#in the bathrooms. Like that was the only place they would reliably fit
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When artistic visionary Ann Ghelld passed away, she bequeathed her beloved townhouse to the city as affordable housing for fellow creative types... on one stipulation; that nobody touched its eccentric and wildly impractical layout.
While this final request has caused its share of architectural headaches, nonetheless, the Ann Ghelld Building survives in the heart of Sim City’s basket weaving district. Upon crossing its unusual threshold you might grab a coffee from Cafe Urele, pick up a bouquet or snacks from LlaMart Convenience, or simply catch the elevator up to any of its three apartments.
I love watching LilSimsie’s videos, even though we play different editions, and I particularly enjoy her shell challenges - where she uploads empty exterior walls and others have to make a lot out of it. I especially liked this one, referred to lovingly by LilSimsie & her followers as the “Big Mistake Shell Challenge” - because all the exterior walls are 100% diagonal.
This is just as difficult to work around in TS4 as it is in TS2, so I wanted to join in the torture! The (wonky) red lines mark the untouchable shell. I ended up really happy with the results, so I’m sharing this fully-furnished, cleaned, play-tested, CC-free apartment building in the hopes you’ll enjoy it too.
Important info, more pics & download link below!
🚨 PLEASE LOAD THIS LOT BEFORE MOVING SIMS IN 🚨
When you move Sims into an apartment, it’s difficult to safely alter anything outside, so please make sure to check that everything is as it should be before you move Sims in.
You do not need CC or mods to play this lot. However, it was made with a few common mods in mind, and if you don’t want to use them, please tweak the lot before playing:
Rugs have been placed off-grid. Either make sure you have Rugs Off The Grid, or delete/move rugs to avoid graphical glitches as seen in these previews.
If you don’t have Water Inaccessible Flowers and Trim Inaccessible Bushes then you may need to move/delete some landscaping and/or fences.
The ground floor was designed for use with Apartments & Shopping On The Same Lot. If you don’t use this mod, nothing bad will happen, but the bottom floor will not sell anything except via the vending machines & electronics kiosk. You can replace the convenience store with a common area such as an indoor pool, computer room, etc, or even another apartment; I honestly recommend leaving the cafe as-is, because your playable Sims can still work there as a barista.
There is no CC in this lot, but there are some deco "accessory” items not normally accessible by players (e.g. a saucepan). If you delete these you may not be able to replace them. Similarly, some items were placed with Shiftable Everything. If you delete some items you may not be able to replace them in the same positions without this mod.
A corner counter in the top apartment may not corner properly when the lot is placed. This can be fixed with moveobjects. Although it clips, it is considered within the apartment, so you can put objects on it without apartment cheats.
If you don’t use Shiftable Trash Chutes, your chutes may appear glitched (see below). This is harmless and can be fixed simply by replacing the chute. Note: the chute on the second floor was originally placed with the cheat setquartertileplacement on.
If you play with CC, then I also have some suggestions for where it might improve this lot:
The expensive computer in the cafe (I hate that hideous thing) would be much better as a laptop.
The flower plots on the rooftop would also make a great produce garden with Honeywell’s placeable garden plots.
You can replace a corkboard in the lobby with a jobs board.
The signs for Cafe Urele might look nicer with a recolour or swapped out for a cute sandwich board.
The bike racks by the basketball court look a bit bare without some deco bikes.
The bare brick wall at the back of the building is prime real estate for some graffiti.
The busker’s guitar out the front will look a little more appropriate with an invisible amp recolour and maybe a decorative case.
If you find all the lights overpowering, don’t forget to turn some off.
And of course, don’t forget to add fences, hedges, etc. that will make this lot blend in better with the surrounding lots in your hood.
The first apartment has two separate bedrooms; Currently, it’s furnished as though occupied by two unrelated roommates - one sewist and one musician - but it could also work for a parent and a child. It has this kitchenette common area as well as a small balcony.
The second apartment is the most “luxury”. It’s a cozy open-plan studio with a double bed, a small but quality kitchen, and its own balcony. This is ideal for a D.I.N.K couple or perhaps a single Romance Sim.
The top apartment is the smallest and cheapest, barely fitting a kitchenette and single bed, but there’s space to move out on the building’s largest balcony. Perfect for an artsy single Sim working or studying in the big city. (The little reading nook bumpout is my favourite detail.)
All bathrooms are more or less identical, with a toilet, basin, medicine cabinet, trash can, and shower. The second floor studio has a shower/bath combo.
I wanted the lot to have free skilling opportunities, so all residents have access to the rooftop garden and free use of the crafting station & chess set there. There’s also a bookcase in the cafe, a guitar on the street for busking, an outdoor gym, and a basketball hoop.
Sims should be able to access everything (except the flowers/hedges - see above) without routing errors, though of course, with such an “interesting” layout, your Sims might get a bit cramped and fussy. The only issue I ran into is that there’s nowhere on the second floor for the newspaper to be delivered, so it often glitches into the apartment on the left, regardless of which apartment you live in. You can retrieve the paper in buy mode without cheats. This is not an issue on the top floor.
Thank you so much for reading! I don’t remember the last time I shared a lot for download; if you do end up playing it, I’d love to hear how it went.
Download Ann Gheld Building [CC Free]
#the sims 2#ts2#sims 2 lot#I don't know what to tag this with lol#sniffles. looks at you directly. please clap#I never considered myself a builder so sharing lots makes me way more nervous than sharing CC!#if you like it then reblogs would mean ... the Sim world ... [staring at you with huge eyes]#in all seriousness though this was so fun I love shell challenges. It being entirely diagonal was SO interesting#in TS4 and TS2 alike a lot of items NEED to be on straight walls to function#TS4 doesn't have elevators or spiral stairs though so their stairs situation was even harder haha. I do feel bad about that#but placing things like toilets and counters etc was hard because they look best against straight walls#and some other items just don't function diagonally. like some of the dressers. or they do but need a 4x bigger footprint#and I couldn't use any of my precious walk-around/through blocks!! because CC free!!#I do adore Shiftable Everything though god bless modders#I'm experimenting so much more now that 1) I don't have to fiddle with OMSPs and 2) I know I can share it wantonly#I think my favourite little outcome of the extreme space/orientation restrictions were that I actually had a reason to put trash cans#in the bathrooms. Like that was the only place they would reliably fit#because all the bathrooms were so weirdly shaped because they all needed straight walls. so they all had little pockets#meanwhile the rest of the apartment typically didn't have space for a bin where it would be accessible in normal gameplay#I never put trash cans in Sim bathrooms normally because there's no need for one there even tho IRL it's probably like#the most common place to have a trash can after the kitchen#BAM. Lil bit of realism for you. Two sim birds with one sim stone#anyway I'm rambling. I had a lot of fun with this and I'm gonna do more shell challenges and maybe share more builds#there's also a little rockethorse easter egg for you to find if you do download it#thank you again for reading!#rockethorse lots
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little secrets ᡣ𐭩 minors dni
cw: smut!!! fem reader, mentions of oral (f), fingering, overstim, (and they were) roommate!nanami, not proof read (pls be nice)
an: my first jjk fic <3 pls enjoy my word vomit
It was smaller than the length of your pointer finger. Tiny, pink, easy to tuck between your fitted sheet and the bed. Stowed away, hid so that nobody would ever know about it other than you. The hiding spot was also convenient — easy to grab while you’re kicking the comforter off. Too hot. Too pent up. Just stretch your hand back behind your pillows and there it is. The tiny pink toy in a gold silk bag. Charged, happily humming in your hand with the click of a button.
Your perfect little secret. A reliable one, something you know that is always there for you.
Until it’s not.
The bed frame, four posts and all, shakes as you tear it apart. Pillows scattered across the ground, sheets crumpled up and thrown at the foot of the bed. You’ve lifted the mattress, shone a flashlight in the spaces underneath. Not a single glimpse of it.
Panic starts to set in your chest. It weighs heavily on your stomach, which has started to flip. Could you have left it in the bathroom when you went to wash it? Was it accidentally thrown in with your laundry? Though you know all these possibilities are unlikely, you find yourself desperately trying to cling to them. To justify the disappearance.
There’s no point in destroying your room even more. It isn’t here. It had to have been misplaced. There’s no other explanation for what could have happened. It seems in your frantic panic and annoyance at what could have been, you forgot an important fact.
You’re not the only one that knows about your little pink secret.
But don’t worry — you’ll be reminded half past midnight, a hand clasped over your mouth and core vibrating violently.
It did end up in your laundry basket, tangled in your sheets, tagging along for the weekly wash. The second you had everything set up is when your phone buzzed. How could you have forgotten that you were supposed to meet a friend?
“Kento?” You called the second you hung up the phone, completely abandoning the sheets. The golden bag that didn’t catch your eye.
“Hm?” He responded, not bothering to look up from his book.
“I have to leave, like, now. Can you start my laundry for me?”
With a huffed laugh, he rolls his eyes. You couldn’t just toss it in quickly — no, he knows once you’re set on something, all other tasks cease to exist. It’s endearing. “Sure.”
“Thank you.” You’re not projecting your voice anymore, passing by where he’s sat in the living room. “I owe you.”
It was careless not to notice the golden bag against your white sheets. How did you miss that? Such a stark contrast, it should have been easy to catch your eye. Kento clicks his tongue, gently grabbing the bag by the drawstrings and pulling it out of the heap of sheets. He places it on the dryer, trying to figure out where he should put it. On your bed? Maybe back in the basket, once the sheets return?
The tension in your house was thick all the time. An obvious attraction between roommates that shouldn’t be there. For months, you both lived with it, ignoring the feelings that would bubble up when he loosened his tie after a long day, large hands flexing around the knot. Or when you would walk out of your room in the morning, stretching, tee shirt hiking up your thighs. The day Kento caught a glimpse of your panties — white and sheer — was when he realized he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. Though his expression remained neutral, eyes flicking up quickly, he knew he was weak. Unable to resist.
It wasn’t until one night. Too many glasses of wine, giggles in the living room as you both watched some shitty movie after a shitty week. You watched the lights from the television dance on his face, sharp nose more prominent than ever. What must it be like to sit— “Ken?”
He hums softly, head rolling towards you. “Yes?”
“I’m really hot.” You say. It’s true; the alcohol went straight to your cheeks, and the blanket you’re under felt suffocating. But god, there was this heat in your lower stomach. The one you feel every time you touch the gold bag, butterflies scattering as the sun pounds down on them. You get that feeling when you look at Kento. When he’s this close, the smell of red wine and a woody cologne makes your body feel like summer.
Eyes flicker to your lap, his hand following. He pulls the blanket away. “Better?”
You shake your head. “No. Not at all.”
“I can see what the thermostat is set on—“
Thank the heavens for wine, and the unbridled confidence that comes from it. That night you straddled his lap, fingers carding through his perfectly styled hair. That night he got to taste you, words slurring when his tongue worked over your folds. That night was a pivoting moment, and Kento wasn’t just your hot roommate that you fantasized about anymore.
It’s been almost a year since that night, and you two have found yourself craving each other far too often. He’s stopped dating, noticing nobody holds your attention quite like you. It’s hard to acknowledge anyone else when you’re around — and he doesn’t want to, either.
The bag ended up in his room. He knows you haven’t been using it as often anymore. Just like him, you’ve found yourself far too enamored to even want anything other than him.
He walked by your room as you were searching for that toy. Mumbling in frustration, huffing and puffing as you came up empty again and again. Maybe it’s time to return it.
You like the third highest setting. Intense, but not overwhelming, pressed right to your clit. He watched as your eyelids fluttered at the first brush of it, a hand softly placed over your mouth. Thumb stroking your cheek. Only a few more seconds before he gets to see your pretty eyes, brows furrowed in confusion. Blinking up at him.
It’s an alarming sensation. Rem ripped away, you wake with a gasp. The inside of your thighs are already quaking a bit, held apart by his knees. Keeping your legs nice and spread for him.
“Hello, sweetheart.” He says in a low whisper. The distress starts to melt once you recognize it’s him, sinking into the feeling. “Sleep well?”
You moan against his hand, eyes rolling back just slightly. God, the knot in your stomach is so tight already. Has the vibratior been on you that long? Or was it being woken up like this that’s rapidly pushed you to the edge of your cliff.
Either way — you can’t guarantee you’ll last much longer.
“You’re so pretty when you sleep.” Kento whispers, pressing a gentle kiss in between your brows. “I couldn’t spend another night away from you. I hope you don’t mind.”
It’s impossible to argue with Kento even when he doesn’t have a fucking toy pressed to your clit. The feeling starts to get more intense when you feel a hand on your inner thigh, slowly working its way up.
“You must have gotten hot again. Sleeping in only your panties? It’s like you were trying to provoke me, darling.”
The hand ghosts over your folds, tips of his fingers barely even touching you. Even in your tired, dizzy state, you quickly realize what he was going for. Your hands come up to his arm, nails digging in as you shake your head. If he presses that button—
Too late.
Not one click. Not two. Three. The second highest setting, the vibrations ripping a raw scream from your throat. He chuckles a bit, fingers going to plunge inside you.
“Oh my.” They slid in with ease. His pace is brutal off the back, quickly moving in and out. Brushing against every part of you that craves him, that needs him. “See, this is why you should stay in my room. I’d never let my girl go to bed so worked up.”
Tears sting. Sweat forms at your hairline. Ecstasy building so fast and so relentlessly that you have no time to think. The world is Kento — nothing else matters.
You grunt against his hand, panting pathetically against it. Your nails draw blood, bruises sure form. Good. You hope the marks never fade.
A fat tear rolls down your cheek, quickly brushed away by his thumb. His smile is gentle, warm. A contrast from how roughly he’s treating your cunt. He’s filthy, rough, treating you like the little pink vibrator stuffed against your clit. A toy. His toy.
But, god, it’s the affection in his gaze that sends you to the brink. Raw screams, tears that are quickly wiped away. Your body twitches as you soak the clean sheets, his sweatpants. Everything covered in you.
Kento quickly withdraws his fingers, moving the vibrator from your clit. His hand properly cups your face, unrestricted moans filling the apartment. You’re fisting his white shirt, hands so small compared to his large frame.
“Easy, sweetheart.” He peppers kisses across your cheeks, licking the salty tears away. “There you go, there’s my girl.”
His girl. You’re hoping that one day, you truly will be — Kento knows you are already.
You look up at him, the waves of pleasure finally starting to numb. With a smile, you hit your bottom lip out. Silently asking for a kiss.
He beams at you, very happy to fulfill the request. Lips pressed against yours, you hum happily into the kiss. Content. Wonderfully achy. A feeling that only comes when you’re with Kento.
As you lose yourself in the kiss, he reaches for the little pink toy, and clicks it on again.
#nanami smut#nanami kento smut#kento smut#jjk smut#jujutsu kaisen smut#jjk nanami#nanami x reader#jjk x reader#nanami kento x reader#nanami x you#nanami kento
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Crowd Pleaser
« One (performer or product) that is notably or reliably popular or appealing »
Sana x gn!reader
Angst
synopsis - players play, but there can only be one winner
wordcount - 980?
T/W - definitely suggestive
A/N - short angst bc its been a while, although im on the fence about this one, enjoy!
Opposites attract. Or was it birds of a feather?
In your three years as a philanderer, you found neither of those rules to be truer than the other. It was easier to call it what it always is : chemistry. Or chemicals went awry?
The latter seemed more fitting ever since Sana started playing around you. Your appointed rival, for gossiping’s sake. You wondered why she’d suddenly taken interest in you, and got your answer pretty quickly.
She’s crazy.
Loves the eyes on her, the attention. You couldn’t blame her. You understood her—at least to certain extent.
You liked it better when the attention was given behind closed doors. Privately, in hushed whispers, wordless stares as you walked by.
Sana…. She liked to make a show out of it.
Her sweet idea of fire worth playing with was the campus’ must try. At least for the worthy enough in her eyes. For the others it was a must see. As cruel as she could be, her behavior was art. Something about her eyes, her smile; it was a performance.
The way she messed with people them left them clueless, barely aware of themselves, their mind in pieces scattered around their dignity; the only thing she was kind enough to leave them with.
You watched every time a poor soul foolishly lead the way to its despair, hand holding onto its downfall.
You could say they were unkowing, unaware of the damage they laid themselves open to, but it would only be a lie. They were simply human enough to risk it all for a taste of what was popular.
It was captivating.
The way her eyes left her toy, looking back to the crowd she was leaving behind. A gesture as innocent as she could display herself to be, but only for the less aware. The most informed knew, she was looking for you.
Her gaze never wasted time, to the point she knew exactly where to catch yours. No matter the place, all she had to do was look past everyone else’s spellbound faces.
There you were, looking right back at her. The only one conscious enough to appreciate the end of her show.
Her winks stuck on your mind long after she disappeared into the whatever car her date got their hands on in hopes to impress her.
BMWs, rented Mercedes, a sweet Chevy, daddy’s Aston Martin… You chuckled at every single attempt. Not that you had any better, or even the means to get anything close to those.
In all humility, you didn’t mock their efforts either. It was only hard not to laugh at the thought of how easily you could turn all that blood and sweat into tears.
All you had to do was reach for her hand.
Though that ease worked your mind down, weakening it until you couldn’t hide anything in there anymore.
“Why do you make it so easy?” You asked her one night.
You’d helped her leave the mess she’d made of someone hours ago. Habit had her following you into your apartment, borrowing your bathroom before joining her roommate back in the dorms.
Her makeup was halfway off, revealing nothing but an even prettier sight. Her eyes seemed to be softer on you than they were moments ago. “What do you mean?”
“Why do you make it easy for me to steal you away?” You repeated, looking away from her to grab a cushion to hold against your chest.
Your studio apartment was a very small space, one allowing you to reach the bathroom in two steps from the couch you also used as a bed.
Sana loved to leave the door open, inviting you into her late night routine. Whatever had to do with her skin, you somehow knew about it. From the products she used, down to the weak spots; their complicated names and the sounds that rolled off her tongue whenever you let curiosity get the best of you.
“I could ask you the same thing.” She smiled at her own reflection. “But I doubt the answer will please you.”
“Since when do you care to please me?” You scoffed, kicking a stuffed animal at your feet.
Sana’s hands stuttered on her skin before letting silence claim the room. It certainly was better than anything she could answer to that. Better than the truth you definitely didn’t need to hear aloud.
So she left you in it, gathering her stuff and placing them neatly inside of a pouch she probably cared about more than you before walking out. The sound of your front door closing behind her only made it all painfully obvious.
You blinked your tears away, and held back on your sobs. Pride was too much of a strong word to make it a motive. You probably never had any, or it stopped existing when you started to play a part in her performance.
Shame was just as bad of a choice. Nothing shameful about succumbing to desire. Maybe a little in blurring the lines between the scene and reality.
It took a while to break the silence she left behind. About the same amount of time it took for your tears to reach your lips.
You winced at the feeling, the taste… It was all too familiar, you ended up choking at the memory.
The kisses you shared were always stained by her own tears. Not from sadness, nor happiness. Anger. Emotions you were both supposed to leave out of the equation.
You sniffled, still holding the sobs within your chest. The pressure built up enough to force a chuckle, a laugh out of fear of letting her win.
Funny.
That’s what it could be, the word. Ironically funny.
You barely even knew what you didn’t want to lose anymore, if at all.
It was neither a matter of pride or shame—nothing.
Nothing mattered.
In the world, in your eyes, in her mind.
Nothing except her.
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I love your OCS! Can I request something where Matthew is sick, but it's not his shadow, is just some good ol' human tummy bug and he's all over the place not knowing what to do? With Seline as caretaker? - 🎃
Aww thank you for the request, nonnie! My first for the werwolf story, I'm so excited. Here you go.^^
Contains emeto and mentions of scat.
Stomach flu
Seline wasn’t sure how or when it happened that Matthew now accompanied her from classes back home, but somehow it had become routine before she even realized. Since the day he stumbled upon her and pretty much tore himself to pieces with his shadow to protect her from a random threat, he basically made it his mission to be around in the afternoon hours. How it fit his schedule, she had no idea. Somehow he was simply there - and she suspected he didn’t follow his classes nearly as reliably as he did hers.
So she didn’t wonder or say anything. She didn’t feel obligated to make herself especially available - it wasn’t as if she invited him over - but she didn’t protest his presence. But evenings suddenly became their evenings, with her sitting by the central dining table connected to the living room, working on her laptop and Matthew dozing on her couch or flipping through her Netflix account. When she was done studying or no inspiration came to her for new songs - self-made songs were the most effective for magic - she would sit a few meters away beside him and watch as well.
Seline only realized how much of a routine it had become when something disturbed it. Like today.
Matthew was restless. He was shifting on the couch like he was sitting on a bee hive and he had that angry scowl on his face she associated with difficult days with his shadow. Except he was cautious with his shadow around her - they didn’t have an incident inside her apartment. As if her defensive magic woven into the floor now worked more in his favour, clearing his mind. Which was a good thing, natural thing, since witches usually provided comfort and calmness to their wolves. But they weren’t a pack and she wasn’t his witch or he her wolf - here they were just two students, bounded by a secret they never talked about. Somehow it mattered very little here and she liked it that way.
Seline was biting her lip, looking up from her laptop occasionally. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but didn’t know how well he would take it. Maybe the best she could do was give his discomfort privacy, no matter what it was.
Suddenly Matthew stood up, expression drawn and uncomfortable, hand on his belly. Then he bolted to the bathroom. Seline watched him go, concerned.
She watched out for gagging noises, but none of that came. Maybe she was reading too much into this. Would he tell her if he was sick? Wolf and witch relationships aside, if her stomach bothered her, she would rather die of emberassment than admit it. It was an intimate, awkward thing, stomach issues, so she bet he would rather be left alone if something was wrong.
You can only offer what you would like yourself. She was aware she wouldn’t know what would help him. How can you spend evenings with a person each day and not know this?
The bathroom door opened abruptly, but the followed steps were shuffling and slow. Matthew dragged himself on the hallway to lean against the wall across from her. Her gaze flickered to him, trying to be inconspicuous.
Matthew was sweating buckets, dark red hair plastered to his face. He was usually pale, but now he was glistening, freckles standing out on his cheeks and nose, his arms wrapped around his stomach. He was swaying, bending forward a little.
“Seline.”
She turned towards him immediately. “Matt? Hey, what’s wrong?”
He gulped and ran a hand over his face. “Ugh. I-I don’t know? It’s just-” he looked away, flushing, “my stomach really fucking hurts.”
“Did you throw up?” she asked, eyebrows drawing together.
“No. But it feels like my guts fucking exploded,” he threw a sheepish look toward the bathroom. Seline noted he closed the door behind himself, which he usually wouldn’t bother with. “...and it didn’t help at all.”
“Oh.” Seline nodded, trying to figure out a sensitive, emphatic way to talk about this without embarrassing him or getting squicked out herself. “You know what? I have these herbal drops that help with indigestion? They are a miracle thing, I swear.”
She brushed past him towards the kitchen for her yellow bottled drops. Learned to use the herbal things from her mother and knew a really good doctor who made herbal drops from his own garden. Her whole family used it for years for all kinds of issues. It was always her go-to before any hard-on medication.
Counting 30 drops for herself and adding 20 more for Matthew’s weight into a bit of water, she swiftly returned with the glass.
Matthew slid down the wall on the floor, pulling his knees towards himself and hugged them close, face hidden in the crook of his arm.
Seline crouched down beside him, her heart swelling up at the sight. “Come on. Drink this. Maybe it will spare you from throwing up.”
He eyed her with glossy eyes. This close to him, the smell of sickness and sweat hit her senses, and she suppressed a grimace. Matthew took the glass of water and took a tentative sip. “Hmm. Is this a witchy concoction?”
“Just regular human medicine and traditional herbal knowledge,” she snorted at him. “If it worked for them a few hundred years ago, it will work for you now.”
Matthew nodded and emptied the glass. She took it from him before he could drop it on the floor, hunching over himself.
“You will feel better in a minute,” she promised, doubting words immediately. “Come on, up from the floor. Let’s lie you down on the couch.” She wrapped her hands around his arm, coaxing him to stand. He swayed unsteadily as he got up. Better get him sitting down now, or he might not get up on his own soon.
The redhead sprawled on the couch, but then moaned at the movement and curled up on his side instead, shivering. Seline noted how he hugged his stomach protectively and pulled his hoodie up, nuzzling his face into the couch’s decorative pillow. “I just don’t get it. What’s wrong with me?”
She sat down across from him on the edge of the couch. “You have been handling your shadow pretty well lately, right? Keeping it down so consistently. Ever managed that before?”
Matthew took a shuddering breath, his bleary eyes focusing on her. He squinted against the light of the living room lamp over him. “No?”
“Well, there you have it. Congratulations! You managed to keep your shadow down enough to catch a stomach flu. It’s been going around the campus, I hear.”
“Congratulations for sure,” Matthew grumbled, huddling further into himself, squeezing his eyes shut.
Seline didn’t really have a reason or good excuse to stay beside him, but she didn’t feel like leaving at all. Shutting off the light, she brought her laptop to her lap, sitting cross-legged beside Matthew. This way, she could keep an eye on him all the time.
The noises his stomach was making didn’t get any better, though. If anything, they grew worse with each passing minute, gurgling and whining. Matthew wasn’t asleep either, hiding his face in the pillows and rubbing his stomach angrily.
A burp sneaked past his lips. Matt’s eyes flew open and he coughed a small “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Do whatever you need to,” she said. She couldn’t focus on her work at all, watching all the telltale signs of oncoming sickness.
Closing her laptop resolutely, she threw it on the nearby table and fetched a trashcan. Better be safe than sorry.
Matthew looked horrified at the trashcan, sitting upright to lean against the backrest. He scowled at her and then burped instead whatever he wanted to say, pushing a hand over his mouth.
“I’m-m not gonna throw up,” he declared, a fighting glint in his eyes. He was radiating heat. She could feel it even standing up. She cracked the window open and then sat beside him, pushing the trashcan nearer with her foot.
He glared at her and then belched. A shiver ran through him and he swallowed hard. His breaths came in short, panting huffs.
Then he pitched forward with a painful-sounding retch. Seline quickly grabbed the trashcan and brought it close, just in time for him to hunch over it. Another retch wracked his body and he lurched violently over the trashcan. Nothing came up. Only a few drops of saliva hang from his lips.
“Mattie. You are doing fine. Psshh. Just let it happen.” She pulled his hoodie down and dared to put a hand on his back, rubbing gently.
The movement coaxed up another burp. Matthew panted over the trashcan, eyes opening and shutting hard. He grimaced and spat into the bag, looking offended and angry to boot.
“I’m sorry.”
“Seriously, you don’t-”
“For real,” he interrupted, looking at her from the side. “I didn’t mean to come to your place to hurl. I never mean it and it somehow always happens and I’m really sorry. I can leave if you-”
“Oh, shut it,” she said with a small grin. “It’s okay. I’m not letting you leave like this. So stay put and get better.”
He smiled slightly in return, then grimaced. “Seline?”
“Yes?”
“I hate this.”
She laughed softly at that and leaned closer. Matthew took the trashcan from her hands and buried his head inside it. Putting both her hands on his back, she felt his whole spine shake with the next lurch that finally brought chunky liquid out. She winced as it splashed against the plastic.
A slight pause came. Matthew lifted his head hesitantly. His nose was running and there was vomit hanging from his lips and chin.
Seline patted his arm. “Be right back.” She hurried to get a paper roll from the kitchen before sliding behind Matthew. He had his feet planted on the floor, trashcan between his knees, head hanging low over it, looking helpless and lost. But he sighed at her touch.
She offered him one of the papers, but his grip on the trashcan didn’t loosen one bit. She gave up and wiped his chin herself, catching all the droplets and throwing the crumpled sheet into the trash. “There you go. You are alright.”
Matthew stayed silent, blinking hazily. Then his back arched and he was heaving again. She raised herself on her knees with his back in between and rubbed at the sweaty pullover.
When he pitched forward with a loud throaty gurgle, she sneaked a hand under his hoodie, over his stomach. Seline wasn’t sure what was allowed or not, but he didn’t protest her administrations, so she went with the feeling. His middle was bloated and tense under her hand, puffed out despite all the emptying his body been doing from both ends.
Matthew moaned against her and she could feel his stomach muscles clenching against her hand. She kneaded against the gurgly organ, which ushered a burp out and a handful of milky sickness. At least it was more watery now, coming easier.
Matthew gagged and heaved, a torrent of liquid rushing out. He was left coughing and catching his breath for a few more minutes, even when he came up empty. Then he let go of the trashcan and tipped back, unknowingly leaning against her chest. She squicked quietly and laughed. “Okay, okay, easy, big guy.”
Seline slid from behind him and helped him ease against the couch until he was lying down, propped up on two pillows. When she stood up to get rid of the stinking bag, she felt a tug on her sleeve.
“Where-...are you…?” Matthew blinked sleepily, dazed and confused. It wasn���t fair. Why did she suddenly feel so protective of him? His dark brown eyes looked like big chocolate cookies, lost in his ashen face.
Taking mercy on him, she twisted the bag shut and pushed it aside, sitting down next to his head. “Shhh. I’m not going anywhere.”
They sat in silence as Matthew took deep breaths, his chest rising and falling irregularly before evening out. His eyes slid shut and he reached out a hand towards her. Seline could do nothing but take it, holding it over his shoulder. Effectively trapped beside him.
Pretty sure he would never allow himself such a touch if he was fully coherent. But with the fever raging against him and with how dizzy and exhausted he was after the bounds of vomiting, she could see a completely different side to her gruff red-haired protector. Protector? She still thought his shadow was more of a hindrance to him, but he was getting better. This human weakness was proof.
She slipped her fingers over his forehead, pulling the sweaty strands from his face. Then she combed them through his hair.
Matt grumbled softly, sounding content.
#ask#sickfic#emeto#emetophilia#vomiting#whump#my writing#emeto writing#hurt/comfort#stomach flu#werwolf wip#hey it took only 4 days#I'm happy ^^#finally writing a bunch#Matt
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PART ONE: JANUARY
Masterlist
Word count: 7.5k
Warnings: swearing, fire, an explosion, alcohol, mentions of homicide, other criminal behaviours, mentions of evil people, lots and LOTS of scheming
A/N: hey everyone! today's a holiday in the US, so here's a little present! Enjoy!!!
huge shoutout to @house-of-galathynius for beta reading 🫶🫶🫶
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was past three in the morning when Aelin finally slipped back into her apartment, cursing under her breath as she slammed the window shut, locking out the frigid January air. Winter in Orynth was bitter at best, the north wind intent on viciously slicing through all her layers of clothing, and it had taken her a full minute to warm her fingers up enough for the scanner to read her fingerprint. Shaking stray snowflakes from her thick coat, she hung the garment on the coat rack, unlaced her boots, and gratefully shucked those too, finally able to flop down on the couch with a heartfelt groan of relief, only to immediately jump back onto her feet before the half-crusted blood on her suit could seep into the couch.
She’d spent at least a few hundred dollars on that couch–no sense staining yet another piece of shitty furniture with the blood of some lowdown criminal.
Grumbling, Aelin stalked down the short hallway into the bathroom, flipped on the weak light, and turned the shower tap all the way to the hottest temperature. It wasn’t even that hot–damn cheap ass landlord. This apartment was a piece of shit by her standards, lacking basic necessities like reliable hot water, air conditioning, a functional oven, and decent water pressure. Of course, everyone knew that Aelin Ashryver Galathynius would never dream of coming within five miles of a place like that–no, the well-off CEO was known to live in a penthouse apartment in downtown Orynth, in a sleek modern high-rise that absolutely reeked of money. As far as Boss Galathynius’s standards were concerned, though, the place was perfect. Bordered by the industrial district and the shipping district, the neighborhood was just sketchy enough that nobody asked any questions and just classy enough to be relatively safe during the daytime. It was the kind of place where people kept their business to themselves. Perfect for her…needs.
As the shower creaked and groaned and sputtered out a stream of tepid water, Aelin rolled her shoulders, unzipped the form-fitting black tactical fabric of her suit, and peeled the material from her skin, groaning when she saw just how badly the suit was stained. Fuck, she’d have to wash it, and then get it properly cleaned. Leaving the suit on the floor, she stepped into the pathetic excuse for a shower and turned her face into the spray, allowing the water to soften the splatters of blood on her face and neck. Rutting gods, why in all hell couldn’t there be hot hot water? With this barely-warm water, it was going to take ages to shed her second skin. She sighed and turned the tap as far up as it would go, stood under the water for another few minutes, then grunted and grabbed her soap and scrubbed her whole body, even though the suit and her gloves kept most of her protected from the rather unfortunate side effects of her, erm, nighttime job.
The soap also helped to loosen up the barely detectable layer of synthetic skin laying atop Aelin’s real skin until it started to peel enough that she could get her hands onto it and peel, pulling it away from her body. It came off mostly intact, only tearing in a few places. Gods, this was such an improvement from the early phases–she still shuddered in remembrance of the beta model that flaked into bits and took her hours to remove.
In her own skin once more, Aelin scrubbed herself again, then shut off the shower, grabbed her towel, dried off, threw on fleece-lined leggings and a long-sleeved thermal shirt, and dragged herself into the bedroom to flop onto the shitty mattress for about two hours of sleep.
She woke to her six o’clock alarm, swore at the clock, dragged herself out of bed, and went to scrub her suit as best as she could in the crappy shower. It took the pathetic excuse for hot water ten minutes before it got hot, so she just grabbed the bucket she kept for this occasion, filled it up, splashed in some laundry detergent, and dumped her suit into the mix. Shit, she really needed to invest in dry cleaning.
With the suit at least partially clean–and the water she’d just dumped down the drain significantly bloodier than most people would consider normal–Aelin rolled her suit up tightly, shoved it into a plastic bag, pulled on her boots and heavy parka jacket, shouldered her backpack, and left the building, thankful that the January morning was dark enough for her to go unnoticed amongst the trickle of people leaving early for work. She kept her head down as she deftly wove through the maze of streets, just one more bundled-up citizen among the many.
As the sky slowly lightened from blue-black to steel-gray, Aelin slipped into a side alley and followed the narrow street across into another neighborhood, this one lined with cozy brick buildings and clean-swept sidewalks. She ducked in the side door of a bakery, completely ignoring the “Employees Only” sign posted outside, and muffled a violent curse as she accidentally kicked a pallet of flour.
Irritated footsteps hurried rapidly into the storage room. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you, Ilias, come in the front door before–oh, it’s just you.”
Aelin waved. “It’s just me.”
Nesryn Faliq rolled her dark eyes and flicked on the light. “Can I assume you’ve brought the linens again?”
“If you’d be so kind,” Aelin returned, nodding. “I’ll come take care of them after work today.”
“You know what happens if you don’t,” Nesryn retorted. She flashed Aelin a quick grin. “I’ve got twenty minutes before opening, boss. You gonna do something useful or just stand there?”
Aelin chuckled and followed Nesryn into the warm, yeast-scented kitchen. “I suppose I can spare a few minutes before I have to go do hot boss-lady shit.”
“You CEO girls and your crazy sayings,” Nesryn snorted.
“Keeps the job fun.” Aelin winked. “Gods know we CEO girls need a bit of fun sometimes.”
For half an hour, Aelin organized fresh loaves of bread onto racks, boxed up muffins and pastries, and did a little inventory. Nesryn bumped her hip in gratitude and left a huge iced coffee on the countertop. “I know you need it.”
“Thanks, luv,” Aelin crooned in her best British accent, taking a long sip of the sweet caffeinated goodness.
The baker laughed wryly. “Don’t make too many poor little guys piss themselves, boss lady!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Faliq!”
~
“Hey.” Elide poked her head into Aelin’s office.
Aelin barely glanced up from her computer. “Yeah?”
The petite woman dropped a slip of paper on Aelin’s desk. “Thought you might want to see this.”
“Mhmm.” Distractedly, Aelin took the paper and set it by her keyboard, not really looking away from whatever she was busily typing. “Thanks, Ells.”
“Aelin.” Elide’s voice was not the kind to be brushed off. “I need you to look at that. Now.”
The steel in her second’s voice jerked Aelin out of her focus mode. She blinked, shook her head, and properly came to attention. “Okay.” She picked up the small paper and scanned the short message, and her eyes widened slightly, the only outward sign of her shock. “What.”
“Go check on it.” Elide grasped Aelin’s hand and practically hauled her to her feet. “I’ll handle anything that comes to your office for however long it takes you. Go. Now.”
Barely remembering to close her computer, Aelin hurried upstairs to her other office, rushing through the security protocols, and dropped into her boss chair. She snatched the small headset that rested in the second drawer of her desk and turned it on. The earpiece was barely in her ear before she was barking commands into the device.
“Boss?” Nox answered within seconds of her ringing him.
“I need to hear the chatter.” Aelin gave no explanation–she knew Nox would know exactly what she was talking about.
“Right.” There was a series of clicks and taps on the other end of the line as Nox found the audio he needed her to hear. “Timestamp: 1147 this morning, Orynth PD Channel 074.” He pressed another button, and radio static crackled in Aelin’s ear for a few seconds before resolving into a few male voices.
He’s supposed to arrive today.
Who?
The special forces officer, you jackass! Didn’t you listen to the captain’s briefing?
The hell would I? He hasn’t said anything useful for weeks.
There was the unmistakable sound of someone swatting someone else upside the head. Whatever. Special forces comes today.
Hope he’s able to get some kind of info on this godsdamn case. A snort. If he can’t, I hope to the bloody gods they toss the whole thing, cuz I’m just about done waiting around for some criminal who doesn’t exist to leave evidence of their supposed crimes.
The hell d’you mean, ‘doesn’t exist?’ We wouldn’t be on this fucking case if the criminal didn’t exist! Stakeouts take time, officer.
Not this much time. That was a new voice, Aelin observed, and she could hear the muffled curses and rustles of surprise that followed this new voice’s entry into the conversation.
Just who the hell are you?
Special forces. Interesting. Aelin filed that little fact away for later.
Fine. Welcome to the investigation. Ain’t shit worth investigating, though.
The special forces officer chuckled sarcastically. That’s what all you morons think, isn’t it?
Who the fuck are you calling a moron?
All of you. I wouldn’t be here if you were competent. Where’s the case file? I need it.
Aelin knew it was bad of her, but gods, she liked this special forces officer. He wasn’t afraid to call Orynth PD out on their incompetence. She listened to the police officers and the special forces officer for a few more minutes before Nox turned it off.
“That’s pretty much all they said within our range.”
Aelin nodded, though her master tech hacker couldn’t see her. “Thanks, Nox.”
“Anytime, boss.” She heard the smirk in his voice. “I’ll keep you posted on their chatter.”
“As you should.”
~
Aelin was disappointed.
It had been over a week since Nox picked up that first chatter about special forces joining the investigation, and as far as she knew, the team hadn’t tried any kind of infiltration into her headquarters. And Aelin would have known if they tried anything–she hadn’t ascended to the top of the criminal underworld without learning a few lessons. Most of them bloody.
Unbidden, a memory flashed through her mind: the thick coppery tang of blood filling a windowless cement chamber, ropes digging into raw flesh, a man’s leering whisper in her ear. You need to learn how to behave, you little whore. The unmistakable crack of bones. A girl’s scream.
Inhaling sharply, Aelin forced the memory out of her mind, shoving it back down into the abyss where it belonged. She grasped the small framed photograph she kept on her desk and stared into the laughing eyes of the photographed couple, rooting herself in the unfaltering courage of her parents. I am Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, and I will not be afraid. The fate of her company, her business, and all of her people depended on it.
She practically slept through most of the workday, bored with the interminable waiting for special forces or PD or anyone to make some kind of move. As much as she wanted to be the instigator, Elide and Ansel had both threatened her with various forms of torture if she did “anything fucking stupid,” as they so graciously put it. Aelin had just held up her hands and sworn innocence. Neither of her dear friends believed her for a second. Still, her promise held–she wouldn’t start shit.
Unless an irresistible opportunity presented itself.
Tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap. Ansel’s knock sounded against Aelin’s office door. The Galathynius office, not the work one. Looking up from her laptop, Aelin checked to make sure her low-lit office was all in order, then snapped to disarm the door’s defense mechanisms. “Enter.”
The redhead opened the door. “Boss?”
“Hmm?”
“Got someone here who wants to talk to you. I think you’ll be…intrigued by what he has to say.”
“Hmm.” Aelin steepled her fingers, thinking. “Send him in.”
Ansel jerked her head towards Aelin’s office in signal. Two of the Galathynius outfit’s men, both huge and muscular and bristling with weapons, escorted a bound, gagged man into the boss’s office, dumped him in the chair opposite Aelin, and removed his gag. With a curt nod to their boss, they left the office, taking up guard posts outside the door to make sure nothing unfortunate happened.
Aelin swept a cold gaze over the man, noting his features–brown hair, pale green eyes, decently muscular, about six feet tall, probably had at least three concealed knives if he was as smart as she thought he was–and hummed softly. “Well?”
The man drew in a huge, shaky breath. “Well what, miss–I mean, boss–I mean–”
“Drop the act, smuggler.”
“Galathynius.” He cleared his throat. “Good to finally meet you. My name is Rolfe.”
Aelin arched one blonde brow. “Rolfe. They call you the Pirate Lord because you’ve managed to perfect smuggling into an art that few can detect, yes? Which does a great deal of service to my little business.” She chuckled softly, dangerously. “They also say you smuggle more things than just drugs, weapons, and cash.”
Rolfe simply nodded. “I’m not stupid enough to tell you you’re wrong.”
Casually, Aelin lifted her booted feet onto her desk, languidly crossing one leg over the other. Her shoes of choice were sleek black patent leather boots with a blood-red sole and six-inch stiletto heels that concealed actual stiletto knives. Fashionable and deadly, her favorite combination. “Perhaps not. But you’re clearly also not smart enough to realize I know those bonds aren’t holding you.”
The so-called Pirate Lord laughed wryly and shook off the ropes around his body. “Should’ve known you’d know.”
She smirked. “Get to business, Rolfe. I’m also not a very stupid person, and I know full well you didn’t come waltzing onto my territory just to show off your prowess with escaping bonds.”
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “Galathynius, I know you’re very busy destroying all your enemies and all that shit, and I think I can help.”
“In more ways than just smuggling in my shipments?”
“Yeah.” His pale green eyes were sharp, calculating. “Y’see, I spend most of my time outside of Orynth, working the waterways, and I hear things. Shippers love to gossip.” He cleared his throat. “I have it on good info–took a little torture, but what doesn’t?–that someone named Cairn Wilkins is coming into Orynth in a couple weeks. Apparently the boss he worked for turned up dead a little while ago, and he’s dead set on getting revenge on whoever the hell did it.”
“Interesting,” Aelin mused, her face completely calm despite the rapid speed at which her mind was turning. “He wouldn’t happen to have worked for a certain Arobynn Hamel, would he?”
“That’s the one.”
“Makes sense.” She tapped her scarlet fingernails on her desk. “Cairn Wilkins is a slimy, dirty bastard who always needs someone bigger and badder to follow. Ugly bitch can’t even form a thought without someone to tell him what to think.”
Rolfe snorted. “Sounds about right. Well, he’s got a decent foundation here under the name Wilkins Trading–you know it?” Aelin nodded. “According to the sea talk, he’ll get here on the 27th unless the weather doesn’t cooperate. Probably won’t waste any time starting his little revenge hunt. And he’s not known for subtlety, so you’ll know he’s here.”
“I knew that.” Aelin flashed the smuggler a knife-edged grin that made him (and all the others who’d seen that grin) recoil a few inches. “Cairn always did have a flair for leaving trails of blood and shit wherever he goes; it’s probably some misplaced pride in being a dirty criminal. Never did him any good with the law, though.”
“The ones he hasn’t bought, at least.”
“Indeed.” Aelin swung her feet down and stood gracefully, leaning her hip against the side of her desk. “My thanks for the information, Rolfe. Have anything else interesting to say?”
He glanced at the calendar on the wall. “Your next cargo will be here in four days, right on schedule. Want it delivered to the usual warehouse?”
“As always.” She held out her hand.
Standing, Rolfe shook her hand firmly. “Just one more thing, Galathynius.”
“Make it quick.” She flicked a glance at the clock. “I’ve got somewhere to be in less than an hour.”
He cleared his throat. “Whatever you’re planning for Wilkins, be extra careful. The PD team they’ve got investigating the, uh, murder cases is suddenly a lot more present down in the shipping districts. Special forces is–”
“Involved, I know. Finally bit the bullet and sent over an officer about a week ago.”
“Yeah. This officer, though, he’s not just any special ops guy. I barely even knew he existed until he showed up on the investigation, and I always know all the info about the military. It’s because of the job, of course–can’t risk falling for some stupid trap.”
“Stop blathering and tell me about the man,” Aelin sighed.
Rolfe swallowed. “He’s a Doranellian, trained up at that military academy they have. He’s relentless, demanding, won’t take any bullshit, worse than a bloodhound for his sniffing around. His name is Whitethorn.”
“Hmm.” Aelin absorbed the new information calmly. “Thanks, Rolfe. I’ll be careful.” With that, she opened her office door and let the smuggler out. She lifted her chin at the two guards standing outside her door, who instantly flanked Rolfe, blindfolded him–“for security, you understand”–and escorted him out of the building. She closed her door and returned to her desk, mulling over the details. Whitethorn. For some reason, the name sounded familiar. She’d probably heard her uncle say it.
Uncle Gavriel Ashryver was a good man and an excellent soldier, but he loved to talk about the men he was proud of. It was a wonderful quality in a commanding officer. It was less wonderful when a notorious criminal heard all the information and tucked it away for future…use.
Not that she would ever betray her uncle by using what he’d shared about his soldiers to attack the special forces base, or any other military base. She had nothing but respect for Gav, for the position he held, and for the skill with which he led the special forces branch.
She just had a personal interest in keeping the special forces away from her personal business.
~
Gods. Fucking. Dammit. Rowan was starting to believe that there would never be a week where he was able to do anything without a murder report. This was what, the fourth one this month? And it hadn’t even been two weeks since he started working on the investigation.
“Where.” Rowan slammed the truck door so hard the vehicle rattled. He stalked over to the pair of police officers standing at the edge of the crime scene, a small part of him delighting in the way they jumped to attention as he approached. “Where.”
“Right here, Lieutenant.” The lady officer lifted a segment of the bright yellow tape marking off the crime scene. “Discovered at 0622 this morning; initial sweep estimates that the time of death was between four and seven hours before the discovery.”
Rowan nodded curtly. “And the victims?”
“We’ve left that to your discretion.”
Finally, someone with a shred of common sense. “Good. I’ll handle it from here.” He didn’t wait for any answer before striding into the garage.
Inside the relatively small, open building, three forms lay beneath a black tarp. Rowan crossed the space, noting the way the cement floor gently sloped down towards the center of the space–probably designed so that any spills from the mechanical or repair work done there could easily be washed down the drain in the middle of the floor. He pulled the tarp aside, assessed the state of the bodies, and sucked in a sharp breath.
Bruises, ropes still tied around the wrists and ankles, slashed throats. So similar to every single other victim in the string of murders the Orynth PD hadn’t been able to solve.
Snapping on a pair of latex gloves and a protective mask, Rowan knelt down by the bodies and carefully scanned the details he could see without disturbing them. His eyes narrowed, his brows scrunching together and forming a furrow in his forehead. That thought he’d had about the MO of these homicides being similar to the previous ones? He threw it straight into his mental garbage. These victims didn’t display any signs of the extensive beating the other victims had displayed, nor did they appear to have been captive for any significant length of time. The only similarity between these victims and the ones he was certain were the Galathynius outfit’s work was the slashed throats. And even that was different in this case–sloppier. Much sloppier.
“Have them sent to the morgue.” Rowan stood and discarded his protective gear. “Don’t rush the autopsies. I’m not convinced this incident is significant.”
“With all due respect, Lieutenant, every homicide should be sig–”
“Wrong.” Rowan snorted. “This incident is tragic, as all homicides are, but I have no reason to believe it’s at all related to what we are investigating.” Before the cop could protest, he held up a silencing hand. “Just send them to the morgue, collect any relevant evidence from the scene, and clean it up. We’re not here to deal with petty criminal shit.”
Which was precisely what that incident turned out to be.
“You’re certain?” Rowan arched one pale brow, half-disbelieving.
“Positive.” The medical examiner flipped through her stack of charts and images until she found the right page. “See this? This is his trademark.” She pointed to the close-up images of the throats. “The incision pattern shows that the weapon used was clearly a serrated blade, and we only ever see serrated blades used when Cairn is…active. My theory is that he’s one of those men who do something once and decide that’s the only way to do it.”
“Classic dumb criminal shit,” Rowan snorted. “All right, we’ll take care of the, uh, cleanup. Thanks, Borte.”
Borte nodded. “Never a dull moment with this process, is there?”
“Hardly.” Rowan rolled his eyes. “I’m starting to wish there was a dull moment here and there, but better to have no breaks than too much silence.”
If there was one thing he’d learned in his years dealing with sophisticated criminals, it was that long stretches of silence meant something truly explosive was about to go down.
~
On the night of January 28th, Aelin went home after work rather than going up to her private office. Her team could handle anything that passed through. She needed to be home, both for the well-deserved night of rest and for the alibi.
Earlier that afternoon, Elide had dropped a memo on her desk and given a subtle, covert nod as she walked away. The note was short, blunt, and direct.
It’s all ready. Tonight.
She strolled into her building, her heels clicking softly on the polished marble flooring of the lobby, and smiled briefly at the few other residents passing by, all of them well-dressed and practically reeking of money. The building was one of the most upscale apartment buildings in Orynth; rent was astronomical to everyone but the people who lived there. With her salary, she could easily afford the penthouse of this place; however, she didn’t like the whole-wall-of-windows design of this penthouse, so she just lived in a normal apartment.
The elevator ride up to the sixteenth floor was smooth and quick, and she was relieved to see that the hallway was empty. She walked to her door, unlocked it, and let herself in, barely able to wait before the door was locked again before kicking off her heels and releasing a long, long groan of satisfaction. No feeling like sweet relief from those torture devices–she’d never seen the point of shoes that didn’t use their design to hide weapons. A quick glance at the clock on her oven told her she had a few hours before anything…happened, so she decided to indulge in a luxurious hot bath.
Night had fully fallen when she emerged from the bathroom, stretching languidly, and went over to her wine cooler to select a drink for the night. CEO wealth did have its perks, and one of them was the ability to purchase or be gifted the finest wines her money could buy. She poured herself a glass, checked the time, and went to put on shoes before leaving her apartment, locking up behind herself, and going up to the rooftop.
From the rooftop of her building, Aelin could see all of Orynth, the sprawling metropolis glistening with the crystals of the city lights. She leaned against the glass half-wall encircling the perimeter of the rooftop, flirting with danger like she was so fond of doing, feeling the evening breeze stir her loose hair. Her wineglass dangled between her fingers, her hold on its delicate glass stem the only thing keeping it from tumbling hundreds of feet to the ground and crashing into a million fragments. She took a long sip, rolling the rich red liquid around on her tongue to luxuriate in the flavor–a symphony of dark cherry, oak, and just a trace of violet as the wine went down.
The perfect accompaniment to tonight’s…viewing.
In her head, she counted down the minutes, then the seconds. Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven…. Her anticipation built by the second, her heart rate unable to control its excitement. Settle down, she warned herself. No use celebrating too early.
Boom.
Right on time, an explosion. A cloud of thick black smoke billowed up a few miles away at the far end of the shipping district–the Wilkins lot, if she wasn’t mistaken. Blazing tongues of flame followed right on the heels of the smoke cloud, the fire rapidly catching onto the nearby containers and setting them ablaze. The fire only grew, though contained within its boundaries; it took only a minute or two before the mini inferno had devoured what looked to be the entire Wilkins lot and one or two lots nearby, its flames painting the night in flickers of orange and scarlet.
Aelin took another pull of her wine and drank in the sight of the raging blaze, a small smirk curling the corner of her lips as she heard the sirens screaming toward the scene of the fire. Not that the fire department would find anything worth saving.
She’d seen to that.
She remained at the edge of the rooftop until her wine was gone and the fire in the shipping district had been tamed, reduced to curling plumes of smoke drifting away into the January night. The decadent alcohol left a lingering trace of smoke and embers in her mouth, which only made her smirk grow. She knew she’d picked the right wine. Then she stood up and turned away from the cityscape, satisfied with a job well done. Regarding the empty wineglass in her hand, she tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
Then she lazily draped her arm over the balcony wall and let her fingers go limp.
The wineglass plummeted down, down, down through the silent winter night and landed with a crash on the frozen cement sidewalk, splintering into a thousand crystal shards. Curiously, though, glass wasn’t the only thing that rose up as the wineglass crashed into the pavement. No, there was something else, visible only for barely half a second–not even enough time to believe it really happened.
As Aelin’s wineglass shattered against the sidewalk, a small plume of smoke curled up from the impact point, disappearing a blink after it appeared. Almost as if the wineglass hadn’t just broken, but exploded.
~
Rowan was pissed, and he didn’t give a shit how many of these incompetent PD idiots fell out of his way as he stormed into the police captain’s office wearing an expression that had made more than one seasoned soldier piss themselves. The captain was on the phone with his back turned to the door, arguing with someone on the other end of the line and getting more frustrated with each passing second. After a few minutes, he snapped a string of curses and slammed down the phone, turning to find Rowan standing in front of him, glowering. To his credit, he didn’t jump in terror, just took a long pull of his coffee and braced his hands flat on his desk.
“What the hell do you want, Whitethorn?”
“Sign this.” Rowan pushed a document across the desk.
The police captain grumbled another foul curse. “I’m not signing shit I’ve never seen.”
“If you want this goddamn investigation to get anywhere, Westfailure, you’ll sign the goddamn paper.” Rowan’s temper was already inches from snapping and it wasn’t even eight in the morning–he blamed it on last night’s god-fucking-damned explosion down in the warehouse district. He and the investigative team barely made it down to the scene before the press descended upon it like vultures.
Police Captain Chaol Westfall glared at Rowan for a long minute, then snatched a pen and signed the paper. “If I hear one word, one damn word, about you torturing people, I swear I’ll have you booted off the investigation in disgrace.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Rowan scoffed. He turned and stalked out, heading to his own office in the police building. Since becoming part of the investigation, he’d been set up with quarters and an office on the floor assigned to the investigative team. Convenient, but he still preferred going home to the special forces barracks most nights. Now, though, he was seriously considering just moving into these quarters to be closer to everything. After last night’s disaster, he wanted to be as close as possible.
If he’d been closer last night, maybe that fucking explosion wouldn’t have happened.
He was still fuming over the absolute mess of a scene they’d all discovered when they arrived at the warehouse. The former warehouse, really, since there was nothing but a few scorched support beams left of the warehouses that had stood on the lot. It was owned–was still owned?–by a man called Wilkins, who shipped medications. And cocaine, if the rumors were true. A small part of Rowan hoped he would find some evidence of Wilkins’s less-than-legal dealings at the explosion scene, but there was nothing left. Literally. Nothing. Whatever had caused the explosion, whatever fuel or accelerant had been used, it had burned hot and swift, destroying everything in its path.
It smacked of criminal behavior, almost enough for Rowan to suspect this Wilkins man had blown his warehouse up himself. Except for one thing–the utter lack of vehicle tracks. Usually, when a property owner destroyed his own property in an attempt to claim the insurance money, he cleared everything out via a big truck or some other vehicle, which left definite tracks. There were no tracks in the area surrounding the destroyed lot. None.
Something about that little detail set off warning bells in Rowan’s mind.
“Lieutenant?”
“What?” Rowan turned to face the cop who’d addressed him.
“Over here.” The dark-haired man led him over to one corner of the former warehouse, the most intact bit of the whole place. “We found a scrap of material caught on the pylon; it’s bagged as evidence. Thought you’d want to see it.”
Rowan’s brows shot up. “You found fabric?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Shit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Any fabric that survived this goddamn inferno has got to be made of some seriously engineered shit. Give it to me for analysis, I’ll run it through the labs.”
“But Lieutenant, you can’t just grab evidence–”
Rowan glared at the cop. “I can and I will. Where’s the fabric?”
Reluctantly, the cop went over to the police truck and grabbed a single plastic bag out of the dark armored vehicle. “Here. Don’t keep it for too long, though.”
“Unlike you idiots, I know how to run an investigation.” Rowan took the evidence bag, stashed it in the bag he wore over his shoulder, and returned to his sweep of the crime scene.
The acrid tang of smoke hung thickly in the air, not dispersed by wind or weather or the team of investigators swarming around the site. Something about the smoke caught Rowan’s notice, so he stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, focusing on the scent of the air he drew in. Odd. Typical fires left behind a charcoal-scented kind of smoke, mixed with the odors of whatever had burnt up in the flames. This one had that charcoal tinge, but also something else, something chemical, but not something Rowan immediately recognized–not kerosene, lighter fluid, gasoline, or any common accelerant.
He shouldn’t be surprised. It was clear to anyone with half a brain that they weren’t dealing with a common incident. Or a common perpetrator.
When his brain kept coming up blank, Rowan moved on from the smoke scent, tucking the idea away under “ask the lab later.” He finished his walkthrough of the scene and decided to leave the rest of the evidence collection to the police, preferring the quiet of his office to think about…things. Things like just who the hell could have not only emptied out the warehouse without leaving tracks, but also been able to set up an explosion so powerful it burned a steel-beam building down to nearly nothing. And to go completely fucking undetected, which was still the most baffling part. He, Rowan Whitethorn, had over a decade of experience in solving apparently impossible crimes–both as a special forces trainee and a member of the service–and he kept coming up blank.
This explosion had to be connected, somehow, to the murders, which he firmly believed were connected to Galathynius. It had to be. Call him crazy, call him a crack theorist, but he trusted his senses. Mostly. Right now, he trusted his senses enough to walk into his office, unlock the file drawer, pull out an ugly green manila folder full of random papers, and sift through the stack until he found the one handwritten sheet he wanted. It was a single page of standard, college-ruled notebook paper with a list of names, places, and dates scrawled in his own blocky handwriting. Grabbing a pen, he added the details of the explosion: 27th/28th January, Wilkins lot in the warehouse district, own work? Galathynius? He left the questions there because he wasn’t sure.
A quick internet search revealed that the owner of the destroyed lots was named Cairn, Cairn Wilkins, a businessman whose company dealt mostly in pharmaceuticals. The name sounded familiar, and it took all of ten seconds for Rowan to connect the dots. This Wilkins was most likely the same Cairn responsible for the most recent murders, the sloppy ones. The Wilkins company imported a significant percentage of both over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and Cairn apparently had standing delivery contracts with over half the pharmacies in Orynth. Perfect cover for a drug trafficker! screamed the investigative voice inside Rowan’s head.
He filed that observation away for later.
Grabbing his phone, Rowan pulled up the contact called “Swabs” and hit the call button. The guy on the other end picked up after eight rings.
“What.”
“Well hello to you too, Swabs. No cheerful greeting for your old buddy?”
“Fuck off, tattoo boy,” laughed the scientist. “Hi. Good morning. What the hell do you need?”
“I’ve got a very interesting little piece of evidence I picked up this morning that I need you to analyze for me. Preferably soon. Fuckin’ PD’s breathing down my neck about every little thing I send over to your lab.”
“Course they are. Alright, fine, bring it over and I’ll have test results for you in five, six days.”
“Cut the bullshit, Swabs, I’ve worked with you for too fuckin’ long to believe it actually takes five days for the tests to come back.” While he normally joked and laughed with his forensic scientist colleague, Rowan was not in a joking mood that day.
“Two to three days. No faster unless you want shit results.”
“Good. See you in about half an hour.” Rowan hung up, grabbed his bag, and headed out to the garage, striding towards the black SUV he favored. It was a fairly standard police-type vehicle with tinted windows and armored sides, and with the silver Orynth PD logo on the door, nobody would question his driving or his urgency.
~
It took him exactly twenty-five minutes to get to the lab. Favoring discretion, Rowan had always preferred to use this lab rather than the one attached to the police department–furthermore, this was an independent lab, which meant that none of the scientists asked questions when the Terrasen Special Forces showed up with another specimen for analysis. He parked, jumped out of the SUV, and instantly regretted not putting on a warmer jacket. Fuck, winter in Orynth was vicious.
“Y’know, parkas exist for a reason,” drawled someone’s voice from inside the lab as Rowan walked through the first set of doors.
“Piss off, Swabs.”
“Oh calm down, tattoo boy. Where’s this evidence of yours?”
“Here.” Rowan withdrew the plastic sample bag and handed it over. “And quit calling me that, Ashryver.”
Aedion Ashryver chuckled and accepted the evidence bag. “Never.” He and Rowan had been classmates in high school and university, and they’d even been in the same class when they both entered the special forces training program. However, Aedion chose to go down the forensics route after the first year of training, preferring the organization of the lab to the chaos of soldier life. He’d remained a close colleague of Rowan’s throughout the years, and as Rowan went on more missions, Aedion received more and more fascinating little specimens for analysis. Aedion knew more about the murder investigation than anyone besides Rowan–he should, since he’d been analyzing all the little scraps Rowan discovered on the crime scenes.
“Text me when you’ve got results,” Rowan called, already heading back out into the snow.
“Will do.” Aedion waved and disappeared into the lab, weaving through quiet, sterile hallways and passing busy lab spaces before he reached his personal lab. He tapped his ID against the reader, and the steel door rolled open, revealing a wide, brightly-lit, high-ceilinged space that hummed softly with activity. Waving to a few of his close colleagues, Aedion went straight for his station, washed his hands, snapped on a fresh pair of sterile latex gloves, sat down, and opened up the evidence bag.
The sample Rowan had found at the explosion site was a small scrap of fabric, its edges rough and jagged like it had been torn off of something larger. From its size and shape, Aedion thought it was a scrap of clothing; it had probably caught on a sharp edge and torn off. He couldn’t figure out much just from looking with his own eyes, though, so he carefully picked up the fabric using a pair of tweezers and laid it underneath his microscope. Adjusting the lens and the focus, he zoomed in on the material. And swore.
Holy fuck. This…fabric? He wasn’t even sure he could properly call it “fabric.” It had Aelin’s name and brilliant engineering written all over it. Fuck, fuck, and double fuck. What was he supposed to tell Rowan? Because…well, close friendship was one thing. Blood relationships were entirely another.
And Aedion Ashryver had sworn many, many years ago to protect Aelin Ashryver Galathynius at all costs. Even if it meant directing others away from her crimes.
~
Three knocks on the apartment’s front door jerked Aelin from her position sprawled on the shitty couch, half asleep. She grumbled a string of curses as she stalked over to the door and shot a glare through the keyhole. Nobody. Not that she really expected to see anyone–criminals were too smart to stay in direct sight of other, worse criminals. So she unlocked the door, pulled it open about half an inch, and stepped aside. The crappy door banged open not two seconds later, shaking on its hinges with the force of the push.
“God, it’s a shit apartment, but what’d that poor door do to you–fuck!” Aelin shook herself. “Still not used to seeing you in that getup.”
“Fuckin’ cold,” grunted the man who’d just barged into her apartment. Of course, it was the crappy one near the shipping district, not her actual home. He pulled off his dark blue wool hat, shaking a layer of snowflakes onto the creaky wooden floor, and unzipped his jacket. The unmistakable navy blue uniform of the Orynth Police Department clung to his body, the small metal bar over his left breast pocket giving his name and rank.
Cpt. Westfall.
“Shit,” the man groaned, blinking rapidly. “Where’s the bathroom, boss? Got snow in the goddamn contacts.”
“Down the hall,” Aelin returned. “Make it quick and don’t even think about using my good shit, Allsbrook.”
Ren Allsbrook flashed a crooked half-grin. “Wouldn’t dream of it, boss. I like my balls right where they are.”
Aelin poured herself another glass of wine, poured a small measure of bourbon into a second glass, and settled herself back on the couch, both drinks in front of her. It was only a couple of minutes before Ren emerged from the bathroom, his formerly brown eyes now hazel, carrying a contact lens case in one hand.
“Much better,” he sighed.
“Sit.” Aelin gestured to the other end of the couch. “Have a drink.”
Ren sat and slowly accepted the bourbon. “You didn’t poison it, did you?”
“Would I tell you if I had?” Aelin rolled her eyes. “You’re not that stupid, Allsbrook, and neither am I. Have a drink. Update me. I don’t have all night.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He took a sip. “Well, I’m in. It wasn’t even that hard to infiltrate the place–soon as I had this here name and badge, I could go wherever the hell I wanted and nobody asked questions. Pretty soft for an organization that’s supposedly one of the best.” He snorted. “As far as anyone knows, I’m Captain Chaol Westfall, fearless and intrepid head of the investigation into the Orynth Assassinations.”
“So that’s what they’re calling it,” she mused. “Not very creative. Then again, why should I expect creativity from a pack of idiots who can’t find a shred of hard evidence?”
“About that.” Ren threw back the remainder of the bourbon. “This special forces officer that’s on the team? He has hard evidence. A fair bit of it, if I believe what he tells me. Every time I ask to see it, though, he deflects–something about going through the lab for analysis.”
“Interesting,” Aelin mused. “Have you seen any evidence?”
“Oh yeah, there’s definitely some.” He cleared his throat. “Little tiny bits and pieces–ashes, a sample of fabric here and there, a little bit of accelerant, photos of the crime scenes, and the bodies. The bodies are the best evidence we currently have, but the morgue can’t give us anything more than the cause of death and the state of the body leading up to its death.”
“You sounded just like a policeman there, Allsbrook.”
“I do pride myself on getting into character,” he returned dryly, pretending to bow.
Aelin snickered. Ren Allsbrook was a notorious spy, well known in the criminal underworld for his uncanny ability to completely assume every disguise he donned. Becoming Chaol Westfall was just another role to him, except that he had a disguise like nothing he’d ever worn. Aelin’s SecondSkin tech was more than a disguise; it was a nearly foolproof way to become someone else entirely.
“Character or not, you’re doing alright. I suppose I’ll let you stay alive for another week or so, but we’ll see what you bring to your next report.” She drained her wine. “Dismissed.”
“Right.” Ren stood up and went quickly into the bathroom to replace his contact lenses. He was Chaol Westfall when he re-emerged, down to the fingerprints. That was another little perk of the tech–the fingerprints. Since Westfall was a member of Orynth PD, his fingerprints were on file, so it had been child’s play for Ren to slip into the file archives, pull the prints, and get them to Aelin for copying onto the SecondSkin. “See you, boss.”
“Careful of the ice, Westfall.” She unlocked her door and let him back out, throwing him a little nod as he walked off.
Then she locked the door, bundled herself into her winter jacket, gloves, scarf, hat, and boots, climbed through the window, swiftly descended down the rickety fire escape, and strode down the alley, just another shadow–albeit a lethal one–disappearing into the arctic January night.
~~~
TAGS: please let me know if you want to be added or removed :)
@live-the-fangirl-life
@superspiritfestival
@thegreyj
@wordsafterhours
@elentiyawhitethorn
@morganofthewildfire
@backtobl4ck
@rowanaelinn
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#my writing#until proven guilty#criminal/investigator au#aelin the crime boss au#aelin galathynius#rowan whitethorn#rowaelin#rowan x aelin#rowaelin fanfic#rowaelin fanfiction#pls check the warnings :)#there is a LOT of illegal activity in this fic and if you aren't comfortable reading that then don't feel pressured :)
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just like the sea
Another not!fic style ficlet, Kaz-centric with Kanej. Kaz & his complicated relationship with the sea and the harbor.
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The first few years after he was reborn, Kaz avoided the harbour entirely. Even the streets closest to it smelled uncomfortably strongly of the sea air–of salt that he can almost taste in his mouth, prompting the urge to gag at the memory of the sea water–setting him on edge. He passed over the easy pickings to be had from the bustling close-knit crowds of travellers and tourists swarming off the boats at busy times. He could only watch with interest when occasionally one of the other barrel rats risked the lottery of 'lost' luggage, deciding to audaciously pilfer a whole suitcase for the excitement of unknown prizes inside.
But Kaz couldn't avoid it forever. Business was to be had at the harbour and he couldn't bow out of that now he had errands to be run, messages to pass on. He had to be reliable if he intended to prove himself and work his way up a gang, willing to do anything, even that. Even if that was nothing to absolutely anyone else–especially because that was nothing to anyone else. If business took him to the harbour he simply had to go. Using the canal boats in the city, being so close to the water, had made him unreasonably nervous too, at first, but he'd overcome that with careful practice, and he would overcome the memory of the harbour as well. He was nothing if not determined. To go to the harbour was to go to battle, the same as any scrap in an alley, he told himself – it was all simply a fight for survival in the barrel. And he would win, because he had to; there was no room for failure in his plans.
The harbour did not defeat him, but neither was it easy to endure. Over time, he had more memories made there – a mix of the mundane shipping dealings, the thrill of opportunistic thievery to be had while there, and that of occasional violence for enforcement reasons. The new memories slowly started to dilute the bad one that still lapped at his feet with each step closer to the waters. It got easier, but it would never be somewhere Kaz sought out. Always a chore, but at least now not too bad a risk, not something that threatened to expose his weakness each time.
Something changed when he held Inej in his arms at the docks, racing to get her to the Ferolind in time for Nina to save her. No longer was the harbour just Jordie's domain like it once had been, nor Kaz's reluctant place of business that he'd rebuilt it into in his psyche. Though a thoroughly unpleasant memory, Inej's blood spilled there in the name of protecting his Crows–protecting him–had somehow sealed Inej's place in his mind as associated with the docks too. The docks had brought her to the city, to him inadvertently, but fate, if it existed, was fickle and those same docks had nearly taken her from him. Almost but not quite; they continued to defy chance as certainly as Inej routinely appeared to defy gravity. It felt fitting somehow when the docks take her away again on the ship he had bought her. The difference is now the docks bring her back to him; her ship's berth a strange piece of home there, giving peace to them both, he hopes, for once.
Kaz still doesn't like to smell the saltiness of the sea breeze, but standing on the docks for Inej, it takes on another meaning these days, a scent tinged with hope. Sometimes Inej surprises him with a brief visit, just long enough to resupply and unload those they've saved who are keen to get going on their way home. As he and Inej get more comfortable with each other, she tends to avail herself of his comparatively luxurious bathroom after such a long time at sea. Coming directly to his rooms, washing the saltiness away with the selection of bath oils he keeps in there only for her use (except the rare night he uses them to feel closer to her).
Once though, Inej did not wash herself off before coming to his bed, and the smell of the sea caught up on her hair lingered on his pillow for days after she'd left. He still didn't like to smell the saltiness of the sea breeze itself, but with it mixed up with the unadulterated smell of her, and his fresher memories of the docks, it took on new meaning. When he closed his eyes and smelt that complicated scent it was easier to think of her there, or of standing on the docks with hope in his heart for her return.
The next time she returns only promised to him for a day, he lures her into his bed before she can wash the saltiness off herself, eager to replicate that happy accident. And Kaz keeps up that habit despite not initially meaning to, making excuses as to why she should come right to his bed. After a while, Inej notices his new habit and asks him why he keeps doing so, but he can't find the true words to explain, covering it up with a slightly different but no less intense, deliberately indirect, appeal to his having missed her, of not wanting to waste any time. If she knows he's leaving something out she doesn't call him on it, she accepts his put upon charm that disguises the more vulnerable reason he wants her there–his craving for something lasting of her to stick around in her absence.
Maybe one day he'll find the words to confess his secret desire, to share as much with Inej as she deserves from him, but for the time being action alone is easier. In compensation, he gives away a wide, entirely unsuppressed, smile at the triumph of his bare hand in hers tentatively pulling her to him.
#six of crows#crooked kingdom#kaz brekker#kanej#inej ghafa#angst#angst with a happy ending#grishaverse#soc fics#six of crows fanfic#purpleyin#purpleyin: fanfic#but it's also significantly a gen fic too#soc aus#not!fic#whump#my kanej fanworks
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The taste of her cherry chapstick
About: Mikyoung goes on an exclusive party, but she gets more than what she expected.
Feature: Jennie from Blackpink, Jiwoo and Somin from Kard, Mina, Momo, and Nayeon from Twice
Word Count: 3.6k
Time: May 2020
Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Mikyoung gets some fun in form of making out. And I think that's it.
Mikyoung wasn't sure how she had gotten to that party. By car, a cynical part of her would say, but even then she didn't mean it like that, but rather what were the life choices she did to get invited to the party. The first thing was that she was an idol, and idol were invited to stuff by other idols, and all she needed was to be friendly. And Mikyoung was friendly, when she wanted to, and that had been enough to be friends with Kard, which led her to Jiwoo saying there was a party somewhere and she should be going.
That somewhere ended up being a club, and there were a lot of idols she didn't know, but she was introduced to at some point. But there were far more than she would ever befriend, and that led her to think that Hazel would have the time of her life here… if only people from the 2000 were allowed. Hazel had kept pestering to get her to said party, but Mikyoung had said no as many times as needed for her to understand, which she didn't, but part of the leader thing was to say no when it was needed.
She would've brought Jieun, however, she knew that she wouldn't want to go, so after asking once and only receiving a mumbled response about something, but she didn't take her eyes from the league of legends game she was playing, which Mikyoung took as a response, she wouldn't be going. And she didn't even ask Jin, since she would be going out with someone, yet she didn't want to say anything about who.
It didn't really matter, she was now on her own, as Jiwoo had gone somewhere she couldn't hear over the loud music, but since Jiwoo got Somin with her, she could only guess it was to the bathroom. Mikyoung wasn't a party girl, she rarely went to parties, no matter where they were, she was used to the calmness that came with being in a calm group, and let Hazel do all the befriending others, after all she was good at that. It's not that she wasn't good with it, she was also good at befriending, but she didn't really trust how real friends could be in the idol world. Exceptions were Kard, and the few idol friends she had from her trainee years.
A good example of it was Nayeon, who she met on JYP when she was a trainee, and she was almost placed on Twice… which she now was thankful she didn't. She couldn't see herself in that group, and maybe she couldn't see herself in a group where she didn't have Jieun, Jin, and even Hazel, despite the way she was. A small smile on her face, she watched as Momo was dancing in a way that no one would believe she was a skilled dancer, many others dancing in a carefree way, knowing that no one would be judged by that. There, no one worried about what could be said about them, if there were cameras or not, just people wanting the same privacy they've found.
Mikyoung looked almost out of place just sitting there, drinking beer when she could've ordered many expensive drinks, or even tried some cocktail she didn't even know how it would taste and looked interesting enough to risk herself to get alcohol poisoning. But she was nothing if not a simple girl who enjoyed the reliable taste of what she already knew, and being around the people she knew she could trust. And perhaps, the people her friends trusted, but that was a big, bold maybe.
The short nails of her free hand drummed the songs she was hearing playing out loud, as if she could hear the chords of a guitar that, in most cases, didn't even sound. She looked out of place, but fitting at the same time, like the dark shadow needed to show the light that were other idols, as most of them were dressed in expensive brands, or clothes that asked for people to take a look at them. The band leader wasn't good with dressing for parties, and Jiwoo had confirmed it when she saw her, saying that the younger girl looked more like she had a gig on the bar than being part of the people who would be interested in being inside the bar. Mikyoung accepted the teasing, knowing she actually deserved it, and she proposed that next time she'd be the one to dress her up.
Of course, Somin intervened and told her she'd be the one to help her, since Jiwoo would end up dressing her just like that. And at the moment, it felt good to have two friends that would gladly take over the role of an older sister, giving a meaning to the honorific used. Plus, knowing they were there helped her not feeling so out of place.
A pair of hands were put on her shoulders, making Mikyoung jump and almost knock her beer out of her hands, but after turning around she saw Nayeon, who quickly wrapped her arms around her neck, hugging the guitarist, who was slightly taller than her thanks to the bar stool she was seating in.
“I thought I've seen you somewhere around, but I wasn't sure it was you!” Nayeon greeted her before Mikyoung turned around in her seat to hug her more comfortably.
“Jeon Jiwoo convinced me to come, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have come, so you can thank her for that.”
The Twice member raised both eyebrows, surprised that someone had managed to convince her to do so, as she had invited her to parties ever since Twice started to get invited, yet Mikyoung had rejected them time after time.
“I thought you were still on promotions, I would've invited you otherwise.” The bunny looking girl had answered apologetic, as if not inviting her friend would've been a great offense to their friendship.
“You know it's no problem, you couldn't know I would come.” The girl's sharp features contrasted with the softness she used in her words to try and make Nayeon feel better, and just for a good measure, she grabbed her beer from the marble bar, holding her friend's hand with her free one. “Now, why don't we go and you show me where the rest of the girls are? I'm sure we'd all have more fun together.”
The older girl beamed at those words, immediately pulling her through the sea of people as she told her how the karaoke would start in a while, and how the whole group was going around splitting up to sing. Of course, Nayeon took that moment to beg the younger to sing with her, and Mikyoung chuckled, deciding that just this one, she could just let herself enjoy without worrying about other things.
Jennie Kim got to the party when it had long started, and had blended with it so easily that Mikyoung wouldn’t have ever seen her if not for what happened long after she went on and sang with her friends, and long after she had finished her first drink. The guitarist had been easy to miss for a while, even more when their circles had been so different, but Jennie had seen her once in a video she found around, one of the many that made WER1 skyrocket every now and then, when the spotlight wasn’t on Hazel, and once she spotted her, there was no way to mistake her for someone else.
She hadn't been particularly interested in girl idols like that, in a way that made her check out in the group's activities just to catch a glimpse of that wolfish grin as she flirted with fans, bringing others deeper in to end up becoming one of them. Jennie wasn't sure if it was fanservice or if the girl was just that flirty, and a part of her wished she could discover it, though she was sure she would melt. And now that she had seen her, with her attention in Mina as she sang with Dahyun, her eyes hard and unforgiving, Jennie couldn't help but think that maybe she could get close to her.
Mikyoung, however, hadn’t seen her, neither realized she was being watched, after all part of being an idol meant to grow a second skin when it came to being watched, making her be blissfully ignorant of the situation, even more in a safe environment like that. And so, she hadn’t realized the idol was interested in her, at least not until Nayeon came with her arm intertwined with the superstar, when she was seated in a stool once again, an hour later. She was waiting for a peach flavored soju, even against her friends disapproval, knowing that she didn’t have the best alcohol tolerance out there, and she had been drinking sips off the other’s cocktails and her own beer. It had made her more sociable, more of a talker, but they knew there was a fine line between Mikyoung being a nice, funny, slightly tipsy girl, and an equally charming but drunk girl.
“Youngie! I was trying to find you, I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Jennie. I’m sure you’ve heard about her already.”
Of course she did, not only her sister was a blink, but Jennie’s face was everywhere, no matter what she did, it was on music shows, news, even if she went out to buy something, odds were that she’d see at least something related to Blackpink, or even hear their music. So, of course she had heard about Jennie, but she heard all about Blackpink’s Jennie, and not a single thing about Jennie Kim, the girl who was more than well dressed for this kind of thing, and had quite ironically a dark pink cocktail on her hand. Mikyoung turned to get a better look at the girl, and she was sure that whatever Jennie was wearing had to be more expensive than whatever she was wearing, and probably more expensive than her whole band’s wardrobe. Yet, there was a lingering kind of shyness that seemed uncharacteristically of the girl, even though the younger one knew that no one was as they seemed once the cameras were off… Or rather, not many showed their real self, for whatever reason it was.
For both Jennie and Nayeon, Mikyoung’s scrutiny of the superstar seemed to drag on for ages, with those eyes that Nayeon knew it was a facade, but Jennie found them both alluring and scary when her eyes were on her. But at the end, the guitarist smiled, and got up from her seat, and after what seemed a few minutes of hesitation, she extended her hand for Jennie to grab. Bae Mikyoung was far less scary once Jennie kissed her cheek instead, and while her blush couldn’t be seen thanks to the lighting of the place, her face was a clear telling of how flustered she seemed.
The younger’s first thought was that it made sense that her perfume smelled like a expensive perfume she hadn’t ever known, but if she had to risk it, she’d say it was Chanel, though Mikyoung wasn’t sure if Chanel have a perfume, but she thought she heard Hazel talk about it once. Jennie’s first thought, however, was about how the girl seemed so out of place that it was endearing. From the way she dressed, to the way she looked, it only made her think about her resemblance to a wolf, and how she seemed to have some kind of wildness of them too, though in the girl it translated to how she rebelled against the idol world in the for of being authentic to the point it could’ve been seen as rude in a world where people pretended to be someone else. Even Jennie herself was pretending to be someone she wasn’t, with her brave and confident facade that she was sure everyone who dared to try could look past. Mikyoung seemed to see past that, yet she didn’t say anything.
Nayeon, who knew when to make an exit, knew her cue was those few seconds of silence in between introductions, and by the time her rocker friend had spoken about the ties with her, she had already ran back to her group, who was looking at the interaction both curious and surprised, not expecting Jennie to even be interested on Mikyoung.
“Isn’t she dating someone?” Sana asked, though she wasn’t sure if she had heard a rumor or if it had been true.
It didn’t took long for the two girls to start talking, at first, it had been about Mikyoung’s plain choice in drinking, then, it was Mikyoung teasing Jennie for the pink drink, and it inevitably ended on a talk about their groups, where the older ended up confessing having heard a few songs, all thanks to a few viral fancams.
“So, since you've seen me, which one is your favorite?”
Jennie thought for a second, then she smiled as she knew which one to pick.
“The Good Night one, on Show Champion, the group was dressed in all red. The group had the third win that day.” The girl with cat-like eyes answered, making the younger chuckle.
“I have my first idol fan… And from a well known group.” Mikyoung teased, smirking before she took a sip of her soju.
Usually, Jennie would have blushed from the teasing, from exposing herself so blatantly to someone who was, all in all, a stranger. Yet with the alcohol running through her veins, she felt more confident than she truly was, as if the Jennie she showed on camera suddenly took over her. She found out she did like it, even more when that was what got another side of Mikyoung out, one that seemed far softer than the girl with a powerful gaze and a flirty smirk.
“But what about Twice? Aren't they your fans too?”
“It's not the same, we're friends.”
“And we are not?”
The younger one looked at Jennie for a few seconds, getting slightly closer as she seemed to think about an answer.
“Would you say that we are friends after only one talk? And one happening at a party, nonetheless. If you do, then I'll change the statement to “we're friends I've known since before debut.” which even then would be different.”
“Different in what?” Jennie asked before getting closer to the guitarist. “Am I that special?”
“Well, they've known me since I was really young, before I was an idol, it's not the same.”
“Well, what if I wanna know you more?”
Mikyoung grabbed her phone, quickly unlocking her phone and going to her contacts before giving it to Jennie.
“Then I'll ask for your number so we can get to know each other outside here at some point.”
The Blackpink rapper quickly grabbed the phone, quickly putting on her number and saving it. Before she gave the phone back, she took a quick glance at the lockscreen, seeing how she had a photo of her group.
“So no partner?” Jennie asked, feeling bold.
Mikyoung opened her eyes widely, chuckling in surprise before licking her lips, not sure of how to take her question.
“You get that from a lockscreen? You're right though, I'm single, but the lockscreen was a thing the group ganged up against me. I wanted to get my cat as lockscreen.”
“So the hot guitarist is single.”
Mikyoung shook her head as she got her phone in the pocket of her fake leather jacket, then put her face on her hand, raised by her elbow on the marble bar.
“What do you want from me, Jennie-ssi?”
“Your lips. A kiss.”
“And why would you want a kiss from me?” The black-and-blue haired girl asked.
Jennie thought for a few seconds, thinking about what to say, or how to say it in a way that wouldn't offend the younger.
“Look, I know this far I only came off as an obsessed fan, or that I'm in love with you, but I'm not in love, and I do like your music, though not to the point of being obsessed.” She started saying, earning a raised eyebrow but nothing else. “This is not what I'm used to, I usually don't think about going to a female idol and asking her to kiss me… But the truth is that you caught my attention, and…”
She bit her lip, both out of nervousness and embarrassment, allowing Mikyoung to fill in the gaps to her liking, even if it would make her look like an asshole.
“So you are just… experimenting, and you decided that I could be used for that.” The guitarist said, accurately understanding where it was going.
The rapper didn't say a thing, but it was enough for the other girl to know she was right. In all honesty, Mikyoung was quite honored to be trusted so much by someone else, an idol nevertheless. She knew that, to explore one's sexuality while being in the spotlight was hard, and to trust another idol to kiss and not tell was a lot. Of course, it was also an ego boost to be found hot enough for someone else to want to be the one to kiss her.
“It's just a kiss, right? No sex later on, or going on dates to try and see if you like the feeling and such, right?”
Jennie didn't expect Mikyoung to be so willing to do so, even less to have her deciding that she would help only with a kiss, and nothing more. If the older one had to be honest, it was reassuring even, and made her feel safe in a strange way, as if she was being guided on how much to take, how much it'd be needed for her to know.
“Yes, only a kiss. Optional make out.” the older reassured,
It was only then that Mikyoung put a hand on Jennie's waist, while the other found its way firmly on her chin before she leaned in to kiss her. The younger girl kissed tasted like the cherry soju she had been drinking, both sweet and the aftertaste of alcohol. Her grip was strong but gentle, and her lips felt soft, softer than Jennie had expected. Mikyoung found that kissing the older girl was better than she thought it'd be. She knew what she was doing, and she was the one to dictate how the kiss should go.
Jennie wasn't interested in softness any more than Mikyoung was interested in being part of a long lasting experiment. The hands of the older went to the guitarist's hair, holding her in place as the younger tugged her closer, as if she wanted to make sure she wouldn't pull away any time sooner.
But alas, they were only humans, so they had to pull away, though only for a few seconds before their lips joined once again.
At five am, Mikyoung was back to the dorms, singing Gee by Girls' Generation thanks to having listened on the drive back to her dorms, with Twice being kind enough to get her back. She hadn't gotten drunk, but she was pretty close to it, and it was shown in the way she was clinging to Mina. The kiss with Jennie had turned into two, and then turned into more, and then to a few faint lipstick marks on her neck, even if Mikyoung swore to herself that she wouldn't get that far.
She didn't complain, though, as she was okay with the way things played out, even as she knew that it wouldn't happen again, and that was the further she was willing to go.
She woke up the next day late, and only did so by the scent of her sister's cooking, and Hazel's shouting about something she couldn't understand. She knew Jieun was just existing there, silently, hearing Hazel and trying to steal a bite of whatever Jin was getting.
The girl got up, walking to the kitchen as she followed the scent of food. Her head was aching mildly, but she knew it could be worse, so she went to get an aspirin and sat down in one of the empty seats, watching how a cup of tea was put in front of her, and after tasting it, Mikyoung knew it was her mortal enemy, the peppermint tea.
“Drink up, you know it'll do you good, Youngie.” Jieun said as she sat down next to her, with a coffee in hand.
Hazel, who had stopped her shouted rambling, looking at her leader, and the lipstick stains on her neck.
“Oh you had fun, didn't you?” The younger quickly teased, looking back at her phone before looking back at Mikyoung. “Did you see Jennie Kim? Was she with Taehyung?”
The guitarist, who was drinking her tea with a look of disgust, lowered the cup and looked at the maknae. Why was she being asked about Jennie and Taehyung? But more importantly, which Taehyung? Weren't there a lot of them?
“Jennie Kim from Blackpink, and Taehyung as in BTS' V.” Hazel seemed to see the confusion in her face, as she explained. “Here, look at the news.”
The American girl gave her phone to the older one, showing the article written about the two mentioned, and Mikyoung couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose. It was so like her to get entangled to the straight girl with a boyfriend.
#┌[ WRITINGS ]┘ ✦ we are one#➳ ❪ ᴍɪᴋʏᴏᴜɴɢ ❫ … sᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ❞#fake kpop gg#fake kpop girl group#fake kpop idol#fictional kpop community#fictional kpop group#fictional kpop idol#fake kpop group#fictional idol group#fictional idol oc#jennie x oc
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Renovating a home is no small undertaking, and the kitchen is often considered the heart of any home. When it comes to choosing a team to entrust with such a significant project, you'll want to ensure that you're selecting the best. This is where NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers come into play.
Many homeowners, when looking for the best kitchen and bath contractor near me, have been pointed in the direction of the NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers. But what makes them stand out from the rest? Here are the reasons.
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Experience: Another vital factor in selecting a contractor is their experience. With a vast number of projects under their belt, NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers are not only an experienced kitchen and bath contractor in North Bergen but have also proved their mettle time and again. Experience equates to expertise, which is crucial in intricate projects such as kitchen and bath renovations.
Reliability: Entrusting your renovation to a reliable kitchen and bath contractor in North Bergen is paramount. Homeowners have praised NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers for their consistent reliability. They deliver on their promises and ensure every project is completed to the client's satisfaction.
Customization: Everyone has a unique vision for their kitchen or bathroom. If you're looking for a custom kitchen and bath contractor in North Bergen, then look no further. NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers tailor their services to fit each client's specific needs and desires.
Professionalism: This trait cannot be stressed enough. A professional kitchen and bath contractor near me is what every homeowner dreams of. NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers uphold a high standard of professionalism throughout the entire renovation process, ensuring smooth communication and flawless execution.
Top-rated: Reviews and ratings are often the first place people go to when searching for a service. NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers have been acknowledged as a top-rated kitchen and bath contractor in North Bergen. This means that numerous homeowners have trusted them and were not disappointed.
Transparent Estimates: Nobody likes hidden charges. This is why it's a blessing that the NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers are kitchen and bath contractors with free estimates in North Bergen. You know upfront what you're getting into, with no surprises at the end.
Specialty Services: For those who own luxury homes and desire an exquisite touch to their renovations, the North Bergen kitchen and bath contractor for luxury homes is none other than NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers. Their attention to detail and upscale solutions cater specifically to the luxury market.
Accolades: Being voted in North Bergen as an inexpensive remodeling service is no small feat. This commendation is a testament to their commitment to quality service at competitive rates.
Local Expertise: Being in North Bergen, NJ, the team has local expertise in terms of design preferences, regulatory requirements, and more. Kitchen remodeling in North Bergen, NJ, is best done with those who know the area intimately.
In conclusion, when it comes to renovating your kitchen or bathroom, your safest bet is with the NB Kitchen and Bathroom Installers. Their impeccable track record, coupled with affordable rates and professional service, makes them the ideal choice. So, when thinking, "Who is the best kitchen and bath contractor near me?", you now know the answer.
Contact us today at (20) 777-4 to kickstart your kitchen or bathroom renovation project. We would be delighted to arrange a free, in-home consultation at your convenience. Our team of experts is ready to chat about your project and provide you with a professional in-home estimate. Don't wait any longer, visit https://nb-kitchen-bath-installers.com/ to learn more and get started on transforming your kitchen or bathroom into the space of your dreams.
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If you’re searching for a competent and reliable bathroom installation company you’ve come to the right place. The Wirral bathroom company supplies and installs luxurious bathroom suites, wet rooms and walk in showers throughout the Wirral, Ellesmere Port and Chester.
If you would like to take a look at our top-quality bathroom suites call 07700139449for more details.
Here’s 5Good Reasons why you Should Choose the Wirral Bathroom Company to install your new Bathroom, Wet room, or Walk-in Shower
Quality.We only deal with top quality manufacturers and suppliers. You can be rest assured that our bathroom suites, wet rooms and showers are made from the highest quality materials and have a long lifespan.
Cost. The cost of our bathroom suites, walk in showers and wet rooms are very competitive for the quality we offer. Quality comes at a cost, and we want our customers to enjoy their new bathroom for many years to come.
Experience. But things you can’t buy life’s experience. Our team of bathroom designers and installers have many years of experience designing and fitting bathrooms. You can count on us to make sure the work is carried out to the highest possible standard.
Reliable. If having a reliable team of bathroom fitters is important to you then look no further. The last thing you want is people letting you down and causing you lots of stress. Our team of bathroom installers will arrive on time every day until the work is complete.
Customer service. Buying a new bathroom needn’t be a stressful experience. Our customer service representatives will help you through each step of the process and keep you up to date throughout the installation.
Get a Free no Obligation Quote
If you would like to get a free no obligation quote for a new bathroom, wet room or walk-in shower call 07700139449to arrange a suitable time and date. If now is not a good time to call, you can use the contact form on our website, and we’ll respond to your message as soon as possible.
Website:
https://www.wirralbathroomcompany.co.uk/
Address:
18 Farr Hall Drive, Heswall, Wirral CH60 4SH
Phone Number:
07700139449
Business Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Contact Email ID:
[email protected]
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Black Marble Wall Tiles can be the Best Addition When It Comes to the Wall Décor!
There is a wide range of home and office décor products we install these days to enhance the look and feel of our spaces. While doing this, we never hesitate to spend considerable amount of money. But when you are spending so much for this purpose and that money comes directly from your hard earned income why not go for the better options? In the market you can find a wide range of options to décor your walls, floors and other spaces of home. But these are not the durable options. When you are looking for something more durable, reliable and cost effective, marbles and marble tiles might draw your attention at the first instance.
Since the old days, marbles have remained as the first choice when it comes to the décor of a space. People love to add marble for their walls and floors. When you look at some of the ancient architectural works in the past, you can see huge use of the marble tiles, slabs and stones. So that suggest you must start looking for the best marble supplier near me online. It’s the internet that is all set to bring a great help for you in this regard.Black Marble Wall Tiles
Black Marble Wall Tiles
Natural stones which are used for the home and office décor purpose are very unique in their own way. They create a natural look and feel for the space where they are installed. There is a wide range of natural stones coming to the market that you can use for such purpose. But when you want to get the most unique one, marble stones and tiles are really going to draw your attention at the first instance. When it comes to the décor of the walls at your home or office, black marble wall tiles can be the first choice. The same goes for the kitchen and bathroom like places. For the kitchen black marble stones fitted on the countertop can generate a very amazing look. For the bathroom you can always go for the white marble tiles. They really look elegant and make that space more elegant.
The prime draws of the marble is that it’s very elegant. And that’s the very first reason why people choose it at the first instance when it comes to the wall décor. There are other options you can avail when it comes to wall décor such as wall paints, wall stickers, etc. But installation of the black marble wall tiles is always durable and long lasting one. It’s going to be there for a very long time. It also takes very less maintenance. Just clean the marble with a cloth and its ready again to spread it elegancy. There is another aspect why people choose marble tiles. It maintains the temperature inside the room. Marble controls the room temperature to a great extent and maintains the cool. If you live at such a region where the temperature remains very high, then adding marble tiles for your floor and walls is always advised.
When you are looking for the marble supplier near me online, you will surely come across different names. Always choose the supplier that uses to collect the marble tiles and stones from different parts of the world. Such a supplier only collects those marble tiles and stones which are authentic. There are certain places in this world where the marble stones are located naturally. They are extracted from those places and then crafted to prepare the marble tiles. These are the authentic marble tiles and stones that you would love to add for your home and office décor.
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Your Premier ADU Contractors for a Seamless Home Renovation
Are you considering adding an accessory dwelling unit to your property, but don't know how to get started? Our trusted and reliable ADU contractors are Better Place Remodeling.
What is an ADU?
It is a separate living space from the main residence that is also known as a backyard cottage, guesthouse, or granny flat. Smaller in size than most modern apartments, ADUs are fully equipped with kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, and bedrooms. It is possible to use them as rental units, in-law suites, home offices, and even as a primary residence.
Why Build an ADU?
Many homeowners are choosing to add ADUs to their properties for a variety of reasons. Here are a few of the most common:
In addition to additional rental income, ADUs provide homeowners with an opportunity to generate additional income through rental properties.
Increased Property Value: Adding an ADU to your property can increase its value and make it more appealing to prospective buyers.
ADUs can provide a practical solution to families who wish to accommodate aging parents or adult children who need their own space.
Having an ADU can serve as a great workspace or creative studio for working from home.
Why Choose Better Place Remodeling?
We at Better Place Remodeling realize the time and financial commitment involved in building an ADU. We strive to deliver work that meets or exceeds your expectations, and that's why we deliver high-quality service.
We are the perfect contractors for your ADUs for the following reasons:
We have built ADUs for homeowners in Greater Los Angeles for more than a decade. Your ADU project will be handled by our experienced team in all aspects, including design and construction.
1. Personalized Service: We listen closely to our customers' needs and preferences to tailor our services to make them fit their needs and preferences. As we progress through the project, we keep you updated on the latest developments.
In addition, we take pride in the quality of our work and use only high-quality materials and equipment to ensure the longevity of your ADU.
The lowest possible price without compromising on quality is something we strive for.
Our Process
Our ADU construction process involves several steps to ensure a timely and cost-effective outcome. The benefits of working with Better Place Remodeling as your ADU contractors include:
First, we conduct a consultation to determine what your vision for the ADU is, how much you are willing to spend, and when you would like your ADU built.
1. Design: We will collaborate with you to create a design that meets your needs. As an additional service, we can provide you with 3D renderings to help you visualize the final result.
We are responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and approvals required by your local government.
The construction process begins once the design has been approved. Our goal is to complete the project on time and within budget. We keep you updated on the progress.
A final walkthrough ensures that you are happy with the final product.
Conclusion
Whether you're looking to build an ADU or remodeling your house, Better Place Remodeling has the skills you need. The quality of our work and personalized service exceed your expectations. Taking the first step towards transforming your home begins with a consultation.
Better Place Remodeling
1804 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 217-4429
https://www.betterplaceremodeling.com/
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Premise Property Maintenance Ltd | Property Maintenance Southampton
Premise Property Maintenance LTD
Your one stop shop for all property maintenance, property refurbishments, kitchens, bathroom installations & all general maintenance services.
Premise Property Maintenance have more than 30 years’ experience carrying out competitively priced property maintenance services in and around Southampton.
If you have a property that requires maintenance or just an occasional fix, hiring individual companies to handle every little issue can be a major hassle. Premise Property Maintenance LTD has a professional team of qualified engineers that specialise in all aspects of repairs and home improvement. From plumbing and boiler services, to refurbishments and electrical repairs, you can count on our reliable and experienced team to get the job done across Southampton.
At Premise Property Maintenance LTD we have a highly trained team who cover the full range of property maintenance services in Southampton.
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Bathroom installers Southampton
Does your bathroom look dated? Have you recently moved and dislike the previous occupant’s idea of bathroom design? Or is your bathroom simply worn and in need of modernising? And for this, are you looking for the best bathroom installers Southampton has to offer? Then pick up the phone and contact the top bathroom installation company in Southampton.
Boiler servicing Southampton
Do you have a boiler that needs to be serviced? Have you been looking for a dependable company to handle your boiler servicing? If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place since Premise Property Maintenance Ltd offers top-notch boiler servicing Southampton residents can rely on. We have a team of committed and certified professionals that can ensure that your boiler system is always operating at peak performance.
Builders Southampton
Are you thinking about having your home renovated? Perhaps you have an issue with your roof, and you need a team to repair it. Whatever your requirements may be, you will need a reliable team of builders Southampton clients. This is where we can help at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd, as we boast all trades under one roof. Our team can assist with your project, whatever it may be. To find out more about how we can help, please call us today on 02380 224904.
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Are you thinking of having some building work carried out on your property? Have you been searching for the premier building team to carry out this work for you? If so, you have certainly come to the right place, as we at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd are the best team of carpenters Southampton has to offer.
Painters and decorators Southampton
Sometimes, you feel like something went wrong with the planning when you look around your room. When you feel like it’s time for a refurbishment, you need a reliable team that would elevate and enhance the aesthetics of your Southampton property. No matter what you feel your Southampton home is lacking, you can rest assured our professional painters and decorators in Southampton are ready to turn it into whatever you have envisioned for a while.
Gas central heating Southampton
When it comes to your gas central heating Southampton clients, it is important that you only ever work with a reliable and professional team. The slightest issue with your gas system could cause major problems, but you won’t have to worry about that with Premise Property Maintenance Ltd on your side.
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Have you been searching for a reliable team that can fit a new kitchen for you in Southampton? Then you’re in luck, as you’ve now found the experts at Premise Property Management! We’re widely considered to be the best kitchen installers Southampton has to offer. Our team is always willing to discuss our kitchen installation options with clients at length. You can get started with our excellent kitchen installation services now by reaching out to a member of our friendly team.
Plumbers Southampton
We strive to provide cost-effective yet high-quality plumbing services in Southampton region. This is the reason we’ve brought together a professional and reliable team of water system experts. You can trust that we employ only the industry’s finest workers to guarantee that every project lives up to both your expectations and the industry standards of quality.
Property maintenance Southampton
Our company is privileged to say that we provide some of the best property maintenance Southampton. Focusing on quality work and client satisfaction simultaneously, our team will leave no detail overlooked to ensure that each and every one of your requirements is fulfilled. Your property will shine once our team have completed their work! You can depend on our contractors to leave your property in excellent condition and restore it to its glory days.
Property refurbishment Southampton
If you feel like your Southampton home needs a bit of a change, our creative team at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd can help you with a complete home refurbishment. You can rest assured our team here at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd are experts at turning your building into an aesthetically-pleasing space that you would enjoy at all times. You can rest confident our team will handle all aspects of your home refurbishment to get the result that exceeds your expectations.
If you would like to learn more about our property refurbishment services in Southampton, you can get in touch with our helpful team today. You can do so by calling us today on 02380 224904, and a member of our team will gladly answer all your inquiries about our refurbishment services. Alternatively, you can fill in our online contact form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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The knowledgeable and approachable team at Premise Property Maintenance is well equipped to offer a full range of roofing services Southampton customers need. With decades of industry experience, there is no job that we cannot handle, as we offer a full range of options to ensure that your roof is in perfect working condition.
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SO15 3BA
Tel: +44 (0) 23 8022 4904
Email: [email protected]
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An Unbiased View of XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill
You might select to stroll or operate within on a treadmill for any kind of amount of factors: severe weather, dark problems, unwelcoming terrain, dedications that keep you at house. It's like walking. In a nutshell, you require to provide your mind a little bit more fuel, if you are to live comfortably in your comfy footwear. For the first handful of years in residing with physical specialists prior to relocating in to a new place, you require to be active as a group.
Whether your target is a pair of no-frills kilometers or a full-blown immersive workout, a treadmill may be a valuable and practical training resource. Here are some instances: It's not very as easy as simply operating a treadmill. One of the perks that treadmill innovation gives is that it may be adjusted to fit a lot of various physical exercise types. Another perk is that it can easily permit workout versatility so that additional folks may function out in different directions while simultaneously being able to acquire right into each physical exercise setting.
After strolling and operating on best treadmills over the past five years, we believe the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is a great choice for individuals who are looking for a reliable, versatile treadmill along with a hassle-free ride and a sturdy build. When speaking about the VH-1750, we are referring to our previous exam bike, VH-200, because that was created to function with most of our existing industrial bike versions.
Its direct design is effortless to navigate, and it has actually a colour touchscreen, Bluetooth connection, and an optional subscription to on-board workout material if you require an additional dosage of inspiration. You can easily additionally established up a single-account membership with a complimentary account, though the app calls for the iPhone 4S to be on and Bluetooth connection for it – implying you might need to have to utilize a third-party subscription.
What to take into consideration Your “why” The very most significant thing about considering a treadmill purchase? 1. Is it cool to take your time running and creating sure your time monitoring is working? 2. Is it pleasant to drive the car, get a workout, and run at a speed that delivers you closer to the place and the rate that your body system should go after. With this in thoughts, you need to steer clear of those time consuming and expensive decisions that keep producing your center hurt and brain damaged.
Knowing yourself and what you really want out of the machine. In an grow older where consumers are being asked to create a few thousand of dollars to drive a lorry, the only technique to actually definitely create a earnings in an aging lifestyle is to spend in a automobile that can manage it. This is regarding the only method you can have that financially rewarding experience. Once individuals point out they want a vehicle that will definitely perform what they wish but not what is steering them, that vehicle driver is no a lot longer a rewarding driver.
The fundamentals We taken into consideration significant component such as waistband length, deck feel, security, speed, drive, and connection. Various other significant aspects were the kind and style of helmet and its visor product. How vital was the fitment for the user? What regarding the perspective and size that it could pleasantly match in, and how would the fit be adjusted based on the helmet's type? We yearned for the most effectively achievable fit for the individual – we did not wish to restrict the customer's mobility.
Dimension A treadmill will definitely take up room. It will take place in various parts of this area and that doesn't matter in the picture above. It is your room. You will definitely be moving your physical body to each part of this room and it are going to be as you make use of your hands, feet, palms are moving your upper arms and after that by yourself, you will certainly walk your physical body to the bathroom. You are going to have to utilize your basic feet, and you could really want to placed some additional body weight on them.
Identify how much area you can easily commit to the machine, and if you yearn for a folding version. In this guide, we'll outline the method, how I made use of it, and some common difficulties and how it didn't work out. Identify how a lot room you may devote to the equipment, and if you wish a folding version. In this resource, we'll detail the process, how I made use of it, and some usual risks and how it didn't operate out.
Guarantee defense We looked for treadmills along with sturdy warranties provided the machines’ tendency for mechanical concerns. We will definitely take these to the local auto mechanics and we will certainly give you the finest in company as considerably as feasible before your tools gets harmed. You will definitely be asked for the additional cost of our Service. Service Terms The manufacturer's warranty period for service warranty and solution finishes within 30 days of the day of investment. There is no cash back warranty. No refund of dropped money or any sort of various other manufacturer's warranty.
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Premise Property Maintenance LTD | Property maintenance & Refurbishment Southampton
Premise Property Maintenance LTD
Your one stop shop for all property maintenance, property refurbishments, kitchens, bathroom installations & all general maintenance services.
Premise Property Maintenance have more than 30 years’ experience carrying out competitively priced property maintenance services in and around Southampton.
If you have a property that requires maintenance or just an occasional fix, hiring individual companies to handle every little issue can be a major hassle. Premise Property Maintenance LTD has a professional team of qualified engineers that specialise in all aspects of repairs and home improvement. From plumbing and boiler services, to refurbishments and electrical repairs, you can count on our reliable and experienced team to get the job done across Southampton.
At Premise Property Maintenance LTD we have a highly trained team who cover the full range of property maintenance services in Southampton.
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Bathroom installers Southampton
Does your bathroom look dated? Have you recently moved and dislike the previous occupant’s idea of bathroom design? Or is your bathroom simply worn and in need of modernising? And for this, are you looking for the best bathroom installers Southampton has to offer? Then pick up the phone and contact the top bathroom installation company in Southampton.
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Do you have a boiler that needs to be serviced? Have you been looking for a dependable company to handle your boiler servicing? If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place since Premise Property Maintenance Ltd offers top-notch boiler servicing Southampton residents can rely on. We have a team of committed and certified professionals that can ensure that your boiler system is always operating at peak performance.
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Are you thinking about having your home renovated? Perhaps you have an issue with your roof, and you need a team to repair it. Whatever your requirements may be, you will need a reliable team of builders Southampton clients. This is where we can help at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd, as we boast all trades under one roof. Our team can assist with your project, whatever it may be. To find out more about how we can help, please call us today on 02380 224904.
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Are you thinking of having some building work carried out on your property? Have you been searching for the premier building team to carry out this work for you? If so, you have certainly come to the right place, as we at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd are the best team of carpenters Southampton has to offer.
Painters and decorators Southampton
Sometimes, you feel like something went wrong with the planning when you look around your room. When you feel like it’s time for a refurbishment, you need a reliable team that would elevate and enhance the aesthetics of your Southampton property. No matter what you feel your Southampton home is lacking, you can rest assured our professional painters and decorators in Southampton are ready to turn it into whatever you have envisioned for a while.
Gas central heating Southampton
When it comes to your gas central heating Southampton clients, it is important that you only ever work with a reliable and professional team. The slightest issue with your gas system could cause major problems, but you won’t have to worry about that with Premise Property Maintenance Ltd on your side.
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Have you been searching for a reliable team that can fit a new kitchen for you in Southampton? Then you’re in luck, as you’ve now found the experts at Premise Property Management! We’re widely considered to be the best kitchen installers Southampton has to offer. Our team is always willing to discuss our kitchen installation options with clients at length. You can get started with our excellent kitchen installation services now by reaching out to a member of our friendly team.
Plumbers Southampton
We strive to provide cost-effective yet high-quality plumbing services in Southampton region. This is the reason we’ve brought together a professional and reliable team of water system experts. You can trust that we employ only the industry’s finest workers to guarantee that every project lives up to both your expectations and the industry standards of quality.
Property maintenance Southampton
Our company is privileged to say that we provide some of the best property maintenance Southampton. Focusing on quality work and client satisfaction simultaneously, our team will leave no detail overlooked to ensure that each and every one of your requirements is fulfilled. Your property will shine once our team have completed their work! You can depend on our contractors to leave your property in excellent condition and restore it to its glory days.
Property refurbishment Southampton
If you feel like your Southampton home needs a bit of a change, our creative team at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd can help you with a complete home refurbishment. You can rest assured our team here at Premise Property Maintenance Ltd are experts at turning your building into an aesthetically-pleasing space that you would enjoy at all times. You can rest confident our team will handle all aspects of your home refurbishment to get the result that exceeds your expectations.
If you would like to learn more about our property refurbishment services in Southampton, you can get in touch with our helpful team today. You can do so by calling us today on 02380 224904, and a member of our team will gladly answer all your inquiries about our refurbishment services. Alternatively, you can fill in our online contact form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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The knowledgeable and approachable team at Premise Property Maintenance is well equipped to offer a full range of roofing services Southampton customers need. With decades of industry experience, there is no job that we cannot handle, as we offer a full range of options to ensure that your roof is in perfect working condition.
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Address: Insite House, 53-57 Park Road Shirley,Southampton,
SO15 3BA
Tel: +44 (0) 23 8022 4904
Email: [email protected]
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6 Tips For Hiring A Plumber For Home Renovation Projects
Most people cannot imagine their home without having plumbing services like running water and a working toilet. Still, this is something many people take for granted. It could arguably be one of a home's essential services for its residents.
Thus, it is no surprise that anyone doing home renovation projects would search for a plumber to assist them with upgrading or installing their plumbing hardware. The only problem they may face is finding the right one. Below are some of the best tips for hiring the right plumber for your next project:
1. Choose An Accredited And Licensed Plumber
Although some people prefer to tackle minor renovations, many would hire a contractor to assist them with larger projects. Renovation and design experts will always recommend that homeowners use professional plumbing services to prevent any issues with the renovation project.
For any plumbing-related project during the renovations, homeowners should opt for a plumber with the correct accreditation and licensing to perform the project's tasks. Without these in place, it may cost the homeowner more money when the fixtures or pipes start leaking or causing problems.
2. Ask For References And Experience
Plumbers should be able to produce a portfolio of references and demonstrate their experience working on various projects. When they refuse to give homeowners any of this reassurance, it may be best to find one willing to give it without hesitation.
Homeowners should be able to trust the plumber with the vital task of making their plumbing work better. Having the references and experience to show will ensure they are reliable enough to do quality work, especially when they recreate a bathroom look that could be more complicated than others.
3. Evaluate Their Costs Before Hiring
Some plumbers may be more expensive than others, but for a good reason. The more experienced they are, and the more services they offer, the more their costs could be. Although not every homeowner will be able to afford a top-notch plumber, others provide the same quality service for less.
It may be a good idea for anyone doing renovations to request quotations from all the plumbers in the area and compare their costs to each other. Settle on the best plumber that will fit into the renovation budget, and make sure that they can provide a breakdown of all the costs before hiring them, so there are no hidden surprises later.
4. Check For Warranties And Insurance
All professional plumbers should have warranties to offer the homeowner and insurance for their work in case any problem arises. When searching for the best plumber, ask them for these and check that they are acceptable and valid before deciding to avail of their services.
The warranties and insurance will protect both parties against damages that may occur during or after the renovation. If they are in place, repairing the defective parts shouldn't have any extra costs later. Older houses may have more things that could go wrong during renovations, and having the peace of mind that everyone has cover will make the project less worrisome.
5. Do Some Research On The Plumber
Luckily, with many company profiles now online, customers can find reviews and comments about their services at the click of a button. Before starting the renovations, search for all the available plumbers in the area or the ones the homeowner is interested in and read more about them.
In doing so, the homeowner should understand the variety of services each plumber offers and how satisfied their other customers are after completing projects. Homeowners should feel comfortable leaving the plumbing part of the renovation to the plumber, making it essential to find the right one for their needs.
6. Inquire About Their Availability
Unfortunately, no one can plan when to have a plumbing emergency, but having a reliable plumber on standby for these occasions could make the problem more bearable. Not all plumbers will offer after-hours service, so before adding their number to the emergency list, ensure that they provide this service.
There is possibly nothing worse than sitting without working plumbing and no one to assist. So, having a list of emergency numbers that include those of available plumbers would be very handy. Keep this list in the kitchen or anywhere everyone can access it.
The Final Word
Instead of adding even more stress to an already taxing renovation project, find a plumber that will relieve some of the worries. A licensed professional should provide the best services they have to offer their clients for the amount they charge for doing the work.
The homeowner must find the plumbing services that will benefit them the most, including help during the renovations and after. After all, renovations are supposed to make the living space a better place for the residents, and with the best plumber on the block, the home will undoubtedly be that and more.
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