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oftenderweapons · 5 years ago

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The Calm After the Storm - hyung line

Pairing: hyung line member x reader

Wordcount: 1.0-1.2k words

Genre: smut, angst, fluff

Rating: 18+

Hello jell-o to everyone again! I usually try to publish by Sunday night but it’s exam season so I’m a bit busy with uni. Also, Jin’s part was super difficult to start but then boom, it turned out to be the longest, so every delay is due to that and I refuse to postpone again so I’m publishing it unedited. Might reread in a couple days and actually edit the post. Every piece is about 1100-1200 words (they’re getting longer and longer!)

The original theme for the week was going to be aftercare, but me being a chaotic mess made me go a little bit wilder than just aftercare. I tried to adjust every scenario to how each boy would approach intimacy with his partner, and how each couple would recover from different types and degrees of interaction, It also depends a lot on the kind of ideal girlfriend I imagine for each of the boys.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: ahem. It’s very descriptive, some parts more than others. So, let’s get this started. Oral sex galore (highly recommended if you’re a fan of being eaten out yay!) crude language, unprotected sex within a safe and established relationship (please be careful guys, use condoms and dental dams I can’t recommend it enough), foodplay, overstimulation and squirting (ten points if you can guess who’s featured in that scenario), biting, spanking, mild bondage, some bold PDA, angsty/insecure reader. Also, swearing and consumption of alcohol.

Member disclaimers: very jealous, possessive!Namjoon, Eat!Jin can be wildly inspirational, Yoongi is a tease feat. some higher tongue technology, Hoseok is a very stretchable freak, but also a sunshine boy with magic hands and a big, fat-

-heart. (Binch, you thought.)

Enjoy!

Here you can find the maknae line

And here you can find my masterlist!

Namjoon

His heavy body suddenly fell on top of yours, followed by some deadly stillness. You knew why the French called this "the little death". It sounded very elegant. Very erotic.

But really, Namjoon seemed almost dead in his postcoital slumber.

There had been an excessive carnality in your latest encounter, made of bites and bruising grips. He was spurred by an unmotivated jealousy that almost tempted you to tease his possessiveness more often. But that's what you thought before letting him take you. Now your opinion was strongly different. It would be unlikely for you to be able to handle him like this more than once a month.

He was an animal.

It took him some solid two minutes before brushing his mouth and chin on your chest, though you didn't believe he could wipe his face on your damp chest. He placed open mouthed kisses on your breasts, snaking his hand once more between your thighs, hoping to get you to cum again while he recovered from his previous high and got ready once more.

"Joon, baby, please don't." You whined.

He moved his hand away, spent and pliant, bringing it to your outer thigh, dragging your leg over his back, his body sliding up towards your neck, nuzzling in the crook beneath your ear. It was deliriously intimate.

He kept pushing until there wasn't a way to be closer to you. You felt engrossed in warmth and skin and his comfortable weight. He was massive on top of you, so vast he was all you could see. He was your entire world. The sense of comfort overwhelmed you and you let your eyes close, however you knew you both needed a clean up.

"My woman. My little vixen, my darling god. My love, " he murmured in your ear. "Are you okay, kitten?"

You felt adored like never before. "A little tired, but I'm ecstatic. I can barely feel anything at all."

"Did I hurt you?"

You thought back to the way he had pushed inside you. The sound of the bed scraping again the floor. The crude noise of skin against skin. Usually he wouldn't go so hard at missionary, keeping it intimate and loving. That violence was for more carnal and animalistic positions, but tonight had been extraordinary in many ways. He had carried you over his shoulder from the lobby of the apartment complex to your front door, entered your shared apartment and thrown you over the back of the sofa, where he had lifted your skirt and spanked you almost too aggressively. He had taken your first orgasm there, with his fingers inside you, and his spare hand covering your mouth; then he had carried you again, this time to your bed. He had dropped you on the edge of it, your back on the covers, your hips hanging from the edge as he sat on the floor and put your thighs on each of his shoulders, straddling his face. He had been voracious, making you cum twice with his tongue on your clit. Then he had ripped all of your clothes off, damaging your lace knickers and tearing away a couple buttons of his own shirt. And finally he had entered you. He started with you on top but as he grew more desperate he flipped you on the bed and got into a violent pace, growling about you belonging to him and him being the only one who could fuck you this good, of you being too used to him to be happy with anyone else. You couldn't comprehend how a man as smart and civilised as Namjoon could become such a beast, but still... He had chased his high unrelentlessly, and you hoped he would be done after the two of you came together, your inner muscles squeezing him tight, but apparently he was so desperate he kept going, finding his release again. As he noticed you hadn't enjoyed as much he proceeded dragging his lips down your body and eating you out once more. If it were for him, fuck it, he would live with his mouth latched between your thighs.

Back to reality you comforted him, "Don't worry love, you didn't hurt me. It was just... Very intense."

"I don't know what got into me."

"Well, I know what got into me."

"Don't joke about it just yet, I still feel pretty volatile."

"Sorry."

"Damn, that man couldn't keep his eyes off you. And even a girl from the catering was checking you out."

"I couldn't care any less." You stated, combing his hair. You grabbed a bottle of water from the bedside table and a delicate cloth napkin you kept in your bedside. You wiped at your face and neck without disturbing Joon, than you tried to freshen him too. He let you maneuver around him, cleaning him up, then you moved to the rest of your bodies, Namjoon getting more collaborative.

"I love you so much. I can't think about anyone else I would do this with. I love that you're strong, that you can take that without even wavering. You are unafraid, and you welcome me as I am. No one else could." He declared.

You kissed his head and tried to continue cleaning. You reached between your legs.

"Let me" Joon said. He stood on his knees and parted your legs gently, observing the results of his frenzy. "I'm sorry I got carried away."

He kissed the side of your knee and pressed the cloth to your outer labia, gently, especially after he noticed how red and swollen they were. A sick part of him got turned on again. He wasn't that surprised at all. He loved seeing his effect on you. Knowing it was him, that you wouldn't let anyone else do this to you. He moved his hand gently on your crotch, opening you and now cleaning the more delicate skin of your vagina. You couldn't believe that this was the clumsy man who regularly asked you how to wash his stained clothes and if you could help him fix his bruises. He was attentive and careful. "All right?" He asked.

"Yes, I think I'm going to fall asleep, though."

He briefly wiped himself, then he felt his own lids grow heavy. "Let me get rid of this and I'll be back in a second. Do you want clothes?"

"Please." He knew it was a yes. He took the cloth to the dirty laundry, then picked up one of his old, worn out t-shirts and a pair of cotton briefs. He wore clean boxers and came back to you, helping you wear the clothes. You quickly curled up against him, your head on his chest, and he brought you closer, hugging you tightly, and brushing your hair from your face. After a few minutes you were both asleep.

Seokjin

“Honey I can’t find the chocolate sauce- Oh, hi there!” Jin walked in your bedroom only to see you naked on top of the covers, the aforementioned chocolate sauce sitting on the bedside table, and also drawing pretty decorations over your naked skin.

“Would you like to clear your intentions?” He said, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and a playful smirk lifting his lips to one side.

“I think it’s all very clear, here...” You commented. You were a little bothered by the fact that even though he had come back from tour two days ago, he still had to lay a finger on you. And also he had been sleeping at the dorms, uselessly increasing the number of night you had to do without him.

“Is it a new beauty treatment?”

“No.”

“Would you like me to leave?” He asked. You were upset by the fact that he was still avoiding intimacy with you. You felt like smacking him in the head right now.

Maybe something had happened during the tour, maybe he didn’t like you anymore… Maybe he had found someone else, somehow, even though he didn’t have much spare time to get to know someone, maybe it was a member of the staff…

Your mind was going to really bad places in that moment, knowing that you could trust him, but also craving for the smallest sign that he still wanted you.

He took a step closer, the absent look on your face getting him worried. “What is it? Why all of this now?”

“I really missed you.” You said, after taking a while to steady your voice.

“I missed you too.” He said, sitting on the bed, one of his fingers touching a heart-shaped stain of sauce on your belly. He brought it to his lips. “And I really appreciate the whole chocolate thing you have going on here—”

“Do you still like me?”

“Where is all of this coming from?” He asked, bringing his clean hand to your hair, pushing it back, holding your face in his palm. “You are making me worried, sweetheart.”

“You haven’t been coming home and I want you so much, damn I’ve wanted you so much for so long and you haven’t been coming home and maybe during tour you realised you don’t like me that much or—”

“First of all, I love you. And there’s no changing that. Secondly, we’re working on the muster, you know how much work there’s into that. Loads of choreographies, background checks, reworking songs, it’s a mess. I didn’t come home because I was very stressed, I knew I would unleash all my nerves on you. I didn’t want to put you through that.”

“So you still want me?”

He nodded, a tender smile on his face. “Can’t you tell?” He shot a glance to his lap, where you could see the shape of him under the trousers. “I’m trying very hard to hold back right now.”

“I need you to show me how much you want me.”

“Let me go grab some whipped cream.” He suggested with a devilish grin.

“Didn’t know we had that.”

“I just brought it home for the strawberry salad we were supposed to have tonight. But I guess we have better plans now, don’t we?” He said, his voice coming from the kitchen and then approaching the bedroom slowly. “I hope you don’t mind getting messy because there’s no way you’re getting out of here clean.”

“Do you mean literally or morally clean?”

“Let me shut that smart mouth up.” And then he kissed you. It was hotter than your normal kisses, even though his body was angled away from yours.

“Take ‘em off. I need you,” You whispered, pulling at his shirt. He undressed impressively quickly, keeping his boxers on and grabbing the cream.

“I’m gonna start with something innocent.” He commented, spraying some on your mouth and lips and taking it away with a kiss. “Want more?”

You nodded, your mouth ajar, tongue eager to meet his. He complied, joining your lips once more. “Let me get that sauce now, I don’t want you to imprint all that chocolate on me.”

With that he started licking all the small heart away from your upper chest. “I think I need something to balance it off.” He had the actual audacity to spray some more cream around your nipples. “Better now.” He said, diving in. He devoured the food adorning your belly, again using your belly button to spoon in some cream.

When he reached the invisible line dividing your belly from your pubis, he stopped, laying a soft kiss there. “Do you want me to...?”

“Do you want to?” He didn’t eat you out often, the act implying a level of confidence you weren’t quite familiar with.

He nodded timidly. “But I’d rather be inside you.”

You couldn’t dream of anything better. Quickly, you sat up, helping him remove his underwear. God, you had missed seeing him naked. You had missed feeling him under your palms, against you, below you, inside you, on top of you.

The proportions of your longing hit you right there. “I need you.”

He laid beside you, on his back. “I know it’s been a while, so maybe you’d like to be on top and pick your pace.”

“You are incredible,” you declared, admiring how considerate and smart your man is. Climbing him, you let your intimate parts brush against each other, his hands laying on your thighs.

“I missed having you like this.” He said, caressing your skin. “I couldn’t stop thinking about this the other night. I was so close to coming back home, wake you up and fuck you into the mattress.” He said with a small embarrassed giggle. He didn’t dirty talk that often, and when he did, sometimes he felt too shy.

“I thought you would come home. I waited for you naked in bed.” You told him in a soft, breathy tone.

“God, I missed out on that.” He pressed his hips upward, augmenting the friction and enjoying your increasing wetness.

“You really missed out.” You wrapped your hand around his wrist and brought his fingers to your lips.

He moaned quietly. “But I’m here now.”

You nodded, your tongue wrapping around his fingers. As his eyes rolled shut, you grabbed his length, enjoying the incredible thickness of the veins running under his skin, and pressed the tip to you entrance, a high-pitched sound escaping your throat. You let your hips roll gently downwards. With his hand accompanying your backside, you let him help you ride him, your own hips dictating the pace, the angle and the depth of your movements. As you felt that sense of fullness come to a peak, you brought the fingers resting in your mouth down to your sex, Jin naturally finding the sweet spot that had you mutter soft curses to the ceiling. His spare hand caressed your back gently, encouragingly, until finally you constricted around him, dragging you both to completion.

Collapsing on his chest, you took a few deep breaths. “We’ll need a shower now.”

“I licked you clean, though.”

“That was amazing.”

“You were delicious.” He commented, kissing your forehead.

“Let’s just lay here for a while.”

“We’ll fall asleep, you know that.” Seokjin said, stroking your hair.

“That’s what we always do.”

“God, we suck at aftercare.”

“We really do.” He still got in that position you usually fall asleep in. All considered, you could deal with this after a nap.

Yoongi

Yoongi had… tastes, in the bedroom.

Not just strictly within the bedroom, but yes, he had tendencies which would not belong to most people regarding intimacy.

That’s why everyone was looking at you funny at dinner. In the asphyxiatingly hot Korean summer you were wearing a sleeveless turtleneck with the lame excuse of a sore throat. Which you had, but for reasons absolutely unrelated to the weather. And your eyes were getting droopy. Yoongi was right at your side, being unusually touchy-feely with his affections. At such a point of your relationship, you were used to holding hands, you loved it and you loved the content expression on Yoongi’s face whenever you reached for his hand, or whenever you noticed he was reaching for yours. But tonight, with an arm around your waist, offering you his shoulder to lean on, you knew he was absolutely conscious of your situation — you wanted to kill him because of that: how could he drag you to dinner with the whole group with you in these conditions? — and he was trying to support you and help you close your eyes, at least to regain some energies.

Every time you let your eyelids fall, you had flashbacks of him less than a couple hours ago, you could feel his hair tickling your naked nipples, his mouth lavishing your skin, covering it in bites and bruises — hence the turtleneck — and you could see his head thrown back, his pout opening in a moan tender as his stare when he looked at you like a goddess, like the most precious of treasures. You could still feel the drag of his hot and hard sex between your breasts, his hips snapping as he pushed the tip past your lips. At some point he had stood perfectly still, ordered you to stay put as he flipped around, his thighs straddling your face as he leaned down to reach your left hip bone with his mouth. He had proceeded taunting you with his dick right in front of your face, you desperately trying to get it in your mouth while he deliberately denied you as he kept rubbing your inner thighs. When you finally managed to get his tip with your tongue he enveloped your clit between his lips, making you cry out gently and lose your feeble grip on him. After a few minutes he had realised he didn’t really like that position, since your ministrations could distract him from the task at hand and make him get sloppy and inefficient. He spent a couple more seconds thinking whether he preferred getting inside you or eat you out till you orgasmed, but he thought he could postpone the actual sex after dinner and get you riled up in the meanwhile. He got himself into a more comfortable position, not without remembering to put some more hickeys of the pale skin of your crotch and pelvis, and proceeded to pleasure you just like you always needed him to. You had been confused, and slightly disappointed, when he had rubbed your belly tenderly after you had recovered from your high, and then briskly stood up and headed for the bathroom.

“Are you good?” He whispered lovingly at your ear.

“I don’t think I’m really here mentally.” You admitted.

He was tempted to bring you home, wrap you up in the covers and caress your hair until you both fell asleep.

“Do you wanna go home?”

“I don’t want you to miss dinner with everyone.”

Everyone had noticed you weren’t at your best; you were being less talkative and even though you were doing your best to hide your yawns, they were still very frequent. Plus, you couldn’t help but cringe and hide inside Yoongi’s shoulder whenever Hoseok got particularly loud.

Yoongi felt his heart soften everytime you clung to him, some possessive part of himself feeling proud that you showed so explicitly who you belong to. But some other part of him was already thinking what could he possibly do to start you up again. Maybe he should just be settling for some calm and fond lovemaking, maybe he could…

You touched his knee with yours, his hand snaking under the hem of your shirt. Something dark awakened within your belly and suddenly you opened your eyes, meeting your man's gaze. He licked his lips and used his other hand to caress the inside of your knee. Your whole exchange continued, encouraged by the small booth of the restaurant and the table hiding your mildly inappropriate endeavours.

“Are you feeling better now?” He whispered in your ear. Goosebumps rose on your nape, your mouth feeling too dry. A quick nod — you couldn’t really trust yourself talking.

His hand sneaking higher and higher on your leg, he teased you some more: “If you behave, I’ll let you suck me till I cum, then I’m gonna turn you around and slap your pretty bum as you ride me. Then I’m gonna hold you tight and eat you out, until I’m ready to make love to you again. And when I get inside you again, I’m gonna go so slow you’ll beg me to fuck you harder. You’ll beg me to hurt you. Understood?”

You blinked a couple times before lifting yourself from your slouching, now very awake, almost oversensitive.“Yes, sir,” you replied obediently.

“Good kitten.”

You managed to be more interactive during the rest of the dinner, still limiting yourself to those sitting closer to you, Jungkook, Namjoon and their girlfriends, who appeared to be on the more quiet side.

As the night went on and Jimin started suggesting going somewhere else, Yoongi looked at you, his expression completely unreadable, still you knew it meant that it’s completely up to you. You also knew he didn’t enjoy the night scene at all. He’d much rather stay home with you. And the wetness you felt coating your panties gave you one more reason to turn down Jimin’s offer and head home.

Yoongi grinned wide as soon as you entered the car taking you to your apartment. He kept every single promise. And when you finally both laid spent on top of the covers, your bodies laying naked and unashamed, he took a few deep breaths before standing up and rinsing himself in your ensuite. As soon as he was clean and dry he slipped on a pair of shorts and got to the kitchen, grabbing some water and some ice cream. When he came back you were still vegetating on the bed, breathing heavy, eyes opening at the dip of the mattress beside you. He offered you the bottle, brushing your hair away from your face, kissing your cheekbones, your temples, the tip of your nose and the middle of your forehead.

“Do you want me to run a hot bath?” He offered in a whisper, taking you in his arms and caressing your face continuously.

“You got ice cream...” you mumbled.

“You didn’t eat much at dinner and you rode me pretty fiercely. You need to eat something.” He explained. “Bath or no?”

“Yes, please.”

Hoseok

“Just one more, _____”.

You didn’t like the way he used your name to manipulate you into doing things that you’ll regret tomorrow morning.

“I can’t, really.”

“I know you can baby, just one. I know you’re gonna love it. I’ll make you love it.”

You whined slightly at the shift of angle. “I’m currently loving this one.”

He quickly withdrew from inside you, making you huff in disappointment as he repositioned himself, rolling you on the side and hooking your leg over his side. “Thank God I’m elastic.”

“Thank God you’re so good me. I love you, angel.” And with that he entered you again, your neck arching so that you could kiss him. “My baby, my joy. You’re incredible. Keep squeezing me, ____, don’t you fucking dare stop now.”

“Please, I need your hand on me.”

“I’m here, angel. I got you.” His fingers slipped to your front, immediately finding your clit and teasing it desperately, your head whipping back, his tongue caressing the crook between your neck and shoulder. The stimulation made you clench further and Hoseok too gained profit from the furious activity of his digits.

“Hobi, I’m—”

“Yes, angel, keep going.”

“It’s too much.”

“You can take it.”

“Hoseok—” with that you realised your orgasm had surpassed the ordinary — and the previous two — and suddenly you were drenching the sheets.

“Oh my god, babe that’s too hot. Damn it.” He bit down hard on your shoulder, suppressing a scream, finally ramming into you.

Sex with Hoseok was always pretty energetic, leaving you exhausted and barely functioning. And usually pretty sore the morning after, no matter how religiously he followed your special aftercare etiquette. He had confessed loving all the special attentions you needed afterwards and it helped him unwind and relax before sleep.

It was probably the second time you’ve ever squirted. The first time was because of the joined forces of your Hoseok’s fingers and a new vibrator you had decided to experiment, some months ago. The whole messiness of it upset you slightly. But the happiness and pride radiating from Hobi’s grin compensated fully.

“Are you feeling good, my angel?” He unhooked your leg gently, massaging your thigh and knee.

You moaned. Too good for words. He’d been right, the angle was amazing and the snapping of his hips teased your bruised backside just enough to mix the pleasure with a sliver of pain.

“We’ll have to change the sheets, love.” He massaged one breast delicately, innocently, slipping his hand between the side of it and the mattress, lifting it and helping you ease the soreness due to their excessive bouncing while you rode him earlier on. “Shower or bath?”

You moaned again. He giggled. “My fucked out princess...” Cradling your head in his arm, he looked at you fondly. “Don’t tell me I have to sponge bath you.”

You gave him a side glance, slowly coming back to reality.

“I want you to bath with me.” You whispered. Bath time was sacred time. Usually you didn’t let him in with you, needing some distance to get back to yourself, recovering from whatever folly he had led you to. “Please.”

“I’ll get your bath ready, then I’ll have to change the sheets, but I’ll be with you as soon as I’m done.” He promised reassuringly.

A few minutes lately you felt his svelte body slide in behind yours inside the bathtub, his arms wrapping around your middle.

“You were amazing tonight, ____.” Again, your name coming from his lips loosened a tight knot inside you. “I love you so much.” He ran the tip of his nose along the edge of your ear, “You have no idea of how much you’re loved and cherished, sweetie.” He was calm and almost quiet during this exchange and it surprised you, especially since one of the reasons he wasn’t allowed to bath with you was because he was a human powerplant, always emanating an alarming level of energy.

“Want me to wash your hair?”

“Thank you so much.” You didn’t say for what, but the heaviness of the words made it clear that you didn’t mean only for him washing your hair. He was very careful, pressing his digits on your scalp to ease your nerves and rolling them slowly but with a lot of pressure, just as you liked. As you finished rinsing and exited the tub, he made you stand in front of him, checking your skin attentively, especially your wrists, which had been bound together to the headboard with a rope, and your backside, bruised by his slaps. Finally he inspected he hickies on your breasts and the bite mark on your shoulder. He put some lotion on your wrists, hoping that the red marks wouldn’t turn purple, and did the same on the bite.

“Let’s get your hair dry,” He said. It took about twenty minutes, his hands skillfully handling the hairdryer. He let his own hair dry naturally, the locks turning slightly curly in an absolutely endearing way.

He picked up some lotion from the cabinet in the bathroom and offered you his hand, leading you to the bedroom. “Do you need some water? Some juice?”

“Just water would be nice.” You sat on the fresh sheets, immediately wincing at the slight burn of your behind. Laying down, you rolled on your front, not without releasing a pained breath.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to come back, the stark contrast between the white sheets and your bruises making him ten times more apprehensive. In his hands he carried a bottle of water, a small ampoule and a cold cloth -- usually he prepared some wet cloths in the freezer when you planned out heavier impact play. Offering you the water and the ampoule, he reached for your lotion and straddled the back of your legs, pouring some ointment on his hands and slowly, delicately beginning to rub your glutes, focusing where the bruises were already turning a dark shade of crimson. Then he laid the cloth on your skin, the cold causing you to hiss.

“Did you get your muscle relaxant?”

“Yes, baby. Thank you.” You reached for his leg, caressing his hip reverently.

“It’s okay. Let me ease your legs, they look tense.” He proceeded massaging you thoroughly, taking his time. As he slowly ascended from your calves to your shoulders you felt you herbal muscle relaxant kick in, the hawthorn berry extract working its magic in tandem with Hoseok’s magic hands.

“I love you so, so much, Jung Hoseok.”

“I love you too, babe.” He smiled, devotion filling his heart.

#bangtan sonyeondan #bts imagine #bts reaction #bts #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #bts hyung line #namjoon imagine #seokjin imagine #yoongi imagine #hoseok imagine

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ktheist · 5 years ago

Text

eleven.

chapters: 10 / 11 / 12

knight!jungkook x princess!reader

The seat at the end of the table where the King sits and the one on its left where the Queen sits being empty was not odd. Nor was Taehyung smirking at you when you entered with your maid trailing behind you without your knight. Now that is odd - the lack of Jungkook by your side.

He does that back home but not here. He never once left your side since you came here. His presence has been your beacon of strength through out this ordeal and you thought it would be for a long time coming.

But then, the sun begins to set and night casts it shadows upon the alien kingdom you’ve been forced to call your new home and your knight is still absent.

“Your highness, may I suggest calling it a night?” The inquiry from Lord Park breaks you out of your reverie and brings you back to the wetness you feel on your smallest finger where the ink has blotched the proposal letter for the King pertaining the negotiations with the mountain people.

In no time, you jump to your feet, grabbing hold of the napkin you carry around and trying your best to wipe the extra ink away only to make the area of the ink stain worsen and render the words around it unreadable.

“Oh, I’m dearly sorry!”

“I’m sorry, your highness, perhaps I’ve kept you for too long with the wedding barely over and you only beginning to settle in, jumping straight into work would be quite taxing for myself as well.” The noble’s smile is warm and assuring as he gestures for the footman standing by to take away the ink and feather before you tear the poor thing into half.

“It’s... not that.” You fall back into the leather chair with a thump, not understanding why you trust him so much that when he nods for you to continue, you do just that, “Jungkook, I mean, Sir Jeon... my knight, I haven’t seen him all day and it’s quite... odd for him to be missing when he has one job which is to well, protect me.”

“What is it?” You question when he looks like he’s about to say something, only to have him recline with care which is unusual for someone who speaks his mind and still manages to be pick his words wisely.

“I shouldn’t...”

“My lord, we’ve spent hours discussing more urgent matters, I would appreciate some non-political advice for once.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, your highness but he swore his allegiance to the crown and you’re married to Prince Taehyung... wouldn’t that mean, his allegiance falls on your brother, the soon-to-be King of Northern Kingdom?”

“Well, yes.” You try not to show the hurt on your face, “But there would - should - be a notice sent to me by the palace calling him back to his post...”

“A letter did come from the Northern Kingdom a couple days ago and was directed to the Crown Prince right away, maybe he didn’t want to worry you and informed Sir Jeon of his relief from his current post...” Lord Park looks at you meaningfully before shaking his head with a smile which only screams pity, “sometimes, one mistakes another’s rank for his loyalty.”

It takes a good half an hour after Lord Park bids his good night before you gather the strength to stand up and make your way to your bedroom. And even when you’re bathed and ready for bed, there’s a sort of restlessness in your chest that makes you toss and turn in your bed. It can’t be helped that your maid may find the bed empty and unmade at dawn when she comes to prepare you for the day. That is, if you didn’t manage to find your way to your room as you tip-toe down the hall and hide behind a wall when the patrolling guards pass by.

The sneaking out and hiding feels all too familiar except the ground is colder and the scent of roses is replaced with viscous smell of torches.

You’re about to reach the room at the end of the hall where Jungkook described his chambers to be at when you almost bump into a bare chest and a body that’s barely covered by a night robe. If you hadn't looked up to meet a pair of familiar smirking lips, you would have shamelessly gawked at this magnificent sculpture of a man.

“My, my, what do we have here,” he drawls as though he’s found a rabbit who strayed too far from her hole, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were looking for me.”

It takes you half a minute to find your voice and even then, you still curse yourself for sounding less poised than you would like it, “I-uh, I was thirsty and unlike you, I would rather not bother my maid because I know she’d be tired of putting up with my unbearable self the whole day already.”

“Glad that we agree on you being an unbearable wench.” His smirk only grows as though he’s won something.

“By ‘me’, I meant you.” Hands your hips, you forget that you’re donned in nothing but your peignoir and while squaring your shoulders has made you appear bolder, so do your cleavage.

Taehyung’s eyes lingers on your bosom for a brief moment which is enough for your to realize your mistake and immediately cross your arms over your chest. He clears his throat, intent on looking at the torch by your head rather than your face.

“In any case, do summon your maid when you get thirsty or hungry. It’s their job to cater to your unbelievably insatiable stomach.” The insult in his words feels forced as though he doesn’t really mean it but you brush the thought off as you take a brave step forward.

“I know my brother sent me a letter a few days ago.”

“What let-”

“Which he would never and the only explanation is, you’ve been keeping the letters addressed to me to yourself.” His facial expression is getting scrunched up by the second as though he’s completely and utterly lost, oh, but you know better than to believe that, “I know you may have gone through each one just to make sure we’re not planning a secret attack or something but the matter concerning my knight has nothing to do with your kingdom’s security and should be handled by his highness, Prince Seokjin and I!”

“Ah,” a smile curls on his lips at the mention of Jungkook and you can almost see the screws turning in his little head, “it’s always the knight that gets you so worked up, isn’t it?”

His chest brushes against your crossed arms and you try your hardest not to so much as blink in the face of the devil.

“It would be an insult for us to have that scoundrel of a knight walking around in your family emblem when you’re married and devoted to the Southern Kingdom. As though our own knights can’t protect the pretty little princess’ head.” It doesn’t help that he’s taller than you, giving him the advantage to quite literally look down on you with that wretched smirk, “Think of it as a favor I did for you. No knight, no distrust and no nobles to bring up the matter in the next meeting.”

Before you manage to get a word out, the doors to his chambers shut close with a sharp thud. All that’s left is you and your thoughts which at the present, is a jumbled up mess of anger, sadness, distress and confusion. The worse thing is, Jungkook might have left willingly because of you.

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#jungkook scenarios #jungkook fanfics #bts fanfics #bts scenarios #networkbangtan #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #bts x you #bts x reader #bts imagines #jungkook imagines #knight!jungkook x princess!reader #knight!jungkook #princess!reader

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justlookfrightened · 5 years ago

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Second Zimbits bingo post #3

Read from the beginning

“Let me make it up to you”

Jack heard the bell on the door jingle, then Shitty’s voice boom “Lardo!”

He tried to focus on his orders instead of listening to hear if Eric had come back. By the relative silence, he kind of thought Eric was there. With the shop in its mid-morning lull and no one to disturb, Shitty would usually be far louder.

And when he called, he said his plan was to bring Eric with him.

“He made you a pie, man,” Shitty had said in a stage whisper. “Who is this guy? He just showed up and started baking. Good shit, too.”

“Baking?” Jack said. “I looked in on him before I left and he was sound asleep. There didn’t seem to be any reason to wake him. He looked spent last night.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Not like that, Shits,” Jack said. “He was cold and wet and tired, and he didn’t have a place to stay.”

“So he batted his big brown eyes at you and said, ‘Take me home, Mr. Zimmermann?”

“It wasn’t like that,” Jack said. “I just couldn’t send him back out in the snow, okay?”

“Well, lucky for you he doesn’t seem to be an ax murderer,” Shitty said. “He made muffins for breakfast in addition to the pie. Ransom and Holster might be in love. I’ll bring him with me when I come.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Jack said, suddenly flustered. He hadn’t expected to see Eric any more. “Just take him to the train. That’s where he wanted to go.”

“No can do, Jackaroo,” Shitty said. “He made you a pie. He should bring it to you. Besides, I want to see Lardo before I head to Cambridge.”

But Eric might have handed the pie to Shitty and made his own way to the train. There was no reason he had to come back to Jack’s shop.

On balance, it would be better if he didn’t. Eric said last night he wanted to be on his way this morning. He didn’t seem to know anyone or have anything to do in Samwell; if Shitty brought, would he end up just sitting in the shop all day, making faces at the food?

Not that Jack didn’t want Eric to come back. He’d been polite and appreciative last night, despite his obvious misgivings about the scone, and he must have more than paid for his keep with cleaning alone if he made breakfast in the Haus kitchen.

And after seeing the muffins delivered from the catering bakery this morning, well, Jack couldn’t blame Eric if he made a face.

Jack closed his laptop and went to peer through the door. Yes, Eric was there, talking to Lardo. He seemed to be standing a little far away from Shitty, though.

Jack pushed the door open to see what was going on.

“Nice to meet you.” Lardo was saying. “Jack mentioned you this morning, but I don’t think he expected to see you again.”

“I couldn’t leave without thanking him properly,” Bitty said, nodding at the still-warm pie in his hands.

“Dude, that smells awesome,” Lardo said. “Can I get you anything while you wait? Coffee? We got a delivery of muffins, but …”

Eric’s expression clearly said he didn’t think much of them.

“Yeah,” Lardo said. “That pie is almost definitely better.”

“I guarantee it,” Shitty said. “You should have tasted the muffins he made at the Haus this morning.”

“You cooked in that grody kitchen?” Lardo said. ‘Props, man.”

“It’s, uh, not as gross anymore?” Eric said. “I did clean first.”

“Bittle.”

Jack stepped out of the back, stopping behind the counter.

“I didn’t think you’d still be around. DIdn’t you have a train to catch? Or something?”

Eric shrugged. “Doesn’t matter which train,” he said. “I made this to thank you for your hospitality.”

“You didn’t have to,” Jack said. “It’s not like I went out of my way for you.”

“Still, I wanted to,” Eric said. “So, here. Enjoy. I’ll be on my way.”

That was exactly what Jack wanted. So why did he find himself saying, “Wait. Stay for a cup of coffee at least. I can’t believe you got anything good from the old coffeemaker at the Haus.”

“Well, it is sort of decrepit,” Eric said. “Needs more than a good cleaning, and I don’t think the water ever got hot enough …”

“What’ll it be?” Lardo said. “Cappuccino? Latte? Caffe mocha?”

Eric paused to check out the chalk menu board behind the counter. Today’s offerings were a Rwandan light roast, a Guatemalan dark roast and a Blue Mountain medium roast, plus espresso and cappuccino and all the offerings they could make from those. There was also green tea, chai and black tea, but Bittle probably wouldn’t want those.

“Wow,” Bitty said. “Um. just a regular coffee? I don’t have much money.”

Lardo glanced at Jack before she said, “On the house. You did just bring in a pie.”

“To thank Jack for the coffee last night,” Eric said. “And the room.”

“C’mon, Bitty,” Shitty said. “It’ll give Lardo an opportunity to practice her foam art.”

Shitty turned appealing eyes at Jack.

“Really,” Jack said. “Have some coffee. Sit a while.”

So took the stool nearest the register, the better to chat with Lardo, and Jack found himself finding tasks that kept him mostly in the front.

Jack brought Shitty to the back to help carry plates, and took the opportunity to ask, “What’s his problem with you?”

“I may have ridden him a little hard about being small,: Shitty said. “I wanted to get him to tell me how old he was.”

“How old is he?” Jack asked.

“Twenty, or so he says.” Shitty said. “Went to a couple years of college while he lived at home in Georgia.”

When they brought the plates, Eric sliced and served the pie.

With Lardo’s quiet questions, Eric told them about leaving Georgia weeks ago, after it became clear that he didn’t belong there. Taking trains and buses from town to town, even an occasional ride in someone’s car or truck if he decided they wouldn’t hurt him.

“That’s risky,” Shitty said.

Eric shrugged and said it had been fine so far. He hadn’t found a place like home yet, but he’d seen some pretty countryside and impressive cities and no one had shoved him into a locker and shut the door laughing about putting people like him where they belonged.

Well, that explained some things.

The shop was still quiet; Jack and Lardo had served a couple of customers while Bitty told his story, but for now it was just the four of them, and it was silent.

“People like what?” Lardo finally said.

“They thought I was … gay,” Eric finally said. “Always did, since I was a little boy, what with the baking, and I figure skated before I played hockey, so I must be gay.”

“That sucks,” Lardo said. “People making assumptions like that.”

Eric took a deep breath in and released it, then looked around to see if anyone else would hear.

“It’s not like they were wrong,” he said. “About me, I mean, not the stereotypes. And when I told that to Mama and Coach, well .... Coach said he thought maybe I was all right when I started playing hockey. Guess the joke was on him.”

Jack snorted.

“Not like you have to be straight to play hockey,” he said.

“DId you play, too?” Eric asked.

Jack nodded. “With Shitty, and Ransom and Holster. And I know for a fact that there are queer players in college, in juniors, even in the NHL.”

“Thanks for trusting us with this moment,” Shitty said solemnly, like it was part of a ceremony. The door dinged as someone new walked in. It was Chad, the sales rep for the catering bakery. He wanted his order for the next month. Before inviting him back to the office, Jack asked, “Where do you plan to go?” You said it didn’t matter which train.”

“I’m counting on fate to take me where I should be, y’know?” Eric said. “I always thought I could make a living baking, but it’s kinda hard to do when you’re always on the move and don’t have access to a kitchen.”

Eric looked at the sad muffins in the display case and shook his head.

“People shouldn’t have to eat things like that,” he said sadly. “It’s just wrong. I thought the scone last night wasn’t right because it was stale and microwaved, but it probably didn’t start out any better than those. And I am grateful, Jack, because I was hungry, and something is better than nothing, but your shop would do better if you had better food.”

“Better food?” Chad chimed in.

“Yes, wouldn’t you like it if you get something fresh baked?” Eric said. “A muffin that’s moist and tender, or a flaky pastry turnover with fresh fruit?”

“What’s wrong with what’s here?” Chad said. “It’s fine, and the price is right.”

“Nothing’s wrong with it, if you don’t care about flavor or texture,” Eric said. “There’s some pie left. Have a slice. Tell me that isn’t better than those muffins.”

“Uh, Bitty?” Lardo said. “Maybe stop talking.”

“Who is this guy?” Chad asked.

“Just a guest,” Jack said. “Eric, this is Chad. He supplies our baked goods.”

Eric’s face heated.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “To be saying that to you.”

The man shrugged.

“I can’t say I care that much for your opinion,” he said. “As long as Jack here pays for them. I’ll put you down for an extra batch of scones next week, shall I? You can pay in advance.”

‘Fine,” Jack said. “Come around to the office.”

“I can’t believe I did that,” Eric was saying.

“Sorry about that,” Jack said. “He’s a houseguest who bakes.”

“Well, you know how home bakers are,” Chad said. “No idea of the economics of baking to scale.”

“I don’t really know that many home bakers,” Jack said. “But he does know his food.”

“And you know no one around here can supply you at a better price,” Chad said, “You’re not taking him seriously?”

“Maybe,” Jack said.

“But you’re keeping your order the same?”

“For now,” Jack said. “Not adding to it.”

He ushered Chad out, then turned to Shitty, who was putting his coat on.

“Listen, I’ve got to get going,” Shitty said. “I have class in a while. Bitty, want me to drop you at the train?”

“Uh, I want to talk to Jack a little more,” Eric said. “You know, apologize, make things right. I can walk. I did it last night in the storm.”

“Suit yourself,” Shitty said. “Lards, see you tonight?”

“Sure thing.”

Once he was gone, Eric turned to Lardo.

“I thought you guys had all graduated,” he said.

“He did,” Lardo said. “He’s in law school. Ransom and Holster got jobs, and I’m trying to make it as an artist, while Jack pays me for doing this.”

“So Jack, you bought this place right out of school?”

Jack nodded. “My parents helped,” he said. “But I figured I could help out some friends like Lardo, and supplying caffeine to college students didn’t seem like a bad business.

Eric looked at the empty tables.

“We do okay,” Jack said. “Especially in the afternoons.”

“So are you two — or you and Shitty?” Eric said to Lardo, then shookhis head. “Sorry, not my business.”

“Me and Jack? Never,” Lardo said.

Eric looked a little pink, but he turned to Jack and said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you like that.”

“You didn’t know,” Jack said

“But I shouldn’t have been talking down the food you serve, even —”

“Even if it’s true?” Lardo said.

“Anyway, Jack, let me make it up to you. If I can go back to the Haus, I can make you some pastries to sell tomorrow,” he said.

“To make up for the bad ones?” Jack asked. “Are they really that awful? I guess I don’t really eat sweets, so I didn’t worry much about them.”

“To make up for what I said,” Eric said. “I think I can find my way — I’ll leave them there and you can bring them in tomorrow morning.”

“They’ll never be there when Jack gets home,” Lardo said. “Not if Ransom and Holster get there first.”

“Stay here a while,” Jack said. “I was going to get some food for Lardo and me for lunch, and I’ll get something for you, too. You need to eat more protein.”

“I couldn’t —”

“Yes you could,” Jack said. “Then if you want to look around town, walk around the campus at Samwell a little bit, I’ll run you home before dinner, and you can bake then. I can come back and close. Sound like a plan?”

“It sounds like I’m putting you out, but sure,” Eric said. “If that’s what you want.”

Read the last part

#omgcheckplease #omg check please #zimbits bingo #my fic

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putschki1969 · 5 years ago

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Hikaru// x SPICE Broadcast Detailed Summary

Notes: Sorry, this is coming a bit later than expected. I had zero motivation to do it yesterday T_T Anyways, please enjoy! You can watch the video on Youtube (it will be taken down on January 26). I also uploaded it to Google Drive, feel free to download it!

Hikaru starts the broadcast with an introduction. It’s her third time doing this sort of broadcast together with Kato-san as solo artist. Takeshi Kato points out that they have been doing SPICE broadcasts together for over five years but this is actually the first time Hikaru is doing all the introductions. They explain the content of this live and how to participate on Twitter. Once again Hikaru is joined by her trusted companion - a cup of tapioca milk tea XD

They are already being spammed with questions and Hikaru doesn’t know where to start. Recommended anime of the season? - Hikaru says it’s difficult to say, she would need to know what the person likes. She is currently watching an anime called Tate no Yūsha no Nariagari or something...

They wanna talk about Hikaru’s live in December while showing a few pictures in the background. Hikaru says she was nervous as hell. During the first song when she was sitting on the stairs she was trembling and shaking because she was so anxious. But once they had removed the cloudy screen curtain thingy for the second song she was able to see the faces in the audience and calmed down. She sang all of her original songs but since she didn’t have enough to do an entire live she also sang a few covers which were chosen with the help of fan suggestions (during a previous SPICE broadcast fans were asked what kind of songs they would like Hikaru to cover). Hikaru says that she had lots of fun with her live band even though she hadn’t met most of them before the rehearsals. Of course she knows Sakurada from her days in Kalafina. And then there is the drummer Masuke who she also knows from a few Kalafina gigs. But the others were strangers to her. But they all did get along great. She immediately hit it off with the violinist, they were able to talk openly and without any pressure. On the first day of rehearsal Hikaru had brought snacks for everyone but she was super nervous and didn’t really know what to do. The violinist broke the ice by just casually asking if it’s okay to dig in. Hikaru thought that was really kind of her.

It was a bit difficult to get used to that band feeling again since she had been singing alone for over a year. She had been all by herself in the studio for such a long time and she usually sings karaoke alone as well so she had to get used to the feeling of having so many people around again. At the start of the rehearsals she actually forgot about her in-ear-monitors because she hadn’t used any in such a long time. But either way, it was really the greatest feeling for her to be back on stage and “talk” with everyone through singing.

The pictures Hikaru brought along are all unpublished. The first one is from the encore. Hikaru was actually scared people wouldn’t be calling for an encore but thankfully they did. Then we have a picture from her anisong cover section with the sexy black outfit. Hikaru says that she wanted to try something new and sexy. She really likes that style. And of course she wanted to stick to the theme of “weaving” with all her outfits, everything was held together with strings. To continue with the theme there is also a red thread going through the entire live pamphlet. She chose the red dress because lots of fans wanted to see her in red. Kato really liked the blue dress which she wore for her Kalafina section, he said that left a strong impression and wonders if Hikaru had anything in mind when she chose that. She chose the colour and style because for her it was very reminiscent and representative of her days in Kalafina. She would often wear a strong blue as part of Kalafina and they always had lots of frills and such. She thought it was fitting. They both agree that the Kalafina section was very special. After all, these are feelings that have been cultivated for ten years. Kato asks how it feels to sing Kalafina songs all by herself. Hikaru answers that she felt nervous but at the same time very safe. She was able to reflect on so many things while singing those songs.

Another fan question: is it okay to stand up for Hikaru’s next live? She says everyone can do what they feel like doing. She thinks both is totally fine but she typically always sits when she goes to a live so those who wanna sit throughout the entire concert should definitely do that. But she understands when people wanna stand up so they should! Then there is some talk about the anisong section, in particular about her cover of Aozora no Namida. Kato was impressed with her singing in the chorus. Hikaru has loved this song ever since her school days and she has been singing it at karaoke forever so she really wanted to cover it. She wanted to do her three anisong covers in the second half of the live because that section was very up-tempo. But she didn’t just choose those songs because they were up-tempo, she chose them because they all have a great/strong message and fans really wanted her to sing those songs. She feels like these songs really convey her desires. This leads right to “Existence”, her original rock song. Hikaru loves rock so she really wanted to sing a rock song. Hopefully she can sing more songs like that in the future. Someone really loved her acoustic cover of “blaze” and next time they wanna stand up and sing along for the chorus. Hikaru says the chorus is super hard to sing though, especially in the original version of the song. Then there is a bit of talk about her winter covers. Those were quite the challenge for her since she was struggling to find the right key to sing them. “Konayuki” is originally sung by a man so she didn’t really know how to sing it at first. So many high parts in the chorus. And with “Winter Song” she struggled quite a bit with the English lyrics. But she learned a lot covering those two winter songs. Someone mentions “History Maker” and wonders why Hikaru sang the English version even though there is also a Japanese version around. Hikaru says she prefers the lyrics of the English version because they have more impact and nuance. Speaking of English songs, she also sang the musical piece “This is Me”. Many people requested her to sing it and it has such a lovely message so she really wanted to sing it. Even if you don’t understand English the message in the song is so strong that lots of feelings can be conveyed just by singing the song with a lot of expression. She really did her best trying to convey all these emotions.

A fan really loved “yolcu” and said it was amazing how cool it sounded live. Kato and Hikaru are talking about how this was the first time that all of her original songs that she had previously released on Youtube were performed live with slightly different arrangements to fit the live atmosphere. Singing the lyrics she has written in front of an audience gives them a totally different meaning. This was especially the case for the final song “Tsumugu”. It was pretty much just a big fat THANK YOU to everyone (even though the words “thank you” aren’t even part of the lyrics).

Some appreciation for Hikaru’s outfit, fans wanna get a look at her whole outfit so she stands up to show them. Btw, head over to my Twitter account if you wanna buy her lace pullover. I managed to find it and it’s still available on various sites. Then a fan asks if she has a particular way of writing lyrics. She always gets the music first so she tries to think about what kind of images and sceneries are conveyed through the melodies. She typically consults with Gushimiyagi, her composer, and they tend to decide on a theme together. When writing lyrics, she prefers to convey emotions rather than sceneries and such.

Someone points out that it was amazing how she said “thank you” in so many languages at the end of the live. She says she was able to memorise so many languages because she had previously written them down for a post on Twitter.

We continue with talk about live goods, the fans are happy about the knit hat. Hikaru says that once again she was trying to cater to the fans’ wishes. Her tapioca merch was quite an adventurous move for her, she had never done anything like that before. Hikaru only wanted to produce practical goods, she thinks it doesn’t make sense to sell something that cannot really be used. She also wanted the tshirts to be fit for a daily use. Kato says that at the time she did her infamous goods corner during the live pretty much all goods had already been sold out. Hikaru is very happy about that and mentions that they also offered mail order and the CD is still available for purchase in case anyone wants it. She had to beg her agency because she really wanted lots of people to have a chance at purchasing the CD (it was sold out super quickly at the venue even though she brought so many copies). Hikaru says she prefers the colour black for her goods, White gets dirty too easily so black is very convenient. Someone says it’s hard for them to drink tapioca milk tea because it gets stuck in their throat. Hikaru-sensei explains that tapioca is food and not a drink so you need to chew them carefully, you need to savour each pearl in your mouth. If you stick to those simple rules, you will be fine! She gets really passionate during her instructions XD

Finally we are transitioning to some announcements. First we start with the Gleipnir OP. Hikaru says the work is about having your wishes fulfilled but she can’t really say more. She wants people to read the manga before watching the anime, she believes you will enjoy the anime more if you do that. Hikaru is super grateful to get to sing an anime opening as her major debut. The song is already finished and she also got to write the lyrics for it. She wrote them while reading the manga. Gushimiyagi once again composed the music. If you read the manga you will know what sort of vibe her song will have. This small announcement leads them to Hikaru’s big announcement. Hikaru’s acoustic live. BANZAI. All the necessary info is being shared and then Hikaru explains why she wanted to do an acoustic live this time around. She feels like her lyrics can be conveyed a bit better in that sort of setting and she can have more intimate conversations with the audience so she really wanted to give it a try. She consulted with her agency and they said she should definitely do it. “elements” is the theme of the live, meaning that it will consist of many different parts, just like many chemical elements. Hikaru decided on two performances so that she can have conversations with as many people as possible. The venue is actually brand new (it hasn’t opened yet) so there haven’t been any performances there. Someone points out that this will be right after the YKL fan club event, hopefully Hikaru will not be too exhausted after that. Hikaru says it will be fine, she is happy to meet the fans again so soon. Fans wonder if they can request songs again. Hikaru says that this time she wants to sing a handful of covers again (all in English) so people should definitely make suggestions of their favourite English songs. Her original songs will be in Japanese so she wants to balance that out by singing English covers. As far as her original songs are concerned, she wants to sing lots of new songs. She will be working on songs till the live since she is eager to release more. She will also continue to release them on Youtube. Someone wonders if Gushimiyagi will survive all of that since he has to write so much. Hikaru jokingly says he might die but he is really doing his best. [Gushimiyagi actually made a tweet confirming that he is still alive] Song suggestions are coming in...[I am too lazy to list them all but since the titles are all in English you can probably figure it out I don’t know 80% of these songs anyways XD] Hikaru says that the hall will have seats because she prefers that. A venue without seats makes her uncomfortable [THANK YOU Hikaru, someone who understands me!] More song suggestions...lots of jazz-y old school stuff. Someone says Linkin Park, Hikaru reminds the fans that the songs should be appropriate for an acoustic live.

Hikaru once again says that in her opinion people should read the manga first before watching the anime because it will enhance the viewing pleasure. Also, like she said earlier, she based her lyrics on the manga so it’s very special for her. But really, it’s up to the person. Some people don’t like being spoiled and knowing what will happen in the future. You can also watch the anime first and read the manga later. Either way, people should really give both a try. More song suggestions...someone wonders if Hikaru would be willing to sing foreign songs that aren’t English. Thai or German songs for example. Hikaru doesn’t really know any but if there are good suggestions she might consider it. It would be really hard to memorise the lyrics though.

There will be live merchandise for the upcoming acoustic live of course. But not as much as for her December live. She feels like the amount of merch might have been a little overkill. She will probably have half the amount for the next live so around 6 or 7 items. She wants to have something that’s very affordable so lots of 500 yen stuff. Now everyone is writing about what kind of live goods they want. Some very weird and inconvenient suggestions like smartphone stands/cases. Hikaru says it’s very difficult with goods like that since there are so many types of phones. She wants to have goods that everyone can use. Then all the usual stuff is suggested (towels, pen, notebooks, parkas, ticket holders, mugs, accessories, unisex rings/bracelets etc..). Hikaru says she would like to do piercings but not everyone has their ears pierced and clip-ons tend to hurt after a while so it’s not so great. She wouldn’t want anyone to have to go to the hospital because their ear is falling off due to her merch. Maybe smartphone accessories or something. Many fans are asking for live recordings on a CD [YES, please! Hikaru has that cheeky smile on her face so maybe we will get that one day. She says she will have to ask her agency about that]. Someone wants shoes as live goods but Hikaru really doesn’t know how she would make that work. She can hardly do one-size.

There is even someone suggesting Hikaru’s very own design of Dr. Martins since she loves wearing them so much, now wouldn’t that be cool...but yeah, that won’t happen... Maybe a pocket sized version of shoes? The fans want Hikaru to launch her own fan club but Hikaru says that’s up to her agency but right now it’s really no good since she just started out. They extend the broadcast for another 10 minutes. Someone wants to know if there is gonna be an additional performances if the the two lives sell out. Hikaru says that no, there won’t be an additional live unfortunately. Some talk about how to apply for the ticket lottery and then we get more goods suggestions. Bath salts and such. A backpack that can fit A4 sized folders, kinda like the one she wore during the 10th Anniversary film but slightly smaller.

Hikaru wants to do a relaxed live, something intimate. She wants to really focus on her original songs and convey the lyrics as best as possible. Which is also why they are working so hard to create a few more new songs for the live. They are also talking a bit about further ticket lotteries and depending on the demand they will try to max out the capacity of the venue (as they did for Kanagawa Kenmin Hall as well - they removed lots of equipment to provide extra seating areas). Someone asks if they can send letters and presents to Hikaru. Hikaru says they can be sent to her agency, she will read everything. There is a fan that wants a temple stamp book as live merchandise. Hikaru believes that the fan might be the only one with that wish, she can’t believe that many people would want that. She likes the idea and she has one herself but she will wait until she gets to do a live at a temple. Once that time has come she will definitely release a stamp book.

Time is running out so they once again present all the important information. They didn’t have time to play a game. Hikaru wonders if anyone would watch a broadcast of her playing a board game.

As always Kato wants to give out a present to one lucky viewer. A H-el-ical// CD signed by Hikaru. Hikaru is nervous to do the signing on camera. You need to follow the SPICE anime and games account on Twitter. They will contact the winner via DM.

Hikaru was very nervous as always and did her best trying to talk as much as possible. Then they discuss the fact that Hikaru uses very unique phrases these days, phrases she has never used in the past as member of Kalafina...like “kabe sa-”. That’s apparently some sort of otaku slang (used for some weird circles at Komiket - I don’t know) and Hikaru uses it to express full understanding, as in “I totally get you!”. For some reason everyone finds that very funny and endearing.

The video will be archived till Jan 26 so everyone can rewatch Hikaru’s “kabe sa” XD

#kalafina #hikaru #hikaru//#my translation #my translations #summary #spice broadcast #long text post #hikaru is a precious baby <3 #helical #helical//#h-el-ical//#summarising these things takes so freaking long #I am dead

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ananas-pineapple-thing · 5 years ago

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okay here r my final thoughts on hadestown now that I have calmed down:

i liked the line “it’s a sad song but we’re gonna sing it anyway” from the moment I heard it, but after listening to the full show it really makes me think about why exactly someone would listen to something they know is tragedy again? and why I myself, specifically, am 100% down to relisten to the whole thing again? I think, when we listen to tragedies, they don’t make you feel anything more than something happy does. and also media that creates sad endings just for shock value and because happy endings are perceived as childish is actually kind of harmful. With Hadestown, the tragedy is already understood because of the myth it’s based off of, so the challenge for the creators was to make the tragic ending more than just sad for the sake of sad. And they succeeded! The tragedy throughout the show and the end is always paired hand in hand with hope and a message of the resilience of the human spirit. This makes the ending meaningful and the whole story worthwhile!! I’d listen to it again because of the strong sense of hope despite everything interwoven in the show! Even in the horribly tragic ending, there’s hope for Persephone & Hades and hope for the workers in the Hadestown. I think it’s wonderful that it could deliver so hard in commentary on tragedy and hopeful human spirit at the same time!!

everyone’s voice is so good and distinct!! shout out to Hades for genuinely freaking me out (he sounds like a Disney villain!), Eurydice for having so much emotion in her voice all the time, and the fates for sounding so cool

my favorite songs are wait for me, wait for me reprise, uhhh whatever that super cute song where they talked about going home together was called (too lazy to google), all the chants, and wedding song (which I’ve mentioned in like. every other post :P)

since I love it so much I’m going to talk about wedding song!!! leave this post while u can!! also I’m listening to it right now lol. first of all, disclaimer, i usually don.t really like romances in anything because 9/10 times they (usually white and/or straight ones) are less based on genuinely loving each other and appreciation, but some weird sort of resentment and “fiery” arguing? which is supposed to be cute? anyways Eurydice and Orpheus avoided that trap and i love that about them. they had obvious chemistry and even before the whole “going to hell to pick up my wife! >:|” thing you could tell how much they loved each other. and one of the things about the show is how very opposite Orpheus and Eurydice are in how they see the world, which is partly what leads to the conflict in the first place. (and leads to her doom in the end, which I wrote another post about) Wedding song is a brilliant first example of how their dynamic is gonna be and how their personalities will mesh together under the guise of a goofy flirty song. Eurydice is talking about very real concerns (and using the wedding as an example) like food, money, and shelter (does the wedding bed count as this? pretend), and Orpheus's reply is complete faith in the song providing something they need pretty much immediately, despite having not finished it yet. But he does believe this! and he’s trying impress her which is just. so cute. and her awe at what the song does and her transition from doubt to genuine excitement at the end is so sweet! (who else saw that 40 second clip of the OG cast singing this? the way she bounces towards him at the end ;–; I’m emo) this song is also a perfect example of, despite their drastically different views, they want to support and love each other! they’re so sweet

I love the whole vibe of the album. it sounds so lively and I love all the harmonies!!

“don’t come on too strong“ “who are you?“ “the man that’s gonna marry you!!!!” > every other couple’s first meeting

I love the entire concept so much that I don’t know how to articulate it. It’s like I found something that caters exactly to my interests and what I find to be important messages all in just 2 hours. just. this whole story y’all. I love the concept of hadestown and this modernish take on everything and how it’s sorta based on the 1929 crisis and all the things about poverty and freedom and love and hope and tragedy and all the “wait for me”s and ughhhhhhh

I’m so impressed that I feel like I got so much without seeing the show and just listening to it!! Obviously seeing it would be more fulfilling but I really don’t feel like I’m missing anything!!

the fact that Hades's disconnect with Persephone was partly due to him creating an industrial revolution to impress a garden/springtime goddess and how he tried to make it hot with lamps because she misses the sun and how he picks her up early because he doesn’t have the trust in her that Eurydice and Orpheus share and how the song that set the world back in tune is a song about them— this show is very smart and I don’t have enough brain cells to analyze this properly!!!

everything about the workers and how Hades manipulated them and how Orpheus got them to question their situation and how they put all their hope in Eurydice and Orpheus making it out :’(

I love how everyone had such a distinct personality!!

I think Eurydice is always (usually) played by a WOC? I think it’s nice how they have someone like her as the prominent love interest in a show that’s on Broadway

Shoutout to the YouTube commenters who explained that Orpheus was getting beaten up (I want u all to know that my phone just corrected that to eBaying) during papers. poor dude

I love all the la la la melodies!! I mean during the chant I was internally screaming at him to stop la la la-ing and get his wife some food tho >:[

someone pls tell me what the flower is suppose to symbolize and when he gets it!! is it just a cute gift for Eurydice or is it something else? the internet has informed me that it is either a carnation or a poppy, is there any official info on this?

Uhhh that’s all I think? shoutout to the anon who told me about the tony’s performance!!! you’re amazing thank you!!

also thanks to anyone who gave me info about it!!!

#mine #listening 2 stuff #this is so long compared to the beetlejuice one lol #but they r very different shows which is not a bad thing just that hadestown is less meant to be fun and beetlejuice is not a sad story #anon who told me i should share my thoughts on hadestown: come back!! i wanna hear what your favorite song/part was!!

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lilyfromfrogzcountry · 6 years ago

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Saw TROS - spoilers ahead, don’t read if you don’t want to be spoiled

I need to get some things off my chest to sort out my feelings about this movie :)

It wasn’t as /bad/ as I expected. Let’s say I didn’t get bored. However, there was a lot of stuff I found weird, dumb or that didn’t make sense to me. A lot of things seemed rushed and like last minute additions, which spoiled a bit my enjoyment of this movie. So here’s a little summary of what I liked and didn’t like.

((Before reading, please be aware that i’m a hux fan and a multishipper (reylo included). If this bothers you, please avoid reading this post, since this will probably influence my perception of the movie))

⛔⛔ SPOILERS JUST BELOW - BE WARNED ⛔⛔

What I liked :

Finn finding other stormtroopers having defected (a whole battalion, even), and realizing that he’s not alone. Even if it was to be expected, Finn was always presented as an exception in the story. This shows us the First Order’s stormtrooper program isn’t as efficient in its brainwashing as they claim to be.

Hux being a spy for the Resistance. I know some Hux fans may not have liked it, but I personally found it to be an interesting development in his character. It’s not everyday that a high ranking officer, who’s been a ‘true believer’ in the cause his whole life, changes side like that. I wish it would have been explored more deeply and seriously. Too bad it felt like a last minute addition.

This idea that “some things are stronger than blood”. Rey’s ancestry doesn’t matter, doesn’t influence her destiny. Light side or Dark: what matters is who she chooses to be.

CGI young Luke and Leia flashback (I’m really a fan of this CGI way of bringing back younger versions of actors, the result is always quite realistic imo).

This cute and polite new little robot, D-0 . So sad to learn it was abused by its former master :’(

Kylo’s clothes changing when turning back to the Light. Bye bye black menacing attire and long cape, hello simple shirt and pants. Even if I loved his former look, I quite liked this one as well, it made him appear more “human”. Also, damn, I really found Kylo to be a treat in this movie, he looked so good!

Rey always making a difference between Ben and Kylo Ren : she makes it clear that what interest her is Ben, ie. the Light side of him. It is only after he turns back to the Light for good, after he becomes Ben again, that he earns her trust and love.

Rey lethaly wounding Kylo, then healing him. Because it really seems to be the thing that shook this boy’s soul and made him turn back to the Light (it’s a big part of why, at least). Also, I’m always a sucker for nice characters showing compassion towards villains.

That reylo kiss tho. I know this is a very controversial ship, but since TFA, I was personally certain something deep was going to happen between those 2. I’m glad it was a cute, sweet and hopeful kiss, right after Kylo saved Rey no less. We even get some Ben Smile™. I really wish the movie would have ended here and there, on this hopeful note.

A lot of Hux’s scenes, since I just like him a lot, and he looks both cute and funny (even if I don’t really appreciate how this character was turned into a joke after TFA). Him being unsettled by Kylo having his mask back on, and then saying fearfully how it ‘looks good’ when Kylo calls him out on it in front of everyone. Kylo waving his finger at Hux to shut him up. The whole interaction with Finn and Poe, how they were surprised he was the spy, how he helped them escape, how he asked to be shot to pretend he was taken hostage, the “I don’t care who wins, I just want Kylo Ren to lose” line, etc. Also, how strong his mind must be if he managed to hide the fact he was the spy from Kylo for so long (or did Kylo know and just ignored it?)

What I didn’t like

Rey being Palpatine’s granddaughter and all her powers coming from him. I’m disappointed, because what really interested me in this character since TFA is that she was a nobody. Star Wars had always been centered around the Skywalker family and its Exceptional Destiny™. It was nice for a change to see someone who came from nothing be the main protagonist and shake up the galaxy just because it was the right thing to do (a parallel to Finn, a simple and almost exceedingly banal stormtrooper who chose to become something more, and wasn’t pushed by some hidden destiny/heritage). Also, this whole Palaptine arc seemed like it was added at the last minute.

The whole ‘Palpatine is back and wants to make a new Empire’ shit. For me, Palpatine was really a thing of the past. That’s also what interested me in the First Order: the fact this was a regime built on the ruins of the Empire, having evolved under its shadow and memory, but wanting to become something more. It was a good way of exploring the “how the past can influence the present” thematic, and could be used as an interesting parallel to IRL authoritatian regimes reclaiming a glorious past. If Palpatine was behind everything from the beginning, nothing of this matters. Also, what was the deal with Snoke, then? Was he a mere creation of Palpatine from the beginning? Or a real being that got captured and manipulated? What was the point of this character?

Hux’s death. Like, I may be biased because he’s my favorite character, but his death was so rushed and unnecessary. Did he really need to be killed off by Pryde like that, in such a quick and callous way? With Phasma and Snoke gone, he was the only one left in the First Order to have a past history with Kylo. I think it would have been better to have them interact more, especially with the whole story of Hux being a spy. It would have created some interesting interactions. Also, he’s not anybody storywise: he’s one of the architects of the First Order’s rise to power, perfected the Stormtrooper program, participated in the creation of Starkiller Base, gave the order to destroy the Republic... He’s not some random underling. Nobody seems to react or care when he’s killed off out of the blue, which doesn’t make any sense storywise.

The whole character of Allegiant General Pryde. What was even the point of this character? Where does he come from? What did he do that Hux couldn’t have done? The only interesting thing about this character seems to be that he already served Palpatine during the Empire, but after this fact is stated, it doesn’t come up again and doesn’t really influence the story. He doesn’t do anything extraordinary, just gives random orders. Clearly a waste, imo.

The fact that the Rose/Finn thing is completely abandoned. I know a lot of people didn’t like that kiss in TLJ. I personnaly didn’t really care. But it’s weird it’s never mentioned again, and that even in the few interactions those characters have together, there’s no awkwardness, no aknowledgement that it ever happened (even just to say “we moved on”). It’s like it never even existed. What was the point of that kiss, then?

That weird love triangle thing I felt between Rey/Finn/Poe, and the hostility Poe seemed to have towards Rey for a good part of the movie. I really wonder if they didn’t try to subtly cater to Finn/Rey shippers (by making Finn seem in love with Rey) and to Finn/Poe shippers (by making Poe seem in love with Finn, and jealous towards Rey), while nothing clear is ever stated out loud. Of course, I may have misread the vibes, but that’s what their interactions made me think of.

Kylo’s death. Like, I may here again be biased because I like redemption stories, but was it really necessary to have him die right when he turns back to the Light? I was so hopeful for him, and it was all gone in an instant. Also, his death was very weird and seemed rushed. Rey kisses him, he smiles, he seems quite fine and not /at all/ on the verge of death, and then he just loses conciousness and disappears? What even was that?? (also, very sad to make that whole family die off without having known any true happiness away from Palpatine’s manipulations)

Stuff overwhelming the story: too many big revelations, too many powerful ships appearing out of the blue, too many weird stuff happening with Palpatine (wtf was that ‘ritual’ even? what was this shadowy audience he had?). Just...a lot of stuff to digest. And the Palpatine storyline seemed like it was added out of the blue. Nothing in the 2 last movies gave a clue about this (or it wasn’t obvious). Seemed like a cheap last minute addition..

#tros spoilers #the rise of skywalker

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pacificwanderer · 6 years ago

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This is a complete crack anon post, but... every time I see a GIF of Ben from TLJ turning around shirtless, I have the Diet Coke Break commercial (available on YouTube but I can't include a link) from the 90s playing in my head. Tell me that Rey wasn't one of those women gawking at him before she turned her head. I dare you. :D

LOLLLLLLLLLLLL

It’s been a while since I last thought of that commercial. Readslike a modern fanfic AU. In case anyone has no idea which commercial this is, here’s a video.It’s probably the most 90s thing I’ve seen in a while hahaha but hey, nice tocater to that female gaze a bit.

I remember thinking this commercial was so dumb when I was a kidHAHAHA NOW I’m like, shit I want a diet coke.

Ahahaha this made me laugh and inspired me haha.

Up on Ao3 for housekeeping purposes (I don’t trust this site notto delete my work). Best read while listening to this song by Selena.

Thanks for the ask, Nonnie! Cheers.

~~~~

“What are you staring at?” Rose whispers in her ear, which scaresthe absolute shit out of Rey.

“Me? What? Nothing. What are youstaring at?” she sputters.

Rose rolls her eyes. “Save it. You really thought you could keep ‘Mr.Hot Construction Guy With a Shirt Problem’ to yourself?”

“No, but I kind of hoped to,” Rey replied. “But I’ll share himwith you, and only you. Tell anyone else, and you’re dead to me, Tico.”

“Deal. Lunchbreak time starting now?”

“Looks like it,” Rey murmurs, words trailing off as he comes into view. Construction has been going on for what feelslike forever on the building next to them, but Rey won’t complain. She’s beentaking her breaks early for months just to keep catching a glimpse of the devastatinglyhot construction worker in the lot next to her office.

Selena’s I Could Fall In Love plays softly somewhere in theoffice as Rey stares while he sits, legs spread, sandwich in hand, as he eats.It really is so unfair that someone she didn’t even know could have such animpact on her life, especially considering the main show had yet to start forher.

At first, he didn’t take his shirt off. At first, he just satthere on the rigging, long legs dangling in the air, as he ate his lunch andread. Same book for months, looked like a doozy, and Rey had stopped just shortof getting some binoculars to find out what book it was so she could read ittoo.

Because that would be weird and obsessive and she was definitelyjust taking her lunch break at the same time, every day, in the same spot,because it was a cosmic coincidence and not because she wanted to keep watchingthe hot construction worker from afar. Not like she didn’t have a thing for tall,dark, and handsome, or anything.

Not like it hadn’t been forever since she’d last been out on adate. And, really, who needed dates when you had your own construction workerto lust—erm, lunch date with?

He was tall. So so tall in those work boots, but he moved with akind of grace that could only come after many, many years of working inprecarious situations. He didn’t seem to notice the danger, but he definitelynoticed the change in weather. As spring moved into summer, his flannel wasstripped away to reveal t-shirts that were just a tiny bit too small for him.

Which was convenient for Rey because she’d been trying to decidewhether it was the outline of his abs against the fabric or a trick of herimagination—it was his abs. Definitely. She could see that now.

Until that fateful day came. It was an unseasonably warm day, sohot that even Rey had foregone her normal pantsuit in favor of something alittle lighter and breezier. She’d taken up watch at her normal lunch spot,casually leaning and watching while trying not to look like she was casuallyleaning and watching but then it happened.

He stalked over to his spot, big feet striking against the beam ashe effortlessly balanced that big, broad body. T-shirt today with his workpants—white,thin. Hardhat—horrifically orange, which is the first thing to go. Lunchbox andsoda—probably a Diet Coke. He runs his fingers through his hair before sitting,but it wasn’t necessary. Hat or not, his hair is stupidly and unfairly perfect.

It was like clockwork. He’d eat his sandwiches—sometimes subs,sometimes what looked like pastrami, always two—an apple, break into his sodaand down the entire can in one go before turning to his book.

It was almost Diet Coke time, so Rey popped the tab on hers, andpressed it to her lips. Definitely not because she was imagining what it wouldfeel like to press against his lips. No, of course not. She also definitelyhadn’t picked up a Diet Coke habit either because of him. Of course not. He didn’teven know that she existed, so the idea that she’d do anything because of himwas laughable. She was laughable—her life was laughable—but at least shehad a nice view.

Rey looked away for a moment, contemplating all the ways in whichher life sucked as she sipped from her Diet Coke before she turned back to lookout the window and very nearly spat her soda out. He was sitting there, justlike always, but now his shirt was off. Definitely not like always.

Rey took a hard swallow and nearly choked on her drink as her mindreeled. He was stupid fucking ripped, just casually sitting there, ruining herlife with those broad shoulder and visible pecs. His arm flexed as he slowly liftedthe soda to his lips and Rey had never wanted to be a soda can more in herlife.

She sat, mouth open, eyes glued, pulse racing, as she watched. Shestopped short of leaning against the glass, but it was a challenge. HotConstruction Guy rolled his neck and stretched, almost as if he knew she waswatching, before reaching for his book, but instead of sitting and having aread, like always, he shifted around.

Legs spread on either side of the beam, he leaned back, book inhand over his head, as he lay and read in the sun. Rey looked around as if shewasn’t eating lunch alone and could ask someone whether her mind was playingtricks on her. It was not. He was laying there, sun shining down on hispale skin, as he read on his lunch break.

Shirtless. A little sweaty. Gleaming, even. Okay, glistening. Itwas unfair. Absolutely unfair. Could he see her? Did he know? Was there a god?Should she be embarrassed? Was this real? Rapid-fire questions ran through hermind until she settled, took a sip of her soda, and just stared.

Rey couldn’t be certain, but she thought it must have qualifiedfor one of the best days of her life. And then it happened again. And again.And again. And basically every day the sun was out and high in the sky.

Sometimes, he’d absently brush sweat from his neck or, evenbetter, his chest, while reading and Rey would imagine how it felt to be alittle bead of that sweat, pearling against his bright skin before drippingslowly before drawing his attention. There were all sorts of things she’d liketo do to him. Slowly. Sliding down the length of his big body just likethose obscene little drops of sweat.

Sometimes, he’d run his fingers through that dark, shaggy hair, andRey would wonder whether it was soft, or kind of coarse from the elements. Or whatit would feel like when she pulled him in for a kiss. Did he like having hishair touched? Would he like having his hair touched by her?

And then reality would set in, he’d finish his break, she’d finishher peanut butter and jam sandwich, and go back to work.

She debated going to talk to him, but what was she going to say? “Hi,I’ve been staring at you during your lunch break for months and, also, are yourmuscles as hard as they look?” Yeah, sure. And besides, the rest of the constructioncrew were kind of lewd to the office girls whenever they walked by and that wasthe last thing she wanted to voluntarily deal with. But watching? From afar? Noone could be disappointed by a hot man from afar, especially a hot man who likedto take his shirt off.

The weather started to change, and as summer rolled into fall, theflannel returned—except for those rare, unseasonably hot days where his shirtwas off, and Rey was all hot and bothered under he oversized pantsuit. Reyloved those days. But she also appreciated hot construction guy in flannel too.She contained multitudes.

A few weeks into September, Rey got a nasty case of the flu and wasoff work for nearly a week which was terrible because her benefits didn’t coversick days, so it meant working overtime for the foreseeable future. But theworst part, the absolute worst part? She misses her daily lunch breaks, whichmakes he feel almost as terrible as the flu.

Back at work and still a bit under the weather, she slips into theoffice, waves to Rose who is typing away, before immediately coming to a fullshop about six feet from her desk.

There. There is something on her desk. Something she’d only everseen through the panes of a window.

Big. Thick. Dark. And sitting right on her desk. She’d have knownthat book anywhere, evenif she didn’t know the title. Rey stalks closer to her desk, mistrusting herown eyes until it is in her hands—solid, heavy, well-read. The edges of thepages have been worried so much that she knows he’s read this story more thanonce.

Rey takes a look at the cover and cannot believe what she sees.The title stares back at her and she realizes she’s underestimated just howfucking hot this construction guy really is.

Wuthering Heights. Gothic romance. He’s been readinga gothic romance, over and over so frequently that the pages are worn. Howcould he be any more attractive to her? He was literally reading one of herfavorite novels and for some reason had left it on her desk.

Rey quickly snatches the book up and thumbs though the pages. Theysmell a little bit like gasoline, leather, and book—probably from being on theworksite. She realizes quite quickly that he must smell similar, and thethought overwhelms her so much that she has to take a seat at her desk.

“Fuck,” she whispers and Rose chuckles without looking upfrom her typewriter.

“He came by the other day,” she says while typing along.

“He came by? To see me?” Rey squeaks.

Rose fixes her glasses before answering and Rey just knows she’sdrawing out her answer to drive her nuts. “I didn’t see him come in, but Kaydeltook the book and the note for you—says he was really polite and kind of soft spoken,and dusty, totally dusty.”

“There’s a note?” Rey stammers.

“Oh yeah, she stuck it in the first page. I read it because I’m asnoop—nice penmanship too…” Rose says something else about big hands andtalents, but the blood is pumping so hard in Rey’s ears that she can’t hear athing.

There’s a fucking note and now I have to read it! She canbarely make her hands work as she flips to the front page. A piece of paper slipsout and falls onto her desk.

It has her name on it. He knows her name.

“How does he—?” Rey starts, but Rose interrupts.

“Know your name? Apparently, he’s come in before to ask about you.First time he left anything though.”

“And Kaydel didn’t think to tell me?”

Rose shakes her head. “It wasn’t Kaydel that took the messages—heralternate, Hux. And you know he’d just be jealous. So, are you going toread it, or just let it sit there forever?”

Rey takes a deep breath, and the letter flutters a little as she breathesout. “Okay. It’s fine, right? Only a letter from the guy I’ve been staring atthrough the window for months. Totally fine, right?”

Dear Rey,

We’re putting up the wall, so we won’t be able to take our normallunch date together for much longer. I was wondering if maybe you’d like to getcoffee? But maybe not. I had to try. Couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing youthrough the window any longer.

No pressure. I’ll wear a shirt. Maybe Sarge’s Deli? The pastramiis out of this world.

Call me?

Ben

“His name is Ben,” Rey murmurs as Rose nods while watching herreaction. He’d also left his phone number on the paper, which meant she couldactually call him and not just stare at him from her office.

“I think he took his shirt off to get my attention,” Rey marvels.

Rose nods sagely. “I’m beginning to get that impression too. Ben,though? Little name for a whole lotta man. Gonna call him?”

“I don’t know? Should I? He’s known that I’ve been watching him! Thisis so embarrassing!”

Rose rolls her eyes. “Look, hot construction guy just gave you a handwritteninvitation to get to know you town, and you’re worried about looking dumb?He has been watching you too, you know?”

“When you put it that way…”

“Call him. Go out for lunch. See how things go. Tell me all aboutit—spare no details. And then you can thank me later.”

“Thank you for what?”

“For covering for your ass when you come back late from lunch.”

“You really are the best. I don’t deserve you,” Rey starts, butRose waves her off.

“I am and you do. Just do one thing for me?”

“What?”

A devious grin worked its way onto Rose’s face as she demanded, “Lemmeknow whether his lips taste like Diet Coke.”

Rey blushed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

And she was definitely, definitely, going to do her best tofind that out for herself.

#90s nostalgia #reylo #asks and answers #anonymous asks #ask pacificwanderer #oh my god #there's a dieting disclaimer in this commerical #jesus LOL #diet coke #my writing #lol man I fell into a 90s nostalgia hole here #fic #reylo fic #long post #text #Anonymous

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thepatricktreestump · 7 years ago

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I Love Her Anyway: Chapter 16

A/N: sorry for that short disappearance! i needed to take a mental health break. school is starting tomorrow and so i’m thinking of switching uploads to mondays, wednesdays, and fridays if that works out... if not, just stay posted! thanks for hanging in there and bearing with me guys- now here’s what you all have been dying to read

revised tag list, but still long af: @cupcakesweetness @un-amoosed-padalecki @mtb04308 @dragonqueendany @kitykatnumber @svintsandghosts @greatheromuffinpalace @geekybeauty8793 @jigglypuff1999 @galaxy-moon @lugialagia @pageoftheclouds @moveondontholdon @myaestheticsareshit @brendonuriehimself @yagirlcammmm @wantyoubackpeter @vessyvk @loverontheleft @rupphirerydenphan @uriellybrendon @converse-or-vans @amazingtyjo

As soon as it’s time, you raise your hand, body shaking with anxiety. You had to go through with this. It was your only option to get to Brendon. You told the teacher you felt miserable and had a bad stomachache, which wasn’t totally a lie, and so they gave you a hall pass and instructed you to go to the nurse for some meds. When the door closed behind you, you took a deep breath, walking down the hall to where Brendon had instructed you to go. You check the time and you’re on schedule, ready for the escape. You don’t know what he has planned or how this is going to go, but you trust him. Eyes darting around nervously, you walk towards the door, looking outside and heart stopping when you spot his fancy sports car. You drop the hall pass on the floor and push open the door, rushing to his vehicle, opening the door and sliding in the shotgun seat. He locks it, smiling at you, then zooms out of the school parking lot.

“Thanks,” you catch your breath, buckling yourself in as he speeds off of the property. “Wasn’t expecting to skip school today but this is a pleasant surprise.”

“The least I could do, princess,” he reassures, leaning over to kiss you when you stop at a red light. “God I’ve missed you.” He holds your hand and he steps down on the gas as soon as the light turns green.

“Me too,” you whisper. “So much.”

“It’s okay,” he brushes his thumb against your hand. “We’re together now. And that’s how I plan on it staying. Alright?”

“Thank you,” you murmur. “It means the world.”

“We’re in this together,” he promises, squeezing your hand tight. “Now here’s the deal- I’ve spoken to my workers. They support us and they’ve promised to protect us, especially now that there’s a child involved. However, regarding the pregnancy, we need proof.”

“Proof?” you raise an eyebrow.

“We want you to take another test. Just in case the first one is a false positive,” he clarifies. “I mean, I believe you. But… I also kind of want to see myself. Seeing is believing, you know?”

“Alright,” you give a small smile. “I can do that.”

“God,” he breathes. “I can’t believe like, we have a child. You and me. You’re pregnant. That’s so crazy.”

“Little bit,” you give a small laugh. “Not necessarily how I expected things to go but I guess here we are.”

“Well me too, but like, I’m not going to pressure you into anything. You’re still extremely young for all of this and you have your entire life ahead of you,” he replies, taking a turn towards his neighborhood. “I assume we’re keeping the pregnancy. I mean, that’s how your dad’s spoken about it to me anyways. But it’s alright if you don’t want to. I mean, it is your choice. I just, I guess I don’t know what your plans are. But know that I’m alright with whatever you choose.”

“We’re keeping the baby,” you insist. “It’s ours, and nobody is going to take them away from us. No matter what. Not my parents, not your workers, not the police, not court, not anyone. It’s you and me and this kid, alright? Promise me we’re going to do this, Bren. I need to know.”

“I’m right here beside you,” he swears, squeezing your hand even tighter. “I’m not going anywhere. And I’m supporting whatever decisions you make throughout this as long as I’m by your side.”

“Thank you,” you close your eyes, finally feeling almost relaxed after this entire whirlwind of chaos. “Thank you.”

When you get to his house, the workers greet you with hugs and apologies. They claim to have gained a better understanding, that they want what’s best for you, that they’re here for you. You give soft smiles, reassurances, and praises of gratitude before Brendon whisks you away to his bedroom, maid following close behind. He hugs you tight, kissing your forehead, then handing you the pregnancy test, letting you use his restroom and telling you to come out after you’re done to share the news. Your shaky fingers pick up the test and do as told, then stare at the mirror and hold your stomach as you wait for the results. Technically, you hadn’t done this before. You only waited. It was your parents who brought the news to you. You never got a chance to be the first to see for yourself. Sure enough, three minutes later, you see the tiny pink lines, two of them. Positive. You unlock the door, handing the test to Brendon. His reaction is priceless.

His eyes are fixed on the results, tearing up almost, lips pressed together. He looks up at you, speechless, and you give a small smile. He hands the test to Moira the maid and then captures you in a huge hug, holding you tight. “I don’t even know what to say,” he confesses. “God. This is insane.”

“I know,” you sigh. “I know.”

“Hey,” he releases the hug, looking into your eyes. “I’m right here. We’re going to get through this together, understand? You and me. Okay, babe?”

“Alright,” you nod, smiling.

“You, me, and them,” he presses a hand to your stomach. “Our little baby in there.”

“Yup,” you giggle, feeling happy about this entire situation for once. “All three of us, in this together.”

He sits you down on the couch, the rest of the workers included, and hands you a glass of water, beginning to map out the game plan. There’s no way you could possibly tell your parents. Any sane adult would flip if they found their daughter fucking a man his age, much less, their own boss. And then to add the pregnancy, it would just be a mess. They would for sure get the police involved, detectives, and send you both straight to court. Possibly even push towards an abortion. It wouldn’t work out. So you all collectively decided it was best for you to get out and live with Brendon while still keeping this all under wraps. How? That’s where the plan came in.

“You need to get out of school and then get out of your house,” Brendon explains. “Drop out of school. Just quit going all together. Obviously I still have a business to take care of even though I called in sick to take care of you today, but I need you to stay here. Once the school finds out you’ve been missing days, they’ll drop you after two weeks. I’ve contacted the principal anonymously to ask about the attendance record rules and regulations. If you’re gone for two consecutive weeks without permission, you’ll be considered dropped from your semester of classes until further notice. Education wise, I’ll hire a private tutor to keep you up to date with your studies. There’s no sense in having people bully you at school and not cater to your needs. Especially as you progress these next nine months, you’ll have doctor’s appointments, morning sickness, and other things to worry about other than schooling. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s not important.”

“Thank you,” you place a soft hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

“It was Moira’s idea,” he gives credit. “Thank her.”

“Carry on with the plan, Mr. Urie. We have no time to waste,” Moira urges, insisting there’s no need for recognition.

“As for getting out of your home,” he begins. “You’re going to need to tell your parents you’re leaving. Just straight up tell them you’re out. Say that you feel like you aren’t getting the support you need to birth and raise a child, that you’ve found somewhere else to stay, and that you’re going to support yourself. If they’re going to try and argue with you on it, tell them it’s your choice. You’re a single mother now and you need to be in a positive environment for the sake of your own mental health as well as the health of the child.”

�� “Do you think they’ll let me?” you become worried. “I don’t know Brendon…”

“Honey,” Moira puts a hand on your shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. Your father is lax and your mother is angry at you. Although they love you, they’ll only see it as one problem out of the way. It’s for what’s best. You can stay here with Mr. Urie and we will promise to take care of you.”

“Okay,” you nod. “I appreciate the support and everything, I’m just going to take a little time to think about it. The getting away from home part. I can start dropping out of school starting today. Since I’ve broken my phone and I’ve been grounded, I haven’t had connections with friends so it won’t be hard to disappear. My brother is distant and my parents are cold, I shouldn’t think that this will be too hard. I just need time to contemplate my decision before I do anything too sudden.”

“That’s a smart move,” the gardener reassures. “I admire your bravery.”

“We’re all here for you,” the chef adds. “Remember that, y/n. Okay? We’ve got your back.”

“It means a lot,” you insist. “More than you will ever know.”

“I’ll send two of my workers to pick up your car from school and bring it here. I want you to skip your shifts at the bakery, start disappearing from there too. Once you leave your parents, I’m sure your mom will notify Ashley and word will get around. The important part is to keep this all under wraps though. Nobody’s allowed to know about us being together, it would only mean worse punishment for you and insufferable consequences for me. With a baby mixed into this mess, we can’t afford for that to happen. Alright?” he tells you. “You’ll stay here and have dinner with me until evening, and then you’re going to drive home and explain the situation to your parents whenever you deem the time is right. Until then, you’ll head to my house for school and work, then back home. When you decide to make the move, you’ll just head over here and stay here until then. We can set you up with anything you need, don’t feel pressured to pack up all of your stuff. Just the important things.”

“The only important things I need are right here,” you smile, putting on hand on your stomach and another hand on Brendon’s shoulder. “I think I’ll be alright.”

The chef fixes you up whatever food you’re craving and you catch up with Brendon on everything that’s happened. How hard things have been for you, how your parents ended up finding out, and how much you’ve missed him. He talks about how things are at work, how you’ve been on his mind ever since you parted, and how he’s been dying without you. After dinner, you just sit on the sofa and he holds you in his arms, mumbling “I love you” over and over again so you don’t remember. You don’t know what you did to ever deserve him, but you are so goddamn thankful. You don’t know what you would do without him.

When you get home, you’re waiting for your parents to yell at you. You’re ready for them to scream in your face, demanding to know why you didn’t show up to work and how the hell you just magically disappeared from school, but there’s nothing. They simply tell you to finish up your homework and then go to bed. When you tell them you’re not hungry for dinner cause you worked late shift and you’ve already eaten, they don’t say anything either. It’s almost a miracle, but you don’t take it for granted. You appreciate every second of them not being on your back and take it as a blessing from god. Perhaps they were giving you a little bit of slack knowing all the hell you’ve been through these past few days. So laying in your bed that night, although you didn’t really believe in god, you still said a prayer. Because heaven knows, you definitely needed another miracle if you wanted to get through what was about to come next.

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writingjusttowrite8 · 7 years ago

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Golden (Chapter Four)

Hi friends! I probs sound like a broken record when I say this, but thank you so much to all those who have liked and reblogged these post and given kudos! And a SUPER HUGE thank you to those who’ve commented! I’ve gotten some people who want to be tagged in this, so I’ve started a tag list! If you want to be tagged, just let me know and I’ll add you. Thanks again loves!

P.S.: This is a secondary blog, so whenever I reply to comments on here it’ll pop up as coming from my main one (@galvanator). I’m not really sure how to adjust it and tumblr’s FAQ is, at best, unhelpful. I’m a technologically challenged millennial, so, from the bottom of my heart, my bad.

You can also read this on AO3!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

I had turned in my paper the following day and had been about to avoid going into his office. Mrs. Peters made some comment of how it was ‘good Mr. Laufeyson finally had a student to challenge him,’ but I’d mostly ignored her. After that, I really hadn’t had much to deal with him. I did the readings, took the quizzes, and kept my distance. It did make my heart soar just a tiny bit, when I got my paper back with a large 99 written at the top, and a note that read ‘Always room for improvement, but it is nearing perfection’. I wanted to forget about everything that had happened prior to us in class, but it was so difficult. More than once, a tall, dark, black-haired stranger invade my dreams and filled me with a lust my hand couldn’t provide for my body. I wanted to forget how his skin felt against me, about how perfectly our bodies collided, but my mind didn’t let me.

Professor Laufeyson’s class would have most certainly been my favorite if we hadn’t met previously. He was so articulate and well-informed; he made myself and every student get caught up in every word. It didn’t hurt that he looked the way he did. His wardrobe consisted solely of clothing that fit him to perfection. His tall frame was seemingly thin, but he was so strong and hard. I really couldn’t blame any of the other women who had a crush on him; after all, I’d probably have had one too.

I did my best to be as little noticeable in his class as possible; only arrived exactly on time, turned in all that I needed to turn in, and left promptly as class ended. Everything I finished early, I turned into Mrs. Peters, and narrowly avoided seeing Professor Laufeyson whenever I could. I had nearly memorized his schedule so that I wouldn’t run into him; unfortunately, that meant running into Professor Jinks quite frequently. His leering eyes always made my skin crawl. I could never quite shake the way Loki had warned me about him on my first day. He usually lost interest in my once I was past him, or another girl with better cleavage walked past. But there were instances in which I wasn’t so lucky.

“You know, dear,” Mrs. Peters started, “Professor Laufeyson will be in shortly. Why don’t you just wait for him and you can give your paper in person. You miss him so frequently, I’m afraid he’s not giving you the proper respect a star pupil like yourself should be given.” A small, hysterical laugh escaped my lips at the irony of her words.

“Trust me, Mrs. Peters, Professor Laufeyson is giving me the exact amount of respect I require.” I said. She narrowed her eyes at me, not fully understanding what I meant. Luckily (or unluckily), we were interrupted by the loud, obnoxious voice that could only belong to one man; Professor Jinks.

“My goodness, you come to see Laufeyson so often I’d say you had a crush on him,” Jinks said while walking over to Mrs. Peters and I. I was stunned into silence, my cheeks immediately turning beat red. As it turns our, Mrs. Peters couldn’t stand him either.

“Professor! You really are too much! Mrs. Alavan is here for academic purposes only. Something you should strive to do as well,” Her condescending tone made me feel a bit better. Jinks merely rolled his eyes, and leaned against the counter where I was standing, effectively blocking me in.

“You know if you really wanted to stand out in Laufeyson’s class, I could tutor you. I offer private tutoring sessions to those… outstanding students,” Jink’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, as they trailed down to my chest.

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need tutoring,” I said, tugging my books close and crossing my arms across my chest. Jinks scoffed.

“My tutoring could be of a great service to you; you sure you want to turn that down?” He stepped closer to me and I continued to back up. His intimidating glare made it hard to figure out the right thing to say, so I struggled with words for a moment. But then my savior appeared.

“If anything, Mrs. Alavan could give you some tutoring lessons,” Loki said, standing across the office. I let out a deep breath I wasn’t aware I was holding. Jinks turned to acknowledge Loki, then snapped it back towards me.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” Jinks said, finally stepping away. I took my opportunity to quickly walk out of the office, but not without giving Loki a quick nod in thanks. I saw the recognition in his eyes, as well as something else…

It looked like rage.

Since I couldn’t forget, I did the second best thing; avoid. I ended up getting an internship at a publishing company because my classes weren’t filling up enough of my time. I worked, and wrote, and refused to go out with Kate. I didn’t need her abandoning me again, and I didn’t feel like explaining what was so disastrous about last time. Three weeks since I’d gone to his office, had passed, and I was actively minding my own business. Kate, however, didn’t like how filled my schedule was and was growing tired of me refusing to spend time with her.

“Oh, for god’s sake, Aurelia, its one measly Friday night! You’re literally the smartest person I’ve ever met, going out for 5 hours isn’t going to lower your IQ!” She pleaded through the phone. I sighed deeply, and contemplated just hanging up.

“I’ve been though this; my work is the most important thing to me. Just because you enjoy going out every night doesn’t mean that I do. I like being able to get ahead in my school work, especially since I’ll be starting my internship soon!” I told her. She whined through the phone. “And I really don’t see how it matters if I go with you or not. Literally every time we’ve gone out together, even back in the states, you found a guy within 5 minutes of being in a bar. You’ll just ditch me anyways,” I said.

“That not true! Well… not entirely. Last time we went you, I very clearly remember you winding up with a handsome stranger who, quite literally, fucked you into oblivion,” She said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. I cringed, my mind flashing back to that night. “I know you’ve thrown yourself into your work to avoid thinking about him, but I have a much better idea than that,” She taunted.

“Continue…” I egged her on. At this point I’d accept nearly any opportunity to get my mind off Loki.

“Come out with me tonight and find a new guy! The best way to get over a man is to be reminded that there are so many others to choose from! If you’re able to find another handsome stranger to rock your world tonight, I guarantee that you’ll forget all about Mr. Tall, dark, and insatiable,” She taunted. Highly unlikely, but I understood her reasoning. I had been left… unfulfilled for a month now. It might be nice to fuck my way out of the hole Loki created.

“Fine,” I heard Kate squeal when I spoke, “BUT, we can’t go to the same place. I don’t want to run into him once more.”

“Oh, I’m way ahead of you. Theres a bar a few block away from there, that’s a little more catered to students. I’m sure you’ll be able to find exactly what you need there,” She insisted.

I smiled to myself. This is a good thing; in a few hours, Loki will be old news.

A slight knock on the door alerted Loki that there was a presence in his doorway. He looked up from his papers seeing Jinks in the doorway with an evil glint in his eyes. Loki checked his watch, seeing that it was just past 5:30.

“Plans tonight, Laufeyson?” He asked.

“Not currently. I’d imagine you’re here to change that,” Loki said, leaning back in his seat. Jinks came in, looking around at some of the loose papers on the usually pristine desk.

“A couple of us are going out to celebrate the first month ending. You’ll join us, won’t you?” Jinks framed his words as a question, but Loki knew he wasn’t working his way out of this one.

But, he had to at least give it a shot.

“The end of the first month means the beginning of exam season. I need to prepare a bit. I’m not sure its the right time to be going out,” He countered.

“Oh, come on!” Jinks said, not persuaded by Loki’s words. “You’re the most prepared lad in all of Great Britain, surely you can afford one night of fun? All of the fun ones are going, even Candice from history, and she’s always had eyes for you…” Jinks leered. Gross, Loki thought, Candice had eyes for anything with a pulse. Loki huffed for a moment, trying to think of a good excuse before something dawned on him.

“Where would we be going?” He asked Jinks. He seemed to light up at the question, sensing he was getting closer to his goal.

“Sullivans, uptown. You’ve been there?” Jinks ask’s Loki. The name was familiar, but what really mattered is that it wasn’t where he’d met Aurelia. The chance of him running into her again would have prompted a much harsher rejection.

“Fine, but I’ve got to go home to change,” He said, standing up to put on his coat. Jinks slapped his hands together.

“Fantastic! I send you the address and you can meet us there. This will be fun! Even us esteemed professors need a night for ourselves,” He leered in the door way, with a facial expression Loki could only describe as disturbing.

Loki quickly made for his house, not really needing to change clothes, he just wanted a minute to himself. Thinking of Aurelia always threw him off, and he needed a minute to shake the thoughts out of her. But his idea to go home to get her out of his mind probably wasn’t the best plan of action. He’d washed his sheets 4 times since she was there, but every night, without fail, he’d swear he smelled her scent. It was engrained in his head; her smell, her eyes, how she’d exhaled when he’d touch her, like she was burning without his touch. It was too much to forget; not that Loki had done a good job of attempting that. He’d look at other women, and instantly compare her to Aurelia. He’d accidentally brush against a girl and sensed how different her warmth was from Aurelia. Everything reminded him of her, and it was eating at him. Her tiny, black-lace underwear were hidden in the pages of a hollowed out book he use to store sweets in as a child. They were a sweet in their own right, just a different context behind it.

Loki had built up a catalogue of things he regretted in his life, but the morning he left Aurelia was the one that stood out most. He hadn’t been able to sleep, but rather, watched her intently after their night together. Her dark hair fanned out across the pillow, her sweet lips parted slightly, how her hand was so tightly gripped with his; all of these thoughts were burned into his mind. It wasn’t until the early morning he was able even to look away from her. He didn’t have a huge stock in his kitchen, so he didn’t think there would be any harm in stepping out for a few minutes to go pick something up. It was only when he returned to his empty house, her scent already infused in his entryway, he realized what a mistake he’d made. That evening he’d even gone back to the same bar to see if he could find her, but after no sightings and three over-zealous women, he’d left.

Loki didn’t want to feel this way; he hadn’t even wanted to go home with somebody that night. But when he caught her gaze, something drew him in. It was like a rubber band pulled him to her until the collided, making an irreversible mark in his heart. That same rubber band that pulled them together, snapped from the tension and hit him right in the face the day he saw her in class. She was looking down, obviously panicking, but her unmistakable tendrils of hair had given her away. To every other student, he was just taking stock of who was in his class, but the slight clinching of his fist and deep swallow in his throat almost gave him away.

He knew when he saw Aurelia in class that whatever pull he was experiencing was would need to be squandered, but it wasn’t completely gone. Despite him not wanting to go out, Loki couldn’t help but think this was a good way to finally remove whatever tug Aurelia had on him.

My short, velvet skirt didn’t provide a ton of warmth for my legs as the cool wind hit my body. London is such a beautiful place, but its temperature left a lot for a native-Floridan to be desired. Kate walked briskly, her long legs forcing my short ones to nearly run. I looked around at the people standing near the bar and noticed, pleasantly, that this crowd was much more college-friendly. Despite her promising not to abandon me again (I made her recite the mantra ‘I will not abandon you’ in the cab over here), we weren’t two steps inside until she saw someone familiar and ran to the other side of the bar. Great.

I found myself in an uneasy and familiar situation one again and vowed to myself that this was the last time I accompanied Kate to a bar. I noticed some girls that I vaguely recognized in a few of my classes by the bar, and decided that standing near them was better than standing on the wall by myself. Another girl who was in a situation similar to myself, was also seated at the bar, and looked at me curiously when I ordered a drink.

“You’re in Professor Laufeyson’s class too, aren’t you?” She asked, slurring a bit. I nodded my head, taking my drink from the bartender. She stuck out her hand and I shook it.

“Daisy McGee,” She said.

“Aurelia Alavan,” I told her.

“Where are you from?” She asked, clearly recognizing my accent.

“Near Miami, but I go to school at NYU. I’m just doing a semester over here,” I explained. She nodded. “What about you?” I asked.

“Near Dublin. Got a nice scholarship to come over here, so…” She shrugged her shoulders and I laughed a bit. “How are you doing in his class?” She asked.

“Not bad; he’s a little stingy on grades though. Gave me a 99 on the first paper because there’s ‘always room for improvement’.” I told her. She looked at me with wide eyes.

“You’re actually able to pay attention? Good god, more power to you. Every time he opens his mouth all I want to do confess my love to him,” She said, resting her head on her hand and looking away from me. I laugh a little bit; partially out of her words, partially out of how ridiculous the situation was. “Even now, there are plenty of eligible bachelors here, but I can only focus on him…” She said, sighing. I looked at her confused.

“What do you mean?” I asked. She pointed into the direction she was looking, and lo-and-behold, Loki was there. His sharp facial features pressed into a stoic expression while he watched the man I’d come to know as Jinks. Jinks was clearly drunk and hanging on the arm of a fake-looking woman, but Loki seemed to be unimpressed. I, on the other hand, was fuming. ‘Would it ease your worries if I told you that I don’t often do this as well?’ his voice rang so clear in my mind from that night. I believed him! Even after everything, I believed that this wasn’t a normal occurrence and that he wasn’t some mid-thirties perv who uses his prowess to influence young women.

I felt stupid, humiliated, and entirely heart-broken. There was something very comforting about the fact that I was the exception, and now… I felt tears clouding my eyes and my skin burn bright red. Daisy had said something to me, but I was too wrapped up in my furry to notice. It wasn’t until his bight blue eyes cast themselves in my direction, that I felt my body unfreeze. His expression faltered only slightly, but his eyes didn’t leave mine, and I didn’t have the heart to turn away. Finally, I was able to hear over the blood pounding in my ears to see what Daisy had to say.

“Those eyes could peer into my soul. Isn’t he charming?” She said.

“Yeah,” I hopped off the stool, grabbing my bag, “A real charming son-of-a-bitch.” Maybe if Loki hadn’t been captivating her, she would have noticed me stomping off, but thankfully she was too enamored with looking at him. I tried to navigate my way through the still-growing crowd, but a large, pale hand grabbed my waist and began pulling me in a different direction. I turned back to yell at whoever it was, but when I saw his face, my voice fell silent. He gripped me a little tighter when I stopped fighting him, and very delicately pulled me through a door near the back. The cold air of the outside hit my over-heated skin like a ton of bricks. I turned to face the wall to collect my thoughts and make sure we were alone before tearing into him.

“Aurelia,” he started, but I cut him off.

“How dare you! How dare you tell me you don’t do this often! You’re even worse than that Jinks character; at least he has the decency to wear his creepiness on his sleeve. You hide behind that cool exterior and pretend to be one of the good guys, but all you really are is some sleaze!” I huffed. My fist were balled up at my sides and I was stomping around, trying not to look directly at Loki. His firm hands grasped my shoulders, forcing me to stop and take a breath. His eyes were wide and his mouth was set in a firm line. “What!” I yelled at him.

“Jinks made me come; I didn’t want to. And the only reason I allowed him to choose this place is because I couldn’t risk seeing you again at the other bar. I don’t come here, not to places with students. I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable, you must know that,” His piercing blue eyes bore directly into mine.

“You… came here to avoid me? Ha…” I said, somewhat hysterically. “I came here to avoid you,” He finally let me go and I slacked against the brick wall.

“We really are a pair, aren’t we?” He breathed, mimicking my actions. I slid against the wall until I was seated on the ground, and he followed me as well.

“Why can’t we seem to stay away from each other?” I asked. I didn’t know if I was asking him, or just the universe in general.

“Maybe we shouldn’t…” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it rang in my ears.

“No…” I got up and started pacing again, trying to hold back tears and not let him see the one’s that had already fallen. “You can’t say that to me! You hurt me so much; letting me wake up alone like that! I thought it would be easy to just have fun and not get attached, but you woke something in me that just won’t go away now! You left me, Loki, you’re the one-“

“I didn’t leave you!” He yelled. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. He stalked over to me and gently slid on large hand on my cheek. “I didn’t leave you, not like that. I wen’t to get breakfast and when I came back, you were gone. I figured you didn’t feel what I felt that night and just left. I wanted to come back and ravish you for the rest of the day and take you on a proper date that night, but you were gone! I didn’t want you to go, I never would have left if I thought you’d taken it as a sign to leave,” his usually strong voice was pleading and soft.

I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t resist gently pressing my lips to his. He felt so cool and soft, making my beat red skin tingle at the contact. It was a gentle, momentary kiss, but it felt like hours. When I realized what I’d done, I tensed up and quickly broke away. His eyes were closed, and his lips were slightly parted, and he slowly opened up his eyes to me.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done-“ His lips were back on mine, but this time it was feverish. His mouth was hungrily devouring mine, while his hands went to grip me too him. I clawed back at him, pulling him as close to me as possible. He pushed us against a wall and hiked up my leg around his hip. His tongue dove into my mouth and tangled with mine. My arms wrapped around his neck and my hands played with his soft hair. After a while of an intense make out session, he pulled back and rested his forehead on mine, catching his breath.

“Give me one more night with you… please” He said quietly, letting his warm breath fan across my face.

“Yes.”

Forewarning for the next chapter... prepare for Da Smut™.

Tag List:

@thevixeniris @lovinghiddlestom

#Loki #Loki Laufeyson #Loki Odinson #Loki x OFC #Loki x reader #Loki x OC #Loki Fanfiction #Loki fanfic #loki (marvel)#Tom Hiddleston #Loki Imagine #Golden #Chapter Four

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brianjpatterson · 7 years ago

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SPOTLIGHT: (”BEING” Part One) Cultivate Your Awareness

If you’re just joining Spotlight, then this is my personal journal of my personal journey as a performer. It’s a kind of way for me to look back on all of my experiences, and lessons I’ve learned, while simultaneously sharing what I’ve learned with you. Disclaimer: The word PERSONAL was utilized twice in the first sentence. Therefore, this is not the gospel or the truth, it’s just me sharing MY experiences in an effort to assist, if possible, in other people’s discovery (end disclaimer). Today, I’m going to skip over the last part (Part 5) of my observation of the Industry’s Corporate Structure, to briefly touch on the ‘BEING’ in “Brian’s B’s” (Being, Behavior, and Business), of my A+B=C method. If you are reading this blog for the first time, here’s a brief over view of my A+B=C method. A stands for the Abstract; It’s your dream and what you desire. C is the Completion or end result to the equation. It’s what you have Concocted. However, B is the thing that doesn’t get much attention, and it is the most vital portion of the equation; It is your Being, your Behavior, and your Business. All the things that YOU actually DO to mix with the A and make the C happen! That is the basic overview of my system. Today, I’m going to focus on Being and I’m going to use a completely true story from November of 2017.

Back in November of 2017, I was living in San Francisco, and had been making my living as a performer in the city for almost then years. It was on November 13, 2017 at approximately 4:10pm that I received a Facebook message on my Fan Page. It was from an actor in the city who I had met once, but from whom I had never seen any work. Her message said this…

“Hi Brian, I've asked you a question before, and you were so generous in your response. If you have time to answer this one, I would so appreciate it. I'm joining SAG, and have been told that Fi-Core would be better. Although the folks at the SAG office disagree. Do you have a personal experience with that? A casting director I trust suggests Fi-Core, and SAG strongly suggests SAG, not Fi-Core. I know it's probably a very personal choice, but I follow you and it seems to me like you make good choices about your career. Do you have a recommendation? Thank you Brian.”

After reading her message, I couldn’t have been more flattered. I had been on the receiving end of quite a few messages like this at the time, and it made me feel good that I could potentially contribute to people’s success and happiness. In this case, the actor was making a huge decision that could have multiple effects. Every actor’s journey is different and need to make decisions specifically catered toward their career. Unfortunately, I didn’t know very much about her career so I couldn’t make any quick suggestions. So I did what every good objective person does: RESEARCH! First, I looked at her Facebook. I didn’t see ANYTHING acting or performance related at all. Then I looked at youtube; I didn’t see any videos or reels. After that I looked her up on IMDb and the only thing listed were a few credits; a few from over twenty five years ago, and then two which spanned over the last three years. Keep in mind all of these were either stand-in, extra work, or a role with no character name. After that, I completed multiple google searches using different variations of her name, the city, and additional words like theatre, film, actor and actress. Guess what? Nothing. Not only was there little to no marketing on this person, but there was nothing attesting to her competence. In addition, she was asking me a question about her business. Rather than making assumptions, I wanted to gather as much information as possible on this person so that I could give her the best advice I could. Besides, there could be an entire theatrical life of which I’m not privy and about which I don’t know. So, I sent back a bunch of questions to get a bigger picture of here situation. Here is what I sent to her:

“First off, I want to acknowledge your commitment to your career and your interest in doing what is best by seeking out advice from what seem to be good sources for you. You're already on the right path as far as I'm concerned. Second, I would agree with you; It's a very personal choice and would require a lot of detailed information. For instance: Do you plan on staying in SF for a while or are you moving to a larger market like NYC, LA, Canada, or London? If so, do you feel like you're in a place where you have enough experience and credits to hold your own and play with the 'big dogs' (SAG) on equal footing? If so, on what kind of tangible data is this based? Third and last, have you created a clear, detailed, and meticulous plan for your career with a somewhat in depth understanding of the road ahead of you? I am someone who prefers to give advice and make decisions by having more global/big picture info filled with as much data as possible. Therefore, if you can answer those few questions, then I think I can give you advice which is best suited for your particular situation. Brian :) “

Here is the answer with which I was met:

“Thank you, Brian. I know those answers for myself and think I will be joining SAG, not as Fi-Cor. I'll be based in California, splitting time between sf and la. My main quandary is that a casting director who I trust up in sf recommends fi- Cor over SAG, yet SAG gives the opposite recommendation. I am joining, that's not in question. Leaning towards sag. I've had 13 years experience in live theater, commercial and film/tv. No reason to wait any more. I know why I'm an actor. More now than ever before. Thank you again.”

A few minutes later, I got this:

“I’d really like to hear your take on Fi-Cor vs. SAG. What I'm most concerned about us if I start as Fi-Cor, will I them be able to switch? The SAG office makes it sound like a very iffy prospect. I don't know anyone who's tried it. Think I will just join SAG and if I want to switch later, try it then.”

Her prior messages let me know that she wasn’t coachable, and didn’t really want to hear what I had to say. Regardless of my success or the contribution that I believed I could make to her after having seen some of her tools. So, I ended the conversation as gracefully as I could and sent her this message:

“It sounds to me like you've made up your mind to join. Mucha Buena Suerte!”

As you can see, I didn’t offer any advice or suggestions. It would have been a waste of time and energy. This person was merely asking for permission. Something I also didn’t give, because I could already tell after looking over her tools that I would be COMPLETELY AGAINST joining SAG. As in my previous posts, being an actor is the equivalent of being an employee in the corporate world. The only difference is that you are an independent contractor. In order to be a successful independent contractor that can support his/her self, you have to have mastered many skills and tools in order to stay employed. Some of those would be: interpersonal relations/communications, clear and concise planning and organizing, marketing strategy, and a harnessing of personal talent. Prior to developing these skills, there is one thing that every person will need in order to develop any of those and that is AWARENESS of self.

Actor and famous acting coach Stella Adler was adamant about her belief that Actors needed to conquer themselves before they conquered a character. I associate this with the ancient martial arts theory of ‘emptying your cup’ that Bruce Lee often taught. It is one of the most important parts of the equations of success. Not just in career, but in every area of life. It is why I believe that it’s the first place to begin when embarking upon a big journey like an acting career. Emptying your cup means getting very clear on who you are inside and out. It’s knowing yourself to a point where you are able to be COMPLETELY objective on every matter. This gives you the ability to step inside a character to the fullest, because you are able to set aside your own perception of reality and everything that could potentially stop you from putting yourself in the shoes of another. For me, I have Wonder Woman. To explain, Doctor William Moulton Marston III who created the character was a psychologist and was a study of the human condition. He imbued many of his characters and inventions with breadcrumb clues to these ideas. He even inspired a system for self awareness that I follow which has aided me tremendously over the last 16 years of my life. I encourage everyone to find their own system which offers them that kind of objective awareness. I write a column called “What Would Wonder Woman Do?”, and in March it was about the “Lack Of Truth in Society”. Truth is something that requires personal awareness. Without it, you can not be completely authentic. As you continue your search toward your own system, here are some ideas on how to begin developing personal awareness, which are derived from my article.

BE AWARE OF YOUR ABILITY TO BE COACHABLE When you aren’t coachable, you often miss out on important information. It could be information that could make 100% difference in your life and/or career. In the example of the actress who asked me for advice, I could see where she wanted to go and if you read some of the questions I asked her, I already had some really fantastic suggestions for her to be successful. Unfortunately, she wasn’t open to hearing them and was completely UN-coachable. Some of her language was a little defensive and put up a wall. This is what happens when you’re triggered, and being coachable means understanding those triggers that hold you back from being coachable. Examining what those triggers are, how they got there, and how to work around them will assist you in becoming coachable. In my article, you’ll see that the Ladder Of Inference explains how personal perception can influence present events.

BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW When we think we know something and assume that we don’t need another perspective that might be different, that will often make us un-coachable. If we come from a place of ‘I already know’ then it immediately shuts off the ability to connect, and also the ability to learn. The opposite will open up the possibility of connection, affinity, and even learning new knowledge. In my situation, the actress that asked me for advice was completely and totally un-coachable even though she came to ME for advice. Being open to what she didn’t know would have given her the ability to gain new knowledge which could have aided her to a more bountiful and successful career. It is important to be able to know the difference between the former and the latter situation. I believe that is to be like Wonder Woman, which is to follow the way of love. When you are being loving you are continually choosing to understand and accept the world around you. I write about this in my article. For me, I like to think of a scientist. He (or she) knows that there are facts and laws in the universe, but they are always testing new things against them for new outcomes and new possibilities. That pure, loving, and inquisitive nature of being open and asking questions will almost always guarantee that you find out things that you didn’t know before. Be your own scientist and like the article says, “Lasso The Truth”!

BE AWARE OF YOUR LIMITATIONS We all have limitations, but very few people are truly aware of what actually creates their limitations. This often leads to people not knowing exactly what their limitations might be. In the case of the female actor who messaged me, she is setting out to work in a market of SAG/AFTRA professionals. This will limit her for many reasons. Without proving to have a strong work history, a strong body of work, a clear concise plan to success, an ability to book (aka adequate practice and developing a system for auditioning) and to do so on the SAG level, she is limiting herself. Specifically, since she is doing so in a primarily non-union market where the SAG work is very limited. In my ‘What Would Wonder Woman Do’ article, about the lack of Truth in Society, I reference a scene written by Phil Jimenez in Wonder Woman #170 where she reveals that she is forced to always be honest with herself due to her having the lasso on her hip. By finding our own ‘magic lasso’ or system to keep ourselves honest we can be more aware of our own limitations. Being honest about them can also lead to more connection and success.

CONCLUSION When you find yourself to not be coachable, are approached by someone who might have some knowledge, or even have a limitation that is being challenged, and you feel resistance; STOP! Take a few breaths and ask yourself, Why am I so resistant? Why do I feel like pushing back on this? What is this reminding me? Then try to replace it with questions. Try to come from a place of innocence and inquisition. Ask questions why what you’re being suggested is a good idea, or even what led to this philosophy. You may actually learn something new that you didn’t know before. Asking these kinds of questions will be easier once you have found your own system of awareness. Some people go to therapy, some go to church, and some have self help gurus. Personally, mine is Wonder Woman and the work influenced by Dr. Marston III. The previous were just a few suggestions on how to begin cultivating your own awareness. Everyone is different and everyone will find their own system. To recap, I have yet to hear from the female actor (actress) who originally sent me her question regarding SAG. I will say this though, it has been nine months now since that question, and after going back to look over her marketing materials, I noticed that there has been absolutely no change. I’ve seen no new videos, clips, or reels added. Her IMDb hasn’t been updated with any new projects, and google still doesn’t show anything about her work in any genre (stage or screen). So whatever she is doing, it’s getting her more of what she had. As for me, I was given a principal contract in a SAG national commercial I shot last week with three celebrities; Two of them have over five million followers and the last has nearly a million followers on Twitter. That being said, I urge you all to find your own system of cultivating your personal awareness to a point where you become more objective, authentic, and inquisitive. It is one of the first steps of the BEING part of ‘Brian’s Bs’ and will assure your success in many areas of life, including career. And if I can do it, then you can definitely do it too! :)

#actor #actors #actress #advice #suggestion #blog #wisdom #wonder woman #wonderwoman #love #questions #scientist #SAG #screen actors guild

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newscheckz · 4 years ago

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Willingness to accept new challenges and learn, made me who I am today

New Post has been published on https://newscheckz.com/willingness-to-accept-new-challenges-and-learn-made-me-who-i-am-today/

Willingness to accept new challenges and learn, made me who I am today

“One thing I encourage young kids and girls is by letting them know that you are not defined by where you come from, though it can only define you if you allow it to. I grew up in an area that had drugs being sold all around me but I have never smoked or tried them.”

Meet this young, energetic, determined, focused and hardworking young woman who is making landmark in the real estate sector which has been dominated for long by men: her name is Angelica Wambui , the Superior Homes Kenya Sales Manager.

In the African home, women are much sidelined, undermined and even some places they are believed to belong in the household activities, but in the recent trend and more advocacies for women and girls empowerment, we have seen women rising to higher position and even becoming challenge to men if not threat. Though the progress, this achievement doesn’t come that easily. To motivate the young kids and girls in our society, please kindly share with us about yourself, profession background and the hardwork that made you who you are today.

I grew up in Eastlands, went to St. Annes Primary School and then later joined Jomo Kenyatta High School form 1 and 2 before my mum shipped back to Uhuru Secondary School from form 3 and 4.

After school, I did a sales job in a company that used to supply milk of which, in between I managed to attend college for the ABE: Diploma Marketing.

One thing I encourage young kids and girls is by letting them know that you are not defined by where you come from, though it can only define you if you allow it to.

I grew up in an area that had drugs being sold all around me but I have never smoked or tried them.

It’s also wise to find out your strengths and what you are passionate about early in life because then you become more focused in what you do.

The other one thing that the current young people are not keen on is working hard; you have to work hard in everything you do. You cannot give your employer/job 50% and expect 100% returns.

The “get rich mentality” will not work. You need to invest time, energy and grow progressively: that way you appreciate everything you get as well to train and motivate others.

When I joined my current employer, I was employed as an office manager, but due to hardwork and willingness to accept new challenges and learn, my Directors were happy and today I head the Sales office.

What are the milestones achieved so far, in relation to being a pioneer on the gated community concept in the country and the impact this concept has had on the industry?

The fact remains that when we were selling the concept at first, it did not look like it would be accepted in a place where today every developer is selling the gated concept.

At Greenpark, the concept has been well embraced and the residents are keeping to the agreed Deed of Covenants.

What does it take to be the best at what you do in marketing?

Be consistent with the quality of your product. Take both positive and negative criticism and improve on the product. Also, sell a product that you have faith in and believe in.

The real estate sector in Kenya has shown commendable growth over the years how has SHK positioned itself in response to the demand that has been created by an expanding middle class with ability to service their loans or mortgages?

Improving on the product, we have continuously upgraded our houses as per the feedback we receive from the client.

Also we have put together different house types that meet different needs and budgets as well as innovation of different ideas for instance the “Try Before You Buy concept” (TBYB) and recently the “Buy Over Long Term” (BOLT).

How is your fixed rate scheme different from normal mortgage?

The Buy over Long Term (BOLT) model is quite different from the normal mortgages.

You select a house type of choice and we give you the purchase price.

You put a down payment of 20% and the balance is payable within the agreed period of time: usually between 1-3 years.

We also have another unique advantage where in case you withdraw, you are refunded the money you have put down for example if you choose the payment model of 3 years and in year two your financial situation changes and you withdraw, then we will refund you what you have paid without any deduction.

Also, since the inflation cost has been considered, the price will remain as agreed even if the interest rates go up or cost of materials change.

It is common knowledge that the buyer is king and holds all the cards in today’s Kenyan property sector. How do you ensure that your customer’s needs are taken care of?

One is the fact that we have a product that is beautiful. Our show houses and the houses we built are the same if not better.

That means the client will not feel shortchanged. We also accommodate some finishing changes that the client might want especially when the house is still under construction; this allows the client to kind of custom make their house.

What is the role of property management in real estate growth?

The companies mandate is to ensure that the Deed of Covenants is adhered to. The company also collects Service Charge and maintains the estate.

SHK from conception wanted to build a community that is sustainable.

A management company for the current project was registered under the name GEMS Management Company.

You as the head of SHK marketing department, what strategies have you put in place to offset the increasing competition from commercial banks and telecoms for a share of the property business?

Superior Homes Kenya (SHK) of course continues to maintain quality. With the different house types ranging from 9.5M, we have ensured that we cater for a bigger market. We are also venturing into other counties.

What role has your company played in the formulation of high property strategies and measures aimed at reducing the slums and replacing them with well planned, low cost housing units?

The directors of SHK have been passionate about building low cost housing. With the opening up of counties, it’s a proposal we would look to consider when the doors are opened. If well planned with the counties and national government, low cost housing is achievable.

The Housing Development Policy highlights the importance of housing as both an investment and a positive economic development and poverty reduction measure. How have you incorporated its recommendation in your operations?

Many people take owning a home as one of the most important achievements in life.

Us SHK, we have endeavored to provide a development of housing that is functional, healthy, aesthetically pleasant and environmentally friendly to the clients.

The continued increase in our homes has made sure that the clients gain value for their houses thus a good investment.

The National Social Economic Council (NSEC) recommended the re-engineering of the Kenyan Housing market so that the country’s annual housing production reaches 145,000 units per year come 2030. What is your take on this? Is it achievable?

With the government providing investor friendly terms, it’s possible. Also with the growth of counties; it means that there will be more jobs in the county governments hence urban areas will not be overly populated.

The infrastructure improvements and growth also play a major role. The bank interest rates are also a key factor in one owning a home and we do hope we can have interest rates going down.

In what way has SHK invested in human resource to ensure customer satisfaction?

We have ensured improvement of the working conditions for construction workers including safety, general working environment and wages.

We have ensured each employee knows their value in the company and the work they do thus ensuring there is quality production right from the foundations to the finishing of the houses thus ensuring the clients are satisfied with the end product.

What do you think needs to be done to ensure a more robust real estate sector in Kenya in particular and the African region in general?

They is need of more forums where real estate developers can meet and exchange ideas in a Platform that enhances engagement with respective authorities.

In Kenya we have the Kenya Property Developers Association of which SHK are members.

They are able to plan sessions where we discuss matters affecting the real estate and also present challenges being faced to the government, but still this is not enough. More needs to be done.

Anything more, unique you would like to add that would give value in positioning Superior Homes as the Homes provider of choice?

SHK vision is To become the largest and the most respected and trusted provider of new houses in East Africa while engaging positively and to the mutual benefit of customers, staff, contractors, suppliers and the wider community.

Our development of Greenpark is a testimony of hard work in the team from the MD, the management to the masons at the site.

Currently we have over 400 houses complete, 2 schools and a Sundowner club house.

Today we are creating a community as we look to replica this model in other counties in future.

#AngelicaWambui #theSuperiorHomesKenyaSalesManager.

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styleatacertainage · 7 years ago

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It’s that time of year when it’s out with the old in with the new. So why not set up some time for a closet overhaul? If you find yourself claiming “you’ve nothing to wear” an unorganized overflowing closet just might be the culprit. Or if you’re like me it’s time for a closet refresh. This is when I ruthlessly go through my closet item-by-item and purge. Whichever scenario you find yourself in I have a tried-and-true method for a closet edit. Are you ready?

First step, you ask, for a clean sweep? Dedicate an afternoon to your busy schedule to assess your closet and go through every item in your wardrobe. I know, I know, there are a million other priorities competing for space on your ever-expanding to-do list rather than sorting through pencil skirts, cardigans, and that swoon-worthy dress found on the final sale rack. But, I promise, devoting an afternoon to properly sort through your clothes is time well spent. If you are like me, you’ll discover that fashion mistakes have been made over the course of a season, weight gained, (even better, lost – let’s face it ladies weight fluctuates, it’s a fact of life) or maybe, just maybe, it’s finally time to retire that beloved go-to blazer. You know the one, it has a shiny sheen on the elbows due to years of love, but you’re still loath to part ways? It isn’t easy to rid your closet of items that no longer fit or have sentimental value, especially when you’ve shelled out major cashola for the purchase in the first place. But keep calm and carry on. Which is why, through the years, I have devised a tried-and-true method to purge my burgeoning closet and in the process make room for that drool-worthy new puffer vest.

Since I am a bit of an organization addict (I’m a Virgo by birth and have a strong penchant towards planning and systematizing) I wanted to share my method for a wardrobe detox. First off, when sorting through my clothes I put on a great playlist – still loving the seventies, nothing sounds better to me than the Doobie Brothers or Steely Dan – then pour a glass of wine, and ask these three questions:

1.Does this fit?

2.Have I followed the ‘one year rule’? If I haven’t worn it in a year, it’s time to let it go. Ruthless, I know.

3. Is this item damaged, e.g., moth holes, broken zippers, pilling or missing buttons? Or can it be repaired? Having a great seamstress and shoe cobbler is a must.

If the answer is ‘no’ to any of the above questions, then it’s time to part ways. Divide your clothes into three piles. Sell, donate, and trash.

Sell

The items that make it to your sell pile are the ones that are either currently in style or gently used. It could even be a pair of brand new, to-die-for jeans that were bought with the promise of losing five pounds. Sigh. But take heart, these clothing items have the potential of making you a profit with little effort thanks to an emerging online marketplace for buying and selling clothes. There are several to choose from which have a streamlined experience that makes it possible to list my items, ship them out, and earn money or credit toward on-site purchases, all while sipping my coffee in my pin-striped pajamas. As a matter-of-fact, I don’t even have to leave the comfort of my house. How’s that for convenience? Check out thredUP.

Charity

If by chance some of your unwanted items are still in good condition, please consider donating them to a good cause. Of course, Goodwill Industries and Salvation Army are always good choices for your orphaned clothes and are reputable if that is one of your concerns. But there are other organizations that deserve and appreciate your contributions as well. Personally, I love and support Dress for Success – a non-profit organization that addresses and fulfills the needs of low-income women who have left welfare and are interfacing with the challenges of the workforce. But consider local homeless shelters or even better ones that specifically cater to battered women. In recent months, blogger The Midlife Fashionista opened a non-profit in the greater Boston area, Uncommon Threads, with a mission to empower women. Trust me on this; somehow it’s easier to let go of clothing when you know it is going to someone in need.

Rubbish

Now onto the hard part, those items that can’t be repaired or have significant wear-and-tear must be tossed into the rubbish bin. I know it’s hard to say goodbye to your beloved LBD, or your favorite graphic tee worn on countless occasions, but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. It must be thrown away. I repeat, the item must be thrown away.

It might take more than one try to get into the swing of downsizing your wardrobe, but the reward is a streamlined closet that makes getting dressed in the morning just that much easier, and maybe even fun. But you have to know what you own is working for you.

Happy cleaning!

It’s time for a tour of my closet/office. Yes, this is where you will find me on any given day editing my daily post or planning my next outfit. Notice how the shelves don’t have doors. This one feature lets me utilize every square inch of space. Nothing hides from me behind closed doors. There’s never a time when I have to squeeze in and fish something out from a dark corner. A nice design trick would be to install curtains in front of the shelves. But for now, I’m happy with an exposed workspace. The shelving unit is ALGOT from IKEA that we’ve had since our Shanghai, China days.

When we moved to Georgia last year, I knew the first re-do in our home would be my closet. Here’s what happened after we finally found a contractor. Which took several months… They kept disappearing on us. Who can relate? Originally, this room opened to the adjoining bedroom. The first step to enclose the room was drywall. Then a few coats of paint in Dove Gray by Benjamin Moore. For many years, I’ve been a big fan of neutrals in bedrooms – they’re sooooo soothing. But gray paint is currently on-trend in home decorating so it’s safe to say this room is ‘in.’

A Possini Flower Chandelier replaced the original light fixture to give the room a modern look. After it arrived, Mr. Style thought it might be too big. But once it was installed he changed his mind. What do you think?

In keeping with a light and airy space, I chose a contemporary glass desk from World Market that sits on a chrome sawhorse base. But when we created our YouTube room we exchanged the glass desk for a white desk. Anyone else moves furniture from room-to-room? The desk chair is chrome and white leather. It’s very simple and practical. Tucked underneath is a turtle stepstool that I rest my feet on when working. Sometimes, I pull it out if I need to reach something on the top shelf.

Last year I purchased an orange egg chair and glass table for my office/closet. But, again, those items were repurposed to the YouTube room. After our new kitten, Ollie arrived and decided to use the wool chair as her scratching post the egg chair found a new home in our guest room. The good thing is I’ve used a cohesive color scheme throughout the house which allows me flexibility. And that egg chair (which is a favorite of mine) has been repurposed several times over. Sheesh! Recently, I ordered a modern hot pink chair that will sit in front of the desk. At first, I thought I could get away without having an extra chair in the room but when my children visit they always drag a chair in from the other room then plop down so they can jabber away. Mr. Style does the same thing. Point taken! Directly across from the desk are three inexpensive white bookcases that house my shoe collection.

How about some closet organization tips? Here we go.

Organize by category.

Organize clothes by category – skirts, pants, sweaters, blouses, jeans – arrange pieces by item and color so you can see exactly what you own. The same holds true for shoes. Hang sleeveless dresses or shirts first, short sleeves then long sleeves.

Stack foldables.

Jeans, sweaters, scarves, lingerie are all items that I fold then stack on the shelf. Arrange cedar strips or mothballs on your shelves to prevent moths from snacking on your cashmere or wool sweaters. Jeans are folded lengthwise and layered one on top of the other. Chinos and leather leggings too.

Lingerie is organized by color, size, and type. These are folded and tucked inside lingerie storage units. Place a linen sachet inside for a special treat.

Upgrade your hangers.

Who else remembers the movie line “No wire hangers!” Well, we don’t have to be quite as obsessed as Joan Crawford but I would advise upgrading your closet hangers. It’s a simple style trick that will extend the life of your clothes. And it gives uniformity. Whether you prefer thin velvet hangers, Joy Mangano huggable hangers, or wood hangers, there is a hanger for you. Don’t forget space-saving stackable skirt or pant hangers.

Shoes, scarves, hats, and handbags.

Store your shoes and handbags where you can see them. Use clear shoeboxes or better yet store them on closet shelves or a bookcase. Right toe out left toe in is a space-saving technique. I like my handbags out of their dustbags and visible. Out of sight out of mind happens if I don’t! Hatboxes are perfect for storing hats with the larger ones resting on top. Scarves are color-coded, folded and stacked.

#dress for success #closet purge #style at a certain age

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architechsfortheweb · 5 years ago

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Why Our Ecommerce Clients are So Successful?

Are you frustrated with your online marketing performance? Get better search rankings and grow your e-commerce business by using our full suite of SEO services! Our extensive experience in web design and digital marketing can help you achieve the results you've been dreaming about. It's online marketing made simple.

The Problem Many of our clients come to us because they are not getting the website traffic they need. Their websites are often built with templates that lack the flexibility needed to grab visitors' attention and fully share the company's unique story with their audience. Additionally, their content is either not visible to the search engine bots or not trusted resulting in low rankings in exchange for a lot of hard work.

Start Here If you are finding this to be the case for your related keyword searches, the problem might be the design of your website. At Architechs for the Web, we focus on applying what our decades of experience have shown to work with Google and other search engines. Add that experience to our ongoing education as Google is constantly evolving the ranking criteria and you end up with a website that is ready for crawling on all related searches.

But, We Don't Stop There! This is your website, not your industry's site. If you were searching for a house and all the houses in the neighborhood you like are very similar, why would you choose the one at 847 Dover Street over 830 Dover Street? They both look and feel exactly the same minus a few subtle changes like an added hedge or different colored paint. To the eye, there is no significant difference. This leaves location on the street, price, familiarity with repeated visits to view the home, and neighbors' reports to help you decide which home to buy.

Now, imagine one of those homes is your business online.Your Architechs for the Web website is solidly built to get noticed by the Google bots to boost your location on the search engine return, but it has to attract the eye of the search users to receive more clicks. In other words, it needs more than a different color with the same format to stand out from the pack. That's why you will love our custom designs that use stunning imagery and creative content flow that captures the attention of visitors, compels visitors to stick around and explore what you have to offer, and encourages return visits.

Cater to the Nomads In a recent report, Target shared 98% of shoppers are making online purchases with the majority starting the sale on their mobile devices. Hence, one of the ways we can make your site more inviting to online consumers is to tailor the experience for android and iOS mobile device users. Have you ever been on a business website searching for information while using your smartphone and found it frustrating to read the content as you sift through oversized images and the text runs off the page? Maybe the list of services is awkwardly formatted or the contact information is hard to read without swiping left and right. Yeh, that bothers us too. When you have a custom-built website by Architechs for the Web, your mobile device shoppers will be able to view all your site content effortlessly as if it was made just for browsing on that phone, no matter which make and model they prefer.

Save Time and Effort Another issue many face when building a website is the steep time-consuming learning curve required for managing edits and uploading information. If you do not have background in web design, it can be overwhelming to learn how to manage your own blog article, announcement, or product highlight. This is because many web design companies use a shared content management system (CSM) making you think you must learn some level of coding to edit your data. We thought our clients deserved a simpler and more flexible way to manage their data. So, we built our own CSM called Fanspike that allows you the freedom to upload, edit, and delete content with ease!

Browsing Should be Fun! Speaking of ease, make shopping a pleasure for users with our intuitive navigation design. Being able to tour your website to read informative content, discover new products, and quickly locate items is arguably the primary key ingredient to optimized customer experience. Make no mistake, your visitors are looking for a professional UX with all intuitive features they have come to expect in 2020. Anything less can be a red flag, particularly with new visitors who are unfamiliar with your brand or website. Avoid losing a sale or client over sub-par navigation.

Encourage Action Once you have the visitors' attention, make it easy to perform actions like "Book Appointment", "Buy Now", "Add to Cart", or "Learn More". These call-to-action (CTA) buttons as well as your contact information should be highly visible to elicit an immediate response. Remember, the simpler the process the more likely visitors will take action.

Make it Safe By this point, your site is looking slick! However, if it doesn't have an SSL certificate, then consumers will receive a "not secure" notification prompting them to reconsider exploring your pages and making purchases. This same security focus should be carried all the way through the checkout process to ensure consumers feel comfortable entering their payment information.

Give it a Voice Lastly, you can give your site more of a personal touch that connects visitors to what you are about and why you love what you do by adding these five elements:

Blog Articles - We write engaging and informative content for our clients that adds value to their search, which is another reason Google ranks our clients higher in search returns resulting in more website traffic.

Google My Business - The articles we write for your website are then posted Google My Business, which not only helps notify Google about keywords found on your website but also that your website can be trusted with updated and relatable content.

Google PPC Ads - Placing your ad above the organic (free) search returns for related keywords means people searching for your products or services find your website first! If you want to grow your business quickly, this service is a critical cog along the road to sweet success!

Social Media Posting and PPC Ads - It's likely your targetted audience is spending time one or more of the popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Plus, they may be scrolling through your competition's ads and postings, especially if they have been shopping for one of your products or services recently. Make sure your presence is known on social media as well as search engines. Let our social media experts utilize proven methods to get results and keep you ahead of the competition!

Email Campaigns - With everything in place for your website as well as both search engine and social media marketing strategies, it is time to link it all together using professional email campaigns that highlight your products, promote your services, and introduce your social media pages to a broader audience base.

What Our Clients are Saying But, don't take our word for it. We have spent decades forming great relationships with some amazing clients from all over the U.S. who, in turn, have helped spread the word about our unique approach to web design and SEO marketing. Check out what they are telling business owners like you about our team, products, and services in our 5-Star Reviews:

"Uploading documents is a simple process and if we need assistance, their team is just an email or phone call away."

- Carol Hall at Tomoka Oakwood North

"We are ranking top in Google for both local and nationally highly sought after keyword terms and as a result get tons of traffic and results. If you want a great website or to be found in Google, contact this surprisingly affordable company today." - Jayson Esterow at License 2 Play

"I am always impressed by the well-written blog articles and the response time when I need something done. I see nothing but good things in our future working with such a professional and responsive company. I give a 5-star rating to this company." - Kathy Blackman at Sophie's Circle

"They went above and beyond what we were expecting. I highly recommend them for any website or SEO work you need done. Fantastic company." - Mark Netwise at Netwise Computer Solutions

Therefore, contact us for your free digital marketing consultation and let us tell you more about how we are unlike any other SEO company out there! We love to welcome new faces to our long list of satisfied customers, and we appreciate your trust as we craft and shape strategies around your business story. Our tested tools and tactics attract a larger audience who are currently interested in your products and services. Fill out our contact form or call us at (386) 951-4770. Let's make today the first day of reaching for that next level together!

#Architechsfortheweb whyourecommerceclientsaresuccessful

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harshitajoshi · 5 years ago

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How to Tell Your Client the Invoicing Charges without Any Stress

Invoicing and accounting were never an easy subject. We’ve always struggled in school and at times even today. This is why only a handful of scholars get to become the best of CAs. and there is literally no bad at that. Each one of us is different and brilliant in our fields. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.Read on and know the important tips to reduce invoicing related stress.

Now you must be wondering the whole reason behind this session of TEDTalk. So, while scrolling Reddit a couple of days ago, I came across a post that haunted me for hours. It was about how an amazingly talented photographer was embarrassed about successfully doing his business because of the lack of some admin skills.

I wondered how this must be a problem of many who do not say it. This seemingly minor obstacle became a major problem for someone to be successful. I could not control but sharing this with everyone who is facing these problems.

But, first, please read the exact situation

“I’ve been working for a company led by a successful photographer in the UK for a few years until about a year ago when I left the country for personal reasons. I’ve remained close to the company and started doing freelance work for them as a photographer, doing behind the scenes photography, and work on other projects. It is however really hard for me to set my own prices as I haven’t done freelance work before and don’t really know how to break down my costs and adjusting my rates, as I’ve been offered 200£ one time and 2000£ another time for projects that took about the same amount of work. A lot of the jobs I’ve been getting are also very spontaneous, asking me to fly out on location within just a few days so there often isn’t much time for preparation.

So when it comes down to sending my invoices I end up procrastinating and building up anxiety about it to the point where I’ve just ended up doing work for free a couple of times already. I’ve asked other photographer friends what their process is but never really managed to get a proper response from them and I just get ashamed to tell them how helpless I am. I really love my work but I’m embarrassed by my lack of professionalism when it comes to the admin side of it and it’s making me doubt if I should even pursue this career or just find regular employment again. I’m taking this to Reddit hoping that I could maybe get some pointers in the right direction.”

This particular issue has sparked so many questions that need critical understanding and precise targeting. As an invoicing expert, I would like to resolve each of the queries of my friend u/gabbacus (Reddit Username).

How to break down project costing to justify every cost?

What factors to take into consideration while deciding cost?

How much is worth your services?

Why are projects estimated differently at different times?

How to create an Invoice that is self-explanatory?

How important are estimates and charges list?

Why is it important to seek expert guidance?

Lastly, Invoicing is a minor issue to create any embarrassment.

Keep on reading to find out solutions to avoid complications while invoicing and successfully carry out administration jobs without any fail.

Question 1- How to break down a project costing to justify every cost?

In any project that you carry out, there are multiple costs involved that your customers might not be aware of and consider you’re overcharging. To take your customer in full trust, break down the cost for them to help them understand better. For example, a photographer’s full charges can include-

Time billing

Photography cost

Travel charges

Rental charges

Markup charges

Taxes

Additional services

Consultation fees (if any)

The above is the precise breakdown of costs a photographer should include in their invoices. Apart from this, there are multiple other types of invoices that you can create such as

Lump-sum billing– for collectively charging prices for the project. It is basically for bigger projects including many folds of project management.

Up-set billing– a combination of time-cost and lump-sum billing, up-set billing is about charging a lump-sum to work in a particular time frame.

Question 2- What factors to take into consideration while deciding cost?

It might not seem important at first, but how you invoice photography clients can have a big impact on the success of a job, and your profit margin.

A key factor/tip that will be directly relatable to your business is bill your clients three or four times more the payment amount you want to take home. There is nothing unethical about it. Because this cost will include all your other costs associated. For say, if you want to take $25 at the end of the day home, bill your clients $100 to $105. This amount will help you cover up all the costs that you have invested and later take back home the desired income you want to. Some photographers contrast to the hourly billing and suggest it is not the best way, but it is important as a photographer to value your time and bill on the basis of hours invested.

On the other hand, the other most chosen method of billing clients is billing for products. Ie. prints, books, photos, etc. it is generally a totally different billing segment and not mixed with time-based billing.

In a photography business, an invoice is generally split into two parts- the cost to do the work (taking pictures) and the cost to use the pictures(picture licensing).

Therefore, when you bill next time, make sure you are taking into consideration both of the most important factors and reduce invoicing related stress.

Question 3- How much to worth your services?

A photography business is one of the most diverse business segments in the society out there. Where getting appreciated and acknowledged is a long road to achieving achieve. Therefore, if you will not value your pieces of art, no one out there will ever too.

Now, once you firmly appreciate your work. You can let your clients perceive higher values of your services fairly quickly. Most importantly, a business presentation is everything. More so in the business of art. Do not forget to consider these factors while upgrading your business.

Decorate your space to make it more professional and welcoming.

Your packaging is your branding. Ensure every packaging material you use is fully branded and professional with logo and information.

Let your customers experience a VIP customer service experience.

Photography is a luxury. Just like people invest in expensive bags and cars, they like to invest in photography. Be the one their best money can only buy.

Always stay ahead of your competition. Regularly track them and create newer strategies to stay ahead and relevant all the time.

Question 4- Why are projects estimated differently at different times?

Now, this is a complete situation based circumstance. Many times as businessmen we tend to make decisions that are of best of interests at a given point of time. Make sure to consider a few factors while estimating projects-

The kind of project you’re working on

Your current business needs

Past experience of the projects

Project involvement needs

Need for supplies

Calculate hours to be invested.

Question 5- How to create an Invoice that is self-explanatory?

Well, an invoice is your most professional document, apart from being your reward to cash for services. It is your most eligible branding and a communicating piece of business art. An online invoice should be your most calculated, explanatory, and itemized list to help clients understand prices well.

Here are all the details an invoice must have-

Client’s name

Client’s address

Business name

Address of the Business

Business contact details

Itemized list of services, products

Taxes and description

Payment details

Terms and conditions

Payment due dates

Lastly, thank you notes

Question 6- How important are estimates and charges list?

Estimates are your gateway to new projects. They tell your clients how much they will be paying for services that will be offered to them. An estimate is a sum of items, and tentative expenses. It also includes tentative extra charges that might incur during the course of the project. The estimated cost of a work is a close approximation of its actual cost.

Question 7- Why is it important to seek expert guidance?

While you’re a photography expert, you still need expert guidance on administration tasks that you’re still a noob to. Because your entire cash flow depends on your invoicing. It is the guardian to help your business sustain and grow. An expert just does not need to be a person. It can also be an invoicing software like Invoicera that guides you at each step while creating an invoice or managing business payables and receivables. Take a look at how Invoicera helps you manage your entire business activities.

Invoicera is one of the leading online invoice software in the market. The cloud-based invoicing and billing software has catered to more than 3 million users around the globe for the past 13 years.

The invoicing software offers many unique features customized to specific business needs of freelancers, small businesses, and enterprises. It helps you to automate and simplify your business processes and communication with online invoicing and payments, expense management, recurring/subscription billing, client/vendor panels, time tracking, invoice approval process, multilingual & multi-currency support, staff permissions, financial reporting & analysis, purchase order management.

Features:

Invoice approval process/ customized approval process

Two-factor authentication

Multiple business access

30+payment gateways

3 layers account security

Staff management

A/R&A/P Management

Multi-lingual compatible Invoices

Services:

Online invoice software

Subscription billing management

Project management

Time tracking software

Custom workflow management

Expense management

Customize Invoicing solution

Multi- Business Management

Third Party Integration

Lastly, Invoicing is a minor issue to create any embarrassment.

Invoicing and other administration jobs of managing expenses, receivables and other cashflow are important to a business. They decide on your success. As a business owner, it is expected for you to be a jack of all trades. But, it is completely fine to not know a few things. The world can teach them to you if you have the desire to learn.

Invoicing is one of the easiest documents, yet more complicated. But, trust me once you start creating these on a regular basis, they become seamless. You just need to be smart enough to utilize technology in the right manner so that it sets the pace for you. Software like Invoicera guides you throughout the process of invoicing, expense management, payments to become a pro and hence reduce invoicing related stress.

Original Post: https://www.invoicera.com/blog/billing-software/how-to-charge-a-client-for-services-reduce-invoicing-related-stress/

#invoice #invoicing #invoicing software

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