#docker store

[threads-strings]

Finally finished this (ignore the messy colors I'm bad at colouring ok)

Donn outfit variations ✨

[serasvictoria]

Title: The Boy Is Mine (Mar’s edition)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: A romantic night in doesn’t go exactly as Eddie had planned.

Word Count: 3.312

Warnings: Established relationship. Insecure Eddie. Hurt/comfort.

Notes: Written for @carolmunson’s The Boy Is Mine Writing Challenge (you can find the rules here). Super late entry and it feels like I’ve been working on this for months, but it’s only been about two and a half weeks. Anyway. Here it is.

At least I can finally read the other entries now so that’s the rest of my weekend sorted.

Not beta-read so if you find any mistakes… those are all mine.

“I’ll take care of everything,” Eddie promised you the night before. “You can just put your feet up, or on me if you want, and I’ll obey your every command. I am but your humble servant.”

It had been one month since you had moved in together and Eddie had insisted on doing this for you since he felt that he had been difficult to live with. Naturally you had disagreed with that assessment, but he had been adamant.

Every time that you walked into the bathroom and he had left the toilet seat up, he would apologize like it was the worst thing in the world. It didn’t matter that you kept telling him that you didn’t mind and that it was no trouble at all, he’d still apologize and dart around you to right the wrong.

Same thing happened when you found the odd sock in a place that wasn’t the laundry basket. Or when Eddie hadn’t used a coaster.

Ridiculous and tiny things that were easily overlooked and ignored. Nothing that would be able to ruin your day so you never called him out on these things, because you genuinely didn’t mind. It didn’t stop him from insisting that he was an awful boyfriend and promising to do better though.

Sure, living with Eddie provided some challenges, which was more down to this still being very new to both of you, but nowhere near as many as he himself seemed to think.

For now, you were eager to find out what he had in store for you. Eddie had been incredibly secretive about it and had offered up no clues whatsoever. The only things that he had said were that it was going to be cheesily romantic and that he would surprise you.

You had been looking forward to it the entire day and were positively buzzing as you parked your car next to his van. Work had been hectic this past week and you had been fast asleep at around eight every single evening.

Thankfully today had been relatively quiet so you had been able to leave early. Maybe you should have called to let him know, but you had completely forgotten in your excitement.

When you got out of the car, you could already hear Eddie swearing inside the trailer. The volume only increased the closer that you got and you could only silently apologize to your poor neighbors.

It made you giggle to hear him swear like a docker on the other side of the door. You could only guess as to why it was, but still tried to keep your face as passive as possible when you finally opened the door to see what lay within.

Nothing could prepare you for what was on the other side however.

The kitchen looked like a bomb had exploded in it and Eddie was standing right in the middle of the chaos with a pink flowery apron that had once belonged to your grandmother over his usual black outfit. It looked both ridiculous and endearing.

There were eggshells on the counter and the contents of said eggs were dripping down it. There were white footprints on the floor, because your boyfriend must have stepped in what you assumed (and hoped) was flour. And then there were the white globs of something that looked like frosting that were everywhere, including in his hair.

“Eddie?” Upon hearing your voice, he turned around with a horrified expression on his face since you had caught him in the act. The spoon that was in his hand clattered to the floor loudly. Whatever was on it spattered onto the floor and also left debris on his socks and his jeans. You covered your mouth with your hand to stifle a laugh. “What are you doing?”

“Oh fuck.” Eddie rubbed his hands on the apron, leaving white smudges in its wake. “I thought I had another hour at least.”

Very calmly, you took off your shoes and hung your coat and bag on a peg near the door before walking closer to survey the mess that your boyfriend had made. Somehow it was even worse up close and that was saying something.

There was a mixing bowl on the counter, which seemed to be the source of the mess, with a hand mixer next to it. You could picture him using the highest setting only to have the contents end up all over the place.

“I got to hand it to you, I’m definitely surprised,” you eventually managed to get out whilst desperately trying to suppress your giggles.

“But not exactly in the right way,” he admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. “In my head, you would come home after I cleaned everything, with the table set all fancy, so many lit candles that it would be a fire hazard and with some sappy record playing.”

“That does sound nice.” There were paper molds with batter in them right behind Eddie, which he was unsuccessfully trying to block from view. “Shame that I got home a bit earlier.”

“You could always leave and pretend that you’ve never seen this.” That’s what finally makes you laugh and since you had been holding back for a while, it didn’t take long for your eyes to well up with happy tears. It made him crack a smile, too. “Which you’re obviously not going to do.”

“Course not,” you replied as you wiped your eyes. “And honestly, as much as I appreciate this,” you gestured around the messy kitchen and then at Eddie himself, “you need to take a shower.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not gonna-“

“No,” you interjected simply and when it looked like Eddie was going to argue, you simply pressed your pointer finger on his lips to ensure that he kept silent. “No.”

“Fuck’s sake,” he mumbled against your finger. “This was supposed to be about you.”

“And I love it.” You pressed a kiss to his frosting stained cheek and could taste the vanilla. When you pulled away, his thumb wiped over your lips to clear the residue that was stuck to it away before sticking it into his mouth. “But I also like you clean and you are, and I’m sorry for saying this, a mess right now.”

“Thought you liked that,” he retorted with an accompanying wiggle of his eyebrows.

“I do yeah, but not when you’re covered in raw eggs, flour, cake batter and frosting.”

“Okay, okay, point taken,” he sighed deeply as he held his hands up to indicate that he was going to let it go. For now. “But I could always leave some of the edible bits on so you could lick them off later though,” he added with a wide and naughty grin.

“Absolutely not.” You pushed him out of the kitchen and in the direction of the bathroom. “If you want me to eat stuff off you, buy some Cool Whip.”

“Kinky!” Eddie laughed when your hand came down on his ass to give it a firm squeeze before he rounded the corner. “I’m not forgetting about that by the way,” he called out before closing the door behind him.

“Didn’t think you would,” you answered.

Part of you already knew that he’d run out to buy some the next morning and that at one point during the day you would end up finding him in the bedroom with the stuff lathered all over himself. You made a mental note to remember to put either a towel or a box of tissues in the bedroom tomorrow just in case, because you had a feeling that things could get messy.

But that was a problem for later. You had to deal with something else right now.

The kitchen was such a mess that you barely even knew where to begin, but the first thing that your eye fell on was a small notebook, one that Eddie always had on him, folded open to a page with a recipe that was written in handwriting that was much nicer than Eddie’s was, not to mention legible.

Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting.

His little notebook was a closely guarded secret, something that your mortal eyes would not be able to comprehend (his words right before he had shielded it from you by holding a throw pillow in front of it). He used it to jot down notes for D&D campaigns, ideas that he got for lyrics, or whatever else that came to mind that he judged important enough to write down, so the fact that he used it for a recipe that he had procured for you was pretty meaningful.

This was quite possibly the sweetest thing that he had ever done, going through all this trouble for you by doing something that was completely alien to him, since he didn’t think that he was much of a cook. It wasn’t that he didn’t do it, it’s just that his repertoire seemed to be limited to heating up canned foods.

Lost in thought, you had barely even scratched the surface in concerns of the mess that Eddie had made, only managing to put several things in the sink and getting rid of the eggshells, when he reappeared again in a pair of black sweatpants with an old Iron Maiden shirt. If it wasn't for his wet hair, which was soaking the fabric of his shirt, you might have been inclined to think that he hadn’t washed himself at all.

“Did you just stick your head under the tap?”

“No. I took a shower, just like you asked.” He stepped in close enough so that you could smell the soap on his skin. “I just didn’t want you to clean my mess.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You always say that,” he groaned with obvious frustration. “Just let me do it.”

“We can do it together.” You held out a wet cloth to him, which he was eying reluctantly, simply because he felt that you weren’t supposed to help clean up the mess that he had made. “Is that a good compromise?”

“You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”

“Nope,” you popped the ‘p’ for emphasis. “I insist.”

“So I basically have no choice.”

“Pretty much.”

“Okay, whatever.” Seeing that he had lost the discussion, he admitted defeat and finally took the cloth from your hands. “Help me clean then.”

Cleaning together was a lot faster than if he had gone at it alone and before you knew it, all the surfaces were wiped clean, the dishes had been done and were drying in the dish rack, and most importantly of all, the cupcakes were finally in the oven.

“See? That didn’t take too long, now did it?”

“You weren’t supposed to help though.”

That much was kind of made clear to you while the two of you were cleaning. There were little looks that Eddie threw in your direction, whenever he seemed to think that you weren’t looking, that seemed to indicate that he was less than pleased with your help. His expressions were also somewhat… pained at times? It didn’t make a lot of sense and only made you think about why he was even acting like this to begin with.

“I genuinely don’t mind. I wasn’t going to sit and watch you clean, you know that.” You took his hand, pulled him along in the direction of the couch and gestured at him to sit. “Now. What’s this about anyway?”

“What do you mean?” Eddie immediately started fidgeting, even more so than usual, and his leg started bouncing anxiously. “I was trying to do something nice for you.”

Something was obviously bothering him. It’s not that you didn’t appreciate that he had done all this, because you really really did but there was a reason behind this and you’d keep picking at him all night if you had to.

“Excellent deflecting. I’ll get it out of you somehow,” you replied with certainty.

Leaving him on the couch, you stepped back into the kitchen to check the oven and to get something to drink. Eddie had even splurged on the soda by buying something that wasn’t store brand and therefore cheaper. It was amazing how he had managed to plan all of this without giving anything away.

“We appear to have run out of nice cups.” Instead you held up a red plastic cup that you found earlier in one of the cupboards. “So is this okay?”

“We don’t have any nice cups,” he replied without missing a beat.

“How dare you,” you clutched at your chest, pretending to be aghast at his statement. “That Star Wars cup is the best thing that we own.”

“Oh yeah, of course it is.” He rolled his eyes when you mentioned your favorite cup. You were always waving it in his face whenever you needed a quick laugh. “You’re just saying that because you have a thing for Han Solo.”

“You’re just jealous that they didn’t have one with Leia on it.” You handed him his drink and settled in next to him on the couch. Nudging your shoulder into him, you asked, “Now, tell me, why did you do all this?”

“Is it a crime to want to do something nice for you?”

“No, of course it’s n-”

“So why are you interrogating me?”

“Because I know you.” 

Eddie avoided your gaze and ran a hand down his face, because of course you’d be able to tell. He knew that he should have thought up some convincing excuse beforehand, but it was too late for that now and the chances that he’d successfully make up something on the fly were practically nonexistent.

Silence fell and for a second there, you thought that he wouldn’t tell you at all, that he would end up brushing it off, as if he was embarrassed to tell you the real reason, which was simply ridiculous. So what was it?

“I wanted to impress you,” he finally admitted softly and pulled you out of your train of thought. “Just once.”

His confession bewildered you and you genuinely didn’t know what to say. You had no idea that he had even felt this way, but you obviously needed to mend this situation since your actions seemed to have inadvertently caused this.

You liked taking care of Eddie, perhaps a little bit too much, and it seemed to have caused him to think that you didn’t need his help at all, which couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

“Eddie, that’s not- hey, look at me.” You cupped his face with your hands until his sad eyes, which were usually filled with so much warmth, finally focused back on you. “I’m already impressed.”

“You’re always looking after me, but I don’t do much,” he sighed dejectedly. “And I’m like the worst cook ever.”

"Aw, don't be like that. That’s not even true," you declared. “Your cooking is fine.”

“Don’t lie.”

“No one can make SpaghettiOs better than you can.”

“Ha, ha.” He tried to sound annoyed, but missed the mark completely when he (accidentally) laughed in earnest. It made him clear his throat in a very poor attempt to hide it. “Very funny.”

“Still made you laugh.” You poked a finger into one of his dimples until he jerked his head away with an even bigger grin than before. “I always like it when you make me breakfast.”

“That’s nothing special,” he shrugged. “Just buttered toast and fruit juice.”

“So? I like it just fine.” Seeing him act so dejectedly over feeling inadequate was breaking your heart and you felt like an idiot for never noticing it before. “Just take the compliment, please. You do enough. Trust me.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

“You want me to give examples? Okay, how about when my car broke down and you dropped everything to come pick me up.” It was the first example that came to mind and you could see a spark of amusement in his eyes when you reminded him. “Dustin wouldn’t talk to me for about a week because I ruined your D&D night.”

“The little shit only forgave you when I threatened to kill off his bard,” he laughed. “As if I was going to leave my girl at some seedy gas station in the middle of the night.”

“It was nine, still light out, and mister Jenkins was fine with me hanging out with him until the tow truck showed up.”

“Of course he was fine with it. Have you seen you?” His hand came down on your thigh, giving you a soft squeeze, since the sheer memory of that night ignited a spark of possessiveness inside him. “I don’t trust him.”

“The man’s at least seventy, Eddie!”

“So?” He said very matter of factly, as if it made perfect sense for Eddie to act so territorial around someone that posed no threat whatsoever. “He’s still a guy and I didn’t like how he was looking at you when I got there.”

“Oh yeah? You’d beat up an old man to defend my honor?”

“Babe, I would beat anyone up to defend your honor.”

“And that’s how you take care of me,” you replied resolutely, because he had just proven your point. “You’d take on the whole world for me.”

“I have to. You’re my girl.” Hearing those words were enough to make your heart swell about three sizes in your chest and you managed to catch him off guard when you pressed your lips against his for a quick kiss. “What was that for?”

“For being you,” you sighed contentedly as you rested your head against his shoulder. “That’s why I love you.”

“I love you too.” He put his arm around you and attempted to pull you even closer into his side. “Let me try this again. How about a romantic evening with me, your loving boyfriend, while I fully intend to feed you the cupcakes that I made all by myself, and maybe then we can watch a movie?”

“What movie?”

He pressed his lips into your hairline, suddenly embarrassed, and mumbled, “A Room with a View.”

“Really?” It made you pull away from him, wide eyed and excited, so you could see his face and found that he was dead serious. “You didn’t!” you exclaimed in surprise. 

“I did,” he confirmed. “You should have seen Harrington’s face.”

“It’s not really your kind of movie.” Eddie’s taste in movies was fairly unique to put it mildly. He had a penchant for loving the ones that were unbelievably bad. “You must have really shocked him for not renting something shittier.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with Hard Rock Zombies.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned when you remembered that particular movie. “Or Slumber Party Massacre, which you called an ‘underrated classic’ if I recall correctly?”

“It is! My tastes are just too high end for you and I accepted that shortcoming in you years ago-“

“Hey!”

“Let me finish.” It was his turn to place his index finger over your lips to ensure your silence this time around. “So yeah, I could have rented one of those masterpieces, but I didn’t because this is your night and this one came highly recommended by Robin. So, babe, would you do me the honor of watching this movie with me?”

“I would love to.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said with a self satisfied smile. “So just sit here and look pretty while I get everything ready, okay?”

“I shall eagerly await your return.” Eddie took your hand, kissed the back of it and let it slip from his grasp as he went back to the kitchen. “You’re such a dork.”

“Your dork,” he corrected. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t,” you confirmed.

And you wouldn’t. He was your guy after all.

[french-unknown]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: luffy, zoro, nami, usopp, sanji, robin 𝐂/𝐖: toxic relationships (kidnapping, mentions of death, suicide blackmail) and there is no love in them 𝐖/𝐂: 3.5k +

| m a s t e r l i s t | - | p t . 2 |

You had just arrived on an island that you recognized immediately since one of your closest family friends lived there. Happy, you wanted to go see her immediately but you were stopped by Luffy who asked to accompany you. You laughed and, despite his pouting that he tried to convince you with, you refused. However, you placed a kiss on his lips before leaving.

Your parents' friend recognized you at first glance and you fell into each other's arms within seconds. You were happy to see her again after all this time, so you started talking for a few moments until she finally sighed.

"I’m sorry about your mom." she declared sadly. Not understanding what she meant, you raised your eyebrows. She continued. "For her illness? I know it must be hard for you. I'm surprised that you're not with them; have you already said goodbye to her?" A drop of sweat ran down the back of your neck and, confused, you explained to her that you didn't know what she was talking about. "Your mother is terminally ill." she elaborated. "They told me they sent you several letters about it, so I thought you knew." You shook your head in shock.

At the same moment, a commotion was heard on the other side of the store window. You saw a group of Marines running past while shouting that they had spotted the Straw Hat Captain on this street. Panicked, you picked up your things and greeted your parents' friend before running away since, if Luffy had been targeted, you weren't going to stay on the island.

When you arrived at the boat, without being noticed by anyone, you went directly to see the captain to explain your situation and that you would like to leave the ship for a few months to go and see your family. But, to your great astonishment, Luffy refused. You insisted and yet he remained intransigent: You will not leave the ship. You then insisted even more so that he understood your need to be with your loved ones but, as you turned your back and announced that you would leave anyway, the world went black.

You woke up in a cramped room while the rocking under your feet as well as the smell of wood and salt water confirmed to you that you were still on the Sunny. Suddenly, a ray of light passed into the room and you saw your captain smiling through a trapdoor in the only door. Behind him, you noticed the Soldier Docker System  with the doors to Franky and Usopp's workshops in the distance.

"Let me out, Luffy!" You ordered, confused but mostly annoyed. "Nah!" he responds with his characteristic smile. "You are not allowed to leave. Your captain forbids you!" You frowned in concern before speaking. "You can't do that, Luffy. I can leave whenever I want and you have no right to stop me." He laughed as if you had just told a joke. "Well I'm doing it anyway! You'll stay there until you promise me that you'll always stay by my side. And don't bother shouting for the others to come get you, I told them that you stayed on the ground with your friend. See you!"

And he closed the hatch, leaving you alone and in the dark again in the Sunny's hold. You didn't quite understand what had just happened to you but you felt in your gut that you weren't going to like it.

Since the Straw Hat Grand Fleet was formed, you have become very close to the other crews and, in particular, to a group from the Beautiful Pirates that you found very interesting. They had refined manners, their styles were fun with their wigs and mustaches and, above all, they had a lot of conversation. So you gradually started to spend more time with them to find out where they came from and what they had been through. As a result, it took up your time with your other friends from the Straw Hat Pirates even though the majority of them didn't pay much attention to it.

After a while, when the fleet began to run out of supplies, it was decided among the captains that you would stop at the next island to get them. About thirty members were designated among all the crews to go and recover the goods. Among them were, among other things, all your friends from the Beautiful Pirates as well as Zoro. You were not worried at all, so you wished them good luck before returning peacefully to your activities.

Unfortunately, not all of them returned.

Zoro returned to the boat first, some blood on him, announcing that they had been attacked in the mist by a brigand who had taken advantage of the lack of visibility. Seeing nothing, he therefore wanted to inform other pirate but he got lost. A wave of worry ran through the fleet as a feeling of revenge grew within the ranks. Finally, slowly, a few other members of the other crews came back and everyone explained the same version: they had been attacked by a brigand. Everyone looked terrified except Zoro. Only your friends did not return and you lost all hope when you saw Farul returning to the boat. The horse, panicked, began to neigh and rear as soon as he noticed the swordsman in your ranks. Crazy, it took a lot of effort for Cavendish to master it.

When the fog lifted, no bodies were found on the island and rumors began to grow among the pirates that they had been killed by a demon.

That evening, after your feelings had been numbed all day, you felt your walls crack before completely collapsing. You began to mourn the loss of your friends and their mysterious disappearance. Unable to believe this demon story, you began to imagine what had happened to their bodies or what they had been thinking during their last moments.

The crow's nest hatch opened and you saw a green head slipping through it. Zoro approached you as soon as he saw you and, when he was close enough, out of a cruel need for comfort, you took him in your arms. He nevertheless closed his arms around you despite the surprise and then rested his chin on top of your head. You were immediately reassured by his presence and surprised that he accepted your hug so well. However, you didn't complain and stayed in his arms, talking about your loss, while he continued to hold you against him and stroke your back.

From there, a routine settled down.

He came to join you every evening to take you in his arms before letting you evacuate your sadness. He was so supportive that after a few months, when he confessed, you thought it was the kind of support you needed in your life so you accepted.

You were upset. For several weeks, without knowing why, certain very specific memories of your adolescence had come back to your mind, like an afternoon of fishing with your father and his crew mates. Or a boarding with rival ships. You were experiencing these flashes in an abnormally precise way with the details, the smells, the exact conversations and the emotions associated with them.

All the members of the Straw Hats knew what was happening to you and supported you in their own way. Nami, above all, was a huge pillar for you. You had already gotten along very well with her when she joined the crew after you and Zoro, but now she was even more attentive. She listened to you talk about how much it unsettled you to have these outbursts of impromptu memories that you hadn't thought about in a long time. She helped you a lot to unload this emotional burden that was overwhelming you.

Once again, you were alone in the shade of the navigator's mandarin trees. You closed your eyes, exhausted, and the sound of the sea began to lull you. The waves passed and rolled under the hull of the ship or crashed against the wooden planks. Then others took over and it started again and again.

Suddenly, a cage of fear closed around your heart before crushing it and you were plunged into another memory. You were on your father's boat, lying in bed, but something was wrong. It took you a few seconds to untangle your thoughts and realize that you were tied hand and foot. Your wrists and ankles were burning from the uncomfortable friction of the bonds against your skin. A cloth gag also covered your mouth to stop you from screaming. Suddenly, a noise in front of you made you raise your head and you came face to face with a person you had never seen before. Unlike everything around you, this person's head was fuzzy. The only thing you noticed was that it was a girl around your age with orange hair. She abruptly sat down on your lap, making a faint citrus scent waft through your nostrils, before you felt something cold against your cheek. A ray of moonlight passed through your shutters and reflected against the blade placed under your eye.

"I finally catch you." the presence whispered with its face inches from yours. "You were so attractive on the last island that I couldn't help but get on your ship. You are so... these last few days I saw you laughing on the deck and talking to those dirty pirates, but you... you..." And you saw her face move closer to yours until you felt pressure against your lips through the gag.

At the same time, screams were heard from the other side of the door and footsteps echoed on the deck. The girl on your lap groaned before slowly getting up without taking her eyes off you. You saw her grab a large bag from near the door before you closed your eyes. The next day, when you opened them again, you rose unhindered—and without memories—from your bed to discover that your loot had been stolen during the night.

You came out of the memory with a start, your heart beating a thousand miles an hour. You were sweating as your breathing ran out quickly. Above you, the branches of the mandarin trees quivered.

"Slept well?" Nami asked happily.

The battle raged and you attacked as best you could despite the circumstances. Indeed, shortly after arriving on the island, you were found by the Marine who had launched the assault but you were not at your best because of relationship problems which prevented you from concentrating completely.

For several months now, you found that Usopp was becoming more and more restrictive: he no longer wanted you to go on dry land when you docked somewhere, he wanted you to spend less time training to spend more time with him, he preferred that you talk less to the other male members of the crew and the list went on a lot longer. And the worst thing is that he always had justifications! Either he reminded you that it was him who created your weapon and that he regretted it because it had replaced him or he confided in you in private how the other male members of the crew made him doubt his abilities and that the fact that you preferred to talk to them rather than to him meant that you made him insecure.

As the battle finally ended in your victory, a cry from Zoro alerted you. Running up to the swordsman, you saw Usopp's body at his feet. His rolled-back eyes shocked you, as did the pool of blood that was gradually forming around his body. A memory from the day before came back to you: "I want to take a break." You told him, and he replied, "I would rather die than live without you." You froze, your eyes locked on his broken body as Chopper came running in to examine him. Above him, Zoro was explaining that he had seen the sniper suddenly completely stop fighting in the middle of the fight. He had managed to reach him to protect him but Usopp had taken serious blows in the meantime.

The whole crew was tense. You heard the slight sniffles from Franky as Nami collapsed next to her friend, her shoulders shaking in fear. A worried frown also narrowed Zoro and Robin's gaze. Sanji, for his part, was nervously smoking his cigarette while Luffy, the most terrifying of all, was dead silent. After a while, Chopper ended up reassuring you that he was still alive but that he had to be transported back to Sunny immediately.

As soon as he was placed in the infirmary bed, the morbid wait began. For days, you took turns next to him so that you would be immediately informed if he woke up and, for days, you saw the faces of the crew deteriorate more and more. For your part, more than worry, it was guilt that burned your stomach like acid. Was it your fault he stopped fighting? Was he going to die because of you? How would the crew react if he died?

Finally, Usopp woke up much to everyone's relief. He reassured them by blaming it on fatigue and they ended up leaving both of you alone in the infirmary. Their relief made you feel even worse since you weren't relieved that he was alive; you were relieved that he didn’t die because of you. The sniper then asked you to join him in bed and wrapped his arms around you. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

"I was so scared when you told me you wanted to leave me." he started to whisper. "I wouldn't survive if you left me."

And, too terrified of what might happen if you broke up, you stayed.

While you were going to the bathhouse as Sanji had asked you, for a surprise, you met Nami. The navigator laughed slightly and admitted that she already knew what was waiting for you because Sanji had talked to her about it all day and asked for her help to prepare it.

"You're lucky to have him." the redhead kindly said. "It’s obvious that he loves you."

You blushed at the remark and you continued on your way. As soon as you knocked on the door, Sanji immediately opened it with a big smile before kissing you excitedly and pulling you into the room.

The bathroom had been completely redecorated. The main light was off and had been replaced by a myriad of candles that smeared the room and illuminated it with a soft, flickering and welcoming hue whose intimate atmosphere was accompanied by the rose petals deposited everywhere. On the furniture, the floor, where it formed a graceful path towards the bathtub, and finally in the latter where the flowers overhung the hot water covered with a white foam that looked like pieces of cloud in the half-light. A sweet smell of cotton and flowers evaporated from the hot water and perfumed the room. On the side of the bathtub, he had specially folded the towels so that they fit into a pyramid among the petals. Dazzled by the atmosphere and the efforts he had put into it, you didn't know what to say. Suddenly, you felt him press against your back before wrapping his arms around your waist and placing a kiss on your neck. His skillful hands, which he took so much care of, then began to undress you while he spoke in your ear.

However, as you took over and the excitement also rose on your side, you finally found yourself in your underwear in front of him and his charming face froze. You felt in your stomach that something had changed in the mood.

"You're not wearing the lingerie I gave you?" he asked, and though his voice was kind, you sensed something was wrong.

You looked down and looked at your lingerie set, which was very pretty but was indeed not one of those that Sanji had offered you.

"This one looked great on the mannequin." he continued in the same oddly amiable tone. "But I told you that I was preparing a surprise for you. You couldn't at least wear the ones I brought you?"

A feeling of shame intensified in your mind in the form of a huge lump that settled in your throat. Under his judgmental gaze, you felt the urge to cover yourself, ashamed of your body and the clothes you had chosen to cover it.

"I spent the afternoon preparing a surprise for you and you can't even do that for me. I've been collecting these damn candles and flowers for weeks on different layovers so you don't realize it. And you come like that?"

"I can go change if you want?" you asked, ashamed.

He then took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with annoyance, then exhaled dryly the smoke which polluted the sweet smell in the room. He put the lighter back in his pocket and turned on his heel.

"It’s no use, you’ve already ruined everything." he huffed, irritated. "All those efforts were stupidly ruined, you're lucky I love you. I'm the only one dumb enough to do that."

And he left, leaving you alone in your underwear in the bathroom, which now smelled of cigarettes, next to this bathtub with the foam half gone, and surrounded by those thousand petals and candles that had lost their sparkle.

You were running but you didn't know where you were in the boat, you were totally confused and lost.

A long time ago, you didn't know exactly how much, you wanted to leave the ship to have a drink with a local with whom you had gotten along well. You had prepared yourself, ready to leave, but before you walked through the door, you had passed out. When you woke up, you were tied up somewhere in the dark. After a while Robin ended up finding you but, when you started begging her to free you, she told you that it was she who had locked you up.

From that moment on, the shock had finally dissipated and given way to fear. You had known her for years of sailing together and if there was one thing you knew about Robin, it was that she was the type of person to follow through on the things she cared about. She came almost every day into the room to talk to you or simply to look at you. Only that. But today, you don't know how, your ties have loosened enough for you to escape. You then waited for her to make her daily visit while praying that she would not notice the state of your restraints.

You then counted to one hundred as soon as she left before escaping.

So you found yourself running through the corridors that you guessed were the Thousand Sunny but, in your blind panic, you were unable to find your way. After a while, at the corner of a corridor, you saw a lighter spot on the wall a few meters away. You recognized the shape of an ear sticking out of the wall as you approached. You immediately stopped as quietly as possible near the wall and didn't move. You cover your mouth with your hand to stifle your wheezing. The ear moved a little but remained still. After a minute without any new movement, you felt your heart begin to slow down with relief. Suddenly, a small "boing" sounded in one of your ears and something soft touched your cheek. You turned your head to the wall beside you, where the noise was coming from, and fell face-to-face with a dull blue eye watching you. Horrified, you could only watch as the azure iris bore into your eyes.

You immediately started running again but it was too late.

You could only make a few steps before a hold on your ankle knocked you down. In the process, you felt a hundred arms and hands come to cover you and pin you to the ground. You felt them rest and press on your calves, your thighs, your back and even your neck and your head. Some encircled their palms around your ankles and wrists while others held you down with pressure. As you wanted to scream - lost for lost - you felt a hand grow on your shoulder and come crashing down on your mouth to drown out any noise you might make. Paralyzed, you could only let it happen when an arm blossomed between your shoulder blades so that a hand slipped into your hair to hold your head back. Now looking up, you saw Robin appear at the end of the corridor before quietly approaching you on her long legs. She walked over to you before kneeling down next to your head, keeping eye contact.

"Did you really think I wasn’t watching you?" she asked in her lifeless tone.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @iheartamora @bontensh0e @opchara @idsmash717 @lys-ada @xomingyu @parkyrr @yasmiinberkaa @dozcan123 @anotherproblemsos

[tavolgisvist]

By the end of the 1950s Rory Storm and The Hurricanes were Liverpool’s top band. The great peculiarity of Storm’s character was that he spoke with a severe stammer, which always disappeared when he was performing. A flamboyant Teddy Boy, he had a vast blond quiff that he would ostentatiously comb on stage: in old black-and-white photographs he seems to be built entirely of silver. He was an athletic man, a natural extrovert, given to daredevil stage leaps (he once broke a leg jumping from a balcony for a photograph). He’d wave the mike stand around and, strangely, pour lemonade over himself.

I’m told he was once apprehended by a railway porter on Bootle station for writing ‘I Love Rory’ on a wall. The other groups worshipped him; George Harrison longed to join the Hurricanes but was told he was too young.

Rory found a local drummer, another refugee from skiffle, called Richard Starkey. He lured the boy with promises of a summer season at Butlins holiday camp in Pwllheli, where each week brought a fresh coach-load of excitable girls. In line with the Hurricanes’ big-thinking policies the drummer was allocated a new name, Ringo Starr. (This era would be lovingly re-created in a 1973 him featuring Ringo with Billy Fury and David Essex, That’ll Be the Day.) Starr’s reputation grew so fast in his time with Rory, that he was eventually poached by the Beatles to replace Pete Best. <…> Gerry Marsden, like Ringo, came from the docklands of Dingle. He got a job on the railways, he played skiffle and then got himself a beat group, the Pacemakers, who served their time in Hamburg. They were game entertainers, these boys, who could play anything in that week’s Hit Parade if it’s what the crowd wanted. Having a piano-player made them a bit different, too, and offered them some range. Gerry had a funny way of holding his guitar high on his chest: it was so he could see his fingers.

Brian Epsten watched them in action at the Cavern, and saw in Gerry something of the same star potential he perceived in the Beatles and Cilia Black. He brought George Martin to see them play in Birkenhead, and they were duly signed to an EMI label, Columbia.

Once in the studio they were more compliant than Lennon and McCartney, and readily agreed to cover the song, ‘How Do You Do It?’, that the Beatles had rejected. Good thing, too. It got them to Number 1 straight out of the traps, and a month before the Beatles at that.

Paul McCartney would recall much later: ‘The hrsj: really senous threat to us that we felt was Gerry and the Pacemakers. When it came time for Mersey Beat to have a poll as to who was the most popular group we certainly bought and filled in a lot of forms, with very funny names , . . I’m not saying it was a fix, but it was a high-selling issue, that.’ <…> …Cilia’s first job in show business was to make the tea in the Cavern office. She was in fact the quintessential Scouser: a docker’s daughter from the Catholic enclave Scotland Road. In the family parlour stood a piano from the Epsteins’ North End Music Stores, just up the road.

When the 60s started she was a typist in town who spent her lunch hours watching the beat groups at the Cavern, where she picked up some spare-time work. Soon she was to be found on stage as well, performing guest spots with Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, the Big Three and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. (Sometimes she would duet with Ringo on his big number ‘Boys’, but turned down a chance to go with the band to Hamburg.)

One night at the Iron Door her girlfriends urged the Beatles to give Cilia a go. ‘OK Cyril,’ John Lennon said. ‘Just to shut your mates up.’ She sang Sam Cooke’s version of ‘Summertime’, and her career was on its way. It was Lennon who recommended ‘Cyril’ to Epstein. ‘I fancied Brian like mad,’ she recalled. ‘He was gorgeous. He had the Cary Grant kind of charisma, incredibly charming and shy. He always wore a navy-blue cashmere overcoat and a navy spotted cravat. I know now it was a Hermes but then I still knew it was expensive.’ She failed an early audition for him, backed by the Beatles, but he saw her again at the Blue Angel and changed his mind.

(Liverpool - Wondrous Place by Paul Du Noyer, 2002)

Part (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI), (VII), (VIII), (IX), (X), (XI), (XII), (XIII), (XIV), (XV), (XVI), (XVII), (XVIII), (XIX), (XX), (XXI), (XXII)

[catboybiologist]

So I'm realizing that I basically have one outfit that I just make minor alterations/swaps with. I wanna keep tabs on where I got this stuff, and since I'm an attention whore, I might as well make a post out of it. With a few exceptions, everything has been stuff I've nabbed when it's on sale online or I see in a thrift store within the past couple of months.

Here's a dump of pics, some new, some old, to give you an idea of what I wear basically every day:

I really like this fit. It's professional without being stodgy, showy on the figure without being inappropriate, casual without being sloppy. I'm def "dressing up" by grad student standards, esp compared to what I used to be like as a guy, but I'm okay with that.

Now, let's steal her look!!!

Bra:

https://www.calvinklein.us/en/underwear/women/bras/perfectly-fit-lightly-lined-full-coverage-bra/52013837-643.html

Underwear:

Shirts:

Khakis:

Alternate khakis:

https://www.calvinklein.us/en/cotton-stretch-straight-fit-chino-pants/198294081239.html

Cardigan:

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E472074-000/00?colorDisplayCode=30&sizeDisplayCode=004

Flannel:

https://www.rei.com/product/192987/rei-co-op-wallace-lake-flannel-shirt-mens

Glasses:

Shoes:

Note that the shoes are absolutely the most expensive part of my outfit, but I have 0 regrets. I do NOT fuck around with shoes. I'm a hiker with messed up feet, I need to keep those babies working. And so far, these have been amazingly supportive on my messed up arches and ankles, I've used them in hikes even, and they support my ankle well. They also look really nice, far cuntier than hiking boots, so y'know. That's nice too.

There are two additional things I'll mention here that I know aren't easily accessible. I have pride colored hiking socks that I wear a lot which were given to me by the trailQTs. My belt was also something I got years ago from a leather worker at an art show.

Anyways. Idk if my assessment of this actually holds up, but I figured I'd record this all somewhere.

[allaboutkeyingo]

What is the most awesome Microsoft product? Why?

The “most awesome” Microsoft product depends on your needs, but here are some top contenders and why they stand out:

Top Microsoft Products and Their Awesome Features

1. Microsoft Excel

Why? It’s the ultimate tool for data analysis, automation (with Power Query & VBA), and visualization (Power Pivot, PivotTables).

Game-changer feature: Excel’s Power Query and dynamic arrays revolutionized how users clean and analyze data.

2. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Why? A lightweight, free, and extensible code editor loved by developers.

Game-changer feature: Its extensions marketplace (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Docker, Python support) makes it indispensable for devs.

3. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Why? Lets you run a full Linux kernel inside Windows—perfect for developers.

Game-changer feature: WSL 2 with GPU acceleration and Docker support bridges the gap between Windows and Linux.

4. Azure (Microsoft Cloud)

Why? A powerhouse for AI, cloud computing, and enterprise solutions.

Game-changer feature: Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4 integration) and AI-driven analytics make it a leader in cloud tech.

5. Microsoft Power BI

Why? Dominates business intelligence with intuitive dashboards and AI insights.

Game-changer feature: Natural language Q&A lets users ask data questions in plain English.

Honorable Mentions:

GitHub (owned by Microsoft) – The #1 platform for developers.

Microsoft Teams – Revolutionized remote work with deep Office 365 integration.

Xbox Game Pass – Netflix-style gaming with cloud streaming.

Final Verdict?

If you’re a developer, VS Code or WSL is unbeatable. If you’re into data, Excel or Power BI wins. For cutting-edge cloud/AI, Azure is king.

What’s your favorite?

If you need any Microsoft products, such as Windows , Office , Visual Studio, or Server , you can go and get it from our online store keyingo.com

[potatowilde]

JAKE LOCKLEY/MOON KNIGHT COSPLAY RESOURCE:

🌙Ya know, I never thought to do this but I think it would be a wonderful tool for Cosplayers out there! I'm a Jake Lockley Cosplayer, and have done a wealth of research about his wardrobe from the series. I know as much about is as a fan could possibly know. I'll add to this thread fun trivia as I go I think… If you had any inkling of a desire to cosplay Jake here's some of my finds!! READ MORE UNDER THE CUT!

HAT - The most important piece. From my research it appears to be a Göttmann brand "Jackson Linen Driving Cap" Charcoal (https://www.goettmann.de/en/ ) You can cross reference with the metallic pin on the lefthand side of his cap.

The main site will offer vendors in various areas so check it out! Shop I used: https://scotlandhouseltd.com/collections/mens-summer-hats-caps/products/jackson-linen-flatcap-desert-color

GLOVES - The second big one. So these are not driving gloves, I learned, but interestingly enough shooting gloves. Note the armored knuckles, and the character's role in the show as a gunman. Now, I couldn't find the exact match but an awesome alternative is to purchase motorcycle riding gloves. I found a cheap pair on Amazon, because the next step after the gloves are obtained is to paint them. A talented artist on the MK Costuming team was the brilliant hand painter behind Taweret's ornamental pieces, Layla's armor, and these moon crescents. To paint the moons I simply masked the shapes with painter's tape and used silver acrylic from my local art supply store. It will take several coats.

Here's the glove alternative via Amazon "Harssiney Leather Motorcycle Gloves for Men,Touchscreen Riding Driving Biker Glove with Hard Knuckle Protection,Motorcycle Accessories for Man" :

JACKET - The third most important piece because it is also the most difficult to achieve. This was a custom made raw denim jacket by the MK team, with a 3D printed collar featuring a very unique design. Should you have the funds to pattern this and make to screen accuracy I'd love to see what you came up with! I took the budget friendly route, as it was more suitable for my purposes! For folks who end up making the jacket - Note that the lining is perhaps the same base material as the collar. It's a lighter color on the inside.

In interviews, MK costume designer Meghan Kasperlik has shared that the material is a raw denim, so it's helpful to start there as a base. For my purposes I found a raw denim jacket that was close ish to achieve the shape I wanted via Banana Republic Denim Jacket Dark Rinse. I opted out of the collar just due to budget and time restraints but I hope you can find creative solutions for it!

FINAL DETAILS AKA THE SHOES, THE TIE, THE SOCKS, THE PANTS, AND SHIRT - These will all be personal preference. I think they're readily available just about anywhere. I made a small Amazon stop for the Tie, Socks, and Shirt. AMAZON - Tie AMAZON - White Dress Shirt AMAZON - Rebok Classic Grey Socks JCPENNY - Dockers Gorden Mens Cap-Toe Oxford Shoes Black Already owned - Black slacks FINAL RESULT! Happy Cosplaying!!

[nicenight]

I saw your comment on that post about men's fashion and i love your style!!! I was wondering if you'd share where you buy your pants? I love high rise ish pants but i find it so difficult to find them in a more masculine silhouette. Thanks 🌟

thank you! i mostly shop for my pants online because i'm notoriously picky about how they look/fit and it's difficult to find them not almost exclusively low-rise in most stores.

that being said if you'd like specific recommendations for good, mid-rise jeans you can find online, i suggest Wrangler's 13MWZ cowboy cut (these were the blue jeans i was wearing in the post!) or Levi's 501 original cut. for slacks, i just wear Docker's classic fit pants (the green slacks in the same post) because that waistband goes right up to my belly button where i like it. many men's slacks suffer from the same low-rise curse, but Docker's has some pretty good, affordable high-rise work pants/slacks if that interests you.

i hope this was helpful!

[ostensiblynone]

Oasis 'Rock The Dock'

A live version of "Don't Look Back In Anger" will be one of the featured songs on Creation Records' "Rock The Dock" compilation cd. The UK release benefiting striking Liverpool dockers will be in stores 20th July [1998].

"The Liverpool Dockworkers and their families are an inspiration; they have defended the principles of security of employment and fair wages and conditions, despite being betrayed by most Trade Union leaders and the right wing Blair government, they are heroes of our time!"

—Ken Loach

[oasis news fansite archive and discogs: Rock the Dock]

[rootresident]

Self Hosting

I haven't posted here in quite a while, but the last year+ for me has been a journey of learning a lot of new things. This is a kind of 'state-of-things' post about what I've been up to for the last year.

I put together a small home lab with 3 HP EliteDesk SFF PCs, an old gaming desktop running an i7-6700k, and my new gaming desktop running an i7-11700k and an RTX-3080 Ti.

"Using your gaming desktop as a server?" Yep, sure am! It's running Unraid with ~7TB of storage, and I'm passing the GPU through to a Windows VM for gaming. I use Sunshine/Moonlight to stream from the VM to my laptop in order to play games, though I've definitely been playing games a lot less...

On to the good stuff: I have 3 Proxmox nodes in a cluster, running the majority of my services. Jellyfin, Audiobookshelf, Calibre Web Automated, etc. are all running on Unraid to have direct access to the media library on the array. All told there's 23 docker containers running on Unraid, most of which are media management and streaming services. Across my lab, I have a whopping 57 containers running. Some of them are for things like monitoring which I wouldn't really count, but hey I'm not going to bother taking an effort to count properly.

The Proxmox nodes each have a VM for docker which I'm managing with Portainer, though that may change at some point as Komodo has caught my eye as a potential replacement.

All the VMs and LXC containers on Proxmox get backed up daily and stored on the array, and physical hosts are backed up with Kopia and also stored on the array. I haven't quite figured out backups for the main storage array yet (redundancy != backups), because cloud solutions are kind of expensive.

You might be wondering what I'm doing with all this, and the answer is not a whole lot. I make some things available for my private discord server to take advantage of, the main thing being game servers for Minecraft, Valheim, and a few others. For all that stuff I have to try and do things mostly the right way, so I have users managed in Authentik and all my other stuff connects to that. I've also written some small things here and there to automate tasks around the lab, like SSL certs which I might make a separate post on, and custom dashboard to view and start the various game servers I host. Otherwise it's really just a few things here and there to make my life a bit nicer, like RSSHub to collect all my favorite art accounts in one place (fuck you Instagram, piece of shit).

It's hard to go into detail on a whim like this so I may break it down better in the future, but assuming I keep posting here everything will probably be related to my lab. As it's grown it's definitely forced me to be more organized, and I promise I'm thinking about considering maybe working on documentation for everything. Bookstack is nice for that, I'm just lazy. One day I might even make a network map...

[docker-official]

Thoughts on storing a bunch of docker-compse files in a git repo for a home-server

It's a good idea, if something shits the bed you at least have your config files. If you want to backup the data as well what I do is bind the volume to somewhere I choose on my drive and just backup the dir... After shutting down the container obviously

[mariacallous]

Traditionally called rifat or les galettes, these crispy mildly sweet Moroccan biscuits are regarded as a digestif to be served with tea after a meal. For me, these anise seed biscuits taste of home, and my mother will bring over a giant container of these homemade treats whenever she visits. When I finally perfected these biscuits, it filled me with pride and joy to share a part of my childhood with my children. 

Special tools you will need for this recipe: 4 baking sheets, dough docker or fork and a fluted pastry wheel or regular knife.

Notes: Dough scraps can be combined and rolled out again to make more biscuits. By rolling out the dough onto parchment paper and baking the biscuits directly on the parchment, the cookies are handled less and the risk of breaking them is minimal. Plus, it reduces clean-up significantly. For storage, the biscuits can be stored in an airtight container or cookie jar for up to 2 months.

[not-so-bored]

Summer - week(end) 7 - refined

July - week 3 ⛅️

Routine

🛏 Sleep 8+ hours  🟩🟨🟩 ⏰ Wake up earlier than 10:00  🟩🟨🟥 👟 Work  ⬛️🟪⬛️ (🟣 my hours have been cut) 🇳🇱 Dutch lessons  🟦🟩🟨 🦉 Duolingo: Dutch  🟩🟩🟩 💧 Drops: Dutch  🟩🟩🟩 📚 Reading more than 15 pages 🟩🟩🟩 ✨🐦 Providing water to birds 🟩🟩🟩  ✨🌿 Watering the plants outside 🟩🟩🟩  ✨🪴 Watering the plants inside ⬛️⬛️🟥 🧠 Meditation: 5 minutes  🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦 🌐 60-day Language Challenge by @leavelesstree (I aimed to complete it in 6 weeks, but it’s more likely it’ll actually take 7+ weeks) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 🫀 Sport  🟩 ☕️ Coffee*  ⬛️⬛️⬛️ *I enjoy an occasional cup of coffee but I need to keep them occasional, which means: up to three cups a week with one day break in between

Special tasks

Backlog

🧊🚲 Cycling (frozen because it is not happening anyway)  🔳 🧊💡 Reaching out to the Philosophy people (come back to it in the first week of August) ⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🧊📋 Scheduling a meeting with a person I’d like to see before I leave (come back to it on 27.07) 🟧 ⁉️🌐 60-day Language Challenge by @leavelesstree  🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩  ‼️❗️📞 Dispeling my doubts related to the move (formal) 🟨🟩 ‼️❗️✍️ Editing my WiP 🟥 ‼️💻 Working on my Computer Science project (figuring out how to use docker compose or something similar) 🟥🟥 ‼️🔢 Maths in English - Precalculus (Khan Academy) 🟨🟥🟥 ‼️📧 Sharing my WiP with one person to whom I promised it 🟥 ‼️💶 Learning a specific thing about financial matters in the Netherlands  🟨 ❗️🗺 Sending an email and receiving an answer to my question 🟥🟥 🔔 Reminding two people about something 🟨🟥🟥🟩🟩 📖 Digital Technology and Economy reading list - week 3 🟩🟩🟩(⬛️)  (I cannot access one of the resources)

Current tasks

👆 Dealing with the backlog (recovery)  🧊🧊🧊🟩🟨 🟥🟥🟧🟥🟨 🟥🟨🟩(⬛️)  ✨🎶 With Music Around The World 🟩🟩🟩 ✨🖥 AI course (online) 🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦 🔛🏳️‍🌈 Requesting a document 🟥 🔛🏫 Requesting some other documents  🟩🟩 (I did what I could but it’s not up to me when I’ll receive the documents) 🔛📄 Writing a cover letter for a scholarship  ���   📋 Arranging another meeting with my former (primary school) classmates 🟧 🗒 Preparing for the meeting  🟩 💬 Online meeting 🟩 💼 Gathering information about internship opportunities (🇳🇱) 🟩 (if we are talking about Dutch employers, I think that at the moment I have to settle for retail, which is understandable) 📖 Digital Technology and Economy reading list - week 4 🟩🟥 🟥🟥 🔜💉 Making appointments ⬜️⬜️ 🔜🧺 Gathering my clothes (the first round) ⬜️ 🔜🛡 Arranging the insurance  ⬜️  🔜👨‍💻 Setting up my LinkedIn profile properly and professionally (while continuing to scream internally) ⬜️🟩🟨 🔜🏊 Going to the swimming pool  ⬜️ 🔢 Maths in English - Precalculus (Khan Academy) 🟥🟥🟥 🔐[🔢] 

Things I had planned to do later, but have already completed them AND Things that came up spontaneously

I might swap them with the non-urgent tasks (🔜)

✅✅✅✅ ✅ Asking for my contract and receiving it → to do: carefully reading the contract once again ✅ Creating a multilingual retail phrase book → to do: complete all the translations, add het and de to the Dutch nouns, add a spreadsheets with more store-specific vocabulary (clothing, possibly also groceries), possibly add French in collaboration with someone ✅ Checking out an online AI course → to do: completing some tasks ✔️ ✅ Asking about textbooks → to do: definitely not buying them right now <3 ✔️ ✅ Applying for two jobs, including one that in May I thought would be the best for me (I got 65% in the aptitude test and I don't know what to think about it...) ✅ Stretching + light workout (outside!) ✅ Artificial Intelligence/ Cognitive Science reading list

[itcareerblogs]

Top 10 In- Demand Tech Jobs in 2025

Technology is growing faster than ever, and so is the need for skilled professionals in the field. From artificial intelligence to cloud computing, businesses are looking for experts who can keep up with the latest advancements. These tech jobs not only pay well but also offer great career growth and exciting challenges.

In this blog, we’ll look at the top 10 tech jobs that are in high demand today. Whether you’re starting your career or thinking of learning new skills, these jobs can help you plan a bright future in the tech world.

1. AI and Machine Learning Specialists

Artificial Intelligence (AI)  and Machine Learning are changing the game by helping machines learn and improve on their own without needing step-by-step instructions. They’re being used in many areas, like chatbots, spotting fraud, and predicting trends.

Key Skills: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, data analysis, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).

Industries Hiring: Healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing.

Career Tip: Keep up with AI and machine learning by working on projects and getting an AI certification. Joining AI hackathons helps you learn and meet others in the field.

2. Data Scientists

Data scientists work with large sets of data to find patterns, trends, and useful insights that help businesses make smart decisions. They play a key role in everything from personalized marketing to predicting health outcomes.

Key Skills: Data visualization, statistical analysis, R, Python, SQL, and data mining.

Industries Hiring: E-commerce, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.

Career Tip: Work with real-world data and build a strong portfolio to showcase your skills. Earning certifications in data science tools can help you stand out.

3. Cloud Computing Engineers: These professionals create and manage cloud systems that allow businesses to store data and run apps without needing physical servers, making operations more efficient.

Key Skills: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), DevOps, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).

Industries Hiring: IT services, startups, and enterprises undergoing digital transformation.

Career Tip: Get certified in cloud platforms like AWS (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect).

4. Cybersecurity Experts

Cybersecurity professionals protect companies from data breaches, malware, and other online threats. As remote work grows, keeping digital information safe is more crucial than ever.

Key Skills: Ethical hacking, penetration testing, risk management, and cybersecurity tools.

Industries Hiring: Banking, IT, and government agencies.

Career Tip: Stay updated on new cybersecurity threats and trends. Certifications like CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) or CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) can help you advance in your career.

5. Full-Stack Developers

Full-stack developers are skilled programmers who can work on both the front-end (what users see) and the back-end (server and database) of web applications.

Key Skills: JavaScript, React, Node.js, HTML/CSS, and APIs.

Industries Hiring: Tech startups, e-commerce, and digital media.

Career Tip: Create a strong GitHub profile with projects that highlight your full-stack skills. Learn popular frameworks like React Native to expand into mobile app development.

6. DevOps Engineers

DevOps engineers help make software faster and more reliable by connecting development and operations teams. They streamline the process for quicker deployments.

Key Skills: CI/CD pipelines, automation tools, scripting, and system administration.

Industries Hiring: SaaS companies, cloud service providers, and enterprise IT.

Career Tip: Earn key tools like Jenkins, Ansible, and Kubernetes, and develop scripting skills in languages like Bash or Python. Earning a DevOps certification is a plus and can enhance your expertise in the field.

7. Blockchain Developers

They build secure, transparent, and unchangeable systems. Blockchain is not just for cryptocurrencies; it’s also used in tracking supply chains, managing healthcare records, and even in voting systems.

Key Skills: Solidity, Ethereum, smart contracts, cryptography, and DApp development.

Industries Hiring: Fintech, logistics, and healthcare.

Career Tip: Create and share your own blockchain projects to show your skills. Joining blockchain communities can help you learn more and connect with others in the field.

8. Robotics Engineers

Robotics engineers design, build, and program robots to do tasks faster or safer than humans. Their work is especially important in industries like manufacturing and healthcare.

Key Skills: Programming (C++, Python), robotics process automation (RPA), and mechanical engineering.

Industries Hiring: Automotive, healthcare, and logistics.

Career Tip: Stay updated on new trends like self-driving cars and AI in robotics.

9. Internet of Things (IoT) Specialists

IoT specialists work on systems that connect devices to the internet, allowing them to communicate and be controlled easily. This is crucial for creating smart cities, homes, and industries.

Key Skills: Embedded systems, wireless communication protocols, data analytics, and IoT platforms.

Industries Hiring: Consumer electronics, automotive, and smart city projects.

Career Tip: Create IoT prototypes and learn to use platforms like AWS IoT or Microsoft Azure IoT. Stay updated on 5G technology and edge computing trends.

10. Product Managers

Product managers oversee the development of products, from idea to launch, making sure they are both technically possible and meet market demands. They connect technical teams with business stakeholders.

Key Skills: Agile methodologies, market research, UX design, and project management.

Industries Hiring: Software development, e-commerce, and SaaS companies.

Career Tip: Work on improving your communication and leadership skills. Getting certifications like PMP (Project Management Professional) or CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner) can help you advance.

Importance of Upskilling in the Tech Industry

Stay Up-to-Date: Technology changes fast, and learning new skills helps you keep up with the latest trends and tools.

Grow in Your Career: By learning new skills, you open doors to better job opportunities and promotions.

Earn a Higher Salary: The more skills you have, the more valuable you are to employers, which can lead to higher-paying jobs.

Feel More Confident: Learning new things makes you feel more prepared and ready to take on tougher tasks.

Adapt to Changes: Technology keeps evolving, and upskilling helps you stay flexible and ready for any new changes in the industry.

Top Companies Hiring for These Roles

Global Tech Giants: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM.

Startups: Fintech, health tech, and AI-based startups are often at the forefront of innovation.

Consulting Firms: Companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC increasingly seek tech talent.

In conclusion,  the tech world is constantly changing, and staying updated is key to having a successful career. In 2025, jobs in fields like AI, cybersecurity, data science, and software development will be in high demand. By learning the right skills and keeping up with new trends, you can prepare yourself for these exciting roles. Whether you're just starting or looking to improve your skills, the tech industry offers many opportunities for growth and success.

[sun-praiser]

When you attempt to validate that a data pipeline is loading data into a postgres database, but you are unable to find the configuration tables that you stuffed into the same database out of expediency, let alone the data that was supposed to be loaded, dont be surprised if you find out after hours of troubleshooting that your local postgres server was running.

Further, dont be surprised if that local server was running, and despite the pgadmin connection string being correctly pointed to localhost:5432 (docker can use the same binding), your pgadmin decides to connect you to the local server with the same database name, database user name, and database user password.

Lessons learned:

try to use unique database names with distinct users and passwords across all users involved in order to avoid this tomfoolery in the future, EVEN IN TEST, ESPECIALLY IN TEST (i dont really have a 'prod environment, homelab and all that, but holy fuck)

do not slam dunk everything into a database named 'toilet' while playing around with database schemas in order to solidify your transformation logic, and then leave your local instance running.

do not, in your docker-compose.yml file, also name the database you are storing data into, 'toilet', on the same port, and then get confused why the docker container database is showing new entries from the DAG load functionality, but you cannot validate through pgadmin.

[ailurinae]

Not sure I'd call regular clothing stores/big box stores like target, macy's, jc penney, etc "fast fashion", especially as I am not buying even slightly for fashion. Like yeah they are kinda part of the problem, but while their stuff isn't as durable as it should be, it can be somewhat durable, and if you aren't changing your clothes all the time for pure fashion reasons, I don't feel like it should be called "fast fashion". Also I have no idea about shein/temu, but Amazon at least is all over the place, not just "ultra fast fashion". You can buy totally ordinary dockers and stuff there you know?

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