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kirstinmaldonado · 4 years

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CHAPTER EIGHT 2.0

>>Delayed post because birthday week had all the friend surprises and snuggles and I got a bit distracted but…still wanted to post<<

It’s my birthdayyyy week~! My biiiiiiirthday week!

The dreaded time has come? The anticipated event is here? Honestly 28 felt so far away for quite some time, I’m kinda in denial that one, it’s May already and two, I’m going to be 28 this Saturday!!

So far I’ve been filling the week with cuddles, some friends and family calls, and oooo another BESTIE PRODUCTIONS vid?!? We had planned on releasing earlier, but why the rush? Why take the joy out of creating for fun by setting deadlines that don’t really matter?

Anyway, we hope you love it! It’s always important to unite and spread some relatable cheer especially in such a divisive climate! More on that coming…I don’t mean to do it but…soon. Lots of moving parts and our lives are picking up in different and amazing ways but we still hope to get it out!

Phew. No hashtags here! ;)

So many events happened over the last few days, good and bad! Some even that I am disappointed in, ashamed of, or at a loss for. But! This week is all about self-care! I’ll save the heavy for another time. ;)

Self-care, in its many facets, is so important! Self-care is making healthy food choices to nurture your body so it can be at optimal output. Self-care is strengthening and nourishing your mind by learning something new, doing a hobby you love, meditating, or just purely relaxing. It’s having the awareness to say no when you don’t want to do something or you know the adverse is better for you. Really, self-care is ALL ABOUT YOU!

Biggest of all, self-care is NOT selfish! Everyone needs to be self-aware and know when to take some personal time. Everyone decompresses in different ways. Sometimes that’s choosing an introverted quiet night as opposed to an extroverted one, or splurging on something to make you feel special, or baking way too many cupcakes and eating also way too many (if you’re me, ha)!!

With all the rushing around and intensity we’ve trained our minds and bodies to endure, with all the added stress of not even wanting, but NEEDING to succeed and flourish, that self-care dwindles. Sometimes it feels like you have to put YOU aside because everything else is so overwhelming!

I remember in the past thinking that skin-care took such a loooong time and felt not worth it. My skin (thank you, Mother) was pretty damn flawless for how (wrongly) I’d been taking care of it, so why bother?

That was before I met my sweet Klara!! And while my skin wasn’t in desperate emergency levels of fixing, she reminded me that pre-meditative care is crucial and so is slowing down and taking the time for myself!

Klara and I met years ago when I was in NYC looking for a lash lift. Pentatonix had just started taking off and just recently Klara had opened her own med-spa in the city. We bonded instantly and have been friends ever since!!

Meanwhile, if you live in NYC and want the best lash lift ever, ya gotta go to Klara, HANDS DOWN!

Every time Pentatonix would be in NYC, I would go visit her. Even if I didn’t need anything done or didn’t have the time, I would stop in and say hello because that is the type of beautiful energy she is! And slowly, we began growing together!

I love my friendship with her because not only did she love on my eyelashes, skin, face, etc and teach me how to do the same at home, but she’s been there through the last six or so years of my life! I have transformed into a much more self-aware, happier, and self-comfortable person and I treasure her sincerity, compassion, and late night chats so so much!!

Although I don’t get to see Klara all the time as she is based in NYC, I always have other forms of self-care in a similar vein. As we all know, Covid has shut down pretty much all forms of outside self-care treatments, although someone should tell the people in charge that self-care is essential, eh?!

I kid. Jokes aside, I miss relaxing my body and mind to a caregiver. I miss getting my hair done, getting a mani-pedi, tanning, and getting a massage! I miss that “treat yo self” feeling, and drinking champagne while doing them all, ha!

So, for my birthday week, I wanted to share with you a fun DIY self-care facial curated by Klara herself! My chin has been OUT OF CONTROL and colonizing a little zit farm, so freshening up before my big day (inside lol) felt perfect!!

Since she initially sent me this, she has curated a NEW personalized facial package that she will guide you through on Zoom, but regardless she is an angel for all your skin questions and needs!

>>By the way now that this is posted a week later…my skin has NO JOKE been FLAWLESS! Klara is still a queen for the win but also loving on your face and listening to what it needs also FTW<<

So here I am au natural, pre-peel!!

ONE. PREPARE YOUR STATION! PUT NICE MUSIC ON, A CANDLE, WHATEVER YOU LIKE TO PROMOTE A RELAXING VIBE! HAVE A CLEAN COUNTER WHERE YOU CAN PLACE THE DENTAL BIB AND LAY EVERYTHING OUT!

TWO. WASH YOUR HANDS! ;)

THREE. USE JAR #1 WITH FIRST CLEANSER, ADD WATER, FOAM, BE PRECISE AROUND JAW AND EARS ETC, RINSE, PAT DRY.

FOUR. REPEAT THE SAME WITH JAR WITH CLEANSER #2 (THE CREAM, IT WILL NOT FOAM) RINSE AND DRY

>>Already my face is feeling much softer!<<

FIVE. POUR THE MINI CHEMICAL PEEL (VIAL #3) ONTO COTTON PAD, WIPE WHOLE FACE GENTLY! I EXPERIENCED THE TINGLING AND EEE YES MY FACE GOT RED, BUT NOTHING MAJOR! LEAVE ON FOR 3/5 MIN!

SIX. USE JAR #4 (GLYCOLIC CLEANSER), RINSE AND DRY.

SEVEN. THEN APPLY SERUMS (JUST FEW DROPS) ALL OVER THE FACE

EIGHT. MASQUE FOR 10 MIN.

NINE. MOISTURIZE!

HAPPY GIRL! I felt AMAZING, y’all!!

You can check out Klara’s ZOOM FACIAL PACKAGE here and on social media outlets! And I am NOT kidding, my skin was SO SOFT!!! I felt less bumpy, less exposed! And it’s stayed like that too!

This little self-love moment put me in the perfect headspace for a birthday weekend, especially when that weekend was not according to plan! Life is about continuously adapting, taking what you have in front of you, and trying to make the best of the situations you are presented! You can only control so much! So why not focus on positivity?

I was so thankful for this little pick me up that made me feel good about being in my skin, something I’ve struggled on and off with the entire rest of quarantine! But overall I am SO thankful for how special my friends, my boyfriend, my family, YOU GUYS all made me feel! I didn’t feel devoid of any of your love and care. And thank you so much for that!!!

28 has started out so special in some (feeling) unspecial circumstances. I will always rise and fall and even have so far in these mere hours of 28! But I am so happy for your support. Just remember to always support yourself too!

So on that note, I hope you find time before the month is done for some EXTRA self-care!!!

And happy 3 years to Break a Little <3

Love you all!

#blog 2.0 #self-care

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dyke-remy · 3 years

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Live And Let Die, part 3

Part 1 part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Description: Agent 008 and Agent 009, professional spies for the MI6 with liscense to kill. Partners in both work and love. After an agent goes missing the partners have to once more go out into the field. (It’s a James Bond AU)

You don’t need to know anything about James Bond to be able to read this fic, trust me

Cw: Described assasination

Words: 3832

The sun had just about risen when the agents woke up. It was the morning after the mission and they were laying cuddled up in the hotel bed. Remus had plopped himself on top of Remy and wrapped his arms around them like usual. He said it was to snuggle while they slept but it was really so that he could act as a human shield for them even in sleep.

"g'mornin my dear dead heart of min-" Remus began to mumble out but Remy placed a finger over his mouth to shut him up.

He laid still and listened. The sound of someone opening the door to the hotel room could be heard followed by quiet steps. The agents glanced at each other. From the angle Remy was laying at they couldn't see much except for the ceiling and their husband's face. Remus slowly moved his hand under the pillow and grabbed the knife he'd hidden under it just in case.

The footsteps continued until they stopped by the side of the bed. Out of the corner of his eye Remus saw the person move making his instincts go off. In one swift motion he'd turned around to press the knife against the enemy's neck.

"What a charming greeting 008" Q also known as Logan muttered out. He eyed the knife held against his neck with an unimpressed look on his face. He had a black briefcase with him.

"Q!!!" Both of the Rems let out a happy exclaim.

"You should have said you were coming!" Remy said while sitting up in the bed.

"That's what she said" Remus added.

"I wasn't going to but then I figured it would be for the best if this mission got another step"

Remus moved the blanket aside and patted the spot between the two Rems "Cuddle up motherfucker!"

"008 please put some pants on. I've seen That thing enough for a lifetime" Q stated before sitting down in the middle.

The Rems promptly latched onto him. Hugging him. Remy ran their hand through his pressed down curly hair. Remus nibbled kisses by the start of his neck.

"So 008, you said in your report from yesterday that the man who held the real copy of the keys to Picani's room was named Ron Stewart correct?"

"Yeah"

"Well I discovered that he is on a train today towards Lithuania along with cargo for his company. His company is stated as an electricity manufacturer but it didnt take a lot of research to find he also has ties to something else. I am not sure of what yet but it is earning him a lot of income. For your information Picani's mission before he was killed was to find solid evidence of what this side business was"

Remy held back a wince at the mention of Picani "Aight easy. We get on the train. I Kill him. We figure out like what the fuck he's up to and like revenge Emile. Piece of cake" Remus nodded along.

"Yes well" Q opened the briefcase "In other news I took a few gadgets with me to aid you" He took out a pair of black high heels and handed them to Remy "Same function as always. Black like you requested"

"It's 'cause black tots goes with like anything"

A small box, not bigger than a thumb, was up next. Q opened it slightly to show white pills inside before giving it to Remy "I've tried to make it so the taste of poison is even less subtle"

The enby got a sinister smile on their face "They won't know what hit them!"

Remus dragged in Logan's sleeve "Me time!! I want gadgets too!!!"

Q nodded before taking out a long thin black straw and gave it to the duke "Be careful. Please! This is your 7th laser so don't break it. It's not a knife. It's not a stick. It's a laser. It heats things up. It doesn't cut through things. It heats them up. Please I don't want to have to make another one"

The duke looked at it with a giddy smile before looking up. A few moments of silence went by before his smile disappeared "That's all? I only get 1 gadget???? Rem got 2! You're playing favorites just 'cause you fuck them!"

"No. I am playing favorites because they don't break their gadgets!........But I do actually have another gadget for the both of you"

Q took out 2 pens and several coins. He sat the coin as far away on the blanket as he could. He pressed down on a specfic point on it before leaning back and pressing the pen up and down 5 times. The coin exploded leaving a hole in the blanket. The Rems let out oooohs and ahhhhs in response.

"Explosives. Each coin causes 1 explosion. Right now I'll give you 20 to use but you can always request more. Oh and 008" He took out 2 packages of pills "You forgot you stimulants" It was to help him focus better, his lil autistic rat brain wasn't good at that "And antidepressants at the base again so I thought I'd bring them to you"

"Aww thanks Q. How caring!"

"No problem. As your quartermaster I must care for you after all. INcluding caring for your mental health. Well I wish you good luck on your mission"

The Rems glanced at each other before sending Q puppy eyes. "You can wish us good luck better than that can't you?"

Logan let out an amused sigh and rolled his eyes before nodding. He gave Remus a kiss on the lips before doing the same to Remy. He was aro and didn't see kissing as a serious thing, neither did the Rems. The kissing before missions was just a nice tradition.

Remy traced their finger over their lips "I already have a feeling this mission will go splendid"

3 hours later Remy was sitting by a luxurious vanity in front of a mirror. They were meticulously filling in their lips with cheery red lipstick. Remus came up from behind and put his hands on their shoulders before leaning down to press a kiss to their cheek.

The enby took the blade laying on the vanity and held it up to his face "Dear if you kiss me now you'll ruin my make up and I will have to kill you for that"

"Sounds like a sweet death" He teased in return.

"If I wanted to make it a sweet one I would"

Remus glanced around at the make up products while putting on an overly extra pout "Why can't I ever get to be the lady???"

"Hun you have a giant caterpillar on your upper lip and it is the bane of my existance. If you could just let me shave it off-"

The duke gasped and covered his precious mustache with his hands "NEVER!!!"

" Well it would make disguising you much easier. If some baddie sees you once they're gonna remember that nasty ass muschie for like months! And secondly you don't really have like the right bone structure. Like girl you would look like the most beautiful lady I'd ever seen but you wouldn't look like the kind of gal these dirtbags want y'know?"

"I know"

Remy leaned their head against his chest and smiled up at him. "When we get home I can make you look nice and pretty kay? I'll evem lend you my fav mini skirts...As long as your dumptruck ass doesn't destroy them"

Remus grinned and let out a giddy laugh "OHOHOHOH let's get these bitches killed so we can get home PLEase!!"

After another half hour Remy was ready to go. They'd hidden a blade on their left thigh and stuck the box of pills on the side of their underwear. Remus took them by the arm and they walked out into the hallway of the train. They looked around various mini suites before coming out into a bigger cart. The bar.

Blue satin sheets framed the windows. Sunlight strimmed in onto dark wooden tables with comfortable seats surrounding them. The bar was ornate and it's menu was filled with expensive cocktails.

The enby bumped their elbow into their husband's ribs before pointing over to a booth in the corner. There Ron Stewart sat alone with a bowl of olives and a beer.

Remus mumbled a quiet 'you got this' before letting go off their arm. He sat down by the bar at such an angle so he could watch Stewart without it being noticeable. He ordered a glass of water and began to sprinkle copious amount of salt and pepper into it as he watched Remy go up to Stewart. Their body language was completely different. He overheard something about coincidences and seeing him at the casino. It didn't take long until Stewart had moved so Remy could sit down next to him.

The duke let out a content sigh and looked out the window. It was in quiet moments like these, while waiting for his spouse to do what they did best, that he admired them more than ever. All he could do was sit and think about how much he loved them. How he loved Every part of them. Thinking and thinking until it felt like his heart would burst.

It wasn't until someone bumped into him he got out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Remy leaning on the bar.

"Vodka martini. Shaken not stirred please" Remy ordered.

Remus poked his elbow into their ribs plafully "Dork. Using my dad's catchphrase like that" He teased with a smirk.

They rolled their eyes at him before adding "And you can place a bottle of champange in suite 17!"

While the bartender worked on it the enby sat down next to Remus. They looked in the other direction while speaking so Stewart wouldn't notice.

"He's involved in human trafficking. That's where his like money comes from. Was supa easy to get it out of him. Dirty bastard. Didn't get what is in the cargo but he joked that it wasn't human at least"

"Okay good!" Remus exclaimed "So we go to the cargo see whats up. And then when we're done we can go back and arrest Stewart when we're done. Easy peasy pumpkin pie motherfucker"

Remy dug their nails down into the table so hard it left marks "Nah I'm murdering him now"

Remus opened his mouth before closing it again and thinking. He decided the wise and only choice was to support his spouse in their killing ways "Okay yeah sure. Have fun. If you're not back in 15 minutes I'll assume something has gone wrong and will come help"

They sent him a small smile "Thanks babe"

They downed the martini in one sweep and took a deep breathe before putting on their fake smile again. They went back to Stewart. All it took was a few flirty comments while leaning close to him to get him to walk with them to his room. Like a lamb blissfully going to the slaughter.

The champagne had been set on the bedside table in a bucket of ice like they'd requested. Stewart sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the place next to him. Remy obediently sat down. A taste of nausea filled their mouth when he placed his hand on their inner thigh. But they kept their facade of liking it up. Kept it up even as he whispered what he wanted to do with them into their ear and pressed kisses to their neck.

Remy leaned away when he tried to go for a kiss on the mouth "Shall I get the champange Dear?"

He eagerly nodded in return. They got up and made sure to move slow. They cast a look back at him while moving their dress up up to their right hip, just enough so a bit of their underwear showed. They ran their hand under their underwear line feeling where the small box they'd hidden laid. The box with poisonous pills in it.

They kept their expression the same as they caught hold of the box and in one smooth motion hid it under their bracelet. They kept their dress up as they poured up the champange. Out of the corner of their eye they could see Stewart only looking at their thighs so they took the opppurtunity to let a single white pill go down into one of the drinks.

It dispersed in the drink in under a second. They made a mental note to give Q an extra kiss for his excellent job the next time they saw him. They gave the glass to him before sitting down to straddle his lap.

"Cheers" Remy said.

"Cheers baby"

Their smile widened as they watched him drink. They waited until he'd emptied the glass before smashing their own glass against his skull. Stewart barely had time to let out a yell before they'd pushed him down with his back against the bed. They laid their weight on hips to keep him down while forcing his arms over his head.

"What are you-" Stewart didn't finish his sentence. He let out a strange sound as his face began to turn red. The poison was setting in.

Remy took the blade from their thigh and held it up to his neck. Close enough to let out droplets of blood but not close enough to cut him open.

"When I got home after staying out all night for the first time my moms cried of relief because they were sure I'd been taken by human traffickers working for the likes of you. I've had friends go missing just 'cause people like you think no one will notice if a homeless person disappears" They growled out.

"I will-" He forced out.

"Honey you won't do shit" Remy interrupted. They let out a cold chuckle "You'll lay there and wait to see if the poison or-" They cut the knife into his neck with such precision it hit the veins just enough to open them, like they'd done a hundred times before "the blood loss kills you first"

Stewart couldn't say anything more. He was choking on air and blood at the same time. The white satin sheets turned red as Remy sat still and watched every slight change in his expression. It went from anger to a pained one to complete fear of death.

His legs kicked to instinctively try and get Remy off and his hands flailed around his neck to try and stop the bleeding but it was to no avail. Soon his limbs stopped moving and the desperate sounds he'd been letting out quieted. Before finally his eyes became glossy and he stopped blinking. The blood had stopped dripping out.

"Blood loss huh" Remy said to of course no answer.

They stood up and hid the blade under their dress again. They let out an annoyed groan when they noticed blood stains on the dress. They'd liked this one! They searched around the room for anything useful.

In the drawer of the nightstand they found a key card to the cargo section of the train. They gave themself a pat on the back and was about to leave when they saw a document that had laid next to the key. They stuffed it down their top to keep it for later. Q was usually the one who told them if a document was important or not.

Remus shone up into a big goofy grin when he saw his spouse return. He held himself back from giving them a big long kiss. They took his hand, intertwined their fingers, and pulled him along to the small passage leading up to the cargo parts of the train.

There was a thick metal door stopping them from entering the cargo part. With a triumphant smirk Remy pulled out the key card and unlocked out while Remus gave them a small round of applause.

008 kept his gun ready in his hand as he entered the first cargo train with 009 right behind him. There were 2 guards who both immediately reached for their guns. Remus shot one of them at the same time Remy threw their blade into the neck of the other.

The couple high fived. Remy was using the new gadget high heels Q had given them. They took the heels off so the high heel turned into a normal shoe, it somewhat looked like a ballet shoe. Inside the heels 2 more blades were hidden.

The train was empty aside from a few meaningless boxes but there were one more cargo cart to look through. "How about I stay here and make sure no like bitches come at you from this side and you continue to the rest of the like cargo?" Remy suggested.

"Sounds like a plan!"

Remus pressed a kiss to the top of their forehead before quickly continuing on to the small outside part connecting the two carts. Remy closed the door behind him.

He pressed his ear against the door to the next cart. There were footsteps coming from the other side. He rolled up his sleeves before jumping up and just about grabbing on to the edge of the cart's roof. With a strained groan he heaved himself up. The wind nearly knocked him over as soon as he stood up. It was the last cart so whatever was important in the cargo section had to be in there.

The roof was made out of metal. Remus took out the black laser. He was careful to not point it at himself as he moved it against the roof. When he turned it a spark went off before it's cold blue almost fire looking laser burried down into the roof.

Slowly the metal began to melt. He moved it just as slowly around in a square motion. Until it had melted enough that he was able to move it. He made sure the laser created a small hole, just about to press a few fingers in, before turning it off. He covered his hands in the fabric of his shirt and let out a grunt as he grabbed onto the hole in the metal and moved it until a small opening down into the carriage had been made.

He peered down and like he'd suspected there were at least 10 guards inside. All of them were heavily armed. There was no way Remus would be able to take them all.

Luckily he didn't have to. He took one of the explosive coins and clicked on it before dropping it down into the carriage. He didn't even give the guards a chance to react before detonating it.

No more sounds came from inside the carraige. Remus dropped down from the roof and opened the door. The guards laid still on the ground. He checked their pulses. It was going slow and unsteady so they wouldn't be waking up soon (aka in several days probably).

There wasn't much in the carriage. A few box filled with guns and ammunition littered the wooden floor but aside from that all there was was a metal box in the corner. It was big enough to fit a human if they hunched down. It was thick enough that he doubted even one of the explosives would get it open. He tried the key to open it but it didn't work.

"What the fuck" He mumbled to himself.

On the sides and top of the box things were engraved. He was unsure if it'd been engraved a knife or...teeth.....somehow. The same sentences were written over and over.

Remus tried to read it but all the words swirled around and changed places. He hit his hands against his head and tried to concentrate. Usually Remy read things for him when on missions (and when home too honestly), and before he had them he had.....He had.....

He despised his dyslexia so much. Sensory overload could be avoided by Q ordering clothes with the exact textures he could handle and making him earpieces that filtered out just enough sound so he wouldn't panic. People didn't notice his lack of eye contact and fumbling with social cues and voice tones as long as he was looked normal. But there was no way to get around his dyslexia.

It took (in his opinion) an embarrassing amount of time before he was able to piece the words together. But when he finally did his body went cold.

Targets: 0̶0̶5̶ 0̶0̶1̶2̶ 009 008 - Remus Smythe

They knew his name. They knew his name.

Remus felt nauseous. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it. How the fuck did they even know that. What more did they know?? He was used to people knowing his name as Remus Smythe the son of Octavia Smythe. But not as Remus smythe the 008 agent.

He knew his mom could defend herself. All of the women, his caregivers, on the floating palace could. but still. At least they didn't know Remy's name. At least- At least- They were after them though! They specifically wanted to murder the love of his life.

Sure people had been trying to kill them before. Many a times. But he and Remy had known the two of them were strong enough to proctect themself. But....but....these people had killed Picani. Emile Picani! They could- they would-

He took a step back. Logically he should figure out a way to open the box. That was why he has here wasn't it? But he had to make sure Remy was okay. Had to-

He turned around and quickly went towards the door. He stopped midstep as he heard something metal-like crash under his foot. He looked down and realized he'd stepped on a dogtag one of the guards had been holding.

The metal plate was cold in Remus' hand as he tried to read it. His eyes widened. He didn't have to struggle to make the words out. He would always be able to recognize that name in an instant.

His hand shook as he forced the dogtag down into his pocket. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.

He stumbled out from the carriage before throwing the door open to the next one. He was hyperventilating as he collapsed onto his knees. He looked up through tears at the blurry sight of Remy.

They'd been sitting on a box cleaning one of their blades while using the bodies of the guards they'd killed as a footstool. When they saw their husband they quickly went over and sat down in front of him. They moved their arms around his shoulders while checking for injuries.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"R-remy" He cried out. He hugged them as tight as he could and slumped his head against their chest. Uneven sobs racked his body.

"It's okay. It's okay babe. Shhh. Breathe for me" They moved their hand through his hair to soothe him "Just follow my breathing"

"You c-can't be hu-hurt"

"I'm not. I promise. You always take my injuries for me like an idiot. I'm 100% okay"

"It's- They- He-"

With a shaky hand he took out the dogtag from his pocket. It felt like the name engraved on it burned into his skin. Remy held onto his hand.

"What- who's tag is that?"

Remus glanced up at them with tear filled eyes "The f-former 009. Roman"

#live and let die #remus sanders #remy sanders #logan sanders #ts remus #ts remy #sanders sides #thomas sanders #intrusleep #remsleep #resleep #rem^2 #please reblog

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jddoesc25k · 4 years

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Hello pals!

It’s been a funny old time these past few weeks, and I haven’t had the brain to post about c25k when more important things are going on. Nevertheless we kept at it, so here’s the RUNdown 😉! Beware, this one has 5 runs, so it’s another long one.

Week 4 Run 2

Friday. I finished work later than expected today, just lots of things to do. I really did not feel like going running because I was feeling rubbish, but it was the last day we could do run 2 and have a break before then next one so we got to it.

As with run 1 this week, run 2 was 3m run - 90s walk - 5m run - 2.5m walk - 3m run - 90s walk - 5m run. It was quite a bit more running than last week and I knew that this week’s sessions were quite a push so we tried to pace ourselves to make sure we had something left for the 5min portions.

We were okay on the 3min runs but we were really counting down the seconds on the 5m runs (literally). Because we paced ourselves a little better, our chests weren’t as painful, but my calves were still giving me grief. Pat struggled with his feet but we both kept plodding on, really slowing down on the last run. Finally we finished and actually felt very accomplished in doing this run again. Very tired though!

Pat had said I should take a break and go for a run towards the end of my normal work day to try and revitalise myself and get my head back into work but I wanted to continue, so we had set off quite late.

I should have listened because I felt refreshed after this run, it was hard, but the extra effort seemed to burn off some of the rubbish feeling I had and I really felt the endorphins rushing about. Pat now has decisive power over when we go for a run haha!

Week 4 Run 3

Sunday. I took Pat for drive to his parents and had a socially distanced drink. We thought it would be nice to go for a run down the canal close to their house for a change in scenery as Pat was getting a bit fed up with the 5 min runs.

The canal was a good place for our first 3m run as it’s pretty flat so we didn’t find it too hard to keep going. I had to tell Pat to pace himself as he really found a fast stride at one point! I got a few midges in my nose as we were running which wasn’t ideal!

Soon the path climbed as we went past a lock or two. We jogged past one and kept a wide berth as there was a mumma and dad pair of geese with their gosling who hissed and flapped their wings at us. I was certainly glad we’d been training to move faster than normal in that minute, although my calves were already protesting that!

At the end of our second run, we had an incline up to a bridge which my calves really hated but luckily we got a reprieve shortly after and we turned into one of the neighbouring fields to make our way back to Pat’s parents.

Pat was really in his element leading me round the fields he had grown up playing in and it really took my mind off of the run watching him playing. He took us over stiles and through a mini wood (which I hated - I got MORE flies in my nose, mouth and ears 🙈)

We were soon on our final run, and although my calves and chest were hurting, the change to the scenic route was really enjoyable.

This week has been a hard one, but the runs slowly have gotten slightly easier and more bareable as we kept at it. I suppose practice makes perfect, even with running. I never believed my P.E. teachers about this, and I still don’t want to believe it now! 🤯

Week 5 Run 1

Tuesday Morning, breakfast and a cuppa demolished, and ready and raring to go. This week is 5mins x 3 with 3minute breaks in between, which is actually 1min less than the total run of last week. Just an extra 5min run, but we knew we could do that stint in one go because we had done it last week. Okay, let’s go!

We step out of the house and we are hit by a wave of heat. Okay...so this could be a little harder than expected. Probably should have had water instead of tea or coffee, but anyway, we go for it.

All 3 runs are sweaty and way harder than last week. With burning legs and chests, we tire easily and I struggle at about 3mins into each run. The 3minute breaks are way too short and we home in on any available shade. My belly is churning and I am basically shuffling along to the end. The final run, my legs are in agony before we even get half way. I am breathing very deeply to try and relieve the aching in my calves and quads* and in the final minutes I’m dizzy and can’t see very well, not just because of the sun in my eyes. We finish and I want to collapse on the floor, but I can see the shade up ahead and make a beeline for it. My legs don’t recover very quickly today at all. I now know I DO NOT LIKE RUNNING IN THE SUN!

As we finish our cool down walk, glad that it’s over, I look at the app to plan our next run and see that this week isn’t the same everyday as it has been for the last month. Nope, the next run is 8mins x 2, 5min break. Uh oh! After this run, I’m not sure I could do 8mins!! But...well, it’s only the same total time as last week, and has a 5m break, it might be hard, but doable?

I check the 3rd run of the week thinking it might be 2 9min walks or something and my heart stops. 20minute run, no breaks? That can’t be right! But it is...oh dear. I really don’t think that is possible. That’s a big jump! We’ve only run 5mins at once and this is FOUR TIMES that. And it’s an extra 4mins total time! How can they think we can do that so quickly??

I’m pleased we completed this run in the horrible heat, it really was a hard one to do. Unfortunately I also have a sense of foreboding that I haven’t had for the whole programme: we might not be able to complete the runs this week. But I then think about our first two weeks when we couldn’t even complete the first day of c25k and resolve to keep trying until we get there. We might have to repeat but we will do it eventually!

We’ve not come this far to only come this far!

*Pat told me that’s what they’re called after the run

Week 5 Run 2

Pat made the executive decision to run on Friday, not Thursday, I think the 8min runs were putting him off a little...So despite my warnings of pain on Sunday (we were going for a bbq at our friends’ house who we hadn’t seen for a while on Saturday night, I was driving, and Pat would be drinking. A lot. 🍻🍻🍻) we skipped Thursday and ran on Friday Night.

I was scared of today’s run. 2x 8minute runs! I’d been whittling about it since the sunshine nearly killed us on Tuesday, so we went after work around 20:30. My new sports bra had arrived earlier that day, and it fitted(!!) so I strapped them in and we got going. (Best purchase I’ve made this year by the way - they didn’t move! No pain! Woohoo!)

The weather broke earlier in the week, so it was quite cold on the walk out before we started running and we were basically power walking to get warm! We geared up for the 8 minute run, and I started feeling the burn in my legs just as Sarah said we were half way through the first run, so I decided to slow down a little and made a mental note to drink more water and STRETCH properly before Sunday! After a minute or two the burn had lessened and when Sarah said to slow down for our 5 min walk, I felt like I could have kept going, which struck me as odd.

Pat recovered quickly and said that he was almost bored of walking! Ready to get the next run over with I’m sure, hopefully not my company! 😂 We thought it might be a good idea for him to have some music on the longer runs anyway to keep him going.

We started the second run and my shins and calves were instantly remembering the last run. I slowed down even further and soon the pain eased a little. Our final stretch is a bit of a hill (it isn’t but it feels like one when you’re tired!) and at the half way point I was ready for giving up, and then it started to spit! 🙈 Luckily it was a false alarm, but it distracted us a little. Those last few minutes really were a drag, my legs were burning and my breathing was heavier than usual trying to get up that last hill, but we kept on going and we did it! I did walk a little weird for a minute afterwards, stretching will be needed next time!

We ended the cool down walk and were happy with what we had done. We then remembered our mission in two days - 20minutes on Sunday... how were we going to do that????

Despite our worries, we still commended ourselves. We ran for 8 minutes in 60 second intervals the first week of c25k and we had ran the same amount of time all in one go, TWICE, today. What an improvement!!

Week 5 Run 3

Sunday arrives. OH MY GOSH. THE DREADED RUN. 20 minutes...can we do it???

After a particularly rowdy night on Saturday, poor Patrick was hanging: McDonald’s was necessary, naps were mandatory and our tv viewing had to be drivel. At 6pm, I reminded him of his terrible decision on Thursday and we set about the slow rise from the sofa. I even “made” a salad to help along the process! Those of you who know us, know I’ve forgotten where the kitchen is, so this shows the level of Pat’s hangover.

We set off for our walk to a duet of encouragements from Sarah Millican and wails from Pat about his stomach. Soon the dreaded time came: our 5 minutes walking were up and we were to begin our TWENTY MINUTE run. We opted for a light jog as instructed, with the option to push a little if we felt we could and slow down if needed. We had decided that as we weren’t stopping and starting, we’d have no time to chat in between runs and listened to our favourite bands to cheer us on: Bowling for Soup for me, Tenacious D for Pat.

Pat always dislikes the first few mins of a run until his chest opens up and he feels he can breathe a little easier. Whereas I’m the opposite, the beginning feels easy and after a few minutes it gets harder. I didn’t feel too bad to start, I was a song and half in when Sarah told me we were a quarter of the way through the run! Earlier this week I was struggling with 5 minutes! How has this happened? I assumed I was going mad and continued....a few minutes later we started a very shallow incline so we slowed a touch to allow for it.

We kept checking in with each other and we were both pleasantly surprised to find we were both doing okay. Soon we were half way through our jog and feeling alright. Some calf burn for me, but after a while it seemed to go off as though my muscles had stopped protesting because they knew there was no point!

Soon we were down the “hill” and I found that my strides were opening up a little and was “running” a little faster than usual which felt great! We turned the corner to start our usual slightly steeper incline just as we were told we only had 5 minutes left to go! Where had the time gone?? We were doing well!

As we were running late-ish and it was cooler, we were sweating but doing okay because the breeze was keeping us at a good temperature. My new sports bra was doing it’s job and I was beaming because I never believed I could do anything like this! Pat was feeling the hangover a little as Sarah told us we had two more minutes left. My calves were really starting to burn, because of the hill I think now, not because of my fitness level (!!) and very quickly we were hi5ing at our mission completed!!

Yes, we were breathing heavy, our legs killing and sweat was running in our eyes but WE RAN FOR 20 MINS STRAIGHT!! Wooooohooo!!!

I didn’t believe her at the beginning of the run, but it’s just like Sarah M. said. We were fit enough, and this was a mental challenge more than a physical one, but I still couldn’t believe we did this!! Triumphant, we set off home for our warm down walk and a hot bath!

(Excuse the shiny face!!)

💖🦄JD🏃‍♀️🤯

#c25k #c25ktraining #couch25k #ouchmylegs #redface #runrunrun #sweatyselfie #week4run2 #w4r2 #week4run3 #w4r3 #week5run1 #w5r1 #week5run2 #w5r2 #week5run3 #w5r3 #sunshine

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channy-mae · 5 years

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BTS reaction to you’re insecure about your social equality

Jin-

Jin wouldn’t know exactly what to say when you started crying after he told you about their 6th win for Fake Love. He took you into his arms thinking you may have been shedding happy tears but you pushed back a little signally you wanted him to let go. “How are you just satisfied with me?” you whimper through your tears. “What do you mean Jagi?” Jin puts his hands on your shoulders leaning down to be at eye level with you. “I’m not as successful as you and you’re only getting more famous. I’ll never be as good as you need me to be.” You break eye contact preferring to look at the ground in shame. Jin cups your face in his hands and softly kisses your forehead, “Jagi, I don’t care about any of that! In my eyes you’re the most successful person ever, and even if I didn’t think that I love you for you. Not for how many people know of you.” He finishes with a sweet smile.

Suga-

Min Yoongi listed as one of 5 idols that make thousands from copyright on their music. You sit back and stare at the title, not even bothering to open the article and read it. Yoongi did always get you lavish gifts and spoil you on dates, you couldn’t do as much for him since your income didn’t allow it. You felt beneath him and guilty, you couldn’t spoil him as much as he did you. When Yoongi gets to your apartment he brought you the newest purse to celebrate. “Jagi! Are you sleeping?” He comes into your room and flicks on the light, waving the purse in your face to show it off to you. You scowl at him and swat it away, “Take it back, I don’t want it.” you deadpan and turn away. You didn’t want to admit how you felt, you didn’t want him to make you feel stupid, even though you knew he’d never do that to you. “Wha- what’s wrong with you?” He stutters out surprised at your actions. “Nothing, I just don’t want you to keep spending money on me.” You mumble into the pillow. “After all I can’t pay you back or give you the same expensive stuff. I don’t make as much as you after all.” You huff out not wanting to continue the conversation. You feel he start to poke you, then he starts tickling you, “Yah! Stop!” you giggle out trying to swat his hands away. You flip over to hold his hands away from you, “How much money you make or don’t make is pointless. We are in a relationship giving gifts isn’t important, but I like giving you things that may make you happy. Other than me of course. I’m happy with you just being with me! Don’t put our relationship over money ever again jagi.” Yoongi frees his hands and hugs you.

J-Hope-

“And then we saw Nicki Minaj perform and it was beyond amazing! There were so many different artist and so many reporters who wanted to talk to us!” Hoseok has been going on about the Bbma’s over the phone with you ever since their performance ended. You were happy with his growing stardom but you felt..left behind. Like he was advancing in life without you, he was going and performing at so many different cool places and being acknowledged by famous people, and here you were an ordinary office worker who can barely work the copy machine. “Wow really!” you say without much feeling, you weren’t really listening to him anymore. You were too busy thinking about whether you were even good enough to date someone of Hoseok’s status now. “Y/N are you listening?” You could hear the pout in his voice when he says this. You hum a yes, too scared to speak in case you break down and cry over your thoughts. Hoseok hangs up and facetimes you not even a minute later. You take a deep breath and answer smiling. “Yah! What’s up with that fake smile! You weren’t listening to me at all were you!” He accuses. Tears start up and you start to cry, “I’m sorry, I just was thinking about how you’re doing more in life. I feel like I’m never going to be as good as you are and I’ll only hold you back.” you hiccup wiping your tears as quickly as you could. “Y/N what is that nonsense?! You’re my lucky charm, ever since you entered my life I’ve been getting better! Plus what is a me without you?! You’re time will come when you explode in life, and I’ll be there to congratulate you when it happens!”

RapMonster-

You’ve been feeling like a burden on your relationship with Namjoon for a while now. It made you work harder to earn more and advance in your company, but at the same time put stress on your relationship. You wanted to be equal to him, financially, and socially but whenever you get what you assume is close, the gap widens again. “Then they call and mispronounced my name! Can you believe that jagi?” he turned to look at you staring at your computer, not paying him any mind. “Did you hear anything I said?” He laughs a little and tries to wrap an arm around you. “I’m a bit busy, sorry.” you brush him away to focus more on your work. Namjoon leans over knocks your fingers out of the way knocking the laptop off the table onto the floor in the process. You jump up and shriek in shock, “NAMJOON!” You whip your head in his direction furious. “Whoa, I’m sorry Y/N I didn’t think-” he starts to apologize. An exasperated noise comes out of your mouth, “Listen it’s fine I’ll replace it!” He smiles. “Of course you can! You could replace anything you break! Even me if you wanted to!” You throw your hands in the air. “Where is this coming from?” Namjoon says calmly as to not upset you further. “I...I just” You start and can’t get anything out before you’re crying. He takes you in his arms, “Listen, you know how important you are to me. If this is an income thing and that’s why you’re working yourself to the bone don’t. You can just be you, and I’ll just be me. Our worth is measured in our love for each other not in zeros in a bank.”

V-

He’s always wearing the latest gucci and other expensive clothes, clothes that you can’t wear everyday due to work and your income. You never felt particularly insecure about anything, but whenever Tae unknowingly flaunts his wealth in your face you couldn’t help it. “Y/N, guess who got the newest-” you hung up on him before he could finish what he was saying. It was rude you admit, but you just didn’t feel like giving a fake reaction. He calls you back over and over, everytime you simply send him to voicemail avoiding him. It was around 11:30 pm when you heard a banging on your front door, opening it reveals a not very happy Taehyung. He nudges you aside and enters your apartment. He looks good as always, his fashion not failing him even in this situation. “Why are you avoiding me y/n?” he crosses his arms in an attempt to look intimidating. You simply shrug in response, “That’s not an answer!” he grunts and sits on the couch. “Don’t you have to go back to the dorm?” he ignores that and stares and the TV, even though it isn’t even on. “Taehyung, listen. I’ve been thinking and-” he shoots up and wraps you in a surprise hug before you could continue. “No! No thinking! I won’t let you think!” he squeezes you tighter, limiting your breaths. You push back enough to speak, “I hate keeping my feelings from you, so let me talk.” you push back a bit more. “I’ve been feeling lesser than you lately, I don’t wanna say it but I’m a bit insecure about my standing in our relationship. I mean you make a lot of mon-” Taehyung covers your mouth with his hand stopping you mid-sentence. “Like I said, no thinking. There’s no need for you to feel anything but happiness and love in our relationship. If you need me to verify that then I’ll do that anyway you’d like. If I have to wear a cardboard box to make you feel better I will. I love you y/n”

Jimin-

You hated their dorm, it was so big. Especially after they became so big in America and was earning more money, so you hated going over to their dorm and then going home to your small apartment. So you chose never to go over to the dorm anymore, you also hated when Jimin would come over to your apartment. He had to come over to a small place different than that of where he lived, so you never wanted him over. Instead the two of you went undercover for dates late at night after his practice. Or what your preferred method of talking on the phone. “No, chim I don’t feel well today.” you lie to him over the phone. You fake a cough for good measure, “Then I should definitely come over to take care of you! I can’t let you be sick alone!” he says in a way that is non debatable and hangs up. You have a mini panic attack before you toss your phone on the couch and rush to clean your apartment. Jimin gets there just as you finish and you open the door for him forgetting that you were supposed to be ‘sick’. “Yah! I brought all sorts of stuff to treat you and you don’t look sick at all!” he accuses. You shift over allowing him in, “I’m sorry I simply didn’t want you to come over and be uncomfortable is all.” You sigh and take a seat on your couch. “Uncomfortable? Y/n I adore being alone with you, I’m not uncomfortable when i’m with you anywhere” he smiles at you. “No..like, it’s just..ugh!” you cry out frustrated with yourself and your feelings. “I mean, you’re over here when you could be back at your dorm and all. I’m not as-” you gesture towards him, “as you are, you know. My place is small and I’m not rich or anything.” you’re frustrations slowly morphing into insecurity as you come clean to him. “Y/n, jagi..we all start from somewhere don’t we? I wasn’t always superstar, lady killer Jimin.” he winks at you. “Don’t think that since this is where you are now that this is where you’ll stay. Plus with me you’re always successful, since how many girls get to say they get to kiss the Park Jimin?”

Jungkook-

You told Jungkook how you felt before, all your insecurities about stuff. After that one time no one brought it up again, granted he was half sleep and you were as well, you thought getting those feelings off your chest would result in less of those feelings. But it just seemed to get worse, since neither of you acknowledged that it happened. “Yeah Kookie I saw your latest interview on T.V.” you say bored. You really didn’t watch it, sick of seeing him on tv, feeling less than him. It was tiring if you were being completely honest, “Yes, I see the stupid cell phone commercial you and the guys are in.” you didn’t mean to say stupid. “What, stupid? Why is it stupid? Hyung and I got to play with the dog they brought in cause they knew we liked dogs!” his voice was excited remembering the dog. You could practically see the smile on is face, “I bet, they wanted to appease the new celebrity after all.” you mutter the last part of the sentence. “Wow y/n what’s wrong with you today?” Jungkook snaps sick of what you’ve been spewing since he called you. You take a deep breath, “I’ve just been feeling a bit, insecure and if I’m being honest jealous of you and your fame. I’m after all, ordinary. Nothing worth wild and important. My company could fire me tomorrow and have me replaced in an hour. They can’t do that do you cause of your worth. I told you all of this.” you weren’t crying, though your voice sounded like you were about to. “Y/n, you’re important as well. I remember you telling me how you felt, do you remember what I told you in response?” you whisper no. “No matter what the world says, no matter how much you have or make, as long as you feel you’re worth something then you are. Your personality is priceless, you are worth more than all the money in the world.” he pauses. “Don’t make yourself believe you are lesser than anyone based on importance, or money, because none of that can buy your happiness. None of that can replace the love we share for each other. I love you y/n.”

#kpop #bts scenarios #channy #kpop scenarios #kpop angst #kpop reactions #bts #bts angst #bts fluff #bts reactions #kpop fluff

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fanficparker · 5 years

Text

Ocean Eyes | Haz mini series | Part 2

Pairing: (Strangers to Friends to Lovers!) (Imaginary Love Triangle!) (Accidental Adultery!) Harrison Osterfield x Reader

A/n: It was my first ever fanfic, I earlier posted it on instagram and so thought of posting it here too. It’s trash. Check my masterlist for other fics, one-shots & more parts. IT’S A MINI SERIES, SO THERE ARE A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL TIME SKIPS. I HOPE IT ISN’T THAT ANNOYING *prays*.

Word count: 2.98K

Warning: Physical insecurities, Angst, Drinking, refererence to menstrual phrase.

Description: Y/n Y/l/n, a doctor by profession, loner by destiny, having just a little celebrity crush on a British actor Tom Holland. Her whole life changes when she accidentally bumped into a blue-eyed man on a rainy dark night, who was supposed to be Tom’s best friend Harrison Osterfield. What will happen when Harrison starts to fall for her? This celebrity crush on Tom is intended to create some drama ;)

Part 2…

You were astonished to see your life-long favourite actor in front of your eyes. Thomas Stanley Holland a.k.a Tom Holland, the British actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. God knows how many times you tried to apply for the Brother trust competition or planned to visit the comic cons when he was there. But because of your bad luck, everything failed. But it looks like you’re having a great day, getting introduced amongst 5 thousand fans is not as fun as being introduced personally. All thanks to Harrison. Tom and Harrison walked towards me chattering with each other. And your life-long celebrity crush is standing just 1 foot from me.

“Hi, there pretty lady. I am Tom… ” You didn’t let him complete his sentence and freaked out.

“Hoolllannndddd..of course, I know you, I am your big fan” Your freaking made both the Brits chuckle.

After a while, Harrison introduces you to his best mate.

“Tom she’s Y/n, she’s a great doctor and even works for charity.” Tom lets out his hand for a shake. You shook his hand and commented more of asked.

“That’s even more than a brother’s trust thing, by the way, when did you guys meet?” Harrison opened his mouth to answer.

“We met…… Wait! What?!…. I just met you a couple of hours ago, and it seems like I know you from years” he exclaimed with shock.

“Yeah cause you are extremely kind to let me stay here,” you replied smiling through your eyes.

“So if you guys are done appreciating each other, then what are we about to play?” Tom interrupt both of you from staring into each other’s eyes. You noticed that Harrison and you were both were having their gaze fixed on each other. He shook his head, breaking his gaze and rushed to grab a packet of playing cards and UNO.

Why did I feel so good looking into Harrison’s eyes?

All three of you played cards for like 3 hours, talking and giggling to your heart. They told you that they will be leaving on Thursday for London and would love if you joined them, to which you agree only if you pay for your own tickets. It felt so good to have friends. After a while, you finally yawned, and as per the yawning rule or rather magic, they both repeated your actions. All 3 of you dropped the games and got inside the rooms. You were given a really decent guest room to stay.

You went to the bathroom, and uggghhh you realized that you got your periods. You weren’t carrying any pads or tampons with yourself and this wasn’t your house. And of course, you don’t want Harrison’s trousers getting stained with your vaginal blood. Finally, you decided to ask Harrison for the sanitary stuff. Being a doctor, and seeing boys freaking out at the mention of ‘periods’ made you really frustrated. All you wished was that Harrison wasn’t that type of boy. You knocked at his door, but it was already open, so you peeped in, observing that he was asleep, you walked closer to him. You didn’t want to disturb him but there’s no choice.

You started to whisper “Hazzzzzzzzz” by the name Tom was calling him, slightly shaking his body.

He murmured “Okay so now I started dreaming about you y/n.” smiling like an idiot.

“What?!” you blurted out, making him jerked off and wake up.

“Oh sorry I thought I was dreaming of y..” he stops before completing the sentence, he appeared kind of embarrassed

“D-do you need anything, any problem?”

“Umm. Yeah… I just got ummm.. a period and don’t have pads or tampons, so if you have any here?.” He listened to you and rubbed his eyes to elevate the sleepiness.

“Only I live here only, and the only person occasionally coming here is Tom and we both are guys so……..but don’t worry there’s a 24-hour open store in the street, I will bring it from there”. You nodded and he rushed out of the house and in 5 mins came back, handling you a packet of sanitary pads.

“Thank you so much Haz-Harrison”

“It’s fine and you call me Haz” You both shared a smile and greeted each other good night. And you left to your room. You can’t stop thinking about how nice he is with that gorgeous looks. How can anyone not fall for him? What the hell are you thinking about?! You shrugged off these weird thoughts arising in your mind, getting into sleep, only to dream about him, the blue-eyed boy you bumped into today, having no idea that the boy too reciprocated your feelings and felt the same way. Harrison couldn’t stop thinking how sweet and polite you were. How you looked extremely pretty with or without glasses. How his clothes looked so cute on you. And slept with his unconscious mind thinking about you the whole night. Co-incidence? Is it?

•••

The next day the blue-eyed blond boy woke up at 9. He went down to grab some breakfast and to see if you were awake. But he couldn’t find you anywhere rather he found two plates kept covered on the breakfast nook. He removed the cover to see a delicious looking omelette and some bacon on each plate. Then he noticed a note lying near the plates saying:

“Hey Haz,

I need to leave early to check out last night’s patient, and my car too is fine now, so I thought of completing some work and then go to my hotel and start packing up for our Thursday’s flight to London back. Thank you for making me stay last night and for letting me stay in future in your house in London. By the way, I made you and Tom some breakfast. I hope you guys like it. Also, sorry for using the kitchen without your permission, but I didn’t want to wake you up, as you already got to wake up for me in the middle of the night. Once again thank you and I can’t wait to meet you guys again on Thursday in the airport. See you guys…

Love, Y/n…💕 ”

This letter brought an instant smile to his face, but he was kind of sad too cause you left and it’s still 4 days for him to see you again. While he was thinking about the previous night with you, he felt a punch on his shoulder.

“So, what’s up mate?” Tom said removing his hand.

“Nothing, Y/n made breakfast for us.”

“That’s great, where’s she? ”

“She will meet us on Thursday in the airport”

“Oh great, By the way, she’s a great cook” Tom appreciated while munching a big piece of pancake.

•••

It was a long week for you. Of course, it feels longer when you are waiting for something eagerly. You were eager to meet him, not your favourite celebrity but his blue-eyed friend whom you bumped into. It was finally the day to meet him again. You reached the airport eagerly waiting for Haz and Tom to arrive. Just 30 minutes were left for the flight to take off… You were basically not too fashionable, but you couldn’t stop dressing nicely trying to put an 'impression’ in front of Harrison. You were tapping your feet eagerly waiting for the boys to arrive and finally, you saw them.

Harrison saw you standing there waiting. He was seeing you again after almost a week, unable to take his eyes off from you. Tom notices him staring at you. He playfully pokes his elbow into the blond boy’s arm.

“Ouch Tom, what was this for? ”

“Someone’s in love, did the cupid hit yours on your choke hold” he teased him.

“Stop it, Tom, it’s not like what you are talking,” Harrison said softly as he reached you. He knew that you had a celebrity crush on Tom which bothered him in ways he never expected. He instantly wore a fake smile which actually converted into a real smile as soon as you hugged him and greeted. You all greeted each other and headed to the boarding. And soon you boarded the plane. You all had a great time together, it was obvious you are gonna end up being great friends.

After reaching London after that really long journey, we headed to a restaurant as per both of those Brit’s recommendation. Luckily, that place was really nice… It was a great pleasure to travel with these amazing people. We talked a lot, watched some stupid YouTube videos, and even slept. Finally, the flight reached the destination. We head outside the hotel. It was still afternoon in London, and we were quite hungry. So, they took me to one of the restaurants to eat.

“So basically I am thinking as my and Haz’s parents, and Paddy is in France and they are on an exploration trip to see whole of Europe so I guess I, Haz and you shall live in Haz’s house till your place is fully constructed. We all can have a lot of fun.” Tom suggested.

“Yeah yeah, I love this idea,” Haz said fidgeting his fingers. Listening to Harrison’s approval, a slight reddish tint covered your cheeks.

“Yeah, also I guess my house is under construction and Haz-Harrison’s place is near to my hospital, so it really is the best of best options,” you said trying hard not to sound exciting.

“We are friends, you can call me Haz” he smiled, making you smile too. You really felt 100% safe with Tom and Haz. You were really excited to spend time with Harrison ’especially’.

•••

Harrison showed you his home, it was absolutely cosy and felt homy. Haz felt so good to have you at his place, every time you appreciated him, smiled or giggled, he felt his heart-beat increase to dangerous levels.

Time passed away so quickly with Harrison’s company. You and Harrison have already spent three weeks together becoming really close friends. You even be-friended Tom’s brothers Sam and Harry. You can say that you were a part of their gang. Harrison often goes out for shoots, ad films or modelling dropping you to your hospital. You both hung out with Tom and his brothers in the evening most of the times, playing stupid games or doing weird Instagram lives. This weekend you were invited to a pool party at Zendaya’s resort. And it was finally the time to attend this party…

•••

You wore a swimsuit, knowing that almost every girl joining the party would be wearing a hot 2 piece bikini. They all were big actresses or models with a perfect figure, but you were a doctor, so showing too much skin can make you feel embarrassed as what you thought. The little insecurity was travelling your brain. Finally, you dressed up in a pretty floral halter swimsuit. You covered your suit with a cotton shrug so that it would easy to remove it and enjoy the pool party. Haz and Tom were also ready, they must be wearing their swimming pants inside their clothes. You all went to Zendaya’s house. Zendaya warmly welcomed you all. Before going into the pool, you all changed into your swimming outfit. Luckily, you just have to remove you shrug. You prayed that you didn’t look bad in front of other hot celebrities. The decoration around the pool was on fleak. There were barbecues and loads of cocktails. You eagerly waited for everyone at the cocktail counter and soon people started coming out in their swimwear. They all looked even more beautiful in real life than in pictures. You saw Tom, who was looking great like always, but your eyes weren’t searching for him. Your gaze stopped at the blue-eyed blonde. He looked so hot..! An instant, involuntary smile formed on your face, but in the next moment you observed other girls around you, they all looked so perfect with their Godesss like figure.

Constantly seeing celebrities and models with smooth, clear skin and flawless curves walking around you, made you wish desperately for a different body. You looked at your waist, easily spotting some stretch marks, your hands they looked so ugly.

“Why would Haz ever like me?” This question wandered your brain, making you feel weak. You felt like your brain was attacked with tons of insecurities. You felt too weak to face Harrison. Your vision started to get blurry due to the tears forming in your eyes. Your little physical insecurities reached new levels when you saw Harrison talking to another woman, who was absolutely stunning. You also need a dance partner, and the only person you want to hold your waist or look into your eyes was Harrison Osterfield. You couldn’t hold back your tears. You didn’t like anyone seeing you weak, and you felt extremely weak right now. You decided to go inside Zendaya’s house. You weren’t sure if you heard any voice calling your name as you ran inside the house. The kitchen was vacant, so you went inside it, resting your hands on the kitchen counter and your head low, you started pouring down tears. After a few seconds, you heard footsteps approaching towards you, you instantly wiped off your tears, and stood straight facing the wall, your heart still felt heavy and your eyes still wanted to shed more tears. You felt a soft tap on your shoulder. You took a deep sigh turning around, only to see Harrison standing in front of you.

“Y/n, why did your (run?)… ” the blonde couldn’t complete his sentence as he noticed tears marks all over your cheeks. He softly placed his hand on your cheeks, caressing it with his thumb and with a deeply concerned voice he asked “Hey, why are you crying? Tell me if someone misbehaved! I will kill him”

“No it’s not… ” your voice was trembling, your throat felt dry, unable to hold back more tears, you again burst out crying. Unexpectedly the blonde boy hugged you tightly, making your head rest on his bare chest. He brushed your hairs using his fingers while rubbing your back to calm you down. You could hear his heart-beat. Both his actions and heart-beat made you feel safe and calm.

“Y/n why are you crying? Please tell me?” he asked softly breaking the hug as he tucked some lose hair-strands behind your ear.

“Haz….” you wanted to tell him, but your throat was extremely dry making you unable to speak. Seeing you like this, Harrison instantly grabbed a glass of water, handing it to you. You slowly drenched your throat, feeling a lot better.

“Y/n, you can tell me, I was just about to ask for the dance, and you came here running and crying. You are really making me worried” You were shocked to hear that he wanted you for dance.

“Y-you want me for the dance..?”

“Oh yes of course, why don’t I?”

“But I am ugly, and nothing in front of all these beautiful girls who are successful models and have a goddess like figures, what if everyone makes fun of you because of me, what if… ” The blonde boy was extremely shocked to hear all this. He never thought you were any less beautiful than anyother person in the world. After all since, the day he met you, he was unable to stop thinking about you. He interrupted you in the middle.

“What if I tell you that you are the most beautiful person out here, not even out here, actually you are the most beautiful person I have ever met. Not only by your looks but also by our soul. Why would anyone make fun of me because of you? To be honest, if anyone even does that, then it would only because they are jealous of you. Y/n you’re amazing, you look perfect. I really love you for what you are. You can’t just underestimate yourself. You’re perfect.” Listening to his words made your heart flutter. Tears again fell out of your eyes, but they were tears of relief. You hugged him again, his cologne felt so good. After a while, Haz realized that Tom was calling his name.

“Y/n you sniffed on me, I am not even wearing a shirt,” he said sarcastically, giggling at the last, make you giggle too, as you broke the hug. Harrison felt like his whole world lit up, as he saw you smile again. Your laugh was music to his ears. You both didn’t even realize when your gazed got fixed on each other. Your eyes were locked with his and so with him. Harrison flickered his gaze from your eyes to your lips and back to your eyes. He was leaning in towards you, you slowly closed your eyes in response. Both of your faces were just one inch apart when you heard Tom’s voice screaming his best friend’s name.

“Haz Hazzzz. ” You both were stopped in the tracks, as your body jolted and moved back. Tom walked into the kitchen, destroying your moment which actually never happened.

“What are you both doing here? The dance is about to start” he informed.

“Oh yeah, yeah, I was just getting some water” Harrison answered walking away with Tom, giving you a small smile.

(TBC) (IT’S A MINI SERIES, SO THERE ARE A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL TIME SKIPS. I HOPE IT ISN’T THAT ANNOYING, THX FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, LOVE YOU) (PART 3 COMING TOMORROW)

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dream-of-kpop · 6 years

Text

SEVENTEEN WORKS AT MCDONALD’S PT.2

ALRIGHT PT 2

THE8

Used to be friends with Mingyu; Jun is friends with him tho

Minghao and Mingyu go to the same art school so they’re lowkey rivals

Since they fight a lot, they ignore each other so they won’t get fired

He created a logo for their McDonald’s

Woozi: “This is great, I love it.”

Minghao: “Yayyyyyy!!!!”

Woozi: “But there’s one problem.”

Minghao: “What?”

Woozi: “The logo...it kinda looks like... a dick idk maybe it’s just me.”

Minghao: “Oh I know. I did that on purpose that’s the point.”

Woozi stole credit for his logo

It’s nothing special; Just an extremely stretched out ‘M’

Since he washes dishes, he slams it down to get them dry

Yup he has pent up anger and it isn’t just from mingyu

Jun’s worried about him

Gives tips to the chefs on how too cook better

Minghao:*sincerely* “You could cook more if you use a bigger pan.”

Mingyu: “Gee thanks.”

Minghao: “THIS is why I ignore you.” *mutters while walking away* “All I wanted was to HELP but NOPE!”

Looks for new jobs while on his break

Woozi’s favorite :)

Before the restaurant opens, him, Hoshi, Wonwoo and Jun practice Martial Arts on the trash cans in the back *he imagines the trash cans are Mingyu*

Designed a new look for the employees to wear and everyone but Mingyu loved them

S.Coups says the store is too broke to get them so the idea’s fucked

Has a resting bitch face just like Wonwoo so that’s how they became friends

Due to his Martial Arts skills, he kicked Seungkwan in the stomach

He and Seungkwan are on paid leave

MINGYU

The main chef

Wonwoo may or may not have slipped him a few drinks without S.Coups knowing

Vice versa Mingyu gives him food exchange for an exchange mah dude...you know before they started hating each other

The only person who knows the secret ingredients to the food so if Mingyu ever quit the job the company would go under

He would also tell the whole world the secret ingredients

Mingyu: “The secret ingredient is -”

*S.Coups appears out of nowhere* S.Coups: “LOVE, IT’S LOVE.”

Mingyu: “...”

Red Robin’s offered him a job 2 weeks ago

S.Coups found out and blocked their number

Doesn’t works weekends because of art school so good luck to those who work and eat on the weekends...

During the Travis Scott and J.Balvin meal fiasco, he thought he was going to meet them

He didn’t

He’s still mad about it

The cashier dude

Lowkey flirts with the customers

Sometimes in front of their boyfriend but pretends he isn’t

Woozi and S.Coups: “QUIT FLIRTING!!!”

DK: “I’m not flirting, it's the smile.”

The ideal employee that always has a smile on his face

Wonwoo: “How can you smile knowing that Pledis hardly lets us work, so we’re forced to work here?”

DK: “IDK BUT I’M VERY HAPPY TODAY!!”

Wonwoo: “I- okay.”

Wants to be serious while working but Hoshi and Seungkwan BOOSEOKSOON prevent that

ALWAYS laughing in the back

Drops the food A LOT

When he runs the cash register, there are so many customers so he always freaks out and accidentally gives someone 10% of what they need back

DK: “GIVE ME A SECOND!”

Is also known to have mental breakdowns as well

SEUNGKWAN

The drive-thru guy who takes the orders

Gets the orders mixed up more than he should

Lost his company hat 2 days ago, so when people pull up to the window they think he’s a random guy talking to them

Customer: “Can I get a McChicken and a Big Mac, also where’s your hat? Do you work here?”

Seungkwan: “Idk I lost it man.” *takes order and yells* “ONE MCMAC!!”

Customer: “That's not what I ordered...Wtf is a McMac?”

Seungkwan: “Uhhhhh.”

Doesn’t know how to spell most things on the menu

LITERALLY ME, I had to search up the McDonald's menu just to make that mini dialogue

Seungkwan: “How do you spell chicken nuggets? Is it C-h-i-k-e-k-e-i-n?”

DK, Hoshi and Vernon are his best friends on the job

If no one’s around, the 3 of them would have karaoke in the back while rolling on the french fries

Yes, you read that right

Seungkwan is a valuable employee as he can use his tears to get customers to pay more

VERNON

Wants to be promoted so he always shows up 7 min early before his shift

Says it's his biggest accomplishment ever

Still in school, so he’s only available to work on Fridays and the weekends

When he does work, he’s not into it

Almost fell asleep cooking AND nearly set the kitchen on fire 5 times since he started working there

Yep he spaces out a lot *ME*

Looks up to Mingyu literally on how to be a good cook and rapper

Vernon: “Gotta put cheese to make cheese.”

Mingyu: “Yeah we’ll work on your rap skills some other time.”

Dances with Hoshi if he gets the chance

Likes his new friend

Seungkwan frequently looks at him

Since Vernon has a ‘staring problem’ he does the same thing

Seungkwan: “Do you think he likes me??”

Hoshi: “AWE, I SHOULD GET MY FRIENDS TOGETHER!”

Seungkwan: “dOn’t SaY iT tOo louD, DaMn.”

After work, he sits in his car and listens to J.Cole as loud as he can just so people can stop by and say “AYEEEEE you listen to J.Cole?”

No one has yet but he’s not giving up

Drops the trays too much

Broke the dishwasher so he’s the new dishwasher now

DINO

“Everyone's baby”

Gets sick and tired of hearing that when he gets to work

Since he’s a minor, he doesn’t have a work permit but S.Coups said “If you don’t tell anyone, I won't either.”

Isn’t allowed to touch the hot areas of the kitchen

Instead his job is to make and give ice cream and smoothies/drinks

He fails at it all the time but everyone says “Aweee~”

Somewhat awkward talking to people he hardly knows so Jeonghan does the talking for him while Dino preps the food

In reality---Jeonghan: “STRANGER DANGER, DON’T TALK TO THEM!!”

All the customers pinch his cheeks

Woozi doesn’t believe he’s nice

Woozi: *meets him for the first time* “Ok, he gets a pay raise and no one hurts him OR YOU’RE FIRED! End of the discussion, good luck boy.”

He takes the trash out but...actually he just livestreams in the backlot

S.Coups: “Hmmmmm, we’re on a budget and we need a cute kid in a commercial...” *looks at Dino crying while trying to make a swirl of ice cream*

S.Coups: “DINO AFTER YOU’RE FINISHED DOING WHATEVER THAT IS, MEET ME IN THE OFFICE WE NEED TO TALK!” Dino: “You mean you don’t even know this is a swirl?” *looks up at S.Coups but he’s long gone*

Dino is in every single McDonald’s commercial but it really did drive up business

*fast forward 6 days and Dino has completely changed himself*

He’s t i r e d of being treated like a baby and wants to work in the kitchen like the others

At this point, girls flirt with him even more now

Jeonghan: “Talk to my son and I’ll meet you in the parking lot...”

Dino is considering quitting because of this issue

*2 days later*

He quit and is now working at Dollar General

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!! I hoped you liked it!

Anyways feel free to request anything! Any groups or solo artist. Have a lovely day! - Admin Az 💛

Pt.3

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mochiikook · 6 years

Text

Dreams Do Come True - Soulmate!au

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: Soulmate!au, fluff

Words: 2.1k+

Warnings: none

Notes: Italicised = dreams :)

[flashback]You saw him again. You saw the person you were destined to be with for eternity in your dreams. Ever since you knew what a soulmate was you were fascinated by them. You had started seeing him in your dreams when you were 5. He had appeared in your dreams, it seemed so real to you. You were laying in a meadow field when you noticed a boy your age come up to you and offer you his hand to help you up. Your hand went up to meet with his, and when they touched you felt a shock go through your entire body.

At first you were scared so you woke yourself up and went to your parents’ room and told them what had happened, after your parents had calmed you down you listened to what they were saying, “Everyone has someone they are destined to be with, and everyone has a different system, me and your father have the emotional system, I can sense his feelings and he can sense mine. It looks like you have the dream system. You can see and talk to your soulmate through your dreams.” You stared at her wide-eyed.

Ever since then all you wanted to do is find your soulmate.

It's been 19 years since that conversation with your parents happened and you talk in every dream that you share with each other. You learned a lot about him in those 19 years. He told you he was in a band but he didn't tell you which one, it didn't take you long to figure out he was apart of the Bangtang Boys, all you had to do was search up his name and there he was. His pictures were stunning, you really couldn't wait to meet him.

[dream] there he was, wearing all white, sitting on the sand with the ocean just barely touching the tips of his feet as he stared off into the setting sun. You slowly approach him, careful not to startle him. “Hi” he looks up and his eyes meet with yours for what feels like the umpteenth time, he smiles at you, “Hi to you too, did you have a good day?” You take a seat on the soft sand next to him and respond to him, “Yes, I did, did you?” you question back. “It’s better now that you're here.” You blush at his words, he always knows how to make your cheeks heat up. Subconsciously you look away, afraid he's going to laugh at your red cheeks that resemble a tomato. “Hey, hey no, I like it when you blush, you look so adorable. Please always look at me when you blush.” he reaches out and gently touches your chin to turn your head. “Okay, I promise I will.” You respond and he held up his pinky finger and encourages you to wrap your pinky finger around his. You smile at his antics but do it anyway. You were about to speak when you hear a beeping in the distance, it's your alarm clock signaling you to wake up. You sigh heavily knowing you have to leave. “So soon?” he asked with a pout. “Sorry Yoongi, we’ll meet again soon.” You held onto his hand and he watched as you softly disappeared into thin air and was now alone with his thoughts.

You groaned as you slammed your hand onto your phone to stop the cursed noise erupting from the object lying to your right. Another dream well spent with your love, you remember how he told you to look at him while you blush and you already feel your cheeks heat up at the thought. You unwillingly get up from your bed, only wanting to stay and dream, but you have to make money somehow. You worked at a quaint bookstore that barely got any customers so it was usually always quiet and you didn't really have to do anything other than putting books back onto shelves and helping a local find a book that was right in front of them. You would always hang out in the music section though, you found it quiet and calming. It was filled with old records no one bothered to look at but you loved them. After finishing getting ready, you only had a few minutes left to leave your house before you would be late. So you decided to just grab a granola bar and rush out the door making your way to work. It was only a couple of blocks down from your house so you usually walk there.

Once you had arrived you said greeted your best friend who also worked there, Mina. “Hey, Mina! How is everything?” She looked up from her 4th book this week, and it was only Tuesday and smiled at you. “Hey y/n! Everything is as it should be, nothing has changed so far, although I think Yuna might have the flu, how about you?” Yuna was Mina’s soulmate, Mina had found her when she went to go buy some Advil for you because you had just run out and were on your monthly, and Yuna was there getting some more toothpaste after Yeona had put them all in oreos for a prank she pulled on Soomi. You smiled back at her and answered, “Send her my hopes that she’ll get better! And not much same old, same old. Although I'm getting really impatient, I want to meet him already.” You haven't told her exactly who your soulmate was because, well, he's Min Yoongi. “Awe don’t worry y/n you’ll find him soon.” You looked at her and muttered an “I hope” before walking away to the music section.

After 7 hours of sitting around, helping out customers here and there, you finally clocked out and left to go back home. You had to be back home by 5 in order to catch your favorite drama at the moment. You basically ran to your home because you had clocked out later than usual.

Once you entered your apartment you immediately turned on your tv and saw that your show had just started. You breathed out a sigh of relief and thought to yourself, thank god, I can not miss an episode. During a commercial break, you decide to go into your kitchen and get yourself something to eat considering you haven't eaten anything this morning except a granola bar and some chips that Mina shared with you during your break. Once you have your food in your hand you go back to the living room and plop down on the couch, the commercial break was about to end, so you consider yourself lucky.

Your tv show had just ended and man, were you tired. This entire day was filled with you putting books back onto the shelf and helping people find the book that they were looking for, people asking you to search on the computer if the store had a book or CD in stock and then being annoyed when you said that you didn't. But you couldn't really help that, it wasn't like you controlled what was in stock and what wasn't. With all of these thoughts running through your head, you barely noticed yourself drifting off to sleep.

You were in front of a cafe but no one else was around. No cars, no people on the sidewalk. Silence. You looked into the cafe that was in front of you and pulled open the door to be met with Yoongi’s back towards you, he was sitting in a chair on his phone with his earbuds in. You just knew what you had to do. Walking a bit forward you cover his eyes with your hands, you can feel his smile. “Hi y/n,” he says softly before turning around in his seat and pulling his earbuds out. “Hi.” you greet back going to take a seat across from him, as you walk his body follows your movements until he is directly facing you. He takes your hands in his and begins to speak, “How was your day?” you sigh, “I wish it was better.” He frowns and questions why it was bad. “Just some stuff at work and I haven’t even started on an essay that's due this Friday, but it’s ok, I’ll work through it. How was your day?” He looks at you like he doesn't want to tell you and this made you somewhat uneasy. “I want to tell you, I just can’t because Bighit is going to rip my head off if I spoil our comeback.” you groan, “oh my gosh, I can't wait! And you're right, if you do tell me about your day I'll probably bug you to tell me everything.” He smiles. “You’re adorable.” You smile, but it soon turns into a frown, “Yoongi, when are we going to meet?” he looks down and replies, “I don’t know, princess. I want to meet you so bad, and I know you're in Korea, it’s just that, all of these promotions we are doing for the comeback, I barely have time to breathe. I promise you though. We will meet soon.” he brings your intertwined hands up to his mouth and places a gentle kiss on the back of your hand. You hear an alarm in the distance but it isn't yours. “I'm sorry princess, I have to go, I’ll come back soon.” You smile at him, “It’s ok, I’ll wake up now too.” You both smile one last time before vanishing.

You woke up, in the most uncomfortable -yet comfortable- position on Earth. You checked your phone which was lying on the floor now instead of being next to you on the couch. It was 6:05am, you groaned knowing there was no way you could ever go back to sleep. You were thinking about what you had to do, you could either do your laundry or do the essay. Contemplating what you should do, you choose neither of them and decide to go across the street to the convenience store for some snacks, you had been craving some pocky lately and you knew they would have it. You get up from your spot on the couch, put your shoes on and leave your house.

As you pulled open the doors of the mini-mart you were met with a rush of cold air, making you instinctively pull your jacket tighter around your frame. You smile at the cashier and make your way to the snack area. You search for your desired treat and finally find it. Just as you were about to reach for the last one, another hand came in and reached for it too, making your hands touch. “Sorry!” the other person says and you recognize that voice anywhere. Your heart rate speeds up as you turn to look at him. There he was. It was him. He audibly gasped, you were pretty sure the cashier heard it too. “Y/n?” He breathed out in a shaky voice. The sound of your name coming out of his mouth sounded like angels playing the harp in heaven. “Yoongi,” you responded with a broken smile. Tears were welling up in your eyes and he noticed this. He pulled you in for a hug as you cried tears of joy. You finally found him, you finally have him in your arms. Finally. “I told you we would meet soon.” You didn't say anything, you didn't have to; you just wrapped your arms around him even tighter. You both finally pulled away. “What do you say we buy this and share it back in my apartment. It's not far from here.” You asked as you picked up the pink box. He nodded and took it out of your hand. “I'm paying.” You stood there shocked as he made his way to the cashier. And by the time you got out of your frozen state, he was already done and was waiting by the door. When you walked up to him, you shook your head and said, “I’m paying next time.” he laughed, “ok, sure princess.” the sarcasm in his voice was beyond you.

Once you had reached your apartment you decided to ask him why he was up so early. “The boys decided they wanted me to suffer and blared their alarm clocks in my ear.” You couldn't help but chuckle. That sounds like them.

This was the greatest day ever for you. You're sat on your couch with the love of your life, eating strawberry flavored pocky and talking about everything and anything.

266 notes · View notes

thesinglesjukebox · 6 years

Video

youtube

GWSN - PUZZLE MOON [6.50] Going to listen to this while doing this rn.

Ryo Miyauchi: After seeing a bit too many girl groups tack solid midnight house-pop songs in their mini albums as a deep cut, it's so fulfilling to finally have a k-pop act take on the style as its lead single. At the same time, though, the hesitation by others to bet on such a style as its title track can be understood from "Puzzle Moon." Effortlessly sleek as that bass line unfolds, it feels too light to properly carry a glowing sentiment in a lyric like "all question marks become exclamation points." But while it may lack hooks or a drop that deeply sinks its teeth, the overall air of mystique surrounding "Puzzle Moon" works wonders to tease out curiosity. [6]

Crystal Leww: Blackpink were one the more recent k-pop group debuts to have captured Western media's attention, and their approach stands in stark contrast to what GWSN have done here on "Puzzle Moon. Blackpink put out single after single of stitched together banger, aiming to throw together those 10 second snippets of maximum impact. "Puzzle Moon" gives GWSN a debut that is less flashy than it is just solid. The pop-house production is territory that k-pop covered in 2015, and while it will be very difficult for anyone to top the highs of pretty much that entire f(x) album, this does the trick of giving us something worthy of hitting play again on without hitting a track with every single trick in the book. [8]

Jessica Doyle: Fuzzing up the background of "4 Walls" and moving the excitement from before to after the chorus: eh, still works. Though if they were going to pay SM for an Amber license I wish they'd gone whole hog and bought the lower-voiced rap as well. [5]

Iain Mew: The sound of Twice at their most straightforward, filtered through a large bit of "View." They're still enjoyable sounds and the song does OK with them, but it seems weird for a new group to start with a song which de-emphasises the group members themselves this much. [6]

Katie Gill: Well this is cute! The light, breezy, airy feel helps the song out a lot. It's charming, in a low effort sort of way. I know that it's not supposed to be a loud, impressive banger in the way of many other k-pop songs, but it still feels like there could be a little MORE brought to the table. This is the sort of song that, because it sounds so samey, you put it on in the background, go to do something else, and wait, it's finished already? [6]

Tim de Reuse: An unremarkable template, executed upon competently; its saving grace is that it eschews tension and release in favor of one long, high-momentum streak. It's effective enough that I can forgive the little bits of trop-house sound design that crept in. [6]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: This is precisely the kind of dance-pop that feels designed to stick in my head for the foreseeable future, from the slick, percussion-heavy beat and the hooky synth lines that course over it to the range of vocal textures and deliveries and the lyrics with enough interesting phrasings (the way that they sing "simulation" especially) to draw you in without distracting. The best part about "Puzzle Moon," though, is that it's likeable enough to pull all those tricks out of its bag without ever feeling mercenary about it. [8]

Will Rivitz: Honestly, just pitch any song as "'4 Walls' meets Mord Fustang" and I'm legally obligated to give it at least a [7]. Add an extra point for the half-time rap breakdown. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Considering how much "View" and "4 Walls" changed the entire k-pop landscape, it's hard to believe that they were only released three years ago. While not the only factors at play, LDN Noise and SM Entertainment's creative director Min Hee Jin have had such considerable impact on the K-pop industry at large that it's hard to imagine what it would look like today without them. This is exceedingly clear on GWSN's "Puzzle Moon," a competent bit of house pop that's accompanied by a music video that confuses mystique for personality. It's all fine, which is fine, but any excitement this brings to K-pop fans stems from a contentedness with k-pop's increasingly straightforward production and songwriting goals. But irregardless of this context, "Puzzle Moon" is also unable to cohere its individual parts. The general conceit -- comparing a lover to a moon that shines light on them -- is intriguing in and of itself, and the "Make it moon, I want a full moon" hook is the sort of commitment to peculiarity that I'd readily eat up. The singing, however, is too gutless to justify any of it; it neither aches with infatuation nor aims to bolster the song and video's enigmatic impulses, falling squarely on a blankness that shoots down any desire or curiosity that its lyrics suggest. By the time the rap break comes in, there's no question that this is also unconvincing structurally (especially compared to "4 Walls"). Earlier this year, Maynine co-produced a forgettable single for Killagramz, Kisum, and Don Mills that was crafted in the likeness of many post-Lil Yachty Korean rap songs (the best of which is still "iffy"). They produced this as well, making one wonder, "Is Maynine only capable of making paltry knockoffs?" It turns out that "View" and "4 Walls" will continue to be important reference points for songwriters and music critics alike. Not just because they were Korea's first major attempts at proper house crossovers, but because they've yet to be bested. [4]

Rebecca A. Gowns: Coming at this from a complete outsider perspective: this appears to be a cool new song from a new K-pop group. I like it! The verses hold a lot of tension and slingshot you into the chorus, which is a ton of fun and very catchy. It doesn't inspire any deeper thoughts than that, but that's OK, man. Sometimes a good song is just a good song. [8]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#gwsn #k-pop #music #music video #new music #music writing #music reviews

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mrkwonandmrchoibabygirl · 6 years

Text

50 SHADES OF KWON JI YONG PT 2

A/N LISTEN UP BEACHES I EDITED THIS WHILE EATING SKITTLES AND DUPLINGS SO YOU KNOW I WASNT NORMAL WHILE EDITING I HOPE I EDITED EVERYTHING IF NOT I’LL CORECT THIS LATER

Genre:Fanfiction/Romance/Erotic Romance

Type:Rated-r(later chapters)

Word Count 5,084

PT.1 , PT2 PT.3

My heart is pounding. The elevator arrives on the first floor, and I scramble out as soon as the doors slide open, stumbling once, but fortunately not sprawling on to the immaculate sandstone floor. I race for the wide glass doors, and I’m free in the bracing, cleansing, damp air of Seoul. Raising my face, I welcome the cool refreshing rain. I close my eyes and take a deep, purifying breath, trying to recover what’s left of my equilibrium. No man has ever affected me the way Kwon Jiyong has, and I cannot fathom why. Is it his looks? His civility? Wealth? Power? I don’t understand my irrational reaction. I breathe an enormous sigh of relief. What in heaven’s name was that all about? Leaning against one of the steel pillars of the building, I valiantly attempt to calm down and gather my thoughts. I shake my head. Holy crap – what was that? My heart steadies to its regular rhythm, and I can breathe normally again. I head for the car.As I leave the city limits behind, I begin to feel foolish and embarrassed as I replay the interview in my mind. Surely, I’m over-reacting to something that’s imaginary. Okay, so he’s very attractive, confident, commanding, at ease with himself – but on the flip side, he’s arrogant, and for all his impeccable manners, he’s autocratic and cold. Well, on the surface. An involuntary shiver runs down my spine. He may be arrogant, but then he has a right to be – he’s accomplished so much at such a young age. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but why should he? Again, I’m irritated that Hyo-Rin didn’t give me a brief biography

While cruising along the I-5, my mind continues to wander. I’m truly perplexed as to what makes someone so driven to succeed. Some of his answers were so cryptic – as if he had a hidden agenda. And Hyo-Rin’s questions – ugh! The adoption and asking him if he was gay! I shudder. I can’t believe I said that. Ground, swallow me up now! Every time I think of that question in the future, I will cringe with embarrassment. Damn Min Hyo-Rin! I check the speedometer. I’m driving more cautiously than I would on any other occasion. And I know it’s the memory of two penetrating Brown eyes gazing at me, and a stern voice telling me to drive carefully. Shaking my head, I realize that Kwon’s more like a man double his age. Forget it, y/n, I scold myself. I decide that all in all, it’s been a very interesting experience, but I shouldn’t dwell on it. Put it behind you. I never have to see him again. I’m immediately cheered by the thought. I switch on the MP3 player and turn the volume up loud, sit back, and listen to thumping indie rock music as I press down on the accelerator. As I hit the 1-5, I realize I can drive as fast as I want. We live in a small community of duplex apartments in Gangnam-gu, close to the Gangnam campus of GAU. I’m lucky – Rin’s parents bought the place for her, and I pay peanuts for rent. It’s been home for four years now. As I pull up outside, I know Hyo-Rin is going to want a blow-by-blow account, and she is tenacious. Well, at least she has the mini-disc. Hopefully I won’t have to elaborate much beyond what was said during the interview. “Y/N! You’re back.” Rin sits in our living area, surrounded by books. She’s clearly been studying for finals – though she’s still in her pink flannel pajamas decorated with cute little kittens, the ones she reserves for the aftermath of breaking up with boyfriends, for assorted illnesses, and for general moody depression. She bounds up to me and hugs me hard. “I was beginning to worry. I expected you back sooner.” “Oh, I thought I made good time considering the interview ran over.” I wave the mini-disc recorder at her. “Y/N, thank you so much for doing this. I owe you, I know. How was it? What was he like?” Oh no – here we go, the Min Hyo-Rin, Inquisition. I struggle to answer her question. What can I say? “I’m glad it’s over, and I don’t have to see him again. He was rather intimidating, you know.” I shrug. “He’s very focused, intense even – and young. Really young.” Rin gazes innocently at me. I frown at her. “Don’t you look so innocent. Why didn’t you give me a biography? He made me feel like such an idiot for skimping on basic research.” Hyo-Rin clamps a hand to her mouth. “Jeez, Y/N, I’m sorry – I didn’t think.” I huff. “Mostly he was courteous, formal, slightly stuffy – like he’s old before his time. He doesn’t talk like a man of twenty-something. How old is he anyway?” “Twenty-eight. Jeez, Y/N, I’m sorry. I should have briefed you, but I was in such a panic. Let me have the mini-disc, and I’ll start transcribing the interview.”

“You look better. Did you eat your soup?” I ask, keen to change the subject. “Yes, and it was delicious as usual. I’m feeling much better.” She smiles at me in gratitude. I check my watch. “I have to run. I can still make my shift at Clayton’s.”(a/n let’s imagine that this store is in korea ok?!) “Y/N, you’ll be exhausted.” “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you later.” I’ve worked at Clayton’s since I started atGAU. It’s the largest independent hardware store in the Gangnam area, and over the four years I’ve worked here, I’ve come to know a little bit about most everything we sell – although ironically, I’m crap at any DIY. I leave all that to my dad. I’m much more of a curl-up-with-a-book-in-a-comfy-chair-by-the-fire kind of girl. I’m glad I can make my shift as it gives me something to focus on that isn’t Kwon Ji Yong. We’re busy – it’s the start of the summer season, and folks are redecorating their homes. Mrs. Clayton is pleased to see me. “y/n! I thought you weren’t going to make it today.” “My appointment didn’t take as long as I thought. I can do a couple of hours.” “I’m real pleased to see you.” She sends me to the storeroom to start re-stocking shelves, and I’m soon absorbed in the task. When I arrive home later, Hyo-Rin is wearing headphones and working on her laptop. Her nose is still pink, but she has her teeth into a story, so she’s concentrating and typing furiously. I’m thoroughly drained – exhausted by the long drive, the grueling interview, and by being rushed off my feet at Clayton’s. I slump on to the couch, thinking about the essay I have to finish and all the studying I haven’t done today because I was holed up with… him. “You’ve got some good stuff here,Y/N. Well done. I can’t believe you didn’t take him up on his offer to show you around. He obviously wanted to spend more time with you.” She gives me a fleeting quizzical look. I flush, and my heart rate inexplicably increases. That wasn’t the reason, surely? He just wanted to show me around so I could see that he was lord of all he surveyed. I realize I’m biting my lip, and I hope Rin doesn’t notice. But she seems absorbed in her transcription. “I hear what you mean about formal. Did you take any notes?” she asks. “Um… no, I didn’t.” “That’s fine. I can still make a fine article with this. Shame we don’t have some original stills. Good-looking son of a bitch, isn’t he?” I flush. “I suppose so.” I try hard to sound disinterested, and I think I succeed. “Oh come on,Y/N – even you can’t be immune to his looks.” She arches a perfect eyebrow at me. Crap! I distract her with flattery, always a good ploy. “You probably would have got a lot more out of him.” “I doubt that,Y/N. Come on , he practically offered you a job. Given that I foisted this on you at the last minute, you did very well.” She glances up at me speculatively. I make a hasty retreat into the kitchen. “So what did you really think of him?” Damn, she’s inquisitive. Why can’t she just let this go? Think of something – quick. “He’s very driven, controlling, arrogant – scary really, but very charismatic. I can understand the fascination,” I add truthfully, as I peer round the door at her hoping this will shut her up once and for all. “You, fascinated by a man? That’s a first,” she snorts. I start gathering the makings of a sandwich so she can’t see my face. “Why did you want to know if he was gay? Incidentally, that was the most embarrassing question. I was mortified, and he was pissed to be asked too.” I scowl at the memory. “Whenever he’s in the society pages, he never has a date.” “It was embarrassing. The whole thing was embarrassing. I’m glad I’ll never have to lay eyes on him again.” “Oh, Y/N, it can’t have been that bad. I think he sounds quite taken with you.” Taken with me? Now Hyo-Rin’s being ridiculous. “Would you like a sandwich?” “Please.” We talk no more of Kwon Ji Yong that evening, much to my relief. Once we’ve eaten, I’m able to sit at the dining table with Rin and, while she works on her article, I work on my essay on Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Damn, but that woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong century. By the time I finish, it’s midnight, and Hyo-Rin has long since gone to bed. I make my way to my room, exhausted, but pleased that I’ve accomplished so much for a Monday. I curl up in my white iron bed, wrapping my mother’s quilt around me, close my eyes, and I’m instantly asleep. That night I dream of dark places, bleak white cold floors, and Brown eyes. For the rest of the week, I throw myself into my studies and my job at Clayton’s. Hyo-Rin is busy too, compiling her last edition of her student magazine before she has to relinquish it to the new editor while also cramming for her finals. By Wednesday, she’s much better, and I no longer have to endure the sight of her pink-flannel-with-too-many-kittens PJs. I call my mom in Jeju to check on her, but also so she can wish me luck for my final exams. She proceeds to tell me about her latest venture into candle making – my mother is all about new business ventures. Fundamentally she’s bored and wants something to occupy her time, but she has the attention span of a goldfish. It’ll be something new next week. She worries me. I hope she hasn’t mortgaged the house to finance this latest scheme. And I hope that Bob – her relatively new but much older husband – is keeping an eye on her now that I’m no longer there. He does seem a lot more grounded than Husband Number Three. “How are things with you, Y/N?” For a moment, I hesitate, and I have Mom’s full attention. “I’m fine.” “Y/N? Have you met someone?” Wow… how does she do that? The excitement in her voice is palpable. “No, Mom, it’s nothing. You’ll be the first to know if I do.” “Y/N, you really need to get out more, honey. You worry me.” “Mom, I’m fine. How’s Bob?” As ever, distraction is the best policy. Later that evening, I call Ray, my stepdad, Mom’s Husband Number Two, the man I consider my father, and the man whose name I bear. It’s a brief conversation. In fact, it’s not so much a conversation as a one-sided series of grunts in response to my gentle coaxing. Ray is not a talker. But he’s still alive, he’s still watching soccer on TV, and going bowling and fly-fishing or making furniture when he’s not. Ray is a skilled carpenter and the reason I know the difference between a hawk and a handsaw. All seems well with him. Friday night, Hyo-Rin and I are debating what to do with our evening – we want some time out from our studies, from our work, and from student newspapers – when the doorbell rings. Standing on our doorstep is my good friend Mino, (dont hate Me)clutching a bottle of champagne. “Mino! Great to see you!” I give him a quick hug. “Come in.” Mino is the first person I met when I arrived at GAU, looking as lost and lonely as I did. We recognized a kindred spirit in each of us that day, and we’ve been friends ever since. Not only do we share a sense of humor, but we discovered that both Ray and Mino’s Father were in the same army unit together. As a result, our fathers have become firm friends too. Mino is studying engineering and is the first in his family to make it to college. He’s pretty damn bright, but his real passion is photography. Mino has a great eye for a good picture. “I have news.” He grins, his dark eyes twinkling. “Don’t tell me – you’ve managed not to get kicked out for another week,” I tease, and he scowls playfully at me. “The Gangnam Place Gallery is going to exhibit my photos next month.” “That’s amazing – congratulations!” Delighted for him, I hug him again. Hyo-Rin beams at him too. “Way to go Mino! I should put this in the paper. Nothing like last minute editorial changes on a Friday evening.” She grins. “Let’s celebrate. I want you to come to the opening.” Mino looks intently at me. I flush. “Both of you, of course,” he adds, glancing nervously at Rin. Mino and I are good friends, but I know deep down inside, he’d like to be more. He’s cute and funny, but he’s just not for me. He’s more like the brother I never had. Hyo-Rin often teases me that I’m missing the need-a-boyfriend gene, but the truth is – I just haven’t met anyone who… well, whom I’m attracted to, even though part of me longs for those trembling knees, heart-in-my-mouth, butterflies-in-my-belly, sleepless nights. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with me. Perhaps I’ve spent too long in the company of my literary romantic heroes, and consequently my ideals and expectations are far too high.(a/n ME THO) But in reality, nobody’s ever made me feel like that. Until very recently, the unwelcome, still small voice of my subconscious whispers. NO! I banish the thought immediately. I am not going there, not after that painful interview. Are you gay, Mr. Kwon? I wince at the memory. I know I’ve dreamt about him most nights since then, but that’s just to purge the awful experience from my system, surely? I watch Mino open the bottle of champagne. He’s tall, and in his jeans and t-shirt he’s all shoulders and muscles, tanned skin, dark hair and burning dark eyes. Yes, Mino’s pretty hot, but I think he’s finally getting the message: we’re just friends. The cork makes its loud pop, and Mino looks up and smiles. Saturday at the store is a nightmare. We are besieged by do-it-yourselfers wanting to spruce up their homes. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, John and Patrick – the two other part-timers – and I are all rushed off our feet. But there’s a lull around lunchtime, and Mrs. Clayton asks me to check on some orders while I’m sitting behind the counter at the till discreetly eating my bagel. I’m engrossed in the task, checking catalogue numbers against the items we need and the items we’ve ordered, eyes flicking from the order book to the computer screen and back as I check the entries match. Then, for some reason, I glance up… and find myself locked in the bold Brown gaze of Kwon Ji Yong who’s standing at the counter, staring at me intently. Heart failure. “Miss Y/L/N. What a pleasant surprise.” His gaze is unwavering and intense. Holy crap. What the hell is he doing here looking all tousled-hair and outdoorsy in his cream chunky-knit sweater, jeans, and walking boots? I think my mouth has popped open, and I can’t locate my brain or my voice. “Mr. Kwon,” I whisper, because that’s all I can manage. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips and his eyes are alight with humor, as if he’s enjoying some private joke. “I was in the area,” he says by way of explanation. “I need to stock up on a few things. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Y/L/N.” His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel… or something. I shake my head to gather my wits. My heart is pounding a frantic tattoo, and for some reason I’m blushing furiously under his steady scrutiny. I am utterly thrown by the sight of him standing before me. My memories of him did not do him justice. He’s not merely good-looking – he’s the epitome of male beauty, breathtaking, and he’s here. Here in Clayton’s Hardware Store. Go figure. Finally my cognitive functions are restored and reconnected with the rest of my body. “Y/N. My name’s Y/N,” I mutter. “What can I help you with, Mr.Kwon?” He smiles, and again it’s like he’s privy to some big secret. It is so disconcerting. Taking a deep breath, I put on my professional I’ve-worked-in-this-shop-for-years façade. I can do this. “There are a few items I need. To start with, I’d like some cable ties,” he murmurs, his gray eyes cool but amused. Cable ties? “We stock various lengths. Shall I show you?” I mutter, my voice soft and wavery. Get a grip, Y/L/N. A slight frown mars Kwon’s rather lovely brow. “Please. Lead the way, Miss Y/L/N,” he says. I try for nonchalance as I come out from behind the counter, but really I’m concentrating hard on not falling over my own feet – my legs are suddenly the consistency of Jell-O. I’m so glad I decided to wear my best jeans this morning. “They’re in with the electrical goods, aisle eight.” My voice is a little too bright. I glance up at him and regret it almost immediately. Damn, he’s handsome. I blush. “After you,” he murmurs, gesturing with his long-fingered, beautifully manicured hand. With my heart almost strangling me – because it’s in my throat trying to escape from my mouth – I head down one of the aisles to the electrical section. Why is he in Gangnam? Why is he here at Clayton’s? And from a very tiny, underused part of my brain – probably located at the base of my medulla oblongata where my subconscious dwells – comes the thought: he’s here to see you. No way! I dismiss it immediately. Why would this beautiful, powerful, urbane man want to see me? The idea is preposterous, and I kick it out of my head. “Are you in Gangnam on business?” I ask, and my voice is too high, like I’ve got my finger trapped in a door or something. Damn! Try to be cool Y/N! “I was visiting the GAU farming division. It’s based at Gangnam. I’m currently funding some research there in crop rotation and soil science,” he says matter-of-factly. See? Not here to find you at all, my subconscious sneers at me, loud, proud, and pouty. I flush at my foolish wayward thoughts. “All part of your feed-the-world plan?” I tease. “Something like that,” he acknowledges, and his lips quirk up in a half smile. He gazes at the selection of cable ties we stock at Clayton’s. What on Earth is he going to do with those? I cannot picture him as a do-it-yourselfer at all. His fingers trail across the various packages displayed, and for some inexplicable reason, I have to look away. He bends and selects a packet. “These will do,” he says with his oh-so-secret smile, and I blush. “Is there anything else?” “I’d like some masking tape.” Masking tape? “Are you redecorating?” The words are out before I can stop them. Surely he hires laborers or has staff to help him decorate? “No, not redecorating,” he says quickly then smirks, and I have the uncanny feeling that he’s laughing at me. Am I that funny? Funny looking? “This way,” I murmur embarrassed. “Masking tape is in the decorating aisle.” I glance behind me as he follows. “Have you worked here long?” His voice is low, and he’s gazing at me, Brown eyes concentrating hard. I blush even more brightly. Why the hell does he have this effect on me? I feel like I’m fourteen years old – gauche, as always, and out of place. Eyes front Y/L/N! “Four years,” I mutter as we reach our goal. To distract myself, I reach down and select the two widths of masking tape that we stock. “I’ll take that one,” Kwon says softly pointing to the wider tape, which I pass to him. Our fingers brush very briefly, and the current is there again, zapping through me like I’ve touched an exposed wire. I gasp involuntarily as I feel it, all the way down to somewhere dark and unexplored, deep in my belly. Desperately, I scrabble around for my equilibrium. “Anything else?” My voice is husky and breathy. His eyes widen slightly. “Some rope, I think.” His voice mirrors mine, husky. “This way.” I duck my head down to hide my recurring blush and head for the aisle. “What sort were you after? We have synthetic and natural filament rope… twine… cable cord… ” I halt at his expression, his eyes darkening. Holy cow. “I’ll take five yards of the natural filament rope please.” Quickly, with trembling fingers, I measure out five yards against the fixed ruler, aware that his hot brown gaze is on me. I dare not look at him. Jeez, could I feel any more self-conscious? Taking my Stanley knife from the back pocket of my jeans, I cut it then coil it neatly before tying it in a slipknot. By some miracle, I manage not to remove a finger with my knife. “Were you a Girl Scout?” he asks, sculptured, sensual lips curled in amusement. Don’t look at his mouth! “Organized, group activities aren’t really my thing, Mr. Kwon.” He arches a brow. “What is your thing,Y/N?” he asks, his voice soft and his secret smile is back. I gaze at him unable to express myself. I’m on shifting tectonic plates. Try and be cool, Y/N, my tortured subconscious begs on bended knee. “Books,” I whisper, but inside, my subconscious is screaming: You! You are my thing! I slap it down instantly, mortified that my psyche is having ideas above its station. “What kind of books?” He cocks his head to one side. Why is he so interested? “Oh, you know. The usual. The classics. British literature, mainly.” He rubs his chin with his long index finger and thumb as he contemplates my answer. Or perhaps he’s just very bored and trying to hide it. “Anything else you need?” I have to get off this subject – those fingers on that face are so beguiling. “I don’t know. What else would you recommend?” What would I recommend? I don’t even know what you’re doing. “For a do-it-yourselfer?” He nods, brown eyes alive with wicked humor. I flush, and my eyes stray of their own accord to his snug jeans. “Coveralls,” I reply, and I know I’m no longer screening what’s coming out of my mouth. He raises an eyebrow, amused, yet again. “You wouldn’t want to ruin your clothing,” I gesture vaguely in the direction of his jeans. “I could always take them off.” He smirks.(A/N BOIIII!!!!) “Um.” I feel the color in my cheeks rising again. I must be the color of the communist manifesto. Stop talking. Stop talking NOW. “I’ll take some coveralls. Heaven forbid I should ruin any clothing,” he says dryly. I try and dismiss the unwelcome image of him without jeans. “Do you need anything else?” I squeak as I hand him the blue coveralls. He ignores my inquiry. “How’s the article coming along?” He’s finally asked me a normal question, away from all the innuendo and the confusing double talk… a question I can answer. I grasp it tightly with two hands as if were a life raft, and I go for honesty. “I’m not writing it, Rin is. Miss Min. My roommate, she’s the writer. She’s very happy with it. She’s the editor of the magazine, and she was devastated that she couldn’t do the interview in person.” I feel like I’ve come up for air – at last, a normal topic of conversation. “Her only concern is that she doesn’t have any original photographs of you.” Kwon raises an eyebrow. “What sort of photographs does she want?” Okay. I hadn’t factored in this response. I shake my head, because I just don’t know. “Well, I’m around. Tomorrow, perhaps… ” he trails off. “You’d be willing to attend a photo shoot?” My voice is squeaky again. Hyo-Rin will be in seventh heaven if I can pull this off. And you might see him again tomorrow, that dark place at the base of my brain whispers seductively at me. I dismiss the thought – of all the silly, ridiculous… “Hyo-Rin will be delighted – if we can find a photographer.” I’m so pleased, I smile at him broadly. His lips part, like he’s taking a sharp intake of breath, and he blinks. For a fraction of a second, he looks lost somehow, and the Earth shifts slightly on its axis, the tectonic plates sliding into a new position. Oh my. Kwon Ji Yong’s lost look. “Let me know about tomorrow.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out his wallet. “My card. It has my cell number on it. You’ll need to call before ten in the morning.” “Okay.” I grin up at him. Hyo-Rin is going to be thrilled. “Y/N!” Paul has materialized at other the end of the aisle. He’s Mr. Clayton’s youngest brother. I’d heard he was home from Princeton, but I wasn’t expecting to see him today. “Er, excuse me for a moment, Mr. Grey.” Grey frowns as I turn away from him. Paul has always been a buddy, and in this strange moment that I’m having with the rich, powerful, awesomely off-the-scale attractive control-freak Kwon, it’s great to talk to someone who’s normal. Paul hugs me hard taking me by surprise. “Y/N, hi, it’s so good to see you!” he gushes. “Hello Paul, how are you? You home for your brother’s birthday?” “Yep. You’re looking well, Y/N, really well.” He grins as he examines me at arm’s length. Then he releases me but keeps a possessive arm draped over my shoulder. I shuffle from foot to foot, embarrassed. It’s good to see Paul, but he’s always been over-familiar. When I glance up at Kwon Jiyong, he’s watching us like a hawk, his brown eyes hooded and speculative, his mouth a hard impassive line. He’s changed from the weirdly attentive customer to someone else – someone cold and distant. “Paul, I’m with a customer. Someone you should meet,” I say, trying to defuse the antagonism I see in Kwon’s eyes. I drag Paul over to meet him, and they weigh each other up. The atmosphere is suddenly arctic. “Er, Paul, this is Kwon Ji Yong. Mr. Kwon, this is Paul Clayton. His brother owns the place.” And for some irrational reason, I feel I have to explain a bit more. “I’ve known Paul ever since I’ve worked here, though we don’t see each other that often. He’s back from Princeton where he’s studying business administration.” I’m babbling… Stop, now! “Mr. Clayton.” Ji Yong holds his hand out, his look unreadable. “Mr. Kwon,” Paul returns his handshake. “Wait up – not the Kwon Ji Yong? Of Kwon Enterprises Holdings?” Paul goes from surly to awestruck in less than a nanosecond. Kwon gives him a polite smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Wow – is there anything I can get you?” “Y/N has it covered, Mr. Clayton. She’s been very attentive.” His expression is impassive, but his words… it’s like he’s saying something else entirely. It’s baffling. “Cool,” Paul responds. “Catch you later, Y/N.” “Sure, Paul.” I watch him disappear toward the stock room. “Anything else, Mr. Kwon?” “Just these items.” His tone is clipped and cool. Damn… have I offended him? Taking a deep breath, I turn and head for the till. What is his problem? I ring up the rope, coveralls, masking tape, and cable ties at the till. “That will be forty-three dollars, please.” I glance up at Kwon, and I wish I hadn’t. He’s watching me closely, his brown eyes intense and smoky. It’s unnerving. “Would you like a bag?” I ask as I take his credit card. “Please, Y/N.” His tongue caresses my name, and my heart once again is frantic. I can hardly breathe. Hurriedly, I place his purchases in a plastic carrier. “You’ll call me if you want me to do the photo shoot?” He’s all business once more. I nod, rendered speechless yet again, and hand back his credit card. “Good. Until tomorrow perhaps.” He turns to leave, then pauses. “Oh – and Y/N, I’m glad Miss Min couldn’t do the interview.” He smiles, then strides with renewed purpose out of the store, slinging the plastic bag over his shoulder, leaving me a quivering mass of raging female hormones. I spend several minutes staring at the closed door through which he’s just left before I return to planet Earth. Okay – I like him. There, I’ve admitted it to myself. I cannot hide from my feelings anymore. I’ve never felt like this before. I find him attractive, very attractive. But it’s a lost cause, I know, and I sigh with bittersweet regret. It was just a coincidence, his coming here. But still, I can admire him from afar, surely? No harm can come of that. And if I find a photographer, I can do some serious admiring tomorrow. I bite my lip in anticipation and find myself grinning like a schoolgirl. I need to phone Hyo-Rin and organize a photo-shoot.

boi i swear he...ugh he as a rich ceo....just yasss,also i didnt change the paul name because its the only time he appers in the book so yeah tommorow i will upload another part!!!!

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lady-on-the-grey · 7 years

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So I was tagged in a thing by @lesblion for this thing

the last 1. drink: coffee or water 2. phone call: my bubbie 3. text message: marty! (@teabank if you want their blog) 4. song you listened to: well right now I’m listening to a shit ton of Miyazaki movie music, all by Joe Hisaishi of course. But that’s not really songs, so I guess the last song I listened to was Rouge No Dengon from Kiki’s Delivery Service, which does have lyrics and is all fun. I’m kind of on a Ghibli kick rn, any other day this answer wouldv’ve probably been some Mitski or LAKE song. 5. time you cried: recently I think, but I can’t remember specifics. time isn’t real

6. dated someone twice: not applicable, I don’t date at all screw that shit 7. kissed someone and regretted it: once more, not applicable 8. been cheated on: n/a 9. lost someone special: that’s kind of vague. does this mean death? or just them being gone? Because I kind of have both 10. been depressed: that’s a loaded question 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: never been drunk.

3 favorite colors 12. black 13. grey (you may have noticed a theme) 14. olive green? maybe? I love colors, but I don’t wear them much lol, so I dunno, I don’t really have favorite colors. There’s different very lovely colors for every occasion. I like red. Anything is cool, depends on my mood

in the last year have you 15. made new friends: yes! I plan to keep my friend group small still, I like having a small amount of people to keep in contact with and all, but yes, I’ve made several very good friends! 16. fallen out of love: love is fake lol 17. laughed until you cried: I think? Yeah I have 18. found out someone was talking about you: yeah, I don’t really have to find that out, people do it all the time and I hate it, but it’s a very common aspect of my life. I’m used to it 19. met someone who changed you: I dunno, I feel like it would take a lot to change me in a big way, but everyone changed you a little at least. I probably have. If I have I probably haven’t noticed it, that’s difficult to track though. (I would like to point out the very nice and good response Ariel had for this one, ilu buddy! You’re the greatest!) 20. found out who your friends are: I guess so. What does this mean exactly? 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: what’s a facebook

general 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: see number 21 23. do you have any pets: YESSS I have five cats! Three adults and two kittens. (Warning, sadness ahead) We used to have another cat but he recently passed, and we all miss him very much. I know it’s weird to mention that in this question, but it feels weird and wrong not to mention for me. We had him for like my whole life. 24. do you want to change your name: I used to really want to go by my middle name, Grey. I feel ambivalent now. I’m okay with my name, it’s a bit boring, but I don’t mind it. It’s a nice name, I don’t think it suits me. Plus I don’t like that my first name is the last name of a neo nazi lol, but that’s not that big a deal. It just puts a sour taste in my mouth. 25. what did you do for your last birthday: I went out to get Polynesian food and hibachi and stuff. I was very stressed and anxious the whole night. I think a few days later or before @gummybird took me to see a cure for wellness, which was one of THE worst films we’ve ever seen in theaters. And we go to the movie theater to specifically watch bad movies together. He also gave me a DS and a bunch of mini kit kats. Thank you Jay (I know it’s been like like more than four months, shush, thank you anyway) 26. what time did you wake up: which time? I wake up like five separate times every damn morning. I’ve set three different alarms with different tones at completely different times to ensure I’ll get up at a reasonable hour, and I still fall asleep immediately after turning them off. 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: showering 28. name something you can’t wait for: @nicehairprincess AND @listeningforpudding COMING BACK TO AMERICA THIS MONTH!!! They’re gonna be here tomorrow for the party my mom is throwing at our house that I don’t want to be at lol (parties make me anxious as all hell) 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: maybe 40 mins ago 31. what are you listening to right now: a fan in my room 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: probably 33. something that is getting on your nerves: my brother is a little pissbaby who gets defensive at everything and can’t ever admit he was wrong. My mom does the same thing. It get’s on my nerves every day 34. most visited website: tumbo dot com

35. hair colour: dirty blond 36. long or short hair: on the long end of short. I’m thinkong of either growing it out of getting one of those cute little fluffy furly mohawk lookin’ things. I wanna do something new with it 37. do you have a crush on someone: see numbers 6, 7, or 16. You’ll notice a theme happening here. 38. what do you like about yourself: next question (I legitimately hate everything about myself, not an over exaggeration. I don’t view it as some tragedy though, I just don’t like myself)

39. piercings: none 40. blood type: blood 41. nickname: god there’s too many. My dad calls me senor speedskate. Everyone else just calls me “that little bitch” 42. relationship status: alone and wouldn’t have it any other way, see number 37 43. zodiac: pisces 44. pronouns: he/him or they/them. tbh I don’t give a shit about pronouns, I probably wouldn’t use any if that wasn’t the most inconvenient thing. The only reason I primarily use he/him is because I’m used to it 45. favourite tv show: gravity falls yo! but it’s over and I’m still crying. my favorite show that’s currently still running is star vs,I can’t wait for the update!! 46. tattoos: none. I may or may not ever get one, I don’t really care 47. right or left handed: right

48. surgery: none? Once I had to get stitches on my head after i cracked it open on a radiator 49. sport: ew, that’s a slur 50. vacation: when I was like 4 my family went to disney? then every summer up until I was in like fifth grade I think we rented a beach house for the last week of summer 51. pair of trainers: ???? is this code or something? Do I need to break out a cryptogram book?

MORE GENERAL 52. eating: right now? nothing 53. drinking: nothing 54. i’m about to: stare blankly into space for four hours then probably shower at way too early in the morning like I usually do 55. waiting for: goddamn anything to happen 56. want: to be less of a sadsack boring peice of nothing lol 57. get married: how dare you say the m word to me 58. career: animator and a lot of other things probably, but the man=in thing is animation and writing

WHICH IS BETTER 59. hugs or kisses: hugs, but please don’t make me do too many. If I hug you it’s fine, if you hug me we got a problem 60. lips or eyes: both, duh. I fnd them both to be visually interesting 61. shorter or taller: both are good, but I’m tall, which I prefer for me 62. older or younger: um what 63. nice arms or nice stomach: why should I choose, they’re just bodies. I don’t care how other’s look so long as mine is good 64. hook up or relationship: hook up but I’ve never done one and probably never will lol. Ain’t no great tragedy 65. troublemaker or hesitant: the two aren’t mutually exclusive. I’m very much both

HAVE YOU EVER: 66. kissed a stranger: no 67. drank hard liquor: no, because taking sips from my older sibling’s cups doesn’t count. The most I’ve had is a beer equivalent like 5% abv thing. It was cherry flavored. But that’s not hard liquor 68. lost glasses/contact lenses: my eyes are in working order, I don’t need those 69. turned someone down: it’s a hobby of mine 70. sex on the first date: I don’t date, binch 71. broken someone’s heart: how would I know that 72. had your heart broken: this is vague but it probably means romantic, so no 73. been arrested: no 74. cried when someone died: not when a human being died, but there have been cats. and friends nearly dying that got me hella upset. 75. fallen for a friend: look, I have some very nice friends but not on your goddamn life

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 76. yourself: did you not read the little shpeil I had about hating myself? Also, it depends 77. miracles: cat’s count as miracles I think 78. love at first sight: no 79. santa claus: I’m an adult. No 80. kiss on the first date: ??? is that somthing I can or cannot beleive in?? it exists whether I do it or not??? 81. angels: no, though the thought is nice, but no

OTHER: 82. current best friend’s name: I have several best friends, I don’t like to categorize my friends, it feels weird, but I’ll just say that Jay and Beck are my closest friends 83. eye colour: like this really muted blue 84. favourite movie: Coraline. But I have a lot of favorites, I talk about them frequently.

I tag @cllusterfuck and @teabank I guess? and anybody who wants to

#selfawaregothkid talks #long post #answer #questions

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heungtanbts · 7 years

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re·al·i·za·tion

noun

The moment of sudden clarity when feelings are finally recognized, or are made aware for the first time.

It hit you one random afternoon in the studio, a soft beat filling the silence in the small, dimly lit room as you curled up even more snugly into Yoongi’s blanket on the black leather sofa. His back faced towards you, bits of his blueish black hair sticking out from beneath his black beanie, his head bobbing slightly to the beat as he clicked away on his mouse. From the side, you could see the black mask tucked under his chin with one strap behind each ear, his fair skin strikingly pale due to the contrast with his dark clothing and onyx eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip in concentration, mumbling softly to himself as his other hand fiddled around with the different controls on his sound board. He was in the zone, as per usual, and over the course of the past few months, you’d come to learn very quickly that he did not appreciate being bothered while he was in this state. Just like the very first time you’d met in your composition class.

As his assigned partner for a project, you had walked over to his desk to ask him on how you two should split up the work and what meeting times were good for him. But when he looked up with that cold gaze of his, you immediately regretted ever saying anything to him.

“My earphones are in. That means I’m not here, got it? We’ll figure it out later.”

You’d been so put off by Yoongi’s first impression that you were seriously dreading having to compose and produce a song with him. But you also remembered wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, figuring that maybe he had been stressed out or in a bad mood the day you two had met, and that you two would be able to start over after that. You kept those thoughts in mind as you approached his studio for the first time, timidly knocking on the wooden door with a trembling heart.

“It’s open.”

The first time you worked with Yoongi was definitely the most nerve wrecking. As he sat there quietly, asking a few questions about your composition strengths and what ideas you had for this final project, you felt even more nervous than that one time you composed and performed your own song in front of your entire high school way back when. But taking a deep breath, you managed to calm your nerves enough to answer his questions concisely and honestly, and even gain the courage to play one of your sample tapes for him so he could get a feel for what your style was. Although it was pretty embarrassing hearing your own voice and melodies echo throughout the small recording studio, you had to admit, it was one of the most fulfilling feelings to watch his serious, pensive gaze gradually soften, his eyes lighting up as he listened to your work. But what followed had to be the cherry on top.

“This is actually really good,” And for the first time ever, Yoongi’s lips curved up slightly in what you deemed to be a smile of approval as he held out a hand towards you, “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

“Do you think the echoes should go in at the end of every chorus? Or just the bridge?”

His low, raspy voice brought you back to the present as you blinked a couple of times to reorient yourself, your eyes trailing to the back of his head again. Still staring at the silhouette of his back, you sunk deeper into the sofa, letting out a small yawn.

“I think it should only go at the end of the bridge to help the song build before the chorus drops again, you know?”

He nodded, not even turning around but just continuing to click away. It’d been 3 months since you both finished the project and you’d both received the highest of praises for creating such a unique and well blended track together. And you remembered being quite shocked when he texted you the week after your successful presentation, telling you to stop by his studio some time to check out his personal work. One random Sunday afternoon in his studio turned into two random Sundays which ended up turning into a weekly thing for you. It had become normal for you to barge into his studio every Sunday at 3pm and claim the leather sofa and his fuzzy blanket while he’d angle the computer monitor towards you and ask for your dead honest opinions. You remembered arguing with him at times, as your tastes clashed and opinions often met in head to head confrontations. But you realized that even though Yoongi could be intimidating at times, it was only because he was so passionate about his work and wanted it to be a result of only his very best efforts. And, unlike your initial thoughts, he’d never ever once raised his voice at you, nor insulted you or your work even in those heated moments. You were beginning to realize that Min Yoongi, probably the scariest, but most talented producer in the music department, respected you as an artist, and even more so as a person. And that was something that would always put out the fires and keep your head level, because Min Yoongi didn’t respect just anyone.

“Do you remember all of that, Yoongi?”

The clicking came to a stop and the music came to a pause at your sudden interjection. A beat of silence passed as he swiveled around in his chair to face you, his eyes locked on you and his fingers intertwined with one another as his elbows rested on the arm rests.

“Remember what?”

You shot him a drowsy grin, “How we met.”

He gave you a small nod, his expression still relatively blank, “Of course I do. It wasn’t even that long ago.”

“That’s even crazier to think,” You mused, “5 months has felt like 5 years, hasn’t it?”

He raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

Crossing one leg over the other, Yoongi leaned back in his chair, his current work suddenly forgotten as he fixed his attention completely on you. To even imagine breaking his concentration just to have a random face to face conversation with him like this a few months ago was absolutely absurd - you would’ve seriously been asking for it. But somehow it had all become much more natural and comfortable between the two of you - the silences, the mini random conversations, or sometimes even the deeper, longer, late night conversations. It was amazing to even think that the one person you’d never imagine being or staying close with would eventually become a much more significant part of your life.

“What I mean is that if I were to be honest with you, when we first met, I was terrified of you and thought you hated me. And yet here we are now, just a few months later. ”

He shrugged nonchalantly in response, his expression completely indifferent.

“I get that a lot.”

“Were your other friends intimidated by you?” You asked.

He shrugged again. “Not as much as girls usually are.”

“Do you turn that many girls away? What if they just want to be friends with you?"

"I don’t have many friends that are girls.” He squinted his eyes in confusion, “Why so many questions all of a sudden?”

“Then why didn’t you turn me away?” You suddenly blurted out, not even realizing that you were now sitting upright on the couch, your hands folded tightly in your lap.

A different kind of silence now hung thickly between you two, and it almost reminded you of the tension you felt the first time you visited his studio. Even though he sat a few feet away from you, you could almost feel his whole body stiffen at your question, the entire atmosphere of the tiny room abruptly shifting at the sharp turn in the conversation. You didn’t mean to make him or the situation uncomfortable like this, you just suddenly wanted to know why.

“If we’re gonna keep being honest here, then let’s be real, we both know my music is nothing compared to yours.” You continued, your voice trembling ever so slightly at the end, “There are renowned people in this department who would kill to work with you or even just receive your feedback. People think I’m crazy when I say that I’ve argued with you before, that I’ve called you out on your mistakes and still live to tell the tale. Our project was finished 3 months ago but all of my Sunday afternoons are still spent here, critiquing your music. If someone calls you out, you don’t let them get away unscathed, and yet I’ve scrapped at all of your material pretty thoroughly and harshly. The girls love but literally fear you. So why–"

"You’re different.”

Your eyes widened, fingers still clasping at one another tightly. He was no longer looking at you dead in the eye, but stared at the side wall instead, clenching and unclenching his jaw as if he was almost regretting what he had just revealed. But then he turned back to you, and the resolve in his eyes told you that he had decided it was too late to back down now.

"For your information,” Yoongi continued hesitantly, his eyes still set on you, “Your work is pretty damn amazing. I also don’t really care about the other people in this department because I know they just want to use my work and then take all the credit. And as for other girls, if they ever did approach me, it was always with fake compliments just to get me to talk to them."

He gently propelled his rolling chair forward, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees so that now his face was merely a foot away from yours. You tried your best to ignore the sudden knot starting to twist and form in your stomach at his closeness, fixing your own gaze on his.

"Y/N, you called me out on all of the cut corners and rough edges of all my work. You gave me honest feedback and didn’t try to impress me with a fake first impression. You were genuine with me from the start, and that’s when I knew that you weren’t one of those people just trying to leech off of me, whether it be for my music or my time. And, we actually share a common, genuine interest in making music. That’s really hard to find nowadays."

Cocking his head to the side, his dark eyes burrowed into yours, keenly searching for something, maybe an answer or reason for this whole conversation, and what was even more terrifying was that knowing Yoongi, he’d be able to fish whatever it was he was searching for out of you with ease. And lo and behold, just as you feared, he must have found his answer because he suddenly pushed off his feet to roll his chair backwards and away from you, swiveling back around to face the monitor. The rhythmic beats began to bounce off the walls yet again and Yoongi began to click away as if the entire conversation never happened. But not before he quietly added,

"Point is, you’re alright to have around, Y/N. I really appreciate your company."

It hit you one random afternoon in the studio, a soft beat filling the silence in the small, dimly lit room as you curled up even more snugly into Yoongi’s blanket on the black leather sofa. Even though his back faced toward you, hiding his face and expression from your sight, something in you was strangely certain about one thing in that moment.

Yoongi was definitely smiling.

Author’s note: this is a mini one shot series about how the very simple, ordinary moments in life are often the times when complicated, extraordinary feelings are recognized, and what one’s thought process might be like throughout it all.

i’ll be posting 1 oneshot per member on Friday and Saturday afternoons (so 2 scenarios a weekend until all 7 have been posted), but am kicking it off with Yoongi today hehe :)

enjoy ~

#suga #yoongi #suga scenarios #yoongi scenarios #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts au #the realization series #i'm so excited #i can't believe i FINALLY was able to write and finish a mini series for once #can't wait for you guys to read the rest hehe #let me know what you guys think!

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elsaeckhardt-blog · 7 years

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15 februar

Hello again!!!

It’s been a while since I’ve recapped on events that have happened over these past couple weeks, so I thought I’d do a timeline/bullet style entry to highlight the experiences I’ve had since February 2nd(ish) :)

feb. 3 (fri.): I got ice cream from an ice cream truck!!! I was sitting at dinner with my family and we heard a jingle outside, which I didn’t think much of it, but as soon as my host dad said “There goes the ice cream truck” I freaked out. We only have ice cream trucks in the summer in suburban areas in the U.S., so I felt like I was reliving my childhood in Connecticut for a split second. My host sister told me the truck would come back on our street, so we hurried outside to flag it down. I was so, so giddy, and am getting excited as I type just thinking about it😄🍦We bought a couple of boxes of “fotball is” and had them for dessert :))

feb. 4 (sat.): I went on an AMAZING hike with my second host dad, Gert, and his buddy. The hike lasted about 4 1/2 hours in its entirety, and every minute of it was so flott (great)!! We hiked in a place called in Langevåg, about ten minutes from home. I think it was about 10 km roundabout and the mountain was 800 meters high. The hike itself was called Vardane on Suja Mountain. As many of you probably know I love hiking and do it often in Vermont, but this experience made me appreciate the activity (dare I say lifestyle) so much more. To break it down, we began the fjelltur (“mountain trip”/hike) walking up a dirt path after parking on the side of the road, much like in the U.S. The path was pretty wide, approximately 3 meters, and super worn down due to frequent use. There were trees overhead and you could see the surrounding mountains through gaps in the trees every so often. We passed many, many people in that first part of the trip. Although people in Norway are very quiet on the bus, in school etc., it’s like a different culture on the mountain. Everyone says hello and smiles to each other. Although it was about 50 degrees F that day it was considered strange to wear shorts, so a few people chuckled and asked me if I was cold after their hello (I wasn’t) :) Towards the top we made friends with a couple who were curious about my exchange; we chatted with them consistently for an hour or so while nearing the summit. I love this social aspect of hiking in Norway so much- it creates such a special, sacred environment for the mountains. After the first part of the hike on the path we came to a spot with few cabins and benches that you can take a break on if you want. It also serves as a destination if you don’t want to hike the rest, because it is where the treeline ends and you get a 360 degree view of mountains. This spot was also where you could start to see the summit. I felt an intense urge to get to the summit, kind of like it was a challenge. Being able to see glorious mountains all around you and knowing that the top of one is feasible to get to is truly invigorating. The path becomes more steep and difficult to hike, which was undoubtedly a factor in the experience. The two people I was hiking with (Gert and his friend) were enjoying the placidness of the setting a bit more than I was, and they took a few breaks for coffee/snacks (it was super funny to me that people eat more unhealthy food like coke and oreos on hikes), which I wasn’t very used to. I kind of pushed ahead and starting hiking up at a quicker pace, waiting every now and then to see if they were following (don’t worry, they did :)). The higher I climbed the more snowy and chilly it got, which was exciting. After another hour of walking up this path I reached the peak! Our friends from earlier were there as well as a few other hikers, taking in the insane view. It was so marvelous. Soon Gert and his friend reached the top, and we had some more food, took some photos and relaxed. It was utterly stunning; I’d never seen mountains so amazing in that capacity, and I’m so lucky I got to! Going down was harder than coming up and I did wipe out a couple times, but we were eventually back on the dirt path. I decided to run it, so I listened to music and got to the bottom pretty quickly. There weren’t too many people heading down because it was starting to get dark (we hiked from 12pm-4:30pm). I got to the bottom and the car was locked, so I sat on a little hill above the parking lot and meditated. Gert and his friend got down and we headed home. It was such an incredible experience, and I’m so stoked to hike more!!

feb. 5 (sun.): My host parents took me on a mini trip a little outside of Ålesund and showed me some cool spots :) I’ll have to ask my parents for the names of the places, but we went to an old farm and walked around (it wasn’t really a tourist destination, just a pretty piece of property that you can poke around) and walked along the sea on a boardwalk in another spot. It was really fun to be in their company and explore tucked away parts of Norway that I wouldn’t have the privilege of seeing if I was a tourist. Since it was Sunday everything was kind of sleepy and calm which made it a really enjoyable experience.

feb. 6 (mon.): After a fun weekend I headed back to school to a new class. Like I mentioned earlier, my normal class was in Italy for the past week, so I got to follow the schedule of another class in my grade. I was nervous, but I had a few friends in the class before I joined. Like many experiences I’ve had here, my nervousness for class/introducing myself as the American to a whole new group of people was excessive and eradicated almost immediately after I joined the class. I made some friends (bra jobbe elsa!! 👏🏼 👏🏼) and became close with some people from the class over the course of the week- it’s always nice to have a few more familiar faces in the hallway :)) While Italy looked really fun, it was healthy/rewarding to go a little further out of my comfort zone for the week.

feb. 7 (tues.): On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go alpine skiing for a SECOND time !! A class from the grade above me goes on an annual ski trip to Bjorli Mountain for the day. The person in charge (also my geography teacher) knew I was an avid skier and invited me to join them. At first I was hesitant to go because I had just met my new class and wanted to get to know them better, I didn’t know anyone at all on the trip and I didn’t have all of my gear. However, I was encouraged by many to go, and I decided to join :) I rounded up all needed gear somehow (well with the help of my awesome parents, that’s probs how) and went on the trip. Once we got to the lodge I put my stuff down with a few girls at a table and introduced myself. They were super great company to ski with. It was the perfect day to go skiing- bluebird sky, perfectly firm snow, chilly but sunny, bountiful amounts of corduroy and absolutely empty except for our group. I can’t express in words how utopian the conditions were. The scenery was unreal and the trails were ideal (buy my mixtape on iTunes). I also had totally functioning gear, and while I missed my sharp race edges, corduroy is corduroy (arc city). I’m so so thankful I got to go on this trip- it was such an amazing day for skiing & of course wonderful to meet some more neat people 🙃 🙃

feb. 8 (wed.): A little after middag (dinner) I made American pancakes with my mom ! Apparently the fluffiness of American pancakes baffle Europeans, so she was very curious to try them out. We made them with blueberries, raspberries and chocolate and hot dang they were good!! I hadn’t had pancakes/Vermont syrup in a while, so it was veldig fint å spiser dem med min norsk Mamma! (very good to eat them with my Norwegian Mamma!) Unfortunately we didn’t save any for Helge or Frida, so we will have to make more soon ;))

feb. 9 (thurs.): After fotboll training on Thursday night Frida picked me up and we went to Fjellstua with her (/our 😊) friend Martine. Fjellstua is an outlook in Ålesund City where you can see the whole city, and it’s soo breathtaking. Although Frida stole my Stan Smiths (type of tennis shoe) and I was stuck with my soccer cleats, it was fun to take photos of the beautiful city & share some laughs ❤️ ❤️

feb. 10-12 (fri.-sun.): On Friday night Frida and I went with some family to their hytta (mountain home/cabin) for the weekend to ski some more!! It was a total experience and very, very fun, but I’m going to dedicate another post to it within these next few days :) ❄️

feb. 14 (tues.): Yesterday was Valentine’s Day!! It’s not really celebrated here, but a couple friends and I enjoyed it anyway ��️

feb. 15 (wed.): And today is the most exciting day of all- HØNEMAMA’S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 Gratulerer med dagen bestevennn ! 😚 😚 🎈 🎂 Takk for alt du gjør for meg :))

Thanks for tuning in to this very overdue update!! Vi snakkes! (TTYL!)

Elsa :)

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rtracy13 · 6 years

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4 Laps Later...Graduation from the 21st grade

Not sure if this happens to anyone else, but save for a handful of races I tend to get to the finish line of the mile/1500 and wish I had maybe 50 more meters because my legs have finally turned over and I feel like I could have gotten that one more person. Graduating medical school feels a little bit like that - hey wait, where did all the time/track go?!

So here we are. Guess I should start by filling a few things in since my post about retiring/match day coming up/attempting to train for the half. 1. I matched in emergency medicine at SIU! 2. As for the no track thing, I will have to find a track at some point (and maybe a buddy) before 2018 is over because I need to run one more mile…. I have an irrational need to say I broke 5 minutes in the mile at least once a year for 10 straight years. 3. and more importantly however, I did run the Indy Mini Marathon (!) and then graduated from medical school the next day. Without falling while walking across the stage in heels no less! I definitely don’t necessarily recommend racing a half and graduating in the same weekend. I may or may not have put my family through the ringer getting them all up at 5am (which to them was 4am) with me to get downtown for the race and then basically having us all going non-stop the rest of the weekend with graduation activities.

Welcome to how my life has run the last 4 years, its fun isn’t it?

Anyway, I’ll start with the Mini. Training was about as rocky as expected, my mileage wasn’t as consistent as I hoped it would be (shocker at this point I know), but I did spend a month up over 50 miles at least. The week of the match was a pretty big setback unfortunately after an awesome and confidence inspiring 10-mile race. I barely hit my mileage and I got zero workouts in because I spent most of the week slightly paralyzed by the anticipation of finding out where I would be a resident. In retrospect this is really silly considering I knew Monday that I would be going somewhere, which is really the scarier email. The one someone brilliantly decided to title “Did you Match?” I don’t know ACGME did I?! Seriously thought, who decided that would be a good header… Anyway, got back into the groove mostly in April, but it was a little tougher being in the ICU from 7a-5p everyday instead of the shifts of the peds ED so things got moved around a lot. Somehow it is infinitely more exhausting to be sitting around reading all day than running around the ED sometimes I swear. I got to do my last big workout with Anna though as our big races were the same weekend and despite (per usual) having my ass handed to me it was an awesome workout that had me excited to race.

On race day I was pretty calm, maybe too calm, but the biggest hurdle for me was less the distance at this point and more the fact that Indiana decided that we skipped spring and would go right to early summer with the morning temperature already somewhere in the upper 60s/low 70s. For reference the 6-miler and 10-miler I did in preparation were a lovely 34 and 30 degrees respectively (thanks Indiana) and I think I may have only had 3 total workouts that touched actual its warm ‘break out the sports bra’ weather. Oh well. Overall though, race day was awesome. Less a mile in there was a guy in a kilt playing the ND fight song on the bagpipes and I just took that as a sign that no matter what it was going to be a great day.

- Clearly early in the race when I was still smiley and not dying -

I went in thinking if I can make it just a little further than the 8 mile mark where things starting getting tough in the 10 miler that I was in for a banner day, so I was a little disheartened when at mile 4 I was already feeling the ‘oh crap 6-minute pace is going to suck’ feeling. Following Anna’s wisdom however I told myself to relax rather than my natural response to get mad, push down and get frustrated and found that I was still running 6:05-6:08 and got myself mostly back into a groove that I thought maybe I could recover from. Then we hit the racetrack. Awesome sure, but it is reeaaaallly different to run around it than it is to watch an Indy car go around it at 180mph… needless to say it becomes the worlds longest feeling 2.5 miles ever no matter how cool it is to be running where the race cars drive and over the historic finishing bricks. I was hurting at mile 10 after coming out of the track. (Thanks Nick for reminding me at this point I have JUST a 5k to go. That is not what a miler likes to hear for encouragement.) There were a couple sad sacking 6:18ish miles at this point before I convinced myself push down and finish it up, I think my last mile was back down around 6:08. Unfortunately not quite fast enough as I barely missed breaking 80 minutes finishing 7th in 1:20:54. But hey Meb was the one who helped me up from the wobbly leg walk after the finish line so really how upset could you get at that point anyway?

So my big reach goal was break 75 if the best day ever happened, my real A goal was break 78 (average just under 6min pace), B goal was break 80, and my C goal was finish, don’t stop, don’t cry, avoid pooping pants. So I at least hit C. Maybe some of it was the delirium of I can’t believe I managed to keep myself going, but I honestly had so much fun despite not really hitting my goals save for finish. I had come so far (like 7+min PR if you want to get technical) from my lets jump in a half for funzies in November that had me absolutely dying just trying to run more than 10 miles for a long run again. (My previous last real 10+ mile long run before that was maybe May or June so I had no business jumping to 13 from like 7 or 8 on a whim.) Regardless, the best part is I finished and I definitely want to keep working to do another one! Kind of want to work on that 5k too just to feel like I’m really moving fast again ;)

- See Mom, I didn’t deliriously make it up! I was with Meb at the finish line! -

Moving on to the medicine side I should back up to Match Day. Back in March I opened up a big envelope with “Rebecca Tracy has matched Emergency Medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, IL” inside and I was over the moon. My closest Classmates and I all matched within our top ranked programs: Family Medicine at Virginia, OBGYN at Good Samaritan in Cincinnati, Internal Medicine at Henry Ford in Detroit, Derm at Largo Medical Center outside Tampa and myself in EM at SIU. We’re going to be doctors! (Cue flood of intoxicated 20 and 30 something’s on downtown Indy.) My family came down for the weekend to have dinner and celebrate with me and everyone was excited that I would be moving just a little bit closer to home. And after 9 years in Indiana finally coming home to Illinois.

Fast-forward a month and a half and its graduation weekend. I think I speak for most of my class when I say graduation was fun, you got to turn to your right and left, shake hands and very officially exchange ‘Doctor’, ‘Doctor’ with your classmates with ridiculous grins of disbelief that we finally made it, but it was mostly surreal and hit us all later at different times and for different reasons. It hit me finally not the first time I saw ‘Rebecca Tracy DO’ on something but when I was listening to a podcast about medical history any they were discussing the evolution of medical education. When discussing the current system they started all the way back with the classes you take in undergrad, taking the MCAT, preparing for Step 1, and that’s when it hit me. Oh my god I actually did all of these things! I am on the other side. I am a doctor.

And so begins the process of adjusting to the reality of being a resident physician and the transition into actually responsible for decisions that affect people’s lives and health. Not just learning how to do it and suggesting things, but actually the responsibility of doing it. So my mantra for the next little while when faced with problems or scary situations is, ‘They picked me for this program because they believe that I will be good at this, so I will take a deep breath and go because I’ve got this”. (Sorry if this is not confidence inspiring to anyone needing to visit an emergency room in July. We all have to deal with our imposter syndrome at some point; I promise we are well overseen by confident and more importantly highly competent people!)

-Thanks Dr. Walsh for putting up with me & being my hooder at graduation-

So here I am at the beginning of June, already tired of vacation and ready to have things to do other than unpack boxes (going to be regretting these words in a month and a half I’m sure). I took a phenomenal graduation trip out to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks to start my off on my life goal of hiking in all the national parks. Watched my cousin get married to the most wonderful guy and welcome him to the family true Tracys awkward dancing to Mama Mia style. Sucked it up through some food poisoning to celebrate one of my classmate/best friend’s wedding to her also amazing husband and now working on moving myself into life in Springfield!

Just enjoying the cool down before the next exciting race begins.

- Cheers Doctors! We made it! -

#roadtoresidency #mucomalumni #oiselle #emergencymedicine #doctorsthatdo

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summertime-writing-blog · 7 years

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When Stars Align and Worlds Collide- Chapter 1

Summary: Life is made up of good and bad times. It’s always better to experience both with others by your side.

Kim Seokjin learns this when he ends up collecting a ragtag group of boys who somehow end up teaching him much more than med school ever could. Min Yoongi learns this when he realizes there are some people you can trust. Kim Namjoon, when he figures out how heavy grudges can be to carry. Jung Hoseok, after he sees that not everyone leaves and forgets. Park Jimin, recognizing the importance of self-care. Kim Taehyung, when he finds people who love him without hurting him. And Jeon Jungkook, when he finally understands how precious and limited time can be.

Through all this, ‘they can smile as long as they’re together.’

Genre: Angst/fluff, Coming of age, HYYH-based AU

Pairings: Hoseok x Jimin, Taehyung x Namjoon, Taehyung x Jimin (minor) Jungkook x Yoongi (minor) Jin x Yoongi (minor)

Rating: M

Warnings: Implied child abuse/neglect, Unhealthy relationships, Underage drinking, Referenced drug use, Mentions of suicidal thoughts/attempt, Anxiety attacks

5 years earlier

Seokjin

It was raining, and he was going to be late. He was so going to be late. Of course, the one time he was running late for work had to be today of all days.

Jin was currently tearing the room apart, cursing his apartment and his job and his life, and everything else under the sun. He stopped and stood in the middle of the now messy living room, eyes frantically searching every inch.

‘I must be losing my mind. It has to be around here somewhere,’ he helplessly thought. He decided to call for backup.

“YOONGI!”

He heard a low grunt coming from his best friend-and-roommate’s room through his closed door. Sighing, he stomped down the hall to the last room and banged on the door (against the homemade ‘do not disturb’ sign’s warning).

“Yoongi, have you seen my work hat,” he began, “I’ve looked everywhere in this house, I’m going to be late! Then I’ll be fired, which means we’ll go broke, which means both of us will be out on our asses in the street! Do you—”

The door slammed open, cutting Jin off from his rant. Yoongi stood there—looking way too exhausted for his 22 years—with Jin’s work visor hanging from his bony fingers.

“You left it in the washer with my laundry yesterday. Stop screaming, it’s 6:30 in the morning,” Yoongi mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“And you couldn’t have told me this earlier? I have to be at the café in 10 minutes!” Jin yanked the hat from Yoongi, hurriedly snapping it around his head, his fluffy brown hair sticking up around the crappy Velcro flaps.

“Didn’t know you had work today,” the blond boy responded, heading back to his bed.

“We’ve lived together for almost two years and you don’t remember which days I work?”

“I don’t have enough brain cells left for remembering shit like that, Hyung.”

Jin sighed, fingers rubbing at his temples.

“You’re lucky I like you. I made pancakes for breakfast, there’s some left in the kitchen. I should be back around two, so we should have time to do dinner before I have to be at the bar.”

He got another grunt in response.

Taking that as an “okay”, Jin grabbed his pink Princess Peach umbrella (“it was on sale, Yoongi!” “Jesus Christ, I live with a child”), his keys and his wallet and headed out the door, rushing down the apartment building stairs.

Jin normally loves his job at ‘The Grind’, a small and homey café and bakery. His boss, Mr. Choi, is incredibly helpful and friendly for the most part, letting “his best baker” Jin take home some of the leftover stock when possible. The rough part is, having to be there a half an hour before opening time to get started on the baking. Which he wasn’t going to be, since the café opened in 5 minutes.

Today they were getting annual inspections done, and of course the universe would make him be late on the worst possible day.

That’s Jin’s life. Universe fuckery and Princess Peach umbrellas. Oh, and disappointing his parents, of course.

Jin subconsciously stepped harder on the gas pedal. He needed this job.

He also works nights part-time as a bartender at ‘Good Tymes’ an honestly questionable and seedy bar, which is decidedly less pleasant of a job than the café. But he’d been working there since he started university, and even though he dropped out and got the extra job at the café, he still needed both jobs. So, he deals with it. Like everything else.

“Jin, sweetie, your father and I just think you’re making a rash decision. You’ve already gotten this far, there’s no sense in quitting. What are you even going to do if you drop out now?”

“Mom, I just…can’t do it anymore. I don’t think I ever really wanted to in the first place.”

“You’re just going through a rough patch, that’s all. Everyone goes through moments like that in college. You’ll be fine; forget this dropping out nonsense. Your father is paying good money for that program.”

“Mom! You’re not listening to me. I don’t want to be a doctor! I feel like I’m turning into someone I’m not. This isn’t…this isn’t my dream. This isn’t what I want for my life.”

“Well, why don’t you just switch to another program then? Still a bit of a waste of the program tuition, but at least you’ll be working towards something. The law program there is very good too, they say. Or accounting!”

“I…don’t want to be a lawyer either… or an accountant. I don’t know what I want. That’s why I want to take a break. I need to figure out for myself what I want.”

“This is ridiculous Kim Seokjin. You’re being ridiculous. I knew that Min Yoongi character would be a bad influence on you. After everything your father and I have done to help you, this is how you’re repaying us?”

“This has nothing to do with Yoongi! I only ever started med school because you guys wanted me to!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, young man. Your father wants to speak to you.”

“Mom I—"

“Seokjin. If you think we’re going to sit here and let you drop out of college, you must be out of your mind. I won’t have my only son throwing his future away because of some delinquent from the streets putting absurd ideas into his head about dreams, like he knows anything about life.”

“Dad, I’ve felt like this since before I even met Yoongi. I just can’t do it anymore, it’s driving me insane. I don’t want to quit school completely, I just need a year or two to figure myself out again.”

“…Alright. If you promise your mother and I that you’ll go back to university within 2 years, with a REASONABLE major picked, we’ll go back to helping you pay for school, and keep paying the truck’s insurance. BUT, you have to keep your job, start working full time. This isn’t a vacation. You’ll have to keep paying your rent on your own.”

“Yea, of course, definitely Dad. I promise. Thank you, thank you so much!”

“You better be sure about this Seokjin. This isn’t some game you can just start over.”

“I know. I’m sure. This is what I need to do.”

Yoongi

Shaking out his hair, still wet from the shower, Yoongi headed to the kitchen on a hunt for the pancakes Jin said he left for him. It was around noon, and Yoongi had a lot to get done before Jin got home. Dishes, probably, and vacuuming. Oh, and he promised Jin he’d take out the trash.

Technically, Jin doesn’t make him do all the housework. In fact, Jin is always telling Yoongi that he doesn’t mind cleaning, and that they can share the workload. However, Yoongi would often end up doing most of the work anyway. It’s the least he can do, he figures.

After all, Jin took him in when he was at his worst. And Jin’s the one working two jobs to pay bills and keep them from starving. Meanwhile Yoongi is just barely managing to sell enough of his music to get by with his part of the rent.

He leans against the wall and rubs his eyes, trying to ignore the stress and constant worry and guilt that always threatens to bubble up. No sense in thinking about all of that right now. He stands up straight and keeps walking.

‘I should be able to get everything done before two, no problem, it’s not too—’

His train of thought cuts off when he walks into the living room.

“Jesus Christ, Seokjin. What the fuck.”

The room was a sight. It looked like a mini tornado had torn through the small space. Couch pillows and throw blankets strewn all over the floor, bookshelves and side tables all disarranged, shoes everywhere except the shoe rack, and was that a Pikachu pillow pet on the floor? When did they even get that?

Yoongi lets out a deep breath. Alright, maybe some of this can wait until Jin gets back.

It was raining, and Yoongi was drunk.

Making his way down the familiar city streets at 1 in the morning, most of the usual places were starting to close up for the night. He wasn’t trying to go back to the party house yet though; too many fucking people, too much noise. So he was determined to find somewhere else to sit and have another beer... or two.

Jiho had told him about some bar that stays open until 3, but right now he couldn’t remember the name if he had a gun to his head. So he just kept walking.

After what felt like way too long in drunk-Yoongi time, he finally found a bar that looked like what Jiho had described. Some of the name sign’s lighting was out, and it was missing a few letters. Probably would have taken him a few seconds to figure out the name even if he was sober. He shrugged to himself and headed inside.

Surprisingly, there was still quite a few people there. Mostly depressed looking old men, but still. He wasn’t the only one, then.

Yoongi sat down at the end of the bar, looking around. It wasn’t very clean; smoke hung in the stagnant air, and there was a mysterious stickiness to the floor tiles that were broken and chipped in some spots. The worn out jukebox in the corner by the other end of the bar was currently playing some old, mumbling sad country song over the crackling speakers, too quietly for Yoongi to hear it clearly. There were a couple of ancient looking pool tables and some electronic dart machines in the back, one with an out of order sign carelessly taped to the front.

“Hey, you want to order something, or are you just admiring the beautiful scenery?”

Yoongi’s head snapped up toward the voice, and he tried to focus on the person speaking to him, his head swimming.

His eyes widened.

In front of him was a gorgeous guy, probably around his age or a little older, broad shouldered and tall. He was smiling at his own joke, his deep brown eyes shining and crinkling at the corners; his white teeth seemed to glow. His black hair fell effortlessly in place—it looked so soft, feathery. Yoongi wanted to touch it.

“Uh…yea. Just a. I mean. Just a house draft, please.”

“ID?”

Yoongi clumsily dug his ID out of his ratted wallet, thanking whatever deity above that he didn’t lose it somewhere back at the house.

The bartender looked closely at the ID, concluding it wasn’t a fake. He looked again at the reddish brown-haired boy sitting in front of him, looking like he had lost everything he had in the world—way too skinny, his face sunken in, triangle shaped eyes displaying a lifetime of exhaustion.

He offered another smile, giving back the ID, “Yoongi, hm? What are you doing out so late by yourself?”

Yoongi glanced at the man, wondering whether or not to answer that question. He was tired, so tired. But he wasn’t sure about spilling his guts to some random dude at the bar, either.

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to, it’s fine. My name’s Seokjin, by the way, but you can just call me Jin.”

“Like the drink?” was the only thing Yoongi’s alcohol and weed soaked brain could think to slur out of his mouth.

Jin rolled his eyes, “Yes, Yoongi, like the drink,” he complied, sounding like he’d heard it a thousand times. However, he was smiling just as brightly as before.

Then, his facial expression suddenly looked a little more serious, and he nodded to himself.

“I’m going to go get your beer really quick. I’ll be right back, okay Yoongi? Don’t disappear on me.”

For the first time in a long while, Yoongi smiled.

“I’ll be here waiting, I won’t go anywhere. Promise.”

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a1coachingmaster-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on A1 Coaching

New Post has been published on https://www.a1coaching.net/limiting-the-effects-of-detraining-2/

Limiting The Effects Of Detraining

After my positive PB session the other day I’ve bad news.

Man flu has struck.

I’m in absolute ribbons.

I’ve decided to cover a wee topic in relation to something very topical for me and a lot of you guys with the flu epidemic on the loose.

The effects of detraining and what you can do to minimise the loss of your hard earned fitness.

Unfortunately there is a lot of bad news from a physiological point of view but from my experience there are things you can do to limit the decline.

Sounds counter intuitive but don’t bloody stress for a start!

Yeah you’ve got sick – everybody does and no it’s not the end of the world – take it on the chin and let it run its course.

‘Oh my ftp is going to suffer’

‘My CTL is ruined’

Don’t dare mention Strava!

Harden up – this anxious and stressed mentality will exacerbate the illness trust me- accept it and do what you can to help yourself.

So what happens when you start to take time off?

It’s not time off its forced time off!

Ok forced or unforced here’s the deal.

After only a few days of sitting on your arse, your world is already ending – you believe you’ve lost all the gains from training, right?

Truth is while some biochemical markers and blood volume will be affected – depending on what you were doing up until the off – the rest may help.

Even if you’re ill the losses here are not worth noting but if you’re laid off because of factors unrelated to illness, you’ve essentially done a mini taper – you’ll be motoring when you get back.

Trained folk v’s the newbies

Ok we have some good news for people in the game a long time or at least being aerobically trained a long time.

You don’t lose your gains as fast it seems and you’ll obviously plateau at a higher base level – in theory anyway!

Sorry newbies – if you’re new to training i.e. if you’re a sofa to running a 5k kind of job you will return to baseline pretty fast with a prolonged break.

After a week of being sedentary – i.e. little or no exercise, changes begin to occur in the body that do unfortunately result in noticeable fitness declines.

One week off

A week in, your blood volume has taken a sufficient nose dive – say 15- 20 % to give a figure.

This results in a lesser stroke volume (the blood expelled per beat).

The lesser amount pumped out per beat reduces your cardiac output (the amount pumped out per minute).

So in essence less oxygenated blood is being pumped out by your heart per beat and per minute.

The Cardiac output number is one side of the Vo2 max equation – so hey presto!

Vo2 max is reduced and by about 15%..

This means that at your various power zones your heart will have to work harder to maintain cardiac output and supply oxygen to your working muscles.

Don’t worry though – this won’t take a very long time reverse.

There is also some evidence to suggest that after a week your ability to produce force is slightly reduced – but the drop off here is much less severe than aerobic fitness variables.

2 – 3 weeks off?

Good news first – strength won’t be affected too much if at all really.

Strength really starts to decline after about the 4 week mark.

The enzymatic activity of mitochondria – (where our energy is produced) is an adaptation we train all winter to increase and it begins to decrease at a fast rate

Thus less energy is produced, capillary density (blood/oxygen carrying vessels) is also reduced – thus oxygen supply to your muscles is lower.

Vo2 max can now be reduced by up to 20 %.

Unfortunately FTP isn’t really used in the research so it’s hard to state how much of it you will lose but rest assured after two weeks of absolutely no training it will be reduced.

Ok stop bloody telling me how unfit I am how do I limit the drop off?

If you’re around the block a while, don’t be stressing about a 2 week layoff in training forced or not – yes it will be crap when you start back training, yes you feel fee rubbish, but you’ll be back quick enough if you put your head down and get on with things.

It all depends on why you are taking the time off really.

If you are busy or travelling with work or going on holiday there are loads of things you can do!

Literally a couple of 10 min zone 3 efforts within a week can be enough to maintain fitness.

Run, skip climb stairs, do some burpees, swim whatever it is if you have no bike access – it without doubt lessens the effects of detraining.

I’m sick and I don’t want to raise my heart- rate

Ok there’s a lot of scare mongering going on here.

My rule of thumb if its above your head you’re ok to train but take every precaution possible – diet and lifestyle wise to stop it getting any worse.

If you’re chesty and you’re coughing up phlegm – ordinary training must cease.

Go to your Doctor and my general rule of thumb is give it 3 days – loads of sleep, plenty of fluids hot ones too and if you really need them take your antibiotics and any other potions that you help – but give yourself three days.

After that there are a few bits and pieces I add to each day once I feel I’m starting to feel a little better (typically after 3 days) to try offset the detraining.

I get the resistance bands out – yep I leave them in the kitchen and knock out upper body and lower body exercises every time I boil the kettle – primarily glute exercises.

Not a tonne of them or anything intense just enough to activate the muscles.

Next I have my bike set up on the turbo and depending how sick I am I might hop onto it for 5 or 10 minutes at each end of the day even in a pair of runners – just turning the legs over.

Splitting your first few rides up into short rides such as 10 minutes at each end of the day easy is easier on your immune system over smashing down the road for an hour and relapsing.

At this point you don’t want to mess with intensity so cool the jets.

But you can play with cadence a little while keeping pulse super low.

Another thing I like to do is foam roll and stretch-you might as well use the time to some benefit!

Have you had any niggles that need a bit of work – stretching can be great to unwind and chill out asides from everything else so work on something that normally wouldn’t get a look in.

Otherwise use the time wisely at home and gain some brownie points.

Last but not least you can slowly add in some neural type sprints once your illness is over its worst.

For example, once I know the dose isn’t getting any worse and I’m doing all I can I’ll get to the stage where I’ll add in some very short sprints for approximately 3 seconds (certainly less than 5 seconds).

It’s just enough to switch on that neural system and keep certain biochemicals and hormones flowing.

If done in the right amount at the right stage this could actually help boost your immune system- just don’t push things and always listen to your body and above all chill the beans!

A.Buggle

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