of people, the knowledge accumulated + differences of experiences are still infinitely varied... specially if you develop a deep love for humanity. you could interview people and eventually come to a consensus on whether you all see the same red.

there was a small glimpse of that kind of imagination and creativity when the narrator spent a thousand years with rachel (the game of tag, the decade they decided to pretend to be dogs) but when he and rachel lose each other it's back to oh woe is me, everything is the same and so boring. why don't you fuck a man and maybe you'll realize there are still experiences to be had

[b-blushes]

my alarm woke me up from a dream where my friends were ordering from a dinner lady kiosk foods called ‘fish dag’ and ‘five pastas’ (cannot stress enough that ‘five pastas’ was a single dish served from a single container, it looked like ‘pasta bows in tomato sauce’)