#small warehouse for sale

[smallbeerpress]

2023 Warehouse Sale!

[britneyshakespeare]

you know i don't use amazon but something i often think about. several years ago my mom ordered me some books for my birthday on amazon and one of them i asked for was the oxford world's classics edition of the rover and other plays by aphra behn edited and with an introduction by jane spencer. it was supposedly new but when it got to me, the cover (paperback) was folded at an angle and the edges of the pages were dirty like they were left somewhere contaminated. and you see i don't mind like a not-pristine book at all; most of my books are used. but what the fuck was that.

[johnypage95]

[sreofficespace]

[disoriented-in-wonderland]

Bodyguard Yandere x Celebrity Reader Concept

Celeb/star/superstar (YOU)

You're a rising star who needs protection after a particularly nasty incident where your obsessive ex got past security and snuck backstage into your dressing room where he showed up with a bouquet of flowers begging for you to take him back.

When he made a grab for you, you wound up getting into a scuffle that landed you with your head cracking against the corner of your dressing room table leaving you with a scar near your temple.

Your body guard operates similar to any other, always ensuring that you're safety is top priority, sometimes even going out of his way to shove aside and threaten people who get too close. But that's all apart of his job.

Right?

No one seems to notice that these same people who bother you are going missing or that others are locking themselves in their homes. You certainly aren't made aware of it.

You don't notice the small one off things going missing from your dressing room, things used and applied to your face taken from your makeup artists that perplex them but aren't too concerning.

Bodyguard

Bodyguard! Yan Holds a quiet intensity around YOU and seemingly professional about his job as your protector.

Bodyguard! Yan Quite literally would take a bullet for you and has unbeknownst to you.

Bodyguard! Yan Switched up from trying to protect you behind the scenes, to protecting you officially which wasn't much of a change for him outside of the fact you know about it now.

Bodyguard! Yan Has watched you from your earliest commercial. He went out and contributed to a LOT of sales. He has an entire warehouse full of the shampoo and conditioner you advertised in that commercial.

Bodyguard! Yan Actually helped you jumpstart your career and working behind the scenes. Don't ask how. YOU don't want to know.

Bodyguard! Yan Lied about something on his credentials when getting hired on for the job.

Bodyguard! Yan Will use any opportunity to touch you such as guiding you through a crowd by touching the small of you back to full on picking you up and cradling you to his chest when there's an active threat around in order to get you to safety.

Bodyguard! Yan Prefers blunt weapons, but uses a gun when he's on the clock. The weapons he uses varies since each have their own uses. He's very fond of his trust (and rusty) tire iron for...reasons.

[mayakern]

the pink in the sky whales skirt matches no other pink I can find and it's making me absolutely insane 😭

honestly you don’t need to match it perfectly, anything in the realm of like a pastel bubblegum should work. melquea’s cardigan wasn’t a 100% perfect match for the skirt’s pink, but it still looks really cute with it.

now assuming you’re looking for tops, i have some suggestions!

first off, if you really can’t stand not having the perfect pink, this skirt goes really well with white. tho our white crop tops are currently unlisted as we’re preparing to send them to our new warehouse, they’ll be back eventually. and if you like more of a statement piece, there’s a bunch of really lovely tops on sale from loud bodies right now.

we also have our picnic crop tops, which will be hitting the store some time in august or september.

now, if you’re absolutely set on getting those pinks/purples, here are my top recommendations:

i think any of these three tops from my violet would be really cute paired with the dawn whales

unique vintage also has some cute options for matching the pink/purple, tho make sure you check their size charts because they tend to run small

if those are out of budget, hot topic also seems to have some options, tho since i’ve never purchased their clothing i can’t personally attest to quality

[allthingsfern]

About my new camera

Yes, I bought a new camera, but it was not a last minute decision. Well, the camera purchase was pretty much last minute after I saw a video about the camera I chose and did some research on the Web & Youtube.

For about a year I've been wondering if I should sell my Sony a7r3 body and Sony/Zeiss Sonnar T* 55mm f/1.8 lens, which came highly recommended, including by Ken Rockwell, who I also turned to for advice about my new camera. The 55mm f/1.8 lens was highly recommended; it was one of the original set of lenses for the Sony a7 line of mirrorless cameras.

I wondered about getting rid of it because, while I enjoyed using it and got some great photos with it, my 24-105mm f/4 Sony G lens also took great photos, and it covered the 55 mm range. Granted, the 55mm produced super creamy bokeh, but the 24-105 f/4 did too, though maybe not as creamy. Maybe for me, as a vegan, the 24-105mm f/4 bokeh was (is) creamy enough?

Anyway, here is one of my favorites, taken with the 24-105mm f/4 about 6 months after I bought the a7r3. (I've owned an a7r3 for over 6 years now...)

Like butter?

Back to the new camera story. About a year ago, I saw this video about "one camera/one lens."

I also watched a video where he discussed keeping camera gear down to a useful minimum "5 Reasons to Keep Your Equipment Simple feat. Documentary Photography Daniel Milnor." His insights resonated with me because I am not a gear head. I like having one lens on each camera body and not having to fidget. I like to keep it simple.

Then, about 3 weeks ago, I watched this video.

Now, I go make photos in SF often. Every once in a while I also go to Oakland, which has, at least in the 30 years I've been in living in California, a super bad reputation. I've never felt unsafe in either city walking around with my a7r3 with the medium sized 24-105mm f/4 lens on it. Granted, I carry it in the original, small, Peak Design sling bag, which I immediately christened my Audrey Hepburn camera bag because it is so elegant, especially with the little brown leather handle on top.

BTW, I also own the Peak Design messenger bag, but I almost always use this one for my camera and use the messenger bag for when I need to carry my laptop. The 5L sling bag had a bonus: Both my a7r3s with their respective lenses attached fit in this one little bag. Tight, but they fit.

Anyway, that video about feeling safe did set me to thinking, since I am getting older and walk around alone, but it also made go back to wondering if I should carry both cameras, which I rarely do anymore.

Then Adrian Vila posted this video.

And then I found his original video, about 4 years old, about the RX100 vii.

the idea of carrying a smaller camera with a 24-200 zoom intrigued me, I did some research, including visiting Ken Rockwell's site, where he highly recommended this camera (see the review here).

I was convinced, but I knew that the camera is 5 years old (and Sony has no plans of releasing a newer model), so I looked up prices for used, and if I could find them, new cameras. I eventually just opted to get a new one and am going to sell my a7r3 with the 55mm f/1.8 lens. Interesting fact: The Sony RX100 line (7 models) all have a Zeiss Sonnar T* zoom lens. Mine has a 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 variable lens, so I am still going to have a Zeiss lens, even after I sell my 55mm Zeiss.

Then there was the coincidence that they actually had an RX100 vii in stock at the Sacramento store. I visited the Mike's Camera Website, choosing specifically the Sacramento location (they have several locations in California and Colorado) and saw they had one for sale, so I drove last there Wednesday to buy the camera.

Funny thing is, I learned they don't usually carry the RX100 vii anymore (it is, after all, discontinued) but they happened to get a delivery of one just that day from their warehouse. (I could have ordered it and it would be delivered to the store or to my apartment.) The sales person (Colton) went to check if it was ordered by someone, but no, so the camera was mine.

I explained to Colton how when I went in to buy my first a7r3 on 12-26-17, they did have it, but I wanted the 24-105mm lens, which was just released (and in popular demand) and was told they only had one, which someone pre-ordered. However, the salesperson (Taek) checked and it turned out that person had not gone in to pick up the lens or contacted them about it, and it was sitting in the store for 6 weeks, so Taek opted to let me have it. As Colton said, I have good camera Karma.

So, yes, I am going to be using a smaller camera with a smaller sensor (1 inch) that has only 20 MP as opposed to my a7r3's 42 MP in a larger full frame sensor. However, while thinking the new camera purchase over, I thought about the awesome photos I got from my Nikon D50 with its dinky 28-80mm f/2.5-5.6 lens, and the RX100 is a huge step up.

Finally, here are 2 photos of my new camera.

OMG, my a7r3 is dusty...

Ok. That's all for now.

The adventure continues...

[crushedsweets]

WWHAT WUD THE CREEPS DO 4 HALLOWEEN I MUST KNOW

anon... yes i like this. general disclaimer this is tailored to my au !! stuff under cut

toby likes it, thinks its fun and stuff. he's not the type to dress up beyond like, maybe a jacket and a mask or whatever, but he'll go and buy(steal) stupid ass halloween decorations from spirit or the dollar store. there r several mini skeletons sitting around his cabin. he treats it like elf on the shelf, but. . . skeletons... def will sit around and watch scary movies with a bag of halloween candy . totally carves pumpkins with whoever will do it with him

tim wouldnt really want to do much cuz he's just tired, but he probably would put out a small little pumpkin and bowl of candy outside his door. he's in an apartment so he doesnt really get trick or treaters. will prob buy some candy after halloween so its on sale

brians so annoying omfg(lovingly) he'd buy a fake arm, blood, and wig and stick it in his trunk so it looks like an arm is sticking out. yall know what im talking about. him and tim share an apartment so he'd prob try to actually put something simple around it, like some plastic pumpkins, but nothing really big. he is also a grown man with no kids, so he doesnt find himself going all out for these things

natalie. ok i recently made it where she's either already a tattoo artist, or learning to be a tattoo artist or whatever, but i could see her and some coworkers setting up the shop all halloweeny. she's so fucking tall that they'd just call her over for all the spider web stuff. she thinks its fun and she likes halloween a lot so it's cool. she'd get a huge kick out of doing halloween tattoos during october too. goes and hangs out with toby/nina for it

nina goes to parties . she HAS to get a whole new costume for every party. its super wasteful but she doesnt care all that matters is shes sexy. every year without fail she is a sexy gothic vampire for one of the parties. she works at hot topic, BUT she'd absofuckinglutely get a second job at spirit halloween for october. she's a creepy galll... def sets her apartment up super cutely, brings toby and nat over so they can carve pumpkins with her, tries to dress them up, etc. tons of halloween posts on her social medias too LOL shes so cute

jeff would prob also go to more like... weirder ( ?) parties with creeps and scary people roaming around just doing crazy shit. warehouse shit. prob finds someone to bring home and kill. he thinks its fun, its easier to just go about his days looking the way he does, he loves scaring the fucking shit out of people. doesnt decorate or wear costumes though, says its cringe LMFAO. hates how hyped nina is about it

jane and mary would totally decorate, but in a much more.. ? elegant ? way. like those tall skinny candles, swap out their doormat for something halloween themed, really nicely done pumpkins for some reason. jane would want to host a cute little halloween dinner for uni friends. probably just gets simple costumes, like she'd put on a witch hat and black dress and thats all, but its cute. takes sally (and ben, if sally asks him to come) trick or treating.

sally draws tons of drawings, loves disney halloween marathons, paints on pumpkins(doesnt like the smell of gutting them), etc. she'd decorate with jane cuz she lives w her. she loves it so much but she still gets scared of the animatronic things at stores and stuff LOL. begs ben to trick or treat w her. really embarrassing for ben

ben wouldnt do much besides like. he'd get worse w his internet trolling (scaring the fucking shit out of teens on the internet), start doing more actual hauntings bc nobody will believe his victims during october which means slender wont find out he's doing it. he would not want to go trick or treating..but he'd go with sally with a pillow case and he'd try to awkwardly stand further back but the ppl at the door would always b like 'aw dont be shy come here!' LOL

jack doesnt celebrate it, his family didnt really celebrate it much when he was human so he doesnt do it now. he does get kinda sad during holiday season though, cuz of obvious reasons, but halloween isnt the strongest Pain for him

liu is so fucking miserable theres no way. jk he'd set out like, some pumpkins and maybe get one of those lights that project ghosts onto his garage, but he wouldnt want to go all out or do anything to the inside of his house. jeff really liked halloween when he was younger so its kinda like ouch but he's getting overit. i guess. . .

kate doesnt..celebrate anything........ but when she does occasionally visit the cabin, maybe for food or a shower, and she sees toby decorated, she'd be happy to see it. she's kinda unsettling to be around, but she'd sit down and watch a movie with him in silence. then bring a massive bag of candy to the mine w her w/o telling toby. he just had to cope

ann and lulu dont do anything in the hospital. they dont really have any concept of time........... or the resources to decorate... and they dont get any trick or treaters... cuz theyre...stuck in an abandoned hospital in the woods . . . yeah..

ty for ask anoni like this one. very simple but very sweet

[dduane]

Damn it all, I lost someone's ask

I saved it to draft (so I could deal with it at more length) and it vanished.

The person was saying they wanted to tank up on Young Wizards printed books but were having trouble, due to unavailability of all but "the first one", and prices for both hardcovers and trade paperbacks being all over the place at independent suppliers.

Briefly: this has been a problem for nearly the last decade, and more so since the books' US publisher (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) was ingested by another larger publisher.

Distribution on these books has always been dodgy, and frankly it's become more so over time, as their publisher keeps changing hands, staff leave or are fired, and sales staffs turn over. Additionally, all the books have appeared in multiple formats over the years, and not all of the books necessarily in all of those.

Confused yet? I know I am, and they're my damn books!

Dealing strictly with the Harcourt editions here: the first three appear only in mass-market paperbacks, with covers by two different artists. The fourth one then appears in mass market and an unusual small-format hardcover. Then (when the series took off with that publisher) all the MMPBs were repackaged, and (starting with the fifth one) were preceded by Harcourt hardcovers. Additionally, as the books were doing quite well in the early 2000s, the sales staff thought it would be a good idea if there were "digest format" editions aimed at younger readers. (These books were only physically larger than MMPBs, with bigger print: no text was ever Reader's-Digest-style abridged/condensed.) And there were only six of these, as the later books were thought to be "more adult" and hence not a good fit for this format.

After that, the remaining three books all went to hardcover-and-paperback, usually a year apart. The digest editions were allowed to gradually go out of print; so were the hardcovers, as demand for them fell off. And that's where we are at the moment, with (as far as I can tell) the MMPBs only being reprinted in small amounts when stocks fall low enough to warrant it.

This situation doesn't really support the books being easy to find. Additionally, older editions of the hardcovers from previous publishers (and older trade paperbacks, ditto) are still out there, and can be had... but at what will look like weirdly high prices. The early Dell hardcovers of So You Want To Be A Wizard, Deep Wizardry and High Wizardry, due to their small print runs, are rare, hard to find, and usually go for hundreds of dollars. (This link at Abebooks will show you what the situation's currently like for the Delacorte hardcover first edition of So You Want To Be A Wizard.) For a long time there was no US hardcover of A Wizard Abroad until SF Book Club published one set from the text of the UK Transworld/Corgi edition. (sigh) And so on. (There's a page over at the Young Wizards site dealing with this wild assortment of covers and formats.)

Now, all that said: Over at Signed Books Direct is our storefront for copies of both the newer and older books. Except for the rarest ones, we sell them at cover price (and are happy to do so, because FFS nobody needs this many of their own books). :) I acquired a lot of these from Harcourt when word came down that warehouse space was tight, stock was being winnowed, and I could have these on the cheap—or, it was heavily implied, they would be pulped. And as someone who due to a weird confluence of circumstances had half the print run of her (strongly-selling!) first novel pulped in the warehouse, the mere word, even after forty years, makes my blood run a bit cold. So I laid out the necessary cash and gave those books a home. And when people find ones they want, I sell them on to new homes with great pleasure.

So the thing for you to do (O person whose ask was in an evil hour eaten by Tumblr) is use the SBD contact email on this page to query me about what you're looking for. I'm presently in the middle of reorganizing the store's inventory so it reflects what we've actually got. The website's about to be reorganized to reflect what's on the shelves in the boot room, but that's not gonna happen this week.. so don't take what you see on the site seriously. Query me about what you're after, and as soon as I've had a rummage in the shelves, I'll get back to you.

HTH!

(And for those of you wondering, "But what are you doing about the distribution problem?" ...right now the answer is: "What my agent and I can." More news as it becomes available.)

[petitelepus]

Hello! I saw that requests were open and decided not to miss my chance. Can you please make a story about Slave!Gyomei x reader. Perhaps the reader suffers from loneliness and because of this decides to find a reasonable interlocutor.

Summary: You're lonely and somehow find yourself in a Slave Market, looking for something you're missing.

Warnings: Slavery, Slight Torture, Cigarette Burns

A/N: Slave!AU, Demon Slaves, Gyomei Himejima, Gender Neutral!Reader

Part 1 - Part 2

Living alone had its ups and downs, you kinda knew it before you moved out on your own. You were independent and could leave a bar of chocolate on the table without fear of someone like a dog or another human eating it… But it also meant that you had no one to share that chocolate, your comfort treat, with.

Speaking of chocolate, you were running low. You got your bag and headed out and get some more.

After an hour and one grocery stop later, you were on your way back home when you noticed a flyer stapled into a utility pole. Normally you wouldn't pay them much mind, but this time the bold letters caught your attention.

'SLAVES ON SALE'

You blinked as you read the headline again and again and something small lit inside you. Hope? Maybe a slave would be your answer? Someone who would need to depend on you, someone who wouldn't leave you, and who would keep you company when you would feel down?

You couldn't believe yourself or your legs worked on their own and… Against all odds, you went to the address that read on the flyer. You were actually in this huge warehouse, a Slave market, looking at the different kinds of slaves they had there…

But as you were looking at them, you took a look at their prices and came to the conclusion that you wouldn't have enough money to buy one, even if some were in the sale.

Well, looking never hurt, right?

"Looking for a slave?"

You took your words back, simply looking got you in trouble. You turned to look and saw a man grinning at you. You wondered briefly who he was, but then you realized that he must have been the salesman. You smiled nervously as you nodded, "Y- yeah, but I'm just looking…"

"Just looking?" The man raised an eyebrow at you, "Not buying?"

"They are actually… A little too pricey for me… Sorry…?" You felt a little ashamed to admit it, but sometimes it was the best way to escape from an unwanted conversation.

"I see," The salesman nodded, before pointing at the backdoor behind him with his thumb, "I got something back there that might interest you!"

"Oh, I couldn't-!"

"I insist!" The man laughed, "We don't want our customers leaving empty-handed and unsatisfied!"

You really weren't sure if you should follow him, but how did it hurt to take a look? So you nodded meekly and the man smiled brightly as he took you to the backroom… And you nearly gagged when you smelled the air in there. Heavy with iron, you recognized it as a scent of blood.

"Pardon the smell but we keep the… Let's call them cheap slaves in here." The man said and you frowned as you looked around, seeing all the different Demons in cages… And they all looked absolutely awful. Starved, fearful, aggressive…

You were curious, you had to ask, "Why are these Demons cheap?"

You could have asked why they looked so awful, but you didn't dare.

"There are hundreds of different reasons." The salesman said, "The main reason is that they aren't perfect. Fuck, I'm going to be honest, some are plain awful and just waiting to be put down but according to laws, we can't just throw them out and let the sun take care of them. They say it's inhumane."

The man dug around his pockets, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. You frowned as you watched him inhale the cancer smoke and then spit on the ground, "I call bullshit. These things are alive only to serve us."

Okay, you did not like this man, like, at all. All of sudden, the earlier charming salesman was gone, and in his place was this greedy money-loving bastard. He was awful and you wanted to get away from him as soon as you just possibly could but-!

"Namu-Amidabutsu…" You heard a deep voice chant quietly and you turned to look and saw a Demon chained to the wall. Unlike him, other Demons were strictly in cages, but you soon realized why he was chained. This Demon was HUGE.

"Ah, looking at the big guy here, huh?" The salesman walked next to you and you swallowed nervously, "Ah, a little?"

"Honestly, this thing is a huge piece of shit," The man grunted as he took a drag of his cigarette, "Fucker is blind as a bat!"

"Blind?" You repeated, confused. Didn't Demons heal, no matter what happened to them?

"Shouldn't he heal or something?" You asked and the salesman groaned, "For some reason, it doesn't heal like other Demons."

You couldn't help yourself, your curiosity was caught, "Why?"

"Beats me." The man shrugged, "Could be that it was born that way. Either way, it's damaged goods and no one wants it."

"Oh…" You didn't know what to say. The man frowned, "Look, people want Demons because they heal. People can fuck them up and no matter what they do, Demons heal."

You nodded, and the man stepped forward towards the chained Demon. You blinked, confused but then he grabbed his cigarette and held it up so you could see it.

"Observe," He nodded, and then he pressed the cigarette's burning tip against the chained slave's arm. You covered your mouth so you wouldn't scream out loud in shock. The hideous hiss as the tip burned the slave's arm and the smell made you absolutely horrified and nauseous.

The slave didn't seem to react to pain at all, but your body moved before you could even realize it.

"Stop that!" You cried out as you jumped forward and smacked the salesman's hand, sending the fucking cigarette flying. The man looked at you and fucking laughed, "Easy! I'm just showing you! Look!"

You grounded your teeth together as you looked and sure enough, there was an angry-looking red spot on the slave's arm. You felt so sick and angry. This man was a monster, and you knew you couldn't leave this poor blind slave to his mercy!

"Okay!" You cried out and the salesman looked at you, "Okay?"

"How much?" You asked, much to the man's confusion, "Huh?"

"How much is he?" You repeated the question with more details. The salesman looked at you, no doubt surprised and then he grinned, "You want a blind slave that can't even heal?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No. I don't care what you want to do with a defective slave like this. Whip it, burn it, or fuck it, choice is yours."

You let out a sigh you hadn't realized you were holding in. You felt relieved, but it was short-lived.

"Though, now that I think of it…" The salesman rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I guess someone could like a Demon that they can mark as much as they want…?"

Oh no, you didn't like that idea, not at all.

"I already told you, I'm buying him…!" You grunted as you dug your wallet out of your bag and showed the twisted evil man your bank card, "So how much?"

The man grinned and took you to the front room where he would charge you and you followed him there… Little did you know, the slave you were about to own had been listening and observing you the whole time…

After some paperwork and generous payment, you were a proud slave's owner, though, you didn't feel so proud… You looked at the papers in your hand and sighed as you slipped them into your bag. Time to get your slave and take him home with you.

The earlier salesman who managed to overtalk you into getting this Demon disappeared as soon as you had paid, but he returned soon to the front room with your new slave following close behind him.

Jesus, the Demon was even bigger when he was standing upright!

He was wearing some old tarp as if it was a raincoat to shield himself from the sun and you took notice that his wrists were tied together with a rope. The salesman was holding onto the end of the said rope as he led the blind Demon to you.

"Here you go! You're the proud owner of a slave now!" The man laughed as he handed the rope to you and you gave him a small nod, trying to get this over and done with, "Thanks…"

"Remember! No refunds!" He laughed as you turned and left the Slave Market with your new Demon…

It had taken some time to gain his ownership and the sun was already setting when you left the warehouse full of slaves. You could sense and see people staring at you and your Demon as you walked down the streets.

You glanced at your slave with a small frown, "I'm sorry, we will be at my place soon so hold on just a little longer…"

The Demon nodded quietly and you sighed as you continued walking, all the way to your small apartment. You went out to get chocolate and you came back with a Demon. What a day.

When you got back home, the Demon stayed by your doorway while you closed all the curtains so he wouldn't get burnt by the sun even by accident. Once you were done you grabbed a knife from the kitchen and made your way to the Demon so you could cut down the ropes around his wrists.

"Just a second, don't move…" You whispered gently, "I have a knife, but please don't fear, I'm not going to hurt you…"

The Demon nodded quietly and you took his hands and cut the rope. You frowned as soon as the pieces of rope fell on the ground and you saw the angry red marks on his wrists. That stupid salesman had tied the poor Demon's wrists together too tightly.

"Your wrist…" You whispered sadly as you put the knife away and gently turned his hands in yours so you could see how hurt he was.

"I think I have some cream that should help you…" You thought out loud quietly and suddenly the Demon's hands turned and he grasped your hands… So gently, you didn't know a Demon as big as him was able to be that gentle.

"Namu-Amidabutsu… Thank you for your concern, Master…" He said and you blinked stunned by how deep his voice was, but it fit him perfectly.

"Are you-?" You were going to ask when you noticed that he was actually crying! You couldn't help yourself, you panicked, "A- Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Why are you crying? I'm sorry!"

"Please, don't panic." He said as he gently squeezed your hands, "I am fine."

"But you're crying?" You asked and he nodded, "I am."

"But you aren't hurt?"

"I'm hurt, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"That… That's not good." You frowned as you squeezed his hands back and then pulled him inside from your apartment's entrance and into your small living room. You helped him to sit down on your couch and while it was a pretty big couch, he made it look small.

"I don't want you to be in pain," You said and he blinked as he looked in your direction with his milky white eyes, "I… I understand."

"Good," You nodded, "Stay here, I'm going to get something for that nasty burn on your arm and your wrists."

The Demon nodded and you quickly went to grab the first aid kit from your bathroom and returned to the Demon just as quickly. You put the kit on the couch and moved to pull the old stinky tarp off from the Demon, but you froze for a moment when you saw the rags he was wearing.

Old, ugly, stinky, and way too small for him. They looked like they were made from some old burlap. You would have to buy him something proper and clean to wear.

"Just a second…" You said as you threw the tarp aside and got out everything you needed to disinfect his wounds from the first aid kit.

"You know how to treat wounds?" The Demon asked curiously.

"It's surprisingly easy." You nodded, "But I did take a first aid course. One can learn a lot there and it looks good when applying for a job."

"I see."

Could he?

"This is going to sting a little," You warned him and he nodded, praying under his breath as you made sure he wouldn't get any infection and then you proceeded to clean and bandage his wounds. Oh, how many scars he had… He must have gone through so much, and just imagining it almost hurt you.

While you worked, you could almost feel like you were being observed and when you looked up, you saw him looking in your direction, even if he was blind.

"And we are done!" You nodded, pleased with yourself and the Demon nodded as he carefully traced the bandages around his wrists, "Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome." You nodded and the Demon turned to look at you and despite his tears, he was smiling, "I knew you were a good person the moment I heard your voice."

"How? I mean, what told you that?" You asked and the Demon nodded, "You never addressed me as an object but as a person. So far… I haven't heard anyone talk to us Demons that way."

"That's because you're living beings also." You replied honestly, "And I hate seeing others in pain or hurt."

"Then… Why did you come to that Slave Market?" The Demon asked.

"I…" You frowned as you thought what you should say. Tell the truth or lie?

"I… I don't know, I…" You pressed your lips tightly together, "I saw a flier, and I…"

"You?" He asked gently and you sighed, "And I guess… I was lonely?"

"I see…" He nodded and you frowned, expecting him to dismiss you and tell you that it would pass and everyone felt that way sometimes. That you should go out more and speak to more people so you would not feel so lonely. No one seemed to understand that it wasn't that easy…!

But instead, he started crying, "You're a good person, Master. I can tell you mean me no harm."

You blinked, stunned and you looked at the Demon who was smiling so gently at you. You couldn't almost believe what you were hearing, he was actually on your side!

You kept looking at him, trying to find even the smallest hint that he was lying and just saying what would please you, but all you saw was a genuine sweet smile.

"You're staring, Master." He said suddenly and you blushed, feeling caught like a child with the cookie jar.

"H- How could you tell?" You asked and the Demon nodded, "I can see… In my own way."

"Oh, cool!" You nodded and then you realized something, "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your name!"

"It's alright." The Demon gave you a small smile, "My name is Gyomei."

"Gyomei," You nodded with a small smile, "You have a very nice name. It fits you."

"Thank you." He nodded, tears streaming down his face as he pressed the palms of his hands against each other like he was praying and hung his head, "If you allow me Master, I will take away your loneliness."

"You…" You were stunned, "You really think you can do that?"

"I don't think." He nodded, "I know."

You may have been crazy or desperate or Hell, even both, but you believed him and little did you know, it would be the best decision in your life.

[butmakeitgayblog]

How did CoA Lexa react when she went to her first fireworks show?

The first one she went to with Clarke was certainly an entirely different experience to all the ones she'd seen before. Working or living in America makes it rather an impossible experience to miss out on. Every 4th inevitably sounds like a fully stocked artillery warehouse that's having a going out of business sale, so it's safe to say she had experienced the surface effects more than her fair share for how many years she'd been on Earth.

But it is different as a human.

It's a wildly different experience seeing them from the ground, nestled on a little blanket among a crowd of strangers, and feeling so small under the unending span of stars as it lights up with every colored explosion. It's a different experience watching it while pleasantly full off of the classic junk food of hot dogs and chips and half melted ice cream, a rapidly warming drink in one hand and Clarke's wrapped loosely in the other. Fireworks had always been exceedingly pretty - yet another of those strangely superfluous little human things - but there was a whimsicality and sentimentality factor to the whole affair that she had been woefully ignorant to only having ever watched it from above the world, high on her ledge.

Tho by around the third year that magic had somewhat worn off and she agreed with her wife wholeheartedly that after midnight people needed to shut the fuck up

[safety-pin-punk]

Steps To Take Before You Donate:

A guide from someone who works at a thrift store and has seen some things. This is generalized and not specific to the store I work at.

The first step for ALL of these sections is to look at what you have. Is it something you would give to a friend or relative? No? Then don’t donate it. (Examples of things not to donate: moldy clothes, a soiled pair of pants, sticky dishes, broken mirror)

Clothes and Linens (aka soft lines)

Look to see if your clothes are wet, moldy, or have bodily fluids on them. These types of items will end up at the landfill if you donate them. Just save employees the horror and throw away your own garbage

Don’t donate used underwear or socks, but bras are fine

If the clothes are dirty, wash them (please)

If you want to be super helpful to processors, separate halloween costumes and shoes into different bags or boxes. These items all get processed separately in stores

Donate it even if its ‘poor quality’. Clothing not sold in stores gets sent to textile recyclers

All of this applies to linens (such as blankets and sheets) as well

Electronics

If you have any large items, call the store ahead of time to make sure they are willing to take it. Not all stores have big warehouses for large items. If not, try a different store or chain

Check for any chewed on, or exposed wire. Thrift stores can’t sell these items for safety purposes

If you don’t have a wire or charger for the electronic, ensure that it will stay with the item (tape or rubber bands will work well for this) if an item can’t be tested in store to see if it works, it will not be sold in a typical retail store. It will likely be sent straight to an outlet store

If you are planning on donating a TV (small or big) call the store first, some are able to take them and some are not. Check with them first so they don’t have to turn you away after you get there

If the computer doesn’t work completely, donate it anyway, most thrift stores send them to get refurbished and their memory wiped

Books/Media

Do your books have mold on them or are the pages damp? Don’t donate them

Are the disks so scratched up that they don’t play? Don’t donate them

Stores do accept VHS tapes and cassettes!

If you are donating a bunch of loose disks without cases, keep them together in a bag or a box

If you only have a case for a game (NOT DVD), donate it! People actually buy those

Separate your books and media from other items you are donating, as these get processed separately

Shoes (usually sorted into hard lines but may vary depending on the chain)

If your shoes have bodily fluids on them, or even just some left over dog poop, either clean them or don’t donate them. No one wants to touch that

Even if your shoes have been worn to hell and back (and are not gross), donate them! Just like clothes, if they aren’t sold, most stores will recycle them

Do your best to keep pairs together! Either in a box, tie the laces together, or use a rubber band!

(We do actually love getting shoes donated in their boxes - it makes it a lot easier to sort than a giant garbage bag full of loose shoes)

If you aren’t sure what category shoes fall into at the store you are donating to, just ask! We would much rather that than find shoes in unexpected places!

Furniture

Does it require repairs? Don’t donate it, try a local yard sale site instead

Is it big? Call ahead and make sure the store has space for it

Not every store accepts mattresses/beds/bed frames. Call ahead and ask

If you have a rug, has an animal gone to the bathroom on it? Yeah? Don’t donate that

Side note: if you just bought a big piece of furniture from a thrift store, bring some buddies to help you pick it up. And a big enough vehicle. Our donation door workers are still people and can only do so much to move a giant glass table and fit it into your kia soul when you decide to pick it up 30 minutes before we close

Other Items (aka hard lines)

If a baby is meant to sit or lay in the item, we can’t sell that for safety reasons, even if its brand new

Some stores will sell helmets if they are in good condition, but not all stores. Double check before you drop them off

If you are donating dish ware or china, make sure it is washed and clean. No one wants to touch sticky mixing bowls with a mysterious substance inside

Wrap your dishes or any fragile items and place them in boxes, it helps make sure they dont break before they get processed

If its broken, don’t donate it. Think: is this something I would give a friend?

Put your jewelry together and separate from other items. That way we dont only find one earing

No already lit or used candles that are more than halfway gone, find ways to up cycle them, or see if a friend would like them instead!

No one wants your used bedroom toys. Please no. Im begging you just throw them away if you dont want them

If there are nails sticking out of it, or someone could get hurt on it, wrap it and write a note. Same goes for knives. I can’t even begin to express how many times I’ve almost cut off a finger while reaching into a box of donations

Other Tips

If its sticky, wipe it down

If its fragile, put it in a box not a bag

If its sharp, wrap it

If its multiple pieces, tape it or find a way to keep it all together before you donate it

If you aren’t sure if a store will take it, just call and ask!

[wildpeachfarm]

Considering how much of foolish's current audience is littered with drantis who would rather die than give Dream money (even if none or very little of it actually goes to him as per Dream the company only makes about enough to be self-sustaining), I...would not be surprised if he left, disappointing as it would be. Hard to sell merch to a community that doesn't like the merch maker

I think another possibility is that Dream just...didn't suggest he renew his contract.

Like foolish clearly is not interested in making merch consistently nor was he probably bringing in substantial merch sales enough for them to pay to keep his merch in their warehouses. He just might not be a good candidate for Dream Branding anymore and that's perfectly fine.

The reality of it is that while Dream Branding makes a lot of money, they don't have a lot of storage space and they don't have a lot of employees. So they are still technically operating as a small sized business. So when you have creators under contract that are not bringing in a lot of money or seeming eager to renew their contract, it's perfectly fine to let them go.

They could also just be reshuffling inventory because we see that all the time with Dream's merch and the dteam shop, gnf, and punz shops have also had a reshuffle of inventory lately. Some could be to prepare for a new merch era after a period of inactivity (george) or to clear out space from a creator that might be leaving soon (punz) or something else.

I think sometimes people think these business contracts are supposed to be 100% representations of these people's real life relationships and that's just not the case. Maybe in Punz's case we may see him leave due to interpersonal conflicts (and his flopping career atm) but for the most part you'd be surprised about how few feelings are actually attached to these types of business deals.

[haee-elia]

spence-tober: day 27 - brewery owner

pairing: brewery owner!spencer reid x fem!reader

summary: in which you and your son (along with someone else special) support the opening of your husband's brewery

word count: 1530

warnings: alcohol, children, announcement of pregnancy, one mention of reader being on birth control, the reader was seemingly very easily able to get pregnant

spence-tober masterlist

Standing outside in the cool, brisque air of the evening isn’t too uncomfortable. It would be without the wool shawl on your shoulders and you make sure to wrap it around yourself a little tighter to keep in your natural body warmth. 

You also bend down to your six-year old son, Arthur, and zip his parka up to his chin, making sure he can stay warm as well. He’s tired and you can tell within the next hour and a half, he’ll start getting a little petulant so you keep a close eye on him. There’s some wooden adirondack chairs not too far from you, circled around a controlled fire pit if needed. 

Artie could always curl up into a chair if he really got tired quickly. It had been, after all, a long day for him.

He was still getting used to attending school and then after school until you or Spencer could come pick him up. Since the sale of the small warehouse that Spencer was renovating into his very own brewery, Artie was also often carted to and from the warehouse as it was being built, renovated, and decorated. He even helped choose some design elements.

For years, Spencer had only done brewing as a hobby. That was when you first even met him. You always encouraged his hobby and with time, he became very good at it. So good that he stopped working as a bartender and got a few various jobs working for different corporate breweries. It had always been his dream to save up enough money to buy a small place and open his own bar and brewery. 

Now, the time had finally come.

The small abandoned warehouse went up for sale and you knew it to be the one. Encouraging Spencer to buy it was a whole ordeal, but when he finally did. When his signature hit the paper and he held the deed in his hand, you knew it was excited to get started. That was a little over a year ago and since then, your husband has poured his heart and soul into the place. 

He was currently standing off to the side, eagerly talking to some friends who had come out for the grand opening. It had been successful so far. 

The grand opening was set for three o’clock and when Spencer set forth his little speech that he had prepared, there was already a crowd of people. Now, the sun was setting in the horizon, hours later. It cast a nice glow over the renovated warehouse and the backyard patio where everyone now gathered.

People had come and gone and the brewery wasn’t going to be open for much later into the day. At least for it’s first official day being open. Spencer mostly wanted the day to be for friends and family to celebrate, not worrying about the number of patrons or bottles of beer sold. 

The large, animated smile told you everything you needed to know. Spencer was happy, very happy.

A yawn breaks you from your thoughts and steals your attention away from your husband and back down to your son. His hold on your hand has gotten a little looser.

“Are you tired, baby?” You ask him, watching him rub his eyes with his free hand.

He hesitates, but Artie nods and with that, you guide him over to an empty large adirondack chair for him to sit in. 

“You can just sit here for a bit, then we’ll go, okie dokie?” You confirm with him, bending down in front of him.

He nods and you ruffle his hair. His chocolate brown, messy locks that are so much like his father’s. Artie looked a lot like Spencer. He’s still young, but the way he carries himself, his hair, his eyes. They all match the look of Spencer.

If you asked Spencer, however, he would always point out the little similarities that Artie held to you. 

“Hey, Artie. You doing okay, buddy?” A voice says behind you. A very familiar voice. It’s Spencer.

Artie blinks his eyes open a little, willing the sleep away and nods, excited to see his dad. 

You turn around and stand up from your position in front of the chair and see your husband. The same chaotic hair and glittering brown eyes. Spencer, however, has started to grow a small beard and has some rough, brown stubble to show for it. He’s wearing an outfit you picked out from him. Spencer has no eye for clothes. 

“He’s just a little tired. Had a big day at school with the play and all.” You inform your husband, a smile on your face.

Spencer nods, “Okay, let me just say goodbye to a few people and we can go.” He says.

You shake your head and place your hand on his arm, “No, stay. It’s your grand opening.” You try to convince him.

“Artie’s not long for this world.” Spencer retorts, pointing to Arthur who is, indeed, nodding off into dreamland.

You feel guilty. You feel guilty and you know why. You’ve been together with Spencer for ten years and it had been eight years since his dream originated of owning his own brewery. From taking his small creations that he fixed only for friends and family and opening it to the public. To sharing that experience with everyone. Spencer had been in the midst of saving money, you contributing even to his chagrin, and had budgeted according to when he wanted to propose to you and get married in a modest wedding. 

What you hadn’t exactly budgeted for was the arrival of Artie. Even though you had been married for over a year and on birth control, somehow you had fallen pregnant with Arthur. Both of you wanted children, but you always convinced Spencer to save up for his brewery first. Neither of you ended up regretting the unplanned Artie, but you had always felt a bit guilty when some of Spencer’s savings drained for baby Arthur.

“But Spencer, you won’t get another grand opening. You should stay and enjoy it, I’ll take Artie home.” You offer.

He shakes his head, “No.” Then he takes your hands in his, rubbing his finger comfortingly on the back of your hand, “The brewery doesn’t come before you or Artie. We always tuck him in together.”

“But this is your dream.” You say in a last ditch effort.

Spencer shook his head again, “You’re my dream. You and Artie and any other children we might have in the future. Nothing comes above my family, that’s my dream. I just happen to be living it everyday.”

You concede and nod, letting Spencer run off to an employee to get them to close up for the night. You say your rounds of goodbye to your friends who have come out for the night of celebration, always keeping a watchful eye on your son.

Collecting your son in his strong arms, Spencer scoops him up and has no problem walking with him through the backyard where you are led back into the main part of the brewery. 

A long bar stretches across the metal room with lines and lines of drafts for the bar with a few added concoctions of Spencers. Tables and other fun decorations fill the rest of the space with a few added streamers and banners just for the grand opening.

“Did you see my surprise for you?” Spencer asks you as you walk through the room.

Artie is out completely now, so there is no need for whispering between the two of you. You carry your own things, plus Spencer’s and Artie’s.

You shake your head, “No, what was it?” You show a confused expression on your face.

He’s as confused as you are, “The drink menu. Your favorite is officially named after you. I thought it was a sweet gesture.”

“Oh, I didn’t get a drink tonight.” You explain to him. You get the front glass entrance door for all three of you.

“You didn’t?” Spencer asks, even more confused now. 

A smile curls up on your lips. You reach your shared vehicle and grab something out of the floorboards near Artie’s seat. Somewhere Spencer wouldn’t have seen it since you had left the grand opening early to pick Artie up from after school, then heading back to the brewery.

Spencer transfers Artie into his car seat in the back, putting the seatbelt on for him as he’s still asleep and takes the bag you hold out to him. He’s still quite confused and can’t see into the bag as you’ve filled it with tissue paper.

“Artie will be quite put out that he wasn’t able to give this to you, but we can just pretend in the morning.” You say, vague about the actual contents of the bag.

Spencer gently sifts through the bag and then takes out a singular card. Before he can even read the words, his eyes lock onto the ultrasound that hangs on the cardstock paper. 

“What?” He says softly. It’s a rhetorical question and you know he’s saying it out of shock and surprise.

“We’re pregnant again.”

a/n: i always try to make the names true to character for Spencer. Luma with his philosophy lightbulb joke he made that one time and the fact Diana can mean luminescence. Then Diana, of course, his mother in the show. And now Artie, or Arthur, after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, also known as his favorite author in the series. just little Easter eggs.

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Chocolate and Pining

Jim Halpert x GN!Reader

PART ONE

[TABLE OF CONTENTS]

Check Table of Contents for entire fic summary and Key!

Summary: The cameras arrive and begin their rotation through the office. What will their shiny lens and intrusive questions uncover?

Warnings: canon-compliant cheating (if you count Pam flirting while engaged)

Author's Note: First post of the new rewrite, and Im kinda glad I only post two chapters of this previously because I went through and changed the entire thing from third person pov to first, to match along with the rest of the xReaders i’ve been writing.

[ ֎” ]

"Alright," You begin, your legs crossed while you tap one hand on your thigh. "What do I even say?" You huff a little laugh, shaking your head. You sat on an uncomfortable grey plastic chair, blinds slightly drawn behind you to block the view of the rest of the office working. You turn around and glance back, looking through the small opening available and noting three different cameras roaming the office and zooming in on people.

"What do we do here?" You repeat the question you're given, turning back toward your own interview camera. "Well, this is Dunder Mifflin, Scranton branch. We're a paper-pushing company." You stop for a moment before the producer behind the camera does a sort of wave as if urging you on. "Uh- well, I'm the receptionist here. I took the job almost a year ago. I transfer calls to the department they need to go to, write notes during our meetings- I'm basically Michael's secretary." You awkwardly laugh, glancing at the wall of the conference room shared with Michael's office as if he could hear through it. You wouldn’t doubt it if someone told you he stood there with his ear pressed to the wall.

"What's the most interesting thing about this job?" You furrow your brows in concern, uncrossing your legs and sitting forward. "Look, I don't know what you guys were expecting when you came here with a whole film crew, but we're a paper company. There's literally nothing interesting about working here."

[ ֎” ]

"What's interesting about working here?" Oscar asks, glancing through the blinds before leaning closer to the camera, waving his hand as he speaks quieter, "Now I'm not one to gossip, but the big thing going around is the office romance right now. And I'm not talking about Kelly and Ryan getting back together for the fifth time." He laughs shortly at his own joke before continuing. "See, Pam is engaged to Roy, he works here in the shipping warehouse downstairs. They've been together for years and they finally have a wedding date set for about a month or so from now.

"However, Jim has the biggest crush on her, everyone can tell. Before Y/N got here, Pam was the receptionist and Jim was always jumping up and going over to her to flirt constantly. Now, some believe the flirting is still going on while their desks are right next to each other, but I think it's gotten tamped down a bit since Pam scheduled a date for the wedding.

"And then there's Y/N. They started here when Pam was finally transferred to sales, and the position opened. They actually became quite close to both Pam and Jim pretty quickly, which makes some sense considering Dwight and Michael basically attacked them their first day here." —

[ ֎” ]

"Attacked Y/N? Please," Dwight scoffed, shaking his head, "I was merely preparing the new employee. If you’re not ready for a surprise stab from a ninja on your first day on the job, then I really don’t think you’re ready for work at all.” Dwight huffs out a breath, crossing his arms. “Besides, Jim made me use the dull blade.” He looks away from the camera in a strop, shrugging his shoulders. “If he hadn’t taken my sharp one I wouldn’t have had to pull out the dull one. I had to put extra force behind the attack for it to do anything, so really it’s Jim’s fault for the bruises.

“Michael? He couldn’t hurt a fly.” Dwight scoffs, then scoffs again for emphasis. “The fact that he tripped and fell that day means nothing, he was merely catching himself from falling with the closest available thing to grab. Which happened to be Y/N’s body, which he then happened to pull down with him. An honest mistake, that.”

[ ֎” ]

— "Now," Oscar continued where he left off with a smirk, "You'd think Jim flirting with Pam, and her egging it on while engaged, should be drama enough for you. But, then you have to figure into the equation that Y/N also likes Jim. I have a pretty good view of the receptionist area when Y/N sits in a certain spot, and I can hear whenever they talk to each other... Sometimes.

"Now I don't know if Jim realized he's a little flirty," Oscar wiggles his fingers with this, "But certainly not as much with them as with Pam. But- man, it's almost painful how hopeful Y/N's voice gets when they talk with Jim. Almost, but mostly just entertaining. And of course, none of the three know about this. It's basically the office soap opera at this point, and no one wants to say anything to disrupt the saga."

Oscar leans back, chuckling to himself before glancing at the camera, "Oh, almost everyone. Don't tell Dwight or Michael either, they're sure to give it away." He pats his leg for a second before smirking, "I'm team Pam. Now don’t look at me that way! I would love for Y/N and Jim to get together, but he’s just too obsessed with Pam! And that woman really needs to get herself a new man, that Roy is a real piece. of. work."

[ ֎” ]

"Team Pam or Y/N?" Phyllis asks, her smile soft as she raises a hand to cover a giggle, "Now I don't like drama, but absolutely team Y/N. Pam is engaged, it's inappropriate."

[ ֎” ]

"Team Pam, all the way." Meredith nods, smirking to the camera. "She was here first. Gotta be loyal to the branch."

[ ֎” ]

"Oh! Team Y/N!" Kelly squeals, wiggling her body in excitement.

[ ֎” ]

Jim sits in the seat, smoothing his pant legs down and sighing. "So, uh, what exactly do I say?" He places his chin in his hand, his fingers tapping restlessly against his bottom lip.

"Anything interesting?" Jim repeats, glancing out the window in the general direction of Pam and Y/N before looking back. "I mean, there's nothing really interesting about this job. Toner prices, how much each piece of paper weighs or costs-" Jim sighs, shaking his head and dropping his hand, "Honestly, the only reason I'm still here at this point is probably my friends. Pam, my desk-mate over there, we've been here for a while together. And then there's Y/N, the relatively new hire. Or, are they new?" Jim tilts his head to think about it, squinting his eyes toward the ceiling. "Has it almost been a year already?"

Jim shrugs, smirking before tapping his leg, "Oh, and also pranking Dwight. Gotta make your own fun here."

"What the- Jim!" Dwight suddenly yells, drawing half the office's attention. The other half continued blandly on with their work, used to their antics it would seem. Jim glances wearily over toward Dwight as he lugs something up from his bottom drawer, placing a plate with yellow jello and a stapler floating inside onto his desk. "What did you do?"

Jim struggles to hold back a laugh, his hand curled in front of his face and chin resting on his palm. Instead, he shrugs, leans back and crosses his arms while trying to maintain a poker face. "Nothing, Dwight. By the way, what happened to your stapler there?"

"You should know, you did it!" He sits there for a moment, glaring at Jim before bounding up, running and calling out, "Michael!"

You were half standing behind your reception desk to get a good look, sniggering to yourself about this prank- it was a good one. You look over to Jim and see him give Pam a high-five, mumbling something to each other before Jim looks in your direction and shoots you a full smile instead of the smirk he had been wearing. You smile back, sitting back down in your chair and scooting up closer to your computer.

The camera swings around closer to Jim, listening more in on their conversation. "How did you even do it?" Pam asks and snickers quietly before straightening up suddenly, grabbing her phone to press to her ear in an attempt to look as if she was doing her work as their boss exits his office.

"Let me see, let me see-" Michael finally lays eyes on the prank, laughing loudly. "Wow, just- wow!" He laughs some more, patting Jim on the back. "This is a creative one, good job Jimbo!" Dwight scoffs, moving to be in Michael's line of sight. Michael jumps slightly as if remembering he's the boss before clearing his throat and looking at Jim. "Oh, but don't do it again."

"Do what again?" Jim asks, playing dumb still and raising his eyebrows at Michael. Michael barks a laugh in return and pats his back again before wandering back into his office, mumbling about jello under his breath. Jim turns toward Dwight with a victorious grin while you stand, carrying your lunch box toward the kitchen. You tap Jim's shoulder twice in passing as if to say good job, and Jim barely has enough time to lift a hand to yours as you gently pull away to continue to your destination.

"Get it out," Dwight demands, standing near Jim and glaring at him.

"Get what out?"

"My stapler!"

"Well, it is your stapler, Dwight." Jim turns back toward his computer, chuckling under his breath.

"Oh, and how am I supposed to get it out?"

"I don't know, eat the jello?" Jim suggests, causing Dwight to scoff loudly as he plops in his chair.

"I can't just eat the jello, Jim. I wrote my name in whiteout on the stapler so everyone would know it's mine." Dwight pauses for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Unless you knew that, and you'd assume I'd eat this. You're trying to poison me!" Jim sighs loudly, widening his eyes toward the camera before shaking his head.

"Ok, and with that, I'm going to take my lunch." He stands, turning to make his way toward the kitchen.

"If you need something to eat, I have a whole plate of jello right here for you Jim!"

Jim enters the kitchen, watching you press a few buttons on the microwave to heat your lunch. He dons a small private smile before sneaking closer behind you, reaching out and grabbing your sides while calling out a quick, "Boo!"

You jump heavily and yelp, turning around quickly with a hand pressed to your chest, panting out your breaths. "Fuckin- Halpert!" You yell out, smacking his arm before slumping against the counter behind you. Taking a few more breaths as Jim bends over laughing, you call out, "Unfair!"

"Oh? Unfair?" Jim replies, grinning toward you, "This is just payback for that email!"

"Hey, I sent that yesterday!"

"And I just opened it today." Jim grinned, not at all sorry, as you remember the jumpscare chain email you had forwarded to him, hoping to see his reaction.

"Well, that's unfortunate. I wanted to see you jump, I must've missed it." You pouted slightly and Jim's face did a small change, becoming softer and crinkling slightly at the eyes. You don’t seem to notice as you turn toward your food once the microwave beeps.

"Yeah, you were being harried by Michael, something about new shoes?" At which you groan loudly, holding up a finger with an eye roll.

"Don't even get me started on that." You thought back to that same morning when Michael came in with muddy shoes, whining about how he had just bought them even though you could’ve sworn you had seen Michael wearing them for the last half a year. How exactly did time pass in Michael's world, you wondered? And how had they gotten muddied? It wasn’t even raining outside!

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here," Jim said, sounding oddly sincere, but then continued quickly, "Although if the opposite is true I'm also very willing to go into detail about the newest book I just finished of my series."

"Oh? You mean your nerdy novels about swords and dragons?" You reply, raising your eyebrows and smirking at Jim as you stirred your lunch. “Aren’t you supposed to be a jock or something?”

"Don't pretend like you don't love the series, you listen to me ramble about it every week," Jim replied, never losing his smile and never looking away from you. His focus felt like fire on you, and there was nothing you could do to put it out. You weren’t even sure you wanted to. “And it is possible for someone to like sports and reading at the same time.”

"Hmm." You hum, pretending to think about it. It really wasn't a hard choice- while the stories sounded interesting enough by themselves, it was Jim telling them to you that made the whole week worth it. Listening to Jim become so passionate about something he found interesting was almost infectious, you practically waited for these days just to gain inspiration for your own writing. And if you happen to write fanfiction about the stories you've never actually read- well, Jim didn't need to know about that. "Alright, fine, if you insist. So what's new with Salamander and Patterson?"

"It's Sally and Parker," Jim began in disbelief, rolling his eyes fondly as you pick up your lunch, the both of you moving to the break room. You had known that, of course, but watching Jim try to explain for the seventh time why Sally is absolutely not a salamander and is, in fact, more like a snake than anything else just brings a smile to your face and a warm feeling to fill your chest.

You sat down at a chair, thankful for the empty break room as Jim wandered over to the vending machines. He put in some money and roughly pushed a few buttons, complaining all the while about his book characters. He ends up chuckling and shaking his head as he states that he needed to 'start from the beginning.'

A packet of double chocolate chip cookies lands in front of you, and you grin brightly while reaching for the gift. "My favourite, how did you know?" You look up to see Jim looking quickly away, not noticing the red starting to stain his cheeks and the tops of his ears.

"You eat it every week," Jim replies quietly as if that explains it, fetching his own lunch. "Anyway so then Parker-"

It was later in the day, and you sat bored at your desk, a word document pulled up on your computer that was half written with a personal story. Though you weren't actively typing it, instead spinning a pen in your hand as you stare in the direction of the sales associates.

"I honestly don't know what I'm looking for here," Jim speaks lowly, chuckling as he held Pam's hand in both of his, her palm facing upward. He looks up into her eyes as she giggles, shaking her head.

"No, look closer, here," Pam takes one of his hands, taking a finger and tracing a line on her palm as if this would help him read it, "This is the life line. Or- wait, maybe it's the heart line?" Pam giggles again, though misses Jim's almost yearning gaze as he holds her hand a little tighter.

"I don't know what either of those mean, Beesly," Jim replied, his voice low, and Pam finally looked up. Their eyes met and you finally had to look away, the pain in your chest becoming almost too much to bear.

And, almost as if on cue, Roy pushes in the door to the office, walking forward with his hand holding a leather jacket over his shoulder. You glance up quickly, about to start your usual introduction before realizing who it is and clearing your throat loudly, throwing a worried glance toward Jim. He glances over in time, thankfully, yanking his hands back as if burned when spotting Roy turning the corner. It seemed as though Roy hadn't noticed, smiling at his fiance as he approached before leaning down and kissing her forehead.

You watched the pained expression cross Jim's face for just a moment before he managed to school his features into a poker face. You felt for him, honestly. You knew how it felt when the person you liked, well, liked someone else. You just wanted him to be happy above all else, and you knew pining after Pam was not it. If only Pam wouldn't egg it on constantly, maybe he'd have a chance to get over her.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me just pack my things and print out one more file, I'll meet you down there," Pam replied to her fiance, smiling blindingly bright at him before they kiss once more. Roy turned around, passing the reception desk before grabbing a few pieces of candy that you kept out on the top of the desk. He popped one in his mouth before choking dramatically, turning around and coughing a few times before looking directly at you.

"M&Ms? Really? I liked it better when it was Skittles."

"I've never put out Skittles, I like chocolate."

"It doesn't matter what you like, it's for the guests, isn't it? Pam used to put out Skittles and no one complained." He tossed the remaining few pieces onto the floor beside him before walking out of the office. Pam ran up quickly, a worried look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, he must've had a bad day-"

"It's fine, Pam, really." You paste on a smile, annoyed not just at Roy but at Pam for earlier. Pam nodded slowly, her smile regretful as if knowing how you felt before turning around and pressing the last few clicks on her computer to shut it down. She gathered her things in silence, sliding her newly printed paper into a file on her desk. Meanwhile, you stared at your computer screen, not really reading what was there.

"Bye Jim. Bye Y/N, see you tomorrow!" Pam called out, and you replied with a little wave before pressing save on your word document, downloading it to your flash drive. The door to the office hadn't even closed before a new presence was at your desk, leaning over to try and spy on their computer. You looked up to see Jim smirking, looking directly into your eyes.

"Did you close that document just 'cause I came over? Hiding something from me, Y/L/N?" His teasing tone had you smiling against your better judgement, leaning back and crossing your arms.

"Well, I wouldn't want you discovering my master plan. It's a secret for a reason, you know." Jim laughed at your joke, leaning back and taking a handful of M&Ms to pop into his mouth. Watching this, you felt their face deflate just slightly before you hear Jim’s whispers.

"You know, I think I prefer the M&Ms over Skittles any day." He winks, then dumps more from his handful into his mouth, walking back to his desk to finish up his day. You once again couldn't help the small smile that adorned your face in response.

[ ֎” ]

"I've always had a thing for chocolate," You said, shrugging, "I'm the one who sits there all day anyway." You bite your lip for a moment, trying to suppress a smile. "Besides, who cares what Roy thinks? Other people in the office like them, that's all that matters."

[ ֎” ]

"What kind of person do I like?" Jim makes a baffled face, blinking a few times before resituating in his seat. "I don't know why that's relevant, but if I had to choose..." He trails off, his eyes taking on a far-off look, "Someone sweet, smart- someone who laughs at my jokes while also making me laugh. Someone who will help me with my pranks and listen to my ramblings." He looks back up to the camera with a small smile, "Someone with a sweet tooth that I could spoil."

"You coming, Y/L/N?" Jim calls out, the office dark. You're the last two in the building now, it seems, and you glance up from your desk where you're standing to smile at him.

"Oh, I just have a few more papers to print, you go on ahead."

"Don't work too hard, Y/L/N. The effort isn't worth it." You laugh in response, waving him off. You both exchange a quiet goodbye before you wander over to the copier, which was printing multiple copies of what looked like Dwight's face on the 'Scranton Strangler' wanted poster. The camera swings between the pages and back to you, where you only shrug and smirk.

"It'll be funny," Is your only excuse as you take the pages and start hanging them on the pillars of the building around the office, sliding an extra copy into Jim's desk as a memento.