#charging me money for an ONLINE gallery no one will look at?
Text
Next online open call I find it’s on SIGHT
#DO U THINK IM MADE OF MONEY BROTHER#I have little to no interest in online galleries to begin with but BRO#charging me money for an ONLINE gallery no one will look at?#u better be fucking joking#lenscratch im begging u to stop posting those in the open calls list#artist#photographer
1 note
·
View note
Text
• mingyu x fem reader
• smut, sexting, mingyu is an avid emoji user, switch mingyu but more subby at the end (sawrrrry I can’t help it), use of pet names (good boy and baby).
• 2,9k
note: I wanted to post a quick work to get this blog going while I finish some longer things I’m working on ♡ hope you like it and I’m sorry if there are any mistakes
part 2 is posted! find it here
Your eyes roll when your phone lights up and the text notification pops up.
Kim Mingyu🤢: don’t forget to transfer me the money for Seokmin’s bday 🙏 [11:47 pm.]
The idea of Kim Mingyu of all people handling something as important as a birthday surprise for your best friend irks you.
Of course he was his best friend too. But why on earth did he end up making the plans. And who made you follow his lead. It’s like torture. You don’t want to engage with him in any way.
He was so smug when everyone decided he should be in charge of the surprise party. The decision was between you and him, and you guess people don’t really like your style of planning, because it was an unanimous vote. Still, you liked not having to stress so much about it but having to rely on your sworn enemy makes you shrug.
Okay maybe sworn enemy it’s an exaggeration. You two just don’t like each other, and that’s fine. Not everyone is always going to like you and you’re okay with that. The problem is when you can’t avoid said person because you’re in the same fucking friend group.
You two avoid each other if possible. When the whole group hangs out, you try to stay as far away as you can. It’s not like you fight with him but your exchanges are short and dry, often a little harsh, so you try your best to avoid it to not spoil the mood.
After you transfer him the money you take a screenshot to send him. It’s not really needed but you do it just to make sure there’s proof that you transferred the money.
You open his chat and send the last picture on your camera roll without even looking, trying to be done with him the fastest possible.
You: [Picture.] [11:50 pm.]
Locking your phone, you keep working on the assignment your boss asked you to finish by tomorrow. But it gets cut short because not even five minutes later Mingyu texts you again. You don’t open his chat, instead read it through the notification.
Kim Mingyu🤢: didn’t take you as the type to take pics like that 🫣 [11:54 pm.]
You wonder what the hell he’s talking about and why did he choose such annoying emoji.
As you open the chat your eyes grow wide and you realize you forgot to check what exactly you were sending Mingyu.
It seems that your screenshot hadn’t fully loaded on the gallery, and you accidentally sent him the previous last photo on your camera roll, which was a mirror selfie of you wearing a new pair of underwear you bought today.
Panic starts to creep in on you, but before doing anything stupid you breathe in and breathe out, calming yourself to think. Mingyu’s still online, which means he’s probably waiting for your answer.
Instead of admitting it was on accident or show him any weakness, you decide to play with him a little. He likes to annoy you too so why not do the same.
You: you never know… I’m full of surprises.
You: why wouldn’t I take a pic if I look pretty? [11:55 pm]
You don’t expect much but his reply comes as soon as you click send.
Kim Mingyu🤢: surprised I definitely am🤔 can’t decide if I like this side of you or not🫢 [11:55 pm.]
You: like I care about your validation [11:56 pm.]
Kim Mingyu🤢: you should.
You: ?
Kim Mingyu🤢: take pics like this I mean😳
Now this is getting interesting.
You: so you think I look pretty? [11:57 pm.]
You wouldn’t lie and say him saying things like this doesn’t make you a little giddy. He’s always so dry with you, you definitely prefer this side of him.
Kim Mingyu🤢: you should send me another one🫣 it’ll help me make up my mind.
You ponder on what’s happening for a solid minute before replying. Is he flirting? Is he teasing you? Will this just be another thing to annoy you in the future?
You: can you stop with those fuckass emojis. [11:58 pm.]
You: I’m not speaking to you if you keep talking like that.
Kim Mingyu🤢: what if I say please?
Now that. Is unexpected. At first it seemed like he wanted to annoy you too, but now he’s almost… begging? How far is he willing to take it? How willing are you?
You: you’re so annoying.
You: I’m trying to work.
Kim Mingyu🤢: all this time we've known each other and I’ve never even seen you in a bikini. [11:59 pm]
Kim Mingyu🤢: what a waste of time.
You: was it worth the wait?
Kim Mingyu🤢: you have no idea.
You: enlighten me then.
Kim Mingyu🤢: oh I don’t think you’re prepared for that.
The conversation is taking a turn you’re not sure if you should take. Exciting you in ways that it shouldn’t.
A chat between the two of you never exceeded a few texts, you both always so eager to end it as soon as possible, so why does he keep replying? Why do you?
You: what do you want Mingyu? [12:00 am]
Your blatant question seems to take him by surprise because he doesn’t reply right away.
Kim Mingyu🤢: me? You’re the one that sent me a fucking nude at this hour [12:01 am]
He’s right. Are you embarrassing yourself? He’s never gonna let you live after this. But you’re not backing down now.
You: I wasn’t naked you pervert [12:02 am]
You: and it didn’t seem to matter to you before
You: you liked it didn’t you
Kim Mingyu🤢: never said I didn’t
You: so…
Kim Mingyu🤢: what?
You: are you gonna do something about it?
You’re too curious for your own good. The lines between annoying him and flirting with him are getting more and more blurred every second that passes.
Now it’s your turn to be surprised.
Kim Mingyu🤢: you can’t ask me that [12:03 am]
You: why?
Minutes pass and you see him typing then nothing, then typing again. Your room starts to feel hotter, the expectation getting the best of you and you start to feel a familiar feeling at the base of your stomach.
Kim Mingyu🤢: you should never send a desperate guy something like that at this hour [12:06 am]
You: are you that desperate?
Kim Mingyu🤢: [Picture.]
Kim Mingyu🤢: does that answer your question?
You stare in awe at your phone for what feels like an hour. His hard dick covered by his white boxers threatening to come out fills your screen. Nothing is left to the imagination.
Kim Mingyu🤢: cat got your tongue? [12:08 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: [Picture.]
Kim Mingyu🤢: it’s getting difficult to not touch myself
A second photo fills your screen now. It’s almost in the same position except now his hand is covering his bulge and his red tip is out.
Wetness starts to pool on your underwear, but he doesn’t need to know, yet at least.
You: I never pictured you as such a needy guy. [12:10 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’m not ashamed to be who I am🙈
You: even with you hands on your pants you manage to send a fucking emoji wow. [12:11 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: I can send something else
Kim Mingyu🤢: only if you want of course
You straighten yourself, waiting for another photo, but nothing happens. When you move on your seat, you feel just how wet you are. Oh you’re gonna kill him after this.
You: I really hate you you know [12:14 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: aren’t you supposed to be working?😨
You: you’re distracting
Kim Mingyu🤢: oh so you do want this
You: this? [12:15 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: all you have to do is ask
Kim Mingyu🤢: nicely
You: you really gonna make me beg?
Kim Mingyu🤢: want me to show you how horny I am?
Kim Mingyu🤢: you want me to make you feel good.
You: you could never make me feel good. [12:16 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: oh we’ll see about that.
The act you’re putting up won’t last much longer if he keeps up like this. Your right hand creeps down you abdomen. You barely graze your covered cunt, the little relief makes you sigh.
You’re too lost in the little pleasure and don’t realize he sent more texts.
Kim Mingyu🤢: [voice note] [12:18 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: your turn.
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’m dying over here
Kim Mingyu🤢: are you touching yourself? [12:19 am]
You: you’re leaving me no choice. [12:20 am]
You decide to play with him a little and send him a ‘one view only’ photo of your hand inside your panties. The same panties as the first photo you sent.
After you reply you dare to play his voice note. The faint sound of his hand tugging on his erection and his little grunts are nothing compared to the sigh he lets out at the end. You play with your fingers, circling them around your wet entrance.
Kim Mingyu🤢: you’re so not fair. [12:22 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: I bet you’re so wet right now
Kim Mingyu🤢: I wish you were here so I could touch you properly [12:23 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: my fingers playing with your little cunt like the brat you are
This can’t hurt right? It’s not like it will happen again and besides he’s already jerking off to your image. You start circling around your clit, playing with yourself making you squirm.
You: I’m so wet [12:24 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: did i get you all riled up already?
You: don’t flatter yourself
Kim Mingyu🤢: tell me.
Kim Mingyu🤢: show me how wet you are [12:25 am]
You: I could just slide my fingers in
Kim Mingyu🤢: I said show me
You debate if you should actually send him something. You know he’s trustworthy, he’s friends with your best friends after all, but this is something far beyond that.
You: should I? [12:26 am]
You: I could just leave you like this
You: get it done by myself
It could be read a threat but you want to see how he reacts.
Kim Mingyu🤢: don’t be mean☹️
Kim Mingyu🤢: I won’t show this to anyone [12:27 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: if that worries you
Kim Mingyu🤢: I promise
His sudden kindness surprises you a little.
You’re not sure if you always found Mingyu attractive. Sure he’s really handsome that’s undeniable. Maybe when you first met you thought he was really hot but those feelings died down because your relationship wasn’t the best. You had a few fights before you decided it was best for the group to just ignore each other if possible.
This was the first time in years you had a long conversation that didn’t end in a fight, and you like it.
You: I'm not the type to do this you know [12:28 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’m not either
You: but I don't want to stop
Kim Mingyu🤢: me neither
Knowing he wants this too just turns you on more. He’s not pushing you to do anything and you guess that if you tell him to stop he will. But you have to make sure before you do something.
You: just promise me this is between us [12:30 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: you have my word🤐
You: be serious for one second
Kim Mingyu🤢: you can trust me
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’m serious I won’t show or tell anyone
That is enough to calm you for now. You don’t think about how this will affect your relationship. Seokmin’s birthday is just few days away and you’ll have to face Mingyu in front of everyone.
But that doesn’t bother you now as you’re filming what Mingyu so desperately was asking you to.
You angle your phone to show only your lower body on camera. You start the video circling your entrance, gathering as much arousal as possible. After that, you move your fingers closer to the camera to show how wet they are and then slowly insert two fingers in your hole. You end the video after a little moan escapes your lips
You: for being such a good boy [12:35 am]
You: [video]
You don’t stop fingering yourself and close your eyes imagining it’s Mingyu’s hand and not yours. His thick fingers would stretch you more than yours ever could. A few slow strokes are enough to make you squirm. And you remember to open your eyes and see you got more texts from Mingyu.
Kim Mingyu🤢: holy fuck [12:37 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: you’re dripping
Kim Mingyu🤢: I should be there right now
Kim Mingyu🤢: show you what my mouth could do
Kim Mingyu🤢: could eat you out for hours
Kim Mingyu🤢: fuck you’re making me so hard [12:38 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: [picture]
He had took his boxers off and was now fully naked. His hand could barely wrap around his fully hard dick. The tip is pinkish red and leaking precum already.
You: fuck you’re so big [12:39 am]
You: I don’t think it could fit inside me
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’ll make it fit
You: how?
Kim Mingyu🤢: I'd make you cum so much that I'd slide right in
You: are you touching yourself?
Kim Mingyu🤢: god how I wish this was you instead of my hand
You close your eyes again. Imagining Mingyu on top of you as you finger yourself harder, as deep as you possibly can. Wet sounds and moans fill your room as you get closer and closer.
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’m so close it’s embarrassing [12:41 am]
You: I am too
Kim Mingyu🤢: show me?🥺
The giggle you let out is almost instantaneous. His emojis are annoyingly cute.
You take a similar video as before but don’t hold back the moans. Your strokes are slow to show on camera how deep you’re getting. The orgasm is so close you can taste it but you stop, edging yourself.
You: because you asked so nicely [12:43 am]
You: [video.]
You: now you
You wait a few minutes, stroking you clit lightly to not lose the orgasm but not quickly enough to stimulate much.
The torture doesn’t last long because a video appears in your chat along with more texts.
Kim Mingyu🤢: holy shit [12:44 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: you’re so hot
Kim Mingyu🤢: god that should be my hand
Kim Mingyu🤢: [video] [12:45 pm]
As soon as you press play you’re welcomed by Mingyu’s delicious moans. His cock is shiny with pre cum all over it, now angry red. He moans at every pump and you feel yourself getting wetter.
Unexpectedly, he also speaks: “I’m so close" his voice is hoarse and deep like you’ve never heard before, “I wish this was your hand, shit only imagining makes me almost cum" and finally, “please… tell me I can cum… can I cum?”
You never expected the big buff Kim Mingyu to be so needy, it just makes you hornier if that’s even possible.
You: you’re so needy baby [12:47 am]
You: I’m close too
You: been edging myself waiting for you
Kim Mingyu🤢: shit baby don’t say stuff like that [12:48 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: im about to burst
You: want to cum big boy?
Kim Mingyu🤢: pleeasee
You: look who’s begging now
Kim Mingyu🤢: don’t play with me right now
Kim Mingyu🤢: you’re just as desperate as me
Kim Mingyu🤢: use three fingers for me and cum baby [12:49 am]
You don’t need to be told twice. You press record and insert three fingers into your cunt. You’re so wet they just slide in and you let out a long moan, increasing your speed at every thrust. It’s not long until you’re shaking and cumming all over your hand and bed.
But you don’t end the video there. You grab you phone and film your face as you suck your fingers clean while staring at the camera lense.
You: [video.] [12:51 am]
You: your turn to cum baby
As you wait for him you go clean yourself up and grab new sheets for the bed.
Kim Mingyu🤢: [video] [12:53]
You press play and the sight of his hand is rapidly stoking his hard dick welcomes you, no more than five strokes after the video starts he lets out a long ground and is cumming all over his abs.
Kim Mingyu🤢: that was [12:54]
Kim Mingyu🤢: holy shit
Kim Mingyu🤢: I never came so fast in my life
You: embarrassingly me neither
The conversations stills for a few minutes, even though it feels like hours. What do you say after sexting with someone you supposedly hate?
You: I guess I’ll see you on saturday [01:03 am]
You're left on seen a few more minutes and you wonder if he already regrets this.
Kim Mingyu🤢: yeah right [01:06 am]
Kim Mingyu🤢: I’ll send everyone what hour to come by to prepare everything
Kim Mingyu🤢: see you then
It’s so awkward that you don’t send anything after.
You don’t regret it but you do fear what’s going to happen.
Note: sorry if the ending it’s a little sudden, I don’t know how to finish this but I do want to write a part two 😉
341 notes
·
View notes
Text
one fun story i have that i didn’t tell at the time for privacy reasons is how i lived like half a block from whitechapel gallery & on one sunday (i had one week left at my job & then i was flying out of london wednesday) i was having a weirdish day but i knew i wanted to see whatever was there before i left so i walked in an hour & a half before they closed. i didn’t know what the exhibition was, i just knew the one i’d seen when i went over the summer ended in october & there would be a new one. last time i’d gone the main doors to the start of the exhibition had been wide open but this time they were closed & there was a table in front of it with a woman sitting at it with a laptop. i wasn’t at all in the mood to talk to anybody and i wasn’t sure what the vibe was there so i hovered around the books they sell in the front for a bit & then went straight for the doors, like you do when you walk past somebody who might want to talk to you. i figured i’d stop if anybody told me to stop, but nobody did. so i got inside and there was a big tall wall with lots of medium-sized works that were mostly pencil on paper or had very limited color palettes, like just black & white & red, what i mean is low contrast, so basically it was hard to make out details at a distance, so i take a look & try to parse what i’m looking at & i realize i’m seeing a lot of naked women. lots of sex and orgies and women cutting men’s dicks off. turns out the exhibition theme is straight up just the works of one person, it’s all nicole eisenman who is a badass & funny butch(?) lesbian. it’s organized sort of chronologically but also by theme, the first book is all drawings & paintings with a certain sense of humor and it’s mostly about identity and lesbians and stuff. then past that it’s a lot of big paintings with people in places, then some really touching sort of slice of life/romantic ish paintings, then some cool sculptures (like, big heads, with water running through them & shit), then most recently these huge wall-sized political paintings. about trump & stuff. obviously i can’t sum up the whole thing, whatever. i spent like over an hour in there. then i get to the end of that series of rooms & to the area with some chairs & a little exhibition from students in the area it’s cool whatever then i go to leave the area & when i close the door behind me there’s a sign on it that’s like “DO NOT ENTER this is a paid exhibition & you have to enter through the front.” oops. past that there was a little room with this cool huge moving sculpture and another big painting, as like a free section of the exhibition. then i walked out. nobody stopped me. i didn’t actually realize it was supposed to be paid, like sure i guess based on context clues i should’ve realized, but like seriously it didn’t cost money over the summer so i didn’t know ! but either way the gallery was about to close so i just walked out. then i didn’t want to go home because it was like 6 so i walked down brick lane (i miss brick lane…) & got some food but i wasn’t huge on it… i also listened to chappell roan. that was my evening. i love this story i feel like walking into that room and getting slapped in the face with funny sexy sarcastic LESBIANISM is exactly what i deserved that day. also i think i deserved to see it for free. the universe said i deserved it. i still don’t know how much they were charging for it. in conclusion i didn’t take any pictures but that night i went & found one of the paintings i’d seen online. here’s the picture of it i found exactly where it was hung at the gallery
crazy. but i have to say the picture doesn’t do it justice, this thing was huge, you could walk up close to it and read the names on the file folders. you really just have to see it. it’s kind of weird to know i could go back but this wouldn’t be there, and i just probably will never see it again. which isn’t something i think about when i go to art places & see art. but i liked this one
#i was so crazy privileged to live in such a cool fucking neighborhood#post tag#i love art i love going to an art gallery and looking at everything there BUT i think this stuff was more fun to look at than most#<- unfortunately i can’t say that in a smarter way because i’m not an art person#i just like looking at it :)
5 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Launch Site of the Titanic
33 Clarendon Dock, Queens Island, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
54.6107, -5.9086
A museum marks and documents the site of the Titanic's launch.
HOW DO YOU MARK AND memorialize the site of a tragedy that technically sits more than two and a half miles under water?
The tragedy of the Titanic sent pangs of shock and grief through citizens all over the world. Comparable tragedies all have an intensely personal memorial site where people can visit hallowed ground and commune with their emotions about the event - Ground Zero in New York City, Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, and Hiroshima Park in Japan - but the site of the Titanic is unreachable by the vast majority of humanity.
The organizers of the Titanic Belfast museum in Northern Ireland believe that they have the best possible solution. An elaborate building and museum built next to the slipways where Titanic was built showcases the Titanic story from her early beginnings to her tragic end.
Poignant and moving, standing at the site of the joyous send-off of a doomed ship is an affecting way to pay respect to the tragedy. Looking to the sea on a sunny day, one can imagine the emotions evoked among the engineers and workers who toiled for months to construct her, as they watched famous ship shrink into the horizon, wondering when they might, if ever, see it again.
Anyone with an interest in maritime history or the Titanic story should visit this incredibly special part of Belfast; Queen’s Island has a lot to offer other than the slipways and museum.
The slipways themselves outside of the museum are open to the public without charge, so you can walk in the outline of the great ship and marvel at the memorials in the area without paying a penny.
Know Before You Go
There are a number of activities on offer around the Queen's Island besides the Slipways and the Museum. Not to be missed is the SS Nomadic, (Titanic's Tender ship), and the Thompson Dry Dock and Pump House where Titanic was outfitted. If visiting the Titanic Belfast Exhibition, it is recommended to book tickets online in high season, and move through the self-service ticketing stations to save time getting into the galleries. Early morning visits mean the galleries are less crowded and easier to traverse. Getting to the Titanic Quarter is easy, as following the River Lagan out towards past the Odyssey Pavillion is a 15 minute walk from the city centre. The huge, pointed silver building is prominent on the skyline, as are the Harland and Wolff cranes which share the island. The train stop of Titanic Quarter is a short distance from the building and Slipways, and is accessible from the Central or Grand Victoria stations in Belfast via the Portadown/Bangor train route.
via Atlas Obscura
Send me some gas money!
12 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi Shy~
Sooo, I have this headcanon that Damian is like this wonderful child prodigy genius. Like, super smart. So smart, that when Bruce tries to enroll him in Gotham academy, they tell him that Damian has tests for college level. Which, Damian just rolls his eyes at, because duh. After discussing it with professionals and yada yada, Damian gets enrolled into college. He’s like, twelve-ish. He is STILL bored in class, and knows most of the information they are trying to teach. His advisor is so sweet and invested into Damian though. And observant. After noticing Damian lack of enthusiasm, he asks Damian what the problem. Nothing interests him, none of his classes.this advisor is an old timer, in my opinion, and has seen so many kids pushed to do things they never wanted to do, and decides he can’t let that happen with Damian. So the Advisor pulls out every department, every major, and goes through it with Damian. After a few hours, because it takes a while to convince Damian that it is alright to do anything he wants, Damian has his majors narrowed down to a few things. Art and pre-med. Damian’s advisor suggests he visit a few of the clubs on campus to really get a feel of what he wants. Thing is, even after going to the students’ art club gallery and one of the pre-med club meetings, neither really speak to him. It’s a Saturday night, and he’s alone on campus. Damian is about to call Alfred, when a student from Damian’s organic chemistry class spots him.
“Damian!” Jace, a slightly round student with soft curly hair smiles at Damian. “Are you here for the show?”
“Show?” Damian scowls?
“Yeah, the fashion show. This year’s theme is sustainability,” Jace smiles. They one of the few people who never ogled at Damian for being a Wayne or looked down on him for his age. They are just genuinely nice, and Damian knows that.
“I didn’t know we had a fashion show,”
“Really? I swear I thought I mentioned it,” Jace says, surprised. Jace may have mentioned that, but Damian probably was zoned out during the time.“Tickets are $15, if you wanna come”
“Oh,” Damian frowns, “I used all the money I brought with me for the art gallery and lunch earlier,” He says, cursing internally for not bringing more cash with him.
“If you want to go, I’ll cover you.” Jace smiles, “Think of it as payment for help on our last exam” Damian would usually say no, but Jace is just so nice,
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah! Besides,” Jace smiles, turning towards the stadium, “I have a feeling you’re going to love it”
And Damian did love it. The designs were amazing, some more haute couture while others were casual, and each designer explained how their designs involved sustainability. Some were statement pieces, designed to address political issues, others were just to demonstrate that sustainability could still be cute, and while others highlighted affordability and sustainability.
Damian wanted to do this. Running through his head were endless possibilities. Perhaps he can enlist the help of Poison Ivy to create a vegan leather that was also bullet resistant, or…
The next Monday he is waiting for his advisor at 7 in the morning, because he spent the rest of the weekend coming up with ideas, sketches, creating a portfolio, and practicing hypothetical arguments as to why Damian should go into fashion. At 7:15 his advisor sees him, and can tell by the light in Damian’s eyes, determination on his face, and the way he’s clutching his sketchbook, Damian has found it.
“I want into the fashion program!” Damian all but bursts, unconsciously on his tippy toes in excitement.
“Okay,” His advisor smiles, ushering him into his office. “Let’s make it happen”
“Just like that?” Damian asks, eyes wide, voice surprisingly small. His advisor smiles at him kindly.
“I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.”
It takes a bit before Damian can actually get into the program, he has to work on some prerequisites, and also create a better portfolio with samples, but Damian is determined. By the end of the school year, he has been accepted.
Damian doesn’t tell his family, not in the beginning. He actually doesn’t want to tell his friends either, unsure of how they’d react. He is still insecure, and just entering his teen years. He worries about what any or everyone will say. Eventually, though he tells Jon and Colin, swearing them to secrecy. They both are excited for him, asking if he’d design their costumes for them. Damian blushes but says,
“Tt, like you can afford me”
He eventually tells Alfred as well, because he needs help learning how to use a sewing machine, and fast. Sure, he can stitch someone up flawlessly, but sewing machines weren’t part of the League’s lessons. Alfred is in charge of the one at the Manor, so it only makes sense to ask him. Even so, Damian is reluctant. When he does finally ask, he nearly gives himself an attack, worrying about being scolded for not using his “full potential”. Alfred simply squeezes Damian’s shoulder, and agrees with a kind smile. The young Master finally seemed passionate about something besides vigilante work and violence. Alfred would do everything in his power to foster that.
“Just,” Damian looks down, hands clenching into fists at his side, “Do not tell the others. I would prefer this between us,” He looks at Alfred, unsuccessfully trying to hide the vulnerability in his wide emerald eyes. Alfred agrees, for now. On the conditions that Damian would have to tell his father and siblings himself, and not to far in the future either.
Damian impresses everyone with his designs, and people learn he is actually quite adorable when he’s doing something he enjoys. His classmates and professors encourage him to join the fall fashion show, which is covering “multiculturalism and the media”. Damian hesitantly agrees, though he has been making designs since the theme was announced. His room is full of crumbled paper on his floor, designs he deigned not good enough. Many of his designs are heavily influenced by his Arab culture, but he also has some Chinese-influenced designs as well. His statement piece is the hardest to get right. It involves a hijab and beautiful colors, but he just can’t get the right patter. Ripping another page and crumpling it,Damian is too concentrated to realized Tim and Dick have been creeping into his room.
“What’s this Dames?” Dick asks, startling Damian, as he looks at some of the rejected designs. Panic makes Damian defensive as he yells at them to get out, frustration fueling the dread of his family seeing such unsatisfactory work. Tim flinches, shocked by the emotion coming off of Damian, rushing out with a few crumpled papers he snuck from the floor. Damian is literally trying to shove Dick out the door. Dick turns around, because he can hear the panic in his little brother’s voice. In his Robin’ voice. “Damian,” he says softly, easily deflecting Damian. “It’s okay,” he says, wrapping his arms around Damian, reversing the situation. “What’s wrong, why are you reacting like this?” After a few minutes of struggling, Damian gives up. Slowly,he explains the situation, how he’s in the fashion program and the fashion show coming up, all the pressure to do well, the frustration of not having his statement piece yet. Dick listens, his hold turning into a hug. “From what I’ve seen,” Dick says softly, “these are all wonderful designs,Dami. Whatever you end up making will look amazing, if they look anything like your sketches.”
“It’s not enough!” Damian complains, eyes burning, but he refuses to cry. “You don’t understand!” He says, frustrated.
“Then explain it to me, why is this so important?”
“Because it is about me!” Damian’s voice cracks ask he turns away rosiness his eyes harshly. “When I was introduced to the public, as “Bruce Wayne’s biological son”, do you not remember how the newspapers reacted? They didn’t know me, or my mother, but because—because of my skin, the country I was born, I was mistrusted. Scorned. Yeah, maybe I’ve killed people, but that isn’t because of my skin color or my culture or the language I speak. I have this opportunity to speak out against that!” Damian turns to look at Dick, “I’ve tried to become better, to do better. It’s hard and unfair that none of that matters, because guests are invited to galas hosted in the house that I live in, only to make snide racist comments about “nukes” or the desert or bombs whenever Father and you all aren’t around me. How can I be better, when I’m not given the chance because people can’t see past my skin?” Dick wraps Damian into a tight hug, as wetness drips down Damian’s cheeks. “I’ve been here nearly four years—and it still happens” Damian whispers.
“Why didn’t you say anything Dami?”
“What could I say?” Damian whispers back,
“Bruce—”
“Invites these people because they are important to Wayne Enterprise.” He scoffs. “What could you do, especially if I have no proof?”
“Believe me, Damian,” Dick says seriously, pulling back to look into Damian’s eyes. “Bruce won’t invite anyone who’s racist or derogatory towards his children, back to a gala, let alone do business with him again.” He smiles a hard somewhat vicious smile. “I know because when I was first adopted, he did that for me” Damian’s eyes widen. “And if Bruce can’t defend you, you can bet your brothers will,” Damian looks unsure, but nods. “But I get it now. You’ve always used art to vent and express yourself. This design is something that would allow you to address what the media has done to and said about you.”
“It’s been,” Damian shrugs, looking down, “therapeutic. In a way I never imagined it would be.”
“Well, I think, whatever you end up designing will be amazing,” Dick smiles, and Damian looks up at the sincerity, giving his own smile smile in response. “And I expect an invitation to the fashion show!” He chuckles, causing Damian to blush. “And I bet the whole family would want to come as well,” Damian blushes, looking away once more.
“Tickets are $15 each, and available online,” Damian replies, making Dick belly laugh. “You can invite the others, if you’d like” Damian mumbles.
“Hmm,how ‘bout I invite the siblings while you invite your dad,” Damian grumbles, but agrees. “Great! Now, take a break. One night not designing won’t hurt you.” Dick says, wrapping his arm around Damian’s shoulder. ‘Might do you some good, in fact.”
Things get better after that, because after his talk with Dick, Damian gets an idea for his design. Ziba, a Persian student Damian met in his Literature class, agreed to be his model for his statement piece. She wore her hijab proudly, a solid black color, which helped with the down-to-business look the rest of the outfit screamed. Ziba’s makeup was beautiful, as Damian was putting the last touches on her. They both were quiet, nervous excitement pulsing through them both. Ziba had on white trousers that flared out a bit, to give an almost flowy feel, with black basic vegan leather square pointed toe mule flat accented by a silver buckle. Damian had made the top a cross between a tunic, a blazer, and a cape. It is white, and goes over a plain solid black turtleneck. Printed on both the buttoned blazer tunic top and the trousers are past racist articles written about Damian. In red graffiti styled letters sprayed across the news paper articles are phrases like “Lies” “Warped Perception” “Western POV” “Racist” “I was only 10”. The red paint matches the red lipstick Ziba is wearing.
Damian was nervous with his family in the audience, everyone including Alfred was there. Apparently Superman and Superboy were in attendance too, as civilians of course. Colin was there too. Damian had told his father about the fashion show, and was surprised to see how supportive he was about it. Of course that may have been the shock, as Damian had told him that morning before leaving for school. Bruce blinked, stood up and hugged Damian, before saying he couldn’t wait for the show.
Damian’s set is the last, ask the show is in alphabetical order according to last names. When it’s his turn, all of his model’s line up, and Damian is running around making sure everything is perfect. He hears the speaker introduce his collection, inviting Damian to join him on stage. Damian rushes out, brown cheeks turn red. Together they introduce all seven outfits of the collection one by one, as Damian describes his designs, the material, and the inspiration behind each one. When it get’s to Ziba’s turn, Damian’s nearly choked up. He manages to discuss this piece and it’s significance to him. At the end, Damian received a standing ovation from nearly everyone. Looking over at his family, he has to duck from hiding his flamed cheeks. All his siblings were cheering for him, while Bruce and Dick dab their eyes. Alfred has a proud look on his face, and Damian couldn’t have been happier.
He ends up getting second place, but also his own work room at the Manor. Damian begins selling his work after getting it patented (Tim demanded it), and is surprised when a number of orders are for the galas around Gotham. Dick told Bruce and the others about all the things Damian has been hearing at Galas, and they are justifiably angry. Duke begins chants of “Eat the Rich” every time he hears someone says something problematic about Damian, and that because Tim’s signal on who to take down next.
Damian’s designs become more widely popular as his family starts wearing them, as they love talking about it and how he uses sustainable methods and materials. This earns him big named clients, who start wearing Damian’s designs on the Red Carpet and premiers . Damian also likes to do work for charity, often donating dresses to high schoolers who cannot afford prom dresses or making clothes out of extra material to donate to shelters so people have clothes for job interviews and such.
(He also makes his pets clothes when he’s bored, so it’s normal to see Titus wearing a doggy hoodie with slits in it for his ears)
ANYWAYS, this is my headcanon lol
What do think about it?
—🧵🪡
Headcanon?? Bestie this a whole ass au!
As for my thoughts-
💳 💥💥 💳 💥💥💥 💳 💥💥💥💥
#shy's asks#sewing anon#anon#damian wayne#batfamily#batfam#dc comics#ANON PLEASE#ANON I LOVE THIS??#ANON IS A GENIUS#ITS LIKE 3AM AND IM BARELY COHERENT#BUT NOW I CANT STOP THINKING OF THIS AU#Anon I hope both sides of your pillow are cool tonight#I hope your blanket is softer that a cloud#long post
113 notes
·
View notes
Note
So I’ve been looking into NFTs and crypto lately because I just wanted to try and understand it, despite not being a tech person.
my understanding of NFTs is a lot of them are just a status symbol and bragging rights, but literally any piece of digital content can be an NFT. This ask could be an NFT that you, Nat, could sell, even though you don’t own tumblr. Like the dude who made twitter - Jack - he sold his first tweet for a ridiculous amount of money and someone now owns the digital code to that tweet. Anyone can screenshot it or copy and paste it and print it on a t shirt, anyone can access the code to it, also unless specified at the time of sale, Jack could sell his tweet as an NFT another 100 times and there is nothing the person who bought the first NFT can do to try and stop or stall it.
Where it actually gets cool to me though is that tech is going FAST in developing virtual reality stuff. Like Zuckerberg changing Facebook to Meta is all part of eventually turning all online experiences into an emmersive experience - that’s the goal anyway. Like does anyone remember Google Glasses? You could wear them as sunglasses and using your voice say “google pictures of cats” and it was meant to be able to show you pictures of cats through the glasses, but you’re meant to still be able to see through the glasses at the same time - like spy glasses with grids on them in movies. Idk how that project went lmao but tech peeps were loving it. Right well now the tech has gone from that idea to being the idea that everyone will have a virtual reality headset of some sort and say in a zoom / Skype group chat, you can essentially turn yourself into a sim and all the people you chat with have an avatar/ sim and it’s like you’re sitting at a table with them and depending where you turn your head, you see the room as a 3D thing instead of a pic on a screen of them talking.
Ok so now with the visual art NFTs, the NFTs you have can be used to decorate your virtual / sim world. So you could host your zoom meeting in something that looks like a London street, or a beach, or a replica of your bedroom etc etc etc. some people are already designing art galleries where all the art is digital and then they can have the option of inviting people to come and view it - like any website - OR they can put up a paywall and charge admission. It sounds ridiculous because yeah, if they say they have all of Banksy’s art in their gallery, they would’ve paid heaps for it, but we can google it to get the same experience, however some people think there will be a market for more virtual experiences and instead of scrolling Instagram by ourselves, we’ll put on our virtual reality headset and “meet” with friends and “visit” an NFT gallery and talk about it all in real time together. The use for graphics goes further, tbh I’m really not convinced they’ll be worth money (and most art NFTs crash in value as soon as they’re bought and are sold for only 20% of what they were first bought for 💀 which is why it’s easy for people to think it’s part of a crime organisation because who would sell something at an 80% loss within a month.... but whatever....)
The other big place for NFTs is the gaming industry. I’m not a gamer except for words with friends and candy crush type games lmao, but holy shit gamers spend a LOT of money! So since I’m not a gamer I’m just going back to the Sims example because it’s one I understand. So atm heaps of games have you constantly buying stuff to advance in an endless story and it’s like ‘if you want to fight this dragon you need one of these swords that you need to buy additionally’ or ‘you need more land to expand your castle’ or ‘you have to have a special piece of clothing to complete this task’ — I consider these to be like expansion packs for the sims lol. Well some games would release something like an outfit but only have it available for a limited time. So people bought this limited time outfit, but then when they advanced in the game they eventually had no use for that outfit anymore, but other players did - so they sold them to the newer players. The original gamers had money to spend on new shit in the game and the new gamers had the cool outfit they missed out on and everyone was happy. Then people realised some gamers REALLY wanted that special outfit and they sold it for twice the price, because new gamers were prepared to pay that much. It’s like it all the sim expansion packs sold out in store and the only way to get them was going on eBay, only by the time they got to eBay, the game was 10x as popular and 10x as many people wanted the expansion pack, so the sellers could make a fair profit selling them again.
The gaming tech keeps getting bigger and moving at a fast rate so another popular NFT to buy atm is in game land. The idea behind owning land in the game is a lot like land in real life, it depends on the location and the stuff around it as to how much it could be worth. So let’s say to play a game you have to cross a field, if you buy the digital space that field fits on, you can charge a tax for people to cross it. Games already do this, and it’s usually a coin of the in game currency; the currency isn’t worth anything outside of the game, but you can use “real” money to buy more of the game currency to advance further faster. The way games are going, the thought is that you could convert the in game currency to real world money. Maybe it’ll be bitcoin or some other form of crypto, but if tech people can do what they want to where you can swap game coins for a real life coin - people will make a LOT of money by owning digital land. I was reading about it and actually thought it sounded good, but most plots of digital land in places that are expected to make a profit are starting at SIXTY THOUSAND USD 💀 $60,000 USD. I thought it’d be like $20 lol.
There are also some people who talk about “digital real estate” as if it will replace real world real estate because cost of housing is too much, so they expect us to sit in a one bedroom apartment and then put on our virtual reality headset and enter our mansion — that we have to pay a lot of real money for ??? — and invite friends over to our virtual homes while we sit on the couch of our actual home, but I can’t see that idea taking off.
You can buy a whole lot of other NFTs that will be able to be used in games - like costumes, add ons (weapons, special powers etc) and scenery, which again can be traded from one gamer to another, or rented / taxed that could see it profitable, but my current understanding is that it’s like buying bricks for a house before you have land to build on — the NFTs are the bricks and the tech is the land — cause atm we can’t do everything I’ve mentioned, but tech developers are working towards making it real, which could happen in six months or six years etc.
But yeah I did a lot of research into it cause I thought maybe there was a possibility of making money selling digital art as NFTs instead of via red bubble designs lol. There is, but there’s a lot of work to get started and build hype to be successful at it.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk, I hope NFTs still exist by the time I’ve finished typing all this
Damn dude just found this and thanks for teaching us about NFTs and tech I guess.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: “Romantic Rail Getaway” Zuo Ran Route, Day 2
Translation Masterlist | Themis Event Masterlist
Zuo Ran Route: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
Videos, where applicable, are hyperlinked on the headings in the post.
See under cut!
Part 1 – Dilly Street Area – “The Charm of Dilly Plaza”
Dilly Plaza
On the second day, with the train’s advance, we arrived at the Dilly Plaza stop.
If Rumba City were called a picture scroll of literature and art, then Dilly Plaza was an elegant city that had both an artistic feeling and the flavour of life.
Here, you could clearly feel the enthusiasm of the locals.
Such as now – a travel guide warmly received us not long after we’d gotten off the train station platform.
Travel Guide: I’m very happy to meet you, visitors from afar.
Travel Guide: Is there anything you need me to help you with?
MC: Hm…
INTERROGATION START
Recommended Attractions
MC: Could you recommend some popular attractions for us?
Travel Guide: There are lots of popular attractions in Dilly Plaza, although the most popular with visitors is the Dilly Art Gallery and the Movie Wax Museum.
Dilly Art Gallery
MC: I believe that it said online that the art gallery is holding a special exhibition on Impressionist painters?
Travel Guide: Yes. If you two are interested, you can check out the gallery.
Travel Guide: The exhibition this time has brought together the famous works of over ten Impressionist painters, as well as specially allowing visitors to take photos…
Travel Guide: You can take pictures of your favourite works to your heart’s content.
MC: (Whoa, then I’ll be able to take lots of precious photos!)
MC: Lawyer Zuo, let’s go to the art gallery in a bit.
Zuo Ran: Mhmm, I was just planning to go see it with you too.
Movie Wax Museum
MC: How do you get to the movie wax museum?
Travel Guide: You can board the trip bus to the Promenade of Light and Shadow on the west side of the plaza to get to the entrance of the movie wax museum.
Travel Guide: The wax museum uses exquisite sculptures and reconstructed many classical movie scenes. It’s the attraction that visitors like seeing the most.
Travel Guide: If you two enjoy movies, you definitely can’t miss out.
MC: (Of course we like them! The wax museum is in the guide that Zuo Ran made before – I’m sure he must really want to go.)
Zuo Ran: MC, how about we…
MC: How about we go to the wax museum!
Zuo Ran and I basically spoke at the same time with our invitations… at the same time as when we spoke, Zuo Ran’s lips curved in a smile.
Zuo Ran: Sure, let’s go together.
Recommended Delicacies
MC: Could you recommend a few characteristic delicacies for us?
Travel Guide: On Dilly Plaza’s food lists, the highest-ranked dishes are mussel shrimp soup and red wine beef tongue.
Mussel Shrimp Soup
MC: I’m kind of curious about what mussel shrimp soup tastes like.
Tour Guide: This soup dish is very well-known in Dilly Plaza. Many types of vegetables are stewed in the soup, which contrast with the fresh sweetness of the mussels and long-tailed shrimp.
Tour Guide: I guarantee that when you first taste it, you’ll be able to experience the complex taste of mussel shrimp soup.
MC: (Just listening to it makes me feel like it’s a dish with a complicated process behind it! Its taste will probably be good, right?)
Zuo Ran: When we eat later, we can try a serving.
MC: Mhmm! I was thinking this too.
Red Wine Beef Tongue
MC: Red wine beef tongue sounds very delicious.
Tour Guide: This is a traditional dish in Rumbaliya, and you must try it.
Tour Guide: The chefs use a low-temperature slow cooking method to ensure the soft, springy feeling of the beef tongue…
Tour Guide: The pairing with specially-prepared red wine sauce makes the beef tongue freshly sweet and delicious. Visitors who eat this dish all praise it to high heavens.
MC: (I’m already hungry just from listening to this! I’m going to add this dish to the food checklist!)
INTERROGATION END
Tour Guide: Are there any other questions you have?
MC: None left, thank you.
Tour Guide: Then, I hope you two have fun!
Part 2 – Dilly Art Gallery
[Gameplay]
Part 3 – Dilly Commerce Street
[Gameplay]
Part 4 – Movie Wax Museum – “Mishap at the Wax Museum”
After checking out the Dilly Art Gallery, as well as tasting the fresh, sweet mussel shrimp and the delicious red wine beef tongue…
The next trip target was the movie wax museum that we were really looking forward to.
MC: (I wonder if there will be the movie scenes that Zuo Ran and I like in here…)
Right when we walked into the ticket booth, what greeted us weren’t enthusiastic staff members – instead, it was the sound of shouting.
Visitor: Did you get it wrong? Why should I pay an additional fee?
Staff: Dear lady, these are our rules.
Visitor: You’re taking money at random and trapping visitors with this!
MC: Eh? This is…
Visitor: Young lady, you came at the perfect time. Come judge what’s right!
INTERROGATION START
Course of Events
MC: Ah, don’t rush, could you tell me what happened first?
Visitor: I bought a special combo trip ticket online to come to Rumbaliya!
Visitor: The combo ticket included over entry tickets for over ten popular attractions, and it also said that we could use it whenever we wished.
MC: (Hm… sounds pretty worth it.)
Visitor: Who would’ve known that when I took out the combo ticket… the people here would have me pay more money!
Visitor: They even said that it couldn’t be used on its own, and I had to pay an additional service charge. It really pisses me off!
Ticket Price
MC: On the combo ticket, did they indicate information related to additional services charges?
Visitor: They didn’t! I’m willing to swear that this definitely wasn’t there.
Visitor: I flipped the combo ticket back and forth several times. There wasn’t any requirement about additional service charges.
Visitor: The people here must be tricking me.
What the Proprietor said
MC: Then… what did the proprietor say? Why are they collecting additional charges?
Visitor: Hmph, he said that the combo ticket only includes the basic entrance ticket price…
Visitor: I have to pay the remaining handling and service fees to go inside!
INTERROGATION END
Visitor: I’m so pissed off. What kind of random, crappy wax museum is this! I’m not going in anymore. Refund me!
Staff: My apologies, lady. Our tickets are non-refundable.
MC: (Can’t be refunded? This is a little ridiculous!)
Zuo Ran: If this lady does not intend to continue visiting, then it is reasonable to refund her entrance ticket.
Visitor: Exactly, what kind of logic is this forceful money collection?!
Staff: Our tickets are non-refundable! It was said that it’s non-refundable, so it’s non-refundable!
[Gameplay]
Staff: Whatever! I can’t beat you all, so I’ll just refund the ticket money now.
Staff: Hurry off now. Our wax museum doesn’t welcome troublesome patrons like you!
--
Visitor: Thank you. If you two didn’t help, I think that I would have had to argue with him for a lot longer.
MC: No need for thanks, we’re just doing what we should.
MC: Plus, we’re also visitors, and we should help each other.
Visitor: Ugh… Rumbaliya’s sceneries are quite good. It’s just that there are way too many black-hearted store proprietors – so frustrating!
The visitor caught the chance again to spew some bitter complaints.
After we managed to soothe her emotions, Zuo Ran and I no longer were in the mood to continue touring around.
After hastily taking a few scenic pictures, we ended the day’s itinerary in advance.
Part 5 – Street Performance Plaza
[Gameplay]
Part 6 – A Gentle Street Performance
Dilly Street Area
MC: That staff member was way too unreasonable.
After putting several roads’ worth of distance between us and the wax museum, I was still brooding over what had happened earlier.
I originally thought that I could experience the charm of classic movie scenes with Zuo Ran in the wax museum…
But instead… putting aside how we had been shut outside the order, the staff member even fiercely called us “meddling tourists”.
Zuo Ran: We just told the local police about the situation…
Zuo Ran: We can leave the rest for the related people to deal with it. Don’t let this matter affect you.
MC: Mhmm, I shouldn’t let people like this affect my good mood!
Zuo Ran reached out and straightened out the hairs in front of my forehead, a slight smile in his expression.
Zuo Ran: Right, do you want to see the night street concert at Dilly Plaza?
MC: Eh? Don’t we… not have enough time to make it…
When we heard the travel guide introduce us to the grand concert event during the day, I did want to go.
It was just how we definitely wouldn’t have time considering our itinerary, so my curious thoughts could only be a temporary flash.
Zuo Ran: Since we didn’t go to the wax museum… altogether, we’ve got around an extra hour of time.
Zuo Ran: If we go to the music event location now, the timing should be just right.
Zuo Ran’s voice, accompanied by the cool night wind, blew slowly into my ears and aroused the curiosity in my heart.
MC: Lawyer Zuo, I want to go!
Zuo Ran: Okay, I’ll call over a car.
--
“My beautiful lover, please look at me.”
“Please don’t let go, become music notes, and follow the galaxy of time to find me.”
MC: It sounds so beautiful.
The melodious singing voices of the singers onstage was like flowing river water under the stars of a spring night, lingering with a tranquil feeling.
Zuo Ran: This song is called “Galaxy Nocturne”. It’s a popular song that’s an adaptation of a local Rumbaliya folk song.
There was no host for the street concert, and the singers were all improvising their music and interacting with the audience sitting around them.
Zuo Ran thus explained things for me, becoming a quiet guide on my side.
MC: I thought that the songs selected for open-air concert would mainly be fast ones. I didn’t think that they’d mostly sing lyrical ballads.
Zuo Ran: The theme of this performance is “Starry Skies and Romance”, and the selected songs are mostly local Rumbaliya folk songs.
Zu Ran: The locals revere the beauty of nature, and when they sing, they don’t like using accompaniment – instead, they’re more prone to sing acapella.
MC: Hm… an improv performance like this must require higher skill and better intonation.
MC: The singers onstage never go out of tune – they’re basically walking juke boxes.
We chatted quietly, the beautiful singing blowing away all the troubles in my heart like a refreshing, gentle wind.
I was still immersed in the singing by the end of the performance, and I’d already forgotten all the troubles we’d encountered during the day.
Zuo Ran: Are you feeling better now?
MC: It got better early on! After listening to such an excellent concert, I’m feeling particularly great right now.
Zuo Ran: That’s good… I want you to enjoy a perfect vacation.
Zuo Ran: So I don’t want what happened during the day to affect your mood and become a regret.
>I don’t think there’s anything regrettable
>I still feel a little bit of regret
MC: I don’t feel like there’s anything regrettable at all. On the contrary… I feel pretty lucky.
MC: If we didn’t miss the wax museum exhibition, we might not have been able to see such an amazing concert.
MC: Is this called a “blessing in disguise”? Oh wait, no, this is called “when sorrow becomes joy”!
Zuo Ran: Oh you…
Zuo Ran laughed in amusement at my words, his heroic eyebrows raising gently, so that those eyes revealed even more emotion than usual.
Zuo Ran: If you say so, then to me, what happened today… probably counts as “Heaven accords to human wishes”.
MC: Huh, why?
Zuo Ran: Whether it’s an exhibition or a concert, what’s most important to me is… doing these things with you.
Zuo Ran: Now, my wish has already come true. Isn’t this a sort of “wish fulfillment”?
I didn’t think Zuo Ran knew to chitchat like this, far from the stressful work environment…
Between the vast sky and earth, he seemed to unintentionally reveal more, truer sides to himself to me.
MC: Yeah, that does seem to be right.
>I don’t think there’s anything regrettable
>I still feel a little bit of regret
MC: I still feel a tiny bit of regret.
Zuo Ran: …
MC: Lawyer Zuo, you’ve always liked movies a lot. Now that we weren’t able to see the wax museum, I feel regretful for you…
Zuo Ran: I don’t feel regretful.
Zuo Ran: Rather than going to see the contents of the wax exhibition alone, I like enjoying the process of the exhibition with you more.
Zuo Ran: And to me, this process is already excellent.
Zuo Ran: So I don’t regret it. I even feel… very satisfied.
Zuo Ran looked at me, smiling. I could read the gentleness on his face, and I could feel the sincerity in his words.
Influenced by his words, the last bit of regret in my heart was mended over.
MC: I’m also very satisfied.
--
Zuo Ran: It’s getting late, and we should be getting back.
Zuo Ran: We’ll be visiting Kelosi City tomorrow, so rest well tonight.
Kelosi City was a famous capital of cuisine. Several hundred types of local snacks and characteristic delicacies had attracted countless tourists there.
MC: My cuisine checklist can no longer restrain itself!
Zuo Ran: I looked up several decent local specialty restaurants. After we arrive at the stop tomorrow, we can tour around, then taste the foods.
MC: Mhmm, the ones selected by you are guaranteed to be great!
We chatted as we walked the way back.
Under the moonlight, the road ahead extended without limit, turning our journey towards an unknown but anticipatory direction.
#Tears of Themis#tears of themis translations#zuo ran#artem wing#mihoyo#未定事件簿#tot translation#weiding shijian bu
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ep 205: Terry Carnation's "Dark Air" and Rich Hatem
“Imagine the universe, compressed on the head of a pin…”
– Scott’s remembrance of a Carl Sagan quote, which, turns out, probably originates from a parody impression of Carl Sagan
Description:
We have a very special guest joining us tonight, metaphysical "astralnaut," philosopher of the liminal, "Pope of the Paranormal," and host of the AM Radio talk show Dark Air, Terry Carnation. Terry first got his start in the paranormal radio genre when unexpectedly thrust into taking over for another show. While working as a late-night rock n' roll Disc Jockey for an FM station in Buffalo, NY, in 1992, Reginald Wilcox, the host of the paranormal call-in show that aired after Terry's slot was mysteriously murdered while Terry was in the bathroom... or so he claims. In his unflappable sense of duty, apparently stronger than his sense of legal obligation, Terry immediately took over the role of consigliere for listeners stupefied by the supernatural. And in Terry's words, "that's how a legend was created." Now, after a three-year hiatus, Terry Carnation returns with a new podcast, also called Dark Air, available starting April 1, 2021, wherever podcasts are given away for free. While you may not have heard of him, there will be something uneasily familiar about his voice and visage. And the audience will come to know his strange power for tearing off the head of disbelief and reaching down deep into our souls to yank out the viscera of our darkest fears and mysteries. Wrapped around our interview with Terry, our good buddy Rich Hatem joins us once again to discuss his latest adventures and projects. We'll also con him into playing our version of a game show, in the spirit of America's NPR radio program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and Britain's Would I Lie to You? We'll tell Rich three outrageous paranormal stories, and he has to guess which one is fake. Please join us for an episode of inscrutable levity.
Reference Links:
Terry Carnation’s website, TerryCarnation.com
Terry Carnation and Dark Air on Audioboom, where you can subscribe to the platform of your choice
Dark Air with Terry Carnation on Apple Podcasts
Follow Terry Carnation on Instagram
Follow Terry Carnation on Twitter
Terry Carnation on Facebook
Where to stream DC Titans
“TERRIBLE FLYING JELLY BAGS aka DOMSTEN BLOBS: (SWEDEN)” by Rob Morphy on cryptopia.us
National Public Radio’s Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
The BBC One panel show involving true and false tales, Would I Lie To You?
“The Story Behind The Haunted Donkey Lady Bridge In Texas Will Send Chills Down Your Spine” from OnlyInYourState.com
“South Texas Haunted Folklore: The Tale of the Converse Werewolf” from KSAT.com
On a totally unrelated subject…
Rainn Wilson is best known for playing the role of Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office. Additional film and television credits include Galaxy Quest, Almost Famous, The Rocker, Super, Six Feet Under, Juno, Backstrom, Star Trek Discovery, Thom Pain, The Meg, Mom, Don't Tell a Soul and Utopia. He will also be appearing in the forthcoming podcast Dark Air with Terry Carnation. Wilson co-founded SoulPancake, a digital media company, and the Lide Foundation, an educational initiative in rural Haiti that empowers at-risk women and girls through the arts.
Dark Air with Terry Carnation was created by Rainn Wilson and Aaron Lee and is produced by Thom Harp and Chris Kelly. Dark Air with Terry Carnation is a production of Imperial Mammoth, Audioboom and Kelly&Kelly. Theme music by Marcos Moscat
This episode features the voice talents of Jinous Khjadivian and Dana Davis as the two audience callers.
Please help out our good friend Stan Gordon, by purchasing his books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble – you’re gonna love ‘em!
At Barnes & Noble:
Silent Invasion: The Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot Casebook
Astonishing Encounters: Pennsylvania’s Unknown Creatures, Casebook 3
Really Mysterious Pennsylvania: UFOs, Bigfoot, and Other Weird Encounters, Casebook 1
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM OUR SPECIAL SPONSORS:
FIND OTHER GREAT DEALS FROM OUR SHOW’S SPONSORS BY CLICKING HERE!
The Great Courses Plus – There are so many benefits to lifelong learning, which is why we love The Great Courses Plus! Learn about virtually anything, now with over 11,000 lectures on almost any subject you can think of – from history and science to learning a new language, how to play an instrument, learn magic tricks, train your dog, or explore topics like food, the arts, travel, business, and self-improvement. And all taught by world-leading professors and experts in their field. Their app lets you download and listen to only the audio from the courses or watch the videos, just like a podcast. Switch between all your devices and pick up right where you left off. Available for iOS and Android. So what is your purpose this year? What new things will you learn? Sign up for The Great Courses Plus and find out! And RIGHT NOW, our listeners can get this exclusive offer: A FREE TRIAL, PLUS get $30 OFF when you sign up for an annual plan! That comes out to just $10 a month! But this limited-time offer won’t last long, and it’s only available through our special URL and you don’t want to pass this up, so go NOW to: TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/LEGENDS
Best Fiends – If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time while engaging your brain and enjoying breathtaking visuals and a gripping story, your answer is Best Fiends! Best Fiends is a casual, matching puzzle game that the whole family can play, but really made for adults, and you don’t need to be a gamer to be great at it! You can also play it the way YOU want to, wherever you want, and as much or as little as you want! Collect cute and funny cryptid-like insect creatures while battling silly slugs as you advance through stages in the Best Fiends world. Connect with friends and family through Social Media and challenge them to beat your levels or help them along. This unique puzzle game doesn’t require the internet, so it’s great to play offline while traveling or commuting, and Best Fiends has thousands of levels already, with new levels, events, and characters added every month – it’s hours of fun right at your fingertips and it never gets old! With over 100 million downloads and tons of five-star reviews, Best Fiends is a must-play! Download for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the “R,” Best Fiends!
Bespoke Post – is a monthly subscription club that finds, curates, and then sends you finely crafted and useful Boxes of Awesome gear you can really use that’ll class-up your lifestyle. Stuff like barware kits and cooking tools so you can make your own artisan cider and winter cocktails, to style and grooming goods and even outdoor hardware, Bespoke Post has you covered! Membership is free to join, and you start by taking a quiz at BoxOfAwesome.com. You tell them what you like and don’t like, and your answers will help them find the right first Box of Awesome for you. Then you can preview your box to keep it, swap it, or skip it – you’re totally in control and there’s zero commitment. You can skip a month or cancel at any time. Each box costs only $45 bucks — but has over $70 worth of gear inside. They release new boxes every month across a ton of different categories and now Bespoke Post has gifts for women too! So start making yourself or someone else happy and stylin’ with this awesome offer: Get 20% OFF your first monthly box when you sign up at BoxOfAwesome.com and enter the Offer Code AL at checkout!
Squarespace – Have something you need to sell or share with the world but don't have a website? Or maybe that old website of yours could use a serious style and functionality update but you don't think you have the time or money to pay someone to do it? Well, now you can do it yourself, stylishly and cost-effectively in very little time with Squarespace! With their large gallery of beautifully designed templates, eCommerce functionality, built-in Search Engine Optimization, free and secure hosting, and award-winning 24/7 Customer Support to guide you along the way, you'll be up and running on the Web in no time, with flair, ease and a choice of over 200 URL extensions to make you stand out! So what are you waiting for? Go to Squarespace.com/LEGENDS for a free trial and when you’re ready to launch, use the Offer Code "LEGENDS" to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
BetterHELP – Is there something interfering with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? BetterHELP will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist. It’s not a Crisis Line, it’s not self-help, it’s professional counseling done securely online, and you can start communicating in under 48 hours. There’s a broad range of expertise available that may not be locally available in many areas, but this service is available for clients worldwide. You can login to your account anytime and send a message to your counselor. You’ll get timely and thoughtful responses plus you can schedule weekly video or phone sessions so you won’t ever have to sit in an uncomfortable waiting room as with traditional therapy. BetterHELP is committed to facilitating great therapeutic matches so they make it easy and free to change counselors if needed. It’s more affordable than traditional offline counseling and financial aid is available. BetterHELP wants you to start living a happier life TODAY! Read the testimonials that are posted daily. Join the over 1,000,000 people taking charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional. In fact, so many people have been using BetterHELP that they are recruiting additional counselors in all 50 states! This podcast is sponsored by BetterHELP and Astonishing Legends listeners get 10% OFF their first month at betterhelp.com/astonishing
Credits:
Episode 205: Terry Carnation’s “Dark Air“ and Rich Hatem. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2021 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
#2021#205#Terry Carnation#Rainn Wilson#The Office#Dwight Schrute#Rain Wilson#Richard Hatem#Rich Hatem#DC Titans#DC Universe#Titans#Batman#Paranormal#Steve Carell#radio show#Dark Air#murder#AM#FM#Domsten Blobs#Donkey Lady#San Antonio#Texas#Rob Morphy#Cryptopia
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
KakaSaku - Rated ‘G’
For you @kellersmckellerton, hope your day gets better!
Rated “G”
Genre Fluff/Humour
Pairing: KakaSaku
--------------------------------
Sakura looked over her credit card bill again, her lips twisting in a frown. Behind her, laid out on the couch with a familiar book in hand, Kakashi’s ears twitched at Sakura’s sigh.
“I just don’t get it.”
“Hm?”
Shaking her head at Kakashi’s question, Sakura set down the bill. “I can’t figure out where the extra money is going. I’m not spending more.”
“Mah, it isn’t much,” said Kakashi from behind his book
“No, I guess not. It’s just so strange. I thought I tracked every penny last month,” said Sakura. With a shrug, she paid the bill online and wrote the confirmation number on the bill. “A few pennies here and there amounts to what? A pair of socks at the end of the month?” she joked, filing the bill. With her back to her husband, Sakura missed his sudden stiffening.
“Ah,” he agreed.
“It will all work itself out,” said Sakura, mostly to herself.
---------
“Again?” mumbled Sakura the following month, her brow furrowed.
The latest bill had come in and Sakura’s lips were pinched as she compared it to the previous month’s bill. “It’s the same amount, too…”
From his place on the couch, Kakashi subtly sunk into the cushions, his book rising just a little higher.
“Kakashi, do you know where… You’re asleep,” sighed Sakura, glancing behind her. Her shoulders slumped. “Where is this money disappearing to?”
---------
With his camera phone, Kakashi giddily snapped one more picture before tucking the phone away and petting his little charge.
“Too cute,” praised Kakashi, colour high on his cheeks.
Unable to help himself, he took one last picture before he snuck away again.
---------
“Damnit, that’s the third time, and I know I tracked every—”
Sakura paused, looking around. It had been going on for months now. Kakashi disappearing. Money disappearing. Kakashi answering her questions with vague, ambiguous… well, that was normal, but still.
When Kakashi returned home that evening, Sakura was waiting for him.
“Could I see your phone, Kakashi?” asked Sakura.
“Hmm? Why?”
Sakura’s brows furrowed and she swallowed over the anger in her throat. “What are you hiding from me?”
“Hiding? Why would I be—argh… Sakura, could we talk about—”
“Thank you, Naruto,” said Sakura as Naruto restrained Kakashi. Kakashi really must have been off his game for Naruto to get the drop on him.
Yanking the phone from Kakashi’s vest pocket, Sakura entered Kakashi’s password—sC4ryw1fe—and pulled up his texts.
They were all to her.
She checked his e-mail.
They were all to her.
She checked his online shopping account—which he’d deactivated after she took over handling their expenses—only to find it active. Her eyes widened as she saw the monthly expense repeating itself for nearly a year.
Jaw clenching, she checked his gallery and stared in shock.
“What the hell…”
The jig was up. Kakashi hung his head, his shoulders slumping.
Naruto looked up from behind Kakashi where he restrained his arms, glancing between the pair.
“What? What is it?”
“This? Really, Kakashi?” asked Sakura, cocking her hip. The disappointment dripped from her words, but there was a fine veneer of amusement overtop it.
“I couldn’t help it,” sighed Kakashi.
Swiping through the pictures, Sakura tried to hide her giggling. “Why did you hide it?”
“...”
“What is it?” repeated Naruto, loosening his grip on Kakashi.
“Someone has a foot fetish,” teased Sakura, and Naruto threw Kakashi away from him in disgust.
Kakashi sighed.
“Not like that,” said Sakura, showing Naruto the phone.
“Are those…”
“Puppies wearing baby socks. Galleries full of them.”
“Their toe beans are very sensitive,” said Kakashi defensively.
“And that’s why you joined the Baby Sock of the Month Club?” asked Sakura. “Under four different identities?”
“It was very hard to choose just one subscription option,” said Kakashi.
Rubbing her temples, Sakura closed her eyes and handed the phone to Naruto, who was oohing and aahing over the cute puppy pictures. “Are there any other hidden expenses?”
“...”
“Naruto, check the rest of his phone,” sighed Sakura. She was so annoyed there was a high risk it would be crushed in her fist if she wasn’t careful. Baby socks? Really?
“Hey, you have Instagram on here, too!” cried Naruto a half-second later. “Huh, you have multiple accounts on here for—”
Kakashi made a grab for the phone but it was too late.
Naruto’s sudden howls of laughter rang through Sakura and Kakashi’s home.
Sakura grabbed the phone, hearing the case crack as she read aloud Kakashi’s different IG accounts…
““My Cute Wife’s Snoring Faces”, “My Favourite Ear Plugs”, “My Cute Wife’s Cooking”, “My Favourite Antacids”,” said Sakura, her face turning redder and redder, while Kakashi desperately tried to pry the phone from her death-grip.
As Naruto ran for the door, the last thing he heard was Kakashi begging Sakura, “Go back to the puppies! Back to the happy, happy puppies!”
(The End)
65 notes
·
View notes
Text
I wrote a Thing. And if there is any expressed interest in this Thing, I will continue to add little installments on Tumblr. It’s a heteronormative romantic comedy, kinda tropey, but it’s something I really wanted to type out and have fun with. I’ll continue to write it even if there isn’t any interest on Tumblr, simply because I want to write it no matter what.
So without further ado, here is the first and possibly only installment of *Insert Story Name Here When I Think of a Title*
Melli glowered down at the innocuous little slip of paper that sat on top of her desk. She tapped her paintbrush impatiently on her knee , and she was so aggravated that the tapping became more and more forceful, almost painful on her kneecap.
It was a wedding invitation.
Worse, it was a wedding invitation from her best friend. The one she had been in love with for years before he fell for another woman. Anders Nilsson. The man with the clever mouth and scrappy temper, the man with the charm oozing out of him, the man with the cold steel blue eyes and the hero jaw and the perfect hair and the whiskey-on-the-rocks voice that kept her company during her divorce.
They met, as gimicky as it sounded, on a random team assignment for an online game they both played. It was chance, their meeting. One in a million chance that she’d end up on the European servers to get paired with him. Her soon-to-be ex husband at the time just so happened to buy her both the game system and the game itself (as a bribery, a sort of “Sorry I cheated on you for the eighth time, please forgive me” present) the same week Anders just so happened to buy his after leaving rehab for a drug addiction he was determined to leave behind. She and Anders clicked almost instantly, formed a solid game friendship, and eventually branched out to all sorts of games, and even conversations through a messaging app on the phone, and eventually actual phone calls, and it just kept becoming more and more intense.
She left her shitbag ex, took the game system, found an apartment in a near city with her best friend, and started freelancing as a commissioned artist to make ends meet, the whole while kindling this strong sort of attachment to Anders. Anders was always there for her. He’d call her after he left work--with the time difference, it meant she’d get a good morning phone call every day as she got out of bed. She loved it. And he knew she loved it, and so kept it up just to put a smile on her face.
Melli once mentioned she wished she could see more of Sweden with him, and the next day Anders went far out of his daily commute to surprise her with photos of all the touristy things Stockholm had to offer; old town, with its colorful squished-together houses and cobblestone roads; the many rivers and deltas and lakes around his city; the giant city square with its vastly intricate paved gathering spots. He worked in construction and showed off some of the massive skyscrapers he had a hand in building. He was proud of his work, and his city, and gladly shared these with her at the drop of a hat.
He’d stay up past midnight telling her his most intimate thoughts and secrets. They’d had really good phone sex many times, and it was sadly and ironically the best sex she’d ever had. She told him she loved him. He rejoiced and told her he loved her.
She fell hard, body and soul, for this man.
And then he fell hard, body and soul, for another woman.
It wasn’t fair. Melli had been saving up money to go to Stockholm when he broke the news that he had found a girlfriend--in fact she was three quarters of the way to her goal. She had scrimped and saved and daydreamed and planned and painted her heart out to sell as many projects as she could (while still paying her bills) to be able to afford the trip. Anders and his girlfriend had a rocky relationship--very on again, off again--and Melli had secretly and ashamedly hoped it wouldn’t last.
But then again, the invitation on her desk. You fool, It seemed to gloat at her the longer she stared at it, You fell so hard and now you’re bruised and alone. She huffed and swept it off the desk and onto the floor, bitter tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She blinked them away.
Melli prided herself on not being a bitter person. She managed to go all twenty five of her years on this planet without holding grudges, or acting on spite, or being unnecessarily cruel or mean spirited. But there’s only so much heartbreak a girl can take…
She’d have to go to the wedding, of course. This was her best friend, regardless of any heartbreak, and he’d messaged her weeks ago and asked her to attend.
“It’s really important to me, if you’re able to make it. I know it’s an expensive trip, but you’re my best friend, Mellibelle. I’d love it if you could be there on the happiest day of my life.”
He was the only person she’d let call her by her full first name. It always made her melt when he said it in that accent of his, with that whiskey voice of his, and so she’d agreed before she could so much as think up a good excuse not to attend.
It wasn’t the money, of course. She’d become quite successful as a freelance artist--pet portraits, mostly, but every now and then a local gallery would arrange a sale of her less generic works--it was the reality of finally seeing him face to face, close enough to touch and hold and kiss, only for him to be completely off limits. It would kill her.
She had to go.
“Fuck,” she murmured, and begrudgingly powered up her laptop to look at flights and hotels.
Footsteps behind her signaled her childhood friend and roommate had woken up for the day. She heard Sofia stoop to pick up the invitation and pause to read it.
“Oof,” Sofia winced, her voice rough with sleep, “Are you going?”
Sofia, of course, knew the whole sordid history between Melli and Anders. Sofia knew everything about Melli by proximity alone: they’d been friends since elementary school. Melli swiveled in her chair to level a helpless look at her friend, who opened her arms to offer a hug, and the dam broke, and Melli was crying. Sofia stepped forward and enveloped Melli into her arms.
“Ah, dear,” Sofia said soothingly, pityingly, as she gently patted Melli’s thick dark hair. “Listen, I know this is going to suck. But you’ve always been so good at making the most out of sucky situations! Why don’t you use a little more out of savings and make it a miniature vacation just for you?”
A tiny spark of promise flared in Melli’s chest. She wiped her eyes on Sofia’s sleep shirt and glanced up at her friend. “A woman alone in a foreign country? Isn’t that just asking for a Liam Neeson film?”
The feeble attempt at a joke got a snort out of Sofia.
“You’re street smart and I believe in you. Just don’t go into dark alleys, don’t talk to shifty strangers, listen to your intuition, all that good stuff. You deserve a good vacation after that wedding.” Sofia leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss onto Melli’s forehead. “Treat Yourself: Unrequited Love Edition.”
Melli wrinkled her nose, swiveling back around to open several new tabs in her browser, mind reeling with possibilities. “Ew, don’t say unrequited love. Makes me sound so woebegone. How much do you think it costs to rent a boat?”
Sofia barked out a laugh as she made her way to the kitchen. “More than what you charge for a painting. But the wedding isn’t for another month so you have plenty of time to get cracking on a few more pet portraits.” (The click of the electric kettle, followed by a yawn.) “Maybe hit up Mrs. Marchpane again. Didn’t her seventh cat just have kittens? She’d probably love a family portrait to go with the fleet she’s already commissioned. She’s so… enthusiastic.”
“Not a bad idea! You’re on a roll this morning, and all before you’ve had your tea!” cracked Melli, typing furiously into a US Dollar-to-Swedish-Krona converter. She opened another tab and started typing an email to Mrs. Marchpane.
Dear Mrs. Marchpane,
I heard the Glorious Miss Tater Tot just gave birth to seven beautiful little kittens. Are you interested in a family portrait to commemorate this joyous occasion? I can give you a special rate as a congratulations….
Melli smiled to herself, floored by the plan that was forming in her mind.
“Sofia?”
“Yes, dear?”
“I owe you so many souvenirs.”
“Bring me back a moose and we’re even.”
“Deal!”
#unrequited love#the one that got away#tropes#unrequited love trope#unrequited romance trope#pining trope#pining#unrequited pining#I'm not gonna sugar coat it this is tropey as hell but i'm being shamelessly self indulgent here with no RAGRETS#Also yes I paint pet portraits and so does the protagonist but it's not a mary sue or a self insert#i just don't know how any other job works at this point and it's the easiest thing to use lmfao#write what ya know
1 note
·
View note
Text
What Will Furniture Consignment Be Like In 100 Years?
Best Places To Buy Vintage Furniture Online are Taking Over
Table of ContentsJust Why are Sell Used Furniture Changing The World?Just Why are Best Places To Buy And Sell Used Furniture Online Changing The World?The definitive Guide to Used Furniture And Decor in the WorldBest Places To Buy And Sell Used Furniture Online are Taking Over
This post includes links which we might receive settlement for if you click, at no expense to you. Selling old furniture may not be something that people consider profitable. Who would want my old sofa, you're believing? Undoubtedly individuals would instead go to Ikea and select something original site new? Well, that depends upon what state your old sofa remains in, of course, but I can inform you right now used furnishings definitely has its appeal, and can be rather a great method to make some extra dollars.
youtube
Yes, there are people out there who buy used furnishings, spruce it up then re-sell it for more. Individuality appeals as well as understanding you're doing something more planet-friendly (purchasing an one-of-a-kind reconditioned piece is certainly a more environmentally friendly alternative). Anyhow, how about I inform you where to sell utilized furnishings and make cash quickly!.?.!? Keep reading to learn what the very best methods to sell your old furnishings are and how you could turn that Barcalounger your sweetheart believes is an eyesore into money.
If you run a Google look for "sell utilized furnishings near me," you are more than likely visiting a myriad of local used furniture shops, antique stores, and markets where you can do just that. Nevertheless, the days of being limited to your regional consignment stores are long gone, and lots of smart side hustlers now offer used furnishings online.
As you'll quickly discover, there are loads of methods to offer furniture online each with its benefits and drawbacks. So, what are the very best online platforms to offer utilized furnishings and make a fast buck? Let's take a look. Bonus Material: Ways To Make Money Quick Finest place to get paid to take studies online.
Letgo is everything about visuals and having a good image is key to drawing in purchasers. Listings are organized by classification in a photo gallery format so the better your images, the higher the possibilities of somebody clicking on your item. And the good idea about that is, as soon as possible purchasers click, Letgo enables them to see other products you note indicating it's simple for them to see the other products you're offering.
Why Best Places To Sell Used Furniture Online are So Popular
You can take pictures using your smart device, and upload directly as a listing. Simply fill out your cost and information and you're all set to earn money! is another option to sell utilized furnishings and it's pretty straightforward. All you require to do is download the app and open a selling account.
Just Why are Best Places To Sell Used Furniture Online Changing The World?
youtube
Listing an item is totally free on OfferUp but other expenses might apply when an item offers (such as shipping costs or service fees). However, all the costs will be revealed to you upfront, so no unpleasant surprises. What's interesting about OfferUp is that purchasers can provide a counter cost for your items (for this reason the name).
If you're wanting to prevent extra fees (e. g., shipping), this might be a much better alternative. is an outstanding alternative for those seeking to turn offering utilized furnishings into a side hustle. With Shopify, you'll require to set up an online shop it's basically like selling furnishings as a service.
Review This Report on Best Places To Sell Used Furniture Online
There's a 14-day free trial, after which you'll need to pay to offer utilized furnishings on Shopify prepares start from $29 a month. In addition, Shopify helps you enhance your sales by providing analytics tools to determine the success of your marketing projects. is another site where you'll need to set up a storefront but it's not as made complex as it sounds.
There are no listing charges but you will pay a commission if your items offer. How much you pay will depend upon the value along with the marketing option you've selected. For example, if you offer an item for $50 and your shipping costs are $5, the overall worth of your product will be $55.
The top 8 things Best Places To Sell Your Furniture Online can help with
16 You Always Wondered About Websites To Buy & Sell Used Furniture
5%. isn't almost furnishings you can also offer electronics, art, kitchen area dcor, and more. With Chest you can also list your items free of charge but they do take 10% commission upon the sale of your items (which is quite low compared to a few other sites). You set the cost for your items in addition to the times you're available to fulfill buyers.
A website "made by backyard sale fans, for backyard sale fans," is all about helping individuals to find deals without having to run around. It's sort of a mini social networks platform which buyers can utilize to link with sellers in the same area. The setup is very comparable to Craigslist, however Bookoo is more regional and there's more of a neighborhood spirit.
As soon as your account is confirmed, you can then put up endless products for sale be it furnishings, or anything else you like. Searching for a way to entirely clear your clutter? Wish somebody did it all for you? can assist. A full-service offering, Remoov will actually eliminate anything you no longer need from your house.
The Remoov team will get your products, then update you when your items are offered, and you'll get 50% of the worth. Another excellent thing is that whatever they don't sell, they will contribute to charities so you understand you're likewise doing something excellent. Plus, you will receive a tax reduction.
That said, your pieces will require to be special to get attention from potential buyers. Is your furniture vintage, antique, or handcrafted? That's the kind of stuff Etsy shoppers are trying to find. To begin offering on Etsy, you'll need to open an Etsy store, which is reasonably easy to do.
All About Best Places To Buy Vintage Furniture Online in 55 seconds
20). When you have actually offered, you'll pay 5% transaction charge along with 3% + $0. 25 for payment processing. Regardless of its wacky name, is really rather a huge offer. Referred to as an online market connecting furniture dealers, galleries, collectors, antique shops, designers, and managers it's a fantastic place to sell classic furniture that's really unique.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Experiencing Your Travels To Spain
Contemplating visiting Spain? Spain - located in southwestern Europe about the Iberian Peninsula - continues to be one of the more preferred attractions and travel destinations equally as much right now since it is definitely previously. Possibly you're wanting to know about where you should pay a visit to in Spain... Maybe you want to learn more about its history and experience its incredible effect in European art work... What ever your causes of seeking to go to are, you're certainly sure to take pleasure in the unique traditions, customs, and background of this region when you've appeared there.
Obviously, the architecture of Barcelona, the Holy Monstreat, as well as the Toledo cathedral turn this a popular coordinate. And as this is this sort of hot vacation area, you're advised to help make your air carrier reservations, motel reservations, Cafelavista and car lease plans early on - 3 or 4 several weeks in advance as a matter of truth - particularly when tourist might be high (summer season, holidays, etc.). When you would rather vacation "off-period," - which is, while in a time when vacation is reduced, you may possibly not have to make this sort of very early bookings. Within the latter scenario, one month-sophisticated planning may be adequate.
After you've produced your concerns, you may fulfill all of your time preparing for precisely what Spain offers. One of the ways you can do that is certainly by using a neighborhood trip to your preferred library and perusing the enormous quantity of publications about Spain. By doing this, you are able to prepare yourself with the language - possibly even have a look at a number of publications or audio tapes of your terminology (if offered) and additionally understand more about Spain's financial process.
You should always understand admittance needs, inoculations and other security info you will need before going not just to Spain - but also almost anyplace out of the nation. But you can also get to know the dress in the property and possibly use a number of nearby dining places that provide Spanish food and engage in a bit of its native songs. Obviously you can visit your gallery and find out about the ability of the land so that you'll know what to look for after you arrive - specifically, the works of El Greco. The thought the following is to coach yourself amid all of the enthusiasm of going to a position so abundant in tradition!
Now a lot of people like spontaneity - a little bit experience - the unidentified - whatever you want to consider it, but many of us like to create an schedule of things to do and locations to look. If you're the "planning variety," then you definitely might enjoy spending some time to road map out your adventure. And there's certainly no problem with that - seeing that you're visiting a new location, your chances of getting fed up or going against spontaneity are incredibly slim since Spain has a great deal to offer to each of your actual detects!
When and when you produce such an itinerary, some of what it is advisable to involve needless to say are such things as instances to enjoy, acquire trips, attend demonstrates, and (our favorite) store! You might think that this information is hard to find but due to the World wide web, it truly isn't' difficult to get at all. If you're by using a tour operator, after that your endeavours to complete an schedule ought to be pretty little. However, if you're functioning by itself, you are able to certainly look at the tourist websites of Spain and create your very own graph of items to find out and revel in.
If you're helpful with the indigenous words of Spain (which you might have correctly thought is Spanish), it is possible to certainly read through a couple of on the web Spanish classifieds to find occasions and local people which might be of interest for you. Chances are that you'll discover much more amusement info by looking at a Spanish newspaper than you will in the event you solely trusted an English presentation.
After you've arrived and also have discovered transport to your resort, it is possible to inquire further more to locate more interests. By now, you have to be talking just a little Spanish to enable you to effectively talk and exchange money with your accommodation director:
Hola! (Hello)
Gracias! (Thank You)
Como te llamas? (What's your name?)
Como estas? (How are you currently?)
Me llamo... (My label is...)
Soy de United States of America (I'm in the United states)
No comprendo (I don't recognize)
Por favor (you should)
Me numero de telefono es el... (My telephone number is [and then the phone numbers in Spanish [uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, and so forth.)
You'll of course would like to learn how to request other important matters like aid and directions. These are among the points that will make your vacation to Spain more fun - especially as you talk using the natives and try out new foods or amusements that you simply hadn't even prepared for! Just remember to pack the digital camera or your modest online video cam so that you can document your experience and appreciate them loved ones back home.
Journey in Spain by Taxi
Touring by taxi cab in Spain gives an extremely practical way to relocate about and "view-see." Like touring by taxi in the states, lowest charges go with metered mileage along with a small additional cost for baggage and evening hours - nighttime - or holiday brings.
Spain Traveling Recommendations
European Union inhabitants (18 several years or more mature) must individual a nationwide driving permit to operate a vehicle in Spain, however non-Western Union citizens (18 many years or more mature) also need a global Traveling Permit also. The two varieties of residents will need to have car insurance and id (certificate, passport, etc.) legally, is needed always. Chair belts should be worn by all travellers, and travellers under the age of 14 should be seated within the back seating from the motor vehicle. When traveling, keep in mind that driving a vehicle jobs are reversed to American drivers. You have to deliver to on-approaching visitors from junctures and targeted traffic groups.
Additional care should be delivered to restrict your driving for the primary paths specified on the most recent maps with this region as other paths will not be ideal for driving (grime roads, hill passes by, and many others.). In metropolitan regions, you may conveniently refuel your vehicle from unleaded or diesel service stations. However if you'll generate for long amounts of time, it's best if you completely fill your aquarium, as energy stations are sparse in outlying portions of the country.
Driving rates are often restricted to 30 mph to 56 mph, even so traveling rates can increase from 62 miles per hour to 75 miles per hour on highways with more than two lanes. Be prepared to spend both factor and set toll charges related to metropolis admittance approaches.
Traveling in Spain by Automobile / Automobile Rental
Simply because Spain's city centres are so well-known, you are cautioned to prevent traveling in these areas - especially considering that the filter highways within these locations can support targeted traffic traveling in 1 route only. Moreover, left vehicles make driving a vehicle extremely hard. Traveling by vehicle hire is advisable completed by following a recent map of its roads - which offer opinions which are literally remarkable.Visit website for more information about Spain.
1 note
·
View note
Text
One of the first things that I learned when I picked up all my passes at the Big Bus information office was that the Louvre required a reservation. The museum is always busy so making a reservation online is highly suggested. For general admission or special exhibits check here. Since I had a museum pass I picked a time slot and filled out the forms here. Because I was so tired rather than make my reservation at 9am like I had planned I made it for 9:30am. I didn’t have any difficulty getting the date or time I wanted, which is lucky. I also was in Paris during the off season. I was sent an e-mail with the information for my pass and then I screenshot it so that I could show it to the guards when I arrived. I highly suggest doing this just to make your life easier. You enter via the glass pyramid.
My plan for my second full day in Paris included cramming three museums into one day. So I had a goal of just seeing the highlights in the Louvre. Anything else I managed to see would be a bonus. The main goal was to, of course, find the Mona Lisa. But first, because I’d gotten such a late start and then felt rushed to be at the Louvre exactly at 9:30 so I wouldn’t miss my spot I hadn’t eaten. So within the Louvre I popped into a cafe right before going through with my museum pass and quickly ate a brioches suisses which was absolutely delightful. Brioches suisses is a french bread (brioche) with chocolate chips and vanilla custard in the middle. There wasn’t any seating within the cafe but there was some seating outside of it under a pillar with tables every couple of feet. So I sat there to eat my breakfast before going through with my museum pass to enter the actual Louvre. I felt the same sort of rush that I felt when trying to get into Harry Potter at USJ the first time.
While some highlights are included on the map so you can easily make a goal of what to see, others are not. On my way to find the Mona Lisa I ran into a couple famous statues.
First was the Venus de Milo or Aphrodite from 100 BC which is located in the Sully wing on the ground floor in the Parthenon room (room 346).
Then in one of the stair cases on my way to the Mona Lisa I found the Winged Victory of Samothrace which is thought to be from 190 BC and is located in the Denon Wing on the ground floor in the staircase (room 703).
If you’re lost and looking for it just ask because the “gallery” it’s in is the Winged Victory of Samothrace stairwell.
Mona Lisa is an Italian painting also known as Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was located in the Denon wing on the first floor in the Mona Lisa Room (room 711) Please note that sometimes it moves.
You don’t get much time with the Mona Lisa. It’s probably one of the most popular paintings in the Louvre, let alone maybe THE most popular part of the Louvre in general. To deal with crowds they’ve created a line with two entrances, you can either go up to the left or you can go up to the right and then security will give you a couple minutes to take a few photos before sending you on your way. While the rest of the Louvre is set up so you can sit and take in the paintings and sculptures due to the large amount of people who want to see Mona Lisa it is not possible. In the grand scheme of things when I visited it probably wasn’t that busy. The line didn’t spill out past at least half way through the winding ropes they’d made for the queue.
The Louvre actually doesn’t insure the Mona Lisa. And no one knows how much it’s worth. It’s one of the world’s most famous paintings and instead the Louvre puts it’s money towards protection for it. The Mona Lisa has been stolen, someone’s tried to graffiti it and someone else has tried to throw a rock at it. Security seems to be a better idea then insuring it anyway.
Because I was in the area, an area of vast paintings I decided to stop and taken in July 28. Liberty Leading the People a painting I remember seeing often in my high school French classes. the painting is by Eugène Delacroix and is located in the department of paintings near Mona Lisa. No matter how many times I saw it in my French book or online I never realized just how massive of a painting it was.
After checking out a couple other giant paintings in the area I stopped at the in-Louvre cafe for a special Louvre tea called thé du Louvre Côté Cour: Courtyard tea. The little pouch the tea came in was quite pretty and the area around The Café Mollien was beautiful.
If you’re there I highly suggest trying to get a window seat. They’re the most popular and even though the cafe wasn’t busy all of those seats were taken when I visited. They have a stunning view and during the summer the terrace is open so you can enjoy your drink or snacks outside while enjoying the view of Cour Napoléon and the garden.
After a nice tea break I went off in search of more art. My main goals were to see The Coronation of Napoleon , Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, and The Lamassu.
The Coronation of Napoleon, also known as The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804 was quite easy to find. It was painted by Jacques-Louis David and is located in the Denon Wing on the first floor in Daru, room 702.
The painting was mentioned on the tour of Versailles, about how the painting was requested done by Napoleon with some subtle changes. Some things including his mother who refused to attend being painted in the background. It shows Napoleon crowning his wife as Empress after being crowned himself.
The Lamassu was also quite easy to find though a bit further away. They’re located in the Richelieu wing on the ground floor in the Mesopotamia, Assyria Khorsabad section in room 229.
The Lamassu are protective genies that guard entrances in Dur Sharrukin which is now in modern day Khorsabad, northern Iraq. These creatures are part man, part bird and part bull and known as shedu or lamassu.
Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss however I had an awful time trying to find. The reason why is because the museum is broken up into three main wings. The Richelieu, Sully, and Denon. I had gone down to the ground floor on the Richelieu side and thought I was crossing through Sully and into Denon, but in reality what I was doing was walking in circles around a statue courtyard in the 200’s rooms of the Richelieu. It took me awhile to figure it out. Too long. Embarrassingly too long. I didn’t realize the grey space in the center of Richelieu map was a courtyard. I thought it was the main one with the pyramid. And I couldn’t figure out how to cross over. It was very frustrating. I’ve circled on the map of the ground floor below the area in which I kept walking in circles.
Eventually I asked security for directions and they told me I had to leave and re-enter. Apparently you can do that, at least twice. So I popped out, went back into the main lobby, scanned for the Denon wing and went back in.
I think in other areas and on other floors it’s easy to travel between the three wings, but for some reason when I got down to the ground floor I had an awful time of it. But I did eventually find Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss which is located in the Denon wing on the ground floor in the Michelangelo gallery in room 403.
I saw a lot of other really cool things as I rushed around. I’ll make sure to list the wing, level, and room number for each of them if you click on the image or below it.
Daphnis et Chloé by François Gérard Denon Wing 1st floor Mollien room 700
I think the Louvre is massive. The way you’re suppose to enjoy art is to sit with it and take it in, but I think because of the Louvre if there’s a lot you want to see in a short period of time it makes it difficult. I think because I was also trying to run around on my Museum pass before it expired I felt extra pressure to rush, which isn’t the way you’re suppose to enjoy a museum let alone art. If you have more time I think it’ll be better.
My favorite part of the museum was really seeing other people enjoying it. The amount of artists I saw camped out in the Louvre sketching the sculptures just instilled something warm and fuzzy in me. I wanted to grab a notebook and join them, like I did in my high school art trips. But I just felt like there was no time.
Crown of Louis XV: Denon wing, 1st floor Galerie d’Apollon Room 705
The Louvre is open from Wednesday through Monday. They are closed on Tuesdays, January 1st, May 1st and December 25th. On Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays they are open from 9am until 6pm. On Wednesdays and Fridays they are open from 9am until 9:45pm. Double check online that they are open and their hours before you go. When I went the strikes were happening so they warned that some rooms/galleries might be closed and that the museum might close early. It’s considered fastest to book your tickets online ahead of time and to arrive in the morning.
Hercules, Dejanira and the Centaur Nessus Richelieu wing 1st floor Rotonde Jean Boulogne Room 526
Grand sphinx Sully wing Lower ground floor Crypt of the Sphinx Room 338
The Athena of Velletri
Attached to the Louvre is also a mall like area called Carrousel du Louvre. There’s a food court here with a McDonalds and various other restaurants as well as shopping. I grabbed a late lunch here, debating between different things because all I needed/wanted to do was find a corner to sit in and charge my wifi buddy because it had died suddenly. (The fuse at my hotel had blown for all my outlets so nothing had charged, I didn’t realize it until that night) I wandered around the food court trying to decide what I should get. I felt like I had to get French food, even though there were other options and it had a long line. The McDonalds had more available seating and less of a wait and while McDonalds tends to be better in any country outside of the U.S. it felt like a bad choice for my limited amount of time in France. I hadn’t even scratched the surface of my dream food list.
quiche lorraine set 13.60 euro
So I got in line, looked at what they had and ordered a quiche lorraine. It came with a salad that I didn’t particularly want but couldn’t turn down because it was a set. It only came with one type of dressing, an oil and balsamic dressing that needed to be shaken up. They took it off the bar and popped my quiche back into an oven to reheat. During my trip I had two quiche lorraines, both had to be reheated and came inexplicably with a side salad with the same oil and balsamic dressing. This was the better of the two.
The Carrousel du Louvre is open Wednesday through Monday from 10am until 8pm. On Tuesdays they are open from 11am until 7pm.
“Artemis with a Doe” Sully wing Ground floor Salle des Caryatides Room 348
Hercules Wrestling Achelous Room 105, Richelieu wing
galerie d’apollon
The Louvre One of the first things that I learned when I picked up all my passes at the Big Bus information office was that the Louvre required a reservation.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Little Guy
The Big Guy: A Bruce Banner Fanfic
Series Masterlist
PREVIOUS //
Buy me a ☕
Character Pairing: Bruce Banner x F!Reader
Word Count: 2341
Warnings: Slight Angst, Fluff, Pregnancy, Smut (F|M, Vaginal sex)
Synopsis: Meeting the big green guy wasn’t exactly a normal day, you didn’t expect it to you leading a life on the run and keeping your child’s nature from the world.
The Little Guy
Bruce Banner scrambled back from you, the woman whose arms were just a moment ago wrapped around him. You were a stranger but somehow you seemed familiar to him. The last thing he remembered was being holed up in an apartment building in Florida.
Then… then… a swat team had bashed down his door.
He looked around panicked. “Who are you?”
You both said the words at the same time and it startled him even more. He looked around at the wide open field he was in. It was bordered by forest and a cabin stood at one end and at the other, an old barn with brightly colored childish pictures painted down the side.
He looked down at himself. He was naked and a chain of daisies hung around his neck. Nothing was adding up. He looked back up at you and saw the same confusion on your face. “Where am I? How long was he…? Oh god, did he hurt you? Are you okay? What did he do?” He said coming a little closer to you.
You stumbled back from him. “You - you’re naked.” You stuttered.
Bruce looked down at himself and quickly grabbed the oversized pair of pants that had pooled around his ankles and pulled them up covering himself awkwardly. He looked down at himself again. The pants were handmade, and a lot of care had been taken in the stitching. The daisy chain still hung from his neck. It was clear that daintier fingers than the other guy’s would have been needed to make it. He looked over at the barn again taking in the simple artwork that reached high up on the wall and suddenly everything clicked in place. “Have I been living here?”
“Who are you?” You asked again, still cowering from him. “What happened to Hulk?”
“That’s … I’m the Hulk,” Bruce said, looking you up and down. “Well, I mean, I’m not … did he hurt you? What’s going on? How long has it been?”
“How can you be Hulk?” You yelled. Bruce startled and backed away from you a bit more.
“It … I was doing these tests. I made a miscalculation. He’s the result.” Bruce explained hoping you’d stop panicking soon because he really needed to panic right now. “Please, when he’s in control I … I’m not anywhere.”
You shook your head. “I don’t know. You’ve been here with me for two months.”
“What’s the date?” He asked you. “And where’s here?”
You took a couple of deep steadying breaths, calming yourself. You had just seen the giant green man you had been getting to know transform before your eyes into this much smaller white man. If you could get used to the Hulk being around, you could get used to this. “Come inside. I think there should be some clothes that fit you. My dad and uncles come up here a lot.”
After you have given him a change of clothes and make him tea you sit down and fill him in. You tell him the when and the where. You tell him how you met the Hulk. How you’d become friends. That you were just planning on going back home because you needed to work.
He, in turn, tells you about the experiments that made him what he is. How the government had come for him. How they wanted to use him as a weapon.
“I can’t believe he was in charge for almost 4 months. It’s usually something that goes away when I sleep.” Bruce said, shaking his head. “You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?”
“Do I look hurt?” You asked. The question had become a little tiresome and this whole situation was making you feel a little frayed at the edges.
“No. But, that’s out of character. I just - I can’t get my head around…” He said shaking his head. “You said he talked to you?”
“Yes. We were friends. Well, he’s kind of like a little kid. But he’d come when there was cooking. We played little games together. He liked to paint and one time he sat still and let me paint his skin like it was a canvas.” You explained.
Bruce shook his head again and he ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to do. Or where to go. All my stuff was in Florida.”
You sat back in your chair and rubbed your temples. “We’re pretty far from Florida.”
“I know.” Bruce lamented.
You didn’t say anything for a while. “I’m completely cut off here. You can stay but I don’t know what you would do for money. And other people in my family come up here.”
“I know. That’s - that’s not fair to you. I’ll try and figure something out. If I had a phone maybe… I don’t know.” He said looking at his hands.
You sighed and there was a silence again for a few moments. “You can come and stay with me. I don’t know. If you’re really wanted. I live in the city. But I have a loft and it’s big. There’s a rooftop garden. You can stay. Figure out your next move.”
He looked at you like a hopeful puppy. All that was missing was the wagging tail. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“No. That’s okay. I don’t know you, but I knew him. I’ll trust you because I trust him.” You answered.
Bruce shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “That was not something I thought I’d ever hear in my lifetime. I really don’t understand anything that’s happening right now.”
You and Bruce made the long drive back into the city with only two stops. You got fuel and grabbed some gas station snacks and the crappy egg salad sandwiches they sold and then stopped at the next rest stop to eat them. It was one of those ones that always seem like the place hill people select their next victims in b grade horror movies. You’d stretched and eaten by the side of the road before moving on your way.
By the time you arrived home, it was past midnight and you were both exhausted but you knew a whole lot more about each other. This small soft-spoken man was the opposite of the Hulk in so many ways but it was strange because you could still see him in there.
You led him up to your loft. It was a large industrial style space that was broken into two. The first part was your living room, gallery, kitchen, and studio. There were racks of finished paintings standing on one side of the room and racks of empty canvases on the other. Several of your favorite paintings hung on the wall and there were a few unfinished pieces next to crates of paints and brushes in the corner. A large couch sat in the middle of the room with a coffee table covered in stacks of sketchbooks and piles of pencils and charcoal. The room on the other end of the loft was your bedroom on the left and a bathroom with an old clawfoot tub on the right.
“The couch folds out.” You said pointing to it. “I’ll get you some blankets. I might have some of my exes clothes here. He was bigger than you. If you tell me your size I can duck out and get you some more clothes.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Bruce said meekly, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. “You’ve already done enough.”
You waved him off. “You can’t just wear ill-fitting clothes the whole time. I sewed for Hulk, I can shop for you. I have to go out anyway buy some food.” You grabbed some blankets, sheets, pillows, and towels and brought them back to him in a stack. “Here you go. The bathrooms through there.” You said, pointing. “I’m just going to get ready to sleep and crash after that make yourself at home.
The following day you made good on your promise going out and picking up groceries and clothes. When you get home you try to get your life back on track. Returning to your art as Bruce tries to figure out what to make his next move.
That took a lot longer than you both thought. He had money but accessing it meant the government would be able to track him. He had friends and people in the deep web but he wasn’t sure which of them had sold him out.
You would tell him it was fine but to begin with it kind of wasn’t. It was hard working with him always around. It was hard to relax. Letting a strange man stay with you occasionally felt like the stupidest thing you could possibly have done. But as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months it became fine. He helped out around the apartment, cleaning, filing your paintings. He worked in the garden. He fixed those little niggling issues that had been plaguing the place. He helped you with some IT things, setting up a website to organize clients to come through and to sell paintings online. He kept saying these things weren’t his expertise but he did them without being asked anyway.
He started doing science in a corner you let him set up for himself. Often just checking his own blood. Not that he exactly had a lab anymore. You’d bought a few second-hand things for him on eBay. You felt like you owed him for the things he had done for you, even though he said he’d done them because he owed you for what you’d done for him.
You missed the Hulk occasionally but there were times when you could see a green glint in his eyes or he’d smile a certain way and you could see him as clear as day.
On paper, you and Bruce Banner were so different. He was quiet and analytical. He liked logic and structure. Science was his passion and put so much of himself into it. Whereas you were chaotic and noisy. You liked mess and sound. You were an artist right down to your core. Yet somehow you just worked well together. Gradually you realized that this wasn’t just the feeling you had for your friends. You were actually a little bit in love with him.
It was a Wednesday night and you were taking a bath. You had a bath pillow behind your head and there were candles burning on the windowsill. You had thrown a bath bomb in the water and now you sat soaking in the vanilla scented water that swirled, pink and blue around you.
There was a knock on the door and when you told him it was safe, Bruce came in holding two mugs in his hands.
“Made you tea.” He said offering you a cup.
You took it and had a sip watching Bruce as he sat on the end of the tub.
“I made contact with a friend of an old colleague. I haven’t said who I am exactly or where. I think he might be able to help me with at least a part of my problem and if he’s gone, then the military might stop caring about me too.” He said.
“I wish you wouldn’t call him a problem.” You said putting your cup down on the corner of the bath.
Bruce sighed. “You don’t know what it’s like. I lose time. He destroys things. I never know if I’ve hurt or killed people when I come back.”
You rubbed his leg, leaving a wet patch on his pants. “I know. But he’s not bad. I think he’s trying to protect you.”
“He hates me,” Bruce said.
You shrugged. “If you say so.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. He just sat holding his tea and looking down into the colorful water.
“Why don’t you get in?” You asked.
He looked at you startled. “What?”
“Get in with me.” You repeated.
He looked around the room and a deep blush crept into his cheeks. “But…”
“I’ve seen you naked before. And you’re comfortable enough to just be sitting there. Why not?” You asked. It wasn’t a demand. Just a suggestion. He looked at you trying to assess if you were serious before putting his own mug down and getting up.
He stripped off his clothes turned away from you like he was trying to keep his modesty.
“You want me to close my eyes?” You asked.
He shrugged a little and turned to face you pushing his pants down and quickly stepping into the water. The water level rose right to the lip but didn’t spill over. There was a moment where Bruce didn’t seem to know where he wanted to put his feet, but eventually, he nestled them in on each side of your hips.
“You don’t seem very relaxed.” You teased.
“I just - you don’t think this is weird?” He asked.
“I would have thought given how we met, nothing is really that weird.” You answered relaxing back in the water. He kept staring at you, his body stiff and uncomfortable looking. “Bruce. You didn’t have to get in you know.”
He didn’t say anything, he just kept staring. “I like you too, you know?”
You looked him in the eye. “I know.”
“It can’t happen. I want it to. But… I have such a thin hold and if he comes out…” He said.
“What? I’d show him my art and we’d do some painting together? It’s not like my loft isn’t big enough to hold him.” You shot back. “I know him, Bruce. Better than you do.”
Bruce sighed and looked you over. For a moment you thought he was angry at you. He suddenly lunged forward making the water from the bath splash violently over the side and his mouth was on yours. You wrapped your arms around him and sinking back into the water and smiling into the kiss.
// NEXT
#bruce banner#bruce banner x reader#hulk#hulk fanfic#fanfic#fanfiction#reader insert#smut#the big guy#the little guy
133 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Murderess of the Grunewald (26): Preparing for War (2)
“Victory column Berlin” by LoboStudioHamburg
Notice: With this chapter, we return to the preparations Jamie makes for Claire's defense while she stays in the Women’s Detention Center in
Berlin-Moabit, waiting for her trial. Chronologically this chapter follows directly after chapter 18.
Six months ago. The evening after Jamie’s fourth Attorney’s visit to Claire in prison.
Previous Chapter
Previously
“Tessa reminded Jamie that the next day at 10:30 am, the telephone conference with Prof. Dr. Nerz was scheduled and that she had reserved for him and David de Koning a table at the Ferenc’s for that evening. He had three hours left by that time. However, he should plan at least half an hour of driving time because the traffic news had predicted a traffic jam for the inner city. Just another visit of just another foreign head of state in Berlin. Nothing new. Jamie thanked her and sat down at his desk. He looked out of the large panoramic window towards the Great Star. Twilight had already set in and soon the illumination of the Victory Column would start. Anyone who knew the history of the monument knew that it was not just a monument of victory after a war. It was a constant reminder of the wrestling of this nation for its liberty and its unity. First in the Liberation Wars against Napoleon from 1813 - 1815, then in the Wars of Unification between 1864 - 1871. For Jamie, it was also a synonym for the resilience with which this country had fought for its reunification the 40 years after World War II. He loved the view from his office because there was something encouraging about the monument. And that encouragement he needed very much. Right now, when he had to prepare a ‘war’ - when it was necessary to ‘muster’ his weapons and his troops.”
“Kaffeehaus” by jpeter2
A few minutes after 6:00 pm, Jamie arrived at the "Ferenc's". He gave his name to the receptionist and said he had reserved a table. The waiter led him into the side room and up the stairs that led to the gallery, called the “Belle Etage”. When David de Koning saw him, he rose from the table and greeted him. The waiter took a step back. As Jamie and David sat down, then he pointed to the menus on the table and to the little button that was attached to the parapet of the gallery beside the table by which they could ring the waiter. Jamie thanked the man. Then he and de Koning exchanged a few words and delved into the menus. Jamie chose the South Tyrolean spinach dumplings with leek and white wine sauce and sparkling water.
"No Wiener Schnitzel?" de Koning asked, frowning.
"No, but if you like to ... you know, the bill is on me."
The guest did not think twice. When the waiter returned, he ordered Lamb‘s lettuce with pumpkin seed oil as an appetizer, a Wiener Schnitzel (of course of the full-cream calf) with potato-cucumber salad as the main course and as a dessert Apricot dumplings in walnut butter with raspberry foam. He would have liked to have chosen a glass of wine from the top list of Austrian winemakers offered by Ferenc’s, but unfortunately, he had to drive home by car. So de Koning ordered table water.
"Well, what's up, Jamie?" de Koning asked in a whisper as the waiter left.
"The prosecution has ..." began Jamie in a normal volume.
"Psst! Jamie! Not so loud! "
De Koning looked at him in dismay before carefully looking around in all directions.
"What? Do you mean we are being monitored?" Fraser asked, slightly amused. Then he plucked at the tablecloth, picked it up and looked under the table.
"Well, I don’t see any eavesdropping devices here. Do you?"
"Jamie!"
De Koning looked around carefully again.
"Ah, maybe there's a bug here in the flower vase!"
Jamie plucked the dried flower bouquet from the small white porcelain vase that stood on the table between him and de Koning.
"Oh no! Also empty!"
With a big grin, Fraser showed de Koning the empty vase.
"No one there who wants to overhear us!"
"Jamie!"
"David! We are in Berlin-Mitte, not in Chicago or the Bronx! So, do you want to know something about the case or not?"
De Koning looked a little frustrated, but then unpacked his little black notebook and nodded.
"Why do you think I’m here?"
"Because of the good and above all free food ..."
Jamie grinned and earned another sour look from de Koning.
"The prosecution has filed an indictment, my client is in custody. I doubt that the accusations will stand the test. Some of them are built on very, very shaky ground - but you will not write that!"
"I'm not stupid, Fraser!"
Instead of answering, Jamie looked meaningfully at the small white porcelain vase.
David de Koning pretended that he did not understand the allusion.
"Does your client deny the charge?"
"100 percent. She is innocent, completely innocent and we will prove that."
"But if she didn’t kill her husband, who did it? Her husband is dead and he was obviously murdered. He has hardly inflicted the numerous, severely bleeding wounds ion himself."
"We don’t know who killed Professor Randall. But one thing is sure: it was not his widow."
"But …."
Before de Koning could ask another question, two waiters came and served the food. The journalist pocketed his notebook.
“Marillenknödel” by RitaE
The two men started to eat.
"Ah, this Schnitzel is truly delicious. You don’t know what you're missing, Jamie."
"Thanks, I'm very happy with the dumplings. I don’t like to eat heavy dishes in the evening."
They teased each other back and forth about the food for some more minutes, then Jamie redirected the conversation back to the subject.
"My client doesn’t know who did this to her deceased husband. She certainly had no reason for it."
"Really? It is rumored that her husband had a girlfriend?"
"Even if that had been so, wouldn’t it be more obvious that my client had killed this woman and not her husband?"
"Well, there are voices that say, that the husband had a not inconsiderable fortune and perhaps, your client didn't want to miss such an inheritance?"
"My client has her own assets. Her uncle was a very well known British archaeologist, and Egyptologist, who taught at Oxford for many years. She was his only heir. In no case was she ever dependent on her husband's money,”
"Then maybe it was pure revenge? She just wanted to get rid of that old jerk?"
“Chirurg” by marionbrun
"My client is a doctor. She has sworn an oath to save lives, to heal lives, not to take life."
"Well, just because she is a doctor, even a surgeon, means nothing, but she would have the know-how ... You have certainly read newspaper reports in which she is credited with the act just because ..."
"I can assure you that my client is not capable of such low emotions."
"Uhhh, big words, Mr. Lawyer!" said de Koning. "One could think, you're married to the lady, or at least dating her!"
Then he stuffed his last apricot dumpling in his mouth. He rubbed his stomach with relish and, addressing Jamie, said:
"Who knows what other colleagues from the rest of the press are digging up ... Are you really sure that not someday something will come up from somewhere? Couldn’t somebody show up in court and get talking? Maybe a neighbor, a friend, a hotel clerk witnessed a fight or something else?"
"Whoever should crawl out of whatever hole, to throw dirt on my innocent client, he or she must know that we will prosecute every slander, every false statement, and every incumbent claim under criminal and civil law."
"You will claim for damages?"
"Of course! My client is a graduate of irreproachable reputation. Every slanderer must know that slander is expensive. She's a respected surgeon, and if she loses her reputation or job because of such slander, someone will pay for it. You can count on it."
"What does it mean that you will let those allegations persecute? Don't you do that yourself?"
"No. In this case, we have appointed a distinguished lawyer whose law firm specializes in media law. I intend to concentrate entirely on the defense of my client. "
"Surely I can write that?" asked de Koning, knowing what Jamie's answer would be.
"Of course."
Two waiters came, cleared the dishes and asked if they could bring anything else. Jamie ordered water for himself and de Koning and asked for the bill.
"And what about the ... exclusive interview?" asked de Koning. He deliberately kept this question until the end. If Jamie had to tell him that his client would refuse, then at least this news would not spoil his meal.
"What exclusive interview?" Jamie asked, frowning.
"You know exactly what exclusive interview, you pettifogger!"
"Oh, the ... exclusive interview with the magazine U-Turn ... Hmmm, let me think."
"Fraser"
“Notizbuch” by tookapic
De Koning pounded nervously on the table with his black notebook.
"This is the decision of my client ... she decided to do this interview, unfortunately ..."
De Koning's eyes widened.
"What has your client decided unfortunately?”
"Unfortunately she has decided ... to give this completely new and unknown online magazine in Berlin ... this exclusive interview."
"Yeah!"
De Koning beamed and thumped his fist on the table.
"David!" Jamie said in a whisper and pointed wide-eyed at the small white porcelain vase: "Pull yourself together! The Stasi officer who monitors us gets eardrum twitching! They will sue you for bodily harm and I have to bail you out again!"
Both started laughing loudly and it was obvious that David de Koning's laughter was a liberating laugh.
"How did you do that? How did you convince her?" the journalist asked.
"That, my good friend, falls under the lawyer's duty of secrecy. But seriously. I will work out an agreement in the next few days that my client and you will sign. Then all’ is wrapped up. You know, I expect U-Turn to be neutral."
De Koning nodded.
"For sure. We will do that ... I promised you. Just ..."
"Just?"
"Jamie, don’t misunderstand me ... you're pretty sure she's innocent, but who tells you that there aren’t any skeletons in her closet, coming out someday?"
"David, trust me, I know you have a reputation to lose, but I assure you - she is innocent, and I promise you that I will pay for anything if U-Turn suffers any financial harm because you help me."
"It's ... it's not that I don’t trust you, Fraser. We've been working together for too long, but ... such a big thing ..."
"We've never worked on such a big thing together before, I know, but that will not change anything, it will not be easy, we'll have some tough months ahead of us, but believe me, I'll do anything to make this whole thing a success - for my client, for me and you."
"When do we meet to sign the agreement - and especially where?"
"In a week? I call you. I'll call you as soon as I've finalized the agreement and discussed it with my client. "
"But she will not ... but still, jump off?"
"No, no. That deal is sealed."
"Ok, I trust you, Jamie."
"And I trust you, David. You send me the first article as a pdf on my phone?"
"Yeah, we'll release only if you agree."
He nodded in agreement. They got up, went downstairs and Jamie paid the bill. They said goodbye at the entrance, then they went to their cars.
“Parkplatz” by kaboompics
When Jamie wanted to go to bed three hours later, his smartphone made a beep. He tapped the display and saw that David de Koning had sent an email with an attachment. He opened the attachment and read:
#TheMurderessfromtheGrunewald#Outlander#Outlander Fan Fiction#Claire Beauchamp#Claire Randall#Claire Fraser#Jamie Fraser#Adso the cat#Bismarck the dachshund#Germany#Berlin#Grunewald#Crime AU#Modern AU
37 notes
·
View notes
Photo
I removed some books today.
I think of myself as a minimalist, but that doesn’t happen to be true. I have acquired more books than I will ever read. They still sit, stacked and unreachable, in piles by the walls, two dozen books tall and sometimes two books deep.
I don’t think I know where they all came from. I think more came from online than from any physical store. I bought them from Abebooks, the sales search platform that Amazon owns now. Abebooks tell you the names of the sellers, but they seem unconnected to any real place.
From Better World Books. From Thrift Books and Bookbarn. From Silver Arch Books, Motor City Books, Free State Books, Sierra Nevada Books, Yankee Clipper Books, and the Atlanta Book Company. From Green Earth Books and Housing Works Books. From Goldstone Books and Powell’s Books and Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries. From Satellite Books and the Orchard Bookshop. From Blue Cloud Books and Hippo Books and Wonder Book.
They’re from all over, from places you’ve never been, places you’ll never be. They’re names on a box. But then there are the books from more intimate places, intimately connected
From library’s old bookstore, which sold paperbacks for fifty cents, hardcovers for a dollar. From the basement of the old independent bookstore down on Front Street, where they sold remaindered and overstocked books marked down with red-orange tape. From the thrift store across the street, which charged too much.
From the Chapters at the mall in your hometown, or the Chapters and Indigo in the places you’ve been to, from the shelves of marked-down items where you looked for bargains, for the books you knew you should read, and all the books you never would. Places where you could drink sweet cream and coffee and pretend to read.
From the Borders in Syracuse, where you idled while the family went to the fair, where they always said they were going to build the largest mall in America, but never did. There was another Borders in South Florida, where they were stripping fixtures from the walls because the books had not sold, and so the Borders had to be. They still have bookstores. I’m not sure what they sell now. Postcards, I think.
The books still in my room had postcards from people I will never know, dedications to people I will never see, business cards from people who have moved on to other work. But their spines are unbroken, their pages unmarked. I guess I wanted them that way. I bought them like that.
I sometimes worried they would break through the floor. I would wake up to the collapse of everything I have ever owned as I plummeted a few short feet to my death. I guess it would probably take longer than that. I would have to wait for them to crush me. That mass of books would fall on me, blotting out the light. Crushed beneath nearly everything I have ever owned.
That’s what happened to the clerk Toshiko Sasaki in John Hershey’s Hiroshima, who was seated at her desk on August 6, 1945, in front of a couple of bookcases from the factor library:
Everything fell, and Miss Sasaki lost consciousness. The ceiling dropped suddenly and the wooden floor above collapsed in splinters and the people up there came down and the roof above them gave way; but principally and first of all, the bookcases right behind her swooped forward and the contents threw her down, with her left leg horribly twisted and breaking underneath her. There, in the tin factory, in the first moment of the atomic age, a human being was crushed by books.
Miss Sasaki made out alright, although not so well as to not ask the question “If your God is so good and kind, how can he let people suffer like this?” But then, I have more books than she did.
I removed some books today. I still have more I want to remove. I just don’t have the boxes for them. I took the boxes I did have in the back of my car to a mass-market thrift store, where they will end up on the shelves by the leather jackets.
Perhaps they will end on some other shelf, like a postcard from somewhere unknown, in someone else’s memory. But I don’t think they will. I don’t think they’ll sell. There aren’t enough people here who spend money pretending to read.
I don’t know what will happen to them. I suppose they will pulp them. Or perhaps they will end in a landfill, crushed beneath their own weight, suffocating beneath the earth we have made for them until life reclaims them.
I wrote out a partial list of the books I threw out. I don’t know what it says about me. There’s a double significance here: These are books I bought, for some amount of money, but these are also books I am throwing away, because I asked the question the woman told me to ask, which was whether they sparked joy, and I answered no.
Those books in the photo are the books that have not yet been thrown away. Here, below the fold, are the books that have:
Judith Fitzgerald’s Sarah McLachlan: Building a Mystery
Mordecai Richler’s Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!
Jonathan Coe’s The Rotter’s Club
Misha Glenny’s McMafia
Joinville and Villehardouin’s Chronicles of the Crusades
Michael Ignatieff’s The Lesser Evil
Russell Dalton’s Citizen Politics in Western Democracies: Public Opinion and Political Parties in the United States, Great Britain, West Germany, and France
Richard Finn’s Winners in Peace: MacArthur, Yoshida, and Postwar Japan
Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi
Fox Butterfield’s China: Alive in the Bitter Sea
Anthony Sampson’s The Changing Anatomy of Britain
Masanori Hashimoto’s The Japanese Labor Market in a Comparative Perspective with the United States
Donald Keene’s Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era: Poetry, Drama, Criticism
Andrei Shleifer’s Without a Map: Political Tactics and Economic Reform in Russia
Peter Newman’s The Secret Mulroney Tapes
Nicholas Negroponte’s Being Digital
Lesley Downer’s The Brothers: The Hidden World of Japan’s Richest Family
Harold Vogel’s Entertainment Industry Economics
Stephen Goldsmith and William D. Eggers’s Governing by Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector
Donald Harman Akenson, Saint Saul: A Skeleton Key to the Historical Jesus
Philip Ziegler’s King Edward VIII
David Wessel’s In FED We Trust
Robert Dallek’s Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1961--1973
David Halberstam’s The Reckoning
David Bell’s The First Total War: Napoleon’s Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It
Kevin Phillips’s The Cousins’ Wars
Yirmiyahu Yovel, Spinoza and Other Heretics: The Adventures of Immanence
Michael Oren’s Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
Lawrence McDonald’s A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers
Richard Posner’s The Crisis of Capitalist Democracy
William Chester Jordan’s Europe in the High Middle Ages
William Cohan’s House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street
Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
Linda Lear’s Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature
Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals
Allan Brandt’s The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America
Garry Wills’s Head and Heart: American Christianities
Sarah Bradford’s Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain’s Queen
Andrew Gordon’s The Evolution of Labor Relations in Japan: Heavy Industry, 1853--1955
John Ardagh’s France in the New Century: Portrait of a Changing Society
Bob Woodward’s The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House
John Julius Norwich’s Byzantium: The Early Centuries
Taylor Branch’s Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963--65
Michael Lewis’s Liar’s Poker
Tim Blanning’s The Pursuit of Glory: Europe, 1648--1815
Robert Fagles’s translation of Virgil’s The Aeneid
Karl Popper’s The Poverty of Historicism
P. D. Smith’s Doomsday Men: The Real Dr. Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon
Richard Rhodes’s Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race
Margaret Thatcher’s Downing Street Years
Alistair Horne’s Harold Macmillan, 1957--1986
Taylor Branch’s The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President
Ian Kershaw’s Hitler, 1936--1945: Nemesis
David Grossman’s To the End of the Land
Sean Wilentz’s The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Philipp Blom’s The Vertigo Years: Europe, 1900--1914
Jacob M. Schlesinger’s Shadow Shoguns: The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Postwar Political Machine
Peter Jenkins’s Mrs. Thatcher’s Revolution: The Ending of the Socialist Era
Martin Lawrence’s Iron Man: The Defiant Reign of Jean Chrétien
Marin Lawrence’s Chrétien: The Will to Win
Alastair Campbell’s The Blair Years
Tony Blair’s A Journey
David Kennedy’s Don’t Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America
Joshua Ferris’s Then We Came to the End
Kate McCafferty’s Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl
Martin Wolf’s Why Globalization Works
Charles Fishman’s The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works -- and How It’s Transforming the American Economy
William Easterly’s The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good
Karel van Wolferen’s The Enigma of Japanese Power: People and Politics in a Stateless Nation
Jeffrey Sachs’s The End of Poverty: How We Can Make It Happen in Our Lifetime
39 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
ghk2013
Giving Help with KOPMA
cucumbakochi02
Untitled
jslatt001
Untitled
vincey2k03
Untitled
xiumuns
don't be hopeless;