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privatetourguide2 · 5 days

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JJ Redick: A Sharpshooter's Journey Through the NBA

Overview

Greetings and welcome to our blog, where we highlight JJ Redick, one of the most prolific shooters in NBA history. Renowned for his lethal precision outside the arc and unwavering work ethic, Redick has established a fantastic career in the top basketball league in the world over the course of more than ten years. Come along as we examine his life story, accomplishments, and long-lasting influence on basketball.

Success in College and Early Life

On June 24, 1984, Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick was born in Cookeville, Tennessee. While attending Duke University and becoming one of the most decorated players in school history, he initially attracted national recognition. In addition to winning three ACC titles with the Blue Devils, Redick was recognized with multiple awards, including the 2006 Naismith College Player of the Year title, for his outstanding shooting ability and leadership on the court.

NBA Draft Selection and Professional Career

Following an exceptional collegiate career, Redick declared for the NBA Draft, with the Orlando Magic selecting him 11th overall in 2006. His ability to come off screens and catch and shoot with precision, along with his rapid release and deadly accuracy, made him one of the league's best three-point shooters very soon. Redick has played for a number of NBA clubs over his career, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Magic, and New Orleans Pelicans.

Three-Point Expert and Experienced Leadership

Redick has been admired for his shooting prowess and seasoned leadership both on and off the floor throughout his NBA career. In addition to being a mentor and role model for younger players, he has consistently placed in the top half of the league in three-point shooting %. Redick has gained the respect of teammates, coaches, and supporters alike due to his work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to perfection.

Playoff Performance and Titles

Despite not having won an NBA championship yet, Redick has had a great deal of success in the postseason, going on several deep runs with different teams. His teams have competed against the best in the league on the biggest stages thanks to his clutch shooting and seasoned presence, which have proven to be crucial assets in high-stress playoff circumstances.

Off-Court Business and Charity

In addition to his accomplishments on the basketball court, Redick is involved in a number of charitable and off-court projects. His popular podcast, "The Old Man and the Three," features conversations with coaches, experts, and other athletes from many sports-related fields. Redick also participates in philanthropic endeavors that support community development, social justice, and education.

History and Significance

JJ Redick's status as one of the best shooters in NBA history is assured as he nears the end of his playing career. His work ethic, professionalism, and dedication to excellence inspire future generations of basketball players, and his influence goes well beyond the basketball court. Redick will continue to have an influence on basketball for years to come, whether he is coaching up-and-coming talent or making clutch three-pointers in crucial situations.

In summary

JJ Redick's journey from NBA sharpshooter to collegiate standout is evidence of his commitment, tenacity, and passion for the game of basketball. We applaud him for his accomplishments to the sport and wish him continued success in all of his future pursuits as he continues to leave his imprint on the court and beyond.

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Golden Triangle Tour by Private Tour Guide India Company with Stops in Ranthambore

With the Golden Triangle Tour with Ranthambore by Private Tour Guide India Company, set out on an incredible adventure across India's wildlife treasures and cultural legacy. This painstakingly planned itinerary offers visitors a singular and engaging experience by fusing the famous sites of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur with an exciting wildlife safari in Ranthambore National Park.

Overview The Golden Triangle Tour with Ranthambore, which consists of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, is well known for its breathtaking architecture, lively culture, and extensive history. Ranthambore National Park, one of India's top wildlife attractions noted for its Bengal tiger population, adds to the tour's allure. Travelers can enjoy the finest of both worlds - cultural legacy and natural beauty - with Ranthambore's Golden Triangle Tour.

Highlights of the Tour Discover famous sites including Amber Fort, Qutub Minar, and the Taj Mahal. Take a thrilling safari among the wildlife of Ranthambore National Park. Savor individualized attention and knowledgeable direction from knowledgeable tour guides. Enjoy opulent lodgings and private transportation for a comfortable and stylish trip. Route First Day: Delhi Arrival and Investigating Morning: Arrival in Delhi When you go to Delhi, the busy Indian capital, pick up your driver and tour guide at the airport. After your journey, check into your opulent hotel and unwind.

Afternoon: Tour of New Delhi Discover the contemporary New Delhi landmarks, such as the Lotus Temple, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and India Gate. Discover the historical meaning of the architectural wonders while admiring them.

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Second day: Delhi to Agra Morning: Guided Tour of Old Delhi Set out on an exploration of Old Delhi's historic sites and winding streets, stopping at the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and Jama Masjid. Take in the lively vibe of this historic area of the city.

Drive to Agra in the afternoon. Proceed to Agra, the next destination on your Golden Triangle tour, after lunch. Take pleasure in a beautiful trip across Uttar Pradesh's stunning landscape.

Evening: Mehtab Bagh at dusk Mehtab Bagh is a tranquil park situated across the Yamuna River, where you may enjoy the sunset over the Taj Mahal. Take breathtaking pictures of the famous monument glowing in the evening light.

Day 3: Ranthambore to Agra Morning: Taj Mahal at sunrise Get up early to see the magnificent sunrise at the Taj Mahal, one of the World's Seven Wonders. Discover the magnificent monument's intriguing past and architectural details as you explore it.

Head to Ranthambore in the afternoon. Travel to Ranthambore National Park, which is renowned for its Bengal tiger population and a variety of other wildlife, after breakfast. As soon as you arrive, settle into your opulent rainforest retreat and unwind in the peace of the natural world.

Evening: Free Time Enjoy the resort's amenities and take in the tranquil atmosphere of Ranthambore while spending the evening at leisure.

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Drive to Jaipur in the afternoon. Say goodbye to Ranthambore after lunch and make your way to Jaipur, also known as the Pink City of India. After your safari trip, check into your opulent accommodation and unwind.

Evening: City Tour of Jaipur Discover Jaipur's architectural treasures, such as Jantar Mantar, City Palace, and Hawa Mahal. With the assistance of your informed guide, discover the rich cultural traditions and regal past of the city.

Day 5: Touring Jaipur and Leaving Amber Fort in the morning Discover the magnificent Amber Fort, which is perched on a hill with a view of the city. Explore the palaces, courtyards, and gardens of the fort with a guide, then climb the ramparts for sweeping views of Jaipur.

Afternoon: Jaipur departure After lunch, wrap up your amazing Golden Triangle Tour with Ranthambore by making your way to Jaipur International Airport for your next destination.

Why Select India's Private Tour Guide Company? Professional Guides Your trip experience will be enhanced by our knowledgeable guides, who offer in-depth information and insights about the history, culture, and wildlife of the places.

opulent lodgings We provide opulent lodging at renowned hotels and jungle resorts, guaranteeing a relaxing and opulent stay all along your journey.

Tailored Support We customize our trips to fit your interests and preferences while offering individualized attention and first-rate service to make sure you have an amazing time.

Flowing Logistics We take care of all the logistics, from lodging and wildlife safaris to airport transfers, with accuracy and efficiency so you can unwind and enjoy your holiday.

In summary A tour across India's diverse landscapes and cultures, the Golden Triangle Tour with Ranthambore by Private Tour Guide India Company promises a memorable experience combining wildlife adventure and cultural exploration. Travelers of all ages can expect an unforgettable and enriching experience on this tour, which offers professional guiding, opulent lodgings, and individualized attention. Schedule your tour right now to start an

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iamprchung · 3 months

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The Spider and the FBI (1/5+)

In a riveting road trip riddled with danger, Scully and Mulder are tasked with the unenviable duty of ferrying a federal nuisance from Portland to DC, with the mob hot on their tail and Mulder falling ill at the worst possible moment. With Mulder out of commission, Scully finds herself in the precarious position of solo guardian, until Skinner swoops in to ensure her safety, orchestrating a backup agent to join her on this perilous journey. As they traverse the country's highways, their mission becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse... Can they survive the ride.

Music Playlist

Notes from 1999: Jolt cola, or “Jolt” as referenced in this story, was the stimulant of the era. Packed full of sugar and caffeine. It was like nothing else to cause excitement of the fullest. Its slogan reads "All the sugar and twice the caffeine!"

Music Notes: This is so incredibly saccharine, but I recommend reading a specific scene to the song Dreams, by The Cranberries. Cue it up and when Scully’s on the phone in the municipal airport…

"The Spider and the FBI" by PR Chung

Portland, Oregon

Portland International Airport 9:30 A.M., June 30th, Wednesday

"If I can't get on a plane, I sure the hell won't get on any train. I just can't. I'll go mad."

Agent Fox Mulder stared at his prisoner vexed.

Gerald "the Spider" Bernstein was proving to be a bigger hand full than the FBI had ever anticipated.

"We can't force him, Mulder," Agent Dana Scully needlessly reminded her partner, exasperated.

"That's right," Bernstein said, bucking his head and pointing his handcuffed hand at the female agent, dragging Mulder's arm up with his. "You can't force me to go. I have a medical condition."

Mulder jerked his arm back. "I'll tell you what you can do with your medical cond--"

"Mulder," Scully warned glancing around the airport terminal.

Their plan to transport Bernstein by plane back to Washington D.C. for trial wasn't working out quite how they had thought it would. The man was insufferable, quietly obnoxious, and torturously droning. It amazed both agents that the mob bosses he had worked for hadn't bumped him off by virtue of his character. But rather, it had taken his embezzling to generate interest in killing him, especially now as he stood to testify against those he had worked for. All it would take to remove countless crime bosses from circulation was Bernstein's figures and information regarding money laundering operations, tax fraud and a whole slew of other crimes against the federal government.

Needless to say, there were a great many people interested in "the Spider" aside from just the federal prosecutor. It had become common knowledge within the bureau that several contracts had been put out on the man by his previous employers, a fact in itself that if proven could put away these people, but a fact Bernstein was also aware of and had made finding him a problem.

Knowing his life was in grave danger Bernstein had been in hiding for over two years, yet a strange quirk of fate had drawn him out and to the attention of the FBI. The Internet had been to thank for his apprehension, an Internet romance to be exact. Bernstein, in a self-imposed exile, had turned to the Internet for companionship and thus met a lovely woman who, much to his dismay, after four months of correspondence, turned out to be a federal employee. It was through her water cooler chats with fellow employees about her newfound Romeo that Bernstein's identity and location were discovered.

Already in the area, having just finished an investigation involving a man believed to be the last surviving member of an ancient Pacific Northwest Indian tribe, Mulder and Scully were relegated the task of escorting Bernstein back to Washington D.C.

Mulder, already in a foul state due to the native American man being a complete fraud, was in no mood to deal with Bernstein. Scully knew that it was with supreme effort that Mulder didn't pop the man in the face with each new obstacle he threw in their path to Washington. Now, with his proclaimed claustrophobic condition, that Scully could neither refute nor confirm, she knew Mulder was on the brink.

She took a step to Mulder's right, trying for some semblance of privacy as she spoke to him.

"His claim to fits of claustrophobia is more than likely false, but we can't prove that. And we can't force him into a situation that could provoke an attack, either genuine or… manufactured," Mulder narrowed his eyes on her, disagreement blazing in them. She dipped her head in resignation, "We can't refuse him his rights."

"Then what’s the plan?” Berstein asked.

Scully turned the man, who straightened immediately from his overt eavesdropping. “Well?”

"A car. A full-sized rental car." She both answered and suggested, turning to Mulder with a look of decidedness.

*******************************

"A car?" Mulder winced at the thundering sound of Skinner's voice coming back across the phone. He knew he should have had Scully tell their superior, she seemed to have a certain way with him lately; an ability to smooth his ruffled feathers and soothe the scowl that so often carved its way into his features.

"Bernstein needs to be handed over to the federal prosecutor by Tuesday morning, and you're going to transport him by car across the length of the contiguous United States?" Skinner questioned.

Mulder glanced at Scully for support as he answered, "Yes, sir."

"Mulder," Scully could hear Skinner's voice clearly over the phone despite the fact she was standing several feet from Mulder at the rental car counter. "Get your asses on a plane and bring this bogus son-of-a-"

"Sir?" Scully interrupted, taking the phone from a pained Mulder.

There was silence on the line for a long moment. Then, "Scully, what the hell is going on out there?"

"Sir, we cannot certify this man doesn't suffer from a condition that would prevent him from traveling by either train or plane," she explained in her most self-possessed voice. "It would be a violation of his federal rights to force him..."

"You don't have to remind me of his rights, Scully," Skinner interjected. "But I have the prosecutor breathing down my neck on this one. Not to mention the countless reports we've received about possible attempts on Bernstein's life now that the word of his capture has circulated. You're placing yourselves at risk by transporting him in a car."

"Yes, we are aware of the hazards involved. Our route will be less trackable in a car…”

Skinner's breath hissed across the line. "Yes, it will, Scully," he grumbled, "for not only those pursuing Bernstein, but for the bureau to track and assist you and Mulder as well."

This was true. Scully didn't need to be told. "Yes, we're aware of that point also."

The line was quiet for a moment, then Skinner spoke, somberly. "Scully, do what is necessary, just get back here in one piece."

*******************************

"We have to stop." Bernstein announced from the backseat of the rental car.

Mulder shook his head. "If you're feeling caged in already, you'll just have to deal with it." They had only just pulled out of the car rental agency parking lot ten minutes before.

"No, we have to stop there," Bernstein reached over the back of the seat, pointing toward the drug store they were approaching.

"Whoa," Mulder declared, "just stay right back there."

"I have needs," he insisted sitting back in his seat. "I wasn't allowed to take anything with me and there are things that I won't be able to do without on this little trip you're taking me on."

Mulder glanced at Scully.

She shrugged, from behind the wheel of the car. "Within reason, we should provide him with general necessities."

********************************

"That," Bernstein said, pointing at the foot powder. Scully glanced at the multifarious load of 'necessities' already filling the hand basket. "My feet sweat... a lot." The man enlightened her, and it was really more information than she needed or wanted.

"Okay," Scully sighed pulling the powder down off the shelf.

"Eye drops," he then said, pointing down the other side of the aisle.

"Come on, Bernstein," Mulder growled, frustration getting the best of him. "You're dragging your feet here. We've just collected half the store into this basket for you. Look, here's contact solution and saline solution, cotton balls, dry skin lotion, foot powder, aspirin, toenail clippers and fingernail clippers, cuticle cream, and what else is buried under there I don't know. And now eye drops."

Bernstein looked at the agent, his eyes pinching tight with half-baked indignity. "My eyes," he said with a quiet indignation, "they get dry. My feet sweat and I have bad eyesight. My eczema flares up in the summer and I get headaches. I have excessive hangnails and my toenails need regular grooming or they become in grown. All right? I'm sorry I'm not the picture of health and stamina such as you, young man. I have troubles that with these meager purchases I can for, yet another day hold off and receive some small scrap of the life normalcy healthy, perfect people, such as yourself, lead."

Mulder rolled his eyes, opening his mouth—

"Eye drops," Scully announced, interrupting whatever it may have been that Mulder was about to say, and dropped the box into the basket dramatically as she came back down the aisle. "Let's go."

*******************************

"The best," Bernstein read a roadside sign as they drove past. "The best what, I wonder?" He said to himself, but loud enough for Scully and Mulder to hear. "Open face sandwiches," he read the next sign. "Oh, the best open face sandwiches, I see. But where, I wonder?"

Mulder leaned his head back against the headrest, hands gripping the steering wheel harshly. Five hours, he thought. Five of the longest hours he had ever spent in a car with any one person. Bernstein never shut up that droll, monotone pattern of speech.

"Ahhh," Bernstein sounded triumphant as he read the following sign, "ahead! The best open face sandwiches ahead."

Scully wriggled in her seat, kicking at the floorboard restlessly. She, too, had taken just about as much as she could.

"I wonder what's ahead," Bernstein said once again to himself scooting closer to the passengers' side window.

Mulder suddenly jerked the steering wheel to the left and Bernstein's head banged into the glass. “Ouch!” He yelled.

"What's the matter?" Scully asked sitting up.

"Sorry," Mulder apologized, shrugging with a motion of his hand back the way they’d passed, "I thought I saw a deer." Scully watched him, dubious. "I think we all need a break," she told her partner.

"Eddy's home style Cooking," Bernstein read yet another sign on the roadside. "Oh, that sounds nice and friendly,” he added with a purposely reflective sigh.

Scully checked the map. "Delco,” she read, “It’s small, but not far off the highway. We could make a dinner stop there and then back on the highway."

Mulder glanced at the tachometer he’d set to zero before leaving the rental agency. It was just ticking over to five-hundred and ninety-three. He checked the time, doing some rudimentary math that satisfied him. Nearly six-hundred miles in a little over eight hours would certainly convince Skinner they were going to make it to D.C. with time to spare.

“How much farther to Salt Lake from there?” he asked Scully.

“Home style cooking,” Berstein said as if to himself in the backseat. “Doesn’t that sound wholesome?”

Ignoring Bernstein, Scully traced their route on the map, answering, “Another two hours, give or take.”

“I bet Eddy’s has great pies.” Berstein continued, looking out the window with a wistful smile. “I don’t know about you two agents, but I’m a pie man. Love pie. All kinds of pie; apple pie, French apple pie—but that’s just regular apple pie with raisins. And blueberry pie, cherry pie, and rhubarb pie—”

“Okay, we got it, you like pie,” Mulder barked at the man. They may have been making good time on the road, but regardless of their speedy progress, it felt like an eternity while listening to Bernstein’s non-stop narrative from the backseat. Looking at the man in the rearview mirror, Mulder threatened, “If you don’t shut your pie hole, you’re going to end up with some unwholesome truck stop food.”

Scully closed her eyes. “Yep, we definitely need to take a break.”

*******************************

Delco, Idaho

6:20 P.M.

Eddy's Home Style Cooking restaurant was a small, single-story building in dire need of a fresh coat of paint and more than a few nails to secure the boards hanging loose. Neon signs flickered in the dingy windows, faltering in sections and undoubtedly ready to completely go out any day. A single island of gas pumps sat out front but had been out of order for a great deal of time judging by their state of disrepair; rusted, leaning, and missing essential parts.

"Now you just don't see places like this anymore." Bernstein remarked with a tone of nostalgia.

"Because they've been demolished." Mulder mumbled as he got out of the car.

Inside, Eddy's was much larger than it appeared on the outside, and much better kept. The two agents lead their prisoner to a secluded booth along the far wall, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but their clothes made them unavoidably obvious next to the simpler dress of the other patrons. Despite their obvious appearance, the trio was greeted graciously by the staff and even a few of the patrons they assumed to be regulars.

"Hey there," the waitress called as she headed across the dining room with menus in hand. She was dressed in jeans and a pink tee shirt emblazoned with a photograph of President Richard Nixon shaking hands with Elvis Presley and the words 'Elvis shot JFK.' "How you doing this evening?"

"Good, thank you." Scully answered noticing the tee shirt. She glanced at Mulder, who too was eyeing the oddity.

"What a fascinating tee shirt you have there." Bernstein of course had to comment.

She glanced down as if she'd forgotten what she put on that morning. "Oh, this," she said, "I ordered this over the Internet, isn't it interesting?"

Bernstein went cold hearing mention of the Internet. "I suppose," he muttered, adding, "out here."

The waitress frowned briefly, confused about the sudden shift in the man's demeanor. "Uh... what can I get you guys to drink?"

Scully ordered a diet soda while Mulder took an iced tea, and Bernstein coolly ordered a coffee and ice water with a saucer to be placed beneath both.

Nothing was simple with this guy, Mulder observed. He had to be different, difficult, and attended to without hesitation. Even his meal was a production. He rattled the waitress with his endless questioning of the simplest of dishes the place offered, then droned out instructions in epic proportion regarding the special preparation of his final selection; meat loaf, but it had to be solid with tomato sauce lightly glazed over the top and slightly crusted, with fresh mash potatoes-- not flakes-- and sweet baby peas, and nothing touching the other on the plate.

"All right," the waitress returned with their meals, abruptly placing them before each. "Bacon cheeseburger and fries," she announced to Scully, "BLT and fries," she said to Mulder, then plopped Bernstein's plate down. "Meat loaf, mash potatoes and peas."

Bernstein looked at his plate, clearly appalled. Peas were mixed with potatoes; the meat loaf was moist to the point of sogginess and covered with a runny red sauce that looked like watered down catsup.

"This is not what I ordered," he declared gesturing at the food before him. It was then that the waitress noticed the handcuffs. She took a step back.

"Eat your food, Bernstein," Mulder told him pulling his cuffed hand back down.

"Hey, what...?" the waitress started to ask.

Scully pulled her identification out, showing the woman her badge. "We're transporting a prisoner." Despite this information, the young woman still looked concerned. "It's all right, really." Scully assured her.

She went away but was still uneasy and apparently informed the cook as well as a few patrons of the situation judging by the stares Scully and Mulder began receiving. Their meals, combined with Bernstein's complaining and the stares, did not go down with the ease the two agents would have liked. Mulder didn't even finish his sandwich.

Pushing his plate away from himself, he motioned for Scully's attention.

"What?"

"The keys," he said wriggling his fingers across the table. "To the car?" "No, the cuffs."

She frowned. "I have to use the facilities and he's not going with me." He told her.

Bernstein looked first at Mulder then Scully. "I do use those, too, you know. Who's going to allow me..."

"Later, me first then you. Understood?"

The man said nothing, just picked at his food.

Scully handed the handcuff key over to her partner who disengaged himself from the man and re-cuffed him to the table support.

"I understand," Bernstein finally said to Mulder. "I really do. It's hard sometimes." Mulder refused to listen, leaving the table heading for the bathroom. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Bernstein called after him drawing attention from the patrons, "every man deals with this problem at some point in his life."

Scully leaned forward. "Bernstein, I'm warning you to stop harassing my partner."

He looked at her, cocking his head aside with a quirky half smile. "I do understand. I used to have to sing if there was another man in the bathroom-"

"No," she lowered her voice, "I don't want to hear any more of your pseudo-sympathy."

"Pseudo-sympathy?" He repeated, taking his eye drops out of his pocket.

"I don't know what you think you're achieving, but you're not going to make this any easier on yourself this way, Mr. Bernstein."

"I'm just stating my observations— my opinions, Agent Scully. This is still a free country, isn't it? Oh, but—," he said pulling his cuffed hand up, fumbling the cap off the eye drops bottle with the move.

The cap rolled under the table, and he started to go for it, but Scully stopped him. "I'll get it," she said bending down under the table, looking for it.

Bernstein glanced around the diner, then looked at Mulder’s iced tea glass. “Do you see it?” He asked Scully.

“Yeah,” she answered from half under the table, her voice strained as she stretched for the cap.

“Should I help any?” He asked as he reached out and squeezed eye drops into Mulder glass. “I could use my feet—”

“No,” she exclaimed. “Don’t.”

Bernstein flicked his brows upward and shrugged to himself with disinterest now that his devious task was done.

"Here," Scully huffed pulling herself back up to hand the cap to Bernstein.

He smiled, taking it. "You're so helpful."

"More tea, sir?" the waitress asked Mulder as he returned from the restroom.

He sat down looking at his glass. "No, thank you," he decided and drank what he had left.

*******************************

Ogden, Utah

7:43 P.M.

"Scully," Mulder moaned from the passenger's seat, "pull in at that gas station ahead."

She glanced at him. He was wriggling in the seat, his mouth held in a tight grimace.

"We shouldn't have eaten in that dive," Bernstein announced from the back seat.

"Shut up," Mulder half moaned, half yelled at the man.

"Mulder, has it gotten worse?" Scully questioned, concerned. Not long after they had left the restaurant his stomach had begun to bother him. They had already made two stops for him at gas stations, and it seemed to only be getting worse. She was concerned but also confused; food poisoning normally didn't manifest itself for at least seven hours following ingestion.

He nodded his head hard, beginning to perspire.

"You can never tell what you're going to pick up in those types of places," Bernstein continued his commentary.

"Shut up!" Mulder shouted at him and clutched at his stomach.

"Bernstein, I swear," Scully didn't finish her threat, hurrying the car off the interstate and into the gas station.

Mulder was out of the car before she had it stopped, heading for the restroom full speed.

"I wouldn't want to be--"

"Bernstein," Scully snapped throwing her arm over the seat back and twisting to glare at him, "shut the hell up."

Insolent, he pursed his lips, making a zipping gesture across his mouth.

*******************************

Frontier, Wyoming

The Pink Cloud Motel 11:06 p.m.

Bernstein leaned back against the pillows, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched Scully flip through the road atlas. "So, do you two share motel rooms often?"

Scully raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking up to meet his with cool composure. "No," she replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for further inquiry.

Glancing over at Mulder, who was sound asleep on the adjacent bed, Bernstein's smirk widened. "That's hard to believe," he remarked, his tone laced with thinly veiled amusement. "Two intelligent and exceptionally attractive people like yourselves."

"We have a professional relationship," Scully replied evenly, her eyes returning to the map before her. "We value our work."

Bernstein chuckled, shaking his head as if amused by her response. "Oh, I see," he said mockingly. "You two respect each other and value your work. Isn't it really about protecting those government benefits? Maintaining that G4 rating you've worked so hard to achieve?"

Scully's expression remained stoic, though a hint of irritation flickered in her eyes. "Believe what you will," she said tersely, her attention back on the map, dismissing Bernstein's insinuations with practiced ease.

"We wouldn’t be sharing a room period if it weren’t for you refusing to fly." Mulder said rolling onto his back. He sat up slowly, looking pale. “We’d be home already.”

Scully went to the nightstand checking the bottle of pink stuff. There was no more than an once left. Mulder glanced at it, warily.

"You shouldn't take any more of this." Scully cautioned.

"You're certainly going to be surprised in the morning when-"

"Bernstein," Scully glared at him.

"I'm not going to take any more," Mulder assured her getting up. "I just need something to drink. I want a Sprite."

"You should be drinking water..."

He was shaking his head. "I want Sprite." Bernstein sat upright. "I'd take a Jolt cola."

Scully refused to dignify him with a response. Mulder, on the other hand, was not as strong. "I'll give you a jolt..." the ailing agent murmured as he passed.

"I saw a vending machine at the end of the building, I'll get us drinks," Scully said, checking Bernstein's cuffs before going. “What if they don’t have Sprite?”

“7-Up, or anything clear. Except that grapefruit drink.” Mulder instructed.

“Squirt.” Berstein offered. They turned to look at him. He smiled, “that’s what it’s called, the grapefruit drink.”

*******************************

“Lots of generic selections in the machine,” Scully announced coming back to the room, sodas cradled in her arm. “Lemon-Up. Strawberry Fizz, and a normal sounding Root Beer.”

No sooner than she had given him a soda, Bernstein began complaining about his drink; not only was it not the selection he'd asked for, but it was also not cold enough.

"It felt cold enough when I was carrying it," Scully differed with him.

"I can't drink this," the insufferable man complained, his expression turning sour. "I'll get sick to my stomach."

Mulder glared at him across the room.

Scully looked at him, vexed. "Deal with it, Bernstein."

"I have to have ice," he insisted, then cocked his head adding, "is that really so much to ask for?"

Scully glanced back at Mulder. He rolled his eyes and nodded toward the door as he picked up the ice bucket. "I could use some ice water later."

What he really needed was time away from Bernstein, Scully knew. She had relished the relative quiet during her brief trip to the vending machine.

Oddly though, with Mulder off to the churning, spewing ice machine, silence fell on the room. Scully began gathering things from her bag, preparing for some type of rest, exactly what quantity, or quality she didn't know. She had to sleep if she would be doing a majority of the driving as she had today.

"Where will you be sleeping this evening, Agent Scully?"

"That shouldn't concern you, Bernstein," she announced turning to look at him squarely. "What you should be concerned about is where you'll be sleeping."

Bernstein was left to think about that as she walked off into the bathroom, or so she thought. As the bathroom door shut, Bernstein pulled his eye drops out, glancing at Mulder's open can of Lemon-Up setting on the night stand next to his own Strawberry Fizz.

**********************************

Washington D.C. Thursday, July 1st 8:21 a.m.

If he wished, he could force himself to consider the requests. If he wanted, he would direct critical examination at the reports. But the words were meaningless, running the width of a sheet of paper laying on the desk before Skinner. His heart wasn't in it this morning; he couldn't keep his attention focused on the files his assistant had delivered to him over an hour ago. Instead, his attention was captured by the phone sitting silently on his desk and his concern was ensnared by the inconceivable reasons there had been no word from agents Mulder or Scully.

Recently, he had discovered himself saving the worst imagined scenario of calamity when it came to their work. Or more actually when it came to Scully. This sudden insight disturbed him as much on a personal level as it did on a professional one, because he believed generally, as morbid as it seemed, a person saved these imagined scenes of misfortune for those they greatly cared about.

Of course he cared about his agent’s wellbeing, understandably on a professional level, but as time had passed and the three of them had gone through more personal strife together, obligation and concern had extended into a sphere of individuality that transcended standard professionalism. Yet, this unsanctioned sense of familiarization had transformed even deeper over the course of the last eight months and was directed more fully at Scully alone.

When did this happen? He questioned himself, incensed by the questions' necessity.

Understanding exactly when ordinary concern and care turned to true affection and longing was a fruitless investment of one's time, but recognizing the fact that it had occurred was a moment of clarity, filled with anxiety and anger at oneself for letting it happen.

He was angry with himself because he was supposed to separate himself from certain people so this wouldn't happen. This was why there were rules and regulations regarding fraternization, to avoid the loss of authority and equanimity, the ability to assign cases without hesitation or the hindrance of unessential caution. These were the obstacles he was now facing with this assignment.

What was once rumored, unsubstantiated suspicion was now concentrated in an official document that came to his attention; a report noting that contracts, two for certain, had been issued against Gerald Bernstein's life. During what had become a perpetual monitoring of known and suspected criminal channels, enough information had been gathered from both the west and east coast to justify the FBI stepping up its level of protection for Bernstein.

He reached for the phone, and it rang in his hand. It was Kimberly ringing into his office. Was this word from Mulder and Scully? It rang twice before he picked it up. "Yes, Ms. Cook?"

"Sir, I have Agent Scully on line one for you."

Skinner opened the line immediately. "Agent Scully, I was expecting a status update last night,” he snapped into the phone abruptly.

"Yes, sir," her voice came back, horse. "There's been... we've had..." she drifted off and Skinner heard her take and audible breath. "Mulder has contracted an incapacitating stomach virus and I don't see him being able to continue on with me."

She sounded haggard, exhausted. "Have you slept, Scully?"

There was a pause. "Yes," she lied. Skinner leaned forward, planting his elbows firmly on his desk blotter. "Where are you?" he asked, lowering his voice. Softening his tone.

"A motel in Frontier, Wyoming. It's off of Interstate 84." She paused for a second, then, "the Pink Cloud motel."

"Scully, a report came across my desk first thing this morning prompting an immediate increase in Bernstein's security. Word is that two contracts have been placed against the man."

"As the Bureau has suspected for some time," she commented.

"Scully, I want you to continue to the nearest field office. I'll make the arrangements for another agent to join you for the rest of this trip."

"Sir, the nearest office is Denver." He rubbed forehead roughly. She couldn't continue on with Bernstein by herself. Not that she wasn't capable of handling the man, but it was against bureau policy for a single agent to escort prisoners, especially when contracts existed on their lives.

Skinner took only a second to think. "Do you have any idea what the closet municipal airfield is?"

"Uh," she hesitated, and he could hear papers rustling. "It looks like Rock Springs, according to this map."

"How far is it?"

"Seventy miles at the most," she replied.

"I want you to head there, I'll make arrangements for an agent to meet you."

************************************

Rock Springs, Wyoming Municipal Airport Terminal 3:45 p.m.

"My back is killing me," Bernstein complained, "I'm going to need therapy, I know it."

Scully ignored him, watching the incoming prop shuttle carrying her new partner.

The flight had been due in at three per the information from Kimberly Cook, and Scully was sure they would be late getting to the airport, what with Bernstein insisting on lunch and then several imperative pitstops along the short distance to this municipal field. But as it turned out, the flight was late coming in from Cheyenne.

"You realize I will be making an official complaint to the proper channels regarding my sleeping conditions last night." Bernstein told Scully.

"Yes," she answered him, "so you've told me several times."

"Don't take this lightly, agent Scully." "I'm not." She replied brusquely.

She had enough to be concerned with other than this joker's "formal" and "official" complaints. She had left her agonizing partner alone in a ratty motel to fend for himself over seventy miles away and spent the better part of two and a half hours on a drive that should have taken an hour, dealing with one of most insufferable men she had ever come in contact with. And now, she was about to join up with an agent unknown for the rest of what she already knew was going to be the worst road trip of her life. It had already been one for the records and she wasn't looking forward to the rest of it.

God help her, let this agent be someone she could gain some type of basic connection with, she thought. The last thing she needed was to be hemmed in on one side by Bernstein and then the other by some mid-western dullard of an agent.

She didn’t deserve this assignment, she thought watching the plane touch down through the picture windows. She had only been on the West Coast thanks to Mulder's interest in the "ancient Indian" story. And a story was all it had turned out to be. No more than a drunken local who could spin a good yarn and an even better one with the help of local profiteers.

But here she was in the middle of nowhere; in charge of "the Spider" Bernstein just because she and Mulder had been the closet agents who just happened to be on their way back to Washington.

The plane was taxiing now, moving toward the terminal.

It was quite a picture, oddly enough. Rather mundane if only considered a moment; the plane, small against its multi-passenger wide body brothers, was strikingly majestic against the backdrop of billowing white clouds filling a stark blue sky.

That was great, a startling picture of simplicity against the amazing contrast of nature’s complexity, but what was this agent's name again? Kim Cook had called after Skinner with only the time of the flight to expect an agent on but neither she nor Skinner called with the information about just who it was she was supposed to be meeting.

She didn't like this, especially with Bernstein the focus of several possible mob hits; this wasn't the time to not know whom one was supposed to be meeting.

Scully pulled her cell phone out and began to call Skinner's office for the third time since talking to Ms. Cook this morning.

Pointing toward a nearby sign, Bernstein offered his two cents worth as usual, "you're not allowed to use those in here."

Scully glanced at the sign proclaiming, 'THE USE OF CELLULAR EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED.'

"Why don't you add this infraction to your official complaint." She told him and took a few steps away from the man she'd hand cuffed to the rail running the length of the picture windows.

Again, she received voice mail for both Skinner and Ms. Cook. Where had they gone? What, was there a little something going on there? An inner office... Scully grunted at her own foolishness and tried Skinner's cell phone again. Again, she received the standard message that this cellular customer was unavailable.

There was only one thing left to do, she decided and dialed for information to get the Denver field office number.

"This is agent Dana Scully; I need to speak to the office director. I'm at the Rock Springs airport in Wyoming to meet an agent coming out of your location and I have no idea who they are though." She waited, watching the plane come to a stop on the tarmac, then the ground crew, consisting of two wiry looking young men, scurry out to it. They furiously worked to move the stairway up to the hatch then began the various tasks of unloading luggage and packages while the on-board crew popped the hatch and people began to slowly disembark.

A heavyset woman was first to depart the plane, her floral dress furrowing in the wind, her hat threatening to fly away. She hesitated in the hatchway, holding down her skirt with one hand, and her at with the other, all of which was holding up off-boarding. Soon enough, with her clothing under control, she continued down the stairs, followed by two men in jeans and cowboy hats. A small boy holding a multi-colored pool float was followed by a small girl who Scully assumed was her mother. It was a very diverse crowd to say the least, she thought.

"Agent Scully?" A woman's voice suddenly came back on the line.

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is agent Kate Atkins, how can I help you, because I'm just a little confused by what the receptionist just told me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Well, as I understand you're waiting to meet an agent from this office?"

"Yes, what's the problem?" Scully's brow began to furrow, her eyes focusing on the departing plane passengers.

"Well, agent Scully, I do not see that any agent from the Denver office has been sent to meet with you." Agent Atkins explained.

"Are you certain?" Scully questioned urgently.

"Now that guy's got government written all over him," Bernstein said catching Scully's attention.

She turned back, looking out the window again as agent Atkins continued to explain, "we did receive a call this morning, requesting assistance for an agent in Wyoming, which I will assume now was you, but unfortunately we weren't able to comply with the request because of a major...."

"Agent Atkins," Scully broke in as she watched Assistant Director Walter Skinner making his way down the stairway from the plane to the tarmac, "I was mistaken. Thank you."

Prepossessed, she terminated the call watching him descend the stairway, bag in hand, the wind flapping at his navy suit jacket and multi-print tie.

"What is he doing here?" She questioned under her breath. The man was impossible to ignore. She found herself watching him descend the stairs a bastion in this dreadful situation she’d become mired in.

The terminal doors to the outside came open at the foot of a small stairway not far from where Scully was standing. She waited, impatient, wondering, and curious as the woman in the hat appeared then the cowboys, the boy and his sister, mother in tow and then, set apart from the rest by unquestionable contrast Skinner stepped through the door. He looked directly up the short stairway and at Scully, as though he knew exactly where she would be standing.

"Agent Scully," he greeted her with a dip of his chin.

"Sir," she mirrored his gesture. "I didn't expect you would be the agent meeting me," she immediately began to question his peculiar arrival, "what are you doing here?"

"The Denver office wasn't able to free up agents to join you," he explained, annoyance saturating his tone. "Apparently, there's a white supremacy gathering for the Fourth of July weekend outside Casper, so the bureau has concentrated a majority of their agents from Denver and Salt Lake there."

"I just spoke to an agent Atkins who mentioned their inability to offer support. But I'm surprised to see you, sir."

"I didn't have time to call, didn't my assistant call?"

"No, the last time I spoke to her was this morning. I've only gotten her voice mail since."

Skinner shook his head, frowning. This wasn't like Ms. Cook at all; but then again, she hadn't seemed quite herself for the past week, perhaps two now. He would address this when he returned, but now there were more pressing matters to contend with.

"A breakdown in communication seems only par for the course on this assignment," Skinner remarked then nodded toward the man that was obviously the prisoner. "He's looking pretty good for a man who's afraid to fly."

Bernstein appeared very content, serene almost, as he stood watching the runway activity, and every so often glancing Skinner's way curiously.

"He insists it's a fear of small places rather than the actual mode of transportation." Scully explained.

"Then how's he been able to sit in a car for extended periods of time?"

"Unfortunately, time spent in the car hasn't been very extensive," she answered, sounding tired. "Between Mulder becoming ill yesterday and then Bernstein's need to get out and walk around, we haven't been making very good time."

"That's going to change," Skinner declared in his not-going-to-take-any-crap tone.

"I've had the federal prosecutor's office breathing down my neck for constant progress reports since they discovered this little cross-country venture."

That was one motive, she thought, the need to escape the constant demands he'd been put under since this assignment arose. But at the back of her mind other suspicions tugged at her, wanting her to believe he didn't come fifteen hundred miles just to escort a priority prisoner back to D.C.

"How was Mulder when you left him?"

"Last night was rough, but he seemed better before I left, but not one hundred percent. He said he would visit an area doctor before leaving for Washington."

Skinner nodded. "Let's get going."

************************************

Frontier, Wyoming The Pink Cloud Motel 4:18 p.m.

At least he wasn't dying, as far as the rent-a-doc could tell in his cursory examination, Mulder mused as he pulled back up in front of the motel room. He was feeling better; the nausea had passed, as well as the constant crippling cramps. Perhaps, as the doctor had suggested, whatever had gripped him was passing, just a twenty-four-hour bug.

Getting out of the rental car Scully had the rental agency deliver he glanced at one of the packets of pills he'd been given at the medical facility, shaking his head. Bismuth salicylate, he'd been told when handed the pills, pink stuff without the pink. What had he expected, a full battery of tests and a complete physical from a facility located in the same strip mall as Neil's TV's and a submarine sandwich shop?

He stuffed them back in his pocket in exchange for the room key, hoping his flight back to D.C. would be as uneventful as the last forty-five minutes he'd just spent not racing to the bathroom.

"Excuse me," a man's voice sounded from behind him.

Mulder turned seeing two men approaching him, dressed sharply but not flashy, their eyes hidden by expensive sunglasses. These two didn't fit in around these parts; where he and Scully looked like salesmen, these two looked like they just came off a casting call for a Scorsese film.

Mulder's guard went up instantly.

"Is this your room?" One asked. "Not for long, I'm sure you can get it if you ask the desk clerk nice enough."

They glanced at each other, and then at Mulder.

"That's cute, chief" the other said, his mouth a grim, tight slash.

"I bet you got a million of them." The first said reaching into the fold of his jacket.

Mulder instinctively drew his weapon on them, "hold it there!"

They froze, their faces granite.

"Hands where I can see them," Mulder ordered them, focusing on the man who had reached into his jacket.

"Hey, chief, we don't mean no trouble--"

"Now! Hands up!"

From the corner of his eye Mulder saw the quick flash of a head poking out a nearby door. "Stay inside your room!" He yelled glancing down the breezeway for a split second.

That moment was the opportunity the two men before him needed. Both of them bolted in opposite directions, yanking guns from beneath their jackets as they ducked between cars.

One shot rang out, the bullet zinging past Mulder's cheek hitting the motel room window. Glass exploded and a scream sounded from nearby. Hearing doors slamming shut, Mulder ducked for shelter in front of the rental car.

"We don't want any trouble. We just want Bernstein, where is he?" Mulder recognized the first man's voice.

The agent wasn't about to give up his location despite the fact they probably knew exactly where he had ducked for cover. He checked between the parked cars; it was clear, and he moved for the cover of the next car.

Another shot rang out and the rear-view mirror shattered on the rental car.

Perhaps it hadn't been as clear as he thought.

A groggy looking man in the motel room directly in front of the agent pulled the shades wide open to peer out. Mulder furiously motioned for him to get down, but the man only frowned at him.

"Get down!" Mulder finally shouted at him and a third and fourth shot sounded.

The man ducked out of sight as Mulder heard a window bust somewhere in the parking lot.

He leaned down, peering under the cars. He could see only one set of shoes to his right, heading between the cars toward the building where he was fully exposed.

"Come on, where's Bernstein?" the first man kept yelling from Mulder's left. The agent glanced back under the cars but couldn't see where he was. He turned back quickly, knowing the other would be in the open any moment now.

The agent took a breath and came up off the ground into a squat leading his aim to the right, his eyes searching through car windows for the second man. It seemed like an eternity before anything happened, but when it did it happened in a flash. Four cars down, the man emerged quickly from between the vehicles.

"Hold it!" Mulder shouted at him, but it was useless. The man was heedless, firing off two rounds in Mulder's direction.

Mulder stumbled, firing as he went, feeling as though a sledgehammer had slammed into his chest. Despite having been shot his aim was true, clipping the man in the right shoulder, sending him to the ground with a single shot.

Without thought to his condition, without hesitation, heart racing and adrenaline coursing through his body, Mulder rushed the downed man, kicking his gun clear of his reach. "Stay down! Don't move!" He shouted, pressing his foot into the man's side, forcing him on to his stomach.

Reaching for his hand cuffs Mulder scanned the parking lot for the second man, then quickly checked himself for damage; he wasn't bleeding but he felt like he'd been kicked in the chest by a horse.

"Shit," he hissed realizing he'd given Scully his cuffs as a spare for Bernstein. Then a car door slammed shut somewhere in the parking lot.

He craned his head in the direction of the sound, hearing an engine race to life. He rushed out from between the cars to see a black sedan lunging from a far parking space, headed for the exit. Without thought Mulder started across the lot in a full sprint, once clear of the cars he fired on the sedan only to miss and finally lose sight of it beyond the buildings.

He threw his arms out in frustration, feeling his chest muscles and ligaments object. Again, he checked himself, torn between instinctively wanting to go after the car and containing the man he had captured.

Looking at himself he saw that he had been hit, but not shot.

He reached into his coat pocket pulling out his cell phone, feeling bits of it falling away into the pocket.

----

Continued soon!

#The Spider and the FBI #skinner scully fanfic #the xfiles #skinner #scully #mulder #walter skinner #xfiles fanfic

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hillbillyoracle · 2 years

Text

Prepping on a Budget

So I’ve wanted to write more about “prepping” for a while now but it’s taken me a while to get back round to it. Here is a response I wrote to someone on reddit asking about bugout locations while poor and a renter. I hope it helps folks looking to start their journey with prepping.

If it sparks any interest, I can write more about specific topics and what we’ve actually tested and used ourselves so far and more on what types of strategies we’re exploring for various SHTF situations.

I grew up prepping and have taken it more seriously on my own for the last 5. It’s not a ton of knowledge but I’d love to share what I know if it helps.

---

You might not be able to get one by yourself but it might be worth keeping an ear to the ground for groups who might have a spot or start one yourself and then collectively save.

But also bugout locations are for specific situations and really are not where most people start.

Even in poverty, there are ways to prep. It's about doing what you can with what you have. If you have less money, it might require more of your time to maintain preps. Some of the advice you've gotten on here is questionable to me so I'll give my thoughts, roughly in order of importance.

Core temp. Having enough stuff to stay warm if the heat goes out in winter is huge. Scan thrift stores for sleeping bags and extra blankets. Pick up some base layers if you can find them there. Read up on how to layer clothing and blankets. Consider figuring out a way to tent a sheet around your sleeping area so you can stay slightly warmer while sitting up. If you can find some decent emergency blankets for cheap, consider grabbing them.

On the other end of this, heat waves and wet bulb temps are becoming more common so check thrift stores or amazon for usb fans. Even a good hand fan is better than nothing. Read up on ways to use evaporative cooling to help regular body temp (wet towels/handkerchiefs are a godsend). You can use your spare blankets to help block out sun from your windows to keep it cooler inside too.

There are limited heating and cooling options for renters so it important to try things and see what works before you need it. Try turning off your heat or your AC for a day and see how you do.

Water. Water is key. For filtration, please for the love of god do not rely on straw filters. They've been tested time and time again and really aren't that good, especially for the price point. Sawyer Mini is ~$20 bucks and way more reliable. If you have the money, Berkey filters are amazing and hold up so well. I love ours. Could be worth saving up for. It's worth reading up more about water safety specifically to figure out which method makes sense for your situation in particular.

Water storage is also important. Most government websites recommend 2-3 weeks of water for every person in your household. There are other calculators to use if you have pets for their water needs. This part is hard if you're not working with much $$$. I'd say start with what container you can and add to them as you're able. It needs to be food safe, opaque, and kept out of direct sunlight. Aquatainers were what I started with though we've upgraded to Scepter ones. Progress over perfection though. If all you can swing is grabbing extra water bottles on grocery trips - go for it. It's better than nothing. Again, water storage is a whole topic to investigate and one of the most important so prioritize it as one of the first.

Food. Food isn't the same as cooking. You don't necessarily need a cook source right off the bat. Last time I checked most government websites said to keep "several days" so at least 3 as that's about how long it takes for local food efforts to get set up after a disaster though it can take up to a week depending on where you live.

Good options include oatmeal - you can cold soak it with that water you stored. If it's a winter storm situation and the power is out, put in your sleeping bag with you so it's less likely to freeze. Meal replacement bars or shakes are worth considering if you can afford it. Trail mix is a classic but needs rotated. Some "morale snacks" are always a good idea - M&Ms are a good option. If you have the money, a lot of freeze dried ready meals can be rehydrated cold and eaten, they just don't taste as good.

Cooking. If you're on a limited budget, no-heat meals need to come first. Then consider grabbing a cooking set up. We live in an apartment that doesn't allow propane at all so we have a solo stove with an alcohol stove attachment and keep denatured alcohol on hand. There are cheap stand alone alcohol stoves that backpackers use. Read up on it as a fuel source because there's some safety concerns around it (like all fuels). Keep in mind it will likely require a different pot. I got an MSR Alpine Stowaway pot for ~$25 new. You might be able to find them used for cheaper.

If you have a cook source, practice with it. One thing that's really key is knowing how long it takes to boil water on whatever you have. That can impact how useful it will be in your particular situation. There are low water, low fuel ways to cook a lot of meals like rice, pasta, and oatmeal. Check out backpacker's channels for more to give you ideas on what to stock and how to cook it.

Electricity (Communication + Lighting). So, when you can afford it, look at ways to store electricity. Even if all you can do is one of those gas station power up packs to recharge your phone in a pinch - it is better than nothing. Especially if you're in an apartment and want something you can bail out with, I can't recommend Anker battery packs enough. We have some that have been going for almost 10 years now and they fit in our purses easily. They are a little pricey so again, might be a thing to save up for.

Your phone will likely be your main communication device. Towers might go down but in emergency situations where help can make it's way in, they'll often bring in temp ones to get phones back up and running. You want to touch your phone as little as possible in an emergency situation so it's more likely to be there when you need it. Don't make the mistake of using it for entertainment.

Lighting - try to grab a light you can charge via solar and/or usb. I love my LuminAID and use it even outside of camping or emergencies. I also always have a flashlight that isn't on my phone so I don't drain it's battery.

Misc. Know where your important documents are and have a way to grab them in a pinch. A lease is an important one that a lot of people don't consider. I used to help with Red Cross fire support and people had to have documentation that they lived at the impacted site for us to give them more than 2-3 days of help and believe me you don't want to be relying on a landlord to come through on that.

Other folks have mentioned meds. Along with that, basic first aid supplies are easy to grab as you can afford them. Check out some first aid videos on youtube - there are some great videos that are basically exactly what you get in a certification course - and make note of the supplies you need. Then as you get an extra couple bucks here and there, pick them up.

Entertainment is worth considering. A pack of card from the Dollar Tree is better than nothing. Think of games you can play and activities you can do in a variety of situations - bundled up in a sleeping bag, too fucking hot, freaked out and having to wait. RPGs have been good to us. There are one page RPGs that can be printed off and stored in a wallet. Make sure you have some dice around and you've got hours of entertainment. I mostly play them by myself so they're solo prepping compatible too.

A lot of people don't consider what they'd do if the pipes don't work for going to the bathroom. 5 gallon bucket and some trash bags (the thicker the better) are better than nothing.

Prioritizing. The big thing is just starting where you are with what you have. Think about the top three biggest threats in your area (or google it) and focus on those. Then branch out.

I see so many people talk personal finance and like fine, yes, it's good if you can manage it. But I've been in poverty proper and there's no saving your way out of it. I spent years not making above the poverty line and often well below. What little you do save can be wiped out VERY quickly. I took a split approach. Saved some, but used the other half to buy more food, get supplies I needed, and that genuinely worked out way better for me.

Now that I'm in a partnership where there's more money, yes personal finance stuff is more of a priority but that's also just because it's more useful. There's a tipping point where saving can do more good but it's ultimately something to judge for your situation. Like now $200 dollars makes sense for hotel room but before, it was way more useful to have that in water purification that couldn't be taken away from me.

Cash on hand or in the bank is no good to you when you need food and no grocery stores are open. You know? It's a balance and not something to let others make you feel guilty about. A lot of people don't know what being poor poor is like.

So I hope that helps outline what some of your options are. Prepping while impoverished is fucking hard. A lot of people here aren't really going to know what it's like and give well meaning advice that just isn't that applicable. Just know that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. Read up, do what you can, grab gear as you're able. Just that alone will put you in a better spot than most people.

#don't really want to tag this as prepping #since I don't know what those tags are like on tumblr #but feel free to pass along

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pradaksj · 3 years

Text

the swimming lessons

↳do not repost, translate, or claim as your own.

❧ pairing⟶ jungkook/reader

❧ genre⟶ swimminginstructor!jungkook , fluff, a bit of comedy? head canon/bullet points

❧ rating⟶ e for everyone??? none??? idk how ratings work lol i just know that m = the dirty, which this story has none of

❧ word count ⟶ 5,000

❧ summary ⟶ accidental swimming lessons with jungkook were definitely worth the money

❧ a/n ⟶ i literally dreamt something similar to this in like january and told myself i'd write about it when i had the time so hear i am :)) this goes out to all my folks who can’t swim !! i'm on the same boat with you , get it? cause we can’t swim ... ok anyways ... enjoy ! (note: i have not proofread this yet so sorry for any mistakes!! ill get to it soon !! )

“hello, welcome to lucky duck swim school, how can i help you?” the receptionist, who was loudly chewing her gum, sounded more like an automated voice message than a person...

see today was your first official swimming lesson

yay!!

how fun!! ...

://

totally not embarrassing for someone your age !!!

honestly, it wasn't your fault you didn’t have any family members or friends with a big pool you could learn in growing up

and by the time you did, you were too much of in an awkward phase to be properly taught

aka your body absolutely refusing to float on its own anymore

but after several trips to the beach with friends and attending different pool parties, you were tired of being made fun of !!

no longer would you remain at 5 feet and under !!! not on your watch !

and so here you were, ready to start your journey into the world of swimming :))

“hi i um have a swimming lesson at 3 with um ... i believer her name was um—”

hmmm what was her name ??? jennie??? no, maybe it was aaliyah ??? no that wasn’t it....

the receptionist taps on her keyboard buttons, her long nails making a noise

pop, her bubblegum goes

“jungkook”

“yeah jungkook” you mindlessly say.

wait

WAIIITT

jungkook????

ummmmm

that was not the game given to you by the last receptionist

jungkook is a boy’s name !!!

you didn’t want a boy instructor !!!

not with the way you were looking

“i um—i had asked for a girl instructor—” you awkwardly mention

she rolls her eyes

um RUDE

she continues clacking with her keyboard, looking for god knows what

she sighs

“there’s no slots with female instructors available for today, nor for the rest of the month, the earliest i can probably squeeze you in by is july.” she bluntly states.

JULY???

july was when you needed to already know how to swim !!

that’s the peak of summer !

there was no point in knowing during winter or any other season besides summer for that matter

and you were not going to get made of by your friends this year

no no NO

“soo do i reschedule you or.....”

you sigh

“no ill take it” you pout, resembling a child.

“it it makes you feel any better, jungkook’s our best instructor, most popular too”

wink

oh yeah that makes you feel so much better

>:(

you were going to make a complete fool out of yourself in front of the so called “best instructor”

“well go get yourself washed up, get into the pool, and jungkook will be with you shortly” she smiles, her attitude now changing now that (what looked to be a supervisor) was passing by.

what a bi—

flip flop. flip flop. flip flop.

your sandles press onto the water on the floor of the girls locker room, a grouchy look now on your face

this wasn't fair

you made an appointment with a female instructor!!

you didn’t care if he was the best instructor or the most popular ...

squeeaaakkk , you twist the rusty shower handle

...because now you were you were going to be judged for your lack of skills

not that you had any to begin with, but still!

god, you sounded like such a karen ...

it’s just ...

a guy instructor ???

really???

you understood that this wasn’t elementary school anymore and boys certainly didn’t have cooties anymore but like ://

no no, you had to give this jungkook guy the benefit of the doubt

if he was one of the best, it was clearly because he was professional and good at what he does

putting your worries to rest, you turn off the shower

this was going to be fine

just fine

clearly your worries were not put to rest

just a temporary halt

pat. pat. pat.

okay let’s get it !

making your way out to the pool, you dip your foot in

ooooo

cold

VERY cold indeed

1 ...2...

you dip your whole leg in, quickly using the momentum to place your whole body in

“5 feet and below ... you’re my bitch !!” you think to yourself

your hand still clearly gripping onto the ledge, still afraid of accidentally reaching 6ft

.... now to wait

“megan seems to have fractured her leg last weekend on a rollerskating day gone bad, so you’ll be taking up her appointments for the next month of two until she’s cleared for work”

huh ???

“but—”

“also she, well now you i guess, have a lesson to teach at..”

jungkook’s supervisor looks down at his watch

“oh i guess in 30 minutes, could’ve sworn it was at 4..” he mumbles that last part to himself

30 minutes?!

“don’t worry i’ll up your pay for the remaining time that she gets better”

he winks ;) making a clicking noise with his mouth before leaving the staff room

jungkook sighs

today was supposed to be an easy day :/

a simple cleaning of the pool along with a couple of measly hours of being the lifeguard and that would’ve been it but noooo

he just had to be the highest rated swimming instructor on the company website

he couldn’t complain though, sometimes it was fun reading the reviews past students left, even if sometimes they were a little too...

whats the word...

provocative?

it often made him wonder if he was in fact an actual good swimming instructor or if the high highly rated reviews were for other reasons....

honestly it’d be dumb of him not to acknowledge the amount of googly eyes he’d get ranging from the mother’s of his younger students to his actual adult students (female and male)

he just liked to think that didn’t come into play when they wrote their reviews

hehe

changing into his black fitted rash guard, he glanced at megan’s schedule

name : y/n

age: 23 grown

swimming level: beginner aka noob.

he chuckles to himself

well won’t this be fun

he couldn’t lie beginner adult swimmers were always a spectacle to watch

they almost reminded him of baby ducks learning how to swim

only that they’d verbally curse their frustrations here and there

quickly showering, he begins to make his way to the pool

hmm, he wonders..

what should he eat after today’s lesson?

a bacon cheese burger sounded really good

maybe even grab himself some birria tacos from that new restaurant that just opened near his apartment

hmm no he had to start spending less on takeout

sigh

looks like it’d be rame—

woah

as corny as it sounded, he could’ve sworn he felt his heart skip a beat

because whoever it was in that pool was pretty, like really pretty

hOly ?????

wowzers

you couldn’t be y/n ... could you?!?!?!

you were the only person who looked 23 years of age in the pool ...

ermmmmmm

mayday mayday

jungkook.exe has STOPPED WORKING

whoever this jungkook person was, sure was taking their time

deciding to have some fun before your lesson, you begin to gently play with the water

swish. swoosh , the water goes

soon you’d be well on your way to becoming the next michael phelps

hehe

maybe with time you’d even be able to a somersault in the water like your friend always—

“y/n?” a voice from behind says your name

ah finally

taking in a deep breath, you turn your attention to the so called “best swimming instructor”

OH.

MY .

GOD.

WHAT ??????

this man looked like he came straight out of GQ magazine !!!!

this HAD to be some mistake , there was just no way ...

your cheeks feel as if they were burning up

probably because they quite literally were

there was no way you’d be able to come here every saturday for the next month, not without fawning for this dude every single minute

“u-um”

of course you were a stuttering mess

of FuCkiNg course

“that’s me”

cue the awkward smile

“be professional” jungkook tells himself

at the end of the day, you were his student

any crush on you would just have to wait until of course ... you were no longer his student

for now the only goal was : teach you how to swim

the next one down the list being : to take you out on a date !

he offers you a handshake

wow he had a strong grip

“i’m jungkook, i’ll be your swimming instructor for the next month”

he flashes you his all too famous smile

there was just no way this man was real

just nO wAy

“um..”

crap, you were still holding his hand!

idiot, idiot, idiot !

“sorry” you awkwardly laugh

ha ha ha

so funny

god did you just want to hide to disappear

“it’s fine” he laughs

even his laugh was attractive :(

ugh

“so y/n, before we begin with anything, i think it’s important to review about what kind of things you already know and what you don’t”

oh right ...

for a moment you had COMPLETELY forgotten you were here for swimming lessons

how embarrassing

“oh um..”

um, um , um.

IS THAT ALL YOU KNEW HOW TO SAY????

“so like floating, holding your breath underwater, pushing, gliding, arm movement, that kind of stuff,” he explains

you knew a cool trick to make it look like you were water bending :D

of course you weren’t going to admit that here

silently you nod your head no

he gives you a reassuring smile, sensing your timidness

“that’s fine, only more for us—” he corrects himself, “for you to learn,” he laughs

hey you weren’t complaining

;)

“so i personally always like to start off with teaching my students how to float. as long as we get that down then you’ll have no problem learning the rest”

gosh his smile was so infectious

shaking your head, you reminded yourself that this was your teacher

+ you paid 300 bucks for these classes, so you couldn’t afford to be giving him the googly eyes all day

you were so cute :(

jungkook couldn’t help but find you so endearing

the color of your swimming goggles even matched your swim suit :((

so cute !

“okay so the first thing i want you to practice is going underwater for a couple of seconds, just so you get used it,” he instructs, “i’ll demonstrate”

taking in a deep breath, he goes down under

1...2...3

he’s back up

pausing for about another three seconds, he takes in another deep breath of air before going back under

1...2....3...4....5

he repeats the same thing over and over, until the max count becomes 20.

“use my finger as your reference of when to go up, but come up for air whenever you feel like you need to. it’s important to go at your own pace, so don’t feel pressured to get it the first try”

no pressure at all

okay

“you ready?”

you nod your head

“okay, deep breath in”

you sink your head underwater, mentally counting the three seconds before going back up

“good job,” he gives you a high five, and you almost feel like a schoolgirl, “now let’s try to five seconds”

woo!!! 5 seconds here you come !!

taking in a deep breath you go down under again

1....2.....3....4...5

easy peasy ... LEMON SQUEEZY

“okay now to ten”

1.....2......3......4.....5......6....7

umm

now why were these seconds going by slow all of a sudden?

sucking it up you manage to make it to 10, but not without being out of breath

“you okay?” he’s quick to ask

yup, totally fine !

you definitely didn’t see the gates of heaven for a quick moment :D

nodding your head, you enthusiastically say, “let’s go for 15″

he smiles at your enthusiasm

ahh so cute

“1....2.....3......4......5.......6......7......8......9.....10.....11.....12....13...

nope nope nope

you were not going to make it to 15

immediately you make your way back to the surface, trying to catch your breath

“hey you did amazing,” he immediately reassures you, “remember as long your going your own pace then you’re doing just fine”

well doesn’t that make you feel better

you wonder if he’s this kind to all his students

besides the most obvious reason, there was no question as to why he was the “most popular” instructor

and to think you had been complaining earlier !!

and soon you’re back underwater, going at your own pace until finallyyyy you’re able to make the 20 second count

“nice !!” he genuinely celebrates with you, making you feel completely proud for yourself

“okay now that we have that done, we can move onto learning how to float facing both front and back”

ohhhhh

he was just thinking ahead

cool :o

“so what i want you do is first relax,” he laughs, gently pushing your stiff shoulders down

as if your blush couldn’t get any deeper

“now my personal belief is that all humans can naturally float, just that for others, it takes a bit of a push to get them at that state,” he begins to explain

others meaning people like um you

“the key to floating is to relax”

oh you’ve heard that before

many MANY times and each time you’ve tried to so called “relax” you just end up sinking

“the moment you fight or stress for even a tiny bit, you will sink. now i know what you’re thinking, ive heard that before”

damn

he was good

“but sadly it’s true, until you learn to relax then you’ll be able to swim”

you sigh

this was where it became hard

you were the queen of stress

you and stress went hand in hand almost like a married couple

it was just that deep water was scary !! very very scary !!

the amount of horror stories you’d seen on tiktok was enough for you to know, ocean = scary

“so here’s what i need you to do, i need you to place your arms on top of the water like as if you’re going to fly”

you follow his commands

he separates your arms, which had been too close together, giving them a small rub

“remember you need to relax y/n,” he chuckles, feeling the tension in your arms

“relax, i need to relax,” you repeat

“okay now right now when i tell you, you’re gonna take a deep breath in and look down, from there you’re gonna let you body move forward. so remember you’re not gonna jump, you’re just gonna let your body glide forward and float. almost as if you’re flying to me,” he explains

mm it was easier said than done

“you ready?”

“okay deep breath in”

you inhale a deep breath in

“look down”

you do that as well

“and let go”

slowly your body begins to rise on its own

oh my god !!!!!

you were about to float!!!!!

the day has come !!!

no more staying at 5 feet and under

you were ready to hang with the big kids :D

but as quick as the momentum came, the faster it left because soon you felt yourself sinking, the breathing exercise jungkook had made you do now coming in handy

no!!!!

you almost had it :(

it was right in your grasp, only to have it snatched away

not wanting to offend you, jungkook keeps his giggles to himself

“hey at least you almost had it,” he comforts you, “let’s just try again”

you sigh, now letting your doubts creep in

because of this, this time your body almost immediately sank this time

he frowns

you were losing confidence :/

“come on i’ll help you”

grabbing your hands, he signals for you to follow his breathing pattern

“deep breath in”

“deep breath out”

god, was his voice soothing

“i need you to relax y/n, let everything go”

a soft feeling of relaxation washes over you, similar to that feeling you’d get when you were on the verge of sleeping

“i’m gonna let you go at the count of three, and then you’re going to float, okay?”

silently you nod, knowing that speaking would only cause you to tense up again

“1...2....”

he lets go, and soon you’re floating, just like he said you would

you hold your breathe for a good while before standing back up, a huge smile on your face

“holy shit! i did it!!”

he gives you high five with both of his hands, for a second holding them before letting go

“now let’s try floating on your back”

he notices that there’s now a fire in your eyes that wasn’t there before

clearly you were now more determined to learn, excited too

preparing yourself to float once more, you realize you were missing something....

“jungkook...”

he tilts his head, confused by the faint blush on your cheeks

“do you think you can um—”

now it was his turn to blush

“o-oh yeah”

what was his problem???

you were a student asking for help

that was all ...

point blank.

he helps you get on your back, his hand placed under your back as a way to keep you up

“1....2....”

you float easily again!!

“nice!!” he smiles

summer, here you come !!

“okay so we’re gonna keep practicing that for the remaining time that we have and next week i’ll start teaching you about stroke techniques and which ones are easiest to do”

nodding your head, you practice your floating by the end of the hour having it practically mastered

the two of you get out of the pool, now drying off

“you’re a really fast learner y/n,” he compliments you

hehe

you mean, you didn’t wanna brag butttt

you were a fast learner indeed

“thank you,” you say in return, “but that’s only because you’re a great teacher”

woah

did you really say that :o

aren’t you feeling a little bold today y/n

his blush returns for the second time today

well technically you weren’t in class anymore ...

a little flirting wouldn’t hurt right?

if only he knew what to say ....

hmmmm

“well at least you won't ever drown!”

HUH???????

jungkook, you idiot !!!!!

someone needed to smack him straight in the face for that !

at least you won’t drown????

no fucking shit

well there goes his chances with you now going down the drain

but to his surprise, you laugh

“you’re right, i won’t,” you say in return, “well i’ll see you next weekend jungkook”

you flash him a smile, and he was certain he felt butterflies in his stomach

walking into the girl’s locker room, you let out a sigh of relief

wheeeeew !

faking confidence was hard !

very VERY hard

“so today you’re going to learn how to stroke so you can officially be called someone who knows how to swim, next week you’ll learn to tread water and continue perfecting your swimming, and then the final week i’ll teach you some fun extra things”

“sounds good,” you say, definitely excited to learn more.

“okay so now that you know how to float, right now when you float facing downward, you’re going to pull against the current with your arms, alternating each one. now the tricky part is that while you do that, you also have to paddle your legs a little and come up for air when you need to, and when you’re back in the water you should slowly be exhaling bubbles of air rather than holding your breath”

well that sounded hard :/

“let me give you a demonstration,” jungkook says

he’s quick to float facing downward, showing you the maneuver he wanted you to learn while coming up for air every five seconds

thought it was a little childish, he somehow still looked good doing it

he truly was blessed with the looks of a god

he comes out the water

“okay now your turn”

you nod your head, that determined look you had on your face last week now returning

following his example, you begin your attempt at paddling and stroking your arms at the same time

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

immediately you begin to panic and water begins to splash everywhere, including on jungkook

noticing your panicked state, jungkook is quick to grab you and place you back on your feet

“hey hey, i got you,” he comforts you, not wanting you to feel discouraged

you sigh

well that was embarrassing

“remember y/n you have to learn to coordinate everything, so think of it this way. your legs have to always be paddling, it’s the arm and coming up for air that switch roles. when you come up for air, it’s only your legs paddling, while when you’re head is back underwater it’s both your legs and arms paddling. once you get that pattern, the bubbling will come naturally”

you make an ohhhhh face

you could do that !

“remember what i told you last weekend y/n, you need to relax and be comfortable so you can build confidence. there’s no need to panic because i’m here,” he smiles at you

gosh this just wasn't fair >:(

cute and charming ????

this boy really had it all

not wanting to disappoint, you try one more time, failing once again

now you were frustrated :/

“damn it,” you mumble to yourself, a sadness to your voice

jungkook feels his heart swell

he didn’t like seeing you sad :(

but doggy paddling was the most basic technique he could teach you so he couldn’t really cheer you up by offering a different technique

you needed to learn to doggy paddle before you could move on to the more bigger strokes

damn it ://

“hey don’t feel bad about not getting right away,” he gives you a small smile, “i remember when i first started learning it took me forever to even learn how float, so the fact that you’re already at this point is enough of an accomplishment”

well that makes you feel little better ...

“but you were probably a kid, im ...”

old , is what you want to say

figuring what you were gonna say, he only laughs

“who said i was a kid? i was probably like 19″

whaaaaaattttt!

assuming he was your age (which he was), you do the quick maths in your head

that was like .... 4 years ago !

how the hell did he get so good in such little time???? enough to be teaching courses ???

“not knowing how to swim is nothing to be embarrassed about y/n, if anything it takes a lot of courage to even sign up for a class so don’t beat yourself up too much for not getting it right away”

he ruffles your wet hair, a small affectionate gesture

you didn’t know how it was possible but you were falling for this man and QUICKLY at that

he was just so ??$%@^!

UGHHHH

“so let’s try one more time, and if you still can’t get it then we’ll push it to next week, a free extra lesson on me”

eeeeek

though the temptation to purposely fails was very intriguing indeed, you still had to try for the sake of it

if you got it, you got it, and if you didn't well ....

an extra week with jungkook it was :D

“you ready?”

you nod your head

“1...2...”

you float and begin to paddle, this time actually getting the hang of it !!!

you hear jungkook’s muffled voice from above the surface, “there you go!!”

holy shit !

you officially knew how to swim !!!

at least enough to save your own life if push came to shove

once you were out of breath, you stand back up, a grin on both of your faces

for jungkook it was hard not to tackle you in excitement so instead he settled for a very enthusiastic high five

“you did it!” he cheers

“ahhh!” you giggle like a child

“from here on out, the rest is a piece of cake!”

yay yay yay !!!

“now let’s start working on deeper strokes, maybe we’ll even have time to throw in backstrokes!”

:////

noticing your changed expression, he awkwardly laughs while scratching his neck

“or maybe not”

this week was the final week of swimming lesson with jungkook

:((

last week’s lesson of treading water and perfecting your swim seemed to had gone by in literally the blink of an eye !

and so today was possible the last time you’d see jungkook unless you managed to grow the balls and ask him out once that clock hit 4, once you were no longer his “student"

by now you were 100% sure you liked the dude... like a lot

and he was definitely someone you wanted to get to know outside of this pool

you just weren’t sure if he liked you the same way

you mean yeah there were definitely times that had you raising an eyebrow here and there, but you always excused it as him simply being a kind hearted person by nature

because clearly his five star rating on the company’s website had to come from somewhere

not that you checked or anything....

who were you kidding

yes you did

your favorite review was the one that went..

“wow!! this dude is amazing !! came here for beginner lessons and even i found myself fawning for the dude , and i don’t even play for that side of the team !! not only were his lessons thorough, but he’s a very charming person ! 10/10 recommend!”

and so you were stuck

did he liked you or was he just treating you like he treated everyone??

“ahh y/n,” jungkook’s voice suddenly brings you back to reality

“today’s our final lesson!” he announces, not sounding too sad

in fact he sounded excited

damn :/

he playfully jumps into the pool, today being his so called “fun day”

“so since today’s your last lesson i thought i could teach you how to do a.....”

he pauses for dramatic purposes

“SOmERSAuLT!!”

immediately your eyes light up

ahhhhhHHHH!!!!

you always wanted to learn how to do a somersault in water, remembering the number of times you’d look at your friend in jealousy whenever she did one

“you ready??”

eagerly you nod your head yes

“okay so the steps to doing a summersault is first of course, you need to take a deep breath”

okayyyy

“from there you tuck your chin to your chest, next you do the moment of the somersault by swinging your chest forward and gently kicking out your legs, so basically forming a ball and then kicking out. naturally, if you have enough momentum, you’ll spin, but if you don’t just use your arms to complete it”

“think you can give me a demonstration?” you innocently ask

he winks at you, “of course i can”

taking in a deep breath, he follows his own instructions, and you watch he perfectly executes his somersault

“woahhh, that was so cool!” you say, even now finding the trick to be amazing

“now i dont expect you to get it right away, so right now that you try i’m going tog hide you thought the movement so you get the gist of it”

sounds fair enough

you weren’t trying to drown on your last day either

“okay, you ready?”

“yes”

“let’s get it!”

taking a deep breath in, you feel jungkook’s hand get placed on your back, ready to push you so you could do the somersault

“1...2...”

and slowly you feel yourself spin with the help of jungkook, a smile already forming on your face

“ahhh!” you smile big and wide, causing Jungkook to smile along with you

“you think you’re ready to try it on your own???”

“yes sir”

“okay 1....2....”

mustering up as much as force you possible could, you push yourself into ball and successfully do the somersault

YUPPPPP

WHOSE DOING IT LIKE YOU???!$%@$!

feeling an immediate rush of adrenaline, you begin to splash water all over once you come back up for air, declaring an all out water fight with jungkook

soon the two of you are chasing one another, you now using your new swimming abilities to get away

hehe

you’re a swimmer

the sound of jungkook’s infectious laughter fill the air and soon you feel him grab your waist at an attempt to stop you

“gotcha” he says, and he turns you around to face him

slowly each other’s heavy breathing becomes relaxed, and it’s as if you’ve felt a shift occur in what you considered your new “friendship”

“so....” he awkwardly says, hands still wrapped around your waist

his was was RED

like cherry tomatoes red

this only makes you giggle

if you had doubts before, you DEFINITELY didn’t have em anymore

he liked you :))))

and you liked him :))))

and in ten minutes you were officially no longer his student so......

“there’s this new restaurant that opened near my place....” you say

immediately his eyes light up

“cancun eats?”

you nod your head and he gives you a toothy grin

“i was wondering if you’d want to go out some time...” you muster up the courage to ask him out

%^@%!@&!@^&@%! = jungkook’s brain

holy crap !!!

you liked him!!!

he wasn’t just delusional !!!

“hello?? jungkook??” you laugh, waving a hand in front of his face for jungkook.exe had truly stopped working this time

nodding his head yes like a child, the two of you being to lean closer to another, the clear goal in mind being each other’s lips

because honestly you’d come this far now, might as well give him a ....

“wait!” he suddenly interrupts he glances at the digital clock on the wall, remembering your final lesson officially ends at 4

because no way in hell was he going to get fired for kissing a student on the clock

3:59

.....

4:00

“okay now,” he smiles, and you only roll your eyes, happy to have taken up on those swimming lessons.

a/n : i was gonna make this longer but this was always meant to be a small little head canon so :))) pls give this a like, comment, or a reblog if you enjoyed it !! (if u can of course) and my ask box is always open for whatever !! :)) see yall next time 💞

271 notes · View notes

madamewriterofwrongs · 3 years

Note

Sending you all my hugs 🥰🥰🥰😍 How about...Buddie having the time of their lives being absolute shit at arcade games.

I remember I asked for fluffy prompts the night my boss passed away. That was months ago but I did not forget. Thank you everyone who sent me prompts while I was processing some tough emotions.

911/Buddie

1v1 Co-op Matchmaking

Read on Ao3

“Are you sure this is the place?” Eddie tried to peer through one of the windows with the scratched off signage but the tinted glass made it impossible to see anything beyond vague shapes in evenly marked spaces.

“Absolutely.” Buck joined him in looking through the glass but seemed to be satisfied with what he saw there. “I found this place my first year in L.A.” He went on to explain as Eddie followed him to the blacked out double doors. “I promise you’re going to love it.”

As with most things in Eddie’s life, he had no choice but to follow his partner. He entered first, a blast of cool air hitting his face, bringing with it the scent of French fries and old pennies. Beyond the sound of whirs and buzzes was quiet chatter and the occasional exclamation of excitement or disappointment (usually accompanied by a string of barely recognizable curses – no doubt, due to the ‘No Swearing’ sign hanging on the cash register in the corner). All around him were a collection of game machines in nearly straight aisles reaching several rows down and across. Interspersed between the machines were tables and chairs with folded signs informing guests that food and drinks were not to be taken to the game machines.

“It’s an arcade.” Eddie dumbly informed his friend.

Buck stood beside him, chest puffed with pride as he examined the terrain. “One of the last in the city that hasn’t been overrun by hipsters.”

“So you’re saying you found this place before it was cool?” Eddie strolled towards the register knowing Buck would be glaring at him all the way. As predicted, Buck paid for both of them and converted twenty dollars into quarters for the two of them two split.

“Oh, this place is old school.” Eddie, once again, exclaimed the obvious while pocketing his share of the coins. “How did you find this place?” he asked as they wandered the aisles looking for their first game. “I didn’t think you would be old enough to remember ‘Ms. Pacman’.”

Buck bumped his shoulder with a playful gasp. “You are being so mean to me today.” He chided before falling more somber. “When I first moved here and started training, I needed a place to study. I had, like, six roommates so there was no way I could concentrate there. So, I wandered around looking for something a little less chaotic and I found this place.”

“And this place was quieter than your house?” Eddie hadn’t lived with roommates in a few years – not since his army days – but he couldn’t imagine one house being that overwhelming.

“No.” Buck rolled his eyes at Eddie’s internal monologue. “I ended up at the library a few blocks away. But I came here once or twice when I needed to get out of the house. Obviously, work keeps me pretty busy, but I like coming here from time to time.”

All of it made sense, but Eddie heard the softness in his friend’s tone, the way he spoke about this place as though it were something precious. He was being handed a gift and he would not turn it down.

“Thank you for sharing it with me.” When Buck looked up at his partner through long eyelashes (when did he start noticing Buck’s eyelashes?), Eddie felt goosebumps rise and wash down his body. Like awakening from a long nap, his limbs tingled and he felt every step as they continued their journey to find the perfect game.

It wasn’t the first time he felt that flash of lightning through his veins at the sight of his friend – he was a single man and his partner was very attractive – but it had been happening more often than he cared to admit. Noticing the little details of Buck’s appearance (his eyelashes, for example) was new. Feeling his heart beat faster and his skin burn with a desire he hadn’t felt in a long time…was less new. In fact, Eddie was nearly ready to put a label on the feelings stirring in his chest.

Last winter, when his sisters were visiting and the three siblings got to have a big family dinner with all the cousins and aunts and uncles, he’d spent a little too long talking about Buck. Or, maybe, Christopher had. Either way, Sophia managed to corner him in the kitchen after dessert had knocked out the majority of the children, and asked Eddie how long he’d been with Buck. Romantically. It was sometime after midnight (and a bottle of wine between the three of them) that Eddie finally admitted to both of his sisters that he had feelings for his best friend. Adriana had cooed and asked if Buck felt the same and, on some tipsy instinct, he’d answered “Yes.”

Of course, he didn’t know for certain – he’d never come out and said “Hey, Buck, I want to bend you over the railing and then grow old with you. What do you say?” – but he knew Buck. He knew Buck better than anyone (Maddie might give him a run for his money, but he’s fairly certain there’s a few stories Buck hasn’t told his sister about his time travelling the country). When that man loved, he loved with all his heart, and Eddie figured out a long time ago that Buck had given at least part of himself to the Diaz boys. Why not his heart?

So, yes, Eddie had a pretty good idea of how he felt, and was nearly certain that Buck felt the same way. And now, they were standing in an arcade – the location of which Buck hadn’t shared with anyone else in his life – occasionally making extended eye contact through the aisles. It wasn’t a matter of ‘if’. It was a matter of ‘when’.

So now, when not staring longingly into his friend’s eyes, Eddie scanned the names listed above each game. Some of the names were ones he recognized (‘Frogger’, ‘Pacman’, the aforementioned ‘Ms. Pacman’, ‘Centipede’). Others, were less familiar (‘Inferno’, ‘Dig Dug’, ‘1942’) and looked…confusing. His eye caught on a ‘Space Invaders’-looking game and he called his partner to his side.

“Want to be a member of the ‘Moon Patrol’?” He bumped Buck’s shoulder with the smile he reserved just for his friend, and dug for a quarter.

“Nope!” Buck declared as he retrieved his own quarter and inserted it into the appropriate slot, bumping Eddie out of the way so he could stand centered at the controls. “I call first game!”

Though he rolled his eyes in annoyance, Eddie took the loss as an opportunity to watch his partner work. He loved watching Buck work (nearly as much as he enjoyed working beside him). There were times when the man’s focus was hypnotizing. The firm set of his jaw, the piercing eyes that seemed unblinking, the way every part of his body tensed in concentration. He’d seen Buck excited, anxious, worried, panicked, even numb – when it came to the uncontrollable dangers of their job, they had been through a lot together. Every emotion showed Eddie how much his friend cared about his work.

This expression, however, was one he doubted many other members of the Los Angeles Fire Department had seen on the young firefighter. It was one Eddie had been privy to on more than one occasion when Christopher had brought over a particularly difficult puzzle or science question. He wasn’t sure he was ever meant to see it but he happened to be standing in the doorway after putting away leftovers from dinner and he’d seen it: the desire to win, the earnest focus, the eagerness and seriousness of his intent. The first time he saw, it was an accident. Every other time he rushed to finish his chores whenever he thought that face might emerge… that was less of an accident.

He was pulled from his fond musings by a minor key jingle and light-hearted groan of disappointment.

“Only got to Point Q on the Champion Course.” Buck exclaimed, throwing his hands in defeat.

Eddie couldn’t help himself – or at least, that’s what he told himself. His partner was too genuine. But that was one of his favourite things about the man. Where Eddie could usually keep his outward appearance neutral in the face of adversity (a skill he’d used nearly every day since joining the LAFD), Buck never shied away from letting his face show just exactly what was on his mind – even if he never said anything.

And so, Eddie laughed. Only a small chuckle, but his heart never felt so light as when he was with Buck. It was easy to see, however, that his laugh could be misconstrued as mocking. Perhaps it was both.

“Think you can do better?” The newly-defeated champion bowed and offered the center position to his friend and Eddie stepped into place with another fond eyeroll (he made a mental note to ask his optometrist if too many eyerolls could cause nerve damage).

All right, Eddie thought as he tried to get a handle on the controls, so it wasn’t as easy as he thought. The joystick was rigid and the control pad was sticky and the graphics were definitely from an era long-passed. If he hadn’t been raised with an infinite amount of patience (according to his aunt), he might have given up. As it was, he died before reaching the first checkpoint.

Buck’s laughter could not be interpreted as anything other than mocking, and he didn’t bother to hide it. “You are truly terrible.” He informed Eddie with a slap on the shoulder.

Though he knew he didn’t need an excuse, it was too easy to play when Buck was around. “I’m used to the console at home. Unlike some people, I don’t spend my time playing with technology from the Reagan-era.”

“Well then let me show you.” Before Eddie could properly interpret Buck’s offer, the man had come to stand behind him, chin hovering over his shoulder, arms palming his elbows and guiding him back towards the console. “One more round.” Buck declared, enthusiastically. At his prompting, Eddie gripped the joystick and placed his hands just above the cluster of buttons on his left side. The now-familiar starting music began and Eddie focused all of his energy into game before him. Every few moments, he heard Buck mutter a command or offer advice and he took it without question. The joystick was still rigid and the buttons were still sticky but together, they made it to the second checkpoint. And then the third. By the fourth, Eddie had all but forgotten the world around them. The only things that existed were Eddie, the game, and Buck’s voice in his ear. It was soothing, almost, to fall into that rhythm. So long as he navigated the bumpy terrain and dodged the alien invasion, nothing else mattered.

Until he missed jumping over a landmine and was blown to smithereens.

“Damn!” Buck’s voice was suddenly too close. The air around him electrified on an exhale and the heat of his chest warmed Eddie to his core. As quickly as the world had fallen away in Buck’s arms, it came rushing back, more vibrant and alive than before. Every sound of electronics whirring, Buck’s steady breathing, and people shouting – even the rumble of the cars outside the arcade – was amplified. Every smell of old metal, sweat, and smoke hidden under Buck’s aftershave was overwhelming. Every touch of his scratchy jeans, the clammy plastic in his hand, and the warm presence at his back, made Eddie close his eyes to shut out one of his senses. The only one left was taste.

Buck and Eddie had held each other plenty of times over the years. They were partners and friends who worked in close contact with one another. At the end of a hard day, in the middle of a daring rescue, at the beginning of a heated glance as they stood in front of a game machine. They had shaken hands, hugged tightly, gripped for dear life at the edge of a cliff, even bumped shoulders often enough that he had a Buck-shaped indent near his heart. But standing in this loose hold – the other man’s arms barely brushing his, his back pressed against the other’s front – Eddie had never felt the overwhelming urge to taste more fervently than he did in that moment.

He knew that Buck was an attractive man – he was repressed, he wasn’t dead – and though he’d been contemplating thinking about maybe working up to taking some next step, he hadn’t counted on standing in Buck’s arms and feeling his heart flutter like a school girl with a crush.

Upon slowly dragging his eyes to meet his friend’s Eddie found himself breathlessly overtaken by the sensation of hope. Buck’s eyes were bright and round (earnest, just as he’d known them to be) His eyelashes closed and opened slowly, seemingly disbelieving of his circumstance. If Eddie knew Buck as well as he hoped he did, then there was a question in his friend’s eyes that was begging to be asked. A question Eddie was more than happy to answer.

“We make a pretty good team.” He felt his own breath reverberate off of Buck’s cheek and it stuttered in time with his heart.

“I’ve always thought so.” Buck’s lips twitched with suppressing a smile.

Then, came the moment of truth. Eddie felt a brief flicker of panic as he took one last breath before diving in.

“What should we do about it?”

In reality, Buck only contemplated his response for a few seconds but for Eddie, the silence stretched for years – three years, in fact. He felt the world move in slow motion and within it, he watched as Buck’s face flicked with a thousand emotions: fear, anxiety, excitement, contentment, desire, hope, doubt; finally, he settled on quiet happiness.

“I think we need to find a game we can play together. As partners. What do you say?”

As if there were any other response, Eddie smiled at Buck. “Partners.”

The rest of their time at the arcade was locked away, inaccessible to even Eddie, who recalled nothing more than laughter and flirtatious eye contact as they made their way through the aisles of games. At the end of the night, Eddie would get down the block before turning back to Buck’s door. He would run a nervous hand through his hair while he knocked with the other, and waited for the answer. And then, he would blush as he asked if Buck wanted to go on a date with him tomorrow. Buck would blush harder and assure Eddie that he would happily attend, but warn that he no longer kissed on the first date.

But maybe on their second date tomorrow, he’d get lucky.

#911 on fox #911 fox #buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie fic #911 fic #getting together #dorks in love #mutual pining #flirting over games #cj writes things #cj answers things #zeethebooknerd #love zee

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what-do-1000-swords-look-like · 3 years

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5x01 - Animals

Alright let's dig into it!

The first subject I'm going to delve into is the animals. Tbf we haven't seen the section with the animals just yet, we only got a glimpse, but we will in upcoming episodes. And it will definitely I think help clarify as to why these particular animals were chosen (besides being the ones available) for this sequence.

1) Vulture -

I think this particular choice was very interesting because we know the vulture is a scavenger and can be a menace when you get near its food. But if there is food nearby, there's a good bet that you will get more then one. So the fact that they had this vulture out there chilling all on its lonesome (when these birds mate for life), not feeding or actively searching for food while the team has to make their way past it is interesting. It's even more interesting when we see the team's reactions. Hen and Chimney are apprehensive at best, Bobby we don't see at all, but we do see Buck and Eddie's reactions:

They're wary and defensive, Eddie more of the latter. Based on that face, he really doesn't like it lol. The vulture also doesn't make a sound until the camera pulls away from Buck and Eddie, moving outward, though they've already spotted the animal.

2) Emus -

(and I cannot tell, is that another vulture in the background or a hawk or what?)

Emus can symbolize power (empowerment) & love among several different things. The males also incubate the eggs and raise the hatchlings. The team seems to relax a little passing by them. No specific reactions are shown separate from the other team members'.

3) Giraffe -

While the giraffe symbolizes many different things such as faith in one's self, gentleness, power, guidance, and leadership, this absolutely has to do with Chim.

Later on in the episode when Maddie finds out about the ransomware attacks, Jee-Yun is wearing pink giraffe pajamas:

(Jee-Yun is so freaking cute btw)

Even though we see everyone's shocked awe at the giraffe, it's Chim's reaction that is the most notable in this part of the scene. And especially when it's Chim that's looked at last in the team (Eddie being the one to turn to look at him).

4) Monkeys -

The monkeys are at a high vantage point and they can symbolize intelligence, mischief, fun/playfulness, and family/bonds. They're making all kinds of noise and looking down at the 118 as they pass by. But they're out of reach and they're not coming down, nor is the 118 focusing on them.

5) Wolves -

We hear the howl of a pack and see 3 wolves pass by in the shot. Wolves can symbolize many different things but most notably: loyalty, teamwork, pack, freedom, and conquering fear. It's possible when we get the full sequence of the 118 dealing with this part of this particular emergency in the upcoming episodes that we will see more interactions with the wolves and the 118 so it may help clarify a little more exactly what they're meant to represent in this group.

6) Camels -

From the overhead shot, we can see these three camels are the only ones around. One dark haired and two tan-haired (I have no idea what the technical names are). Camels represent endurance, toughness, a long journey, that they can carry heavy loads, being self-sufficient, and sacrifice. One of the tan-haired camels even looks up at the team as they enter the plaza.

7) Elephant -

And of course we have the elephant, an animal that is highly intelligent, never forgets, and cannot be ignored when it's in the room (so to speak). They also symbolize nobility, success, wisdom, remover of obstacles, and loyalty. What kills me about this part of the scene though is that the elephant is absolutely making sure to get their attention by flipping over the tourism booth and making a loud noise. Sure enough, the 118 reacts and turns around. Bobby says "I really thought this year was gonna be different." And the elephant then makes the trumpet noise. The interesting thing about this choice of animal is that they literally chose for the scene to play out that it purposely gets their attention, lets Bobby say that sentence, and then makes the loud noise elephants make that can be heard miles away in some cases. Not only do you have an elephant standing right in front of you that not only just flipped over this heavy booth but now it's speaking and making sure it's heard and not just seen. And it's a singular elephant, which probably makes sense with the escaped zoo situation, but it's usually male elephants who live alone and not in family units like females do.

Elephant in the room who cannot be ignored and will not be ignored any longer. Something is getting addressed this season; it can no longer be put off or avoided. Whether that's the universe or a particular story line for all of the 118 or separately, something is refusing to be unheard or unseen. It is going to be dealt with.

As for the other animals mentioned, other than the giraffe, I cannot tell you with 100% certainty what all of these animals are meant to represent completely, but I will say this. I do think there is something that may arise that is going to test the 118, whether that be their bonds with one another, or as a team, but something is going to happen. These animals seem to have one theme among them: family. While some of these animals don't mate for life (like the giraffe), they do travel together in packs or herds.

Of course, it's always a possibility that I'm reading too much into it and these truly were the only animals available (the ones that weren't CGI). But the shot sequence I think is very purposeful. They could have shown us the vulture second to last, they could have passed the monkeys first, then the emus, etc. And since the elephant and giraffe are clearly meant to be symbolic for the story, I'm thinking these other animals are too, if not most of them. But we'll get more clarification, I'm sure, once we see the full sequence. But that's what I'm thinking so far.

#911 5x01 #911: panic #911 meta #911 fox #911 fox posts #chimney han mention

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dustofbrokenheart · 3 years

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The Covenant: Sweet Dreams Part 2

Part One | Part Two

Chase Collins x Female Reader

Word Count: 1,968

Warning: contains physical intimacy and mature language

Summary: Now that you’re back from your trip, nothing is going to interrupt Chase’s plans for you. A continuation of part one requested by the very sweet @thickemadame

After hours spent laid over in airports, you were finally home. Your body was a little stiff and you could really use a shower but life was good otherwise.

You adjusted the straps of your carry-on made your way to the bag claim carousel. Some fellow passengers were lucky and only had to worry about their carry-ons but that wasn’t possible for you. The research trip had lasted several weeks and a luggage set was entirely necessary to survive time you’d been out of town.

The escalator took you downstairs to the ground floor and in the masses of unknown faces, a familiar one stood out.

Chase.

He spotted you ad waved the homemade sign in his hands around like crazy. The sign was colorful, complete with large bubble letters spelling your name and tons of stickers.

All in all, a very sweet gesture.

And almost the complete opposite of who your boyfriend really was.

Really, he did love you but Chase was a regular asshole most of the time, difficult and driven. He wasn’t naturally sweet; his idea of a romantic time was getting some beers and ending the night naked and covered in sweat.

He was also very concerned with how others saw him which is why it was unsurprising that he did this. It was all for the approval.

“Over here beautiful!” he yelled.

People around him cooed, whispering praises about him being a perfect boyfriend and he ate it right up. As soon as you were within reach he tucked away the sign so he could pick you up and give you a small twirl.

“Welcome back.” He leaned forward for a kiss and a few people even clapped.

Unimpressed, you pushed him away, brow raised. Really?

“Did you miss me, my dearest?” His arm draped possessively across your shoulders and he whispered hotly into your ear. “Cause I know I did.”

A shiver danced up the back of your neck as he herded you toward the baggage claim. It seemed that he hadn’t forgotten what had, or rather what hadn’t, happened the other night. And with him touching you, actually touching you instead of being in a dream, those memories were coming back for you too.

How your hands strained against the binds… every touch magnified with the blindfold on… the sharp sting of his hand spanking your flesh.

And most of all, the thrilling combination of hunger and pissed-off-ness on his face as he was about to wreck you only to be interrupted by the spell being broken.

“Of course I missed you.” You leaned to covertly nip at his neck. “I’ll show you just how much when we get home.”

He groaned lowly and tightened his grip, his fingers clamping down.

In retaliation, you snuck your own hand around his waist and scratched his lower abdomen. If his shirt wasn’t in the way, your nails would’ve teased the trail of hair that led down underneath his pants.

The last thing you saw was your suitcases all successfully pulled off the conveyor line. Then you blinked and you were in your bedroom, the airport miles away with bags propped up against the wall. Being with Chase for so long, you figured out what happened quickly.

“Using magic like that in front of everyone? Jesus, Chase.”

He barely lifted his mouth from where it was attached to you, sucking damp imprints into the back of your neck. “Calm down, baby. I made sure no one would see.”

“Even if that’s true, I’ve told you not to be so reckless Using. You’re going look like a fossil in ten years tops if you keep this shit up.”

Your head was pulled back and he tutted disappointedly. “Language, baby, language. Besides, even if I turn into an old man, I’ll still be enough to satisfy you.”

The carry-on dropped to the floor as Chase pulled you into a sloppy kiss that was all teeth and tongue and spit.

He made quick work of your clothes and soon you were completely topless, nipples hardening when they came into the exposed air. But you gave as good as you got and you frantically ripped his shirt off as well, his belt buckle your next target when he abruptly retreated.

A delicate thread of saliva still connected the two of you as you panted. Spinning you around, he threw you onto the bed, the force making you bounce when your back hit the mattress.

One might mistake Chase’s body as weak but you knew that he packed serious strength under his clothes, the evidence undeniable as his muscles flexed in the yellow light from the bedside lamp. He may not swim competitively anymore but he was still an avid gym goer.

Couple that with his supernatural advantage and he had no problem tossing you even though it shocked you every single time.

The mattress further dipped as Chase crawled up after you, starting at the foot of the bed and working his way up to your lips. Now that he finally had you where he’d wanted you for weeks, pliant and under him, the kiss softened from animalistic desire to soft seduction.

Tongues licked at one another languidly, sending thrills down your stomach and straight into the heat between your legs. Your hips canted upwards, seeking more friction against your most sensitive part and he indulged you by grinding against you, his hard-on obvious.

Soon you were moving in tandem, hips rolling together, his hand ghosting over your sides and leaving goosebumps in his wake. He hovered over the hem of your pants, rubbing the pads of his fingers briefly under the waistband before slithering away to the skin that was already bared.

You moaned and he did the same thing again.

And again.

Feed up with the teasing, your nails dug into his muscled shoulders. “Touch me already. Please.”

Please was the magic word and it flipped a switch.

The pants were thrown across the room and landed on the floor with a muted thump, your panties placed in his pocket. For a second you regretted the loss of his lips until he descended onto your breasts, the same purposeful attention he gave your mouth.

His breath was hot and contrasted with coolness of his licks which ensured your both nipples stayed nice and tight. One particularly hard draw had you clutching him to your chest, fingers weaving through his soft hair to ensure he stayed where you wanted him.

Not that he would leave you hanging, even if your minor display of dominance irked him a little. He’d allow it for the moment.

He always had been a breast man and yours were especially perfect to him, soft, mailable, and oh so sensitive to his ministrations.

To prove it, he wound his tongue around the pointed nipple and sucked hard and firm.

The cry that left you was all too satisfying and he smirked as he nuzzled against your breast. Case in point. Still, he knew all of your sounds by heart and that wasn’t the best you could do, not by far. He needed to step up his efforts.

You were so into what he was already doing that your eyelids slammed shut when you felt something circling your clit. You didn’t stop to think how that was possible given that both of his hands were locked on your breasts along with his mouth.

The circling started slowly and built up in speed until it was moving close to the speed of a vibrator. Your inner walls clenched around nothing and you felt yourself growing increasingly wet.

Quivering moans were constant as you couldn’t find the strength or will to keep your mouth closed.

“God, that’s hot,” he growled. “That right, baby, let me hear you.”

Words were difficult to form but you managed a whiney, “More,” before you were back to making unintelligible noises.

Continuing on his journey south, all the while licking and caressing, he stopped when he got to your opening. Iron strong hands gripped your thighs hard enough to bruise and he spread your legs as wide as they would go.

Chase made a mental note to drag you to the gym more often so he could work on your flexibility: it would allow him to explore more positions with you.

His own mouth replaced the invisible force that had giving it to you so good just a second ago, working you at a much lower speed, however, no less enthusiastic.

He didn’t give a damn about messy about and his lips sucked your glistening folds as if he were devouring a ripe peach. His saliva added to the wetness and the mixture dribbled all over his chin, and his nose which was also buried in between your legs.

After all, you were his and he took your arousal as a badge of pride. Anything to get you off.

He shamelessly spelled out his name on you repeatedly with his tongue. It worked for both parties. You couldn’t help but respond to the attention and the fact that it was his name that did this to you placated his possessive urges.

While he was doing that, the invisible force returned, this time massaging inside of your slick walls with wet squelches.

Had you been paying more attention, you would’ve noticed the black expanding to take over his eyes. As it was, the only thing you comprehended was the added pleasure.

Your whole world narrowed to the heat emanating from your most intimate place.

The magic ramped up it’s pace like it had done when it was humming against your clit except now it was thrusting into you. Your hips were positively bucking trying, and failing, to keep up.

“Look at you, fucking yourself. Trying to cum,” Chase panted into your inner thigh. He pressed a kiss there. “Come on then. Do it.”

What had been fire running through your veins turned to lava in an instant and you cried out as your limbs liquefied, heavy with molten euphoria. Instinctively, you tried to grab his hair again but he didn’t take kindly to it the second time around.

Another invisible weight pinned your hands to the bed, the sheets beneath you long since having been wrinkled. You desperately pulled against the restraint but to no avail. The only way you were getting out of those damn invisible, magical bonds was by Chase’s will and he wasn’t feeling merciful at the moment.

“Tsk. You know the rules, no touching unless I say so. Now be a good girl and cum for me.”

The dominant tone along with the tight bonds and the relentless pounding inside of you, had your back arching sharply. One last sloppy kiss to your clit was all it took.

You erupted completely with breathy screams and quivering muscles, bursts of light flashing in your vision as your eyes peeled wide open.

The wave ended far too soon and left you shivering when it ended. Everything was blurred.

His light eyes were lidded as you lazily stroked his face. You couldn’t help but to turn to kiss him as he held himself up on his elbows over your body.

“I—I think need a shower.”

“Later,” he retorted with finality.

Confusion showed on your face and he pressed his still hard cock against your stomach.

Oh. You’d been so caught up chasing your orgasm, that you’d forgotten about his.

He popped open the brass button at the top of his jeans and kneeled before you. “After all, you’ve been gone long time. We’re just getting started and nothing is going to interrupt us this time.”

_______________

Sorry for the long wait! April was a crazy month and I’ve been trying to tell myself I don’t need to write for Mortal Kombat 2021 (even though I want to.) I still don’t know if I have the rhythm for smut down but I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading!

#the covenant #chase collins #chase collins x reader #the covenant imagines #rated m for mature #Sebastian Stan

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rebellconquerer · 3 years

Text

Ok y'all, I have a question. I wrote something technically in response to a prompt challenge but it has kinda taken on a life of it's own. It's a little different and a little self indulgent (I mean aren't they all) but at approaching 3000 words it's barely a drabble at this point. It's much more character study ish than anything else and I'm just unsure of anyone will want to read it. I'm posting a taste here to see the response. Let me know what you think.

"What's all this, then?" Sam asks as he gets to the porch, looking down at the three boxes piled outside.

"I'm not sure. It came last night. It's for you." She says with a small twist, turning to face James.

He raises his eyebrows in surprised confusion.

"For me? And it came here?" He questions.

Sam leans over grabbing the still sealed envelope off the top of the boxes.

"It came 'Care of Captain America' but yeah, it's for you." She says easily hopping up the steps in one go and turning to lean her hip against the old wooden railing.

"Do you mind?" Sam asks James, already moving to open the envelope. James shakes his head, leaning on a post on the other side of the staircase.

Sam's eyes scan quickly back and forth over the letter before his mouth narrows into a small frown.

"It's from the Smithsonian." He finally says, handing the letter over to James.

"The Smithsonian?" James mumbles, taking the letter and she watches his expression freeze then go utterly blank as he reads it.

"Why is the Smithsonian writing to you?" She asks with concern.

Neither answer her for a moment just long enough that she starts to feel genuine concern.

"Dear Sergeant Barnes," James begins to read, pausing to clear his throat.

"My name is Eloise Lambert and I have been the lead curator and researcher behind the Captain America and the Howling Commandos exhibit for nearly 40 years. I understand this must seem a drop in the hat to you, but it has represented my life's work. While I cannot begin to understand what it must be like to find out strangers have been heavily involved in the study of your life while you were still living it, please forgive me the eccentricities of an old woman to tell you that you were always my favourite.

During the initial stages of the creation of the exhibit in Washington and it's sister sites, several pieces of memorabilia were gifted to the institution by your family. In the intervening years, through research and the continued graciousness of your siblings we amassed quite an impressive list of items from your pre war life. Additionally in the often hard and lonely years that followed the blip, Captain Rogers also donated several items related to both your lives. It is my belief, however, that he gave us these items in good faith, believing you were permanently gone.

In the aftermath of the returns and the continued examination of the cultural damage that can be wrought by museums, especially with the years of discourse that followed the attack on The Museum of Great Britain, the Smithsonian has wrestled with what to do with the pieces that we have that are not fit for public showing. It is my honest belief that not only would your family and Captain Rogers want you to have these items, but that good morality compels us to return them to you. This endeavour has turned out to be harder than initially anticipated as though I am assured you returned after the blip, no one seems to know quite how to find you. With our continued efforts to locate you failing, and possible sightings of you with Captain America, we have decided to send these items to Captain Wilson in the hopes that they will eventually find their way to you.

As I approach the end of my time, the meaningfulness of old memories has become increasingly clear. I hope this has remained true for you as well even through your painful but most extraordinary journey, however should these items bring more pain than happy remembrance, please feel free to return them. The appropriate address is enclosed below."

By the end of the sentence James' voice has just the barest hints of a wobble.

He looks down at the unassuming boxes with the same carefully blank look on his face.

"Well… that's unexpected." He finally says, looking over at her with questioning eyes. She doesn't know what to say.

James drops to his knees, pulling one of the boxes to him at random and opening it gently. He lets out a soft breath as he pulls out the object on top.

Sarah strays closer, looking over his shoulder. It's a framed photograph of him in his military uniform, smiling easily at something behind the camer, and in the right lower corner, held in place by some kind of cloth housing, is a small medal.

"Holy shit. Is that a Silver Star, Buck?" Sam asks, stooping down beside James whose thumb brushes reverently over the frame.

"Yeah," James says, voice cracking a little but a small smile curving his lips. "They gave it to me after Azzano, when I got back from Austria… the first time Zola…" he drifts off, glancing over at Sam.

The first time he had been captured. The first time he had been experimented on.

"I had sent it to my ma. They'd sent her a letter listing me as missing and presumed captured. Becca said she'd spent every spare minute she had in the pews at St. Leo's." He huffs out a small laugh, eyes going unfocused. "So I sent her the star and the picture in my next letter, as an apology."

Both Sarah and Sam are quiet, unsure what to say. A moment later James seems to shake the fog away and pushes the photo back into the box, standing abruptly.

#bucky barnes #sam wilson #the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws fic #sarah wilson #sarah x bucky #fleur de louve

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popculturebuffet · 3 years

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Ember Island Players Review (Birthday Review for Jess-The-Vampire)

Happy Birthday Jess! Yes this review is a gift for one of my best friends, @jess-the-vampire. Followers of the blog have likely seen her mentioned as she’s watched several review subjects with me and given me her thoughts when I cover a Star VS or Owl House episode. But more than that she’s one of the people closest to me, a good friend who tolerates my anxious BS with grace, watches way too much scooby doo with me and draws me neat pictures, with my Icons being enitrely thanks to her. She makes my life better just by being in it and providing someone to talk to and for that I can’t thank her enough. I love you man.

So for her birthday review , after some thought I was suprised she went not with more scooby doo, including the one where scooby looks like he’s been through Vietnam:

But instead another show we both loved Avatar: The Last Airbender. I haven’t talked about this one yet and that’s because I was going to cover it season by season at some point along with it’s sequel and still might, but i’m not opposed to covering individual episodes, good and bad either. So if you have an episode of the show you want me to cover, feel free to comissoin it for just five bucks an episode and i’ll find a way to add it to the schedule as soon as possible. Just hit up my ask or messages to talk over which one you want and get my paypal for payment.

Anyways I am happy to finally talk about the show. Avatar was easily my faviorite show in my late middle school and early high school years, a masterpiece of animation that has such a large fanbase it’s only GROWN in the decades since the show wrapped, with help from a healthy number of dvd releases, a decent sequel show with a groundbreaking ending, sequel comics for both shows, prequel novels and Nick cranking out merch including a fairly recent line of high quality action figures. And the show’s only going to keep growing with a proper live action remake coming soon from Netflix, and plans to make more spinoffs for Paramount+. It also had a movie, I guess, which I guess I have to both watch and cover at some point.

I love this show and desperately need to rewatch it. It has deep character arcs, plenty of humor and probably the most elaborate and well thought out worldbuilding i’ve seen, grabbing from Chinese, Japanese and Innuit history to craft the four nations and going to actual martial artists to craft the series gorgeously animated bending styles. The series shows a level of detail, scope and effort that was little seen at the time and even as most cartoons since have followed in it’s footsteps, it still stands as one of the most beautifully crafted. It’s not perfect of course, it has it’s dud episodes, one of which gets beautifully roasted here, but their just not enough to take down the whole epic.

So naturally i’m starting not only one episode from the end but with the episode that lovingly spoofs the entire damn series. This episode is a faviorite of mine and many fans for good reason as it takes the journey so far and abridged series’ it for 24 glorious minutes. There are shots at what fans likely miswrote characters as, the creators own mistakes, and just some general fun with the premise. It’s a nice pallette cleanser before the intsense and utterly awesome finale so let’s talk about it shall we under the cut.

Our plot gets started at the Fire Lord Family Beach House, the current base for Team Avatar. Aang is doing some firebending training with Zuko while the others watch. Katara understandably asks “Won’t the Fire Lord you know, find out we’re crashing in his swanky beach house”, but Zuko’s retort is brutal as it is helpful “He hasn’t been to this place since the last time my family was happy”

I really hope the Avatarverse has therapists because Zuko needs ALL of them. Their interrupted from Zuko’s sad childhood and present day when Sokka and Suki arrive, holding up a poster. As it turns out a local theater troupe, the ember island players, is doing a play recounting our heroes exploits. If your wondering how the hell they got this info, the playwright apparently interviewed, in order: The annoying hippies from the cave of two lovers, the pirates from the water scroll episode, various prisoners of war (i.e. all their friends and allies captured during the day of black sun debacle) and the Cabbage Man. Finally his suffering got him somewhere.

Zuko is less than thrilled since these players apparently butchered love and dragons every year but the rest of the Gaang is excited to go since it could be a fun palette cleanser before the upcoming battle. Plus come on man troupes change their members frequently. Only four of the current roster of team starkid have been there since day one. They might of gotten some fresh new talent.

So our heroes go to a show with Aang wearing a pope hat to cover up his tattoos and Toph stuck only listening to the play since they got the cheap seats.

With that our play begins with where our story did: the boy in the iceberg. We meet the play versoins of the main trio. The Ember Island versions of our heroes are voiced by an all-star cast which i’ll break down as we go. Sokka is voiced by my blingdy blongidy boy Scott Melenville, aka Kevin French, Robin in both the good and bad teen titans shows, and a lot of side rolls in scooby doo movies for some reason. Seriously me and Jess have watched them all, he’s in their a suprising amount.

Katara is played by Grey DeLeise, aka Azula as well as Daphne Blake for the last few decades among many, MANY other roles. if you’ve watched a cartoon in the last two decades she’s probably been in it. Finally we have Rachel Dratch of SNL fame as Aang, who in this play is played by an adult woman as a nod to the stage versions of peter pan.

The Gaang aren’t happy with their play counterparts: Sokka’s is reduced to talking about his stomach which is now his entire character instead of half of it, Katara talks about hope and cries and worries a lot, so spot on there, and Aang is a loveable trickster ala peter pan. Basically their the characters boiled down to which trait would be the most funny and it’s just fantastic, as is the gaang’s facial reactoins to this, with Suki and Toph needling them about how their portyals are spot on. We also get a fantastic puppet of appa and Momo is reduced to a monkeything and a hand puppet. Look they had to put the budget into the Appa puppet he’s in more of the show. Momo is just sorta there. Finding Aang makes the siblings tearbend and makes me do it too from laughter.

Speaking of which we get to Zuko who famously goes on about HONOR every five minutes. There are honestly WAY too many memetic lines to pack in here and just about every bit of the play is hilarious. It’s 24 minutes of top notch self parody. Anyways in a fun gag Zuko is played by Derek Basco, Dante’s brother. Less fun is their iroh who just talks about food and having fun because , as we learn with the climax this play is partly propaganda, so naturally a public traitor like Iroh wouldn’t be treated all that well. His uncle not only being a mockery of himself, but seeing how he used to treat the old man really gets to Zuko and that’ll only grow as the play goes on. Iroh is played by John DiMaggio, who likely needs no introduction but just in case he’s bender, Jake the dog and most recently Col. Dolphman.

So we get a condensed version of season one with some truly top notch gags, from Play!Sokka getting chased around by a man in a fur suit during the bumi part of things, to the play version of katara egging Jet (played by Dee Bradley Barker who did the animal noises for this show and every show before or since) into drowning the city, to my two favorite bits.

The first is one i’d forgotten as in the play the blue spirit is not zuko but a separate entity that frees Aang and then they dance, both for the goofyness of the blue spirit head.. but mostly for Aang and Zuko’s baffled reactions that just scream

The best though is the one that stuck with me all these years:

“Oh look the Great Divide The Biggest Canyon in the Earth Kingdom!”

“Eh Let’s keep flying”

We get some more fun antics and end Book 1 with an intermission, with the crew commeserating over how bad their counteparts are while Suki laughs at their misfortunes and failings.. only for Sokka to point out you know, her stint in prison. Toph is laughing all the way though.

Naturally you’d assume as Act 2 begins that Toph’s enjoyment at the other’s misfortune would lead to her commpuance but unlike Aang, who unnecessarily whines about his actress being a girl, Toph is utterly happy to realize her actor is a muscle man played by John DiMaggio, as that’s clearly who she WANTS to be, and is entertained by the guy screaming to see. Though really given Tophs is probably the least insulting of the main cast it’s easy to see why.

We go through book 2, meeting Azula as played by Tara Strong, and the crew poke fun at a less liked episode again as the reenactment of the drill goes on for the same amount of eternities as it did in the actual episode. My faviorite bit of this section though is when they get to the reenactment of Jet’s brainwashing and death with this equally famous exchange

Zuko: Did Jet just die? Sokka: You know it’s really unclear

A goof on the fact many fans, myself included, geninely weren’t sure if he survived or not. He did not if you were curious. Less amusing to Aang at least though is the play shipping Zutra, with play Katara saying Aang’s too young for her and like a brother to her, as many fans likely did to brush off the ship despite obvious evidence of his crush on her. This causes Aang to leave in a huff. I do like the writers giving a nod to how much the audeince shipped Zutra, I thankfully was blissfully unaware of the shipping wars. They also have both Katara and Zuko more embarrassed by it than anything to show where there real otp opinions lie.

So after the reenactment of the season finale that hilariously just has Iroh shoved down when Zuko chooses team evil, we get intermission and the Gaang splits up: Katara, worried about Aang goes to look for him, Sokka, annoyed at his portrayal, goes to pitch some jokes to his actor with Suki sneaking him in, and Zuko is sulking.

He explains his reasons to Toph when pressed: For her the play is fun as she gets to be an uber badass who takes out a hundered bad guys with swords and spout one liners, just like real life. Zuko on the other hand had to relieve every shitty thing he did to his uncle and the rest of the gaang and is sad he never got to properly reconcile with Iroh or make his true father proud. Toph helps cheer him up though, bringing up the time she and Iroh hung out back in season 2, and how , even when they were estranged at the time, Iroh couldn’t stop talking about his nephew and how proud he was of the boy and that all he wanted was for Zuko to find the right path. And Toph figures he has, having found true friends, a better purpose and become his own man. Zuko actually smiles at this which is rarer than an eclipse so good for Toph

Sokka’s bit is just some fun as his actor counterpart isn’t happy to hear more suggestions until one of Sokka’s jokes makes him laugh, and thus gladly takes in his notes. I also like Sukki int his, both eyerolling at her boyfriends jokes while also clearly being happy when the actor likes them. She dosen’t tolerate Sokka’s shit, it’s the bedrock of her relationship, but she does love him for who he is and support him. It’s a good relationship and better than I honestly remembered.

Worse than I remembered though... is Aang and Katara. Back at the time of the show I shipped the hell out of them because the show told me to. I was naive like that back then. Now I get that just because the show has a main ship dosen’t mean you have to root for it. I still do sometimes, Luz and Amity, Stolas and Blitzo, btu that’s because the show’s given me proper investment in it instead of just saying “here accept this”. When a show does that it rarely works and even shows i geninely love like final space are really bad with that.

This show is obviously no exception: the ship tease was handled frustratingly, just kinda sprinkled throughout with no resolution, not helped by the promos fully exploiting the shipping for ratings. I mean it worked but it dosen’t make it any less frustrating. Over 61 episodes of show no real progress is made in their relationship romantically. it just sorta happens in the finale because that’s what they’ve been waiting for. It was a really nasty habit of 2000′s era shows to have tons of build up for a couple but no actual getting them together until the finale IF THAT. Thankfully that seems to be buried in this day and age outside of one or two shows, but god is it not great to come back to. That said Legend of Korra would get SO MUCH WORSE in seasons 1 and 2 before course correcting in season 3, downplaying the romance stuff to more cute and tolerable sideplots and having it’s main romance be far gayer and more interesting than any of the series main romances thus far, and only not showing it on screen because Nick felt strangulation was okay but gays weren’t till the last minute of the series. The comics thankfully course correct this.

My point is the romance wasn’t handled well and this scene is ESPECIALLY bad, possibly the worst of it outside of Cave of Two Lovers: Aang asks if Katara REALLY sees him like a brother like her play version then asks how she does feel when she says no. She RESONABLY points out they have a war to fight, that she just can’t think about this now and maybe when it’s over. Aang then asks when then. While she is SLIGHTLY stalling I can’t blame her: these feelings are confusing and again she has a war to fight, a war neither of them might come back from. Maybe wait till it’s over and you both live. Instead Aang kisses her.

Just.. nothing is right here, and Katara rightfully storms off. Just... ewww.. I get consent wasn’t as well defined then but read the room riders. The two get back in time for Zuko to join up and to see the plays ending.. which to Sokka’s confusion goes beyond what they’ve experinced. The ending is one of the best parts of the episode... and as you’d expect from a play that’s mildly propaganda it ends BADLY for our heroes: Zuko is killed holdling off Azula and Aang dies despite having mastered the four elements as the Fire Lord has the comet. The audience cheers as Aang gasps in horror at what COUDL be his future and his friends gape at what will happen to the world if they don’t win. There’s a comedy scene after this where they all talk about how much they didn’t like the play.. but it doesn't undercut the ending. It’s surprisingly terrifying, letting our heroes and audience know their not safe, anyone can die in the finale coming up and reminding them the stakes. It also nicely foreshadows the finale in places: on Zuko’s end, it foreshadows his final battle with azula and having seen this gives reason besides his love of the guy for finding Iroh: Zuko is genuinely certain he cannot win a fight with her. it also amps up Aang’s fears, as well as highlights the fact that he HASN’T mastered all four elements. He’s learned all four and can use them well, but he’s not a master yet... while his opponent is about to get a massive boost. It’s a gloomy but necessary button to an awesome episode

Final Thoughts: This episode is a masterpiece: the jokes are all pitch perfect, there’s tons of comedy, but there’s also small subtle setups for the finale that I mentioned. Other than that godawful Kataang scene, it’s a truly excellent love letter to the series from it’s own creators as they readied to say goodbye to it. It’s worth checking out again if you haven’t seen it in a while> Truly great. And I hope to return to this series one day. For now though, follow for more reviews of various cartoons and thanks for reading.

#avatar the last airbender #aang #katara #sokka #toph #zuko #suki #the ember island players #nickelodeon #paramount plus #paramount+

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solivagusdraco · 3 years

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From the Depths of a Lab: Boundaries Between Nonhumanity and Creativity through the Journey of a Potential Silvally 'kin

I'm a dragon.

That's a fact I've known for over a decade at this point. It was pure chance that I ever even learned of otherkin - somewhere along the line, one of my best friends mentioned being a therian, and so I asked what that was. If I ever had any doubts about my draconity just being something developed because I heard this new fascinating thing… the fact that I still feel my wings and get sense memories when I search for them, even after this long, would eliminate those… we'll call them worries. Perhaps a poor choice of words, but it's what fits in my experience - I'm firmly in the spiritual otherkin camp.

And perhaps that, and my continued journey to understand psychological 'kin, is part of the "problem" that spurred this essay.

Again, perhaps a poor choice in words.

This isn't some discussion about facets of the community, or debate on origins. My experiences aren't another's, just as theirs aren't mine. This is an essay on personal exploration, and the adventure of trying to confirm or deny a kintype whilst sifting through muddy water, years after I've last done any serious introspection on such topics. But if you're still interested in the personal ramblings of this dragon, then I welcome you and will pull up a nice rock for you to sit on. All I ask is patience, for words are hard for me. Talking about myself is even harder.

I awakened as a Dragon in 2010. I found a hearttype in Painted Dogs in 2014. Both of which were… simple.

I found my dragon in meditation and introspection, finding memories of both sense and the more traditional kind. The senses persisted, and still persist. Perhaps one day I'll wake and realize I'm not a dragon, but that doesn't change what I am now, nor how I feel. I am a dragon, and I found that through soul searching.

I found a home in painted dogs during a chance trip to the zoo. They had just recently finished a new exhibit for those fancy canines, and for some reason I just felt so excited to go see these creatures I'd never heard of before that moment. And then I saw them and while I didn't feel like looking in the mirror… It felt like looking through a photo album. I'm not them, yet still they're so familiar.

But this isn't an essay about dragons or canines. Or perhaps it's an essay about them both, just in a different, chimeric form.

Pokémon has always been a part of my life. As of writing this, I'm 27 and the franchise is 25 - the only part of my life without Pokémon are years I don't even remember. I learned the TCG, my first video games ever were Gold and Silver, I had plush and played pretend with my friends. I had favorites… but I never made a character. Not a trainer, not a Pokémon. Rather, it was literal decades before I made a proper Pokémon OC.

Sev the Silvally was made out of a desire to try and run a Pokémon ask blog as a means to improve my art skills through regular practice. I don't even remember the thought process that made me choose a Silvally over any of the other hundreds of Pokémon - I just knew that I'd started drawing and suddenly I had a crime against Arceus with a broken RKS Drive. Granted, Type: Null and Silvally had been my favorite Pokémon of that generation, and my inspiration for the blog was a Type: Null blog.

Later on, Sev would become something of a comfort and coping character for me.

I had been abused by someone I considered one of my best friends in high school, and while I had since recognized it as abuse by the time of Sev's creation… It still bothered me. So I decided to have Sev's escape from the Aether Paradise be that he was stolen by an abusive trainer, and his evolution happened when that trainer turned her abusive hand to a Rockruff pup - an evolution not through love for his trainer, but rather through a desire to protect. Sev escaped his abuse and got the chance to learn how to live without the shadow of his trainer looming over him, just like I hoped to do. Escape that shadow. Let Sev be my guide through the nightmares and hate scrolling that still persisted.

He stopped being just a character.

But what does this all have to do with otherkin?

As I mentioned, Pokémon has been a part of my life for effectively my whole life. Yet despite that… There's never been a Pokémon that gripped me with the intensity that Silvally has. I've hungrily looked for merch, official and unofficial. I'm in the midst of making a fursuit, complete with electronics. One of my Tumblr usernames is multi-attack, and oftentimes now when making an account on a website, the first thing I check is if 'Silvally' is taken as a username. The design I painted on my mailbox is of my dragon and Sev, in a sort of "coat of arms" reminiscent style. This chimeric Pokémon latched on to some part of my mind and refused to let go.

And yet it wasn't until this past year that I even considered that Silvally could be something other than a "mere" favorite character.

Perhaps it's a hearttype. Perhaps it's a kintype. Perhaps it is just a mere favorite character. Introspection is the answer, regardless. My way to find just what Silvally is to me. But then there comes another question. Another problem.

With my dragon, the hunt for memories was clear cut. I had no existing thoughts to sway the hunt, and what memories I eventually found… They had little comparisons to various dragon media I'd consumed. But I start this investigation with Silvally at a disadvantage - I've made a character with crafted backstory, and consumed what little canon information exists on the species. There's no blank slate for me to start from - whatever search I do will always be colored by Sev and his tale.

So then I have to ask myself:

Is Sev his own character, or is he me?

I've never had a character that I was able to just write. Perhaps it's akin to soulbonding, but what I've read on that experience just doesn't quite taste right for the circumstance. I'll create a path for my characters, a baseline for their personality to grow on… but all too frequently, they end up bucking those guidelines and becoming their own person, as it were. They don't keep me company in my mind, but they still make their own minds clear should I try to direct their story or actions in ways they don't agree with.

Where does one find the boundary between self and other, when those "others" make their own decisions yet aren't their own entities?

To say nothing of my tendency to dole out my flaws and traits to each of my characters. Each little facet of myself being the seed from which a character will grow. Sometimes as the simple fact that the familiar makes creation easier. Sometimes as a means to work through a problem. But regardless of reason, it doesn't change the fact that almost every character I've ever made has had some piece of me in their core.

But… When every character you make is a facet of yourself, the moment you consider that they might be more than just a character gets muddy. Is it a hearttype, born from a facet of yourself that your subconscious decided you needed to care for more? Or is that facet just a part of you that recognized what you were, long before your consciousness connected the dots? And if kintype it is, then how do you determine what memories are real? Were the plot points and character biology you designed mere fabrication of the mind? Or were they flashes of another life, fleshed out, recorded, and/or adapted in the name of writing?

As if the discovery and determination of memories wasn't already complicated enough.

Sev's name was the only decision I consciously made whilst creating him - shortened from 'severance', as his creation was for the partial purpose of finally separating myself from old memories. Everything else just… happened. There was no rhyme or reason or choice to anything. Not his color, not the reason he and the other Silvally of his world were created. Every plot point, every musing on his biology was a simple moment of "Oh, so that's how it happened".

In what way is that different from how I found my dragon, with her quiet nights of meditation and introspection until the memories and feelings fell into place?

Now don't misunderstand - this isn't me saying that discovering a kintype is nothing more than making a character. That couldn't be farther from what I'm saying! Rather, I'm musing on the question of where the boundary is between the creative process and the discovery process. If Sev (or just Silvally in general) isn't a kintype, then it's still fascinating to me that his creation was so similar to me discovering my dragon. And if he is a kintype? Then is that particular creative process something to be mindful of when contemplating "original character" kintypes?

Perhaps this question would be easier to find an "answer" to if I knew what Silvally was to me… but I don't! That's almost the point of this essay - a vague attempt to knock some solid feeling thought loose from my mind.

It just happened to lead to a fascinating line of thought.

#otherkin #otherkind #alterhuman #heraldic speaks

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jobean12-blog · 4 years

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Top Shelf: Chapter 16- Turning Over a New Leaf

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (Bookshop/Bartender/Baking AU)

Word Count: 2,255

Summary: You’re busy with all the good stuff and renovations are well underway at the Bookshop, you set a date for the reopening, Bucky wants to make a change but he’s not sure how you’ll react.

Author’s Note: Happy Monday again guys! As always just want to thank you again for coming along on this journey with me. Every time I write a new chapter it makes me smile and I hope you do too. This one was fun for obvious reasons...don’t be mad at me! I had to do it. Thank you again for your continued support and kindess and for reading! Much love always ❤❤❤

Warnings: Fluff (as usual), fun with friends, some sexy teasing and flirting and implied sexy times, Bucky’s beard...

Top Shelf Masterlist

The next few weeks fly by in a dizzying haze of Bucky, the Bookshop renovations and your friends. You somehow manage to fit working a full-time job in there but it’s the least of your priorities and you are seriously starting to question how much longer you want to work there. It’s great and the people you work with are nice, but your heart just isn’t in it.

It’s already the end of August and Steve is finishing up the construction at the Bookshop. It’s coming along nicely, and he has even gotten Bucky to help and learn a few things along the way. “Hey Buck, hand me that saw please.” Bucky grabs it from the table and hands it to Steve but not before tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear and nearly stabbing himself with the pointy end.

“Bucky. You gotta watch out. You’ve been messin’ with your hair all day. What am I supposed to tell y/n when you’re missing an ear?” Bucky chuckles at that but blows over his face to try to get the hair out of it. “It’s gotten so damn annoying. I really want to cut it.” Steve starts sawing, keeping his eyes on his work while he asks, “then why don’t you just get it cut?” Bucky takes his hair out of the bun and tries to smooth it back, sliding the hair tie over his wrist. “Because I’m pretty sure she’ll kill me if I do.”

Neither of them hears you come in over the sawing and their combined chatter. “Who will kill you if you do what, babe?” Bucky’s head shoots up mid hair fixing, and he smiles. Quickly securing it with the elastic he walks over and grabs you up in a big hug, kissing you several times before placing you on your feet. “I brought lunch,” you say holding up the bags with a warm smile.

Steve whoops and takes one bag, sitting himself on the floor and digging in. “So, Bucky thinks if he cuts his hair you’ll freak,” Steve explains through a mouthful of sandwich. Bucky grits his teeth but manages to look you in the eye, “don’t listen to him, I won’t cut it.” Steve flaps his sandwich in your direction. “He has been complaining about it since we started this and today has been the worst.”

You laugh at Steve with his sandwich but when you catch Bucky’s eye again, he looks worried. A loose strand of hair has fallen in front of his face again and he tries to blow it away. It doesn’t work so you tuck it behind his ear and trail your fingers down his jaw, gently combing through his full beard. “Ok, first of all. I wouldn’t freak out. I love your hair but honestly baby, it would be fine if got it cut. You’ll look handsome with any style and I’m not in love with you for your hair you know.”

Steve makes a gagging noise from the floor and Bucky shoots him a death glare. “Are you choking, or do I need to kick your ass?” He swallows his bite and makes a face, “you guys are sickening you know that.” Popping your head over Bucky’s shoulder you point a finger right at him. “Don’t you start sassing me Steve Rogers…I have to deal with you and Peggy through all this wedding planning and I haven’t said a damn word because I love you and I’m happy to be a part of it. So, shut it! Or…I’ll tell Peggy.”

That shuts him up but not before a few more grumbles. He finishes eating and gets back to work, leaving you two to your hair conversation. “Are you sure you don’t care?” You give Bucky a reassuring smile. “I definitely do not. BUT there is one condition.” His eyebrows meet his hairline as he waits. “You cannot shave your beard.” You say it with such authority and seriousness it has him throwing his head back in laughter. “Ok, boss, you got it.”

Throwing your hands up you roll your eyes and smash the bag of lunch into his chest. “Eat! I got your favorite.” Bucky leans against the table and opens the bag, pulling out his lunch and grinning. “Thanks, beautiful, I’m starving!” He eats it fast and gets back to work with Steve. You ask if they need anything else before heading back to work.

Bucky walks you to the back to get your bag but before you can retrieve it, he has you pressed against the bookshelf. “I wish you didn’t have to go back to work.” His thigh parts your legs and pushes against you, earning him a soft moan. “Bucky…don’t tease,” you whisper, closing your eyes when he starts kissing along your neck. He holds you against the bookshelf for a few more minutes, slowly building you up before he pulls away and smirks.

“Better get back to work before you’re late.” You level him with a warning look, forcefully pulling your bag over your shoulder. “Oh, you’re so dead, Barnes. Two can play at this game.” With that you stalk off, yelling bye to Steve on the way out. “Hey babe, wait,” Bucky calls after you, stopping in his tracks when you turn and glare. “Um, I’m gonna try to make my hair appointment for after work. Just wanted to let you know.” With a twinkle in your eye you give him a thumbs up, “sounds good baby, see you tonight.”

The rest of the day flies by as you push through e-mails for work as well as e-mails regarding the new baking equipment that has to be delivered next week. You’re going to set yourself up with a small kitchen in the back area so everything can be freshly baked at the shop. Bucky is also getting a state-of-the-art coffee machine and all the necessary accessories.

You and Bucky continue you to tease each other over text and when you finally get home, you’re exhausted but completely riled up at the same time. Deciding a bath might help you relax you fill the tub with hot water and get in, sinking down to your neck and letting out a deep breath. Not long after you hear the sound of the door and Bucky’s voice calling from down the hall.

“I’m in here Buck!” Your eyes are closed so when he first walks in you don’t look up. He kneels down near the tub and brushes his hand over your cheek. “You look soft and relaxed,” he whispers. You hum and turn your head, slowly opening your eyes. With a gasp you sit up, sloshing water out onto the floor. “Oh Bucky. WOW.” He looks concerned and asks, “like a good wow or oh no this is bad wow.”

Instead of answering him you stand up and reach for your towel. His gaze roams over your wet body and he adjusts himself in his jeans. “I’ve been thinking about this all day, you’re not helping, and you didn’t answer my question.” Stepping out of the bath with the help of his hand you wrap the towel around you and look him over again.

“That was a good wow. A very good wow.” Taking your hand, you comb it through his short but fluffy locks. They are silky soft and still long enough to tug which you do, and he moans. “I love it. I love it so much.” Pressing yourself against him you let the towel fall to the floor, placing kisses up his neck and over his beard. “You know, I had this whole plan to put on some lingerie and tease you…give you a taste of your own medicine, but now…” You trail off when your lips find his and you cling to his biceps to steady yourself.

He pulls away, breathing against your lips, “and now?” Your hands are in his hair and your lips brush over his jaw. “Now I can’t wait another minute. I need you.” With those words he lifts you into his arms and takes you to bed, making up for all the teasing and more.

When you wake the next morning, you’re tired and sore but in the most satisfied way. Thankful it’s Friday you take your time getting ready for work, periodically breaking to watch Bucky sleep. His hair is tousled from your hands last night and the morning light catches some of the lighter strands, reminding you of caramel. You really like this new look.

Once you’re ready to leave you round the bed to give sleeping beauty a kiss. His eyes flutter open when your lips press to his and his hand wraps around the back of your neck. Before he can drag you back into bed you pull away, tracing your fingers over his mouth. “I love you.” His soft smile fades when he closes his eyes again, kissing your hand and murmuring, “I love you,” before his gentle breathing is all you hear.

You stay seated on the edge of the bed for a few more moments, running your fingers through his hair and just admiring how handsome he is. When you finally make it out of the apartment you have to haul ass to make it to work on time, sitting down just as your phone rings. It’s Tony. He wants to discuss setting a date for the re-opening of the bookshop. You update him on the construction and delivery schedule and agree to meet early next week to figure it out.

Nat and Peggy come over later that night and the three of you work on wedding things. Peggy asked you to make the wedding cake and you’re terrified but of course you said yes. So, you spend the evening talking about the boys, trying some cake flavors you baked and looking at wedding dresses on Pinterest. Sam and Bucky are working the bar tonight and Steve is there hanging out, so you keep getting silly pictures of the three of them in a group text.

“Bucky looks pretty amazing with that new haircut,” Peggy comments, looking at the newest photo they sent, “and I wish Steve would let his beard grow out!” Your grin turns devious under your wine glass, “have you told him that?” Peggy smirks, giving you a sideways glance. “Not in those simple words.” Placing your glass down you lean in close as if Bucky is near enough to hear, “we’ve been so busy right, so shaving wasn’t really something Bucky wanted to do regularly because it’s a pain in the ass so his beard kept getting more full and I love it…you know.”

Nat looks at you expectantly and Peggy just looks confused. When your silent for another minute they both shout, “you know what???” Standing up you cover your mouth to stop your giggles and put your hands on your hips, “I can’t believe you aren’t catching my drift here.” They give each other a look then glare at you. “But you haven’t said anything except he didn’t feel like shaving much, so his beard got full,” Peggy states with a hmpf.

Nat’s eyes begin to narrow as she pieces it together. “Oh my god! You mean you like it between your legs, don’t you? You couldn’t have just said that?” She throws a crumpled napkin at your head and you all burst into laughter. Peggy grabs her phone and types a mile a minute, squealing when she sets it down. “I just text Steve and told him I want him to grow a beard so I can feel it between my legs…” You hear your phone chime and suck in a breath. “Did you send it just to Steve or to ALL of us?” Peggy pales, taking her phone and checking the message. “OH MY GOD!”

Next week…

After a very long but productive meeting with Tony you all decide that you should be ready to reopen on September 22nd. It’s the official first day of fall and a perfect way to launch into all the pumpkin spice and fall goodies you have planned. This gives you just about 4 full weeks to bring it all together. You’re sitting on the couch going over a list of what you want to serve at the opening when Bucky walks in after a shower. His long fingers comb over his beard as he watches you. “I still can’t believe Peg sent that text. I’m still laughing.”

“Oh, me too, I nearly peed my pants when it happened. And now that Steve is growing out his beard, we can endlessly tease him!” Silence descends and you feel the couch dip when he sits, drawing your attention from the list. “Hi.” Leaning forward you kiss his cheek and sit yourself in his lap. “Wanna see my list so far?” He wraps his arms around you and leans his head on your shoulder. “Of course. Do I get to taste test all of these?”

Counting down your list you have 8 treats, none of which he has eaten yet. “Oh definitely, I’m going to be doing a lot of baking the next couple of weeks. I can bring them to the bar for Sam and everyone to try too.” With his face in your neck Bucky hums his agreement. “You know what I think I’m most excited about,” he says, tickling you with his beard. “What?” you laugh, turning to meet his eyes. “For Grandma to see it all.”

@aesthetical-bucky @auro-ora @bugsbucky @buckys-broody-muffin @buckys-henley @buckys-minty-breath @book-dragon-13 @bucky-on-my-mind @eurynome827 @hiddles-rose @ikaris-whore @itsunclebucky @imgaril-lindru @jhangelface0523 @jewels2876 @kaosera @loricameback @lorilane33 @littledarlinhavefaithinme @littleredstarfish @breezy1415 @mushyjellybeans @marvelandotherfandomimagines @marvelgirl7 @nano--raptor @pinkdiamond1016 @randomfandompenguin @sallycanwait68 @softpeachbarnes @tuiccim @the-wayward-robot @yansi1923 @hiddles-rose @hailmary-yramliah @hawksmagnolia @flyawaybay @throwmyheartawayagain @amandatar-06 @nd1998sc @captainchrisstan @vherriepie @godofplumsandthunder @when-the-hell-is-bucky @fire-flv @jamesbarnesappreciationclub @irishflutiegirl @rinthehufflepuff @moonybarnes @nordlysinthewoods @scarletsoldierrr @inflxmes @lauratang @my-favorite-fics-and-imagines @buchanansebba @emilylyoness @curlyred2020 @addikted-2-dopamine @lady-pswrld @lookiamtrying @tales-of-spring @lokilvrr @mishaandthebrits

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cinematicnomad · 3 years

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3, 12, 24 & 25 for 911 😊

003. favorite line/scene you wrote this year ohhhh, i love buck’s little stumbled confession to his parents in so show me (family) when he’s trying to explain who chris is to him and finally admits out loud that he’s in love with eddie:

“He’s mine. And—and maybe Eddie’s mine too. We haven’t—I mean, this is new but—” he’s floundering now, his gaze anywhere but on them, his parents. He thinks of last night, of Eddie’s forehead pressed to his, of that moment before anything could have happened. He wets his lips with his tongue. “But—I want him to be.”

012. favorite character to write about this year it’s genuinely kind of a toss up between buck and eddie?? i usually heavily favor one POV in a pairing, but for these two i’ve flip flopped between them both. technically i’ve written more buck POV fics so far (though my current WIP is an eddie POV fic) so i guess we’ll go with that answer (for now)

024. favorite fic you read this year not a single fic per se, but the currently on going fic series the evolution of buddie by @marvelingjules. i’ll rec the series in the next question below, but let me just say that i have re-read this entire series SEVERAL times so far this year since first discovering it this summer. as i mentioned in my last ask, i am such a sucker for canon compliant missing scenes fics, especially character introspective ones, and this fic series does all of that and more by delving into eddie’s POV starting post-eddie begins and tracing through how he and buck could possibly get together. i love this series more than words can express.

025. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read well damn felicity, you know there are a shit ton of great fics in this fandom and a good third of them are YOURS so lets get this reclist started:

the evolution of buddie by insanejuliann (14/? | 106k+ | M) POV eddie; canon compliant; internalized homophobia; slow burn; getting together; light angst

over time, eddie starts to wonder if everyone might actually be right when they joke about him and buck being more than friends.

a journey of self-discovery, patience, and caring between not just two men, but the friends and family around them.

note: this is the aforementioned fic series and it deserves top billing. still ongoing at the moment, the series is 14 fics deep and has done everything i want from a canon compliant fic series. @marvelingjules is wonderfully talented at creating believable oc’s that fit into the 911 world while also digging deep into the characters of buck and eddie and what makes them work so well together. this entire fic series makes me so fucking soft and whenever i see that it’s been updated i drop everything to pick it up and start reading. genuinely one of the high points of 2020 was when this series was updated on my birthday and i got to read a new entry on my day off.

don’t worry baby (everything will turn out alright) by woodchoc_magnum (12/12 | 63k+ | M) canon compliant; angst with a happy ending; slow burn; friends to lovers

buck and eddie are falling in love, and it’s obvious to everyone but them.

note: look. EVERYTHING felicity writes is amazing (hi felicity, i adore you), and if i wanted to i could sit here and rec all 32 of her buddie fics (plus a few more that are currently in the works...you guys are gonna LOVE them) but that would be A LOT bc this woman has written 800k+ since june. just know that this was the first fic of hers that i ever read and i fell head over heels in love with how she writes these two assholes and the twists and turns she takes the narrative through. another high point is her songs fic series which is currently over 330k+ and still isn’t over. other personal faves include: i want you to want me, hearts on fire, light me and i’ll burn for you, lead me to your door, and let me roll it to you.

waves (it comes and goes) by sunspell80 (10/10 | 40k+ | M) buckley parents; past sexual assault (not the parents); pre-relationship; slow burn

evan buckley left his past behind when he left home for good at age 19. but an unexpected phone call on a quiet shift disrupts the life he’s built for himself: forcing him to confront his past in order to build a new future.

note: this fic is intricate and heartwrenching and utterly beautiful. it is also the first in a (so far) 2 part series titled the things we lost in the fire, and the sequel is equally amazing. if you choose to read this fic i strongly urge you to review the tags and warnings ahead of time bc it does deal with a heavy subject matter, but it’s dealt with in such a tender and caring manner. and the fic writer, @bibuddie, is one of my all time favorite people in this fandom and this fic series deserves ALL THE LOVE AND ATTENTION. i don’t often commit to reading WIPs but the sequel was soooo good i couldn’t not be a part of it. this fic includes one of my all time favorite depictions of the buckley parents in this fandom (and i doubt that’s going to change, even with the introduction of the parents in canon).

all was golden when the day met the night by spinningincircles (5/5 | 15k+ | T) AU: flower shop & tattoo parlor; soft eddie diaz; mutual pining; emotional hurt/comfort

eddie’s bad at words.

he can talk, of course, will happily go on for hours about how great christopher’s latest art project is, can give a sermon about the rangers’ chances of winning the world series. but when it comes to discussing what’s happening in his brain, the gloomy, sticky parts that follow him around and keep him awake, he clams up.

eddie’s bad at words, but he’s good at flowers.

note: every fandom deserves a soft flower shop and tattoo parlor au and this is one of the best. @tylerhunklin said soft eddie rights and gave me all the content i could ever want so that i could SWOON. this fic is gorgeously written and the characterization is so on point i’ve read this fic s e v e r a l times since it was published earlier this summer. if you haven’t taken the time to read this fic yet, what are you doing with your life??

leading with the left by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (18/18 | 84k+ | M) backstory; AU: backstory; smut; slow burn; stripper!buck

when buck said he was a “bartender” in “south america” what he actually meant was “stripper” in “mexico.”

and when eddie said, “what’s your problem?” what he actually meant was, “is this about the time you gave me a lap dance?”

in other words, there’s a few things the 118 doesn’t know about buck. or eddie. or buck and eddie’s relationship.

note: i bet you’ve seen this on all the reclists. well GUESS WHAT they’re alllllll right. if you haven’t read this fic you should drop whatever you’re doing and get it all sorted bc this fic!! THIS FIC! who knew words like “you called me texas” could make me soooo fucking soft. but @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels knew!! especially in a fic filled with some of the hottest smut in town. but seriously, you know those top tier fics in a fandom that are like “EVERYONE has to read this”?? that’s what this is, so you should hop to it. and even if you have read it?? you should read it again.

don’t take my sunshine away by sevensoulmates (21/21 | 113k+ | M) angst with a happy ending; canon compliant; emotional/psychological abuse; getting together

eddie is in a coma, and buck blames himself. he should’ve been there to protect eddie. the least he can do now is to be there for christopher, even if buck doesn’t know if he has it in him to be a parent without eddie. buck makes eddie a deal: he’ll fight for christopher in the real world, while eddie fights to wake up.

eddie’s come a long way since those bleak days in el paso, listening to his parents comments about how he’s not fit to be a father. christopher doesn’t deserve to be dragged down by the likes of eddie and shannon. eddie thought after moving to LA, he and chris had escaped that. when he wakes up and finds buck neck-deep in a legal battle with his parents for custody of christopher, eddie must face his own mistakes, and find the confidence to stand up for himself against his absolute worst nightmare.

note: honest to god i remember when this fic showed up under the ao3 tag as complete. i started reading it bc i’m a sucker for a lengthy fic (can you note tell from the word counts of my fic recs??) when i realized just how fucking amazing this fic really was. i left a comment on almost every other chapter just so @sevensoulmates could know how much i loved this fic and then when i was finished i went on to devour her other fics. i’ve re-read them all twice so far this year but this fic is my one of my all-time faves, filled with all the delicious angst and yearning and heartache and custody battles that one could ever hope for.

we found each other (over there) by kristen999 (10/10 | 46k+ | T) AU: historical (WWII); hurt/comfort; mutual pining; slow burn; angst with a happy ending

a combat medic and a G.I. meet during one of the world’s greatest battles. a WWII european theater based AU.

note: i’ve read some great WWII au fics in my time, but i’ve also read some shitty ones, so to say i was wary when i first spotted this on ao3 would be underselling it. i opened the fic and then kind of danced around it for about a month before i finally had a free weekend and was willing to give it a go, and oh boy. OH BOY. this fic lived up to everything i could have wanted and made my little history minor heart flutter. the writing in this fic was superb and the descriptions of combat and war really drew me into the narrative. but the reason this fic gets top billing here is bc of the ending and how the fic carries us through back to the states and projects into the future—one of the reasons i avoid historical au’s is bc i’m always a little worried i won’t get the happy ending i want but this fic more than delivers.

there are SO MANY amazing fics in this fandom but it’s 12:30AM and i am e x h a u s t e d so i’m just going to have to stop there for now!

fanfic end of the year asks

#woodchoc-magnum #ask #just #holy shit felicity how have you written over 800k+ this year and they've all been fucking AMAZING???#fic rec #911 fox #911 #otp: you two have an adorable son #eddie x buck #buck x eddie #buck buckley #eddie diaz #evan buckley #about kat writes

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