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takingcourage · 4 years

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Miscalculations: A Witness AU

Chapter One

Catch up here: Prologue

Pairing: M!Cassian x MC

Word Count: 2,000

Series Summary: After years apart, fate brings Kellen and Cassian together a third time. Can they learn from the mistakes of the past, or are they destined to repeat them once more?

Note: We’ve got a time jump and a transition chapter here. I promise things will pick up in the next installment, which should be posted no later than Wednesday.

Also, for what it’s worth, I don’t know what to make of canon Harika. In the first couple of chapters, she's MC’s friend (close enough to be the one person MC hopes to call before entering WITSEC), but the dialogue options in Chapter 7 suggest she’s just the “office gossip.” As you’ll see in this chapter, I’ve stuck much closer to the original impression I had of her character.

Cassian was staring. He couldn’t help it, really.

Tucked away in the corner of the pub, he had a perfect view of the young couple at the bar. From here, even if they caught onto his attentions it would be easy to pretend he’d been focusing on the game being broadcast above their heads.

Starting in on his chips, Cassian still watched them from his periphery. The exaggerated flourish with which she finished off her drink, the confident way he flagged down the bartender to order her a second, the laugh they shared as their heads bobbed close enough to conspire.

It was almost enough to make Cassian jealous. Working with international fugitives made for an exciting three years, but it had left him with little chance or energy to pursue much else. The transfer back to Boston was timely.

He’d missed being in a city that he knew like the back of his hand. Even more, he’d missed having a place that felt something like home. And, he considered, catching the lovesick eyes the couple made at one another, there’s a chance you’ll run into her.

It was a far-fetched thought, and one he’d be better off forgetting altogether. It had been ages since he’d seen or heard anything of Kellen. For all he knew, she wasn’t even in Boston anymore. She could have moved a dozen times over and he never would have been the wiser.

Maybe the years away were making him sentimental, or maybe it was just that his twenties had slipped into his thirties without fanfare or any significant life changes. Whatever it was, he’d been thinking a lot more about settling down, and thoughts of settling down almost always led to thoughts of Kellen.

Living with her in Nantucket was the closest approximation he had to a permanent relationship, and though his feelings on that time together were mixed, they were mostly fond. After years apart, he couldn’t help feeling curious about what would have happened if they’d ever had the opportunity to reunite.

It was probably for the best that he never found out.

A waitress brought him another pint, taking the near-empty glass from his side.

“Thank you,” he murmured before taking first sip. She started at the sound of his brogue, and he offered a small smile in return as she walked away.

His accent had always been something of a blessing and a curse when it came to women. Kellen had labelled it his “third-sexiest feature” after drinking a bit too much one night in Nantucket. She hadn’t elaborated on the other two, but her attentions the rest of the evening had left him with few doubts.

Drawing steadying breath, Cassian realized that his thoughts had strayed in her direction yet again. It was high time he stopped letting the past have that kind of control over him.

Now that he was back in Boston, it was time to move on. Time to put field work behind him and transition into something more stable. Time to catch up with his Ma and what siblings still remained in the city. Maybe it was even time for him to start dating seriously.

A figure passed in front of his table, no doubt on the way to the single restroom in the nook nearby. His senses honed on her automatically, though he was certain she posed no threat.

Black hair, late-twenties. A bearing that exuded more than the natural allotment of confidence. As he caught a glimpse of her face in profile, recognition dawned.

Was that Harika?

He wiped the foam from his upper lip, zealously scanning the rest of the bar for signs of Kellen. She was nowhere to be seen: the same as every other time he’d chased her phantom over the years.

Still, if he wanted a way to get back in touch with her, he could do worse than asking her best friend. Grappling with the possibility, he locked his attention on the hallway she’d disappeared into.

Was it worth the risk? Their “relationship” had been holding him back for the last few years. What if finding her again only extended the inevitable? What if it led somewhere worse?

But could anything really be worse than leaving things unresolved?

When the woman appeared again some minutes later, he sprung into action almost before realizing he’d made up his mind. “Harika,” he called, wondering if there was any way to make the interaction feel natural.

She pivoted toward him with a skeptical eye, her mouth falling open when she saw who he was. “Cassian? What are you doing here?”

He could ask her the same. An Irish pub in Allston didn’t seem a likely establishment for the woman to frequent. “Getting some dinner. Any chance you’d join me for a minute or two?”

Harika looked pointedly toward the bar, then perched in the empty chair. “I’ve got a minute.”

The two of them had never been great friends, but they’d gotten along fine on the handful of occasions they’d interacted in the past. Even so, there was something unnerving about having her across the table from him now. “How’ve you been?”

“Stellar,” she commented dryly, scrutinizing her nails. “Did you really ask me to sit so we could talk about me?”

“Blunt as always, I see.” Forcing a laugh, he tried to gauge her demeanor.

She engaged in a catlike stretch, miming boredom with frightful accuracy. “Why change?”

“Okay, you’re right,” he conceded, rubbing his hands together under the table to try to relieve the clamminess of his palms. “I was wondering if ya might be able to give me Kellen’s new number? I haven’t been able to get ahold of her, and I’d like to talk.”

Harika arched an eyebrow. “It’s been an awfully long time since you left. What makes you think she’d want to talk back?”

Cassian bristled at the question, but covered it well. Maybe he’d jumped into the crux of the matter a little too quickly. “Is she doing okay?” he began again. There were a thousand other things he was dying to know, but it seemed like the best place to start.

“She’s fine. Still single, if that’s what you’re getting at. Woefully single. But that doesn’t mean she’s desperate.”

This time, he didn’t try to disguise the astonishment on his face. What had he said to make her so defensive? “I’m just looking to talk, Harika. Maybe take her out for dinner to catch up.”

The request seemed to satisfy her. At the very least, it didn’t provoke her further. For an uncomfortable moment, she just stared at him, filing one long nail against the pad of her thumb. Finally, she uttered a responding question: “What if she’s better off without you?”

He was missing something. The matchmaking coworker he’d known had been replaced with a cautious protector intent on giving him the third degree. Eyes narrowing, he chose his words carefully. “I think that’s for her to decide.”

“Kind of a change for you, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

"You didn’t exactly give her a choice when you ended things, running out on her without even telling her what country you were headed to or giving her a way to stay in contact.”

Cassian’s blood ran cold. “It wasn’t like that,” he insisted, having to tamp down the growing indignance at her accusation. Surely she knew that he’d done everything with Kellen’s best interest at heart. “It was going to be months before I could contact her again regardless, and she didn’t want the distraction of a relationship. When I left, letting her move on seemed like the best option. ” He rolled his shoulder, covering his wince at the spasm the motion produced.

“And you haven’t said a word to her in the meantime?”

“I haven’t been able to find her. I checked the office, her house...everything.”

“Yeah, she transferred to the new branch a few months after you left. She moved to be closer to the new building.”

He nodded at the explanation. She’d been talking about such a transfer before they’d lost contact, though she’d never mentioned specifics. “And her phone number? It’s been disconnected for years at this point.”

“Had a stalker. She had to change her number and delete her social media and…”

Cassian swore under his breath, anger rising as he thought about what she’d been through. He took several moments to process the realization that Harika might be protecting Kellen from more than just him. “I wish I’d known. I hate thinking that she had to face that alone.”

“She had me. And she’s strong.”

“I know.” What Kellen lacked in street smarts, she more than made up for in determination. If her safety were only a matter of willpower, he never would have had cause for alarm. Still, the news that she’d been in danger sparked his protective instinct in a way he hadn’t felt in years.

“Do you think she would agree to meet with me?” he asked quietly, softening at the reminder of how far removed they were from Nantucket.

“I have no idea.”

At her vague reply, he decided to switch tactics. “Would you at least be willing to give her my number?” Given Kellen’s recent history, maybe it was best to leave the ball in her court.

Harika surveyed him with an appraising eye, scratching her brow with a thumbnail with calculated slowness.

“If you do,” he continued, “she can decide for herself. I won’t press any further if she decides not to take it.”

The woman dropped both hands, her empty palms serving to emphasize her question. “What is it that you’re hoping for?”

“To know where we stand. I want to know if there’s any chance we could be more to each other now than we were before I left.” He was letting himself get carried away again. Sighing, he reined himself back. “If we can’t, then I hope to find some closure.”

Across the table, Harika’s bored expression transitioned to a half-smile. As she looked him over again, Cassian could almost see her brusque facade falling away. “I’m the one who pointed you out to her on the rooftop that night,” she confided, meeting his gaze. “Did you know that?”

He nodded good naturedly. She’d told the story at least a dozen times across the few encounters they’d had.

“I said then that you were relationship material, and the hopeless romantic in me still thinks that could be true. I’ll talk to her for you. Here,” she unlocked and passed him her phone, “put in your number.”

“Thanks, Harika. I really mean it.”

“You can make it up to me by taking Kellen on a date,” she offered with a wink. “Seeing her alone is depressing. But if you hurt her, you’ll have me to answer to. Got that?”

“I do.” There was something almost absurd about being intimidated by a woman half his weight, but he took her promise seriously. If nothing else, he certainly didn’t want to get on Harika’s bad side.

“Good. And good luck, Cassian. If you’re the one who gets her to change her mind about romance, I’ll have bragging rights for the rest of my life.” Depositing the phone in her purse, she stood and left him with a practiced wave.

___

The next forty-eight hours crept by. Even at work, Cassian felt like he was checking his phone every two minutes to see if he’d missed any updates from Harika.

When the message finally came two nights after their meeting, it was from a foreign number. Standing at his bathroom sink, he tapped it open as he brushed his teeth, almost choking on the toothpaste when he read the opening two words:

It’s Kellen. Meet me at 10:00 tomorrow morning at Gemma’s Bakery.

It took everything within him not to call the number back. After three years of silence, the first words from her threatened to make him foolish with power. Deciding against the call, he still wrote her immediately, toothbrush sticking at an angle between his lips.

I’ll be there.

#playchoices #playchoices fanfiction #witness: a bodyguard romance #cassian keane #cassian x mc

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musedblues · 5 years

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Hello Again

Part 1 of (maybe 2?)

W/C: 8k

Summary: Gwilym has always been around, somewhere in the background of your fast-moving life. But when summer comes along, you finally slow down enough to take a closer look.

Warnings: Allusion to/ Mentions of alcoholism? Nothing too horrific!

A/N: I’m writing again! Rather, finally getting around to uploading things I’ve had written for ages. There will be a second part to this in the very near future! Please enjoy my hopeless fantasizing, gang! (and don’t be afraid to let me know if you do!) _

You had nearly forgotten all about your past twenty-three years of living, on your rampage through the American desert: and that was your mission... To focus on nothing besides soaking up every the last ray of the blistering hot sun before summer vacation was over, and you had to start senior year of college. You were a history major and initially had big dreams of becoming a librarian or a museum director, so that you could enjoy immense hushed quiet all day before going out with your best girlfriends at night.

You loved to take it easy, especially after a night of partying so hard. You and your friends had established yourselves as the college's most wild group up until earlier this year when you nearly KO'd after staying in the hospital for a month due to alcohol poisoning. You took the school year slow, and when summer came, you piled your three closest friends and took off on a stereotypical road trip. Good, clean fun.

When you weren't driving, your trip was mainly spent poolside, humming along to the static radio Francine toted along with her everywhere. The battery-powered thing would even work in the car sometimes, which came in handy as your vintage mustang wasn't equipped with a port for an aux cord or a radio that worked any longer.

Francine spread her gangly legs across Emma's lap in the back while Tilly sat in your passenger seat, flexing her map reading muscle on a mission to be totally directionally literate by the end of the road trip across the southwest. But then your car broke down forty miles deep into death valley and you all had to cram your belongings and yourselves into the back of a cab. Other friends might not have survived being squished together like sardines. But you made it to the Vegas airport without a foul word between the bunch of you.

Granted, Emma started to cry because the cab smelt of ham and Tilly's beloved map blew across the sandy horizon as you sat on the roadside, waiting to be rescued. You all relied on each other to keep a cool head, like always.

Your three roommates were sometimes too much to handle at once, but over the past three years of college and dates and sickness and flunked classes, you'd be lost without your best friends.

Once you all got back home to California with a bundle of stories to tell and a lot of left over time to fill up, the only thing to do was crash.

Luckily, your brother's fancy new home was the closest and coolest stop. So you decided to take over his pool house like you were still on some kind of adventure.

"How's your brother so well off? And is he well off.. in other areas?" Francine pipped up. She blew away some of her frizzy strands of hair that made her seem like the coolest hippie alive, with a name to match. Her boldness never faltered in style or speak.

"Hm, strange I've suddenly lost my hearing." You quipped, grossed out by the thought of your brother being lusted after.

"Just don't bother him, okay? I'm welcome in the pool house without question so none of you are allowed to mess this up for us!" You informed. Your brother, Daniel, bought the house earlier in the year sometime when a film project he was apart of paid off pretty well. You'd forgotten anything to do with his big winnings in your previously alcoholic state.

"Oh, just go shower! We're gonna search through the movie cabinet and bask in the glow of this projector." Emma beamed.

The pool house was a studio with a tiny square marble kitchen, a living room complete with a bunch over oversized beanbags, and two twin beds hidden in the sunken pit lounge area. The space was designed in the '70s and the golden shag carpet still remained to prove it. This was the faux frat house your brother escaped to when the fancy chandelier in his adjacent home shone a little too brightly for his liking. The best part of the pool house was the film projector and the massive pull-down screen, like a tiny personal movie theater. Though your brother was a bigger fan of dated television series', a few classic films found their way into his collection on the wall-length shelf.

You left the hip space to take a breather in the grey tiled bathroom, taking your time washing off the sheen of dust and sweat your road trip disaster left you in. When you returned to the living room to take Emma's place on the sofa while she scampered to the shower, the girls had popped in some movie of their liking.

"Top End Wedding. I've never heard of it." Tilly called from the floor, crawling around to put the disc in the player. She had already placed the cover back into its rightful spot on the shelf.

"What's that even mean?" Francine wondered, snuggling under a furry blanket.

"Shut up and find out like the rest of us." Tilly offered, plopping back against a florescent bean bag.

You chuckled as the movie started, but turned your attention your cell phone after it started too buzz. There was an email from the death valley mechanic addressing the problems he had to fix in order to get your car running again. You typed back a response in a hurry. When your friend's giggles cut through your focus, you clicked your phone off and turned your attention back to the film.

You'd completely missed the first scene, catching only glimpses of lush green islands and a lady with a broken high heeled shoe. But then a familiar voice spoke up.

"I have to take her to court?" Gwilym Lee was on the screen. Of course, he was. He appeared unmistakably himself... but much different from the last time you recalled seeing the man.

You silently chuckled to yourself, wondering whatever became of your brother's best friend. After Daniel and Gwilym finished grad school together, Gwilym was apparently apart of a few major British productions and a well off guy. But between your focus on college and some extra wild nights out, you'd barely seen your brother outside of holiday celebrations. So Gwyilm was hardly ever brought up in conversation. Or maybe he was, and you were just too maxed out to register. Be that as it may, the blue-eyed man was on the screen now... looking rather grown-up.

"My God he's a catch am I right?" Tilly pipped up, sipping vodka she'd found in the mini-fridge. Did she really think so? Dear old Gwilym?

"Look at him! That actress is so tiny next to him, God. Imagine being pinned between him and a wall." Francine swooned, in her usual lovestruck wonder.

And the intrusive thought was frightening to you. Because it seemed almost appealing. Gwilym hugged you goodbye once, some odd years ago. His strong arms were certainly brought a comfort you could still recollect.

"Confirmation that we're all hot for this Ned character?" Tilly turned her pretty feathery head of hair to you. You were busy bitting your thumbnail and wondering when Gwilym had gotten so buff.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Ned's cool." You nodded emptily.

"Pfft!" Francine spat, sitting up and leaning across a pillow toward you. "Get your head out of your car troubles and look at this fine British hunk!"

"I thought this was an Austrian film?" Tilly wondered.

"He's clearly British! Listen up! Haven't you paid attention during the world's fair week?" Francine rang, lifting her own glass of vodka toward the screen.

Your phone buzzed again and you desperately hoped it was the man who would assure your car was liable and you could pick it up and drive it through the desert some more before summer vacation ended. But instead, your brother's name blinked across your dim screen.

Daniel: Are you in the pool house? Come inside for a second. Leave the sorority behind. (No offense)

"I'll be right back. Pools open! Just don't come in the house!" You called out the rules your brother gave you the first time you stayed here. Your friends groaned. You scurried out the window paneled door and across the stone packed pathway to Daniel's deck. The back porch light was on and its reflection glistened off the pool. Was he going to be pissed that you remembered where he hid the spare key and tell your gang to leave? Did he just want to say hello? If he did, why wouldn't he just come out to greet you?

You knocked a couple of times to warn of your requested intrusion. The kitchen was empty and dark but there was a chatter coming from the living room. Your brother must have had company. Why did you need to come in here?

That's when Vinny and Violet came bounding up the basement staircase toward you in a fluffy flurry. They were sibling Burmese Mountain dogs whose nails were clicking against the cherry wood floor as they pranced below your feet; a very excitable greeting.

"Y/N? Come in here!" Daniel's low timbre was heard in from the living room and the sound of clinking glasses followed. Your brother Daniel was standing from his luxurious leather sofa, smiling and gesturing you into the room. On the other side of the sofa was a man you hadn't seen in years, but had just been reminded of only moments ago.

"Gwil is in town! I thought I heard you outside and we were just talking about you."

Oh my God. He was hot. You tried to stifle your shock at the stone-carved beauty of a brother's best friend that rose to his feet before you.

"Hello, again Y/N! Looking very comfortable." Gwil's voice was silky and wonderfully British. The accent would always catch you off guard. But his enchanting voice only reminded you how silly you must have looked in your sad excuse for pajamas. You wore tattered sweat pants and a torn-up tshirt that bared too much of your collar bone to be deemed appropriate.

And the angelic Gwilym was in well-fitted slacks and a dress shirt, blue eyes glimmering, muscles rippling past his perfect clothes.

"Hi, Gwil!" You chimed, really mustering the strength to sound normal. But what was normal between the pair of you? You'd met him a total of three times.

"Why are you all the way over in this part of town?" Daniel wondered, shifting his weight and glancing at you.

"My car broke down in death valley and your place was closest. Hope it's alright if we crash for the night?"

"I left the pool house key out for a reason! It's never a bother. I like that you're comfortable enough to stay. Roxanne never even comes over." Daniel complained about your middle sister. Roxanne was an unassuming girl with an interest in botany that left her camped out in national parks for weeks at a time. Your sister would talk about plants little to nothing else, besides her terrible crush on Gwilym Lee. A shameless attraction you'd all too suddenly understood.

"How's she?" Gwilym asked with a knowing smile. She could never hide the way she melted in Gwil's presence.

"She's been the movies this year, if that's what you're asking." Daniel chortled. You wondered for a moment if the film your friends had found in the cabinet was one that made it to theaters. Was Gwilym finally featured on the big screen? And did Roxanne really still have that girlish crush?

"She's been seeing a lot of that Max guy, actually. I know because she does, in fact, call me every weekend." You chided, looking to Daniel with a smile.

"Yeah to make sure you're not dead." Daniel retorted. He was never a fan of your wild streak. Bless him. "She's always up to something crazy. Practically Instagram famous." Daniel buffed your confidence, gushing over his very own kid sister.

"I have a few thousand followers, it's really not uncommon." You assured your brother, who'd never gotten more than twelve likes on his own posts.

"Cute." Gwilym smiled. He looked you up and down and if you weren't sporting the world's nastiest pajamas. You'd dare to wonder if he liked what he saw.

"Well I better get back were-" You caught your breath and tore your curious gaze away from your brother's best friend. "...having quite the girls night."

Daniel nodded in response.

"You staying for a while? See you around?" You asked Gwilym. You were a naturally curious girl, and Gwilym Lee was extremely easy on the eyes. Why wouldn't you want to look a little longer?

"Yeah, I'll be in town. See ya around, kid." Gwilym's perfect smile was photograph worthy. But that remark stung. You were just Daniel's littlest sister, to Gwilym.

Later that evening you excused your bout of absence with some white lie about your brother needing help with his dogs after a bath.

The death valley mechanic eventually emailed you with good news, so you text your brother and asked if he could take you through the desert on a mission to get your car back. He happily agreed to take you and to let the girls take over the pool house for the day.

///

Your eyes fluttered open, blinded by the sharp white rays of sun boomeranging off the pool and into the window by your bed. Emma was passed out on the adjacent bed, snoring peacefully. There were more shuffles and chatter from the level above you and you knew the other girls were awake. You heard muted squeals and high pitched whispers floating through the pool house, and among them, a lower voice grumbled.

"Y/N! Ned's here!" Francine's unmistakably excited voice rang out.

"Oh, lovely!" You heard Gwilym let out a far off chortle.

Shit. What! Why? You bolted out of the twin bed and up the couple of steps, feet flying over the inexplicable shag carpet toward the double doors.

Gwilym was dressed for the day, in khaki shorts, a white short-sleeved button-up, and turtle framed glasses hiding the sparkle of his sea-blue eyes. And he was standing in the doorway with that stupid smirk, looking right at you.

"Gwil! Hi?" You reasoned, shouldering past Francine who was clutching the open door frame with her jaw hovering just above the floor.

"I texted you a bunch- but I see you were still asleep." Gwilym grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Is everything alright?" You wondered suddenly. You didn't even care that your hair was sticking in different directions, and the man had already seen your atrocious excuse for pajamas.

"Well, Dan got called into work. Left in a big hurry and asked if I'd help you out today. Fancy a lift? He took his SUV. Left the Buick." Gwil actually smirked, like he was making a sweet deal.

That's when Emma let out a gasp from somewhere behind you. She'd spent the first half of Top End Wedding in the shower, but quickly joined your friends to gush over the main character upon her joining the film

Gwilym's eyes left yours for a moment to glance over your shoulder to the house full of girls.

"Uh... alright." You gave a nervous grin, realizing you didn't really have another option. Daniel trusted Gwilym with his vehicle. If he caught one of your college friends behind the wheel of his car, he'd blow a gasket for certain.

"Uh, give me a minute to get my self together?" You nodded to Gwilym. The pair of you had never really spent any kind of quality time with each other. Only sat beside each other during dinners out with your brother's friends and across the living room sharing jokes. This was very different. Did you trust Gwil?

"Sure. I'll wait here if you lot don't mind." Gwil turned his bright gaze to Francine who's chipped nails were still digging into the open door. The girl gave a subtle nod, watching Gwil creep toward the kitchen counter.

"What the hell is going on?" Tilly laughed as you gestured past her.

"Secrets out! Gwil is a family friend. Please don't freak him out." You groaned, scooting to the bathroom. Tilly gapped at you as you spun into the bathroom to pull yourself together.

After finding an old Sargent Pepper tshirt in your bag and managing your hair into a suitable fashion, you hurried back out of the bathroom to hit the road; praying that your friends hadn't corned Gwilym.

The girls were scattered around the kitchen, leaning against counters with their eyes plastered on Gwil. He was like a wonder of the world. An uncovered treasure splayed out in the open.

You had spotted your sandals by the counter and were stepping into them as Tilly asked daft questions to Gwilym about how he knew me, and just exactly how rich he was. The man answered Tilly with grace and caution. Was he really so easy-going? After apologizing profusely and shooting daggers to your girlfriends it was time to go.

"You can use the pool and the dogs will probably hang out. Francine, you're in charge of disaster prevention!" You pointed your way out of the door, as Gwilym followed with a chuckle. Funnily enough, the brash girl was the clearest head in times of trouble.

Gwilym shuffled toward the garage and as you passed into the musty room, feeling a little sick to your stomach.

"Gwil, are you sure this is how you want to spend your day? I don't want to ask too much of you."

"Oh get in the car. I haven't got a thing to do until Dan gets back tonight. There's no harm in a little road trip, is there?"

"Three hours one way. This is your last chance to back out."

Gwilym was already behind the wheel, buckling his seat belt with a smile. You had no choice but to shrug and scramble in the passenger. At least this ride had a radio.

Five minutes in.

"Where's my turn?" Gwilym panicked, steering the wheel sharply to swerve out of the way of roadkill.

"Next exit. When did you learn to drive in the States? Yesterday?" He was almost too quick to react.

"Ha. Ha." Gwilym produced a dry laugh, speeding up ever so slightly. "Last year. A couple of mates and I spent the summer driving around this very desert, I'll have you know."

"Hmm, I see." You smiled as you tried to picture Gwilym going on some great adventure. As far as you knew, his work was his life. Must be some pretty important pals to have tricked the tall man into having a little long-lasting fun. Was he always so cute when he smiled like that?

20 minutes later.

"It's too late now Gwilym. We're already on the freeway and the next exit is only a private ranch."

"But I want a soda so bad." The Englishman whined. For some reason, that surprised you. You realized you really didn't know this guy at all. But you really wanted too. So you promised Gwilym you'd track down the closest fast-food spot and started into an easy-going conversation.

"What would you be doing today if I wasn't in such desperate need?" You teased but you really wanted to know more about the man. The pretty, pretty man.

"Back home? Probably spending the day at a sports game. Having a few drinks at night. Maybe a film to wrap up the evening? That or working I'm sure."

"Yeah, I'm sure." These were things you already knew about Gwil. But you could have listened to him drone on in that delicatessen accent forever and a day.

"What about you? Still out till the odd hours? Still dating that Rodney fellow?"

You couldn't help but let a snort escape you as you turned your head toward Gwil. Had it really been so long since you'd seen him?

"I broke Rodney's heart three years ago, Gwil. I dated around for a while but it's been a busy time. I've not even had time to drink myself sick all year." You smirked. Gwil let out a shocked chuckle. He was right to do so. You used to have a little too much fun.

"No time to do anything but cram. I've not even been to the movies. What do you know about those?" You grinned. It was his dream to act. You felt a little bad for not keeping better track of the local theater. Surely Gwilym had made it to the big screen by now.

"I heard you saw a certain one last night." Gwil pipped up gently. Ah yes, Francine introduced the man at the door as 'Ned.'

"Yeah, that... We found the tape in the cupboard. Your character was a total catch by the way. Any others I've missed out on?"

Your conversation was flowing, and you felt real true ease between your brother's best friend and yourself. Whether it was circumstantial or genuine, you let yourself sink into an appreciation for the magnetic moment.

"Uh... a few," Gwilym spoke. "Do you like the Beatles?"

"Why were you cast as Mr. Harrison or something?" You giggled at Gwil's change of subject.

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't a fraud." Gwilym smiled, gesturing to your Sargent Pepper shirt.

"I'm no fraud!" You assured. "I love all that old rock and roll stuff." You'd scored tickets to see Ringo Starr before college kicked off. It was the best damn day of your life.

"Good. Let's have at it then, aye?" Gwil managed to uncover an aux chord from bellow the counsel and plugged it into his phone. The man reached out and cranked the radio up to the tune of Do You Want To Know A Secret. And for just a moment as you sang along, you pretended that Gwilym knew you were singing to him.

2 hours in

You stopped at the In-n-Out one hundred miles inward. Gwyilm finally got his soda and a whole lot more. The pair of you split a giant order of fries and traded burgers when you discovered you liked each other's orders better. You both thought about splitting a shake but you convinced Gwilym to get his own. He downed the sweet treat in minutes, but yours sat beading with sweat in the cup holder now. A couple of inches of the frozen drink rippled in a melted puddle as the Buick crept toward a gas station.

Gwilym stood in the heat to fill the car as you disposed of the collection of fast-food trash.

"Should I get more snacks?" You called out to Gwil from across the otherwise empty lot.

"Why don't we just agree to a nice dinner on the way home?" He shouted back. It sounded like a joke but you knew it wasn't. You went on to purchase some sunflower seeds anyway because you'd want to stash some in your car.

"Don't act like you don't want some of these." You prodded Gwils ribs as you both settled back into your brother's car. He shook his head with a grin as you tore open the packet of sunflower seeds.

"You're unbelievable. I guess I'll have a few." Gwil reached a hand out after revving the engine.

"Alright. How much was gas, while we're at it?" You gave the bag of seeds to Gwilym as you reached into your purse for your wallet.

"It's none of your business. My treat, really. Thank you for sharing." Gwil laid the bag of seeds to rest in your lap as he turned the wheel out of the gas station.

"I'll let you have that one but I'll get you back when you least expect it." You grumbled, snatching the seeds for your own again.

"Let's get back to your opinion on American football. We've got a lot to dissect here." Gwilym smirked, hands lose on the wheel, tires steady on the road. He was getting the hang of this yet!

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." It was the unsexiest innuendo of all time, but with gentle prodding, Gwil had begun to easily open up to you.

///

The car dealership was just outside Vegas and your beloved mustang was roasting in the hot sun, ready to be driven back to safer grounds.

You practically fell to your knees before the mechanic who ordered special parts and offered you a discount for all your troubles.

"Just follow behind, I know the way back." You smiled to Gwilym, admiring the way the soft breeze tousled his hair. "Thanks again for this." He was really a good sport.

You had settled into your old mustang, fingers fitting into the worn-out divots in the steering wheel. But you cursed when you reached for the radio. You had really been pampered all day, in your brothers Buick, with groovy tunes and a whole lot of eye candy.

That's when your phone rang. It was Gwilym.

The desert road was wide open, but you still decided to put the call on speaker and rest the phone on your dash.

"Hello?" You laughed, checking your rearview mirror. Gwil drove your brothers Buick a safe distance behind. You swore you could see Gwilym's bright white teeth as he responded.

"Hello! I've just realized that I promised to take to dinner, but I can't very well do that with you leading the way."

"Oh, that's what this is about?" You snorted, eyeing the mountains across the horizon.

"Where shall we go?" His voice crackled from your dashboard.

"There's an exit in about forty minutes with a few suitable options. Nothing movie star worthy though." You clicked your tongue, wondering if this was all some fever dream brought on by the ninety-degree day.

"Oh stop it. Is there an IHop? I love IHop."

"You do?" You chuckled. Gwilym hummed with certainty.

"Alright." You spoke up, glancing in the rearview once more. Was he looking? "I'm sure we can track one down."

"Thanks, kid." There it was again, that pesky pet name. You didn't like it at all.

"Am I liable to call you old man?" You jabbed, making your feelings known in a light-hearted manner.

"Whoa now, I'll hang up and leave you alone with your broken radio." Gwil threatened. He remembered your telling him your radio was broken? You glanced in the rearview once more and noticed Gwilym holding up his middle finger.

"Hey!" You laughed.

"Eyes on the road!" Gwilym challenged. There were, in fact, shiny cars popcorning over the horizon.

"Alright, alright! Can you Google and drive? I'll be your eyes." You offered, driving ahead of the man.

"Hang on," Gwilym spoke. You smiled and bit your lip to withhold the burst of joy you wanted to scream out. "I've got one. I'm gonna pass you and take this adventure into my own hands if you don't mind."

You could hear Gwilym smile as his car sped up past yours in an instant.

"See ya at IHop old man!" You shouted, swiping the phone call to end before Gwilym could shout back.

Your brothers Buick zoomed past you and began to blend in with the waves of heat on the horizon. You prayed under your breath that the man leading your way wasn't just a mirage.

///

You sat across from your brother's best friend in a sticky old IHop booth while a family of six and an old married couple filled out the other corners of the restaurant. One waitress floated through the otherwise empty diner to cater to all of you as the sun set.

Gwilym ordered a tea and you warned he was going to be disappointed in the Americanized beverage. He shooed off your comment and relaxed in the booth while you sipped your coffee. You wondered how you ended up here, then you wondered how Gwilym ended up here.

"Have you really just come to town for my brother's silly party?" You suddenly quizzed. Dan threw what he called a "mixer" once every year, where all the friends he'd ever known were invited to drink bourbon and pretend it was fun being an adult. This year was a bit of a house warming party, and your whole family was invited.

"Sort of. I wanted to see him anyway and some other friends around LA." Gwilym offered, resting his head on the heel of his hand while he gazed at you.

"I see, I forgot you were a big rom-com star now." You chuckled. Of course, he was in Hollywood to mingle with other bright eyed up and comers.

But Gwilym just rolled his eyes and smiled as the waitress floated by to fill up your coffee cup.

"The last time I saw you was Easter in 2015, do you remember that?" Gwilym sat up a little, twirling his finger around the rim of his mug of tea. You tried really hard not to notice.

"I'm surprised you do. I was late to brunch and you left not long after I showed up." You recalled. That was when he hugged you goodbye, as he was leaving and you were just joining the rest of your family. He lingered around the dining table to finish some conversation with your father, but you don't remember him leaving.

"'Course I remember. You poured something from a flask into your coffee when your mum wasn't looking." Gwil gestured toward your warm cup and you winced in remembrance.

"Those were the days, huh?" You furrowed your brow even though you smiled, a little sick at the thought of drinking anything.

"They aren't anymore?" Gwil seemed to gently pry, and you weren't about to lie to him.

"No, I learned my lesson in the hospital." You shrugged, hoping to never stay that long on an IV drip ever again.

"What?" Gwilym asked. He seemed genuinely concerned and you hadn't realized he didn't know. Dan would usually warn anyone to keep an eye out on you in case you keeled over like you always used to morning noon and night.

"Yeah, I drank myself silly." You laughed, but it wasn't silly at all. That month was shit. "I haven't drank since January."

"Christ." Gwil shot his wide eyes toward you.

"It's a good thing! I like coffee much more, anyway."

"Than this," Gwil gestured around the eatery, "was the perfect choice."

Gwilym's smile was ultraviolet. You admired him in a way you might have anyone else, but the longer you took in his features, they became prettier by the second. You caught yourself staring, but that was usually the case. What caught you further off guard was the way Gwilym seemed to be just as in tune to your conversation as you were. LIke he really wanted to right here, in the middle of nowhere, with his best friend's kid sister.

He was too good to be true. Why had it taken you so long to realize?

///

That same night, you drove your friends back to your flat to the tune of their incessant teasing. You guessed you'd be shocked if Colin Firth showed up to crash your spontaneous slumber party, after watching Love Actually. So, you couldn't blame them, but you could block them out. You found your mind wandering to the weekend. You found yourself thinking of Gwilym.

Your brother's annual gala was three days later. Your parents swung by your flat and gave you a lift all the way across one town to the next so you could all attend your brother's first party in his new home.

You wore torn up mom jeans and a decent blouse, unbothered by most of the guests sporting their finest black-tie looks, like this was the waiting block for Mad Men auditions or something. Everyone was drinking and the smell alone made your blood curdle. You slinked through plastic Hollywood types and decided you didn't need to drink to have fun, or waste your time mingling.

You wound up in the posh den, in a leather recliner, directing your brother's dogs to do tricks. You got Vinny to start barking at his reflection in the flat screen tv , much to the annoyance of the passing guests. But someone was charmed by your antics. Gwyilm leaned against the door frame with a now-familiar smile.

"Vinny, look!" You pointed to the flatscreen while the giant dog spun around to start whining. Gwilym laughed at you, and you whipped your head to find him watching on, drink in hand.

"Are you having a good time?" Gwilym comically quizzed, scooting further into the room. He sat on the arm of the chair you occupied, holding his glass between his legs. You looked up at the British hunk and smiled.

"We are. Violet just learned to shake hands!" You quipped. The dog bounced over at the sound of her name and sat in front of you, ready to show off her new skills.

"Nice to meet you, lady." You teased, holding your palm in front of your brother's dog. Violet raised her paw into your hand and you smiled as you shook it.

"Well before we call the circus and send you off, you better say goodbye to your family. Your mum's been looking for you." Gwilym laughed, shaking his head as he sipped something dark.

God, how embarrassing. Did she send him to find you? Did she think you were passed out in the bushes or worse? With a pursed smile you stood and left the den to find your mother lounging in the living room with a few other, older guests.

"Oh, this is my youngest, Y/N. A very bright girl." Your mother gushed, grabbing on to your writs and pulling you toward the sofa as some middle-aged blonde lady smiled widely at you. Her name was Dawn and she was busy trying to one-up your mother in housewife points. You just gave a fake grin and spun around to find your father asking about your car troubles.

"It's all fixed and fine now." You assured. Dan appeared on the scene, boasting about how his friend Gwilym was kind enough to take you on that trip. Gwil was sitting back on the sofa, smiling at your father as Dan boosted his ego. But he deserved the praise.

"Gwil practically saved my life!" You pointed, spinning toward where the man was settled onto the love seat. In your classic dramatic flare, you flung yourself into Gwilym's lap without thinking. The time you'd spent with the man had stripped away the layer if unfamiliarity between the two of you. And you would have plopped into anyone of your friend's laps. You made sure to bring your hand to your forehead to ensure your swooning was just for show. Even if you happened to feel a swoop of endearment at the prospect of being so close to Gwil. He was stunning. And his fingers were cautiously hovering around you, as if he wanted to hold you but knew better. And as you scooted out of the man's lap toward the cushion beside him, you swore you saw a hunger in his sea-blue eyes.

"Alright, leave the acting to him, you're no good." Daniel batted your hair on his way across the room at the sound of his name being called.

Moments after you peeled yourself off of Gwilym Lee's lap, your sister showed up. You hadn't seen Roxanne in what felt like ages. On her arm, an unassuming botanist called Max, who seemed to be totally head over heels for your older sister. Boy was he in for a treat.

"Hello, Roxy." Gwilym smiled, resting his glass on the coffee table as he stood to greet your sister. And just like that, the usually demure girl practically melted. You couldn't blame her, not anymore. Not after you caught a glimpse at how warm Gwil's smile really was.

"This, uh, this is Max." Roxanne shoved her boyfriend between herself and Gwilym, a human shield. The equally as meek fellow seemed to look up to Gwilym with wonder in his eye. You realized that no one was safe from doing a double-take. Gwilym was just that great.

The party fizzled out. Before the last guests even left, Roxanne kissed her beau and skipped out to the pool house with you, deciding to spend the night for some much-needed one on one time. You stole some of Daniel's sweatshirts and snacks from your brother's home and locked yourselves into the private little hut in his back yard.

After nearly a full hour of listening to your sister gush over how much she liked Max and how their relationship was taking off, Roxanne got quiet.

"I didn't realize Gwil was in town." Roxanne sheepishly admitted, reaching to the bowl of popcorn between the two of you.

"Yeah, I was surprised too." You realized. "I can't believe you still have a thing for him."

Roxanne laughed and shook her head as if that was all behind her now. But then she bit her lip and looked at you to tell her secret.

"No harm in looking, right?" She shrugged. Roxanne really did seem happy with her new boyfriend. But anyone with eyes could see Gwilym's glow and would probably long to bask in it all the same. You weren't blind to that any longer.

///

Emma and Francine were busy sitting around your apartment doing nothing, terribly bored of it all. Tilly had gone back to visit her family while the summer raged on, leaving the three of you to your own usual devices. Your brother had asked you to stay a little while longer, but he and Gwil took the dogs to a hiking trail and you got bored alone in the pool house after your sister went home. So you drove back to your flat where your roommates decided to waste away together.

"There's nothing good on tv. And I don't wanna go out. Why is nothing fun anymore?" You complained. The days of dancing the night away seemed like a waste of time to you now. There had been lots of fun last year, and the ones before. Maybe too much fun. When you weren't drinking you were asleep in someone else's bed. Casual dating turned into some kind of game. And it all started when Francine challenged you to get with as many people as you could take a shot for. And naturally, you were down to take the drinking challenge, but you took way too many shots that night. And you started zipping through one night stands like it was your job and you needed extra rent. You felt nothing, numbed by so many drinks. And near the end of your manic episode, you thought that maybe the more people you shagged, you'd eventually feel for one of them. But that never happened. Even when you brought some of them home and tried to mold them into a little perfect box.

You had a lot of time to reevaluate in the hospital. You hoped with your new lease on life that meaning would seep back through your cracks. But sitting around your old dusty apartment bored you. Wasn't there any balance anymore? Your phone buzzed you out of deep thought.

Gwil: How'd you get Violet to shake your hand? She won't listen to me or Dan!

You: I'm a dog whisperer. ;)

"We could do arts and crafts!" Emma chirped like a hopeful preschooler.

"It's too hot to think of having fun." Francine moaned, sprawled across the sofa with her upper half sliding down toward the floor.

Your phone buzzed again. Gwilym responded with the meme of the angry-looking cat sitting at the dinner table. You let out a breathy laugh that fanned through your nose. Before you could think of responding Gwilym had sent another text.

Gwil: I'll find out your secret one day.

You: Take a hike!

He should have been trekking through scenic California mountains instead of sending you memes.

"Earth to Y/N! Why are you smiling at your phone like that when we're in the middle of a boredom crisis meeting?"

"What?" You blanched. Had you really been lost in the short-lived conversation between Gwilym and yourself? He was just too good to be true. Of course, you were transfixed by the lad.

"Yeah, who are you talking to? Is Stu back from Ibiza? Are you two hooking up again?" Francine challenged, sitting up on the sofa with a knowing grin.

"God no, not Stu. He stole my underwear. That fucking creep." You shivered at the memory of your very last and longest hookup. Emma grimaced in response, but Francine, like always, wasn't satisfied.

"So who is it then?" The girl's honey-brown eyes filled with mischief as she reached for your phone.

"Why do you think it has to be anybody?" You whined, trying to lean further back before Francine could launch her self toward you. But it was too late, she latched onto your cell like a falcon, and scanned the screen. Her lips turned into a wild smile while Emma turned her head in anticipation.

"It's Ned!" Francine let out a burst of laughter as you dove back toward her to rescue your stolen device.

"Ned from the movie?" Emma questioned.

"What other Ned's do you know, Emma?" Francine rang, allowing you to take back your phone.

"The dad from the Try Guys." Emma shrugged. You would have laughed if you didn't feel your stomach fall away. What was there to be so nervous about?

"Why is movie star Ned sending you memes? How do you even know him, again?" Francine sat straight up against some throw pillows to begin her interrogation.

"When Daniel moved to London for college, he and Gwilym became the best of friends." You sighed, reminding Francine of the name of the man she kept referring to.

"He sent you a meme, Y/N." Francine rose her brows like she was alluding to something more.

"After he drove you across the desert and back," Emma added, pointing your way.

"Yeah, I guess he's my friend too." You gapped. Well he was, wasn't he? Your phone buzzed again and everyone's eyes filled with curiosity as you kept your phone clutched to your chest.

"He's also a movie star!" Francine rang.

"Just because he was in some Australian rom-com doesn't mean anything-"

"What other movies has he been in? Maybe he's loaded and you guys can be Hollywoods new it couple." Emma cooed like she was dreaming for herself.

"I don't know- the last time I saw Gwil was years ago I hardly think-"

"Babe. I can tell you're into him so do away with excuses!" Francine leaned over the sofa to rest a hand on your knee.

"Guys, I'm just now really getting to know him..." You reasoned, trying like mad to pretend his gloriously pretty face wasn't always on your mind.

"He's hot. I'm talking mega beautiful. I don't blame you. And he basically already took you on a date." Francine remained trying to get you to crack.

"Uh, guys..." Emma was fixated on her phone screen when you and Francine whipped your heads toward the girl. She began to squeal through her teeth as she bolted from the pull out bed and skipped toward the coffee table to snatch the remote.

"What are you doing, Emma?" You asked but it sounded more like a warning. She only giggled as the tv buzzed to life. After a quick search on your shared Amazon account, a film from last year started to play.

"Are you trying to tell us that Gwilym is in Bohemian Rhapsody? Wasn't that nominated for a bunch of awards?" Francine focused on Emma who was staring at the screen in anticipation.

"Oh my God." You sighed. Not only did were you turned off by the thrill of seeing Gwil on screen, you felt horrible for not knowing your brother's best friend was in a damn blockbuster. Had you really been so far gone in party land that you were that blinded to the world around you? Francine picked up on your unease and tried to talk you into the spirit.

"He's probably just in the background for a second. But we have to watch it, so, Let's just get it over with."

Emma let out a nervous giggle as an actor opened his eyes on the screen. You literally held your breath while the film crept through the introduction. And then you saw him. Dawning a curly black wig and a smile that belonged to someone else.

"Oh no." You groaned at the exact moment Francine let out an excitable laugh.

"Your boyfriend is Brian May!" She squealed. Gwilym wasn't your boyfriend, but he was nearly identical to the guitarist of Queen. You loved their music. You loved their story. But you had totally missed the posters and promotions for the film that featured Gwil's name in lights. You decided then and there that you would never drink again. You and your friends watched the rest of the film in total rapture. Emma decided the blonde playing Roger was the new love of her life. Francine started to cry when the lad playing Freddie walked out of the doctor's office. You held her hand as the band kicked off Live Aid and when the credits rolled, Emma hit mute and you three stared at each other for a beat, lost for words.

"I sort of forgot all about Ned. He's a proper actor, isn't he?" Francine looked to you like she'd just seen a ghost. You could only muster a stunned nod of exact agreement.

"I just remembered something... my sister in law saw this in theaters like four times. She's totally obsessed with it. Let's call her!" Emma reached across the pull out bed to claim her cell phone before you could stop her.

"No, Emma this is ridiculous! It's not like I don't know Gwil." You reasoned.

"You just said that you were just getting to know him. And trust me when I say that no one knows an actor better than the fandom." Francine lifted her brow as if to prove a point. The girl was still obsessed with Supernatural, and would spout off info about the actors she kept up learning online. But it was all hearsay, wasn't it?

"That's insanely untrue, just so you know." You nodded to Francine, hoping to coax her out of that toxic mindset. The phone was ringing through Emma's speaker and before anyone could day more, someone answered.

"Susan! What do you know about Gwilym Lee?" Emma giggled, resting her phone on the bed with her speaker's volume all the way up. You buried your head in your hands as Francine wrapped an encouraging arm around your shoulder.

"You mean Brian May's clone?" Susan the sister in law crackled through the cell phone. She wasn't wrong. Halfway through the film, you'd nearly forgotten the real members of Queen weren't actually there.

"Is that a compliment? I mean really tell me about this guy. Sell him to me." Emma bargained, propping herself up on her elbows and kicking her feet behind her.

"Okay..." The girl on the phone breathed and suspense built up in your stomach while you waited for a stranger to list of facts about your brother's best friend. "Gwilym is perfect for starters. He's into sports and he's totally obsessed with his castmates. They still see each other all the time. Gwil seems totally devoted and passionate. Rumor has it he's engaged. The good ones are always taken."

You suddenly felt like a ghost of your former giddy self. Why should you have felt so sick? So what if he was engaged? He was just your friend. But friends were supposed to tell each other these sorts of things, weren't they?

"Engaged?" Emma squealed, practically causing the silky pull out bed to ripple from her risen octave.

"Well, it's just a rumor. There are no pictures of a ring or a girl or anything. But where there's smoke there's fire. Anyway, can I tell you about the rest of the cast?"

Francine sat up beside you, casting fiery eyes into yours as she reached for her phone to begin investigating for herself.

"No, I've gotta go." Emma hung up with no explanation, flinging her legs over the edge of the rickety couch bed.

"She's right, there's no evidence." Francine rang, turning her phone to me with a slim Google result list.

"Not to be a downer but I feel like there's gotta be something going on, right?" Emma glanced at you with big sad eyes.

"I- I don't know. Maybe he is? He's talked for ages about his family. Never said a word about a girl."

"That's because he's into you and he's on a great American fling. If there's a girl he's not going to say so." Francine reasoned. She was right. She had to be. Gwilym was too beautiful and endearing to have been single. You were just a good flirt.

I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction... 'cause I try and I...

Your phone was ringing. And your friend's eyes were glued to your every move. You were only a little shocked to find Gwilym's name flickering across your dim screen now. But as you snatched the phone to answer you felt your chest tighten between a rope of anxious nerves.

"Hi, Gwil." You tried to sound nonchalant as you stood up and pointed a warning finger to your friends. But they, of course, couldn't be expected to hold back their bursts of excitable chirps.

"Hi-"

"Hang on!" You warned, making a break for your bedroom. There was little hope your friends would settle their giggles because as they chased after you to beg to eavesdrop, they were squealing far too loudly. After dramatically flinging yourself behind your locked bedroom door you answered the phone once more.

"Okay! Hi!" You sighed, trying desperately to even out your breathing.

"Is this a bad time?" Gwilym quizzed over the phone. You cast your eyes across your well-kept room with a smile.

"No! Just... what's up?" You wondered in turn. No time was a bad time for Gwilym.

"Alright." The man let out a chuckle before continuing. "Well, this might be a stretch, but here it goes. I was going to bring Dan with me to a premier tomorrow. He had to cancel last minute for work, yet again. I've already got a plus one, so, would you like to come with me?"

"I'm second best, huh?" You laughed, stepping further into the room, past a stack of books around the corner.

"Well, first if you think about it! Dan called dibs, but I... well I called you."

Oh dear. You had to remind yourself to breathe as Gwilym went on to say,

"I think you'd get on well with my mates is all, and you seemed to have a free week. Asking seemed worth a shot."

"I see." You bit your lip. Was he really being as forward as he sounded? Was he really engaged? "Well, I'd love a night out. Only if you're sure though."

"Oh, I'm sure. Come round Dan's by seven?" You could hear him smile.

"Okay." You agreed while still holding your breath. "See you soon, Gwil."

What do I wear?

#gwilym x reader #gwilym lee x reader #gwilym lee #borhap fanfic

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writethehousedown · 5 years

Text

i’ll be yours (if you’ll be mine) [Trixya, Branjie] - pinkgrapefruit (1/7)

[ february the eighth: vanessa mateo and the chocolate bouquet ]

Vanessa runs into Katya’s store six days before Valentine’s day. She’s huffing and panting and by the time she reaches the counter Katya is struggling to understand what the poor girl is saying as sweat drips from her temple. It rolls all the way down her neck, colouring the maroon of her tank top with burgundy splodges. Katya struggles to hold back a laugh and the sound of her stifled snorts shuts the panting girl up. Vanessa fans herself with her hands, long scarlet nails waving in the soft breeze from the door (which was left swinging on its hinges by the red tornado).

“What can I do for you today then, Miss Mateo,” Katya asks, teasingly - two fingers walking themselves up and down the soil dusted countertop.

Vanessa quirks her eyebrow and tilts her head, eyes scanning the board behind Katya’s head before she comes up with an answer. “Can you make me a bouquet that smells like chocolate?” She asks with the unmistakable confidence of somebody who desperately needs to be correct.

Katya takes in the full picture. The missing thumbnail, the loose baby hairs and the half untied shoelaces trailing through the damp muddy floor. She assesses the level of sarcasm she can approach this with so as not to make Vanessa (who clearly has some pent up emotion) punch her. She unequivocally decides none.

“When do you need it?” She asks instead, pairing up flowers in her head as she scans the room. She identifies a carolina allspice towering in the back of her greenhouse and pictures the dark maroon bloom with some baby’s breath, heuchera and chocolate cosmos. She’s pretty sure she can source the latter from her exotic flower guy and is just trying to remember where she stuck his business card when Vanessa answers.

“Can you do it for the twelfth?” She asks, voice hurried and Katya smiles reassuringly.

“Of course I can,” She responds, “paying on collection?”

“Uhuh.”

When Vanessa returns on the following Wednesday, the floor is cleaner the counter is smooth and she is dressed in a long red bodycon dress. Katya has to resist the urge to trail her eyes up and down the shorter woman as she clips delphiniums and hydrangeas for a different bouquet. Upon the girl’s arrival to the counter, Katya smiles.

“You scrub up well,” She comments, a joking hint behind her voice. She and Vanessa have been friends for years - her ex brought her once and even when they broke up Vanessa remained a loyal patron. Katya has a few of those - loyal customers, they typically come to her for flowers and then cross the street to Yellow Cloud Patessiere for some of Trixie’s handmade chocolates. They’re a good team, working across the street in tandem sorting people out for anniversaries, holidays, big dates and small dates. They also run discounts between the stores - a free box with twelve roses, a discounted floral arranger for a wedding order. Katya looks through the display window and smiles as the blonde potters around the patisserie, apron covered in flour and chocolate.

“Bitch I would like the flowers sometime soon,” Vanessa jokes loudly to bring Katya back into the room. “I know your boo has a fine ass but I have a date.”

Katya coos like a teen cheerleader who’s just found out her best friend lost her virginity to the quarterback. She places the bouquet on the counter and leans forward conspiratorially.

“I. Need. To. Know. Everything.” She tells her and Vanessa gives a coy smile.

“Well, she about this tall,” She waves her hand high above her head. “And she’s blonde. Very you but Canadian and hot.” this makes Katya cackle, arms flailing, knocking a tin watering can off the shelf behind her. “Calm yourself Mr-fucking-Tickle,” Vanessa attempts to say in a stern voice but she’s too excited to hold it.

“She sounds great Ness,” Katya says, utterly sincere. “The bouquet will be fourty five ‘cause I had to call in my exotic flower guy and I’ll be honest the allspice is hella hard to breed and now my entire shop smells more like chocolate than usual-” She rambles til Vanessa cuts her off.

“I am gonna be late to this date if you don’t shut up and just let me pay you. I don’t care about the cost.”

“Good luck.”

“Bitch, I don’t need luck - I have flowers that smell like chocolate.”

The door slams and Katya watches out of the window as a tall blonde hurries up to the smaller brunette. They hug and the blonde’s face breaks into a smile when presented with the flowers. That’s the best part of the job.

#rpdr fanfiction #trixya #branjie #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #pinkgrapefruit #i'll be yours (if you'll be mine)#ancolie #lesbian au #florist!katya #patissierie!trixie #flower language bullshit #be mine 2020 #day 1: chocolate #submission

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sparksstreet · 5 years

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long post warning!!!! i’m sorry, i don’t think you can add a keep reading option while on mobile and i don’t have a computer, but i know a lot of us are cooped up at home and bored out of our minds right now and i want to show some appreciation for a few creators, so here is a fic rec list of reddie fics (and one or two boreo) that i have really enjoyed recently:

• portrait of two boys in free fall, artist unknown by saintsrow2 on ao3: not complete

1993: When Richie was seventeen he wrote the boy he loved a love letter. The letter said “I would do anything for you”, and he wrote it by throwing a brick through the windshield of Henry Bowers' car.

In 1993, the Losers Club are coming up to the end of high school and Richie Tozier is the only one who doesn't know what he's going to do next. All he has is a couple of hundred dollars and a best friend he doesn't want to leave behind. They've just had their first kiss, and he doesn't want it to be their last.

In 2014, Richie Tozier hasn't been back to Derry since he was a teenager. But for the first time, he thinks he might have to go back.

An AU with no Pennywise exploring Richie's teenage years in Derry, his relationship with Eddie, and the plan of two boys to run away from the place that threatens to crush them.

[i read all of the available chapters just last night and this morning and it had me in tears almost the entire time. this really captures the ‘closeted gay in a small town’ experience and it was all a really familiar feeling for me. great for angst lovers. beautifully written and fucking heart wrenching, i can’t wait for the next chapter.]

• & that’s for all time by rednoseredhair on ao3: not complete

It's the summer before college, and Richie Tozier is prepared for approximately nothing to change. The club works at a Renaissance Faire, and somehow in between the turkey legs, marathons of Super Smash brothers and cheap beer, some of them have time to fall in love.

[i have been following this fic for around a year or so now??? it’s great if you love angst, complete dumbassery, and slow burn. like. actual slow burn. this fic doesn’t specifically focus on reddie, the friendships between all of the losers and each of their lives being the most important part, which i love. this author writes probably my favorite versions of all the losers and the fic itself gives off the vibe of a well written sitcom that will bring you to tears every other episode.]

• a portrait of the artist as a con man by dramaturgicallycorrect and p3trichor on ao3: not complete

“And how did you come across a particularly sloppy Renoir reproduction?” Theo can’t help but ask as Boris gestures at the bartender for another two shots and smirks when Theo says reproduction. Even if Boris struck Theo as the art type, a fake Renoir is not the sphere of work that Theo could imagine Boris’ collection to be.

Boris ticks a thumbnail against the side of his glass pensively. “Friend of friend gave it to me. A gift of sorts. One of my associates suggested I get it looked at by professional.”

“And you found me,” Theo finishes for him.

Boris holds his hands out, palms up, and replies, “Small world, no?”

[Or art restoration expert Theo Decker finds himself slowly pulled into the high risk/high reward world of art forgery at the hands of his old classmate, Boris Pavlikovsky.]

[another beautifully written story. i love this au with my entire heart, the idea of just a few things changing their lives but their tether to one another still remaining and pulling them together in the end just hits different, i don’t know what to tell you. incredibly well written, characterization is great in my opinion, creative plot line. it’s great.]

• in the heat of the summer (you’re so different from the rest) by kaboomslang on ao3: complete

There’s a heatwave in L.A., the first time Richie sees Eddie naked.

One very hot year in the life of two idiots in love, working shit out.

[one of my absolute favorite fics in general. this story invented being horny and head over heels in love and singlehandedly made me want to fall in love. the author is so wonderful with capturing the way richie thinks and goes about things in a way that i think is really realistic. i might actually give this a re-read soon.]

• lies and slander by abbeyway on ao3: complete

Eddie only makes up a boyfriend to stop Beverly nagging him about his non existent work life balance. He never expects that she'll actually come to town and want to meet said boyfriend.

Just another fake dating AU, because canon killed me.

[i don’t know what to tell you, i’m love a good fake dating au and this is a fantastic one. eddie and bev’s friendship in this truly made my heart swell ten times bigger. the relationship between eddie and richie was fun to read because this is one of the few fics with this au where they aren’t already close friends when it starts, so you get to see their relationship develop.]

• running up that hill by speakslow on ao3: not complete

When Eddie Kaspbrak's mother gets remarried, she sends him off to Catholic boarding school. Will it be exactly what he pictures: same old prison, new location? Or will it be something else entirely?

[90’s boarding school au!!!!! what’s not to love at that alone? i love everything this author puts out, but i think this one might be my absolute favorite. i don’t know if i’m capable of listing everything i love because it’s just the entire thing. sports, repression, crushes on your roommate, protective richie, sneaking around with beverly marsh. it’s great.]

• baby, i’m counting on you by puddingtown on ao3: not complete

When Richie Tozier breezes back into his hometown of Derry, Maine, he’s expecting to see familiar faces. Of course, he’s not expecting to see an old flame chasing around a baby. With a million questions, nowhere to go, and a help wanted ad for a nannying job, he finds himself at the doorstep of Eddie Kaspbrak.

[this is going to be my last rec since i don’t want the post to be too long. another angsty one, but still soft at the same time. this fic makes my heart ache a lot but there is also so much love in it that it makes up for the pain. if you want to cry over “right person, wrong time” and then coo over a fictional toddler, this fic is perfect.]

#i didnt do as many as i wanted because i didnt want the post to get overly long but #these are just some that i have enjoyed recently! maybe other people will too if you havent already #let me know if you are the author of any of these and want your tumblr tagged!!!!#fic rec #fic rec list #it #reddie #the goldfinch #boreo #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #boris pavlikovsky #theo decker #reddie fic #boreo fic #long post

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ansgar-martinsson · 4 years

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The Best Intentions - Part 21

“I know aptitude when I see it. Selfish of me, really. Get them whilst they’re young and all that. Get my pickings of the talent pool early on.” Ansgar replied. He leaned on the edge of her desk, his leg dangling, his shined brown loafer just scraping the floor. A curl of his fingers and he inspected his nails, trying to appear nonchalant as his mind worked. He debated revealing what he was about to say, what he was about to tell her. He knew he’d pressed her buttons enough intentionally that afternoon, and he wondered if exposing her to more of his… his humanity… would send her reeling.

Which is exactly what he wanted to do, to show her the reality that was himself, to draw her out of her shell, to draw her deeper into him; but he also knew when too much was too much. He’d read her. Read her like Shakespeare for Dummies just how much his very presence in front of her brother, in front of her nephews, in front of her entire family rattled her. He couldn’t help but wonder how she would react, how beautifully insane she would be when he met mother for the first time.

For that was something else he knew – a simple corporate background check can reveal a plethora of information – that she lived with her mother. That her mother was ill. That she cared for her mother. And that endeared her to him, but he wouldn’t admit that to her… not yet. He wouldn’t admit that it made him a little jealous, actually - as Ansgar’s father had died young, and his mother had all but ignored him in the past few years. Shelved him and his mad life in favour of the stability of Magnus and his family. Which was fine. Ansgar understood the doting grandmother role, Ansgar knew he could never gift Joanna with grandchildren himself, but, even as tough and as sharp and as jaded as he was - sometimes a man just needed to talk to his mother.

And his own was distant. Unavailable. Uninterested.

Something, after Faye left him, he swore he would never be to those he cared for.

“Her nephew,” he began, still picking one nail with his thumbnail. “Faye’s nephew, Rufus. He was like that. Like Adrian and Hugo. Brilliant, curious, mechanically inclined. Genius level, nearly.” He brought the fingernail to his teeth, scraping a tiny fleck of dirt out from beneath the corona. “I had him in my tutoring program a few years back. He excelled. Designed a working lift crane of all things - something that I ran by my own engineers. Had it built, and now I use it on smaller-scale projects.”

“Do you… do you still see him at all?” She turned around then, crossed her arms over her chest and rest back against her bookcase.

Ansgar sighed. “No,” he said. “I had a row with his father shortly after Faye left me. Threatened to kill the man, actually, so… no. I haven’t seen Rufus in two years. He’ll be fifteen this April. Nearly grown.”

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she said.

“Eh,” he shrugged, pushing himself off the desk. “It’s no matter now, is it?” He strode over to her, took her by the shoulders and planted a gentle yet firm kiss upon her lips, opening up to her quiet whimper, and the caress of her hands on his back. “I will see you at eight, darling,” he said. “Be ready by ten minutes before.”

“Why?”

“We’re having a quiet night in tonight, my place. At eight. Dinner - casual, of course - and a film in my home theatre, and whatever follows.” He smiled broadly, teeth pulling sensually at his lower lip. “Mickhail will pick you up at ten minutes until eight.” His finger traced the line of her cheek to caress over her bottom lip. “Don’t leave him waiting. He gets very cranky if he’s made to wait.”

“I won’t.”

Wink. “I know.”

****

And true to his command, Ansgar’s door chime sounded at eight o’clock on the dot. He grinned broadly as he opened the door to the elevator lobby, but that grin morphed quickly into a breathy look of astonishment, of pure desire, at the very sight of her. “Jesus, Joline,” he blurted, “you look…amazing.”

And she did, dressed as she was in a leather trimmed black blouse and a tight pair of studded and decorated jeans, the cuffs resting just at her ankles above a pair of high heeled shoes. Not the Louboutins, that time, but Ansgar found her own shoes to be somehow sexier. Her hair was done up in a high, fluffed-out ponytail, wisps of hair caressed her simply made up cheeks. A bit of eyeliner, some blush and a bright red lipstick.

“I’m casual. You said casual,” she dipped her head shyly, batting her eyelashes at him.

“I did, didn’t I?” his voice broke slightly. “Yes. You… you’re perfect.”

“As are you,” she smirked, fingering the collar of his blue linen shirt, tucked neatly into a pair of black jeans, held up by a leather belt and a decorative, yet tasteful belt buckle.

“Come in, please,” he said, gesturing. “I….” he hesitated. “I’ve a bit of a surprise for you.”

She smiled as she stepped past him into the foyer. “Oh, really?”

“Yes.” He chewed his lips together, like a small child upon entering a toy store for the first time. “Come with me.” He took her hand and crossed the expansive entry way. He turned her, took her by the shoulders and sat her down on a white leather chaise near the piano. He bent to her and indulged in a long, ardent kiss, licking his lips at the end of it.

“So what’s my surprise?” She whispered against his lips.

“I never did get to play for you,” he said. “Last night. We… never used the piano for its intended purpose.” He shuddered, remembering how he had taken her over the closed lid of the polished ebony Steinway, how she rode him as he sat on the leather piano bench, her legs wrapped around his waist and how she…. oh!

“No, we never did,” she smiled. “Are you… are you going to play for me now? Is that my surprise?”

He nodded, his smile almost shy, his eyes blinking, averting hers. “Only if you want me to.”

He felt her hands, warm and soft and gentle, on either side of his face. She pushed, gentle pressure to turn his gaze to hers. She pulled, drawing him closer to her, drawing him to where she could grace the tip of his nose with a soft, pillowy press of her lips. “It’s perfect. Yes. I want you to. I want to hear you play…. you fucking virtuoso.”

He barked a laugh. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did,” she shrugged. “Mind you it was in the throes of passion, but you know what they say about truth in it.”

“I thought it was truth in jest.”

“Jesting, fucking, it’s all the same.”

He laughed outright then. “Yeah, I guess it is.” He nodded, readying himself. “Okay.” He sat down on the piano bench, playfully tossing an imaginary set of tuxedo tails out from behind him, making her laugh again before he pulled the bench forward, laid his hands on the piano, and breathed.

In.

Out.

And with a roll of his hands, a closing of his eyes, a hunch of his shoulders and a melt of his muscles, he played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpRzZojcP40

As became Ansgar’s modus operandi with her, what Joline expected him to play on the piano and what he actually played were polar opposites. Worlds apart, in fact. The man continued to knock her expectations off kilter and kept her guessing, continuously breaking the barrier down of the compartment she tried to keep him in.

After the afternoon she had, trying to keep him away from her family, his showing interest and even favor in them, Ansgar was more than a one night stand. He called her on her deflection for what it was and allowed her into his life, even if superficially. Who would do the same for a one night stand? As she sat, feet tucked up beside her on his lounge (judging by the amount of leather it took to make, cost more than her mother’s mini Cooper), she’d already exceeded the typical one encounter by double.

She had to try to remain distant and aloof to keep her heart. For one thing she knew for sure, Ansgar Martinsson could break her heart, devastate her without taking the pleasure in her utter destruction. As the proverbial saying went, the opposite of love wasn’t hate, it was indifference. As soon as he got his fill of their faux rebound, he’d forget about her.

All she needed to do was keep her head, stick to her word of no expectations, and enjoy the sex for however long he wanted her around. It would be so much easier to do that if he wasn’t so considerate of her, of her nephews, of her family. It was already complicated it with offering to tutor or find a tutor for her nephews. She couldn’t allow him to hurt them.

The dulcet, tremulous somber music poured from his fingers and his piano instead of some great showoff symphony of some well-known composer. Instead he chose a soothing, reflective piece with a smattering of a hopeful melody of playful high notes. This wasn’t a flashy complicated piece of an expert, this was beauty in simplicity, a classic case of less was more.

As for his skill in music, Ansgar’s boasts were on the mark, earning him every right to brag. He played as a virtuoso, focused, dedicated, respectful of the music. A lovely example of an instrument making its player shine, the piano a mere extension of him. Because this wasn’t about showing off or impressing his date (which he did effortlessly), his eyes remained on his hands or closed, his focus solely on the music and the product of the sound he made. He didn’t steal any glances her way to see how she responded or wink at her, and somehow that fact pointed to his authenticity as a musician.

When he was done, Joline applauded his efforts, grinning, appreciative that he didn’t show off like a rock star. “That was a beautiful piece, Sgar. Truly. Thank you for playing it for me.”

He bowed his head in humility, a rare moment for him. “I’m glad that you liked it.” He pushed to his feet after swinging sidesaddle on the piano bench. “Are you surprised?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

“It was written by my favorite composer.”

“I can tell.” Joline patted the lounge beside her, asking him to sit with her. “Your respect for it comes through. It makes sense.”

Ansgar sat beside her, his arm slung over the back, his hand hovering by her shoulder, cheating his body in her direction. “What makes sense?”

“What you do. There’s structure and mathematics and building materials in music as there are in construction,” she stated easily. “Music is made of notes, of course… but rhythms and melodies, chords and progressions, counterpoints and dynamics. Construction is about textures and structures, angles and perspectives.”

“I suppose that’s true. How do you know so much about it?” His fingers reached up and touched some of the strands of her ponytail.

She looked down at her folded hands in her lap. “My roommate in uni studied music, a concert pianist actually. I might have sat in a few music theory classes.”

He chuckled. “Did you make it a habit to sit in on classes outside your concentration?”

She laughed, her head angling coquettishly. “Not a habit, no. But there’s some overlap in my major, so I dipped my toe in the musical waters.”

“AH! You’re surrounded by musicians in your studies and in your job.”

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry, I won’t ask for hazard pay or overtime. I like the way you play.” She gestured for him to give her his hands when she waved her hands in her direction.

Ansgar willingly gave her both, pulling his arm down form the elevated position.

Joline tilted her head up and on a slant after tracing his elegant fingers with her own. “I always found musicians hands to be the sexiest.”

“Is that so?”

“Truly.”

“Is that why you fell into theatre management? To be around the musicians?”

Joline unraveled from her position, sliding her high heeled feet out from under to straight before her, slinging them over Ansgar’s lap. She felt more comfortable in his physical space and felt that familiar pull for his bedroom. “I wish I could claim that, but I’ve never been involved with a musician. Except for friends, of course… my roommate, my friends, my classmates. All musicians. With the most fascinatingly sexy hands. All of them.”

Ansgar layed his hands on her thigh, positioning them as if he played her like he did his Steinway, but he only brought her that little bit closer. “What was your uni like?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Typical, I guess. All night cram sessions, midnight runs to McDonalds for brain food, congregating in one room to play a board game or watch a film, mini refrigerators, ramen noodle dinners, empty pockets, endless laundry and schedules to clean the bathroom.”

“How did you learn that you wanted to be in theatre?”

She reclined back, pondering it for a moment, “Gosh, I don’t know. When the two show days didn’t kill me?” She laughed to herself, her mind reminiscing to try to answer his question. “My uni ran shows for four weeks, one performance on Thursday and Friday and two performances on Saturday and Sunday. I remember, we did a production of Oklahoma my sophomore year. I was stage manager, my first as stage manager. I had three assistant stage managers, fifty cast members, and a set designed by the devil himself. I remember lying on the floor of the green room between shows feeling so drained, the mental capacity to manage that many people and cues drained me. That’s when I discovered M&Ms.”

“The chocolates?”

“They’re mystical and magic. That’s what the M’s stand for, I think. I survived on M&Ms,” she said matter of fact, in all seriousness.

“You survived on a sugar high.”

“You call it sugar high, I call it the power of M&Ms. They still get me through rough seasons or runs. Don’t you have any rituals or things you swear by?”

Ansgar slid his hands up towards her hip, enjoying the feel of her soft denim and her firm flesh underneath. “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose I do.”

She gave him a comfortable lead, but he didn’t elaborate on that. She found her opportunity to inspect the jagged and raised flesh on his arm. The scar had caught her attention more than once, but she never got the chance to ask in their fever to get physical. “What happened here?” she asked quietly, caressing her hand up and down the uneven scar tissue.

#the best intentions

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ahamkara-bone-whispers-blog · 5 years

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Enhance your Business Revenues By way of Applying Video Marketing

Welcome to my Thumbnail Blaster Review and Demo. Top marketing professionals agree that making use of a great video marketing strategy is one of the absolute best issues you can perform to improve your organization. By means of implementing intelligent and even powerful video marketing techniques you will significantly increase both your own personal gross sales and profits. Study on to find out great online video marketing suggestions. Watching prosperous viral videos is the best way to obtain an notion of what creates a video favorite. Remain up to date using new developments, check sociable networks and several websites your target target audience loves and put together a summary of characteristics you recognize inside the viral videos you find. Your own videos will turn out to be well-known if you talk about them efficiently. You ought to create an account online and on various other equivalent internet sites your visitors uses, function your video lessons in your web page as well as website and share all of them upon social networks. If possible, get other people and even people who can be influential on social networks to talk about your videos. Ask your clients to create their unique video lessons. You can for occasion organize a contest in addition to ask customers to picture themselves while they work with your own products. Reward typically the best video lessons with a great interesting reward and make use of the submitted video clips while promotional material for your own social media marketing campaign and for your website. If a person creative super hits together with you get a wonderful idea to get a video, film this when you can in the event that you have the products for this. 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Household realize you are a great expert, they may trust anyone and purchase your current goods. Begin your online video by way of telling your visitors exactly what you are going to help teach all of them or talk about with them. After thumbnail blaster , stick to through on your guarantee and deliver the content. If you state evidently what exactly you are doing, in addition to then do it, viewers are more inclined to watch your video lessons again. Take into account just precisely how short attention ranges will be online. You have concerning ten seconds in your own personal online video to grab your audience interest. Keep your own total content within two minutes in length to help make the most possible impact. If this does not seem possible so that you have in order to get out there, spread your content across chapter movies. You should end up being honest in your video tutorials. Your audience will determine with you and trust a person if they sense like you are appearing yourself. You should, on the other hand, prevent swearing or saying whatever too personal around your video clips and alter anything you experience does indeed not have its location in your current video. YouTube comment lookup is the great way to seek out video clips on the matter you are intending to use in your next movie. This lets you to see what additional everyone is talking about together with then you can either answer their questions or come up with brand-new information which in turn isn't at the moment being offered. Video training are a great method for you to get touching a much broader market. When people perform not know how to make a move, they have often the trend to check online regarding advice. Having videos the fact that will teach what exactly they want for you to know will make anyone an experienced in their eyes. A new major mistake involving people new to video clip marketing is usually they try to design their own video lessons like a commercial. It is a big turn off. Folks tend not to want to observe commercials troubles computers. Alternatively, try to choose your videos about happenings with your field or events with your current business. Grab the audience's attention early in your current video clips. The key to be able to this is to "pull them in" within the primary 10 seconds of some sort of video clip. You need to do something within this specific timeframe that will get away from them in amazement and even wanting more. After getting their particular attention, you must keep these things engaged by having exciting and critical information in the rest of the video. Online video advertising can look like a difficult nut to crack. It will be much easier to do if anyone inject quite a few humor in to your videos. This can generally entertain your viewers together with keep them coming lower back to get more. Be careful with this strategy and show your videos to others prior to publishing. You could conclude up if she is not funny in addition to making your own personal business search bad. One of the tried in addition to true techniques to video marketing is to use cliffhangers. These people have been used throughout television system from the incredibly beginning and are constantly effective. This will preserve your readers engaged in addition to have them expecting the next video to respond to often the questions raised around the primary online video. Consist of music within your videos. Think about what commercials used in addition to you will see the fact that the best versions have got music in them. Just what music would work around your video? This approach, you'll have a even more enticing and even entertaining online video media that your audiences can enjoy. If you aren't more comfortable with being onscreen, that will likewise help anyone. Try taking the behind the scenes approach in your video marketing campaign. Clients love to observe how a new organization really works, and they'll also appreciate your visibility. Make sure to contain info about exactly how your own business addresses the desires from the consumers and creates their pleasure a number-one priority! Since was explained in the opening up sentence of this article, video marketing plans offer the great way to enhance business enterprise and increase product sales and profits. By meticulously studying the information comprised within the meat regarding this article in addition to applying it, you are positive to start building extraordinary sums of money. Best of luck!

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absolutenil · 3 years

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Video SEO best practices for ecommerce

[ “type”: “thumb-down”, “id”: “missingTheInformationINeed”, “label”:”Missing the information I need” , “type”: “thumb-down”, “id”: “tooComplicatedTooManySteps”, “label”:”Too complicated / too many steps” , “type”: “thumb-down”, “id”: “outOfDate”, “label”:”Out of date” , “type”: “thumb-down”, “id”: “samplesCodeIssue”, “label”:”Samples/Code issue” , “type”: “thumb-down”, “id”: “otherDown”, “label”:”Other” ] [ “type”: “thumb-up”, “id”: “easyToUnderstand”, “label”:”Easy to understand” , “type”: “thumb-up”, “id”: “solvedMyProblem”, “label”:”Solved my problem” , “type”: “thumb-up”, “id”: “otherUp”, “label”:”Other” ]

Video SEO best practices for ecommerce

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Video is becoming increasingly common on ecommerce sites. As a site owner, you can use video to give shoppers a deeper understanding of products you sell or build your reputation as a trusted expert. Video can also be prominent in Google Search. By surfacing your video content on Google, you can open up additional paths of discovery to drive awareness of your business and engagement on your site.

Where videos can appear in Google Search results

Videos can appear on the main Google Search results page or on the Videos tab. Videos are frequently presented with a thumbnail image and other helpful information such as the playback duration and summary text. In addition, Google can now highlight key moments in your video content, allowing users to navigate the video like chapters in a book. When a user taps a key moment, they’ll land on your site where they can begin watching the video from that moment in time.

Common uses of video on ecommerce sites

Video can create deeply engaging experiences for shoppers on your ecommerce site and may help people looking for relevant content from the Google Search page. Here are some common ways you can use video on an ecommerce site:

Product Pages: Videos are frequently embedded in product pages, providing richer inspirational or functional information about a product than by static images alone. For example, inspirational content may show a happy family using a picnic basket in the park whereas functional content may show how a baby stroller can collapse for easy storage. These kinds of videos can prove useful to people on their shopping research journeys in Search.

Articles and Blog Posts: A site may also have articles and blog posts that include video content. The video may share reviews comparing and evaluating products you sell, or share behind the scenes stories on what makes your business special. Different types of content are useful to different shoppers based on whether they are still researching or are ready to buy. Many shoppers are also interested in your business itself, such as your position on recycling or supporting your community.

Live Streaming: Advanced sites may also support embedded live streams with the ability for viewers to interact with the host, creating deeper relationships with your customers. Live streams can be scheduled in advance or created spur of the moment. Some video streaming services allow live streams to be embedded in your pages, enabling you to leverage their infrastructure while keeping customers on your own site. If your live stream is recorded, it can remain on your site as a regular video, offering a longer shelf-life in Search for people looking for relevant content.

Video can be used in many other ways to support ecommerce, including in social media. When video is hosted on a social media platform, the platform is responsible for making video available for Google to index so you generally should not have to do any extra work.

Getting the most out of Google Search and Discover

The following tips can help Google index video content hosted on your ecommerce site. You may need to find an appropriate plugin if using a CMS or ecommerce platform that does not give you direct control over HTML markup:

Include Video structured data on pages containing video content. This can be particularly important on product pages with videos embedded in a media carousel as Google may not see videos that require user interaction to display.

For those videos that you want to give maximum exposure to, consider creating a page dedicated to the video that describes the video content. A “how to clean your Brand X coffee maker” page may attract different traffic than a Brand X product page that includes the how-to video along with a lot of other information. It is fine to include the same video on both a dedicated page and the product page.

For live streams, include structured data to enable LIVE badges , which can help draw attention to the streams when they go live. Use the Indexing API to provide Google with timely updates when a stream starts and ends. A live stream recording made available for viewing after the live event is not eligible for the LIVE badge.

Create and submit a video sitemap file to help Google find all your web pages with video content.

In addition to Video structured data, consider adding structured data that’s relevant for each page, such as Product , HowTo , or Q&A markup.

For more information, check out these new resources that give an overview of how videos appear on Google, including best practices for sites with videos.

Posted by Alan Kent , Search Advocate on the Google Search Central team

This post Video SEO best practices for ecommerce first appeared on WalrusVideo

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reyxa · 7 years

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A Special Kind of Brew - OT4

For @sadrien

Title: A Special Kind of Brew Author: Reyxa/ninoirs Summary: Marinette and Alya work at Brewtiful Beans, a coffeeshop rival of Catpuccino, where Adrien and Nino work. Pining ensues.

Alya bursts through the doors of Brewtiful Beans, watching with satisfaction as her dramatic entrance makes everyone jump. “I have news!”

She strides in, hopping up on the marble counter and leaning over a blushing Marinette.

“You’re late! I- mean not that late but, come on, Alya you really need to- I mean I can’t talk I’m late all the time even in like college and remember that time I-”

Alya cuts off Marinette’s rambling, pressing her finger to Marinette’s soft lips. Alya smiles, endeared. She’ll never change. she thinks absently. “Yeah, I’m late but! I was spying.”

Marinette raises an eyebrow, nudging Alya’s finger from her lip. “Spying?”

“On Catpuccino!” Alya slams a hand down on the counter, making the latte in the blender splash and recede precariously.

A bright smile lights Marinette up and Alya feels her heart positively ache. I’m gonna fucking make out with this girl at some point today. she promises herself. “Ohh,” Marinette is saying. “Spying or spying?”

“Shut up.” Alya ruffles Marinette’s bangs as she hops down from the counter. She grabs an apron and expertly ties a bow at the base of her spine. “Anyway, they’re doing a two for one deal on warm drinks this week.”

“Already on it.” Marinette grabs their announcement chalkboard and writes in sweeping handwriting ‘Two for One Deal on ALL Drinks + 10 Point Bonus for Beanie Members!’.

As Alya passes her on her way to the register, they high-five.

Their rivalry with the café on the other side of the street was historic. It’s often the rivalry itself that brought both cafés the most foot traffic. Their battles are so important, Brewtiful Beans made a committee with an application process.

Alya clearly made the cut, her competitive nature was a force to be reckoned with. Not that she wanted to brag.

Marinette made it because though her bright smile and kind blue eyes were welcoming, her fire for competition was unmatched.

Together Alya and Marinette were such a hurricane, there was no need for any other members.

Though the rivalry wasn’t the only reason Alya and Marinette kept an eye out for Catpuccino.

A boy who looks as if he was made from drops of sunlight had been hired at Catpuccino around the time Alya and Marinette had been put on the committee.

Alya smiles to herself as she shakes an iced tea. He had smiled so warmly at her this morning, his green eyes bright. Her name on his tongue made chills flutter down her spine as he gave her the water she ordered.

She jolts as Marinette bumps her with her hip, a sly smile on her lips. “Saw Adrien today did you?”

Alya sticks her tongue out at her before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Little bit.”

Marinette’s chuckle rings in her ears like soft bells. “Can’t believe you’re fraternizing with the enemy.”

“Pfff as if you don’t. And I would like to do a little more than fraternize with him if you catch my meaning.” Alya winks.

“You’re ridiculous.” Marinette shakes her head as she carefully pours decoction into a cup.

“What! I meant hold his hand in one and yours in the other, what were you thinking?”

Marinette laughs again, swatting at Alya’s arm.

“Nino,” Adrien groans. “Save me.”

Nino ruffles Adrien’s hair. “I know, dude. Trust me. I do.”

Adrien lifts his head with a heavy sigh. “When she came in this morning I think I was choking on my heart.”

Nino’s laugh makes Adrien grimace at him, though the kiss Nino presses to his lips assuages him. “Cool it, Romeo.”

Adrien ponders it. Their love really is like Romeo and Juliet. If Romeo was split in two and so was Juliet. “Nino, Nino, wherefore art thou, Nino?” he murmurs.

“You’re dramatic today.” Nino pokes his cheek before ringing up the next customer.

Adrien presses a kiss to his cheek. “You should be used to it by now.”

Adrien watched red race across Nino’s cheeks.“Either way, it’s not happening. They’re the enemy, remember? Why did she even come in today?”

“Probably spying or something. She was wearing a trenchcoat and sunglasses.” Adrien laughs, remembering her discreetly indiscreet picture-taking of their announcement board. “Retaliation’s probably already happened.”

Nino sighs. “Guess I’m up.”

Adrien smiles and passes him their own disguise.

“Hello, sir! How… may I… uh, help you?”

The man may as well be curling in on himself as he stands before Marinette’s register. His hat is low on his face, his hands crossed over his chest. “Uh, I’m still looking.”

Alya nudges her discreetly and Marinette nods, feeling her face heat up. “Take your time! I mean don’t take hours but I d-don’t want to rush you one time this guy just stood here and looked at the menu for, like, two hours and didn’t even-”

Alya tugs on her apron. Right. No rambling. Marinette notes.

The man looks up at her and her heart flutters at his golden gaze. Nino.

She and Alya often walk by Catpuccino over and over again to catch any glimpse of him or Adrien. Or both. Once, Nino had glanced at the door right as they passed and he shot them a knowing smile that left them melting.

That day they had each bought a pint of ice cream and groaned at their shared infatuation.

“Two for one deal, huh? All drinks.” he mumbles.

Marinette smiles, the red on her cheeks deepening. “Yup!”

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with Catpuccino’s two for one deal on hot drinks, yeah?” his eyes flash.

Marinette’s sweet smile remains painted on her face. “O-oh, do they have a deal too?”

His laugh is warm and it makes her toes tingle. Alya, still eavesdropping from behind, takes her hand and squeezes it hard. “You got me.”

“We win.” she can’t help herself from teasing.

“Oh, you may have won the battle, but we’ll win the war.” a grin ghosts over his face.

“You wish.” Alya whispers.

“Heard that.” Nino calls as he heads for the door.

“Wanted you to!” Alya yells back.

The café patrons all have smiles on their faces as they witness the back and forth.

As soon as the door swings shut Alya collapses onto Marinette. “Mari they’re too cute.”

“He was so red when he walked in.” Marinette whispers.

“We’re gonna die.”

“Oh definitely.”

“How’d it go?” Adrien smiles, patting Nino as he passes by on his way to the break room.

“I’m gonna fucking die.” Nino whispers.

“A mood.” Adrien nods sagely.

Nino flops down on the couch in the break room and Adrien curls up next to him, his head on Nino’s shoulder. “She found me out.”

Adrien snorts. “Which one?”

Nino’s eyes fall shut, blue sparkling eyes filling his vision. “The one with the pretty blue eyes. Marinette.”

“Damn.” Adrien whispers. “Those always tie my tongue.”

“I don’t even remember what I said.” Nino groans.

“Can we just date them? Please? Please?” Adrien squeezes Nino’s hand.

There was so much to consider. What if they weren’t into it? What if they wouldn’t date their rivals? What if they’re completely thrown off? “I don’t know, dude.”

Adrien sighs. “Yeah.”

“I just don’t know which café it is!” Chloé watches Sabrina chew her thumbnail as she glances back and forth between two cafés whose names Chloé abhors.

Chloé huffs. “Is it worth it for this tea?”

Sabrina’s eyes sparkle. “Yes!”

Chloé sighs. “Fine. We’ll check both.”

They burst into Catpuccino first because Chloé doesn’t want to spend anymore time in there than she has to.

Sabrina gazes intently at the menu, slowly going through each item as Chloé eavesdrops on the two employees talking in hushed voices.

“They’re so cute.” the blond one whispers.

“So cute but our manager would murder us.” the taller one reasons.

“But the blue eyes and the soft hair and-”

“Dude. I know.”

“What are you talking about?” Chloé snaps.

The two employees turn, eyes wide. Chloé yawns.

“Chloé?”

Her eyebrows draw together but she quickly schools her features. Get it together, Bourgeois. We don’t want wrinkles. “Adrikins!” she reaches over the counter to wrap her arms around her childhood friend. “What are you doing here?”

“I… work here what are you doing here?” Adrien hugs her back before pulling away.

“Looking for this tea Sabrina is dying to try.” Chloé sighs deeply.

“Oh! How can we help you?” Adrien walks over to the register, the perfect employee. Chloé kind of wants to take a picture and stick it in her scrapbook but she reigns her emotions.

“It’s not here.” Sabrina voices her dismay.

“Oh. You must be looking for Brewtiful Beans.” the other employee sighs.

“What’s that tone?”

“They’re our rivals.”

Adrien groans.

Chloé raises an eyebrow.

“It’s a long story.”

She raises the other eyebrow.

Adrien spills.

Typical.

After what feels like hours, Adrien stops rambling. “So yeah.”

“...Wow. You’re a mess.” Chloé shakes her head.

Nino sighs. “Tell us about it. Falling in love with the girls in the rival cafe was probably not the best idea.”

“Oh!!” Sabrina’s eyes are glittering. “It’s just so romantic! You’re star-crossed, yet written in the stars!”

Adrien sighs. “I know.”

Chloé just smiles. “Don’t worry, boys.”

“Chloé…” Adrien’s tone is warning.

Chloé flips her hair over her shoulder. “I said don’t worry, Adrikins!”

When Chloé and Sabrina enter Brewtiful Beans, the room is filled with the sounds of coffee machines and hushed yelling.

Chloé can guess what this yelling is about.

“We can’t, we might get literally fired! We’re on the committee!” the one with glasses - Alya, as Chloé had come to know - whispers.

“Bu-”

“Let me save you some trouble, ladies.” Chloé slams a hand down on the counter. “I need two jasmine green teas and a few minutes of your time.”

The girls stare at her for a solid 2 minutes. Chloé doesn’t mind the attention but she has places to be and people to set up.

Teas in hand, Chloé and Sabrina sit the two down. “Listen. We can solve all your problems right now.”

“You’re not… trying to sell us anything are you?” Alya tilts her head.

“N-”

“They’re in love with you!” Sabrina yelps.

Chloé glares at her.

“I couldn’t hold it in.” Sabrina whispers.

“What?!” the girls chorus.

“Uhh, Adrien.”

Adrien lifts his head from his arms, glancing at the time. Sunset throws rays of gold across the café and washes the room in a rosy glow. “Mmm?”

“They’re storming in.” Nino points to the door, where two girls, hands interlocked, are quite literally storming in.

They throw the doors open and walk squarely up to the register together.

Adrien and Nino blink at them.

“We-” when they start speaking at the same time they both stop, their faces a matching shade of red.

“Do you want to-”

“No, no! Go ahead!”

“Go on a date with us.” Nino blurts.

Adrien stares at him, face heating rapidly. Oh my god.

His chest tightens as they breathe a concurrent sigh of relief. “Yes!” they chorus.

Marinette’s arms open and he finds himself stepping into her embrace on instinct. Her floral shampoo tickles his nose and her hug is warm and comforting. He feels Nino and Alya join their hug and the world falls into place.

Marinette breathes a sigh of relief as Adrien catches the milk she loses grip on. “Thank you!”

“Anything for my Princess.” he kisses her forehead before passing her the milk.

“Turn down the flirting! We’re at work!” Alya calls from the register.

Nino wraps an arm around her waist. “You say that like you weren’t put on probation for it a month ago.”

Alya flicks his nose, a bright smile on her face.

“Wow, you’re all disgusting.” a familiar voice follows the ring of the bell at the door.

“Chloé!” All four of them exclaim.

“Six months since I got you all together and you couldn’t have named your merged coffeeshop after me? Really?” she scoffs, strutting in. “Brewtiful Catpuccinos is the worst possible name and I hate all of you.”

“We love you, Chloé.” Adrien grins.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t think I don’t know these puns are your doing.”

The five of them smile warmly at each other, content.

#my writing #miraculous ladybug #ml #ot4 #coffeeshop au #happy birthday chai!!

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nostalgebraist-autoresponder · 4 years

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Title: Elizabeth Bear: The Mists of Avalon

Author: Timothy Zahn

Rating: 4/5 stars

I bought this because my local library had returned shipments of Bear's earlier books, and I hadn't read them. I may end up re-purchasing this, but I'm not holding out much hope.

This is Elizabeth Bear at her very best: a long series of tightly plotted, atmospheric, and -- in places surprisingly moving -- psychologically astute expedition stories set in a Lovecraftian universe. Bear's endless variation on the theme of two protagonists reluctantly traversing the same dangerous terrain, exploring each new place at great personal risk, feels almost aimed solely at turning heads in the SF community: to many people the thumbnail sketch of an SF author comprises "they like to circumnavigate the globe at great personal risk." Bear's books represent merely a very different approach, which feels somehow less urgent or mature.

Bear was once a full-on globe trotter before TBTL. She is an accomplished author of concise short stories and novelettes, writes solidly plotted, intricate space opera, is an accomplished jazz guitarist (at least as judged by what I can picture from her albums), and currently writes space opera mostly with the intent of being good at it. TBTL is no longer a priority. (She's worked on it in fits and starts for the last fifteen years or so, and considers it done.) Yet her old excitement about osculating the map remains. Her aim is to depict vast new lands, unknown cultures, undiscovered monsters, and to pay haunting respects to those whose names have fallen into the oblivion of the past. She is content to let her imagination run wild, into the void or to the stars, in search of new horizons.

Suddenly after pacing quickly across the open prairie, I determined to tackle her biggest project to date: the monumental 53,000-word volume of annotations for The Mists of Avalon, the first in a planned four-volume follow-up to her landmark Earthsea Cycle (later novels Watership Down and V). Pre-publication (pre-read) notes (JR, 4/05) span many subjects: typology, "early draft" Caleb; states of light and shades; 18th-century translations: some accuracy, some errors; character tropes. Some of this material is fascinating. I wonder how much continues to be relevant.

Of the thousands of characters that bear her elegant pen's brush across the blank page, I remember so little of their names. I remember little but the sense that I am doing some special duty, some mission, simply to carry the burdens peculiar to this perishable creature I am, well, the burden of my name.

Spending time with Elizabeth Bear's characters in her THE MISTES OF AVARICE

Elizabeth Bear's THE MISTES OF AVARICE contains many wide-eyed and fungus-munching brownfists. To them I am bold (call-out optional) to declare my undying fantasy allegiance (call-out optional). I imagine the mass and soul of this book is a reflection of these brownfists. I enjoy the sacred rituals of Spelunk 04!, the vast clouds of brownfists whose absolute dreams and solemn rituals persist in the unseen reaches of the subconscious.

(SW and EW, material from this sentence later iterated.)

As we shall see, I find myself standing in a blind alley whose wild torrent is directed toward unexpected – dare I say, "visionary" – detours. But, perceptive reader, your loyal reader, I am not done yet with this volume. I must seize my road anew. My blackshirt has yet to arrive. I need a blackshirt's courage, I think, moving with quicksilver strides across a particular obstacle-course of the mind, a mental course that began at TBTL.

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paulbenedictblog · 4 years

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%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Usa today Coronavirus live updates: WHO warns world remains in pandemic's first wave; hydroxychloroquine dropped from treatment study

Usa today

CDC says coronavirus 'would not spread without concerns' by touching surfaces or objects. Nevertheless it still 'might per chance maybe be that that you just would be succesful to maybe maybe have confidence.' USA TODAY

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention provided extra component on the possibility of coronavirus being spread by contact, whereas the NHL unveiled its realizing to restart the season and New York had some optimistic info about how the speak is going thru the pandemic.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that every person residents ought to wear a face protecting when internal a constructing that is commence to the public, starting up Friday.

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Town of Los Angeles opened its ideal testing space at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, which can test as a lot as 6,000 folks each day for free. It be the ideal space in the U.S., in response to Community Organized Response Effort, a non-profit group that helps inclined communities all the plan thru a disaster.

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Usa today CDC clarifies pointers on how coronavirus spreads

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention released an update to their recent adjustments to the coronavirus pointers. Two days after the pointers mentioned COVID-19 "would not spread without concerns" by touching disagreeable surfaces or objects, the CDC clarified that the wording they archaic change into "advanced."

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The NHL took a mammoth step Tuesday towards finishing its 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced a 24-crew playoff structure that change into licensed by the Gamers’ Affiliation thru a vote that concluded Friday.

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The match shall be carried out in two hub cities to be announced at a later date, Bettman mentioned – one for the Japanese Conference playoffs and one for the Western Conference playoffs.

– Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Extra sports actions: Is there a bigger vacation on the sports actions calendar than Memorial Day?

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Usa today Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak cancels speech after that that you just would be succesful to maybe maybe have confidence coronavirus publicity

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak change into anticipating to give a speech Tuesday on the speak's transition realizing to Portion 2. Nevertheless, the match change into canceled after the governor change into doubtlessly uncovered to the coronavirus.

A assertion from Sisolak spokesperson Meghin Delaney mentioned Sisolak had visited an unnamed place of work where an employee – who change into not in the constructing on the time – later reported testing certain for COVID-19.

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Crop Cordero's necessary other shared a correctly being update Tuesday, citing "some improvements" for the Broadway big title, who has been hospitalized for nearly two months after struggling concerns from the coronavirus.

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– Sara M. Moniuszko, Rasha Ali and Erin Jensen

Usa today States are reopening, nonetheless many require vacationers to self-quarantine

States are slowly starting up to commence abet up, nonetheless that would not imply vacationers are free to plot abet and scuttle as they please. USA TODAY has an update on the states that downhearted interstate creep by requiring or recommending that company and residents arriving from varied states quarantine for 14 days.

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– Julia Thompson, Jayme Deerwester and David Oliver

Social distancing issues. Right here is how to plan it and the very best plan it will relieve curb the COVID-19 pandemic. USA TODAY

Usa today Supreme Courtroom refuses to block describe tense action towards coronavirus at Ohio jail

The Supreme Courtroom refused the Trump administration's inquire Tuesday to block a decrease court describe requiring stepped-up efforts towards the spread of the coronavirus at a low-security federal jail in Ohio.

The excessive court's action represented its most necessary intervention to this level connected to the deadly impact of COVID-19 internal federal prisons.

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– Richard Wolf

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Usa today Gov. Ralph Northam: Virginians ought to wear face coverings in public indoor spaces

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam mentioned Tuesday that all people in the speak “will ought to wear a face protecting” when present in any indoor space that is commence to the public, starting up Friday. “I’m taking this step because science extra and extra reveals us the virus spreads much less without concerns when each person is wearing face coverings,” Northam mentioned.

Northam mentioned there shall be exceptions for folks which would be drinking or drinking, exercising, personal a correctly being condition that stops them from wearing one and for young folks youthful than 10. Northam mentioned that to prevent criminal citations, the describe shall be enforced thru the Virginia Division of Health, relatively than thru legislation enforcement.

Northam’s announcement came after he change into broadly criticized for performing in a crowded space in Virginia Seaside over the weekend whereas he change into not wearing a shroud and never watching social distancing. Northam mentioned he had left his shroud in the vehicle and change into “unprepared” to plot abet upon a crowd, nonetheless that he took “beefy responsibility.”

Northam mentioned he expects Northern Virginia to plan to Portion 1 of the speak’s reopening realizing Friday, nonetheless that major aspects would be readily in the market Wednesday.

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As New York continues to ramp up its reopening realizing, two a ought to-personal coronavirus metrics personal dropped to the lowest ranges since the outbreak began, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mentioned Tuesday. New coronavirus hospitalizations dropped to “the lowest level since this began, almost about 200," and the speak reported 73 deaths Monday.

“In this absurd, unique actuality, that is barely correct info,” Cuomo mentioned.

Cuomo mentioned he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington to request for funding to bolster the speak’s infrastructure initiatives. To resurrect New York’s economic system and to capitalize on decrease ridership from commuters, Cuomo mentioned he desires to rapid-notice construction initiatives, love those at LaGuardia Airport and Penn Design.

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U.S. shares raced elevated sooner than Tuesday's opening following the three-day Memorial Day weekend wreck. The Dow carried out up bigger than 529 aspects in afternoon trading, and S&P and Nasdaq indexes all rose sharply. World shares moreover jumped after Japan lifted its speak of emergency and British Top Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a realizing to reopen colleges next week and all stores June 15. Stephen Innes, global market strategist at AxiCorp, mentioned shares reacted to "re-opening optimism" amongst investors.

Usa today Extra coronavirus info and records from USA TODAY

Are face masks contaminated for adults? We checked the facts.

Facing death threats and no pay,mayors are the front-line commanders towards the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening colleges: How plan pool noodles, hula hoops and hand sanitizer relieve? A rural Montana faculty reveals the fashion.

Reopening major aspects: As restrictions are relaxed, a survey at which states are requiring quarantines for vacationers.

Usa today Ozarks pool social gathering-goers ought to self-quarantine, correctly being first rate says

Someone who did not recount social distancing and varied pointers at a mega pool social gathering in Missouri ought to self-quarantine for 14 days "if they've any compassion for others," Kansas Metropolis Health Division director Rex Archer mentioned. The social gathering Saturday in Lake of the Ozarks, about 130 miles southeast of the city, drew nationwide consideration after a video went viral exhibiting loads of of swimsuit-clad partygoers in extremely shut quarters.

St. Louis County Govt Sam Page asked his Public Health Division to discipline a creep advisory as workers return to their jobs after ignoring social distance practices. Page mentioned the "reckless habits endangers endless folks and dangers surroundings us abet considerably from the progress we personal got made in slowing the spread of COVID-19."

Usa today Dire warning: 'We're in the midst of the predominant wave globally'

The dangers of reigniting coronavirus outbreaks are complicating efforts to fend off additional misfortune for the loads of millions who personal lost jobs, with a top correctly being expert warning that the area stays in the midst of a “first wave” of the pandemic.

“Straight away, we’re not in the 2nd wave. We’re correct in the midst of the predominant wave globally,” mentioned Dr. Mike Ryan, a World Health Organization executive director.

Ryan, talking at a virtual info convention, pointed to South America, South Asia and varied areas where the series of infections is still on the upward thrust. For countries that appear to personal peaked or plateaued, Ryan warned that a 2nd wave is that that you just would be succesful to maybe maybe have confidence about a months later. He urged Europe and North America to continue with a "comprehensive technique to guarantee that that we continue on a downward trajectory and we don’t personal an instantaneous 2nd height.”

Usa today Extra coronavirus info from USA TODAY

Folk 'not supposed to be on my own': Many People have not considered or touched one other person in 3 months because of the COVID-19

The set apart coronavirus is not: What's saved conditions formally at zero in these 200 counties?

Operation Warp Lunge: Will it relieve us discover a vaccine faster — or unbiased be politicized?

Mapping coronavirus: Monitoring the U.S. outbreak, speak by speak.

Contributing: Associated Press

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Learn or Part this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/info/correctly being/2020/05/26/coronavirus-updates-memorial-day-honors-ineffective-hydroxychloroquine-who-pandemic/5254897002/

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houseofvans · 7 years

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Art School | Jenna Blazevich (Chicago,IL)

Designer and founder of Vichcraft Design Studio, Jenna Blazevich took the road less travelled–by ditching an offer to work her dream job–to pursue her own passion and creative freedom. Jenna’s designs are bold, clean and smart as well as technically and aesthetically masterful. Vichcraft Design Studio has allowed her to bring feminist works to the forefront, creating a platform for important issues and topics. We’re so excited to have her on board for another year of Babes Ride Out, where she has designed a custom skate deck to be raffled off at the Babes East Coast event. In our latest Q&A, Jenna talks about how Vichcraft came about, gives us insights into running a business, and shares with us what she’s most excited about for this year’s 2017 Babes Ride Out!

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Could you introduce yourself? I’m Jenna Blazevich, the founder and designer behind Vichcraft Design Studio in Chicago, Illinois. With Vichcraft, I specialize in branding design for small businesses and nonprofits, design and produce a line of intersectional feminist products, and teach oblique calligraphy.

How did you hear about Babes Ride Out? What was your first ride out like? My introduction to Babes Ride Out was actually through a Chicago illustrator friend of mine Jourdon Gullett, who made a tee design for (I believe) BRO 2014. At the time, I didn’t ride a motorcycle yet, but immediately took an interest in what Babes Ride Out is about. I’d long wanted to learn to ride and get my m-class, since I’d grown up around motorcycles and had been dating my boyfriend who restores vintage bikes. My first B.R.O. wasn’t until a couple years later in Joshua Tree, and it was full of such great energy and camaraderie.

What’s your favorite thing about Babes Ride Out? What are you most excited about this year’s event? Babes Ride Out is such a great event because it’s born out of a real (and frustrating) need for more celebration and inclusivity around female motorcycle ridership. Plus, it’s a genuinely beautiful event in the way that the branding and merch and on-site installations are all thoughtfully crafted by people in their community. I won’t be able to attend the East Coast ride, but I’ll be sponsoring and participating in a ladies-only ride and campout in Chicago called Babes in Motoland this fall.

Your top five things to bring to Babes Ride Out? Water bottle for water Aluminum water bottle for extra gas reserve Sunscreen Basic tools + zip ties + first aid Girls to the front pins for new friends!

Tells us a little about Vichcraft. How did you come up with Vichcraft? What was the inspiration behind it? Vichcraft, as a concept, was born in late 2015 when I had just turned 25 and received an offer to work full-time at my dream job. At the time, I had built up five years of experience freelancing on the side of jobs and school, and instead of taking on the dream job, I made a major shift into full-time self-employment. It was important to me that I come up with an ownable and memorable name for my new curated portfolio (I had previously been working under my first and last name, and published so many different projects that I had no identifiable specialty). I came up with the name “Vichcraft” because it’s a play on my last name (Blazevich), my love of hand craft, and of witchcraft and feminism.

What’s it like to run Vichcraft? What are some of the most rewarding things and what things do you think folks might not realize about running a business? Running Vichcraft is a never-ending test of how much I can multi-task, remember things, plan ahead, and do my best to still be present. Since most of what I share on my website and on my social media accounts are finished projects, I’m not sure very many people realize how much time I spend on unglamorous, super boring and frustrating administrative stuff per day. I think it’s a common thing to fantasize about the freedom self-employment, but it’s so stressful to be the one person that every issue falls on 24 hours a day. Since I have this quality of hating to feel pigeon-holed into a specific thing, I created my line of product as a consistent outlet for myself to act as my own creative director and make work that I love and that pushes me to try out lettering styles that my clients don’t ask for. It’s been really rewarding to have such an outstanding amount of positive responses to my products, and all of that has directly affected how much I’ve been able to grow my shop in it’s first year.

What’s your creative process like? How long does it take for the idea to reach fruition? My process is sort of all over the place, but I generally work very fast. I generally say that I work half on paper and half in the computer, and I like it best that way. Whether I’m working on a logo for a client, or I’m sketching a mural for an installation or designing a new patch for my shop, I always start with a bunch of thumbnail sketches in pencil. If the client is in charge of deciding which to concept finalize, I move on to vectorizing their logo in Illustrator either with my iPad and Apple Pencil, or with the pen tool and a mouse. If the project is something for my shop and I’m acting as Creative Director to myself, I can start with sketches for an initial idea in the morning, and be at the screen printing co-op I belong to working on printing the final product that night.

What are some of the important issues you address in your art? When was the first time you decided to combine that with your brand? Vichcraft has (understandably) always been very tied to me personally, and the causes, social issues, pieces of writing, and aesthetic styles that interest me as a person. The election year of 2016 was my second year of running Vichcraft, and I was (and am) still developing the most effective ways to use my skills, voice and platform to speak on topics that I’m passionate about. Post-election, it is still one of my main goals with Vichcraft to do whatever I can to contribute to organizations and projects that are working to resist and counter the moves being made by the current administration. Furthermore, it is extremely important to me that I create feminist work that is as inclusive and intersectional as possible, because feminism is currently being diluted in meaning by companies monetizing the movement, and by self-proclaimed feminists focusing on issues that only relate to women who look and live like themselves. Failing to consider other classes, identities, races, bodies, and religions when doing feminist work results in an inability to progress and unite in a collective fight, and the opposition gains more leverage as a result.

If you had to choose one of your designs as your favorite, which would it be and why? “The City Beautiful” piece that I made for Typeforce in January of 2015 was the first piece that I made under the name “Vichcraft,” and it’s still what I’m most proud of. It marked a significant and intentional shift into creating lettering work that more closely relates to the issues and topics that I personally care about. It also really challenged my ability to create sculpture work within a very tight timeline, as well as my writing skills for the initial proposal. It’s still the project that I’ve worked on under the name “Vichcraft” that I’m probably the most proud of.

Who are some of your favorite past and contemporary artists? Some of the artists who inspire me most are: Alphonse Mucha, Teagan White, Kathleen Hanna, Marian Bantjes, Laura Jane Grace, Doyald Young, Cat Coven, Hellcats, Louise Fili, Hydro74, Jourdon Gullett, & so many more.

You run some really cool calligraphy workshops in Chicago! How did you get interested in calligraphy and typography? What are some of your favorite things about calligraphy? I taught my first public calligraphy workshops in the fall of 2014, just before launching Vichcraft, and I’ve taught at least one beginner workshop per month since then. The format of the class has generally remained the same: introduce the tools, talk about the craft, work through exercises, then graduate to lowercase letterforms. I do, however, think the workshop has evolved into something that people value attending because they gain the ability to utilize me as a resource both during and after the class. I get almost an equal amount of questions about how I started freelancing, what was required to start selling product, etc., as I do about the actual craft of calligraphy, and I enjoy offering myself as a real person who can help answer these questions (versus whatever answers would otherwise come up in a Google search). This is a big reason why I want to continue teaching calligraphy workshops, and possibly other types of workshops, in the future.

Is there a new medium you haven’t tried yet but want to start learning about? There are always so many! I had my first solo art show a few months ago, and I commissioned a custom neon sign from a Chicago artist. I’d love to learn to make my own neon one day, but I know it’s extremely tedious. For that same show, my boyfriend and I took apart, stripped, painted and restored a 1972 Honda CL350 to be a “Handmaid’s Tale” inspired piece in the show. We had to work very quickly on the project (we only had nine days to do all of the work), but I’d love to keep working on designing, customizing and restoring some project bikes.

Favorite Vans? and how would you describe your style? I wear black or grey low-tops everyday, and they’re my favorite shoes. My style is pretty androgynous, and my outfits almost always include an oversized black band tee, bike commuter pants, and my black trucker jacket with “Girls to the Front” screen printed on the back, and pockets full of stickers to give out to anyone who asks where I got my jacket! Also, my helmet and a bolo tie are go-to accessories.

What’s on the horizon after Babes Ride out and what exciting projects do you have coming up for 2017? Along with some of my best friends, I’m a partner on a game called TumbleSeed that is being released on May 2nd. It’s 2.5 years in the making, and I’m so thankful to have been involved. I’ll also be bringing Vichcraft on the road to a bunch of craft fairs and conferences around the country this summer, and I’ll be doing so with my very first employee! My friend Ellen will be joining my studio in the role of studio manager, and I’m extremely excited to see how much Vichcraft can grow with her on board, and freeing up a huge amount of my time to focus more on creative work.

What would you say to folks who wanted to follow in your footsteps and start their own business? Don’t. JK but I’d say to definitely be very critical of whether or not you possess the qualities that would make a great candidate for self-employment like extreme attention to detail, self-motivation, obsessiveness, time and money management skills, the ability to compartmentalize, etc. Also, I’d encourage you to seek advice from people who know both the work that you’re making, and also how you are as a person and to encourage those people to give you their honest opinion on whether you might be ready for self-employment. During my time in school, I freelanced and also worked at six internships, and stayed in touch with many past co-workers as I continued through school. Those people became my mentors, and I was able to learn things from them that I didn’t in school, and also develop relationships with them that encouraged honesty when it came time to decide if I was ready to launch a business. I’d also suggest starting out by freelancing on the side of a consistent job. When I launched Vichcraft, I already had five years of freelance experience under my belt, which meant that I had already given myself the chance to work out a lot of the kinks with handling client relationships, managing money and time, etc. Giving yourself the chance to figure a few of those things out while still having a consistent paycheck from a full-time job is much less scary then jumping in head first.

Follow Jenna Blazevich: Website: www.vichcraft.com Instagram: instagram.com/vichcraft Tumblr: vichcraft-design-studio.tumblr.com Twitter: twitter.com/Vichcraft

#Art #Interview #Vans art #Vans Girls #Jenna Blazevich #babes ride out #vichcraft

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dreamworksworddump · 7 years

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Pallura: Rubyfruit in June

The sky is a dying red that fades into the black of night near the horizon. Buildings, jagged and broken, almost seem to impale the sky. It’s a pretty scene, one that would’ve been prettier if the buildings were intact, if the city wasn’t deathly quiet and covered in ashes.

Allura stops at the top of the hill. The grass is still green here, although the top foot of it has been signed away, allowing her to stand in it comfortably. Lance and Keith don’t notice; they’re still talking, arguing about who won their little race down. Hunk is lingering in the greenery, probably looking for edible plants as Shiro and Coran head into the ruins to look for those parts for the castle.

Pidge hadn’t been given an assignment, and there’s nothing here that really interests her, so she stays back too. Well, that’s not exactly true. She could technically be scavenging for new tech to help finish her Rover 2.0, as new parts are a rare commodity with their limited funds and all, but Allura is a commodity of her own. She can feel the grass poking at her ankles as she wades through it to stand beside Allura.

“It’s kinda pretty, isn’t it? Kinda looks like some burnt out circuitry or something.” Pidge comments idly. And the ruined city kinda does. The buildings are a shining black, and the designs on them are geometrical in a sense, and call to mind the inside of a droid.

Allura reminds her of machinery too. Slick and smooth and modern like most of the tech she’s seen out here. Beautiful in both her complexity and her simplicity.

She thinks of telling Allura that, but thinks better of it. For her, machines are the most beautiful things in the world, so it’s natural for her to come up with such a comparison, but to others, it can often sound weird. Years of rejection have dug that point into her.

Pidge looks up to Allura, hoping to see a grin or at least the beginnings of a smile. Instead, Allura scowls and crosses her arms. “It’s not pretty, Pidge. It’s a place of Genocide.” She gestures to the buildings. “Those used to house Altean people, thousands of them and they’re all dead.”

“I-” Pidge starts to apologize, but Allura hardly notices, she’s so caught up in her rant.

“They were killed in their beds, beside their children and next to their mates with no warning and not a chance to fight back. This. Scene. Is. Not. Pretty.” Allura finishes, each word enunciated with cold intent.

Pidge stares at her. Her skin is flushed, tinting her cheeks and ears blue. A curl of white hair sticks to her forehead, plastered there by angry sweat. “I’m sorry.” She repeats. “I-I hadn’t thought of that.”

Allura exhales heavily, and the blush recedes. “No, no. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. They’ve been dead for millennia. I have no reason to be so offended.”

Pidge shrugs and sticks her hands in her pockets. Her thumbnail jams into her phone, and she winces at the slight sting. “When my dad and my brother went missing, I was really defensive about it. I for into three- no, four fights with other kids because they said that it was Shiro’s fault, or that my dad was too stupid to supervise a mission. Their indifference hurt. They didn’t even seem to care what they were saying, even when they knew who I was. I get why you got mad. I’m sorry.”

“I suppose we both have things to be defensive over.” Allura says, offering Pidge a conceding smile. She looks back at the city. “Going into the actual city would have been harder than I could bare. Seeing what could have been…” She trails off. “What do you think that building was for?” She says, pointing to a small, squat little building on the edge of the city.

Pidge stares at it. The building doesn’t have the same microchip like patterns on it, and instead seems to be unaffected by whatever had hit the city. “A lesbian couple lived there.”

“Lesbian?”

“Two women in a romantic relationship.” Pidge clarifies.

Allura nods thoughtfully. “We didn’t use labels like that to describe romantic relationships, but yes, go on.”

Pidge takes a seat on the grass, and finds it surprisingly soft against the seat of her pants. Allura drapes her skirt under legs and sits beside her. “They ran a store there for, um….”

“Flowers.” Allura supplies.

Pidge nods, and traces circles in the grass. “A flower shop. They sold flower crowns.”

“Did they get married? Have kids?” Allura probes.

Pidge wonders if Altean women can have kids together, or if she meant adoption. It would be interesting if they could. How would reproduction for that work exactly? Obviously Allura is mammalian, since she has boobs and all, but-

“Pidge?”

“Right, um, no kids. They didn’t want them; they were bad at kids. And they wanted to get married, but um,” Pidge whispers behind her hand conspiratorially, which elicits a giggle from Allura. “I dunno how Altean weddings work. So it’s your turn now.”

Allura taps her chin. “Normal weddings include fancy attire-”

“Which was too expensive for our lesbian couple with their flower shop budget.”

“And an ornamental battle to prove their worthiness for each other, to symbolise that they will fight for each other no matter what life throws at them. This, of course, requires special made custom weapons.”

“Which they also can’t afford.”

“But they were saving for it.” Allura adds with a smile.

“Yeah.” Pidge nods. She looks away from from Allura and to her feet. “Do you ever think of marriage?”

Allura laughs. “Quiznack, no. Courtship perhaps, but not marriage.”

Pidge probably shouldn’t ask. She shouldn’t tease herself like that, with the idea of ‘courtship’, since she has neither the guts to ask nor a chance with her, but she does anyways. “How does courtship work?”

A shy blush crawls onto Allura’s cheeks. “Tell me about how yours works.”

“Person A asks Person B to go on a date and they go somewhere and do something together that’s fun for them both.” Pidge doesn’t bother adding in the pre-dating flirting or messaging in her description.

Allura offers Pidge a small smile, and opens her mouth to reply, just as Lance and Keith come running back up the hill.

“We found a thing!” Keith yells, holding a white rectangular container in his arms.

Lance raises another one, identical except in color. It’s almost the same color as his suit. “No, I found a thing! Two things!”

Pidge sighs. Now how is she gonna learn about how Altean girls date? This is the only time something like this has come up so naturally in conversation.

She gets to her feet, and offers Allura a hand. Allura takes it, but doesn’t actually put any weight into her grasp.

They wait patiently as Keith and Lance climb up, holding their boxes out like prizes. Lance drops his at Allura’s feet and plops onto the ground, chest heaving as he attempts to catch his breath.

Pidge squats down and pulls off the lid. Inside rests a collection of tablets, undeniably familiar, but also different in a way. Sleeker, shinier than the castle’s counterpart. “These are Altean, aren’t they, Princess?” She passes one to Allura, who takes it gingerly.

The screen lights up at her touch, and a hologram projects of of the screen. A man with pale skin and lavender eyes smiles at them.

“Hello, fellow Altean. If you have found this, it is likely because this colony has been destroyed. No need to fear.” The screen flattens into 2D and a star map appears, full of blinking lights. “Many other colonies are still thriving. Just in case they are not, we have stored several boxes of tablets with data about both our colony’s history, and that of Altea as a whole.”

A solitary tear runs down Allura’s cheek. She attempts to stifle a sob by covering her mouth with her hand, but the sound escapes it anyways. Lance and Keith do not meet her eyes, but Pidge watches her carefully, unsure if she’s taking the information well.

“Praise be to our last king, and our lost Princess Allura, and the best of luck.” The man says, accompanied with an odd salute. The last thing they see from him is a happy grin before the screen blanks out.

The four of them stand there in silence, waiting for Allura to break it.

“There are more of us.” She whispers, her eyes distant. A grin settles on her lips, and Pidge can’t help but to mirror it. “Altea isn’t dead.”

“All we have to do is find them, Princess.” Pidge says.

Allura turns away from the dead city and grabs Pidge by her shoulders. Her grip is firm, but not painfully so, and although the contact makes her stomach feel funny, she doesn’t protest as Allura repeats excitedly, “Altea isn’t dead!” She draws Pidge into her arms and suddenly, she’s being hugged, her face pressed into her chest, right beneath her boobs. “Oh, Pidge! There’s others out there. Me and Coran, we- we’re not the last of us.”

“Yay,” Pidge repeats, her voice muffled by Allura’s bust.

“Oh,” Allura says, drawing back. “I apologize, I just-” She cuts herself off with a grin. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been so happy before.”

Pidge can’t recall her being as excited as this before either. Not even when they progress more than normal in training. Not even when Voltron wins a battle. Not even with her.

(i got tired of all those fics where Pallura is a background fic or something to pair up the remaining people. So I decided to write it myself. I know that this is a rarepair and all, so if you have any headcannons or suggestions, be sure to comment and I’ll try to work them in. And remember, tags and comments are word fuel. :) @flutterhunter)

#pallura #pidge #allura #voltron #vld

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sciencespies · 5 years

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How to Discover Dinosaurs

https://sciencespies.com/nature/how-to-discover-dinosaurs/

How to Discover Dinosaurs

Dinosaur skeletons are the pride and joy of every natural history museum. As throngs of visitors come to marvel at the sizes and unusual shapes of these skeletons, few realize what it takes to find and collect these treasures. It is a job that is physically demanding, requiring long hours in the field—kneeling in the dirt, roasting in the hot sun with the sweat dripping from your brow, while often ignoring back pain and biting insects. However, I can attest, the excitement of uncovering remains of animals that lived countless millennia ago far outweighs any discomfort.

People always ask, “How do you know where to dig?” Well, first we have to find a dinosaur skeleton before we can dig it up. To collect dinosaurs requires careful planning. Unless they are called on to salvage a skeleton already found during construction or mining, paleontologists begin their search for dinosaurs by studying geological maps and reports to identify locations where the rocks might yield dinosaur bones. After securing the necessary fieldwork permits, team leaders select volunteers, assemble equipment and purchase supplies. For off-road transportation, four-wheel-drive vehicles are a must.

The ideal places for dinosaur hunting lack any vegetation cover and are far from human habitation. The best places for finding dinosaurs here in the United States are in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. The most exotic places that I’ve traveled in pursuit of dinosaur fossils have been China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Today, the best dinosaur collecting is in Argentina, China and Mongolia.

The best places for finding dinosaurs here in the United States are in Colorado, Montana, Utah (above: Dinosaur National Monument) and Wyoming.

(Getty Images, DEA / C. DANI I. JESKE / Contributor)

To begin a search at a site, collectors slowly walk across miles of exposures of strata, carefully scanning the ground for bone on the surface. It takes a practiced eye to be able to quickly distinguish fossil bone from the rock. The differences might only be subtle nuances in color and texture.

Once exposed from the rock by wind and rain, dinosaur bones will quickly crumble into pieces. Thus, collectors look for clusters of these broken, weathered pieces. A trickle of bone fragments might lead to a larger source, which, if luck is at hand, leads to more complete remains still buried in the rock.

The initial excavation of a skeleton is done with picks, shovels and jackhammers. This can be physical demanding labor because a lot of overlying rock often has to be removed before the bone layer is exposed.

Once the bone is exposed, we use small hammers, chisels, awls and dental picks to trace the outlines of the bones in the rock. Exposed bone surfaces are often fragile after countless millennia in the ground and require a thin coat of adhesive to strengthen them. Solutions of synthetic polymers, such as polyvinyl acetate, in acetone or ethanol, are used for this purpose. It is important to leave enough rock around bones to protect them during transport to the laboratory.

In 2016, the author and his colleagues announced the discovery of the horse-sized dinosaur, Timurlengia euotica, which was found midway along the cliffs in the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan.

(NMNH, Igor Danilov)

The braincase proved to be the decisive fossil that lead to the description of the new dinosaur species, Timurlengia euotica (above: in its environment 90-million years ago).

(NMNH, painting by Todd Marshall)

The job of finding dinosaur fossils requires long hours kneeling in the dirt (above: the author in 2016 in Uzbekistan). . .with the sweat dripping from your brow.

(NMNH)

It is imperative to keep detailed documentation concerning the location of a fossil skeleton and its geological context. These data allow paleontologists to determine the geological age of the remains and reconstruct the ancient environment in which the dinosaur lived and died. Without this information, the scientific value of the specimen is greatly diminished.

As a first-year graduate student at the University of Alberta, my first experience was the excavation of a skeleton of an 80-million-year-old duckbilled dinosaur. The fossil had been found weathering out of a hillside along the South Saskatchewan River in southern Alberta, Canada. The rich brown color of its bones stood out beautifully against the grayish-white sandstone. A few tail vertebrae had been exposed and some digging revealed that much more of the skeleton extended into the hillside.

A team from the university spent much of the summer excavating the bones, which turned out to be embedded in a hard sandstone. We had to proceed with care with our duckbill as some limb bones were preserved separate from the rest of the skeleton. The skeleton was large, and we had to divide it into several blocks in order to transport it. We covered each block of the bone-bearing rock in burlap strips, cut from old flour bags and dipped in wet plaster. First, a layer of damp tissue paper was applied to the bones to prevent the plaster from sticking to them. Then layers of plaster bandages were tightly molded to the surfaces of each block. Any loose pieces of bone were wrapped and bagged separately.

In 1923, Charles Whitney Gilmore and his crew spent almost eight years on the recovery of the Diplodocus skeleton from a steep cliff of hard sandstone.

(Smithsonian Institution Archives, SIA Acc. 12-492 )

Once a first round of plastering was completed, we dug trenches around the plaster jackets until they each were supported only by a small pedestal of rock. Then the jackets were turned over and their undersides fully plastered. Pieces of wood or pipe were inserted into the plaster to increase the strength of each jacket. Once dried, the plaster jackets formed a sturdy shell protecting the dinosaur bones inside.

Our dig site was on the side of a cliff so a backhoe was brought in to build a dirt road for moving the blocks up the slope to a truck for transport back to the university. Individual blocks of plaster-jacketed bone-bearing rock can weigh hundreds of pounds or more.

The actual removal of the bones from the rock encasement takes place in the laboratory. The technician opens the plaster jacket using a circular saw. In most cases, the bones are slowly freed from the rock using dental tools and air-scribes—a type of tiny jackhammer. Fine details and small bones are cleaned using carbide needles mounted in pin vises. Broken pieces are mended with adhesive and gaps are filled in with plaster or epoxy resin. This work, once done by stone masons, demands a lot of skill and tremendous patience. Today it is undertaken by specially trained technicians.

Charles Gilmore (above with vertebrae) was never happy about the gargantuan effort it took to wrestle the museum’s prized Diplodocus from the hard sandstone.

(Smithsonian Institution Archives, Image #SIA2008-1929)

Most dinosaurs discovered to date are not known from even partial skeletons. Some species are documented only by a tooth or a leg bone. However, even such fragmentary remains often show distinct features that give enough information that paleontologists are able to identify the kind of dinosaur. When I did fieldwork a few years ago in Uzbekistan with colleagues from that country along with paleontologists from Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we collected many beautifully preserved but isolated bones and teeth representing a considerable variety of 90-million-year-old dinosaurs.

Among these remains were teeth and bones that belonged to a horse-sized, meat-eating dinosaur with blade-like teeth. The first finds only told us that these remains documented the presence of a tyrannosaur, but not whether it represented a new species, or an already known one. Then the team found a tyrannosaur braincase that clearly differed from the braincases of other known tyrannosaurs. This new tyrannosaur became Timurlengia euotica in honor of the 14th century Central Asian ruler Timur Leng (Tamerlane or Timur the Lame). Because the inner ear showed that this dinosaur had keen hearing, we named the new species euotica (Greek for “well-hearing”).

Collecting large dinosaur skeletons often takes a considerable investment of time and effort. A good example of this is the spectacular skeleton of the Jurassic dinosaur Diplodocus that graces the new fossil hall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It was collected by the Smithsonian’s legendary dinosaur hunter, Charles Whitney Gilmore and his crew at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah in 1923. It took him and his technicians almost eight years from the recovery of the skeleton from a steep cliff of hard sandstone to the completion of the mounted skeleton for display.

Gilmore was never happy about this gargantuan effort because he considered the dinosaur primarily of interest as an exhibit but yielding little if any new scientific information. Indeed, millions of visitors have since admired this 90-foot ancient giant.

When European researchers recently reexamined all known specimens of Diplodocus, the Smithsonian skeleton was re-identified as belonging to the uncommon species Diplodocus hallorum.

(NMNH)

But contrary to Gilmore’s expectations, the skeleton continues to be of great interest to paleontologists. Most recently, a team of European researchers re-examined all known specimens of Diplodocus and its close relatives. Their study upended the traditional classification of these dinosaurs. The Smithsonian skeleton was re-identified as belonging to the uncommon species Diplodocus hallorum, the first specimen of which had been reported as “Seismosaurus” in reference to its enormous size.

The Smithsonian skeleton also has unusual features in its tail. Some of the tail vertebrae are fused together and their spines are oddly shaped. Paleontologists consider these features pathological and are still exploring what they might tell us about the life of this ancient giant. Undoubtedly, the Smithsonian’s skeleton of Diplodocus will remain an important resource for future scientific studies on this and related dinosaurs. Gilmore’s eight years of work turned out to be a good investment.

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