#Custom Printed Lid-Off Boxes

[eternal-kosmo-ghoul]

*°:⋆ₓₒ day 10. toys

.｡❅*⋆⍋*∞*｡ “festive little fantasies”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ — ❤︎ your gift for copia surely got him excited….

pairing: papa copia x afab!reader

a/n: day 10!!!! i wrote this at a restaurant lmao

cw: nsfw content. vibrator. oral sex (f receiving). cunnilingus. edging.

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“… color me surprised, dolcezza. you sure know how to get a man going.” —❤︎

┅✦┅

“merry christmas, darling!”

“… what exactly are you beholding?”

your cheerful, beaming smile turned into a more deadpanned look as you heard a certain papa give you his usual sarcastic quip.

“it’s a present..?” you state in a rather sassy tone, holding the beautifully wrapped present out in your palms for him to see. “y’know, the shit you get on christmas?”

copia eyes the gift in your hands, and he just chuckles. “i know, amore. i’m just messing with you.”

your blank stare quickly morphed back into your excited, playful grin, and handed the box to copia, which he gladly took. it was a rather neatly wrapped gift. a medium sized box wrapped in glittery, red paper with cute snowflake patterns printed all over it. of course, you couldn’t forget the deep green laced bow on top of it, adding holiday charm to the present.

copia gave one of his usual half smiles and tapped the bow on top of the gift, the bow springing a little from the contact. “you surely outdid yourself on the wrapping with this one.”

“yeah, i did. i know i’m great, thank you very much.” you spoke while putting your hands on your hip and flicking your hair dramatically, taking pride in your excellent work.

copia rolled his eyes at you.

“you’re so dramatic sometimes.” he rebuked playfully, and you huffed while keeping your arms crossed.

“well i’m soooo sorry you can’t handle me and my glamorous personality.”

“you sure? i can definitely handle you well in bed—“

“just shut up and open the gift.”

copia laughed heartily, before sitting down in the edge of the bed and unwrapping the present carefully, the paper tears creating satisfying sounds. copia was slowly unraveling the box of its colorful wrapping, and he lifted the lid off of the box to expose… the prize.

his eyes widened a bit as he looked at the intriguing shape of the gift, the mere sight of it coloring his cheeks a hue of scarlet red. however, copia let out a soft, hearty chuckle, before smirking and pulling out the object you had nearly wrapped for him, cradling it with two hands to show it off to you.

“really?” he asked with an authoritative tone, but he was mostly joking. “you got me something that’ll help yourself.”

“heyyy it can help you too!” you exclaimed with a giggle. “help me, help you. mi casa es tu casa.”

“not sure if that’s the right analogy, darling. but whatever floats your boat.”

the gift you had gotten copia was rather… extravagant and sexual. a vibrator, to put it bluntly. however, it was one of the nicer and more high quality ones instead of the shitty porno vibrators you find at the back of a dusty attic. the color was rather beautiful too, a seductive deep shade of red with intricate, satanic-esque black designs that made it look like it was the toy of the devil himself. but the most striking thing about the vibrator, was copia’s name ingrained in beautiful calligraphy handwriting at the base of the toy.

copia looked at you, and you just gave him a mischievous, almost evil looking grin. what crafty little scamp you were.

“custom made just for you, babe.” you smirked, moving to sit next to copia and tapping your fingers on his shoulder in a ‘walking’ motion.

“… color me surprised, dolcezza. you sure know how to get a man going.”

“do you like it?”

“fuck. like is an understatement.”

copia’s gloved fingers gently grasped your chin and tilted your head upwards to make you look at him.

“you have no idea how badly i want to use this bad boy on you.” copia practically pants out, lust lacing his voice.

you groan and whisper in his ear. “then what are we waiting for?”

it didn’t take long before the two of you started to make out furiously. clothed came off in a heated frenzy as you both found yourselves tangled up in the bed, with nothing but your underwear on. copia just panted heavily as he separated his mouth from yours, a glimmering trail of saliva connecting to your guys’ mouths.

copia let out a grunt and buried his head between your legs. using his teeth, he caught the delicate fabric of your panties between them, before using his teeth to pull up your panties, flicking it off of your legs. he cursed at the sight of your dripping wet pussy.

“you look so appetizing.” copia breathed out. you were about to speak, but was quickly cut off with a loud moan when copia started to lap at your clit hungrily.

“oh fuuuck..” you cursed lowly, moaning and spreading your legs a little more as you felt copia eating you out like it’s his last meal, prepping you for the main event.

his tongue worked skillfully around the snensirive bundle of nerves, dripping his saliva all over your slickness and fucking you with his tongue real good. heavenly and airy moans escaped your lips, gripping onto copia’s hair like your life depended on it as you bucked your hips into his face, desperate to feel more of that pleasure.

copia grinned into your glittering cunt and delved his tongue deeper into your folds, moaning at the sweet taste of your nectar. “lucifer, you taste so good.”

after eating you out for a decent amount of time, copia drew his tongue away from your puffy cunt, before he reached his hand to the vibrator that was sitting on the quilt of your sheets. he shimmied himself behind you, that way your back was against his chest and his arm was wrapped around your middle. you moaned and teasingly ground your ass against his dick, making him let out a sharp gasp.

“you little tease.” copia jeered, and you just grinned.

“can’t help it.” you spoke.

copia just sighed and click the vibrator on, feeling it buzz in his hands for a bit. he then grinned before bringing it down between your legs, letting the head of it press against your already stimulated pussy. the pleasurable vibrations only made your legs jolt with pleasure, and you cried out in pure euphoria.

“a-ahh!”

“shhh… that’s it baby.. relax…”

he massaged the sex toy all over your aching red folds, watching you squirm in his grasp as you felt an intense amount of pleasure from the vibrator. copia got more bold and turned up the intensity of the vibrations slowly, before it was at max. you cried out loudly, feeling incredibly overwhelmed by pleasure, the vibrator making your puffy cunt flutter around the head of it, and making it super wet.

“you’re doing so good..” copia praised, his lips nibbling at your earlobe while he massaged the vibrator into your pussy. the feeling of pleasure was so intense.

you were close.

“f-fuck! copia! i need to cum!” you shrieked, voice high pitched and blissed out from how good you felt.

your orgasm was dangerously close, that edge of pleasure you needed to reach to feel fulfilled. you were getting closer.. and closer.. and closer…

… until the pleasure stopped.

looking behind you to see that copia turned off the vibrator, you whined in protest. copia didn’t say a word until he turned on the vibrator again and shoved the toy inside of you, making you shriek with pleasured-pain.

“i’m not going to let you cum until i say so. for now, just sit there like a good little fuck doll and let me play with your pussy.”

you just whimpered mindlessly, too focused on the vibrator fucking you to fully comprehend his words.

“alright then.. now.. take it, cara.”

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#holiday hoes event #ghost bc #papa copia x reader #papa copia #copia smut #copia x reader #the band ghost #the band ghost smut #ghost bc smut #ghost bc x reader #papa emeritus smut #papa emeritus iv #papa emeritus iv x reader #smutty drabble #christmas #christmas prompts

[cosmic-crybaby]

Blue Skies- Tommy Shelby

Chapter 7: ‘All My Heart’ 

Warnings in this chapter: No warnings this chapter, mostly fluff, a little angst in the beginning. 

Masterlist

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It was the very next week. 

Your children were over at your home once again. You had just picked them up from their tutors, feeding and bathing them before sending them up tp their rooms to read before you retreated to your own bedroom. You had just remembered you were gifted an old family recipe book, an old notebook made from parchment and covered in red leather that had to be old and tattered now. It was filled on every page with hundreds of recipes of baked goods, pastries, and deserts that dated back to the 1860′s. In hopes you would be able to use the book to find something new to sell for the customers, just in time for the Spring as it was just a few more weeks away. 

You looked through the many boxes that were stored in your closet, setting them on the floor in front of you. One of the boxes you had opened held a variety of fabric and smaller boxes. One of the pieces of fabric caught your eye You picked it up, gently unfolding it and holding it out in front of you as it was revealed to be an old yellow dress you wore on your first outing with your ex-husband. The next dress you found was the one you had worn when you first found out you were pregnant, it was a beautiful shade of blue like the sea and printed with floral designs. It was a dress your mother made for you. Digging deeper, you found the small box that contained your wedding band. You felt your stomach sink as your heart swelled with emotion. The memories you had shared with him since you were young. Taking a deep breath and shaking your head before the tears could form, ‘It’s in the past’ You reminded yourself as your quickly set the contents back in the box and placed the lid on. When you reached into the second box you felt something soft against your fingers, gently pulling it out. It was a cotton sheet that was tied with a lilac ribbon. 

You curiously untied the cotton bag, letting out a small gasp as the corners fell and draped over your lap. Your eyes widened at the pair of baby slippers. One pair was knitted in what used to be white wool, which now started to grow beige over time. The other pair looked nicer, being that they were store bought instead of hand-made. They were navy in color with white stripes around the ankle. When you were pregnant with Elizabeth, you and your husband had little money, so your mother took the liberty in giving you the hand-knitted socks. By the time you were pregnant with Henry your husband had a better job and you both owned a decent amount of money, so you had bought the second pair in a local store in London. You sniffled and cursed to yourself as the memories and guilt flooded through you once again. You gently placed them back in the rag and tied them up before placing it back in the box and putting them back in your closet after you found what you were looking for, hidden away and out of sight. 

The very next day you took the day off from the bakery. Sitting at your vanity, applying mascara on your lashes. 

“How come you’re wearing makeup, mum?” Elizabeth asked as she entered your room and sat herself down on your bed, her feet dangling off the side.

“I always wear makeup,” You inform her with a glance through the mirror as you focus on the task. 

“Are you going on a date?” She asked, you chortle and put the brush and pan of mascara away in the drawer.

“No, love I am not,” You told her, which caused her to nod quietly. You picked up the tube of lipstick. 

“Are you trying to look pretty for Thomas?” She then asked, you set the lip stick down and sigh as you turn your full attention to her.

“Elizabeth.” You warn. She only put her hands up in defense as she hopped off of the bed and left you alone in the room.

“You better be ready in one hour!” You called to her. You applied the light lipstick before blotting the excess on a tissue. You stood up, smoothing down your dress. It was a beautiful lavender shade with white detailing. It was simple and casual but still appropriate for your day with Thomas. You take a deep breath as you stop at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Thomas’ arrival.

Just as you had stepped into the living room, you groaned at the mess your children had made of it. Their books and toys scattered around the room.

"Elizabeth, Henry!" You called, followed by a tsk. Finding it useless in asking them to clean up. You scanned the room, picking up any toy or book you could and attempting to find a place to put them. You scoffed at yourself and set the books on the shelf haphazardly and ran up the stairs to quickly place the toys in the toy box. A knock at the door caused you to gasp. It was Thomas. Running down the stairs to throw the last of the books on the shelves.

"You two know I cleaned the house, please pick up after yourselves! This is just..," You give up and sigh heavily. Kicking the last of the toys under the couch.

Out of sight, out of mind.

You smooth down your dress once more and fix any stray hairs as you open the front door. Thomas stood on the front steps, wearing his peaked cap, coat, and gloves. You smiled at him.

"Thomas…Hi," You heard the two sets of feet bounding down the wooden stairs and stopping behind you.

"(Y/n)…Elizabeth, Henry," He nodded in acknowledgment to your children who now stood in front of you.

"Hi Mr. Shelby," Henry said.

"Hello, Thomas," Elizabeth's voice was as stoic as her expression. You tsked again and threw your coat on before having the children lead the way. Thomas suggested you all go for a drive. The trees were starting to gain their leaves back this time of year and thought your kids would have a good time running up and down the hills and picking flowers. Upon your arrival to your secret destination, he opened the door for you and your children to exit the vehicle.

If Thomas Shelby was anything besides a criminal, he was a gentleman.

A good one at that.

You smiled brightly at him, your lips painted the slightest shade of red to match the natural blush of your cheeks.

The sun was shining bright that day, opposite of your usual gloomy Birmingham weather. The sun kissed your cheeks and warmed your skin, slightly. It was still cool out, but at least your kids got to soak up what little bit of sun that had peeked from behind the clouds. You took a breath of fresh air as you walked to the open grass. The large trees being the only thing providing shade. You set a large blanket down under the tree, Thomas sitting down beside you as Henry and Elizabeth took off running down the hill. You grin in contentment as you watch them from afar, shouting and chasing each other around the field.

“How do you do it?” He asked. You glanced at him, your shaded glasses over your eyes to shield the harsh rays of the sun.

“Do what?”

“Take care of the both of them by yourself,”

You took a deep breath and shrugged. Slightly shaking your head as you thought for a moment.

“It gets easier as they get older, but the older they get the less dependent they are on me,”

“That should be a good thing,” He spoke. You didn’t expect him to get it right away since he never got the chance to share the same feelings you did when it came to being a parent.

“It is sometimes, but they’re still going to be my babies no matter what, I won’t treat them like that forever but I also don’t want them to think that just because they grow up they don’t need me anymore,” You explained. You wished you could follow your own advice. The regret of pushing your own family away still plagues your mind to this day.

“I don’t just feed them, I bathe them, play games with them…I hug them when they’re sad and teach them things that I wished my family taught me before I had to learn them the hard way,”

“All we really know is the hard way…that can benefit them,” He said, blowing smoke out of his mouth. You nod in contemplation at this response.

“In some cases yeah,” You agreed. “I like to foster their self-interests, it helps ‘em find activities they enjoy,”

“I did the same with my boy, he loved horses…his mother wasn’t very fond of them, and the horses here are far superior to the horses in America,”

“Speaking from experience or is that a biased opinion?” You chuckled

“A bit of both,” The laughs eased into silence, the birds chirping were the only sounds that could be heard besides the screams and laughs of your children in the distance as they fed the birds by the pond. You wondered if their father had done the same for them. He wasn’t the most motivating man when it came to your marriage but he sure as hell was reassuring but you still wondered if he gave them the same motivation and reassurance.

‘No I shouldn’t think so negatively about him, I should still have faith in him’ You thought.

“Mummy!” Henry called as he ran up to you, slightly panting with Elizabeth running up behind him. Looking away from Thomas and up at their red faces and messy, winded hair.

“Yes, Love,”

Henry pulled out a crooked paper airplane, made from what looked like an old homework assignment.

“A boy in my class tried to teach me how to make a parchment aero-plane but it doesn’t fly very good,” He said, a small frown of disappointment.

“Let me see here, Henry,” Thomas leaned forward to hold out his hand for the boy to pass it to him. He took the small plane in his hands and examined it, he tsked before nodding once.

“That boy in your class had no idea what he’s doing…Here let me show you,” Thomas said before scooting over so Henry could take a seat beside him and watch Thomas unfold the paper. Elizabeth sat at your side and rested her head on your shoulder as she watched as well, calming her breaths. 

“...And you fold it like this…and you got yourself an aero-plane,” Thomas finished, handing the plane back to Henry as it was in better shape and had more of a sturdy structure to it. Henry smiled in delight, examining it with big bright eyes.

“Thank you, Mr. Shelby,”

“Let's go see if she flies now, boy,” Thomas said as he stood up. Henry followed suit and stopped just before the steep of the hill. Thomas held the plane, demonstrating how to throw it properly.

“Have you thrown a dart before, Henry?” He asked. Henry nodded.

“Yeah, dad taught me before,” He said, glancing up at Thomas.

“Good, now it’s just like that, all in the wrists,” He says as he motions how to throw it, giving the plane back to Henry. He counted down for Henry who jumped in excitement when he saw how smoothly the plane coasted the air and down the hill. It only went a few feet but Henry was ecstatic that it worked. You watched them interact together from your spot on the blanket. A smile started forming on your face, unbeknownst to you as your heart leaped at how your son already took a liking to Thomas.

“He asked dad to teach him last week…but dad was too busy,” Elizabeth said quietly. You turned your head to look at her as your hand was petting her beautiful long hair.

“Too busy?” You repeated, wondering what on earth had his attention rather than focusing on his kids.  

“Yeah…He works a lot, always running his bakery and having meetings with the men he works with,” She said, you had to refrain from rolling your eyes. It upset you that he fought to see his children every other week when he’s already too enveloped in his own work to ever really spend quality time with them. You cleared your throat.

“Love…does your father take you two to your lessons?" You asked. She looked up at you, squinting a bit from the sun, you took your shaded glasses off and set them over her eyes.

"Sometimes, when the bakery is super busy he forgets...or he gets one of his workers to take us," She said. This made your stomach tighten and your chest feel heavy with anger as you swallowed your words of concern and formed your lips in a tight line, but you knew deep down he cared for his family and had a huge soft spot for your children and he wouldn't put them in harms way, he was a tough, scary man on the outside and everyone knew not to fuck with him.

"Okay Love, as long as your father trusts these men, then okay but make sure you go to your lessons from now on...nag him if you have to," You mumble the last part.

After a few hours of walking along the grass and going down to the lake to look at the ducks and fish in the water, Thomas packed the car and took the drive back home. The sun was starting to set as the sky turned from a beautiful bright blue to a pink and purple sky. The all too familiar smoke of and clouds started to cover the sky the closer you got to the city. He parked the car in front of your home, the kids jumping out of the car and running inside. When the two of you stepped out of the car, he walked beside you.

"I had fun today," You smiled. "Thank you,"

"My pleasure, you deserve a break," He said. Just as you stopped at the front door you turned to him.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

---

Tag list: 

Read Pinned Post If You Would Like To Be Added

@violet-19999 @micarinitodemiel @dilfsandtherapy @shelundeadxxxx @dragons-are-my-favorite @trixie23​ 

#PeakyBlinders #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinder imagine #thomas shelby #Tommy Shelby #tommyshelbyxreader #tommyshelbyxlizziestark #Arthur Shelby #John Shelby #Esme Shelby #polly gray #polly shelby #Lizzie Stark #grace burgess #alfie solomons x reader #Alfie Solomons #angst and hurt/comfort #Emotional Hurt/Comfort #eventual relationship #eventual smut #One Night Stand #x reader #afab reader #reader insert #strangers to lovers #tw infidelity #tw abortion #male manipulator #unplanned pregnancy

[tragedyinblue]

3. Arrival

CW: Mention of dehumanization, institutionalized slavery, "it" in reference to a person, not much else in this chapter

Abigail Evelyn Cooper eyed the large wooden crate in her parlor with a dubious glare. 

Her son-in-law had phoned that morning to tell her to expect a delivery sometime in the early afternoon. He hadn’t said what, only that it was a gift. She’d scoffed; men like Lyle Grisham didn’t give gifts without reason unless her daughter coaxed him into it to maintain the facade of goodwill between them. Whatever Lyle was sending over, Abigail was resigned to do as she’d always done: donate the undoubtedly lavish, useless item to charity.

She wasn’t prepared for the large black truck that pulled up to her curb or for the two burly men who emerged with an enormous box hefted between them. With all the grace of a rockslide, they entered and dropped the cargo into the first available room—tracking in dirt and dust with every step—while a third shoved a clipboard in her face requesting a signature for confirmation of delivery please-and-thank-you-very-much. Abigail bristled, but signed the damned document if only to get them out of her house. The man handed her a crisp, cream-colored envelope in exchange and murmured a rehearsed ‘Have a nice day,’ before the lot of them peeled away from the drive. 

Abigail shut the door in a huff. What a pity that polite chatter and courtesy were a thing of the past.

Sliding a finger beneath the envelope’s flap, she extracted the letter inside to find a card bearing an insignia embossed in gold. She’d seen that logo before… 

She shook her head to get it back on track and flipped it open to read the large-printed text inside: 

“Congratulations on your purchase of Combination Domestic/Caregiver Model 049113-C47! Please refer to the documentation and literature enclosed in your package for general care and arrival instructions. If you encounter any issues, please contact our Customer Service line. Thank you!”

Beneath the printed words was Sarah’s looping handwriting. An olive branch, of course. 

“If Whispering Willows and an in-home nurse are off the table, this is the next best thing. X.O. Sarah and Lyle.”  

Abigail stuffed the letter back into its envelope. Yes, both the senior home and the medical warden were off the table. “I’m not an invalid, for God’s sake!” she said aloud.

The lines in her brow deepened as another thought tacked itself on: ‘Not yet at least.’

Frowning, she examined the crate, fully expecting to have to ask Sophia next door if one of her sons could come over to pry it open. Luckily the heavy metal latches securing the lid had been removed by the delivery men. Only a pair of barrel bolts at each end were left. 

A strange dread filled her belly. The box was so large; what could the contents possibly be? Her hands shook slightly as she disengaged the locks and lifted the lid… only to drop it with a shriek as a pair of sapphire eyes squinted up at her from within.

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Taglist: @maracujatangerine

#inheritance-story #bbu #box boy universe #C47 #Abigail Cooper

[manicpixxiedreambitch]

Some creative gift ideas for all the uncreative people out there who are sick of giving basic ass gifts (budget friendly)

- Go to the store. Find your way to the candle aisle. Now what you’re gonna do is smell candles until you find one that has a smell that reminds you of the person you’re gifting for. Buy it. When you get home, get out your computer and get on canva. Make a custom label with the person’s name on it, the fragrance notes, and a short, sweet description of that person and why those smells remind you of them. Then print it out and make it into a sticker (you can easily make a sticker with large clear tape over the print, just look up DIY stickers). Take off the original label and put the hand made sticker on instead. If you want, you could even make a candle out of wax melts, a mason jar, and some wicks if you feel like it.

- If you are good with crafts, USE THOSE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

-If you can knit or crochet, make a blanket, scarf, a pair of mittens, or a stuffed animal.

- Take a picture frame. Get a printed picture of you and the person. Press flowers (if you’re lazy, you can literally press flowers in the microwave in less than two minutes. Look it up.). Arrange the flowers and picture in the frame how you want (be sure to wear gloves and clean the glass first! You dont want there to be eternal fingerprints on the glass!) and grab the tacky glue. Gently apply a small dab of tacky glue to each flower and glue it firmly in place. Do the same with the picture. Close up the frame, wrap, and you are GOLDEN.

- Go to the store. Grab a travel cup or mug (or go to the person’s favorite coffee shop and buy a travel mug there). Go to the candy aisle. Grab a bag of their favorite candy, along with two king sized candy bars, and any other little knickknacks you think they might like. Put it all in the cup and put on the lid.

- Grab a box. Figure out the person’s favorite color. Go to Dollar Tree, Five Below, Walmart, Target, wherever you want. Just find things in that person’s favorite color. Socks, gloves, candy, drinks, accessories, gift cards, candles, soaps, anything. Grab some easter basket filler paper (idk what it’s actually called) in that color (or if it doesn’t come in that color, do black or white. Those will do.) and some construction paper in that color. Now, add the filler paper, then the knickknacks, then glue or tape the construction paper to the inside of the cardboard lid. Write a note if you want. Wrap it up and you are good to go.

-Make jewelry. Trust me. All you need is a chain, a clasp, some charms/beads, and a pair of pliers. The rest is kind of self explanatory but if you don’t understand this explanation for some reason feel free to ask.

- Put together a small thrifted surprise box for the person (wash the clothes first though and make sure they’re okay with that sort of thing!)

- Make something out of clay. Jewelry, room decor, etc.

- Go find one of those letter cutout boxes with the letter of their first initial. Find fake flowers in their favorite color (you can probably find this at dollar tree), then go find a bunch of small knickknacks like jewelry, candy, soaps, etc. Grab floral foam. Fill the letter box with floral foam (if you want, spray paint the box first) Stab the flowers into the floral foam. Grab kabob sticks, cut to desired length. Tape the knickknacks to the kabob sticks and stab them into the floral foam like you did the flowers.

- Go to a thrift store. First go to the basket section. Find a picnic basket. Then go find some teacups, a small charcuterie board, pretty plates, and maybe some pretty silverware (or if you think it would be weird to do silverware from a thrift store, grab it from walmart or target or smth) If you’re an adult, go ahead and find a wine glass or two. After that, you want to go to Walmart. Find a picnic blanket, or a picnic table cloth. If you get the picnic table cloth and have ametuer sewing skills, grab two. Then grab some of the person’s favorite snacks and drinks. Go home and put it all together in the basket. If you chose to grab two table cloths so you can sew, measure the interior of the picnic basket and (assuming it’s square) cut out the dimensions on one of the table cloths and sew them together into a “box” (pattern facing the inside of the box, fuzzy part outside) and put the “box” inside the picnic basket. Now it has a cute, protective interior inside, and the other tablecloth can be used as a picnic blanket. Once its all arranged, you have made a cute picnic set for the person!

- Find a book you like, reread it, and annotate it for them. Then wrap it up. Typically you want a new book for this.

- Go to a craft store. Buy a baseball cap or a cute hat with nothing on it, or if you want, grab a tote bag or something. Grab fabric paint. Custom paint the item for the person.

#gift ideas #birthdays #christmas gift #get creative

[buck-tick-stash]

If Taeyang were to make the rest of the Buck-Tick gang as collaboration dolls...

I'm predicting next would be Hide, followed by Yuta, and Toll last.

Much as I want Toll next (and I hope he's wearing the same music-score themed white and black set that he is on the cover of his autobiography), the level of customization that he would require is considerably higher than the rest of the band, most notably because of the Tollhawk.

Taeyang's dolls and others like them all follow a standard design for the wig, back of the head, and eye lid mechanisms. While the mechanisms might be close enough together that the outside edges of the mohawk could sufficiently cover them, there's still the matter of the scalp on either side and the wig-line, or lack thereof in an entirely custom designed head.

He would have to be manipulated to fit into packaging as well, as the back of his head could not be pressed into the box like Sakurai's and other such dolls off the shelf. He'd have to be packaged with his head turned sideways, and the plastic that usually protects the hair and keeps the head still in other dolls would also have to be laid over a longer area and otherwise reinforced.

Not to mention, the matter of styling the hair, which is not usually done on the manufacturing end, but, as it's such an iconic element of Toll's look, would almost have to be done for appeal.

(Also, you'd probably want to get an extra utensil just to manipulate the eye lid mechanisms with, as trying to use your finger would mess up any styling.)

Even if the accessories are kept to a minimum (say, a single snare instead of the whole kit) and the decorative elements of his outfit are printed instead of embroidered or appliquéd, I still expect we'll see a price tag of no less than 60,000 JPY.

Hide and Yuta each would probably closer to Sakurai's 25,000 JPY price tag, and therefore, an easier sell. (Imai was 35,000, mostly because of the intensely detailed outfit.) But, if you have four, how can you pass up the only chance to own all five? Saving Toll for last would pull at completionists' desires to overcome that high-price hurdle.

#buck tick #prediction #taeyang doll #yagami toll #toll yagami #I want one so bad #these boys are going to make me so broke #and I don't even care #my text

[penisorcerer]

I finally got my hands on a 3D printer and decided to create my own custom deck box for my Digimon trading cards! As a huge fan of the franchise, I wanted something that not only looked cool but also showcased my love for the digital monsters.

The box is both sturdy and lightweight, making it perfect for carrying around to tournaments or game nights with friends. It fits standard-sized cards snugly and has a smooth, easy-to-use lid that keeps them secure. Plus, the 3D printed texture adds an extra layer of grip, so I don't have to worry about dropping it.

Overall, I'm really happy with how this project turned out and can't wait to show it off to my fellow Digimon fans. Who knows, maybe I'll even start taking custom orders!

#3Dprinting #Digimon #deckbox #custom #tradingcards #resin #acrylicpaint #fanart #handmade #DIY #gaming #anime #manga #collectibles #digitalmonsters #Agumon #Gabumon #Biyomon #tournaments #game nights #customorders

[fascinationuniformed]

And the special smile came out. Devon knew that he was in for something, be it good or bad, punishment or pleasure. Well, either way, it was handled gently and pleasurably, just the way his sensitive skin liked it…

The soft Irish growl quickly followed suit. “Boytoy, I’ve got something to share with you.” Devon immediately blushed, his special name cueing a bit of a special personality, someone no one else got to see…

Boytoy very shyly hopped up onto the counter, seated right in front of Seamus but cowering below him, looking shyly up into His eyes. Its feet nervously kicked a little, its shy and submissive nature coming out a little stronger in its cheeks. Seamus smiled, continuing, “Do you know the store that Mr. S stopped by yesterday, and picked up something?”

Boytoy nodded. The bike store that wasn’t really a bike store. It was a front for local fetish artists to work with spandex, leather, many other arts… but not many people knew about it yet. It thrived, but only just survived, usually thanks to some generous donor or anonymous celebrity donating for some very expensive projects or renovations. Mr. S gently placed the package onto Boytoy’s lap, where it could curiously fondle the brown cardboard.

‘Compression shorts’, the printed label sticker said, with Devon’s size written down following it, and a ‘custom air pump for precise pressure’. It wasn’t very big, only about as big as his lap, with the lid very securely slotted into place. Boytoy pointed to the lid, struggling with it just slightly, as Mr. S smiled and helped his Boytoy open it. The shorts were very tight fitting as it slid up its legs, Boytoy’s ‘little man’ sliding into a perfect pouch. Seamus must have taken very good measurements… The latex slid very smoothly around it, perfectly encasing Boytoy with the shimmery gray and black interior.

“Everything feels nice and comfortable, right? And they look like soft compression shorts, don’t they?” Boytoy nodded, Mr. S slyly pulling out a pocket bike pump from the box… but there was a special adapter on the end which came off and could be stored in the handle, with a cute little clip that would fit perfectly on Devon’s actual bike… It was very petite, with about eight inches of length, and enough hose to fit on the countertop right between Boytoy’s legs. Mr. S showed His Boytoy how to gently slide the valve into the (hidden but normal) compression valves, the cute one giggling and squirming slightly while enjoying the tightened thighs.

“Now…” And the special grin grew even wider… “The special pocket. I’d very much like to share this with you. Would you like this, Boytoy?”

“Yes, Mr. S. Please, uhm, please pump my cock up and put it in your shorts, pump it up real big please, Sir…” Seamus adjusted himself, biting his lip at the thought. His little boytoy really knew how to dirty talk to his Mister… The pump slowly yet forcefully drew in air, pressurizing the inner canal more and more. Five pumps later, a sizeable bulge lay almost on top of the shorts, the inner pocket firmly inflated and pressed against the Boytoy’s normal bulge.

Boytoy squealed, whimpering and pressing against the counter until Mr. S grabbed his face very gently. “Devon, I’d like you to come back again, so we can talk.”

“Yes Seamus…” He dreamily whined, still rubbing and humping, but much more slowly, before getting off of the counter and standing still.

“Devon, you need to make sure the inner pocket doesn’t burst, so be very careful if you decide to touch or rub against something. I expect a call at lunch, with the bike pump brought along. Remember, these are standard compression shorts for your coworkers. You’re getting more exercise for Me. You’re being a healthy and fit good boy.” Those words made Devon shudder happily, but nod understandingly. He wouldn’t touch much unless Seamus allowed it.

“It’s very close to a cage, which is one of the things I’ve been realllly itching for, but I’m using up this week’s Dom time and a half to put you in this. It’s so arousing to me, so it would please me very much if you did touch during work and such, and were kept on edge all the time… or as much as you can. I love you, and I want you to know that I’ll let you cum when you get home and can Toy around at home. Understand, Devon?”

Devon smiled very widely. “Okay, Shay, I was a little hesitant at first, but I think that I’ll be able to hide it. I love you too. I probably need to get to work soon…”

After his bike to work, and the obvious stares, Devon headed into his office. The pressure up until then had been unbearable, and Seamus had allowed him to relieve much of it in order to properly mount his bike. He was down to one full pump, yet the pressure was still forceful and commanding. It was almost as if he was being led around by the soft yet firm pressure… his eyes refocused on his work, Seamus’ help kicking back in. They had talked about very simple hypnosis and mind tricks, which he had graciously accepted (besides BT) but never really agreed to anything too difficult. His pressure led him to the bathroom, where he rubbed up against the stall for a quick ‘bathroom break’. Unfortunately, the zipper’s brief freedom didn’t change the pressure against him, and almost seemed to speed up his peeing.

“Uh, Devon? You… you alright?” One of his coworkers’ voices from the other stall. Apparently his grunting had caught the attention of others…

“Yeah, Brayden, just some compression shorts. Seamus has been getting me into racing, and he wants me to wear these in preparation for the monthly loop. It’s really messing with me, though.” He blushed deeply, and he was glad he’d chosen the stall rather than the urinal.

“Mmm… I definitely understand. There’s this little bike shop I go to every once in a while, and let me tell you, they have really good compression shorts. If you bought them locally, make sure to tell Seamus that he got a great deal.” Oh wow… Brayden??

“Yeah, will do! I’m not sure I’ve heard of it, nor seen you there, although you could have been wearing something else…” He quickly pulled out his phone, texting Seamus a quick thank you and a ‘watch out for Brayden next time you’re there’.

“Well, I’m usually in a full tracksuit with helmet and some water bottles and lights, you understand. But next time I see you, I’d love to give you… a few more tips.” Brayden laughed, drying his hands with paper towels. Goodness, a full gimpsuit… and the code for ‘helmet’ and ‘water bottles’ and ‘lights’… Brayden was a total freak!

“I… uh, My queue is full, if you understand.” Devon responded back with what Seamus told him.

“Oh, of course, absolutely. I won’t expect our work relationship to change, although I might bring my own shorts to the office. Got the monthly loop to prepare for, don’tcha know.” His grin was relaxing, and he quickly patted Devon on the shoulder. “I’m sure you know a few of the Rules of the Road as well.” And Brayden winked, finally leaving the restroom.

Devon returned to his desk, taking a few full gasps of air. What had even just happened??

He’d better call Seamus… and touch underneath his desk. Seamus would like that.

  Devon and Seamus?

[creativeboxesblog]

Grab Their Attention and Glow Up Your Sales: Custom Beauty Cream Boxes in the UK

Standing out from the crowd is a must in the booming world of British beauty. And what better way to grab a customer's attention than with stunning, custom-designed beauty cream boxes? They're not just about aesthetics; they're a powerful marketing tool that speaks volumes about your brand before a customer even unscrews the lid.

This guide delves into the world of custom beauty cream boxes in the UK, helping you create packaging that elevates your product and captivates your target audience.

The Allure of Customisation

High-street stores and online retailers are overflowing with beauty products. So, how do you make your luxurious night Custom Beauty Cream Boxes or revitalising day lotion stand out? Bespoke boxes are your secret weapon.

Branding Brilliance: Showcase your brand identity with customisable elements like logos, colours, and fonts. Want a touch of elegance? Opt for classic calligraphy and a pearlescent finish. Targeting a younger demographic? Go bold with vibrant colours and playful patterns.

Targeted Messaging: Don't underestimate the box's power as a mini billboard. Highlight key product benefits with clear, concise messaging. Is your cream packed with natural ingredients? Let everyone know! Does it target specific concerns like wrinkles or dry skin? Broadcast it loud and proud.

The Unboxing Experience: In today's social media-driven world, presentation is paramount. A beautiful box with thoughtful detailing creates a delightful unboxing experience that customers might even share online, boosting brand awareness. Think about inserts that cradle the jar, ribbons for a touch of luxury, or even custom-printed tissue paper.

Crafting the Perfect Box: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you're convinced about the power of custom boxes, let's navigate the creation process:

Know Your Cream: Consider the size, shape, and weight of your jar. The box must be snug enough to protect the product during transit but spacious enough to avoid crushing it.

Material Matters: Cardboard is popular for its affordability and customisation options. However, for a truly luxurious feel, consider rigid boxes or boxes with a special laminate finish for extra protection. Eco-conscious customers will appreciate boxes made from recycled materials.

Design with Pizazz: Many printing companies offer online design tools or can work with your existing artwork. Don't be afraid to experiment with different fonts, colours, and finishes like embossing or foil stamping to create a truly unique look.

Functionality First: While aesthetics are important, functionality shouldn't be forgotten. Easy-to-open boxes with clear labelling for ingredients and usage instructions enhance the customer experience.

Beyond the Box: Additional Considerations

Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs): Be aware that many printing companies have minimum order quantities. If you're a small business starting, consider collaborating with other local beauty brands to meet the MOQ and split the cost.

Lead Times: When placing your order, factor in lead times for design, printing, and delivery. Don't get caught short-handed with empty shelves!

Regulations: Ensure your box complies with all relevant UK labelling regulations, including ingredient lists and any necessary safety warnings.

Standing Out in a Saturated Market

In the UK's competitive beauty market, custom cream boxes are an investment that pays off. They protect your product and act as silent salespeople, conveying brand values and enticing customers to choose yours over the competition. You can get more on the Custom beauty care boxes.

By following these steps and unleashing your creativity, you can create custom boxes that turn heads, elevate your brand, and ultimately boost your sales. So go forth, design with passion, and watch your beauty creams fly off the shelves!

#Custom Beauty Cream Boxes #Beauty Cream Boxes #Custom Cream Boxes #Cream Boxes #Custom Beauty Boxes #Beauty Boxes

[cushandco]

5 Reasons Why a Pouf is a Must-Have in Any Modern Living Room

The living room is important. It's where people relax, talk, and watch things. As such, your living space must excel in both form and function. This means arranging an inviting layout filled with pieces that balance purpose, aesthetics, and comfort. An often overlooked accessory that ticks all boxes is the pouf ottoman. 

Available in varied shapes, sizes, and stylish fabrics, poufs inject visual flair while providing generous multi-purpose utility. Rethink your living room and discover why pouf is now must-have furniture pieces for modern households.

1. Stylish Versatile Seating

Standard ottoman storage plays it safe, sticking to basic leather or wooden designs. Now, reimagine your living room and scatter plush patterned poufs across the floor for brilliant pops of color and texture. Use these compact pieces as casual seating for guests to sink into during gatherings. 

The soft cushioning proves perfect for children as well. Poufs neatly tuck against couches to prop up tired feet or create makeshift benches when needed. Their lightweight build makes swift rearranging simple anytime. Keep multiple floor cushions Australia-sourced poufs on hand for seating that impresses with cozy comfort, convenience, and inviting personality.

2. Handy Multi-Purpose Tables

Coffee tables clutter prime leg-stretching space that poufs utilize more intelligently instead. Simply top poufs with trays to create impromptu surfaces for serving snacks or holding drinks during the big game or movie nights. Some even feature built-in recessed plateaus ready for cup holders and bowls. 

The spacious table-esque tops accommodate more guests comfortably than crowded standard alternatives. When not serving drinks, the flat hardy surfaces also work great for casual dining, board games, crafting, laptop use, and a million other possibilities perfect for teens! Poufs transform from footrests to tables in seconds.

3. Storage Saviors

Pouffes help families with clutter and not enough storage. They have sneaky storage space. Find a hollow ottoman with storage. It's perfect for keeping spare controllers, charging cables, coasters, remotes, and more. Some pouffes have removable lids. This makes it easy to access the inside. Other pouffes have lids that lift open completely. This keeps the contents hidden. When closed, it is not suspected. Pouffes clean rooms by eating lots of living room mess. You will be amazed by this storage space that looks like a seat.

4. Playroom Problem Solvers

Kids ping-ponging off furniture and walls during rowdy play sessions pose headaches and safety issues. Introduce bouncy floor cushions into the mix so rambunctious youngsters can leap freely onto the super soft landing pads. Recess beanbag chairs against walls for crash protecion as well when horseplay gets rough. 

Poufs work wonderfully during story time or building forts - their cozy, relaxed profiles keep children comfortable through hours of amusement. Easy-clean fabrics withstand inevitable spills and dirt. Durable frames even hold up as creative barricades for indoor adventures! Poufs inject child-friendly flexibility most living spaces lack.

5. Style Centerpieces

Plain Jane living rooms overlook one key opportunity poufs provide - serving as focal style pieces! Contemporary Moroccan-inspired variants make exotic statements with vibrant embroidered patterns and opulent texture richness.

Add Beni Oaurain shag rugs for a dramatic atmosphere. Place simple grey linen pouffes next to bold graphic prints. Try using unique shapes such as hexagons or curved edges to grab attention instead of just using them for propping up feet. Pouffes are artistic furnishings that add spirit and personality to spaces. They steal scenes when placed thoughtfully. Get noticed with a stunning pouffe!

Conclusion

Pouf ottomans clearly dominate as multi-talented MVPs no ordinary furniture can match. Visit CushandCo.com.au to discover custom Australian poufs purpose-built to impress aesthetically while serving every practical need for chic modern living.

[trinitypham]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: SNOOPY Camping Customizable 20oz insulated tumbler, lid, metal straw, brush.

[threenorth]

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[imh-packaging]

How Custom Slide Boxes Are Beneficial for Product Packaging

A custom slide box is a packaging type containing a sliding mechanism for opening and closing off the box. The company design provides convenience, protection, and a visually attractive experience for the targeted customers. These boxes are often made of sturdy materials and protect the product during shipping and handling, as no one would like to receive a damaged item. Therefore, knowing that the slide box keeps things safe is reassuring.

The best part of the custom slide boxes is they look cool! Brands can design them with unique patterns and colors and add company logos. Getting one of these custom slide boxes feels like a pleasant surprise, like the brand is giving you something specially made for you.

Benefits of Custom Slide Box Packaging

Custom slide box packaging includes many benefits like:

User-Friendly Design

The sliding design of these custom slide boxes is intuitive and very easy to use. Most people appreciate simple and efficient solutions, and sliding boxes are like that. Users can access these slide boxes without needing scissors, knives, or excessive tearing instruments, promoting a positive user experience.

Enhanced Brand Perception

Packaging plays an important role in branding. Custom slide boxes allow brands and celebrities to promote their products stylishly and customized. Slide boxes' aesthetic appeal and seamless functionality can impress customers, leading to a positive association with the brand.

Protection and Durability

Sturdy materials often make custom slide boxes, providing excellent protection to the packaged items. This durability ensures that the products inside remain safe during transportation and storage. The human mind appreciates packaging that safeguards its purchases and prevents damage.

Versatility and Sustainability

Custom slide boxes are customizable to fit various product sizes and shapes. The specific property of slide box packaging according to the product enhances its overall presentation and reinforces the idea that the product is valuable and exclusive. Custom slide boxes can be designed using many recycling materials that attract customers for environmentally responsible choices.

Compactness and Reusability

Slide boxes are designed to occupy minimal space while efficiently enclosing the product. This is especially appealing to customers who appreciate clutter-free living and organized storage. Many custom slide boxes are designed for multiple uses. Customers can save the box to store further things. This characteristic resonates with the human mind's inclination towards sustainability and finding secondary uses for things.

Branding Opportunities and Gift-Worthy Packaging

Custom slide boxes offer branding and storytelling. Most brands can use the packaging to share their values, mission, and product information with advertisements to build stronger connections with consumers People often use slide boxes for premium and expensive gift items because they offer an appealing appearance and a smooth unlocking experience. As a result, receiving a product in a custom slide box can produce positive emotions. Hence, making it an ideal choice for gift packaging.

Why Select Custom Printed Slide Boxes for Branding

The customer provides requirements, and the manufacturer designs and manufactures custom printed slide boxes specifically according to them, making them with a sliding lid that opens and closes easily on order. The "custom printed" part means you can choose how the box looks the way you want, with your designs, logos, or colors on the outside. Businesses use these boxes to package different products, showcasing their brand and adding value to their merchandise, creating a personalized and easy-to-use box that reflects their desired appearance.

Availability of Custom Slide Boxes at Wholesale Price

You can order custom slide boxes wholesale in large quantities at a discounted price. The designers specially design these boxes according to specific needs and preferences. Buying the boxes in stalk would be cheaper than buying boxes in smaller amounts. They use them mostly to pack various items like electronics, cosmetics, and jewelry, providing the easiest and most attractive way to present products and keep them secure during transportation and storage.

The benefits of buying custom slide boxes include the following:

Cost Savings: Buying wholesale saves you money as each box costs less when purchased in bulk.

Consistent Branding: Wholesale slide boxes provide your brand with a unified and professional look.

Personalization Options: You can add your logo and design to create a unique packaging identity.

Convenience and Efficiency: Wholesale orders save time and effort with one large purchase.

Ready for High Demand: A wholesale box stock ensures you can handle large orders.

Customer Satisfaction: Attractive packaging enhances the unboxing experience for customers.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, custom slide boxes offer many benefits that make them perfect for your product packaging. With their unique design, impressive branding, and eco-friendly options, they secure the products and impress the customers on their first use. Custom slide boxes are the perfect fit if you're looking for a practical and stylish packaging solution or aiming to enhance your business. Embrace the convenience, protection, and visual appeal they provide to impress your consumer and create a lasting impact on your customers.

#custom sliding boxes #custom sliding box #sliding boxes #sliding box packaging #slider box packaging #custom slider boxes #slide open boxes wholesale #slide gift boxes #slide out box #custom slide box #slide open boxes #custom slide boxes #slide box packaging

[sweettweek]

Finding the Perfect Wooden Box for Your Packaging Needs

Finding the perfect wooden box for your packaging needs can be a challenge. While many retailers offer a variety of shipping and storage solutions in wood, many businesses find that their specific needs are not met by an off-the-shelf option. For this reason, having a custom wooden box created may be the right solution. After all, there are a variety of factors to consider, such as size, shape, colour, texture, and even additional features such as handles and lid locks. Having a custom wooden box created is beneficial from a physical and an aesthetic standpoint, and it allows you to create the perfect solution to meet your needs. Whether you are looking for a box to store a product or to safely ship it to customers, finding the perfect wooden box can be a great choice for anyone who wants to ensure their items are presented in the best way possible. The wooden boxes for packaging are becoming increasingly popular for packaging due to their strength, durability, and visual appeal.

Choosing the Right Size Wooden Box

It’s essential to purchase the right size wooden box to ensure the contents are securely packaged, and to avoid delays arising from mismatch of measurements. You could consider opting for wooden boxes with customizable inner and outer shell, to help optimally ensure your items are safe and secure from the start. When selecting a size, it’s important to take note of both the length, width and height of the product you need to pack. Factors such as weight of your item and whether you intend to add cushioning materials to further protect the content must be considered as part of the size selection. Additionally, the interior dimensions of the box should match with the size of the contents that need to be enclosed. Investing the time and effort to properly measure before purchasing will help to guarantee the box your purchase meets your needs perfectly.

Consider Style and Label Options

There is a vast range of wooden box styles available on the market, with different configurations using various wood, as well as shapes, sizes and technical designs. There are also numerous ways the boxes can be labelled based on your needs. Depending on your purpose for the box, you could select an attractive option that come with a sliding lid or nested design, clever individual boxes with swivel covers, or a minimalist “picture frame” with transparent PVC on the upper side. Some of the attractive finish options include engraving and printing company logos, titles or even handcrafted calligraphy.

Opting for Protective Coating or Wax Finish 

To ensure your wooden box is waterproof and to prolong its life, a protective coating or treatment may be necessary. A sealant helps protect the wood from humidity, as well as from scratches, dirt and other environmental damages. An additional water repellent coating is also advised for outdoor use. A wax finish can also serve as an aesthetic enhancement as well as a preservative by helping to protect against environmental damage from heat, cold and moisture. Both the protective coating and wax finish act as barriers against the damaging factors, thus, increasing the longevity of your wooden box. 

Evaluating Quality and Price Comparisons

Given the variety of wooden box sizes, styles and labels, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to choosing the right box. Do your due diligence in researching on options, as it’s key to select the right type and quality. High quality boxes can usually last for years, so it’s worth investing in the best quality wooden boxes available. Using the lowest grade material, can result in discoloration, splitting, warping or mould over time. Cost comparison is equally essential in order to make the best selection for you. Look out for deals and discounts offered by suppliers for bulk orders.

Placing an Order and Delivery Considerations

When placing an order, ensure that delivery dates and payment deadlines are agreed upfront. Keep close communication with your suppliers to ensure that there are no delays in shipment. During the ordering process, inform your suppliers of any customization requirements that may influence the delivery periods. It’s also important to note that manufacturers may offer discounts for bulk orders, and the packaging and shipping of such orders may differ. With this in mind, make certain that the shipping cost is inclusive of the packaging within the total cost. Additionally, ensure that your choices meet the required safety standards.

Ensuring Safety Standards are Met

Following safety standards is extremely important to ensure the users, packagers, and those handling the delivery process are safe. Various boxes meet international standards including the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA). Your supplier should provide you with an evidence of testing and if necessary, you should also arrange for additional testing by certified agencies.

Creative Ways to Utilize Wooden Boxes Beyond Packaging

Wooden boxes can be used for a variety of creative ways, even beyond regular packaging needs. They could be upcycled for use as cute plant containers, for keeping shelves, bird feeders, toys or even as a planter box. When sourced from sustainably managed wood, wooden boxes can be displayed around the home to give a warm and natural effect, for example, a retro-inspired pantry box. Additionally, they may also be made into a craft item, such as a jewelry box or a decorative secret box for your private mementos. All in all, wooden boxes come in handy in countless creative ways, and you can be sure that you will find a myriad uses for them.

Conclusion

Finding the perfect wooden box for your packaging needs can be a challenging task, but with the right guidance, determination, and creativity, it is possible. Researching different options, understanding the ideal size, shape, and material, and working out a detailed budget are all key aspects of the process. Above all, it is important to take the time to find a box that best fits your individual needs. The right wooden box can provide both aesthetic and practical value, creating an attractive packaging option with durable protection for your product.

#wooden boxes for packaging

[paypant]

[bouwrites]

And Your Bird Can Sing: Chapter 6

Trouble

First, Previous, Next.

Ao3.

Story under read-more.

“That’s it?” Jamie vibrates excitedly on his bed, eyes wild and eager, grinning at Derek.

Derek rubs his neck awkwardly with the hand not holding the little box. “This is it,” he says. “I hope he likes it. It took longer than expected, but the whole thing was super cool.”

“Yeah? What happened?”

“So, the clerk at the store, when we started talking about something Ryer would like,” Derek explains, “he actually referred me to a friend of his to make something custom.”

“Really? That’s awesome! But wasn’t it expensive?”

Derek shrugs. “A little, not too bad, but they were super cool and actually let me help with a lot of the steps, so it ended up being worth more than just the price of the harmonica. I learned a lot. Dad pitched in too. His excuse is that it’s because it was an ‘educational experience’ even though that wasn’t even originally the plan.”

“You helped?” Jamie shouts. “Let me see it! I have to see it!”

Laughing, Derek doesn’t keep Jamie in suspense any longer. He nervously takes a breath, holds up the box, and lifts the lid open.

Jamie sucks in a sharp breath. “Oh, wow…”

Derek shifts nervously. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Are you kidding?” Jamie exclaims. “He’s going to love it! It’s beautiful!”

“It’s- it’s not really…” Derek feels warmth rise to his cheeks.

It’s really not anything special. Even with his dad price matching him, covering a dollar for every dollar Derek spends, he still can’t go wild. Plus, Derek thinks Ryer is more of understated kind of guy, anyway, and wouldn’t like something too extravagant.

But it means a lot to Derek. It’s an experience for Derek. He doesn’t know what he does to deserve Mathias manning the counter in that store when he walks in, but he owes that guy a whole lot more than he pays. Him and his friend.

When they start talking what to do for the custom plates, Mathias asks Derek about Ryer. Anything and everything about him to make it personal. What he likes, what he is like, all that kind of stuff. They can put prints on the plates, or etch designs into them, so that’s a nice way to personalize them.

Somewhere along the line, Derek ends up mentioning, in vague terms, Ryer’s situation, which puts a serious look on Mathias’ face. (But all Mathias says on the topic is only teasing. “Ah, so he’s not allowed to have this, huh?” he says. “Don’t worry, little rebel; no one’ll hear it from me.”)

When Derek mentions Ryer likes biology and ecology, Mathias is the one who has the idea of choosing a more naturalistic look and going with wood plates rather than metal. Which is a brilliant idea!

That decided, Mathias calls up a friend of his who does custom woodcarving and has done similar things for him in the past and sets up a deal. Derek and his dad go to meet that friend, Connor (apparently, a member of Mathias’ band!), the very next day to discuss the commission in more detail, and when Derek starts asking questions about the process of making the plates, Connor just laughs and invites Derek to watch.

Obviously, Derek is going to take advantage of that offer. His dad is thrilled, too. And somewhere along the process, with Connor being as easygoing and friendly as he is, and talking Derek through a lot of his work, he invites Derek to try out bits and pieces himself.

Derek doesn’t work any big tools, but he does some of the sanding. Under close observation by both Connor and his dad, he even carefully burns Ryer’s initials into the wood.

Then Connor takes it and does the rest of the simple design, a little bird like a house finch.

Then Connor frowns at it, tells Derek to hold on a moment, and disappears into his studio to come back with paint. When Derek protests that he isn’t paying for anything more than just the little wood burning, Connor laughs him off and tells him an artist can’t be contained.

“You said he only came to Sunset Bird this summer, yeah?” Connor asks. “Let’s make it special. A Sunset Bird welcome.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry, I’m not charging you any more than we agreed on,” Connor says. “I’m just going to do what I think the piece needs. You trust me?”

In the end, Derek decides to trust him. He doesn’t know why Connor decides to go so above and beyond what he’s paid for (he insists this is a favor, not a commission, so money isn’t actually an issue here and Derek should thank Mathias if he has a problem with it) but he’s glad that he does.

Connor burns in three more birds, each shorebirds but all different species, all that Derek sees on the beach of Sunset Cove, then paints in watercolor the waves, encroaching just on the edge of the plate, and just the tiniest hint of color on the birds themselves, to make them pop.

It ends up being a scene of four birds playing on the beach. And it’s beautiful. Derek feels horrible (massively?) underpaying for such a pretty piece of art, but Connor insists that all the extra payment he wants is to know how things go with Ryer.

(And he takes a picture of the finished harmonica for his portfolio, obviously.)

Connor helps Derek apply the finish to preserve the wood and art on it, then Derek returns to the music store and it’s Mathias’ idea to have Derek assemble the plates into a real harmonica, so it’s even him who puts it all together.

(Derek makes sure to get both Mathias and Connor’s work information, and their band, because he’s a new fan regardless of their sound and he’s absolutely making sure Ryer and anyone else who sees that harmonica knows whose skill and kindness create it.)

It’s completely unique, and Derek even has a hand in creating it. Derek isn’t an artist and is too young to use the more industrial tools, but he still does a surprising amount of work to make it. It feels like he’s really a part of it. Like, even though he has professional help and definitely owes it ending up usable to them, it’s handmade not just by strangers, but by him for his friend.

Crush. Which makes everything in hindsight a whole lot more intense than it should be.

He’ll go with friend. Friend feels less awkward when handing over something like this.

“Seriously, Derek,” Jamie says. “I thought you were just going to buy one off the shelf. How’d you end up with this?”

Derek chuckles bashfully. “I… might have gotten carried away? And Mathias and Connor were too nice, I guess? It just happened.”

Jamie laughs at him. Then he asks for the name of Mathias and Connor’s band.

“Archetype,” Derek answers proudly. “They’re a rock band. Pretty cool.”

“Cool. I’m going to check them out as soon as I can,” says Jamie. “So, when are you going to give that to Ryer? Still don’t know?”

Derek shrugs helplessly. “No idea. I guess we could go see if he’s around? I mean, I’ve got it on me right now, so it’s as good a time as any, right? His birthday isn’t until October so that’s way too far away, and there aren’t really any other occasions during the summer to do it.”

“No time like the present!” Jamie cheers. “We could go by his house?”

“No.” Derek shuts that idea down immediately. Maybe they can ask Mr. and Mrs. Finch where Ryer is at the moment, but Derek doesn’t want to risk them getting the slightest whiff of this new harmonica. Besides the fact that Ryer is usually out and about, so he doubts they know exactly where he is, anyway. “It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll just give it to him the next time I see him. Whenever that is. He’ll probably be over at my place within a couple days, anyway.”

“I guess so.” Jamie shrugs. “Want to go to the store, then? It’s an excuse to go out. Maybe we can make more lemonade? I still have some of those little drink umbrellas.”

“Sounds good. If you’re willing to buy the lemons.” While Derek would normally volunteer to do so… he does spend more than expected recently.

Jamie laughs. “It’s on me! This time. Next time, it’ll be Cove’s turn to pay.”

The two venture, giggling, out into Sunset Bird, taking a meandering, slow route to the store in hopes of stumbling across Ryer on the way.

The route is quiet, with no sign of their friend, but the store itself holds an unexpected surprise.

Ryer, right there in the doorway.

Being frog-marched out, held with a hand on the back of his neck, by a police officer.

The dark, hateful glare that Ryer sends the officer stops Derek’s heart in his chest. He’s never seen Ryer look like that before.

“Officer Nguyen?” Jamie gasps. “Hey! Ryer! What’s going on?”

Officer Nguyen sighs tiredly. “Kids. It’s good to see you, but this doesn’t concern you. Just go do what you came here to do, alright?”

“No!” Jamie shouts immediately. “Ryer’s my friend. If he’s in trouble, I’m not just walking away!”

“Do what he says, Jamie,” Ryer growls. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Wha- but!”

“Relax,” Officer Nguyen says. “He’s not in trouble. I just need to take him home and have a chat with his parents.”

The pure terror that flashes through Ryer’s face when Officer Nguyen says that promises that he very much is in trouble.

“But why?” Jamie asks.

“You know I can’t just go around-”

“Ryer?” Derek asks quietly, approaching Ryer rather than the officer. “What happened?”

Ryer doesn’t meet his eyes. In fact, as the anger dies away, Ryer looks… ashamed. “…I got caught.” It’s barely a whisper, but it’s an answer.

“Caught?” Obviously, but doing what? Whatever it is, Derek knows he can’t let Ryer’s parents find out. But the officer will never just let Ryer go without talking to an adult, so Derek does something he never dares do before. He looks Officer Ngyuen in the eyes, puts on his surest face, and lies through his teeth. “We stopped at Ryer’s house on our way here,” Derek says. “We were going to ask to hang out today. No one’s home. Do you think, it’d be okay to call Mrs. Last instead?”

Ryer’s eyes blow wide open. Jamie, though Derek isn’t sure how much he knows, immediately backs him up on the lie. “Yeah, my mom can come settle whatever this is. I’ll call her. Ryer, let me use your phone.”

“We should really be calling Ryer’s parents,” says the officer.

“And we’re telling you,” says Jamie, channeling his inner Elizabeth. “They’re busy! They won’t answer even if you do call them. Something like this coming up is exactly why Ryer has my moms and Mr. Holden’s numbers in his phone!”

Without waiting for an answer, Jamie presses the call button and puts the phone to his ear. “Hey Ma, it’s Jamie! Yeah, I’m alright, but Officer Nguyen has Ryer right now and he needs to talk to an adult. No, he won’t tell me what happened. Can you please come take care of this? We’re at the store. Alright, thanks. Love you! Bye!”

With a final snap, shutting the flip-phone closed, Jamie says, “My ma is on her way here. She’ll take care of everything.”

The officer just sighs. “Oh, kids…”

Not a couple minutes later, Jamie’s ma pulls into the parking lot and rushes over to them. “Spencer, what’s going on?” she asks.

Officer Nguyen eyes Jamie and Derek, who resolutely don’t move an inch, then sighs and answers her. “It’s not a big deal, Mrs. Last. Ryer here was just caught trying to swipe something from the store, so I have to talk to his parents.”

“Stealing?” Jamie’s ma gasps. “It can’t be. Ryer wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“I saw him, Mrs. Last. And the security footage will back me up.”

“But Ryer is-”

“Don’t,” Ryer says sharply, eyes still firmly on the pavement. “I did it. Don’t try to defend me.”

Ryer… stole something? No. That doesn’t make any sense. Ryer wouldn’t do that. If he does, he must have a really good reason.

Mrs. Last looks seriously between Ryer and the officer for a moment, then her face settles into something firmer than Derek recalls ever seeing on her. She’s the nicer, gentler one of Jamie’s moms. Her wife usually handles more serious discipline like this. This kind of determination isn’t what Derek is used to seeing.

“I’ll take him,” Mrs. Last says. “Thank you, Spencer.”

“Mrs. Last, you know I’m really not supposed to-”

“I’ll take care of it, Spencer,” she says firmly.

“Yeah!” Jamie says. “Ryer’s parents are busy, anyway. You don’t have a choice!”

Mrs. Last glances her son’s way – no doubt she passes the cars in the Finch’s driveway on the way here – but she doesn’t call him out on the lie. “He’s not in trouble, is he?” she asks. “It’s just a warning. And you know me, Spencer, you can let this go just this once. Else you’ll be waiting all day for Ryer’s parents to pick up the phone.”

Officer Nguyen rubs his neck but is pretty effectively strong-armed. “Alright, Mrs. Last. I’ll let him go with you. But if it happens again, he’ll be in much more trouble, you understand?”

“I understand,” she says. “Ryer does as well, don’t you, Ryer?”

Ryer’s eyes don’t stray from the concrete. “Yes, Ma’am.”

With one last sigh, and one last warning, Officer Nguyen lets him go. Derek and Jamie both breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Until they see Mrs. Last’s uncharacteristically stern look. “Now, does one of you boys care to explain exactly what’s going on?”

Ryer is completely clammed up, tense and tight and curling in on himself, but Derek doesn’t have much by way of explanation. Just saying there’s no way they can allow Ryer’s parents to learn he gets in trouble with a cop is a surefire way to get sold out. It’ll just look like they’re trying to get out of punishment.

And if it were Derek or Jamie who makes a stupid mistake like trying to steal and getting caught, it might just be deserved punishment. For Ryer, though…

It should be the same, but everything in Derek’s bone screams that it isn’t. That it can’t be allowed to happen. That it’s dangerous. Because…

Derek, thinking hard, suddenly can’t breathe. All the pieces he sees, that are already put together under the curtain of denial, are laid bare at once. “Ryer,” Derek asks softly. “What’d you steal, anyway?”

Ryer curls up tighter. “…Apple.”

An apple. All this over an apple. But it’s not just the apple, because Ryer would never just swipe something for the fun of it. If Ryer tries to steal an apple, to steal food, it’s because he needs it.

From the day they meet, he needs it. Isn’t it true that, when he eats at Derek’s apartment, or with the Holdens or Lasts, he barely eats anything at all? He excuses it saying he just doesn’t eat a lot, but could it be that he can’t? That too much, too much more than he’s used to will make him sick?

Isn’t it true that Ryer always stays away from his house, even during what should be mealtimes? Doesn’t Ryer borrow those tools to try to fix his harmonica the very day he comes down the street with those bruises on his face and neck? Doesn’t he try so hard, even lying to everyone at the campfire, to prevent his parents from learning about his music?

(At the campfire… why would a child need to beg his parents not to disappear? Why would he need to pick up his parents? Or promise to make them happy?)

Doesn’t he flinch away from touch, especially from adults? Doesn’t he always seem wary, and confused, when adults are kind to him?

Doesn’t Derek’s mom ask him to watch out for Ryer? And yet all this is in front of him the whole time and he does nothing. He just carries on pretending like it doesn’t mean anything.

The first day Ryer comes to Derek’s apartment, in the park when Derek first hears him play that harmonica, Ryer only reveals that music to him to distract him from the large bruise on his side.

Derek can’t do nothing anymore.

“They aren’t feeding you, are they?” Derek asks, barely a whisper, but Jamie and his ma both suck in sharp breaths.

Ryer’s fingers slowly curl into a tight fist. “Don’t talk about things you don’t know anything about.”

“That’s why you don’t eat a lot when you’re over. You know too much at once would make you sick, and that’d make a scene. Draw attention to it.”

“Derek… please.”

“They don’t even let you play music. Even the instruments they let you learn, you don’t have one at home.”

“It’s not that bad,” Ryer says, shaking his head like everything is fine. “They’re just strict. They don’t like the noise, and they care a lot about the family’s image. They don’t-”

“They hit you,” Derek accuses harshly. “The bruises on your face, your ribs… even your throat. That was them, wasn’t it. They broke your harmonica, didn’t they?”

“Shut up. You don’t know anything.”

Derek grabs his own hair, half-manic. “The only time I’ve ever seen you swim, you kept your shirt on the whole time. And you always wear long sleeves.”

“I just don’t like-”

“How many more bruises are you hiding? How many times did they hurt you and we just didn’t see it?”

“Shut up!”

“No! Ryer, your parents-”

Smack!

Derek doesn’t finish his sentence because he’s cut off. One moment he’s standing, frantically voicing the conclusion he always knows but never acknowledges, and the next he’s on his butt on the asphalt, covering the harsh pain in his cheek.

“What the hell, Ryer!” Jamie is between them, standing protectively over Derek in an instant.

But Ryer doesn’t hear him. He doesn’t see him. Ryer stares fixated on Derek. On the place under Derek’s hand where Ryer punches him.

And Ryer’s face betrays nothing but horror. He takes one shaky step backwards, then one more. He glances frantically, like a predator is after him, to Jamie and Jamie’s ma, then back to Derek, and Ryer turns on his heel and books it in the other direction.

“Hey!” Jamie shouts. “Ryer! Wait! What the-”

“Ryer!” Mrs. Last shouts after him as well. “Ryer please don’t-!”

It’s far too late for that. Ryer is gone. By the time Derek pulls himself back to his feet, and Mrs. Last and Jamie are finished taking turns examining his bruising cheek, there’s no sign of Ryer anywhere.

Damn it. “I need to find him,” Derek says, firm and determined.

“We need to get you some ice on that,” Mrs. Last says. “Come on, both of you- hey! Boys!”

Derek doesn’t listen. He takes off in the direction he sees Ryer go, and Jamie follows on his heels, ignoring Mrs. Last trying to rein them in.

In his single-minded pursuit, Derek doesn’t notice where he loses Jamie or Mrs. Last. Maybe she catches Jamie, or maybe Jamie makes the decision to stay behind and stop her to give Derek the opening to find Ryer on his own, or maybe they both just get lost somewhere on the frantic chase.

But Derek ends up slowing to a walk, panting hard, eyes alert, close by the neighborhood with no sign of anyone else around.

Taking big breaths, Derek swallows down the burning in his lungs and the pain in his face and marches on.

It takes a while yet, even after that, but Derek eventually does find Ryer. Alone on the beach, just a small ball sitting in the sand.

Derek has to gulp down the lump in his dry throat when he approaches.

But he doesn’t say anything at first. He’s not sure what he can say that doesn’t deserve another punch. He just sits down quietly next to Ryer and hugs his own knees. Another ball in the sand.

Ryer doesn’t look at him, but neither does he hide his face. Ryer watches the waves and the horizon.

His deadened eyes are tinged red, but Derek can’t see any tears. Does he really cry everything out in only the time it takes for Derek to find him?

“Punch me,” Ryer says.

Derek blinks, dumbfounded. “What? No. Why would I do that?”

Ryer’s eyes tear away from the horizon to land once more on Derek’s cheek. “I deserve worse. Just do it.”

“I’m not going to punch you,” Derek says. He droops. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed about your parents. That wasn’t the right time.”

Ryer laughs, strained and weak. “You were right, though,” he admits, finally. “It was them. It was always them. That’s why you need to hit me.”

“Ryer, I’m not going to-”

“I can’t make that mistake, Derek…” Ryer throws both hands into his hair, pushing it back too roughly to not be painful. “Don’t you get it? I hit you.”

“It’s okay,” Derek says. And it really is. It hurts, yes, but Derek pushes him to that point. He doesn’t expect to be punched, but he definitely deserves it at least a little.

“No, it’s not.” Ryer’s voice breaks. “If you or Jamie or Cove got mad and punched something… maybe that would be okay. It’s just a mistake. But I- I don’t have the luxury of that kind of mistake. I can’t be the guy that reacts to anger with violence. I can’t- I…”

For the first time, Derek sees Ryer cry. As the tears slide down his cheeks, Derek suddenly understands.

“I can’t be like them.”

Ryer trembles. He blinks away fresh tears and duck his head in shame.

“Ryer… Ryer, you’re not. You’re-”

“Why?” Ryer’s eyes are back on the horizon, searching desperately for answers he can’t grasp. His voice is so broken, Derek can’t help but stop to listen. “Why do you- why do all of you… why are you nice to me? I don’t get it. I keep messing up. You should hate me right now, especially you, and you’re still- I don’t- I don’t understand. Why are you here?”

“You’re our friend,” Derek says, “and you’re in trouble. Where else would we be?” Because where else can he be?

Ryer shakes his head. He still doesn’t understand. But Derek doesn’t know how else to say it. He doesn’t know how to get Ryer to believe that he’s not going to abandon him just because he makes a mistake.

The best he can do is prove it. Maybe Ryer will accept it, in time, even if he doesn’t understand why.

“Please,” Derek begs quietly. “Trust me.”

For a long time, they just sit there. Ryer stares at the horizon, somewhere far away, and Derek stares at Ryer, waiting. After what seems like hours, Ryer finally drops his head into his knees. He takes a long, audible breath, then lifts his head and rests his chin there instead.

“My parents,” he starts haltingly, “have always cared a lot about how other people see them. Since I was little, manners and etiquette were drilled into me. I was always the ‘polite’ kid. The one everyone was always so amazed by because I’m so mature for my age.”

Ah. Derek knows how that feels.

“Not because I actually was,” Ryer says. “Though I guess maybe there’s some part of that that’s true, too. But mostly it’s because I learned real fast that embarrassing my parents was a bad idea.”

Derek gulps. “When… when did…”

“I was… God, I can’t remember. Always? It was just spankings at first. When I got older, they started using a belt. At some point they decided not giving me dinner was a good punishment, too. Actually just hitting me was never a common thing, but… when it started? Who knows when? It’s always just been something I had to expect.”

Fuck.

“You know, in some ways, their obsession with how people see us is a good thing,” Ryer says.

Derek can’t imagine how.

Ryer chuckles weakly. “Sunset Bird… it’s a lot different from our little town back home. People like Mrs. and Mrs. Last… you didn’t see them there. My parents know the tone of the neighborhood; they’re not stupid. They know they can’t forbid me from seeing the only other kids around. People would ask why, and their opinions on that kind of thing isn’t the norm here like it was back home. And if I just refused on my own, they’d be known as having an antisocial kid. Jamie being so friendly only made it worse.”

He sighs. “That’s why they’re so eager to send me to your place. You’ve got a ‘normal’ family, and it means I’m far away from Jamie and Cove. All without risk of looking bad to the neighbors.

“My parents hate Sunset Bird,” Ryer says, smiling bitterly. “So, I guess it’s no surprise that I love it here. I’m always a disappointment.” He sighs. “I’m worthless.”

Disappointment? Worthless? How can Ryer say that so matter-of-factly, so accepting of it, as if it’s in any way true?

Derek isn’t sure he’s ever hated someone before, but… this heat in his chest, this righteous fury for Ryer’s sake… if it’s not hate, it’s close. Mr. and Mrs. Finch don’t deserve Ryer.

“You’re not,” Derek says.

Ryer’s sideways glance doesn’t believe him one bit.

“You’re not,” Derek repeats, more forcefully. “Don’t- don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re… you’re great.”

Ryer hugs his knees a little tighter with one arm, and pushes the other hand through his hair, resting there, keeping his bangs back. “No,” he says quietly, eyes distant. “I’m not. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything right. Every step of the way, I fuck up one thing after another.” He chuckles, but it comes out frustrates. “I mean, look at what happened today.”

“It’s not good to steal,” Derek concedes. “But I get why you did it. I don’t think that makes you bad. Just… next time, just come to your friends. I know I’m too far away, but the Lasts and Mr. Holden would be more than happy to feed you whenever you need it.”

“I hit you,” Ryer growls. “You think I care about stealing food? I’ve been doing that forever. I hit you. That’s not-”

Putting aside that very concerning statement in the middle there… “I pushed you,” Derek says. “You asked me several times to back off, but I pushed it anyway.”

Ryer’s eyes narrow. “And that makes it okay?”

“Maybe not,” admits Derek. “But it means I crossed a line, too.”

Ryer hugs his knees a little tighter with one arm, and runs the other hand through his hair, stopping on the back of his head, holding his hair there. “You only pushed because you were worried about me. I punched you for it. How the hell is that the same?”

Before Derek can answer, Ryer continues darkly, “You think I don’t provoke my parents? I know exactly where their lines are. I cross them, anyway. But responding like I did… like they do… that’s never okay. I need to be better than that.”

Derek can’t argue with him, no matter how much he wants to. Ryer is right. About this, at least. Derek’s parents teach him that lashing out in anger isn’t okay, too. He agrees there’s no really good reason to hit someone, even if he holds no ill feeling about being punched today.

Just like Derek can – should – handle that conversation in front of the store better, so too should Ryer control himself better. Derek can’t tell him he doesn’t do anything wrong, or that he doesn’t need to work on not letting it happen again, because he does.

“I think…” Derek says slowly. “You’re already really impressive.”

Ryer’s befuddled gaze lifts to him.

“I’ve never said it before, but I really admire you.” Unable to just admit all this straight up, Derek closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to look at Ryer.

Still, he smiles as he continues. “It’s a little thing, but… I’ve always had to look after my brothers, so I really, really appreciate when you look out for me. Even from when we met, like… Jamie and Cove go running off ahead, but you’d always look for me. Make sure I was there. You keep pace with me, whether I’m running after them or not. Or your backup with my brothers when I have to babysit. Or even just… just how your music always helps me relax.

“You don’t have to do any of that. You don’t have to slow down for me, or babysit, and you can play whatever you want but you still look out for me. You don’t have to practice soccer with me, especially because I know you don’t like sports, but you do, and I’m so thankful for that. That you can make even practicing more fun.”

Derek opens up a little, leaning back on his hands. “And more than that,” he continues. “You’re so strong. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to do half as much music as you do if I were in your situation. And you’re so good at it too. I can’t tell you how jealous I am. If I was as good at soccer as you are at music, I’d have so much more time on my hands.” He chuckles.

“I admire you so much,” Derek admits quietly. “Because you’re great. You’re talented and creative, but you’re also a good person. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to be so good when you grew up with so much bad. I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to be thrown into the Last’s home all of a sudden, coming from where you do, or how it must feel to have to hide your music and still do it anyway.”

“I feel bad, because it was all so much harder for you, but I respect you more than anyone, because you got here all by yourself. You worked for this. You had to do something so scary, but you did it, and you’re becoming something amazing. And maybe… maybe there are still things that you can do better. You’re right. It’s not okay to lash out like today. But that only makes me respect you more. Because you don’t just make a mistake and ignore it. Even now, you’re working on it. You’re seeing what you did wrong and you’re trying to be better.

“And seeing how far you’ve come already, even if I can’t even imagine where you started… I know there’s nothing to worry about. Because you’re good. You’ll keep getting better. And I hope I keep getting better, too, because I want to keep being around you.”

Derek doesn’t open his eyes. He runs out of things to say, lets it all float on the waves, but keeps his eyes closed. It’s embarrassing to admit all that, because it still barely scratches the surface. Derek can’t go into all the other feelings – especially his crush – so he just hopes that’s enough to prove to Ryer that his mistake won’t break anything.

Derek feels the barest of touches on his cheek. It turns his head carefully towards Ryer and lingers, holding there.

Derek’s eyes flutter open. Ryer is close, too close, frowning at Derek’s cheek. There’s probably a nasty bruise there by now.

Ryer doesn’t drop his hand. It’s still on Derek’s cheek. The touch almost phantom but still inflaming the tender flesh like it’s fire trailing across his skin rather than fingers.

Then Ryer closes his eyes, takes a breath, and leans in further.

Ryer’s lips brush gently against Derek’s stunned ones, barely any firmer than the hand on his cheek, but burning just as hotly.

The touch, all of it, is gone.

Before Derek has a chance to register what’s happening, Ryer is already pulling away, running his hand through his hair as he laughs helplessly. “Fuck,” Ryer mutters. “Fuck. I keep… fuck!”

“…Ryer?”

“What was that?” He’s the one asking that question? Derek isn’t complaining, but he thinks he’s the rightfully more confused one considering it’s Ryer who kisses him. “Why do I keep…? Argh!” Ryer groans, falls back into the sand, lays his arm over his face to obscure it. “Every good thing that happens, I have to go and… Fucking hell.”

Then he’s sitting up again. Derek doesn’t have the chance even to think. “I’m sorry,” Ryer says. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. God, I-”

“Ryer, hold on!” Derek cries. His brain is still frantically trying to reboot. He can’t keep up with whatever is going on right now.

(Each time he thinks he’s sorted, he remembers the feeling of the kiss again and all thought stops.)

What does it mean? A kiss means Ryer likes him, right? This is good, right? But Ryer’s apologizing like he’s ruining something, and he doesn’t sound at all okay right now and… “I’m confused,” Derek admits.

“Yeah, so am I,” says Ryer tightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that, I just- I just did it and now I’ve ruined- I-”

“Ruined?” The deepest root of Ryer’s panic that Derek can identify, that’s what he focuses on. He can think about the kiss all day (and likely will) but there’s a lot going on right now and he can’t figure out where to go with it. “Ruined what?”

For a long time, Ryer sits silently, head in his knees, hands folded atop his head, holding it down like a cage.

“Ryer? Do you… do you like…”

“I don’t know.” Ryer’s voice breaks when he says it. “I don’t know what… what any of this is. I don’t know anything.”

There’s part of Derek that wants to shake Ryer by the shoulders, shout a confession of his crush and kiss him again, but… that’ll only make things worse. Derek is used to having to be the mature one, and Ryer… has a lot more to deal with than Derek.

Derek takes a moment, some space, and settles his driving heart. He has to be steady, because this, right now, is hard for Ryer. In ways Derek will never truly understand, this is monumentally difficult for him.

“That’s okay,” Derek says as calmly as he can, like when Nicolas gets upset, like anything too sudden or loud can set him off. “You don’t need to know anything just yet. It’s okay if you’re still figuring it out.”

“Don’t…” Ryer pleads. “God, just… just hate me already. It’d be so much easier if you just…”

Easier? If Derek hates him? It takes only a second of confusion, then heat rises back into Derek’s face. “I know,” Derek says softly. “But I can’t. So, I’m going to be here, instead. And once you do figure something out, whatever it is, I’ll be here to support you. Yeah?”

Ryer closes his eyes. “You can’t seriously be this cool with this. I kissed you.”

Yeah, and Derek has only been dreaming about it for weeks now. The idea of him not being cool with it is almost hilarious. The situation can stand to be more ideal, but Derek isn’t going to cry over spilled milk. He gets to kiss Ryer! That’s a positive if he’s ever seen one.

Derek chuckles. “And? I was surprised, sure, but why would I be upset about that?”

“Because I-” Ryer’s words fail in his throat. He searches futilely for some reason that isn’t imagined. “I should have… asked?”

A snort rips from Derek. “Probably, yeah? But I don’t mind.”

“…How?”

Derek’s cheeks go crimson. “Because I- well, that is… because it’s you.” Derek purses his lips for a moment. “I… don’t know what’s going on in your head. I want to, but I don’t. I don’t know what that meant, but… whatever it is, it’s okay. I’m never going to hate you for trying to figure this all out, or for not knowing all the answers right away. Trust me, I do things, too, that I have… absolutely no explanation for.”

That pulls the smallest of smiles from Ryer.

“Come on,” Derek says. He stands and offers a hand to Ryer. “The others have got to be super worried about us right now.”

Ryer takes one last moment to center himself before taking Derek’s hand. “I still don’t get it,” Ryer says to the sand when he’s on his feet. “I don’t know what I’m feeling, and I especially don’t get why you insist on…” He shakes his head.

“I guess it doesn’t matter. Thanks, Derek.”

Derek smiles. He leads the way back to the Last household, then in the hullaballoo with Jamie and his parents, it’s not until Derek is in the car with his dad, driving back to his apartment, that he remembers the box in his pocket, and the harmonica that remains hidden within, forgotten in the eventful day.

He sets it on his desk, stares at it. He’ll have to find another time to give it to Ryer. As he stares, Derek doesn’t know what to feel. There’s just a whole lot of… pretty much everything.

#our life: beginnings & always #Our Life Fanfiction #fanfiction #write

[ammarmachinery]

Why Choose Us For Chocolates Packaged In Different Ways With Labels?

The machinery used for candy labeling is routinely put through its paces. The difficulties include but are not limited to high-speed labeling lines, a wide variety of packaging options, pressure- and temperature-sensitive goods, surfaces with unusual shapes, and the most stringent hygiene standards. Also, the safety and quality of the final product must always come first.

Chocolates include a wide variety of sweets, from chocolate in all its forms (bars, pecan pie, truffles) to jellies, fruity gums, candy, cookies, waffles, as well as other sweet desserts. Folding boxes, slide lid options, cans, cushion bags, or other film-based ideas are the most often used labeling.

Labels are frequently employed to transmit all branding data, such as the ingredient list and the calorie info, especially while labeling is in transparent material. Labels on different forms of packing are often used for advertising, opening/closing/sealing, or indicating an expiration date and production lot number.

While labeling, it is common to print changeable data, like expiry date, in addition to the previously printed label.

Essentials for Candy Labeling:

There are a lot of little details that need to be perfected whenever it comes to the labeling of chocolates. The chocolate Labeling Machine needs three features to be effective: the capacity to be cleaned, high accuracy, and dependability.

Purest Cleaning:

For machines to be free of contaminants and cross-contamination, it is crucial that their surfaces and moving components be simple to clean and accessible. Buy today labeling machine from Ammar Machinery.

Precise:

With so much riding on their appearance, particularly in unstable packing or odd label forms, chocolate labels must be printed with the utmost accuracy to ensure their effectiveness in the retail environment.

Trusted Procedures:

As a result of the scale at which confections are often manufactured, high-performance, dependable applicators are generally required for various tasks. To ensure maximum productivity, the labeling process must be able to handle a large volume of items with little delay.

Modifications Made Quickly:

Our labeling machines can be easily adjusted to accommodate a wide range of item sizes, allowing for quick labeling of items of varying shapes and sizes along a single manufacturing line.

Different Forms Of Packaging With Unique Labeling:

The quality of a product, including how customers see certain candies, hinges mainly on the labeling and packaging decisions made (brands).

For this purpose, these tags are used:

Candy labels serve many purposes, including informing customers about the product's components and nutritional quality, establishing a positive brand image, assuring buyers that their purchases have not been tampered with, and advertising special deals.

That's why one product might have many different labels. In most cases, the labels will be solid and fully printed, but in others, they may be evident.

Conclusion:

These themes underpin our Chocolate Labeling Machine’s design. Label printers rely heavily on it for creating chocolate bar labels. Thanks to its cutting-edge technology, it's ideal for a wide variety of printing jobs. This device can print high-quality self-adhesive labels in addition to more standard ones.

To top it all off, it's built to last with high-strength cast iron that won't rust. Our Chocolate Labeling Machine uses high-speed label printing for coated paper, plastic wrap, PVC, PE, and PP tags.

#Chocolate Labeling Machine #making machine #machine manufacturer #industries #lebanon