#this was technically due at like 5pm i think in the announcement about it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gwoongi · 5 years

Text

acts of love

bts / reader, all members / reader genre: best friends au, fluff + crack rating: general words: 9.6k warnings: platonic relationships, smoking, so much fluff you might need to book an appointment with ur dentist for tomorrow morning ASAP a/n: if u want 2 be bts’ best friend, raise ur hand *thousands of hands raise*. this fic fuels my genuine need to be their bff. i saw this post last night + wrote this immediately. hope u love it like i do :D

➸ As long as you’ve got a good group of friends, anything is possible. Thankfully, you’ve got the best group you could ever ask for.

(01) taking pics of ur friends without them asking u to bc they looked so pretty in that exact moment

“Well, at least the views not so bad. Honestly, I thought it would be a lot worse.”

Beside you, at the top of the bleachers that surround the large football pitch below, Taehyung huffs and kicks his feet up onto the empty row in front of him. It would be easy to just move rows, considering the game’s due to start in ten minutes time, and there’s plenty of empty seats closer. But, he’s bought these seats, and by the looks of things, Yoongi and Hoseok are already comfortable where they are, sharing a big bag of sticky popcorn between them. Casting a look to the right, you notice that Sana and Seunghee are making their way up, dressed in jerseys and caps, and you suddenly feel very out of place.

“Tell me why I came again?” you ask, not looking away from the pitch below. The grass is bright green, and every wandering body down on the pitch is just a small speck.

“Because,” Taehyung starts, unlocking his phone and checking his messages. You snoop- one missed text from Jeongguk and two off his Mom, which makes you smile. Taehyung’s always been a Mommy’s boy. “You love me, and you know that I worked my ass off for two whole months saving up for these tickets. And, since Jimin’s sick and couldn’t come, you decided to be a good friend and take his place.”

With a frown, you look back towards Taehyung. “I don’t know shit about football.”

“Cheer when we do,” Taehyung suggests honestly.

Yoongi perks up, patting your arm roughly. “Do what I do, and cheer for the team with the prettier uniform.”

“Don’t!” Taehyung hisses, grabbing you back. “The other team have a prettier uniform, but if you cheer for them on this side of the stadium, you’re going to get mobbed. Hey, Yoongi, don’t tell her that, she doesn’t know any better.”

“Just football,” Yoongi shrugs.

“Just football…” Taehyung scoffs and shrinks back down in his seat.

You laugh quietly, petting Taehyung’s leg with faux sympathy. As you move your body to glance around the stadium, strangely anticipating the start of the match, a flash out the corner of your eye makes you look over in Hoseok’s general direction. Hoseok holds his phone up, taking a photo, and then smiles as he checks it on the screen.

“Jung Hoseok, delete it now!” you gape, realising what he’s done. “Oh my God, I bet I look so ugly...you could have warned me.”

“Sorry,” he laughs sheepishly. He then shows you the screen, “you looked pretty! And it’s your first live match ever, we had to document it. Yoongi, look. Wow...I’m sending this to Jimin for proof that you’re having fun.”

“What if I’m not having fun?” you ask.

He glances up, “you are.”

Well. If he says so.

(02) randomly giving tiny gifts (a comic book that ur friend likes, a heart-shaped piece of paper with a sweet message on it)

“Can anybody here share the exact chemistry behind Elephant Toothpaste?”

Chemistry is the absolute bane of your life. It’s only been a few weeks, and you’re already regretting taking additional classes in it. Technically, it was Jimin’s fault you were here in the first place. If it wasn’t for the fact that Jimin was afraid of enrolling into classes alone and therefore had guilted you into taking advanced chemistry with him, then you wouldn’t be here. You sigh for the fourth time in the last ten minutes and shove your chin into the palm of your hand. The clock above Professor Han’s head seems to be still, taunting you with zero movements.

Can boredom kill you? You wonder about that, letting your mind wander as Professor Han continues to quiz the front two rows on the exact chemical formula of the affectionately named Elephant Toothpaste. You’re so close to finding the answer when you feel somebody poking your upper arm. The finger that pokes belongs to Jimin, and you angle your head to look at him with a questioning glare.

Jimin smiles, his hair falling into his face. Like you, he rolled out of bed this morning and tried his best to look semi-presentable; if you counted borderline pajama wear and a serious case of bed-head to be presentable and acceptable for a 9am lecture. Jimin says nothing, just smiles and pushes something towards you with two fingers. The sound of the paper sliding towards you brings your gaze down, and as you look away to stare at it, Jimin returns his attention to Professor Han. Bare in mind, his notebook is empty, save doodles of Yewon on the front row, occasionally losing focus and staring around the room for long periods of time.

What Jimin has pushed before you is a small little piece of paper, smoothly cut into a heart shape. Now the sound of scissors makes sense… It’s just scrap paper from the back of his notebook, decorated with tiny stars and circles, a pathetic hand drawn galaxy on the front like a book cover. You slowly pick it up, more interested in this than the lecture. You turn it over curiously, your heart thumping endearingly and a smile picking up on your face as you read what he’s written on the back.

you and me have some serious chemistry. love u

Jimin refuses to make eye contact again. He’ll say something along the lines of, “you’re taking it too seriously” when you’ll no doubt ask him about it later, but really, Jimin’s just a softie, with the sudden need to tell his friends that he loves them. You’re not complaining.

(03) handwritten letters with cute stickers

Something’s been left in your shared kitchen, something with your name on it and closed in an envelope with a small Gudetama sticker. You set your cup of tea to the side, sliding up onto a stool near the breakfast bar to read it. The front is in a bold font, in handwriting you don’t really recognise. Careful of the time and effort put into the appearance, you carefully open the envelope and take out the contents.

Y/N

Good morning. I hope you slept okay - when I came home last night after judo, you were actually passed out on the couch in the common room so I piggy backed you up to your room. Hehe, your room is so dirty though...I think I definitely tripped over a plug that connected your fairylights, so sorry if that doesn’t work anymore. Anyway. I left this morning and left you some nice tea and some tablets (Yoongi said that I should put them in your bathroom, so I literally just left them on your sink). I know you haven’t been having a fun time with midterms and you need to take care of yourself! If you get too sick and can’t do anything, then how will we eat?? You’re our uni mom!!! We need to live too!!!!! D:

I also rented out Harry Potter for later. I know you get really sad and lonely when you’re stressed out, and so we can watch it together when I’m home after my shift at work :D

Hehe, feel better <3 Just remember that Jeonggukie loves you!!!

Drink tea and stay warm :)

Lots of love, Jeongguk :D

The paper is signed with Jeongguk’s messy handwriting, like he ran out of time as he was writing it. The page is littered with tiny Gudetama stickers and the sight of it makes you smile. Along with other little notes Jeongguk’s left for you over the last few months, this one earns a spot on your cork board above your desk.

(04) remembering what ur friend likes or dislikes

You were so late.

Almost getting run over by a bus in the process, you sprint across the small road that separates your flat and the University central campus, missing a deep puddle as you step up off the road and onto the pavement. It pours, your hair soaked and makeup no doubt running and staining your cheeks. Holy fuck, you were so late.

Every Friday, without fail, Flat 6 (aka the large and slightly stinky flat you share with two of your best friends) host an annual movie night, inviting literally all of your extended friendship group which definitely is not allowed, but who cares? You noticed Namjoon’s car pulled up in the car park next door and curse again, knowing you’re the last one to arrive to a movie night you’re technically hosting.

You rush up the stairs, since the elevator is still down for maintenance, and burst into the flat with an announcing groan. From somewhere in the living room, Jeongguk looks up with happy surprise and jumps up off the couch, approaching the hall.

“Y/N! You made it.”

You wince, smiling as you hang up your coat to drip dry on the mat near the door. “Yep. I made it. To my own movie night. That I’m technically helping host.”

“No sweat,” Jeongguk shrugs. “It’s okay. Here, I’ll dump your bag in the closet. Get changed, I think Yoongi’s still preparing snacks, anyway.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jeonggukie.”

He gushes, smiling and raising his shoulders cutely. “It’s okay, Y/N.”

Jeongguk swiftly takes your bag from your clutches, faking the weight with the droop of his knees just to hear you laugh, and then he turns to shuffle down the hall to quite literally toss it into the shared storage closet. You’re not too worried; on days like today, in which you have one 1 hour seminar to attend at 5pm and nothing else, there’s nothing inside your bag worthy of being broken by Jeongguk throwing it to the ground. As he does this, you shudder out of your shoes and make your way to your bedroom, to change into something warm and comfortable for the movie.

The sound of laughter makes you hurry to change, one leg out of your damp and cold jeans whilst simultaneously fishing for some old jogging bottoms out of your bottom draw, a jumper from Yoongi that he thought he lost left for you to grab on your bed. What he doesn’t know and will find out in five minutes won’t hurt him. (Yoongi also doesn’t care, because he’s a whipped best friend who lets you do what you want, including steal clothes he actually needs and can’t really afford to replace. Oh well, sharing is caring!).

Your hair is still soaked, and you move towards the single bathroom squeezed between two bedrooms to ring it out in the sink. Once you’re done, and your hair is thrown up into a scrunchie-decorated pony, you pace back towards the kitchen where, rightly so, Yoongi stands with his back facing you, filling up a glass with Pepsi.

“I thought we threw that shit out,” you announce as you walk in. “You know this flat is Team Coca Cola, those are the rules.”

Yoongi sighs, not looking up. “Yeah, I know, but Namjoon is a monster.”

“He’s so annoying...why can’t he just admit that Coca Cola is better?” you sigh, moving towards Yoongi to see the small bowls of snacks he has ready to be taken into the living room. It’s full in there, people stuffed onto the sofas and the floor where a bed of blankets lies like a mattress.

Yoongi’s outdone himself; the bowls are neatly organised by colour and ingredient, and you smile. Yoongi was a lot of things, one of them a secret perfectionist. Even when it concerned bowls of snacks. God, you love to love him.

“Namjoon’s a man of unpopular opinions, I mean, he really thinks the live action of Attack on Titan is good, like, who actually thinks that?” Yoongi rants, and then he glances to the side towards you, is silent for a moment, and then asks, “is that my jumper?”

You look down at it with a smile. “Yep. It’s comfy.”

Yoongi hums, like he’s bored. “Whatever, looks better on you than it did on me. Who the fuck lied to me and told me dark green was my colour...?”

“Every colour is your colour,” you say, patting his back and reaching for the bowls. “Should I take these in?”

Yoongi then nods, humming again. “Yeah. Yellow bowl is for you, by the way.”

You look to it. “And why is that?”

“Cause I know you don’t like the barbeque flavour chips that are in the red bowl, but everyone else does, so I went out and got you the salty ones. Oh, and there’s a bar of Galaxy in the fridge. Don’t tell Jeongguk, cause he’ll get pissy about how I didn’t get him something.”

As Yoongi tells you this, your heart flutters. You had told him that when you first met, after he offered you some of his chips noticing you were the only person not eating.

“You remembered that?” you wonder, and Yoongi looks at you like you’ve lost your mind.

“I’m a good friend,” he states, as though it were obvious. “Don’t get it twisted, though. I only did it because I don’t want to hear you complaining about it all night.”

You’re sure that’s a lie, but if it makes him feel better, you’ll accept it. You’ll also ignore the embarrassed tinge of red on his cheeks.

(05) inside jokes

[15:16PM] jeongguk: alright fuckers 🔪😡 [15:16PM] jeongguk: who left the kitchen window open all damn night [15:17PM] jeongguk: there’s three spiders in the sink and it rained so the work surface is all wet [15:17PM] jeongguk: [1 Image Attached] not happy bois [15:23PM] jine: i dont even live with you why are you asking the gc this [15:24PM] jeongguk: yoongi has the flat gc muted and idk how else to yell at him [15:28PM] y/n: blame me,,,,i have failed u,,,,,,,im sowwy [15:29PM] jeongguk: hehe its ok ❣️💘💕💓 i’ll clean it up 🥰 [15:32PM] haseul: eye….. [15:39PM] jimin: YALL LMAOODIUGJFKDSLJ [15:39PM] jimin: guess what TF just happened in my maths class [15:41PM] jimin: i forgot that on one of my assignments me and y/n had drawn a camel in the library on the back and he saw and asked me 2 stay behind after class so he could have stern words with me or smthn…..anyway so i go to the front of the class at the end and he’s like “mr park what the hell is this camel doing here” [15:42PM] jimin: and i said sir thats not a camel [15:42PM] jimin: thats my WIFE [15:43PM] y/n: HA HA HA… [15:45PM] yoongi: IF YALL DONT STOP [15:47PM] taehyung: THIS IS THE THIRD TIME YOU’VE MADE THIS REFERENCE AND I DONT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS [15:47PM] taehyung: this inside joke stinks….someone explain to me please what this means 😭😭😭 [15:48PM] hoseok: i hate this damn gc

(06) long phone calls

[Incoming Facetime Call From: Seokjin 👪]

“Hey.”

“Hey. Y/N, are you sitting down because I have some major tea on Professor Kwon and Professor Kim and I’m not supposed to be saying anything and it’s killing me.”

“Oh shit.” Audio shuffles. “I’m lying down now, bitch. Tell me everything.”

“Okay. So…”

[Five Hours Later]

“I’m still in shock about Kwon and Kim.”

“Me too. What’s Kim gonna do, lie and say she had heat rash on her titties?”

“Hopefully she doesn’t get them out for people to see.”

“Literally. God, I hate how our life has resorted to teacher gossip. Are we those students?”

“Yup. Two students bitching about teachers at...like ...midnight?”

“Oh, shit, it’s midnight already??”

(07) facetiming while ur both doing something else (study dates like that are on another level of intimacy)

Jimin’s had the same cold for about two weeks now, and nobody knows what the hell’s up with it. He walks around his flat, according to Hoseok, wrapped up in a blanket and surrounded by a necklace of matted tissues. To be honest, it’s not as bad as he’s making it out to be, but he’s a guy, and so anything that involves a slight stomach pain and a blocked nose instantly translates to man flu, which is almost as bad as the plague.

That being said, Jimin’s set himself under “house arrest” and is therefore glued to his bed or desk chair, still managing to move his sore and aching joints to write a few words on his lab report. With the first round of finals creeping up, Jimin actually wants to go to the library, but, man, what with his man flu and everything, he just can’t seem to do it.

On the other hand, he has you to set the mood for him. After snagging a corner table in the library near the big windows, you make a barrier out of your bag and books to watch the sunset, Taehyung opposite using minimal space with his laptop and headphones, watching a documentary he’ll need to cite for his essay. Jeongguk naps next to you, having exhausted himself from his shift last night that ran into the early hours and Sana secretly paints her nails, blowing them dry as she takes a break from writing.

Once you’re settled and comfortable, you reluctantly peel away the slice of tape covering your webcam (because Black Mirror has forever scared you into thinking 4Chan are watching you and will hold your endless hours of Games2Girls dot com against you) and open up Facetime, ringing Jimin who waits patiently back home.

After a few rings, Jimin’s bright and tired face pops up on the screen and you both silently wave. Jimin has his mic muted, but yours is on, allowing the ambience of the library trick Jimin into believing he’s actually there. It’s not quite like an ordinary study date, but for now, it’ll do. He opens his textbook and starts to work, comfortable and happy now that he’s listening to his friends discuss work, like he’s there. He smiles, occasionally glancing up to see your face working or Jeongguk unintentionally leaning into frame. It’s comforting. He works well.

(08) cooking something for ur friend

“Merry Christmas, Tae. Oh, wait, I have something for you.”

Taehyung is hosting a Christmas party this year, in the apartment he shares with some of the girls in your group and Namjoon. His flat is lit up with lights, draining the electricity, the tree sparkling like diamonds in the front living room that looks out onto the Seoul city. The sound of Michael Bublé sings out festively and Taehyung leads you through to the kitchen, out of the loud madness of the party that’s getting into full swing. In one hand, you have a big bag of presents that both Jeongguk and Yoongi kindly left for you to haul all by yourself to Taehyung’s flat, and in the other, you balance a box across your arm, the corner sharp on your inner elbow.

“Cool. Your gift is under the tree,” Taehyung says.

“Oh, yeah. No, this is an early gift.”

“Just for me?” he asks.

You set down the box. “Well, you can share if you love us all a lot. But, it’s for you.”

Taehyung wastes no time in opening the box, a smile widening across his face as he reviews the contents. The box is stuffed full with cookies, baked big and crumbly for his tasty pleasures. They’re decorated too, because you love him so much and you know he liked them last year.

“Last year you ate nearly all of my batch, so I just decided to make you some of your own this year,” you tell him casually. It’s really no big deal, but Taehyung feels like he might actually cry because the thought is so sweet. You notice this, the glassiness of your eyes. “Ew, don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry, I’m touched!” he exclaims. Taehyung turns on his spot and wraps an arm around your neck, pulling you in for a hug. With your arms wrapped around his torso, Taehyung smiles with a thrilled sound and kisses the crown of your head. “Thanks, Y/N, you’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

(09) sending texts when u randomly think abt them

[11:15AM] namjoon 👨🏼‍🚀: i stopped by at kyobo’s today and found a cards against humanity add on pack that was harry potter themed and i thought of u lol [11:15AM] namjoon 👨🏼‍🚀: i bought it for u btw 😊

(10) listening without judging

When the front door slams shut, you know that something’s wrong.

Having opted for sitting in the natural light of the living room to finish your lab report, the sound of the door echoes loudly throughout the empty house. It’s only you home, since Yoongi has volleyball practise until six this evening, which means it’s Jeongguk who’s home and apparently, not in a very good mood.

Jeongguk doesn’t realise you’re in the living room until he enters it, stopping suddenly in the doorway when he sees you cross-legged on the carpet near the coffee table. His eyes are red and swollen, his nose shiny from where he’s been crying and sniffling. The sight makes your stomach churn with an indescribable feeling, and you immediately rise to your feet.

“Jeongguk? What’s wrong- did something happen?” you ask him, not stepping forward until you know he’s okay.

Jeongguk’s sensitive, the baby of the friendship group, and sometimes you forget to go easy on him. He sighs loudly and drops his backpack to the floor with a thud. His books curl inside loudly and he drags his feet across the floor to get to the couch. He moves as if he’s going to sit down and then stops, turning to you. His bottom lip curls like he’s about to cry, and then he opens his arms for a hug. You immediately move forward.

“Oh, Jeonggukkie,” you coo, stroking his hair and moving to sit on the sofa. Jeongguk comes down with you and you rest his head on top of your breasts, granting him this once in a lifetime opportunity and he doesn’t even register it. He just cries, loudly and comfortably, his arms around you as he sobs. “Oh, my baby. What happened?”

Jeongguk hiccups. “Do-Doesn’t matter. It’s dumb.”

“No, it’s not. Something hurt your feelings, and your feelings aren’t dumb,” you tell him seriously. Stroking the hair out of his face, you peer down at him. “Come on. Tell me, I won’t judge or tell anybody else. You can trust me.”

He sniffs loudly, but you don’t cringe. He blinks, tears falling and he embarrassingly wipes the tears away, nodding. “Okay.” And then the words come out like vomit.

“I just. You know how I liked Sooyoung, right? Well, we were talking- everyone knows we were, but still, we were talking, and I just really liked her and wanted her to like me. I did all this stuff for her, planned all these dates and got her flowers. I thought she liked flowers, girls like flowers. I know we joke that you’re one of the guys, but even you liked those flowers I got for you. So, I got her this pretty necklace with an S on it and was going to give it to her and so I went to her practise room. She does dance, you knew she does dance, right? Yeah. And so I went to the room and was in the room talking to her when the door opens and this guy comes in and he comes up to her and they kiss and I just. She. She told me she didn’t want to rush into dating and that she liked me, and then she suddenly started dating someone else and I’m just really hurt and confused. Did I do something wrong? Am I ugly? Am I annoying, I just...I don’t know what I did. I really liked her.”

You don’t say anything as he talks. You just listen intently, nodding against his head with a low hum and stroking his hair gently.

“I know it’s silly and stupid that I’m crying over a girl, it’s just…” He sighs. “It hurts.”

You sigh, too. “It’s not silly and stupid. What Sooyoung did was really shitty and it’s natural that it hurt your feelings. You did absolutely nothing wrong, though. The flowers were pretty, and you didn’t force her into anything, and you were so kind and patient. Any girl would be lucky enough to have you as a boyfriend. Sooyoung missed out! You’re so good, Jeongguk, one of the best guys I know. And you’re not ugly! That’s an insult to actual ugly people! If you’re ugly, then what are we?” He laughs shyly and you smile, “Huh? What are we?”

“Okay, sorry,” Jeongguk laughs, pressing his cheek into your torso with a wide smile. His hands loop together behind your back, meek and timid, and he sighs, this time less sadly. “Maybe I’m destined to be alone forever…”

“You’re being dramatic, now,” you sigh. “The right person is waiting for you. Just give it some time.”

Jeongguk thinks about that for a moment. “Wanna date me if I end up alone and single aged thirty?”

Loudly, you let out a laugh. “Yeah right. You know what, fine. Even though I know you won’t be, if we’re both single by thirty, I’ll marry you. How about that?”

Jeongguk hums. “Cool. Is it safe to have kids after thirty?”

You let out a wheeze, taken aback by Jeongguk’s question. “Woah there. I said I’d marry you, not birth your children! Besides, you’re acting like thirty is ancient! Lots of women have kids aged thirty.”

“Okay, sorry, I didn’t know! My Mom was only young.”

“I can’t believe you just asked me to have kids with you when we’re thirty…”

“Might as well make our marriage interesting,” Jeongguk shrugs.

You quite literally have nothing to say to that.

(11) making someone laugh so hard that their whole body shakes

“Ow- stop! I’m going to pee!”

You don’t think you’ve seen Seokjin laugh at a joke that’s not his own in quite some time. Tonight, across the table in the retro diner that’s been converted and opened in town, he has surprised you. The entire booth shakes with laughter, from all sides and directions. Seokjin leans up against the window, clutching his side with Jimin, Mina and Yoongi all stuffed next to him on the skinny one seater. Next to you, on either side, is Hoseok and Taehyung, with Jeongguk and Namjoon at the counter ordering more drinks.

“What?” you ask, laughing. You’re not laughing because it’s funny, but more so because you have no idea what it is you did to make him laugh so hard. “What did I say?”

Seokjin can hardly get his words out, choking halfway on air and having to reach for his drink which shakes in his hand. He sips and gasps for air: “Just-your...face!” Then he cracks up again, like it’s the literal joke of the century. You just don’t get it.

“What did I do?” you ask. “What’s so funny?”

Seokjin can’t breathe.

“Oh my God,” Yoongi comments, smiling with disbelief and covering his mouth as he laughs. Mina’s french fries are stone cold as she laughs and leans into Yoongi’s side for support.

“Fuck. Y/N, you’re so funny, I love you so much,” Seokjin cries. Cries, literally; there are tears pooling out of his eyes, and he wipes them, sighing loudly as he laughs a few more times.

You’re going to take the compliment happily, and move on. To this day, you never found out what was so funny…

(12) hanging out in furniture stores and testing every couch there is

“Take a picture of me so we can pretend this is our house for Instagram.”

You sigh, taking out your phone and snapping a photo of Taehyung, lounging his legs apart across a lime green sofa that looks like it’s been hauled out of a 70’s magazine. One of the best things about Taehyung is that he’s easy to please, eccentric and adventurous just like you. Taehyung could be taken to a junkyard for a first date and somehow he’d still find it fun. He didn’t watch Bottletop Bill and his best friend Corky and leave not taking some inspiration on what to do with scrap junk.

It slowly became a tradition to go to the weirdest places with Taehyung as your date. On weekends or free weekdays you shared, you’d text Taehyung and get him to come with you to somewhere new. On today’s list, IKEA. It’s not totally crazy, or weird or wacky, just something you don’t think you’d do with Yoongi for fun. Taehyung loved the idea.

Taehyung’s making it a mission to sit on every bit of furniture he can find. As he takes a ride up the elevator to the first and main starting point of IKEA, he immediately notices the display couches and stares at you excitedly: “Let’s pretend we’re about to buy our dream house and test all the couches.”

Your eyes light up. “Yes! We can pretend we’re on a TV show reviewing them.”

You don’t think you’ve ever seen Taehyung more excited. “Oh my God, yes!” Then he grabs your hand, tugging you towards a cream themed living display. “Let’s go, wifey! Time to review.”

(You very nearly leave IKEA with a bright red sofa that looks like it’s been handmade and the bottom pillows are patterned with tiny cherries. Sadly, you’re both broke and you don’t have a car to take it home.)

((Taehyung’s devastated.))

(13) deep conversations when it's deep in the night

Sometimes, Yoongi stays awake until the early hours in the living room and kitchen. On days where you can’t sleep, you can hear him pacing around, softly grunting as he walks, something he does without really realising and something you love about him. On occasion, you join him. Like tonight, for example.

Yoongi’s curled up on the kitchen counter when you wake up and leave your room to find him. He sits with his back up against the cupboards, the kitchen window open with a cigarette out the window. Catching your gaze wide-eyed, he moves as if he’s going to put the cigarette out but you stop him.

“I told Jeongguk I’d stop,” Yoongi explains. Inside, he’s just grateful you’re not Jeongguk tonight. The cigarette lets off steam. He doesn’t smoke as often as he used to, just when he needs to. Yoongi looks away from the window as you pick yourself up to sit on the cupboards parallel to him. A bottle of wine is out, and you quietly take off the top and take a large swig.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” you tell him honestly. “It’s okay. I won’t tell Jeongguk, too. There’s a new air freshener in the cupboard under the sink. Use that when you’re done.”

Yoongi nods. “Yeah. Thanks, Y/N.”

“Why’d you go back to smoking anyway? Didn’t you tell Jeongguk that you were stopping because you didn’t want to die, or something?” It’s a joke, Yoongi snorts in reply.

“You know how he feels about it. I do too, and I guess I just felt bad about it. It was bad enough for him growing up and at home, and he told me about his brothers asthma attacks because of it and how he almost died, and how his parents smoked religiously and it made them act a certain way.” Yoongi sucks in his breath, like he’s realising what lighting the cigarette means. “It’s not weed. Not what his parents did, but. Still, fuck.” He decides to put it out.

For a while, you don’t say anything to Yoongi. Staring at him is telling enough, and you watch as Yoongi regrets what he’s done so much that he pales, his eyes watering.

“I don’t want to let him down,” Yoongi admits truthfully. “He’s like my little brother. I don’t wanna hurt him, fuck.”

He rocks his head back, sighing into the night. Down below the window, over the small little cliffside that he can see from his window that looks down onto the freeway behind the flat, he watches the lines of traffic whiz by, like long white lights, the honks like ASMR in his ears.

“If you’re going back to bed, can you go in my room and take the rest of my cigs out? Don’t wanna feel tempted by them. Toss them out or something, will you?”

You nod immediately, taking another drink of wine. This gulp stings. “Course. Yeah, I’m gonna go now actually.” You hop down off the counter, handing the bottle and placing it next to Yoongi. “Don’t stay up too late, mkay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

You shrug in reply, Yoongi frowns. As you walk towards the doorway that separates the kitchen and the hall, you turn around and look back at Yoongi, calling his name. Yoongi looks over and raises his eyebrows expectantly.

“Love you,” you tell him. A smile follows, and Yoongi blinks tiredly.

“I love you too. Goodnight, Y/N.”

He watches as you disappear into the darkness of the hallway and then faces the nighttime again. The smell of cigarettes lingers, and his stomach churns. Yoongi reaches for the air freshener you mentioned and sprays it generously, sniffing and then turning off the lights to the kitchen. Jeongguk will wake up and complain about the window being open, and might even notice the ash on the windowsill, but, like you, he still loves his big brother regardless.

(14) holding hands while jaywalking so that u Both get hit by a car

“Now!”

A squeal leaves your mouth as Jeongguk grabs a hold of your hand and literally pulls you across the road. A car that speeds down the road presses the horn loud enough to turn a few heads and Jeongguk grins boyishly, raising his hand as if to say sorry even though you’re far enough away to not get hit. Jeongguk’s motto for jaywalking is We Hold Hands, Because We Go Together Or We Don’t Go Down At All, or something. You know he stole half of it from an All Time Low song, but it works, and the song slaps.

From across the road, on the side you and Jeongguk are running towards, Hoseok gapes at the both of you and his eyes bulge out of his head.

“You two have a death wish!” he yells.

“But we lived, bitch!” Jeongguk replies, raising a gang sign to which Hoseok pulls a face at.

“I literally cannot stand you,” Hoseok seethes, walking away even though he’s supposed to be going out for dinner with the both of you. You and Jeongguk share a look that ends in a burst of giggles and run after Hoseok, capturing each of his arms with your own. He complains all the way to the restaurant, even though he loves it.

(15) randomly buying a flower for someone

“Delivery.”

Namjoon’s voice lifts your head. He stands behind the reception desk of your flat complex with a small bunch of flowers in his left hand. If he didn’t already know that you were working your two hour shift today, then he’s lucky he caught you. The sight of a bouquet of wildflowers makes your heart soar curiously.

“For someone special?” you wonder. Maybe he’s delivering to someone in the complex. Namjoon’s a sweetie like that.

Namjoon blinks. “Yeah. You.” He holds the bouquet outwards, with a bright smile. “They were for sale outside as I got off my subway. Thought of you, again. Happy early birthday.”

“My birthday’s in, like, seven months,” you say.

“That’s why it’s for your early birthday,” Namjoon replies.

You don’t know what to say. “They’re so pretty, thank you. Hey - can you go up to my flat and put them in a vase? I’ve still got an hour here, they might dry out if they’re kept down here.”

Namjoon nods instantly. “Sure. Gimme your key?” You slide the key across the desk towards Namjoon and he takes it swiftly. “Cool. Glad you like them. Enjoy your shift, Y/N.”

“Unlikely,” you groan. “Thanks, Joonie!”

He smiles as he reaches the door, sticking his tongue out to you as he prepares to climb the stairs. That elevator needs fixing urgently, and all you can think about is how much you love your friends.

(16) letting ur friends taste ur food and also tasting theirs to the point where u basically ate a fair amount off of each plate on the table

“What do you mean you’ve never tried a steak before?” Yoongi sighs so loudly that it turns a few heads. “Okay. Take a bite, it’s called charity and I’m generous. Come on.”

Yoongi even cuts you a slice and leans over the table to let you taste it. Beside you, Namjoon cringes when you close your teeth around the fork and pull the steak off, taking several bites and widening your eyes with wonder a Yoongi. You have just unlocked a taste sensation!

“Like it?” Yoongi asks.

“Mhm! It’s so easy to eat,” you observe. You look at Namjoon, “try his.”

Yoongi sighs. He willingly shares his food out. You glance down at your own meal, a pretty pasta dish that Jeongguk looks at from next to Yoongi.

“What is that? It looks good,” Jeongguk asks.

“Spaghetti Al Pomodoro,” you quote from the menu. Jeongguk laughs, because who goes to a restaurant and orders spaghetti? “Stop, I don’t know the menu, I played it safe!”

“Lemme try,” Jeongguk invites himself to try the taste, twirling his fork around the pasta and sucking it up like a scene in Lady and the Tramp. This sets off a sequence around the table, something you can’t help but snigger at. Namjoon lets you try some of his curry and Yoongi tries Jeongguk’s burger. By the time everybody on the table has tried everybody elses meals, you finally look back at your plate and notice that literally half of the meal’s now gone. Yoongi has about one bite of steak left, and Jeongguk could easily finish his burger in one bite.

“I hope everyone enjoyed my meal,” Yoongi says sarcastically, and he angrily chews his last piece of steak.

Namjoon looks up with a bright smile. “Yeah I did. Thanks!”

(17) "give me that I'll carry it for u"

Sometimes, Hoseok stops by at the reception to help out, especially during finals or midterms when you could really use those two years of monitoring an empty email inbox to study. Today, one of the newer residents, Somi, is on the desk and is playing Club Penguin on the computer, and you’re shoved into the back storage room with Hoseok, filing everybody’s mail and parcels.

It’s so messy in here, and looks like it hasn’t had a good clean out since it was first built, which might sound ridiculous, but have you seen all of this dust?

“Can you guys take out the trash?” One of the other workers, Siwon, pokes his head into the back room.

“You only just asked us to do this, though,” Hoseok points out with his hands on his hips.

Siwon shrugs, “Okay. And? Get to work.”

He turns and leaves as Hoseok gives him the middle finger, groaning as he arches his back to relieve pain that’s developed from being hunched over for too long. The trash bags are enormous and bulky with weight, shoved into a single room that absolutely honks. Hoseok grimaces as he opens the door and drags some bags out, deliberately ignoring a suspicious juice leaving a trail behind one of the ones he’s just brought into the back room.

“That literally stinks,” you complain.

“Yep.”

While Hoseok continues to haul bags out of the trash room, you take it upon yourself to drag the bags out to the back, towards the giant tip that’s collected by the bin-men the following day. After two or three trips, Hoseok steps out of the room and notices you struggling to pick a big bag up off the floor over your shoulder, like Santa’s sack.

“Give me that, I’ll carry it for you,” Hoseok offers, already stepping forward.

“No!” you protest stubbornly. “I’ve got this.”

“You’re so full of bullshit,” Hoseok howls. He ignores you and snatches the bag out of your hands. You’ll never admit it, but it feels good to not have the twisty material burning your fingers. “Sit down. You’ve worked hard.”

“Don’t patronise me,” you scold.

He giggles, “sorry. You’re too cute. Keep filling in those forms, kill two birds with one stone?”

You wait until Hoseok’s out of the room to cradle your fingers. Fucking hell, that hurts.

(18) helping ur friend decide what to wear while also reminding them that they look amazing no matter what

“You’re not going to the Met Gala, Jimin. Just wear jeans, my dude.”

“No. No, no, ignore him.” You throw a glare in Jeongguk’s direction and shift on your stomach, watching Jimin frantically search through his wardrobe. “This is important. This is serious. He’s going to see a potential employer, Jeongguk.”

“Yeah,” Jimin taunts, “so go be jobless and broke somewhere else.”

Jeongguk snorts, “I have a job, though…”

“Okay, get out of my room. Y/N, help me.”

“You looked good in the last four outfits,” you say to him honestly. “What’s wrong with this one, hm?”

You stand up, moving to one of the outfits laid out on the floor. It’s a pretty combination of clothes; a patterned white shirt that’s both formal and casual, with black trousers and brown shoes.

“I don’t like the shoes,” Jimin mumbles, continuing to search.

“Okay...Why don’t we just…” You crouch, moving a pair of black shoes from outfit number three to outfit number two. Now the shoes are black, and the outfit looks great. “Do that? What do you think?”

Jimin looks down at it, biting his bottom lip. “Is it good?”

“Yeah, totally,” you nod with enthusiasm. “It shows your personality whilst also remaining professional. And you looked super handsome in it.” Jimin faces you with a shy smile, “Trust me. It’s the one.”

It takes some reluctance and convincing, but Jimin eventually settles on outfit number two. All it took was some convincing and abuse of his praise kink.

(And he got the job.)

(19) being involved in every bad hair decision (dyeing ur friend's hair grey in between playing with their switch)

Three games into Mario Kart, you realise that you urgently need to email Nintendo and play I’m-Karen-Let-Me-See-The-Manager. Nintendo Switches are so dangerously addictive that Seokjin has you watching him play as grey hair dye bleaches his scalp. You can’t help but watch as he wins race after race, a streak of ten to beat tonight with King Boo as his racer every damn time.

“Fuck, your hair!” You must have said that so many times that Seokjin’s bound to get sick of it. He glances up at his reflection and eyes the sight on his head.

“Looks fine,” he shrugs.

“Let me remind you that it looks fine because the colour’s okay at the front. It looks kinda...patchy at the back.” You reach for the dye, “We’re low. Seokjin, we’re in trouble.”

He shrugs again. “Whatever. We can make a new trend.”

“Hell no. If it looks shit, I’m paying for you to get it done professionally ...which, you should have just done in the first place. I'm not a hairdresser!”

“And thank fuck for that!” Jimin steps into the living room and laughs nervously. “That looks hideous!”

This time, Seokjin’s eyes raise icily.

“It’s not that bad…” you mutter. “It’s okay. I’ll fix it.”

“The only way to save your hair is to just sacrifice it all,” Jimin sighs. “You know what, I’ve got a razor in my cupboard, let’s bring forward bald Seokjin.”

“I’ll take the patchy scalp,” Seokjin threatens.

“It’s really not that bad,” you pout quietly, attempting to fix the mess at the back of his head.

Okay - you’re lying. It’s awful. It’s a total disaster. But when Seokjin gets a good look at it, and he does take a good long look, he just shrugs and puts down the mirror.

“It’s a trend,” he decides. Mario Kart resumes and you’re rendered absolutely speechless.

(20) paying attention

When forced into a group of friends outside of your own, you always had a tendency to stand out in the worst ways possible. It’s not as if you stood out for being different, or funny or pretty. No; outside of your close circle of friends, you were the obvious outsider. You stuck out like an imposter, like a red flower amongst white ones.

This get together hosted by one of Jeongguk’s other friends, Joshua, takes place in his crazy expensive lake house in the countryside, owned by his parents and left to him when he turned eighteen. It’s remarkable that you got invited, to be honest. But, when Jeongguk’s your best friend, you get vouched for, granted permission to stay for the weekend in the one of many rooms, with the exception of sharing a room with two other guys. Jeongguk doesn’t mind sharing a bed for the weekend with Jimin, as long as you’re comfortable in your own.

And you’re not blind - it’s not hard to figure out why a big group of girls who had managed invitations were clinging to your circle of friends. You had lucked out in a way that ensured your entire group were visuals, everybody stunning in their own unique way. Joshua and his friends are here too, obviously, but their eyes are only on a certain segment of the group. From this angle, one of the girls who made her way over to the sofas sits with her back in your general direction, and it sort of feels like primary school all over again where you were the odd one out.

You try not to let it bother you, though. As the guys play polite and laugh when needed and talk casually, something slips up in conversation: “Well, actually-” One of the girls is talking, blinking repetitively in Namjoon’s direction with a sweet smile, “I think I have more guy friends than girls. Girls are so hard to talk to sometimes.”

“Right?” one of the others says with a sigh. “I wish I had more male friends. I want to move in with some in the future.”

You inhale. This is a good conversation to jump into. “Same,” you say. The girl in front of you turns around slightly, perhaps only just remembering that you were there in the first place. “I’ve been friends with these guys forever now, and living with them is so…” You notice after a short ramble that the girls turned back around, and she’s not even listening. You trail off, looking bored, “who am I even talking to?”

But from across the coffee table on the other couch, Yoongi furrows his brows and sets his glass down. “Y/N’s right,” he announces, and you look up at the same time as the other girls. Like they’re confused, they look at the group and then back at you, as if wondering the connection. “You know, guys are always told being friends with girls is impossible, but Y/N’s the glue that keeps us together.”

Jeongguk nods, “Mhm, exactly! You know, they said that it would be hard being friends with girls because you’d catch feelings, but Y/N’s so repulsive that it’s not even that hard...”

You glare at him, “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

“Trust me,” Chaeyoung pops up, having been sat silently in between Taehyung and Mark for the past twenty six minutes, “it’s not all that.” The girls look at her, “Men are disgusting. I don’t know how Y/N does it. These guys are the repulsive ones...I was in their flat for five minutes and I think I caught three diseases.”

“Hey, don’t drag my apartment into this,” you pout. Yoongi shakes his head with a smile and watches you, happy that the frown that was once on your features had disappeared into a smile. Hey, in a weird way, this was a good conversation to jump into!

The girls around you share glances, as though they’ve just clocked on to how important you are to these guys and how ignoring you won’t make them like them more, and eventually, you’re included in the conversation. You make a mental reminder to thank the fuck out of Yoongi for paying attention to you, even when you’re silently in the background.

(21) being aware and understanding of someone's financial situation ("dw I'll pay for u")

“We all need matching ones. Look, one each!”

Jeongguk excitedly crouches in front of one of the display cases, marvelling at the sight of tiny little charms on foam boxes, smiling up at you all. It makes you weak seeing how childlike Jeongguk actually is, how he gets excited over shiny things like a little magpie. Today is one of those rare afternoons where you’re all miraculously free, and it had been Namjoon’s idea to go out somewhere and hang out. Seoul is filled with beautiful and secret places to explore like a tourist and he takes up the opportunity.

This shop is dinky and in a weird place between an ice-cream shop and a fish market, probably scammy and has definitely seen better days. But Namjoon likes it, and Yoongi vouches for it because he’s been here before with Namjoon when they brought a watch for Jimin. Okay, yes, it was a designer watch, but it was way cheaper from this shop and, wait, who cares if it’s fake? Nobody noticed until now.

You stand behind Jeongguk, peering down at the charms. They’re all so cute and cartoon-like, each charm you view immediately reminding you of another friend. For Jeongguk, the rabbit. Taehyung could have the paintbrush or camera, Jimin definitely could have the apple because of the fact that his new favourite thing to say is An Apple A Day Keeps The Demons Away. It makes no sense, but he learns to roll with it.

“They’re cute,” Hoseok comments, smiling widely.

“They should be cute, for thirty dollars a charm!” you gape, pointing out the price. “I thought this was a shop that sold things cheaper?!”

“They’re usually around sixty,” Namjoon shrugs.

“For why?” you exclaim.

Nobody hears that, or if they do, they ignore it. With a sigh, you turn away from the case and start looking at something else. Thirty dollars for a small charm is insane, and you don’t have that kind of money. As Taehyung and Jeongguk start picking charms for everybody, your heart rate quickens.

How can you tell them that you don’t want a charm because you can’t afford a charm without disappointing them and sounding like you’re asking one of them to buy you one? In your panic, Seokjin worms his way up behind you and rests his arm up on your head like an arm-rest.

“Have you picked a charm?” he asks, and you look away instantly. “Hey,” he says, noticing that, “what’s up, buttercup?”

You sigh reluctantly. “I can’t afford to get one of those…”

Seokjin blinks and frowns slightly. “Oh. Well, that’s okay. I’ll pay for you.”

“No way!” you hiss at him, poking a finger into his chest. “Kim Seokjin, don’t you dare-!”

“Hey, I owe you, it’s cool,” Seokjin assures you.

“Owing me because I paid for your McDonalds is not the same as spending thirty dollars on a tiny charm.”

“They’re friendship charms,” he explains. “It’s symbolic for our friendship. Look, stay silent and pretty and let me get you something nice. Please?”

In this one instance, Seokjin doesn’t take no for an answer and invites himself into the small huddle of guys around the charms and picks one out for you. Seokjin picks you a love heart, because he knows that no matter what, there’s a love between the guys and you that nothing can pull apart.

(22) looking stupid in public together (dancing in stores to overplayed pop songs)

You hear it at the same time as Jeongguk.

One thing you don’t mind that much about Korea is that the sound of random K-POP groups follows you around everywhere you go. You actually kind of like it, because the songs are catchy enough and Jimin and Hoseok like it for the dances. But, my God, if you have to hear Momoland’s Bboom Bboom one more time, you might explode.

Over the hum of the refrigerators in the small GS25, where you and Jeongguk are examining the surprisingly large collection of flavoured milks, you hear those guitar strums and just as the horns roll in, you and Jeongguk share a glance and immediately do The Thing.

The Thing is recreating the entire dance routine to the song, which you had both decided to learn when you were bored and procrastinating during midterms. Everybody else in your friendship group deems it the single most embarrassing thing that you and Jeongguk do in public next to jaywalking, and maybe you can see why. The chorus rolls by and you’re both shimmying, pointing finger hearts to each other, and it’s rolling to an end when one of the cashiers turns the corner with a big tray of iced coffee in her arms.

She pauses and so do the both of you, in an intense stare off until she cowers and scurries to put down the tray and carefully shelf the drinks. Jeongguk looks at you with the urge to laugh and picks a random milk off the shelf, urging you out of the aisle to pay. When you’re outside and free from the judgement of the cashier, Jeongguk laughs on the floor for about five straight minutes.

(23) looking stupid in public together (singing loudly in ur car)

“JUST GO AHEAD AND HATE ON ME AND RUN YOUR MOUTH!”

“So everyone can hear!”

“HIT ME WITH THE WORST YOU GOT AND KNOCK ME DOWN!”

“Oh, baby, I don’t care.”

“KEEP IT UP AND SOON ENOUGH, YOU’LL FIGURE OUT!”

Both of your voices: “You wanna be, you wanna be, A LOSER LIKE ME!”

In the backseat, Yoongi shrinks further down until his bum is hanging off the chair, in the footwell where his knees are. “Please kill me.”

(24) hugging people when u say hi and goodbye to them

Hoseok is one of the best friends you could ever ask for. One, he’s friendly. Two, he’s funny. Three, he’s cute. Four, he hugs you when you arrive somewhere and again when you leave, and you absolutely love it.

“Y/N, hi!” His voice is the first to call out to you when you walk into the Open Day fair at your Uni. You look awful, overslept and still half asleep, but he comes towards you with a smile and engulfs you in a hug. “You look cute. Sleep well?”

That’s not to say the other guys don’t hug you, because they definitely do. But, Hoseok’s always the first.

(25) being there for someone even if u can't help them

“Go ahead. Laugh at me like everybody else.”

Jimin and Jeongguk are the ones who are unfortunately tasked with dealing with a tragically grieving Y/N. It’s unfortunate to you, but they don’t mind one bit. The last thing they expected to see when they came back to Jeongguk’s apartment to watch more episodes of Mindhunter on Jeongguk’s TV, was you curled up on the window seat with red eyes and a runny nose.

“Why would we laugh at you, baby?” Jeongguk asks, rubbing your back. He’s sat next to you and Jimin is by your feet, rubbing them and your legs with his soft hands.

You sniff uglily, but none of them say anything. “Cause. Cause it’s just a fish, I guess.”

“It was still your pet,” Jimin points out sadly. “Susan was a great fish.”

You sniff again, crying some more. “I just feel like a bad owner. Maybe the bowl wasn’t big enough, and maybe I didn’t feed her enough...I don’t want her to have died because of me.”

“Hey, now,” Jeongguk assures softly, “I’m sure she died peacefully. You were the best fish Mom ever. Susan’s in a better place now.” He glances over at Jimin nervously, “Like, fish heaven?”

For a moment you don’t say anything, and Jeongguk thinks maybe that was too much. But then you turn to him with a hopeful expression. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, of course,” Jeongguk replies.

“Susan’s still with you in your heart,” Jimin adds. He’s not too great at the comforting thing. “You were so good to her. If I was a fish, I’d want you to be my Mom.”

Jeongguk looks at Jimin with a deadpan face. Maybe that was too much, but you smiled, and that’s something to Jimin. Even if he doesn’t know what to do to help, the least he can do is be there for you.

(26) "this reminded me of u"

[03:15AM] namjoon: hehe [03:15AM] namjoon: this reminded me of u ^__^ [03:16AM] namjoon: [1 Image Attached]

[03:20AM] y/n: there r no words….

(27) allowing people to be human, with everything that this entails

University truly has been the best years of your life. There’ve been rough spots financially and mentally, but your key support system has been the circle of friends you’re proud to love and live with. Even when they’re a little bit chaotic, sometimes really annoying and loud and tiring, you still love them, and every quality that comes along with loving them.

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goodguidanceptc · 6 years

Text

Louisville IM Race Report October 14, 2018

Welcome coaches, training buddies, close friends and masochists/insomniacs. As with prior race reports, be warned that this post contains STRONG LANGUAGE. Here goes:

Abstract:

Read the Athlete Guide. Always. Miserable cold and wet conditions. Water temp warmer than air temp, wetsuit legal. Absurd Swim (shortened due to aggressive current); T1 was all about gear choices; Adequate Bike under demanding conditions; T2 was also all about gear choices; Tough Run. Two key takeaways: 1) Read the Athlete Guide; 2) I haven't quite properly calibrated in-race fueling.

Total race time result = 10:18*

* Under grossly dis-humane weather conditions and my own flubs, that is a good result...with which I am completely unsatisfied. A no-surprise, well-managed bike and a somewhat uneven run (matched stand-alone marathon result). Feel free to stop reading now.

Pre-Race (aka: “the Dumbening”)

I cannot emphasize strongly enough: no matter how many races you’ve done, how confident you may be in knowing the procedures, the timing, the places, etc... read and re-read the Athlete Guide.

So although I cannot provide details, just know that I--through my own dumbness--was told to acquire my timing chip in T1 after an official manually noted my swim start time, while standing on the dock to jump into the Ohio River. Clearly communicated in multiple places: check-in closes at 5pm Friday.

Brief rewind: woke up, standard pre-race breakfast, uneventful gear check and load bottles onto bike, walked over to Swim in. Shoulda found an IM staffer then, but didn’t think. Just didn't think it through; too cold and pre-race- process oriented. Got a little tunnel vision to get to the front of the self-seeded “1-1:10″ swim line.

Announcer: The current is so strong, some of the pros were struggling to get up river. Swim shortened to .9 mile, in other words an Olympic distance. Race delayed.

Some squats to stay warm, chat up some folks in line, never once thought to go get my chip before passing though that big black arch.

Swim (:18 min or 1:18/100 pace)

I swear to you by all the barge traffic and catfish whiskers in the Ohio River, there is no way I was in that river for 18 minutes. More on this in T1. Feet first into the river, sight that first buoy and...

Ever look through a kaleidoscope? Or imagine a Disney version of puke from a flying whale? The view from my goggles was:

[Kayaks + swim caps + buoys]

(river current exceeding posted speed limits)

flying Disney whale puke (as I imagine it rendered)

Just utter chaos. I aimed for the big wall, hit the metal steps and out. To quote one of my training partners, “My hair barely got wet.”

T1 (9:20)

Up the steps and skipped the peelers. Rationale: stay as warm as possible as long as possible. Jogged to changing tent, quickly passed the clumping “under 1 hour” swimmers, grabbed a chair near the exit.

Decision time on what to wear and how much skin to cover for the bike. I went with 100% coverage. Socks, thermal legs, long sleeves, gloves, balaclava. Plastic bag under the jersey and five of those little hand warmers hunters use (squeeze and shake for 6+ hours warming) in my back jersey pockets.

Out to bike rack, unhook and... it’s find-my-chip time. Found an IM staffer who radioed multiple people before finally sending me past the Bike Out arch to where the chip folks were.

I. Stood. There. Forrr -- evv -- errr.

Trying to alleviate my own frustration and anxiety, I literally put my head in my hands and made Hulk sounds.

Now, even in my adrenalized and hyper-performance-oriented state, I remember that I brought this shit on myself. So any expectation of special treatment, expedited problem-solving or what I call the lack of a “hop to!” by IM staffers simply cannot be criticized. This crapola? All. On. Me.

Furthermore, I'm grateful. (Check prior race reports, if you must. OR just trust me when I say that...) I thank all the volunteers and cops and EMTs and Traffic Management and general staff within earshot. No matter what speed I’m biking or running. Seriously. I’m all about appreciation.

All that said, Swim and T1 times are clearly inaccurate. Although IM staff noted the time of day I jumped into the water, another IM staffer wrote my time on a clipboard when they activated my chip and yet another other IM staff told me they’d estimate my T1 time. But I didn’t know precisely where to go in T1. So I lingered.

[So again: read the Athlete Guide.]

And if you are ever in that situation--which I guaran-frikkin-tee you I will NEVER be--I recommend you DO NOT stop to ask questions. Continue until you happen upon the chip folks. Worst case: you miss them and back track... the biking equivalent of going back to get dropped nutrition.

Bike (5:43)

While I definitely did not feel myself relax heading down River Road, I did feel a certain familiar comfort. I’d ridden this course a few times so even in the cold, wet wind, I was pretty confident I could manage the bike.

In the spirit of gratitude, whether passing or getting passed, I try to say something positive (looking good, go git some, stay strong).

Even on a hilly course, I ended up pacing with a few others. I try to be sensitive to any ‘gamesmanship’ (I’m not trying to get in your head competitively) but I'm definitely chatty. And the cold and wet just invited comment, even if only to distract from the misery.

Stick out and first loop was uneventful other than the number of people shivering on the sides of the route. Second loop had more than a few cars on course that seemed patient and considerate (relatively, IMO) but still required careful negotiations.

A FEW FIRSTS FOR ME

BLINDING ANGER. I admit I might have been “kicking the cat” but I’ve never experienced this on course.

On the back side of the loop, in the narrow stretch of blacktop through the small neighborhood just after the long descent out of La Grange, there’s short, steep descent with a well-marked/painted “BUMP” before a short, steep uphill. I’m a technically strong and confident cyclist so getting through here on the first loop was a piece of cake. Second time though, there was a hefty pack of windbreakers weaving(!) across the entire width of the road. Despite shouting “on your left” repeatedly and loudly, I had to brake. On an uphill. Dropped my chain. Nearly fell. Unclipped. All in the tiny 8ish yards of that short ascent.

What did I do? Stood there trying to get my chain back on and swearing profusely that dickhead bucket-listers with fucking no fucking business fucking leaving their fucking strip-mall periodontist practices should fucking learn to handle their goddamn bikes.

As I passed them on the descent towards the hay-bale bullseye, I gently advised them about blocking, race etiquette and having some goddamn self-awareness. In my defense, I averaged very nearly 20mph that day. And when I accidentally felt somebody too close as they passed, I always apologized. In retrospect, I’m sorry I was that guy right then.

PROFOUND SOLITUDE Stay with me as I get a little bing-bongy here... At the split to repeat the loop or return on the stick, most folks (the fat part of the bell curve) go left for their second loop. I was returning on the stick.

Suddenly I was not saying or hearing “on your left” or listening for the difference between aero wheels or a passing car.

I was alone. Like the guy in that Robert Frost poem. Miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep. And the mental chatter started. Cold. Grey. Wet. Stupid. Wasteful. What ego on you, chump. Clips from Moby Dick, Chapter 96. Burning ship, drove on to some vengeful deed. Gloom. There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. ee cummings A Leaf Falls.

[Stop wasting your time with this race report. Go read some actual writers.]

Even my mantras had abandoned me. I may have started singing or rapping something from my training playlist to shut down the negative chatter. And that’s about when I realized how well I was managing this bike leg. I think that’s called a paradox.

DON’T BLOW IT NOW Somewhere along one of the last ascents, I realized that I’d dressed properly! Coach Robbie’s advice for plastic grocery bag was spot on. Sure the toes and fingers were cold, but functional. Ears and neck felt okay and core temp was a non-issue. I wondered if I’d taken enough calories (thought: probably) but come on! I’d handled some real shitball conditions pretty well.

T2 (8:49)

Pulled off everything soaking wet except kit shorts. Replaced with dry thermal long-sleeve top, dry hat, dry gloves. Run belt, bottle, dry socks, shoes. Go.

While neither T1 or T2 were very fast, I really didn’t linger in the warmth. I remember thinking, “Take two deep breaths, make this decision and move it.” In other words, time was spent actually changing clothes.

BTW, Transition volunteers? True Guardian Bros. Can’t thank em enough.

Run (3:58 aka: avg 9:03/mi)

Two MAJOR joyous moments within the first mile:

1) As we’d pre-planned, my unbelievably awesome wife told me I was 18 minutes behind a podium slot. She told me later that I barked, “FUCK!” Regardless, I steal a kiss every race. Better than a GU and just as sweet. [Yes she reads these. Wink!]

2) Coincidentally, she was standing a few feet from Coach Robbie (C26), who I recognized but accidentally called Mike (his podcast co-host who I knew was on course). I think I shook his hand? Or maybe just shouted a happy shout?

So those two intercepts helped make the first 25% of the run all good. I kept turning down the pace because, as Coach Robbie has said, “your legs are lying to you.”

Then all that good ju-ju abandoned me like buoys on the Ohio River on the backside of the first loop.

I’d dropped my Infinit before finishing the entire first 24oz bottle. Why not stop and get it? I got no good rational answer. Ditched hat and gloves and actually rolled up my sleeves. My legs and shoes were soaked. (Walk-peeing wasn’t doing me any favors.)

I felt better once I had another bottle from my Special Needs bag, but by then I’d already burned my biscuits (another C26 gem) so I was well below my planned and expected 8:40/mile pace.

I may have even cried a little. Apologies to extremely helpful volunteer who graciously ignored a grown-ass man losing his shit. I KNOW i was talking to myself, “It’s all in your head. Move it.” and other more terrible words.

The last 25% in-bound was an exercise in utter stubbornness. Coke Gatorade Coke Gatorade Coke Gatorade and tons of verbal self-flagellation to keep going. I sincerely believe I passed two guys in my AG out of pure self-loathing.

The Fourth Street Live finish lived up to the hype. There’s photographic evidence that I actually smiled as I crossed and nearly collapsed (again, super kudos to the volunteers). I was wheeled straight to medical, shivering and borderline shock-ey. Broth, blankets, checked vitals (core temp too low). As planned, Susan brought me multiple layers of dry clothes. Changed. Got my mental shit together after finding out I’d finished 16th. Gold star to Al V., the med tent massage therapist. Another Guardian Bro. Limped home.

OVERALL RACE GRADE: PASS

As with prior races, IM-LOU yielded incremental improvements in all racing phases. As I said at the top, this was a good result, with which I am completely unsatisfied.

Am I one of the guys at the pointy end of the bell curve? Clearly yes.

Did I KQ? Unequivocal NO. Not even close.

There is clearly opportunity for additional incremental improvements to all five aspects of my racing:

Swim pace was an anomaly. 3x/wk in the lap pool could be improved by 2x/wk in endless pool.

Bike power was lost due to shitass Garmin tech. But from what I remember, I was mostly high Z2 with relatively few power spikes given the course and conditions. I definitely managed the bike with patience and smarts.

Run suffered due to fueling strategy that is just not... quite...perfected. And again, deplorable conditions.

Fuel strategy. I over corrected from IM-AZ (early run GI problems). Calories, liquids (no solids) and delivery method feels right. Timing around T2 needs tweaking.

Transitions were what they were. MY dumbassery in T1 was offset by my smart gear decisions.

See you in New Zealand in March, 2019!

WITH GRATITUDE FOR...

I’m very grateful to my lovely wife Susan and my wonderful kids, Peter and Veronica for their support. Susan, you are my salvation.

I’m grateful to have the expert professionals Coach Klebacha and Coach Sharone and the entire Well-Fit staff and athletes who generously share their wisdom.

I’m grateful to my inspiring and impressive training partners, including but not limited to the TriFam, the Well-Fit Elite Team (too many bad-asses to list but special GOLD STARS to LIZ and LAURA) and other triathlete rockstars like Nic, Dana, Andrew, John, James, Tony, and all the Pauls and Mikes.

I’m very grateful to anybody willing to excuse my terrible smell, deplorable language and barbaric sounds during training.

Maximum gratitude to Well-Fit, FFC, UIC, Whitney Young, Get-A-Grip, Live Grit, Fleet Feet, the Lakeshore path, Louisville Landsharks.

I’m grateful for Crushing Iron (C26), Matt Fitzgerald, Joe Friel, Training Peaks, Scott brand bikes, Apple, Ironman.

Thank you to all the on-course maniacs cheering and making signs and wearing all sorts of crazy outfits to show love and support. For strangers exercising.

Special thanks and appreciation to Bernie Mc for the most amazing on course support. Extra special Top Marks to Bernie!

I’m grateful that I’m able to race triathlons. Thanks for reading.

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rjwrites22 · 3 years

Text

Okay, College Life Update time

It's Sorority(/Fraternity, but I'm (technically?) a woman so only the sororities would want me) recruitment time. One in particular, Chi Omega (ΧΩ), has sent me multiple emails (like 4-5, but they pop up as notifs on my phone so it seems like I've gotten a lot), and a bit of research (i.e. Wikipedia time) has shown me that their core values include intelligence and academic achievement, and otherwise generally align with my own... aside from being social, 'cause I'm just about the biggest introvert you'd ever get the pleasure of meeting. They have "Interest Parties" over Zoom (in lieu of in-person stuff, because COVID), and tonight's will include doing some drawing. I enjoy that, so I have been successfully lured in to attending this Zoom meeting (nothing much else going on at 5pm, my other big big non-class plans are at noon and three today, and neither should take more than an hr and a half).

My plans at noon? I'm going to go get my eyebrow pierced. I'm so excited! It's mainly because my mother said something about it back in Nov, and I've thought about it off-and-on since, but finally I gave it more thought and decided I wanted to actualy do it, and I have time today and the place I want to get it at opens at noon. The timing is right between my physics classes, so I'm wondering if the guy I have both classes with will notice the difference. I know it's weird to think anyone would, but my second class (PHYS214) has only me, the prof, and two other guys. Literally just three students - I checked the info email the prof sent out, there were only three recipients, so it wasn't that only 3 people showed up to the first class on Wed. Edit: BOTH guys in my PHYS214 (2pm) are also in my PHYS212 (11am), so other than 214 prof there's 2ppl who might very well notice the very new thing on my face. I thought that may be the case, since one was in my 211. (Other guy wasn't, but he took 211 (or similar) elsewhere so he went right to 212. And 214 lol).

I've also gotten my nose pierced (back in early Nov), but with masks that one's not visible publically unless I break COVID regulations (I've done it once, but I was very careful abt it - got a flu shot, nursing student doing it said something abt the needle for the shot, I mentioned having gotten my nose pierced some days prior, she expressed interest in seeing the piercing, I pulled my mask down just enough to show her).

I wonder what the reaction would be, showing up to that Interest Party for a sorority - a "preppy" type of group - with literally the most punk piercing out there. And then, if asked, announcing I'm a huge introvert lol. As of right now, I'm not all that interested in seriously joining, but it's a goddamn Zoom meeting. Even going through the process of starting to join is free in everything but time commitment until Dues come due... maybe I'll follow it and be a half-hermit sorority punk (half-punk, maybe? Idk, I listen to some of the music and I'm gonna have 2 face piercings, and I like to call myself punk sometimes. My style of dress includes tank tops and only tank tops, doubt that that's punk). Their symbols include a skull and crossbones, which is pretty punk if I do say so myself.

And that was a legit use of "literally" up there, with the piercing thing - brow piercings were conceived of in the '70s or '80s by the punk subculture. Every other body part has more history in terms of piercing, from what I know, even if specific sorts of piercings on that part are newer. For example, lip piercings are old, but the Monroe piercing is newer, named for Marilyn Monroe and inspired in location by her beauty spot. That's just the one I know off the top of my head. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of this, I'm just spitting back out info from various internet wanders and could be mis-remembering something.)

Gender questioning update, as well: I've decided to tentatively go with Genderqueer, since my repeated questioning is a sign that I'm on the right track by doing the questioning, and that label seems the most... "ambiguous"? No offense to anyone who doesn't agree, it's just that I'm still unsure of the specifics of my gender but I want a more "common" label as a placeholder and that seems to be a decent one for me to use. Keeping she/her pronouns, mostly for simplicity's sake.

#rj talks #long post #college #piercings #(one of the tags that comes up - 2nd tag i think - for 'pi' is 'feet pics'. do with that what you may)#tw caps #life update #(if i draw anything cool at that party i'll post it)#(piercing pics to come later as well)#(and before anyone may say 'but u said uve got physics until noon! focus on that and not tumblr!' that class is a Zoom lecture)#(and it starts at 11)#(after 2pm I'm COMPLETELY booked lol)#(might have a window for a walmart visit after the piercing. i want a specific kind of soap for the aftercare same kind I used for my nose)#((did you know: tags have a character limit gdi))

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sportifynews · 4 years

Link

1:09

Two clubs made offers for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the Arsenal captain signed a new three-year deal, Dharmesh Sheth tells The Transfer Show

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new three-year contract with Arsenal.

The 31-year-old’s deal had been due to expire at the end of the season, but he has now ended speculation by extending his stay at the Emirates.

The Arsenal captain scored in their opening-day 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, with first-team manager Mikel Arteta hinting after the match a new contract was close.

Gunners on the rise under Arteta?

Arsenal transfer rumours

Get Sky Sports – All channels £23 a month

“Signing for this special club was never in doubt,” Aubameyang said. “It’s thanks to our fans, my team-mates, my family and everybody at this club that I feel like I belong here.

I believe in Arsenal. We can achieve big things together. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

“I believe in Arsenal. We can achieve big things together. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.”

Arteta added: “It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us. He’s a superb player with an incredible mentality. Being the player to have taken the least amount of time to reach 50 goals with this club tells you everything you need to know about him and his way of working.

“He’s an important leader for the team and a big part of what we’re building. He wants to be up there with the best players in the world and leave his mark. He can achieve that here.”

Aubameyang scored 22 goals in the Premier League last season and netted twice in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final to secure their place in the Europa League.

The Gabon forward also scored – and converted the winning spot-kick in a penalty shootout – as Arsenal beat Liverpool to win the Community Shield.

Since his move to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, he has scored 55 goals in 86 Premier League games.

Technical director Edu said: “It’s clear Auba loves the club and everything we stand for on and off the pitch. He’s obviously a very important part of the team so we’re all delighted he has committed his future to us. It’s a big boost for everyone – fans, team-mates and staff.”

Auba: ‘I want to leave a legacy at Arsenal’

After announcing the extension via a live steam on the club’s Instagram and Twitter accounts, Aubameyang stated his desire to follow in the footsteps of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp and become an Arsenal legend.

“Of course I knew about Arsenal before I arrived, everybody knows how special this club is,” Aubameyang said.

“I’ve seen incredible players. Passionate players. Invincible players. I dream of being one of them, amongst the best, and staying in the hearts of the fans forever.

“I want to become an Arsenal legend, just like Thierry, Wrighty, Adams and Bergkamp. Too many to mention.

“My dad is my biggest inspiration and he was captain of his club and his country, so it means so much to me to be the captain of this special club. I want to leave a legacy, this is where I belong. This is my family.”

Insight: ‘Two offers for Auba before new deal signed’

Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth on The Transfer Show:

I spoke to a couple people close to Arsenal earlier on Wednesday, this represents a huge deal, a huge coup for Arsenal because I’ve been told – they won’t tell me the clubs – there were two major offers for Aubameyang during this transfer window, which didn’t get leaked out.

Two big clubs. So then you have to go and give a bit of credit to technical director Edu and Mikel Arteta, because Arteta has always said it’s not about whether Aubameyang wants to stay at Arsenal, we have to convince Aubameyang that we have the ambition to fulfil his ambition, that we’re going to sign the right players for him to commit another three years, to make sure he’s at a club that’s winning things.

The FA Cup victory might have gone some way into persuading Aubameyang that the direction Arsenal are going is the direction he wants to go in. You have to give a lot of credit to Arteta because he has effectively persuaded Aubameyang that this is the place for him.

Analysis: This deal is a sign of where Arsenal are heading

This is a great deal for Aubameyang, says SSN’s Dharmesh Sheth

Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth:

Arsenal fans can breathe easy – finally.

No need for ‘Announce Aubameyang Contract’. It is done. He has signed. And for the player, it’s a great deal. Three years in fact.

There were some dissenting voices. Why give a 31-year-old that length of contract and that much money (reportedly £250,000 a week)? Simple. 72 goals in 111 appearances. Since he made his debut, nobody in the Premier League has scored more than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

This deal, though, is perhaps a sign of where Arsenal are heading.

“Hopefully we can convince him that this is the right place for him and that he has a future here”. The words of first-team manager Mikel Arteta when asked about Aubameyang in February.

Turns out Arteta and Arsenal have convinced him.

The new contract on its own will delight Arsenal supporters, but what it signifies could provide reasons to be optimistic about where the club is going.

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth

An eighth-placed finish may say otherwise, but it appears Aubameyang is buying into something. Under Arteta, Arsenal have beaten Manchester United and Liverpool in the Premier League. They won the FA Cup thanks in no small part to victories over Manchester City in the semis and Chelsea in the final – Aubameyang scored twice in both matches.

In those games Arteta’s tactics were lauded, tactics which brought the best out of his main man. Add to that, Arteta has shown a ruthless streak – ask Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi. Undoubtedly, the strength of the manager will have been a huge factor in Aubameyang’s decision – as will the ambition of the club.

There is an acceptance Arsenal need to be creative in this transfer window, but make no mistake, Aubameyang will have asked about potential signings. Are they bringing in players to help challenge for a top-four place, and dare I say it, the title? Aubameyang must think so.

There are changes behind the scenes. Head of football Raul Sanllehi gone, managing director Vinai Venkatesham taking over the role with an accompanying rallying cry. “There is much work to do to return Arsenal to the top of the game where we belong, which is what our fans rightly demand.” A view no doubt shared by Aubameyang.

The new contract on its own will delight Arsenal supporters, but what it signifies could provide reasons to be optimistic about where the club is going.

Transfer Centre LIVE!

Transfer Show: Could Arsenal swap Lacazette for Partey?

Arsenal head of football Sanllehi leaves

Arsenal in advanced talks for Runarsson

Arsenal are in advanced talks with Dijon over the signing of goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.

The 25-year-old Iceland international has two years remaining on his contract with the French club having joined from Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2018.

Arsenal are in the market for a back-up ‘keeper to compete with youngster Matt Macey, having accepted a £16m bid from Aston Villa for Emiliano Martinez.

The 28-year-old Argentinian is expected to complete the move to Villa Park this week.

Martinez has two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates and impressed when stepping in for first-choice ‘keeper Bernd Leno when the German was injured in June, but the Gunners are actively looking to generate funding for further outfield signings in this window.

Transfer Centre LIVE!

All the latest news, analysis and rumours from the window in one place.

The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.

A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday, October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports‘ digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.

Transfer Talk podcast

Every week throughout the window, the Transfer Talk podcast digs into the biggest storylines in the Premier League and around Europe, with debate and analysis from some of the most well connected reporters in the football world.

Download and subscribe in the link above, or find us wherever you get your podcasts.

original source

The post Aubameyang signs new three-year Arsenal contract appeared first on Sportify News.

#Sports #sportsnews #news #ufc #football #tennis #boxing #mma #golf #wwe #cricket #nba #nfl #nhl #mlb

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macithemaci · 6 years

Text

A flight companion - Chapter 1

Thank you @Latam for inspiring me to write this. Next time, warn me if my flight was rearranged. Fuck You

————

There are two types of people.

Well, there are many types of people, but here we’re going to talk about two, on a certain situation

When a problem shows up, type one silently resigns and quietly looks for the calmest answer and solution, trying not to call anyone’s attention, always politely

Then there’s type two, who gets incredibly mad and shows their anger, throwing a fit and demanding solutions and answers

This type of people can meet in many different situations.

——

Sci had to board his plane from California to Canada with a connection in Texas at 8 pm that night. He would get to Dallas at 11, then wait an hour, and board the plane to get to Ottawa and land at 5 am.

He got to the airport at 5pm, to see a sea of people, both humans and monsters, checking in, or well, trying to check in. He prepared everything he needed and joined the monster line, along with all the other monsters.

He didn’t really like the fact they were separated from humans. It was the case for a few things. Restrooms, some lines, but with what he investigated, it wasn’t as bad as it was in the past with skin color, yet some people could be extremely mean and monsterphobic and sometimes the separation wasn’t AS bad. He didn’t think about it for long.

Ahead of him were a quite a few monsters. A few snowdrakes, bunny, dragon, cat monsters, some tiny ruins monsters like froggits, two goop balls and a monster he didn’t quite see, since he was in the front of the line, but he could tell was a skeleton monster.

Sci just patiently waited until his turn arrived. Single monster with a small bag and one piece of luggage. He handed in his passport, and was given boarding tickets, and a little sticker as added to his baggage before it was sent away

After quietly asking monsters to move, he got out of the line, and walked towards security check and customs. Here the monster human separation was a bit more logical. Monster anatomy is varied and complicated, so having different scanners wasn’t a discrimination thing, but more of a practical thing.

He checked his boarding ticket and sat on a chair on his gate. He still had half an hour before the boarding call, so he decided to inspect the people he was going to spend the next three hours with.

Quite a lot of humans of different ethnicities and, just from sight, religions, the same and a few other monsters he saw on the line, but no sight of the skeleton monster.

He stopped caring soon after, and decided to take a short nap

Who knows how long he slept. Probably forty minutes, because he was waken up by the speakers giving an announcement.

“Last boarding call for flight 7112 to Dallas with Delta airlines. Please, Mr. Jonathan Hawker, Mrs. Patricia Rawson and Mr. Sans Font, Present on gate 15. Thank you very much ”

The message was repeated once in Spanish, and that’s when Sci stood up, stretched a bit, and RAN TOWARDS THE DOOR.

The lady at the desk gave him kinda of a dirty look before asking for his passport and boarding ticket

“Have a nice flight sir” she said after giving him back his stuff

“Thank you, and sorry”

He looked down at his ticket. Row 41, Seat H. The one in the window.

Almost everyone was done settling on their seats and putting their stuff on the upper compartments. He squashed his way up to his seat, wishing whoever was gonna be sitting with him…. was gone. The less interaction, the better. He didn’t see that much people sitting on the gate so maybe his company wasn’t there, but his dreams didn’t become true. Other skeleton was right there, sitting on the window seat. He was wearing a black hoodie with fluff and a red sweater underneath, shorts and sneakers. He had this dangerous air, shown by his red glowing eye.

Sci took a deep breath, preparing himself to gently ask this monster to move, since that was his spot, and that they were supposed to go in the corridor seat, but the other skeleton was scanning him kind of the same way the body scanner was. After he was done looking at Sci, he huffed, and turned to his screen. Sci sighed, and sat besides him. The less interaction, the better.

The safety instructions were given, the plane started moving, and the flight begun. Skeleton was looking through the window, with a soft feeling, like flying made him feel light and relaxed, unlike many people.

Sci started checking a few things on his phone until the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off. That was his clue to throw his seat back and take his computer off to finish some reports. Math, math, math and calculus and more math and science terms and formulas. He thought he heard something coming from the other monster. A small comment, a “nerd”, but he wasn’t sure. The less interaction the better, he kept telling himself.

An hour later, he felt something heavy on his shoulder. His seat partner had fallen asleep, and was laying his head on his shoulder. Sci rubbed his face uncomfortably, feeling it a bit hotter than usual, but carried on with his work.

Soon after that a human man came with a good cart. “Good night sir. As you’re on a trim flight, all we’re giving out are sandwiches. Would you want one?”

Sci wasn’t really that hungry, so he declined, but when he was asked to wake up the guy sleeping on his shoulder, his hopes of no interaction dropped even lower. He quickly moved his shoulder in order to move this guy’s head, but there was no response. He did the same thing another time. But he was in a deep sleep.

“I think he’s dead but, just in case I’ll take the sandwich for him. Is that possible?”

The guy chuckled. “Yes sir. Do you want anything to drink?”

“Just a cup of water. Thank you very much.”

He saved the sandwich on his bag and drank his water as he kept filling the document.

Time flew away. Literally. The timezone changed and the plane was about to land. The “Please put your personal items under the seat in front of you, close your tray tables and put your seats in the upright position” message was given, and he had to find a way to set both his and his partner’s seat upright, making as less contact as possible.

Moving as little as he was physically able, he saved his computer on the seat pocket and closed his tray, before leaning to both his button and skeleton monster’s button, who was luckily close to where his arm already was. He slowly pressed both buttons and the same time, and the seats went back to the upright position. This guy’s sleep was impossible to break. The only thing he did was nudge Sci’s arm with his head, which made Sci feel his face warm up again.

The only thing able to wake this guy up, was the shaky landing. He was so shocked he didn’t even realize where his head was before he got suddenly woken up.

“God fucking damn it we’re here already? I missed the fucking food”

“You were impossible to wake up”

“Excuse me?”

“I tried waking you up, you were dead”

“Fuck.”

“I did save your sandwich tho. I can give it to you in a minute”

“….thank you I guess”

“No problem”

That was a lie. Yes problem. This guy’s voice made Sci feel even weirder. He wasn’t completely despising the interaction by this point, yet he was still bothered by it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed in the city of Dallas, Texas, USA. We request you remain seated until the aircraft stops moving. Passengers with connection with the flight 2767 to Ottawa Canada please go to customer assistance once out of the plane since the flight was re arranged due to technical difficulties. Thank you very much”

As people huffed and puffed and groaned, the message was repeated once again in Spanish.

You have got to be kidding me thought Sci under his breath

“yOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME” Said the skeleton with a stone sleep besides Sci. He dropped his body back on his seat, covered his face and groaned, as Sci put his stuff away

#a flight companion #scifell #maci writes #i have quite a few chapters written since i wanted this to be a oneshot #but nope

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thedivinefish · 6 years

Text

TGIWednesday and Resetting Your GPS!

NEW AUDIO RELEASE TODAY!

For those of you who have ever wished I could be a little angel on your shoulder right there with you throughout your day helping support you each step of the way to make things go smoother morning, noon and night - and even in emergencies... then this new audio is what you've been waiting for - and it's SO much more than you (or I) ever imagined it could be.

Announcing the release of MyBeliefworks™ Daily GPS Reset: Fishing the Files

These clearings are all about resetting your GPS to a restore point that will be of better service to and for you. I call this one Daily GPS Reset - Fishing the Files because it focuses on clearing blocks in life, and repairing, replacing, and reprogramming your fragmented, damaged and negative files, allowing you to reset, reboot and download the 2.0 improved version of yourself every single day and it also works on inspiring you morning, noon and night! We are all guided by spirit with “factory” settings that allow us to be awesome and super-productive and by listening to this Audio MP3, it will return you there at any point throughout your day so you can listen to that still small voice within you.

It includes moments of silent prayer while I am fishing out the negative files and downloading more positive ones for you, and because this audio is meant to be used for EVERY DAY listening - it has been divided up into several individual parts that can be played (and/or looped) at the appropriate time of your day. If you are familiar with my work at all or have spent any time in sessions with me, I don't think I really have to tell you what the true value of this is, it's kind of obvious when you read the reactions from the folks who have already been listening (see reviews below).

We will be pricing this 5-part audio w/PDF at $88 after this special offer ends, BUT YOU CAN GET IT NOW FOR HALF-PRICE - JUST $44!

BUY IT TODAY - ONLY $44

The good reviews just keep pouring in (read more on order page)... L.J. / Virginia: "This is so EASY. Who doesn't have 10 minutes to listen or play 3x a day? Jimmy, it just gets better and better! This is truly inspired." "I have been enjoying listening for 5 days. I have experienced more calm, (smooth), decrease in sugar and carb cravings. I frankly just don't eat as much. I especially "feel" expansive during the quite minute of silence between tracks. I have not listened to the ending track, "breaking glass" But glad you offer that extra help when it's needed. The real magic happened when I listened the day before with a particular person in mind. She is a VERY ANXIOUS piano student and gets so nervous that lessons are hard to get through and I know she always feels so bad thinking she is not performing as well as she would like. Well, she got through her lesson the next day with minimal nerves and it was obvious how happy she was to perform what she had practiced. She practically danced out of my house! This is so EASY. Who doesn't have 10 minutes to listen or play 3x a day. As always, the gifts you offer are so helpful. Love how it's divided."

P.T. / Florida: "I love the new GPS audios. Jimmy, this is more powerful than we imagined...The ability to have short bursts of focused clearing throughout the day is priceless" "A friend of mine was unexpectedly terminated yesterday. She was spiraling into deep betrayal and depression - a complete meltdown. I ran the new emergency audio focused on her and the situation. I sent her the audio and asked her to run it several times during the evening. This morning she say she feels better after listening to the audio. She describes the audio as healing, soothing, detoxing, and energizing. When one door closes, another opens..." UPDATE: My friend is so clear that she is running the emergency audio on her team and colleagues. They are struggling with her departure."

TGIWednesday Download

~ RESETTING YOUR GPS ~

So today is the release of our GPS reset and it’s to really help you morning, afternoon and evenings and there is even a special section of ER 911 "Break Glass Only In Case of Emergency" - so it helps to smooth out the especially BAD days. You’re going to want to check that out because I know that it can help/contribute to you. I thought that in honor of this release I would do a blend of today and every day for you. It’s a short prayer track so feel free to fish along with me.

"This morning I will give thanks upon rising for the many blessings that I have and enjoy. This afternoon I will continue forward striving with grace and ease and lean into completion. Tonight I will enjoy my favorite sport or pastime and slow down until I drift into peaceful slumber. And for those that have had an especially tough time today, as Granny Ruth always says, “and this too shall pass.” I believe and declare that everything is working here and now in my favor and so it is in all languages and across all time lines!"

Live Shows and Replays

THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW

Every Tuesday at 12pm ET Call in LIVE (713) 955-0594 (*New time starting July 31st - Tuesdays at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)

Imagine getting FREE intuitive messages and healings LIVE! Well, it happens every week on my radio show with some of the best psychic readers & intuitive healers on the planet! Tune in weekly for the FREE live show or replay and YOU will receive changes & healings just by listening! Due to Blog Talk Radio technical issues with their phone lines, there were no radio shows yesterday afternoon. DANIEL THE HEALER has been rescheduled for August 21st at the new time - 9pm EDT. www.danielthehealer.com To listen online, click the date links below. JULY 17th REV DR KIMBERLY MAROONEY Intuitive Readings and Angelologist http://kimberlymarooney.com/angel-blessings JULY 24th KELLY M BALLARD 4th Generation Medium and Intuitive Reader http://www.reflectiveharmony.com JULY 31st REV. DEBBIE DIENSTBIER, our in residence Transmedium Communications with your loved one’s in heaven Important time change 9pm ET

Browse the interview archives here.

Live In-Person Appearances

LIVE SESSIONS AT SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH July 30th from 10am to 5pm I will be seeing clients at my good friend Charla Tempone’s office at Swann Holistic Health Center in Tampa. Please call their office directly in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes 33$’s 30-minutes 65$ - and yes it will sell out! 39 A DAVIS BLVD. TAMPA, FL 33606 (813) 873-7773 LIVE AT KODAWARI YOGA STUDIOS TAMPA

BOTH Wed & Fri 10am - 2pm! Tampa Bay area locals can book a live session with me EVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY from 10-2PM Call Kodawari's front desk directly to schedule (813) 773-4017 and pay at the concierge desk... 15 minutes 33$ or 30 minutes 65$. UPCOMING SCHEDULE 10-2pm: Wednesday: July 11th, 18th, 25th Friday: July 13th, 20th, 27th

3965 Henderson Blvd Suite C Tampa (813) 773-4017 http://www.kodawariyoga.com/

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations

July 11th - "Today I will count my blessings and how fragile life can be. I will squeeze every drop out of life as if I were wringing out a wash rag until it is dry. I will not endeavor to leave a perfect corpse, but instead I will accept that it is okay to be scared and tattered sliding into home plate!" Buy the book and read all 365 Days

From the Fish Box

"Jimmy, After getting off the phone with you. I felt that I didn't really care about when things would get resolved, all out of my hands. Within an hour I got five calls and emails from people and everything was resolved! all my new system for the new company are up and running. no stress involved! thank you!" - David M / Connecticut

Receive 24/7 Daily Prayers From Jimmy

"We are all still amazed at my daughter’s recovery from her hand surgery. She has full movement of all her fingers and wrist. I attribute this miraculous recovery to your daily prayers for her! Much love." - Carol M / Wisconsin Got a job interview next week? Going to court? Trying to get a mortgage? Surgery scheduled for you or a loved one? These are just some of the life at the crossroads events that are ideal for My Daily Prayer program. I am doing the heavy lifting for you around 3AM while you’re asleep in order to smooth out your way. YES! My Liquid Fish® Change made simple® works on legal issues too! Even the nightmares of family court/child custody/divorce cases!!! I will dial into you daily in the wee hours and make certain that you are a CLEAR YES,UNCLEAR to NO and RUNNING FORWARD before you start your day. You will send me a list of the members of your immediate household, and yes even pets, and I will add them to my daily prayers. I will arise daily before you are even awake to start my prayers and also run my intelligent computer software 24/7 deleting the negative and increasing the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of outcomes for you and the family. Each comes with a one-time email analysis print out via the intelligent healing software that I use on your behalf. Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes and I get emails like this one each and every week!

CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW:

Choose 7 days@ $33 Choose 14 days @$66 Choose 30 days @$99

"Wanted to thank you with all of my heart..I asked if you could pray for my grandson..his baby teeth were discolored and it could have been a serious bone deformity..I asked you to pray for him..and he went to the specialist..yesterday and his teeth are discolored from the iron in the formula!! You are AMAZING!!! Your goodness, sincere loving heart and soul is a GIFT to everyone you touch!! Thank You Jimmy" - A. / Tampa, FL

"I love that thank you for the feedback we work really hard to create change and see what will show up we never know and often it's guidance to other Physicians and what's best to do and often it's very simple items others have overlooked so I'm thrilled thank you thank you." - Jimmy

MLF Certification Mastery Course

Level I is OPEN FOR ANYONE to join at any time! Certificate of Mastery Program for My Liquid Fish® Change made simple®

This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It's a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH you AND CLEAR you at the same time! You'll also be working with me personally over the phone as a part of your final Mastery Certification test.

LEARN MORE HERE

Certified MLF Practitioner Course

Also, the Level II Practitioner's Course includes the Advanced teachings and nuances plus the exclusively written "The Practitioner's Handbook" which is dedicated to those who practice in the healing arts; Psychics, Healers, NP, AP, DOM, DO, MD, DC, Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, RNs, Nurse Practitioners, PhDs, and Physician Assistants or currently practicing another modality, technique or method that includes natural healing in your home office or office setting, phone and or Skype and is ONLY available in the Practitioner's Certification Program.

This book outlines some of the inner workings of how I handle my own practice including topics like; managing unrealistic expectations, having patience, pricing, time isn't always equal to outcomes or results, having limits, legal and ethical questions, advice on supplements, marketing, promotion, and sales, daily rituals for you and your clients/patients.

LEARN MORE HERE

My Liquid Fish® Jewelry and Art

Check out this brand new "energy art" from artist Julia Watkins featuring My Liquid Fish®! Learn more about purchasing a stunning pendant or a print of this original art piece (pictured here) which can literally be called an "energy portal". I believe you will find these pieces to be gorgeous keepsakes and each is empowered with the energy of My Liquid Fish® Change made simple®

Created by world renowned Energy Artist Julia Watkins Watch this short 6-min video presentation all about it! https://vimeo.com/248516531

PURCHASE HERE

TGIFunny

Forward

Jimmy Mack 727.678.0557 EST | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session Transformational Healing of Body, Mind & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations! Download the My Liquid Fish® Starter Kit Audio MP3 Downloads and books to improve your life! Get Certified in My Liquid Fish® Change Made Simple® Watch Free Videos on YouTube Weekly Radio Show Archives Shop for Supplements http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyrighted ©1998-2018 All Rights Reserved

-------------------------------------------------- TGIW newsletter managed by: Sandy Bidinger | Digital Marketing Specialist | SMBeConnected Solutions Digital Marketing Solutions & Support for Conscious Entrepreneurs www.smbeconnected.com

Stay connected!

Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

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365dailyaffirmations · 6 years

Text

TGIWednesday and Resetting Your GPS!

NEW AUDIO RELEASE TODAY!

Announcing the release of MyBeliefworks™ Daily GPS Reset: Fishing the Files

We will be pricing this 5-part audio w/PDF at $88 after this special offer ends, BUT YOU CAN GET IT NOW FOR HALF-PRICE - JUST $44!

BUY IT TODAY - ONLY $44

TGIWednesday Download

~ RESETTING YOUR GPS ~

Live Shows and Replays

THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW

Every Tuesday at 12pm ET Call in LIVE (713) 955-0594 (*New time starting July 31st - Tuesdays at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)

Browse the interview archives here.

Live In-Person Appearances

3965 Henderson Blvd Suite C Tampa (813) 773-4017 http://www.kodawariyoga.com/

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations

From the Fish Box

Receive 24/7 Daily Prayers From Jimmy

CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW:

Choose 7 days@ $33 Choose 14 days @$66 Choose 30 days @$99

MLF Certification Mastery Course

Level I is OPEN FOR ANYONE to join at any time! Certificate of Mastery Program for My Liquid Fish® Change made simple®

LEARN MORE HERE

Certified MLF Practitioner Course

LEARN MORE HERE

My Liquid Fish® Jewelry and Art

Created by world renowned Energy Artist Julia Watkins Watch this short 6-min video presentation all about it! https://vimeo.com/248516531

PURCHASE HERE

TGIFunny

Forward

Stay connected!

Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

0 notes

advancedthetapractitioner · 6 years

Text

TGIWednesday and Resetting Your GPS!

NEW AUDIO RELEASE TODAY!

Announcing the release of MyBeliefworks™ Daily GPS Reset: Fishing the Files

We will be pricing this 5-part audio w/PDF at $88 after this special offer ends, BUT YOU CAN GET IT NOW FOR HALF-PRICE - JUST $44!

BUY IT TODAY - ONLY $44

TGIWednesday Download

~ RESETTING YOUR GPS ~

Live Shows and Replays

THE JIMMY MACK HEALING SHOW

Every Tuesday at 12pm ET Call in LIVE (713) 955-0594 (*New time starting July 31st - Tuesdays at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT)

Browse the interview archives here.

Live In-Person Appearances

3965 Henderson Blvd Suite C Tampa (813) 773-4017 http://www.kodawariyoga.com/

Fish Food

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell The Fish: 365 Daily Inspirations & Affirmations

From the Fish Box

Receive 24/7 Daily Prayers From Jimmy

CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW:

Choose 7 days@ $33 Choose 14 days @$66 Choose 30 days @$99

MLF Certification Mastery Course

Level I is OPEN FOR ANYONE to join at any time! Certificate of Mastery Program for My Liquid Fish® Change made simple®

LEARN MORE HERE

Certified MLF Practitioner Course

LEARN MORE HERE

My Liquid Fish® Jewelry and Art

Created by world renowned Energy Artist Julia Watkins Watch this short 6-min video presentation all about it! https://vimeo.com/248516531

PURCHASE HERE

TGIFunny

Forward

Stay connected!

Our mailing address is: Clearwater Florida 33756 USA

0 notes