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sluttywonwoo · 2 months

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instead of you [part forty-one] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either.

warnings: swearing, angst, alcohol consumption, smut (18+ ; mdni)

word count: 3.2k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!!

additional smut warnings: semi-public messing around, oral - m+f receiving

The other resorts along the shore were nice, yes, but they were also crowded to all hell. There’s no way you would have been able to relax at any of them. Not just because crowds make you anxious, but because Minho probably wouldn’t be able to show his face anywhere. He’d have to wear a hoodie to the pool or swim with a baseball cap on, and even those weren’t guaranteed to be foolproof.

There were hardly any people occupying the outdoor spaces so late in the day so it was like you had the place to yourselves. You and Felix continued to play in the pool while Minho grilled steaks and Jisung worked upstairs. You offered to accompany Jisung while he cooked but he assured you that he was fine to do it himself. Sometimes you kept him company at home but you knew he liked to work alone as well.

The room that you and Jisung were staying in was a standard hotel room but Nikki and Dom had a suite with a kitchenette that he could use to prepare the side dishes.

You ate gathered around one of the fire pits as the sun sank beneath the waves in the distance. When it got too dark out, Dom lit the fire so that you could all see what you were eating. There were path lights littered around the resort but they weren’t bright enough to illuminate the adjacent sitting areas too.

“I wish we had marshmallows,” you sighed. “We could roast them and make s’mores.”

“I think the bar sells little kits,” Jisung piped up. “I remember seeing a sign posted on their menu.”

“How convenient!” Nikki exclaimed.

“Want me to grab some?” Minho offered, already standing from his seat.

You had once again put yourself on the spot. Everyone was looking at you, waiting for your answer.

“I-I’d feel bad. I’m the only one who wants them, so you don’t have to!”

“Don’t be silly, we’d all eat them,” Jisung assured you with a pat on your knee.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to try s’mores,” Felix agreed.

Your mouth dropped open in shock. “Wait, you’ve never had one?”

“They’re an American thing, babe.”

“Does that mean you’re the only other one here who has had a s’more?” you asked Jisung.

“I might have had one before,” Minho added thoughtfully.

“Might? You don’t remember?”

“Yeah, well, when we were on the first world tour we had a lot of bonfires and shit but I was pretty drunk at all of them so there could have been s’mores there, there could not have been. I dunno.”

“Anyway,” Nikki swooped in, averting the attention away from her eldest son’s anecdotes of underage drinking. “Minho, why don’t you go grab a few kits from the bar Ji mentioned? I think your father and I would like to try a s’more too.”

“How many do you think we need?” Minho asked.

“It depends on how many each serves. Why don’t we start with two and if we run out of supplies we can send Felix up to get more.”

Felix made a face. “What, me?”

“It wouldn’t be fair to send Minho up twice,” Dom explained.

“What about Jisung?”

“He cooked dinner.”

“I’ll be right back,” Minho interjected, cutting Felix off before he could protest any further. “Does anyone want anything to drink while I’m over there?”

He took everyone’s order and then disappeared in the direction of the bar.

“Do you think he’ll need help carrying stuff?” you whispered to Jisung after he left.

“Oh, shit, maybe.”

“Should I go help him? Would that be weird?”

Jisung looked back toward his parents to check that they weren’t paying attention before answering. “No, I don’t think so. No one suspected anything other than me. Do you want me to go with you, though?”

“No, you cooked,” you reminded him, “you should stay and relax. I’ll go help him.”

He nodded. “Okay. Oh, but kiss me before you go.”

Minho was still waiting when you joined him at the bar. It was almost as deserted as the rest of the pool area. Only a couple of people were occupying the stools and they seemed to be strangers to each other, drinking in silence apart from the waves crashing on the shore nearby and the occasional sound of the blender.

“Hey, stranger,” you said, grabbing Minho’s attention with an elbow to his side.

“Hey... did someone forget to ask for something?”

“No, I came to help you. We realized it’s a lot of stuff to carry all by yourself.”

He scoffed. “You doubted me?”

The bartender placed the drinks and s’mores kit down on the counter in front of Minho right at that moment, leaving both of you to size up all there was to bring back to the fire pit.

“You could have carried all that without spilling anything?”

“Fine, maybe it’s good that you came,” he grumbled.

“Maybe?”

He set his jaw and took a deep breath. “It is good that you came. Thank you for helping. Happy?”

“Ecstatic.”

You grabbed two of the drinks while Minho took the rest, holding the plastic bags of s’mores supplies between his teeth.

Nikki and Dom cheered when you reappeared with everything. The twins looked marginally happier. It was honestly as much as you could ask for from them.

You spent the rest of the evening teaching the Hans how to make, what was in your opinion, the perfect s’more. There were only a few skewers to go around so everyone had to take turns, but it was nice to be able to take your time with something and relax. There hadn’t been much time to do that on this trip. Jisung had warned you of that in the beginning but you were still way more exhausted than you expected to be at this point. At least it was almost over.

The thought of the trip ending was one that you had been pushing to the back of your mind for weeks now. Especially now that Jisung knew what had happened, you didn’t want to think about what would happen when you went back home. Would you grow apart? Would he distance himself once he was no longer in forced proximity with you? Would Minho break up with you? It wasn’t just something you could ignore now. There were only a matter of days left.

When it was over, you would go back to Seoul with the Hans until the summer ended officially. But that would be different too.

“You’re burning your marshmallow, love,” Nikki said softly, putting her hand on your shoulder to get your attention.

“Oh!” you exclaimed and pulled your skewer out of the heat. You blew the flame out and transferred it onto a graham cracker.

“Do you want a new one?” Dom asked.

“No, that’s okay! I like them burnt, actually. I just didn’t mean to leave it in the fire for so long. It could have made a mess.”

Jisung’s dad shrugged as if to say ‘suit yourself’ before taking the rod from you and reloading it with fresh marshmallows.

If it was woodburning, the fire would slowly start to dwindle as the kindling turned to ash. Since it wasn’t, it was still burning as brightly as it had been at the start of the evening when Dom finally turned the propane off. Nikki collected the empty cups and dirty skewers to return to the bar.

“Good night, kids. Don’t stay up too late.”

Felix was the first out of the four of you to go up to his room, leaving you with your best friend and... Minho.

The pool area was completely empty by then.

“I’ll uh, I’ll leave you two,” Jisung said and stood to leave.

You grabbed his hand to stop him. “Wait, no, you don’t have to go.”

“Yeah,” Minho agreed, a little less convincingly. “You should stay.”

Jisung shook his head. “No thanks, I’d rather not third-wheel.”

“Ji-”

“Take as much time as you need,” he said to you. “Just don’t get fucking caught by anyone else.”

You waited for him to leave before slumping forward and sighing into your hands.

“I thought you said he forgave you,” Minho whispered.

“He did. That doesn’t mean he’s okay with it,” you sighed.

Minho leaned back and stretched his arm across the back of the loveseat, inviting you to sit with him. You crossed over to his side and joined him, allowing yourself to lean into his side. He wrapped his arm around you and squeezed your shoulder. It felt nice, to do something so domestic with him, even while sitting in complete silence. Still, you worried about someone seeing you.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“You.”

“What about me?”

“Just you.”

You didn’t want to give him the details and risk ruining the mood so you hoped he was content with that answer. Thankfully, he didn’t ask you to elaborate.

You shivered suddenly, unintentionally but thankfully changing the subject.

“Are you cold?” Minho asked.

“A little.”

“Should I turn the fire pit back on?”

You shook your head. “No, it’s so dark out now. It’ll only draw attention to us.”

“I don’t want you to be cold, though.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Minho didn’t look convinced. “Why don’t we get in the hot tub? You still have your bathing suit on, right?”

“Are we allowed to?”

He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

You followed Minho over to one of the many hot tubs on the property. It was tucked away behind the now-deserted tiki bar and also totally empty. Minho turned on the jets and ventured down into the water, holding his hand out for you to get in behind him.

You let out a sigh as you sank into the bubbling water, closing your eyes and resting your head against the pool’s edge.

“Better?”

“So much better.”

You looked over to see him smile. “Good.”

You hadn’t realized how cold you were until you were warm. The chill had seeped through your bathing suit too. You could feel it ebbing out of the fabric as well as your muscles the longer you sat in the water.

Minho settled next to you and put his hand on your thigh. It was comforting even though his hand was still cold.

“This is nice,” he said.

“It is nice,” you agreed. “I like being able to do just nothing with you.”

“We don’t get a lot of time to do that, do we?”

“No, not really.”

“Guess that just means we have to enjoy it while we have it.”

You sat up to look at him, wondering if he meant something more than what was implied when he said that. He met your gaze and gave you a questioning look.

“What?” You shook your head and sank further into the bubbles. You were reading way too much into everything. You needed to get a grip.

“What’s wrong?” Minho repeated. “Talk to me.”

“I’m scared to,” you finally admitted.

It wasn’t much, but you were finally being honest with Minho instead of skirting around his questions like you usually did. You could tell your answer hurt him but you were afraid that you’d hurt yourself even more if you told him everything. You had a feeling the conversation was going there anyway, though, and there was little you could do to stop it.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I don’t know... what we are?” You cringed as you said it. “And I don’t want to ruin things by asking, you know, because I like what we have going on and I don’t want it to go away but I also don’t want to get my hopes up by thinking we’re something that we’re not but sometimes you do things that make me think you want something more than... whatever it is we’re already doing but- mph!”

You were cut off with a kiss, like something out of a movie. It was brief, but enough to disrupt your train of thought. You stared at him incredulously, trying to read his expression.

His face was even but his eyes were warm. You wished you knew what he was thinking. Moonlight and the flickering flames of torches in the distance were just enough to illuminate his features. The quirk of his cupid’s bow, the flutter of his long eyelashes...

“What was that for?” you inquired, even though you knew what it was for.

“You were spiraling.”

You sighed, dropping your head into your hands. “I can’t help it.”

“I know,” Minho said softly. “For what it’s worth though, I feel the same way.”

You lifted your head to look at him again, your vision slightly blurred by the water dripping down your face from your wet hands. “What?”

He hesitated. “I feel... what you said. I feel the same way.”

“I don’t even know what I said,” you laughed.

“Me either, but I got the general vibe of it and I’m in agreement.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I... I thought I was making it kind of obvious that I wanted something serious with you.”

“You never said anything outright, though!”

“Because I didn’t know what you wanted,” he explained. “You never said anything either.”

“Well, you’re the man!”

Minho raised an eyebrow. “Oh, we’re going there? The feminism just evaporates from your body the moment you’re faced with confrontation?”

“See, you get it.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you now, okay? I want you. In all the ways you’re willing to let me have you.”

You swallowed hard, eyes burning. You didn’t want to start crying and you didn’t want Minho to see you crying so you kissed him again, with more urgency this time. You couldn’t think, hell, you couldn’t breathe, until he pulled away, leaving you wishing and hoping for more.

When your lips met for the third time, he pulled you under with him, just long enough to shock your senses. You gasped for air when you surfaced, pushing your wet hair out of your eyes.

“You’re not supposed to do that!” you scolded, sputtering as you shoved him.

He stumbled backward onto the bench, falling seated again and pulling you on top of him.

“You believe that bullshit?” he scoffed.

“It’s not bullshit! It’s not good for you to put your head under the water in a hot tub!”

“I know people say that but why?”

“I... I don’t know why,” you admitted, “but I know you’re not supposed to.”

“See, you don’t even know!” You gave him a look. “Will you accept an ‘I’m sorry’ kiss?”

“That depends, are you actually sorry?”

He didn’t bother answering. Instead, he kissed you anyway, cradling the back of your head as he slipped his tongue past your lips. He tasted like s’mores and whiskey and chlorine, a combination so strange you couldn’t wrap your head around it.

One of his arms dropped to your waist, wrapping around your body and pulling you closer until your chests were pressed together. You could feel him through his swim trunks, growing harder by the second. You were tempted to take him right there, but you were in public and having sex in a hot tub couldn’t be good either, right? That sounded like an infection waiting to happen.

“Upstairs?” Minho asked breathlessly, lips only centimeters from yours. Not for the first time you wondered if he could read your mind.

You nodded. “Yeah, upstairs.”

You dripped your way back to his room, shivering despite the thick towel wrapped around your shoulders.

“Wanna hop in the shower?” Minho asked between kisses as he fumbled with the straps of your bikini.

“Yeah, don’t want to get your bed all wet,” you replied.

“That would happen whether or not we had just been in the pool,” he joked.

“Hilarious.”

“Jesus, you’re freezing,” he hissed. “Let’s get these off of you, they’re so cold.”

“Is that the only reason you want them off?”

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

You knew Minho was expecting to have sex in the shower but you kind of wanted to fuck on the bed so you sucked his dick while he washed your hair and then took turns rinsing off before moving to his bed. You put your hair up in a towel to avoid the aforementioned wetness and wrapped yourself up in one of the hotel’s robes even though you knew it’d be coming right off.

To your surprise, Minho left your robe on. He just undid the tie around your waist and let it fall open before shouldering himself between your legs. It was kind of like putting a towel down. He was killing two birds with one stone that way: protecting the sheets and keeping you warm.

It didn’t take long for you to cum in his mouth. Minho knew your body like the back of his hand by now. It had taken him a fraction of the time it took your past lovers to learn what made you tick and he used all of that knowledge to his advantage.

He kept going after you came the first time, eager to pull another from you, but you pulled him up by the hair to get his attention before he could get too into it.

“Too much?” he asked.

“Want you to fuck me,” you urged.

Thankfully, he was receptive to this and moved up so that he could position himself on top of you. He notched himself at your entrance and kissed you as he pushed himself inside, allowing you to taste yourself on his tongue before pulling away and wiping his face on your shoulder.

“Ew!” you cried and tried to push him away.

Minho looked offended. “What do you mean, ‘ew’? It’s you.”

“That doesn’t mean I want me all over what I’m wearing!”

“Since when?” he joked. “Seems like it’s always all over what you’re wearing when you’re around me.”

“Can we please talk about something else?” you begged, suddenly embarrassed and grossed out at the same time.

Minho laughed and pecked you on the cheek. “What would you rather talk about? The weather?”

You tightened around him as punishment, making him swear and bury his face in your neck. “Fucking hell, you succubus.”

You smiled politely and wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer. “Don’t people usually say that if she can talk at all, you’re doing it wrong?”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “I was just taking it easy on you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, this was for your benefit,” he continued. “Didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“How gracious of you.”

He clenched his jaw as he started fucking you faster, muttering sarcastically, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was boring you.”

Ironically, you couldn’t respond right away, too caught up in the feeling of how deep he was inside of you to get any words out.

“I forgive you,” you choked out finally.

Your hands fell to his biceps, desperate for something to hold on to. You dug your nails into his skin, making him hiss through his teeth.

“Harder,” he urged. You squeezed harder and he gasped. “Fuck yes, keep doing that.”

“Like this?”

“Just like that, baby. That’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!

#instead of you stray kids #instead of you skz #iou stray kids #iou skz #stray kids smut #skz smut #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #lee know smut #lee know x reader #lee know x female reader #lee know x bi!reader #lee know series #stray kids series #stray kids x female reader

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topdogslandscape · 6 months

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Property Clean Up Washington NC

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bildgram · 8 months

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ighnari · 1 month

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d3 . to foresee

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# kaveh x reader / the first part of an idea i had. this was linked to a title my friend gave me. canon compliant, although the timeline it happens is vague. 1.1k words.

# work needs refinement / i will try to revisit this idea. i quite like this style, although i feel i can definitely improve. my friend beta-ed read this for me and liked it, so i hold this draft quite close to my heart. if i re-visit this work, i might revamp it entirely bc the idea is not working out.

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Although the nightlife in Sumeru cannot be compared with Mondstadt where taverns diligently operate the whole night, there is definitely a crowd. The outdoor seats are occupied by drunkards, and the inside bursts with chatter that the thick wooden walls of Lambad’s Tavern fail to conceal.

When Kaveh arrived, there were 8 groups waiting in front of him. He glances at the rising moon, and sighs. A quick get away with his mistress—alcohol—morphs into minutes-long waiting, that is until Lambad spots him.

The owner of Lambad’s Tavern says he can enter immediately on one condition: he has to sit with a stranger.

If Kaveh was in a party mood, he would have brought company like those around him. Tonight, he just wants to indulge in a routine, so he agrees.

“Upstairs, first table to your left,” Lambad instructs.

Kaveh gives his thanks then slips into the tavern, twirling around hard-working waiters who weave through tables on their way to their destined location. He spots his “reserved” seat the moment he steps on the second floor despite empty seats scattering around. Every table hosts a lively conversation, but you sit in silence, an untouched drink and welcoming space before you.

He makes his entrance with small talk—what’s your name? Occupation? How’s things? You play his game by giving some questions of your own, yet the conversation leads to nowhere. You’re deep in thought, drink still untouched, and more distant than when he kept his mouth shut…

Perhaps you’re shy, and that’s okay. You are alone too, and maybe you really mean it. So, he lets you be. He waits patiently, basking in the noisy atmosphere of the tavern. This is what he missed after months of abstinence, but now that he has a steady income from being a part-time professor in Kshahrewar for Architecture, this flourishing blissful ambience can return as a monthly occurrence.

Lambad makes his appearance. “The usual,” he chirps.

Your eyes trail Kaveh’s cup of alcohol, from tray to table. You’re transfixed. It’s the most expressive you’ve been.

He swirls the cup in his hands, excited that he can feel the burn against his throat once again. A small mouthful first—followed by a satisfied ahh—then a large gulp, and when he puts the glass down, he’s almost halfway through it.

He should drink the whole thing to quench his excitement, but your heavy glower feels like a clamp around his throat.

You turn away the moment you’re caught staring, flustered, and Kaveh is slightly offended at your judgement of his character. Did you find him a drunkard like the rest in the Tavern? He is not! He’s a connoisseur of aged grapes, and he knows better than to drink till he blacks out.

Plus, what are you doing here, walking into a predator’s den so casually?

He pushes the glass towards you, watchful of the way you resist but eventually fall prey to his offer, eyes returning to the liquid with putrid yet strong interest.

“Have you tried this brand of alcohol before?” Kaveh attempts small talk again.

“No,” you reply, quick to tear your gaze from the alcohol to stare right at him. You’re finally present, hooked. “I don’t drink.”

Kaveh looks at your drink. It’s fruit juice—the cheapest kind too. The ice melted to form a thin transparent canopy. Its saturated colours have faded from dilution.

“Well, then you best be going,” he crosses his arms and leans against the backrest of his chair. “This place isn’t right for you, and I’m sure the people who are here to experience a time of their lives don’t appreciate being rained on their parade with that accusatory look of yours.”

You hug your glass closer to you. It leaves a trail of water, but you’re engrossed in stimulating thoughts—eyebrows scrunched—to care about how you’re placing your hands on a small puddle.

“That’s what I don’t get…” you mumble, your grip on your drink tightening. “What’s so nice about going wild, about not being able to control yourself and getting into sticky situations that cost everything?” You lift your head and look straight into his soul. It is like his sins are laid upon the table—all the times he did black out after a drink too many to drown the sorrows.

“None of you ever listen, do you? Is the feeling of being high worth more than the worries of your loved ones?” You slam the table and stand, the chair screeching before it topples over. The whole tavern softens as people’s attention is drawn to you. Your eyes never leave Kaveh, but you’re not quite looking at him either.

You’re tearing up.

“I don’t get it, even if I want to. Even if I need to.”

In defeat, shoulders slumped and lips quivering, you turn to leave.

“I didn’t expect that,” the night host says. He rushed up at the commotion, witnessing the whole ordeal. He whips out a cloth from his pocket and cleans the table, apologising that they allowed such an esteemed patron to deal with unlikely company. “That customer normally buys a drink and leaves quietly when we close.”

Kaveh watches your shrinking figure as you rush down.

“…For how long?”

The night host shrugs. “Beats me. There’s no gossip—I mean—there’s not much to pay attention to, so I don’t.”

Kaveh picks up his drink, but before he puts it to his lips, he stares at his reflection in the liquid. Your words are foggy yet linger in his mind.

Was he more sensitive to alcohol after not consuming it for months? He could be slightly tipsy hence why he did the illogical thing and pushed your buttons, forgetting that people have their reasons for what they do.

He certainly has his—and he was not pleased to be reminded of his roommate’s incessant nagging on how he shouldn’t be back in the bar so quickly. He also mentioned the accident of a befuddled guy who ended up in a fight which did not end well. A tragic death mourned by the nation, hence why Taverns do not open all night.

Perhaps he does owe you an apology. He would like an explanation for your burst of emotions too. It doesn’t sit right with him to just let you be after that scene.

He takes a swig. The burn across his throat is no longer satisfying, and a sigh escapes his lips. The glass is empty.

Life is full of contradictions. Life… likes to play to its benefit, but despite the tosses and throws to Kaveh without warning or mercy, there is one thing he knows he must do.

Breathe.

“Seconds?” The night host asks. Kaveh did not notice his presence, so he jumped in his seat.

“I suppose… no.”

“Just a reminder we stop selling alcoholic drinks in…” the night host checks the hanging clock, “…an hour’s time. If you ever change your mind, let me know.”

Oh right, they implemented that law too.

#t: draft #kaveh x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x y/n #x reader #reader insert #genshin impact reader insert #kaveh x you #kaveh x y/n

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cozyhomedecor · 10 months

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naamahdarling · 2 years

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I need to walk for health because I'm not loving how I feel, but I over-exercised as part of my ED so exercise triggers my ED thoughts (including suicidal ideation) and the risk of relapsing is Real. Searching for a solution that won't push me into relapsing OR turbo-charge my dysphoria OR enrage me has been upsetting in a way I don't know if anyone who has not had an ED can understand. If you know, you know.

So I finally thought about the zoo, and it was such a great idea. It's perfect. So I went and got a zoo membership two days ago so I can just go whenever and I probably should not have spent the money but boyfriend made really good tips this week and offered to cover it, and it occurred to me this one thing does ALL of the following for one (1) entire year:

I can access a very walkable space.

Place to go when I am restless but can't afford to go back home for a while.

Not a gym.

My hearing-impaired ass will be safe from car traffic.

No dogs.

No people on bikes that I can't hear.

Not jostling for space with joggers/bikers/etc. on those overly narrow public park trails and sidewalks, which makes me hate my body even more.

It's very very safe. No harassment, no crime.

Very few other people visibly exercising.

Less people Looking At Me (they are mostly busy Looking At animals).

Lots of bugs.

Many plants.

Things to touch.

People-watching.

Place to draw many things! <- Main appeal.

Non-zookeeper staff there is mostly queer! And when they learn you are queer they tell you which animals are gay.

It's the penguins. They have gay penguins.

Sneps.

Stared at by tigers -- all the intensity of being about to die with none of the fear!

Smells smells smells! Stinky smells, good smells, food smells, flower smells, lots of animal smells.

Lots of personal space. Hand sanitizer everywhere.

No music outdoors.

Train?! Train!

Petting zoo.

Will acclimate me to weather and sun over time.

Free! Ish.

I can go and just take short trips if I want.

Picnic area.

Access to attached huge nature park and educational/rec center.

Can bring a friend.

Cheap admission to many other zoos and aquariums.

I have raging ADHD and don't have the dopamine to spare on exercise for exercise's sake. Some of you will know what I mean, will understand that this is. Just. A terrible hurdle.

Downsides:

Sunscreen. Blech! (Lotion is heavy and hurts to apply and remove but spray works.)

Long drive, I live across town. (Can't change that but I can get up earlier.)

Lots of glass and I hate reflective surfaces. (A Challenge, but I can hopefully cope.)

It is hot outside a lot (but that's true of anywhere not indoors, and there's tons of shade and benches and indoor areas).

That's it. Those are the downsides.

Our zoo is good. It used to be really bad when I was little but over the last 20 years it has been revamping everything, the new enclosures are gorgeous and enriching. It isn't depressing to be there. It's nice.

We went today and had a great time. It felt way better not trying to see everything in one go, and I'm not tired or sore. I just feel good.

I just...wanted to talk about this. How hopeful I am today, to have not just solved a problem but maybe snatched a little happiness for myself for a while. To potentially make any further headway on an ED at this point, 15 years or so out, is pretty remarkable. There's pitfalls to watch for but this is so much better than anything else I've considered.

Maybe I will get bored of the zoo. I don't know! But I think that will take a while.

Look at this bad picture of three snep siblings lolling like housecats:

Not gonna get bored of those mighty beans.

#tw: ed #cw: ed

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seanosims · 1 month

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The Seven Strangers Challenge

Congratulations! You have been chosen as the Casting Director, Scenic Artist, AND Executive Producer for the Sims’ hottest reality show… “Seven Strangers.” Based on the groundbaking and original MTV series, “The Real World,” you will be sucked back into the 1990’s as you bring seven radically different Sims together to live together and find out what’s real - or what’s really simulated.

Initial Responsibilities:

Create or cast (7) young adult Sims who have very different personality traits and ambitions. NOT A SINGLE TRAIT or AMBITION should be the same between any of these Sims. You are allowed to adopt Townies into your household as long as you don’t change their EA-assigned traits or ambitions.

Develop a beautiful home comfortable enough for (7) Sims to reside in. The home can be as eclectic and unique as you’d like. Feel free to use a shell, a home off of the Gallery, or a home you built from scratch! Each home must be equipped with (1) living area, (1) dining and/or kitchen area, and outdoor space (i.e., patio, backyard, balcony/deck, etc.), as well as (7) beds and enough bathroom accommodations for your seven Sims. Recommend using “freerealestate on” during the construction or renovation of your new showtime dwelling.

Once your seven Sims have been casted/created/selected, be sure to move them into the home at the same exact time with their needs reset or as close to reset as possible. These seven strangers are nothing but eager to meet each other and create a lifetime impression!

Each Sim must pursue a different career choice. Branches may be the same (i.e., an actor striving in the entertainment career versus a musician or a comedian). The goal is to make sure all seven of the participating Sims max our their career goals as best they can while staying in the Seven Strangers House.

Ratings Responsibilities:

These are points that should be accumulated for your own career growth as a master developer of groundbreaking television.

Create Conflict:

(1) point to be attributed to any argument/disagreement

(5) points to be attributed to any physical violence - not that I condone this, but it is notorious for high ratings

After any physical altercation, it is up to your discretion whether or not (1) or both houseguests should be “dismissed” from the household

(3) ratings points applied to any Sim who is removed from the house under this penalty

Create Romance:

(1) point to be attributed to any roommate developing a “crush” on another roommate”

(5) points to be attributed to any (2) roommates who develop an intimate romantic relationship (i.e., boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/fiance).

Create Paranoia:

(3) points to be rewarded to any potential love triangles or complicated romantic ties

(5) points to be rewarded to any replacement roommate who must be invoked upon any expulsion or exit of an existing roommate

Bonus Ratings:

Have all (7) of your Sims travel on the all-expenses paid vacation of a lifetime (6 points)

Have your (7) Sims compete in some sort of competition against one another - the Sim who scores the most is able to take a separate vacation on their own along with (2) other roommates of their choosing (6 points)

Have a Sim reconsider their life choices and shift career paths, midway through their career growth (6 points)

Give a Sim a complete style makeover! New hairdo', wardrobe revamp, etc. (3 points for each occurrence)

Success in their subsequent career journey will amass an additional (7) ratings points

If a Sim either becomes pregnant or engaged to another Sim outside of the household, have this Sim voluntarily move out yet continue to engage with and regularly connect with the main household (10 points)

Once you are ready to end the series, leave off with a dramatic ending that establishes each roommate with their own unique conclusion (25 points)

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You may decide to choose this at your own discretion; however, it is recommended that each remaining roommate reaches their max career status

Please feel free to follow me on Twitch @seanosims if you’d like to see how my inaugural series plays out. As you’ll quickly notice, I’ve adapted a familiar face from Eco Living in this series as the one and only Townie. Everyone else is unique!

I hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment/respond with any questions, as well as recommendations for additional ratings points.

#the sims #the sims 4 #the sims community #sims challenge #reality show #mtv #the real world #sims gameplay #ts4 challenge #seven strangers challenge

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keryth-fr · 11 months

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Lore Overhaul - Humanoid Forms

One of the very first issues I encountered when starting to write my clan lore around 6 years ago, the drastic difference between breed sizes was one of my first big blocks. At the time, I thought I had found a rather elegant solution - just give everyone smaller humanoid forms they can magically transform into.

While the idea has shown its flaws over time, I'm still somewhat attached to the idea (and the humanoid designs I've commissioned). Since this impacts every area of my lore, I figured it'd be a good place to start as I revamp my setup! The write up became a little long (close to 1,000 words), so it's been placed under the cut.

Though none truly know from where the practice originated, it is considered a common courtesy for dragons to change their size and shape when in public areas. This is especially true for those who are larger, such as Imperials. It is thought that this came around, at least in part, due to unfortunate injuries caused by the larger breeds interacting with those who are much larger - this includes both other dragons, beastclans, and other animals.

While is it technically acceptable to simply change one’s size to match what has more or less become what areas are built to accommodate, many choose to take on a humanoid form, as smaller, more nimble fingers can be of use in many ways. These forms are similar in appearance to those of the beastclans, but tend to have elements that read, as a whole, still draconic in nature to observers.

It is largely up to personal preference on if one chooses to keep most of the features of their natural forms. In these cases, the dragon’s smaller form will be nearly identical to that of their natural one, with the largest exception of more dextrous fingers in places of claws, and a bipedal stance. This is most commonly accepted among hatchlings and young adults, as not all will have the skill in magic yet to be able to finely tune their appearance to remove many of the features that tend to stick between forms.

In most polite societies that involve dragons, it’s excepted that one removes as many scales, horns, wings, tails, fur, and other such features when they are capable of it. This is seen as both evidence of immense care towards one’s appearance, but also a way to signify that an individual has put the time and energy into refining their magical skills and honing their control.

While they rarely face outright discrimination, it's not uncommon to see individuals that choose to keep more of their draconic traits as lazy or in some ways uncultured. However, at the same time, there are many that prefer to keep their tough scales or their horns and wings at all times.

In addition, when one spends a large amount of time around members of the beastclans, it is not unheard of for them to begin incorporating that clan's traits into the humanoid form. This may result in a practiced dragon being able to take on a form near indistinguishable from a Maren, Serthis, or any of the other clans. There may still be some remnants of the dragon's natural form that give them away, but for those that grew up in beastclan communities, those may be hidden completely.

While it's generally expected to remain within one's humanoid form in public spaces, there is leeway given when one is outside, as there is generally much larger amounts of space for a fully grown dragon outdoors. One's home, whether this be a house, den, or any other structure, may be built big enough to accommodate both the dragon's natural form and humanoid form, though one typically needs to choose or or the other due to the fact that there is typically a rather large size difference between them. This may not apply to some breeds, such as the recently rediscovered Veilspun, as they are already similar in size to what is generally considered socially acceptable.

In addition, one may use their larger, natural form for some forms of work or travel. Should one be crossing the continent of Sornieth, it's much easier to do so with a large pair of wings or a longer stride than when one is significantly smaller. Similarly, if someone is needing to move vast amounts of material, especially across a distance, there are dragon-size carts, bags, and other methods of carrying things that are made available for those who choose to use them.

Similarly, many dragons choose to remain in their natural forms should they ever need to engage in combat. As most who craft their humanoid forms for use in polite society trade their tough scales, sharp fangs, and curved claws for soft skin and delicate fingers, it is simply more effective to do so.

In time of conflict, the transformation into a smaller, weaker form can be used as a sign of trust and faith to those one is attempting to ally themself with.

Items such as clothing can be enchanted to change size with the wearer to some extent, but it frequently is not strong enough to allow for major shifts in size and shape. While it's not considered polite to go in the nude while in a humanoid form, bare scales are hardly scandalous.

There is some debate among scholars as to the exact origins of the specific traits commonly used within humanoid forms stem from. They make an appearance within many of the beastclans, but never do they occur all at once in any currently known life form other than dragons utilizing shape changing magic. And then, they only appear due to social expectations and convention. However, due to a lack of evidence, this is once debate that is likely to never be settled unless something absolutely earth shattering is excavated or otherwise uncovered. Of course, there are those who dedicate their lives in the pursuit of definitive answers to this question, just as there is for every other mystery out there.

#warrens archives #<- new lore tag #flight rising

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