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flyinghome-againstthewind · 3 years

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the best by far is you: chapter 17

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For all the things my hands have held, the best by far is you - Cecilia and the satellite

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Summary: An exploration of Claire & Jamie’s story if their firstborn had lived and they had the chance to be parents together of wee Faith Fraser before the Battle of Culloden.

Chapter 17

Edinburgh

June 1746

Edinburgh proved difficult to search. One lone carriage was hardly something of note for residents of Edinburgh, and that besides, Claire was quite certain this was where that particular journey had ended. They had no way of knowing where in the city Jamie and Faith would’ve gone once they’d arrived. So they checked every tavern, inn, and boarding house they could find, hoping they weren’t too late, that Jamie and Faith hadn’t moved on to some other place.

It was once again the horse, of all things, that gave them hope.

They were walking through a bustling market when Fergus stopped so abruptly in front of Claire that she nearly knocked him over. “Fergus, what are you‒”

His gaze was frozen on something ahead. “It’s Donas, Milady.”

“What?”

He didn't wait another second and surged forward into the crowd, leaving Claire and Murtagh to scramble after him. When they caught up to him, they were both brought almost nose-to-nose with a black horse that was unmistakable to them.

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,” Claire whispered tightly, eyes widening at the sight before her. Donas was tucked back into a stall just off the busy street, but his head swung curiously over the wooden gate.

She glanced about, trying to get her bearings. If Donas was here, then‒

“Get back!”

The three of them startled at the sharp voice, Claire’s hand flying to Fergus’s shoulder as if that could shield him. Off to their right, a man had appeared ‒ a blacksmith by trade if his gritty, grimy appearance was any indication. “Unless ye want tae lose a hand. That beast is the devil’s own.”

Donas reared back suddenly, as if he understood and took offense. Claire was used to the horse’s attitude, but his timing always was something else, she thought. The blacksmith only took this as confirmation of what he’d just said, nodding sharply toward the horse with wide-eyed suspicion.

“See? He kens it.”

“That is not‒” Fergus began. Claire squeezed his shoulder.

“Please, can you tell us where we might find the owner of this horse?”

The blacksmith’s gaze shifted over the three of them, considering. Finally, he folded his arms over his chest and leveled a withering gaze at Claire. “Ye’re lookin’ at ‘im.”

“What?” She balked. Her gaze flew back to Donas, looking him over more discerningly. It had to be him. Then…?

“When did you acquire him?”

“I dinna see why ye need tae know.”

It was clear the man was growing tired of them, but before Claire could respond, Murtagh had fired back a reply. “I dinna see what harm there is in answering the lass.”

The blacksmith hardly concealed his annoyance but threw his hands up in defeat. “If it’ll make ye leave. A man brought him ‘round last week and sold him to me‒”

Claire felt her breath leave her lungs in a rush. A week ago. They’d never been this close before. A light, buoyant feeling filled her.

“‒ under false pretenses, mind. Tha’ horse was docile as a wee lamb when he brought ‘im here. Soon as he’s gone, I was dealing wi’ a demon.”

“Maybe you should‒”

Whatever Fergus was about to say, Claire was certain it wouldn’t have been flattering. And she needed more from this conversation still.

“Last question and then we’re out of your hair.” She felt an odd flutter in her stomach at the thought of what answers they might be able to walk away with. “What can you tell me about the man who sold you the horse?”

They’d come to stay so long in Edinburgh that Faith’s understanding of “home” was beginning to solidify around the place they’d resided there: Mary’s aunt’s house. And while the streets were still crawling with soldiers, Jamie had gone so long without incident or recognition that the wariness was fading each time he stepped outside.

Mary's aunt had been hospitable in opening her home to Jamie and Faith when they arrived with Mary, though Jamie got the distinct impression that she wasn't exactly thrilled with this arrangement, given that she knew he was a Scot.

Still, it was a safe haven while they waited for sea passage to open up again.

Jamie entered the house, lugging his bundle of purchases, and was almost immediately greeted by Faith's high-pitch squeal from the other room. He paused, wondering if it was a squeal of excitement or some sort of fit.

There was a bustle of movement up ahead from the parlor and then Faith tumbled out into the hallway, tripping on the hem of her dress. It was new to her, an old dress belonging to one of Mary's cousins, and they were adjusting it for Faith.

"Da!"

Happy squeal, then.

He grinned broadly and dropped to one knee as Faith toddled over to him, nearly tripping again as she reached him. "Did ye behave for yer Auntie Mary, then?"

She didn't respond to him, only looped her slight arms around his neck and started to hang from him, giggling all the while.

"Alright then, ye wee fiend," he laughed, scooping her up as he moved to stand.

By now, Mary had appeared at the threshold and greeted him before they all moved into the parlor. Jamie noted that none of the other inhabitants of the house were in the room and breathed a sigh of relief. He was abundantly grateful to be able to keep Faith sheltered here, but he had no great desire for the company of near strangers ‒ especially those who looked down their nose at him.

“I’ve had a letter from my father,” Mary announced.

“Aye?”

“He’s sending my younger brother to escort me back to my father’s estate.”

Jamie nodded at that, though he wasn’t sure how he should feel. “And how did he take yer news?”

“Oh quite well,” Mary said swiftly. “I knew he would. Of course he wishes I wasn’t so recently widowed, since he’ll have to make arrangements for me to be married again. But there’s no shame in being widowed and with child.”

Jamie took a deep breath, ready to dive in on that comment, but thought better of interfering in her family matters and bit his tongue instead.

“Find everything you were looking for?” Mary asked.

“Oh aye.” Jamie pulled out the fresh ginger he’d purchased. There had been a number of items he’d needed to prepare for the upcoming voyage, but none quite so important as the very thing he held up for Mary to see. “For my seasickness,” he explained and then grinned ruefully. “Canna seem to so much as set foot on a ship wi’out getting sick.”

“Is it bad?”

“It’s no’ a pretty sight, I’m sure.”

“What will you do with Faith?”

Jamie’s gaze dropped to Faith in his lap and he swallowed roughly. “I dinna have much choice but to pray the ginger tea keeps me standing. I canna afford to get sick.”

Mary fell silent at that, her hands fidgeting restlessly in her lap.

But he knew even without her saying it that it was a foolish endeavor. He knew how sick he became on sea voyages and without anyone else with them, he ran the risk of becoming too sick to care for his child. But what other choice did he have?

“I could go with you.”

Mary’s words were spoken so softly, he almost didn’t catch them. His head snapped up and he stared at her. “You canna be serious.”

“Of course I’m serious!”

“It’s‒ I mean no offense to ye, Mary. It’s only… well, yer brother is already on his way and‒”

“That’s not a problem. I’ll just leave word here with my aunt telling him where we’ve gone. He can follow after and escort me back, same as he intended before.”

“That hardly seems fair to him. How old is the lad?”

Mary hesitated briefly. “George is fifteen, he’s old enough.”

Jamie swore under his breath. “We dinna even know where we’re headed yet. Could be as far as the colonies. And even if ye did accompany us on the journey and instructed yer wee brother to follow us… by time he arrives, ye willna be fit to make the journey again wi’ the bairn coming. You’ll have to have the baby in another country, alone.”

“I’ll be alone no matter where I am,” Mary pointed out and Jamie immediately regretted his words. “Doesn’t matter if I’m in Italy or France, the colonies or my father’s estate.”

Jamie sighed. “I still dinna like the idea. Ye’re finally safe here and under no obligation to help us further. I’m already indebted to ye for getting us this far. No, I couldna ask that of ye.”

“Good thing you didn’t ask then.” Mary straightened her spine. “And it’s… it’s me who’s indebted to you. If you hadn’t come to Inverness, I’d still be‒”

Jamie raised a hand in silent pleading. After all they’d been through since he’d knocked on her door in Inverness, there simply was no keeping score of how they’d aided one another. And he valued her friendship too highly to think of it as mere transactions.

He sighed loudly, hating the idea but seeing that determined look in Mary’s eye.

“Besides,” Mary added, “I’m not really doing this for you.”

He smiled cheerlessly, once again turning his gaze back to the red-headed toddler in his lap. For Claire, she’d said at the start. And it had never escaped his notice just how much Mary risked to repay Claire’s kindness, her friendship. “Well, I thank ye for it. Truly. Ye’re a good friend, Mary Hawkins.”

The evenings were always bittersweet in Edinburgh. It meant putting Faith to bed, a small routine that they’d carved out no matter where they were, and a time that Jamie always treasured. And it also meant once his child was asleep that there was nothing to preoccupy his mind, to keep his anguished thoughts at bay.

But before then, his complete attention was always on Faith.

“C’mere, lass.”

He scooped her up and headed toward the nursery where Faith slept. He felt her head rest heavy on his shoulder as they went, and her small hand patted his opposite shoulder gently.

He was helping her change into her nightgown when she sneezed. Three times in quick succession.

“Something tickling yer nose, a nighean?” he said lightly, though his hand went to her forehead and tried to gauge her temperature. Felt normal, but there was a small voice in the back of his mind ‒ Claire’s voice ‒ reminding him that unless the fever was very high, it was often hard to discern if someone had a fever by merely feeling for it.

Faith rubbed her nose with the back of her pudgy hand and looked up at him with glassy eyes. “Christ, I hope ye’re not sick.”

He took her wee face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her hairline, then rested his cheek there for a moment. She felt a little warm, but did that mean…?

Faith’s little hands wormed their way between them and pushed his face away. “No’ sick.”

He chuckled and pulled back, startled by her boldness, her certainty. A pint-sized force of nature, even if she was ‒ perhaps ‒ feeling under the weather.

But God in Heaven! He wished Claire was here for this. For all of it with Faith, but especially this. She would know better than him what to do if Faith got sick.

“Ye ready for bed then?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No’ yet, Da.”

“Not yet?”

Again, she shook her head, this time with a hint of a smile on her face. The more she learned to talk, the better she became at delaying her dreaded bedtime. She burst into a flood of speech ‒ not much of which was intelligible to Jamie, but she had something to say nonetheless ‒ which ended promptly with the word “story.”

“Ah. Ye’ll be wanting yer bedtime story then, is tha’ it?”

A curt nod from Faith.

“Aye, I can oblige ye there, mo chridhe.”

He stood and watched Faith scurry over to the small bed that was all her own. As was their nightly ritual, he situated Faith off to one side and pulled the covers up for her before carefully easing his six-foot-four frame onto the comically small bed, curled onto his side with his feet hanging over the ledge. A gentle breeze could’ve knocked him backwards off of the bed, but this was what he’d done the first night in this strange house when Faith had been too scared to sleep alone. Now, she slept well enough so long as he was there to tuck her in, give her a story. Once she was asleep, he would move her more towards the center of the bed before he left and retired to his own room.

“What story would ye like tonight, a nighean?”

“My mam?”

He exhaled a laugh. They were always about Faith’s mam. Even while he worried that Faith would never truly know Claire, it couldn’t stop him from wanting to talk about her to Faith. To help her understand the magnitude of Claire’s love for her, and that it wasn’t Claire’s fault that she wasn’t here now with Faith.

“Aye, I can tell ye about yer mam,” Jamie agreed softly. He started as he always did ‒ with a memory of Claire, whatever came to him in the moment. And he’d simply talk for as long as Faith needed, weaving one memory into another until he noticed her eyelids getting heavy, her breathing slowing to a steady rhythm.

“Ken yer mother was verra canny,” he prefaced his next story, slipping subconsciously into past-tense when he spoke of Claire. “What she didna ken about healing could fit in a shoe. After the Battle of Prestonpans, I was so weary and hurting ‒ got stepped on by a horse that day, ye ken, and och yer mam was furious wi’ me ‒ but I came back into the cottage to watch her, tending to the injured men. She was tireless and so determined…”

When Faith was finally out, he reached over and felt her forehead again, battling a sinking feeling that Faith truly was coming down with an illness. She’d been sniffling and sneezing, but that could be nothing. Or it could be the first sign of something more.

“A Dhia…”

He ached for Claire every minute of the day ‒ needed her like the very breath in his lungs ‒ but he’d never felt so wretchedly helpless without her until this moment. What would he do if Faith became sick?

Panic squeezed his heart in a vice grip. She was all he had now. Faith, still so wee and fragile, was the only thing keeping Jamie from careening off into the dark. And suddenly, he wasn’t even sure he could do this on his own.

He wanted to steal away back to the stones with Faith, to find some way to fix this. She should be with Claire ‒ she should’ve always been with Claire ‒ and it wasn’t right that they had been separated. That Faith couldn’t travel like her mother could.

Since he was a lad, he had a habit of speaking to his departed brother, Willie. Since Willie had been the oldest, he rightly should’ve been laird. So much of Jamie’s life growing up had been the result of Willie’s death. Honors that would normally befall the oldest son passed to Jamie instead, like fostering with his Uncle Dougal or continuing his studies in Paris. This had always been front of mind for Jamie, and when faced with a decision as Laird, he found it only respectful of Willie’s memory to ask his older brother’s thoughts on choices that should’ve been his to make.

Aye, the dead had a way of living with Jamie. He hadn’t only talked to Willie, but to the plovers along the shore, which legend said carried the souls of young mothers lost in childbirth. And he’d done this for years before he lost his da, but never once in the time since Brian Fraser’s death had he spoken to his father.

But suddenly, he found himself longing to pour his heart out to his departed father, in conversations he’d been too hesitant to have with the weight of Jamie’s misplaced guilt over Brian’s death. Suddenly, more than anything, he ached for one last conversation with his da.

“How did ye do it, Athair?” he whispered in the still room the question that had been plaguing him. He was intimately familiar with the pain his father would’ve suffered when his mam died. “How did you keep on living wi’out yer heart?”

The answer was there before him in the sleeping form of Faith. His father had survived for his and Jenny’s sakes, carried them through their grief and gave them hope. And though it felt impossible, though everything within him screamed that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be, Jamie would do the same for Faith as his father did for him. “I ken now the pain ye were trying to hide, Athair. But ye raised me and Jenny well despite it all. Help me do the same.”

His hand gently brushed over Faith’s wispy curls as he then addressed his sleeping child. “I’ve told ye plenty about yer mam, but nothing of my mam and da. We’ll need tae remedy that. Another time.”

He breathed in deep and then sighed heavily. “My da only ever kent me as a lad. Sometimes I wonder… if he saw me as I am today, would he be proud of me now? Would he approve of who I’ve become? And would I be much different from who I was before... or would he still recognize me as his son?”

His thumb softly stroked at her hair just above her temple before tucking a few wayward locks behind one tiny ear. “But I look at ye, Faith, and… there’s nothing ye could do that would ever change how I love ye. How I’m bursting at the seams with pride o’er ye. And that’s one thing I ken my da would’ve been very proud of,” he shifted slowly and pressed a kiss to Faith’s head before he finally stood, “My bairns.”

It had been a week since they’d found Donas and they still didn’t have a crumb of information for where Jamie and Faith might be.

“Would it have been better to wait at Lallybroch in case he sent word? Before we went trampling across the country in search of him…” Claire wondered aloud.

“That would have taken months to wait for news to arrive.” Murtagh eyed her protruding belly, just starting to appear noticeable to others under all her layers of clothing. “Ye dinna have that kind of time to wait around.”

Claire sighed. “Aren’t we just waiting here, until we find a trace of him? Doesn’t feel much different.”

Murtagh didn’t reply, just made that Scottish sound low in the throat and eased into a chair.

There was a boyish shout from outside and Claire’s gaze flickered over to the window. Fergus was out in the street with another boy, playing some sort of game. She’d told him to go run some energy off after he’d been driving her up a wall all afternoon within the cramped confines of their rented room. They’d had no lead on Jamie even after finding Donas and that had hit Fergus hard. But even worse had been walking away without the horse that Fergus had loved so dearly ‒ all the time wondering why Jamie had sold him in the first place.

“What if they’re already gone from here? How long do we wait ‒ how long can we wait before the money is gone?”

They’d had no collateral of their own to offer up for the horse and even though they had some money ‒ money that they’d carefully skimped and saved during their journey before arriving in Edinburgh ‒ it wouldn’t last forever.

Murtagh grunted softly again. He’d heard her, he just didn’t have an answer.

Claire had even tried offering her services as a healer here when they first arrived. But Edinburgh was a bustling Lowland city, not a remote Highland village, and where those small populations would flock to Claire, the people of Edinburgh turned their nose up at her ‒ a strange woman they had no cause to trust or even to need in a large city such as this. So even the small hope of word getting out to Jamie of a Sassenach woman healer had quickly been dashed.

Her gaze sought out Fergus again and her heart sank in her chest. She wasn’t sure how much more disappointment they could shoulder before it became all too much. Or how much longer they could search before the only obvious solution was to turn home for Lallybroch.

Her hand fell to her belly. Murtagh was right about that at least. They didn’t have all that much time before there would be a baby to consider as well.

The ports had reopened in Edinburgh ‒ but not without British control over what came in and out of the harbor. The sale of Donas helped provide enough to book passage on a ship, but they’d had to be careful in arranging it. Jamie had begun to notice the new broadsheets going up around Edinburgh and among them, one for Red Jamie. No doubt as the dust from Culloden began to settle, his disappearance hadn’t gone completely unnoticed.

He had followed the captain of a cargo ship recently docked in Edinburgh into a tavern one night. The captain ‒ a Scot through and through ‒ and Jamie swapped tales over drinks well into the night and only once he was sure the good captain had been plied with enough drink to make him amiable did he bring up the request to book passage with him.

“Ye dinna even ken where we’re going,” the captain laughed, his cheeks ruddy from drink.

Jamie laughed too, though he realized he’d made a misstep. That it might sound more suspicious now than if he’d learned of the destination first. Instead he tried to play it off as being cavalier. “Tell ye the truth… it doesna really matter where ye’re going, so long as it’s away from here.”

The captain chuckled and shook his head. They negotiated the price and sealed the deal there at that tavern table. “Write yer names down for me. I’ll have them added to the ship’s manifest. We sail in three days. Dinna be late.”

“And where are we sailing for?” Jamie finally asked.

“Och I thought it didna matter!” The captain roared with laughter again and Jamie reminded himself he couldn’t strike the captain that was giving him a way out of Scotland.

The captain stood to his feet, a bit wobbly at first try. Jamie thought of Mary and how she planned to leave a letter for her brother to be able to follow. How could he follow if he didn’t know where they went?

He opened his mouth to speak, but the captain clapped him hard on the shoulder and said, “Le Havre, man. We’re only going so far as Le Havre.”

In three days’ time, Jamie, Mary, and Faith were at the docks ‒ Jamie with his hair recently dyed black to cover his roots and Faith with her red hair tucked under a bonnet and then the hood of her cape as a precaution.

They would need to be allowed past by the Redcoat checking the ship’s manifest, the only hurdle standing between them and freedom. And having spoken with the captain that night in the tavern, they couldn’t fall back on their old gimmick of Jamie-as-a-mute. But this was a calculated risk he knew he would take, hoping that the time and miles between here and Culloden would be enough to shed any suspicion that he might be Red Jamie.

“Name?”

He met the eye of the Redcoat staring him down. “Alexandre Beauchamp,” he said evenly, letting a little bit of his admittedly imperfect French accent bleed into his thick Highlander dialect in hopes that it would at least confuse him. Off the surprised look from the man, he added with an easy smile, “I get that look a lot. My father was a Frenchman but my mother a Scot. Ye can see for yerself which side I favored in looks.” He could hide the red hair, but the towering height, the build of a man descended from Vikings… that could not be so easily hidden.

“And your companions?”

“My daughter, Faith Beauchamp, and Mary Hawkins.”

The man’s gaze flicked between Jamie and Mary, and though Jamie’s heart felt as though it might beat right out of his chest, this conversation was flowing exactly as he’d anticipated. They were almost through.

“And your relation to Mistress Hawkins?”

“My late wife’s sister. She’s accompanying me to care for my child.” It wasn’t terribly far from the truth ‒ and it was a necessity now to be able to explain why Faith called her Auntie Mary.

“And your reason for journeying to Le Havre?”

“My father’s family is there. My grandfather is in poor health and I must return.”

The Redcoat looked him in the eye again and Jamie knew what question came next. “And are you a Jacobite or have you ever aided the Jacobites in any way, Mr. Beauchamp?”

“No.” He was met with a look of vague suspicion and he mustered every ounce of easy confidence into next words. “I am not nor have I ever been a Jacobite, or a Jacobite sympathizer for that matter. And I never aided their cause in any way. I am loyal to the crown.”

The Redcoat quirked one eyebrow at that and Jamie felt his stomach twisting into knots. “They all say that… now.”

But with a quick jerk of his head, the Redcoat dismissed them. Jamie blinked, stunned for a moment that it had been that easy. Because even without proof… the Redcoats could have treated him any way they wanted. That was their claim as victors. They didn’t need a reason to not let him through and that had been the one variable Jamie couldn’t have planned for ‒ the mercy of a Redcoat.

He shifted Faith to one arm and moved past the man, ushering Mary ahead of him up the gangway to the ship.

“Sir! Wait.”

He froze, hearing the Redcoat’s voice ring out. Mary stopped too and whirled around to look back at him. His hold on Faith tightened and he turned slowly.

The Redcoat stared at him curiously.

Jamie forced a smile. “Have I forgotten something?”

“As a matter of fact…” the man held out his hand. In his palm was Sawny, which Jamie had given to Faith to keep her occupied. She must’ve dropped it.

“Ah. I thank ye, Corporal.” He grabbed Sawny and handed it back to Faith. “I would’ve had a verra unhappy child on my hands had that been left behind.”

He wasted no time waiting for a response and turned with Faith to head back up the gangway where Mary still stood. “Let’s go,” he uttered under his breath when they reached her. The sooner they could be at sea, the safer he would feel.

What he hadn’t expected to feel was the loss.

He held Faith in his arms as he stood by the railing and watched Edinburgh fade farther and farther away. Watched his homeland fade away, knowing they’d likely never return.

“Christ,” he muttered, blinking fast against the unexpected sting of tears.

Faith stretched her arm out in front of her, towards land, and waved.

“Ye saying goodbye, a leannan?”

“G’bye,” she echoed in a soft, song-like voice.

Ah but he would do it all again in a heartbeat for her, no matter the cost. It was always for her, for her wellbeing and chance at a happy life.

She grinned up at him ‒ not a trace of sickness, though they’d dealt with the sneezing and runny nose for a few days before she was back to her usual self. “Ken you’re mine, a nighean, but ye dinna have to rub my nose in it that yer stomach is as hearty as a sailor’s,” he teased her before moving below deck, where Mary was waiting. His stomach was already rolling and it was only a matter of time…

July 1746

Claire was writing a letter to Jenny ‒ an update without much news, but she still wanted to keep Jenny apprised ‒ when Murtagh burst into the room, startling her violently.

“Jesus Christ!”

Without giving her much time to recover, he dove breathlessly into the reason for his unsettling arrival.

“I just spoke with a deckhand down at the docks, just come back from Le Havre.” Murtagh’s eyes were aglow and Claire tried to temper the hope buoying in her chest. “He said he remembers someone that looked like Jamie who booked passage on the ship last time they came through here. Said he was sick as a dog the whole trip… and he had a wee lass with him.”

Claire was trembling and her simple question came out in a frantic whisper. “When?”

Murtagh smiled broadly, his chest still heaving as he tried to get the words out without stopping for a breath. “Just last month. They’re in France, a nighean. We found them.”

She hardly recalled how she went from sitting at the desk to being wrapped up in an almost painful hug from Murtagh, shouting with joy to keep herself from bursting into tears.

“What’s going on?”

She pulled away from Murtagh to see Fergus enter the room, concern etched into his face.

“What happened?” he asked.

Claire couldn’t keep the smile from her face even as her vision misted over with tears. Not just for her joy of being reunited with Jamie and Faith, but for Fergus’s as well. “Murtagh found them, love. We’re going home!”

When Fergus ran to embrace her, she nearly stumbled backwards from the impact of it. She cupped the back of his head and held him tight, rocking slightly.

“We’re going home.”

“D’ye have everything then, Mary?”

“I believe so.”

Jamie turned to help Mary up into the carriage. Upon arriving in France, they’d gone first to Jamie’s Uncle Alexander at the Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupré, that being the closest and safest place to turn to. Jamie and Faith meant to stay on at the abbey a bit longer, but Mary needed to return to Paris, to her aunt and uncle who would welcome her into their home until her younger brother arrived.

“Wait. No. I did forget something in my room.” Mary turned and stepped down from the carriage. “I’ll be right back,” she yelled over her shoulder.

“It’s alright, lass. We have time.”

“Jamie!”

He turned to find his uncle exiting the abbey, making a path towards him. “Aye?”

“We’re expecting a delivery to the abbey today. Could you help them unload when it arrives?”

“Aye of course.”

It wasn’t long after his uncle had left him that he noticed the wagon jolting down the dirt road towards the abbey.

Nobody saw what spooked the horse pulling the wagon as it neared the carriage.

It happened too fast, the one horse trying to buck itself free of the wagon, and the team of horses hitched to the carriage panicking as a result.

One moment, Jamie was standing beside a carriage and the next, he was flat on his back with a searing pain in his leg and a crushing weight pinning his body down.

And then it all went black.

#jamie x claire #outlander #outlander fic #faith fraser #tbbfiy #the best by far is you #my fic #OL fic

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sherrybaby14 · 4 years

Text

Still Feel Alive

Request: Perhaps for Geralt, you could have the reader be effected by an Incubus. I have no idea of the lore of the games and how that would play into this, but I can totally see Geralt killing the Incubus and then finding it's victim. Now he's gonna help them before the Incubus' venom kills them? Supernatural Sex Pollen Hoo!

Pairing: Geralt x reader

Warnings: Smut, dubcon (Cause of the incubus effects), Sex pollen-ish

Words: 3k

A/N: I did not follow The Witcher Incubus lore. Instead, I just made my own.

The rush of the evening dwindled. Now all that was left were a handful of regulars. You glanced around the room, table after table needed busing. You tucked your rag into your apron and grabbed the tub.

“He’s making you clean tables now?” Landid stood up from his chair. “Who will serve us our drinks?”

“Pour your own.” You shook your head as you rounded the bar into the dining room. “And I sent the rest of the wait staff home for the evening. We were slow.”

“You trust me to serve myself?” Landid’s eyes went wide with awe.

“Come now.” You laughed. “You are my best customer. If you stole you would never be allowed back. I imagine you would rather face death than that fate.”

“Right you are.” Landid shrugged and took a sip.

You put your bin on the first table and gathered all the dirty dishes then moved on to the next until the bin was overflowing. A groan left your lips as you carried the thing with both arms.

“Let me get the door at least.” Landid jumped up and rounded the bar. He pushed open the swing doors to the kitchen.

“Thank you.” You smiled at the man, trying not to roll your eyes. You could have handled the doors yourself.

You let out another groan as you set down the bin on the counter.

“You know he is in love with you.” The chef and owner walked over to you. “Why not give the man the attention he desires? He would make a proper husband.”

“Aye.” You started to empty the dishes into the basin of soapy water. “It is I who would not make a proper wife.”

“Why is that?” Your boss helped wash the dishes. “Poor love-sick Landid isn’t the only one. I have watched mand after man approach you, and you rebuff every single one. Is it a woman you are after?”

The right person, male or female or witch or wizard or dragon or werewolf will catch my eye someday.” You smiled at him. “And I will disappear without a trace..”

“Ha! A werewolf?” Your boss shook his head. “Landid never stood a chance.”

“I can close up.” You wiped your hands. “If you want to knock off early.”

“Let me finish up the kitchen.” He pushed at you. “Once it is clean back here, I will take you up on your offer.”

The rest of the night would be boring. You doubted a new soul would even walk through the door. Just Landid and his pals until they drank their fill. An easy night.

You walked back out into the bar and your heart almost jumped in your throat. A new person at the counter.

“Did I frighten you my lady?” The man wore a smile on his face, and what a face it was.

Beautiful, with sharp features and shoulder-length black hair. Slicked back away from his face. Eyes so brown they were almost black, and skin smoother than you thought possible.

“What can I get for you, Sir?” You cleared your throat and approached the customer.

“Toussiant Red.” His head tilted as his eyes studied your face.

That was the most expensive alcohol you sold. A glance of the man up and down told you he could afford it.

“Do you have it?” His voice was smooth, it made your ear vibrate.

“Uh.” Your head felt a bit fuzzy, you shook it and you turned toward the alcohol. “Yes.”

You went for the cabinet below and reached into the back. It felt like there was a weight on you, a shadow coming down. You stood up and grabbed a glass. The strange presence almost surrounding you, sending a chill to your bones.

It wasn’t welcome. Your body and mind tried to fight off the force.

“Strong.” The stranger’s voice almost sounded like music.

“Excuse me?” You turned to face him, unsure if he was reading your mind.

“The wine.” He nodded to the bottle. “It is a strong varietal.”

“Yes.” You gave a nervous laugh, feeling silly. “Not a frequent purchase here.”

“What is frequent here?” His lips turned into a twisted smile.

You blinked, feeling the slam of the shadow again. Something was not right. Had the dinner soured your stomach? Was illness coming on? It was spreading fast, bearing down on you.

“Are you alright?” Landid asked from the other end. “Is this man bothering you?”

Your attention turned to Landid. The distraction was an error. Your attention was not on battling off the sickness and you gasped as it crept in. Horror flooded your veins, but then in a moment it vanished and a clarity spread over you. In fact, you felt good.

“No.” Your voice was confident as you turned back to the stranger. “He is not bothering me.”

So handsome. So beautiful, even with the offputting grin. He rose from his seat and walked to the end of the bar, signaling for you to do that same.

When you met you looked up at him, his eyes dancing as they looked down at yours.

“Would you like to get out of here?” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “With me?”

“Yes.” There was no other answer in the world as if ‘yes’ was the only one in existence.

“Come then.” He took your hand and wove your fingers together, kissing the top. “I have a horse waiting.”

“Hey!” Landid was following you. “Where are you going?”

You did not respond, because you did not care. The only this in the world that mattered was the stranger guiding you. Stranger was not the right word for him, no. He felt like home.

“Y/N.” Landid was outside. “What are you doing?”

“Here we are.” The man set you on a horse.

“Where are you taking her?” Landid yelled.

“I am no concern of yours.” You looked at Landid, the thoughts having no filter. “I do not and will never love you. Now fuck off.”

The words sounded cruel, nothing you would ever say to such a sweet man. But the voice was your own. Any misgivings vanished when your man swung his leg over the horse and secured his arm around your waist.

“You hear the lady.” He kicked the horse, turning away from the tavern. “Fuck off.”

With that, the animal took off and a smile spread on your face as you leaned into his chest, wanting nothing more than to melt into the stranger.

Geralt barely stepped inside when he knew this was the place with certainty.

“Irresponsible of her.” A man behind the bar was wiping it down. “We were just talking about running off. She said she would do it with the right person.”

“I am telling you. Something was wrong.” The younger man pleaded. “It was not her. Like he put some daze on her. They barely spoke and she runs off with him? Does that sound like her?”

“She is impulsive.” The elder man put his hands on the counter. “Looking for a first love.”

“Landid is correct.” A third man caught Geralt’s eye.

“Landid is a lovesick puppy.” The older one hadn’t noticed. “There are no magical monsters running off with women. She left with him willingly.”

“Then why is a Witcher standing here?” The third man pointed and all heads went to Geralt.

The color drained from the older man’s face.

“Witcher.” Landid stepped forward. “Please, a man enchanted my girlfriend. They went off on a horse. Headed north to the woods.”

“She is not your girlfriend.” Geralt turned to the exit. “And he was not a man.”

He noticed the tracks on the way in. The confirmation who they belonged to was the only information he was after.

“She will be soon.” Landid and the group followed him. “Let me help you. Assemble a search party.”

“You will slow me down.” Geralt turned his horse and climbed up.

“Will you bring her back safe?” The man looked up at him. “I love her.”

“If I can.” Something in Landid’s face struck sympathy.

“I know you feel no emotions, but my love for her. It is pure and strong and genuine.” Landid walked next to the horse.

Of course. Witchers felt no emotion. Hearing that made a fire of rage go off inside of him. The sympathy for Landid vanished.

“If she loved you, an Incubus’ power would not affect her.” Geralt grunted. “And if you loved her, you would have formed that search party when they left. Not thirty minutes later.”

Landid looked dumbstruck. Geralt kicked his horse and took off after the tracks. Being the only rider would give him an advantage. He hoped it was enough to close their distance and save the girl before the monster had his dinner.

This was not right. This was not you. Riding off into the forest with a beautiful stranger? Standing here, staring at nothing while he built a fire.

“There.” He set the pile of wood ablaze. “I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”

“Are you going to kill me?” There was no inflection in your voice.

“Oh my, you are a strong one.” He shook his head and took your hands.

It felt like something was vibrating against your insides, seething back into your mind. You whimpered, wanting to force it out, trying your hardest to not let it seep deeper.

“Here.” A finger was on your chin.

You wanted to pull away but were frozen, lips were on yours. Soft, plump, inviting. A tongue flickered out and you parted your mouth, inviting the thing inside. Rich, coppery liquid flooded your mouth.

You squealed and tried to pull away, but his hand went to the back of your head. He continued to kiss you, You didn’t want to swallow but there was no keeping him out.

Soon the vibrations merged, the coppery taste turning sweet. He was a fantastic kisser, the best you had ever had. Your body relaxed and you lifted your arms, grabbing a hold of his shirts with your fists, coaxing him to kiss you harder.

“There.” He pressed his forehead to yours. “Much better now?”

You let out a moan and pressed your lips to his again.

“You’re going to taste delicious.” His hands went to your skirts. He kissed at your neck as you helped him take off your clothes, the fabric too hot and heavy for your skin. “It’s been some time since I had a fighter. Never one I had to use my blood on.”

You stepped out of your bottoms and then took your shirt off, undoing the undergarments, the fire growing between your legs hotter than the flames next to you.

“So smart and aware.” It felt like you were floating as he laid you down on the forest floor. “Quite the find.”

“Please.” You brought your hands between your bodies and began to tug at his pants. “I need you.”

“And you shall have me, darling.” He went to his belt. “I will devour you.”

You through your head back as tingles spread down your body.

“NO!” You cried out as you sat up, the pressure from his body vanishing.

You heard a large groan and saw him across the clearing, next to a tree. Your vision began to blur and you blinked several times, swearing you saw horns.

“Witcher!” The horned creature seethed.

“What?” You looked to the other person, white-haired.

“You interrupted my meal.” Everything started to turn.

A sword was swung, slicing through the air. You watched as best you could. It looked like an angel fighting a devil.

“Ahh!” A cramp in your stomach formed. Hard. Tight. Burn.

You brought your hands between your legs, trying to add pressure, give some relief, but your parts were numb. It felt like nothing was helping as you pulsed with want.

Tears stung your eyes as another wave of pain came, your pussy clamping down on nothing, so empty, so painful.

The fighting continued on in the background, but your blood grew hotter and hotter inside your veins. It was turning into fire. Only one thing would smother the flames.

The two figures continued to grunt and scream as they battled each other. You tried to reach out for them, form words, ask for help, but right now your body only had one function, making you hotter and hotter.

A shriek erupted through the air. You tried to open your eyes to see the victor, but they were blurry. Everything was blurry.

“Did you drink its blood?” Hands touched your body, giving you a brief relief. “Answer me.”

“Made me.” You were sat up and parted your lids, the white-haired victor holding your shoulders as he kneeled on the ground. “Please. Help me?”

“Fuck.” His hand touched your forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“Please.” You collapsed forward, forming a ball against his chest. “It hurts. I need.”

Your hands found his cock and you stroked it over his tight pants. You didn’t know how, but you were certain this would ease you. The dampness between your thighs agreed.

“You smell so.” He tightened and tried to back you away. “Fuck.”

“Please. I’ll do anything you like. Just please?” Your shoulder shook as you sobbed. “It hurts.”

He was hard. Eager for you as well. You squeezed around his form with one hand while the other went to his belt.

His hand came to yours about to push you away, but he paused. You lifted your face to look at him. Being close to the man brought back a fraction of your strength. He was gorgeous with yellow eyes and fair skin.

You were successful and his cock sprang free from his pants. So hard for you. You moaned in satisfaction, pinching your eyes shut in the process. A step closer to your goal.

Your lips found his chest and you kissed down his shirt, the fabric softer than you expected. Your hands hit the ground and you backed away, staying on your kees as your tongue pulled away from his body, running down the top of his cock.

When you reached the tip you swirled around it, relaxing your jaw and swallowing him. The precum on the tip making you moan when it hit your tongue. The taste intoxicating. Your body responded with another wave of need.

“Your smell.” His hands were on your shoulders and he pushed you off of him. “I need more than your mouth.”

With that his hands went to your hip as he pushed you back, falling on top of you and catching you both with his other palm.

Your back hit the dirt and you spread your legs as he slid his hand to his cock. You looked up to see him coat himself in your juices, before pressing against your entrance.

“Mmmm.” You moaned as he pushed inside.

The sight of his cock disappearing inside of you so erotic. It looked like he was never going to finish as if more and more of him kept coming, but once he was fully satiated you let your head fall back.

In a second his lips were on yours. You ran your hands through his hair as he rocked his hips, filling you with thick, hard thrusts.

Every bit of cramp and pain you’d been feeling were replaced with pleasure. The needs of your body being satisfied in every way possible. Your exposed nerves that had betrayed your body now rewarded it with ecstasy.

You started to roll against him, lifting your body in rhythm with his thrusts.

“It has never felt like this.” You broke the kiss as you panted.

“I know.” The man kissed your shoulder as his hand found your breast.

You whimpered as he kneaded your chest, massaging and tugging at you until you were a stiff peak underneath him.

Your hands found the top of his shirt and you began to tug. Needing to feel his skin on yours. Confirmation this was not a dream.

He responded by lifting his body and stripping the fabric away. Your eyes flared at the sight of him. Gigantic and muscular. A true prize.

When he came back down your chests smashed together and your lips met again. You both went into a frenzy, kissing and slamming into each other.

A swirl began to form in your center. Dragging every but of energy and being into a ball. It grew and grew with each thrust. You tried to keep up, to move your body steady with his, but you were growing weak and useless as the ball got tighter and tighter.

Your lover responded by taking over. He didn’t slow, in fact, the opposite, he went faster and faster, doing all of the work for the two of you.

Just when you thought your mind was going to join the rest of yourself in your core the ball lit on fire. An intense vibration went off as pleasure spread everywhere, your vision blackening as you convulsed underneath him.

“Fuck.” He ground down hard and joined you in the release.

Your body collapsed and your head lulled to the side. Sleep came instantly. You were never before this satisfied.

When you woke in the morning you shoulder was sore. You let out a little moan as you moved, a heavy arm covering your waist.

Images on legs, arms, riding, fucking came to mind and your eyes popped open. There was a chirp of birds and a long-dormant fire.

You sat up and looked down at Geralt, having taken a pause during one of your many times last night to at least learn the Witcher’s name. The corners of your lips started to smile.

His eyes opened as he looked up at you. The same realization dawned on him as he sat up.

“Good morning.” You touched his shoulder.

“Morning.” He looked uncomfortable. “Incubus blood has an effect.”

“I figured that out.” You smiled at his awkwardness. “Thank you, for helping me.”

“Ah, Uhm.” He bit his lip.

“The proper response is ‘you’re welcome’.” You pressed on his shoulder, rolling him to his back and straddling him in the process.

“What are you doing?” He lifted his neck as you kissed your way down his chest.

“Showing you that my mouth would’ve been enough.” You licked your lips as a fire grew in his yellow eyes.

You were grateful for him saving your life in more ways than one the last night. You had every intention of repaying him every chance you were given.

#The witcher #the witcher fanfic #fanfic #geralt x reader #the witcher x reader #fanfiction #geralt fanfic

3K notes · View notes

miss-tc-nova · 3 years

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Five More Minutes - Eraqus x Reader

Hey, you guys remember the Five More Minutes - Brain x Reader story? Well thanks to a CERTAIN SOMEONE, the character for the prompt changed from Eraqus to Brain because Nova is a petty bitch.

And AT LEAST ONE OF YOU UNDERSTANDS THAT! THANK YOU!

However, I’ve been thinking about this WIP for a while and I put myself out there, so I’ll kinda forgive ffm-non’s heinous crime for now and post Five More Minutes with Eraqus.

Music Inspiration: Hikari (Godson Remix) by Hikaru Utada

~~~~~

Rushing through the streets of Scala, I bob and weave between unsuspecting citizens on my way to the theater. Today’s the day—hopefully. I’ve spent the last week trying to get a ticket for this show but it’s been sold out every day. Both my saving grace and the bane of my existence is that they aren’t pre-selling tickets, so it’s first come first serve for who gets to see the show.

I’m heaving like I just ran halfway across the city—because I did—but I finally make it to the theater. Unlike the last few days, I find myself in luck at the sight of the relatively short line. With excitement bubbling in my chest, I race to join the queue.

Just as I reach the line, something jumps in my way. I garner the embarrassing attention of several people in the vicinity as I topple to the ground, taking the obstacle down with me.

Hastily, I pull my face from the white fabric.

“Oh gods! I’m so sorry!” I say, scrambling my feet and taking the strangers hand to pull him up. “Are you okay?! Did I hurt you?!”

Suddenly, I hear my name and finally get a look at the young man I’d practically tackled. I know him. While my family does not follow the noble keyblade warrior tradition like his, our magic has been revered so our families have been amicable for years. At least once or twice our year, our families get together for dinner and we almost always see each other at events for the more affluent people in the city.

“Eraqus?”

A beaming smile crosses his lips. “Hey! What’s up!”

Heat surges into my ears. While I’ve been forced to be within proximity of this boy for years, I’ve never been caught alone with him before. He’s certainly cute and, while our parents may not think so, I find him kind of funny. Still, while I kind of know him, because of our families’ differences we’ve never actually been friends.

“Uh, not much. I was just trying to get in line for tonight’s show. But seriously, I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”

This kid’s laugh stirs something in my chest.

“Yeah, I’m good. My friends hit me harder than that in training.”

The sheer happiness rolling off him is distracting. “I…I don’t think that’s a good thing.”

“Nah, it’s alright; we make each other stronger.” His eyes glance away. “So, I guess you wanted to see this show too?” An arm gestures to the moving line that we scoot along with.

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to see it the last few days, but it’s been sold out. What about you? I wouldn’t have guessed theater to be something you enjoy?”

He folds his arms. “Mmm, I like some of them, but my friends really wanted to see this one.”

I take a moment to take in our surroundings. “Um, what friends?”

His cheer is bright and captivating, but even the defeated frown it morphs into is somehow endearing.

“Nobody wanted to come early to wait in line, but we probably wouldn’t get tickets if we came on time.”

I nod, understanding the dilemma.

“So Bragi suggested rock-paper-scissor.”

Now it all makes sense. “And you lost, so now you’re here to buy tickets for everyone.”

“Yeah…” His pouting is so cute.

A small giggle escapes me. “So it’s sheer coincidence I happen to literally run into you today?”

That smile’s back. “Or! We could call it luck.”

“I would assume bad luck; you lost a game of chance and I literally ran into you.”

“Details.”

And so we keep each other company. The more I talk to the boy, the more I can confirm how fucking adorable he is. His smile is infectious and I find myself hanging on every word, no matter how wild the tale is. I can barely even drag my gaze away long enough to take a few steps before I’m staring at his beautiful face again. Before long, I can already tell I’m head over heels for him. Even after tickets are purchased, we find a bench nearby to continue our chat.

It only ends when someone calls his name. There’s a small herd of people making their way closer.

Getting to his feet, Eraqus greets his friends. “Hey guys, what’re you doin’ here early?”

“Early?” snorts the girl with silver hair. “The show starts in twenty minutes.” Her golden eyes catch sight of me. “Who’s this?”

I wave to Baldr and Hermod, both of whom I know from similar family social events. They do the honor of introducing me to the gaggle, which is both a bit lighthearted and overwhelming. They seem like a great group of friends to have, despite their differences.

“It was good to see you again,” Hermod says, leading the mass towards the entrance. “But we’d better take our seats before the show starts.”

“You got the tickets, right Eraqus?” Xehanort asks.

“Right here.” He pushes all but one into his friend’s hand before turning to me. “Which seat are you in?”

I look at my stub. “E7.” The look on his face is disappointment. “Where are you at?”

“N24,” he mutters. That’s literally on the other side of the theater from where I am and I find myself similarly disappointed with the arrangement.

“Guess I’ll have to get your opinions on the show some other time,” I say, trying to make the blow a little softer.

Our eyes meet and I feel myself being drawn in.

“Maybe we could meet up at that little café around the corner?” he asks.

“The one with the fancy s’mores?”

“Yeah! That one!”

Eraqus detours the conversation with a tale about the time he and went there with his friends and one of them ended up spilling a drink on everyone—pretty sure it was Eraqus by the way he kept switching names. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eraqus, the show’s about to start!” I don’t even know which one it was that yelled at him.

“’Kay! Just gimme five more minutes!”

Excited chitchat continues, following tangent after tangent and never with a lull. I could continue on like this for ages, happy to spend hours in his presence, enamored by the boy I never really knew.

I drag my hands down my face. “And then, because I stupidly thought things couldn’t get any worse, I tried to use a fire spell to dry him off and set him on fire.”

Eraqus is laughing so hard he’s crying. “Wait wait wait! I remember Hermod came to school with a huge hole in his jacket! Was that you?!” I nod in sheepish shame. “Oh my gods! We thought he got mugged or something! He wouldn’t tell us what happened!”

“Every time our families get together, our parents won’t let us live it down. Mine won’t even let me join them anymore without asking me to ‘please not light their colleague’s kids on fire.’”

“And here I thought you were the smart, cool type,” he teases.

“As much as I’d love to be, I’m actually a total mess.”

“That’s okay; I am too.”

“Oh really? I always thought you were laid back and easy going. With our families’ prestige, I was always kind of jealous of how calm you are about everything.”

“Then you have clearly never seen me wake up late for class.”

The laughing between us dies down, but before I can make another comment, I realize that he’s watching me. This isn’t watching like two people waiting for cues in a conversation, but watching as if he’s looking for something very specific.

Beneath his scrutiny, my brain starts to malfunction, causing my ability to speak to take a hit. “Um, I…I’m pretty sure anyone would…would panic if they woke up late for class.”

“I guess.” The softness suddenly introduced into his voice feels like an arrow through the heart. “But it’s probably not the same when it’s a weekly occurrence.”

Is he leaning in?

“No…I guess not…”

He is—he is very much leaning in.

“Eraqus.” I can’t even speak above a whisper.

“Hmm?”

My heart is pounding in my ears, trying desperately to drown out my thoughts.

“I think our show’s started,” I breathe.

“Five more minutes,” he murmurs against my lips.

Not a single protest is heard from me. No, I’m too preoccupied with electricity coursing through my veins. For a moment, Eraqus leads the way, soft and slow, likely assessing my shock. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what my reaction should be, but my body tells me to just see where this goes. And with each passing second, I’m falling down the rabbit hole with him.

The world suddenly jars to when the source of my euphoria breaks away. His brows pinch together, concern written across his face.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, his voice wracked with uncertainty. “I thought—”

Without asking my head for permission, my hands snag his haori.

“Five more minutes,” I say softy.

Our lips connect again and, though I’m prepared for the jolt, I still feel the weight of the world disappear around us. This time, I lead, hoping my confidence sends the right idea to the young man. I think he gets it, happily matching my every move. His little sighs cause my stomach to squirm, making self-control difficult. But there will be plenty of time for the rest later, for now, I want to take my time and get a grasp on how his lips feel against mine.

I pull away, using a deep breath the calm my racing heart and ground me back in reality. Eraqus, too, breathes a little heavier, and yet he continues watching me as if he’s still fully enraptured. That look is hypnotizing, subtly—easily—luring me in again.

That quickly goes out the window.

“Eraqus!”

Flinching, he whirls back, where his entire group of friends is standing with mixed expression. My blood freezes.

“What?!” he shouts back.

“Are you comin’ back to the dorms with us or not?” Urd demands.

My eyes dart to the sky. It was dark when the show started, but the moon sat higher among the stars than it had moments ago—or what I thought was only moments ago.

Eraqus’s gaze flips back and forth between me and them. “Did…Did we miss the whole show?!”

“Yes, you dingus!”

Hermod gives a soft smile. “C’mon guys, give him a break.”

The red-head, Bragi, snickers. “Yeah, the kid’s only been dreaming of this moment his whole life.”

My mouth falls open but I can just see Eraqus’s face burning brightly.

“BRAGI!”

“Oops.” The offender grins unabashedly. “My bad.”

Xehanort folds his arms, smirking. “Ooooh, so this is that cute little mage he’s been crushing on.”

“You mean that one he always talks about after he visits his family?” Her tone is full of innocence, but the grin on the little blonde’s face is pure evil.

Oh my gods, I might implode.

“YOU GUYS!”

“What was it he said last time?” Urd asks, also basking in Eraqus’s flustering.

Baldr answers, “I believe it was something along the lines of ‘I would give up naps for an entire year if the gods would just let me have a single—‘”

“I’LL DO EVERYONE’S HOMEWORK FOR A MONTH IF YOU JUST GO AWAY!” Eraqus yells, waving his arms as if he might fly away from this mess.

Hermod begins ushering everyone away. “Seriously, guys, let’s go.”

“Wait! I don’t want him doing my homework!” Bragi protests. “He’s failing like half our classes!”

Glancing back with one last devious look, Xehanort responds, “Let him have his moment; we’ll just make him do something else later.” The expression softens when he gives me a genuine wink.

Finally, after instigating all the butterflies in my stomach to the point I might vomit sparkles, they leave. We sit in suffocating silence for an awkward moment. Then, one of the butterflies must’ve escaped into my brain when I suddenly crack a laugh.

“An entire year without naps, huh?”

Still cherry red, he looks at me, mortified.

His floundering gives me the bit of confidence I need to close the gap once again. “And what was it you so desperately begged the gods for?”

Eraqus’s back meets the wall, but he still puts on a smile, even if it is bashful. “Let’s just say I’ve already lost my napping privileges for the year.”

“Yeah? So if the gods were to grace you a second time, would that be two years without naps?”

His nerves seem to melt and those stunning gray eyes glitter in the moon as he watches me. “You gonna stick around and find out?”

“How long were you thinking?” I slip my arms around his neck, unable to stop myself from twirling a strand of ebony hair between my fingers.

“Oh at least five more minutes.”

“Just five?”

He feigns mulling it over in head. “And maybe five more after that.”

#Eraqus #Young Eraqus #eraqus x reader #young eraqus x reader #gender neutral reader #influence my story #fmm-non

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writing-in-the-tiny-house · 3 years

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The Gift of Beta Readers

The Gift of Alpha Readers

If you wish to become a patron of Writing in the Tiny House podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/writinginthetinyhouse today!

The following is a transcript of this episode. For the complete transcript, please visit the show’s website.

[00:00:00] So you did it guys. You have written the next best thing and you are so eager to get this out into the world that you have revised it, you have combed through it, and you have all of these things ready, but nobody has read it yet. So what do you do next? Well, let's find out today on Writing and the Tiny House.

[00:00:26] Hello. Hello. Hello. And welcome back to the show. Welcome to Writing in the Tiny House. I am your host Devin Davis, and I am the guy in the tiny house who is here to show you, you busy adults working a nine to five like me, that it is completely possible for you to write that work of fiction that you have always wanted to do.

[00:01:06] And you should. I just recorded 20 minutes of audio and didn't actually record any of it. So we're starting over and it's fine. Because now I get to say the things that I didn't save very well the first time, and it's okay to start over. We're still learning some of this new recording equipment and that's okay too.

[00:01:26] But many of you know, because I announced in last week's episode that I have been working on some smaller things as a way to get my writing more available, to get my writing into the hands of people who are eager to read it and to do it faster than I could do if I were to just write a book just because the time to produce a book is much longer and there are a million different ways to share your writing with other people.

[00:01:57] So I have been working on some smaller things and I am working on them in conjunction with Krissy Barton from Little Syllables Editing. She is going to be the editor on call or whatever, the editor in this whole project of writing a collection of short stories or novelettes. And so with this, I am writing these smaller works, and I'm going to be releasing them on a schedule, provided all of this works out okay. Right now we are on track with this first thing. And so I expect everything to be okay. And I think that this is something that we can reproduce right now. All of this is tentative stuff though. Like this is not gospel truth yet, but in doing these shorter things, I still need to go through the different steps of writing and revising and cleaning up these smaller works of fiction as I would have to do with a book.

[00:03:07] But because the thing is shorter, all of those steps don't take as long to do, which is kind of cool. It's fun to blaze through some of these different steps a little faster, and to get that progress done faster, to arrive there more quickly. And with this, I also hope to have myself on a regular releasing schedule, which means that there is kind of a stopwatch going for each of these projects.

[00:03:35] And for this first one, I am hoping more than anything. And I am taking a leap announcing this on the podcast that this will be ready for sale by the end of October. I'm going to post it on amazon.com and it will be available to purchase there. It'll be affordable. Don't worry about that. But I wanted so badly to share my writing and I think that I'm going to do it.

[00:04:00] So what I'm doing is this collection of short stories ties into the larger books that I am also in the middle of that I have set aside for the moment. So the world that all those things take place in these smaller short stories will tie into that same world. And this collection is called Tales from Vlaydor, and this is Installment One, which is entitled Brigitte.

[00:04:29] And so, yeah, so we did it. We've written a manuscript. We've gotten, you know, a few revisions under our belts, but if you are like me, perhaps you don't outline things very well. I surely don't, I don't like to outline. I like to write and then make huge revisions to what I've written because I don't like to outline, but for this first installment, I did not get any feedback to begin with on the story itself. I wanted to sit down, I wanted to write the story, revise a couple of things just because I wanted to present it in a good way to a small group of people. So I sat down. I wrote the thing. I revised it a couple times. I sent it through Pro Writing Aid, which by the way, Pro Writing Aid is amazing.

[00:05:19] Especially if you are using Scrivener as your word processor, because it integrates into Scrivener. It was the easiest thing to do. I recommend sending anything you are working on through Pro Writing aid before you let anybody read it, just because the edits were easy to do. And because Pro Writing Aid made it easier to read.

[00:05:42] Everybody seemed to have a better time. Pro Writing Aid does not replace a professional editor, but it is a very good tool to use along the way. So I wrote the thing, I sent it through Pro Writing Aid, and then I gathered in a way, a group of people that I would want to get feedback on this first draft, I guess we can call it a first draft. On this first revision, I guess.

[00:06:09] And this is what we do, this is how we approach this. So I needed to get feedback because first of all, I needed to know if this was a story that anybody wanted to read. I wanted to know also if this was a story that people would be willing to buy, and I needed to know if after reading this, they would be interested in reading more.

[00:06:35] And if the results were such that, no, this story idea is not a good idea. You need to switch to something else. I didn't want to spend so much time and energy on something that nobody would want. And so I would sooner scrap the whole idea and start a fresh with a new story idea rather than try to simply make something work.

[00:07:04] And so, because I'm writing to market because I want this to be sold. And so I want there to be a certain audience appeal. I wanted to make sure that I was on track and on base with the very foundation of this story. So that's what I did first. And I recommend you doing the same thing with your shorter works of fiction also, or with your novels.

[00:07:29] So here's the deal. I'm sure that you have heard the term beta readers a million different times if you are engaged in the writer, community. Beta readers are basically the people who are doing product testing for your book. They get your book and you need to know that the book is working for them as books need to work for readers. Does it keep their attention? Is it easy to read? Is it entertaining? Can they keep track of characters? Can they keep track of places? Do they have a good experience? Are they surprised during the surprising parts? Are they scared during the scary parts, all those things.

[00:08:10] That is what beta reading is for, but there's a big step before that. Some people call it alpha readers. Some people call it, I don't know other stuff, but. I had this concept and I needed to make sure that the concept was okay. So I selected a few of my close friends and another person that I'll get into in order to share ideas.

[00:08:36] So I wrote this novelette called Brigitte. It is about 9,000 words long, and I included just some questions at the end as a prompt, as a way to help people give feedback. And I recommend that you do the same. In a novel I recommend actually that you include things like that in sections of the book, rather than just a big, long list at the end of the book, just as a way to get the gears moving so that people can be inspired or understand how to give feedback, just because, especially in this most recent round of feedback, I have found that so many people read just to be entertained and they don't read critically. And that is fine. And so the little bit of help for that is really good for them. And it's good. It's good to hear all sorts of feedback. I've also found that for many people. So with this story, the vast majority of the feedback was positive.

[00:09:45] People liked the story. It was pretty middle of the road, which is okay. But people liked the story. They thought that it was easy to read. It was easy to get to the end. They weren't confused by people or names or places. And so I took that as a good affirmation or confirmation that I was on the right track with this, and I should move forward.

[00:10:14] And that is great. With many of the people though, the feedback was simply, Hey, this is great. I like it. I would want to read more of things like this. And that feedback is valuable for a specific reason. If that is all they're saying, this is great. I want to read more. While that feedback is not going to help you iron out the kinks and dings and dents in your manuscript. And it's not necessarily going to help you with your craft. It can show you that producing work like this. There are people who want to support your craft. And that is very valuable. So even though the tools aren't there, even though the feedback isn't there to help you get better as a writer, it is really cool to know that people are there to support you as a writer.

[00:11:12] And like I said, that is valuable too. However, with a lot of people, they responded to the questions. And I liked that and I took notes and I paid attention. With those questions though, I found that with many of them, I didn't require seven people to answer each of those questions just because the same answers for many of those questions ended up showing up like seven different times.

[00:11:41] That's okay. We live and we learn. However, there were a couple peers a couple people that read it, took notes, re-read it. And then had a really long conversation with me about how it went about, what was working and what wasn't working. And I'll come back to that in just a second, just because people who are willing to put that type of attention and energy into my work, those are people that I hold near and dear. I mean, everybody who is supporting my work is held near and dear, but those are the people that I will go to with the first ideas, with the baby ideas that I need to grow from, the really underdeveloped things that need to grow that are still vulnerable and still scary and still underdeveloped. And working together we're able to come up with some cooler things for the next revision of this story.

[00:12:47] With this, and I recommend this thing until the day I die. It is important to send your work, especially if you are writing to market, it is important to send your work to someone you don't know, or to many people that you don't know.

[00:13:02] When you are ready for that, you will know. I sent this first revision. I will likely try to find another person that I don't know to read this after this next round of revisions, but here's the reason why. The feedback that a stranger gives you is really hard to take, but it is super honest and it's usually really direct and it's really easy to understand, and that matters my friends.

[00:13:30] These people are not preserving a friendship. And so there is no holding back when it comes to what isn't working, what is confusing, what seems silly, but seems banale or stupid. I mean, what other words did this nice person include? But the points that this person brought to my attention were good points. It was clear that I had not conveyed so much of this story clearly.

[00:14:01] And like I said, because we weren't already friends, there was no reason to pretend like we were friends and try to sugarcoat anything. Most of the stuff that this person told me was really good and really valuable feedback. And so what I was able to do is take the key points from her feed back and talk about them with these other friends who were interested in helping me develop the story.

[00:14:29] So they didn't have to worry about stepping on eggshells. They didn't have to worry about offending. I got to say, oh, this other lady said this and this and this. And they're like, oh yeah, I guess that makes sense. And then we were able to discuss together ways to make it better. So with these conversations, some people tend to kind of freak out about it because they don't know how to have a critique conversation. So with these conversations, it is you and somebody else. And maybe a third person who are trying to improve a specific work. They're trying to make things better. If you or someone is coming to the table just in the attitude of saying this sucks. You need to leave it alone. You need to throw it away.

[00:15:16] Then you're not going to have this conversation with that person, but everybody has the common goal and the common understanding that this work is not finished and we are joining forces to make it better. The way that this conversation unfolds is much of the time the person will have notes. The person will have some ideas, but they don't really know how to get started about it just because Cohesion and hoping that everything links together and thoughts and different things like that.

[00:15:50] But this conversation is not going to be a dissertation. This conversation is not going to be like baring of souls. This conversation is largely brainstorming, which means a lot of the ideas and a lot of the topics don't have to mesh in the most beautiful way throughout the conversation. It's okay to jump from topic to topic.

[00:16:15] It's okay to say, oh, are we done with this? Because on the next page, this completely different problem is there. Let's talk about that now. And through those, I had two friends who were very interested in helping me improve this work of fiction. And that is exactly how the conversation went. They put aside an hour, we had a phone call and we talked about all the things that didn't work.

[00:16:42] And we talked about the things that this stranger critique partner brought to my attention, and we were able to iron out things and bring up some different ideas and some different approaches that I should try to incorporate into the next revision of this work. And that happened to me twice and it was beautiful and I felt enriched at the end and they were excited that they were included with this.

[00:17:11] And it was a really good thing. So I guess the takeaway here is when you are searching for feedback, it is important to help by supplying a list of questions. If it's a person who's already experienced with giving feedback, they likely won't pay much attention to those questions, but a lot of people don't read fiction critically.

[00:17:35] And so they they may need a little help with that. And that's great. Also, if you find those friends who are so engaged and so interested in helping you develop your craft, make sure to keep them near and dear. Take care of those friends. And lastly, If you have the people who say this is good, I want to read more, and then don't say much more than that. That means that you're on the right track and that what you have written is good. And while it may not improve your craft, it shows that there are people in the world who want to support your craft. So that's the quick take home for today.

[00:18:24] Thank you so much for tuning in and listening to this episode. If you wish to become a patron of this writing in the tiny house podcast, go topatreon.com/writinginthetinyhouse. And I will have links to that in the show notes of this episode. Go ahead and follow me on Instagram. My handle is @authordevindavis and on Twitter my handle is@authordevind. And have fun writing. We will see you next time guys. Bye.

Check out this episode!

#writing #writer #author #fiction #am writing #wip

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starrybethany · 4 years

Text

Clayton Keller: Part 2

Word count: 2168

I look over in surprise as my front door opens, unsure of who it would be this early in the morning after a long night out. Betsy steps into my apartment, sending me a red-lipped smile as she closes the door behind her and steps out of her heels.

“Um, what time did you leave the club and why do you look like you’re going back at, uh,” I glance over at the clock, “Nine o’clock in the morning. Also, why the hell did you just barge into my apartment without knocking? I have so many questions.”

She rolls her eyes, tugging her pencil skirt down as she walks over to my pantry, opening it and pulling out the package of Oreos.

“If you eat any of those you have to buy me a new package. Don’t you dare mess with my Oreos,” I warn her.

“I have to go grocery shopping today anyways,” she waves me off, pulling herself up onto the stool next to me. “Roger called an emergency meeting this morning so guess who had to show up at the office at seven A.M., hungover as hell?”

“And you came over to my apartment after, why exactly?” I question, scrolling through the article of ‘seven easy ways to make money online.’

“I wanted us to suffer together,” she shrugs, laughing and pointing at number five. “I like this one, you’d for sure earn a lot of money if you sold your nudes.”

I click back to go to my Google search, mumbling to myself, “I don’t even know why I’m looking this up, I already found a good way to make money.”

“You did?” Betsy asks, making my head snap towards her in shock. I totally forgot that she’s here. “What is it?”

“Um, I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this,” I admit, turning my body towards her. “Because you always joke about it so I don’t really know what you think about it.”

“What is it?” She raises her eyebrows, plucking an Oreo out of the package. “Are you becoming a prostitute?”

“Close…”

“A sugar baby?”

I don’t respond so Betsy looks up from admiring her Oreo, mouth dropping in shock when she sees the look on my face.

“Oh my god, Y/N, what? You’re a sugar baby now?”

“I guess that’s the technical term,” I confess.

“Wait, for who? Let me see the picture of the guy. I didn’t know you were into older men, damn, is he at least cute? Or good in bed, hopefully? Do you know, have you met him yet? Did you sign up for one of those websites or-””Oh.”

“What? What’s ‘oh?’” Betsy questions, looming over my shoulder to stare at my laptop screen.

I pulled up Instagram while she was spewing questions at me to show her a picture of Clayton, and I guess I haven’t checked the app since last night because there’s now a notification that he requested to follow me.

“He’s the guy you were dancing with and talking to at the bar last night,” Betsy gasps dramatically, hitting my arm. “He’s young! And cute! And an athlete so you know he’s hella rich.”

“Seven million a year,” I murmur.

“What?” Her eyes are practically bulging out of her head. “Girl, hook me up with a teammate. How the hell did you become this guy’s sugar baby? No offense.”

“Well he asked me on a date, I said no, he found out that I need money and offered it,” I recap.

“How do you not want to date this man?” She screeches, clicking on a picture of him and another hockey player.

“Stop yelling, this is why Debbie hates me.”

She ignores my words. “I mean, look at his necklace chain peeking out from his shirt, Y/N, he’s hot as hell.”

“I’m not looking to date right now, Betsy, I’m young, I want to party and let loose.”

She rolls her eyes and grumbles about it but doesn’t make many other protests. She watches as I confirm his follow request and follow him back.

“Does Tyler know?” She inquires.

“No, Tyler told me not to bother him the rest of the weekend because he’s getting dicked down,” I answer.

“Are you getting dicked down this weekend?”

“I don’t know, he hasn’t texted me at all.” I look over at my phone, like it would make a noise now that I made that comment. “He said that he was going to make up the contract and get back to me sometime this weekend.”

“Who does he play for? The Arizona Coyotes?” She squints at the screen, typing something in on her phone. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of them. Hannah fucked one of the married guys on this team while his wife was in the kitchen.”

“That’s fucked up,” I mumble, scrolling through his profile.

“Yeah. Okay, so they have a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets today, but that’s at seven so he should be getting back to you soon.” She picks my phone up, staring at my lock screen of us at a wild party a couple of weeks ago. “I’ll figure this out, Y/N, don’t you worry.”

“I’m not worried at all,” I raise my eyebrows at her, closing my laptop and grabbing my phone as I make my way to the couch. “In fact, I think I may take a little nap if you don’t mind.”

“Okay I added the team on snapchat,” she says, “And they’re in practice right now. So he should text you after practice.”

“Hey, can you shut up if you’re going to be here a while?”

“Actually, Brandon just send me a booty call. So I’m going to head out.”

“Close the door on your way out!” I holler after her.

Clayton: Hey Y/N, it’s Clayton

I can’t help but bite back a smile. I mean, obviously, we exchanged numbers and I have him saved in my contacts, who else would it be?

Y/N: Hi Clayton

Clayton: I had the time today to create the contract if you would like to come over and sign it

Y/N: Send me your address

He shares his location with me and I text him that I’ll be there in a half an hour. It’s all a part of my plan to make him wait. Since this is the first time that we’re hooking up I want to look somewhat presentable, so I check to make sure I’m wearing matching lingerie.

I pull a plain T-shirt and a nice pair of skinny jeans that shows off my ass, putting on minimal makeup and slipping my shoes on.

When I show up to the address Clayton sent me I’m just about on time.

Clayton opens the door with a slight smile on his lip, stepping to the side and wordlessly motioning me into his house.

“Nice place you got here,” I compliment, stepping in and looking around the large living area.

“Yeah, I share it with one of the guys on the team,” he tells me, closing the front door and making his way to what I assume is the kitchen.

I raise my eyebrows, following him. “So your teammate will hear us fucking?”

He laughs. “He’s barely home, it’s fine. So here’s the contract.”

I step forward to read over the rules.

Once a week Clayton will make a payment to Y/N of $500 cash.

The weekly payment is excluding the purchase of clothes, dinners, vacations, etc.

In return Y/N will do romantic things (such as have sex, go on dates, etc.) with Clayton.

Y/N will listen to Clayton’s demands.

The encounters will take place at both parties' places of living.

“I’m not listening to all of your demands,” I say aloud, giving him a look. “There are some things that I just will not do.”

He sighs but edits the rule to say ‘to a certain extent.’

“Also, I don’t want you sleeping over at my apartment. We can have sex there, yeah, but you can’t sleep over,” I command.

“Why not?”

“Because my friends tend to break into my apartment early in the morning and if you met them you would be scared away,” I respond. He laughs and I give him an offended look. “I’m serious!”

“Okay, fine,” he sighs but writes the new rule down.

We look over the contract together, confirming that it’s what both of us want.

“So are we doing this?” I question, looking over at him.

He gives me an expression of surprise. “Right now?”

“Well, yeah,” I say. “What’s a better time to start than right now?”

He shrugs. “Alright.” And before I can even react, tugs his T-shirt over his head and throws it onto the floor.

“Clayton,” I giggle nervously, shy for probably the first time in my life. I can’t stop my eyes from staring at his abs. Wow, how is it fair for one man to be so perfect? He’s rich, he’s athletic, he’s hot- he’s probably smart, too.

I snap out of my thoughts, forcing my eyes to move up to his face. He’s already smirking by the time we make eye contact and I force the eye roll that’s begging to come out down.

“Come here,” he orders, his voice suddenly hushed.

I don’t even have to tell my feet to move, they push me forward until my chest is pressed against his. His large hands grip my hips and I feel the need to hold my breath, looking up into his shimmering green eyes.

His head moves down slowly and I hold back from pushing mine forward, instantly connecting our lips. Soon, our lips connect and the wait was worth it.

I feel like all of the oxygen is getting sucked out of my lungs- like I could kiss Clayton forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. Our lips glide slowly against one another as my hands place themselves on his chest, blatantly feeling him up.

He pushes me gently into the kitchen counter and I take the hint, jumping up on it without disconnecting our lips. My arms move to wind themselves around his neck, pulling him in as close as he can get between my legs as his hands slide to my ass, gripping it and squeezing it.

My lips move from his to place soft kisses down his cheek and jaw to his neck, sucking a hickey right below his ear. He moans at the action, lifting me up with ease.

“What are you doing?” I squeak out, not expecting to be picked up.

“Taking you to my bedroom so we can finally do this.”

I take deep breaths, trying to get my breathing back on pace after the adventure of a night I’ve just had. We spent two hours in between the sheets when Clayton, the most in shape boy I’ve ever slept with, finally decided to call it a night.

I wanted to whine and beg for more but at the same time I needed a break myself.

Once my breathing is back to normal I swing my feet over the side of the bed, wincing at the ache in my lower half, but force myself to stand up. I slowly search the room for my panties, pulling them on before Clayton’s voice causes me to jump in surprise.

“Where are you going?” He questions.

I look up to see him watching me from the entrance to his walk-in-closet. He’s leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and I stop myself from asking him to bang me against the doorframe.

“Back to my apartment,” I answer, hooking my bra on.

“No,” he shakes his head.

“No?”

“You’re staying the night. You have to stay the night.” His tone makes it sound like it’s a demand.

“No I don’t,” I disagree.

“Rule four,” he points out.

Rule four. Y/N will listen to Clayton’s demands.

I know I have a right to object, but I don’t think sleeping over counts as something that goes too far over the line. Plus, this encounter paid my rent for this month and it got me laid, so I feel obligated to stay and please him.

I give him a look but push past him to enter his closet, ignoring the sparks that shoot through my arm at the contact of our shoulders and the cute chuckle that he lets out.

I pull one of his T-shirts on as I head back to his king sized bed, climbing in and scrolling through Instagram on my phone.

I don’t know how long it takes but soon I feel another body climb into the bed behind me, arms winding around my torso and resting on my stomach as I’m pulled into another person.

Clayton watches me scroll through my feed for a while before I turn my phone off, setting it on the bedside table.

We don’t talk before we fall asleep.

#Clayton keller imagine #NHL imagines #nhl player x reader #Clayton keller one shot #Clayton keller fanfic

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skz-writings · 4 years

Text

Reaction: s/o dyeing their hair (gone wrong)

Theme: Kind of crack?

Requested: Yes

↳ Ask: Hii~~ good luck with your new blog!!! I was thinking about what you could do to start your blog and it may be funny a reaction of them when their s/o tries to dye their hair but goes wrong hahaha have a nice day💕

A/N: This took me a bit longer because I needed to research which things potentially could go wrong when dyeing hair since I am not very knowledgeable on the topic. Also, some of these are hair dyeing mistakes I made myself hehe.

➤ Bang Chan

Chan dyed his hair a lot, no question about it. His damaged hair was clear evidence of that. Yet the guy couldn’t help himself as he stood in front of you, asking you to help him dye it as his hairdresser had said it would be best not to. You really wanted to be on the hairdresser’s side and tell him “no”, but the pout on his lips messed with your head and made it really difficult to say no. Eventually after asking him a million times if he was sure, and him telling you that he was indeed sure, you finally agreed.

You would do at your apartment since it would give you more space and not have people running in and out when you were concentrating. He had promised to get the bleach if you could buy the hair dye for him. This led you to the nearest store that sold hair dye, and you want to get it over with as soon as possible, quickly grabbed the blonde hair dye box you thought looked correct.

Even while dyeing his hair, he still seemed to be the only one stoked about the whole thing. He still tried to reassure you that it was okay and he would take care of his hair. It did make your mood a bit better and at least you could now enjoy your time with your boyfriend. You did have quite a few hours in front of you to spend with him.

However, you couldn’t help but want to laugh when everything was done and over with and the final result stood right in front of you. He was still gaping at the pastel blue you somehow managed to color it. “I feel like there is a lesson to be learned here.” You spoke, leaning against the doorframe. “Yeah, never ask you to dye my hair again.” He answered still trying to take it all. “Not what I meant.” You answered him bitterly. “You are lucky I can pull everything off,” he said turning to you finally, “because otherwise, you be dead.”

➤ Lee Minho

Minho had been jumping between hair colors as of lately, every two weeks felt like he had a different color and nothing ever seemed to be exactly as he wanted it to be. His more recently were a light brown, one you thought fitted him very well. For once he didn’t completely disagree but had it been just a tiny bit lighter, then it would be perfect according to him. That’s how the two of you came up with the brilliant plan of dyeing it.

As long as you chose a package close to his current hair color, then his hair should be safe. He had not had time to pick up a box himself and had asked you to do it for him. Sending you a picture of the one he personally thought would be best to use, you set out to buy his hair dye.

However, when you reached the store and stood in front of all the boxes with his recommendation in your hands, you had to disagree. In your opinion, it looked like it would dye his hair darker and not brighter. So, you took a different box, that looked like it would give you the right result.

You had not told Minho about your different purchase as you didn’t deem it to be that important. You’d much rather just get started and get it over with, so you could get ‘thank you for doing this for me’ cuddles sooner. Your head filled with cute cuddle images, you hurried to get the job done, while still doing it properly.

Those images would probably only see the light in your imagination, for as the two of you dried his and revealed it the audience of your bathroom aka the two of you. Both fell silent. “y/n..” he said as you only stared at him. “You did pick up the ri-“ you stopped him before he could even finish. “No, I did not.” He only nodded silently, giving you time to quickly escape the wrath of your boyfriend. “Oh no, you get back here right now!” He yelled running after you.

➤ Seo Changbin

One thing Changbin was certain of, was that you absolutely loved his lighter hair color. From the minute he had first entered your apartment door with the new look, had you been all over him. So, he almost felt bad holding the hair dye box in his hand, but he was ready to change his looks up a bit. And it was not like it would be a huge difference, it would only be a few shades darker. Knowing you, however, he knew you would be complaining and the least he could do now was letting you be the one to dye it, like a final goodbye.

It had taken you quite a long time to get started, wanting to take a few more pictures to commemorate his best hair color to date, according to your at least. Even while dyeing it, you had kept sighing and asked him if he was sure. To which he kept telling you, that yes, he was sure.

Washing it out and looking himself in the mirror, he was not sure anymore. Positive he should have told you to talk him out of it. Because looking back at him, was not a few shades of darker hair color, like he had promised you. It was such a dark brown, that it almost could be mistaken for black. Running out of the bathroom with a towel around his hair, he frantically looked for the box and instructions you had used. His mind knowing what happened already, but only needing the text to confirm it. “Oh no,” he said turning to you, “we were not meant to have waited as long as you said we did!”

He only got a confused look and a simple “what?” in return. To show exactly what he meant, he pulled the towel away from his hair. Your eyes looked big as you looked at the dark hair, a color you were not promised. A giggle left your lips as you admired it and simply answered, “I like it though.”

➤ Hwang Hyunjin

Having sported black hair for as long as Hyunjin has, it was impossible for him not to have wanted to change it at some point. The problem was just that he had no idea what he wanted to do with it, and that he really never had time to get it done. You had looked around the internet a bit and sent him hair colors you thought would fit him, but nothing ever really seemed to be good enough for him.

That’s why the two of you eventually came to the conclusion of just making it a bit brighter, so a dark brown instead of black. It would be a change, but not so much that he couldn’t soon change it again.

Since it seemed like a pretty minor thing to do and pretty easy, you decided to just do it at home. Conversations were flowing between the two of you, and he could enjoy a few head scratches from you once in a while as you applied the dye to his hair. It was just an enjoyable experience for both of you.

Rinsing out his hair didn’t really help your excitement to see it. Since the hair still looked black when wet, you both still had some time before the final reveal was ready. Hyunjin was sitting in front of you, while you were sitting on the couch, drying his hair with a towel.

Slowly as the hair started to dry, your fears grew. Nothing had happened. The hair still looked completely black. “That should be enough” Hyunjin told you as he made his way to the bathroom so he could see the results for himself. You were now just waiting for the inevitable and just like that a yell was heard.

“Nothing happened!” Your boyfriend said annoyed as he came back to the living room. “I thought you said you knew what you were doing!” Feeling a bit guilty you told him with a nervous smile, “this was my first-time dyeing hair.”

➤ Han Jisung

It hadn’t been long since Jisung had gone back to blonde. A very praised hair color from fans and you alike. However, after the session he was not left satisfied, it was still too dark in his opinion. A concern he had discussed with you, to which you had offered to dye it brighter, a job that should not be too hard.

Jisung had been a bit hesitant at first, but you had assured him that you knew what you were doing. Now sitting in a chair, with your hands in his hair massaging the dye you had chosen together, into his hair, he regretted nothing. Having you do all the work and just enjoying the affection was nice after a long day at work and as a plus, he would soon have a hair color he actually would be satisfied with.

You were also pretty confident in it turning out perfect and just to be sure, followed the box instructions in case there was something you may have not known. It was all going well, almost too well.

Life just had to be against you. After finishing washing your boyfriend’s hair, you were met with roots that didn’t match the rest of the hair, just a tad bit too orange.

Not knowing what to do, you quickly gather your things in fear of being there when he saw his new hair. He looked on confused as to what you were doing and why you said you needed to meet up with a friend.

He turned towards the bathroom mirror, to see the orange roots staring back at him and now understanding what you were doing, “y/n!” He yelled after you before you could even reach the front door.

➤ Lee Felix

When Felix had first approached you with a box of hair dye, you had been confused. When he had asked you do dye his light brown hair, brighter, you had been confused. You had never in your life tried to dye anyone’s hair, including your own. But your boyfriend kept insisting, and there was nothing that could go wrong as he had picked out a product he could trust.

You still refused and told him to get someone professional to do it, because your lack of experience scared you. He kept trying to persuade you and only succeeded when he promised to buy you whatever you wanted for dinner. Food, your one weakness.

During the whole thing, he had guided you and told you how the hairdressers he usually went to, did it. Slowly you felt more and more confident in the whole thing, it looked like it would turn out nicely. And it wasn’t as hard and nerve-wracking as you thought it would be. It was actually pretty easy to apply.

While waiting the time the box said it would take for the hair dye to settle, the two of you played a few games to make time pass faster. Felix constantly trying to cheat and pretend to mess up your masterpiece, aka his hair.

And a masterpiece it was, well if you were talking about some abstract painting hanging at a run-down art museum. For some reason, the hair dye had not taken to the roots and instead left Felix with a crappy kind of ombre, not even the tiniest bit even. He wanted to see what had made you so speechless since you had not said a word since rinsing the dye out.

The sight was one to be seen, your boyfriend just as speechless as yourself. Until he mumbled a tiny, “I should probably have gone to a professional instead.”

➤ Kim Seungmin

Seungmin was not one to dye his hair often, so it was a huge surprise when he all of sudden had showed up with his blondish hair. Not that you were complaining, it looked nice, it was just something to get used. But used to it, you got. Almost so much that it felt sad when Seungmin came to ask you if you could help him dye it back to brown. But being the great significant other, that you were, you agreed to help him.

Just to make sure you were going to do it correctly, you watched some youtube videos with tips and tricks. Seungmin had asked you to pick up the hair dye, so he could hurry over after he was done with practice. Being the one to buy it, giving you some more time to study the specific instructions included in the box. And when it finally came to the dyeing part, you felt more than ready and extremely confident in your work.

The confidence was however stripped away when you finally stood in front of Seungmin, who had decided to rinse the dye out himself and show you the results when he had it dried. Two things were clear, it was dry and dyed, the dye part, however, was not exactly what you had expected it to be. In the right lighting, it looked as you had imagined it to be in your head. He was not currently standing in the right lighting and that clear outline of green was evident in his hair. You giggled as you finally spoke to your annoyed boyfriend, “sorry.”

➤ Yang Jeongin

It was no secret between the two of you, that Jeongin always had been interested in trying different types of hair colors. He had once told you that his interest grew more after he met you, as he was fascinated with all the colors you often dyed your own hair too. You had even recently decided to try out a bubblegum pink, Jeongin’s favorite so far. He told you it made you look like a fairy when he first saw it. And only a few days later he came to you, with a determined expression. He told you he wanted to try a platinum blonde, it wouldn’t be too different from one of his earlier hair colors, but still something new.

Since you usually dyed your own hair, he had asked you to be the one to do it on him. It shouldn’t be too hard to achieve since you had tried bleaching and dyeing hair a lot. The bleaching part went by perfectly and it finally came to the last part to get the blonde he had so wished to achieve.

When you first prepared the dye, you thought something seemed odd, the color you thought would be different, it didn’t seem exactly like you thought it would have. But when Jeongin asked you when you would get started, you threw the concerns to the side and told yourself you were overthinking it since you were a tiny bit nervous about doing it on someone else.

Dyeing went well too and after waiting some time, it finally came to the rinsing out part. You almost dropped the showerhead when you realized you should have acted on your concerns. Telling him to stay still, you went to grab the box and your thoughts were confirmed.

Quietly you went back to the bathroom and stood in the opening, nervously playing with your hands. “Do you remember how you said you liked my hair and that it made me look like a fairy?” You asked, not even looking at him at this point. “Yeah?” He asked confused, lifting his head to look over at you. “Welcome to the fairy clan.”

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1114

survey by dishwallafied

WHO was the last person...

you spoke to, in person? I think it was my sister, like earlier at 1 AM. She was the last person apart from me to head upstairs for bed.

you called? I tried calling our internet service provider’s hotline to inquire about our lost connection last weekend, but all I got was a useless automated message saying they’re on top of all concerns and will be addressing ours soon, which did not make any fucking sense because I didn’t get to report my issue anyway. Their social media was virtually useless too, and my dad had to physically go to one of their offices last Monday to settle the issue.

that called you? My phone’s not near me at the moment (omg a rarity) but it was the delivery person for Reggy’s croissants. GPS has always hated our street and has never been able to identify it, so whenever anyone in the family makes a purchase for delivery we’re bound to get a call or two from the rider assigned to our order to ask for directions.

you texted? It was the same delivery guy. He had tried to call me but I was in a meeting that I couldn’t get out of, so I explained to him I could only text. I also gave him a Waze link containing the exact positioning of our house so that he could set it up on his phone.

that sent you a text? I think it was just my mobile services provider sending out some random promotional text. Idk, I never open those.

you kissed? Gabie.

that kissed you? Also her. I don’t plan on kissing anyone new any time soon.

you yelled at? I haven’t recently been in a situation where I’ve had to yell at anyone...I do slightly raise my voice a lot on video call meetings just so I’m sure everybody on the call can hear me. That’s the closest I’ve got.

that yelled at you? My mom, when she was being a real drama queen about MY money a couple of weeks ago.

you watched a movie with? I watched it by myself, but I remember calling my ex for comfort because the movie was a little scary and creepy. I also remember how bothered she sounded that I was calling her, as if I was a huge burden, so...there’s that. Y’all do me a favor and be with someone who gets delighted when you call instead of making you feel like you’re a waste of space okie?? Good

you ate dinner with? My family. My dad laksa for dinner, which was perfect because I had been watching 2 Days 1 Night yesterday and the cast members kept eating ramyeon, which made me develop a serious craving for noodles all day.

you were in a photo with? I think it had been a family selfie. My family and I were about to leave the accommodation we stayed at in Tagaytay, and my mom wanted a final photo in the living room before we stepped out.

you took a photo of? My employer sent out heart-shaped red velvet cakes for all of us for Valentine’s Day, so I took a photo of it with Cooper in the background to share to the work group chat. I definitely did not expect any goodie sendout considering I never viewed Valentine’s as a special day even when I was still in a relationship, so it was a nice surprise to receive.

you went to a concert with? Oh my Paramore show was a solo date. Gabie did come to the arena with me and I also drove Denise, Erycka, and Leigh, but the three of them settled for a different section somewhere farther out given how they already did VIP seats for Paramore’s previous concert in 2013. It was my turn to have a front-row seat and since I didn’t know anyone who was as big of a fan as I was or was willing to shell out ₱7,000 for a VIP seat, I went by myself.

you lied to? I think it was Bea, my manager? She scheduled a quick call last Tuesday just to do a check-in with me, and she was asking how I was. Of course I had to tell her I was doing fine, which is never completely true for a lot of people, I think. I didn’t want her to ask me to open up anyway, so saying I was fine was the easy way to go.

you invited somewhere? I recently saw a music clip of a certain song that’s played a lot in bars, so I tagged my entire college barkada telling them we should go back to TK soon, at least when the lockdown and the pandemic subside considerably.

you dated? Gabie.

you dumped? It worked the other way around.

you rejected? I mean, I guess I technically rejected the girl Mik told me was interested in me. We never met since Mik refused to tell me her name or show a photo, but I informed him I wasn’t planning on talking with anyone soon so she can stop thinking I’m available.

you held hands with? Angela.

you hugged? Andi, before they got out of my car since we were parting ways for the evening.

you let cry on your shoulder? This hasn’t happened in a very long time. Most likely Gabie, but this would’ve been around at the start of 2020 when we could still see each other regularly.

that let you cry on their shoulder? Figuratively, Angela and Andi.

you bought a gift for? I got a weekend accommodation for my family, but it was really meant for my dad for his 50th birthday.

you wished a happy birthday? Hans.

that disappointed you? I was more annoyed than disappointed, but it was some random Fil-Am who was being ignorant at the Subtle Filipino Traits Facebook group. That community gives me a huge migraine most days because of Fil-Ams who continue to romanticize the ~beauty~ of the country whilst completely ignoring the socio-political trainwreck here, but the group is kind of the place to be for Filipinos so I can’t see myself leaving it either.

that stayed over at your place? They didn’t stay over for the night but Angela and Hans did a surprise visit to my house a few days after Christmas.

that let you crash at their place? Gab. I used to always crash at her place when I’ve had a few drinks.

that made you angry? Idk man, can I give Mark Zuckerberg as an answer? HAHAHA I went on Facebook first thing today and the first thing I saw was a Facebook Memory, and it was a photo of me and Gabie at Athenna’s birthday party four years ago. I got irritated at first until I remembered that we were both tagged in the post, which means it would most likely show up on her feed as a Memory as well. Just to humor my petty ass, I kinda hope the memory would make her sad, wherever she is; but otherwise seeing the Memory pop up didn’t make me sad or bothered anymore so that’s a win for meee.

that complimented you? Leah, my employer’s CEO. She did a check-in call with me recently to get to know me better, so one of the first things she asked was a list of the clients I handle. I happen to be in the team that works with the company’s more big-league clients, so once she heard the brands she told me I must be a good enough worker to be assigned those clients. It meant a lot and it still does.

whom you complimented? Bea. I just let her know how helpful she’s been with me considering I’m a fresh graduate on her first job in a work-from-home setup in the middle of a global pandemic.

you thanked? A supplier I’m currently in contact with, for work.

that thanked you? The said supplier thanked me back.

you saw, in person? My sister.

that bought you something? Dad bought siopaos for us yesterday.

that made you laugh? The cast of 2 Days 1 Night, from when I was watching the show last night.

that you said you loved? I don’t remember. I think it was Kate since she helped me out with a favor.

that said they loved you? Hannah.

you flipped off? I haven’t whipped out the finger in a while, come to think of it.

you made a silly face at? Not a person, but Cooper.

that drove you somewhere? Dad was the driver for our Tagaytay trip.

WHAT was the last thing you...

touched? Aside from my keyboard, my vape pen.

threw? Cooper’s bowling pin squeak toy. He’s gotten a lot better at catching things with his mouth, so I’ve been throwing it a lot at him to continue training him.

ate? A caramel croissant.

drank? Coffee.

found stuck in your teeth? Haven’t had this happen to me in a while.

cooked? I’ve never tried cooking anything.

baked? Idk, maybe cookies 873984732842 years ago.

threw away/tossed out? The packet for the sauce that came with the siopao my dad bought.

bought? I made a purchase for 20 bags for a work thing, but only because I was assigned to do the whole correspondence with the supplier. My manager was the one who sent over the payment when the purchase was confirmed.

sold? I don’t think I’ve ever tried selling anything before.

took a photo of? Cooper hahaha. I had been dancing to a song and he was staring at me.

were frustrated with? Our internet provider when they cut off the connection last weekend.

broke? I’m not sure if I can say I broke it, but the adaptor for my phone charger finally gave up on me the other day. I’ve taken to borrowing my sister’s for now, since she says she “doesn’t use it a lot” anyway.

spilled? Some drops of coffee spilled out of my mug when I dumped several ice cubes in it.

tripped on? Kimi. He follows me evvvvvvverywhere, so I bump into him at least once a day.

kicked? I’m not really sure.

put batteries in? Haven’t had to use batteries in a while, either.

turned on? The Bluetooth on my laptop.

turned off? The electric fan last night since I found it loud.

wrote? Other than my answers to this survey, I’ve also been talking with Angela this morning over Messenger.

wrote on? Other than my phone/laptop, my journal.

cleaned? My glasses.

stuck up your nose??? My finger when a nostril itched recently.

WHERE was the last place you...

dined at? Ramen Nagi.

ordered something to go? I don’t do takeout deliveries, but the last thing I got for delivery was banh mi and iced Vietnamese coffee last week.

bought something? Facebook Marketplace.

cried? In the living room. I came across that viral video of a guy proposing to her girlfriend at a Taylor Swift concert, when he knelt at the exact moment Taylor sang “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring” from Love Story. It was such a sweet, classy, non-cringey public proposal and I allowed myself to be swept away by the cheesiness of it all, haha.

felt uncomfortable? Dining room table. I was sharing a story to my parents about work involving a guy and my mom asked me if I had a crush on him. My dad kind of snorted and said, “Her? Crush on a guy?” which told me he knew something was up re: my preferences lmao. They’ve never heard anything from me yet, so that made me feel awkward and I most especially didn’t want my mom to catch on to the question and suddenly put me in the hot seat.

drove to? Other than back home, I last drove to UPTC.

had an appointment at? Google Meet, hahaha.

went on vacation? Tagaytay.

hung out with a friend? Andi and I went to a Korean barbecue place at UPTC (again), but we also drove to UP after just to revisit the good old days of being in campus.

bought clothes? H&M in Feliz.

spent more than you had planned? Ramen Nagi. I had a couple of add-ons in my meal and I didn’t know their service fee was going to be quite high, so my final bill ended up being slightly more than the budget I planned out for that day.

saw a band/singer/musician perform? Late 2019. My ex and I stopped by a jazz bar and there was a live band playing.

WHEN was the last time you...

told someone 'I love you'? Last Friday.

cried? Last night.

laughed? This morning. Cooper was being silly around me and my dad, as always. This time he was unusually behaved when we let him out, and the bizarreness of it all made us so unsettled we ended up laughing.

left your home? Last Sunday. I might go out later, too.

drank a soda/pop? Early last year. There was Coke being served at an org event, and since I felt thirsty and there was no drinking fountain around I just said fuck it and drank the soda.

made your bed? Last night when I left my room to settle in the living room.

visited a doctor? May last year.

went to the emergency room? Other than when 23 years ago when I was born, I’ve never been brought to the emergency room.

kissed someone? September.

hugged someone? Mid-January.

prayed? Six years ago. Or maybe five; I can’t really tell when exactly I made it a point to stop for good.

worked out? Around a week ago. I’m thinking if I should keep at it or if I should just stop, seeing as I’m not willing to give up my favorite foods anyway lmao.

made a phone call? I tried to make a phone call to our internet provider last weekend.

answered a phone? The other evening when the landline rang.

had an argument? Two weeks ago, instigated by my mom as usual.

played a video game? I think 2-3 weeks ago when I got in the mood to play the Switch.

played a card game? Safe to say at least a couple of years ago.

played a board game? November when we suffered a power outage for two days and had nothing to do at home.

rode a bike? LOOOOOOOOL March. The lockdown had just started and I made plans to learn how to ride a bike, but those plans fell through as soon as they began.

fell on your butt? This doesn’t happen often.

took a shower? Last night.

took a bubble bath? I can’t even remember anymore; this is a rare occasion for me.

watched TV? I last watched a TV show in general last night, but I last watched something on an actual television last Sunday when my family watched a Sunday mass livestream.

saw a movie at a theater? December 2019.

ate fast food? I got Bonchon for my family last December, if I remember correctly. My dad had done a huge favor for me and I asked what I can do to repay it, and he said to just buy dinner for the 5 of us for that evening.

ordered a pizza? Last month.

made someone laugh? I’m not sure if I had made her laugh in real life, but Angela and I had a humorous conversation over chat earlier this morning.

sang? Few minutes ago.

played a musical instrument? Absolutely no clue.

read a book? Couple of weeks ago when my employer sent me this book on PR that I was asked to read in preparation for my meeting with Leah.

drove a car? Last Sunday.

went swimming? Think it may have been my Nasugbu trip with Angela, Sofie, and Gabie back in August 2019.

got a sunburn? Idk man, when I was 8? I stopped getting sunburns as I got older.

went to church or temple? The last Sunday in March before the lockdown started.

went shopping? I did my final around of Christmas shopping last month for friends I still had to give presents to.

drank alcohol? Sometime last month after my work shift, following back-to-back meetings with my least favorite client.

smoked a cigarette? Feb last year, I think. I don’t buy cigarettes of my own and I’m also a lot more watchful of my cigarette usage, so I haven’t been able to smoke since I haven’t been around a crowd who does. I mostly vape.

threw up? I last felt like throwing up back in May, but I haven’t actualy thrown up in at least a couple of years now.

had a headache? Just this Thursday.

had a cold? No idea.

had the flu? It wasn’t strictly the flu, but I was last sick in May.

had your hair cut? March last year.

dyed your hair? Never done it.

laughed so hard that you cried? It’s happened in at least the past couple of weeks, I’m sure.

#survey #surveys

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fungusqueen · 4 years

Text

Here it is! The promised car-buying tips from my amateur and frugal experience! My general tips are to be prepared, do your homework, and don’t get caught off guard by not doing research and agreeing to things/paying for things you didn’t plan on.

Car salesmen are not your friends and they’re trying to lead you down the path that’s most profitable for them, which is never going to be the best situation for you. It’s their job to try to sell you on a bunch of stuff you don’t need, so be prepared for their tricks and understand the process so you’re not blindsided. Something specific to the coronavirus pandemic is that dealerships will be very desperate to sell (because no one is buying cars right now) and dealerships are willing to take a loss on a sale! BUT! If you go unprepared, it may also leave you vulnerable to dealerships attempting to do unethical shit BECAUSE they are so desperate to sell. They might try to make profits in places you may not suspect. A lot of aspects of buying a car (especially in financing car) sound good up front, but you might find out you’re getting screwed over.

I’m not going to discuss what makes a good car, or what you should buy etc. because I really don’t know and that’s your business! I’m mainly going to talk about the steps before and during the car-buying process (inside of a dealership and over the phone inquiring prices etc). I did my car search and car-buying alone (due to the global pandemic and my own desire to have minimal contact with others) and for my first time ever! So I’m only going to share my experience and offer resources.

I recommend this podcast episode from NPR’s Life Kit, “How to Buy a Car Without Being Taken for a Ride” as a simple starting point for car buying advice. It’s 23 min long. I know not everyone will listen to the podcast episode (and you don’t have to) so I summarized some of those episode tips below and elaborated on certain points.

1) Don’t appear too excited (at the dealership); they will try to build your excitement as high as possible. Playing on your emotions and creating a fantasy of a new life in a new car puts you in a position to make irrational decisions. When I was in the dealership, they actually asked me “Are you excited?” and I said “No.” I was also wearing a face mask, so with half my face covered, concealing my excitement was pretty easy! Their attempts may also appear as them trying to get you to talk shit about your old car to get you complaining, and further idealizing your future car. Overall, appearing too eager will not make them fight over you to get a sale. Make them beg!

2) Get pre-approved for a loan before going to a dealership. Know what kind of interest rate you can get and what kind of monthly payment you can afford. Your credit score will inform this; the better your score, the better your rate will be (so if you have time to improve your score, try to build it as high as possible). Your bank/credit union should have rates listed easily online. You don’t have to be a member of a credit union to get a loan with them, but there may be a discounts if you’re already a member. PLEASE KNOW that after applying for a loan, your bank/credit union will give you a time limit on how long you have to find a car/use the loan. My credit union gave me 20 days from the time I applied, but it can vary. You can also call to increase or decrease the loan if the car you initially wanted is no longer available or you choose a different one. When you apply for a loan, you have to supply the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), but obviously car shopping can change so make sure you supply your bank/credit union with the new VIN number of the car you decide to go with. Your bank/credit union may not approve you for a car that is too old. This happened to me (I first applied for a 2013 car in my budget) and they let me know they typically dont approve loans for cars older than 2014, which was a blessing in disguise because I found a newer model of the same car for around the same price. I ended up changing the car VIN/loan amount 3 times overall from the time I first got pre-approved for my car loan. Just keep your bank/credit union updated. Also! It’s not necessary but it helps if they can send a written (emailed) confirmation of the loan amount with APR listed, as the dealership will need it later in the finance office.

3) Definitely TEST DRIVE a car you see online before considering purchasing it. It might feel different than you thought! I test drove an older model of the car I wanted before test driving a slightly newer model and I’m really glad I test drove the older one so I had something to compare it too. There was only a two year difference between the models but the upgrades made a difference in ways I wouldn’t have thought before sitting in the driver’s seat!

4) Beware the 7 year car loan. It’s probably not the right car for you if you need 84 months to pay off. Car loans are not like home loans; cars are always depreciating in value. Interest on car loans is also always front-loaded, so the money you put in your first few years will mostly go towards your interest, not the principal of your car loan, and you could be spending way more than you thought. If the car does not last you 7 years, you may owe more than the car ends up being worth if you want to or have to sell it. At this point, it might be a smarter decision to lease a car, if for whatever reason, you insist on getting a specific car.

4.5) To add to this last point, you’ve probably seen dealership ads on TV or in print that say “0% APR for 84 months!” This is kind of a scam (at least imo) because it’s very seductive in a way that can distract you from other ways you can save. These advertisements serve the purpose of getting people into showrooms. This is because interest rate is only ONE SMALL FACTOR into finding what’s right for your budget. An APR offer is minimal compared to your monthly payment...if the monthly payment is too high (overall car price too high), are you really saving $$? These offers might even be for a shorter payment term, (ex. 36 month instead of 60 month), your monthly payment could be too high for your budget because you didn’t have the flexibility outside of this offer! If your term payment is longer (ex. 84 months), while your car depreciates in value, you may end up owing more than it’s worth by time you pay it off. 7 years is a long time! As well, these offers are usually only for NEW cars (again, more expensive than necessary) and buying used might be a better option. As well, they are not transparent about the minimum credit score required to qualify for 0% APR, so you may not even qualify...even with great credit! The 0% offer is also usually offered along with other incentives, like a manufacturer rebate (thousand $ and above). You’ll often have to chose between one incentive or the other...you could be turning down a multi-thousand dollar rebate because that 0% is very seductive...but if you did the math, it might not be the best option for your budget. ALSO! If you’re going to buy new anyway, banks/credit unions offer better APR rates for new cars rather than used so compare. If you can get a super low APR from your credit union on a new car, why get stuck with a higher monthly payment on a too long/too short loan term you otherwise wouldn’t have chosen just to get that 0%?

5) To continue with the point above ^^ When you are with the salesman, start with price of the car and don’t talk about ANYTHING else until later. THIS IS WHERE THEY GET YOU! They will try to get you to talk about financing, how much money you want to put down etc. BEFORE promising you a juicy competitive price on the car. SO! APR rates shouldn’t even be discussed until you can agree to the price of the car! Sort of another way they GET YA! So distracting! Can prevent you from getting your lowest overall price possible!

6) IT IS SO FRICKEN IMPORTANT AND I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH, BECAUSE THIS HAS HELPED ME THE MOST OF ANY TIP I’VE HEARD FROM FRIENDS: ASK FOR OTD (Out the door) price. The prices you see listed online or on a sticker on the car window are not the prices you’ll end up paying. OTD price includes everything, tax, fees etc. A few dealerships nearby had the same car I wanted (only varying slightly in color, mileage etc. but exact same year and model) so I called a few and said “HI I saw your car online, could you give me the OTD (out the door) price?” Ask them to break it down for you, what’s the price of the car, what’s tax, document fee, dmv fee, etc. If the OTD price is very high above the car price plus tax, beware! You should not be paying thousands of dollars in additional mystery fees. If a handful of dealerships have basically the same car, see which one can give you the best price. If a dealership cannot be up-front about their OTD price, and break it down for you so you know how all the money is adding up, RUN AWAY! You can ask for this information over the phone, some fees are often not necessary and are negotiable.

With this coronavirus pandemic, you should not be paying this full OTD price on the car, ask for at least 10% off and see what they say. In my situation, I called, got the OTD price at two different dealerships, one dealership asked me what they could do to get my business and I said, “I might come in today if you can give me 10% off the OTD price.” (I was cackling behind my phone tbh! it seemed ridiculous to me but whatevs). The salesman I was speaking to calculated it, said he’d call me back after asking his manager. When he called me back, they offered me just under 10% off...which sounded pretty sweet to me because the car was already being sold below it’s Kelly Blue Book value and that was the dealership I eventually went with. So u never know if you don’t ask! I asked the same of another dealership and they basically said no. So call around! This guy, Kevin Hunter, on youtube, gave me this idea! His channel is full of car buying wisdom so I highly recommend!

He has a great recent video specifically about the car buying market in during this coronavirus pandemic. He has videos on topics like, honest car salesman techniques, are certified preowned vehicles worth it, fake fees you shouldn’t pay for, etc.

7) Something I experienced that Kevin Hunter ^ also explains, (in this video titled, CAR SALESMAN TRICKS YOU into buying a car! DEALERSHIP Rip off: The SET UP) is this weird 4 square setup they did to me...and they do to everyone at a dealership. It’s another distraction tactic, that they will use to distract you from getting a good price on the car. It will look like this:

So the salesman will bring this informal piece of paper out. It’s not a contract, it’s not official, but they’re going to use this paper to pull information from you THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE THEM! At the point they bring this out, you should only be talking about car sales price. So this piece of paper has spaces to write trade in value (if you’re bringing in your old car to trade in), down payment, monthly payment, and car price. Anything that is not the car sales price will be used against you to try and get you to pay more. They’re trying to create the best profit for the dealership.

When I was at the dealership, the salesman kept pushing me to say how much cash I wanted to put down, what kind of monthly payment I wanted (ie. how much money can I spend), (and in my situation, I didn’t have a trade-in car, so discussion about that wasn’t brought up). Practice refusing to answer these questions...I kept saying I did not want to discuss financing or cash down until we could agree to the price of the car. You can also say you prefer to discuss this with the finance manager. He tried to get me to sign this 4-Square paper with a higher price on it than I was given on the phone. Do not sign this, it’s weird. I brought out a paper with a much lower price and asked him to sign off on that price instead. Bring the focus back to the car price. Be prepared to walk out and TELL THEM you will leave if you don’t get the price you want!

which leads me to my next point...

8) DO NOT SAY YOU ARE PAYING CASH. Do not say how much cash you have, do not discuss HOW you are paying at any point with the salesman. After you can agree to a favorable price on the car, you’ll be handed to a finance manager in another room. The salesman is NOT the finance officer. You should not tell your salesman your financial details. If anything, you only have to give the salesman VERY BASIC details so they can run a credit check before handing you to the finance manager.

and below....here is a WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DISCUSS HOW YOU’RE PAYING WITH THE SALESMAN.

9) Dealers can make a lot of money off a car loan...if you finance through them. Make them believe in the possibility that you might finance through them. They might give you a lower price on the car because they might assume they can get ya with a high APR or long term payment...which will bring them money in the long term. Don’t tell them you’re financing through your bank/credit union before you settle on the car price! In some cases though, a dealership might be able to give you a better deal thank your bank. You can say, “Why don’t you run my credit and see what you can offer me” and then see if it’s better than what your bank/credit union can give you. They also might test you with a high APR, even if you qualify for a lower APR (just to see if you’ll take it), and might even use details of your credit report against you...

10) If you have a trade in, they will also try to make a profit from not giving you enough $$ for your old car. Get a price quote from Carmax and check the Kelly Blue Book value beforehand to see if they’re giving you a good price. If it’s not good enough, you might want to consider walking away from the dealership and just selling to Carmax. Because of online transparency and easy access to prices of cars, they will try to make money in other areas OTHER THAN the car price, and this is one of them.

11) After you’ve settled on the price of the car and they’ve run your credit, you’ll be moved from the salesman to the finance office...where you’ll be signing contracts and discussing other add-ons, (warranties, insurances, protections etc.) When you’re in the finance office, DONT BUY ANY ADD ONS THE DAY YOU BUY YOUR CAR. If you decide to, research a good price for what they offer you. You can call the dealership and ask to speak to the finance manager ahead of time and ask what additional items you may be offered. These might be paint protection, tire protection, extended warranties, gap insurance etc. When they offer these things to you, they are often overpriced. You can also get these later, or get these elsewhere for a better price. Research ahead of time to see what’s right for you and don’t try to figure it out unprepared because they will try to convince you.

That concludes my numbered dealership tips! I probably left some stuff out, so please continue to do your research.

This podcast episode from This American Life, 129 Cars, illustrates the importance of using timing and desperation on the part of salespeople to your advantage. This is a longer listen, over an hour long, but it follows salespeople during their work day as they try to meet their monthly quota in order to reach their sales bonus. Towards the end of the month can be an ideal buying time because dealerships may be willing to take a loss or make no commission from a sale because if they’re able to reach their quota, they will either...not be fired, or they may receive a sizeable bonus. Overall, TIMING can be key in getting a good deal. Dealerships also have yearly sales quotas, so if you can wait, you may be able to get a better deal on a car towards the end of the year.

As well, I recommend a Monday/weekday since dealerships are least busy during this time. AND! If you need to contact your bank, it might be impossible on the weekend. Because of coronavirus, operating hours for banks/credit unions have been shortened so if you need to finalize some financing details or ask your bank/credit union questions, make sure you’re able to do so when needed! I ran into this problem and was delayed because my credit union was closing early.

One last tip! You also will also need to insure this new car so call your car insurance carrier and let them know you’re car shopping and they can help you add the new car to your current policy, or change your current insurance. You car insurance might increase or decrease with the addition of a new car. And if you’re getting a car with a higher value, you might want to consider adding more coverage to your current coverage. The dealership might give you free temporary insurance so you can drive the car off the lot with coverage. When I called my insurance carrier to add this new car onto my policy, it didn’t take effect until midnight that night so the dealership gave me temporary insurance just in case something happened on the drive home. You legally do need insurance to drive it off the lot or if you’ve never been insured before. So if you’re currently on somebody else’s policy, get some quotes from different insurance carriers and try to get an idea of the future cost.

Those are all my tips! This took a lot longer than I thought, heh heh, but I seriously hope this helps someone because buying a car is a HUGE DEAL and there’s so much potential to get taken advantage of due to the lack of transparency!!! There’s a lot more I could have covered so I encourage you to take more time to do more research! And good luck if you plan on buying a car soon!

#tips #life advice #car advice #car buying advice #car shopping #advice #buying a car #life hack #amateur tips #car shopping advice #resources #adulting #budget

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ferretfreedomfighters · 4 years

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⁣JUSTICE FOR SITKA - A Marshall Ferret Story

❌⁣ ❌⁣ Marshall Ferrets is the leading ferret mill in North America. They supply most of the pet stores in the USA with ferrets and pet stores across all of North America with ferret supplies. Marshall Ferrets is first and foremost a ferret mill. Ferret mills force female ferrets to breed out of season by injecting them with hormones, take their babies away from them when they are far too young, and over breed their females in order to meet the supply and demand needs put forth by their customers. Along with this, Marshall Ferret’s products are absolutely awful for ferrets: their malt paste and treats contains harmful sugars and carcinogens, their ferret kibble is essentially McDonalds for ferrets, and their toys are easily destroyed which creates choking and blockage hazards.

But, capitalism persists. This company rakes in millions of dollars every year, and they won’t stop until the money stops coming in. Please consider boycotting Marshalls and not purchasing any ferrets from pet stores, or buying any products that come from this terrible and unethical company. ❌⁣ ❌⁣

Here is Sitka’s story:

“This story is not easy for me to tell, I will.

For Sitka.

I bought Sitka from Petco on March 2nd, 2019. I knew nothing of Marshall Farms and their unethical and inhumane handling and breeding of ferrets. All I knew was that I had spent two years dreaming of owning a ferret and was finally ready to bring one into my heart and home. As soon as I saw Sitka, I knew he was the one. But looking back now, Sitka was way too young to have been in that display case, open for just anyone to purchase. He should have still been with his mother and siblings for at least four more weeks. Sadly, this is the case for all ferrets sold by Marshall Farms. While they claim the kits leave their farm at 8-9 weeks of age, I, along with many others, believe this is not the case and that most of the kits are ripped away from their mothers earlier than claimed.

Once I got Sitka home, I immediately noticed that he was scratching vigorously at his hears. During his first vet visit, the veterinarian confirmed that he had an ear mite infestation and an infection in one of his ears. Again this is the case for many ferrets purchased from Marshall Farms due to the poor and unhygienic living spaces.

Although I wasn’t the perfect ferret owner while I had Sitka, I feel like I could do a lot right now. I never fed any of the pastes, supplements, or treats made by Marshalls. I switched him to a much better kibble than Marshall’s and used a water bowl instead of a bottle. I only used oatmeal to bathe him and gave him 24/7 free roam in my room. Sitka and I were inseparable. Wherever I was, he was. There were even more mornings that I woke up and found him sleeping in the bed with my pillow.

It saddens me knowing that Sitka never had another ferret to play with and while I know humans can never replace ferret companionship, I made sure that Sitka was stimulated every day and had hours of playtime with me. And trust me, we played hard.

Flash forward 6 months lager, we had just moved into a new apartment, and I started to notice that Sitka was sleeping longer and longer. At first, I thought it was because he was stressed from the move, but then I noticed that his hind legs began to wobble and move with difficulty. I scheduled a vet appointment and took him as soon as I could the vet found that he was running a high fever and was dehydrated. She gave him some fluids subcutaneously and prescribed me with Metronidazole which is an antibiotic used to treat many infections.

I gave Sitka the Metronidozole every 12 hours for a week, but I saw no improvement. Instead, Sitka’s condition got even worse. he was extremely lethargic and his hind legs had given out almost completely. The only time he would move was to go potty, but he would only make it a couple of inches before he’d give up and relieve himself where he was. During this entire week, I was also syringe feeding and watering him since he would not eat or drink on his own. I took him to the vet again. He had lost some weight despite my efforts to keep him fed. His fever was still present, and now his head tilted to one side permanently. This time we had blood work, x-rays, and an IV done. While palpating his stomach, the vet also felt a mass in his midsection. Since there were no overnight veterinary hospitals in my city, I had to take Sitka home with me. Every hour or two for days, I would inject fluids into Sitka’s IV. I was exhausted and drained from the worry of losing him and lack of sleep. I prayed that any call I would get from the vet would tell me that it was something I could fix. But, this was not the case. The vet called and told me that the x-rays showed that his spleen, liver, and kidneys were enlarged. The blood work also showed that his organs were beginning to fail. I held Sitka close and told him over and over again how much I loved him. I didn’t want him to be alone for a second.

The following day I took Sitka back to the vet. while in the exam room, the vet explained to me what she believe was his diagnosis. Ferret Systematic Coronavirus. FRSC is simple to the dry form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), and like FIP, there is no cure. A more common coronavirus seen in ferrets is ferret enteric coronavirus which causes epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE), but more and more cases of FRSC have been reported from the United States. Like ECE, FRSC is extremely contagious and transferred from fecal matter. The only way to prevent FRSC is by avoiding exposure from ferrets that are infected, and to keep cages clean and disinfected.

To be sure this was what Sitka had, we did an ultrasound. I can’t remember exactly what the vet saw, but it did confirm our fears. She further explained to me what the results of the blood work meant, but I was not in the right mind to listen or learn. All I was thinking about was that I was about to make the hardest decision in my life. There was a choice to potentially treat his symptoms, the vet explained that it was clear he had suffered from central nervous system damage since he had hind limb paralysis and had a head tilt. I made the decision to end his suffering and humanly euthanize him. I stayed there with him and thanked him for being my companion for the short time I had him, and told him over and over again how much he was loved and how he’d be missed. The vet announced that he no longer had a heartbeat and I held and kissed him for the last time.

After talking with my vet and one of the animal science professors, we have concluded that Sitka must have been infected by his mother. Like FIP, his virus must have started off asymptomatic and then later mutated and infected and spread throughout his body. Marshall Farms does not keep clean and disinfect cages. They do not test their ferrets for diseases like these and they do not care how genetically healthy their breeder ferrets are. They only care about producing cute and exotic colored kits no matter the issues that come along with them. I wouldn’t wish any ferret owner to experience what I did, but knowing that Marshall Farms will continue to mass-produce and inbred ferrets in unclean conditions, it is bound to happen again. Sitka was only 8 months old when he left me. He and all the others like him deserve justice. Please boycott Marshall Farms and all their products.”

Sitka is not the first, and certainly wont be the last, Marshall ferret to leave his owners much too young. Unhealthy breeding practices are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with Marshall Ferrets. Do your part to stop the breeding of ferrets at ferret hell (aka MF). Do not buy ferrets from pet stores. Do not purchase any Marshall products (this includes toys, cage accessories, food, treats, and shampoos). We have the power to make a difference for ferrets across North America.

If you have a story about a mill bred ferret that you would like to share, please send it to our submit box so we can use it to help educate.

#ferret #ferretblr #petblr #animal rights #ferret stories

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forestofbeginnings · 5 years

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Would you by chance be able to post a tutorial on how we could buy the special edition RF4S collection? I've never had to order something Japan via proxy before so I'm totally clueless about it. Any kind of direction would be appreciated!

I sure can!

First off, I’m just going to generally say what you do when you proxy shop, since that helps me personally understand things better! So a lot of shops in Japan do not ship internationally. Some do (such as AmiAmi and I think Suruga-ya is going to start soon), but most others will only let you buy something if you’re shipping to an address in Japan. That’s where a proxy service comes in. When you proxy shop, you basically have a proxy service buy an item for you, ship it to their location in Japan, and then they send it overseas to where you are! Usually this comes with a few fees, which varies between services.

There are many different proxy services you can use, but I think the best one to use for pre-orders is FromJapan. So for this tutorial, I will be using their website.

So the first step is to find the item you want to buy. I’m just going to use the Amazon link for now, but you should be able to find each website with pre-order bonuses using this list on the official website. And you can search for the special edition by just putting ‘ルーンファクトリー‘ into the search bar.

Here’s a screenshot of the product page! What you’re going to do is you’re just going to copy the link of the product page and head on over to the FromJapan website (link provided right here).

There’s going to be a lot of stuff going on in the website, but the only thing you need to pay attention to is this little box I circled down here.

All you need to do is paste in the link of the product page here and click enter!

Now because all of the websites that FromJapan are pretty cushy with are either sold out or not selling it at all, you’ll have to put in for a price quote (they just need to confirm the price since they can’t automatically detect it). You just need to sign up to the website or log in if you already have an account. In my experience, FromJapan is usually relatively fast with getting back to you, so it shouldn’t take too long.

Once you put in all of the information (which should be pretty easy to fill in), you’ll just need to submit for a price quote and wait for another e-mail for you to make the purchase!

After that, you’ll just be playing the waiting game. You should get e-mails updating you on the process (you should get an e-mail when the package is shipping to them and then another e-mail when the package arrives at their warehouse). Once they have it, you’ll just need to log in and pay for the shipping from them to you!

I hope that was a good explanation! If anyone has anything else to add, please reblog with your wisdom!

While I was making this, I found out that several shops are now sold out of pre-orders for the RF4S Memorial Box. The following shops are sold out of the Memorial Box: AmiAmi, Rakuten, Animate, Imajin Web Shop, Geo, Stella Worth

#the curator speaks #cowboy-goth

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everydayanth · 6 years

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I don’t think I ever thought directly that the best stuff would make me happier, but I do use physical things as checkpoints and rewards.

When we buy bookshelves someday, I know we’re not moving for a while and can start focusing on more confident root-building.

When we buy a bed I know we’re planning on staying in the area at least (we did that ^-^).

When I complete task x, I can purchase this book or reward-thing.

I think it’s not that we value extreme quality or whatever the news wants us to believe, more that we value time and products that offer efficiency, to free up our time to reflect more on ourselves and our world rather than be consistently overwhelmed by it, are supposed to make us happier.

And there’s a truth to that, I think. All of these companies know what we want: time. And they do their best to sell it to us with products that provide that.

Consuming them all at once, I think, would be overwhelming to anyone, and by doing so, doesn’t actually experience the efficiency they’re supposed to be offering. If you’re not wasting time looking for a mattress or spending three hours shopping for new wines, if you’re not stressed by making dinners every night or getting angry at your stupid carry-on, then these products aren’t actually catered to you, imo. These businesses have the Millennial pulse, they know we’re overwhelmed and over-worked and looking for any ethical shortcut that can free up time to actually make friends and develop personal ideologies and skills worth all the work we’re doing in the first place.

They’re selling time and we’re buying it, because how the heck do we combat our shortage of it in the first place?

I wonder how many of these products are actually largely consumed by Millennials and how many are simply marketed as such and criticized as such and therefore consumed as such? I’ve never heard of most of these, but maybe I’m just a bad Millennial?

Marketing to Millennials is not a difficult concept. We want time, to explore the world and ourselves, to try new things and experience life. We’re tired of making so many choices in a day, we want limited options and synthetic solutions that solve many problems at once. And lastly, we want to be individuals, still retaining some semblance of our self while being mostly-exhausted and serving agendas that are not our own, we want to abide by our own ethical codes, to trade fairly, to consume responsibly, to create environmentally, to have a positive impact on the world. Mostly we want time to make those other things happen. Also, we’re poor as shit, so we want things to be efficient for a long time, quality that lasts is worth the extra dollars... until it isn’t. Those wealthy among us are few and far between. We just want time and to be ethical consumers.

So here’s how I think a few of these brands are smashing through Millennial poverty and job-insecurity to rack up sales that AREN’T BASED ON OUR OBSESSION WITH AESTHETIC as some outlets are determined to focus on. These are a look at the tone, voice, and branding of the company’s marketing and how it might apply to Millennial psychology, not sponsorships or ads or whatever. The links are so you can confirm for yourself, just fyi.

Casper promises a good night’s sleep so that you can spend your days rested and ready, utilizing the most out of your 6-hour nights, you perfectionist workaholic, you. On top of that, they focus on the direct-to-consumer model and quality long-lasting material that feeds on the idea of using up less time finding and receiving a mattress as well as keeping or worrying about replacing one.

The Away Carry On is about the idea of using that extra time to travel and explore the world and yourself. Their About page doesn’t even feature a full photo of their product, it’s an ideology. They’re also selling you the time you would spend looking for another option, comparing style and design, they’ve done it for you, created a one-size-fits-all solution, of course it will solve your problem.

We value access over aspiration, and exploration over escape. For us, all time away is time well spent.

Glossier Makeup promises to be your go-to, you won’t have to stand in those stores of exhaustingly similar shades unless you want to because you’ll already have efficient makeup that doesn’t require reapplication (because that takes time and costs money).

We’re not out to make you into someone else or complicate your routine. We just want to bring you the best makeup products - the ones you’ll reach for every day.

With Parachute we find the same story of long-lasting quality materials, environmental for those who can afford it, that will make your home comfortable, so that the time you spend relaxing is the most relaxing as soon as possible. Efficient comforts that remind you of the life you’re working toward and all the free time you’ll have once you get there.

With Outdoor Voices, again, we have a focus on experience, the apparel is sold with the encouragement to exercise every day without the pressure of being the best or first, so you can efficiently utilize your time working out AND having fun! The products are quality that won’t have to be replaced as often, and they are fashionable and cute, so you won’t have to waste time on deciding what to wear for your fun social workout. Combined with the focus on community, experience, and activism through social media and events, their campaigns are often focused around the ideological message, their products become a simple representation of it.

#DoingThings is about being active on a daily basis and having fun with friends, without the pressure of being the first or the best.

Allbirds pursued a similar method of quality-focus, but included much more of their environmental platform, essential for Millennials and our ethical attempts at consumption through the climate crisis. Allbirds makes note of its non-flashy design, making the shoe efficient and adaptable for many scenarios (we minimalists love adaptability and efficiency), and their comfort means you won’t have to waste time picking shoes out either, just stick with the same pair every day, more time to explore the world, less time making decisions or feeling guilty about your shoes.

An entirely new category of shoes inspired by natural materials, and an ongoing mantra to create better things in a better way.

MeUndies touts the small-wins, having a quality pair of underoos that will last you a long time to start your long day with a positive swing. They’ve accepted that you have little time, and that your life is full of negative outcomes and work that is often unrewarding, so here is a special something to indulge in.

Sometimes it’s the little things that give your morning that well-needed win.

Everlane is feeding that ethical-environmental Millennial with the efficiency of a brand you can trust, shop without spending time looking at labels or investigating, don’t waste time on expensive clothes that aren’t quality or fair.

At Everlane, we want the right choice to be as easy as putting on a great T-shirt. That’s why we partner with the best, ethical factories around the world. Source only the finest materials. And share those stories with you—down to the true cost of every product we make. It’s a new way of doing things. We call it Radical Transparency.

HelloFresh is all about simplifying your meal-making routine by sending recipes and ingredients right to your door. Sure, you pick them out for a minute, but shopping? Debating between organic butter lettuce and the other one that says organic but doesn’t have the sticker? Who needs that, you can trust their ingredients, you can customize your plan. Efficiency, adaptability, ethical trade, and experience, they were made for Millennial culture. No marketing necessary, the concept itself fits all the bullets. And they do an outreach program, which is becoming consistently more important for us ethical consumers to gain our pseudo-experience through. I might not have time to volunteer or money to donate because I can’t even afford a barely-livable apartment, but I can purchase and support my own necessities through companies that provide what I cannot (hence the effective longevity of companies like TOMS or Bombas or Yoobi, and other companies found here, many do social media campaigns, so they donate to charities or their own products as a reward for marketing through social media or sharing, including Everlane and Parachute listed above).

And last for this little thought experiment/analysis thing, we have Leuchtterm 1917 notebooks. I see these all the time, I pick them up with a hefty this might be nice and then see the price and scoff as I set it carefully back on the shelf and return to the spiral bound notebooks, where I belong. Quality is the supreme marketing strategy here, and I would argue it’s not as “Millennial” as the Moleskines as far as “luxury” notebooks go. Moleskines are marketed alongside stationary and journals in bookstores, as the affordable extra, individually minimalistic with hundreds of custom options and colors, they are the features of the Pinterest art and journaling craze and trends (Inktober anyone?).

The Leuchtturm1917 notebooks offer more of a corporate vibe, imo, but maybe that’s the point, they are the Millennial whose start-up has sold or is prospering, they are the symbol of old-world success, an unnecessary luxury meant to motivate more than adapt. Which banks on the Millennial desire for experience and aesthetic encouragement, in that way, I can understand how this company would fit here.

Also, the author mentions specifically using this notebook for bullet journaling (which I tried and failed once), so I understand the Millennial application. Bullet Journaling as a concept is meant to free up time and organize your goals so they are accomplishable, offering experience, creativity, and time to reflect and follow those organized colorful dreams. Why not organize those dreams in fine leather and quality paper that encourages you to work harder?

Experience and consistency are important requirements for quality. quality gives ideas a solid foundation on which they can develop. We are convinced that small details can make a big difference.

These companies are advertising on Instagram and sponsoring popular podcasts or Youtube creators. They know who and where their audience is and are often genuinely trying to make life more efficient, among the superfluous world’s most comfortable X titles. But whether or not they work, or if they just add extra work to our lives (extra billing, extra passwords, extra clutter), is based on our choices and routines. A few years ago Netflix streaming might have been included as a Millennial extra, and Amazon shopping before that. But those have proven useful, efficient, time-saving, essentials whose winning of the test of time has auctioned them off into mainstream consumerism, rather than this bubble of marketing we Millennials get defined by.

I want time and efficiency, I am exhausted of making choices, I would like products to last a while, to reduce the risk of purchase, and to reassure me that I have agency and power in my life, products that encourage me to live it. Who the heck doesn’t want that? But none of these specific products, so far, has been useful enough to my weekly worries and time-obligations to warrant their cost. Is this really the Millennial dream life, or is the marketing-campaign of these companies similar enough to group them together and make us form a disjointed idea of what Millennials want. Social shopping is fun, obligatory money-spending is stressful, we fear for our time in our commutes and celebration of workaholism, and getting this much in the mail seems exhausting if not occasionally unproductive.

I don’t think Millennials just want aesthetic, I think that’s what we are, but we want to be more. We want the time to make ethical choices, we want the money to sponsor products that utilize ethical choices. We want to matter, to make a difference, we want to be seen. We want friends and experiences together, we want laughter and fun and meaning beyond agendas that aren’t ares. These companies let us wear those desires while maintaining our survival as we shuffle off to our unpaid internships and our hopeful start-up salaries, they sell us hope.

Anyway, I really liked this article, but the more I sat on it, the more I got annoyed with the disjunct of purpose vs. use. Maybe that’s a marketing ploy, and maybe I fell for it, but I wouldn’t expect any of these products to make me happier, because none of them would take me less time, make me less anxious, or offer less stress than my normal routine. That means that this illusion of Millennials that’s getting propagated is based on the false understanding that we value elaborate quality and are frivolous spenders, rather than the reality that Avocado toast is a great source of good fats (Jake’s not home, I can’t ask him for the 500th time to explain it again, sorry), and good grains and good proteins and good spices that will keep you full for a good amount of time and is therefore healthy and efficient when it comes to meal choices (and delicious lol).

So yeah, I don’t think we Millennials are as image-obsessed as we seem, I think it’s all part of a desperation for time. We are told that we deserve time after we are successful, we may travel after we retire, we may find ourselves after we raise kids, and the only way I think we see around it is money. If we can support ourselves independently, then we don’t need to fill anyone else’s agendas, we are free to use our time as we please, on things we are passionate about, on ourselves, on thought, on politics, on friendships, etc.

So there’s my thing, I’d love to hear thoughts about Millennial stereotypes through technology and consumer habits that might be deeper rooted in an attempt to gain time and freedom and identity and happiness. (It’s been a theme lately). I really hope someone skims this ‘cus man, the number of repeat ads I’m going to get from going to these websites is going to be exhausting.

#millennial culture #consumerism #marketing #business psychology #culture #anthropology #aesthetic vs philosophy #time #agency #obligation #thoughts #dangerous scholar

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dearest-alexander · 6 years

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You Are The Reason Chapter III (Tom Holland x Reader fanfiction)

Summary: "I could be anything in the world, yet I wanted to be yours. But you don’t love me yet…or do you?“ The whole world thought you’re together but something’s stopping you, something’s stopping him.

Summary Chapter: Volunteering for a good cause had never been this rewarding and humbling yet..

YOUR POV

I’ve been friends with Gabrielle ever since I could remember. My early childhood pictures were not complete without her in it . She was also with me during the funeral of my grandfather. I remember how her small chubby hands tightly meshed with mine as they lower down his coffin. Even at such a young age, she was intuitive, benevolent and selfless. Whenever I fell down and scratched my knee, she will rub my back to soothe me until our moms came hand in hand with the first aid kit. Those were the very reasons I knew why she’s gonna be a brilliant doctor. We remained in contact even after I migrated to London with my parents..

WhenI got my big break for a movie project, we celebrated together all night, just the two of us, drinking red wine straight from the bottle on her rented spacious one-bedroom studio. When I mentioned to her that I’ll be coming in the States from time to time to fulfill a handful of job offers, she was over the moon, and so am I. She drove me on my US auditions, lingered in the waiting room until I was finished for day . That’s where she met Harrison and Tom who I’ve been friends with already.

Living alone in an almost foreign soil, even just for a few months, made me miss my England even more. Hotel rooms weren’t envisaging homeliness. Back then, Gabby’s still living an hour away from me, a moderate distance from where she’s finishing her studies. After 6 months however, she was designated here in the city for her residency. I begged her to stay with me since we’re practically in each other’s presence whenever none of us were occupied. She happily settled on the spare ample space beneath my bedroom and was in charge when I’ll be flying back home to St. James’

When I earned enough money for a semi-permanent place here in LA, we roamed the city by ourselves. The need to prove myself that I could do one adult thing in my life simmered intently on my bones. I good-heartedly declined offers, no special treatments from anyone on my team which they respected . She, who without doubt, the more “grown up” one between the two of us, would take a step in front of me whenever she felt like agents, realtors and sellers were being greedy and pushy.. I was gullible to such sly advancements, therefore on the third day, Gabby insisted that I should just let her negotiate since she knew how Americans think nowadays and I’m basically an alien. Therefore, under the blistering Californian sun, Gabby and I wandered and ended up on an empty yet maintained and recently sold loft in this part of the city.

The apartment’s high ceiling drew the illusion of expansiveness. Her mom being an owner of an Interior Design firm in San Diego, arranged the place to complement our boho chic and industrial design preference. The kitchen, with its wooden paneled cabinets and marble countertop contrasted with the interior’s black hardwood floors. The 360view of the city windows allowed natural light to seep through the crack in the grey curtains and when the night time comes, we could properly see the vibrant spectacles of the city. The formerly study area was converted as Gabby’s room and the loft bedroom with black-framed floor to ceiling glass walls remained as my room. The stark white and soundproof walls proved to be more useful especially to the foul noises coming from the living room.

“Die, Die! Die! You bastard!” I stood up, shouted aggressively as I pressed my fingers harder on the console with obvious determination.

“Ohh! Such profanity! You kiss your mum with that mouth?” Tom retorted back below me, his ambidextrous fingers made hurried clicking noises with his as well. He’s leaning his elbows on his denim-covered knees, both of us transfixed on the television and the joysticks in between our resolute hands.

“Oh, piss off!” I responded pointedly, resuming my seat beside him.

It’s not unusual for Tom and Harrison to be here early in the morning. Our days wasted away like this every single time we’re not working. They’ll show up a minute after 8 am and sometimes with a sprightly Tessa. On a number of circumstances, when either men are too exhausted and drowsy to drive we just let them crash in the couch. Tom at least. Below him would be Tessa on the extra dog bed I purchased just for her. Most times, my dog betrayed me and joined them downstairs, not wanting to part with his playmates.

Therefore, on this humid Sunday morning, two weeks since the awards night, we’re indulging in a video game he just bought, a game we’ve both been dying to get. I lost track of the time after Tom’s second win. I don’t usually mind losing, but with him, it’s a whole different story.

Unbeknownst to the unlocking sound of the entrance door, we sat on the edge of our seats occasionally throwing in congenial insults to each other, someone entered the premise. An ineffable thing you learn when you live with someone, you can actually tell when they arrived by the sound of their footsteps or by the sound of their sighs when they breathe. A set of keys jangled into the plate that says “Keys” on the foyer table. Both our dogs, who were resting underneath the coffee table at the center of the room, rushed to the door. Four greeting barks.

Gabby entered with both her hands bearing two brown grocery bags and lightly slammed the door with her foot. I couldn’t see her but that’s what I was imagining her doing.

“Hey guys!” we could hear her shout breathily from the kitchen. “Hey doggos! You want cookies?”

Tom and I answered with an absentminded “Hey!” Our laser focused attention not wavering off from the game.

“There’s a minor collision five streets away, that’s why we took a little longer than usual.” I heard her opened the jar of cookies for the dogs then cans and bags of chips hit the marbled countertop of our kitchen.

“Uh-huh.” I said lazily, biting my lip as I try to come up with a strategy to my game.

“Where’s Harrison?” Tom slightly turned his body towards her voice, his eyes remained in front. Her response drifted off as I saw Tom’s team finally found my troop’s headquarters, guns and bombs on hand.

“Why do you make it so easy? Might as well give me that 50 right now.” I could hear the complacence in his voice. He slanted his body as he stirred his avatar’s car to the left and get out of it.

“You wish, Holland.”

“.... Speaking of which, you guys better be rea........ oh cmon!” Gabby continued. I heard the soft patters of her socked feet against the unblemished hardwood floors to where Tom and I were currently and comfortably lounging. A bowl of half-finished dry cheerios and four empty cans of juice on the wooden coffee table. The dogs had resumed their last position all the while staring at Gabby, waiting for another set of cookies.

“Really? For four hours now?” she breathed incredulously. Her arms folded impatiently on her chest. I could feel the deathly glares on the back of our heads, I can’t risk confirming it by looking back. Tom’s avatar was circling back around the curb, right where I want him. I pressed a few buttons as I choose my killing weapon.

“You even haven’t taken a bath yet!!!” Her remark barely passing my ears as I quickly press the buttons of the joystick. She rounded from our backs to get a good look at our impaled positions on the sofa... or for us to take her disapproving annoyance.

“ I already did! Leave me alone!” Tom sounded like a teenager scolded by his mom for not cleaning his room. He was dressed effortlessly in his plain black shirt, jeans and his dark sneakers by the door, the curls on his head untamed.

“I’m not talking to you, idiot.” I could feel the penetrating and accusatory daggers she’s sending my way..

“C’mon guys, the program is in--- she glanced down at her watch—two hours. We have to drive there for an hour. Who knows if it’s gonna be totally jammed right now.” She demanded and stood by the accent chairs on our right side. Gabby doesn’t like being late.

As a favour to Harrison, Tom and I had agreed to join both of them in Gabby’s hospitals’ feeding program, where she is currently a third year resident. Although her hospital’s a few blocks from here, the program will take place on the outskirts of the city, right where impoverished US citizens are deprived. They needed extra pairs of volunteering hands as it was said to be a big annual event. Harrison popped the question while we’re all having dinner, because, even through the years of our friendship, he and Gabby were reluctant to take advantage of their status with that being close friends with Tom and I. They never asked us for help with anything hence, Tom and I were absolutely delighted to oblige.

“5 minutes, Gabs.” I promised half- heartedly, getting excited to rub my brewing win to Tom’s smug face. “Besides I could get ready in like... ten minutes.” I confidently reasoned back, still not looking her way. She exhaled and strode in front of us, blocking our view from the television mounted on the wall, her diminutive hands on her hips. Tom and I moved our heads synchronously on either side of her to watch the penultimate team battle with which we’re both engaged in.

“Look, thank you so much for doing this thing with me, and I love you both even more for it, but you’ve been playing since this morning.” She’s eyeing me heavily. Gabby did sound reasonable. As always. I hate it sometimes.

Tom’s persistent hands on his console receded, letting Gabby’s words sink in. His attention affected from Gabby’s reason. With a gruff, “Tell me again, why am I going.” We stretched our necks, trying to find a better angle from Gabby’s impeding and unwavering authoritative stance in front.

“....Because you’re a good human being and you’re eternally grateful for Gabby’s existence and her relationship with your best mate that ended all those gay rumours a few years ago?” I stated in monotonous voice.

“On point.” Without taking our eyes off of the screen and for a second of truce, he raised his right hand to give me a high five, I struck it with my left.

We heard another commotion by the door and the dogs, once again, addressed the newcomer.

“Don’t tell me you idiots are still playing, we have to leave in 15 minutes! And it’s been two hours since we left!” Harrison reprimanded softly and stopped at the back of the couch.. He then leaned his elbows on the cushion behind and in between Tom and I. He too, tries to get a decent view of the LCD.

“So..who’s winning?” he excitedly added. If Gabby is the austere mom, Harrison is the fun dad, whereas Tom and I are the juvenile delinquents. I smiled despite myself, inching my way to the right end of the sofa, Tom doing the same thing on his left.

“Harrison!” Gabby all but shrieked at Harrison who chuckled.

“Right, right. Sorry babe.” He cleared his throat and I saw Gabby nod before Harrison walked out of the room. Or so I thought.

“I’m coming for you Holla---hey! Hey! What are you doing!”

In a flush of movements, Harrison’s tall stature was in front of me, his forearms going under my leggings as he hauled me over his right shoulder like a sack of flour. Earning an adamant and incredulous protest from me.I saw Tom’s right hand halted on his controller, his hands splayed out for a second of discombobulation as to why his opponent’s avatar suddenly stopped firing in the middle of the game, and then he noticed the hilarity of my position on his bestfriend’s shoulder. Instantly, he grabbed his phone on the carpeted floor of the living room, joystick laid on the table.

“Hey! Put me down jerk!! Harrison! Put me down this instant!” I ejaculated, pouncing on his broad back in futile attempts. He walked over and gave a peck to a smiling and proud Gabby. ‘Thanks babe.”

I groaned. “Tom! Help me!” Harrison gripped my shins together to stop me from squirming. I cried out from my mortifying situation to Tom who completely abandoned the game I was wining. He positioned himself into a more comfortable way on the sofa, one of his foot under thigh and in both of his hands, his camera phone shook with laughter. My dog stood, confused and followed Harrison’s shoulder. He placed his two front paws on Harrison’s back, making sure I wasn’t in trouble of any kind then back down on all fours again. Gabby stepped behind him, giving my dog a loving pat on the head.

The phone on Tom’s hand followed our movements as Harrison started to move away to literally drag my ass up to, I presume, Gabby and mine’s shared bathroom across to the kitchen.

“Sorry mate, he’s a.. um... a bit tall!” his hand tried to hold his phone while he continues to howl and shake in laughter. I slumped and pressed down my reddening face on Harrison’s back, defeated.

“This is absurd, you’re dead Harrison! You all are! I’m gonna kick you once I’m down from here. “ I looked up from Harrison’s Latissimus Dorsi to threaten Tom and Gabby who were now practically skipping very much alike Snow White’s seven dwarves.

“Oh, wow, you really can be feisty. A few more minutes into that game and you’ll be saying the F word. “ I felt Harrison’s amused laugh from behind his nape which I’m currently glaring at.

“Told yah!” Tom interjected, chuckling before putting down his phone and barging in the kitchen.

Harrison dropped me with ease outside the bathroom door. He gave me an apologizing yet humorous smirk. I scowled at him.

“Hey! I’m just doing what she told me to!” He argued, his palms in mock surrender.

“Nah, you’re just a sap when it comes to my bestfriend. “ I replied with a chuckle as He took two steps into the open kitchen to resume helping Gabby who was already unpacking the rest of the items on our countertop, her back to us.

“And proud to be......not very unlike yourself. “He jokingly winked back at me, the last part barely a whisper. His head turned back to where Tom was pand my eyes took a cautious glimpse as he lingered by the opened fridge, humming to himself while he looked for a lunch snack, too concentrated on the task at hand to hear us. Our dogs, on their tails behind him. Harrison’s smile couldn’t get any nastier when he followed my eyes.. He reached out and ruffled my hair like an annoying big brother would. I swatted his hand away. Gabby turned around at the sound of my groan, oblivious to me and her boyfriend’s silent exchange.

“What are you still standing there for? “ she asked rhetorically. With this, Tom looked at our direction and regarded us with a suspicious look, two greek yogurts on his hands.

“Your robe’s already inside. 10 minutes.” Gabby pointed to the bathroom subsequently unloading the last items inside the brown bag and stacking them into the customized Pantry cabinet under the staircase.

“Urgh. Yes Mum.” With a roll my eyes, I dragged my feet and closed the door behind an amused Harrison and bossy Gabby, and hungry Tom.

I put my hand under the running shower, testing the temperature first before going under. Not long did the rapid stream of lukewarm water drowned out the voices from the other side of the room and I was made aware of my solitude.

The past weeks regressed to our normal mundane routine. Everyone has work for a few more weeks, til we fly back home to England with the exception of Gabby. Tom, Harrison and I hang out during the day, if we’re all unoccupied, doing chores or anything to keep ourselves amused. Gabby will join us later in the afternoon or early in the evening, depending on her shift.

My mind drifted back to the brunet on the other side of the wall. He must be halfway through his-my- greek yogurt by now.

I caught the upward motion of my lips as I recall the ease that re-settled over us after the revel weeks ago.

I nervously threaded my fingers through my hair as Gabby and I sauntered to where Tom was animatedly chatting with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield backstage. His team including Harrison was already there. Gabby gave me a sideway smirk. “What?”

Tobey and Andrew gave Tom one-armed hug as they said their goodbyes. When both gentlemen were out of sight, Gabby pulled Tom’s head under and between her armpits and messed his hair. “How dare you make me cry Holland!” Instinctively, Harrison caught the carved bronze sculpture that Tom is giving him. Gabby’s headlock never loosened . He could easily remove himself from the situation yet chosen not to.

When she let him go, Tom stretched his suit. “Crybaby.” He sneered at Gabby who poked out her tongue on him. Tom stepped into my open arms as I engulfed him in another congratulatory hug again.

“Was I ok?” he whispered against my naked shoulder, the contact made tiny tsunamis on my stomach.

Still within his embrace, “You were more than that.” I breathed to his ear. Then in a nescient and brazen move, I pressed a long kiss to the chiseled cheek I could reach.

I switched off the shower’s knob and coiled my hair in the towel I used for drying myself. I put my robe on and wiped the fog that clouded the mirror. I stared at my mouth as I recite the following words:

Tom and I are good friends. Just that. I don’t need to overthink it. Stop overthinking it, alright?!” My reflection nodded and smiled.

Albeit, in the deepest and unexplored corner of my mind, a prisoner impatiently and furiously banged on the metal bars holding her captive.

The jazz music loomed over the ubiquitous speakers of the entire flat. The boys were in the kitchen, leaning on the countertop, heels crossed with each other. Their reflex turned to the opening creaks of the bathroom door; Harrison’s spoon and Tom’s doughnut halfway to their mouths. Tom immediately turned his back the other way while Harrison, nonchalantly looked down and continued to eat his food. Head bobbing in tune with the music. Tom elbowed him and he protested a “Bruv?” yogurt still on his tongue.

The dogs chased me as I ran up to my room, thinking I was in a gaming mood. I dressed myself in a button down long sleeves and tucked it in my best fitted jeans. I grabbed the small backpack on the floor before barging down the stairs. I’m anew and ready to go.

“I kept my word, 10 minutes!” Two men looked up from their phones for a minute and muttered a small and deadpanned “Yey!” I jogged down the stairs with two dogs right behind me. Gabby was nowhere in sight. I plopped down on the three-seater-couch beside Tom who was reading something on his phone. His dog nudged her head on his knees and took a seat beside his feet. She lie down on her back as his human started rubbing his socked feet on her warm belly. Though his face remained in a determined concentration, he clasped his free hand on my ankle when I pulled it up over his thighs naturally.

My flatmate must have cleaned the table while I was in the bath. Everything was in orderly fashion again like some page from an Interior Design magazine. The decorative vignettes that I removed on the table while I was playing with Tom was reinstated. Which made me look for the video game console strewn under the 64 inches television.

“Oi! Where did our game go?” I exhorted at the two men beside me.

“Gabby confiscated them and locked it in her room. Apparently, she can’t trust me and Tom with it.” Harrison supplied, dropping his phone on the coffee table. “Which reminds me... I need a favour from you. Both of you.” He uttered in an undertone.

With this, Me and Tom edged our bodies closer to where Harrison was sitting but Tom still holding on to both my feet.

“I don’t wanna kick you out of your own house mate, but um.. Can me and Gabby have this place for tonight? She doesn’t know but I planned something for her.” He confessed in a timid voice that I can’t help but smile.

“What? What did you plan to do?” Tom queried, excitement in his tone.

“Git! Don’t ask that! Don’t tell us!” I lightly smacked Tom’s head and frowned at him.

“Why do you always assume that I’m gonna do something promiscuous?” Glaring at Tom’s sheepish grin.

“Well, aren’t you gonna? “ we both raised our eyebrows at him.

“No! Well, yeah maybe....I got her a necklace, that’s all. And I planned to cook for her tonight. “ Harrison explained bashfully.

“What’s wrong with our place?” Tom chided, sounding butt-hurt

“Well, do we have a perfectly functioning oven?” Harrison accused

“Um.. no..” Tom grumbled.

“Do we have, I don’t know romantic high ceilings?” Harrison gestured dramatically over the modern drop lights above our 4-seater dining table.

“Well, no.”

“Is our flat clean?”

“Absolutely not.” Tom jested, Harrison’s facts dawning on him.

“Harrison, I got you. Let me grab an overnight bag.” I winked at him, stood up and shuffled his blonde hair.

“Thank you!!! You can sleep in my room.” He smiled up at me.

I was rounding the dining table when I heard Tom complained,

“Uh no way man, We don’t know what kinds of shit are in your room. She’ll sleep in mine and I’ll sleep in yours.” Tom disclosed, laying his entire body on the spot I just vacated. Harrison threw a nearby pillow on his face.

I packed lightly, just a two sets of clothes for later when I shower and for tomorrow. Gabby reemerged for her room, wearing a plain white deep v-neck shirt, jeans and ankle boots.

“What are you doing with an overnight bag?” She asked, noticing the duffle bag on my shoulder. Before I could lie,

“We’ll continue our game at me and Harrison’s place tonight.” Tom shuffled from the hall, wiping his hands with the dish towel and I could see the dogs bent over two food bowls in the kitchen.

“Why can’t you do it here?”

“Because, you’re gonna be here. We can’t concentrate if you’re just gonna peek out and shout from your room every now and then. And you have work tomorrow.” Tom shrugged.

“Good point.” Gabby frowned in agreement.

“Oh and I’m gonna bring my baby too. The vet said that I should keep an eye on him." That part was wholly true. I stretched an elbow on Tom’s shoulders and stared back at Gabby, acting natural as possible. Which is funny, considering Tom and I were such professional liars.

“Ok fine. Guys, Listen up. This is the plan.” She clapped her hands, the action reminded me of a soccer coach about to give his students a pep talk before a big game.

“It’s 12:14, we have be at the tents by 2pm. We’re gonna load those boxes on the car, Harrison would drive. We’re gonna drop the dogs to your apartment, 10 blocks away, maybe it'll take just 10 minutes tops and off we go. Capisce?” she said in one breath.

“Maam, yes, maam!”

#tom holland fic #tom holland story #tom holland x reader #tom holland fanfiction #you are the reason #you are the reason fic #tom holland and y/n #tom holland x y/n #tom holland imagine

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 6 years

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YesStyle Review: Beauty

For those familiar with YesAsia, which focuses on entertainment products like CDs, DVDs, etc., they have a sister site focused on Asian fashion and Beauty from China, Korea, and Japan called YesStyle.

When I started switching to a K-Beauty regime for my skincare and makeup, my options in the US were limited in terms of physical stores and US-based web shops. There had been mixed reviews about YesStyle, mainly for the fashion, but many of the people I knew used it for the beauty products more and had better luck. (This review is my own personal opinion.)

YesStyle offers women’s fashion, men’s fashion, home decor, and beauty items from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean brands. One can search by brand name, with a keyword, or you can peruse their curated lists of Best Sellers for certain categories and filter by price range, color, and style.

If you are based in the US, they offer free standard shipping if you spend $35 or more on a order. (Which is trackable.) Definitely cheaper than some sites that I’ve perused where the minimum is $50 or higher before you get free shipping. (Moonshot’s international site requires you to spend $200 before receiving free shipping!)

When clicking on an item to take a closer look at details, you’ll notice a shipping speed noted near the price. This will tell you how long it will take to ship your item out from when you place your order. Common time periods are below:

24 hours (Usually this applies to most of the beauty items – it means the site has them in stock and can fulfill immediately.)

7-14 days (A few newer or specialty brands and items may have this. Ex. VT Cosmetics.)

21 days (Some of the premium brands like The History of... have this timeframe.)

Keep in mind the speed if you’re buying multiple items as the site does not split shipments! If you buy something that says 24 hours and add another item that says 7-14 days, the site will hold your order until the item with the longer timeframe arrives, then they’ll ship everything together.

On the item page, you can find images of the product, reviews, and information. There are also tags you can click on if you want to see similar items in that tag.

Steps for Purchasing

Place items in your basket. Once you have everything, you can either checkout on the YesStyle site or via PayPal.

If you selected the checkout on the site, you are given the option to sign up for an account (which is free) or do guest checkout. The former allows you to go to your account to see what you purchased and the tracking information. In addition, they reward members of their site with discounts to items and coupons. The latter option means you’ll have to remember which e-mail address you used for the order when you wish to track items.

Fill in your shipping and billing information. When you reach shipping options, it is free standard shipping if your order is $35 or more. (There is a slight charge if your order is under that, but it’s $3.99.) I’ve never tried premium shipping as it is a bit pricey.

Submit your order. The site will send you an e-mail confirming they received your order. They will also send updates on the status of your order.

Benefits of a Membership

Like many sites, YesStyle encourages shoppers to sign up for a membership to keep track of their orders and to earn discounts. Everyone who signs up is automatically a Bronze Member, which means you’ll get a 3% discount on top of prices and a chance to earn coupon codes for future orders. With every purchase made, you can go up to another level to earn better discounts and coupons. (This is counted by Stylebucks – they’re not a redeemable currency, but more of a point system that keeps track of what level you’re in.) In addition to purchases, you can increase your number of Stylebucks by posting reviews of the products your purchased or by downloading the YesStyle app.

Bronze Level 1-399 Stylebucks [3% discount on prices + $5 off coupon + a chance to reach Silver level quickly on your birthday month.]

Silver Level 400-999 Stylebucks [6% discount on prices + $5 off and $10 off coupons + a chance to earn double Stylebucks on your birthday month]

Gold Level 1000+ Stylebucks [10% discount on prices + 4 $10 off coupons + extra 2% (12% total) discount on your birthday month.]

$1 = 1 Stylebuck

Reviews = 100 Stylebucks (200 Stylebucks for your first review)

App download = 100 Stylebucks

My first order was for the Peripera Milk Lip Balm, Giverny Mascara, and The Face Shop x MARVEL Cushion.

I ordered in mid-July and went with standard free shipping. The cushion and mascara were at 21 days compared to the lip balm being already in stock. That was fine with me since there was no rush.

About 2 weeks after my order was placed, YesStyle e-mailed me saying that the cushion was out of stock and they could not fulfill it. They apologized and refunded the amount to my card before shipping the rest of my order. Everything else came shortly after in a padded envelope – no signature required.

Since the initial order, I’ve continued to purchase from them as the prices are fair and I like having the discount on top of the prices. They also run sales on items for holidays and prices are slashed further – your discount (if you have a membership) is added at the checkout on top of that.

Cons

Things can sell out on this site, especially if they are limited edition or seasonal. If you really want something, act fast. If in the worst case they cannot fulfill an item that is out of stock, they will refund you for that item. (Ex. Limited edition items in beauty and seasonal items in clothing.)

No split shipping on items based on in stocks.

For returns that are based on not wanting the item, you can only return (in original packaging with the packing slip) for store credit. If your item comes damaged or if you wish to exchange a size, they’ll handle differently. (See their Returns section)

Rating

Site layout and ease: 4/5

Prices: 3.75/5 (Most of the brands that are not typically sold in Sephora and Western shops have great pricing – Peripera lip balms I bought were cheaper than Amazon. However, belif skincare was higher than Sephora.)

Shipping Speed: 3.75/5 (I wish they offered split shipments for things in stock.)

Overall: 4/5

Misc

I’ve seen VT Cosmetics and a few special collection items from makeup brands on here. Fans of BTS and specialty items, this is a good place to buy or check out. (Ex. VT toothbrushes and Think Your Teeth BTS sets were on here and the BT21 Mediheal masks were available for a while.)

For those who buy expensive brands like Shiseido, The History of..., etc. prices are good and with some of the promotions and discounts offered, you can save quite a bit of money on them.

For anyone interested in saving 5% on their first order, please click on my link here.

#YesStyle #YesStyle review #Hallyu #K-Beauty #J-Beauty #review #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 2625

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fuck-customers · 7 years

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Customer from the Black Friday pit of Hell

So, at roughly 3:30 am on Black Friday morning, I had to deal with a customer from hell. I work at a toy store that opened at 5pm on Thanksgiving afternoon and wouldn't close until 11 pm on Black Friday. At my job, we have the seasonal employees, and we have Pseudo-Supervisors who have override numbers and essentially are just babysitters for the seasonal employees called GSTM's.

Now, one of the seasonal employees sends her my way, so I can find an item for her. It instantly starts going south as she tells me that she needs a power wheels charger, because her charger broke 3 weeks after buying the power wheels. Not a problem, when did she buy the power wheels? A freaking year ago. Well out of our 90 return policy. But whatever, it's late I'll try to see if we have any. Turns out we don't, and it's discontinued. I tell her this but say we can always order it for her and have it shipped to her house. She says that's fine, but she's still going on and on about this power wheel charging failing and how her daughter was soooo disappointed that it stopped working so soon. Turns out she's saying all this because she wants a discount. The item was originally 50, but it's on sale for 37 dollars. It's an online order, we can't just change it by ourselves, so I call a supervisor.

My supervisor, A, comes to the computer and she okays it and makes a coupon to bring it down from the 37 to about 20 dollars. That's fine, I get the information for the order, her rewards card number, and print out the order confirmation. When it comes to online orders, we're told to always do the "pay in store" option before putting the card info in ourselves two or three times, and if it doesn't work, we can put the info in if the customer okays it.

I put the order number in, and it doesn't work. Error comes up saying "Unable to continue with order, information invalid, please remake order" or something close to that. A sees it and recommends just remaking it. So I do, and I let the guest know. She looks annoyed, then asks if it'll take much longer. "It should take only a few moments more" so she says "Fine, I'll go put my previous purchases into the car and come back." Which she does. Everything is all set, just need the email again. She comes back in, and I'm just finishing up. Then suddenly, "I can't find my card??" wot

"I can't find my card, my card isn't in my bag!" she says as she's pulling out all the stuff in her bag. My coworker, S, and I start looking around to see if it got knocked down on our end of the register or in the trash beneath the counter. All the while this customer is freaking out, and she's glaring daggers like she thinks we stole it. Another GSTM, named M, comes over and asks what's wrong. The womans keeps saying "I LOST THE CARD, IT'S MY BOYFRIENDS CARD I GOTTA FIND IT" so M suggests maybe it fell out in the parking lot or her car, and the woman snootily says "No" and shoots down any of her suggests. While she's doing this, I'm trying to get the order to go through. I input it into the register and it ups and crashes. So I ask M if she and our manager can head up to the security office and check the camera's to see if it was swiped by someone when we weren't looking. They get up into the office and a minute later, the woman magically finds her card....in her pocket. :^) And she's saying she's sooooo sorry. I ask Supervisor A, if I can put it through with the card info on the computer. She okays it, so I let the customer know and she goes from annoying to goddamn horrible.

She starts yelling at me and getting pissed about "isn't that what you were doing??" and how "You just charged me twice!" and I explain to her saying, "Ma'am that's not how it works. You weren't charged. With how the ordering system works, we would've had you swipe your card at the register." I was never given her card so I couldn't charge her for it even if I wanted to. So she blows up at me for "Dilly dallying" (ya know, as if we didn't spend a solid 5-10 minutes trying to find this high woman's card in her own damn pocket) and "I ALWAYS have an issue with you when I come into this store! I had an issue with you last year, too, over my layaway!" I have never seen this person in my goddamn life. Oh and she's screaming about how "Store needs to train their staff better" and how she's been there for an hour, all while getting more and more aggressive. So now Sup. A, GSTM M, Coworker S, and now my Human Resources Rep, R (who heard the screaming and came over to try defuse the situation) are all trying to calm her down while defending me saying that I'm just following orders and that it's not my fault that the system is down.

But whatever, I feel like crying or telling her to piss off or both, and just bite my tongue and go through with the order. It was the boyfriends card, so I ask if the billing address would be the same as her shipping address (honest question) so she starts screaming the address out at me and spelling each word as condescendingly as possibly as if I'm the idiot here (again, as if i'm the idiot who lost her card IN HER POCKET, and is trying to cause a fuss about a charger that broke a fucking year ago.) and I guess I didn't suffer enough, because the payment system for the whole online portion of our brand is down. It wouldn't let me order it with the card info. I let her know this and so she's screaming again about how she wasted "an hour of her life here" and all that fun shit (when no one told her to come out here. She easily could've left at any time she wanted.). At this point, one of the managers tells HR Rep R, to ask the shrew if she'd pay for the charger if we removed it from a new powerwheels and sold her that. Customer's eyes widen as she looks at the walkie talkie on HR Rep R's hip and says "yea, but she needs to give me back my card." not your card, but whatever I give it back to her. Then she tells me to write down my name and that she's calling corporate on me. So I write down my first name and my employee number, and tell her that I look forward to hearing from corporate (I'm still waiting on that complaint, her high ass probably lost the sheet of paper, too.).

The manager brings over the part, HR Rep asks me for the item number, I give it to her all while this c*ntstomer is still complaining about me and my service. Then she has the NERVE to ask for MORE of a discount. The HR rep just gives her the item for 10 dollars to get her the fuck out of the store. She leaves and my coworkers are patting my back, asking if I'm okay, and "how were you so calm, I would've told her to fuck off 10 minutes ago". Coworker S even takes a picture of the error messages that had popped up on both the computer and the register so we can prove that it wasn't my fault that the systems went down and that we did try to do the order multiple times and that she wasn't charged.

God I hate Black Friday and the assholes that come out of the wood works for it.

#submissions #fuck customers #cashier problems #fuck retail #submission

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