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dailyanarchistposts · 6 months ago

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VI. Free Exchange

We all accept the definition of capital as being that portion resulting from the application of labor used for reproduction. But it becomes necessary to define more clearly “the relations between capital and labor” under the absence of privilege. It needs no further argument to show that all differences in their relations have arisen from unjust prerogatives assumed or usurped by capital over its creator, labor, and that with the removal of these restrictions upon labor, in other words the denial of privilege to capital, capital and labor would cease to be antagonistic forces in production, leading to poverty from inequitable distribution. That, in fact, capital being the result of past labor, under the freedom to which industrialism aspires, is but the tool or instrument of present labor, in which its real productiveness consists in the creation of wealth instead of its exploitation. Therefore, in equitable economics capital becomes the handmaid of labor, follows and seeks after it, and exists only as applied by labor to further production in the exploitation of nature.

Under the heading we have now reached we will see more clearly the nature of the antagonism, or “strained relations”, which evidently do exist between capital and labor. That our present financial legislation is marked by inequality, that by our laws the right to issue free money, “emit bills of credit”, is denied, that voluntary organization of mutual credit by associative action to perform administrative functions is prevented by the artificial system now enjoying protection, to use a Gallicism, goes without saying.{28} The fact is beyond dispute; the reasons given for its maintenance are to facilitate exchange and to guarantee security, and that it is far superior to the methods it has supplanted. Following the application of our crucial test we are debarred from appealing to authority to institute some other enforced scheme, unless liberty proves deceptive and unavailing; and the industrial type rests confidently upon the assertion of J. S. Mill that “the only unfailing and permanent source of improvement is liberty.” Consequently, we cannot accept any of the various phases of greenbackism,{29} which not only deny the equal right of all men to the use of their own wealth to facilitate exchange, but which also rests {30} upon the assumption that public welfare is best subserved by arbitrary restriction of individual liberty and that financial wisdom is only attainable by a poll of general ignorance; that society like children at a table, must have their supply regulated by paternalism, but lacking guidance we select other children to play pater familias! The money-lender stands intrenched behind the banking privilege with charted rights to sell to necessity the use of credit founded upon debt! The remedy here, as in that other monopoly – human slavery, does not lie in attempting legislative injection of morality or sentiment into an inequitable system, but in the death of the moribund system itself, and this necessarily must proceed along rather than contrary to the lines of evolution. Under the power of increase given to money by its monopoly the borrowers is ever dependent upon and under subjection to the lender; the privilege accorded on the one side necessarily carries with it a corresponding restriction on the other to avail one’s self of natural resources. The case is not one where a great benefit is obviously conferred which could not otherwise be obtained, but one where a militant method is suggested by selfishness and enforced by denying scope to any other. By granting liberty to contract mutually our much vaunted financial system would die of inanition.

Nor can it be longer objected that the growing interrelations of social needs have led to a specie basis currency to facilitate exchange and thus escape the fatal limitations of direct barter, for the use of coin is barter: it is the interchange of one commodity for another. True, it is a vast improvement, but by conferring upon gold and silver a legal value it has virtually enhanced their intrinsic value. And as its legal-tender value makes it alone available, or its representative, in the payment of debt, the dealer in this absolute necessity for the purpose of exchange is enabled to impose a tax upon credit. Further, the monopoly of the medium of exchange by government is the power to use debt instead of solvency as an instrument of credit to facilitate exchange, and through and by this monopoly empowered to prevent exchanges until privileged exactions are first met. That is, for the boon for using these evidences of debt as a medium of exchange instead of my own solvent credit based on both personal character and acquired wealth, I must pay a bonus for the alleged accommodation so graciously conferred! Making it through force of special privilege a marketable commodity before it can serve me, and justifying it as less barbarous than past militant schemes. It therefore follows than on its market rate will depend its quantity, and here the interests of monopoly exact that its per capita distribution shall be limited to the lowest point consistent with the enormous superstructure of speculative credit raised upon it, that capital may turn over with greater rapidity and increase the desired gain from its use. Yet this anomalous state of affairs is defended by our from day-to-day{31} economists under pretext of sustaining “the standard of value” while admitting that value itself is an indeterminable factor. A foot, a pound, a gallon, a minute, are determinable measures because they possess both the property and quality of what they measure, but gold and silver are not, for being commodities themselves they vary in intrinsic value; but when gold does appreciate in value, as has often been the case, being the standard of value for unlike things, the degree of appreciation is marked in a fluctuating quantity of articles thus measured. Hence, value remains uncertain and variable; to use S. P. Andrews’ pithy phrase, it is “uncertainty X fluctuation = price.” In all ages the precious metals have been in great demand for purposes of ornamentation and luxury, and a large percentage of our coinage goes directly from the mint to the crucible, though still theoretically in circulation; and it is this demand that is still continually converting coin into plate, jewelry, etc., that increases its value. Its speculative value is determined not only by this demand, but by the monopoly of the remaining percentage as the basis for credit. Coin is wealth itself, it has value as a product of labor; currency based upon it depends upon confidence in its redeemability. But its chief characteristic is that it represents wealth, can be converted into other wealth. But in making it and its representative the sole legal tender in exchange, it crowds out all other wealth which might as well facilitate exchange with equal security and without interest. Consequently, the necessity for sustaining a fluctuating “standard of value” is not only equivalent to an assumed necessity for sustaining the monopoly over credit, but also prevents the real value from being determined by the cost of labor expended.

A solvent, whether issued by a banker, a farmer, or a mechanic, under freedom to the exchange of credit needs no artificial guarantee, for protection to all is equivalent to protection to none. It would receive credit to the extent of the wealth known to be pledged behind it for redemption, and no less scrutiny would be used than now in determining its solvency. We only look for redemption when distrust arises, so redemption would only be sought when the producers pledged were of greater benefit than the utility of their credit representative. Such notes could have as full credit in a voluntary association – the Patrons of Industry for instance {32} – as those now issued by a bank. Further, such use of credit could not lead to a panic, for it would not be in inverse proportion to its security, nor create a speculative demand to possess the wealth pledged for the purpose of hoarding, for under free competition, which free exchange implies, houses, machinery, or other products retained form use would be as valueless as water “hoarded” in a well in a wet season. In the present system the basis is both fluctuating and inadequate; in the other it would tend to stability and be unaffected by fears.

A specie basis, besides arousing doubts as to the solvency of its representative, during speculative reactions, by the necessity of meeting the exactions of interest and desire for profits, creates a speculative credit where what is pledged bears but an infinitesimal proportion to the exchanges effected, and carrying with it as a fatal consequence the fact that any degree of prosperity invariably incites to larger operations, based upon this swollen credit, until the limit of confidence is passed and caution again leads to doubt and doubt to panic. The stability of the basis bears no relation to the enormous superstructure credit has sought to raise upon it, and thousands fall yearly in the struggle. On the contrary, voluntary co-operation under free exchange organizing credit upon a mutual basis, wherein all labor products not quickly perishable would constitute the basis pledged, the only inflation that could result would be that of wealth, as will be seen hereafter when considering details.

Opportunity for credit being open to labor under free competition, its cost, like insurance, would speedily determine current rates. What might result opens a very broad field, but one not legitimately included within the scope of the application of our fundamental principles. Why it has not resulted we may readily see to be the continued survival of the militant superstition that men need governmental “direction” in matters where self-interest alone might seem competent to guide without resorting to either barbaric or twilight schemes of repression. How such organization could be introduced and command confidence we have yet to consider. To those who still believe that in the political pool the government leopard may be cleansed of its spots I commend these words of Jeremy Bentham: {33}

“What a government ought to do is a mysterious and searching question, which those may answer who know what to means; but what other men ought to do is a question of no mystery at all. The word ought, if it means anything, must have reference to some kind of interest or motives ; and what interest a government has in doing right, when it happens to be interested in doing wrong, is a question for the schoolman. The fact appears to be, that ought is not predicable of governments. The question is not why governments are not bound to do this or that, but why other men should let them if they can help it. The point is not to determine why the lion should not eat sheep, but why men should not eat their own mutton of they can.”

To which we may add the words of a far clearer and broader thinker, Auberon Herbert:{34}

“Has any race of men ever fairly tried even the humblest experiment of freedom and found it fail?

“Have not the human faculties grown in every field just as freedom has been given to them?

“Have men ever clung to protection and restraint and officialism without entangling themselves deeper and deeper into evils from which there was no outlet?”

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filmprojectguenolerainbird · 2 months ago

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Andrew and Mark Sessions

I had sessions with Andrew and Mark Leese (Production Designer) for both HAYST and BSTS

BSTS

I was the only one in the group present due to scheduling conflicts with other modules.

Mark:

I showed Mark Heather’s work and mood board, as well as the floor plan I made, to give him a better sense of the space. His main advice was to dress the set vertically—not just clutter and scatter the floor, but to find ways to occupy the entire frame by using the walls and adding height, like piles of objects. He also talked about making the clutter specific to the character and their environment, rather than relying on generic mess like pizza boxes or beer cans—E.g. a room cluttered with old toys tells a very different story than one filled with takeaway containers. He pointed out that things like bin bags don’t really make sense inside a bedroom.

He also gave some general techniques I was already familiar with, such as shifting the bed away from the wall and placing a light behind the character to add depth to the environment.

We also discussed the colour scheme. I told him about the yellow and blue palette I had in mind.

He advised introducing visual interest through costume (e.g. giving the character a bright coloured undershirt) and set dressing whenever possible. He gave me some great ideas (but that will probably not be implemented) about worldbuilding through the environment. I had the idea of having torn rebel posters in the tunnels. He gave the idea of having the footprint of an arrest, like a pram or a bike left on the street.

Andrew:

We discussed the teaser we had shot for BSTS. He thought it was well executed and liked the lack of information offered, saying it created tension.

Since we had already booked the equipment for the upcoming shoot, we mostly discussed the difference between the Sony FX6 (which I had used for the teaser and am most familiar with) and the Sony FS7 (which we had booked due to FX6’s unavailability). He noted that the FS7 is about a kilogram heavier and features a power zoom lens, meaning the focal plane remains consistent while zooming in or out.

He also gave me some lighting resources—like Correx plastic sheets and black wrap from the film store—to help shape light in the tunnel and outdoor locations. He also shared some advice about working closely with actors, especially since I’ll be physically near them throughout this shoot. He encouraged building rapport and maintaining clear communication.

HAYST:

For the HAYST sessions, both Annie and I were present.

Mark:

One key story requirement was to have an entire wall covered with drawings, which later become "corrupted"—with drawings of the Shadowman appearing across all of them.

Mark suggested gathering all the artwork and print duplicates, mapping the first set on a board and doing the same on a second board with the altered versions. This way, they could be replaced quickly on set by swapping out the boards.

Since duplicates of the drawings are required, he said scanning and printing them would be sufficient for the camera to make them look like authentic drawings. He also suggested using recycled paper to make the walls less white and more textured.

He also advised against simply sticking the drawings to the wall, and suggested adding three-dimensional elements (e.g. farbic, string, leaves, flattened flowers) to give more shape and textures to the walls.

For the shadowman, as it’s just a glorified Slenderman at present, he said to take inspiration in what he represents to give greater specificity to his design (e.g. if he’s a manifestation of childhood trauma – add some childhood toy parts to his appearance)

Andrew

Andrew’s suggestion was to look at scenes that were doing the same thing. I mentioned using the dolly, he suggested using the smal slider, as even minial foreward movement can create tension in a shot. He also suggested using close, narrow lenses to obscure what’s going on in the shot.

For low-light shooting, he explained two main approaches:

Shoot in low light on set, which looks rougher but can help actors stay in character and feel the mood.

Light the set brightly and darken it in post: produces cleaner shadows and a more polished look, though it can make the crew question what you're even doing on set.

I will try the latter, as I want a clean and clinical dread in the film’s aesthetic—but this will ultimately depend on how much I can control the light once on set.

Following this meeting, I looked at scenes from Shutter: they have a lot of CU of the characters' faces and POV shots (i.e. showing the thing, then the character’s reaction). Tracking shots are common, and the antagonist is rarely seen in full detail—often a general shape, either seen from a distance or obscured in some way in the frame.

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unchronicles · 3 months ago

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"Diagnosis is essential; without it, treatment is futile."

In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with a population of 7.5 million, significant strides have been made in strengthening the healthcare and medical education sectors. Alongside the establishment of 10 new nursing colleges, the number of MBBS seats has been increased to 1,100—steps that have meaningfully addressed the health needs of both rural and urban populations. These developments have propelled the region’s healthcare infrastructure upward in national rankings.

There is no denying that, in recent years, the healthcare sector in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a transformative shift, largely due to substantial financial assistance from the central government. The region has witnessed not only improvements in primary healthcare but also revolutionary advancements in secondary and tertiary care, as well as medical education.

Under central government initiatives, nine new medical colleges are being established in Jammu and Kashmir—five of which are already operational, two nearing completion, and work set to commence on the remaining two. Additionally, two AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical Sciences) are being set up—one each in Jammu and Kashmir—which will further stabilize and elevate the standard of medical education and healthcare delivery. Moreover, the upcoming establishment of two cancer institutes and a dedicated bone institute marks a significant step in specialized care.

Through the Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme, every citizen in Jammu and Kashmir is now entitled to health insurance coverage of up to Rs. 5 lakh, making quality treatment more accessible to all. While challenges remain and there is still room for improvement, these central schemes have led to a notable increase in the healthcare workforce and significant expansion of infrastructure, resulting in a visible reduction in healthcare-related hardships faced by the public.

Despite these achievements, certain critical issues persist. One such pressing concern is the unavailability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facilities in several district headquarters' government hospitals. This lack forces economically disadvantaged patients to travel long distances to Srinagar or Jammu, or to rely on costly private diagnostic centers. Overcrowding and extensive travel further exacerbate their difficulties.

This issue demands immediate attention from the authorities. Health concerns, particularly those affecting underprivileged sections of society, must be prioritized. Active follow-ups at the highest levels are essential to ensure timely interventions, and lack of funding should not become a barrier.

Beyond MRI machines, the condition of other diagnostic equipment—including X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan machines—must also be regularly assessed. In many cases, machines remain non-functional for extended periods due to lack of timely repairs, leaving patients without essential diagnostic services.

To truly realize the goal of accessible and reliable healthcare for all, the government must urgently strengthen diagnostic infrastructure in district and sub-district hospitals. Ensuring the availability and functionality of essential diagnostic services at the local level will spare patients the burden of traveling to major cities or turning to expensive private facilities, thereby reducing both financial and physical stress for those in need.

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knick-nudiex · 5 months ago

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American Greed (also known as American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals and as American Greed: Scams, Schemes and Broken Dreams) is an American documentary television series on CNBC. The series focuses on cases of Ponzi schemes, embezzlement and other white collar crimes and features interviews with police investigators, fraud victims and sometimes fraudsters.

It was initially created by Mark Hoffman, the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Directors of CNBC, and it is produced by Bill Kurtis' Kurtis Productions. The program is narrated by Stacy Keach Jr., who was recruited because Kurtis himself was unavailable for that purpose. It premiered on June 21, 2007. As of July 2024 the series is currently on a hiatus, but has not been cancelled.

Subjects The business-reality program focuses on the stories behind high-profile corporate and white-collar crimes, betrayals, and scams in American history, including the financial scandals involving WorldCom, HealthSouth, Tyco International, and CyberNET.Besides these high-profile cases, stories have featured lower-profile financial crimes that have affected individual investors and smaller companies, including various Ponzi schemes, real estate and other investment frauds, bank robbery, identity theft, medical fraud, embezzlement, insurance fraud, murder-for-hire, art theft, credit card fraud, money laundering, and political corruption.

In addition, there have been three American Greed special presentations: American Greed Special: Bernie Madoff Behind Bars; American Greed: Special Presentation: 9/11 Fraud – "A Contractor Capitalizes on Disaster"; and Mob Money: An American Greed Special Presentation.

In April 2022, American Greed and CNBC partnered with AMC to deliver a special episode detailing the life and crimes of fictional lawyer Jimmy McGill in promotion for the 6th season of Better Call Saul.

Episodes Main article: List of American Greed episodes Companion series American Greed has had at least three companion programs, all of which have also been narrated by Stacy Keach Jr.

In August 2012, CNBC aired the series American Greed: The Fugitives, which focused on active cases of alleged white-collar crime. The show documented stories of suspects who were still at large and had continued to evade authorities. It lasted 2 seasons, covering 13 cases of financial crimes. After the November 14, 2013, airing of American Greed: The Fugitives #12, viewer tips led to the successful November 26, 2013, arrest of FBI Most Wanted fugitive David Kaup, who had been a fugitive since December 17, 2012, when he failed to appear for sentencing in Los Angeles.

In early 2019, CNBC aired another companion series, American Greed: Deadly Rich, which focused on high-profile murder cases involving the wealthy.

On July 15, 2020, it was announced that another companion series titled American Greed: Biggest Cons would premiere on July 20, 2020.[18] When American Greed: Biggest Cons did so premiere, it updated some of the stories the main program had previously featured, such as its profiles of Madoff and Martin Shkreli and its study of William "Rick" Singer's college-admission scheme.

A few weeks before the Better Call Saul season 6 premiere on April Fools' Day 2022, the CNBC Prime YouTube account uploaded American Greed: James McGill. The ten-minute short is a faux documentary done in the same style as the popular series with the same name, and recaps the events of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Narrated by Keach, the mockumentary features in-character interviews from several recurring cast members from Better Call Saul, including DA Suzanne Ericsen (Julie Pearl), Deputy DA Bill Oakley (Peter Diseth) and Kim Wexler's former boss Rich Schweikart (Dennis Boutsikaris), as they recount their memories of Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler. Also making their reappearances are Craig and Betsy Kettleman (Jeremy Shamos and Julie Ann Emery, respectively), who had not appeared on the series since the first season, but made their last canonical appearance in the short film No Picnic, which was released after the third season.

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caexamblog · 7 months ago

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kaythefloppa · 8 months ago

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RE: New Episode of Wild Kratts - BUMBLEZZZZ

Bumblezzz - Airing Sunday November 3rd, 2024.

On a "mini" creature adventure, Martin and Chris encounter a hungry salamander and need to escape. Lost and unsure of their location, they ride a bumblebee, learning about it along the way. Unfortunately, they lose their adventure gear in the bee’s pollen pockets. Meanwhile, Zach is capturing endangered bumblebees, so the brothers activate Bumble Bee powers to and free the bees!

Pre-Episode Thoughts:

We get 2 episodes back-to-back where the miniaturized Kratt Brothers get lost with an animal, and then that episode is back-to-back with a salamander episode. Pretty tight continuity there, guys.

Ok, so there are links to clips of the episodes on the WVIA site, but those clips are unavailable until the episode drops. But those clips have synopses for them. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that there are some things that do get a side-eye here and there, but overall, a really interesting plot based on the synopses.

Again, really side-eyeing the show for how it took nearly a decade and a half to start doing animals that are commonly known like bumblebees, ravens, camels, leopards, and moose. Especially since we had two episodes centering around honey bees in the first season. And I'm especially petty because bumblebees are like, so fucking cute. Their rent was so due.

Zach is back! This is actually his first solo appearance in the new season. I guess it makes sense seeing as one of the complaints of the previous 2 seasons was how oversaturated he was and how repetitve his schemes became, so they dialed it down a ton here, but I think S7 leaned too far into the opposite direction, where you'd be surprised if he even appeared. Good to know that there's a decent balance at hand.

I'm not gonna spoil the plot that was revealed in the “clip descriptions” but Zach's motivations in this episode are BEYOND dumb. Like, Season 5 levels of "this could make a child cringe" (source: I was that child). I know I just went on about how refreshing it was to see him again this season, and I still stand by that, but this was the best they could do with it? Worse, this is coming right off the heels off of Our Blue & Green World and Paisley's betrayal. Even ignoring that, it just feels.... asinine even for Zach.

The Bumblebee Power Suit was revealed earlier this year in one of the Wild Kratts magazines. And I'm just gonna say it, the Bumblebee Suit has the best design out of all of the new Creature Powers in Season 7.

The quality is kinda shitty but you can still get the overall effect. The perfect blend of the signature CPS color with the animals' natural hues, the appropriate placement of the distinguished colors and markings, the anatomy of the suit itself, and the really clever easter egg of the main paw button being surrounded by a honeycomb marking. It's just perfect, and gives off a strong Season 1-ish vibe.

In this episode they really should go into the differences between honey bees and bumblebees. It's very interesting. Maybe they even activate the Honey Bee variant of the suit to explore the differences.

I so hope that they have a reference to the intro where the brothers ride on bees. Sure, it's a different species, but it seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Anyways, those are the synopsis for the next batch of Wild Kratts episodes. Allegedly (according to sources on Rotten Tomatoes) we'll be getting a total of 5 episodes in November, with this being two of them. Whether or not that's actually true, we've a lot to anticipate next month for the show.

New Episodes of Wild Kratts

Three new episodes of Wild Kratts will be airing in November of 2024. Salamander Streaming, Bumblezzz, and Chimpanzee and Me.

The synopsis for Bumblezz is yet to come, however we have plots for Salamander Streaming and Chimpanzee and Me.

Salamander Streaming - Airing Monday November 4th, 2024.

Mysteriously, the Tortuga shorts and powers down while the gang is streaming a movie. Koki says it won't be back today. What are they going to do? Chris and Martin announce they can still do streaming - salamander streaming! The rest of the gang wonders, what in the world is salamander streaming? The bros explain that salamander streaming is getting miniaturized and floating down a stream in tiny little boats looking for salamanders, of course! It's a race to find as many salamanders as they can while Koki tries to fix the Tortuga.

Pre-Episode Thoughts:

This was one of the episodes that the brothers announced at their live shows. I think that they will be focusing on tiger salamanders. Either way, I think it's gonna be cool that we might have a Salamander Power Suit.

WK's pop-culture references in the modern seasons are really hit and miss, but this is actually some good fucken wordplay with streaming.

If the Tortuga really is powered down, then will we actually see Salamander Power? Or is it gonna be like Mystery of the Squirmy Wormy where the brothers don't use any Power Suits? Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

Chimpanzee and Me - Airing - Airing Wednesday, November 6th, 2024

The gang travels deep into Uganda's tropical forests to uncover the true nature of the chimpanzee, but Chris sprains his ankle at the most inopportune time and can't participate. He is sad and upset. It's the climbing adventure that he's always looked forward to most. He tries to hide his disappointment and gets support from his friends, but it is a young chimp who shows him how to truly make the best of a bad situation.

Pre-Episode Thoughts:

This was another episode that Martin had hinted at the live shows. What's funny is that 2D Martin also expressed the idea of heading into the African rainforests in Rattlesnake Crystal (an episode that IRL Martin wrote). Again, not sure why it took them almost a decade and a half to get to this, but I digress.

Goddamn we are getting a LOT of angst in S7. Between this, No Name Dream, and the most recent episode, A Fish Out of Water, we're getting more character-driven plots, (especially if you count Paisley's redemption in the special). And while this does seem to be similar to Flight of the Draco, this does seem to have an intereting twist. Chimpanzees have many abilities apart from climbing, such as intellect, empathy, craftiness, and communciation. Maybe Chris will discover that and eventually use those skills to rescue the chimpanzees and/or the gang from a bad situation later.

Also, baby chimps are really fucking cute. I so hope that Chris gets to name it in the episode.

I've debated with my friends on this, and I do hope that we see a Chimpanzee Suit.. but knowing how anatomically similar chimps are to humans, and given how uncanny the Power Suits in the modern seasons have been.... I very much wonder.

That being said, if there is gonna be a Chimp Suit, I wonder if Chris will be the one to invent it? Assuming that he's staying behind at the Tortuga throughout this episode and makes the observations, then it would make sense that he'd invent the suit. Martin invented the Ermine Power Disc back in Season 5, so maybe Chris could invent a Chimpanzee Suit. Part of me thinks it'll backfire just as horribly, but after the bullshit that was the Indri-Conda Suit, I'm willing to accept anything 😭😭

#wild kratts #chris kratt #martin kratt #2d chris kratt #2d martin kratt #kratt brothers #2d kratt brothers #wk s7 #wild kratts season 7 #reblog post #I do anticipate the Bumblebee episode in spite of my doubts #we'll probably have to wait until further down the line #But I really do hope Paisley appears in that episode since she's nowhere to be mentioned here #Like they can't just change the entire trajectory of the show in one batch of episodes then make fans wait half a year for another batch #and just...not immediately follow up on it.#And I'm still hyped for the episode and even without Paisley in them they could still have their strengths #I'm just saying that they've stuck with their decision I'd like to see more pls #Also the Bumblebee Power Suit was shown in one of the recent magazines. It looks fucking awesome

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happypeaceaman · 1 year ago

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Navigating Peak Season: Tips for Booking Flight Tickets During Busy Times

As the travel industry ebbs and flows, there are certain times of the year when booking flight tickets becomes akin to navigating a crowded airport terminal during rush hour. Peak seasons, marked by holidays, festivals, and school breaks, often witness a surge in demand for air travel. Whether you're planning a holiday getaway or a business trip, securing affordable flights during these busy times can seem like a daunting task. However, armed with the right strategies and insights, you can still snag great deals and make your journey a smooth one.

For more features please visit https://trailtravelz.com/

Understanding Peak Seasons:

Before delving into tips for booking flight tickets during busy times, it's essential to grasp the dynamics of peak seasons. These periods are characterized by heightened demand, resulting in higher ticket prices and limited availability. Major holidays like Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Easter typically see a spike in travel activity, as do school vacations and popular events such as music festivals and sporting competitions. Additionally, factors like weather patterns, cultural celebrations, and seasonal attractions can influence travel patterns and contribute to the congestion.

Tips for Booking Flight Tickets During Busy Times:

Plan Ahead: One of the cardinal rules of navigating peak season travel is to plan well in advance. As soon as you know your travel dates, start monitoring flight prices and availability. Booking early not only ensures access to a wider range of options but also increases the likelihood of securing lower fares.

Be Flexible: Flexibility is key to finding affordable flights during peak seasons. Consider adjusting your travel dates by a few days or even opting for mid-week departures, as these times often feature lower demand and consequently, cheaper fares. Additionally, remain open to alternative airports and routes, which could offer better deals compared to popular hubs.

Set Fare Alerts: Take advantage of fare alert services offered by various online travel agencies and airlines. These tools notify you when prices drop or rise for your selected route, enabling you to capitalize on discounted fares and avoid booking during price surges.

Utilize Incognito Mode: When browsing for flights online, use private or incognito mode to prevent websites from tracking your search history. Airlines and booking platforms often use cookies to monitor user activity and may adjust prices based on demand. By browsing anonymously, you can avoid potential price hikes resulting from repeated searches.

Consider Connecting Flights: While direct flights are convenient, they tend to be pricier during peak seasons. Opting for connecting flights, albeit slightly less convenient, can significantly lower your overall travel costs. Be sure to factor in layover durations and potential transit visa requirements when evaluating these options.

Join Loyalty Programs: Frequent flyer programs and airline loyalty schemes can yield substantial benefits, especially when booking during busy times. Accumulated miles, elite status perks, and exclusive offers may give you an edge in securing upgrades or accessing discounted fares unavailable to non-members.

Monitor Flash Sales and Promotions: Keep an eye out for flash sales, promotional offers, and last-minute deals announced by airlines and travel agencies. These limited-time offers often coincide with peak seasons and can provide significant savings if you're quick to act.

Consider Alternative Accommodation: In destinations where accommodation prices skyrocket during peak seasons, consider alternative lodging options such as vacation rentals, hostels, or guesthouses. Savings on accommodation costs can offset higher flight ticket prices, making your overall trip more budget-friendly.

Stay Informed About Travel Restrictions: Stay abreast of travel advisories, entry requirements, and COVID-19 protocols, especially if you're planning international travel during peak seasons. Regulations and restrictions can vary widely between destinations, and failing to comply could disrupt your travel plans or incur additional expenses.

Be Prepared for Crowds: Finally, mentally prepare yourself for the crowds and long queues synonymous with peak season travel. Arrive at the airport well in advance, pack essential items to keep yourself comfortable during transit, and maintain a positive attitude amidst the hustle and bustle.

Conclusion:

Booking flight tickets during peak seasons requires patience, flexibility, and a strategic approach. By planning ahead, staying flexible, and leveraging available resources, you can navigate the challenges of busy travel periods and secure affordable fares for your next adventure. Remember, with the right mindset and preparation, even the busiest of seasons can be a rewarding and memorable experience.

#PeakSeasonTravel #FlightBookingTips #TravelDuringBusyTimes #TravelHacks #BudgetTravel #TravelPlanning #AirfareDeals #FrequentFlyerPrograms #TravelFlexibility #HolidayTravel

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ib-past-papers · 11 months ago

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Business HL Paper 2

#ib #ib diploma #ibdp #ibdp student #mark scheme unavailable #international baccalaureate #business hl

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kenziedrawz · 3 years ago

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Hey, hey you!

Yeah you!

Do you want to join a fun, Multi-fandom rp Server? Then I've got the server for you my friend! Rosevein Academy! A magic school themed roleplay with a mystery twist! We have lots to look into so let's get to it! At the end of this post is a link to the server, so if you wanna skip to that at least read the rules first.

INDEX

❀1. Plot information. ❀2. Rules. ❀3. Dorms & Uniforms. ❀4. Extra.

❀ Plot information ❀

Rosevein Academy is an Arcane Academy known across many worlds and dimensions. It specializes in teaching the wonders of Magic and it's many forms. To whether you or your parents signed you up to the academy or the mysterious Headmistress had selected you herself, anyone is welcome here.

Each student will receive their very own Utility Wand to use and bond with, though we have yet to see a student other than a few dorm leaders bond with their wands.

❀ Rules ❀

ROLEPLAY RULES

❀1. If you wish to do some :sparkles: Evil Scheming :sparkles: then please discuss with the mods and the admins of any characters that are involved before going ahead with any plans. ❀2. All first years will have to go through the entrance ceremony and be sorted into their dorms. ❀3. On the note of dorms, if you are unsure of which dorm to sort a character into then don't be afraid to ask one of the mods for some help. ❀4. Please note that no characters are to die within this roleplay, however characters can be injured, but not too severely. ❀5. Have fun! And remember to take a break if you need one! Just inform us at least. ❀6. We have a character limit of 6 characters per person

GENERAL RULES

❀1. Remember to respect your fellow members and mods! ❀2. Please respect triggers by putting the appropriate warnings and censors. if you don't know how to censor then ask someone for help or look it up. [ just putting it here so people know but you surround the words with || on each side. ❀3. Please try to be active if you decide to take part in an event. ❀4. Please put spoiler marks over any and all spoilers! ❀5. Please do not spam any of the chats with unrelated things, unless it's the spam chat, then go wild. ❀6. I think this goes for everyone but PLEASE do not say any slurs, as they will not be tolerated. ❀7. If you are under the age of thirteen(13) or above the age of thirty(30) Then I will have to ask that you leave the server.

You will have to agree to follow these rules before you can roleplay within the server.

❀ Dorms & Uniforms ❀

Like most schools, Rosevein Academy has a student uniform with masc and fem variants. You can see them here down below.

As you can see, each Uniform looks different depending on the dorm the student wearing it is from. if a student has no Dorm then the color changing parts of the uniform default to shades of grey.

But we should get into the dorms, right? That's what you're reading this section for.

Iustitia, the dorm of Justice.

Iustitia is known as the dorm of Justice, members of this dorm tend to have a strong sense of justice and a strict adherence to rules.

Fun facts about this dorm!

In order to become Iustitia's dorm leader you'll have to go through a trial process, you and the current dorm leader will present your cases on why you/they should be/remain the dorm leader. It will be up to a jury of Iustitia students selected by the Headmistress( or Student Council President if the headmistress is unavailable at the time.).

There's a large Rose garden in the dorm, it's within the dorm's rules that the garden must be up kept by the students of the dorm. Nobody knows why they must do it, but they do it anyways.

Constantia, the dorm of Perseverance.

Constantia is known as the dorm of Perseverance, members of this dorm tend to never give up in their pursuits and also have lots of determination.

Fun facts about this dorm!

In order to become Constantia's dorm leader, you will have to go through a majority vote. The member's of the dorm will vote on who they will believe suits the position more after both parties( Challenger and Challenged.) Present their cases on why they should be/remain the dorm leader. If the votes are tied, then the victor is decided by a duel.

A Constantia member must be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goal if they wish to become the dorm leader.

A special card game is taught to the Constantia dorm leader by either the Previous dorm leader or the Student Council president.

Callidus, the dorm of Intelligence.

Callidus is known as the dorm of Intelligence, whether it's street smarts or book smarts, members of this dorm tend to be very smart.

Fun facts about this dorm!

Near the main area of the dorm, there's a fairly large stage. if you come to this stage at night you may be able to hear a song being played from somewhere.

In order to become Callidus's dorm leader, you must be able to showcase not only your intelligence, but also your creativity.

Member's of Callidus can sometimes be quick thinkers and able to quickly get out of tough situations if need be.

Misericordia, the dorm of Empathy.

Misericordia is know as the dorm of Empathy, members of this dorm tend to connect well to other people for better or worse.

Fun facts about this dorm!

In order to become Misericordia's dorm leader, you will have to have many strong, positive connections with other people, you'll also need to have quite a bit of charisma and be willing to help others when they are in need.

Misericordia dorm member's excel in at least one of the three empathy types, Cognitive empathy, Emotional empathy and Empathetic concern. They also tend to be very helpful and easy to become friends with.

Fortitudo, the dorm of Courage.

Fortitudo is know as the dorm of Courage, members of this dorm tend to never let up in the face of danger or fear.

Fun facts about this dorm!

In order to even challenge the dorm leader of Fortitudo for their position, you will have to face your deepest fear. if you are unable to face this fear then you will be unable to challenge the dorm leader.

Like Iustitia, there's a garden within this dorm, abeilt it a bit smaller. At the centre of the garden seems to be a tombstone, but nobody has been able to read what it says.

Potentia, the dorm of Strength.

Potentia is know as the dorm of Strength, members of this dorm tend to be very strong either Physically and/or mentally( as in terms of willpower and not smarts).

Fun facts about this dorm!

In order to become Potentia's dorm leader, you have to win in a battle against the dorm leader. However, if you are found cheating in this battle then you will be banned from the dorm leader and vice dorm leader positions for good. If you are unlucky you may even be kicked out from the dorm and will have to be resorted.

In the dorm, there is a training area used frequently by it's members to hone their skills and strengths.

❀ Extras ❀

Congrats! You've nearly made it to the end of this post! But before we do get to the end, I have some extra information for you all.

Rosevein Academy students are ferried to and from the school by vehicles known as Traiciels. On the outside they seem to be a regular bus with large panels in the sides, but on the inside they look more like an old fancy train, y'know, the ones with booths. behind the pannels are wings that are used for flight.

We have our very own Lesson system! Which is important for helping you succeed on tests. Doing Lessons will also help you earn Lesson points which you can use in the server store to buy stuff!

Rosevein Academy has it's very own Student council! As you should know by me mentioning the Student Council President previously.

At the beginning of each school year, all the new students are sorted into dorms by an artefact known as the soul eye. If a Student needs to be reassigned a dorm, then the eye will handle it. So far, there has never been a case where a student hasn't been able to be sorted.

Before a student is sorted/ has been kicked out of their dorm, their uniform will have shades of grey as the accent colors which will change once they get sorted/resorted into a dorm.

And that's just about it! Here's the link to the server, I hope to see you soon! And if you have any further questions, we have a QnA channel for you to ask them!

#adding some tags for fandoms so this can be seen.#twisted wonderland #splatoon #monster high #the owl house #project sekai #toilet bound hanako kun #please please please please PLEASE join the server it is my pride and joy and i will sob if it gets left in the dust #yes i am begging you #is my begging working? please say yes/hj #tumblr deleted my first draft of this which i am mildly pissed about >:(#Anyways thanks for reading the tags !<3

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thedudewiththedragontattoos · 5 years ago

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Downtown Revamp - A complete overhaul of Downtown from The Sims 2 Nightlife

It’s finally here! This is going to be a long post, please read everything before you download, as there is quite a bit of information to go over! Let’s get started!

First, a picture of the finalized Downtown!

Click here for a relatively complete imgur album of all the lots!

*The pics are not in order. I seriously cannot be bothered going through 140 pictures. Sorry!

*Please note that some of the venues may look different in the final download than the pictures. This is because after building everything I went through and picked/replaced all of the CC that I felt wasn’t 100% necessary to use in the hood, thus some of the color schemes of the lots may differ, especially on interiors.

What is this?

If you haven’t been following me for the past few weeks, I took on a project to completely renovate all of Downtown from The Sims 2 Nightlife. This means all lots have been completely remodeled and updated. No more fugly Maxis lots! I had three main goals for this project - First, to update everything to look good and be fun to play, second to have each lot offer a unique “experience”, and third, to keep the original feeling of the lots in tact.

This comes in two versions - a Subhood version that you can add to your existing hoods, like you would with a traditional Downtown, and a Main Hood version, so you can play my updated Downtown as a main hood if you’d like!

General Information:

I renovated every single lot (except four lots which I removed from the hood, more on that later). Downtown had a special way of reusing the same idea for multiple different lots - I stopped counting how many dark vampy dance lounges with raised or lowered dance floors there were. Three freakin bowling alleys? As I mentioned earlier, I wanted each lot to have its own reason for you to come visit, and there were four lots that I ultimately felt offered nothing and wouldn’t be missed if they were taken out. The following lots are not in this Downtown:

Lost in Love Hedge Maze

P.U.R.E.

The Corner Shoppes

Comandgo Emporium

Aside from those four lots, every lot has been renovated - Including Residential lots!

This is not populated. There are no townies and/or Tricou ghosts.

There are a few unavoidable NPC’s that have spawned when I made this such as a busker and the New Year’s Toddler. There are also a few stray animals that decided to spawn, but those could not be avoided. All in all, don’t worry about this adding tons and tons of NPC’s to your game - I did my best to ensure the hood was empty.

This hood does include custom content. Sorry if you don’t play with it, but there’s just some things that I couldn’t go without. I tried to use only what I felt was necessary to make the hood look and play nicely.

This was built in the Ultimate Collection, so unfortunately I don’t know exactly what is “required”. Recommended at the very least to have NL, H&M, BV, FT, UNI, and AL.

Custom Content info & Download links/Instructions below the cut :)

UPDATE: You can now download all Downtownies (Except dead Tricou’s) easily to add to this hood! Check out the post and download here!

Custom Content:

Firstly, a HUGE thank you to all of the following CC creators who have so kindly allowed me to include their CC in a single download folder. Below are links to the individual pieces that were used, along with their creators blogs/profiles as well. There are also some important pieces of information and disclaimers about certain sets and defaults below. Please read everything before you bork up your game and blame me.

Custom Content used in this hood/Credits:

**You do NOT need to download the following items one by one. These are credits. All but ONE of them are included in a single download folder included with both hood versions**

*Those with a * next to their name are Default Replacements.

Pub Bottle Recolors and *Clothing Rack Defaults both by @withlovefromsimtown

Better Nightlife, Tarmac Hood Deco, and Matching Road Floor Tiles by @criquette-was-here

A few recolor sets from @cluedosims AKA @shastakiss

Community Phonebooth by nicvncnt

*Linden Trees, Seasonal AL Pond, Tower of Communism Skybox, and The Emerald City Skyscraper Set all by @lowedeus

Skyfix by @simnopke

Hood Deco Buildings by @dulcinean-alien

Criquette Horizons by @witheredlilies and @criquette-was-here

*Terrain Default Replacement by @dramallamadingdang

Invisible Driveway Recolor by Roddyalexio

*Invisible Stop Sign Default Replacement by Psychosims

4T2 City Living Murals by @moocha-muses

Simlish Neon Signs by @polllinationtech

Some (excluding the DFR) items from the Bespoke Build Set by @honeywell-mts

Public Bathroom Deco by @nekosayuri

Vampire Gravestones by @tony-veis

*Low Poly Tree Defaults and *Edited Defaults of Criquette’s Rural Road by @peppermint-ginger

I do not claim any of the included CC as my own. If I mistakenly included CC that you created and you do not want it included (Though I contacted those I was unsure about) please immediately reach out to me and I will remove them :)

Additional credit to the amazing and dear Mootilda for this extremely helpful tutorial :,)

Important CC Info:

DISCLAIMER: There are SOME default replacements in this CC folder. They have been marked in a separate folder with “-DFR” in front of their names. If you have your own defaults, simply do NOT add them to your downloads.

Note about Bespoke Set: This does NOT include all of the items in the Bespoke Build Set. If you already have it, do not add these folders to your game. If you do have it and plan on getting the rest of the pack later on, just delete these two folders and install those from MTS. The items included in this folder are the following:

Windows

Doors

Wall Coverings

Floor Edging

If you do not wish to use the entirety of BBS, then just use the items in the folders I have provided, as these are the ones that are necessary in Downtown :) Thanks again Honeywell!

The Roads that I use in this hood do not have a grass median between the road and sidewalk. The way my DFR’s work is that that space needs to be filled in once the overlays are placed. If you do not use a DFR OR if you use something different, you may have to remove the filled in section. You’ll know what I mean when you load it up. Also, if you don’t use these defaults, there may be random rugs in the road, that is just the game replacing unavailable content.

If you don’t plan on using the Phone Booths that are included, you will want to go back through the lots and add back the EA default phone booths. I am not sure if your sims will be able to get back to their home lot if you don’t download the custom ones, since I deleted the original vanilla booths.

Excluded CC:

I used these recolors of Numenor’s stairs. You WILL need to download these (be sure to properly download them) as they are NOT included, since Numenor does not allow this.

CC Download Instructions:

CC is included with both versions of the hoods.

Instructions: Download the zip file for the hood version you want, unzip it with your preferred zipping program, and extract the contents into your downloads folder. Don’t forget to check your Default Replacements!

Download Instructions:

Instructions:

If you want the Subhood version - Download the DTWN Subhood zip, unzip with your preferred program, and extract it to the following folder, depending on which version of the game you have:

DELETE THE D001 Folder, or move it to a safe location. This is the original Downtown.

Ultimate Collection: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Double Deluxe\EP2\TSData\Res\NeighborhoodTemplate

Disk: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Nightlife\TSData\Res\NeighborhoodTemplate

Once this is installed, load up the hood that you wish to add the new Downtown subhood to, and add it as you would with the vanilla Downtown. Note that you will know it’s the right one as the thumbnail will be different.

If you want the Main Hood version - Download the DTWN Main Hood zip, unzip with your preferred program, and extract to the following folder, depending on which version of the game you have:

Ultimate Collection: Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Neighborhoods

Disk: Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods

Hood Download Links:

*Links include CC

Main Hood

Subhood

If you have trouble downloading, let me know and I’ll throw in an alternate link :)

TOU: I guess I need my own TOU now. Please don’t be an asshole, don’t steal my lots or hood and claim it as your own. Use common sense. I am fine if you renovate one of my renovations and want to post it yourself, just give me credit and link to this original post. Also, do NOT redistribute the cc folder included. This is meant only for Downtown, only saying this as I wish for the creators to get all the credit.

Thank you all once more for your interest in the project! I can’t wait to see what you all do with this! Please feel free to tag me in screenshots, renos of my renos, etc...

Additional thanks to everyone at PleasantSims’ discord for the interest and motivation for this project, especially to Sabrina, Melting Magnetz, Crosimmer, Yeetus, and much more!

Keep an eye out for my next project. Thinking of moving on to Bluewater Village or a Vacation Hood!

Enjoy and have fun :D

- Mike

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peachyaone · 4 years ago

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5 Stages of Grief.

Pairings: Loki Laufeyson x reader.

Warning: Mentions of Loki’s death.

Y/N has the power to "see" through someone's eyes. It would only work if the person they're "seeing" is alive. Otherwise, all they would see is a blurred vision of what the person would see. They also have the power to manipulate energy to transform to any shape and form.

STAGE ONE STAGE TWO STAGE THREE STAGE FIVE

Stage Four: Depression.

Y/N turned on the shower, running it on cold. Somehow the cold comforted them, just like that time when Loki revealed his Jötunn form to them. It's already been five years now. But to Y/N it felt like millions. They had been living in haze, their mind seems to wander elsewhere while their body was moving by itself. Everytime one of the members tried their best to talk to them, they'd fail.

Time passed, and they were still in the shower. It was freezing now. Knocks cut through the sound of the shower running. "Y/N?" It was Natasha. No answer. she knocked again, still no answer. "Hey, you okay in there?" Natasha asked.

"Hey, I'm coming in- Y/N?" Natasha gasped. Y/N was on the ground, leaning against the glass wall. "Y/N...Y/N?!" Natasha shook their shoulder. Y/N's lips were slightly blue. "Shit." Natasha said, reached out to grab Y/N's arm and slung it over her shoulder. 'Hey, Y/N, can you hear me?" She asked. Y/N's eyes fluttered open. "L-Loki?" Y/N whispered, their eyes slowly closing.

“No, don’t sleep! Do you hear me? Wake up, Y/N, look at me.” Natasha said to them.

Y/N's POV

It was almost impossible to get your eyes open, every part of you was heavy. You couldn't remember what happened. All you remember was the feeling of him, his hands against your skin.

*Flashback*

"Loki?" You called out. You just got home from the facility, freshened up and went to visit Loki in his cell at Asgard. You requested to talk to him, in private. "Where is he ?" You thought. "Loki?" You called out again. You walked down the hall.

"Hello, darling." Loki said. You let out a noise of suprise. "You scared me, love." Y/N giggled. Loki chuckled. You look at him with a smile. "How are you holding up?" You asked. Loki gave you a smirk, "I'm doing great, how about you, dear?" He asked you. You knew something was wrong. "You can drop it, Loki." You said to him. Loki froze. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Y/N" He said, nervously. "The illusion. Drop it." You said. The image of Loki in front of you starts to disappear. What was before you was Loki on the ground. Furniture were strewn around the cell. The ground was stained with what looks like....blood? "Oh god, you're bleeding!" You exclaimed. You tried to use your powers.

Whatever force that was keeping him in, was keeping you out too. Once your hands touches the forcefield, it zaps you with the force that send you back flying. Your back hits the stone wall. Loki tried to get to you but you stopped him. "No, it might do the same to you." You said, groaning. Walking back to the cell, you look at him with a sad look.

He looked ill, there were dark circles and eye bags underneath his eyes. His cheeks are slightly sunken in. Footsteps echoed down the hall, it was Thor. "Don't worry. I'll be back." You said. "Thor!" You shouted. The blonde turned to look at you. "Ah, Lady Y/N. Is there something wrong?" He asked. "Thor is there any way that I could get in Loki's cell? Please I need to help him." You pleaded. "If you're helping him escape then I can't he-" "No! It's not that. He's injured, please, Thor." You said. Thor saw the pleading look in your eye and sighed.

"I swear to my father, Y/N. If you're planning any schemes to let him escape, I'll hunt you down." Thor said to you. "I'm not, I promise." You said. "Fine, but only for an hour. Just let me get the guards, you stand in front his cell." Thor said. You nodded and thanked him. He patted you in the head and walked away. You ran back to Loki's cell. "What did you say to Thor?" Loki said, eyebrow arched. "I pleaded with him to let me in your cell." You said to him. "And?" "He said yes. And I stay in there only for an hour." You said.

Loki looked at you, surprised. "Why would you want to be in here?" He asked. "So I can clean your wound and to hold you." You said shyly."Always so nice to me, sweetheart." He smiled at you.

*Flashback ends*

After closing your eyes, you could see him… you just needed a minute. Just a few minutes of sleep. You want to see him again.

*3rd person*

“Don’t go to sleep,” Natasha said, forcing Y/N to look at her. “Stay awake, you need to get warm.” She said. Y/N was unresponsive. They were lying so still but with a small smile on their lips. Natasha placed them on the couch, covering them with blankets. She hurriedly called Steve.

"Hey Nat. What's up?"

"Would you mind picking up a heating pad on your way here today?

"I don't mind, may I ask why?"

"It's Y/N. They stayed in the cold shower for too long, hypothermia."

"On my way."

Natasha looked at Y/N, worried. Things had been going downhill for Y/N ever since the ambush. Thor left, leaving them no one to share their pain with. Natasha knew that none of them could help them. Y/N had been with Loki for so long, suddenly losing him like that surely destroyed them from inside. She sighed. "What am I gonna do to you, Y/N?" she said, sadly.

Y/N'S POV

*Dream*

It was no surprise that Loki was a very attentive partner. Some might even call him possessive. Though, you would say that he leaned more protective than possessive.

He knew you weren’t some weakling by any means, your powers and all. But with your sometimes soft and caring personality, most assume you to be, but he was quite popular man with many people looking for a way to hurt you in an attempt to get at him. You knew that, but it did scared you at all.

It was unusually warm in the little house which you live with Loki. Maybe it was because of the fact that your AC was busted and the mechanic in your town is unavailable. You got out of bed and padded over to your drawer and pulled out a tank top. The warm air embrace your skin as you wiped the sweat away from you face. You sighed and then walked out to the kitchen, Loki was there drinking his tea. "Morning, love" You said, kissed him on his forehead. You head to the fridge, pulled out a cold water bottle. You groaned in relief as the cold water went down your throat. You felt arms wrapping around your waist. "Hey, darling" Loki whispered. You took one of his hands and pressed it against your lips.

You could feel his skin getting a little colder. "Loki?" You said. He hummed in response. "Is the heat getting to my head, or you're getting colder?" You asked. His head was buried against your neck, you felt his hands slid under your top to run soothing circles on your stomach. "Loki?" you said, turning around. His skin was a pale blue, you cupped his cheeks. "Honey, are you okay?" you asked. "Love, I'm half Jötunn remember?" He reminded you. You eyes widened in realization as your cheeks flushed. "Oh." You said. Loki chuckled. You buried your face in his chest. "Did my lovie forget~?" He teased. "S-shut up" Your whined, muffled by his chest. He laughed and kissed you on your forehead. Loki lifted your chin with his finger, making you look at him.

His eyes were pale red and his marks starts to protrude from his skin. He was truly a sight to behold. Loki find the expression on your face adorable, Your lips were slightly parted, eyes filled with wonder and love. You were actually not scared of him. “You know I love you no matter what, right?” You said as you ran your fingers through his surprisingly soft hair in a comforting manner. He leaned into your touch. “I know you do.” His words were muffled into your neck. You felt him place a soft kiss on your neck and start trailing them up towards your face. Your eyes closed and he kissed your lips. You kissed him back, the kiss ended a moment later and before you could fully open your eyes, his presence was gone.

"I'll always love you, my dear." You heard him say.

"Loki, wait!"

He was gone.

*Dream end*

You shot awake, breathing heavily. You look around, hopeful that the last 5 years was a horrible nightmare and that Loki was here. But you saw Natasha and Steve, then the harsh, cold reality crashed unto you.

He's dead.

You felt like you were gonna throw up, you felt numb. You stared at your ring, but it wasn't on your finger. You panicked, you look around you. "Where was it?" You thought. Natasha saw that you were awake, and rushed towards you. "Hey, calm down Y/N." She said. "Where is it? Where's my ring?" You asked her. "Don't worry I have it." She gave you the ring. "Thank you." You whispered. Steve kneeled beside you, he looked very concerned. "Hey, Y/N" He said. "Hi, Steve." You mumbled. "Y/N. This is not healthy." He said. Ouch. It was straight to the point. “What am I without him, Steve? Nothing.” You said, looking at him. Your eyes was dull, as if the life has been sucked out of them. "You are something. You're family." He said. You laughed bitterly. "Family, really? Look at us, Steve. Look at me." You said. "Where is everyone, Steve? Family are supposed to be together, LOOK AT EVERYONE! They're gone, Steve. Gone." You said, looking at your ring. You laughed again. "How can you handle all this bullshit? We were supposed to prevent this, but we failed." You said.

He went silent.

You fell back to the couch. Tears started to fall, what's the point of living? You lost everything. Your partner, your friends, people that you barely knew. You couldn't live knowing that you've failed the one thing you were meant to do, saving people. You failed him.

Why should you go on at all?

#loki laufeyson #loki #loki laufeyson x reader #loki x reader #loki x gender neutral reader #loki x nonbinary! reader #avengers #mcu #tom hiddleston #5 stages of grief #eli writes #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction

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perfeggso · 5 years ago

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Noir (yutae)

Week III pt. 2

Tokyo – fall of 1983: Nakamoto Yuta is quickly rising in the ranks of one of Japan’s most notorious yakuza families, and he’s poised to climb even further if he can stop himself from being ruined by the pretty Korean boy who’s shown up out of nowhere.

Glossary of Japanese words

Characters: Yuta x Taeyong + NCT ensemble, Twice J-line (for funsies)

Genres: Gang!AU, angst, smut, fluff, 1980s!AU

Warnings: graphic violence, swearing, minor character death, alcohol use, mentions of drugs, period-typical homophobia, xenophobia, BDSM

Rating: 18+

Length: 9.3k

If he didn’t think too hard, Yuta was elated. He’d righted his wrong, put his desires on the line, and gotten the boy he’d been lusting over for two and a half weeks not just to reciprocate, but to come undone in his lap. As he would say, mission accomplished.

Still, if he did think about it, he was worried. As he’d expected, he and Taeyong being an item was distracting to him at work. All those little moments when Taeyong caught Yuta’s eye and Yuta would suppress his impulses before they had confessed started blossoming into full-on flirting – or worse, makeout sessions in the car or in closets at headquarters. When Yuta was alone, instead of strategizing for his mission, he would find himself strategizing how to keep everything adequately under wraps for him not to become a liability to the organization or to his men. He even sometimes worried that he was taking advantage of Taeyong.

This was all in the three days following the party at Johnny’s bar. By the fourth day and the end of the week, Yuta resolved to go easy on himself. Taeyong had given every indication of enthusiastic consent, and continued to give it, and Yuta figured once he got used to being with Taeyong, the butterflies would dissipate, and he’d be able to focus again.

Yuta sat at his desk, legs crossed on the buffed wood, throwing his pen up and practicing catching it while pushing himself side to side in his swivel chair. Taeyong was in a seat near the window, messing with his nails and making absent-minded ‘beep’ ‘boop’ noises to occupy the time.

Yuta sighed. They were at a weird midpoint in their work where they had enough information to have a plan but not to act on it. Most of the acting would happen in the week and a half leading up to the Mitsubishi meeting. On top of that, he and Taeyong couldn’t get up to anything because they were expecting a report from Johnny soon.

“What if she doesn’t bite?” asked Taeyong, ceasing his strange little symphony.

“Hm?” asked Yuta, not sure what he was referring to.

“Sana. What if she doesn’t decide to flip when we confront her? What if she stays with Yamaguchi and they still get into the meeting?”

“That’s not anything you need to worry about, Taeyong,” Yuta tried to explain, setting his pen on the desk with a clack.

“But, I mean, I’m involved now,” Taeyong insisted. “So, wouldn’t it be good for me to have an idea?”

Yuta smiled, acknowledging the merit in Taeyong’s point. “Okay. Basically, if she doesn’t side with us, we’re screwed. We’ll just have to send a large delegation to the meeting and hope we can offer enough perks to get the board of directors to agree to our demands over Yamaguchi’s, and convince them that Yamaguchi’s scheme with Miyazaki’s mistress is real.”

Taeyong rolled his ankles around, looking preoccupied.

“This is why I didn’t want to say anything, Yong. I didn’t want you more stressed out than you already are.”

Taeyong leaned forward, elbows on his knees and jaw in his hands. “No, it’s alright. I think it’s better for me to know.”

Yuta smiled, appreciative. “That’s why we’re going to make Sana flip. We can’t afford not to, and she already hates the Yamaguchi-gumi for screwing up her life, so even if she thinks we’re just as despicable, at least we haven’t proven it yet.”

Taeyong cringed. “That’s one way to look at it.”

Yuta checked his watch after a brief silence. It was 4:40 p.m.; Johnny was supposed to have been there ten minutes ago. “Where the hell is he?” Yuta grumbled.

“Johnny?” asked Taeyong.

“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you that?”

Taeyong shrugged. “Maybe.”

Yuta thought he saw concern flicker over Taeyong’s face and reasoned there might be a cause for Taeyong’s spaciness that he wasn’t picking up.

“Taeyong?”

“Yes Shategashira !”

“Come over here for a minute, will you?”

Taeyong hopped to his feet and walked over to the desk, leaning against Yuta’s side of it. Yuta remarked to himself that the etiquette he had always insisted on regarding his desk was quickly going out the window.

“What is it?” asked Taeyong. Yuta slipped his hand into the other man’s, squeezing and swinging their arms in a soft rhythm.

“Is everything alright?” he asked Taeyong. “People still treating you well? Are you getting enough rest? I’m not overwhelming you, am I?”

Taeyong laughed. “Not at all. You’re – everything’s really good, and I like all the attention you give me.”

Yuta felt a flash of fondness overcome him. Lord help him.

“I’m glad.”

“There is one thing I’ve been wondering about though,” said Taeyong, starting again at the nails on his free hand.

“What’s that?”

“I was just thinking,” Taeyong began, “what is Momo going to do? Like, I presume that she knows about you but, how does that work for her? Is she going to hate me? Is it going to be weird if I have to talk to her any time soon?”

Yuta looked at Taeyong, head cocked to the side like a question. “Why would it be, if you know she knows?”

“That’s just it – I’m not sure!” Taeyong blurted. “I just feel like it would be. Like, it’s kind of a big sacrifice for her, isn’t it? And here I am, getting to do what she would if – if you were like, wired different or something.”

Yuta dug a nail into Taeyong’s palm, getting his attention. “Yonggie, none of that is going to happen, alright? I wanted her to tell you but since you’re worried and bringing it up, you should know that she’s similarly wired .” Yuta emphasized the last part to mock Taeyong for his awkward use of euphemism. Taeyong looked confused for a moment, and Yuta watched in amusement as he worked through what he had just learned.

“Oooh…” Taeyong puzzled. “Oh! Well, that’s a coincidence.”

Yuta laughed. “It’s not a coincidence, Taeyong, it’s the reason for our arranged marriage.”

Taeyong pushed off the desk and started to pace. “This makes so much sense, now!” he said, making Yuta laugh harder. “Ooookay.”

“So, will you calm down?” Yuta asked, and Taeyong nodded, settling back in his chair.

“By the way,” Yuta offered, “how would you feel about going out this weekend?”

“Out?” Taeyong pondered, “like, clubbing?”

“Yeah,” Yuta said, hopeful.

Taeyong smiled, practically buzzing in anticipation. “Sounds fun!” he said.

“You can come over to my apartment after, if you want.”

Taeyong wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Yuta guffawed. “Oh dear,” he said, shaking his head.

“This a good time?” came Johnny’s muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Yuta pushed himself into a more decorous sitting position. “ Douzo .”

Johnny slid open the door and stood in the entryway, saluting and wearing a beige suit and orange shirt with wide lapels. To Yuta’s surprise, Mark was with him.

“Phew,” jested Johnny, “I was worried you guys would be going at each other.”

Yuta rolled his eyes “Want to get hit?” he asked, figuring that would shut his friend up. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw Taeyong blush.

“No, sorry, Shategashira ,” said Johnny, sitting in the chair across from the desk and holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m done.”

Yuta smirked, allowing himself some slight irritation but knowing this was all in good fun. He addressed Johnny.

“Why is Mark here?”

Mark, who was still standing, awkwardly not knowing what to do with himself, opened his mouth but was cut off before he could answer.

“He was getting bored and Haechan was there to fill in for him,” Johnny explained, as if that was supposed to be satisfying. Yuta shook his head incredulously, frustrated by what his men’s lack of discipline represented more than its actual consequences. In reality, it didn’t matter all that much if it were Mark or Donghyuck at that post – Donghyuck would have likely just been hanging out in construction projects, otherwise.

“What was Hyuck doing there?” asked Yuta, simultaneously reasoning himself out of being strict. “Oh, whatever,” he allowed before anyone could answer. “It’s fine; just try to stay at your posts.” He turned his attention to Mark. “Alright?”

“Yes, Shategashira !”

“May I proceed with the report?” Johnny asked, both eyebrows raised and hand poised at the entrance to his jacket pocket. Yuta nodded and Johnny pulled out a cigarette and lighter, getting himself a smoke before he continued.

“So,” said Johnny, “I just got off the phone with Kun. He’s going to be arriving with the Triad delegation this weekend so that they can have plenty of time to strategize, prepare, make sure our priorities align, etc.”

“Perfect,” Yuta remarked. “Do they need an escort for when they get in?”

“Kun said that would be appreciated,” replied Johnny. “However, if one is unavailable, his men are trained to defend themselves.”

Yuta rapped his fingers against his desk. “I’ll contact him and tell him that I’ll do it. I want to make sure they know they’re valued. Anything else on that?”

“No, Shategashira .”

“Alright. What did you find out about Sato?”

“He’s a simple case; got a gambling addiction,” Johnny explained.

“Sounds like your kind of guy,” said Yuta. Johnny laughed. Taeyong yawned in the corner, rolling his wrists around to get rid of the stiffness he was surely feeling. Yuta’s throat tightened up out of affection. He couldn’t wait for the weekend.

“What time is it now?”

Johnny checked his watch. “4:52, Shategashira ,” he reported.

“I guess now’s as good a time as any to head out,” Yuta figured. “Goro hasn’t sent in anything else that needs to get done, anyhow.”

Johnny stood, still holding his cigarette and pulling a pair of keys from his jacket pocket. “Can I offer you guys a ride?” he asked. “I think we all live in the same direction.”

Johnny’s car was an orange 1980 Honda Prelude with five seats that he kept parked in the underground lot below headquarters. Yuta leaned around to check on the two men sitting in back and almost broke into laughter. Johnny’s tiny car had five seats only in theory; Taeyong and Mark’s knees were nearly colliding in front of the center seat.

Johnny lowered – or more accurately, dropped – himself into the car, hand steadied on the steering wheel since it was also a bit short for his 6’1” frame to enter comfortably. He pulled out the vehicle’s plastic ashtray and stamped out the end of his cigarette.

“ Yoshi , are we ready to go?” he asked, revving the engine.

Everyone responded affirmatively and all at once, and Yuta found himself wondering, had his been the type of family to go on road trips for vacation, would it have felt a little something like this?

“Now, Taeyong, you’re going to need to give me a little guidance here,” said Johnny, pulling onto the street. “I don’t know your address.”

“Okay!” came Taeyong’s voice from the back. He was seated diagonally from Yuta, and Yuta thought he could feel his gaze almost devouring him, but he decided to feign ignorance and not return the look. He wanted Taeyong frustrated for this weekend.

Taeyong gave up and averted his eyes out the window, breath fogging the glass’s interior as its exterior beaded with a slow-moving kaleidoscope of raindrops.

“Johnny,” began Mark.

“Mm?”

“Did Kun say who’d be coming with him?”

Johnny’s brow furrowed as he ticked up the speed of the windshield wiper. “I have it written down, but I can try to remember off the top of my head for now. Let’s see. I think Yukhei, Ten, Dejun, Sicheng, Kunhang, and Yangyang are supposed to be his entourage. That could change though – or he could bring more. I just know he’ll be there, and Yuta’s supposed to meet him at Narita this Saturday.”

“Wow,” said Mark as Yuta thought he felt knees bumping around against the back of his seat as if he were in front of a child on an airplane. “I haven’t seen those guys in forever; since I was a kid, practically!”

“You’re still a kid,” Johnny deadpanned.

Yuta watched Mark roll his eyes in the rearview mirror. “At least I’m not a shatei anymore.”

The sun began to dim as they rolled through the streets of Aoyama, casting the neighborhood in a shimmery palette of greys and yellows. Wet cement, soaked tree trunks, café windows, umbrellas: grey. Ginko leaves plastering the sidewalks, neon signs, reflected headlights, and traffic signs: yellow. Johnny clicked on the radio which was playing “midnight cruisin’” by Kingo Hamada.

“So,” Taeyong began, “these Triad guys, they’re basically us but in China?”

“I suppose so,” said Yuta. “They run a similar business to us out of Hong Kong since the mainland Triads got pushed there twenty years ago. They have even better international connections than us, though. We’ve been trading between each other forever, but we’ve always run the risk of getting our ships searched and taken in by the authorities. That’s why they want in on the Mitsubishi deal. Both the Chinese Navy and the Maritime SDF have been upping patrols in the South China Sea and that means inconvenience for us unless we can piggyback on legitimate business.”

Taeyong looked nervous, his knees pulled together and his thumb nail wedged between his teeth. “I see,” he said. Yuta knew that he and Taeyong were well past the stage of pity, but he still couldn’t help the pangs of responsibility he felt every time Taeyong seemed to remember what exactly he’d gotten himself into. Moments like this made Yuta feel like he was going cold from the inside. Here they were, sitting three feet away in a car with two other people, not even having properly fucked yet and Yuta was already worried about losing what they had. Once Taeyong completed his mission he would have the choice to go back to his old life, and even Yuta acknowledged it would probably be in Taeyong’s best interest to do so, but what if leaving Inagawa also meant leaving Yuta? He had too much firsthand experience with that exact scenario to feel secure.

They dropped Mark off at his apartment, then Taeyong directed Johnny the rest of the way to his. Once there, Taeyong slipped out of the idling car into the rain, immediately getting soaked due to his lack of rain gear. His dark hair flattened, luminous, against his forehead and the black button-up under his oversized denim jacket clung in a way Yuta would not be able to forget any time soon.

Before Taeyong could scurry too far away, Yuta grabbed the crank on the interior of his car door and rolled down his window, ignoring Johnny’s grumbling that he was going to ruin the upholstery.

“Taeyong,” he called through the screen of raindrops. Taeyong turned immediately, a warmth in his face which thawed the chill Yuta had sensed before.

“Yes, Shategashira ?”

Yuta smiled. “C’mere,” he instructed, and Taeyong jogged his way back to the car until he was folded at nearly a 90-degree angle to lean into Yuta’s window. Yuta could see the soft expanse of Taeyong’s torso clearly down his collar. Fuck . He placed a finger under Taeyong’s chin and looked into his eyes, which had gone as glassy and round as the puddles in the uneven sidewalk in front of Taeyong’s building.

“Remember what I said about this weekend?”

Taeyong bit his lip and nodded, searching Yuta’s face.

“How about tomorrow night?” suggested Yuta.

“Okay!”

Johnny sighed, looking pointedly out the opposite window. “Let’s hurry this up, lover boys,” he quipped.

“Ignore him,” Yuta told Taeyong when he noticed the other man’s eyes straying in embarrassment. “You’ll be on patrol tomorrow without me, so I’ll swing by around eleven at night to take you somewhere fun, m’kay? Just be ready by then.”

“M’kay.”

Yuta pulled Taeyong closer for a chaste kiss, then mercifully let him go to escape the rain.

“Now, go get yourself into something warm and dry!” he yelled, smiling as Taeyong practically bounded towards the door of his apartment.

“Aye aye, Shategashira ,” Taeyong responded.

Johnny turned back to face Yuta in mock frustration. “Will you close the window now?” he asked, and Yuta couldn’t help smiling while cranking it back up.

“You guys are cute,” said Johnny, as if commenting on the heavy rain. He didn’t seem to have any intention of starting the car.

“I’m glad you think so,” Yuta responded, cautious.

“Where are you taking him this weekend?”

“Out,” said Yuta. “In Yokohama. A place where no one knows who I am.”

Johnny nodded. “I don’t doubt that you’re being careful,” he said. “I’m just concerned for him.”

“For Taeyong?”

“Yeah,” Johnny expanded. “He’s so new at this; does he know what officially joining would even look like? Someone needs to have that conversation with him.”

“ I’m going to have that conversation with him,” Yuta practically hissed. This was not the discussion he wanted to be having.

Johnny sighed, shifting into drive, “Okay,” he said. “I trust you, Shategashira .”

“Good,” said Yuta. “You shouldn’t have to assure me of that.”

***

Yuta looked at himself in his full-length mirror, doing a little spin and checking over his shoulder to get as full a view as possible. He’d sent Taeyong to go on patrol with Donghyuck and Mark for the day while he stayed at headquarters talking to Doyoung about finances.

He’d gotten home, cooked himself some packaged curry, and shut himself in the bathroom on a whim with a tub of black Manic Panic. Yuta was growing sick of the white hair, and even though he was confident that no one at Copycat knew him or would be a threat, he still felt more comfortable with a less eye-catching hairdo. It had seemed like a good idea, especially since Yuta’s nerves were still a bit on edge after the assassination attempt. It had seemed like a good idea, that is, until the chemical fumes in his bathroom were almost enough to make him pass out and he had to scrub the dregs of the dye out of his bathtub once he was done.

But that was a few hours ago and now, with his hair newly monochrome and slicked back, and the bathroom aired out, Yuta was feeling much better. He had a cassette of R.E.M.’s “Murmur” blasting from the Hitachi TRK-7020H he kept next to his bed, dancing around to the music and sipping from a tumbler of whiskey as he got ready. He wanted to take his time picking a good outfit, knowing this would be one of his last opportunities for real fun before the Mitsubishi deal. Eventually, he settled on a black leather blazer, black pants, white leather boots, a black and blue button-up, and a chain necklace.

He turned back around to face himself in the mirror, sneaking a sip from his glass and examining the layers of bandage wrap he’d wound around what parts of his chest and lower neck were exposed.

His watch said it was 10:30. Time to go.

***

Yuta got to the front door of Taeyong’s building at 11:07. He buzzed the dial for “Unit 127, Lee,” and after an electronic screech that made Yuta’s eyebrows raise, startled, his date’s voice came through the speaker. Even through the crackle, he sounded bright, like he was bouncing around on the other end.

“Yuta! I just saw you pull up!” Taeyong giggled. “Be down in a minute.”

Yuta smiled to himself when Taeyong hung up. In stark contrast to yesterday’s downpour, this was a mild, early November night with a full moon and a soft breeze shuffling the bushes outside the apartment and making Yuta’s skin tingle. As he waited, Yuta pondered the tile exterior of Taeyong’s building and how desperately it needed washing. Then, he looked up to the sky where wispy clouds were curling in the moon’s glow like steam over a cup of coffee. He wondered to himself what that sky would look like out in the countryside, where there was no light pollution and the entire Milky Way would have undoubtedly unfurled overhead for the mortal onlooker. He wondered what that moon looked like to his family in Osaka.

The front door opened, pulling Yuta out of his ponderings. Taeyong smiled and Yuta momentarily forgot to breathe. His hair had been coaxed lightly off his forehead with some hair gel, and he wore a translucent lavender turtleneck, an oversized houndstooth jacket, black jeans, and sneakers. Yuta couldn’t have designed a more fantasy-worthy man himself, and Taeyong seemed to notice the reaction he’d caused, because he grinned wickedly.

“Hi,” he said.

“My god,” said Yuta, regaining his composure and returning the wicked look right back. “I didn’t think you could get any sexier.”

Taeyong smirked, sticking his chin out so he was looking at Yuta from under hooded eyes. “I could say the same about you, Shategashira . Especially like the hair.”

Yuta chuckled, moving in slowly to peck Taeyong on the lips. He wanted to do more, but even though the street was empty, he didn’t wish for any of Taeyong’s neighbors to see. Also, he reminded himself, there would be plenty of time for that later. Yuta watched as Taeyong’s eyes flitted quizzically over his collar. He lifted a slender finger to trace over the flesh-colored bandages underneath.

“What’s up with these?” Taeyong asked.

Yuta took Taeyong’s hand in his and guided it back down between them.

“They’re for covering my tattoos,” he explained, assuming that was obvious.

“I know, but Yutaaa,” Taeyong whined, “your tattoos are so hot.”

Yuta burst out laughing. “I’m so sorry, baby, but I don’t want to risk it. Can’t have anyone assuming I’m trouble.” Yuta narrowed his eyes, trying to look sinister like a yakuza in an anime or something. Taeyong didn’t seem to buy it.

“Aren’t the bandages suspicious in and of themselves?” he queried.

“Sure,” Yuta said, “but they’re not proof.” Yuta pulled a dramatically pitiful expression. “I could be recovering from a traumatic car accident.”

Taeyong giggled. “Yeah,” he said, “recovering at the club.”

“Listen,” Yuta insisted, “just think how much fun you’ll have peeling them off me tonight.”

Taeyong bit his bottom lip in anticipation and Yuta let go of his hand. Yuta thought if he was going to survive waiting for Taeyong until they got to his bedroom, he’d need a lot more drinks at Copycat. Still, the nervous glint in Taeyong’s eyes told Yuta that having patience would make tonight so much more satisfying.

***

Copycat was a notorious gay club in Yokohama. Those in the know would recognize it for outlandish parties, drag queens, mysterious drugs, and letting people in strictly based on their looks. It was a bit out of the way, being in a different city, but Yuta decided the loss of convenience was worth the safety. They listened to The Violent Femmes’ self-titled album on the forty-minute drive there, as it had recently become one of Yuta’s favorites for amping himself up. In the car it became clear that Taeyong had pre-gamed because he was much more forward than usual. He told Yuta he’d missed being with him all day and offered him road head. As much as Yuta would have liked that, he had to explain that he’d already had a drink too and couldn’t afford to get pulled over.

The two of them made it past the line easily and slipped their way through the black box of a club. There were shards of mirrors stuck to the walls which reflected the multicolored lights that flitted about the space. Go left, and one would be face to face with a wall of caged dancers, go right for the bar. They went right.

Yuta decided to order for the two of them.

“Taeyong,” he half-yelled over the music. It was “Sex (I’m A…)” by Berlin.

“Do you want beer, or do you want vodka?”

Vodka was the obvious answer and pretty soon, they were downing a suite of shots one after the other.

The DJ must have been really into Berlin, because the next song that blared through the speakers was “Pleasure Victim.”

Yuta’s eyes bugged out when he heard it, and he hastily slapped several yen on the bar, pulling Taeyong to the dance floor.

“I love this song!”

“I can see that,” said Taeyong, tittering as he let Yuta drag him into the center of a mass of bodies, both of them being jostled in a way that would have been dangerous if they were just a little drunker. The synthesizer in the song complemented the dreamlike aspects of the dance floor (the lights; the glitter), and helped Yuta forget the baser aspects (the grime; the smell).

Taeyong looked ethereal under the twisting colors and the silver confetti that started to fall, reflecting his gorgeous face ad infinitum. The thrum of the base in Yuta’s spine and ears made him feel like he was underwater, his movements so slow and heavy in comparison to the music.

Yuta couldn’t help himself – he was enchanted. He pulled Taeyong so close that they were writhing against each other more than dancing, and planted a searing kiss to his mouth. Taeyong tasted harsh, like all the alcohol he’d been drinking. Yuta felt him pressing against his chest, trying to wriggle out of the kiss and when Yuta pulled back in concern, he was overwhelmed with fondness. Taeyong panted, offering a sheepish smile.

“Sorry,” he explained. “I couldn’t breathe.”

Yuta just laughed and pulled Taeyong close again, and the two opted to grind on each other rather than kiss for the time being.

Yuta murmured into Taeyong’s ear. “Do you come to places like this often?” he asked.

“Every now and then,” answered Taeyong. “When I wanna find someone to take me home.”

Yuta hummed. Taeyong’s body against him was making him feel like oil floating in liquid. “Say we didn’t know each other,” he began as the music switched to Lime’s “Come and Get Your Love.” “If you saw me from across the dance floor, would you try to get me to take you home?”

Yuta heard Taeyong laugh – felt the vibration of it in his neck. “I’d do everything I could to make that happen,” Taeyong answered, dropping kisses to the skin just above Yuta’s bandages.

“I’d come over to dance with you, and you’d no doubt reciprocate, cuz you would’ve had your eyes on me all night. Am I right?”

“Of course you’re right,” Yuta confirmed, dragging his hands shamelessly over the back of Taeyong’s body.

Taeyong trailed a smile over Yuta’s skin. “Then I’d make sure you couldn’t rest until you’d brought me back to yours and taken out all your frustrations on me.”

Yuta growled as Taeyong pulled away. His face was flushed. It looked like the stains left on your hands after eating cherries. His eyes had gone glassy from intoxication and the edges of his mouth curled in an adorable smile. Yuta couldn’t believe his self-control that he’d managed to wait this long to fuck him. God…

Taeyong bit his lip as he swayed his hips to the music. “But we could…we could make that happen anyway,” he offered, going bashful for a split second before drawing a couple fingers over the skin under Yuta’s bottom button. “Right, Shategashira ?” he whispered for good measure.

Yuta grabbed Taeyong’s wrist. “You’re a menace, you know?”

Taeyong cocked his head and spun around so his back was against Yuta’s chest. He kept his eyes on Yuta, batting his lashes innocently.

“It’s just what you do to me,” he explained.

Yuta could only shake his head in disbelief as he wrapped his arms around his dance partner.

***

The restroom at Copycat was cleaner than Yuta would have expected; at least as far as he could tell under the dark lighting. The almost surgical white tiles which lined most of the space were shockingly devoid of even marker graffiti. So was the red of the dividers between stalls and urinals.

Yuta stared into the mirror as he washed his hands. The empty bathroom gave him a familiar liminal space feeling as Madonna’s “Lucky Star” echoed from the dance floor, dreamlike, and he had the impression that should he walk back out the door, he would find himself in a dark void rather than a physical, tangible environment. Maybe it was all the vodka, or simply the temporary damage suffered by his eardrums that made everything sound faraway.

As Yuta shook his hands dry, a tall man in a shiny black suit with a buzzcut strolled in and made his way to the urinals. Yuta didn’t think anything of him, until he decided to strike up a conversation. Yuta watched the man’s back in the mirror.

“Having a good time out there, boss?” asked the man’s back.

Boss?

Yuta ignored the quarry, figuring it was just drunken banter, and he didn’t have the nerves for that. He started towards the door.

“Hey, it’s an innocent question.” The man’s voice came now from just behind Yuta, insistent. Apparently this guy wasn’t planning on washing his hands.

Yuta paused. “Fun!” he repeated, almost mockingly. “Yes, I’m having fun, thanks.” Yuta moved to leave but his interlocutor blocked the door.

“That boy you got with you’s a real nice piece of ass, I gotta say. You got me jealous.”

Yuta glared, his wits forcing themselves about him as he hoped desperately that he hadn’t left Taeyong in a dangerous position. He needed to be getting back.

“I’d prefer you didn’t refer to him like that,” Yuta said coolly, trying to defuse the situation.

“Oh, you got feelings, I see,” said the guy in mock apology. “He your boyfriend?”

Yuta reached into his jacket pocket and the man jumped, moving out of the way and opening the door for Yuta to walk past. Yuta pushed out a clipped breath, glad he hadn’t needed to resort to threats of violence. Still, how had the man anticipated what Yuta had been reaching for? It was probably the bandages giving him away. The man trailed after Yuta once in the hallway outside the restroom.

“Alright, sorry, sorry. Listen, so you’re having fun with your boy toy out there. What if I told you I had something that could make it even more fun?”

Yuta refused to look at the man. He almost never did drugs stronger than alcohol and nicotine. Having taken part in illegal drug smuggling and sales, he knew what kind of weird and dangerous ingredients people passed off as “the real stuff.” Not to mention his oath to Inagawa which forbade it.

“No thank you,” he said plainly.

This guy would not give up.

“Oh, come on, you haven’t even heard the whole pitch. I’ve had nothing but stellar reviews and – and it boosts your sex drive like, it’s incredible! Don’t you wanna check it out? I just gotta go get it out of a back room; you two can follow me there!”

Alright , thought Yuta, that’s enough . He grabbed the guy by his collar and pushed him against the wall. Despite his impressive height, he was thin and Yuta gained confidence when he realized how little this man could actually do to challenge him. He didn’t have the reflexes of an experienced criminal. Still, he was likely an inexperienced one.

“Go push your shit on someone else,” Yuta insisted, an implied threat of harm hanging in the air. When he was sure the bothersome man was sufficiently flustered, Yuta stormed away and plucked Taeyong from where he’d left him at the bar and where he had thankfully remained. Taeyong was about to down a Jell-O shot when Yuta arrived.

“Thank god. Let’s go.”

“Hm? What about this?” Taeyong asked, referring to the shot.

Yuta shook his head. “I’ve had enough of this place,” Yuta asserted. “Let me take you home.”

Taeyong didn’t argue with that logic, as Yuta knew he wouldn’t, and they weaved through the crowd and slipped out the back door into the cool air. Yuta hadn’t been aware of how sweaty and disgusting he’d become until he had the breeze there to remind him. He heard Taeyong let out a whooping noise at his side.

Taeyong practically sprinted the couple blocks back to the car, still buzzing with booze and dancing, and Yuta had to work to keep up. Once in the vehicle, Yuta used the car phone to call a designated driver service.

Yuta hung up. “They’ll be here in ten minutes,” he relayed.

Taeyong arched an eyebrow. “Ten minutes, huh?”

That’s all he could get out before Yuta was cutting him off with a kiss.

***

The driver followed Yuta’s instructions to park around the corner from Yuta’s place. He lived in an adjoined but separate wing of the Inagawa-kai mansion in Ginza. The main structure of the building resembled a scaled down Samurai castle painted black. Yuta had lived there since he came to Tokyo when he was fifteen. At the time, he was placed in the mansion proper, where he struck up a quick friendship with Oyabun Hirai’s daughter, but also felt constantly surveilled. Now, as an adult in his own sectioned off wing, he could come and go as he wished, with whomever he wished. Having lived there for ten years, Yuta sometimes didn’t notice the building’s slightly threatening grandeur. Yuta was reminded by Taeyong’s shocked expression when they turned the corner to see it.

“You live here?” Taeyong gasped.

“I forgot you’ve never needed to come to the mansion,” Yuta reasoned. He pointed to the much smaller and plainer structure tacked on to the side of the Oyabun ’s residence.

“I used to. Now I live there.”

Taeyong’s eyes scanned the building before him in wonder. “Still…”

Yuta laughed, grasping Taeyong’s hand. “Alright enough gawking. Let me show you inside.”

Inside was equally stimulating to Taeyong apparently, who began spouting variations on “wahhhh!” the second Yuta had opened the unit’s purple door and let him in.

Yuta’s apartment had three rooms not counting the bathroom; each with a distinctly different style which worked well alongside the others, nonetheless. The one into which the front door opened and in which they were standing was the kitchen/dining area. It was a galley kitchen with a wooden table and chairs and patterned wallpaper with fruits on it. To the right opened a traditional tatami room where Yuta kept his sofa and TV.

Yuta laughed at Taeyong as he nearly bounced off the counter space, letting his fingers titter over spice containers, an ashtray, plastic flowers; whatever he could get his hands on.

“I’m glad you find my apartment so entertaining,” Yuta quipped, a bit confused.

Taeyong shrugged. “I really like this,” he explained. “Getting a little peak at my Shategashira ’s personal space. It’s not what I expected.”

What had he expected? Black paint and walls of katana and guns? Yuta asked as much.

Taeyong laughed breathily. “Not necessarily. I’m not sure. Maybe.”

Yuta’s skin was getting itchy as he eyed the door to his bedroom on the far wall.

“Okay,” he allowed. “Follow me.”

Yuta and Taeyong made their way to the door and once on the other side of it, Yuta again observed Taeyong’s reaction. He drank in the space, black chambray wallpaper, red moldings, and silky purple sheets on the bed all being slowly processed. Yuta knew his taste sometimes delved into extremely tacky territory, but his bedroom décor made him feel like a badass and he hoped Taeyong would understand the vibe he was going for.

“This is a little more what I was expecting,” admitted Taeyong, finally.

Yuta smiled, catlike, and closed the door, caging Taeyong in against it. Taeyong’s breathing faltered for a moment as his eyes fluttered shut. Yuta drew in a deep breath, the smells of the club mixing on Taeyong’s skin with his cologne and the natural scent of his body. Yuta kissed at the hinge of Taeyong’s jaw as Taeyong shucked his jacket.

“I’ve been hoping for this since we first met,” Yuta admitted, running his hands over Taeyong’s figure for the nth time that night. Taeyong preened under the touch, beginning to lose himself for the first time with the knowledge of what this was all leading up to.

He sighed, a half-smile gracing his lips.

“Please, do whatever you imagined, Shategashira ,” he almost panted. “I want you to show me everything you’ve thought of doing to me.”

Yuta smirked, planting a hard kiss on Taeyong’s lips.

“That would take a while,” he said slyly when he let up, “but I’ll give you a taste. We’ll have opportunities to get to the rest later.”

Yuta watched in satisfaction as Taeyong visibly shivered. He stepped away until the backs of his knees were brushing his bed.

“Can you take your shirt off for me, sweetheart?”

Taeyong obliged immediately, dropping his shirt to the floor and standing against the door, laughing his way into a nervous smile and crossing and uncrossing his arms. Yuta bore his gaze into him, and Taeyong quieted his movements in response.

“Good boy,” Yuta murmured, pleased when he heard Taeyong gulp down a groan in response. Yeah, he’d had a feeling…

He slipped off his jacket, instructing Taeyong’s to stay put as he folded it in half and set it on a chair in the corner. Taeyong took it like an order, with a “yes, Shategashira ,” that was so cute it made Yuta’s stomach churn. He made his way back to the man he’d left by the door, wrapping his now half bare arms around him. He noticed that Taeyong was chewing his lip hard enough that it looked painful.

“You okay?” he asked, petting his right hand over Taeyong’s hair. Taeyong released his lip, eyes fixed on Yuta’s face only millimeters from his.

“Yeah,” he breathed in confirmation.

“Good.” Yuta walked backwards towards his bed again, guiding Taeyong forward with him and stopping only when he was sitting and Taeyong was climbing up to straddle him, neither breaking eye contact the entire time. Yuta placed his hands over Taeyong’s hips.

“You seem a little nervous, baby,” he ventured.

Taeyong smiled. There we go. “You make me nervous, Shategashira . But, in a good way.”

Yuta smiled back. “I didn’t seem to make you nervous earlier,” he jested.

“The alcohol is starting to wear off now,” explained Taeyong.

Yuta sighed, dropping a quick kiss just above Taeyong’s belly button. “Tell you what: why don’t you tell me what you want right now, darling. Forget the things I’ve imagined. I want you to feel comfortable.”

“M’sorry,” said Taeyong, eyes darting off to the side, and Yuta shook his head.

“Don’t be. Just name it and I’ll give it to you.”

Taeyong’s eyes returned to Yuta as he drew his lips into the softest smirk.

“Well first of all,” he began, “I want to undress you and take off your bandages, like you promised me.”

Yuta was more than happy to oblige. He let Taeyong surround him, crawling over the bed to different sides of him to get the angles he needed to unbutton his shirt and peel off the wrappings, slowly revealing Yuta’s tattooed skin. Taeyong hummed to himself as he worked, insisting Yuta relax and stay still, and placing soft kisses to each section of flesh as soon as it became accessible. Yuta felt like he was floating with Taeyong tittering about and mouthing at him. At the same time, it was teasing him into impatience.

When Taeyong finished, he threw the bandages to the ground and placed his hands on Yuta’s shoulders to steady himself as he leaned forward, observing the ink figures that covered Yuta’s entire upper body; dragons, flames, and Oni practically crawling out from the waist of his pants.

“Shit. That looks so painful.”

Taeyong yelped in surprise as Yuta grabbed his face and pulled him in for an upside-down kiss. When Yuta pulled away, he took advantage of Taeyong’s disorientation to turn around and chase him back on the bed into the pillows.

“It was,” he confirmed finally, giggling, and pretty soon he had Taeyong laughing too.

Taeyong regained his composure and worried his lip between his teeth again for a moment before speaking. Yuta couldn’t help noticing the flush that had taken over Taeyong’s face, neck, and chest.

“Yuta?”

“Mm?”

“I want to feel you inside me,” Taeyong almost whispered. “And I want you to take over now.”

Yuta felt his dick twitch at Taeyong’s words. He settled his expression and let out a deep breath.

“Okay, baby,” he said. “Then I need you to take off your pants.”

Taeyong obliged easily as Yuta stood and removed his own, then pulled a bottle of lube from the bedside table.

Yuta looked quizzically at Taeyong’s sudden nakedness. He was so beautiful.

“You weren’t wearing underwear?” he teased and Taeyong demurred.

“No,” he admitted, and Yuta caught Taeyong’s eyes grazing over the less dense tattoos which continued over Yuta’s lower body.

Yuta shuffled back onto the bed between Taeyong’s legs.

“No wonder you were in such a mood earlier,” said Yuta, almost coldly. “You’re my naughty boy tonight, hm? Spread your legs.”

Taeyong shuffled his legs wider, his hardening cock wobbling with arousal.

“Mmmmmm mhm, I am,” Taeyong groaned as Yuta coated his fingers with the lube, smirking to himself. Taeyong sounded wrecked already from all the intimacy and the light dirty talk, and Yuta hadn’t even properly touched him yet.

Yuta scooted in closer and circled Taeyong’s entrance with his pointer finger, eliciting a gasp from him.

“You’re so sweet, it kills me,” Yuta murmured, and with that he looked Taeyong in the eyes and pressed his finger in. Taeyong keened, panting.

A few minutes later, Yuta was stretching Taeyong with three fingers, admiring the man beneath him as he rocked himself lightly into Yuta’s thrusts with one bent leg as an anchor. He had his eyes shut forcefully and chewed on his thumb nail, clipped, muffled moans emanating from the base of his throat.

Yuta’s cock was straining against his underwear and leaving a wet mark on the fabric. He was so turned on that he would almost have been satisfied just watching Taeyong ride his hand all night. Almost.

“You take my fingers so well, baby,” he teased, brushing over Taeyong’s prostate and causing his eyes and mouth to drop open simultaneously in pleasure. “You think you’re ready for my cock?”

Taeyong bucked his hips as he dropped his hand from his mouth.

“Yes, yes, yes…” he repeated as if in a trance. “Please, Shategashira .”

He mewled as Yuta withdrew his fingers, clenching around air, and then again when Yuta removed his boxer briefs. Yuta was naked save the chain he’d been wearing all night, reveling in the image of it swinging while they fucked.

Taeyong shimmied himself down into the bed until he was lying down, his arms bent and framing his head on the purple pillow.

Yuta lined himself up and pushed slowly inside, groaning when he bottomed out. He watched Taeyong’s stomach flex as he got used to the stretch and steadied his shallow breathing. Yuta ground his hips experimentally and Taeyong whimpered.

“Mmm, you feel so good around me, baby.”

“You feel good too,” Taeyong reciprocated. “I – ah – you fill me up so well.”

Taeyong reached his arms out in a fidgety motion and Yuta obliged him, leaned forward until Taeyong could wrap his arms fully around him. He took one of Taeyong’s nipples into his mouth, catching him by surprise as he began to thrust and bit down, making him whine.

Yuta wondered where Taeyong had been all his life. Sure, it sounds cheesy, but it was true. Taeyong was so tight and warm, it made him crazy, and he let the most endearing string of curses and breathy moans fall past his lips as Yuta fucked into him with increasing insistence.

Yuta pulled himself back upright so he could get a better view of the man under him, thumbing over the nipple that was still wet and inflamed from his mouth. Taeyong’s skin sparkled with sweat as he knit his brow and sent his fingers absentmindedly to his mouth. Yuta reached down and moved Taeyong’s hand, replacing it with his own, and the look Taeyong gave him when he reopened his eyes made Yuta feel a telltale clench in his gut.

“Keep your eyes on me,” he instructed.

“Yes Sha – Yes, Shategashira .”

The slap of flesh on flesh grew louder, mixing with the metallic sound of Yuta’s chain and filling the space as Yuta thrust hard enough it would probably leave Taeyong with bruises. Taeyong drew in a breath and let it out as a broken sob.

“I’m so close,” he warned over Yuta’s fingers.

Yuta wrapped his hand around Taeyong’s cock, which was angry and straining at this point, pumping him in time with his thrusts to the best of his ability. The movements were slicked by the precome that Taeyong had been dribbling consistently over himself.

“Ah, thank you, thank you, thank you…” Taeyong repeated as he bucked jerkily into Yuta’s touch, his hands wandering in spastic fits over his own heaving chest.

“You’re going to come when I tell you to. Okay, darling?” Yuta sing-songed.

Taeyong sobbed again as Yuta dragged his thumb over the head of his cock. “Yes, Shategashira .”

Yuta shuddered, nearing his own climax. He thrust deep into Taeyong, abusing his prostate as he pressed his thumb into Taeyong’s slit.

“Now, baby. Come for me.”

Taeyong wailed as he came a moment later, streaking his stomach in pearly white and huffing from all the energy he’d expended.

Yuta’s thrusts grew more erratic and his voice came out like gravel. “Fuck, baby,” he said, “you did it just when I told you to. My good boy. I wish you could have seen how incredible you looked.”

Taeyong shook his head in embarrassment against the pillow and threw an arm over his face. He kept spasming now and again from aftershocks and from Yuta still fucking into him.

“Thank you, Shategashira . I wanted to be good for you.”

Yuta let out a gut-punched sound at that. “I’m gonna come now, sweetheart,” he informed. “Where do you want it?”

Taeyong’s voice was barely there as he answered. “Inside. Please.” That alone was enough to push Yuta over the edge.

He kept grinding his release into Taeyong once he’d come, bringing himself down and pulling a new string of whimpers from the man below.

“Aah, that was so good, baby,” he said dreamily. “Let me see you.”

Taeyong removed his arm from his face, and what Yuta saw sent a residual wave of pleasure all the way to his toes. Taeyong’s cheeks were red and shiny, not just from sweat but also from the small collection of tears that had welled up at the corners of his eyes and started to spill over.

“Oh, baby,” Yuta cooed. “You look so pretty like this, it’s unreal.”

Taeyong spasmed. “Please…”

It was a bit unfair to Taeyong, who hadn’t been introduced to Yuta’s sadistic side in bed yet, but Yuta couldn’t stop himself from continuing to grind in and out of Taeyong’s entrance just a little longer than was obviously comfortable, egged on by the tears and by the little noises Taeyong kept making. When Taeyong started begging for real, he finally decided to give him a break and pulled out.

By the end of the night, Yuta was completely whipped, for better or for worse. Sometime during their post-fuck cuddling, Taeyong had informed Yuta that he liked it when he told him what to do, liked being bitten, and that as much as it had made him sensitive and squirmy, he’d have been okay if Yuta had continued to overstimulate him. The conversation turned to other things they might like and soon enough, they were both recovered enough to get hard again. Using some of what he’d just learned about Taeyong to his benefit, Yuta sat the other man on his lap and jerked him off with one hand while wrapping the other around his neck. Taeyong came over Yuta’s fingers, licked them clean, and returned the favor with a blowjob. By the time they were done and somewhat cleaned up, both men collapsed in a heap in Yuta’s now slightly sticky bed. Yuta let Taeyong cuddle into his side, thinking to himself that he was going to need to figure out how to make this work.

“How long did these take?” Taeyong asked, tracing a finger over the Oni on Yuta’s sternum.

“I got them over the course of five years, so it’s hard to say. Maybe, 100 hours?”

Taeyong raised his head in shock and Yuta laughed. “No way.” Yuta nodded. “And it really hurt?” Taeyong asked, eyes wide.

Yuta adjusted his head on the pillow, taking a drag of the cigarette he had perched between his fingers.

“I mean, it’s not the worst thing ever, but it’s pretty unpleasant. They’re not normal tattoos, either.”

“How so?”

“You get them done with this sharpened piece of bamboo and no modern equipment. It’s the traditional way for us. Someone’s granny does them; I forget who she’s related to.”

Taeyong finished tracing the Oni and moved on to the flaming border next to it. “Do you think I could ever get one? Not like, the whole thing – just something small like what Donghyuck has.”

Yuta felt the familiar pang of nervousness he got every time he thought about Taeyong’s future with the Inagawa-kai and, by association, with him.

“Mm,” Taeyong acknowledged. “Well then...”

“Have you thought at all about it?” Yuta ventured, immediately wishing he hadn’t when he felt Taeyong tense. Still, he knew the question would have eaten at him either way.

“A little bit, but I haven’t come to a decision,” Taeyong explained. Yuta took another drag and offered his cigarette to Taeyong, who took it, to Yuta’s surprise. Taeyong tried smoking it and started coughing on the exhale, scrunched his face up in distaste.

“I don’t know why I try it every time someone offers me one. I never like it,” he said.

“Sorry,” said Yuta with a laugh. “Anyway, mind giving me some insight into your thought process?”

Taeyong settled back into Yuta’s side. Yuta could feel vibrations in his ribs as Taeyong spoke.

“Well, as I imagine you understand, officially entering a life of crime or whatever is pretty intimidating even if you’ve never operated in the mainstream. It’s a big commitment. At the same time, I don’t really have anything waiting for me on the other side.” Taeyong flushed. “Besides, I’m really enjoying being with you.”

Yuta blew another puff of smoke as some bittersweet feeling kicked around in his stomach.

“Don’t let me be too much of an influence on your decision,” he advised. “We can be together anyway. I mean yakuza don’t usually date other syndicate members anyway for…obvious reasons.”

“Yeah,” Taeyong mumbled. “That’s true. But I promise, no matter what I decide, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Thank you.”

There was a short silence where Yuta reveled in listening to the slightly off rhythm of his and Taeyong’s breathing.

“Yonggie,” he began again.

“Yeah?”

“Want to hear about how I joined the Inagawa-kai?”

Taeyong turned on his stomach and placed his chin on Yuta’s chest. “Sure.”

“I grew up in Osaka, where my father worked for an Inagawa outpost. When I was a teenager, he got killed on the job. I was devastated. He was the person I admired most in the world. I didn’t have a rebellious bone in my body because my dad was the center of authority in our house and I thought he was the greatest person who’d ever lived. Anyway, when he died, I still wanted to be like him and tried to join the Inagawa in Osaka in his memory I guess, but it didn’t work out.”

Yuta paused for another drag. He continued.

“That was because the rest of my family took their grief in a very different direction. My mother and sisters blamed the syndicate and wanted to cut all ties to it, so that would rule out me becoming a yakuza, you know. I figured though, that anything my father would give his life for must be worth something, right? One of his old friends who knew Goro set me up to move to Tokyo and the rest is history. I wouldn’t say I got disowned for my decision, but I rarely talk to my family and going home would just be too unpleasant to stomach. Me being gay didn’t help either.” Yuta chuckled wryly.

“I bet,” said Taeyong. “That’s really rough though. I’m so sorry about your dad.”

“It’s all worked itself out, more or less,” said Yuta. “I still miss him though. But this is all to say that you’re the person who knows best for you. The syndicate can be a great place to find community and purpose when you don’t have that anywhere else, I’ll give it that, and that’s how most of us ended up where we are. But, you have to be okay with the violence; both the threat of it against yourself and those you love and that you will inevitably perpetrate against others.”

Taeyong nodded, his eyes fluttering down to Yuta’s chest. Yuta figured that was enough heavy talk for one night. He put out his cigarette in the ashtray next to the bed and grinned, ruffling Taeyong’s hair. Taeyong smiled back.

“I’ll shut up now,” Yuta said.

“S’okay,” replied Taeyong. “Yuta?”

“Yah?”

“Can – can I stay the night?”

Yuta balked, scratching his nails over Taeyong’s neck. “Of course!” he said. “I didn’t think that was even a question. It’s too dangerous for you to go back to yours alone in the middle of the night, anyway.”

Taeyong looked relieved and he nuzzled up into Yuta’s shoulder. Yuta hadn’t been exaggerating earlier when he’d said that Taeyong’s sweetness was killing him. He only worried he might not have the natural disposition for his current line of work.

“Thanks, Shategashira .”

Yuta spluttered, poking Taeyong’s nose. “Of course. Besides, anyone who’s that good a lay deserves to spend the night.”

“Aww,” said Taeyong jokingly, “good cause you owe me anyway, I think. I hadn’t been fucked for a while and now my ass hurts.”

“I will not apologize for breaking you back in the correct way,” said Yuta, turning out the lamp by his side, and Taeyong swatted his opposite shoulder.

“Whatever, just cuddle me and I’ll get over it.”

“Get some sleep, baby. We’ll take my car to the airport tomorrow and we need to leave around eleven.”

“Oh shit, I forgot about the Triads,” admitted Taeyong, voice suddenly breathy with fatigue.

“You won’t once you’ve met them,” Yuta joked. “Goodnight.”

“’Night.”

Yuta struggled to sleep at first, still exhilarated by the night’s events and unable to shake from his mind the memory of how good Taeyong had looked under him – better than he’d even imagined. The only thing which helped pull him under was the quiet rhythm of Taeyong’s sleepy exhales.

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reddieorrnot · 6 years ago

Note

ALRIGHT so this is for your writing prompts thing: a meet cute in a coffee shop and one of them is on their shift

made this reddie because the last one was byler and i think that’s the pairing you wanted?? idk!! hope you like it :)

Every weekday besides Friday, Richie had work, and he loved it. He didn’t understand the whole, “It isn’t a job unless you hate it,” concept. Why would he work a job he hated? It was absolutely absurd. He loved nothing more than taking coffee orders, making jokes in the morning to brighten up people’s day, creating drinks, and those types of things. He loved it when people didn’t hear their names being called, so he got to hop over the counter and deliver their drinks to them personally. The small apologies he would get for making himself hand the drinks, and how he’d always brush it off like no big deal. Richie also thoroughly enjoyed getting to make lives up for his customers, fabricating who they were outside of the coffee shop.

He imagined that the middle-aged man who was always on a phone call and ordered extra shots of espresso in his lattes was sick of his job, and wanted nothing more than to ditch it all and move to Paris to start his whole fashion line.

And the two teen girls who would always come in afterschool? Richie imagined that the taller one was hopelessly in love with the other, scared to ever say something.

There was nothing in this world that Richie loved more than his job at this coffee shop. He found himself loving it, even more, the first day Eddie Kaspbrak walked through the door.

It had been a Monday, things were a little slower than usual. Richie didn’t particularly have anything to blame it on, he just assumed not a lot of people wanted coffee at that hour. So he leaned his back against the interior of the counter, next to the register, spending his downtime glancing up at the menu.

They were running out of cinnamon sugar, he would probably have to mark down any drinks including it as unavailable for now.

But before Richie could go into the back room and get the sold-out signs, he heard the shop’s door open. He liked that there was a bell that went off whenever someone entered, it helped in times like these where Richie's attention was elsewhere. Plus, he was the only one on this current shift, so his attention needed to be focused.

Spinning on his heel to face the register, Richie’s mouth formed words faster than his brain could process anything before him, “Hey! What can I-”

Richie didn’t know that having one’s breath taken away was a real thing until that moment. He stopped talking, moving, and essentially breathing when his eyes centered on who was ordering. The employee was positive this was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen, from movies to magazines and all. The boy looked about his age, and had big, brown eyes, ones Richie thought he could drown in right there and then. His hair consisted of small curls, neatly maintained yet still styled. He hadn’t noticed Richie’s trailing off, and if he had, he didn’t comment. He was too busy squinting at the menu above Richie’s head. Richie took the time to look at the brunette some more, noticing he was wearing grey sweatpants and a white polo shirt.

Fucking adorable, Richie thought to himself. He could’ve leaned on that counter looking at this guy for hours. Apparently, the other male had different plans.

“Could I get a tall macchiato with cinnamon sugar?” He finally spoke, looking down at Richie.

“Sorry, cutie. Sold out with the cinnamon sugar.”

He lifted an eyebrow at ‘cutie’, but made no comment toward that. “It’s Eddie. And you should put a sign up,” He said briefly. Richie’s brain flooded with Eddie’s name and nothing else.

Richie let out a laugh and gestured to the back, “Believe it or not, that’s exactly what I was doing before you walked in here. But you were so stunning I thought the sign could wait.” He ended his statement with a wink. When Eddie’s cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, he wanted to cheer.

“Vanilla latte in that case.”

“Tall?” Richie asked him, mapping out his order on the register’s system.

“Yeah… whipped cream too, please.” Eddie added after a pause.

“In need of some extra sugar?”

Eddie nodded, “English paper.”

Eddie seemed to watch as the total popped up on the screen of the register, already having his money in hand. Richie wanted to chuckle at how prepared he had been. Before Eddie could walk away and wait or his drink at a table, Richie struck conversation back up.

“University?” He asked as he started to make a vanilla latte.

“Yeah… the one nearby, studying psychology. Don’t come and kill me now that you know where I study.” Eddie watched as Richie moved ingredients around and got a tall cup.

“Oh don’t worry, I don’t go after gorgeous brunettes.”

This time, Richie earned a roll of the eyes, “Are you this flirty with every customer? A marketing tactic, I suppose?”

The idea was so ridiculous that Richie couldn’t help the goofy grin that surfaced to his lips. “Be glad you aren’t majoring in business because you’re incredibly wrong on that one, ol’ chap!” He told Eddie, in a British accent.

“Well, I hope you’re not trying to be a voice actor of some sort, if so, don’t take any jobs that call for a British character.” Eddie sneered with a playful tone.

“Oh Eddie, how you wound me! Are you not as beautiful and kind on the inside?” Richie exclaimed jokingly, as he reached for the can of whipped cream.

“No, I’m not.” His tone was deadpanned, but the grin on Eddie’s face was undeniable. Richie wanted to jump off to Eddie’s side and kiss the smile right off his face, luckily he fought temptation.

“Maybe this’ll warm up your cold and mean insides,” Richie put the top on the coffee cup and slid it over to Eddie, who had been waiting at the usual spot for pickups.

“Don’t talk about my insides,” Eddie told Richie as he reached for the coffee and took a sip. His expression softened instantly, boosting Richie’s coffee-making esteem. “You can’t do accents for shit, but you make one hell of a vanilla latte.”

“You should see what else I can do,” Richie purred.

“And now I’m leaving!” Eddie threw his head back in laughter, possibly being one of the most angelic sounds Richie had ever heard, “Thanks for the coffee!”

“You’re… You’re welcome!” Richie breathlessly called out as he watched Eddie leave. Well, primarily watched Eddie’s ass leave, but it was all the same effect.

God, he was fucked.

***

It had been exactly a week since Richie first met Eddie when he heard something peculiar while at work.

“Is there someone else working right now?”

The hushed question made Richie scrunch up his eyebrows, even from the storage room he was confused. Was someone specifically asking for him outside? His friend Stan was currently on front duty, taking orders and making drinks. Richie was organizing the new ingredients that had come that day. Stan had advised him to not abandon his task no matter how cool someone’s drink sounded, and that he needed to put everything away before the day was over. Richie had been good about this, only peeking his head out the door when he got a little bored. But when he heard someone asking about him, he couldn’t help the need to step out. And boy was he glad he did.

Eddie was the one speaking to Stan, wearing a light pink sweater and light wash jeans. The outfit looked so good on him, it made Richie’s heart skip a beat. He suddenly felt a little insecure in his plain t-shirt and black khakis. Especially with the blue apron, he had to wear for the job. Nonetheless, he greeted Eddie with the brightest smile.

“Has my Eds come to pay me a visit?” He gleefully asked, walking over to Stan.

“Don’t... Don’t call me that. I just want my drink made the same way as before, and I know you can do that.”

Richie looked at Stan, who simply shrugged and gestured over to the preparation station behind them, this granting Richie permission. He didn’t miss a second, happily beginning Eddie’s vanilla latte.

“How’s the English paper?” He questioned, looking at Eddie while grabbing a cup.

“How’d you remember that? It’s going decent.”

“You make quite the impression, Eds,” Richie smirked.

“That isn’t my name. On that note, I never got your name?”

The tall boy nearly dropped the cup of coffee when Eddie asked for his name. He wouldn’t ask if Richie was just some guy making his coffees. He stood proudly and spoke, “My name is Richie, but you can call me the love of your life.”

“Richie it is. Do you have shifts every day?”

Eddie’s interest in his shifts made him beam with happiness, looking like a puppy who had been given a treat. Eddie definitely noticed this, quickly adding onto to his question, “I’m just asking, don’t assume anything.” Richie still let himself hope as he grabbed the can of whipped cream.

“Every day except Fridays.” Richie whistled, finishing Eddie’s coffee and bringing it over to him.

Eddie took the drink from Richie’s hangs, fingers brushing against one another’s. Richie was embarrassed to say that even the slightest contact made him feel butterflies within. He stared as Eddie brought the cup to his lips to drink.

“I don’t know how you do it, but you make the best vanilla lattes in this city.”

“Can my prize for that be a certain Eddie’s number?” Richie cooed.

Eddie let out one of his beautiful laughs and shook his head, much to Richie’s dismay. “Now you’re asking for my number? This is quite the scheme you’ve got going to get me to keep coming here.”

“Thought you came back for the coffee?” Richie smirked, leaving Eddie to fumble over his words.

“Whatever, ‘Chee. Have a good rest of your day!” Eddie told him before walking off. ‘Chee? Richie’s heart soared at the nickname, causing him to gaze in Eddie’s direction in a trance.

“You like him so much it makes me sick,” Stan said from the cashier.

“Stan my man, it’s true love. I know it.”

“Get back in the storage room.”

***

Eddie began coming in more often, always getting the same drink. He only accepted it when Richie was the one who made it, which made Richie bashful. He felt special, even if it was just because he made good coffee. But something told Richie that wasn’t just it, because Eddie didn’t need to play along with his banter, or talk to him about school as Richie made his drinks. Eddie didn’t need to hang around sometimes, just sitting at a table near the register and talking to Richie when he was able to. And Eddie really didn’t need to steer conversations onto Richie, asking him about his life. Richie spoke about currently taking a gap year, as he saved up money for drama classes at the same university Eddie currently attended. The concept made Eddie grin, as he made jokes how of course Richie liked drama.

After a little over a month had gone by, Richie was so undeniably smitten. Of course, he had been head over heels for Eddie the second he saw him, but it was completely out of control now. His flirtatious comments and romantic gestures only increased, and Eddie didn’t stop him anymore. With every flirt, Eddie giggled or fired back some witty comment. It only encouraged Richie, and he swore that Eddie knew that. He had to. Richie had started drawing hearts on the sleeves of Eddie’s coffee cups, with Eddie just watching in amusement. One time, when Eddie must have thought Richie wasn’t looking, he stood by the exit, slipped off the sleeve with drawn hearts, and stuffed into his pocket. Richie nearly died when it happened, and couldn’t stop asking Stan what it meant for the rest of the day.

“It means he likes you, dumbass.” Stan had told him, not batting an eye.

“Really?” Richie exclaimed.

“You’re so dumb,” Stan simply sighed with a small smile and walked off, leaving Richie to bounce up and down in glee.

He wanted nothing more than to see Eddie out of his own uniform and outside of this coffee shop. He wanted to take the sassy boy out for dinner, or to a movie. Richie wanted to hear what Eddie’s favorite shows were, or his least favorite songs. Richie wanted to get to know Eddie, and kiss him too, but that was for later on. Or not, whatever order worked with Richie. As long as he got to be with Eddie.

It seemed like the universe had heard his wishes when Eddie walked into the coffee shop one Thursday afternoon.

Richie’s eyes widened at the sight of Eddie, who was looking so good it shouldn’t have been allowed. He wore a lilac t-shirt that complimented his skin perfectly, and jean shorts that made Eddie’s legs look like they were carved by God himself. It took everything in Richie not to tackle Eddie, just for how attractive he looked without even trying.

“Hey there, ‘Chee.”

“Hi, Eds. So tell me, how many people have you stunned to death with those shorts today?” Richie pointed to Eddie’s attire, making the boy blush.

“None that I know of.” He replied softly. Richie noticed how nothing was said about Eddie’s nickname, making him smile.

“Consider me the first then.” Richie winked and started to punch in Eddie’s order.

“Wait, I’m not getting anything today.”

Richie looked up with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Window shopping doesn’t work in coffee shops, Eddie, hate to break it to you.”

“No… I’m not window shopping. I just came here to talk to you.” Eddie quietly said, his brown eyes appeared to sparkle a little bit more as he spoke. Richie swallowed nervously, feeling anxious by his infatuation in Eddie for the first time. Eddie just wanted to be in Richie’s company, he didn’t want to buy anything. This was the first time Eddie had admitted to just wanting to hang out, and Richie wanted to yell at him how they could do so much more than just hang out. How Richie wanted to do so much more than just hang out.

“Alrighty mate, what seems to be brewing in your noggin?” Richie put on an Australian accent, leaning forward to tap Eddie’s temple. The action got a giggle out of Eddie, as he tried to swat away Richie’s finger.

“I wanted to ask you something.” He shortly said, elevating Richie’s nerves.

“Well, what are you waitin’ for!”

“For you to drop the accent, Richie.” Eddie’s tone had signs of annoyance, but his smile spoke louder just like previous times.

“Sorry, cutie. Ask away.”

Eddie shuffled on his feet, looking away from Richie at one point and then turning back. While he did this, Richie counted the light freckles that trailed across Eddie’s nose. He didn’t mind the silence between them as Eddie tried to think, anything with the boy was nice, even the quiet.

“I… uh, I wanted to know what you’re doing tomorrow.” Eddie finally sputtered out, fingers tapping nervously against the counter.

Richie pursed his lips. “Well, I won’t be here, sorry, sweetheart. Tomorrow’s my day off.”

Eddie groaned and shook his head, “That’s the point, Richie. It’s your day off, one that I want to spend time together, specifically. Like on a date?”

“Fuck yeah.” Richie’s mouth spoke before he could think, letting his excitement shine through.

“Fuck yeah,” Eddie repeated with a tender tone, one that contrasted the one he used when he joked around immensely. “Do you know that restaurant? The one on the corner of fifth and Samson?” The location rung a bell, Richie had celebrated Stan’s birthday there last year. The food was so good it was a night where Stan smiled more than Richie had ever seen, and they’d been friends for a long time. So Richie nodded ecstatically.

“I like that place.”

“Good, I like it too. How does seven sound? For dinner?”

“Absolutely perfect,” Richie told him. He wasn’t putting on his flirting voice either, he was being fully genuine and enthusiastic. Richie had been waiting for this chance for over a month, and now it was finally here. He’d get to know what other things Eddie liked to have besides vanilla lattes and the occasional croissant.

“Here,” Eddie grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and scribbled into it. When he handed it to Richie, he read what was assumed to be Eddie’s number.

“Text me, ‘Chee. See you tomorrow.” Eddie gave Richie a small wave, then turned to leave. Richie watched, as he always did, eyes never tearing off of Eddie. He kept staring until the door’s bell jingled, and his boy was out the door. He done it, he had scored a date with Eddie. Holy shit.

What brought Richie back to reality was the sound of a slow clap, coming from behind him. Richie turned around, and saw Stan leaned against the wall, clapping his hands. Richie grinned at the sight, and took a bow.

“I don’t know how you did it, but I’m proud.”

“Stan? Proud of me? Am I dreaming or something?” Richie joked, putting on a shocked expression.

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t dreaming, landing a date with someone like Eddie.”

Richie was surprised he wasn’t dreaming either. But what could he say? He loved everything about his job, especially the way it had brought Eddie into his life.

#reddie #richie x eddie #reddie hc #reddie au #it #rchie tozier #eddie kaspbrak

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