#luggage favor box

[weeknd-ogoc]

ENAMORADO ˙ ˖ 𖥔 OLIVER BEARMAN

SUMMARY: in which ollie finds himself deeply in love with his girlfriend and always doing little things for her. CONTAINS: mexican!reader, jealous!ollie, a little sex talk with his mother 🤭 & major fluff! AUTHOR'S NOTE: thank you guys for reading, my requests are open!

(the smaller words in parenthesis are the english translation!)

if someone were to ask oliver bearman what matters to him the most in his eighteen years of life — for someone his age you'd think he'd say his family, friends or even his career but it was never that.

he'd say his answer with a smile on his face each time. "my girlfriend of coarse, she's the love of my life."

the two of you had been dating for a year now and yeah everyone who saw you two could tell you were obviously deeply in love with him but they could also see that oliver was completely head over heels for you.

"moving in together?" oliver's mother questioned him. "don't you think it's a little soon for that?"

"well we were thinking maybe next year..."

his mother adored you but she knew the two of you were young and in love but she also knew that sometimes relationships this age didn't usually last.

the next time she saw oliver he was happy but something was off, he seemed a bit suspicious. she observed the both of you for the rest of the day until finally oliver had slipped up and revealed a little red mark on his wrist.

"oliver bearman." he heard his mother say.

uh oh.

she went over and scanned his wrist. "you did not!" she scanned yours and saw the same thing.

a little red tattoo, an o on your wrist and your first name letter on his.

"i'm going to strangle the both of you..." she mumbled out.

after that his mother nearly had heart attacks every time he told her he wanted to talk to her about something and was relieved when it wasn't something bad.

"this is not the conversation i want to be having but it needs to be asked..." she sighed as she sat the both of you down. "are you guys using protection?"

"mom!"

his mother looked at him with a serious face.

"yes we are." he responded "mm well sometimes..."

you hit him in the chest and your face instantly heated up.

"oliver!" his mother and you yelled.

once that awkward conversation was done, his mother bought you guys a box of condoms and the subject was never talked about again.

oliver had invited you to go to mexico with him since he had his f1 debut on friday, you could tell he was nervous but he didn't want to talk about it.

upon arriving to mexico he was excited to get some alone time with you since the both of you lived in different places, you guys always seemed to be together though.

"since the drinking age is eighteen here and i'm eighteen and you're nineteen, i think we should ord-"

you shook your head. "absolutely not. your mom would have a heart attack and kill me if she ever found out."

he groaned before kissing your forhead and taking your luggage away from you. "boring."

so thursday morning he invited you to go get breakfast before heading to the paddock for media day.

you had found a little coffee shop and the both of you walked there.

"baby, it's just not the same as yours..." he pouted as he opened the door for you.

you let out a laugh before kissing his cheek and walking past him. "i'm telling you the ones from here are so much better!"

he had always said your chocolate de abuelita was the best so if you guys had been back at home he would've loved for you to make it, you had also put him on mexican sweet breads and now he was obsessed.

"dos chocolate calientes y dos conchas, por favor." he heard you tell the waiter as he opened up his straw and began using his finger to turn it into a circle. (two hot chocolates and two sweet breads, please.)

when you looked back to him he began twisting the piece of paper. "ollie, what are you doing?"

once he tied the paper he put out his hand out for yours and you tried giving him your right hand but he shook his head. "left hand."

you handed him your left hand and he slipped the paper ring onto your ring finger.

“i'll give you a real one sometime soon...” he smiled as he admired his artwork. "right after i get you the hacienda style house that you're always going on about."

you leaned over to give him a gentle kiss on his lips. "god, i love you."

he placed another kiss on your lips. "not as much as i do."

the man came back with the order and oliver smiled at him. "gracias."

as the man walked away he gave you a goofy little smile. "you see i can speak spanish too."

the both of you quietly ate your breakfast and he found himself finishing quicker than you. "it was good, real good but i prefer yours."

he had a little milk mustache and you laughed as you wiped his mouth with a napkin. "sure you do..."

𖥔

you followed oliver all over the paddock as he did some interviews here and there. he was super excited since he was going to be doing these in a few years — while you were admiring him, a certain boy from mclaren came by to say hello to you.

“is that miss l/n?” you heard a voice say and wrap an arm around you.

oscar piastri, someone you had known for a few years now.

"oh my god oscar, i haven't seen you in like forever!" you squealed and hugged him back.

oliver saw the whole interaction and found himself getting distracted during the interview since he was watching the two of you have a little conversation. he was never a jealous person in his other relationships but with you it was different — he knew he had nothing to worry about with you but you just never knew what the other person could be up to.

before the two of you had started dating, you were hanging around arthur leclerc since your families had been close so that must've been how you knew oscar he thought.

arthur was the one who had introduced the two of you awhile back and oliver had always told him he was so grateful for that.

"hey, i'm oliver." he introduced himself to oscar.

"nice to meet you. you'll be practicing with us tomorrow, excited?"

he nodded and wrapped his arm around you. "excited and a tad bit nervous."

oscar nodded. "you'll be fine, see you guys tomorrow."

as he left oliver planted a kiss on your cheek. "i was thinking maybe we can stay in mexico for a few more days after the race on sunday, maybe go to a resort or something?"

you nodded. "i know a place!"

𖥔

the next morning the both of you went to the coffee shop and ordered the same thing as yesterday. oliver had been strangely quiet all morning.

"stop being so nervous ollie, you're going to do amazing!" he gently grabbed your hand with a smile.

"i love you, you know that?"

"i know." you smiled. "and i love you too."

after you guys finished, you met up with arthur as oliver was getting ready, the both of you were hanging around charles and carlos who were also getting ready.

"you're going to do amazing babe." you reminded him and gave him a kiss before he could slip his helmet on.

you spent your time cheering on for oliver and when he placed fifteenth place, he came out happy as ever and swooped you in for a kiss.

that night ollie had convinced you to go to a bar to celebrate with arthur and a few other drivers.

the bartender gave you guys a few options and they let oliver choose.

casamigos.

"this is going to give your mom a heart attack." you mumbled before taking a shot with them.

this wasn't the first time you had drunk but it was his so after his third shot, he was starting to get a bit chatty and arthur watched him with amuse.

"you're just so beautiful you know..." he mumbled and moved a few strands of your hair behind your ear. "you make me chocolate de abuelitas and you're just so sweet." he continued listing the reasons why he loved you. "ugh baby you just make me so happy!"

you kissed his cheek as arthur began laughing at the boy, even taking a few pictures and videos.

"alright i think its time to go my sweet boy, you can tell me the rest of your lis-"

"you know what, i also love that my family loves you and i love when you play with my hair and you're so supportive of me."

arthur got up and began helping you take him into a taxi as oliver continued ranting. after ten minutes you guys arrived back into the hotel room and as you helped him get ready for bed, he grabbed onto your cheeks and kissed you.

“i'm going to really marry you some day...” he mumbled out as you began running you fingers through his little curls.

you nodded and kissed his cheek. “of course ollie, some day we will get married.” you agree.

“we can have like three children and a lot of animals in our house here in mexico...” you smiled and nodded along to the future plans he had for you guys.

before the both of you could fall asleep, he wrapped his arm around you and kissed your cheek. "yo estoy enamorado contigo." (i'm in love with you)

f1 & f2 masterlist!

✭

© weeknd-ogoc, 2023

[slutforsilverfoxes]

Secret’s Out

[A/N: Some fluff in honor of our favorite man’s birthday 🖤]

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x wife!reader

—————

You love celebrating your partner’s birthday. An excuse to pamper your favorite person more so than usual, and they can’t refuse because it’s their special day? Amazing.

Your partner, on the other hand, is less than enthusiastic about the day. “It’s just another day,” he always tries to play it off. “Another year around the sun gifting me with more grays and wrinkles to prove it.”

You’ve adjusted to his understated manner, toned down your celebratory whims to make his day special in smaller, less overt ways.

“I’m not making a big deal about it,” you’d promised your first birthday together with a smile, catching the raised eyebrow you were greeted with when he spotted the lavish breakfast spread out over the kitchen table.

“Still not making a big deal. You needed a new one,” was your excuse some birthdays later when he opened a carefully wrapped box to find a new watch with words from your wedding vows engraved on the back.

“This one is so not-a-big-deal,” you’d affirmed just last year, presenting him with two tickets to a five day island getaway. “It’s November in DC and I miss the sun, that’s all.”

And so the years have gone, keeping Aaron Hotchner’s birthday under wraps much to the chagrin of his team. Garcia, to her credit, has made a Herculean effort to keep the date quiet as requested, or perhaps she’s sworn everyone to secrecy by now. Inexplicably, Aaron finds a single cupcake waiting on his desk annually.

Aaron’s birthday was a quiet affair, that is, until this year.

The case your husband had been on had spanned many more days than expected, and you’d been forced to postpone the family trip you had planned to celebrate his birthday. So here you are, waiting in his office for the team’s return. Chatter suddenly breaks the silence of the bullpen, the unmistakable sound of Aaron’s baritone mixed with the many voices of your found family.

The kids are tearing out of the office before you even rise from the couch.

Your toddler reaches the BAU team first, and Aaron’s quick to drop his go-bag in favor of catching the pig-tailed bundle of energy midair as she squeals out an excited, “Happy birthday, Daddy!”

Aaron’s eyes widen in shock, and your stomach swoops at the FBI’s best kept secret being so blatantly revealed by the littlest Hotchner.

But then Aaron’s propping your daughter on his hip and pressing kisses to her cherubic cheeks while she giggles at the onslaught, and Jack is wrapping his arms around his dad’s waist, mumbling a “Welcome home, Dad, happy birthday,” into his dress shirt, and Aaron is squeezing both of your kids like their very presence imbues life into him, and all is right in the world. You take note of money quietly exchanging hands behind Aaron greeting your kids. Evidently, Garcia had kept the date a secret.

The team splits up to drop luggage and paperwork on their desks, and Aaron looks up to the stairs leading to his office then, his smile somehow growing wider when he spots you standing there, a blush dotting your cheeks. “You know there’s no stopping these two when their hero comes home,” you offer sheepishly, and he angles his head to beckon you closer. You’re by his side in an instant and pressing a kiss to his lips even as your children- spurred on by Uncle Derek and Uncle Spencer- protest with a chorus of ews and elaborate gagging noises.

“You were just giddy about me kissing you,” Aaron points out to your daughter whose face is screwed up in feigned disgust from her front row seat on Daddy’s hip.

“It’s not the same as you kissing Mom,” Jack huffs with the gusto of an all-knowing pre-teen, so his dad rolls his eyes and pecks your lips again for good measure.

“May I propose,” Rossi interjects, one hand on your shoulder and the other on your husband’s, “dinner at my place to celebrate?” Aaron opens his mouth to protest, but Dave lifts a hand and clarifies, “Ah- celebrate closing the case, Aaron. It’s not all about you.” He shoots you a wink and you bite your lip to hide a smile.

“Up to you, birthday boy,” you murmur, lightly running your hand across his chest, but your kids and his team are looking so hopeful that Aaron knows it’s really not up to him, after all.

“Okay,” he relents with a laugh, nodding his head. “Thank you, Dave, that’s really kind of you to offer.”

The night turns out to be an absolute blast full of good food, great drinks, and wonderful company. Your little one is currently sound asleep in her Uncle Spencer’s lap while he stumps her older brother and JJ and Will’s sons with his latest magic trick. Penelope and Derek are out on a secret mission (they’re getting a cake) that Aaron is completely in the dark about (he totally knows). The rest of you are scattered about the living room, chatting and sipping your drinks while you await the secret agents’ return, and Sinatra croons on in the background about having a love to keep him warm. Sidling up to Aaron, you rest your head on his sturdy shoulder and murmur a simple, “Hey.”

He turns to press his lips to your forehead and utters a, “Hey, you,” in return.

“Sorry the cat’s out of the bag after all these years,” you say, absentmindedly toying with the collar of his tie where he’s loosened it a bit.

“Oh, honey, don’t apologize,” Aaron admonishes lightly, shifting his position so he can snake an arm around you and you can settle more snugly into his side. “Honestly, I’m amazed we kept it under wraps for so long.”

You let your hand drift further upwards, now tracing a little heart into Aaron’s cheek with your index finger. Emily clearly used a heavy hand in her role as bartender. “Really?”

Your husband curls his hand around your wrist to guide it closer to his mouth and presses a kiss to the pad of your finger. “Really,” he affirms. “Y’know, these guys had a bet going about my birth date but…” He leans closer like he’s about to let you in on a secret, and you sit up straighter, all business. “Dave and I had a bet going about who would spill first. That little chatterbox,” he murmurs, inclining his head toward your sleeping toddler, “or her chatterbox mom.”

“I resent that.”

“I know.”

With a huff, you kiss his cheek, then his nose, and then his lips. “But I’ll let it slide since it’s your birthday.”

The lights in the living room grow dim then, and Penelope enters with a small cake in hand, her face lit up by a ring of candles. “Derek said we shouldn’t mortify you by singing, but I couldn’t resist at least getting candles, sir.” She sets the cake down on the coffee table before taking a step back as the rest of your family gathers around. Your little girl barely stirs in Spencer’s arms when he approaches, while Jack slips into the spot next to his dad and instructs, “Make a wish!”

“Oh, buddy,” Aaron laughs warmly, looking around at your big family with a smile before kissing the top of his head and affectionately squeezing your knee, “what more could I wish for?”

__________

AH tags 🖤 @gothwifehotchner @iyv-ray24 @mrs-ssa-hotch @criminalskies @callm3c0nfus3d

[37-drc89]

secret santa; bangchan

[christmas special fic series; 1/8]

genre; fluff, established relationship.

warnings; none, gender not defined.

word count; 1,4k.

christmas masterlist

note: i'm not really sure about this fic honestly, but i was too excited for the christmas special not to post it anyway. please keep in mind that english is not my first language so if you see any typos or grammar hurts your eyes, let me know so i can improve it! x

Chan has always been known for being naturally a giver. He's been like this ever since he was a child, even though you've only known each other for four years now, it's not that hard to notice it on everyday basis - he's always the first one to hold the doors for people, help strangers with their luggage, always look out for everyone just in case they're struggling with something. You've also noticed it very clearly during your now two-year old relationship. Chan has never hidden acts of service being his love language, his main intention forever will be making your life as easy as he possibly can; he would fold your laundry for you when you're working so it doesn't need to occupy your exhausted mind later. He would make your favored coffee if he's going to work earlier than you so you can sleep a few minutes longer. He would carry your bag for you, always buy additional skincare products for you just in case you run out of them or carry your favorite snacks in his bag just for your cravings. Anything to see his lover's eyes light up with joy or relief. Though, physical gift-giving in your relationship has never been a huge thing. Of course, Chan was always more than happy to gift you something you've been bragging about for the past half a year for your birthday, and you would do the same, but other than that, it wasn't anything any of you would do on daily basis.

That's why the small package laying by Chan's side of the bed in the morning caught you off guard a little bit. It was wrapped up really messily and you couldn't help but cackle at the folded tape and paper slightly ripped here and there, but there was definitely a try. A small ribbon was glued on top of it and the signature on the side said from Santa.

Your brows furrowed and you checked callendar on the phone - it was only 1st of December. You only shook your head at your boyfriend's newest brilliant idea and started unwrapping the box. What you found inside was a necklace, so shiny and beautiful it made you gasp out loud. It was decorated with silver stars here and there, in many different sizes, few small diamonds hanging from it on short strings. The wide smile on your face felt permanent as you finally realised the symbolism of it - the first ever date of you and Chan as an official couple was stargazing. He claimed ungodly amount of times that this was the happiest day he could ever live and that the second will be the day he'll marry you.

With no hesitation you put the necklace on in the mirror, too amazed to care that you're still in your sleeping set that might not suit it. Seconds later you were already downstairs, catching your boyfriend already making breakfast for the two of you, apron tied around his waist as he can get really messy in the kitchen.

You glue your body to his back, arms wrapping around his torso.

"Good morning baby," you mumle into his shirt and press two kisses on each of his broad shoulders as he leans into the warm touch, caressing your hands on his stomach.

"Good morning pretty, did you sleep well?"

You only nod, peeking out his shoulder and humming at the sight and scent of warm food on the pan. You stand by Chan's side this time, observing carefully his actions as he only grins at your attention. Your fingers start fidgeting with the necklace resting around your neck.

"It's beautiful, you know?" you speak as he locks his eyes with yours, then setting them on the necklace.

"You're right, it's really pretty... Where did you get it from? I've never seen it before." Chan leans in to take a closer look of it and you send him a confused glance.

"From you, dumbass. Thank you baby, I love it a lot..."

"Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about," Chan chuckles and goes back to mixing ingredients on the pan. "You know we don't give each other presents often, I'm waiting for Christmas, like I always do."

Your brows go up but Chan refuses to look at you, acting like he's not even aware of you staring at him, goofy smile painting your lips and you decided to just play along your boyfriend's weird performance.

"Well, technically speaking, the box said from Santa. I guess that must be him, then," you hummed and went back to playing with the necklace, walking over to sit at the table. Chin resting on your hand as you watched Chan placing your breakfast on both of your plates, deliciously smelling steam reaching your nostrils.

"Make sure Santa knows you have a boyfriend then. We can't have an old man trying to steal you away from me." he placed a small, quick kiss on the top of your head and sat down in front of you, proceeding to your usual morning routine, talking about past week and plans for the weekend, like you always do by the breakfast. Chan really got into his role and acted clueless, innocently complimenting your new jewelry here and there throughout the day.

And normally you would brush it off, thinking your boyfriend was just too flustered to admit this random little gift is from him, but that was until the next day, when you found a tiny present bag in your closet with two pairs of matching Christmas socks. "Oh look, he thought of me this time, too!" was the only way Chris commented on it, still keeping his cool, smiling like it was the first time he's ever seen these.

It just kept going on. The other day you found your favorite face moisturiser in the pocket of your coat, the one you were just running out of. Then a set of flavoured Christmas tea hidden in cutlery drawer. Then, a bag of strawberries covered in chocolate, just the brand you loved the most. Safe to say by the Christmas your room was stuffed with gifts of all kind, barely making it fit into your closet anymore. Chan was unbreakable, still pretending like he was clueless, not knowing you've already noticed the signatures looking exactly like his writing, but you let him have fun. It was obvious Chan was enjoying this a lot, always seeking for your reactions and asking about what you've received that day if you haven't mentioned it earlier. And you were proudly showing it off for him, complimenting your gifts as often as you could, eager to see him trying to muffle down his happiness so you don't disclose his little "secret".

Christmas came and you spent it together, like you always did. You were chatting, enjoying each other's presence and even shared a slow dance to random songs playing from radio.

When the time of handing each other official presents came, you couldn't help but toss them away for a second and drag Chan into the tightest and the warmest embrace he has ever been held in.

Your face was buried into his sweater and his hot breath was tickling your neck as a sigh full of love left his lips. You were standing there, in the middle of the room in complete silence and you felt nothing more than at home.

"I love you, Chan." you spoke as you pulled away just slightly to catch a glimpse of his peaceful face. "I love you so much I almost can't stand it. Thank you, for all of this. And Thank you for being my Santa."

He took your burning face into his big hands and lifted it up so he could lock eyes with yours. Nothing but passion was radiating from them, stare so deep it seemed like Chan could read poems from your eyes.

"At the end of the day, I'm your best present, no?" he chuckled and you mirrored, nodding silently as it felt impossible to speak any words in the light of the overwhelming emotions boiling inside of you.

"I love you until the world ends and even further, y/n."

At this point your body almost pushed itself onto his, the desire to kiss him becoming too much. Just when your lips were about to connect, Chan backed off just slightly and you sent him a questioning look. He dragged you backwards by your waist, stopping just where mistletoe was hung on the ceiling.

"This year I didn't forget."

That's when your boyfriend finally let your hungry lips connect in the most passionate and loving kiss you've ever shared. It was hot, it was burning, setting your pounding heart on fire as you knew no matter how many gifts you will ever get, the only one you need is standing right in front of you tonight.

[babybluebex]

BEX I HAVE A THOUGHT

so there’s this Photo from when dommy went to the sag awards this year:

and all i can think about is your blurb abt “the scene” and like

What If yall’s film was nominated for an award and y’all are on the carpet . the look he’d give you as he’s watching you get interviewed n stuff?.? like the proud smile AGH

anyways this is the thought from 1am my time gn <3

oh yes, i can see you guys being in a very steady and good relationship ever since your first night together, but not announcing your relationship to the public, and that's pretty much your "fault", you wanted to try to get people in the industry to take you seriously and not think you're just some little girl who falls in love with the first guy to look at you, and dom understands your reservations, so you two haven't announced anything

but that definitely doesn't mean that you escape suspicion, you're always spotted out at lunch or at pubs together, basically attached at the hip the whole time, and paps notice the way dom will play with your hair or your skirt, basically the way he can get handsy, and somehow the popular narrative becomes that you two are fwbs and not actually dating

but YES the movie starts to get a lot of critical acclaim, but most of it is pointed specifically at YOU, people LOVE your performance and say that it's the best performance they've seen in years, and you're getting nominated for a bunch of "best actress" awards at various shows and you start WINNING?? and you're always sitting next to dom, and he has to REALLY exercise control when you win, he wants to just grab you and kiss you but he knows you're not comfortable with that yet, so it's just a gentle hug and good-natured pat on the back

but he's pulling THAT exact face in the bg of you being interviewed about your historic run of wins, like he's not exactly in frame of the camera but people find another angle of the interview that shows him better and he's just cheesing up a storm

and oh my god, the night before the academy awards, you're nominated for best actress and dom is for best supporting actor, and the odds are looking in your favors, but you're crying on dom's chest, so terrified about what will happen if you win, you're scared that it means you've peaked and will never have anything like this again

and dom shushes you and kisses your teary cheeks, "shh, honey, it's ok... look, i got you a present, do you wanna see it? i wasn't gonna give it to you until tomorrow night, after we've both won, but i can give it to you now" and he rolls out of bed and pulls his pajama pants up his skinny hips as he goes to his luggage, and he grabs a small box from his suitcase and gives it to you, and you sniffle as you open it, and you first come across a flannel buttoned shirt, and you instantly recognize it "... this is the shirt you wore—" "to the bar our first night together," dom nods, "what was that... two years ago, i guess? but i hardly wear it because it used to smell like the perfume you wore that night... it doesn't so much anymore, but it's still sentimental to me. but i want you to have it" "oh, dom, i can't—" "yes you can" and he nods at the box "there's more in there, go on"

and you move back into the box and push aside the paper filling up the empty space, and you find a delicate box in the bottom, obviously a jewelry box, and your mouth goes dry, bc it's a small square box and you know what that means and you sorta whisper "dominic?" and his eyes are sparkling as he gently takes the ring box into his hand and opens it, and you gasp

the ring is beautiful, your dream ring, and you harken back to a few months before, when bella had asked you to help her pick out an engagement ring, and you had given opinions the whole day, but under the pretense of helping her, what cut you liked and what gemstone, and it suddenly clicks into place: bella, the absolute sneak, had colluded with dom to figure out what your perfect engagement ring was "oh my god, dommy, yes"

"i didn't even ask you anything" dom smiles with playfully narrowed eyes "but i know what you're gonna say, and fuck, yes" you sob and grab him tight and draw him into a hug, and he kisses you and fumbles blindly to put the ring on your finger

and the next night, you're all dressed up for the oscars, and vanity fair is there to make a video on dom getting ready, and they tell you that it'll come out after the awards show, and you and dom are free to be a cheesy annoying engaged couple because you've already decided exactly how and when you're going to announce it that night

and it comes time for the awards show, you're all sitting together, you and dom and your director (who was nominated for best director), and best supporting actor comes up first (not the first award, but out of the nominations y'all have, it comes first in the night), and your heart is in your throat as they flash up clips from the movies of each actor, and you notice the cheering is just a little louder when dom's clip is onscreen, and you think you actually pass out when the announcer calls out "dominic sessa!" but you're drawn right back to reality by dom grabbing you and hugging you, and your mouth is just gaping like a fish, unable to form words as you grab his face and tear up, and you want to kiss him, but you can't, not quite yet

he gets up to the stage, and he does his little gasping laugh "oh wow..." gazes lovingly at the oscar statue in his hand "this thing is heavier than i thought it would be..." and the whole audience laughs "but um, this is an honor... i sorta stumbled into this field— literally, actually, i stumbled, i fell and broke my leg and couldn't do sports, so i decided to try acting on a whim, and— whatever, but this was never the plan for me, but this award is... it means a lot..." and he takes a breath and squints in the stage lights to find you and he smiles "i think actors are defined by certain roles in their lifetimes... pacino as corleone, schwarzenegger as the terminator... and even though this role will always have a special place in my heart, the role i think most defines me... is the role of husband. and for that, i have to thank my beautiful wife, and by extension, our director and screenwriter and casting director, if you guys hadn't put her in my life, i wouldn't have her, and that role means more to my heart than anything else does... oh, shi— crap, they're telling me to wrap it up, haha. anyway, yeah, um, wife, director, crew, my other actors, the academy, and, um, is ryan gosling here this year? yeah, you're cool too"

and he gets offstage and comes to you, and you finally FINALLY get to kiss him, and you see the cameras starting to swarm you, and you take care to put your hand on his face, to let everyone see the ring

and now that the cat's out of the bag, you're not afraid to be loving and cute together, and your director wins her award, and you get a notification on your phone that your movie is trending online, associated with "SWEEP!!", and suddenly the pressure starts to gnaw at you and your stomach turns, but your fiancé is luckily very in tune with you, and he gets up and leaves for the bar in the back of the room and quickly returns with a small glass of ginger ale and rubs your back as he whispers "hey, you're gonna be ok, it's all gonna be fine" "dommy i don't wanna win" you whimper and he shushes you "well, honey, i'm gonna be honest here, i think you are gonna win" dom tells you "i don't think you have a choice, so what you're gonna do, when they call your name, all you gotta do is just go up there, and look at me. don't look at the cameras, don't look at margot robbie or anyone, just look at me" "what happens if i puke?" you whisper "i'll clean it up" dom says instantly, without a single thought "wh-what happens if i can't talk up there?" you ask, and you're certain dom's patience is wearing thin, but if it is, he's not letting it show even remotely "i'll talk for you" dom says, and gently urges you to sip your drink to calm your stomach "look, you are amazing, you deserve this award— if they gave my untalented ass a fucking oscar, then you are way more qualified to win than i am— and winning doesn't mean you've peaked. it means it's just beginning" and he shifts a little closer to you and pushes your hair behind your ear, and he whispers "tell you what— if you get on that stage and thank only the academy and then immediately leave, if that's all you do... i'll eat you out in the car on the way to the after party. deal?" and you sniffle and give a weak laugh, but you nod at him, and he grins "i mean, i'd do that anyway, but if that's the incentive you need..."

and the lights dim to signal the end of commercial break, and you feel sick the whole time as they're announcing the nominees for best actor, and you're so acutely aware of the big camera rig next to you, capturing your every reaction, and you go hot when they flash the clip of you and you notice the louder cheers, just like before

and you must have been too busy trying not to throw up that you didn't even hear your name announced, you just hear the cheering, and suddenly dom's got his hands on you, pulling you out of your seat and hugging you, and you just feel numb, but your feet work you up to the stage and you're handed the statue, and you look out past the lights and the audience full of industry giants, and you lock eyes with dom and you swallow thickly "... why is this so goddamn heavy..." you mumble and there's laughter "baby, you could've told me" and dom grins and shrugs "i just... really don't know what to say... um... thank you to the academy, who thought i'm worthy of this.... and my husband said that's all i gotta say, so i think i'm gonna go before i puke everywhere"

and you get back to your seat, and you feel a lot better now that it's over, and dom kisses you so sweetly, and you two goofs continue your goof streak and make your oscars kiss like barbie dolls

(and dom makes good on the promise he made hehe)

[fandomnerd9602]

Wolf Spider pt. 3

Sam Carpenter x Spider-Man!Reader

Telling your amazing girlfriend that another masked serial killer was on the loose in New York was not exactly a walk in the park.

“We’re leaving!!” She grabs her luggage bags as Mindy and Chad try to calm her down.

“Baby I don’t know if leaving New York will help” you try to convince Sam.

“As opposed to staying still?” She nearly thunders back. “Sorry honey. I just can’t let anything happen to Tara”

“What about me?” Chad asks, “I nearly became a knife rack last time!”

“But did you die?“ Mindy responds as Anika joins her side.

Tara huffs, “look I’m gonna go get some supplies and then we’re out of here.”

Sam and Tara head out of the apartment as you head for yours. You quickly find your old spider society wrist watch and make a call to your mentor, Miguel.

“sorry kid,“ Miguel sighs, “ this is a part of your canon event and we cannot interfere.”

���then send me my emergency box” you practically order him.

A small cylinder arrives through a portal two seconds later. Inside you can see the swirling black mass as it beats against the container you promised yourself you never go back to this but desperate times call for desperate measures. The symbiote was your best bet.

You begrudgingly open the container and the black as night alien goo latches onto you. It lurches its way up encasing you completely in a solid black suit with a white spider logo but at its center was a skull.

Why? It hisses.

“The family I love is in danger”

Don’t hold me back.

“I won’t.”

How you wished you had gone with Sam and Tara. Ghostface chased them to the bodega and was shooting up the place with a shotgun.

You swung thru the window and fire a tendril shard at the slasher. It cuts through the only black robe but it wasn’t a direct hit. Ghostface fled as Sam and Tara took to their feet. You look down to see that the fiend left behind their mask.

“Are you okay?” You try to ask the girls as the fury of the symbiote rages inside of you.

Chase the killer down!

You make your way trying to help any potential survivors. There was only Sam and Tara left alive.

Detective Bailey and a few officers arrived shortly. “Wolf” the gruff detective shakes your hand, “nice threads”

“Special suit. Violatile” you explain, what you didn't notice was how your suit was reacting around Bailey. It was as if the symbiote was finding itself drawn to the gruff older man.

Bailey and the police officers took Sam and Tara down to the station. While you weren't allowed into the station, you were able to call in an old friend to act as their lawyer, pro bono. What can you say? Your pal Matt Murdock owed you a favor.

Mindy assembled the Core Four plus Ethan, Anika and Quinn at the campus.

"Okay we're now in the sequel, guys, which means new rules" Mindy explains.

"Please don't try to put it in movie terms right now" you groan.

"Sorry but since you weren't with us first time," Mindy smirks, "you're on the list of suspects."

"Don't do that to Y/N, babe," Anika says before hugging you, "I know you're one of the good ones"

Sam rolls her eyes, "Y/N's mine, Anika, remember?"

You give Sam a kiss on the forehead to ease her false sense of jealousy. "All yours Carpenter" you whisper in her ear.

"How do we know that its even anyone in this circle?" Ethan asks, "with the rise of the internet, anyone can have a grudge without much reason. Also I don't wanna die a virgin"

"Can't help you there, Chambers" you joke, earning a chuckle from Chad.

"What if its someone from the last time?" Quinn asks "like someone who went nuts"

"Possible" you explain, "but it'd be a terrible reveal and tank the franchise"

"So Chad's not off the table?" Tara jokes.

"Only for you, Carpenter" Chad tries to flirt only for you to throw some popcorn at him for his terrible flirting attempt.

You had a little dinner over at the Carpenter sisters' apartment. Sam was practically shaking as she held onto your hand. You tried to venture out, she grabs you.

Why are you still here? The symbiote hissed in your ear. Find them, kill them.

You walk out of the apartment and quickly the symbiote forms over you. Sam sneaks out and puts a hand on your shoulder.

"Please don't leave" Sam begs.

"That killer is out there" you reasoned. "I gotta nab them before they find you"

You swung out on your own personal hunt. You should've stayed. During a swing, your police scanner picked up reports of screaming being heard in your apartment complex. You swung back to the location only to find everyone minus Quinn, trying to cross between buildings on a ladder. You could see Anika had been stabbed and was severely bleeding out.

Ghostface rocked the ladder and Anika fell. You dived after her and caught her at the last second. Mindy screamed after you as you swung off into the night.

You set Anika down on the nearby rooftop, her breathing slowing down. You put your hand over her bleeding stomach, trying to stop it by any means. "You'll be okay" you try to reassure her.

"Take off your mask" Anika weakly says, "I wanna see your face...Y/N"

"Y/N" you try to speak through your forming tears, "w-who's Y/N?"

"I know it's you"

You hesitate but you remove your mask and offer her a weak smile. Anika weakly smiles back, "I knew it. I knew you were one of the good ones"

Her body goes limp and her eyes shut. "Anika? Anika?!"

You swing her down to the hospital. The EMTs shuttle her body off to away from you as you try to keep up with her.

"It's alright, Wolf" one of the EMTs tries to reassure you, "you did your part."

You could only look on in horror as Anika is hauled off, unsure if you were too late to save her. "Get her to the OR stat" one doctor yelled out as the doors shut on you.

You understood that no one was safe. This Ghostface wasn't playing by the rules. This franchise has changed.

To Be Continued...

Tags: @deafeningsharkslimeempath @ma1egamer @sonicqaulan @jacelion @jadenyukiyusakufujikiyutoduelist

[bakugotrashpanda]

Bargaining (18+)

Dabi x F!Reader

Treasure Planet AU Word Count: 5433

!!: sex, tiny bit of knife and blood

A/N: This is a part of @thegetoufather‘s Into the Movieverse Collab!

Worn bricks, grimy from centuries of use, are covered with people. Some, down on their luck, looking to work their way from one port to the next. Others call this part of town home. Red brick buildings with wooden upper stories - storefronts with the family who owns them living up above. Sailors in smart uniforms walk off their ships and towards the bustle of the city beyond the edge of the docks. Passengers disembark various ships, some have servants toting their luggage, others carry nothing more than the bags on their backs.

From your perch on the TSS Legacy you observe the comings and goings. Your own ship, second hand twice over, has seen better days. But the wood and brass still gleam in the sunlight. Your own crew is a sight for sore eyes, but you were short on time to muster together enough people to fly off before midday. Favors were called in, and now you have a functioning ship and crew albeit with questionable reputations.

Right now you need quantity over quality. All they need to know is that your trip is a research expedition of sorts, and nothing more.

A swath of green catches your attention. A green haired boy and an older blond man stop in the middle of the flow of foot traffic and look around. No one stops down there if they can help it with all the bustle and smells, so they must be your patrons.

Descending from the poop deck to the captain’s quarters quickly, you find your First Officer leaning against your door with a coat draped over his arm. Windblown blond hair free of its pompous uniform regulation hat stands on end. He’d need to take care of that before addressing the crew.

“Mr. Hawks,” you nod and pull on the dark blue overcoat he holds out to you. Your first officer smirks, knowing how much you dislike the formalities and hierarchies in the sailing world. “Do you have something to say?”

Golden eyes crinkle in amusement. “Not at all, Captain.”

“Then put your hat on.” You straighten your clothes and march towards the main deck. “We’ve got company.”

You watch the new duo board your ship and look around with awe. “Ah, Captain.” The older man holds out his hand, “I’m Professor Toshinori, and this is young Midoriya. Thank you for making it so we can leave as soon as possible.”

“Not a problem,” you nod. Behind him, the dock cranes load on the last of the provisions and your crew works on storing the boxes. “Once the final safety check is made, we’ll be off. I understand we’re heading towards the Beta Quadrant?”

“Ah, yes,” the man nods and starts fishing around in his pockets. “Young Midoriya foun-”

“Mr. Toshinori,” you interject and hold up a hand. The man stops digging through his pockets and stares at you. “I implore you to wait until we’ve had a chance to talk in my ready room. My Number One will take you there now. As for Midoriya,” you round on the young man at his side, “I’ll show him to his assignment.”

“Assignment?” both guests ask in unison.

“Yes,” you reply curtly, “We have no need for idle hands on this ship, and my cook could use an extra person. Nothing too dangerous of course.” Without waiting, you turn away from the group and head towards the kitchens. Quick footsteps falling in place behind you send a smile ghosting over your lips. This power is new to you: you walk and people follow. You give an order and it’s followed without hesitation. 

Descending the rickety steps to the galley, you make a mental note to check it out when the journey is over. Perhaps after this gig is over, you’ll be able to buy a whole new ship and a reliable crew.

Thick smoke hangs around the kitchen and pours out into the dining area. Of course he pulls a stunt like this. Kicking in the door, you glare at your cook.

Tattoos wind up the arms and neck of a man with jet black hair. He hefts crates of food onto metal counters, the glow of a cigarette illuminating his face. Somehow the space is organized, but to you it looks like chaos.

“What did I say about smoking on my ship?” you hiss. Turquoise eyes cut over to you. The end of the cigarette glows brightly once more before a pile of ash falls off the end. And over a boiling pot on the stove. “Especially over the food?”

Locking eyes with you, the man takes one last drag and stubs it out on the counter. A stream of smoke cascades down a stained apron. “Yes, Captain.”

Clearing your throat, you paste a smile on your face. For as much pain as your cook has caused you, anticipation of seeing his face when he hears the news of his additional tasks will make it all the better for a moment. “Dabi, this is Midoriya,” you gesture to the green haired man behind you. “He’ll be under your care for the journey.”

Dabi’s eyebrow twitches. One hand ghosts over a pocket on his apron, no doubt where his cigarettes are. “And now I’m playing babysitter?”

“He’ll be helping with the cooking and cleaning,” you say. Strolling around the kitchen, you note the pile of pots, pans, and knives already sitting dirty in the sink. “As I recall, you make quite a mess wherever you go.” You shoot him a knowing look. 

It takes a minute, but he sighs before finally responding. “Whatever you say, Captain.”

“Midoriya,” you turn to your guest and try to give him a genuine smile. “We’ll be taking off soon, I suggest making your way up top. It’s quite a different experience than traveling by shuttle to and from the planet.” Green eyes widen in delight and he scampers off. You were like that once too; fresh off the shuttle and full of excitement for adventures to come.

Silence descends in the kitchen once Midoriya is gone. You could leave too. You should. There’s a whole ship that needs your attention, not to mention a professor you need to talk to.

But you lean against a metal counter and cross your arms. “You’re here.”

Dabi goes back to unpacking the crates in front of him. “I am.”

“Didn’t think you’d show.”

“Is there anything else you need, Captain?” So much hatred packed into your title.

“How long are you going to hold that grudge against me?” you hiss.

“I’m just a lowly cook aboard your ship,” he sneers.

Stalking over to him, you put your arm on top of the crate to grab his attention. “I gave you a chance to come with me.”

Dabi looks at you through long lashes. “Permission to speak freely?” It doesn’t matter what you say, he’ll let you know what’s on his mind – insubordination be damned.

“Granted.”

Dabi wipes his hands on the off-white apron and gestures to you. “Look at you. You wear their uniform. You sail under their flag. You decided to bow and lick the boots that stomped on us.”

You lean in, channeling as much of a haughty captain as you can. “And If I tell you to lick my boot?”

“Whatever you want,” he grits out, “Captain.”

Straightening up, you hold your head high. If he thinks that you abandoned your previous life, might as well give him what he wants. “Keep an eye on the boy,” you order. “The professor’s son will stay out of trouble.”

Dabi mockingly salutes you as you leave the kitchen. “Aye.” 

Will he be a thorn in your side the whole journey? Undoubtedly. But will your history together affect how you deal with him? … Only time will tell.

The heavy wood door to your ready room opens soundlessly. The professor and your First Officer are seated at a round table off to the side. They stand as you enter and wait for you to begin the secretive meeting.

“I’ve put the boy to work in the kitchen. He’ll be out of the way there,” you say matter-of-factly and shed your heavy coat. “Now, Professor, tell me about this map of yours.”

The whole reason for this hurried trip; a historian running after a fabled treasure. As long as they pay, you’ll take them to whatever godforsaken planet they want. It makes a quick buck for you and keeps you out of reach of the solar navy fleet for that much longer.

“Midoriya found it,” the lanky man says. He pulls out a gold ball and places it on your desk. Intrigued, you pick it up and fidget with it. The various lines and indentations on the surface whirl beneath your fingertips. Somehow, this small orb will lead you to the treasure, and a handsome cut for both you and the crew once it’s been returned and appraised. “It details the lost treasure of Abaddon. We know for certain it’s on Regula but its final resting place is still somewhere in here. Midoriya can show you how to open it.”

Still spinning the many planes of the supposed map, you address your First Officer. “Mr. Hawks, you have a keen eye. Once we set sail, see what you can decipher with the boy’s help.” 

“Aye, Captain,” Hawks nods. Turning to the professor, he gestures to the door. “I’ll show you to your quarters now.”

You’re left alone with the puzzle. Would this amount to anything this time around? How many times had you returned to port with a dejected fortune seeker. Your pockets would be lined no matter what.

Staring at the oil painting of space hanging across from your desk you run your fingers along the frame before pulling it back. To the untrained eye, it just looks like a normal, unfaded wall behind it, but pushing slightly, you pop off a wooden panel. A small lock box sits in a hidden alcove. Taking the box out, you feel along the seam of the alcove until your finger hits a divot. Another hidden door pops open, and you tuck the orb in there.

The door to your ready room opens again, and Hawks walks in exhaling deeply.

“I’ve tasked you with a lot,” you say and replace the small lock box in the hidden cabinet. “But I have one more job for you.”

“And what’s that, Captain?” Hawks asks tiredly. He hangs his hat on a peg on the wall. Running a hand through his hair, he checks his reflection for his signature ‘effortless disheveled look’ as he likes to call it. 

“What did I say about calling my Captain when it’s just the two of us,” you scowl. He shoots you a cheeky grin but says nothing. “Keep an eye on the boy and the cook. I’m hoping they can keep each other busy enough to stay out of trouble.”

All playfulness leaves his face. He resembles the older men in the service rather than the charming gentleman he can be during his personal leave; stoic, face weathered from years of sailing close to suns. “Is he…?”

You close the faux paneling with a satisfying click. Gears whir gently while the locking mechanism sets up again. “After our last fiasco, we have a full crew thanks to Dabi. But that doesn’t mean their loyalty is with me.”

Hawks nods. “As you wish.”

Is there anything he wouldn’t do for you? You could probably tell him you want the solar sails dyed green and he’d make it happen. “Where would I be without you?” you laugh gently.

“Stuck on a rock somewhere with no ship and no promotion.”

Your favorite part of sailing changes every time you leave port. Sometimes it’s watching the solar sails unfurl and reflect the light before takeoff. Other times it’s the momentary weightlessness before the antigravity system kicks in. More often than not it’s flying alongside the migratory space life and watching them play with the stars.

This trip proves no different. Immediately, you’re joined by a pod of gormaganders – a formerly endangered ‘space whale’ that sails the stars with its multitude of fins. They sail silently alongside the ship, no doubt following a stream of particles ejected from dying suns. Their bodies are twice as long as your ship, but these gentle giants mean no harm. 

You travel amongst them for three days before departing from their pod and head deeper into space. There’s a solemn silence as you and the crew watch them depart. They were your travel companions, but now you’re on your own. The inky black space around the ship seems that much more terrifying. 

Even though there’s no physical markers signifying where the Alpha Quadrant stops and the Beta Quadrant starts, there’s a feeling aboard the ship that stirs unease within you. The crew is antsy knowing the destination is upon them. Hawks has everyone double checking their work as a way to burn off excess energy, but it doesn’t put you at ease. 

If there is one thing you can count on during your trip, it’s that Midoriya keeps Dabi on his toes with his natural curiosity. More often than not your chef tries to hand off cleaning tasks only to have the young man talk his ear off or stray from the task at hand. It gives you a small surge of satisfaction to watch Dabi tamp down his irritation with the boy and chase him all over the ship.

It takes another week and a half before Regula is visible to the naked eye. The closer you get, the more enthralled your guests are; the Professor spends most of his time scribbling in notebooks while studying the planet through a looking glass. Midoriya spends what little free time he has on the deck staring out into space and avoiding your cook’s grating call. You feel a modicum of pity for the men. There are faster ships out there, ones that don’t sail on and store solar energy. Ships that could’ve arrived at the planet at three times the speed you did. But that costs money and they don’t accept payments of maybe-promises of treasure at the end.

The semi-barren rock doesn’t look like much – the only thing going for it, if it is in fact a treasure trove, is that there’s no visible signs of sentient life. Part of the planet is covered in greenery while the rest is a muddy gray, as if someone started terraforming it to be hospitable, but quickly gave up.

Accompanied by two of your crew that you managed to hold on to when your ship docked after your last mission, the Professor and Midoriya headed down to the planet’s surface. For anyone outside of the need-to-know circle, it’s a research trip to investigate claims that there was once life on the planet.

Not the worst cover story you’ve come up with.

Everything seems to settle. There’s plenty for the crew to do now with offloading gear and survey equipment. And for a moment, you think everything might go off without a hitch.

And then on the third day, you find yourself and all your belongings floating towards the ceiling. Spheres of liquid hang in the air, their empty cups floating beside them. Pens. Papers. Books. Everything. Clinging to the table bolted to the floor of your ready room, you grab your communicator out of your pocket.

“Engineering, what's going on?!” you shout into it. When there’s no reply you try again. “Engineering, do you read me?” Still nothing. Shit. You’ve got to fix this, and fast. Pulling yourself over to your desk, you take out a pair of gravity boots – heavy duty shoe covers that will stick to any surface. Hopefully Hawks has already raised the alarm and the rest of the crew has tethered themselves before going after supplies floating away.

Making your way down the corridor adjacent to your quarters, you take a back entrance to engineering. You clang your way across the metal flooring, your shoes the only thing keeping you from flying into the ceiling – or worse. Your keys attempt to float off as you flip through the lot of them to find the one that’ll give you access to all the wires and systems hidden behind a metal door. Once inside, you throw open a panel and see a couple jacks hanging freely. Frowning, you plug them back in. It takes a moment for the systems to reboot, but the unsettling weightlessness in your body is replaced with an overall unease. 

Those wires shouldn’t have been able to wiggle free, and there are redundant systems in place to prevent a total meltdown of the ship’s core life support functions.

Something thin, cold, and metal presses against the back of your neck.

“Funny thing, that boy,” a rough voice says. Heavy footsteps come from behind the open door. Dabi. “See he talks. A lot. And he talked about how his dad walked out on him and his mom. Only met the professor a few short weeks ago.” You lean back and feel the object at your neck bit into your skin. 

Okay. A knife. Not a gun. A knife is easier to deal with. It won’t accidentally go off. 

Dabi keeps talking. “At first I wanted to strangle him with how much he talked, but then he started spillin’ secrets. I know about the map an’ I know about the treasure.” He presses the knife deeper into your skin. A trickle of warm liquid runs down the back of your neck. “Hand it over.”

“It’s in my ready room,” you try to subtly lean away. “You and me. No one else.”

A throaty chuckle fills the room. “I don’t think so, Captain. One of my men will come with us. Just in case.”

“Have it your way.” There’s no need to provoke him at this point.

The flat side of the blade taps the side of your neck. Time to go. Slipping your feet out of the heavy, and now unnecessary, shoes, you and Dabi ascend towards the deck.

The only way you could describe the scene up top is chaos. Utter chaos. The crew – let’s face it, at this point they’re no longer your crew – are rambunctious, laughing and hollering like kids playing in a schoolyard. Red dust and smoke hang in the air, no doubt from a flare going off. Some notice you being led at knife point and cheer. Others are too caught up in the revelry to notice their surroundings. The few men loyal to you are tied to the main mast, struggling to be free of their confines. Another set of footsteps falls in line with you and Dabi. 

You open the door to your ready room and find Hawks already there. His stance is wide, ready to give or take a hit. Judging by the blood hidden on his red coat and the bruises littering his cheek and jaw, he’s given and gotten plenty of action. 

You give a small twitch of your head to get him to back down. Not yet.

Dabi heads to the table where you and Hawks would normally eat meals and navigate. With a nod, he gestures for you to sit with him. Reluctantly, you do.

“C’mon, Captain,” Dabi drawls, “Is it really necessary to have your underling here?” He dismissively gestures to your right-hand man who bristles. You watch the corner of his lip curl up in satisfaction, his tattoos following the movement and contorting with him.

“And I suppose you need your man?” you relax in your chair and cross your arms. “Get rid of yours and mine will leave too.” Without hesitation, Dabi jerks his head. Funny. He was so insistent that he have someone else here with him. The silent man at his side heads to the door without protest.

Hawks looks over at you. Holding his golden gaze, you nod. “But,” you say as he turns on his heels. “I don’t want bloodshed on deck. It’s a pain to get out of the wood.” Your gaze drifts over to Dabi who rolls his eyes but nods. His man at the door acknowledges him and walks out. Hawks follows after.

“Now it’s just us,” you smile at Dabi. It’s not a sweet smile, it’s the smile a predator gives its prey when it’s cornered. “You were loyal, so what happened?” Syrupy sweet mockery drips off your words.

Dabi leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You didn’t think large enough.” A tattooed finger taps his temple.

“And you’re ‘large enough’?” you scoff.

“You wound me, Captain,” Dabi holds his hand against his chest – where a heart would be if he had one. “You used to be one of us, selling out to the highest bidder, and now look at you. Captain. With your self-righteous dogs who trip over their own feet to follow your every word.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘loyalty’, something you know nothing about.”

“I’m loyal to money.” Dabi leans back in his chair and spreads his arms. Some stupid attempt to get you to believe that he’s vulnerable and in fact telling the truth.

You were once one of them. Someone who pushed a bucket and a mop around cleaning up after people who made your life miserable. Always ready to abandon ship at port in search of the next great adventure. And then you had to go and grow a heart, saving some higher up who repaid you handsomely with a career – a future where you didn’t have to pinch pennies and shovel shit.

And you took it. Built a name for yourself. Got your own ship, your own crew. Sort of.

“And you think that mutiny will get you money?” you raise an eyebrow.

Eyes bluer than the stars you sail darken. “I know that map will set me up well.” Dabi sneers. “Never need to answer to anyone again.” He stands abruptly and stomps over to you. Intimidation. You wouldn’t have your post if a man stomping his feet sent fear through your body.

Your eyelashes flutter as you take stock of him. “Why Dabi,” you purr, “Did you think I’d be quaking in my boots and just give you the map?” He looms over you and bends at the waist. A soft whisper has the hair on the back of your neck standing at attention.

“I can offer you something… more.” A hand trails down your side, ghosting over your breast before settling on top of your thigh.

“You think that finger fucking me will get me to hand it over?” Cute. You aren’t the young deckhand enamored with the mysterious pirate anymore.

“I’ll do more than finger fuck you,” he purrs. “I’ll have you begging for me, and if I can do that, the map is mine.” Interesting. It’s an unorthodox approach for sure, and it’s not like he would be successful. “C’mon, Captain,” he coos, his thumb casually stroking the apex of your thighs. “What d’ya say? A little friendly wager?”

“There’s nothing friendly about this.” You uncross your arms and wrap them around his neck. Your lips are on his, sealing the deal. Teasing the edge of his lips with your tongue, he obliges you and deepens the kiss. Quickly, you become a tangle of bodies. He lifts you, and with your legs around his waist, you soon find the smooth wood of your desk at your back.

Hot lips trail down your neck, stopping occasionally to leave a bold nip. You arch into him and give him all the access he could want. Teeth graze your skin and he latches on. You pull him closer. A small part of you wants a small souvenir of this moment – something you can look back on and gloat about.

Dabi’s fingers make quick work of your trousers. Warm hands save you from the cold surface, and your thighs find themselves wrapped around his head.

Dabi’s explosive and quick, diving in without hesitation. Your fingers tangle in his hair both to push him away and pull him closer; it’s too much and not enough all at once. It’s clear he knows what he’s doing, and with every swipe of his tongue against your clit, you’re seeing stars not charted on your maps.

Wanton moans fill the room, and you’re thankful that your First Officer is above deck with the rest of your crew. 

“D-” you start and quickly shut your mouth. I’ll have you begging for me. He’s going to go after you with all he’s got, and as much as you want to moan his name, he might see that as a victory. A warm piercing nudges your sensitive folds, but you keep tight lipped. 

You nearly cry out as cold replaces the warm face you were wrapped around.

Dabi smirks and fiddles with his belt. The large brass buckle gleaming in the low light of your ready room. “Tongue not enough for ya?”

“If I was looking to be eaten out, I could go into any port and be helped,” you pant. “If that’s all you’ve got-”

“Not even close,” he chuckles. Metal collides with the floor and you look up from your spot on your desk. Dabi gives his cock a couple of tugs before running the head through a concoction of your slick and his spit. More piercings rub against your sensitive flesh. Just how many had he gotten since he’d last seen you?

“About time,” you smirk.

“Aw,” Dabi says with mock sympathy, “Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” He prods at your entrance but doesn’t push beyond that.

“If you’re going to fuck me, then I expec-” A gasp steals the rest of your thought. Dabi pushes into you but keeps it at just the tip. Your lower lip runs between your teeth. He stretches you just right with enough pain to mingle with the pleasure. You won’t admit it out loud, but it’s been a while since you’ve had company.

“You were saying?”

“I saw those shiny new piercings,” you huff, “Am I going to be your only conquest that doesn’t get to feel them??”

Dabi’s hips rock slowly, the movement bringing him closer to you. You greedily swallow him deeper with every movement. The piercings slide inside of you, adding a slight pressure inside that you wouldn’t normally experience. If you could, you’d have him lazily fuck into you for an hour just to feel it.

Dabi chuckles above you. “I get a new piercing for every ship I rob.” Another short, teasing thrust has your wrapping your legs around his waist. You want him all. Now. “Can’t wait to get another when I’m done here.”

He finally bottoms out, his cock filling you completely. You squeeze around his length. A sharp hiss fills the room. Dabi’s nails grab your thighs, leaving halfmoon indents. You wiggle your hips and watch him hang onto a thread of composure.

“Fuckin’ brat.” Dabi’s eyes smolder with lust. He hooks his hands underneath your knees and presses them back against your chest as far as they’ll go.

“Look at you.” He gives a shallow thrust and grins. “So fuckin’ greedy. So needy. You’re so fuckin’ wet for me.”

Dabi must not’ve liked the huff of annoyance you made. He gives a sharp thrust, the head of his cock kissing the tip of your cervix. Your knees find their way to his shoulders and he sets a harsh pace. And while his words may be crude, he makes up for it in other ways – namely his thumb circling your clit.

You can feel it building deep inside you; it starts with the tingling in your fingers, the random bolts of electricity ricocheting around your body. Your breath becomes more ragged, heat rises to your cheeks. It builds – a small warmth that turns into a roaring fire, energy that begs for a way out.

“Dabi,” you moan breathlessly. Your words are borderline begging. “I-I’m gonna, I’m-”

“Do it,” Dabi growls, his hips pistoning against yours. “Come for me. Come on my cock.” Your cries fill the room and soon you’re chanting Dabi’s name. A prayer perhaps that this won’t end. 

But with a final thrust, you can feel the throbbing inside your cunt. Dabi stills, flush against you, his head tilted skyward — caught in his own bliss. In all the time you’ve known him, you’ve never seen him this at peace. You relax on your desk, knowing what comes next. 

Emptiness. 

Dabi pulls out and his warm touch turns into strings of cum, chilled as it touches the air, seeping out of you. And the fucker won’t even help clean up. 

“Well, Captain,” Dabi drawls and tucks himself back in his pants, “it’s been fun, but a deal’s a deal.”

Tattooed fingers wrap around a gold orb beside you on your desk. You could stop him — wrap your fingers around him and counter negotiate. Perhaps return the favor and bring him to his knees while you suck him off? Maybe switch spots and ride him until he sees the stars you navigate. 

But in your post climax haze, you can’t move. You can barely think straight. 

“Dabi…” You try to catch your breath. 

Dabi adjusts his belt buckle with a smirk. “At ease, Captain.”

The door clicks shut and you’re alone again. You stay supine on your desk until the raucous cheer dies down. They’re gone.

Smoothing your hair back, you find your pants and straighten your outfit. You’ve had your clothes on for all of five seconds when the door bursts open. 

“Captain!” Hawks shouts. 

“Mr. Hawks,” you reply curtly and stride over to the mirror.

“That bastard left with half the crew and the escape pods.” Hawks relays. “What offer could he have made-”

“Nothing,” you check out your appearance and your first mate in the reflection. Only a small bruise peaks above your collar. Nothing you can’t hide. “Untie the men on the main mast and prepare to take off. We leave once the Professor and Midoriya are back.”

“Captain?” Confusion pushes Hawks’ brows together. 

“He’s on a fool’s errand.” You brush past him and head topside. Hawks follows closely behind you. “He’ll find nothing but disappointment and an angry crew that’ll destroy him the first chance they get.” You smirk at the thought. What’s the old saying? There’s no honor among thieves? “I saw the remnants of your flair. With enough luck we’ll be long gone by then.”

When your First Officer doesn’t respond, you lean in close and whisper in his ear. “You don’t think I’d bring the real map to those negotiations, do you?”

– Two Months Later –

You slam your tankard down on the worn table. Roaring laughter around you fuels your theatrics as you recount your harrowing escape from a dubious crew. 

“And then,” You pick a coin up off the table and perform the oldest magic trick in the book and make the coin disappear and reappear from behind the ear of your first officer who bemusedly listens to your tall tale. “With a bit of sleight of hand, I managed to talk him down and save the map.”

Hawks stifles his laughter and takes a long drink. Eventually you had to tell him what happened – as if the stench of sex in your ready room didn’t give you away. But he lets you have your moment among colleagues.

The next captain at the table starts his story of encountering pirates in another quadrant and all attention falls from you.

“Sleight of hand, eh?” a voice says behind you. Turning, you see the last man you ever expected to see in port again. Somehow, Dabi stands in the middle of the tavern in a freshly pressed blue overcoat. A single stripe on his shoulder denotes his rank. A badge of honor for some, a mark of shame for those who spend their whole lives trying to outrun and undermine it.

“Dabi,” you coo, “I never thought I’d see your ugly mug again.”

“What can I say, I’m not easy to get rid of.”

“And the new uniform,” you say, sliding a hand down the lapel of his coat to rest on his chest.  

“The downfall of my… rescue negotiations.”

“And in the end you gave in like the rest of us,” you laugh knowing all too well that a life serving and sailing the stars is better than being grounded on a floating rock rotting in a prison. “What’re your orders?”

“I’m to report to the Captain of the TSS Legacy.” Turquoise eyes flick to you. “Something about her being the only one that can handle me.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Big night for CNN, out with a story about document boxes being loaded onto a Trump plane bound for Bedminster, New Jersey, on the same day the Department of Justice showed up to receive a folder of top secret documents from a Trump lawyer who certified they were the only secret documents she and lawyer Evan Corcoran could find.

According to an interview by CNN with former Trump valet Brian Butler, referred to six times in the classified documents indictment as “Trump Employee #5,” the boxes were loaded onto the Trump plane on June 3, 2022, as Trump’s lawyers, Christina Bobb and Evan Corcoran, were meeting with Jay Bratt, the prosecutor from the Department of Justice in charge of the classified documents case.  Christina Bobb famously signed a certification to the DOJ that a “diligent search” had been conducted at Mar a Lago, and that the 31 documents being handed over that day were the sum total of all the classified documents that had been found.

Two months later, in August, FBI agents would execute a search warrant and discover more than 100 additional top secret documents in Trump’s private office, including several marked with the highest classification, “Top Secret/SCI,” or “Top Secret – Secure Compartmented Information.”

Former valet Butler told CNN that he was surprised to get a phone call from Trump’s “body man,” Walt Nauta, on June 3, asking if he could borrow one of Butler’s Cadillac Escalade SUV’s to help carry material to the West Palm Beach airport to be loaded onto a Trump airplane.  Butler was told that Trump and his family were flying to Bedminster for the summer that day.  Butler told CNN he was not usually called upon to move luggage to the private Trump jet and thought it was also unusual that Nauta asked for the favor “in a guarded way,” CNN reported.

Butler used his own SUV to carry Trump family luggage to the airport, while Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, both of whom were indicted with Trump, used the Escalade he had loaned to Nauta to move the rest of the material.  “They were the boxes that were in the indictment, the white bankers boxes. That’s what I remember loading,” Butler told CNN.

Butler described his relationship with Nauta as “best friends,” at least until questions about the classified documents found by the FBI at Mar a Lago began coming up.  Butler told CNN that on one of the frequent “nightly walks” he took with Nauta around their neighborhood in West Palm Beach, Nauta told him that he, Nauta, Butler, and De Oliveira were “all dirty” when it came to the boxes they had moved around inside of Mar a Lago and to the Trump airplane on June 3.  De Oliveira repeatedly urged Butler to sign up with the same attorney Trump had provided to himself and Nauta, but Butler demurred, choosing instead to hire a former U.S. Attorney in Florida, Jeffrey Sloman.  Butler met “repeatedly” with prosecutors for the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, according to CNN. 

In one interview, Butler told prosecutors about a time he was driving Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt and his chief of staff in the Spring of 2021 when he heard Pratt talking about secrets of U.S. and Russian nuclear submarines he had heard from Trump while he was visiting Mar a Lago.  Pratt was a paid member of the Trump club at the time.  It was on May 6, 2021, that the National Archives first formally requested that Trump turn over any and all classified and non-classified documents Trump had removed from the White House when he left office.  On May 8, the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, had a photographer at the West Palm Beach airport who took photographs of Trump boarding a private jet to fly to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.  The photographs show several Trump aides loading a half dozen or more bankers boxes of documents into the jet.

On July 21, 2021, just two months later, Trump showed a top secret military “plan of attack” on Iran to an interviewer who was working on a book with Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows.  The interview took place at the Trump golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Before Butler signed with his own private attorney, he was witness to two conversations between Trump and De Oliveira when Trump asked De Oliveira, “Are we good?”  After one conversation De Oliveira had with Trump on the phone in the presence of Butler, he said Trump had promised to get him a lawyer.  In another conversation Butler told prosecutors about, Nauta asked him “to make sure Carlos (De Oliveira) is good.”  Butler told CNN that he twice assured Nauta that De Oliveira was “loyal and wouldn’t do anything to hurt his relationship with Trump.”  It was after that conversation that Butler decided to get his own lawyer and broke contact with the two men who ended up being indicted with Trump.

Based on the new CNN report, we now know that boxes of documents were moved from Mar a Lago to Bedminster twice – once in May of 2021 immediately after the National Archives had requested that Trump turn over documents he took from the White House, and again in June of 2022, on the very day the DOJ had shown up at Mar a Lago to take possession of what they were told were all the classified documents being held there.

What happened to the classified documents Trump took with him to Bedminster is not known.  It is also unknown why the FBI never searched the Trump New Jersey golf club.

Trump has recently filed motions to dismiss the Mar a Lago indictments based on spurious claims of “absolute immunity” and an entire made-up claim that the Presidential Records Act permitted him to possess classified documents.  Special Counsel Smith has opposed both motions.  The judge in the case, whose previous decisions in the case have been overturned twice by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, has yet to rule on the Trump motions to dismiss.

[Lucian Truscott]

[marchtooctober]

This fic happens after they everyone gets back inside. I was supposed to post this after chapter 90's release but I was busy with my internship so I couldn't finish it in time. A longer note will follow at the bottom of fic. Thanks and happy reading!! 💕

Clothes to Wear for Another Decade

The Forgers have been helping their new neighbors, the Authens, unpack their luggage and arrange their belongings. Loid moved and opened the boxes while Yor dusted the shelves and cleaned all over the dirty nooks. Bond lazily lied after the tiring adventure of a walk. Anya and Mr. Authens are engaged in a more or less coherent chat about housewares and zoology.

“Should we open this up?” Yor asked, carrying a massive trunk with no difficulty.

“As for that one… I can't remember what's inside. Can you please open it?” Mrs. Authen said, trying to recall its content.

“Okay.”

Yor did as requested and clothes of unfamiliar style and colors emerged. Dresses with puffed sleeves and capes, pleated skirts, wide-legged pants, vests, flat caps, suspenders, pinstripe suits, knitted tops and many more. Mrs. Authen's expression turned bright as she grabbed some.

“It's our old clothes! Now I remember! It would be a shame to leave them behind so we had to bring some of them.” She delightfully said.

Anya and Mr. Authen joined them in rummaging through the colorful pile. 

“How nice to see these again. Look at that! It's my Sunday favorite, and this one too from one of our dates.” Mr. Authen held up some oddly paired baggy trousers and sweaters.

“I used to wear these for parties.” Mrs. Authen took her flapper dresses with elaborate patterns.

Anya held up several items out of curiosity.

“Will Becky approve these long thingies?” She thought out loud.

Mrs. Authen smiled and turned to Yor and Loid.

“Come and choose anything you'd like to try!"

"But we still have to-" Yor started.

"Don't be shy, dear! Here, this. Try this. And this one, that one too! Your mister can surely take care of himself, isn't that right?" The woman turned to Yor and Loid.

Suddenly, they were too stunned to speak. As if it was their first time to be identified as husband and wife.

"Uhm…"

"Oh? Aren't you two wedded?"

"Uh- Y-Yes, ma'am! We're already married. Last year. Anya is my child with my late wife who passed away." Loid was so taken aback by the question that it caused him to stutter.

"Is that so, dear? But what a nice family, you all are."

"Well… Thank you, ma'am."

Mrs. Authen continued searching through the folded items until she got her hands on a large fabric. She unfolded it and showed a set of baggy top with and pleated skirt. Underneath is another set of plain shirt with suspenders and wide-legged pants. The colors have already faded a little but the fabrics are barely damaged.

"I think these will look good on both of you."

"But we can't-" Loid started but the old lady spoke again.

"Please, It'll be very nice to see you wear our clothes just this once. Won't you grant this old woman's favor?"

They became fidgety and couldn't stare at anyone at all.

"O-Okay… We will try them on." Yor said shyly.

To shield himself from embarrassment and scrutinizing gazes, he took the clothes and went into one of the rooms to get changed. Yor did the same and went to another room. It did not take long before they both stepped out.

"My, my, it really suits you!" Barbara said in delight.

"Really, they do. Just like us when we were younger." Her husband added.

“Mama and Papa look like people from old movies.”

Loid and Yor could not help but blush in embarrassment and smile awkwardly. It simply felt different. Because they are donning the old couple's clothes.

“How do they fit?” Mrs. Authen asked.

“It fits just right. But I was scared that I might damage the skirt so I had to adjust it a little.” Yor said, scanning the clothes for damage.”

“And you?”

“The shirt fits me but the pants seem a little bit short for me.” Loid replied while adjusting the suspenders.

Mr. And Mrs. Authen couldn't help but pour compliments and tell them stories of old, the memories that were stitched on the clothes.

"Oh dear… you look so good in our dress. Why don't you keep it?" Mrs. Authen suddenly asked.

"Hm-?! Keep?! But we can't accept this ma'am…" Yor immediately said in surprise.

"I think so too, Mrs. Authen. We think your family should be the one wearing these. I believe they'll treasure it more dearly." Loid added.

"Could it be that you don't want it because it doesn't suit your taste? Then we can just go to the tailor for something nice." Mr Authen said.

"N-No, sir! We assure you, it's not! We simply think that we don't deserve your beloved items." Loid reasoned with a smile.

He started worrying that they offended the couple for rejecting but he was surprised when Mrs. Authen took his hand.

"You know, son," The old lady started as she also took Yor's hand and placed it with Loid's.

The physical touch that was shared did nothing as much as what the rest of Mrs. Authen's words did to them.

"These clothes gave us good memories for a long time. I hope that they'll do the same for you too."

Loid and Yor only smiled. It was only in an instant but their gazes crossed. Their countenance showed half-torn cheerfulness. If anything, the words caused a sudden pang of bitterness to Loid.

Loid doesn't know what's in Yor's mind but for him, they are unworthy of such a pure gesture. It wasn't only because they are not a real couple. They are simply bound by the benefits of a fake relationship with no lasting commitment on his end. It's unspoken but he knows it very well.

Good clothes for good memories.

The uncertainty of the future was enough to keep them from accepting such prized possession. Loid knew that the Forger family would not last long enough for such clothes to be worn a dozen times.

▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎

I hope you enjoyed this little fic of mine. Actuallyyy,, this is pretty much a by-product of my rainy day fic that i posted some time ago. That fic was supposed to be longer because Loid and Yor were supposed to be taken in by an old couple that runs a boutique shop for vintage items (their old items). And because Loid and Yor are rain-drenched, the old couple will give them clothes.

But since there were still no elderly couple in the manga back then and of course with my laziness and distaste for carelessly naming my OCs, I cut off the said fic as i have posted. You can go ahead and read it if you're interested 🥰🥰.

So ever since i posted that fic, I've been waiting for old characters to be introduced in the manga and finally chapter 90 came. We now have Mr. and Mrs. Authen!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I'm so glad that i put this fic off until the right time comes. And now I'm sharing this with you.

[starfriday]

Flipkart’s Big End of Season Sale 2024 sets the stage for the largest fashion extravaganza, with participation from over 12,000 Brands, 2 Lakh+ Sellers and expected 100 million+ Visitors

- Beginning 1st June 2024, this special fashion event will offer customers a personalised shopping experience with access to over 75 lakh styles

- Over 10 million new visitors are likely to participate, based on early trends observed

- Customers can opt for open-box delivery across categories such as sports shoes, watches, jeans and more

- This edition will feature same-day delivery on lakhs of products

Bengaluru - May 31, 2024: Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has announced its much-anticipated ‘Big End of Season Sale’ (Big EOSS) beginning 1st June 2024. With the stage set to be one of the largest celebrations of fashion, the Big EOSS will offer customers a wide range of trendy styles, premium brands and exciting Gen Z offerings curated on ‘SPOYL’, delivered to every serviceable pin code PAN India.

The Flipkart Big EOSS 2024 will offer choices from over 12,000 brands and 2 Lakh+ sellers, with the option of open-box delivery across categories like sports shoes, watches and jeans. Same-day delivery will be available on over 1 lakh products. Some of the popular choices include styles from Puma, Adidas, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Fossil, Titan, Crocs, UCB, Vero Moda, Only, W, USPA, Arrow, American Tourister, Peter England, to name a few among the wide selection of brands available on Flipkart.

Customers can avail of various bank offers when making their purchases during Flipkart’s Big EOSS, such as 10% Instant Discount on Credit Cards & Credit Cards EMI across RBL Bank, BOB Bank, HSBC Bank (with minimum order value of Rs.2,500). They can also avail offers with Flipkart UPI on a minimum order value of Rs.200.

In the run-up to Big EOSS, Flipkart has also launched a star-studded marketing campaign featuring Allu Arjun and Alia Bhatt, which has encouraged wishlisting of products by customers PAN India.

Speaking about the Big EOSS, Arief Mohamad, Vice President and Head of Flipkart Fashion said, “Season after season, Flipkart's Big EOSS isn't just a fashion shopping event - it's a celebration! It gives us the opportunity to bring joy to our customers as we continue to focus on offering the best value and the widest range of trendy styles from top brands. The Big EOSS shopping extravaganza has not only delighted customers across India, but has fuelled positive growth for sellers and brands on our platform. We're dedicated to offering the latest and best in fashion – across apparel, footwear, and accessories - all accessible through customized on-app experiences.”

Customer trends witnessed in the run-up to Big EOSS 2024:

~ New customers are showing interest in categories like Sports Shoes, Luggage, Watches, Ethnic Suits and Party Dresses; while existing customers favor styles across categories like Jeans, Casual Shoes, Shirts, T-shirts and Tops.

~ With summer temperatures on the rise, Flipkart Fashion has been witnessing some interesting trends in summer fashion. Men are opting for Round-neck T-shirts, Open-knit & Textured shirts, Zipper polos and Parachute trousers. Women are shopping for Bows and Rosette tops, Tube tops & Dresses, Chunky Mules, Oversized scrunchies and Gelato pastel colors, reflecting a blend of style and functionality for this summer season.

~ Notably, Tier 3 regions have shown a remarkable increase in demand for men's footwear as compared to 2023. There has been an increase in searches for Linen, Cotton, Crochet and Sleeveless products.

~ On another interesting note, 'vacation wear' is trending, along with resort-inspired looks such as printed matching sets and breezy summer half-sleeve shirts.

About the Flipkart Group

The Flipkart Group is one of India’s leading digital commerce entities and includes group companies Flipkart, Myntra, Flipkart Wholesale, Flipkart Health+, and Cleartrip.

Established in 2007, Flipkart has enabled millions of sellers, merchants, and small businesses to participate in India's digital commerce revolution. With a registered user base of more than 500 million, Flipkart's marketplace offers over 150 million products across 80+ categories. Today, there are over 1.4 million sellers on the platform, including Shopsy sellers. With a focus on empowering and delighting every Indian by delivering value through technology and innovation, Flipkart has created thousands of jobs in the ecosystem while empowering generations of entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Flipkart has pioneered services such as Cash on Delivery, No Cost EMI, Easy Returns, and UPI. These customer-centric innovations focus on enhancing digital payment offerings for all customers while making online shopping more accessible and affordable for millions of Indians.

For more information, please write to media@flipkart.com

[bu1410]

Good afternoon TUMBLR - April 23th - 2024

''Mr. Plant has owed me a shoe since July 5, 1971."

Atyrau Kazakhstan – Dec 2004 – Oct 2010 - Kashagan Development Project Part 1

I left for Atyrau on December 1st, certainly not a favorable season to reach Kazakhstan. The route chosen was Milan – Istanbul (where we were forced to spent the night as the three weekly flights to Atyrau used to take off at midday). At that time the Turkish were asking 19 American dollars to get entry VISA, therefore we were forced to go through immigration where the queque were always very long. We always slept in hotels nearby the airport, in order to avoid the long time wasting due to security checks to access the terminal. Turkey was in a constant state of siege, because of problems with Kurds.

Istanbul Airport The next morning in line at the check-in of the private carrierKazakh SKAT, I immediately noticed a numbers of Kazakh women pushing enormous shapeless bags, plastered with kilometers of scotch tape! As these women gradually reached the check-in desk, discussions heated up and tempers heated up between the passengers and the security staff. I will learn later that Turkish and Kazakh are two languages with things in common. Any case, women with incredible excess baggage were rejected and asked to step aside to make way for the other passengers. Having reached the boarding gate, I noticed that the Kazakh women with luggage in tow were also arriving one by one. And always with their enormous packages (while us ''normal'' passengers were recommended to have only one piece of hand luggage and of minimal dimensions). The moment of boarding came, and the Kazakh women made one last attempt to pass the boarding check WITH their luggage, which was also rejected by the airport ground staff. Finally on board, I noted with disappointment that the plane was an obsolete 30-seater Tupolev, uncomfortable and dirty. Meanwhile the argument between the airport staff and the Kazakh women seemed to have reached its peak, with everyone shouting at everyone! Suddenly a sort of cyclone hit the inside of the small plane: all the luggage, parcels, suitcases and boxes of the Kazakh women were thrown inside the plane, occupying not only the corridor (and therefore making it impossible to pass through) but even all the spaces of the small airplane. The owners of the luggage also broke into the plane and, walking on their parcels, reached their assigned seats. At this point, with a clearly irregular situation and totally against all safety measures, the stewardesses closed the doors and the plane started to move! What had happened? How had the Kazakh women convinced the ground crew to let them carry all that baggage? Let's take a step back to try to explain the mystery. This scene was repeated 3 times a week at Istanbul airport, as many times as there were flights to Atyrau. Kazakh women were buyers who used to visit Istanbul bazaar 3 times a week to purchase all sorts of merchandise (mainly clothes, shoes and other goods intended for consumption by the female public). This was based on the fact that prices in Turkey were low, and that the same merchandise was not available in Kazakhstan. By profiting from the resale price, they paid the price of the plane ticket, the costs of staying in Istanbul, and had their margin. Obviously the costs also included the ''tip'' that they had to give to the Turkish airport staff, to allow them to take the goods into the cabin, which otherwise sent by air as carry-on baggage - at $12 per kg - would have become too expensive , and the ''expense would not have supported the enterprise''. An illegal business was thus going on, with serious involvement of Turkish personnel and the customs police of Turkey and Kazakhstan. But in the end it benefited the economies of the two countries, and it gave the people involved the chance to survive and hope for better days. After a flight of approximately 3 hours, passing over the Black Sea, part of the Caucasus Mountains, and finally reaching the Caspian Sea at the height of the Russian city of Astrakhan, late in the afternoon we landed at Atyrau airport, which at the time was still little more than a warehouse. At passport control I noticed that there were other Italians - one of these - an AGIP employee - seeing me quite disoriented, warned me:  ''Be careful....... you have to go and collect your luggage in the courtyard''  ''Please''?  Yes, go out through that little door, there will be a trolley in the snow, and maybe your luggage on top…'' Welcome to Kazakhstan!!

I followed the guy's suggestions and actually, in the dark, I managed to find first the trolley, then my suitcase. I dragged them to baggage control and then finally outside, where luckily I met Talgat, our Director's faithful driver - Talgat held up a sign with my name written on it. I was driven into the city, about 6 kilometers away from the airport, to the hotel where I would stay for few days. The first days were rather sad: from the hotel windows I could see a melancholy, cold city, with the streets full of ice and snow that the wind made swirl in the air. The next morning Talgat came to pick me up and then with my Director Mr. Borchia we went to the construction site, where I noticed that the access road ended about 8 kilometers from our base: the AGIP pople, present in Atyrau since 2 years, had not even been able to to arrange a temporary road to reach the site where the plant was to be built! How these people - very well paid - spent their time, I would find out a little later. I began to get to know the colleagues, Italian and other Nationals, with whom I would share joys and sorrows over the next 6 years. In the meantime, however, there was a wedding to celebrate: Matteo Galetti, my Deputy, a young guy from Cremona, had decided to marry a Russian girl, Svetlana. This despite the contrary opinions of almost all Italian colleagues, who, mindful of other similar situations, advised against mixed marriages. But Matteo was adamant, and even defying the wishes of his parents, he married the beautiful Svetlana. Bets on the duration of the marriage immediately flourished: some even bet that everything between the two newlyweds would be over within a maximum of two months. Others, the more savvy, stated that ''No, give it time, until she has obtained the Italian passport, there will be no divorce''. Christmas week soon came, and almost all the colleagues returned to Italy to spend the holidays with their family. Borchia and I remained there, and on Christmas Eve our office organized a dinner at a local restaurant. I arrived at restaurant quite early that evening, and immediately noticed a long table set. Upon closer observation, however, I noticed that the food was largely represented by Russian salad (locally called ''Olivier'') of all shapes, small plates with gherkins, pickles, spring onions: in short, every sort of accompaniment to the starters, but the starters as we understand them - ham, salami, prosciutto and cold cuts in general - not even a trace. Soon all the office employees arrived: secretaries, accounting ladies, cleaners and drivers, of course all accompanied by their husbands or wives. In all about forty participants. And here began what is truly a Russian-Kazakh ritual: the toast! A ritual that is literally unbearable for me! Everyone without distinction wants to participate, and so they take turns getting up, full glass in hand, and all reciting the same hackneyed phrases:

''I take this opportunity to wish you health, prosperity, money, love etc '' A sort of competition to see who fills this space with the most irritating rhetoric that a human being can express . And with each toast, down to gulp vodka (or cognac) so that already by the third or fourth toast the toaster's voices become more uncertain, the sentences more broken up, the laughter more raucous. And then the horror: - I realize that the ''food'' was what was on the table!! There will be no courses, no one is interested in the food as such, but it is only to intersperse between one toast and another, and in particular a spaghetti-shaped cheese is swallowed, very salty, but which induces you to drink even more, and this is the final aim: to get drunk until you lose consciousness. So 2005 began like this, between cold and snow. I spent New Year's Eve in a place called ''La Cabana'' a sort of dance hall, where a band played live, alternating with willing people who sang karaoke.

ATYRAU

At that time Atyrau was a city of around 200,000 inhabitants and with 24 active casinos. It wasn't yet the the Kazakh ''Oil Capital'' but it would become shortly thereafter, with the arrival of many foreigners to participat in the Kashagan Development project. One day we came to know that an order from President Nursultan Nazarbayev closed the casinos overnight forever. In the meantime, the River Palace complex, a four-star hotel built and managed by the Italian company RENCO, from Pesaro, was already in service in the city.

All AGIP's expatriate employees had the privilege of living in the hotel and the adjacent residence. And here I began to understand why in two years of staying in Atyrau, they had practically done nothing. The hotel is very beautiful, the residence is great, with single apartments of 42 m2, furniture imported from Italy - indoor and outdoor swimming pool, gym equipped with the latest Tecnogym equipment - 3 restaurants, Italian pizza chef. In addition to the generous salary and full board, at the time AGIP employees enjoyed 28/28 rotation, and also received an allowance of $1,900/month for ''hard work''.

Like we say in Italy: ''War go on, I will resist''

EARLY WORKS Our preliminary activities meanwhile continued. Our company, an Italian-Kazakh joint venture, had been assigned jobs worth approximately 40 million USD. The plant area was close to the Caspian Sea, at -19 meters below sea level, and the bearing capacity of the ground did not guarantee the stability of the heavy structures that had to be installed later. Then we proceeded with the installation of approximately 40,000 prefabricated concrete piles, 12 or 24 meters long. All this, with the related foundations for the iron structures of the pipe racks, where, later, the pipes would be laid.

Karabotan Complex - Kazakhstan

[calixroof]

Maximize Your Outdoor Adventures with Roof Boxes: A Comprehensive Guide

For those who relish outdoor escapades accompanied by an array of bulky gear, the convenience of transporting tents, boots, skis, backpacks, and more is paramount. Whether it's a family camping trip or an expedition with friends, having ample storage space is essential. This is where roof boxes come into play, offering a practical solution to augment your vehicle's packing capacity while on the move.

What Exactly is a Roof Box?

Roof boxes, also known as cargo boxes, are storage compartments designed to be mounted on the roof bars of vehicles. With the ability to accommodate up to 50 kg of luggage, these boxes are indispensable for outdoor enthusiasts seeking to optimize space within their vehicles. They serve as versatile solutions, efficiently minimizing clutter inside the car while ensuring gear remains secure during transit.

Benefits of Roof Boxes:

Space-saving: By utilizing the roof space, roof boxes free up valuable room inside the vehicle, allowing for a more comfortable travel experience.

Easy packing: Roof boxes simplify the process of loading and unloading gear, providing hassle-free access to equipment whenever needed.

Rear-of-car solutions: They offer a convenient storage option, particularly for items that may not fit inside the vehicle or for those who require additional space.

Cost-effective: Investing in a roof box proves to be a cost-effective solution compared to renting larger vehicles or compromising on comfort due to limited space.

Hassle-free packaging: With roof boxes, organizing and securing gear becomes effortless, ensuring a stress-free journey for all passengers.

Types of Roof Bosxe:

Roof boxes come in various sizes and designs to cater to different needs and preferences:

Full-width boxes: These spacious boxes, measuring up to 95 cm in width, are popular among families and adventurers requiring ample storage space. Equipped with dual-sided openings, they provide easy access to belongings while maximizing load capacity.

Medium-width boxes: With widths ranging up to 75 cm, medium-width boxes strike a balance between storage capacity and ease of handling. They are favored for their versatility and affordability.

Narrow boxes: Ideal for those who wish to preserve space on the roof for other equipment like kayaks or bike carriers, narrow boxes typically measure up to 60 cm in width. Despite their compact size, they offer sufficient storage for various outdoor essentials.

Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Roof Box:

Before selecting a roof box for your vehicle, consider the following aspects:

Dimensions: Take precise measurements of your vehicle's roof space to determine the suitable size and shape of the roof box. Manufacturers often provide detailed dimensions to help you make an informed decision.

Gear capacity: Assess the volume of gear you intend to transport and ensure that the chosen roof box can accommodate it comfortably. Consider factors such as the length, width, and height of the box to make an accurate assessment.

Compatibility: Verify that the roof box is compatible with your vehicle's roof and does not obstruct any essential features like hatch clearance. It's advisable to consult with specialists or refer to manufacturer guidelines for proper fitting.

Hatch clearance: Pay attention to the clearance space required for your vehicle's rear hatch to open fully without obstruction from the roof box. Adjustments may be necessary to ensure a proper fit and unrestricted access.

In Conclusion:

Integrating a roof box into your outdoor adventures offers unmatched convenience and versatility, allowing you to transport gear securely while maximizing interior space. By considering factors such as size, compatibility, and gear capacity, you can select the perfect roof box to suit your needs and enhance your travel experiences. So, gear up and embark on your next expedition with confidence, knowing that your equipment is safely stowed away in a reliable roof box.

[subhashmadurai]

gifts

Certainly! When it comes to choosing gifts, it's helpful to consider the recipient's interests, preferences, and occasion. Here are some general ideas across different categories:

Personalized Gifts:

Customized jewelry with their name or initials.

Personalized photo album or scrapbook.

Custom-made artwork or prints.

Tech Gadgets:

Smartwatches or fitness trackers.

Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

Tablet or e-reader.

Fashion and Accessories:

Stylish clothing or accessories.

Handbags or wallets.

Sunglasses or a watch.

Hobbies:

Equipment or tools related to their hobbies (e.g., art supplies, cooking gadgets, sports gear).

Books by their favorite author or in a genre they enjoy.

Subscriptions to magazines, streaming services, or hobby-related boxes.

Wellness and Self-Care:

Spa day or massage gift certificates.

Aromatherapy diffuser with essential oils.

Fitness class or wellness retreat vouchers.

Travel:

Travel accessories (e.g., luggage, travel pillow, adapter).

Airbnb or hotel gift cards.

Scratch-off world map.

Food and Drink:

Gourmet gift baskets.

Cooking or cocktail-making classes.

Wine or craft beer assortment.

Experiences:

Concert or event tickets.

Hot air balloon ride or other adventure experiences.

Cooking class or workshop.

Subscription Services:

Subscription boxes (e.g., beauty products, snacks, books).

Streaming service subscriptions.

Online course memberships.

DIY Gifts:

Handmade crafts or artwork.

Baked goods or homemade preserves.

DIY coupon book for favors or activities.

[elizajackson]

Choose The Right Rental Car

You can make your trip memorable when you have the perfect rental vehicle. Here are some tips to help you pick your ideal wheels for your next trip. Any trip could require a long term preparation, yet there are basically few essential things you want to ensure: the right vehicle, the right tour plan and the right buddies. Here are some ways to pick the right vehicle - the rest really depends on you.

What size vehicle works for you?

If you're going on a family occasion, there's no good reason for picking a two-seater option. Thus, ensure your get a vehicle with adequate number of seats for everybody who'll travel (having travelers sitting uncomfortably is a trip spoiler, for little kids).

Assuming that you are booking online, the site will show precisely the number of seats the vehicle that has. If you have travelers toward the back, it is a good idea to book a vehicle with no less than four doors, so everybody can get in and out without any problem.

How large a boot do you want?

Consider how much boot space you will require, keeping in mind that everybody's stuff should fit in the storage compartment as rooftop bars and boxes are not available in all vehicles. The main special case for this is that say you're going camping - you can get a rental vehicle fitted with a roof rack to stuff your luggage. Leaving gear visible on the seats is definitely not a smart thought either, as it can draw in thieves and the security of your stuff can be at a risk.

Is mileage significant?

Instead of getting into a ruckus around an unfamiliar street, look for a vehicle that can keep going for long. Thus, dealing with the supposition that small vehicles are more eco-friendly, map out how far you'll travel, and then compute generally how much fuel this will use in your favored sort of vehicle.

Hope these tips will help Car hire in Walton on Thames easier for your next trip.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 11, 2024 (Monday)

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAR 12, 2024

Authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary visited former president Trump in Florida on Friday, and on Sunday, Orbán assured Hungarian state media that Trump “will not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war. Therefore, the war will end, because it is obvious that Ukraine can not stand on its own feet.” Russian state media gloated at the news, and that Trump’s MAGA allies in Congress are already helping him end support for Ukraine. 

President Joe Biden and a strong majority of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, as well as defense officials, support appropriating more aid to Ukraine, believing its defense is crucial to America’s national security. Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin once again called such aid “critical.” 

The Senate passed a national security supplemental bill early in the morning on February 13, by a strong bipartisan vote of 70 to 29. The bill would be expected to pass the House, but House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), a Trump loyalist, refuses to bring it up for a vote. 

Trump loyalists have been obstructing aid to Ukraine since President Joe Biden asked for it in October 2023. Their insistence that they would not address the national security needs of the U.S. in Ukraine until they were addressed at the border now sure looks like a smokescreen to help Russian president Vladimir Putin take Ukraine, a plan that would explain why Trump urged Republicans to kill the national security supplemental bill even when it included a strong border component that favored Republican positions. 

It appears as though Trump is deliberately undermining the national security of the United States.

In excerpts from his forthcoming book that appeared on the CNN website today, journalist Jim Sciutto reported conversations with Trump’s second chief of staff, General John Kelly, and Trump’s third national security advisor, John Bolton, in which the men recounted Trump’s fondness for dictators. “He views himself as a big guy,” Bolton told Sciutto. “He likes dealing with other big guys, and big guys like Erdogan in Turkey get to put people in jail and you don’t have to ask anybody’s permission. He kind of likes that.” “He’s not a tough guy by any means, but in fact quite the opposite,” Kelly said. “But that’s how he envisions himself.”

Kelly noted that Trump praised Hitler and what he thought was the loyalty of Hitler’s generals (some of whom actually tried to assassinate him), but both Kelly and Bolton noted that he “most consistently lavished praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Certainly, Trump prizes loyalty to himself: today Alex Isenstadt of Politico reported a “bloodbath” at the Republican National Committee as the incoming Trump loyalists are pushing out more than 60 RNC officials and staffers to make sure everyone is “aligned” with Trump. 

An exclusive interview today by Katelyn Polantz, Kaitlan Collins, and Jeremy Herb of CNN revealed that Brian Butler, who worked at Mar-a-Lago for twenty years, has come forward to give the public the same information he told to investigators looking into Trump’s theft of classified documents. On June 3, 2022, the day Trump and his family were scheduled to fly to New Jersey for the summer, Trump’s aide Walt Nauta asked Butler if he could borrow a car from the Mar-a-Lago car service, although Butler and his valets usually handled getting the Trump family luggage onto the plane. June 3 was the same day Trump and his lawyer were meeting with officials from the Department of Justice at Mar-a-Lago to arrange for Trump to turn over national security documents. 

Butler loaded a vehicle with the luggage, then met Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira—at the time a close friend of Butler—driving a vehicle loaded with bankers boxes, at the West Palm Beach airport. Butler says he didn’t know the bankers boxes contained anything unusual, and he helped Nauta load the plane with the boxes as well as the luggage. “They were the boxes that were in the indictment, the white bankers boxes. That’s what I remember loading,” Butler added.

Butler was also present during conversations about hiding evidence from federal authorities. 

While Trump opposes aid to Ukraine, President Joe Biden pushed for it once again when he released his fiscal year 2025 budget today. (There is overlap this year between funding fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 because House Republicans have been unable to agree to last year’s appropriations bills. Those are supposed to be done before October 1, when the new fiscal year starts.)

In addition to funding for Ukraine, the president’s $7.3 trillion budget covers Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits, all of which are mandatory, and expands investment in health care, child care, and housing. Biden would pay for all this—and reduce the deficit by $3 trillion over the next ten years—with higher taxes on those making more than $400,000 a year and on corporations. 

In his defense of the middle class as the engine of economic growth and his declaration that the days of trickle-down economics are over, Biden sounds much like Democratic president Franklin Delano Roosevelt did when he ushered in the New Deal in the 1930s. In that era, Roosevelt and his Democratic allies replaced a government that worked for men of property with one that worked for ordinary Americans.

There were other echoes of the FDR administration today as Trump’s undermining of aid to Ukraine has become clear. Ukraine stands between an aggressive Russian dictator and a democratic Europe.  

In the 1930s and 1940s, the U.S. had to decide whether to turn away from those standing against dictators like Hitler, or to stand behind them. There was a strong isolationist impulse in the United States. Some people resented that war industries had made fortunes supplying the devastating weaponry of World War I. Others believed that Hitler’s advance in Europe was a distraction from Asia, where their business interests were entwined. Congress passed laws to keep the U.S. from entanglement in Europe until Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Then Congress allowed other nations to buy munitions from the U.S. so long as they carried them away in their own ships.  

The following year, FDR promised the American people he would not send troops into “any foreign wars.” But in July 1940, newly-appointed British prime minister Winston Churchill asked the U.S. for direct help after Britain lost eleven destroyers in ten days to the German Navy. Roosevelt exchanged 50 destroyers for 99-year leases on certain British bases, but that would not be enough. He asked Congress to provide military aid.

On this date in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law “An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States.” The new law gave the president wide-ranging authority to sell, give, lease, or lend war supplies to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.”

The law defined “war supplies” generously: they ranged from aircraft and boats to guns and tools, to information and technical designs, to food and supplies. The law also gave the president authority to authorize U.S. companies to manufacture such war supplies for other countries whose defense was important to the United States.

This law is the one we know as the Lend-Lease Act, and it was central to the ability of the Allied Powers—those standing against Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito—to fight off the Axis Powers who were trying to take over the globe in the 1940s. By the time the law ended on September 20, 1945, supplies worth more than $50 billion in 1940 dollars—equivalent to more than $770 billion today—had gone to the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France, China, and other allies. 

Four days after he signed the Lend-Lease Act into law, on March 15, 1941, FDR told journalists at the White House Correspondents’ Association, “The big news story of this week is this: The world has been told that we, as a united Nation, realize the danger that confronts us—and that to meet that danger, our democracy has gone into action.”

FDR noted the “superb morale” of the British, who he said were “completely clear in their minds about the one essential fact—that they would rather die…free…than live as slaves.” He continued: “The British people and their Grecian allies need ships. From America, they will get ships. They need planes. From America, they will get planes. From America they need food. From America, they will get food. They need tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds. From America, they will get tanks and guns and ammunition and supplies of all kinds….

“And so our country is going to be what our people have proclaimed it must be—the arsenal of democracy…. Never, in all our history, have Americans faced a job so well worth while.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[shop-korea]

HUB - LOCKER - CALMING

LAVENDER - FOOT - SOAK

INCLUDED - PURPLE - TOO

$63.52 ADD - $10 COUPON

YOUTUBE - PREMIUM YES

ADDS - THEIR - VIDEOS AS

BACKGROUND - NOT JUST

APP YST MUSIC - MEAN'G

DISAPPEARS - AS - MUSIC

BACKGROUND - SCRATCHER

2 - THE - BEST - STRETCHES

2 - SCRATCH - BACK - USED

MY - NAILS - REMOVED MY

SKIN - BAD - SCRATCHER -

4 - TUMMY - HAIR - USED -

WATER ON - HEAD THEN -

SCRATCHER - FEELS - SO -

GOOD - FOREVER PREMIUM -

NO - ADS - INTERRUPTING -

24/7 - FALSE - ADS - NOW -

NO - INTERRUPT - ABOVE -

NO - BATTERIES - DOING -

AT - LIBRARY - MY - FEET -

BAD - NEWS - SPANISH -

SPEAKING - MAID NOW -

SHARING - MY - TABLE -

ALWAYS - SPEAKS YES -

SPANISH - GIVEN - NO -

BONES - PUBLIC - CKN -

WONDER - BREAD YES -

GAVE ME - JUST - ONE -

GAVE - OTHERS - THEN -

WENT - 2 - SLEEP TOLD -

HER - COVER - BREAD -

OR - STOLEN - OBEYED -

THEN - CHECKED LEFT -

CHICKEN - OPEN - HAD -

EXTRA - CONTAINER FL -

IDIOT - COULDN'T CLICK -

CONTAINER - DID - THAT -

4 - HER - THEN RIBBONED -

PUBLIX - BAG - SHE's YES -

ATTRACTING - THIEVES 2 -

AND - CONSIDER STEAL'G -

MY - STUFF - TOMORROW -

SHE's - 6A - 2 - WORK BUS -

2 HRS - AWAY - 2 DAYS AGO -

HER - LUGGAGE - OPEN - FL -

BELOW - MAJOR - COINS -

FELL - 6A - METROMOVER -

DUMB DUMB - SO - NO ONE -

CAN - WATCH - PUTTING MY -

INITIALS BOX VAULT STREET -

ADDRESS - 'COMING - BACK' -

CONTAINS - FOOD EXPULSION

FR - STORAGE - KINGDOM - SO

MY - ONLY - SOLUTION - AND -

THURS - FRI - DAYS OFF - BLK -

GIRL - SPANISH - MALE - YES -

ACCEPTED - HOW - KIND - NO -

SWEETS - EXCHANGED WOW -

TATOO FACE - SMELLY AWOL -

LEAVING - THINGS - UNDER -

TABLE - LIME - GREEN - AT -

GOV'T - CENTER - PARK - 4 -

I - HELPED - GOOGLE MAPS -

HISPANIC - GIRL - FIND - SS -

SOCIAL - SECURITY - SHE -

ASKED - A - MALE - SO HE -

REWARDED - ME - WITH A -

$20 - CRISPY - NEW CASH -

GOT - QUARTERS - GR COIN -

LAUNDRY - 24/7 - REAL YES -

FAVOR - OF - GOD - JUST XO -

NEED - PAIL - WITH - COVER -

OF - WATER - OVER - 2 HRS -

HUB LOCKER - MY STORAGE -

NOW - I KNOW - CAN'T JUST -

BUY CREAM - ALL THE TIME

[greysleads]

Cupnoodle doitnow

#Cupnoodle doitnow how to#

#Cupnoodle doitnow upgrade#

#Cupnoodle doitnow full#

Top your ramen with the bean sprouts before serving. Bean sprouts: You can eat these bean sprouts raw after washing them.Frozen works well if you don’t have a can opener and cannot find corn in cans with easy-open lids and pull tabs. Corn: I add frozen sweet corn or canned corn kernels that are ready to eat.You can also use fresh baby spinach leaves, which wilt quickly in the boiling water. You can also defrost them in the microwave or sit them on the countertop for an hour. I add frozen spinach into my cup of noodles after my noodles are ready. Spinach: I use frozen spinach because it’s ready to eat.Spring greens: I like boxed salad of spring mix because there’s a variety of greens, they’re already washed, and they’re the perfect size of a bowl of ramen.You also can tear rinsed lettuce with your hands if you can’t find it shredded. You can buy chopped lettuce that comes in prewashed salad bags. Or you can add lettuce and cook it in the microwave with the other vegetables if you like wilted lettuce. Lettuce: You can add raw lettuce before serving the noodles.I pack sliced onions before leaving home or skip it in favor of green onions. It’s challenging to cut onion thinly without a chef’s knife and chopping board. Onion: Thinly sliced onion is a great flavor enhancer.You can also pack matchstick (“julienned”) carrots in a plastic container for your trip. Look at the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Carrot: Carrot is harder to find shredded.I like that cabbage is sturdy so it doesn’t get wilted quickly in my luggage. Cabbage: Thinly sliced cabbage acts like noodles so it increases the volume, tricking my brain into thinking I’m eating more noodles.Here are my favorite vegetables to add to noodle cups: When we lived in the hotel room, I chose frozen vegetables, canned vegetables, and raw vegetables that were cleaned and sliced, like shredded carrots and cabbage slaw without the dressing. You can add any vegetables that you can dream of.Īt home, I have more leeway to clean and slice raw vegetables so my options are fancier. The key to making noodle cups healthier is to add vegetables. RELATED: Simple Creamy Pasta With Brown Oyster Mushrooms (and Zucchini Noodles) What kinds of vegetables can you add? Microwave the eggs on a separate paper plate and add them to the noodle cup.You can skip the eggs and add cooked toppings.If you cannot find instant ramen in a microwave-safe cup, you can still make the instant ramen recipe with the following workaround: Costco and other grocery stores typically sell instant ramen that comes in a paper cup as well. I bought instant ramen from Trader Joe’s that came in a paper cup. There is a risk that chemicals in plastic, styrofoam, and styrene can leach into your food, according to Harvard Health Publishing.Īffiliate disclosure: When you buy through affiliate links in this article, I earn a commission. Stay away from styrofoam cups without a microwave-safe label. If the cup is not made from paper, it needs to be labeled as safe for microwaves. If you want to microwave the eggs, buy instant noodles that come in disposable paper cups. What to eat with upgraded instant ramen.Upgraded cup of noodles with eggs and vegetables.What kind of instant noodle cups can you use for this recipe?.What kind of instant noodle cups can you use for this recipe?

#Cupnoodle doitnow full#

Whether you’re stuck in a hotel room, newly moved into a dorm room, camping, or self-isolating, you can find ways to spruce up your instant noodles and transform it into a luxurious full meal.

#Cupnoodle doitnow upgrade#

Now that I’m back to eating and loving instant noodle cups, I’m sharing my recipe to inspire you to upgrade your instant cup of noodles. Little did I know, 6 months later, we would buy a case of instant cup of noodles from Costco because of the pandemic. Having a hot meal ready in 10 minutes gave Alex and me time to relax after work while adjusting to being away from home for so long. My cooking method couldn’t doesn’t require a stove. After microwaving, I plodded downstairs to the motel lobby with my steaming noodle cups to fill them at the water cooler, which dispensed hot water. I cooked eggs in the elf-sized microwave, which was installed above a tiny granite countertop smaller than my suitcase. To avoid getting scurvy, I transformed instant ramen into a complete meal. When we lived in a motel for 3 weeks, instant cup of noodles (“noodle cups” as I call them) were a boon to our hotel-room diet. This recipe doesn’t require a stove - the microwave does all the cooking.

#Cupnoodle doitnow how to#

Learn how to add eggs, vegetables, and protein for a quick and portable meal in less than 10 minutes. Bored of ordinary instant ramen? Turn cup of noodles into a complete meal using luxurious toppings.