#don’t make everyone in the store wait for you to finish browsing 30 MINUTES AFTER WE CLOSE

[downydig]

.

#worst shift I ever worked #never picking up again #always google when a store closes #don’t make everyone in the store wait for you to finish browsing 30 MINUTES AFTER WE CLOSE #vent #I’m just so tired and my patience has been through the wringer today #gh adding tags #I wish I didn’t have chronic pain #one day I hope to feel no pain when I walk #I wish I didn’t feel guilty when I use my cane #I wish I didn’t feel so self conscious about needing it or being looked at with it #I wish my job accommodated me for my disabilities #it’s so hard now

[willwriteforhugs]

the boy in the bookstore (part one)

in which you meet a suspiciously handsome boy in your favorite bookstore- but are not cultured enough to know his true identity.

ateez scenario 

yeosang x (fem) reader

word count: 1.5k

g: fluff, angst if you’re a sensitive bitch

warnings: none really, light kissing and possible innuendo in later parts

notes:

there are a few things that may turn inconsistent for you personally (aka the POV being american, bilingual, etc. nothing major tho!)

also: if you enjoyed this, i am 100% looking for requests. can be aus, scenarios, or whatever! (atm i can write for atz, skz, bts, and itzy)

happy reading!! 

part one

the morning of november 12th is a dreary one. when you wake up, you have little to no motivation to go to work. it's a downcast, rainy day, and seoul looks as sad as it's probably capable of looking.

work is slow. you work on your current project, but writing today feels like this: you write out a sentence. then you delete it. and then you rewrite the exact same sentence. you do this for eight hours, and by the end of it, the air seems thick with your desire to leave. 

as you leave the building, a few coworkers try to spark conversation. 

“oh, y/n-ssi, you should come have soju with us later, we-”

“hey, y/n! do you want to-”

you don't let any of them finish. today had not been not your day. actually, when was the last time any day had been “your day?” you are exhausted, burnt out. you miss your family, who are busy living halfway across the world. you miss your father, long dead after a tragic accident when you were young. you miss the fleeting friendships of your childhood. you miss what it felt like to have someone greet you as you came home after a long day. you miss being loved.

as you begin your long walk home, a thought occurs to you. when had you last visited the bookshop? it had probably been a while since you’d seen mrs. seon… maybe you should stop by. after all, a trip to the 30 year old bookshop might brighten your mood.

twenty minutes later, you shuffle awkwardly through the front doors of “bookshop”, careful not to get your dripping shoes too close to the new releases. and yes, the store was called “bookshop”. in reality, the store had simply never been named, but everyone who visited it knew it as just the bookshop. you glance around, hoping to find mrs. seon, but she was nowhere in sight. that was alright though… more time to browse. you scrape the last bits of rain off your boots and wander towards the back of the store. this was your favorite part of the whole establishment, and that was saying something. the whole shop was filled to the brim with battered books- centuries old classics, modern literature, old journals of long dead men… and many of the books were not korean, but european or american. this was possibly the most diverse bookstore in seoul. you adore it. but the back of the store was especially amazing. this was where the seon family kept the american classics. authors like john steinbeck and f. scott fitzgerald lined the shelves, their colorful spines making a bold statement about the content within. most were old, beaten up copies, but many of them were in english- something you secretly love. 

letting loose a small smile, you run your fingertips along the book spines. suddenly, you see a blur of movement out of the corner of your eye. you whirl around, swiveling your body to your left. and in front of you, not even six feet away, is a boy. a...a beautiful boy. you feel your breath catch. holy shit, he was gorgeous. pale blond hair frames a sharp, tanned face- the boy has sleek, judging eyes, and higher-than-god-himself cheekbones. for a moment you just stare. you can’t help it. but the boy doesn't look up. you lower your eyes again, shifting your attention back to the books. honestly, you aren't sure why you’d reacted like that. he hadn’t said or done anything. and though he is attractive, you are relatively uninterested. this is a bookstore, after all. this is where people came when they didn’t want to talk to people.

a few minutes pass quietly, and you continue to browse the books. after finally deciding on a collector’s copy of steinbeck’s east of eden, you look up again. and there he is. looking right at you. as soon as your eyes connect with his, though, his shoot back down to the phone in his hand. you blink, wondering if he needs anything. 

another beat passes. he glances up again, and this time, you force him to hold your gaze, shooting him a small smile. you see his eyes widen slightly before you turn on your heel and head towards the front of the store.

by the time you reach the checkout counter, an employee is there to assist you. she smiles and makes small talk while bagging your new treasure, then sends you on your way. no longer thinking about the blond boy, you pull up your hood and leave to head home.

only a few minutes had passed since you’d left the store when it happens. you feel odd, like someone is watching you...at first you think you’re imagining things, but as you turn around, you are face to face with the boy from the bookstore. a small gasp escapes your lips. 

“oh,” is the first thing he says.

you take a step back. "oh-uh," you stumble to find the right words. "hello."

without a word, the boy straightens his stance and reaches towards you. instantly wary, you take another step back. but his arm stops short. resting in his slim hand is a small brown wallet. wait- your wallet. you hesitate, then begin to dig through your shoulder bag. sure enough, the wallet is absent. you look back up into his brown eyes, startled by the intensity of his gaze.

"you- you dropped this." he says quietly.

his voice also startles you. it has a low pitch, but is painfully soft. it reminds you of something, but you don't know what.

"oh, wow. thank you so much," you manage, reaching for the wallet. as you take it, his long fingers brush yours; the lightest touch. his hands are freezing.

"your hands are so cold!" you remark, surprising yourself. talking to strangers in the street. what have you become, y/n?

the young man's pride must have faltered, and his ears turn an endearing pink color.

"it's getting cold out, you really should wear some gloves or something."

he raises his eyebrows. "you aren't wearing any either."

 without missing a beat, you respond: "i run hot."

 a smile plays at his lips. "well then, i guess i'll wear gloves next time."

 up close, you notice he is even more beautiful than you had anticipated. he wears no visible makeup, and he has a big pink birthmark near one of his eyes. it's mesmerizing. by now, you've completely forgotten about your foul mood from earlier.

"by the way," he continues, still speaking quietly. "are you a regular at that shop?"

you pause. "i guess you could say so. i know the owners pretty well, too. mrs. seon is practically my mom here..." you chuckle.

he tilts his head. "what do you mean?"

"oh, it's just that my own family doesn't live here." you pause, and decide you need to elaborate. "i'm american."

his eyes widen, just the tiniest bit. "oh, are you? i wouldn't have known. your korean is amazing."

"well, it is my first language, so i'd hope so." you laugh a little. "but yeah, my family lives in america. i moved here when i was sixteen- i wanted to be an idol." you admit.

this seems to take him by surprise.

you continue without being prompted. "i was a trainee for a few years, but... it just.. it didn't work out. but when it was over, i realized i just couldn't force myself to leave korea. i love it too much."

he nods. "i think i know what you mean."

"so i'm just a student now. turns out i probably should have planned to go to school even if i had debuted... oops."

he nods again, his face remaining neutral and distant.

realizing how much you had just revealed, your body stiffens. "anyways. um, it was nice meeting you-" you pause. he hadn't told you his name.

"yeosang." he said, reading your mind. "my name is yeosang."

"oh. well, it was nice to meet you, yeosang, but i really should be going."

he hesitates, opening his mouth as if to say something. but he closes it and gives a small smile. "okay."

you give a small bow and turn to leave, but he catches you by the arm. "but wait, i want to know your name, too."

you glance back at him, into his eyes, which are shining with hardly hidden curiosity. "y/n." you say.

"y/n," he repeats, as if committing it to memory. "okay, now you can go."

and with that, the two of you parted, going back home to two very different lives.

edit: part two is up now. thank you for reading!!

#ateez imagines #yeosang x you #yeosang x reader #yeosang #ateez #ateez fics #ateez fluff #ateez scenarios #yeosang scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kang yeosang #kang yeosang x reader #self insert #fanfic #bts #ateez angst #willwriteforhugsfics

[drariellevalentine]

Medically Inevitable

Chapter 12- Obscene Occasions

Characters:- Arielle Valentine, Ethan Ramsey, Liam Mercado, Sienna Trinh, Elijah Greene, Jackie Varma, Landry Olsen, Rafael Aveiro, Kyra Santana, Phoebe Reznik & Danny Cardinal

Pairings:- Arielle Valentine x Ethan Ramsey, Sienna Trinh x Danny Cardinal, Elijah Greene x Phoebe Reznik

Warnings:- Alcohol, cursing, mentions of the infamous WAP (no lyrics)

You’re standing in a sound control booth, ready to flip on a switch. A switch that will blast WAP from the speakers of none other than America’s most posh salon for old ladies. “How did I even get here?!”, you ask yourself. A few hours before…

“Let’s get this party started!”, Kyra shouts as everyone cheers.

“What are we doing first?”, you ask.

Bryce and Elijah share a devilish smirk.

“Uh oh…”, Jackie says.

“We thought it would be fun to see everyone play Twister in fancy outfits.”, Bryce says.

“Bryce! Was this your idea?!”, Sienna shouts. Bryce flashes her a grin.

“I’ll spin the wheel!”, Elijah says as Bryce spreads out a humongous Twister map.

“Wow, this is huge!”, Phoebe says.

“Yep! Okay, so I’ve entered everyone’s names on here. First, 5 people will play. Then the other five will. No exceptions!”, Bryce shouts. “...and the names are here! Drumroll, please!... Kyra! Phoebe! Me! Rafael! Arielle!”

“Looks like ‘birthday girl’ escaped.”, Landry says. Jackie flashes him a warning.

“Does everyone know how to play?”, Elijah asks. All five of you nod as you line up by the mat as you slip off your footwear. “Awesome! First is Kyra!” Kyra places her left hand and foot on the mat, as per the color. Phoebe, Bryce, and Raf place their right hand and left foot on the mat according to the color on their turn When it’s your turn, the mat’s already almost covered.

“Damn! This went fast!”, Jackie says. Elijah holds out the spinner as you spin it.

“Left foot on blue, right hand on red!” You look at the mat, seeing that you can either do a backbend over Bryce or put one hand over Phoebe and a leg under Raf.

“You can’t be serious!”, you shout as everyone laughs. You place your leg on blue and after steadying your legs, you bend your back and place your hand on the red.

“Y’know, when I said you could be on top of me, this is not what I meant.”, Bryce says.

You roll your eyes, “Oh shut up!” After the second round, everyone’s in a huge twisted mess, your back still over Bryce but your feet are under Raf and one of your hands is now twined with Kyra’s.

“I never thought I would say this, but this is entertaining!”, Jackie says.

“Yeah, for you!”, you shout back.

“Okay, I’m out!”, Phoebe says as she wiggles her way out of the twisted jumble.

“Damn! This is hard!”, Bryce says.

“I know right! My back hurts!”, you reply.

“I meant for you.”, Bryce says smirking. You groan.

“It is, but both of you are doing great!”, Raf says. You smack your forehead with your free hand.

“Raf, you do realize he’s trash-talking us right?”, you say.

“Yeah, I know...aand I’m out!”, Raf slides out from the mat.

“Me too. I can’t risk breaking my back.”, says Phoebe. You and Bryce are the only ones left.

“Okay! Bryce’s turn.” Elijah spins the wheel which lands on right-hand red. Bryce chooses the exact spot to place his hand that makes you arch your back even more.

“Bryce! You can’t expect to hold this for much longer!”

He smirks. “Then quit.”

“Damn, you two are still going!”, Elijah says as he spins the wheel. “Lucky Arielle gets to take off her foot!” You cheer. “You didn’t expect me to not return the favor.”, you reply with a smirk. Carefully keeping your hand on their respective colors, you slide under Bryce making him arch his back...a lot. You push him more until he gives up.

“And...the winner is Arielle!”

“Okay, I’m done! I don’t need surgery when I’m already deep in debt!”, Bryce says as he gets up. You plop down on the mat as Si comes to help you up.

“You know, the last thing I thought yoga would help with was playing Twister! Speaking of...bow down to the Twister champion!”

“Okay, Okay! Now it’s Landry, Jackie, Sienna, and Danny! It’s a close tie but Sienna ends up winning.

“That isn’t fair! Sienna’s tiny!”, Jackie protests.

“Ha! I still win!”, Sienna says.

“That’s enough of Twister! The next stop is shots people!”

Bryce leads everyone to the open bar and as everyone takes a seat on a barstool, he slides behind the counter. “What will it be folks?”, he asks with a southern accent.

Jackie groans playfully as Sienna perks up, “This is Jackie’s birthday, so that means…”

“Tequila from start to finish!”, Kyra finishes. Bryce places multiple shot glasses and pours tequila in each of them.

“Okay, on the count of three. 1...2...3!” You throw back the shot and slam your glass on the counter, the tequila slightly burning your throat.

“Ooh! That’s strong!”, Danny says.

“Expect nothing else from Jackie.”, Landry replies.

“Again!” After multiple rounds of shots, you all are now tipsy and on water. “Ookay Scalpel Jockey, what’s next?”, you ask.

“Well it isn’t a party without truth or dare, but I have a better idea.”, Bryce replies with a huge grin.

“Oh no...don’t tell me that my birthday present is being arrested for streaking!”

“Oh trust me, it’s much worse than that.”, Elijah replies.

“Arielle, what did you drag me into?”, Raf asks. You shrug.

“Okay, for this game, we’ll need to go to the mall. Everyone, to the car!” After a short ride in a cramped car and with the story of how you and Bryce were banned from a different mall, you reach the mall.

“Okay, so we split up into two teams, girls and boys, and basically we play hide and seek. But, the losers have to do a dare of the winners’ choice.”

“Okay people, it’s official! We are definitely going to be in jail by the end of this!”, you shout as everyone laughs.

“Bryce, rules?”, Sienna asks.

“Ok, so we’ll make up the rules as we go!”, Bryce says.

“Ooh! This sounds fun! I’m in!”, Kyra says.

“You know what, me too.”, you reply.

“What the hell, I guess.”, Jackie replies. Everyone else agrees.

“Okay, coin toss.” Elijah picks out a nickel from his wallet. “Ladies first, heads or tails?”

“Heads.”, Phoebe perks up. Elijah raises an eyebrow.

“Cause we’re the only one who actually has them.”, Jackie replies without batting an eyelash.

“Ooh! Nice!”, Kyra high-fives Jackie as Elijah flips the coin to reveal...tails!

“Ha! Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it!“, Bryce replies with his horrible southern drawl.

”So, what will it be boys?”, Phoebe asks. The boys make a big show of huddling and discussing, returning 5 minutes later.

”We have decided that we will seek.”, Raf announces.

”Okay...so we can hide anywhere we want?”, you ask.

”Yeah, but only on mall premises.”, Elijah says.

”We’ll give you guys all 10 minutes to hide, we’ll stay here. You guys can hide in groups or single, your choice.”, Danny says.

”Wait, you guys will find us sooner or later. You’re just setting us up!”, Jackie says.

”Okay then, what if we only get 20 minutes?”

”10.”, Kyra counters.

”We’ll go with 15. Does everyone have their phones on them?”, Raf asks.

Everyone nods. ”Then prepare to eat our dust!”, Bryce smirks. You roll your eyes.

”Oh please, we’ll see about that.”, Kyra says.

”Ok, I'm starting the timer in 3...2…1!” As Danny starts the timer, all of you rush inside the mall.

”I think we should all hide in the same place. It’ll lessen the chance of them finding us.”, you say.

”You're right. But where do we hide?”, Phoebe asks.

”Quick! We already lost a minute!”, Sienna shouts as she looks at the timer on her phone.

”Let’s check the mall directory for some inspiration. We need someplace that no man would never enter.”, Jackie replies as she ushers you all to the directory.

You look at the directory. ”What about the spa?”, Sienna asks.

”No, that won't work. We can't possibly hide there.”, Kyra says.

You look at the list of stores. Your eyes widen as you come across a store that would be perfect.

”What is it, Arielle?”, Sienna asks.

”What about Victoria’s Secret?! The boys wouldn't dare come in there!”, you reply, your voice rising with excitement. Their eyes and smiles widen.

”Oh my God! That’s an amazing idea!”, Kyra says.

”Quick! Which floor is it on?”, Phoebe asks. You scan the directory once again.

”It’s on the sixth floor! Let's go!” After several flights of steps, you reach the sixth floor and rush into Victoria's Secret.

”Everyone just split up and act like your browsing through lingerie. I'll keep an eye on the storefront to see if the boys come searching this way. Keep your phone on.” As per your instructions, everyone splits up and you turn to a section of lace-up bras at the very front of the store.

It’s been almost 5 minutes and there’s no sign of the boys. You rush towards the back of the store as you hear Sienna shout, ”There are only 30 more seconds! We won!”

”We did it!”, You shout.

”Ooh, what do you think we should give the boys as a dare?”, Kyra asks.

”That won't be needed.” You whip around to find the whole entourage of boys right in the middle of the store.

”Surprise! We thought you would be here.”, Bryce says. You notice all the staff starting at the group of boys.

”...you’ve got to be kidding me.”, you say.

“Unfortunately not! The timer ended after we found you!”, Elijah says.

”Are you all just going to stand here?..” You turn around to see one of the employees giving you a judgemental look.

”Okay, we’re going! No need to be so judgy!”, Bryce replies as you all file out of the store.

”So much for our dare…”, Sienna says.

You notice Bryce with an extremely huge grin on his face. ”Time for your dare, lovely ladies!”

“Spit it out, Bryce.”, Jackie says. Ignoring her, he steps forward and whispers the dare into your ear. All the girls get alarmed, noticing your wide-eyed and flushed face.

”...you’re not serious.”, you reply unbelievably. He only grins.

”Just spit out Arielle! What's the dare?!” Unable to say anything, Bryce happily steps forward and whispers the dare into everyone's ears. One by one, every girl’s eyes widen.

”You can't be serious Bryce.”, Krya says. He shrugs.

”Bryce, whatever dare you gave them, maybe you should lighten it up? Elijah says.

”Wait? You guys don't know what the dare is?”, you ask. They shake their head.

”Bryce won't tell us.”, Raf replies. A few minutes later, you're standing in front of Nail, Hair and Beauty, a place which is known for where all the old ladies get their nails and hair done. You tentatively enter the store with all the girls, pretending to browse their nail polish collection. You see Bryce pointing to a closed door, across from the entrance.

”That must be the entrance. We’ll change the song and rush out before anyone sees us.”, you say.

”Why did we even agree to this?”, Kyra asks.

”Look on the bright side! At least we’ll have a great story to tell later at parties!”, Sienna says.

”You're the only person who would look at the bright side, Sienna.”, you reply.

Making sure no one sees you, all five of you manage to sneak into the closet miraculously without anyone noticing. You notice the sound system, a list of soothing piano melodies lined up to play over the speakers.

”Who’s flipping the switch?”, you ask. No one makes a move. You groan.

”Fine! I'll do it. At least before someone notices, we’re here.” You tentatively step up and familiarize yourself with the sound system. Making sure not to disturb anything else, you carefully search up WAP, hoping it's not there but yet it's there.

”They have the damn song. Sorry ladies, but at least if you get a heart attack, we have seven doctors here.” You signal to the girls, 5...4...3...2...1! You click the button as you and the girls rush out of the closet and the salon without anyone noticing.

Bryce looks at you. ”It's done. I've queued at full volume.”, you reply after catching your breath.

”What the hell are you guys even talking about?”, Elijah asks. Just then, the familiar bass beat and interesting lyrics play. All of the girls cringe as the boys’ faces morph into pure utter shock. Bryce just stands there with a smirk on his face. You can hear the pure chaos and shouting from the salon, the song attracting people’s attention.

”OH MY!”

”WHAT IS THIS?!”

“TURN IT OFF!”

”THIS ISN’T RELAXING!!”

”YOU KNOW, MY GRANDSON LISTENS TO THIS!”

“HEY, MINE TOO!”

“WE MUST BE THE COOL GRANDMA’S!”

”TURN THE DAMN SONG OFF!”

”WHAT KIND OF MUSIC IS THIS?!”

“TURN THE FUCKING SONG OFF KATE!”

“I WOULD, BUT I CAN’T!”

All of you just stand there as Bryce doubles over in laughter. Soon the damn song is turned off.

“...I can’t believe we just did that.”

“Me either.”

“Hey! All of you!” You all whip around and see one of the store employees glaring at you.

“Time to go!” Bryce says as he spins around and runs to the stairs. You all follow suit as Phoebe helps Elijah escape through the elevator, sprinting down the stairs until you reach your car.

“Bryce! You idiot!”, Jackie exclaims.

“My feet hurt!”, Sienna says.

“Nice job girls.” Just then your phone rings, you see it’s Liam. You answer it, placing it on the speaker as you start the car.

“Hey, Liam.”

“Where are you? And why are you so out of breath?”

“Long story. We’ll be back in 15 along with a huge appetite.”

“I look forward to that story of yours.” All of you laugh and joke about the crazy dare as you drive back.

General PoV:-

Soon Arielle and her friends are seated at the huge dinner table, waiting for their lavish dinner.

“So, the first course will be out in 15 minutes. Followed by another main course and lastly a special dessert course.”, Liam says. “I have a list of different main courses according to dietary restrictions, everyone just pick out your favorite course.” After everyone chooses, you all start discussing your favorite restaurants when Bryce perks up. ”Guys, let's play a game?"

"What do you have in mind Lahela?" Jackie asks making Bryce grin.

"Truth or truth!" Bryce answers excitedly.

"It's called truth or dare, meathead," Jackie rolls her eyes.

"No, it's called 'truth or truth', " Bryce corrects Jackie. "There's no option for a dare at all. Only truth."

"Ooh!" Sienna makes an exciting sound, "Think how many dirty secrets or embarrassing stories of each other we'll be able to know! I'm in."

Bryce's grin becomes broader," That's the spirit!"

One by one they all agree to it except one. All the heads turn to Jackie and she grimaces, "Fine! I'm in too."

Bryce and Sienna squeal excitedly, making the rest of you smile. "But before we start I have something to show," Sienna says while pulling out her phone. She shows everyone an old picture of Landry, drunk and clad in a giraffe onesie. Landry’s face goes red as everyone laughs. Before anyone can tease him any more, Landry diverts the topic, " How do you play the game?"

"Just like truth or dare but without any dare," he explained before looking around, "We'd need a bottle for spinning."

"I'll go and bring one," Raf says and moves to the bar. Bryce wolf whistles soon after. As Arielle follows his gaze she finds Rafael smiling in a shy but flirty manner with the bartender. The bar isn’t much far from their table so once the bartender moves inside Bryce tries to grab Rafael's attention and when Raf looks back, Bryce winks, and Rafael shyly smiles.

He comes back after a few minutes with an almost empty bottle. Placing it on the table he asks, "Who wants to go first?"

"Since you are the one to bring it, so why don't you go first?" Sienna says.

"No, no," Rafael says hesitantly," It’s Bryce's idea. He should go first."

"Oh, no bro. You start," Bryce insists. They keep fighting about it when Jackie interrupts their fight. Grabbing the bottle she yells so that the guys fighting would stop, "I'll go first."

Jackie spins the bottle and it lands on Sienna. you can see her smirking for a second before she switches back to her poker face. "What's the deal between you and Danny?" She asks as sienna’s face becomes lightly flushed

"Wh- I- We are friends, Jackie. " Sienna somehow managed to say trying her level best not to blush. Everyone's busy teasing her when Arielle notices a slight blush that crept on her cheeks and a well-hidden smile on her face. Arielle smiles to herself understanding what exactly is going on between the two. And before the gang spoils it, you try to divert the topic.

"Stop it guys.”, Arielle smiles at Sienna, "Leave her alone. She said they’re just friends."

"Ugh...You’re no fun Arielle.”, Bryce pretends to be disappointed but fails miserably.

Kyra spins the bottle next, which stops at Rafael. Kyra pretends to think for a minute before asking her question. Kyra smirks as she asks, " Who's your crush in this room?"

Rafael blushes at the question and looks in the direction of the bar, where the female bartender is mixing up some drinks. He looks at her with a smile before turning back with a shy smile. He shakes his head, answering Kyra's question but you all already know the answer.

After Kyra, it's Bryce's turn. Bryce spins the bottle more enthusiastically than others. After spinning a few rounds it stops at Arielle. Bryce smirks before asking, "What's your relationship with Liam?" The mischievous glint in his eyes is visible.

"He's my best friend, Bryce.” Arielle reply with a roll of her eyes.

"Sureeee!" Bryce grins again, "Now spill the beans."

"I already said it already, Bryce.", Arielle says. , "He's my best friend since middle school."

"C'mon Arielle, you can tell us. It’s not like we’re going to announce it to the world," Jackie smirks.

Sienna looks at Arielle as they share a look. She decides to help her out. "Guys stop teasing her."

"You two should stop saving each other and let us have fun instead.”, Jackie says. You mouth a thank you to Si.

“My turn.” Elijah spins the bottle and again it lands on Arielle. “Now Bryce, you’ve got to know how to ask the right questions.” He turns to Arielle, “...Have you ever kissed Liam?” Arielle groans as Bryce and Jackie smile.

“Ooh, this is going to be good.”, Jackie grins.

“...I have. Not romantically or anything! It was a dare in 9th grade and people thought it was fun to make best friends kiss.”, Arielle reluctantly replies, quickly comes to her defense. Nevertheless, everyone teases her until Arielle tells them that he’s engaged and a soon-to-be dad.

“Okay, okay! We’ll stop.”

Not wanting to get back to the previous topic, Arielle spins the bottle. It stops at Phoebe. She smiles mischievously knowing exactly what to ask.

“So Phoebe...who would you go on a date with here?” Simultaneously, Phoebe and Elijah both blush as their eyes accidentally lock.

“Ooh, I think we already know the answer…”, Jackie says. But before Arielle can tease them anymore, a delicious mouthwatering scent interrupts her.

“Dinner is served. Or at least the first course.”, Liam says. Plates of bruschetta, glasses of wine, and different bread baskets are set in front of the gang.

“Oh wow…

“This smells amazing!”

“You’re right about that!”

“I hope everything is to your liking. I’ll be back in 20 minutes with your main courses.”, Liam says.

Everyone digs in, enjoying the peace for a few minutes until Kyra pipes up, “So I’ve been meaning to ask. How did you guys even find us?!”

“So here’s how it started...”

Bryce’s PoV (a few hours back):-

”Guys, I know this hurts but those girls are all smart-asses and we’re never going to find them cause they’re going to hide in some place that we won’t step foot in.”, you say.

“Then why did you ask us to play the game?”, Raf asks.

“Cause if we find that place, we’ll be able to give them a dare.”, you reply.

“We only have 10 minutes.”, Danny says.

“What if we look up all the stores and see which ones fit our category?”, Elijah says.

“Great idea dude!”, you reply as he pulls up the mall’s list of stores on his phone.

“Hmm, what about the spa? Or the nail salon?”, Danny asks as he looks over the list.

“Those should be good places.”, Elijah says.

“How much time left is there?”, Raf asks.

“There’s still 3 minutes.”, you reply.

“Meanwhile, check out which floor they’re on. We don’t want to waste time searching.”, Landry says

“Got it, there’s a spa on the ground floor a little towards the escalator and the salon’s on the fifth floor towards the back of the mall.”, Elijah says.

“Great, 10 minutes are over. Let’s go boys.”, you say as you rush to the mall.

Soon you and the boys are split into two groups, Elijah, Danny and Landry go to the spa while you and Rafael are searching Sephora’s aisles for any sign of the girls.

“Remind me again why we’re here Raf?”, you ask.

“I mean, girls always spend hours at Sephora. And I’ve never stepped foot in one so…”, he replies.

“You’re right about that. I mean did you see the looks of the employees when we actually started to ‘browse products’?!”, you add laughing.

“Damn it! They’re not here!”, you say.

“The others didn’t have any luck either.”, Raf says as he flashes the text in front of you.

“Uhh...okay. Tell them to meet us on the fifth floor.”, you say as you rush to the escalator. After a very quick ride on the escalator (consisting of parents shouting at you for running) you meet the guys at the top.

“No sign of the girls, Bryce. They have to be in the salon.”, Elijah says.

“Then let’s go.” After a thorough search of the store along with scoldings from rude women, you’re finally kicked out by a store employee.

“I don’t want to see you five ever again. Or else I’m complaining!”, she says as she drags you out.”

“Now what are we going to do?”, Elijah asks.

“I’m not doing a dare!”, Landry says.

“Guys think! Where else would the girls hide?”, you ask.

“I don’t know, these are the only stores I can think of.”, Raf says. You look around in exasperation when a certain pink striped bag catches your attention. Taking a few steps back, you look around the mall until you spot the damn store. The boys notice your look. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”, you ask. Their faces all have surprised looks.

“Of course! That’s the only place they would hide!”

You all run to the sixth floor when suddenly Landry stops you all. “Look, Arielle’s standing there!”

“Of course Elle has some plan.”, you think.

“We need to sneak up on them.”, Danny says.

“But how? Arielle definitely will see us.”, Raf says.

“There’s only one more minute left! We’ve got to do this now!”, Landry exclaims.

“That’s it! I bet that Ari will go inside when there’s only a little time left. We’ll have to sneak up on them then.”, Elijah excitedly says.

“Damn Elijah, I like your idea even better. The girls will think that they’ve won.”, you say.

“What about the dare?”, Raf asks.

You smirk deviously. “I’ll tell you when the time comes. Now let’s go give those girls a heart attack.”

Arielle’s PoV:-

“Damn, that was some smart-ass thinking.”, you say.

“Although it might have hurt Bryce’s ego to call us all smart-asses.”, Kyra jokes.

“Not might. It definitely would have hurt!”, Jackie says as you all erupt into laughter.

“What would have hurt?” You turn around to see Liam placing everyone’s pick in front of them.

“It’s a long story.”, you reply with a smile.

”Well, I look forward to hearing it. But I have a cake to decorate.”, he says winking at Jackie.

“I still don’t believe you, Arielle. Like not even a middle school crush?”, Bryce says as he takes a bite.

“Ugh...why are you so annoying!”, you playfully hit him.

“Okay, now all of you be quiet. Food like this deserves all the attention.”, Sienna says. Everyone only nods as they finish off their plates. Another 30 minutes later, you all are stuffed and talking about being stuffed.

“Ohh my god, I’m sooo full…”, you say.

“Seconded.”, Bryce says.

“Yep, Me too.”, Elijah says.

“Well, that’s too bad. I make a mean cake.” Liam says as he brings a huge three-tiered cake with a bunch of candles.

“Ahh! Look at all those cute fondant decorations!”, Sienna chirps.

“Pink?”, Jackie asks.

“Trust me, you’ll like it.”, Liam says with a smirk. He hands you the candles as he sets the plates and serving tools down then heads back.

“Aand...that’s the last one!”, Phoebe says as she places the candle in the frosting.

“Wait, Wait, Wait! We need to take a picture.”, Danny says. He and Sienna quickly position everyone for the photo as Bryce sets up a table for the camera. You, Kyra, Sienna, and Phoebe stand in the front as the boys stand in the back. Jackie sits in the middle on a stool.

“Guys, are you ready? I’ve only set the camera for thirty seconds!” Bryce says.

“Okay, 3...2...1!” Bryce quickly runs towards you and squeezes behind you. All of you pose as the camera flashes after a few seconds. You all rush to check it to find it perfect.

 “...I think that’s the first time that the first picture has come out amazing.” Everyone laughs in agreement. 

 “Okay, now let’s take a few more and then cut the cake!”, Sienna says. After a few more pics Jackie stands behind the impressive three-tiered cake, ready to cut into it. Sienna snaps a picture after lighting the candles as you all count down. 

“5...4...3...2...1!” Everyone erupts into applause and laughter as Jackie blows out the 28 candles cuts the cake. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to Jackie!” 

“Now, everyone knows that whoever you feed the first piece of cake is who you love the most!”, Bryce playfully says. Jackie suddenly pushes a piece of cake in your mouth, smearing your lips with frosting. Sienna snaps another pic. 

 “Wha- Heyy!”, you say, mouth full of cake. You take a piece of cake and return the favor, but not before smearing it on her cheek. 

“OH MY GOD! THE DAMN CAKE IS DRENCHED IN BOURBON! OKAY, THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY CAKE EVER”, Jackie yells. You laugh. 

“It’s Mark’s special cake. He makes a sponge chocolate cake and after decorating it, he uses a syringe to fill the cake with alcohol.”, you reply as everyone gets more eager to taste the cake, As Sienna takes pictures and shows then to everyone, Jackie feeds everyone a small bite of cake.

 “Oh damn, that’s good!” “Wow…” “Yummy!” A few minutes later, your phone chimes with a notification for Instagram. You open it to see Jackie’s latest posts.

“ZAID’S ON INSTAGRAM?”, you shout.

 “I know right?!”, Kyra says. 

“Never thought that he would comment.”, Jackie says. 

With Jackie distracted, Bryce takes this opportunity to smear a lot of frosting on her face. “Bryce! I’ll make you pay for his, dumbass! And Sienna, delete that damn picture!”, Jackie shouts playfully as she heads towards the bathroom.

 “I’ll go help her.”, Kyra says following her. 

“Sienna quick! Get the gift basket!”, Bryce says.

 You look at him, raising an eyebrow. “What? You thought I did that for fun?” He flashes you this ridiculous smirk making all of you laugh. You hold the gift basket behind you as Jackie comes back.

 “You do know I have eyes right?”, Jackie says looking behind you. 

 “Well then...surprise!” You hand over the heavy gift basket with everyone else. 

“I’m looking at this tomorrow. I’m too drunk and too spoiled with surprises. Now, where’s that cake?!” After everyone gets a piece, you all indulge yourselves in the rich chocolatey bourbon filled cake as the night dwells on.

 “Okayyy...I think it’s time we all head home.”, Kyra says.

 “Mhm…”, you agree as you stretch. “I think we all agree.”, Jackie says. Kyra, Rafael, Danny, and Bryce all leave in a cab after saying their goodbyes.

 “You guys take a cab. I’ll be there a little while later.”, you say. Everyone leaves leaving just you to take in the beautiful view of downtown Boston. 

“Thought I’d find you here.” You swivel around to find Liam looking at you. 

“What do you mean?”, you ask quizzically.

 “I’ve been your best friend since middle school. I know you better than yourself and I certainly know when something’s wrong.” 

 You sigh. “Is it that obvious?” 

 He nods. “You don’t have to tell me right now.” 

“I know. I just don’t feel like ruining a perfectly good day.”, you say.

 “Why don’t we head to my place? I’ll put on Grey’s and you can lecture me on all the medically incorrect terms.”, he says with a smile.

 “I don’t know, I have work tomorrow…”, you say.

 “Last time I checked, nothing stops you.”

 “Fine, let’s go. But can we take my car? And can you drive? I’m drunk.”, you blurt out.

Liam chuckles, “I can tell genius, come on.” After a quick ride, you find yourself in a sleek and elegantly furnished three-bedroom apartment.

 “Nice decor.” 

“I’ve always had nice taste.”You snort. “Do I need to remind you that I helped you redo your room before high school?”

 “I knowwww…”

 “Yep, you’re drunk alright. Ava should have some clothes in there, take whatever you need.”

 “You sure she won’t mind? And where is she, by the way? It’s been so long since I saw her.”, you ask.

 “She’ll tell you herself in the morning. You do remember that you both wore each other’s clothes in high school?” 

 “Ohh yeah, I remember alright. I practically lived in her room during all of our tests.”, you say as you head into the room he pointed to. After finding a pair of sweats, you change into them. Heading out, you see Liam having laid out a few snacks for himself, water for you, and some throw blankets and pillows. You flop on the cushions and cover yourself with a fuzzy blanket. “What season?” 

“Whatever you want. All of them have some kind of inaccuracy.” 

 He laughs. “I forgot how you drag your words and become painfully straightforward when you become when you’re drunk.”

 “Nooooo...that’s not me!”, you say sarcastically. 

He plays the pilot episode. “You know, I feel like I can kind of relate to Meredith.”, you say.

 Liam gives you an incredulous look. “Not in the mood to explain.” You try to focus on Derek and Meredith’s banter but your eyelids are droopy. Lastly, all you can see is Liam tucking a pillow under your head as sleep overtakes you. 

Part 1 of taglist:- @kaavyaethanramsey @rookie-ramsey @caseyvalentineramsey @hopelessromantics4life @realmrsramsey @mysticaurathings @binny1985 @maurine07 @alina-yol-ramsey @helloitsthiv @tsrookie @arcticlumineer @mary-c92 @sad-satan-herself @whippedforethanfreakingramsey @archxxronrookie @ethansrookie02 @semanticsandsea-lemons @mrandmrsramsey @nikki-2406 @deepikakkannan @siaramsey @katkart122 @openheartthot @imonlybibecauseofethanramsey @akshara16 @luvevelynclaire @literaryexpress @miss-smrxtiee @nadeen-ahmed11 @mrsalanrickman394 @drstellavalentine @ethandaddyramseyx @annekebbphotography @custaroonie @ladyrileybrooks @robbies-sutcliffe @cralinedp @bladesofopenheart @ezekielbhandarivalleros @daddyethanramsey @romewritingshop @lilyvalentine @xpandabeardontcarex @in-love-with-a-trans-girl @coastalengineer @starrystarrytrouble @clowneryme

[skzpoet]

soulmates

Hyunjin / AU

Summary: Everyone talks about it. Everyone talks about soulmates. Everyone talks about meeting their soulmate in the most romantic way and how them trusting the ways of fate, was easily the best decision they’ve ever made. But not me. I haven’t met my soulmate yet, and I don’t think I will.

Genre: soft, fluff

—

Everyone talks about it. Everyone talks about soulmates. Everyone talks about meeting their soulmate in the most romantic way and how them trusting the ways of fate, was easily the best decision they’ve ever made. But not me. I haven’t met my soulmate yet, and I don’t think I will.

Many people have met their soulmate by the age of 20. I turn 21 in a week. I have seen no sign of my soulmate in the 20 years I have existed. Some have their soulmates name on their wrist. Some have an outline of a puzzle piece somewhere on their body and their soulmate is the missing piece. Some even dream about them. But me? Nothing. I came to terms with not finding a soulmate a couple months ago. I stopped checking my body for clues a week ago.

My friends pity me. They already have their person. Anytime we hang out, they give me this sympathy look and i always roll my eyes at them. I’m fine being alone, because that’s all I’ve ever known. After all, how can i yearn for something that I never had?

-

I work at a small coffee shop right in the middle of San Francisco, California. You would expect it to be busy because of the location it is in, but it’s the opposite. Starbucks is right next to us so most of the business goes there, but I don’t mind it. People who come here, are mostly elderly people and some teens who are just looking for something cheap on the way to school.

It’s currently 5:30pm and the store closes in 30 minutes. Because of it being the weekend, we close an hour early. Today felt long so I was excited to go home. I took the mop out of the supply closet and got to cleaning the main lobby when the bell to the front door went off.

“I’ll be with you in a second!” I say loudly so the person could hear me. I hear a small “okay” in return. I finished mopping the section I was doing, and set the mop to the side. I walked to the register wiping my hands off on my apron. “What can I get you today?” I say still looking down to the register, pressing buttons to get the persons order ready.

“Umm..” I look up to see his fingers tugging his bottom lip as he stares at the menu, deep in thought. I take this chance to admire him. He wore a beanie that covered his hair. He was wearing a buttoned up coat, but underneath was a black and white striped turtleneck. I admired his style. Something about his style though, didn’t seem like the typical San Francisco style you see everyday. It makes me wonder if he’s from California.

“Did you catch that?” He said snapping me back to reality. Redness forms to my cheeks as I noticed him catching me starting at him for too long. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry. Could you say it again?” I look down to the register, fearing I would stare too long if I looked at him again. He gave me a slight chuckle before saying his order again.

I immediately started on his drink as he stands by the counter browsing through his phone. I take this opportunity to look at him some more. He’s tall. Like, really tall. If I ever hugged him, his chin could fit perfectly on the top of my head.

Wait. What? Why am I thinking about this? Am I okay?

I blush again. Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts. I finish making his drink.

“Here’s your Americano...” I trail off, not knowing his name. He looks up from his phone and then to me. “Hyunjin.” He says with a smile.

“Hyunjin.” I say. I return the smile. He grabs the drink from my hand and stands there for a little bit. It seemed like he wanted to ask a question.

“What’s your name?” He asks. I stumble with my words before I finally say, “Y/N.” I look at him more, studying his face.

“Y/N.” He says and smiles, repeating my actions from a few minutes ago. He walked backwards towards the door, still looking at my face. “Goodbye, Y/N.” He turns around and just like that, he’s out the door. I let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I took a few minutes to collect myself again before returning to my duties.

Fifteen more minutes until I could close the shop and go home. My mind was full of Hyunjin and the interaction I just had with him. He was the prettiest boy I ever saw. His smile reminded me of honey. Sweet and golden. He had that type of smile that could be put into an art museum. He is art.

My thoughts get interrupted by a sneeze. “Bless you.” I say immediately. “Thank you!” The voice said back.

I finish my duties and close the shop. I turn the lights off in the back where only employees can go and then make my way to the front. I pick up the chairs that were in the lobby and placed them on the table. Afterwards, I got my keys and turned off the last light.

Wait.

I look around me and view the store. It was silent. Nothing was running. It was dark and the only thing you could hear was my keys dangling by my side.

I’m the only one here. I thought to myself. So who sneezed?

I drove home replaying the events from tonight. First meeting Hyunjin and now the sneeze which i’m positive I heard but now beginning to think i’m going crazy. I heard the sneeze and the response “thank you” so clearly and the voice sounded familiar. Was I going crazy? Probably. I sighed and continued on my drive home.

-

I unlocked the door that led into my home. I saw my mom and my brother sitting in the living room watching something on Netflix. I heard the all too familiar sound of paws on the hard floor meaning my dog knew I was home.

I set my stuff down near the door and leaned down to welcome my dog with open arms.

“Hi baby!” I was attacked with kisses all over my face and her head butted mine from excitement. My mom noticed what was happening and turned her head towards me. “Dinner is on the counter.” She said softly. I got up from kneeling and picked up my stuff. “I’m not really hungry, thank you though.” I walk towards the kitchen to get water.

“Y/N?” I stop. I turn around to see who was calling my name. My mom and brother were still sitting on the couch, their attention glued to the TV.

“Did you guys call my name?” I ask both of them. “No.” They both said in unison, not taking their eyes off the TV. I shake my head, ignoring the voice that I happened to have heard for the second time tonight. I grab water and quickly head up stairs.

I grabbed my laptop and sat on my bed. I opened my laptop and went to Google. Searching for something I swore to never look up anymore. Soulmates.

Don’t know if you found your soulmate? Here’s 10 common clues to look for!

I clicked on the link and scrolled through the article.

“Finding your soulmate is not only exhilarating but also scary if you don’t know the signs! In this article we found the top 10 telltale signs of finding your soulmate. According to data taken from all around the world, we gathered a list of things to look for on your body or your surroundings to see if you found your soulmate..”

I scroll further into the list, holding my breath.

There’s no way this can be real, right?

1. Their name is on your wrist.

2. You dream about their life.

3. You have a puzzle piece or an outline of a puzzle piece somewhere on your body.

4. You can decide their day to day life by making choices for them

5. You can taste what they’re eating

6. You can read their thoughts

7. Your eye color changes to theirs

8. You only can speak their name until you find them

9. Your world is in black and white until you find them

10. You can hear their voice when no one around you can

My breath hitched in my throat. My heart rate sped up. It can’t be, can it? Am I crazy? Did I actually hear someone’s voice?

It didn’t help that I couldn’t hear his voice right now. Whoever he is. He knew my name, so maybe I do know him. I clicked on number 10 to see if it can give me more information.

“Number ten is less common. It wasn’t discovered until 2 years ago, where someone thought they were going crazy because they heard someone’s voice. Don’t worry! That’s just your soulmate talking to you. How does it work though? Well, according to the now couple who discovered it 2 years ago, they said they couldn’t hear each other’s voices until they met in person. And after that, anything they spoke, the other person could hear. Meaning, if you can hear someone’s voice and no one else can, high chances are you recently met them!”

“Hyunjin.” I whispered. I closed my laptop and sat straight up. I pace around my room chewing on my thumb. “Hyunjin” I say again, but louder. “I think you’re my soulmate. But I could totally be wrong and be crazy and just be completely talking to myself. I don’t even know how this works or if I’m doing this right. But again, you could totally not be my soulmate and i’m just talking to mys—“ I get cut off from the familiar voice i’ve been hearing all night.

“Y/N” The voice you’ve been so desperate to hear for the past hour finally came through and you stopped pacing. “It is Hyunjin” he said slowly. I stopped breathing. How is he my soulmate? I have a soulmate? Hyunjin is my soulmate? My mind was running with thoughts. “I finally met you.” He sounded just as relieved as I was feeling right now. “I didn’t think I had a soulmate” I sit back on my bed, listening to Hyunjin. “I’ve waited so long and I just lost hope, you know? All of my friends have their people and they’re in love which is great, but i longed for that feeling for what felt like for an eternity so when I turned 21, I completely lost hope. That is, until I met you.” He was talking fast and I was still at a loss for words.

Everything felt like it was happening too fast, but in reality it couldn’t have been more perfect timing. I waited so long, I waited almost 21 years to have what everyone else had. I lost hope and just when I was fully accepting not having a soulmate, Hyunjin comes into my life.

“I cant believe you’re my soulmate” I whisper. My body longed for him. I want to hear his laugh and his voice. I now understand the love my friends have with their person. I yearn for something I never had. I yearn for Hyunjin. These feelings were consuming me to the point it was too hard to handle them. Without even thinking, I speak to Hyunjin. “We should meet up” I say quickly but hopeful. It was silent. “Hyunjin?” I hope i’m not scaring him.

I hear a knock from downstairs. My dog was barking and I got up from my bed. “Y/N! It’s for you” My mom yelled. My feet worked faster than my brain and I was basically running downstairs. I get to the door, and there stood Hyunjin. I was shocked.

“How do you know where I live?” I ask him going outside and shutting the door behind me. He smiled at me. “I think it’s a soulmate thing?” He laughed. “I don’t really know, I just knew to come here.” He’s beautiful. He’s glowing in the night and I wanted nothing more to kiss him. Is this what it’s like to be with your soulmate?

“You’re doing it again.” he snapped me out of my thoughts while laughing. His laugh was music to my ears. “Doing what?” I felt myself blushing again. “You keep looking at me” he whined, slightly punching my shoulder. It was my turn to laugh. “Look at you!” I pointed to him. “Could you blame me?” He shook his head. “Look at me? Look at you!” His voice matched the pitch of my voice that it was two seconds ago. I shook my head. He rolled his eyes. “Let’s just agree to disagree?” He asked. I nodded my head. We fell into a comfortable silence.

“You wanna go into the city? I’m not from around here, but i’d love to get to know the city.” Hyunjin said stuffing his hand into his pockets. “Yeah of course! Just let me slip into something more comfortable” I turn around to head into the house. “You can come in.” I say extending my hand out. He takes my hand and we walk up the driveway hand in hand.

And in that moment, I was at peace.

#uh this is my first post on here #stray kids #hyunjin #skz fluff #imagine #might edit this later #chan #seungmin #han #felix #changbin #lee know #jeongin #soulmates #au #was i inspired by tiktok? yes #jyp

[dreamingismyart]

[Day 5]

Thursday was kind of a terrible day - relatively speaking. I woke up and then spent three hours on hold with my bank’s dedicated COVID-19 line to postpone credit card & loan payments only to have my call disconnected. Long waiting times are the norm now and since I have nothing else to do, don’t mind too much as long as I get my call answered at some point but after waiting so long and not being able to talk to anyone was really frustrating. 

I then tried to call the number on the back of my debit card to at least get my service fees reduced but the number isn’t taking calls right now :$ So I kept dialling any number for my bank that I could find and finally got someone to pick up ! And they advised calling the dedicated line right at 8am. 

I didn’t really do anything else that day except finish watching the first season of Kingdom - ahhh! It’s so amazing :D 

--

Yesterday was a much better day! I woke up at 7:50am and called my bank right at 8am. I still had to wait on hold for almost two hours but finally got a hold of someone and they were able to postpone everything for 2 months. Then I found a number to call for my chequing account and only had to wait 40 minutes to talk to someone - she was amazing! She switched my account over to one with less service fees and even credited me my service fees for the last 6 months which will be an extreme help to me at the moment. One of my roommates also banks with CIBC so I asked if it was alright if she could be helped as well and the representative said sure so I ran and shoved my phone excitedly in my roommates hand while she was in the middle of doing the dishes. 

I’m super happy with my 2-for-1 call and I’m so happy how amazing my bank has been during this time to me and actually helping those of us that are in need of financial help. 

Since I was in a good mood, I had enough energy to cook a proper meal for the first time since Tuesday. Vy and I made Mapo Tofu :P 

-- Today was the first “weekend” but since I’ve been home since Tuesday, it did not feel like a weekend. I slept in until 11:30 and waited for Vy to wake up so we could try making vegan pancakes - no, we’re not becoming vegan. We just want to conserve our eggs ~! They turned out really amazingly and I’ll definitely be making this recipe in the future, with some tweaks. I love that you can get fluffy pancakes without using eggs. 

Recipe here: The Fluffiest Vegan Pancakes!

I watched a mini-documentary about life in China since the virus. It’s filmed by a reporter that lives in Bejing and after reading the comments, there may be some conflicts with how it was translated but the video footage doesn’t lie. It’s scary but I hope they will be able to recover soon! 

Watch the documentary here: Coronavirus in China

Then I started prepping food for dinner - I made jjajangmyeon ! I based my recipe off of Korean Bapsang’s but used different vegetables since I didn’t have any cabbage but a lot of carrots and potatoes :) It turned out really amazing. 

Recipe here: Jajanmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce) 

I also left the house for the first time today since Tuesday. My roommates wanted bubble tea and I needed danmuji for the jjajanmyeon so we went to the Stockyards to get some groceries at Nations & visit Chatime for take-out bubble tea. 

Many people here aren’t wearing masks but my roommates and I did. There were quite a lot of people inside the grocery store but not many in Chatime. 

I’m not feeling as uneasy about everything as I was earlier this week but I don’t have much of an appetite these days, especially during dinner. Still not sure if it’s uneasiness or my body’s way of coping with the current situation and not needing as much food in order to make everything last longer. 

Grocery hoarding is still an issue but many stores have been able to properly restock and since I bought many groceries to last about 2 or 3 weeks, I’m not that scared about running out of food. And yet I could only eat about 1/3 of my jjajangmyeon before I became full D: 

Since dinner I’ve just been browsing social media/news sites and talking to some friends. Now I’ll watch more Kingdom (yay for season 2!!) and then sleep. 

Goodnight everyone & please stay home as much as possible!

#covid-19 #covid2020 #coronavirus #daily life #toronto life #cooking #pancakes #vegan #vegan pancakes #mapo tofu #jjajangmyeon #stockyards #nations #chatime #face masks #social distancing

[ivyveil]

"I think I love you. Wow that sounds so cliche..."

the one where Harry's a regular but there's nothing regular about him

A/N: This was a blurb from an ask prompt! Enjoy :)

He was pacing against the parameter of the grocery store, each foot stepping precisely in front of the other. His basket swayed in his hand, the other holding up his phone to his ear. He was chattering at a quick speed, speaking with a load of government and legal jargon Y/N couldn’t make sense of. He had been inside for forty-five minutes, yet only had a 5-pound bag of brown rice in his basket.

It wasn’t entirely atypical for him to do this. Harry would come into the grocery mart at least once a week, browsing the shelves and picking up odds and ends. Y/N had nothing else to do during her late night shifts but watch out of the corner of her eyes, how he would walk past the produce at least thirty times before ducking into the section fully, grabbing a bunch of bananas, and heading over to the register. It seemed the most probable that he was attracted to the quiet of the store for his phone calls, how the music playing was kept low, but at a hum loud enough to constitute as background noise.

The mart was usually dead around 10 pm, when Harry would come in, and he would roam around the various shelves, chattering away on the phone as he perused the goods. After roughly fifty minutes was up (yes, it had been going on long enough for her to start timing it mentally), he’d end the call abruptly, put his basket down by the register, and make half-assed small talk.

“Do you have any coupons today?” Y/N began the usual first thread of conversation, which was followed by Harry’s usual shake of the head, a smirk toying around his lips.

“We have one for rice this week.” She reached down below the register to get up the coupon booklet, an inch thick with all the ads for the month. While she rifled through the pages, looking for the one that would save Harry 30% off, he chuckled.

“Always got those savings for me, don’t yeh?” he asked, and she shrugged, mumbling something about good customer service and feeling like she had seen a rice coupon earlier anyway.

He sighed, leaning up against the register, his bottom lip between two of his fingers as he waited.

“I think I love yeh,” he confessed, and while Y/N started, he shook his head, laughing at the scrunch of her eyebrows and the purse of her lips. “I know, sounds cliche, but it’s true. Dunno where I’d be without all the discounts.”

“You’d be paying an average of 30% more.” was all Y/N could think to say, because it was true, and her mind had blanked out except for facts.

It was too late to be dealing with attractive men in suits, buying brown rice and confessing a love that stemmed from coupons.

Harry hummed at that, settling back on his heels. Y/N eventually found the proper coupon (on the third page like she had thought it had been from the start) and she tossed the book back under the register.

“Hear about the bank robbery last night?” Y/N had to run the rice bag over the scanner several times before it finally dinged and rang up correctly. It was a stupid machine, always breaking and had ‘things’ she needed to do to get it to work properly. But her boss never admitted the need for a new one, so she would continue her shifts kicking, nudging, and banging against the register as needed.

It took a bit for her to realize Harry hadn’t answered, and she looked up from the rice.

He was staring at her, his credit card extended out between two of his fingers. His mouth was open, seemingly from shock.

“The bank robbery.” His voice was flat, void of any emotion or light-heartedness it had adopted just a moment ago.

“Yeah, news wouldn’t even say what was stolen. Apparently it was something expensive…” she trailed off, looking at him warily.

That seemed to snap him out of whatever reverie he had been in, and a polite smile graced his lips once more.

“Oh. Yes. Heard about it, sounds like they’re gonna catch the guys, though,” he replied, the cadence of his voice once more leaping towards casual conversation. She took the card out from between his fingers, sliding it along the register.

“Didn’t happen far from here, as a matter of fact. Makes walking home scarier.” Her eyes danced along the products against the wall as she waited for the damn register to finish the transaction.

It had been difficult as of late, to work late night shifts and slip along the alleyways, her pepper spray clutched in the palm of her hand as she flinched at every noise. Not that she hadn’t been careful before, but the added suspense of rising criminal activity had heightened her nerves.

“Police said it didn’t seem like the robbers stayed in town, nothin’ to worry about,” Harry brushed it off, his eyes separated in the rest of his casual manner as they stared directly at Y/N. He spoke genuinely, a bit softer, and she found herself believing him.

“Most likely group of robbers jumping around cities, shouldn’t be hard to catch them if they mess up again.”

“Mess up again?” Y/N repeated. She hadn’t heard anything about that on the news.

Harry froze, his lips parting wordlessly. She noticed then, how dark his undereye bags were, like pressed violet petals against his skin.

Before time could cinch around him, pressuring a response, his phone rang. A saving grace to him, surely, for his entire posture seemed to relax at the sudden noise.

Harry reached over to get his grocery bag, the plastic crinkling loudly in his fingers as the register slowly gutted out a receipt. Y/N snatched it and quickly handed it over to the man, who was tucking his phone between his shoulder and ear. He flashed a smile and a nod at her for the receipt, taking it gratefully and sliding it into the plastic bag.

He didn’t leave right away, however, standing there and listening to whoever was on the other end of the line. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he made noises of agreement, and Y/N stood primly by her register, watching him mostly because there was nothing else to see.

With hurried motions, after sparing a glance at Y/N and seeing she was looking right back, Harry pulled out his wallet again and removed a thin, white card. Shifting his bag further up to his elbow so he could lower the phone briefly, he spoke to Y/N.

“Call this number ‘f anything weird happens, ‘kay?” he asked, and Y/N blinked in response, slowly raising a hand to take the card.

“Something…weird?” she repeated, and Harry mumbled quickly into the phone, before lowering it fully.

“I’m gonna be out of town, dunno when I’ll be back. But if weird shit starts happenin’ here…anything that catches your eye, or feels wrong, call the number and report it immediately. It’s life or death.” His words were shooting out fast now, his eyes alight with something she couldn’t quite place, and just as quickly as she nodded in response, he put the phone back up to his ear, and walked away from the register.

As the door swung shut and she was once more alone in the store, Y/N looked down at the card, shifting it back and forth against the light until a faint font was visible above the number scrawled in pen.

Help anyone running. Race your signs til you leave everyone safe. Do not lose this card.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts here, and check out the rest of my works if you’d like!

#harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #archive of our own #mine #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction #one direction fic #harry styles fluff #harry styles drabble #harry styles blurb #harry styles fic

[shepherds-of-haven]

Hi Lena, Thank you for answering my ask!I see you are very active in both AP and ShOH Tumblrs and on Discord, I’m curious as how you do manage your time or do work on your stories. What does a typical day/week look like for you? Do you have to block out several hours of your time with no distractions to write? What about time for social life? I personally have issues with balancing work, social and fitness life and am just wondering how you’d go about it.

Hi anon, thank you for sending such great questions in! This is a good question and something I’ve actually been trying to juggle for a long time: as active as I might seem online, I’m actually not on Tumblr or Discord as much as I would love to be–there’s just not enough hours in the day! So I’m sorry to anyone whose asks or messages I haven’t gotten to–it sort of eats away at me but I just can’t find the time! 

Juggling a life/work/creative balance is the thing I know all writers and creators struggle with, especially if you’re working or living on your own and have bills (or debt!) to pay. I actually just left a full-time job a few weeks ago, so my schedule now is drastically different from how it was back then, but unfortunately no less busy (especially since I’m about to go out of the country!). Here’s what a typical work day looks like for me right now:

10 AM: Wake up - if possible, answer questions on Tumblr (AP, ShoH)

11-11:30 AM: Answer other emails (usually work or publication related)

12 PM: Make lunch or go out to eat with SO

1 PM: Work (I edit manuscripts and writing projects to make money at the moment, so depending on my workload this can take anywhere from 4-8 hours) or run errands or go to meetings with clients

~6 PM: Make dinner, clean up, shower

8 PM: If not finishing up work, then logistical writing stuff (more questions on Tumblr (including Strange Voyages if I can), alpha testing feedback, Patreon stuff, Discord, etc.); study for law school or go to the gym; spend time with SO (usually gaming or Netflix)

10 PM - 3 AM: Write - I rotate between Shepherds, We Have Always Been Here, traditional novel projects or short stories, and occasionally Apex Predators as the need arises. Sometimes I can stretch it to 4 AM if I’m not too tired and sleep in until 11!

Throughout the day I try my best to pepper in checking out Discord and Tumblr (and by this I mean in the three minutes I have when checking out at the grocery store, waiting for my shower/stove to heat up, brushing my teeth) and keeping up with real life friends, as well. I’m fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule/a patient partner who supports what I do, but it’s pretty crammed as is! I also have to thank wonderful friends like @arcanaofthelost for looking after the server for me and everyone who’s so patient and understanding about my ephemeral presence; I really appreciate it! ❤

As you can see, I spend about 6 hours writing, 6 hours managing other stuff (household and book stuff as well online stuff), 6-8 hours working, and 6-8 hours sleeping. I know not everybody has the luxury of having a flexible schedule like that (and, indeed, if Patreon doesn’t work out I’ll have to forfeit something for a longer job) and not everybody is a night owl like me! I find my best creative hours are from midnight to 3 AM: I know I’m not going to be interrupted by anything (like the need to eat or someone texting me) so I can just settle in and write, write, write!

Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays are reserved for my social life. I’m almost always seeing friends or family or going on a date or to some event on Friday night and Saturday, so during that time I don’t work, check my emails, go online (except to browse), or put pressure on myself to write. If–and only if–I don’t have anything to do (and if I feel inclined) will I take the time to write on Sundays. But it’s more of a “thing to do when I have literally nothing else,” which is rare!

Long story short: don’t beat yourself over having too much to do, anon. Working/going to school (and commuting) takes so much out of the day, and personally it can be so tiring that it’s hard to exercise, take the time to cook or buy a healthy meal, and socialize–add creative work (which can be grueling) on top of that and it can feel very daunting! 

My suggestion is: figure out what time of the day works best for you when writing and start there. Are you a morning person or a night person? Do you find yourself tired when you get home or tired when you don’t get enough sleep? Try and understand the rhythms of your body and work around those. If you feel energized when you get home, maybe you can exercise every other day (M-W-F) and write other evenings (T-TH); same goes for mornings. What’s your social group like: do they tend to meet up on weekends or go out for drinks after work? Try to determine the natural patterns your life falls into and you can work around them!

Most of all: DON’T FALL INTO THE PITFALL OF FEELING GUILTY ABOUT NOT WRITING. This is the #1 reason why writers develop writer’s block or tail off on their projects. Make time for your writing if you feel you really have the burn to create, but DON’T let it become a chore or an anxiety for you. Doesn’t matter if other people are asking you when you’ll update, or if you have a self-imposed deadline in your head. Don’t think, “oh no, I didn’t use my 7 AM hour-block to write, I wasted it by doing something else…” No, you didn’t! Your brain told you it needed downtime by browsing XYZ and you listened for your health! It’s like how they say you know you’re dehydrated when you feel thirsty: if you’re subconsciously “not feeling it” in regards to writing or gravitate towards doing something else or want to sleep in today, listen to your body. Let writing stay something you enjoy and not something you’re beholden to. As soon as you make it a chore in your head, you’ll feel reluctant about doing it!

Thank you again for the thoughtful question and I hope this helped!! 💖

#me #writing #writing tips #advice #advice below the read more #my schedule

[artwork-mystery]

Books and Deals

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader

Genre: ♡ | ♧

Words: 2.6k

Warnings: Slight suggestiveness and language but that's pretty much it

Notes: Semi unrelated but Joonie in glasses is so cute and, and- help please... my heart has turned to mush. Idk what this really is, but as always, hope you enjoy.

Masterlist

Summary: Agreeing with the tall, cute stranger’s deal to share the only book you both happen to want, is the best decision you’ve ever made.

_______

You walk through the double doors and a content smile paints itself across your lips when you fully step inside the building you love the most - the library. The smell of old and new books alike and the calm, quiet atmosphere sends you into a state of complete and utter peace. There's nothing quite like reading a book that captures your entire mind and has you in a whole other world, where everything around you fades into the background and you're completely lost in the words, and lost to reality as you stay glued to the pages.

If there were contests for reading books - which there may be but you're too lazy to even check - you're sure you would be able to win first place, without fail. You're practically a marathoner, a champion, a true master of the books. You've read whole series within weeks - even within days! It's no easy feat and you pride yourself in it; having spent hours upon hours, through entire days and nights, continuously reading, so of course you should be proud of doing something you're not only good at but also love.

When you were younger, it surprised you greatly when people would say, 'I hate reading,' and other utterances because you couldn't fathom how they disliked something so great. True, it's not for everyone, but you often found out that those very same people hadn't even read a book - or at least one of good quality. You admit, not all books are great, but if people just took the time to dig a little deeper and not judge just from the cover of the book, they might be pleasantly surprised. You believe there's a book for everyone - they just have to find it.

You walk into the aisles and skim over the books, browsing, carefully reading the titles in search for a specific book you've heard about that has piqued your interest. You search for a couple minutes and as you make your way down a row of books, you finally spot it, making a grab for the book. Apparently someone else wanted to read the same one because another larger, warm hand grazes your own as you both grasp the leather binding.

Turning your head you're met with a pair of deep, dark brown eyes and you both stay frozen, staring for couple seconds before you left go of the book. You're immediately aware of how handsome this guy is. He's got a soft smile, glasses perched upon on a small, button nose, and a rounder face that makes him seem... squishy. You laugh a little nervously, having been so focused on getting this particular book, you didn't realize someone else had also gone for it. You have been wanting to read this book but you don't mind letting someone else have it; you can always come back later and check it out, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"I'm so sorry, you can have it," you smile warmly, albeit a little awkward.

"Oh, no, I wasn't paying attention," the man says, holding out the book towards you. "Ladies first." A dimpled grin lights his face, eyes slightly scrunching.

You politely decline, poking it back towards him. "Nah, really it's okay, I can always read it later. I'm in no rush."

He shifts his weight, tugging his lower lip in between his teeth in thought. "Hmm, well thank you but I have an idea," he quirks a brow, another soft grin appearing. You look at him expectantly, interested in his thoughts. "If you'd rather wait, that's fine, but I'll propose a deal."

This really could be interesting. "A deal, huh? What's the deal?"

His dimples seem to pop out even more as he shoots you another cute smile. "We could both read it and meet here or somewhere else," he says, eyes watching your reaction.

"You want to meet somewhere to read it together," you ask, not entirely sure about this deal.

"Yes, but if you don't want too... I guess I'll just have to accept your offer and read it myself while you wait." Another grin but the way he's looking at you says that he won't actually go through with that; he'll probably just let you have the book anyways if you decline and he seems like a perfectly nice guy, offering a solution that only makes sense to two book hungry readers. Neither of you will have to wait, and it could be fun to read with someone else, giving your thoughts and discussing it as you go along - like a really small book club.

"Sounds pretty cool, but I'm not sure yet," you say amusedly. "I could be persuaded though."

His eyes shimmer and he bounces on the balls of his feet in his excitement, almost like a little kid, but he's pretty tall so he's like a giant, little kid and it's pretty cute. "Is that so? Well, I know a place that has some great coffee and other things. Free food, drinks, and getting to read this book seems like a nice deal, yeah?"

You pretend to think it over, fingers tapping against your chin for added effect. "Does seem like a good deal. Mhmm, alright deal!"

"Fantastic," he beams, "I'm Namjoon by the way, and you are?"

"I'm Y/n," you smile up at him.

"Y/n," he repeats slowly, storing it away to his memory. "Do you want to meet up here? What day would work for you?"

You don't have any plans or anything scheduled, besides work, which you don't have until another three weeks because of some renovations so you're free for awhile. "Sure, and any day works for me."

He nods his head, lip caught between his teeth, chewing on it before releasing it. "How about tomorrow then? The sooner the better, I always say," he grins lopsided, eyes hopeful.

"Sounds like a plan," you agree, brushing some hair out of your face. His grin only gets bigger, dimples on full display, eyes closed to slits.

"It's a deal then."

Before you had left the library, you had exchanged numbers and set up a time to meet, both of you agreeing on meeting up at 11:30 so you have time to go get lunch. You're currently texting back and forth with Namjoon as you sit in your pyjamas, eating some ramen and laughing at his cuteness; he's really funny and easy to talk with. Your conversations have been very entertaining thus far - going from light and silly to deep and philosophical topics.

As of right now, you're both flirting and joking around.

Namjoon 7:14 PM

I need to tell you something

Y/n 7:14 PM

What??

Namjoon 7:15 PM

I just thought that I should let you know but I'm very accident prone. I don't even know how it happens all the time

Y/n 7:15 PM

Oh no... I'm worried for the book's safety now. Maybe I should have just taken it like I've taken your heart?

You start quietly giggling to yourself, flirting and teasing Namjoon a little is quite fun, and he has a great sense of humor. It's nice seeing how he reacts to you because since you've been texting - which has

Namjoon 7:15 PM

Oh wow. My poor heart. But you were only in it for the book I see... You really just wanted my heart so you could break it and get to the book huh? A heart isn't as tough as a book and you took advantage of that!

Y/n 7:17 PM

Are you guilt tripping me? Because lemme tell ya, it's kinda working

Joon 7:17 PM

Well I had it coming though. I exposed myself!! Can't entirely blame you

Y/n 7:18 PM

Oh okay, then I feel less guilty now hehe

Joon 7:20 PM

You didn't have to break my heart though, Y/n, there are plenty of other ways to obtain something. Like, I don't know... asking?! But actually, you probably should have taken the book. I'm worried for it too haha

You can't even type properly; you're too focused on trying to breathe after laughing so much at his apparent clumsiness, and the way he just rolled with your teasing and flirting, even joking with you back, has you hunched over. The conversation comes to an end and you bid each other goodnight as you get ready for bed.

You wake up more energized than usual this morning, excitement running through your veins as you think about meeting with Namjoon for lunch and your little book club later. A small, quick breakfast is all you can manage to make and eat before you start getting ready and dressed for the day ahead. Once finished getting ready you start walking towards the library, nerves and excitement building up at seeing the tall, handsome and nerdy guy known as Namjoon.

Opening the double doors you're met with the sight of Namjoon standing near a broken chair, face hidden in his hands as he shakes his head, and sighing in exasperation as a lady speaks with him. You slowly make your way over, barely catching their voices.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, I don't even know how I did this," Namjoon apologizes, eyes wide in bewilderment and brows furrowed.

"It's okay, sir, but I'll have to ask that you not use any of the chairs for now," the lady tsks.

"I understand, I'll just-" he pauses as he spots you, "I'll just be on my way." He turns on his heel and walks towards you, a hint of a smile gracing his features but as soon as he gets close enough to see amusement glinting in your eyes, his smile fades and is replaced with a shy grimace.

"You didn't see what happened did you," he inquires. "Please, tell me you didn't..."

You stifle a giggle, keeping your face straight. "I saw everything."

He looks embarrassed and begins holding his head in his hands again. "Hahh... that's great. Now you know to stay a safe distance of five feet away from me, but it's honestly for best," he chuckles lightly.

"I didn't actually see much but I'll keep that in mind," you grin, wrinkling your nose. "I trust you though - not to break me like you break other things. I don't need five feet," you say seriously, putting your hands on your hips.

"That's extremely brave of you," he laughs.

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty brave. Except when flying bugs are involved, then all hell breaks loose - I'm out." Namjoon laughs and agrees.

You guys leave the library and go get lunch quickly. You've come to find out Namjoon likes to make deals. You both just made a deal that whoever finishes their giant milkshake last will have to pay for lunch. You're winning.

"Y/n, slow down! You're sucking way too much and too fast!"

"Well you aren't sucking enough and too slow," you retort.

"I suck the perfect amount and speed, thank you very much," he huffs.

"You're just complaining because I'm winning," you smirk, raising your brows - in what you're to sure to win - victory.

"You suck," he grumbles.

"Better than you do," you say smugly. The both of you make brief eye contact as everything you've both said settles in your brains, cheeks flushing slightly and childish giggles seeping out of your mouths. "Oh my god- I can't... wait-"

"I don't doubt that," he sniggers, and you stop laughing, scoffing.

"Hey! Don't twist my words."

"I'm not twisting anything," he feigns innocence, eyes squinting. "I'm so pure."

"Pure my ass! You can't fool me, mister, I've got my eyes on you.

"Oh, so you're ogling me now?" A mischievous grin breaks out in full capacity.

"Am not! You know what I meant."

"I do. First you wanted my heart so you could take the book for yourself, and now you want even more; you can't keep your eyes off of me. What more do you want! You're quite insatiable aren't you?"

"Shut up and drink your milkshake!"

"I'm not thristy though... but it seems you are."

"I will not hesitate to whoop your butt. This belt isn't just for accessorizing."

"Wow, first date and we're already getting into the freaky stuff now. I didn't know you'd be into-"

You stop him from talking by smacking him a few times and flicking his forehead while he just bursts out laughing into the crook of his arms, shielding himself from your onslaught. You can't help but join him in the laughter, finding talking and joking with each other very comfortable and easy. Reading the book together could prove to be difficult for the two of you. You're both fairly childish and haven't stopped joking since meeting and trying to focus on anything but your new buddy so far is pointless but it's worth a shot.

After finishing lunch, he pays - not without complaint though, he said you cheated somehow - and you both head back to the library to start on the book reading. You step inside the building and see that the broken chair is still there. It looks like a crime scene because there's a bit of tape around it and a sign saying, 'Careful of chair, it's broken," and it seems as if they even tried putting it back together - key word tried.

You glance at Namjoon and he looks sheepishly at you. "I think we better use the bean bags, don't want you breaking anything else while we're here, now do we?"

"Ah, come on, really. Why you gotta attack me like that," he sighs.

"Why did you have to attack that chair, Joonie?"

"I didn't- Bean bags are great! Let's go." You grab his arm as he begins walking away, turning him around to face you again. He blinks at you, cheeks a little red from the nickname you unknowingly called him. "Y-yes?"

"On second thought... bean bags are off limits. We're sitting on the floor, you can't break it."

He throws his head back dramatically but a smile cracks on his lips. "I wouldn't entirely rule that out," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wait what? How the- Nevermind, let's just go, everywhere has potential to be disastrous with you, Joon," you continue teasing.

"Rude but true. Let's make a deal. If I can go the rest of the day with breaking something, you have to go on date with me." His eyes twinkle and his dimpled smile breaks out.

"Are you sure about this?"

He falters for a second - thinking. "Okay, even if I lose, would you still go on a date with me," he asks unsure, eyes pleading.

"Yes, when you do lose, I'll still go on a date. You're really cool and I've had a great time so far." His previous dimpled smile comes, bigger than ever, and you swear his cheeks will burst.

You guys spent hours there and had lost track of time. It was possibly one of the best days of your life; happiness coursing through you as you leave. Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into a couple months, and you're still going strong with Namjoon. You've been on a couple dates since meeting but now you're officially dating; you’re glad you went to the library that day and went looking for that one book that essentially brought you two together. You guys still make a bunch of deals too, which have been crazy, scary, risque, stupid, and all around hilarious. You're sitting next to him in a quiet corner, finishing a new book when he closes it, looking at you with mischief but something else, and as he leans closer your heart stutters in your chest.

"Y/n," he whispers lowly, "let's make a deal." The low tone in his voice sends a shiver down your spine, and you stare, not trusting words just yet. "Whoever falls in love first has to grant the other person a wish," he grins, biting his lip.

"Oh, really,” you quirk a brow. “What's your wish," you ask, feeling a little nervous but excited with the way his eyes pierce your own.

He smirks a little bit, leaning into you, hot breath hitting your ear. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

You've grown accustomed to all the deals made between you two and you're always up for a fun challenge, besides the prospect of having him granting whatever wish - if you win, no, when you win - has your next word coming out with any hesitation. It seems whoever wins this deal doesn’t actually matter because you have a feeling you’ll both end up winning either way.

"Deal."

#bts #bts humor #bts fluff #bts fic #bts fanfic #bts fanfction #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts kim namjoon #kim namjoon #bts namjoon #namjoon x reader #bts fanfiction

[paramedicsuicide]

First responder suicide -- PTSD, or something else?

Its 1:30am. I sit on my computer in complete darkness, having just slept for the past 10 hours. As a Paramedic in a suburb of a relatively small US city, I work 12 hours shifts for 4 straight days. I get 4 days off to recuperate after that, and at this point in my career those days are essential for my survival. Many of my co-workers are not lucky enough to be able to stop at just 4 days, and must work additional overtime shifts in order to make ends meet. The private EMS industry has relatively low wages nationwide. We are the "red headed step child" of emergency services, often hiding in the shadows of police officers, firefighters, and nurses. There is no such thing as a "typical" shift when working in EMS. There are the occasional shifts where I will sit in the parking lot of the local convenience store chain for 12 straight hours without picking up a single patient. The glow of my cell phone screen illuminating my face for each passing person to see the life draining out of my body. The boredom sets in after hour 2.  My legs and butt hurt. I am hungry, but I can't tell if its true hunger or just my body telling me to get up and move. I decide to walk inside to browse the aisles of colorful treats, getting nauseous at the thought of eating "lunch" out of a gas station at midnight for the 3rd day in a row. Despite my disgust, I walk outside with 2,000 or more calories of junk food at a time in an attempt to eat myself to death. "Ill be diabetic by the end of the week" I say to my partner as I open my fudge dipped granola bar. As the career of a first responder goes on, most quickly start to pack on the pounds like a bear preparing for winter. Company policy prevents you from sleeping during your shift, so your food (if you can call it that) is washed down with 16oz of your favorite energy drink to keep you awake and ready to pick grandma up off the floor when she attempts her 2am bathroom run. I have palpitations from all the caffeine. Hopefully one day those PVC's turn into an arrhythmia and the lord takes me. "Anything to get out of this job" I say, as I polish off my second monster of the night.  Morning rolls around. 50mg of benadryl will help me fall asleep after drinking energy drinks all night long. I have severe shift sleep disorder. I am depressed. I just want to sleep. I wake up ready to go after just 4 hours of sleep. Great. Another night of pounding monsters. I punch in 15 minutes early for my next shift and am assigned a call before I am even scheduled to start. I am the only ambulance available in the surrounding 15 square miles of suburbia, and that trend will continue for the next 12 hours. Call after call, I don't have time to finish my paperwork before being sent on the next run. Its 11pm and dispatch calls my unit number for the 5th time today-- "With the fire department for a 1 year old post choking". I have taken 50 calls of the same nature before and say out loud-- "Great, another bullshit call". Every day, nervous parents call 911 over the slightest cough or sniffle which eventually numbs you to the potential of a true pediatric emergency. Its never a real emergency. Until it is. Rolling up on scene after the fire department, I grab my house bag and begin to waddle towards the low income apartment building for the third time this week. I think -- "I should have brought the tablet for a signature so I don't have to walk back outside". Suddenly, a firefighter rounds the corner carrying a limp child like he is holding an offering platter. "That's not good" I blurt out , going from zero to 100 in the snap of a finger. The firefighter tells me the child was eating chicken and rice when he began to choke.  As my partner digs out the pediatric bag valve mask that has been sitting unused in the house bag for an unknown number of years, I set up the suction, only to find an unresponsive, apneic child with a clenched jaw. "That doesn't make sense" I think to myself as I try to peel apart his tiny jaw without any luck. Thank god-- he has a gap in his front tooth that fits a small, 12fr suction catheter. I start to go through the motions. Is he seizing? Nope. Any trauma visible or reported? No. Mom was asked again-- and again says the child was sitting up, eating, and suddenly started choking. What is going on here? With little to be done on scene, I rush to the small local hospital, nervous that the next squeeze of the bag could lodge a piece of food in this kids airway. I am getting good air exchange but his spo2 isn’t amazing. He must have aspirated. Great news. He is now moving his arms, and his eyes just opened. Wait, why is his jaw still clenched? That's not great news. This kid hasn't made a noise. What the fuck is going on. As I roll the stretcher into the small emergency room closest to the scene, I am greeted with that dreaded sentence from the ER Physician-- "why did you bring him here and not children's hospital".  I bite my tongue-- its not the time to have that fight. The kid is now posturing. A few minutes go by and the doctor asks me to get my laryngoscope because the emergency room is not currently stocked with the proper pediatric equipment. Maybe he was right. The thoughts start rushing through my head-- "they are going to kill this kid. I should have just risked it and bypassed. It was only an extra 7 minutes or so further". As I sit there and wait for the next order, new thoughts take over. "Someone shook this kid. There is no other explanation".  Hypertensive, bradycardic, posturing. But mom said he was choking on rice? Where would she get that from? Hmm. She doesn't seem as concerned as a mother should be. She answers a text message while being questioned by the police.  She has yet to ask anyone how her son is doing. The texts start to come in to my phone. "Are you ok?". "I hear you had a bad call. You guys ok?" "WTF was that all about?". I am fine. Any provider who plans to have a lengthy career has to distance themselves from their patients. I can think back to every "bad" call I've taken, and never once have I been able to recall processing a patients face. Its not important. What they look like is irrelevant to my job. Its the circle of life. Some people live, some people die. Its my job to try and make that circle a little bit bigger if I can. Sometimes you are successful, sometimes you aren't. You have to come to terms with that early on. Minutes after calling in service from restocking, the radio chimes my unit number again. "Cold response to the fitness center for a hand laceration". I arrive on scene to find a psych standing out front in his blue paper clothes, clearly having been to an emergency room at least once today. “Hop on in buddy-- take a seat” I say as I shake my head. We drive him 3 blocks down the street to the same emergency room we left just a couple hours prior. I am not greeted like one would expect. Not with "Hello", not with "whats the chief complaint". I am greeted with a sentence that is never good news. "Did you hear?". Our child from earlier had been emergently transferred 6 miles away to the childrens hospital by a specialty transport team. The news from them was not good. "That kid -- he has a brain bleed". My suspicions were confirmed. He was never choking. Someone hurt this kid and tried to cover it up. I know how to handle this, because its not even the first time this situation has happened to me. People hurt kids often enough that I am not even shocked. Stories like this don't make the news *for a reason*. People cant handle stuff like this. No one needs to know that savages live in apartment 3. Some people have to know though. WE have to know. Its not OK. I talk about suicide often. My previous partner was a veteran and has PTSD from being deployed overseas. He has had many friends commit suicide after returning from war, and was concerned about my mental health. That should concern me. He would ask me once a week-- "Are you sure you are ok?".  My little comments here and there come off as jokes to most people. "Id rather die than come into work tonight". "Pull out in front of this semi truck-- we wont feel a thing I promise". "Stage for police? Fuck that. I hope I get shot". In reality, its not a joke. I am not suicidal at this point in my life-- I am apathetic about living. I'm not going to take my own life, but I am definitely not excited when I wake up each morning. This feeling has slowly crept up on me over my almost 10 year career as a paramedic. I tell myself daily that I need to get out before its too late. What will be the breaking point where I become truly suicidal?  I have to answer one question before I leave. "Where will I go?"   I am burnt out. Everyone says "go to nursing school", but the passion-- the fire inside that makes you want to help people has been extinguished for years. Where can you go at 30+ years old with a paramedic certification and no useful degree. I have made financial commitments at my age that makes starting from scratch somewhere at entry level wages an impossibility. What can I do? Where can I go? I am stuck. This job is like quick sand, and I'm up to my shoulders. If I struggle much more it will be above my head. We get to see what goes on behind the curtains of society. How much would you enjoy a magic show if you knew how the magic was performed? That is what life is like for many first responders. Members of the general public get to wear blinders during their day to day lives. There are people who post rants to facebook if the garbage man didn't put their garbage can back in the correct spot. A terrible day for a typical person is a flat tire on the way home from work. They have no idea what happens in their town or city on a day to day basis. They have NO IDEA that 3 doors down, a husband beat the shit out of his wife for the 4rd time this year and she wont tell the police what happened. They have NO IDEA that people call an ambulance from the parking lot of an emergency room because they don't want to wait in the waiting room.  They have NO IDEA that someone in apartment 3 just hurt their baby and tried to cover it up. But we know. We see it all. I have talked with a lot of people who have similar feelings. Its due to me being so open about my apathy towards life. People who I see every day, smiling at their coworkers and telling war stories and laughing. You would never guess these people were at the end of their ropes-- fighting off their own demons. "Make sure they have bagpipes at my funeral". I don't try and talk these people down because they don't want help. How could I help anyways? You cant just "un-know" the things we know. These people just feel comfort in the fact that they aren't alone. I have been lucky that none of these people have taken their lives yet. I know the day is coming. Its been a long time since a co-worker has committed suicide, and the statistics say we are over-due. How will I handle it?

[garypaolucciweb]

Bark App Review

4.5/5

Monitors 24 social media platforms

Offers customizable alert settings

Monitoring starts at $9/mo. or $99/yr.

Visit Bark

Compare

Bark Leads the Pack of Parental Control Apps

Bark is a longtime favorite of ours for social media monitoring. On top of our research, we’ve had multiple kiddos, teens, and parents give it a try. Find out why Bark is our top recommendation for keeping kids safe on social media.

Bark impressed us during testing with its monitoring alerts for 24 social media platforms. We also appreciated the adjustable sensitivity settings and how Bark encourages you to have conversations with your kids about online safety.

Pros

Monitoring across 24 social media apps

Alerts for texts and emails

Compatibility with most devices, including Android and iPhone

Tips to help parents start honest conversations with their kids

Cons

No iOS app

No website blocking

No screen time controls

Bark Pricing and Plans

Type of Plan Cost # of Children # of Devices Trial Period Learn More

Monthly Yearly $9/mo. $99/yr. Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 7 days 7 days Visit Bark Visit Bark

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Bark is going to cost a little more than other parental control apps, but it also does a lot more than its competitors. We think it’s worth the extra $10.

That said, we recommend taking Bark up on its seven-day free trial offer before you opt into a monthly or yearly plan. When you log into your account, you’ll see a countdown of days left in your trial. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid automatic billing.

After the trial period, if you’re certain Bark is the faithful online companion your family has been waiting for, go for the yearly subscription to save money in the long run.

Bark’s Monitoring Features

Most parental control filters shield children from sensitive content by restricting access, but Bark believes safety comes from transparency.

Bark’s founders and board members, who are parents and psychologists, designed this parental control app to encourage open conversations.¹

Unlike some other online filters that rely exclusively on keywords, Bark uses advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to screen social media, texts, and emails.

Parents receive alerts via email or text when Bark detects suspicious activity. Here are the concerns Bark screens for:

Cyberbullying

Sexual content

Drug- and alcohol-related content

Violence

Depression

Self-harm or suicidal content

Profanity

Inappropriate behavior or content

Risky app or website usage

Changes in account activity

Weapons

In testing, we were particularly impressed with how well Bark handles Google’s suite of products. Many middle schoolers and high schoolers now use Google accounts to connect with friends and share content. Often, they’ll use comments in Google Docs instead of chatting on social media.²

While parents seem to be aware of the dangers of Facebook and YouTube, they may overlook Google Docs as a potential source of cyberbullying. Thankfully, Bark does an exceptional job of monitoring Google accounts and sending snippets of concerning conversations and social interactions in its alerts.

Bark’s Adjustable Sensitivity Settings

In our testing, Bark was surprisingly adept at catching slang, acronyms for swearing, and even questionable emoji use. At one point, an emoji-heavy text from an 8-year-old triggered a warning for alcohol-related content because it included a beer mug.

While it’s nice to know that Bark won’t miss anything, all those alerts can get pesky. Bark makes it easy to adjust the settings for each type of concern so you can customize based on your child’s age and how much information you want.

There are three options: relaxed, moderate, and strict.

The “relaxed” setting will alert parents only for the most serious concerns, while “strict” is liable to turn up some false positives. For instance, on the strict setting, Bark flagged an email between a father and son about a haircut appointment as a self-harm risk.

There are a few types of alerts, like those for inappropriate behavior or risky app and site usage, that you can set as either on or off. But the majority of alert settings are customizable from relaxed to strict.

Bark App Installation

One of the challenges of parental control apps is that they can be tricky to install, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. But Bark does an exceptional job of walking parents through each step of the installation process.

For devices like Chromebooks and PCs, it takes just 20–30 minutes to connect one child’s social media accounts and email accounts to Bark. Multiply this by how many kids you want using the app.

Installation gets wonky with iOS devices, though. This complexity isn’t Bark’s fault, as Apple doesn’t always play nice with other platforms and apps. You’ll need to connect your iPhone or other iOS devices directly to your laptop or computer and use Bark’s desktop app to finish the installation process. During testing, the download slowed to a crawl and took 30–45 minutes to complete.

Bark’s Check-in Feature

While Bark doesn’t offer website blocking or the ability to set limits on screen time, it does have a check-in feature. Once connected, you can ask your child to check in, and Bark will notify them and request a response.

A check-in doesn’t give you location information like kids’ GPS trackers do, but it can help relieve some concern when your child is away from home.

Bark’s check-in feature is pretty basic, so if you want to communicate directly with your child on their mobile device, look into the best phones for kids instead.

A Word about Privacy and Parental Controls

You could install a parental control app on your child’s device without letting them know, but Bark discourages this. During the installation process, Bark reminds you to have a frank conversation with your kids about why you’re using Bark and what they can expect.

Experts agree that one of the best ways you can ensure your kids’ safety on the internet is to encourage communication.³ By limiting strict control features and expanding monitoring instead, Bark puts those critical conversations about staying safe online in a parent’s hands.

Bark’s parental alerts do include content and comments from people your child interacts with, but the notifications are only snippets of conversations. These alerts strike a balance between respecting the privacy of others and safeguarding your child.

Bark vs. Net Nanny vs. Qustodio

Parental Control App Logo Cost per Year # of Devices Social Media Monitoring Filtering/Blocking Capabilities Text Monitoring Learn More

Bark Net Nanny Qustodio $99.00 $89.99 $96.95 Unlimited 20 10 24 platforms None Facebook only X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes Visit Bark Visit Net Nanny Visit Qustodio

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Other parental control apps offer the ability to block sites and apps or filter content, but Bark is unparalleled when it comes to social media monitoring.

Because a Bark account includes monitoring for an unlimited number of children and devices, it’s also a great value for big families with lots of gadgets.

Bark FAQs

Is there a Bark iOS app?

While Bark monitors iOS devices, you won’t find Bark’s app in the App Store. Bark does have an app for Android devices and a desktop app—but because you’ll also receive push notifications via text and email, the app is somewhat redundant.

If you’re an iPhone user, we don’t think you’ll miss it much.

How do I monitor my child’s school email accounts?

Many schools use Google’s free products for email, chat, and document management, but kids also use those same tools for social reasons. If you want to monitor their school accounts, you’re in luck—Bark offers this service for free.

Connect with your child’s school, let them know about Bark Schools, and see if they’re interested in joining. Nearly 1,300 school districts (and counting) use Bark to monitor students’ online activity.

I’m concerned about something I saw in a Bark alert. What do I do next?

If you’re worried about something you saw in an alert, you may be wondering how best to address it with your child.

At the bottom of every alert, Bark offers common-sense recommendations about how to discuss the problem with your child as well as discount codes for online counseling services for teens.

Because of this proactive approach, Bark credits its app with averting 51 potential acts of school violence and alerting parents to 99 sexual or online predators in 2018.

Will Bark slow down my computer or my kid’s devices?

Installing any parental control app, including Bark, on your computer or your child’s device may slow it down slightly. When we tested our internet speed before and after installation, the difference was minimal.

Neither the children nor the parents in our test noticed a slowdown during normal online activities like web browsing or email, but it may become more pronounced for high-bandwidth activities like gaming.

Conclusion: Bark Is A Parent’s Best Friend When It Comes to Internet Safety

Open and honest communication with everyone in your family about internet safety for kids is critical. While blocking access and restricting social media may be necessary for young children, it’s not a long-term solution for teaching your child how to stay safe online.

Bark is ideal for monitoring tweens and teens as they venture into social media because it doesn’t infringe too much on their privacy. Easy installation, good customer service ratings, and unlimited access for your entire family and all their devices make Bark’s slightly higher price tag well worth it.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Parental Control Filters Buyers Guide Internet Safety Guide for Kids How Can I Protect My Child From Strangers Online?

How We Reviewed Bark

To test how Bark works, we connected multiple devices used by both young children and teenagers to a Bark account. We experimented with sensitivity filters and monitored alerts over a week’s worth of online activity for both age groups across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Google Docs, text messages, and email. We also considered information from cybersecurity experts on keeping kids safe as well as reviews from other Bark users.4 For our full methodology, you can pop over here and read to your heart’s content.

Sources:

1. Forbes, “This App Aims to Help Keep Your Kids Safe Online Without Helicopter Parenting” 2. The Atlantic, “The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is…Google Docs” 3. Wired, “How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” 4. Facebook, Bark, “Parenting in a Tech World Community Page”; Google Play, “Bark—Monitor. Detect. Alert.”

The post Bark App Review appeared first on SafeWise.

Bark App Review published first on https://kluisbrandkastblog.tumblr.com/

[eraifttt2]

Bark App Review

4.5/5

Monitors 24 social media platforms

Offers customizable alert settings

Monitoring starts at $9/mo. or $99/yr.

Visit Bark

Compare

Bark Leads the Pack of Parental Control Apps

Bark is a longtime favorite of ours for social media monitoring. On top of our research, we’ve had multiple kiddos, teens, and parents give it a try. Find out why Bark is our top recommendation for keeping kids safe on social media.

Bark impressed us during testing with its monitoring alerts for 24 social media platforms. We also appreciated the adjustable sensitivity settings and how Bark encourages you to have conversations with your kids about online safety.

Pros

Monitoring across 24 social media apps

Alerts for texts and emails

Compatibility with most devices, including Android and iPhone

Tips to help parents start honest conversations with their kids

Cons

No iOS app

No website blocking

No screen time controls

Bark Pricing and Plans

Type of Plan Cost # of Children # of Devices Trial Period Learn More

Monthly Yearly $9/mo. $99/yr. Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 7 days 7 days Visit Bark Visit Bark

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Bark is going to cost a little more than other parental control apps, but it also does a lot more than its competitors. We think it’s worth the extra $10.

That said, we recommend taking Bark up on its seven-day free trial offer before you opt into a monthly or yearly plan. When you log into your account, you’ll see a countdown of days left in your trial. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid automatic billing.

After the trial period, if you’re certain Bark is the faithful online companion your family has been waiting for, go for the yearly subscription to save money in the long run.

Bark’s Monitoring Features

Most parental control filters shield children from sensitive content by restricting access, but Bark believes safety comes from transparency.

Bark’s founders and board members, who are parents and psychologists, designed this parental control app to encourage open conversations.¹

Unlike some other online filters that rely exclusively on keywords, Bark uses advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to screen social media, texts, and emails.

Parents receive alerts via email or text when Bark detects suspicious activity. Here are the concerns Bark screens for:

Cyberbullying

Sexual content

Drug- and alcohol-related content

Violence

Depression

Self-harm or suicidal content

Profanity

Inappropriate behavior or content

Risky app or website usage

Changes in account activity

Weapons

In testing, we were particularly impressed with how well Bark handles Google’s suite of products. Many middle schoolers and high schoolers now use Google accounts to connect with friends and share content. Often, they’ll use comments in Google Docs instead of chatting on social media.²

While parents seem to be aware of the dangers of Facebook and YouTube, they may overlook Google Docs as a potential source of cyberbullying. Thankfully, Bark does an exceptional job of monitoring Google accounts and sending snippets of concerning conversations and social interactions in its alerts.

Bark’s Adjustable Sensitivity Settings

In our testing, Bark was surprisingly adept at catching slang, acronyms for swearing, and even questionable emoji use. At one point, an emoji-heavy text from an 8-year-old triggered a warning for alcohol-related content because it included a beer mug.

While it’s nice to know that Bark won’t miss anything, all those alerts can get pesky. Bark makes it easy to adjust the settings for each type of concern so you can customize based on your child’s age and how much information you want.

There are three options: relaxed, moderate, and strict.

The “relaxed” setting will alert parents only for the most serious concerns, while “strict” is liable to turn up some false positives. For instance, on the strict setting, Bark flagged an email between a father and son about a haircut appointment as a self-harm risk.

There are a few types of alerts, like those for inappropriate behavior or risky app and site usage, that you can set as either on or off. But the majority of alert settings are customizable from relaxed to strict.

Bark App Installation

One of the challenges of parental control apps is that they can be tricky to install, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. But Bark does an exceptional job of walking parents through each step of the installation process.

For devices like Chromebooks and PCs, it takes just 20–30 minutes to connect one child’s social media accounts and email accounts to Bark. Multiply this by how many kids you want using the app.

Installation gets wonky with iOS devices, though. This complexity isn’t Bark’s fault, as Apple doesn’t always play nice with other platforms and apps. You’ll need to connect your iPhone or other iOS devices directly to your laptop or computer and use Bark’s desktop app to finish the installation process. During testing, the download slowed to a crawl and took 30–45 minutes to complete.

Bark’s Check-in Feature

While Bark doesn’t offer website blocking or the ability to set limits on screen time, it does have a check-in feature. Once connected, you can ask your child to check in, and Bark will notify them and request a response.

A check-in doesn’t give you location information like kids’ GPS trackers do, but it can help relieve some concern when your child is away from home.

Bark’s check-in feature is pretty basic, so if you want to communicate directly with your child on their mobile device, look into the best phones for kids instead.

A Word about Privacy and Parental Controls

You could install a parental control app on your child’s device without letting them know, but Bark discourages this. During the installation process, Bark reminds you to have a frank conversation with your kids about why you’re using Bark and what they can expect.

Experts agree that one of the best ways you can ensure your kids’ safety on the internet is to encourage communication.³ By limiting strict control features and expanding monitoring instead, Bark puts those critical conversations about staying safe online in a parent’s hands.

Bark’s parental alerts do include content and comments from people your child interacts with, but the notifications are only snippets of conversations. These alerts strike a balance between respecting the privacy of others and safeguarding your child.

Bark vs. Net Nanny vs. Qustodio

Parental Control App Logo Cost per Year # of Devices Social Media Monitoring Filtering/Blocking Capabilities Text Monitoring Learn More

Bark Net Nanny Qustodio $99.00 $89.99 $96.95 Unlimited 20 10 24 platforms None Facebook only X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes Visit Bark Visit Net Nanny Visit Qustodio

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Other parental control apps offer the ability to block sites and apps or filter content, but Bark is unparalleled when it comes to social media monitoring.

Because a Bark account includes monitoring for an unlimited number of children and devices, it’s also a great value for big families with lots of gadgets.

Bark FAQs

Is there a Bark iOS app?

While Bark monitors iOS devices, you won’t find Bark’s app in the App Store. Bark does have an app for Android devices and a desktop app—but because you’ll also receive push notifications via text and email, the app is somewhat redundant.

If you’re an iPhone user, we don’t think you’ll miss it much.

How do I monitor my child’s school email accounts?

Many schools use Google’s free products for email, chat, and document management, but kids also use those same tools for social reasons. If you want to monitor their school accounts, you’re in luck—Bark offers this service for free.

Connect with your child’s school, let them know about Bark Schools, and see if they’re interested in joining. Nearly 1,300 school districts (and counting) use Bark to monitor students’ online activity.

I’m concerned about something I saw in a Bark alert. What do I do next?

If you’re worried about something you saw in an alert, you may be wondering how best to address it with your child.

At the bottom of every alert, Bark offers common-sense recommendations about how to discuss the problem with your child as well as discount codes for online counseling services for teens.

Because of this proactive approach, Bark credits its app with averting 51 potential acts of school violence and alerting parents to 99 sexual or online predators in 2018.

Will Bark slow down my computer or my kid’s devices?

Installing any parental control app, including Bark, on your computer or your child’s device may slow it down slightly. When we tested our internet speed before and after installation, the difference was minimal.

Neither the children nor the parents in our test noticed a slowdown during normal online activities like web browsing or email, but it may become more pronounced for high-bandwidth activities like gaming.

Conclusion: Bark Is A Parent’s Best Friend When It Comes to Internet Safety

Open and honest communication with everyone in your family about internet safety for kids is critical. While blocking access and restricting social media may be necessary for young children, it’s not a long-term solution for teaching your child how to stay safe online.

Bark is ideal for monitoring tweens and teens as they venture into social media because it doesn’t infringe too much on their privacy. Easy installation, good customer service ratings, and unlimited access for your entire family and all their devices make Bark’s slightly higher price tag well worth it.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Parental Control Filters Buyers Guide Internet Safety Guide for Kids How Can I Protect My Child From Strangers Online?

How We Reviewed Bark

To test how Bark works, we connected multiple devices used by both young children and teenagers to a Bark account. We experimented with sensitivity filters and monitored alerts over a week’s worth of online activity for both age groups across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Google Docs, text messages, and email. We also considered information from cybersecurity experts on keeping kids safe as well as reviews from other Bark users.4 For our full methodology, you can pop over here and read to your heart’s content.

Sources:

1. Forbes, “This App Aims to Help Keep Your Kids Safe Online Without Helicopter Parenting” 2. The Atlantic, “The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is…Google Docs” 3. Wired, “How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” 4. Facebook, Bark, “Parenting in a Tech World Community Page”; Google Play, “Bark—Monitor. Detect. Alert.”

The post Bark App Review appeared first on SafeWise.

Aricle source here: Bark App Review

#Blog – SafeWise

[andylocksmithtipsntricks]

Bark App Review

4.5/5

Monitors 24 social media platforms

Offers customizable alert settings

Monitoring starts at $9/mo. or $99/yr.

Visit Bark

Compare

Bark Leads the Pack of Parental Control Apps

Bark is a longtime favorite of ours for social media monitoring. On top of our research, we’ve had multiple kiddos, teens, and parents give it a try. Find out why Bark is our top recommendation for keeping kids safe on social media.

Bark impressed us during testing with its monitoring alerts for 24 social media platforms. We also appreciated the adjustable sensitivity settings and how Bark encourages you to have conversations with your kids about online safety.

Pros

Monitoring across 24 social media apps

Alerts for texts and emails

Compatibility with most devices, including Android and iPhone

Tips to help parents start honest conversations with their kids

Cons

No iOS app

No website blocking

No screen time controls

Bark Pricing and Plans

Type of Plan Cost # of Children # of Devices Trial Period Learn More

Monthly Yearly $9/mo. $99/yr. Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 7 days 7 days Visit Bark Visit Bark

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Bark is going to cost a little more than other parental control apps, but it also does a lot more than its competitors. We think it’s worth the extra $10.

That said, we recommend taking Bark up on its seven-day free trial offer before you opt into a monthly or yearly plan. When you log into your account, you’ll see a countdown of days left in your trial. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid automatic billing.

After the trial period, if you’re certain Bark is the faithful online companion your family has been waiting for, go for the yearly subscription to save money in the long run.

Bark’s Monitoring Features

Most parental control filters shield children from sensitive content by restricting access, but Bark believes safety comes from transparency.

Bark’s founders and board members, who are parents and psychologists, designed this parental control app to encourage open conversations.¹

Unlike some other online filters that rely exclusively on keywords, Bark uses advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to screen social media, texts, and emails.

Parents receive alerts via email or text when Bark detects suspicious activity. Here are the concerns Bark screens for:

Cyberbullying

Sexual content

Drug- and alcohol-related content

Violence

Depression

Self-harm or suicidal content

Profanity

Inappropriate behavior or content

Risky app or website usage

Changes in account activity

Weapons

In testing, we were particularly impressed with how well Bark handles Google’s suite of products. Many middle schoolers and high schoolers now use Google accounts to connect with friends and share content. Often, they’ll use comments in Google Docs instead of chatting on social media.²

While parents seem to be aware of the dangers of Facebook and YouTube, they may overlook Google Docs as a potential source of cyberbullying. Thankfully, Bark does an exceptional job of monitoring Google accounts and sending snippets of concerning conversations and social interactions in its alerts.

Bark’s Adjustable Sensitivity Settings

In our testing, Bark was surprisingly adept at catching slang, acronyms for swearing, and even questionable emoji use. At one point, an emoji-heavy text from an 8-year-old triggered a warning for alcohol-related content because it included a beer mug.

While it’s nice to know that Bark won’t miss anything, all those alerts can get pesky. Bark makes it easy to adjust the settings for each type of concern so you can customize based on your child’s age and how much information you want.

There are three options: relaxed, moderate, and strict.

The “relaxed” setting will alert parents only for the most serious concerns, while “strict” is liable to turn up some false positives. For instance, on the strict setting, Bark flagged an email between a father and son about a haircut appointment as a self-harm risk.

There are a few types of alerts, like those for inappropriate behavior or risky app and site usage, that you can set as either on or off. But the majority of alert settings are customizable from relaxed to strict.

Bark App Installation

One of the challenges of parental control apps is that they can be tricky to install, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. But Bark does an exceptional job of walking parents through each step of the installation process.

For devices like Chromebooks and PCs, it takes just 20–30 minutes to connect one child’s social media accounts and email accounts to Bark. Multiply this by how many kids you want using the app.

Installation gets wonky with iOS devices, though. This complexity isn’t Bark’s fault, as Apple doesn’t always play nice with other platforms and apps. You’ll need to connect your iPhone or other iOS devices directly to your laptop or computer and use Bark’s desktop app to finish the installation process. During testing, the download slowed to a crawl and took 30–45 minutes to complete.

Bark’s Check-in Feature

While Bark doesn’t offer website blocking or the ability to set limits on screen time, it does have a check-in feature. Once connected, you can ask your child to check in, and Bark will notify them and request a response.

A check-in doesn’t give you location information like kids’ GPS trackers do, but it can help relieve some concern when your child is away from home.

Bark’s check-in feature is pretty basic, so if you want to communicate directly with your child on their mobile device, look into the best phones for kids instead.

A Word about Privacy and Parental Controls

You could install a parental control app on your child’s device without letting them know, but Bark discourages this. During the installation process, Bark reminds you to have a frank conversation with your kids about why you’re using Bark and what they can expect.

Experts agree that one of the best ways you can ensure your kids’ safety on the internet is to encourage communication.³ By limiting strict control features and expanding monitoring instead, Bark puts those critical conversations about staying safe online in a parent’s hands.

Bark’s parental alerts do include content and comments from people your child interacts with, but the notifications are only snippets of conversations. These alerts strike a balance between respecting the privacy of others and safeguarding your child.

Bark vs. Net Nanny vs. Qustodio

Parental Control App Logo Cost per Year # of Devices Social Media Monitoring Filtering/Blocking Capabilities Text Monitoring Learn More

Bark Net Nanny Qustodio $99.00 $89.99 $96.95 Unlimited 20 10 24 platforms None Facebook only X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes Visit Bark Visit Net Nanny Visit Qustodio

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Other parental control apps offer the ability to block sites and apps or filter content, but Bark is unparalleled when it comes to social media monitoring.

Because a Bark account includes monitoring for an unlimited number of children and devices, it’s also a great value for big families with lots of gadgets.

Bark FAQs

Is there a Bark iOS app?

While Bark monitors iOS devices, you won’t find Bark’s app in the App Store. Bark does have an app for Android devices and a desktop app—but because you’ll also receive push notifications via text and email, the app is somewhat redundant.

If you’re an iPhone user, we don’t think you’ll miss it much.

How do I monitor my child’s school email accounts?

Many schools use Google’s free products for email, chat, and document management, but kids also use those same tools for social reasons. If you want to monitor their school accounts, you’re in luck—Bark offers this service for free.

Connect with your child’s school, let them know about Bark Schools, and see if they’re interested in joining. Nearly 1,300 school districts (and counting) use Bark to monitor students’ online activity.

I’m concerned about something I saw in a Bark alert. What do I do next?

If you’re worried about something you saw in an alert, you may be wondering how best to address it with your child.

At the bottom of every alert, Bark offers common-sense recommendations about how to discuss the problem with your child as well as discount codes for online counseling services for teens.

Because of this proactive approach, Bark credits its app with averting 51 potential acts of school violence and alerting parents to 99 sexual or online predators in 2018.

Will Bark slow down my computer or my kid’s devices?

Installing any parental control app, including Bark, on your computer or your child’s device may slow it down slightly. When we tested our internet speed before and after installation, the difference was minimal.

Neither the children nor the parents in our test noticed a slowdown during normal online activities like web browsing or email, but it may become more pronounced for high-bandwidth activities like gaming.

Conclusion: Bark Is A Parent’s Best Friend When It Comes to Internet Safety

Open and honest communication with everyone in your family about internet safety for kids is critical. While blocking access and restricting social media may be necessary for young children, it’s not a long-term solution for teaching your child how to stay safe online.

Bark is ideal for monitoring tweens and teens as they venture into social media because it doesn’t infringe too much on their privacy. Easy installation, good customer service ratings, and unlimited access for your entire family and all their devices make Bark’s slightly higher price tag well worth it.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Parental Control Filters Buyers Guide Internet Safety Guide for Kids How Can I Protect My Child From Strangers Online?

How We Reviewed Bark

To test how Bark works, we connected multiple devices used by both young children and teenagers to a Bark account. We experimented with sensitivity filters and monitored alerts over a week’s worth of online activity for both age groups across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Google Docs, text messages, and email. We also considered information from cybersecurity experts on keeping kids safe as well as reviews from other Bark users.4 For our full methodology, you can pop over here and read to your heart’s content.

Sources:

1. Forbes, “This App Aims to Help Keep Your Kids Safe Online Without Helicopter Parenting” 2. The Atlantic, “The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is…Google Docs” 3. Wired, “How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” 4. Facebook, Bark, “Parenting in a Tech World Community Page”; Google Play, “Bark—Monitor. Detect. Alert.”

The post Bark App Review appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: Bark App Review

[lockwisetips]

Bark App Review

4.5/5

Monitors 24 social media platforms

Offers customizable alert settings

Monitoring starts at $9/mo. or $99/yr.

Visit Bark

Compare

Bark Leads the Pack of Parental Control Apps

Bark is a longtime favorite of ours for social media monitoring. On top of our research, we’ve had multiple kiddos, teens, and parents give it a try. Find out why Bark is our top recommendation for keeping kids safe on social media.

Bark impressed us during testing with its monitoring alerts for 24 social media platforms. We also appreciated the adjustable sensitivity settings and how Bark encourages you to have conversations with your kids about online safety.

Pros

Monitoring across 24 social media apps

Alerts for texts and emails

Compatibility with most devices, including Android and iPhone

Tips to help parents start honest conversations with their kids

Cons

No iOS app

No website blocking

No screen time controls

Bark Pricing and Plans

Type of Plan Cost # of Children # of Devices Trial Period Learn More

Monthly Yearly $9/mo. $99/yr. Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 7 days 7 days Visit Bark Visit Bark

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Bark is going to cost a little more than other parental control apps, but it also does a lot more than its competitors. We think it’s worth the extra $10.

That said, we recommend taking Bark up on its seven-day free trial offer before you opt into a monthly or yearly plan. When you log into your account, you’ll see a countdown of days left in your trial. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid automatic billing.

After the trial period, if you’re certain Bark is the faithful online companion your family has been waiting for, go for the yearly subscription to save money in the long run.

Bark’s Monitoring Features

Most parental control filters shield children from sensitive content by restricting access, but Bark believes safety comes from transparency.

Bark’s founders and board members, who are parents and psychologists, designed this parental control app to encourage open conversations.¹

Unlike some other online filters that rely exclusively on keywords, Bark uses advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to screen social media, texts, and emails.

Parents receive alerts via email or text when Bark detects suspicious activity. Here are the concerns Bark screens for:

Cyberbullying

Sexual content

Drug- and alcohol-related content

Violence

Depression

Self-harm or suicidal content

Profanity

Inappropriate behavior or content

Risky app or website usage

Changes in account activity

Weapons

In testing, we were particularly impressed with how well Bark handles Google’s suite of products. Many middle schoolers and high schoolers now use Google accounts to connect with friends and share content. Often, they’ll use comments in Google Docs instead of chatting on social media.²

While parents seem to be aware of the dangers of Facebook and YouTube, they may overlook Google Docs as a potential source of cyberbullying. Thankfully, Bark does an exceptional job of monitoring Google accounts and sending snippets of concerning conversations and social interactions in its alerts.

Bark’s Adjustable Sensitivity Settings

In our testing, Bark was surprisingly adept at catching slang, acronyms for swearing, and even questionable emoji use. At one point, an emoji-heavy text from an 8-year-old triggered a warning for alcohol-related content because it included a beer mug.

While it’s nice to know that Bark won’t miss anything, all those alerts can get pesky. Bark makes it easy to adjust the settings for each type of concern so you can customize based on your child’s age and how much information you want.

There are three options: relaxed, moderate, and strict.

The “relaxed” setting will alert parents only for the most serious concerns, while “strict” is liable to turn up some false positives. For instance, on the strict setting, Bark flagged an email between a father and son about a haircut appointment as a self-harm risk.

There are a few types of alerts, like those for inappropriate behavior or risky app and site usage, that you can set as either on or off. But the majority of alert settings are customizable from relaxed to strict.

Bark App Installation

One of the challenges of parental control apps is that they can be tricky to install, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. But Bark does an exceptional job of walking parents through each step of the installation process.

For devices like Chromebooks and PCs, it takes just 20–30 minutes to connect one child’s social media accounts and email accounts to Bark. Multiply this by how many kids you want using the app.

Installation gets wonky with iOS devices, though. This complexity isn’t Bark’s fault, as Apple doesn’t always play nice with other platforms and apps. You’ll need to connect your iPhone or other iOS devices directly to your laptop or computer and use Bark’s desktop app to finish the installation process. During testing, the download slowed to a crawl and took 30–45 minutes to complete.

Bark’s Check-in Feature

While Bark doesn’t offer website blocking or the ability to set limits on screen time, it does have a check-in feature. Once connected, you can ask your child to check in, and Bark will notify them and request a response.

A check-in doesn’t give you location information like kids’ GPS trackers do, but it can help relieve some concern when your child is away from home.

Bark’s check-in feature is pretty basic, so if you want to communicate directly with your child on their mobile device, look into the best phones for kids instead.

A Word about Privacy and Parental Controls

You could install a parental control app on your child’s device without letting them know, but Bark discourages this. During the installation process, Bark reminds you to have a frank conversation with your kids about why you’re using Bark and what they can expect.

Experts agree that one of the best ways you can ensure your kids’ safety on the internet is to encourage communication.³ By limiting strict control features and expanding monitoring instead, Bark puts those critical conversations about staying safe online in a parent’s hands.

Bark’s parental alerts do include content and comments from people your child interacts with, but the notifications are only snippets of conversations. These alerts strike a balance between respecting the privacy of others and safeguarding your child.

Bark vs. Net Nanny vs. Qustodio

Parental Control App Logo Cost per Year # of Devices Social Media Monitoring Filtering/Blocking Capabilities Text Monitoring Learn More

Bark Net Nanny Qustodio $99.00 $89.99 $96.95 Unlimited 20 10 24 platforms None Facebook only X No ✓ Yes ✓ Yes ✓ Yes X No ✓ Yes Visit Bark Visit Net Nanny Visit Qustodio

Data effective 10/25/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.

Other parental control apps offer the ability to block sites and apps or filter content, but Bark is unparalleled when it comes to social media monitoring.

Because a Bark account includes monitoring for an unlimited number of children and devices, it’s also a great value for big families with lots of gadgets.

Bark FAQs

Is there a Bark iOS app?

While Bark monitors iOS devices, you won’t find Bark’s app in the App Store. Bark does have an app for Android devices and a desktop app—but because you’ll also receive push notifications via text and email, the app is somewhat redundant.

If you’re an iPhone user, we don’t think you’ll miss it much.

How do I monitor my child’s school email accounts?

Many schools use Google’s free products for email, chat, and document management, but kids also use those same tools for social reasons. If you want to monitor their school accounts, you’re in luck—Bark offers this service for free.

Connect with your child’s school, let them know about Bark Schools, and see if they’re interested in joining. Nearly 1,300 school districts (and counting) use Bark to monitor students’ online activity.

I’m concerned about something I saw in a Bark alert. What do I do next?

If you’re worried about something you saw in an alert, you may be wondering how best to address it with your child.

At the bottom of every alert, Bark offers common-sense recommendations about how to discuss the problem with your child as well as discount codes for online counseling services for teens.

Because of this proactive approach, Bark credits its app with averting 51 potential acts of school violence and alerting parents to 99 sexual or online predators in 2018.

Will Bark slow down my computer or my kid’s devices?

Installing any parental control app, including Bark, on your computer or your child’s device may slow it down slightly. When we tested our internet speed before and after installation, the difference was minimal.

Neither the children nor the parents in our test noticed a slowdown during normal online activities like web browsing or email, but it may become more pronounced for high-bandwidth activities like gaming.

Conclusion: Bark Is A Parent’s Best Friend When It Comes to Internet Safety

Open and honest communication with everyone in your family about internet safety for kids is critical. While blocking access and restricting social media may be necessary for young children, it’s not a long-term solution for teaching your child how to stay safe online.

Bark is ideal for monitoring tweens and teens as they venture into social media because it doesn’t infringe too much on their privacy. Easy installation, good customer service ratings, and unlimited access for your entire family and all their devices make Bark’s slightly higher price tag well worth it.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Parental Control Filters Buyers Guide Internet Safety Guide for Kids How Can I Protect My Child From Strangers Online?

How We Reviewed Bark

To test how Bark works, we connected multiple devices used by both young children and teenagers to a Bark account. We experimented with sensitivity filters and monitored alerts over a week’s worth of online activity for both age groups across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Google Docs, text messages, and email. We also considered information from cybersecurity experts on keeping kids safe as well as reviews from other Bark users.4 For our full methodology, you can pop over here and read to your heart’s content.

Sources:

1. Forbes, “This App Aims to Help Keep Your Kids Safe Online Without Helicopter Parenting” 2. The Atlantic, “The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is…Google Docs” 3. Wired, “How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” 4. Facebook, Bark, “Parenting in a Tech World Community Page”; Google Play, “Bark—Monitor. Detect. Alert.”

The post Bark App Review appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: Bark App Review

[jeonjagia]

When the Cherries Bloom in August- Teaser

~It started as a wish, knowing it would never come due. But it grew and grew, till one day it came true. ~

Laying down my pencil I sigh wearily. I need break. The studying for my medical decree is wearing me out. Deciding to let my brain veg a little, I open my laptop and go to YouTube, one of my favorite past times. Nothing new from my vloggers, but, a new video is on bighits channel. Excited, I click it. It's a dance practice, from one of their stages. I watch in awe as they move so coordinated and smoothly. I decide next to post a little visual podcast. I have one for my knitting channel, and one for my Kpop channel, where I do reactions and rant about could be theory's. I rant about current theory's and what I wish could happen if I met BTS, my favorite Korean boy band. I mention that when I get married, I would want them to play at my wedding. I know, really weird and not gonna happen, but you know, one can wish. Once I'm done, I edit my video and upload it. Seeing it is 5:30pm, I decide to stop for the day and make dinner. Living alone in a big city can get, well, lonely. Oh, did I not mention, no big city like LA, or whatever, no, this big city, is one other than Seoul itself. Standing up from my desk, I make my way to the kitchen and see what is in the fridge. Eggs, bacon, ham, milk, lettuce... Nothing really good looking. Then, I remember a simple recipe I watched on line from manchi called samsaek sanwhich. Gathering the ingredients I prepare my small but delicious dinner. I have work tomorrow so I'll have to go to bed early. Early as in 10:00am. My job is not a strict one, well, at least not now. I work at a local flower shop, which I find very entertaining and pleasant. Sighing I head toward the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. The hot water feels so relaxing on my weary skin. Stepping out I love the soft carpet under my feet. I brush my teeth and crawl into bed, thankful for the sleep that comes.

~~~

Ding! My alarm goes off waking me from my wanted sleep. It's 8:00. I like to get up early and get ready for the day. Because I'm a student I don't work much because of my studies. Mostly 4 hour shifts two days a week. I just like the extra money for extra stuff. My company pays for my education and living while I'm here. Stretching as I get out of bed, I make my way to my fish tanks to feed my babies. I have two, one 5 gallon, and one 10 gallon. I love my babies. After I feed them, I begin putting my makeup on, which is not much. Eye liner and mascara. That's it. Pretty bland. Heading into my kitchen I gather ingredients for eggs and bacon. Seeing as its 9:30, I finish breakfast and get ready for work. My shift is 10:00 to 2:30 it's not bad. Gathering all my stuff, I make my way out of my apartment and to the street. Putting my earbuds in I listen to BTS songs on the way to work, being it a 10 minute walk, it's not bad. I hum and sing a little when people are not around, or at least when I think they're not. But, mostly they don't mind. I wait patiently. Waiting at a crosswalk I jam out to war of hormone not really caring who watches me. When the lights changes I walk across and head to work, which is a few stores down from the other side of the cross walk. Entering, I greet my coworker and head to the back to put my stuff away. Coming out to the front, I look at a note from the boss listing little jobs to do to make the store look nicer. Finding an easy one to start off, I gather supplies to feed and clean out the cups that feed the flowers. I place each species in a glass vase then proceed to wash out its container. I do this for the whole rack. I then move on to make the bundles look nicer by getting rid of dead or rotting leaves and old flowers. This makes the choices look much nicer. From there I move  onto custom orders. Finding the papers and pulling out the requested colors and flowers. I arrange them in their assigned vases and try to complete as many as I can before my break at 12:00. Deciding to enjoy myself I walk out of the local snack shop and enter, excited to see what goodies they have. I browse around until I find what I have been craving for weeks. Goldfish. I know I look like an idiot buying two bags of goldfish, but, they're so good! Along with my goldfish I get a bottle of coke to keep me going. Cause we all know college kids live off caffeine, mine just comes in coke, not coffee. After I purchase these items, I sit outside where there is a little sitting area. Bobbing my head to BTS' cypher part four, I munch on my goldfish until my breaks up.

When I return to work, I finish arranging the orders on the list as well as make some customers can buy instead of custom arrangements. By the time I am finished with that, it is time for me to go home. I say goodbye to my coworker and gather my things from the back. I head outside towards home, again listening to music along the way.

Entering my apartment, I place my stuff on the floor and head to my bedroom to change my clothes. They feel so gross after all my work. I change and head to the kitchen to find something to eat. Opening my fridge I see I'm low on food. Sighing I grab some paper to make a grocery list. Deciding to eat out for dinner, I gather my purse and money leaving grocery shopping for tomorrow-the weekend. I head out and think of where to treat myself. Do I want chicken? Noodles? Something spicy? Deciding chicken I walk to the nearest chicken restaurant and enter, breathing in the wonderful scent of fried chicken. It is not usual for one to eat alone in Korea usually everyone has friends. But not me. I am indeed eating alone. Looking at the menu I pick the chicken combo, deciding I can take the rest home for left overs. "Are you ready to order?" The waitress asks kindly. "Yeah, I'll have the chicken combo,with milk if you have some," I ask. She nods. "Yes, we have milk, your order will be out right away," she says as she turns to leave, but pauses, "don't you have anyone else?" "Um-" before I can answer a voice stoops me. "She does, they just haven't shown up yet," What? I think to myself. The waitress turns to see three tall gentlemen dressed sharply. When she sees their faces she bows low, "we'll be pleased to have you dine with us," and with that she leaves. Embarrassed I try not to look at the men, knowing they will try to hit on me. "You look lonely," the first one says. Somehow he reminds me of someone. "I'm fine," I reply tersely looking out the window. I hear the rustle of fabric on leather and wince as I realize they have sat down next to me. "You know, it's rude to ignore your seniors," another says close to my ear, voice so deep and familiar. My eyes widen. No. It can't be. It would never be possible.

#bts #btsfanfiction #btsstories #bts yoongi #bts suga #bts taehyung #btsfluff #cute

[bnymedic]

First responder suicide – PTSD, or something else?

Its 1:30am. I sit on my computer in complete darkness, having just slept for the past 10 hours. As a Paramedic in a suburb of a relatively small US city, I work 12 hours shifts for 4 straight days. I get 4 days off to recuperate after that, and at this point in my career those days are essential for my survival. Many of my co-workers are not lucky enough to be able to stop at just 4 days, and must work additional overtime shifts in order to make ends meet. The private EMS industry has relatively low wages nationwide. We are the “red headed step child” of emergency services, often hiding in the shadows of police officers, firefighters, and nurses. There is no such thing as a “typical” shift when working in EMS. There are the occasional shifts where I will sit in the parking lot of the local convenience store chain for 12 straight hours without picking up a single patient. The glow of my cell phone screen illuminating my face for each passing person to see the life draining out of my body. The boredom sets in after hour 2.  My legs and butt hurt. I am hungry, but I can’t tell if its true hunger or just my body telling me to get up and move. I decide to walk inside to browse the aisles of colorful treats, getting nauseous at the thought of eating “lunch” out of a gas station at midnight for the 3rd day in a row. Despite my disgust, I walk outside with 2,000 or more calories of junk food at a time in an attempt to eat myself to death. “Ill be diabetic by the end of the week” I say to my partner as I open my fudge dipped granola bar. As the career of a first responder goes on, most quickly start to pack on the pounds like a bear preparing for winter. Company policy prevents you from sleeping during your shift, so your food (if you can call it that) is washed down with 16oz of your favorite energy drink to keep you awake and ready to pick grandma up off the floor when she attempts her 2am bathroom run. I have palpitations from all the caffeine. Hopefully one day those PVC’s turn into an arrhythmia and the lord takes me. “Anything to get out of this job” I say, as I polish off my second monster of the night.  Morning rolls around. 50mg of benadryl will help me fall asleep after drinking energy drinks all night long. I have severe shift sleep disorder. I am depressed. I just want to sleep. I wake up ready to go after just 4 hours of sleep. Great. Another night of pounding monsters. I punch in 15 minutes early for my next shift and am assigned a call before I am even scheduled to start. I am the only ambulance available in the surrounding 15 square miles of suburbia, and that trend will continue for the next 12 hours. Call after call, I don’t have time to finish my paperwork before being sent on the next run. Its 11pm and dispatch calls my unit number for the 5th time today– “With the fire department for a 1 year old post choking”. I have taken 50 calls of the same nature before and say out loud– “Great, another bullshit call”. Every day, nervous parents call 911 over the slightest cough or sniffle which eventually numbs you to the potential of a true pediatric emergency. Its never a real emergency. Until it is. Rolling up on scene after the fire department, I grab my house bag and begin to waddle towards the low income apartment building for the third time this week. I think – “I should have brought the tablet for a signature so I don’t have to walk back outside”. Suddenly, a firefighter rounds the corner carrying a limp child like he is holding an offering platter. “That’s not good” I blurt out , going from zero to 100 in the snap of a finger. The firefighter tells me the child was eating chicken and rice when he began to choke.  As my partner digs out the pediatric bag valve mask that has been sitting unused in the house bag for an unknown number of years, I set up the suction, only to find an unresponsive, apneic child with a clenched jaw. “That doesn’t make sense” I think to myself as I try to peel apart his tiny jaw without any luck. Thank god– he has a gap in his front tooth that fits a small, 12fr suction catheter. I start to go through the motions. Is he seizing? Nope. Any trauma visible or reported? No. Mom was asked again– and again says the child was sitting up, eating, and suddenly started choking. What is going on here? With little to be done on scene, I rush to the small local hospital, nervous that the next squeeze of the bag could lodge a piece of food in this kids airway. I am getting good air exchange but his spo2 isn’t amazing. He must have aspirated. Great news. He is now moving his arms, and his eyes just opened. Wait, why is his jaw still clenched? That’s not great news. This kid hasn’t made a noise. What the fuck is going on. As I roll the stretcher into the small emergency room closest to the scene, I am greeted with that dreaded sentence from the ER Physician– “why did you bring him here and not children’s hospital”.  I bite my tongue– its not the time to have that fight. The kid is now posturing. A few minutes go by and the doctor asks me to get my laryngoscope because the emergency room is not currently stocked with the proper pediatric equipment. Maybe he was right. The thoughts start rushing through my head– “they are going to kill this kid. I should have just risked it and bypassed. It was only an extra 7 minutes or so further”. As I sit there and wait for the next order, new thoughts take over. “Someone shook this kid. There is no other explanation”.  Hypertensive, bradycardic, posturing. But mom said he was choking on rice? Where would she get that from? Hmm. She doesn’t seem as concerned as a mother should be. She answers a text message while being questioned by the police.  She has yet to ask anyone how her son is doing. The texts start to come in to my phone. “Are you ok?”. “I hear you had a bad call. You guys ok?” “WTF was that all about?”. I am fine. Any provider who plans to have a lengthy career has to distance themselves from their patients. I can think back to every “bad” call I’ve taken, and never once have I been able to recall processing a patients face. Its not important. What they look like is irrelevant to my job. Its the circle of life. Some people live, some people die. Its my job to try and make that circle a little bit bigger if I can. Sometimes you are successful, sometimes you aren’t. You have to come to terms with that early on. Minutes after calling in service from restocking, the radio chimes my unit number again. “Cold response to the fitness center for a hand laceration”. I arrive on scene to find a psych standing out front in his blue paper clothes, clearly having been to an emergency room at least once today. “Hop on in buddy– take a seat” I say as I shake my head. We drive him 3 blocks down the street to the same emergency room we left just a couple hours prior. I am not greeted like one would expect. Not with “Hello”, not with “whats the chief complaint”. I am greeted with a sentence that is never good news. “Did you hear?”. Our child from earlier had been emergently transferred 6 miles away to the childrens hospital by a specialty transport team. The news from them was not good. “That kid – he has a brain bleed”. My suspicions were confirmed. He was never choking. Someone hurt this kid and tried to cover it up. I know how to handle this, because its not even the first time this situation has happened to me. People hurt kids often enough that I am not even shocked. Stories like this don’t make the news *for a reason*. People cant handle stuff like this. No one needs to know that savages live in apartment 3. Some people have to know though. WE have to know. Its not OK. I talk about suicide often. My previous partner was a veteran and has PTSD from being deployed overseas. He has had many friends commit suicide after returning from war, and was concerned about my mental health. That should concern me. He would ask me once a week– “Are you sure you are ok?”.  My little comments here and there come off as jokes to most people. “Id rather die than come into work tonight”. “Pull out in front of this semi truck– we wont feel a thing I promise”. “Stage for police? Fuck that. I hope I get shot”. In reality, its not a joke. I am not suicidal at this point in my life– I am apathetic about living. I’m not going to take my own life, but I am definitely not excited when I wake up each morning. This feeling has slowly crept up on me over my almost 10 year career as a paramedic. I tell myself daily that I need to get out before its too late. What will be the breaking point where I become truly suicidal?  I have to answer one question before I leave. “Where will I go?”   I am burnt out. Everyone says “go to nursing school”, but the passion– the fire inside that makes you want to help people has been extinguished for years. Where can you go at 30+ years old with a paramedic certification and no useful degree. I have made financial commitments at my age that makes starting from scratch somewhere at entry level wages an impossibility. What can I do? Where can I go? I am stuck. This job is like quick sand, and I’m up to my shoulders. If I struggle much more it will be above my head. We get to see what goes on behind the curtains of society. How much would you enjoy a magic show if you knew how the magic was performed? That is what life is like for many first responders. Members of the general public get to wear blinders during their day to day lives. There are people who post rants to facebook if the garbage man didn’t put their garbage can back in the correct spot. A terrible day for a typical person is a flat tire on the way home from work. They have no idea what happens in their town or city on a day to day basis. They have NO IDEA that 3 doors down, a husband beat the shit out of his wife for the 4rd time this year and she wont tell the police what happened. They have NO IDEA that people call an ambulance from the parking lot of an emergency room because they don’t want to wait in the waiting room.  They have NO IDEA that someone in apartment 3 just hurt their baby and tried to cover it up. But we know. We see it all. I have talked with a lot of people who have similar feelings. Its due to me being so open about my apathy towards life. People who I see every day, smiling at their coworkers and telling war stories and laughing. You would never guess these people were at the end of their ropes– fighting off their own demons. “Make sure they have bagpipes at my funeral”. I don’t try and talk these people down because they don’t want help. How could I help anyways? You cant just “un-know” the things we know. These people just feel comfort in the fact that they aren’t alone. I have been lucky that none of these people have taken their lives yet. I know the day is coming. Its been a long time since a co-worker has committed suicide, and the statistics say we are over-due. How will I handle it?

[kennethherrerablog]

It’s ‘Game Over’ for Your Money Woes — Turn Your Used Games into Quick Cash

I grew up using computers.

When I was 6 years old, I was introduced to Prince of Persia on the iMac, which sparked a lifelong video game hobby. I never looked back.

Over the years, I’ve accrued tons of outdated video games and consoles, which I let go to waste at first.

They sat there collecting dust until I got a nostalgic second wind and turned them on. That reminiscent spurt would last about 20 minutes before I would get bored and place the games neatly back into the rectangular, dustless outline on the shelf where they would hibernate until I got nostalgic again.

But that was before I discovered a few strategies to maximize my payout when I sell video games for cash (or gas and groceries).

Using these tricks at GameStop can get you up to 50% extra cash for your video games.

So if you need to fill up your gas tank by the end of the week or you need a boost to help you make rent, selling your video games (after you’ve finished them, of course) can be a great way to make money on a deadline.

Below is a walk-through of some trade-in techniques using a few Nintendo Switch video games and a wired Nintendo Switch controller as an example.

How Does the GameStop Trade-In Policy Work?

Selling games, consoles or electronics to GameStop is pretty straightforward. You take in your gear, and an associate at the checkout counter appraises it. They’ll give you varying quotes depending on the demand and quality.

Recently, they’ve expanded their store to include other consumer electronics outside of video games. You can also trade in things like smartphones and even drones now.

To get your payout, you’ll need a valid ID and will have to fill out a simple application, similar to those at pawnshops. A fingerprint is required.

Can You Sell Video Games for Money at GameStop?

The simple answer is yes, but the whole point of this guide is to maximize your payout. So don’t take the money and run as soon as you hear the cash quote. A few other tricks will help you get extra money, including using the store credit offer to your advantage.

Typically that offer will be much higher — in my case, 54% higher.

How to Turn Your GameStop Trade-In Credit Into More Cash

I’ll use my example to teach you how to get much more cash for your used games.

What I brought with me to GameStop:

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Super Mario Odyssey.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

A Zelda-themed corded controller.

After checking out my games and controller, the associate offered me $72.40. At this point, you may be tempted to go for the cash, but I promise you the next step is worth your time. Plus, that offer is barely 35% of the retail price.

We can do better than that.

My pupils turned to dollar signs when I heard his store credit offer: $111.14. (Is this the same GameStop from my childhood? I don’t remember getting offers like that.)

Store credit, as its name implies, works on almost anything you can find in the store or on GameStop.com, including electronics, accessories and games. It can even be used with its partner site, Think Geek, which sells all kinds of geeky gadgets, toys and clothes.

But chances are, if you’re in a financial pinch, you probably need money for food, not a Spider Man T-shirt.

This is where we turn the store-credit system to our advantage. Instead of getting your credit on a GameStop card, you can opt to get it on one of many other gift cards.

And GameStop has quite a few to choose from. You can browse the full list on their website, but here are a few of the best gift cards:

Applebee’s

Burger King

Google Play store

iTunes

Shell gas

Two notable exceptions that you cannot purchase with store credit are Amazon and Visa gift cards.

Now if you already see a gift card you love, you may want to get the full balance transferred and call it a day. But if you want to increase your cash payout, opt for the Shell gas card because there is one more step: exchanging the gift card online.

Exchange Your Gift Card for More Cash

The Penny Hoarder has an in-depth guide on how to sell gift cards for cash. I used a couple of these sites to test which one would give me the most cash for a Shell gas card and for the default GameStop gift card. The reason I recommend transferring your trade-in credit to a Shell gas card is because that card is the most universally in demand. Most people need gas. Not everyone wants GameStop credit.

Here are the results:

  $111.14 GameStop Gift Card $111.14 Shell Gas Card Cardpool $93.07 Amazon gift card; $87.80 cash $101.32 Amazon gift card; $95.58 cash CardCash $87.80 cash $95.36 cash

Cardpool seems like the best choice, and you get more than one option, as all gift cards can be transferred to Amazon.

Remember the initial cash offer? It was $72.40. Now we’re just a few dollars away from our old friend Benjamin Franklin.

How to Get the Most In-Store Credit for Your GameStop Trade-In

By now, you know the value of opting for the in-store credit. If you exchange it using Cardpool, you can turn that GameStop store credit into 32% more cash and even more in Amazon credit.

But there are a few other ways to make sure you’re getting the best quote. These tips could get you up to 30% extra trade-in value with GameStop.

PowerUp Rewards Program

The PowerUp Rewards program at GameStop offers members-only benefits. The program is tiered, and the basic membership is free. The free tier offers points, which can be redeemed for discounts and other perks, based on how much you spend in the store. Free members also get birthday bonuses.

The perks don’t really kick in until you get a PowerUp Rewards Pro membership. This costs $14.99 a year, but it is worth it if you frequent GameStop.

Pro members get:

Double points on purchases and trade-ins.

10% extra trade-in credit for used games.

Discounts on used games.

12 issues to Game Informer magazine.

When I traded in the games above, I unfortunately didn’t have an active Pro membership. My trade in value could’ve been 10% higher from the get-go, which would have almost paid for the cost of the membership.

“Elite” Pro members get an additional 10% trade-in value. So my $111.14 store credit could have been $133.37. (Elite, indeed.)

(As of August 1, 2018, GameStop stopped accepting new Elite Pro members. Current Elite members still have Elite perks until their subscriptions expire.)

Keeping Your Games in Good Shape

Keeping your electronics in good condition will go a long way when you’re trying to trade them in. Make sure they’re not scratched and that they’re in the original cases. This ensures you will get the best quote.

It should go without saying, but don’t try to trade them in if they’re broken. GameStop tests them.

Trading In at the Right Time

If you don’t have a pressing bill to pay and you’re looking for the best way to increase the trade-in offer, patience pays off.

Throughout the year, GameStop has random trade-in promotions where they will offer extra money for used games. Sometimes it applies to all trade-ins, and other times it’s only for in-demand games.

They don’t announce them far in advance, so you’ll have to check their website for current promotions. PowerUp Rewards members get notifications for these  events.

Timing also plays a factor regardless of the promotion. Depending on how new your game is, your trade-in quote will fluctuate, which makes sense: Newer games generally earn you more money. For older games, it’s best to wait for one of those promotions. Or you could wait for a really long time for the game to be considered retro. Those games are back in style.

Now that I come to think of it, I wonder how much my GameCube could fetch me.

Adam Hardy is an editorial assistant on the Make Money team at The Penny Hoarder. Read his full bio here , or follow him on Twitter @hardyjournalism for other easy ways to make money.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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