#<- but in the angry loan shark kind of what if that makes sense

[malewifehenrycooldown]

a kinda long post about my ship with Ly.on V.asti.a and my self insert Nova Celestina, and their melancholic-ish meet cute (?)

Ly..on and Nova meet each other for the very first time at the Fai.ray Ta.il Guild, not long after hearing some of its members have gone missing (and that Sirius Island, a place these missing members went to has ‘vanished’) and that the local search parties have turned up NOTHING.

they both go to said guild to hopefully comfort the remaining members who are there. To share a moment of giref and provide a helping hand or two.

Ly..on goes with Ju.ra because Lam..ia Scale has pretty strong ties with FT, and so really it’s just to lend a shoulder for these members to lean on if they ever need help or assistance (of which also Blue Pegasus does too).

Nova goes for for a more personal reason, as that even as one of the few independent freelance mages in Fiore (with no guild attachment), she still holds a special place for Fai.ry Tai.l. It was her old guild after all until aspects of her own personal life had to take priority. She still thinks about the people she was growing up with, and how much they meant to her, and still mean to her. She does find herself thinking about them in even the smallest of tranquil moments when she isn’t taking on a freelance job or being hired on the spot.

Anyways, the two meet each other for the first time at the Fairy Tail Guild and try to offer remaining members support and sort out deals as to what they can do to help them if their other members don’t turn up. It’s essentially a moment for people at the guild to take time to grieve and mourn their friends and compatriots.

Ly.on reflects on how he and Gra.y could have fixed their relationship, because even if they are rivals, he still cares about him. I personally headcanon that Gra.y is like the brother Ly.on never had,the two never always saw each other eye to eye, and sometimes there were arguements that could be deemed as petty. Now Ly.on will never gain the opportunity to fix that relationship after finally being given a second chance by his old childhood friend, let alone be able catch up on their relationship.

It particularly hurts him, especially with their last face-to-face communication being the Nirvana Arc, and Gra.y is the reason why La.Mia S.cale are a legitimate guild now, and Ly.on has turned around his life for the better! but now that opportunity to thank Gra.y is gone… and it breaks his heart into pieces, because he can’t make up for lost time.

Nova just misses the guild that she once called home. And she’s been overdue for a ‘proper’ visit (she briefly shows up in the Phantom Lord-Lucy Rescue Arc to fuck some shit up against PL) but she didn’t properly stay around for long. Even if she left at a young age, fa.iry t.ail still said she could return whenever she needed to, because fairy tail always left their doors open to former members to return whenever they need to.

It was a place she once called home, and now is ever more the opportune time to come back home when her family needs her most. However there is an aspect of.. fearing for the guild’s safety. Fai.ry tai.l is unfortunately a guild that other rival guilds love to target and intimidate. Now with their highest and most capable members missing or worse dead, they can’t protect the guild to the extent than they used too. Even when Gildarts came back, he joined the others to Sirius Island. Nova wants to not just support her old guild and guild mates, but to try to protect them too. She is a relatively powerful mage, having cosmic/chaos devil slayer magic, but even then, it won’t do much because other guilds can take advantage of a mourning, grieving fairy tail in other ways aside from magic (I.e: absurd taxes, owed debts, just general financial abuse and bullying).

It’s just an extra layer of salt added to an already angry wound. It’s just unfair that other guilds will target another simply because it’s taking the time to process grief and move on.

During this… sad/melancholic atmosphere at the FT guild, Ly.on and Nova kinda hit it off well. It does start small but later they become more conversation throughout the day there, talking about their connections and relationships to Fairy Tail and it’s members, telling funny stories and just generally enjoying each other’s company. That’s the general starting point of how they meet, but really the way they fall in love is partly due to their shared connection to Fairy Tail and how their experiences with the guild have changed and helped them improve as people.

[yandere-wishes]

🐚Smooth Criminal //Yandere! Gangster! Floyd Leech X Reader//🐚

My first Gangster AU! This is most likely going to end up being a series for each of the different boys! SO please tell me what you thought!

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So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?

the bar bristled with the loud shouts of its patrons. Each table housing at least a dozen members from the same group, all glaring at those from rival gangs. Guns sat, leaned against their master's legs, like school backs at a highschool cafeteria. maybe it was the dim, cheap lights, or the distracted rivalry stares. But by some freak miracle, no one noticed you enter the Jackson. This wasn't a place for a dame such as yourself, a pretty girl who lacked status, a weapon, and even a comrade to have their back. Just a doll-like face and a very obvious briefcase.

Even you were conscious of the fact that you stuck out like a rose in the middle of a field filled with weeds. At any moment one of these goons could turn around and grab you, slam your head on one of the wooden tables till your brains spilled out than claim the loot for themselves, no consciences faced.

Naturally, you wouldn't be here had it not been for your dear uncle Crowley, who had very recently gambled away the equivalent of a small fortune in the underground casino of the infamous Mostro Lounge. Well technically the cousin was only partly owned by the Octavinelle gang, most of the games and funds went to their brother gang of Ignihyde. But for some reason it had been one of the Octavinelle members to come after your uncle, breaking down the door to his house and threatening him with punches and verbal insults. Your "poor" uncle had promised to get him the money, it took about two loans on his house, a few hundred borrowed from his close friends and a lot of support from your own father until he was able to gather the needed amount. But that had left one tiny problem, your sweet uncle had been so shaken up from his last encounter that he had all but begged his only niece to deliver the money for him.

"It's very simple, sweetheart, you just go to the Jackson and give this briefcase to the man with teal hair and anisocoria eyes. I would never make you do something difficult dear, I'm too kind"

Yeah right "too kind"  was an exaggeration, heck nice wasn't any better. Your uncle was a useless old fool. Then again where you any better? You'd just marched into the most mobster ridden bar in all of this godforsaken city. With nothing more than a white circular dress and a briefcase with your uncle's initials engraved in it. You took a shaky breath before scanning the room, trying to find the man your uncle had described. Teal hair and anisocoria eyes, wearing the signature black and purple of the  Octavinelle gang.

A glance around confirmed that there where members from each of the Twisted Seven here. The twisted seven where the infamous gangs of New NightRaven City. Each gang was started sometime before even their current leaders where born. The original leaders had gone down as the pioneers of turning New NightRaven City into a gangsters paradise. Somehow the leadership roles had trickled down to the current seven, mostly through heritage. The history of the Twisted Seven was thought in schools all over the city more vigorously than actual world history. Up to this day, you weren't quite sure how or why the first world war had started but you could name every leader for each group in chronological order.

In the far back of the bustling room, you noticed an abnormality. One guy was sitting by himself at a four-person booth. A half-empty coke rocks glaring back at him. Your eyes widened, that was him! It had to be! Turquoise locks peaked out from under his black hat. For a split second his head turned, his eyes looking about unseeingly. That's when you noticed his eyes. One was vibrant gold, while the other borders on an olive-like green, both orbs, however, seemed to shine with a sort of mischievous glow.

Swallowing down a sense of foreboding deep in your soul, you gradually strolled over to the man. He didn't seem to notice you until you had rearranged into the seat before him. When his eyes met yours, his lips maneuvered into an open-mouth grin showing heaps of razor-sharp teeth. "OoO~ Who might you be little shrimp-chan?" His voice didn't seem able to hold a steady tone, vocals switching between high and low better every word, making the man appear all the more deranged. You sucked in a nervous breath. Under the table you squeezed your knees together, focusing on how the kneecaps pressured each other.

"Um..I'm (y/n), my uncle owed the Octavinelle some money and..."

"Oh so your here to pay off his debt?" He leaned in closer, tongue flickering out to run across his lips. His mismatched eyes scanned you up and down, lingering just a little too long on your chest. Quickly you made slung your arm over your over breasts, trying to muster up a glare to shoot at the audacious male. 

"N-not like that" You pulled up the briefcase, pummeling it down on the table with a noisy "thud".  "He has the money, he owned you. All ten thousand dollars." 

Around the two of you, people became to stare, all pulling out their cells, no undoubtedly to inform their superiors about the transaction going down in plain view. The gangster in front of you, slowly trailed his gaze around the room, shooting challenged to meet his eyes. "Are you sure you aren't the payment? You're pretty, could round up a bunch of customers for the Lounge~ Oh maybe we could even loan you out to customers that way it would only take seven months to repay your uncle's debt--"

It was pure impulse on your part, rage had taken over your body. Your hand moved on its own, stretching out for the halve empty coke glass, carrying your body with itself. Your fingers wrapped sufficiently tight around the cup. Tugging it towards yourself, before tilting it and spilling its liquid contents in the face of the man in front of you. It took a moment for the events to fully process in either of your heads. Angry breaths left your mouth before you stood up and marched over to the door. Shouting one last cruse at the mobster before slamming the door behind you.

Back at the booth, Floyd had finally realized what had happened. His shoulders began to vibrate uncontrollably. A sadistic bloodthirsty laugh falling from his lips. His eyes lifted to where you had been moments priory a sort of childlike greed shining inside his orbs. "Shrimp-chan~" he cooed to the empty space.

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚

Sam pulled the yellow tape over his head, contracting his back so he could duke under it. In front of the building, he noticed a man with a red trench coat surrounded by five other police officers. The man must have been in his late 40's maybe even mid 50's. Sam let out a haughty breathy laugh. This was his new partner? The younger man jogged up to the small group. "Detective Trein I presume?" Sam was met by a harsh glare from the older man. "you're the rookie?" disapproval clear in every word. Ouch.

"You bet I am sir," Sam made a gesture akin to tilting a top hat as he bowed slightly. "Sam, reporting for duty". "What no last name?" "No Sir, just my mother given name, a nice one too I might add." Sam kept his eyes lowered but he could practically feel the way his new partner rolled his grey eyes. "Fine than Sam, follow me I trust you shouldn't find this case too hard. It's a simple kidnapping case. Nothing too elaborate for your young mind." Man, this guy really was a prick.

For as far as Sam could see this really was just an everyday kidnapping. All signs pointed towards just that. "If you would direct your attention to the window." Sam jumped from his thoughts. He quickly jogged up to where Trein was standing by a broken window. "The invader came in from here, most likely he climbed up the fire escape. Where guessing he had a knife on him or some other sharp object." Sam smiled, how had the old man gotten all that from an open window?

The second you left the bar, you had run all the way back to your apartment. The second you had gotten home you locked the doors and made a quick call to your uncle. As usual, he was "busy" doing whatever it was he did. Leaving a fast paced voicemail explaining that you had given the mobster his money and that you were home now. Leaving out the section you had caused. It was over finally the whole nightmare was over. your eyes darted to the old clock on your wall 9:15 pm late enough for dinner. Making your way to the kitchen, you forgot to notice that you had in fact left the window closest to the fire escape wide open. 

"Bang!"

The noise reverberated across the cramped apartment. Causing you to jump out of your thoughts. Anxiously you snatched a kitchen blade as you gradually strolled again into the front room. Your brain continued replaying the occasions of that night. It must be the Octavinelle, they had sought you out! All things considered, you had embarrassed one of their members. When you finally made it to the living room, you were both surprised and relieved. There weren't a hundred armed goons flooding your apartment with guns ready to shoot you on sight. Instead, it had been the man from earlier, casually standing by the window, whistling some tune that was eerie familiar. 

It took a moment before the man noticed you. His whistling stopped and was instead replaced with a shark-like smile. "HI~ little shrimp! I forgot to introduce myself earlier~ Name's Floyd what's yours darling?" Nervously you stepped back, knife clenched tightly to your chest. 

"G-Get away from me!"

"How do you know the man was armed? Heck, how do you know he was a guy?" Sam asked. Trein let out an annoyed huff. "Seriously do you know nothing? Well, I guess you are rather new to this." The grey-haired man turned to his younger partner. Sam swear for a moment he caught a glimpse of what may have been considered a "father instinct" although never having had a father, he could have been completely wrong. "When you've been in this profession as long as I have, you pick up on. There are small differences that become obvious once you've cracked your first ten cases. Notice the blood on the carpet, and realize how 40 mm away there is a smaller bloodstain, only this one has been pressured into the carpet, due to its crescent-like scape we can confidently deduce that it was made by a heel. And look closely at the carpet starts, look at how they seem to be red from the roots and middle, not just the tips. All that point to our invader having stepped in the first blood pool than having made the second engraving with the heel of his shoe as he chased the victim." Sam's eyes widen, maybe the old man wasn't just a jerk, after all, maybe he knew a thing or two.

"Is that any way to treat a guest little shrimp?~" His eyes locked with yours, freezing you in your spot like a dear in headlights. Noticing your dumbfounded form he ran forward prying the knife from your weak grip. A scream filled the air, it took you a second to realize it had come from you. When your eyes went back to your offenders face you could see how his lips were pointed downwards a deathly glare coating his eyes. 

The next moment his fingers made contact with your cheek, you swore you could hear a crescendo, your body felt heavy your head started spinning, for some reason the ground was getting closer and closer until you felt your body crash into the carpet. Your left cheek stung, as well as feeling like it was on fire. as you laid on the floor you watched as something red slipped onto the carpet. Something thick and red. "Oh, shrimpy you look so pretty when you bleed." 

Trein made his way to the kitchen, flicking a switch the moment he passed the threshold. A single light overhead flickered to life. "Kinda cramped for a kitchen ain't it?" Sam asked as he peeked over Trein shoulder. The older man ignored his partner's comment, wordlessly he pointed to the table in at the far left-hand side. Sam's red eyes followed the man's finger, Dead center there was a large kitchen knife ended in the old-looking wooden table. "Usually women are more calculating when they performed a kidnapping. Men are the ones that go ramped like wild beasts." Sam nodded his head absentmindedly. The young investigator made a mental note to never be as obvious if he ever did decide to kidnap someone.

"Oh~ that's so pretty." You had only known "Floyd" for a little over an hour, that including your rather unpleasant meaning back at the Jackson. But already you could tell just how short the man's attention span was. Slowly you shimmed your body from the ground, the mobster didn't seem to have noticed. The second your legs passed the kitchen's threshold you flicked the light, engulfing the tiny cooking space in total darkness. You made a swift sprint for the table, crunching under it. Your breath refused to leave your mouth, heart pounded with such force you were certain it would break the bones of your rib cage. In the distance, his loud footsteps could be heard. Closer and closer and closer. You didn't dare open your eyes, but you kept your ears open, trying to pick up any lose noises he might make.

1 heartbeat 

2 heartbeats

3 heartbeats

Nothing. There was no more noise to be heard, slowly your eyes cracked open, a tiny fragile breath escaped your mouth, right before a sharp noise echoed above head. Floyd's twisted head came into view that damned smirk still on his lips. Another scream, this time you knew it was coming from you. The teal haired man reached to grab the collar of your shirt, pulling you forward. You kicked and thrashed about as the gangster such laughter. Really how sick was this man? Finally, with one last kick, you freed yourself, Floyd fell backward clutching his stomach mutter some profanity you'd never heard before. Quickly you made a dash for your room. Locking the door behind you.

"And this is the last destination of our tour," Trein said as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. Sam was almost certain he heard a hint of humor in the old man's tone. "What happened here?" The rookie asked. "Why Sam! I thought you where a detective, can't you deduce this simple problem?" Definitely humor. Sam quickly scanned the room. 'Um, he dragged her into the room, locking the door behind them. Then broke the window preparing to escape. But then a third party broke the door down, trying to save the girl. Before the third party could intervene it's likely that the man pulled her through the window and killed her behind some ally." Trein only nodded, following along with the boy's story. "Well Sam you sure have an active imagination, but it's most likely that this is what happened..."

You could hear the pounding on your door, slowly you backed away heading for your nightstand, aimlessly you tried to locate your phone. Until you remembered that you had left it on the couch. "Dang it" Your eyes scanned the room nervously trying to find something helpful, anything!

BANG

pieces of wood flew around the room, you brought your hands up to shield your face, only to have them pulled downwards. Your eyes looked upwards, instantly locking with Floyd's "Found you~" he sang. In the midst of the chaos, Floyd smashed his lips yo yours, they were unpleasant, chapped, and salty. You tried pushing him away but to no avail.   Gradually he broke the kiss, pushing his forehead to yours. Before slinging you over his shoulder and ramming full force into the window in your room. Crashing the glass and escaping into the night with you. It was at that moment that you knew that this was your doom!

"That's the more likely explanation for what happened," Trein explained as he made is way back to the front door. "Well even if it isn't it's more then convincing for a field report and a good enough explanation to give the press". A confused look twisted over Sam's face "How do you know he didn't kill her?" The black-haired boy asked. Trein just laughed and waved a wrinkled hand dismissively. "Call it a hunch" He yelled behind his shoulder.

And what a hunch! Just as the old detective predicted you were very much alive. Just now awaking and opening your (e/c) eyes to gaze into the mismatched ones of Floyd Leech's.

You’ve been hit by a smooth criminal

[supertweetycherry]

DIE HARD || [iii. Feeling Helpless]

—Pairings: BTS x OC

—Genre: BTS Mafia Au, Slight Fluff, Angst (a lot of it), Heartbreak, Thriller

—Ratings: 18+ | MA Content | R

—Warnings: Mentions of Sex, Mentions of Alcohol, Mentions of Prostitution, Bad boy behaviour, a bit of Abuse and lot of angry screaming.

—Summary: She belong to them. They belong to her. It’s simple as that. Period.

—Word Count: 4.9k

 Navigations -> Masterlist || MASTERPOST <<Part 1 || Part 3>>

 Chapter 2 - Feeling Helpless

Ring. Ring.

A loud ringing noise echoed in the room as Yoona slept blissfully on her bed. Her dark hair sprawled all over her pillow, and her limbs carelessly spread across the bed. Her comforter was nearly off the edges while her body was bent in an odd angle.

Ring. Ring.

There it was again. That sound. It was followed by a buzz of vibration that shook her tummy.

“Ughh... stop!” She groaned out, but to her dismay, the sound continued to disturb her peaceful slumber.

Slowly opening one of her eyes, she looked at her surroundings and blinked. The room was flooded with the strong sunlight coming from her tall windows. She had to squint her eyes a bit, to see where she was. An empty alcohol bottle was digging into her side as she moved her heavy limbs around, trying to get some stretch in. Luckily, the bottle managed to roll away only to find her hand collide with something squashy.

“Wha—” She looked at her fingers to see a thin layer of white icing. Suddenly, her head swung to her right to see a squashed cupcake, coating the right side of her bed.

She groaned, again. It was sticking flat against her bedsheet, spreading its creamy substance all over her bed.

How the fuck did this even get here?

“This is why I should stop bringing alcohol in this house.” She muttered to herself, before pulling her body up to a sitting position. Her head was buzzing with a strong migraine and her tummy felt like she was gonna hurl any second now.

Ring. Ring.

That sound was back. Still in her dazed state, she reached out to the source of the ringing. It was lying on her tummy, vibrating in full speed. Surprisingly, she didn’t mind it. The thing was giving her a massage, who is she to complain?

“Hello?” Her own voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. Exactly how much of the crying did she do last night?

“Yuri!” Yoona flinched as the loud voice of the person nearly damaged her ear drums. It boosted up her oncoming migraine.

“Suzy?”

“Where the hell are you?! It’s 10am in the morning! Ji-Soo is going crazy with all of us. Do you have any idea what’s going on? Everything is—”

Yoona blinked blankly at the phone. Her colleague slash friend was still barking into the phone continuously without stopping. Yoona had already stopped listening when Ji-Soo was mentioned. After wasting away her birthday night in alcohol, Lee Ji-Soo was the last person that Yoona would expect to pop up. But, apparently she did... only in two minutes of waking up.

“—you were supposed to be here! Now, I’m overloaded with all the extra work. The news has also been—”

The 26 year old wondered if she should cut the phone or let her friend talk. The words stopped making sense to her a long time ago.

“—been raining down on us. You need to check the news and come straight to the building now! Something serious is happening. The whole building is in—”

“Suzy!” Yoona finally exclaimed, cutting her friend off. “I’m coming. Just please, stop shouting.”

The plea itself sounded like a strained groan.

“But—Fine! Check the news before you reach here. It’s chaos up here.”

“Okay.”

Yoona didn’t wait for a goodbye. She cut the call before her head could explode from her friend’s loud voice.

Suzy Bae. The only cutest ball but yet, the most reactive girl in Yoona’s life. She has been the only good thing in Yoona’s life for the past 4 years. The girl was only two years younger than her but still quite competitive. She reminded Yoona of her youngest lover, Jungkook. They both were quite reactive to situations and annoyed the hell out of her most of the time.

‘Aigoo... my chubby little princess looks so cute and fluffy in her poofy dress.’

Yoona shook her head. There’s no way she’s going down that memory lane again. Her resistance level is very close to zero. She needs to build her walls back up to their previous glory so they won’t get smashed down by her uncle’s family again.

Still cursing her growing headache, she quickly cleaned the spoiled bed and got herself ready for work. Her bruises were still raw which just made her day even more worst than any other day she has ever had.

“Alright..” She said as she stared at her screwed up reflection in the giant mirror. Her eyes are definitely puffy and red from all that crying she did last night. There are dark circles under her eyes but nothing major. Makeup could fix that in a second. And her skin colour looked dull, but again, that’s how it is on her bad days.

“Okay, Day 1 of being a 26 year old... I can do this.”

And with that, she did. Within a span of one hour, she was done and ready to head off to work. Quickly pressing over her fine, collared white shirt and black skinny pants, she left the room. Turning on the stove for some breakfast, she let the TV play on a news channel. Suzy’s demands were still ringing in her head.

‘Watch the news.’

She wondered what was so important on the news that made Suzy turn into such as hyper-screaming mess.

“—Now, with the recent reports coming in, the infamous notorious criminal gang ‘Bangtan’ has struck again in South Korea—”

Hold up. Her hands stopped in mid-air, the egg only inches away from being cracked open. Did she hear it correctly? They said ‘Bangtan’ right? As in the ‘Bangtan’ gang that has been terrorizing the world ever since they have surfaced two years ago?

Turning the stove off, she headed to her living room where a middle aged women gave out the latest news on the screen. She turned up the volume so she could hear more clearly.

“—A women named Jung Jae-hee, the acting executive director of Lee Enterprise in South Korea, was recently found dead in her house. It has been only few hours since her discovery and already, the reports indicates that the women was tortured and brutally beaten to death before a close family member discovered her corpse. The local law enforcements ruled out the death to be a vengeful murder by the notorious gang ‘Bangtan’. Clear evidence haven’t been identified to support this claim yet but an inside source reported the similar markings on the women’s body has been seen before in other victims that comes under the wrath of Bangtan—”

Yoona narrowed her eyes at the name. Bangtan. The name itself sounded familiar to her but also at the same time, foreign. The gang is a notorious group of killers that have been dominating the world ever since they surfaced two years. They weren’t just a terror in Korea, their gang name has been a widely known name around the whole of Asia and up here in the states too. Their activities goes deeper than just normal drug smuggling, money laundering or loan sharking.

Yoona didn’t know much about them but, she knew enough to stay away from their paths.

She was just about to shake it off is when a thought struck her.

Jung Jae-Hee. Why does that name sound so familiar? Wait—Isn’t she the... Shit!

She gasped. Oh boy, no wonder Suzy was a screaming mess. Forget the food, she needs to get to the office. Now!

                                                       ********

“This doesn’t seem good.” Yoona said aloud as they stared at the chaos in the office. Every employee was scrambling into different directions with no regards to each other.

“Ya think?!” Her friend retorted from beside her. “Our old boss just got killed in her home country. It’s obvious everyone will be in a panicking state.”

Yoona glanced back at Suzy in worry. Her beautiful friend was glaring at everything in sight. With her long, silky black hair up in a loose pony tail and long strands of bangs covering her forehead, the girl looked livid and cute all at the same time. She was dressed in a proper pristine full sleeve blouse with a black pencil skirt, complimenting her petite figure. Pretty different to what Yoona was wearing.

A small sigh escaped Yoona’s lips. “I don’t know what to say...”

“Well, I know one thing. I don’t think I’m ever going back to South Korea again.” Suzy declared, her lips pouting in sadness. “Too many murders for my poor heart to take on. I’m a heart patient you people!”

Yoona chuckled at her friend’s antics.

“YURI!”

Yoona jumped at the new voice, her head already ringing with the high octanes in the voice.

‘Yuri’ was her mother’s maiden name that she adopted when her real identity as ‘Lee Yoona’ was erased. She joined the family of ‘Kim’, making her ‘Kim Yuri’, and became the orphaned, petty, poor girl who used her cunning ways in bed to get a job at Lee Enterprise. It was horrifying and disgusting that people actually believed this kind of shit these days.

“That is not good.” Suzy commented as Yoona peeked at the person who has called her out.

Daniel. Fucking Daniel.

“Shit, it’s him. Run!” And so they did.

But like they say that trouble finds you at every corner, Yoona’s worst trouble found her too.

Lee Ji-Soo.

The ultimate prodigy of the wicked witch of the west. And also, her little cousin.

The girl was the second child of Lee Sung Woo and one of the biggest tormentor in Yoona’s life. She was only few years younger than Yoona, almost at Suzy’s age, and already has a wicked ego. She was tall and naturally pretty. Her mind was sharp but also at the same she was easily influenced and angered which causes her emotions to take over her hazy mind. Yoona had tried to connect with Ji-Soo on so many different levels, but the bossy, obnoxious girl was never interested.

“Ji-Soo...” The girl was standing near Yoona’s desk. She was dressed in the most whitest clothes Yoona has ever seen on her. It spilled with fake purity. Even the Chanel earring in her left ear couldn’t match to it.

Suzy, who had already seen a storm brewing in Yoona’s cousin’s eyes, had already ducked out of sight to avoid the hissing serpent. Daniel, the person they were running from, had stopped too and had turned back around to the way he came from.

Ji-soo’s anger is known to be a legend in this building. No-one was a match for her. Anyone who dares to come across Ji-soo’s wrath, is burned alive. And right now, Yoona seems to be right in the middle of it.

“Where are the files?!” She demanded, face contorting into anger as everyone else around them stopped and stared. Why wouldn’t they? The young girl was one of their bosses.

It’s ironic how Yoona is treated as a mere servant in her own father’s company. It was named after her family name. The Lee Enterprise. It wasn’t just a business. It was an empire built by her great grandfather through blood, sweat and tears. It was passed along to her own father who pulled the company to new heights with strong alliances and strong values. But after his death, it was now run by her uncle.

Since, she’s practically dead to the world, she could never inherit her father’s company again. It’s something she regrets now.

“Answer me!”

Yoona looked at her cousin in confusion. Did something happen?

“What files?”

“Files for Aria, Yuri!”

Yoona wacked her brain at the familiar name. Aria... Aria... ARIA Resort & Casino!

“You mean... the casino?”

“Yes!” She was being impatient.

“I don’t know where the files are.” Yoona shrugged. It wasn’t under her job to take care of such important files. She was just a mere personnel support in the office. A little servant trying to find her way in this building. Even though she has a high-class business degree and masters under her name, she will always be treated as Kim Yuri, the little spawn of a dead whore.

“They were on your desk!” She screeched.

“No, they weren’t.”

“Lier!”

“Honestly Ji-Soo, I have the lowest clearance in this building. Do you really think I will have such important files in my grip? Aren’t they supposed to be in your father’s office?”

ARIA Resort & Casino is a luxury building dedicated to its given name and located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its only an hour away from here by plane. The huge, mega complex building was originally owned by an American entertainment industry which turned out to be another counterpart of Kim Industries. But after that tragic night, and the death of all Kim’s heirs, the ownership was lost. Not only for the casino but also for many other assets that Kim industries had owned. In the end, the casino was passed around in many different hands before landing into the hands of Lee Enterprise. And for the past six years, it has been her uncle’s play baby.

“They’re not in his office.” This time, Ji-Soo’s voice was laced with worry. But then, the anger returned. “I know you have them.”

Yoona sighed. She rubbed her head in irritation.

“No. I don’t have them.”

“Don’t lie to me, Yuri!” The younger screeched, grabbing Yoona’s arm in the process. The older winced at the sudden pain that came from the bruises on her arm. “You don’t want me to tell Omma about this, do you?” She threatened with small wild smile.

Yoona glared at the younger women. That girl knew how much her mother despises Yoona and would love to beat her up at any given chance.

“Ji-Soo...” another voice interrupted them.

Both of them turned to the new voice and gulped. The voice belonged to a tall boy with dark golden brown hair locks, and a piercing look that instantly broke the skin-to-skin contact they had with each other.

Yoona had to ball up her hands into little fists to avoid feeling scared. The tall boy was her older cousin. He was dressed in a tight blue suit that covered every inch of his body. The expensive Goldmark watch on his right wrist was sparkling as the long scarf in his neck complimented his looks.

To others he might seem ethereal, but to her, he was pure evil.

“Tae-min oppa...” Ji-Soo called out to her older brother.

Yoona avoided looking at the man. She unconsciously covered her right arm, where the result of his tight grip on her from two days ago showed.

“Leave her.” He said, flicking his hair to the side. His slightly bulky body looked lean and relaxed. “Come. We have somewhere important to be.”

The man’s voice was laced with sweetness and seemed calm. That’s what scared Yoona the most. His calm demeanour that could change into something completely different in a simple second.

“But—”Ji-Soo didn’t dare to continue. Her brother’s eyes had slightly narrowed. She gulped and glanced at Yoona in fury before stalking after her older brother.

The only thing Yoona could do was sigh and thank the gods for saving her again from the endless pain.

                                                      ********

Lee Sung-Woo, the current head of Lee Enterprise, sighed as he rested his head back against the soft, leather chair. He could hear his kids entering the room but he didn’t bother acknowledging them. They were mature enough to understand that their father was stressed.

Being the head of Lee Enterprise is a hard, challenging job. Not only the company was one of the top companies in the world, it was also the foundation of a large empire built in the underworld. The main family line within the circle of the best of the best. A circle that was broken and re-formed again with new masters. But now, something new was challenging the empire. Something that is ready to topple them off. And he didn’t like that one bit.

“Dad..” he heard his eldest speak. “We can still fix this. You don’t have to take on stress.”

Sung-Woo hummed at his son’s words. The boy was always the calm one. The one who stayed patient till the end before loosing his shit and letting his demons out to rule. “I have put my best men on this. We will know who actually killed Jae-Hee.”

“I know, Tae-min.” The older man spoke. “You would never disappoint me. But I’m not worried about the girl’s death. She’s an easy replacement.”

Something twitched in the golden haired boy. Jae-Hee wasn’t just any girl to him. She was special, but he didn’t dare go against his father.

“Is it the ARIA files then?” Ji-Soo spoke up, nervousness seeping into her tone.

Sung-woo’s anger flared at the mention of his play baby. Those files were important. They were the property papers for ARIA.

“Have you found them yet?”

Ji-Soo shivered at her father’s hard tone. She pursed her lips and shook her head. She didn’t need to say anything because he can see her.

“You better hope they are just misplaced. If something happens to ARIA, I will not forgive you for this, Ji-Soo.” The older man warned his daughter.

Ji-Soo felt her body freeze. Her eyes widening at the implications of his words. He wouldn’t hurt his own daughter, right?

“It’s not her fault, dad.” His son spoke up, defending his little sister. “I think they have been stolen.”

A stab of fear hit Sung-Woo. What kind of force was he dealing with? This building is under strict security 24/7. There were guards everywhere. There were high-tech cameras in every part and corner of this building. It’s impossible for someone to steal the files. He really hoped that his daughter has just misplaced them.

“We’ll talk about them later. Right now, I have to introduce you both to some people.”

They looked at each other in confusion.

“Who?”

Sung-Woo didn’t answer. Instead, he pressed a button underneath his table and the back wall opened up into a series of giant screens covering every inch of the wall space. A loud click was heard as the room’s door locked itself electronically and the windows turned into a smokey grey colour, completely cutting off the view inside the office.

“It’s time for you both to meet The Circle.”

                                                      ********

The city of Los Angeles was buzzing with life. With it being one of the most populous city in all of California, the nightlife here was tremendously as lavish and expensive as they say. Having so many of entertainment industries under its boundaries and one of the best-class casinos, hotels and clubs, it is no-wonder that the heart of this city was completely submerged into the gambling and dealings of the underworld.

“Welcome to Dream Glow. Please enjoy your stay here.”

Kim Minseok smiled as he entered the large lavish building. Dream Glow. He chuckled. The name itself was grand and majestic as its owner.

“Wow. She really did turn this place around, didn’t she?” His little brother, Kim Jongin, commented as the younger male’s eyes travelled up to the outstanding classic decor. Minseok was also a little impressed. She really did a great job on this place. No wonder it’s brimming with customers.

Nodding his head in acceptance, he proceeded to go deeper into the building to find the egoistical, self-loving cousin of his that he hasn’t seen for a while. The visit itself was quite a surprise to him. Not to mention, the task he was given raised few red flags in his head.

“You sure he’s here?” Jongin asked beside him. The younger boy was eyeing the large room they had just entered in.

It was decorated in the most dark and vibrant colours he has ever seen. The Neon lights from above were giving it an extra glow, just like its name.

“Absolutely.” Minseok replied as they further stepped into the room.

The room was filled with rich men gambling, dancing, laughing and spilling their guts over the little female candies that sat beside them. These females were personally hired to pleasure these people in every way possible.

“Well, Well, well, look who it is...” a voice sang behind them.

“Hello, Charlie.” Minseok called out, not even needing to face the women that has appeared in the most darkest shade of red. Her hair were curled up into the most elegant beach waves ever seen, long diamond earrings complimenting her dress, and the perfect dark, smokey makeup that covered all of her flaws, seemingly making her look flawless.

The women looked at him with her strong gaze. She gasped mockingly.

“The big bad Xiumin? Here in my club? Oh heavens, my death has finally come upon me.”

Minseok rolled his eyes at the women. She was always so dramatic.

“Where is he?” He demanded. The women chuckled, her dark orbs glistening in the neon lights.

“Impatient are we?” She mocked with a little pout. “Come on, we just met after such a long time. Let’s have a little fun.”

A perfectly manicured hand slithered up-to his upper chest, caressing the hard muscles beneath it and rubbing over the hard abs that can be felt with one soft touch. He didn’t react. He could feel his younger brother’s muffled laughter from behind him.

“Charlie, where is Jin?” The tone was hard and clear this time. It made the women pout harder.

“Oh bummer. You’re such a party pooper. Jin was right. You will never change.”

And with that she unlatched her hand from his body and proceeded to the younger Kim who looked a bit shocked at the sudden changeover. “He’s in the private booths to the far corner, away from everyone else.” Minseok looked at the direction she pointed at. “You should go darling, he wants you alone. And don’t worry about your brother, I will play with him.” She said as she worked her magic on Jongin who was always a sucker for a little touch-n-touch anytime and anywhere.

Minseok groaned as a small purr came out from her lips. He shook his head and left the two to their mechanisms. Dream Glow Casino was a trusted place. His brother will be fine.

                                                     ********

As soon as Minseok reached the booth, he was greeted by a familiar looking blonde boy who was dressed into the most simplest but custom made pink shirt and fancy white pants. His neck held a thin simple silver chain while his right hand was adorned with various rings. One in particular standing out. The dark red ruby.

His handsome face was a true fairytale beauty and way too alluring to the female candies that sat either side of him. They were all over him, being shameless from every angle while the beautiful blonde boy himself stared hungrily at them. His soft, pink, plump lips already working their way against their necks.

“Jin.”

The boy stopped and looked up. He then beamed a bright smile at Minseok.

“Hyung... come, come. Sit with us.” The boy invited, gesturing to the vacant seat in front of him. “We were just talking about you.”

The elder raised an eye brow in question. But none the less, he took a seat with his cousin.

“Did you bring what I asked for, hyung?” The boy asked innocently, lightly tapping his slender fingers on the girl’s shoulders on his right. The hired candy just purred in satisfaction as she bathed in the attention she was receiving from the fairytale prince. Who thought a man like him could ever exist in this world?

Minseok pulled out a small stack of papers all stapled together. He slided them across the table to his cousin.

“It’s yours now.” Minseok smiled as he pointed to the transfer papers. “You are the new owner of ARIA Resort & Casino. Congrats, Jin. You finally got what you wanted.”

A small smirk appeared on his cousin’s face. The boy looked at the papers in total awe. His dark brown eyes scanning over every bit of the papers that now rested in his grip safely. One of his candies tried to grab his attention again but he smacked her off lightly, scolding her with his eyes.

Minseok felt a bit uncomfortable with his cousin and his female companions. He had never gotten used to this personality change in his younger cousin since that night.

Heartbreak is such a cruel thing that can happen to a person.

“You are lucky that I didn’t have to do much.” Minseok continued. “It was an easy grab in. No strings attached.”

His cousin smiled.

“Thank you, hyung. I own you one.” The boy said happily, passing the document to his guard that had appeared out of nowhere. “How’s little kai?”

“Little Kai is enjoying his time with Charlie.”

“Oh...”

A set of giggles erupted from the two ladies. His cousin was really doing wonders on them.

“Jin?”

“Hmm..”

Minseok contemplated if he should ask the question. Would the boy get angry?

“Why are you doing this? Why go after Lee Enterprise now?”

The reaction was instant. The boy who was just flirting and nose booping the candy beside him, stopped instantly. A thin line appeared on his lips while his orbs shifted. His hand wavered at the girl’s face before retracing back to the table.

Minseok didn’t feel anything when his cousin’s dark brown orbs glided to his face. He was not afraid of Kim Seokjin. They were family. Although, he was afraid of the crazy, maniac glint that had appeared in the younger’s eyes.

“It’s simple.” The boy replied, pinning his elder with his steely gaze. “I want my investment back.”

Minseok shook his head in denial. There was something that his cousin wasn’t telling him.

“No... I don’t believe you.” He countered, crossing his arms over his chest. His cousin’s head tilted in question. “Jin, I know you since you were little. All these years, even before that night, you refused to touch the company. You never tried to take over it. Not even the boys could change your mind. Infact, you helped it grow, stuffing its body with heaps of money, connections, assets and power. It has been your very own giant teddy bear for the past ten years. And now suddenly, you decided that you want your teddy back?”

A flicker of smile appeared on his younger cousin’s face. The blonde boy stretched his lips wider and wider, until he was laughing. There was a dark undertone to his windshield laugh.

“Oh hyung... you’re so observant.” The man spoke. “Is it too bad to have my teddy back in my arms again?” He asked, cuddling to the Candies beside him. But this time, his touch was a little rough and the girls felt it. But they still continued to smile.

“Jin, I’m serious.” Minseok warned. “What the hell are you planning?”

“You make me seem like a bad guy, hyung.”

“You are the bad guy, Jin.”

Minseok was truly worried for the golden company. The boy infront of him wasn’t the same boy anymore. He was being selfish. Lee Enterprise was the last thing that remained of Yoona. He can’t let the boy destroy it just like that. Atleast, not without a valid reason.

The grip on the two girls’s shoulders was increasing in strength. Their smiles were faltering with every passing second. Soon, they were squirming in his grip.

“Jin, you are hurting them.” Minseok warned, noticing the two girls’s discomfort.

The blonde boy instantly loosened his grip on them. He looked shockingly at his two candies and then at his elder cousin.

“I’m sorry, Hyung.” He apologised. “I didn’t realise what I was doing.” He then looked at his two candies with a mocking pout gracing his lips. “I’m sorry, girls. Please don’t hate me. I didn’t mean too. I’m not the bad guy. I just got lost there for a second.”

The female companions were spooked by his suddenly weird behaviour. But none-the-less they nodded and continued to snuggle up to him.

However, the guard behind them looked depressed. He shook his head in defeat before walking off to make a quick call to the owner of ‘Dream Glow’ for a very heart-filled apology and the scene that’s about to be happened.

“Jin...” Minseok called out. He was not going to give up.

“Hyung...” The boy looked up.

“Please Jin, whatever you are planning, just drop it. Yoona will not be happy.”

A sudden chill dropped around them. At the mention of the dead girl, his cousin’s features changed. The dark brown eyes turned moist and a broken, pained look appeared in them. Minseok regretted saying the name.

“I think you should leave, hyung.” The boy spoke, biting his bottom lip. “And again, I apologise for the rude behaviour.”

“But jin—” the elder stopped. He didn’t dare to go against the evil glint that has appeared in his cousin’s eyes.

“Go enjoy with Kai.”

And he did. Not the enjoying part, but he did leave the booth, ignoring the loud cries of pain from the girls that followed after.

God bless their souls.

 Tag List: @demonic-meatball​ , @youtube-obsessed-duh​ , @trinityautumn​

[baddadjokez]

514 Dad Jokes

What do you call a fake noodle? An Impasta.​I would avoid the sushi if I was you. It’s a little fishy.​Want to hear a joke about paper? Nevermind it’s tearable.​Why did the cookie cry? Because his father was a wafer so long!​I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. It was sole destroying.​What do you call a belt with a watch on it? A waist of time.​How do you organize an outer space party? You planet.​I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.​Do you know where you can get chicken broth in bulk? The stock market.​I cut my finger chopping cheese, but I think that I may have greater problems.​My cat was just sick on the carpet, I don’t think it’s feline well.​Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight? Because it was well armed.​How much does a hipster weigh? An instagram.​What did daddy spider say to baby spider? You spend too much time on the web.​Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.​There’s a new type of broom out, it’s sweeping the nation.​What cheese can never be yours? Nacho cheese.​What did the Buffalo say to his little boy when he dropped him off at school? Bison.​Have you ever heard of a music group called Cellophane? They mostly wrap.​Why does Superman gets invited to dinners? Because he is a Supperhero.​How was Rome split in two? With a pair of Ceasars.​The shovel was a ground breaking invention.​A scarecrow says, "This job isn't for everyone, but hay, it's in my jeans."​A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says, "Make me one with everything."​Did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? He's alright now.​What do you call a girl with one leg that's shorter than the other? Ilene.​I did a theatrical performance on puns. It was a play on words.​What do you do with a dead chemist? You barium.​I bet the person who created the door knocker won a Nobel prize.​Towels can’t tell jokes. They have a dry sense of humor.​Two birds are sitting on a perch and one says "Do you smell fish?"​Do you know sign language? You should learn it, it’s pretty handy.​What do you call a beautiful pumpkin? GOURDgeous.​Why did one banana spy on the other? Because she was appealing.​What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.​What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef.​What do you call a cow with all of its legs? High steaks.​A cross eyed teacher couldn’t control his pupils.​After the accident, the juggler didn’t have the balls to do it.​I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.​To write with a broken pencil is pointless.​I read a book on anti-gravity. I couldn’t put it down.​I couldn’t remember how to throw a boomerang but it came back to me.​What should you do if you are cold? Stand in the corner. It’s 90 degrees.​How does Moses make coffee? Hebrews it.​The energizer bunny went to jail. He was charged with battery.​What did the alien say to the pitcher of water? Take me to your liter.​What happens when you eat too many spaghettiOs? You have a vowel movement.​The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray was a seasoned veteran.​Sausage puns are the wurst.​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.​Why shouldn’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.​What’s it called when you have too many aliens? Extraterrestrials.​Want to hear a pizza joke? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy.​What do cows tell each other at bedtime? Dairy tales.​Why can’t you take inventory in Afghanistan? Because of the tally ban.​Why didn’t the lion win the race? Because he was racing a cheetah.​What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up? It becomes daytrogen.​What’s it called when you put a cow in an elevator? Raising the steaks.​What’s america’s favorite soda? Mini soda.​Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.​What kind of car does a sheep drive? Their SuBAHHru.​What do you call a french pig? Porque.​What do you call a line of rabbits marching backwards? A receding hairline.​Why don’t vampires go to barbecues? They don’t like steak.​How do trees access the internet? They log on.​Why should you never trust a train? They have loco motives.​Is your refrigerator running? Better go catch it.​The future,the present and the past walked into a bar.Things got a little tense.​I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need.​I just found out I'm colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple.​I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction.​Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming.​I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.​Read enough of our funny puns, and you'll be punstoppable.​Yesterday a clown held the door for me. It was a nice jester.​I used to go fishing with Skrillex but he kept dropping the bass.​The wedding was so emotional even the cake was in tiers.​What does a house wear? A dress.​Why can't bicycles stand up on their own? Since they are 2 tired.​I owe a lot to the sidewalks. They’ve been keeping me off the streets for years.​Imagine if alarm clocks hit you back in the morning.It would be truly alarming.​Why is a skeleton a bad liar? You can see right through it.​What do you receive when you ask a lemon for help? Lemonaid.​A man sued an airline company after it lost his luggage. Sadly, he lost his case.​What does a dog say when he sits down on a piece of sandpaper? Ruff!​What do you call crystal clear urine? 1080pee.​At my boxing club there is only one punch bag. I hate waiting for the punch line!​An untalented gymast walks into a bar.​Einstein developed a theory about space, and it was about time too.​I was accused of being a plagiarist, their word not mine.​My friends say they don’t like skeleton puns. I should put more backbone into them.​Let me FILL you in on my trip to the dentist.​Why does the singer of Cheap Thrills not want us to Sia?​Traveling on a flying carpet is a rugged experience.​Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.​The old woman who lived in a shoe wasn’t the sole owner,there were strings attached.​Did you hear about the crime in the parking garage? It was wrong on so many levels.​My new diet consists of aircraft, its a bit plane.​Have you ever tried to milk a cow which has been cut in half? Udder madness.​Why are there fences on graveyards? Because people are dying to get in.​Why do trees have so many friends? They branch out.​Models of dragons are not to scale.​Never discuss infinity with a mathematician, they can go on about it forever.​Why don’t some couples go to the gym? Because some relationships don’t work out.​Don’t trust people that do acupuncture, they’re back stabbers.​A persistent banker wouldn’t stop hitting on me so I asked him to leave me a loan.​I ordered a book of puns last week, but i didn't get it.​People say i look better without glasses but i just can't see it.​Don’t judge a meal by the look of the first course. It’s very souperficial.​I heard Donald Trump is going to ban shredded cheese, and make America grate again.​I relish the fact that you’ve mustard the strength to ketchup to me.​What do you call a young musician? A minor.​Police were called to a daycare yesterday, where a 2-year-old was resisting a rest.​If artists wear sketchers do linguists wear converse?​I changed my iPod name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.​Jill broke her finger today, but on the other hand she was completely fine.​I smeared some ketchup all over my eyes once. It was a bad idea in Heinz- sight.​I flipped a coin over an issue the other day, it was quite the toss-up.​I got hit in the head with a can of soda? Luckily it was a soft drink.​I heard that the post office was a male dominated industry.​Why isn’t suntanning an Olympic sport? Because the best you can ever get is bronze.​What do you mean June is over? Julying.​Why is Kylo Ren so angry? Beause he’s always Ben Solo.​These reversing cameras are great. Since I got one I haven’t looked back.​The candle quit his job because he felt burned out.​Our maintenance guy lost his legs on the job, now he’s just a handyman.​Going to bed with music on gave him sound sleep.​A magic tractor drove down the road and turned into a field!​I met some aliens from outer space. They were pretty down to earth.​The plane flight brought my acrophobia to new heights.​My phone has to wear glasses ever since it lost its contacts.​I, for one, like Roman numerals.​How do mountains see? They peak.​The show was called Spongebob Squarepants but everyone knows the star was Patrick.​This is not alcohol, water you thinking?!​Novice pirates make terrible singers because they can’t hit the high seas.​I told my friend she drew her eyebrows too high. She seemed surprised.​The earth's rotation really makes my day.​If I buy a bigger bed will I have more or less bedroom?​Two peanuts were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-salted.​Two ropes were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-frayed.​What kind of shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers.​I got a master’s degree in being ignored; no one seems to care.​After eating the ship, the sea monster said, I can’t believe I ate the hull thing.​Smaller babies may be delivered by stork but the heavier ones need a crane.​A bartender broke up with her boyfriend, but he kept asking her for another shot.​I had a pun about insanity but then I lost it.​He couldn’t work out how to fix the washing machine so he threw in the towel.​Why does the man want to buy nine rackets? Cause tennis too many.​Why don’t cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny.​If I got paid in lots of Pennes I would make loads of pasta.​I thought I saw a spider on my laptop, but my friend said it was just a bug.​A doctor broke his leg while auditioning for a play.Luckily he still made the cast.​The tale of the haunted refrigerator was chilling.​Why are frogs so happy? They eat whatever bugs them.​If you wear cowboy clothes are you ranch dressing?​I was addicted to the hokey pokey but I turned myself around.​Simba, you're falling behind. I must ask you to Mufasa.​I bought a wooden whistle but it wooden whistle.​The bomb didn't want to go off. So it refused.​The sore mummy needed a Cairo-practor​I feel sorry for shopping carts. They’re always getting pushed around.​The display of still-life art was not at all moving!​On Halloween October is nearly Octover.​Pig puns are so boaring.​Why couldn’t the dead car drive into the cluttered garage? Lack of vroom.​What do you call Samsung's security guards? Guardians of the Galaxy.​What does Superman have in his drink? Just ice.​How does a penguin build it’s house? Igloos it together.​Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.​The safe was invented by a cop and a robber. It was quite a combination.​What do you do when balloons are hurt? You helium.​One hat says to the other, "You stay here, I’ll go on a head."​How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles.​When does a farmer dance? When he drops the beet.​When the scientist wanted to clone a deer, he bought a doe it yourself kit.​If people ask how many puns I made in Germany I reply, "nein"​Did you hear about the invention of the white board? It was remarkable.​If Donald Trump becomes president, America is going toupee.​Can February March? No, but April May.​I hate Russian Dolls, they are so full of themselves.​What do you do to an open wardrobe? You closet.​The magazine about ceiling fans went out of business due to low circulation.​So what if I don’t know what apocalypse means? It’s not the end of the world!​Some aquatic mammals at the zoo escaped. It was otter chaos.​A backwards poem writes inverse.​Getting the ability to fly would be so uplifting.​I asked my friend, Nick, if he had 5 cents I could borrow. But he was Nicholas.​The soundtrack for Blackfish was orcastrated.​Where do you imprison a skeleton? In a rib cage.​There’s a fine line between the numerator and the denominator.​I used to work at a hairdresser but i just wasn’t cut out for it.​Why is metal and a microwave a match made in heaven? When they met, sparks flew.​The lumberjack loved his new computer. He especially enjoyed logging in.​Garbage collectors are rubbish drivers!​When the church relocated it had an organ transplant.​Lettuce take a moment to appreciate this salad pun.​The scarecrow get promoted because he was outstanding in his field.​Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed.​I never understood odorless chemicals, they never make scents.​What do prisoners use to call each other? Cell phones.​Why was dumbo sad? He felt irrelephant.​When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.​Old skiers never die. They just go down hill.​Did you hear about the pun that was actually funny? Neither have we.​You know why I like egg puns? They crack me up!​Want to hear a pun about ghosts? That's the spirit!​I used to make clown shoes… which was no small feat.​Did you hear about the human cannonball? Too bad he got fired!​What happened when the magician got mad? She pulled her hare out!​Did you hear about the circus that caught on fire? It was in tents.​The one day of the week that eggs are definitely afraid of is Fry-day.​A hen will always leave her house through the proper eggs-it.​The man who ate too many eggs was considered to be an egg-oholic.​All the hens consider the chef to be very mean because he beats the eggs.​Eskimos keep all of their chilled eggs inside of the egg-loo.​Under the doctor’s advice, the hen is laying off eggs for a few weeks.​I had a real problem making a hard-boiled egg this morning until I cracked it.​The best time of day to eat eggs is at the crack of dawn.​The chicken coop only had 2 doors since if it had 4 doors it would be a sedan.​Crossing a cement mixer and a chicken will result in you getting a brick layer.​That reckless little egg always seems to egg-celerate when he sees the light turn yellow.​Hopefully this egg pun doesn't make your brain too fried or scrambled.​Don't ever have multiple people wash dishes together. It's hard for them to stay in sink.​People using umbrellas always seem to be under the weather.​I dissected an iris today. It was an eye-opening experience.​What was Forrest Gump’s email password? 1forrest1.​What planet is like a circus? Saturn, it has three rings!​Before my father died he worked in a circus as a stilt walker. I used to look up to him.​Why did the lion eat the tightrope walker? He wanted a well-balanced meal!​I really look up to my tall friends.​I hate negative numbers and will stop at nothing to avoid them.​Long fairy tales have a tendency to dragon.​It takes guts to make a sausage.​Why shouldn’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she’ll “Let It Go”!​What do you call cheese that’s not yours? Nacho cheese!​How do you make a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it​What do you get when a witch goes to the beach? A sand-witch!​Where do cows go on Friday nights? To the mooooo-vies!​What did the mommy tomato say to the baby tomato? C’mon, ketchup!​Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn’t “peeling” well!​What did one snowman say to the other? Do you smell carrots?​Why didn’t the skeleton go to the dance? Because he had no body to go with!​What is a pirate’s favorite letter? Arrrrrr!​What does a piece of toast wear to bed? His pa-JAM-as!​What does one eye say to the other eye? Something between us smells​Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide!​What happens when an egg laughs? It cracks up!​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear!​Why didn’t the teddy bear want dessert? Because he was stuffed!​Why can’t you tell a joke while ice skating? Because the ice might crack up!​What do you call a pig that knows karate? A pork chop!​What’s mommy and daddy’s favorite ride at the carnival? A married-go-round!​How did Cookie Monster feel after eating all the cookies? Pretty crummy!​What do you call a skunk who flies in a helicopter? A smelly-copter!​What do you get when you shake a cow? A milkshake!​How do you catch a squirrel? Climb up a tree and act like a nut!​Why did the bee get married? Because she found her honey!​What did the ocean say to their airplane? Nothing, it just waved!​Where do eskimo pigs live? In pig-loos.​What’s a dinosaur called when it’s sleeping? A dino-snore!​What did the cookie say to the annoying cookie? Crumb on!​Why did Mickey Mouse go up in space? To find Pluto!​What does Olaf eat for lunch? Icebergers!​What letter is always wet? The C!​How do you throw a space party? You planet.​How was Rome split in two? With a pair of Ceasars.​Nope. Unintended.​The shovel was a ground breaking invention, but everyone was blow away by the leaf blower.​A scarecrow says, "This job isn't for everyone, but hay, it's in my jeans."​A Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says "Make me one with everything."​Did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? He's alright now.​What do you call a girl with one leg that's shorter than the other? Ilene.​The broom swept the nation away.​I did a theatrical performance on puns. It was a play on words.​What does a clock do when it's hungry? It goes back for seconds.​What do you do with a dead chemist? You barium.​I bet the person who created the door knocker won a Nobel prize.​Towels can’t tell jokes. They have a dry sense of humor.​Two birds are sitting on a perch and one says “Do you smell fish?”​Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in france? There was nothing but des brie.​Do you know sign language? You should learn it, it’s pretty handy.​What do you call a beautiful pumpkin? GOURDgeous.​Why did one banana spy on the other? Because she was appealing.​What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.​What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef.​What do you call a cow with all of its legs? High steaks.​A cross eyed teacher couldn’t control his pupils.​After the accident, the juggler didn’t have the balls to do it.​I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.​To write with a broken pencil is pointless.​I read a book on anti-gravity. I couldn’t put it down.​I couldn’t remember how to throw a boomerang but it came back to me.​What did the buffalo say to his son? Bison.​What should you do if you’re cold? Stand in the corner. It’s 90 degrees.​How does Moses make coffee? Hebrews it.​The energizer bunny went to jail. He was charged with battery.​What did the alien say to the pitcher of water? Take me to your liter.​What happens when you eat too many spaghettiOs? You have a vowel movement.​The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray was a seasoned veteran.​Sausage puns are the wurst.​What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.​How did Darth Vader know what luke was getting him for his birthday? He could sense his presence.​Why shouldn’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.​What’s the difference between a bench, a fish, and a bucket of glue? You can’t tune a bench but you can tuna fish. I bet you got stuck on the bucket of glue part.​What’s it called when you have too many aliens? Extraterrestrials.​Want to hear a pizza joke? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy.​What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.​What do cows tell each other at bedtime? Dairy tales.​Why can’t you take inventory in Afghanistan? Because of the tally ban.​Why didn’t the lion win the race? Because he was racing a cheetah.​Why did the man dig a hole in his neighbor’s backyard and fill it with water? Because he meant well.​What happens to nitrogen when the sun comes up? It becomes daytrogen.​What’s it called when you put a cow in an elevator? Raising the steaks.​What’s america’s favorite soda? Mini soda.​Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.​What kind of car does a sheep drive? A lamborghini, but if that breaks down they drive their SuBAHHru.

[ziracona]

Anytime I see the legion im picturing urs so now in a trial im like "fukn idiot loser babies" *pallet smacks*. Reading ur meta(is that the term??) on Julie just now I'm like. So mad for her!! Get them kids some therapy!! How could the adults in their lives let them get to such a shitty point.. >:( Also, another thought I had with Adiris. The buzzfeed video is more her holding a bunch of cats. Because the survivors are like herding cats. Chaos children they are (im looking at you meg.)

Hahdjsdk god what a mood. Every time I see an Anna I’m just like “!!! MOM?” And get a hatchet between the eyes rip. And yeah! Meta is right.

For real, for real. Julie and all the Legion kids had some real shit going on. Joey by far had the best home life and family, but even he had a bunch of struggles in school because his family didn’t have time or in many cases experience to help him study, and it was crowded and poor, and because he had no help most kids got, he got treated like he was stupider, and even when he had skills in other areas, everyone at school expected him to perform well at sports and not much else like that was fine & he was meant to be valuable exclusively as an athlete, when he much preferred and actually really liked things like shop and ceramics and building/making stuff. But most people treat trade classes like easy As dumb kids pick (back when shop was still a thing), and like it was a worthless skill, and like. That doesn’t sound as bad as like, being bounced through foster homes as Frank, but pain is relative, you know? Bad is just bad. And things grind on you. It was hard to be taught constantly he was only worth something as a skill he didn’t even really care about, and get treated like he was dumb just because he had less help built in to school than most kids there did. People don’t talk about this much but like, having parents or sibs who help with homework? It’s a huge factor. So is just having family who are college graduates (if you go to college), because first gen student means walking in blind & alone & accountable to no one but bills, and like, college is initially overwhelming with two parents with Masters who are helpful. Any time what you value about you and what you love doesn’t match up with what people who have more power than you tell you is valuable about you/should be your goal, it’s hard. Especially as a teen still trying to like hack out an identity. Overly enthusiastic and impulsive, and has been mocked and hurt and turned on for it, but can’t shut it off. Big heart, but the luck to stand up usually just in time to get laid flat again.

And then Susie, with the parents who don’t care for her or pay her much mind other than disappointed looks and an occasional snap or suggestion or urging to try something different that what she’s doing. Bullied for her sexuality, nervous, and in a small town in the late 90s, probably the only lesbian (at least that she’s aware of existing) in that entire like couple hundred people mountain town, and sort of unbearably alone and misunderstood and isolated feeling. God, feeling like there’s just no one like you are out there is one of the worst feelings, isn’t it? Buried in the things she knows people whisper about her and a thousand tiny microinteractions a day that drain her armor. Loves Julie, but is so isolated Julie is her entire world to an unhealthy, co-dependant, and worryingly usable/manipulatable and non-independent nature for Susie. Because she’s so desperate to keep her she’d do anything not to be alone. But the struggle to never be alone by chasing Julie’s shadow means there’s no time for Susie and her own hopes and dreams and choices and developing personhood. But the worst part is that she’s genuinely happy this way, trailing after the girl she loves, which makes it so hard for either of them to confront and stop even enough to just make it healthy again. But she’s built her whole identity on one person like a precarious janga tower that could fall any second if the wrong piece goes, and that can’t be sustained forever, and who is she when it does crumble?

Then you got Julie, hot, popular, ignored personality disorder, proud parents who want her to keep being ideal and their little princess, than can’t handle her as a teen when she’s not in the box they expected anymore and they can’t just live and be proud vicariously through her all the time. Hit puberty early & dated way too physically way too young with way too much older men. Hit on by teachers, by men three times her age in parking lots. Quickly taught it’s safer to say yes than no and sex and love are a battlefield where you use the other as a stepping stone & the trick is to manurver so you’re okay once it’s over and got something while it went on. Had fun being hot and physically developed young because she suddenly had admirers and people were nice, then realized way too late that it came with constantly being in danger and under pressure to keep performing sexiness, and there wasn’t a livable choice to back out and fail those expectations anymore & be okay in her social circles. Knows she’s not emotional or loving in the way her loved ones are distressed about it, but can’t tell why, and gives up trying to ‘fix it’ and just pretends she doesn’t care and leans into being the sexy bitch and the power that comes with it. Doesn’t even know who she is herself beneath any of the ways she lives anymore, maybe she just is the act, maybe that’s fine. Trusts no one and that’s fine it’s just smart. Caught between liking the power of sex and intelligence and coldness, and the emptiness of not really being somebody. Needs to be loved and idolised and eternally aware how much people would hate her for that if they knew it was the truth, so she just keeps it to herself and makes herself someone they have no choice but to love and adore, so it’ll all be okay. Caught between worried she is cold and unfeeling and selfish and proud, and liking the power that goes with that, and the lack of desire to change, and the fear she doesn’t know how to do it. So she mostly just doesn’t think about any of the turmoil anymore and lives Julie instead of being her.

Then you got Frank, tossed around a myriad of foster homes, stolen by the government from the only one he ever was loved in over race, abused in every way foster parents have learned to abuse the kids they were supposed to love, and convinced since he was a kid that he’s a bad seed and a monster at heart, until he leaned into the violence of that to protect himself when no one else did. Harsh and strong and a fighter, a survivor, lonely and a loner, too much past, no future, not much present. Angry, god, so angry, and nothing to do with it. No skills, or money, or future, or any of it. No love, no family. Just the things he taught himself to survive. Just a good liar, a good fighter, adaptable, fast, tactical, enduring. Knows how to pick locks and lift wallets and hoard food that is least likely to be noticed. How to vanish, how to look real scary and real big, how to get stabbed and get back up, and take a fall, and bide his time. How to find north. Which makes for a good what? A thug, a conman, a drug runner, a loan shark or a hitter or a bouncer maybe? A guard, a killer, a thief? No love, no ties, no one. And only a borrowed, angry, violent sense of self, and all the other versions that didn’t live to adulthood but aren’t quiet dead yet buried beneath it.

God, the opening line to the original lore for Darkness Among Us really was beautiful and memorable. The kind of first line you hope for. “Frank Morrison was ninteen, and had little to show for it.” Like, fuck. It’s so understated, and common, and painfully mundane, but that’s it, that’s his whole life. And how fucking painful that is. To be the end of teenagehood, stepping into adult life alone, and be able to be summed up in just eleven words, as a marker of your lived timespan up to now, and the annotation that you from all of it have gained almost nothing that could be worth any note. I fucking love that line. God. It’s so empty, and cruelly mundane and undramatic and unimportantly scored and marked, like it doesn’t even matter that he’s down nearly two decades of life with nothing worth taking into the next two.

Lord, all the Legion kids really do need help, and therapy, and like, one decent parental figure. Thank god for Jeff. He really is out here doing the real work. Love that man. TuT

And you’re right w Adiris lol. 🤣 It’s a mix of cats and dogs, magbe even. Some of them aren’t trouble, but oh, oh some most definitely are. Side note: I fkn just reallly love cats. Poor Adiris out here tryin her best, and I’m sure she does too.

[shinadog]

Time to (finally) update Mob! Go check it out, it's full of tears.

Summary : Something happened after Haruka’s concert. (PART 1) (AO3 Link)

2 - TEARS

He had been crying for what felt like hours.

Days, even.

None of this felt real.

He vaguely remembered talking to people. Distant family members, coworkers, neighbours. Nice, friendly people with their sorry, pained expressions and their kind words. They all came flocking to him the second the news talked about it.

He hated them.

Hated how he felt them struggle with his own raw grief. Hated the sad tint of compassion in their voices as they told him they couldn’t imagine what he was going through. Hated how they looked at him as he cried, scared of that pathetic display.

He was scared, too.

But mostly, he was angry.

His anger, at first, was directed at no one in particular. Or everyone at once. He blamed the people who made this concert happen. He blamed the girl, the idol who started this disaster. He blamed the yakuza who had raised her. He blamed every single fucker who had been in the crowd that night.

He blamed her, too.

He hated himself for that.

When some journalists managed to track him down, asking him about what happened, what he felt now that his world had been turned upside down, he could barely believe it. These people were vultures. All of them. Hounding him down, following him everywhere until he cracked and talked to them. And even then, as he allowed some of them into his house, he was speechless. Their questions barely made sense, he barely remembered saying anything, his eyes lost in the camera in front of him. He doubted any of his answers made any sense. How could they? Nothing made sense anymore.

All he could offer to the good people of Japan, who were in no doubt watching because they wanted to see what a broken man looked like, were his tears.

He kept crying long after everyone had left.

**********************************

Kiryu was awake. And, like all the times he had been conscious enough for it, he was begging. Bargaining. Trying to win over whoever was in front of him, to be finally allowed to leave this damn room. Today’s target was Akiyama, who was trying to avoid his desperate plea by looking at something outside, through the window. The man was being particularly stubborn today, not even meeting Kiryu’s eyes as he made small talk, attempting to distract him. Well, Kiryu was stubborn enough. He knew he would win at this game, eventually.

He tried to brute force his way out of there several times, only to be pushed back in his bed by Saejima or Majima. Sometimes both. Apparently, the two oath brothers were standing guard next to his door at all times, making any escape impossible. For the time being, at least. Kiryu couldn’t wait to be back in full force; to show them what it means to try to stop him.

For now, he was still far too weak to even attempt to fight anyone. Last time he tried, punching Majima in the nose after he stupidly got a bit too close, the nurse gave him something that made him sleep for an entire day. His punch was so weak it didn’t even manage to break Majima’s stupid nose.A total flop. After that, Kiryu was forced to behave, not wanting to lose more time than he already had.

The big bad dragon of Dojima, grounded. Stuck in this hospital room when all he wanted was to see Haruka.

Not being able to be with her was driving him crazy.

So he begged.

Asked as soon as he was awake, no matter who was in front of him. The nurses, the doctors, Majima and Saejima, Date that he only saw once or twice, Akiyama… They all gave him the same answer. Not today. Not yet. You’re not strong enough.

If today was any indication though, he was making some progress. He felt it as Akiyama wriggled uncomfortably, back on the chair he usually sat on next to Kiryu’s bed.

He knew if anyone was going to cave in and give him what he wanted, it was going to be Akiyama. The man was crushed by his guilt, and Kiryu wasn't ashamed to exploit that. He'll feel bad about it later.

“You do look better, today.”

Too busy focusing his thoughts on trying to win him over, Kiryu almost didn’t hear Akiyama talk. He blinked stupidly, trying to process what had been said.

“Good enough to take a walk?” he asked, daring to hope it would be enough to work. He would have tried to smile, but his face kept its usual stoic expression, hoping he looked at least strong enough to walk out of here.

Akiyama just stared at him, and for the first time since he had walked into his room, Kiryu noticed how truly exhausted he looked. He usually looked tired, with bags under his eyes and his dishevelled suit, but everything about him looked worse right now. Having lost track of days ever since he woke up, Kiryu didn’t know how long the man had been in the hospital, keeping watch over him or checking in on Haruka. He would have been thankful for it, if his mind was not solely focused on finding a way out of his cell.

After what felt like an hour, Akiyama finally talked again, his voice weirdly hushed. “It’s a bad idea.”

And just like that, Kiryu was set free.

Well, more or less.

Taking a walk was apparently out of the question. Kiryu had to admit he probably wouldn’t have been able to take a step on his own, but he refused to admit it as his friend pushed a wheelchair that he got from who knows where in front of him.

It would do.

Finally being able to get out of the room felt unreal. Kiryu immediately felt the anticipation of it all making him dizzy, his body still aching from his wounds. Still, he said nothing as they started moving, afraid any comment about his pain would take him back to his room.

Akiyama was pushing his chair, mumbling to himself some more about what a bad idea that was while Majima and Saejima were following like two nervous shadows. Kiryu was more or less sure they didn't ask anyone’s permission before they took him out of the room. Not that it mattered now, no doctor's order could have stopped him, anyway.

Kiryu felt better than he did when he first woke up, his head wasn't spinning as hard anymore, and he could more or less focus on what was happening around him. Still, he felt numb. Wrapping his brain around what happened after the concert was hard, no matter how many times it was explained to him. Even now, as Akiyama kept talking to him as they advanced through an empty corridor ("It looks worse than it really is" , "Doctors say she was lucky" , "Her chances of waking up are very good", things like that), Kiryu's mind was blank. He didn't know what to make out of those words. He was probably still high on painkillers. And probably a bit in denial, too.

He heard Majima take a deep sigh behind him and wished he could have punched him again. He wasn't sure why.

Maybe because they had finally taken a stop near a small room, similar to the one Kiryu had just left.

Maybe because Date came out of it, looking more glum than Kiryu had ever seen him.

Maybe because right now, fighting someone, anyone, sounded better than getting inside this room he had begged again and again to be in.

Now that he was here, he was scared of what was inside.

Date was talking to him, no doubt saying the same kind of things Kiryu has been hearing while he was being pushed here. This time, he couldn't focus on his words at all, barely aware of how his own hands got on the wheels of the chair, making a move for the room. Akiyama showed no resistance and let go of the chair, taking a step back.

Scared or not, he had to do it.

Once he was inside the room, everything went too fast. Everything he saw was too much for his still fuzzy head, but it was still enough to make him stop in his tracks. Feeling as if his blood has frozen in his veins, Kiryu took in the details of the horrid scene laid out before him.

The slow beeping of machines and, louder, the respirator, filling the room with a hypnotic rhythm.

The bruises on her face, deep purple in places, still way too vibrant after so many days.

The terrifying paleness of her skin.

The catheter lodged in her arm.

The fact that it was her, the child he swore he would stay far away from, for her own sake, lying here, completely still. Haruka.

Kiryu only managed not to fall down because he was already sitting in the wheelchair.

He did break down, though.

He wasn’t sure when he had started crying. The world was spinning again, his body screamed in agony, and the only thing that made him take his eyes out of the bed where his daughter laid way too still was a hand on his shoulder.

Date. The man was suddenly next to him, kneeling next to his chair, at his eye level.

He was crying, too.

All that Kiryu could think about as their eyes met is that it felt wrong. Date wasn’t supposed to cry. He wasn’t supposed to cry, either. And Haruka wasn’t supposed to be here, wounded and unconscious.

It was all wrong.

**********************************

Majima ran away as soon as everyone started falling apart around him.

It was not that he was scared of that unbearable display of vulnerability. No, really. He was tough, he could handle a few tears. But when he heard some actual wails coming from the room, he felt as if he’d rather be somewhere else. It did not help that both his oath brother and that loan shark guy looked absolutely mortified, the latter looking like he was going to burst into tears as well at any moment. Majima really didn’t want to be here to see that.

So he turned tail and quickly put some distance between himself and all those unpleasant emotions. He did hear Saejima call for him, but he was already far enough to pretend he didn’t notice.

His quick, angry steps disturbing the stupid silence of the hospital earned him a few suspicious looks from staff members and patients alike, but Majima didn’t mind. He couldn’t exactly blame them, the place was quiet enough than a tall, obnoxiously dressed yakuza stomping around stuck up like a sore thumb. That was alright with him. If anything, looking at the nurses glaring at him as he zoomed past them made him forget about his thoughts for a hot second. Which was nice. Not much, but nice. He gave them a wide grin, baring his teeth as they quickly looked away.

He would have accepted anything to distract himself from the voice in his head, his own voice, what he had said to his oath brother right before their fight echoing at the back of his mind.

He loves her more than life itself.

God, he hated being right.

He had known Kiryu for long enough to know the man cared too much about pretty much everyone he met. He forgave backstabbers without a second thought, worse, he was the kind of sad sap that would grieve for a fallen enemy like he would for a dear friend. Most of all, the bond between Kiryu and that kid that somehow ended up in his care was something else. Sure, Majima couldn’t pretend he knew much about what being a parent was like. Hell, Kiryu had what, a dozen crying orphans? A whole pack of sad little fuckers, waiting for him at home, that he surely cared about just as much.

But Haruka was special. Had always been.

And, right now, she was in pieces. Broken by the very same morons who swore they idolized her right before she had the nerve to open up to them. And, just like Majima had predicted, this also broke Kiryu. He felt an unpleasant shiver creeping on his neck as he thought of the other man crying in the depressing little room where his daughter laid.

Still, things could have been worse - at least, the kid was still alive. For now.

Alright, so trying to not think about it wasn’t working as well as Majima had hoped. He needed to think about something else right now. Find an actual distraction, since wandering through the hospital aimlessly didn’t work.

He needed someone to pester.

He went straight for Daigo’s room.

As he made his way through the much nicer hospital aisle, with the fancy rooms they kept for the important, wealthy guests, Majima frowned. The place felt strangely empty. No body-guards in front of either of the corridor’s end, no guy standing in front of the room’s door, and, surely enough, no one inside.

He sighed.

One of these days, they were going to make a “ Who’s the biggest dumbass who had ever led the Tojo Clan ” poll, and Majima wasn’t sure who would actually win that title. Sure, Kiryu was a colossal meathead who kept putting himself into impossible situations, but Daigo was no slouch either. What he lacked in stupidity he made up for in impulsivity. The only reason he was still in the hospital at all was because he kept finding ways to escape his room, and, way too often, fuck up his stitches again.

It had been years since Majima had sworn he would keep an eye on the chairman for Kiryu’s sake, and the guy had managed to throw himself at all kinds of dangers with a frightening regularity ever since. Though he had joked when he proposed keeping his boss on a leash last time a major crisis happened, Majima found the idea pretty reasonable right now. That would at least cut the poor nurses some slack. They were always running after their patient, and, if the emptiness of the room was anything to go by, they didn’t have much luck in finding him this time. That, or they simply gave up. Majima wouldn’t blame them.

Still, they probably didn’t look that hard, because as Majima got down a few floors, abandoning the quiet fancy corridors to come back to something more modest, he found Daigo in his usual spot, standing guard in front of room 407. Well, “standing” was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration,  as he was sitting in a wheelchair similar to the one Kiryu was probably still weeping in. A few Tojo clan men were scattered in the corridor, keeping an eye on their chairman. As Majima walked past the closest one, a sweaty brat who literally looked like he had never worn a suit before, he had to stop himself from barking at them to get lost. If the way the guy bent over as he passed was any indication, shaking and sweating even more, he would have obeyed pretty quickly, too. Those body-guards might not have looked like much, and looking at them shaking as they stared at him did nothing to make his bad mood better, but they were at least doing better than their predecessors, so far. After the whole Aizawa fiasco, the only thing Majima asked of these guys was to be born and raised Tojo men, no more wolves in sheep's clothing bullshit.

So he settled for a grunt of acknowledgment, leaving the bodyguard behind to go sit on a chair placed conveniently next to his boss. As if Daigo knew he was coming to bother him. Majima was grateful - he had been standing still for too long while Kiryu was unconscious, and though he wouldn’t say it out loud it, he was starting to get a little tired. He frowned, realizing this was basically just him admitting he was getting old, which was not something he needed right now.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in your room, boss? Ya know, getting some rest, not playing hide and seek with the nurses, that kind of stuff?” he said as he collapsed on the chair with a loud thud, making all the body-guards suddenly stiffen. Majima paid them no mind, focusing his attention on Daigo who… Certainly looked like a man who hadn’t slept in a week. Which, to be fair, was how he usually looked, but still!

Before he could attempt to make fun of him for looking like shit, Daigo answered his question with another, not even taking his eyes from the door he was surveying. “Aren’t you supposed to be in front of Kiryu’s room?”

“Yeah, about that…”

That got him a reaction, at least. Majima appreciated for a few seconds the fact that his boss finally stopped staring at the door like an exceptionally sad looking guard dog to glare at him, before he took pity on him and grumbled some kind of explanation. “They took him to see the kid. Went as well as you’d think.”

“And by “they”, you mean…?”

“That loan shark guy. And Saejima, I guess.” Majima decided to omit he too had taken part on their little excursion to Haruka’s room. It wasn’t like it was his idea. And it wasn’t like they could have kept Kiryu from escaping forever. “He felt better, today. Hell, he has always been quick to heal, the fucker. So taking him to her room didn’t sound like such a bad idea.”

“How bad did he take it?”

“Eh. If he hasn’t fainted by now, he’s probably still wailing in there, I bet.”

As if summoned by the growing tension in the corridor, a nurse got out of room 407, freezing in her tracks as she realized a bunch of yakuza were staring at her. Still, she said nothing and left the scene as quick as she had appeared. Majima guessed when you worked in a hospital, you had no time to lose on a bunch of criminals looking at you funny. He assumed the conversation would just continue, but the chairman’s eyes were once again wandering to the now semi-open door of the room.

“That friend of yours is doing okay, I heard?” Majima only had a brief knowledge of who was the patient of room 407. Some guy that Daigo knew from high school, who ended up fighting alongside Kiryu and his ragtag bunch of buddies, because, of course, why not. He was also the one who was actually AT the concert that night, and who didn’t exactly save the day. That was a bit of a touchy subject, though, so Majima thought he would rather focus on something safer. Like what the guy was called, for instance. “Shit, what’s his name again? Swear Saejima told me, but-”

“Shinada.” Daigo cut him off, still focusing on the door, his brow furrowed. “I don’t think I should be calling myself his friend. He’s only in there because I meddled with his life. Again.”

Majima was musing on what that “again” meant when he noticed a worrying twitch of Daigo’s eye, as the man lowered his head slowly, his shoulder sagging. It occurred to him that perhaps he had just fled a crying chairman to come find another, and frankly, this pissed him off.

A good subordinate would have said nothing or, better, changed subject to spare his chairman the embarrassment of showing some kind of vulnerability, something the bodyguards were doing very well, as they all mysteriously started to look in different directions. Majima wasn’t exactly a good subordinate, though.

“If you start crying, I’m going to sucker punch you.”

The exhausted glare Daigo gave him was miraculously tear-free, so that was nice. “I’m not going to cry. And it’s not exactly a sucker punch if you warn the guy beforehand.”

“Maybe. But hey, let’s look at the big picture, yeah? The clan is still standing. Most of our guys are still alive.” But a lot of them were dead, Kiryu’s kid was in a coma and he himself wasn’t doing well at all, the clan’s hierarchy was once again all shaken up… Majima gritted his teeth, struggling to find something positive to add, before he settled on what he thought was a particularly nice note. “And shit, almost forgot, Saejima and Kiryu are not going to jail, thanks to ya!”

Majima had been slightly worried when cops started to get into their business shortly after the concert. That they had the nerve to show up at all, claiming that it was time for Saejima to go back to jail, and that Kiryu somehow had to go too, for some reason. It only took a little bribe from Daigo, the you-could-buy-a-house-with-that-much-money kind, to get them to back off and forget about the whole “jail” thing for a little while. They would come back, of course, but for now, his oath brother was free to haunt the hallway of this damned hospital, and Kiryu was free to cry for his daughter in peace. Lucky them.

“They’re not going to jail yet.” Daigo added, still looking pretty glum but at least finding some kind of a normal posture again.

“Yeah, sure. Still, it was nice of ya to do that. They’ll never admit it, the big idiots, but it’s probably better if they stick around, at a time like this.”

Would be a shame for them to miss all those tears, uh?

[disruptedvice]

Hey Stranger

Starmora AU - Prompt: "Hello stranger, you don't seem very good at hotwiring a car. It's the blue wire you should use. Or would you like the keys instead?"

Gamora cursed internally, cracking the door open a bit, unable to take the heat of the car any longer. She had wanted to keep the door closed- less suspicious that way, but she was already sweating like crazy and felt like she was dying. She didn't want to wait for the symptoms of heat exhaustion to set in. And if she could just get these damn wires right, she'd be able to turn on the AC and get out of here.

"You don't seem to be very good at hot wiring a car," a voice said from behind her, and Gamora's head slammed into the underside of the dashboard, cursing as she was caught literally red handed- there were so many colored wires, she'd pretty much been trying to find the right combination by process of elimination. With absolutely zero success.

"It's the blue wire you should use," he continued. "Or would you like the keys instead?"

Double shit. The car owner. No chance of convincing a gullible person she had lost her keys and had no way of contacting someone. Though a good samaritan probably would've called the cops when they saw what she was doing, not approach her and start talking to her.

She slowly brought her head out from under his dash to glare at him, kicking the car door open a little wider so she could bolt if necessary.

The man looked totally at ease, coffee in one hand, and far too amused by the situation. He should have been angry, confused, or scared. Maybe a mix of all three.

Not smiling like this was some friendly conversation.

She still had sweat dripping down her face, but she didn't say a word. She was still analyzing the situation, weighing all her options.

He tilted his head to the side, a thoughtful hum that might have sounded concerned. "You've been working at this for a while, haven't you?"

He had parked a block away from the shop, one of the side streets that didn't get much traffic, and was much easier to find a place and pull out of than the busy main street. Besides, walking to his car was gonna be his exercise for the week.

He had been amused and maybe a little thrilled to see his car door propped open, someone's foot still on the ground and digging around inside. Cause seriously, of all people, him? His car?

Once he got closer, he could see it was a woman, who very clearly had no idea what she was doing. She kept pulling and trying to connect different exposed wires at random, and after two minutes of standing by his bumper and watching more or less over her shoulder, he decided to interrupt. She was clearly working on movie knowledge; not an experienced car thief in the slightest.

But now that she was looking at him, he wondered how long she had been working in his car with all the doors closed. She was wearing all black too, and Peter had gotten an iced coffee today for a reason- it was hot as hell.

"Yours was the only one unlocked on this block. First one I found, anyway," she explained with a tense shrug.

Which yeah, makes sense. Peter didn't really lock his car much. Didn't have anything to steal in it anyway. 

"Got somewhere you need to be?" He asked casually.

"Anywhere but here," Gamora said with a bitter laugh. Of course when she finally had an opportunity to escape, the one illegal skill Thanos hadn't taught her was the one she needed. Their rides were always provided for them when they were sent to do his dirty work. She had never needed to steal a car before.

And now she was in this city with no contacts, no safe houses to lie low in, and her best bet was getting as far away from here as possible. 

The man starts reaching for his pocket, and before Gamora can react to him possibly reaching for a weapon, he pulls something out and tosses it to her.

She catches the keys in her hands. Gamora blinks down at them, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "You aren't exactly a criminal mastermind," and oh, how wrong he was there. Not for this type of crime. "I mean, you really suck at stealing cars. If you're desperate enough to try and hotwire a car for the first time for god knows how long in the middle of summer, figure it's probably for a very good reason. Besides, it's not mine anyway."

Gamora hissed. "It's stolen?!"

"Eh," he waved his hand in a so-so gesture. "No one's looking for it, if that's what you're asking. The vin number doesn't match though, but state's only do their own registries for that stuff, so as long as you don't get pulled over in Nevada, you'll be fine."

She looked doubtful, her jaw clenched, obviously conflicted as she cast her eyes between him and the keys, and back to him. Definitely didn't have many people to trust.

"Really," Peter promised, his voice soft but sincere. "I know what it's like to steal a car because you're desperate. Trust me, you're it," he said, a wry smile at his lips that seemed more self deprecating than anything. "Whatever you're running from- you can have the car and go as far as you need to go. You probably picked the best car to steal, honestly. It won't get traced back to you, and won't even get traced back to me. The papers in the glove box check out, you won't run into any problems. Except if you get your oil changed in Nevada. Literally any other state runs the vin number and you're good. Anywhere else, you're golden."

Gamora closed her hand around the keys. "Thank you," she said quietly.

The man nodded and stepped back as she turned them in the ignition. If she was alone, she might have cried in utter relief at the sound of the engine starting. 

She quickly closed the door and pulled out of park. She adjusted the rear view mirror, seeing the guy who just gave her the keys to his car wave goodbye.

She held up her hand in a weak thanks, and drove away.

She didn’t even know his name. ____

Gamora made it two blocks. Before circling back around to find him again.

He hadn't made it very far, just walking on the sidewalk with his iced coffee like that was his plan all along, like he didn’t just help someone steal his admittedly shady car.

Maybe if he had been a normal person, she would’ve left. Just taken the car and never looked back, rather than risk someone who was just trying to help her getting caught up in all of this.

But he obviously had criminal ties of his own (as did she). And Gamora was so tired of running.

She didn’t have anyone to trust in this city, but whoever he was- he had less than legal connections, and that was safer than trying to outrun a shadow.

Peter was surprised when he looked up and realized he recognized the car that had slowed down next to him, and recognized the person driving it.

She rolled down the window. “I’m on the run from the mob!” She called out. “You wanna get involved in that?”

It took Peter a second to realize it was an invitation, then, he smiled. “Sure, why not?” 

He climbed into the passenger seat of his car without a second thought. ____

"I hope you have some place to go, cause I sure as hell don't," Gamora's nervous chuckle was only slightly forced, the impulsiveness of her actions starting to catch up to her. This wasn't part of the plan. She didn't have a plan. 

The only plan she had was run.

This was so far out of bounds of anything she'd ever done. And she didn't regret it at all.

"Yeah," he said, and proceeded to rattle off an address.

She paused, "uh… you know I'm not from around here, right?" Maybe she should've let him drive his car she just stole.

"You'll be driving along this road for the next ten minutes or so, then take a left on Magnolia. Only a few streets on from there. I’ll tell you when to turn.”

Gamora breathed out a sigh of- relief? Something, at finally having a plan, a place to go, even something as simple as literal directions to a destination. It was more than she’d had since she broke away from Thanos. More than she’d had in a long time, really.

Peter looked over at her, not really sure if this was the right time, but he’d never had much impulse control. “So, you mind me asking how you got mixed up with the mob?” His elbow rested near the passenger window, fingers idly tapping the car interior, going for casual instead of curious like he really was.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. “I used to work for them.”

Now that got his attention. When he heard her problems were mob related, he expected something more along the lines of a troubled family member, maybe some bad business with a loan shark- you know, normal people reasons for getting involved with the mob. If he had to take a guess, he’d go with medical debt that a loan shark was intent on collecting upon. That was getting more common these days. People borrowing from less than reputable sources to pay hospital bills, and the interest rates on mob money- you couldn’t get out of that. And if you went to the cops, you’d find your house burned down that you put up for collateral six months later, all chalked up to an electrical fire. Pretty good reason for wanting to get away.

But working for them- now that… that he was not expecting.

He hadn’t pegged her for a criminal- she was so bad at stealing cars.

“What’d you do for them?” He asked before he could stop himself.

She tensed all over, her jaw tightening, and kept staring straight out the windshield in silence. Definitely the wrong thing to ask.

Peter cringed, slumping back in his seat, ready to shut up for the rest of the ride. Just when she seemed like she was starting to trust him.

Gamora breathed out slowly. He should- he should know. He might decide not to help her, but he deserves to know the truth. He would be getting ‘mixed up’ with the mob too cause of this, just because he was… kind. Whatever car thief/chop shop operation he at least had some ties to didn’t mean he deserved to die if Thanos ever found her.

“The worst of it?” She said with a forced levity. “We had guns for that. And we used them.” 

She had no desire to be more blunt than that. She was sure he got what that meant.

He didn’t react. At all. She kept waiting and waiting for something- anything, but nope. Nothing.

“That a problem?” Gamora tried to keep her tone as bland as possible. Hearing someone heavily imply they used to kill people for the mob- it didn’t exactly inspire confidence if they sounded like they were one wrong move away from snapping.

Peter hesitated. Then, “Not so long as I made a good first impression.”

Gamora laughed, surprising even herself. She took a quick glance over to see him still looking at her, seeming genuinely delighted at making her laugh. She quickly refocused back on the road.

“Very good,” she assured him. She was more hesitant to say this next part, because sharing made you vulnerable, and any vulnerabilities could be exploited, but- she really didn’t want him to think badly of her, that she killed people by choice. 

Still, she chose her words carefully. “My time with them was less than voluntary.”

“Kinda figured,” he said with a lopsided smile that was actually kind of charming. “I’m Peter, by the way.”

“Gamora.”

She still didn’t know what she was going to do next, but she knew she wasn’t going to have to figure it out alone.

He was right. She really did pick the best car to steal today.

[ryanmeft]

Movie Review: Uncut Gems

There’s a rule any good writer knows: the audience always ends up rooting for the main character, even if they’re a heel. And you won’t find many people in the movies who are more of a heel than Howard Ratner. He’s an inveterate liar, verbally abusive to his employees, a compulsive gambler who can never have money without betting it. He angrily berates whoever is closest whenever life doesn’t go his way, which is often, and maintains a much younger mistress in a New York apartment while his wife stews away in their house with their three kids. He doesn’t deserve to win. He deserves to have his teeth knocked out. So why do we root for him?

This neat trick of perspective usually allows us to root for gangsters, killers and just sad sack flakes because there’s someone worse in view, or because the world has been arranged in just such a way as to cause their troubles. That is not the case with Howard, who is played by Adam Sandler with the kind of intensity you can’t look away from no matter how much you know you should. There isn’t a single problem Howard has that he didn’t cause or encourage himself. He’s got what you need to have a happy life---he owns his own business, he’s married to Dinah (Idina Menzel) with three good kids living in a nice house, he has a genuine eye for both gemology and salesmanship that could see him through much, he’s got a connection in employee Demany (Laketih Stanfield) who brings him rich clients. Yet he’s not addicted to gambling so much as conflict. His mistress Julia (Julia Fox), who also works for him, attracts him because his wife and children are safe and she is not. He foregoes every safe investment in favor of schemes because the schemes give him a rush. When he acquires a valuable opal that he intends to sell for a million dollars at auction, he lends it to NBA star Kevin Garnett, played by himself, when the athlete becomes convinced the gem will bring him luck on the court. In exchange, Howard, a huge NBA fan, takes as collateral Garnett’s championship ring. It is profoundly stupid. Perhaps Howard is attracted by the idea that a stone can have mystical powers of good fortune. Even dumber is when he pawns the ring, intending to use that money to bet and his winnings to buy the ring back.

It is no coincidence that the opal he acquires is from Ethiopia, a place rife with conflict jewels. There’s no part of Howard that could allow him to live anything such as a peaceful life. Sure, he’s got troubles in the form of a loan shark named Arno (Eric Bogosian), to whom he owes a hundred grand, but this is a trouble he imposed upon himself, like all the others. In fact, Arno seems downright reasonable for his profession: he roughs Howard up a bit, sure, but he also gives him infinite chances, whereas you’d imagine anyone else would have killed him or at least taken everything he owned long ago.

 There’s a reason for that, as we find out (spoiler warning): Arno is Howard’s father-in-law. This is revealed at a Passover feast, which is also the one single moment in the film where Howard is anything like calm, as he takes his part in reciting a shared Jewish prayer. It’s never spoken, but this of course means Arno can do nothing very permanent to Howard without crushing his grandchildren (his daughter, who plans to divorce Howard, couldn’t care less).

We spend the movie both hoping Howard turns things around and shaking our head at his self-destruction, and a large part of the reason we’re so conflicted is that the Safdie Brothers give us precious little room to breathe. Howard is intense. He’s impulsive. He does not make decisions so much as simply do whatever comes to his mind in that moment. These things are more often than not terrible choices, and the Safdies keep Darius Khondji’s camera close on him most times, get right in his face when he’s angry, barrel down the sidewalk with him, close in on every hit delivered when Arno and his men rough him up. Other characters are sometimes shown at more of a remove, but Howard is almost always seen up close and personal. Sandler must have been tired whenever the camera stopped rolling; the unrelenting intensity of his performance is impossible to describe in words. The Safdies wrote the screenplay with their longtime collaborator Ronald Bronstein, and like the trio’s work on 2017’s Good Time, it’s hard to imagine that script as anything but a loose outline. Their films tear at the reigns with the kind of energy that can only happen once actors and filmmakers are let loose on a set. Witness the climactic scene, in which Howard loses himself in every possible way in response to a game he’s bet on, while Arno remains locked in his store’s vestibule. It’s the kind of scene where it is impossible to imagine there’s a camera present, or anyone behind a camera.

A lot of CGi-punchfests are advertised as “thrill rides”. It seems a frequent shorthand way of saying that character development and artistic skill are a far distant concern to fleeting sugar rushes of empty action. Uncut Gems is the kind of movie that can actually induce excitement, in the truest sense of the word---a feeling of great emotion. Much like Michael Corleone or The Man With No Name, you’d never want to have Howard as a neighbor, or even have dinner with him, for fear he’d self-destruct at any moment and you’d get some on you. He’s in a long tradition of anti-heroes who we cannot like and cannot remove our eyes from.  

Verdict: Must-See

Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

 You can follow Ryan's reviews on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/ryanmeftmovies/

 Or his tweets here:

https://twitter.com/RyanmEft

 All images are property of the people what own the movie.

[yeaimfishboi]

After the Midnight Hour | Chapter III: Reunited

Pairing: JaehyunxReader

Word Count: 4k

Genre: Mafia!AU, angst, a wee bit of floof, and some heated situations?

Warnings: Blood, gore, swearing, character death, etc. Nothing too bad in this chapter. Excessive cuteness, and Some POV Changes

Summary: Having always taken care of her sister, Y/N finds herself in a predicament when it comes to the cost of medical treatment. Though when a certain loan shark is reached through her best friend, she receives much more than she bargained for.

”Nothing Good Ever Happens After Midnight.” -Bo Schembechler

~Ten POV (more like 3rd pov)~

Ten arrived in the base early in the morning exhausted. His joints cracked, his bones ached, and his eyes were bloodshot with bags underneath it. He spent the night looking after Jiyeon since she had this so-called “minor hiccup” with her surgery that she elected not to tell. He didn’t mind staying up looking after her since he knew Y/N was finally getting sleep instead.

“You look like death,” he heard the sound of his other best friend from the kitchen, “I don’t know where you went, but it sure as hell looks like you didn’t sleep at all.” Ten turned into the kitchen.

“In other news, Jaehyun brought a girl home. Finally,” WinWin chimed in.

“Wow, that’s a first. I don’t think he’s ever brought a girl home, even though there are plenty of girls that want to,” Ten chuckled grabbing a piece of toast off of Johnny’s plate.

“She was hot as hell that’s for sure,” Yuta smirked.

“A little too frail for my taste,” Hansol joined in.

“Still tactful as ever, the two of you,” Doyoung chuckled shaking his head in disapproval.

“Wait, what do you mean frail?” Ten asked the wheels in his head turning. His mind went immediately to Y/N, but he felt like he was overreacting.

“She looked really weak, her clothes were fairly tattered, and she looked like she hadn’t eaten a home-cooked meal in years,” Johnny interjected, “a little sad if you ask me. I have no clue why Jaehyun would go after someone like her.” Ten felt a wave of anger wash over him, it was Y/N, and in an instant, the piece of toasted bread in his hands was crushed. Jaehyun had taken advantage of someone he considered a little sister.

“Watch it, Johnny,” Ten growled before storming off. His feet making a resounding impact on the cement floor as he stomped across it.

“What’s your problem?” Hansol shouted from behind.

“I have an ass to kick.”

Ten had arrived at Jaehyun’s door, except it was locked. Nothing, not even a locked door was going to stop Ten from showing Jaehyun not to mess with him. He took a deep breath, and mustered up all his force and kicked down the door, the impact shooting a slight pain up his leg. He entered the room, smoke coming out of his ears.

“Jesus Christ, Ten! All you had to do was knock! I would’ve opened the goddamn door for you!” Jaehyun whisper yelled at the older man as he moved out of his bed, sliding the comforter closer to Y/N. Seeing her there in his bed somehow made his blood boil, curdling towards the surface of his skin making him angrier by the millisecond.

“You son of a bitch.” Ten stormed over to Jaehyun, grabbed him by the collar, as Jaehyun let out an exasperated gasp, and slammed him up against the wall, the blow making a noise loud enough even the neighbors could hear.

“Would you keep your fucking voice down Ten, she’s sleeping!” Jaehyun growled exasperatedly trying to rip Ten’s fingers from his throat.

“You son of a bitch!” Ten slammed him up against the wall again, “you took advantage of her! She’s been through so much and you took her weak and fragile state as a sign to fuck her? You’re disgusting!”

“Ok first off shorty, she’s not as a weak and fragile as you would like to think she is, and considering you obviously told neither of us who we were actually exchanging with, probably to save your own skin from telling her the truth, you have no room to talk. And two, why in the hell would it matter if I slept with her? Do you somehow have feelings for her?” Jaehyun scoffed.

“No, I don’t,” Ten denied, shaking his head with fervor “but she’s the closest thing I have to family and I won’t let you or anyone else hurt her. At least while I’m alive. So you fucking her at a time like this, is really pissing me off.”

“Ten,” he heard the groggy groan from his best friend coming from the bed.

“WHAT?” Ten growled at her. Not even realizing who he was talking to.

“Before you explain to me what’s going on here and how you two know each other, I’m going to tell you this. We didn’t fuck. We slept in the same bed, that’s it. Not like I need to explain it to you anyways. You’re not my dad no matter how much you try and act like it. Let him go. Now.”

“Like I believe that. Every single one of the boys here are perverted sons of bitches. No way Jaehyun would let you in his room without ulterior motives,” he scoffed turning back to face Jaehyun.

“Ten. Put him down now,” he turned back to face Y/N. She was glaring at him. All he did was stare back at her, trying to assert his dominance.

~Y/N POV~

You awoke from your turbulent slumber to hear fighting come from the other side of the bed. Ten had Jaehyun pinned against the wall by his collar. How the hell did Ten get here? You turned your head to see the door off of its hinges. Damned Ten and his anger issues, you thought but the biggest concern for you right now is how in the hell Ten knows Jaehyun enough to be talking so casually like this even though they were fighting.

“Ten,” you softly muttered as you wiped your eyes.

“What?” he snapped at you and it made you flinch. It’s definitely been a while since you’ve seen him like this.

“Before you explain to me what’s going on here and how you two know each other, I’m going to tell you this. We didn’t fuck. We slept in the same bed, that’s it. Not like I need to explain it to you anyways. You’re not my dad no matter how much you try and act like it. Let him go. Now.” It made no sense to you why Ten would be so angry that you slept with another man, especially because he hasn’t been a part of your life whatsoever for 3 years.

“Like I believe that. Every single one of the boys here are perverted sons of bitches. No way Jaehyun would let you in his room without ulterior motives,” he growled facing Jaehyun again. Surprisingly, Jaehyun seems totally unfazed by Ten’s outburst which only helped prove to you that they were close.

“Ten. Put him down. Now,” you glared at the boy. He glared back at you but held his stance. He was testing you. Then his face changed, it wasn’t angry it was cocky.

“You know, we haven’t sparred in forever,” he smirked at you.

“Yeah, because you know you would lose,” you smirked back.

“I highly doubt that. Every time we did spar, I always won.”

“Dude, you are going to lose. Don’t even try going down that path,” Jaehyun interjected still being held up by Ten.

“What makes you think she’ll beat me?” Ten laughed flicking his head in between the both of you in order to maintain eye contact..

“I’ve seen her fight and she’s kick ass. She’s probably better than WinWin.” Jaehyun was distracting him. You took this as your opportunity to get Ten to let go. You got up off the bed and moved towards him.

“Not poss-” you interrupted him by putting your hand on his face, your finger web directly underneath his nose, pushing his face forward, making him groan in pain and let go of Jaehyun.

“Thanks, Y/N. I owe you one,” Jaehyun coughed as he regained his composure.

“Well, now that that is out of the way. You mind explaining to me why the hell the two of you are so damn close?!” you yelled.

“Well Y/N-”

“Let me explain to her, please,” Ten interrupted Jaehyun with an eerily calm demeanor.

“Well, I see you’re all calmed down now,” Jaehyun muttered under his breath sarcastically.

“Have you ever heard of NCT?” Ten asked.

“Yeah, the gang? Let me guess you two are apart of it. Jaehyun is in charge of money and you are the enforcer. The guy that breaks people's’ knuckles by slamming the piano lid on their fingers. Shouldn’t even be surprised at this point,” you sighed sinking back onto the bed.

“How the fu-” Jaehyun’s mouth was agape.

“She’s literally a fucking genius. Probably the modern Sherlock Holmes,” Ten smiled. “Anyways, can someone explain to me why in the hell Y/N was here last night. I know you guys didn’t fuck, but why were you here?”

“Jaehyun if you even think about telling him I will break every single bone in both of your arms, and I’m not in the slightest bit joking right now,” your eyes bore holes in him.

“Sorry dude, I need these things,” Jaehyun shrugged at Ten.

“Fine if you won’t tell me anything about that, how about the fact that you know how she fights. How the hell do you know that?” Ten turned his glare towards Jaehyun.

“Well, I went to collect payment and she was short so I sent some goonies, and she ended up kicking both Mark and Jaemin’s asses within seconds. That’s kind of the reason she’s here. Taeyong wanted a new fighter,” Jaehyun chuckled reminiscing about the night before. You recognized those names, but those names were way too common for it to be who you were thinking of.

“So not only did you try to attack Y/N, then get her involved in this mess, but you sent Jaemin on a mission while he was INJURED?” Ten smacked the younger boy upside the head.

“Wait, Mark and Jaemin, are they who I think they are?” you asked with your eyebrows furrowed hoping Ten was going to tell you they weren’t who you thought they were.

“You hung out with them at your graduation. The little children you said you needed to protect,” Ten responded.

“So, you’re telling me, I HURT MY CHILDREN?!” you screamed, “WHERE ARE THEY?”

“Probably downstairs in the kitchen,” Jaehyun answered, “but wh-” Jaehyun didn’t even have time to finish his question as you were already running for your life. Those stairs coudn’t have been any longer.

You reached the entryway to the kitchen from last night panting heavily.

“Woah there little lady, no need to move that fast just to see me,” the same man from last night snickered at you, you were pretty sure his name was Yuta. You responded with just a simple eye roll and a scoff just like a typical Cher Horowitz moment.

Yuta’s commotion seemed to garner the attention of everyone else in the room, including a young man who always reminded you of the sun. So bright and cheerful, but full of sarcasm and wit. With beautiful tanned skin and brown eyes, and hair that nearly covered those eyes. Man, had he grown up.

“Y/N?!” he shot up out of his seat faster than the flash, pancakes and bacon spilling from his mouth.

“Haechannie?” you blurted out before running over to the young boy, engulfing him in a warm and tight embrace. Your brain realized that you hadn’t seen him in three years, which meant three years you didn’t have to watch over them. You grasped his face and started inspecting him, “Are they taking care of you well? Are you doing okay?”

“I should be asking you the same thing! What happened to you? You look frail! Like you’ve only eaten ramen since the last time I saw you!”

“Uh, Y/N?” someone tapped the back of your shoulder.

You turned around and saw “Renjun? Oh my god! You look… well, you’ve damn sure grown up!” You embraced the other boy behind you.

“We heard Y/N. Are you guys punking us or something?”

“Jeno? Chenle? What in the blazes?” you paused scanning the taller boy from head to toe, “and Jeno you definitely got attractive,” you snickered.

“Wow, rude okay, I see how it is,” Jeno chuckled as he released you from his iron grip.

“And Chenle! You look the exact same except you’re a little taller. Thank you for not growing up on me!” you laughed at yourself.

“You’re welcome noona!” he snuggled into your embrace.

“Can someone please explain what the fuck is going on? Who the fuck is Y/N? And how do the dreamies know her?” An older man piped up.

“Chenle texted and said there was something in the kitchen I would want to see,” you recognized that voice.

“Jisungie?” you smiled. You never wanted to admit it but you always had a big soft spot for Jisung compared to the others. You two got along so well and you really felt like you were his older sister or mother figure, not just like you did with the others.

“Y/N?” Jisung dropped his cell phone and ran straight to you as he enveloped you in a bone-crushing hug.

“You’re a fucking giant!” you laughed, “how the hell did that happen? And what are you now? A sophomore in high school? Speaking of which! How the hell are each of y’all’s grades?” your word vomit came from being around the young boys after not being near them for so long. You recalled all your memories together ones that made you smile reminiscing of the old days. Days of hanging out at the park or wreaking havoc at the mall. God, you missed those old days.

“Our grades are fine noona,” Jeno chirped up.

“It’s Jaemin you should worry about,” Haechan pitched in.

“What do you mean by that?” you probed the boys further hoping to elicit a response from them.

“I think he spends too much time trying to prove himself to the rest of the gang, and not enough on his education,” Chenle inputted.

“Speaking of which, where are Jaemin and Mark?” your scatterbrain always seemed to forget the reasons why you were doing things, and of course it just clicked now.

“Well, they went on a mission with Jaehyun and got hurt, their lazy asses are currently in the infirmary right now. Whoever got them, I applaud their skill,” Renjun chuckled. Following suit you heard both Jaehyun and Ten break out into a loud and boisterous laugh for behind you by the entrance to the kitchen.

“Can you both shut up?!” you scolded them whipping your head around like an owl. You turned back toward the younger boys, “who wants to take me there?” you asked. All five of them shot up their arms within milliseconds and started leading you out of the kitchen. Right before you were about to leave you felt a large hand grab your wrist.

“Y/N?” he asked. You looked at the face that belonged to the hand. You recognized him, and finally remembered his name.

“Johnny? Why so solemn?” you asked as you looked down at him.

“I think he feels bad for the shit he said this morning,” Ten chimed in laughing again.

“What did you say?” you tilted your head at him.

“To be fair I couldn’t recognize you!” he jumped in defending himself.

“He said he didn’t know why Jaehyun would bring home someone like you,” Yuta chuckled.

“OOH. You have fucked up Jonathan,” Jisung laughed.

“Watch your mouth Jisung! And I’ll deal with you later Seo,” you glared with a small smile.

Chenle grabbed your hand and dragged you towards what you presumed would be the infirmary, the rest of the boys following suit. You guys arrived at the infirmary, as Jeno opened the door.

“Hey, idiots, we’ve got a surprise for you,” Haechan smiled, revealing you behind him.

“Y/N,” Jaemin jumped out of his seat.

“Never thought we’d see you again,” Mark smiled.

“And I never thought you’d use a baton to fight!” you laughed at him.

“Wait, that was you?!” both of the boys shouted out.

“Yes it was, and both of you need to learn how to properly fight,” you chuckled, “but all in all, I apologize. If I would’ve known it was you two I would’ve gone a whole hell of a lot easier on you guys. I feel really bad, but also I’m gonna kick Jaehyun’s ass for bringing you out whilst being injured,” you pointed at Jaemin.

“It was my idea,” Jaemin interjected.

“He could’ve said no. Just because you want to prove yourself to the rest of them doesn’t mean you’re the only one responsible for this,” you still kept your finger pointed at him, “now let’s bring you downstairs and get you boys something to eat, ok?” You didn’t give them much of a chance to respond before you and Jisung had them out of bed pulling them downstairs, and to the kitchen.

“Make sure these two eat, knowing how this one is right here,” you pointed at Mark and Jaemin before stopping and emphasizing on Jaemin.

“Can someone explain to me how all the dreamies plus Ten and Johnny know this girl? Because you guys are all really chummy,” the older boy from before blurted out.

“Well, Taeil, if you can recall, I dragged all of you guys to a girl’s graduation because she was basically family,” Ten jumped in from his seat at the long dining table.

“And she went to school with us,” Jisung chimed in.

“She treated us really well. She’s kind of like our mom,” Jeno spoke this time.

“What do you mean ‘kind of’? She already made a huge point of making us her children back when she was in high school,” Haechan chuckled.

“Why do you guys get along with her so well? What’s so special about her? Besides her banging bod,” Yuta chirped up as he scanned your body up and down. It felt really odd. Someone looking at you like that, eyeing you like you were meat still attached to the bone, as if you were his next and last meal. It was a really odd feeling for you, it had never happened, but to be fair, the only man you talked with in the last 2 years was Thomas.

“Ok, first off Yuta... you’re fucking gross,” Mark spoke this time, and before you could call him out for cursing, “I’m an adult Y/N, I can curse now. And two… Y/N was the only person who never viewed us as ‘The Dreamies’. She looked at us and spoke to us as Mark, Renjun, Haechan, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung. She always viewed us as individuals not a whole collective group. She spent time with us alone and as a group. But she also took care of us, not once ever thinking selfishly. She knew all of us were orphans so she took us under her wing trying to raise us while still trying to raise herself. That is what makes her so special, how caring she is and how she views the world.”

“How she views the world?” another boy chimes in.

“Well, Hansol, she never felt the world was out to get her, even though she has been through so much herself. She just kept fighting to move forward instead of fighting against the world like a lot of us do,” Jaemin spoke up.

“Okay, enough about me. You two go eat, and I’m gonna get ready for my later shift today,” you smiled a little at the younger boy.

All of the boys returned to their original spots and activities while you stood behind and watched over them. You watched lovingly over the younger boys as they teased each other and had small food fights. You observed Mark try and keep them all together and as Haechan mocked him for it. You witnessed Jaemin make big heart eyes for Jeno and Jisung, yet still, he barely touched his food.

You were silently enjoying their family dynamic when you felt a small tap on your shoulder. You spun around to face Adonis, or Jaehyun, as he softly smiled at you.

“I want you to meet someone and there we can talk about something, alright?” he asked leading you away from the kitchen filled with rowdy boys. You looked at him, gathering in his features, although it was only his backside. His brown tousled hair that bounced a little as he walked. His beautiful back muscles that peeked through his off-white t-shirt that you couldn’t help but look at. Even the way he pushed his hair back was cute. You’d never say anything though, he was a loan shark and you had your sister to take care of.

You were awakened from your thoughts as Jaehyun knocked on the door in front of you.

“Come in,” you heard the voice of another man speak from the door.  As Jaehyun opened the door you took in this new man’s features. His hair was a soft ochre color and it lied upon the nape of his neck like a small mullet. He had a jawline that could cut through steel, and based on the way his eyes examined you, you could tell his profession almost immediately.

“Let me guess, you’re the leader?” you asked cutting through the silence in the air like a cheese knife.

“She’s definitely got an attitude,” the man cracked a small smile and chuckled, “but are you sure she’s good enough?”

“She’s incredibly intelligent and she’s a great fighter. Plus she definitely needs the work,” Jaehyun answered.

“Hi? Hello? Someone mind explaining what I’m either good or not good enough for?” you waved at the boys utterly confused.

“I found a way for you to pay off your debt and have a place to live,” Jaehyun turned to you.

“I can pay off my debt just fine, and I’ve got a place to live.”

“There is no way in hell I’m letting you go back to that rotting hell hole. I may be in a gang but I’m not going to risk your safety,” Jaehyun rumbled.

“That didn’t seem to bug you when you sent Mark and Jaehyun to attack me,” you snapped back, “I’m not interested.”

“That was then and this is now. Plus, you’d get to see Ten and the Dreamies all the time. You could even teach Mark how to fight properly,” Jaehyun interjected.

“Tempting, but still, no.”

“All your sister’s medical bills will be paid for,” you turned and shot Jaehyun a glare. He and Ten were the only people there that knew about her condition, “as well as all of your expenses: clothes, food, medical, toiletries, and you even will get your own room.” It was Taeyong that spoke this time.

You were about to cave. You would have all the things you needed, and your sister would too.

“Plus you would get paid, so you have money to do other stuff as well,” Taeyong added on. They were really trying to goat you into working for them.

“Alright, what would I be doing?” This was the perfect opportunity, all except that you working for a gang now.

“Mainly working as a fighter or bodyguard, but we may have you occasionally train the younger boys and even do hacking,” Jaehyun explained smirking. Probably at the fact that you had just caved into his request. That cocky son of a bitch.

“I can have your room done in about a week or so. I’d recommend getting all the things from your house today, as well as getting everything in order, but first, you’re going to show the rest of the boys how tough you are,” Taeyong adds on, chuckling.

“We’ll have you spar Ten,” Jaehyun smiled, “he’s been saying he wanted a rematch.”

“I’m not going to fight Ten. I know he’s not your best fighter,” you pointed to Taeyong, “I want to spar your best fighter.”

“I don’t think you’ll live through that,”  Taeyong stared at you eyebrows furrowed.

“I think you underestimate her hyung,” Jaehyun smirked.

“Alright, fine, whatever you say,” Taeyong shook his head, “go to the training room, I’ll call the rest of the boys in. I guess she’s fighting WinWin,” Taeyong muttered the last part as you and Jaehyun exited his office.

[shijiujun]

History3: Trapped FanMeeting Summary - I am an embarrassment to this fandom

Okay guys let me summarise what happened today for the fanmeet - I fucking, absolutely fucking died - Like I died both from excitement and quality content and more importantly, for BEING A FUCKING EMBARRASSMENT IN FRONT OF CHRIS BUT MORE ON THAT IN A SEPARATE FUCKING POST OH GOD 

General comments on the event: Chris and Jake’s friendship is okay I think, and I guess putting it in perspective, Andy and Kenny are way better at fanservice and knows what the fans want, while Jake firstly isn’t really the kind to really go overboard on the fanservice with Chris due to his personality I feel, although there was still quite a bit of fanservice between them both - But it was more genuine I feel because Jake or Chris would jump in with something clever and a bit flirty, it felt really natural actually - And also because Jake srsly looked confused half the time regarding what they were supposed to do for the games and segments - More on that below

But more importantly I think jake is legit busy with work, and he’s not really a person to do stuff on social media, it’s not in his personality but he tried today hahaha with a post after the event - jake says that whenever he logs on once in a while he always sees chris’ handsome photos and he looks so good, and chris replied that jake looks... down to earth in his photos hahahahaha

So a few highlights:

Freebies!! There are so many freebies from dedicated Taiwanese fans literally just giving out shit for free - banner prints, stickers, hair clips, photo cards etc. - We took a lot and we’re going through what we have right now, but would you guys want some of the freebies? Let me know!!! If the shipping cost makes sense I’m totes fine with sending you guys some of the loot

Saw Jake’s back going into the building in the morning in front of all the fans because I was too slow but I did see his back 

WeStar is literally in the heart of downtown and it was frickin packed - We started queuing at like 11am+? And there were only 2 lifts to get everyone up to the EIGHTH FLOOR and each lift could only hold like less than 15 people? And there were like 700 of us. Luckily my friend and I were in the front of the queue and managed to get upstairs with the second round of lifts (the staff were asking some of us to take the stairs because it was faster, and it wouldn’t be faster if I died on the stairs while getting upstairs)

In terms of organisation - It wasn’t half bad because we were lucky where we were, we were always in the right queue and right area, but there were literally zero directions or instructions on where to queue or how to go upstairs etc. etc.

Too bad we were seated in row 16 which was actually pretty far, and we were blocked by too many people in front of us and i’m literally like 157cm so wow I really was blocked really bad BUT we could still see the stage

There were like two tables in the hall that allowed us to leave gifts for the four of them - So in my other video you guys saw that I actually did deliver the message books! They’ll definitely get it I think, no chance of it dropping out or mistaken for anything else considering the covers

The event actually started more or less on time - And the hosts were great - There’s Xiao Yi and Chen Chen (they’re both hosts from showbiz, the variety show) and they were fucking good as hosts - Xiao Yi has hosted quite a number of their events, and if it wasn’t him the event would have gone a bit differently

They started singing the opening song for the show first together, coming on stage and like rotating turns to sing a line - They tried the boyband formation it was quite hilarious

They introduced themselves as always - And can I be the one to first say that Jake’s fugly shirt - Fashion was absolute shite at his event - At least Chris had like a suit on even tho i take issue with the print on the suit itself, but wow Jake really went for... wannabe gangster loan shark OR grandmother’s quilts put together - i dont know which is worse idk guys, is it just me or my eyes or is it really fugly - Andy and Kenny were perfect tho

So they began with some best couple scene recaps through the show:

Jack/ZZ - 1st grandma/instant noodles scene, and the ep 20 scene where Jack is trying to confess to ZZ while ZZ is angry

Tangfei - Jealous andy scene at the tea place, the touching hospital scene, and the lift scene from ep 1

They recapped these scenes one by one, alternating btw the couples and then the hosts asked what they thought about each scene when they were filming it and LOL jake and chris were like laughing and being embarrassed when certain scenes came on, and then for the 1st grandma/instant noodles scene, kenny said it was a really cold day that day when he filmed that scene and the noodles were actually ice cold and he had to keep eating it - andy like patted kenny on the back 

for the touching hospital scene - jake said that it was easy to act out because the emotions always came through the moment he looked at chris, and chris said he was really touched by that moment, by jake’s acting

the lift scene was quite tough to act out because of how long they took to get the logistics right

And while the angry ZZ and jack scene from ep 20 was being shown on the screen, ON STAGE kenny and andy were literally reciting their lines and re-enacting the scene

And then Xiao Yi asked the audience which scenes would we like the couples to act out - and everyone was just yelling for the lift scene re-enactment - but logistically that was hard to do and chris was like, “if there’s no lift we can’t do the scene!!!” 

Then Andy and Kenny offered to be the walls of the lift for them but Chris was like whoa then that’s a bit weird because when Jake is slammed against the wall in the lift, that part, Jake will turn around and crash into Andy hahaha so they decided to re-enact the jealous scene instead - with a few additional lines hahaha and then andy and kenny re-enacted the part where jack asks zhao zi if he wants him to stay or go

and then the next segment - there was a game where each couple is supposed to stand together on a piece of newspaper and play rock-paper-scissors, and whoever loses will get their piece of newspaper torn into half - in the end chris and jake won hahaha but both jake and kenny ended up being piggy-backed by chris and andy respectively hahahaha it was cute

then chris and jake went off stage to take a short break, and since andy and kenny lost, they were punished to do the titanic pose and lines which kenny had to do in half english and chinese

then jake came on stage to sing I’m Yours - he was super nervous so he false started a few times, but he was pretty good and he has a very nice smooth tone - and i think a lot of people didn’t know the song in the audience LOL and then as he left the stage after his performance he left a bouquet of flowers for chris who was coming up next

chris came up after to play the piano and sing some chinese song i’ve heard before but don’t know the name of - and then after he finished he was very touched by the bouquet and then some member in the audience shouted to ask for the bouquet and chris protectively hugged it, but decided to give her one stalk anyway, and when he was giving it out, jake literally came out and then chris was explaining to him like why he was giving away his gift, and jake said, “yeah that’s okay, he knows my heart” AWWWW

then they all came back on stage for a segment of talking where Xiao Yi revealed their childhood photos - jake/kenny/andy were very talkative and chatty when they were younger and andy was isolated in the middle of the classroom, while kenny was directly placed outside of the classroom because he was so noisy, and omg jake was a little chubbier when he was younger and he didn’t like to study HAHAHA

chris was a shy boy and still is apparently!!! and he got a lot of love letters when he was younger and he couldn’t believe that jake/kenny/andy didn’t get any, and then when jake’s childhood photo came out he jokingly said, “now i can finally understand why (you didn’t get any letters”

then we had andy and kenny singing and dancing to marry you totally out of beat, poor guys they tried, and kenny totally missed an entire line, but they were so sweet - they ran off the stage and threw sweets at the audience, and andy said he was thankful to kenny for practicing the dance repeatedly with him because he’s not good at dancing and then they hugged awww it’s cute

fan games: LOL okay so interesting thing was that all the fans said they didn’t want to play the games with the cast but instead wanted to watch the cast play the games so in the end they randomly chose four of the audience to go on stage to watch the cast play the game LOL - so the ones picked were two men and two women #genderequality

1st game: chris/jake and jack/kenny had to feed each other a sushi piece i think, or a pastry i’ve no idea but one of them was filled with chilli, so the challenge was for the audience to guess which of the four of them ate the chilli one, and jake said he can’t stand spicy food and if he had it he’d totally show it on his face - in the end it was kenny who ate it and literally no one could tell

then the second part there was a huge confusion because the hosts weren’t very clear on who was supposed to play the game in the next part - anyway, so they had a how-well-they-know-the-cast quiz with the fans - and here we know that chris likes blue, winter because that’s his birthday period and then he and jake had a moment where they were like ‘oh your birthday is in december too?!!!!’ LOL, kenny likes to eat bbq meat

then the next part, they had the fans on stage and jake + andy drink a sweet drink and also a bitter drink, everyone had to figure out who is the one with the bitter drink and lol jake was so sweet he didn’t want the fans to be punished with the bitter tea, and chris said that he’ll help him to finish the drink if it’s really bitter, and jake was like, “because you’re here, i’m not scared”

afterwards, ezu came out to sing a ballad version of the opening song that made people around me cry hahaha

and also kenny announced a third fanmeeting stop in taiwan after chengdu, on 18 august in taichung

and then there was the hi-five touch and photo thingy - and you guys already know that i fucked it up i am still wanting to cry - i know he doesn’t remember but god I WANT TO BE THE ONE WHO DOESN’T REMEMBER

but i touched their hands hahaha

anyway at the end, jake said that no matter where he is, where we see him in the future, he’ll always be the same jake, and i think this is beautiful

they had the afternoon tea party after the event and from photos i see that it was like a mini-fanmeeting where fans could sit closer to them and really like be able to talk to them, and jake/chris and andy/kenny were very friendly and accommodating from what i see

when we went back to the building at about 6.20pm there was still this long queue outside the entrance, and i went for dinner so i didn’t actually stay to wait for them to come out, but a lot of fans did - jake was surprised so many people were waiting for them outside and he left first - andy/chris/kenny left together in a van and chris was holding a huge bouquet of flowers

if you go on twitter/weibo you can see that jake talked to a lot of fans, said hi to the ones who called out his name, and someone asked if he was tired and he said he was still okay

chris was bowing repeatedly the entire time he was walking through the crowd to the van <3

[mineofilms]

quam quod sumus

“People having an uninformed opinion about something they don't understand and proclaiming their opinion as being equally valid as FACTS is what is ruining the world… No one wants to do any research… They just want to be right…” ~Sciencephile the AI

For those who do not know, “Sciencephile the AI” is a YouTube channel where the speaker is meant to be an AI that has a science-based YouTube channel. The AI talks in a tone as if it were a sarcastic asshole of a human intelligence. It’s a parody channel, but they do post about real science topics. It is always told from the point of view of the fictional AI character, Sciencephile, and it is funny as hell.

The rest of this is more or less my lack of understanding as to why people crave either attention or have that sort of an attitude/mindset towards their social media. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my 100th career blog on this topic, but this is exactly why I write these. To sort out things and thoughts that do not jump off the page at me. Rather than walking through life faking it to make it in that understanding I choose to try to make sense of it all.

In this case some have disguised their opinion about “whatever subject matter” as experience, but really it is just an opinion. Sure, experience creeps into the subject matter here and there. However, how much objective experience can you receive when said person suffers from extreme depression and other mental health aspects that do not get treated, because they hide them well or planted whatever, “they’re an alpha” flag in the ground and do not recognize/identify the problem lies within themselves? Some see this as mental health. Some see it as pure narcissism, which of itself, narcissism could be thought of as a mental illness all its own.

Just because someone is doing well in life on the outside doesn’t mean they are doing well in life. More times than not you see the extreme opposite play out.

I know that sounds a little vague, but people today in this country are more mentally messed up than we all will lead on. We all believe ourselves to be more than what we are. My point of view is that I tend to take a lot of the emotional value out of things. Specifically in and from people I actually know. I have had my expectations in life, love, friends, business and a passion for these things so stepped on over the years that I sometimes show a lack of empathy towards other people and their grievances. Even more so in people I know in real life.

Some I would call friends and others are unlucky passersbys in life that are too busy talking about everything, but mostly saying nothing of worth. For all their talk all I feel the message is -is incredibly superficial, yet they “tend” to get angry at other superficial people the way they will talk about their morning routine like a current day influencer would. Talk about life choices and moral high ground as if it were a honey almond body scrub; the way they describe daily mantra routines is much the same. Throwing out quotes, out of context and not even know where/who/what the quote is even about, but yet throw it out there like it is a valuable lesson they daily live by and needs to let their audience know that, usually in some condescending way.  

Hey… I do it to. I just try to know what the FK I am posting and talking about. I attempt to be much deeper about it. Find a deeper meaning in it over just being another generic voice with an attitude about this or that. No real metaphor for my life as I tend to be more literal than metaphor. I see this on TikTok now a lot. It is either this kind of fake/phony trash bag talk or fake money shark loan people lol. They talk and talk……and talk. Monologues/Reaction videos from other two-step flow-theory practitioners, what other thinkers say and regurgitate the thinker’s beliefs as their own original ideas without even looking into the validity of said concepts.

The best places to get reservations, which salons to visit, where they got this dress or swimsuit. Where they purchase their bodybuilding supplements, etc. Their constant obsession with being seen in the right places, with the right clothes, with the right people. Their constant need to be better than everyone while seething rage gets posted under the context of self-love, self-awareness and moral high ground, over simple things such as feelings about where our culture is heading and relationships or their lack of.

While this seems so much that it is both oddly entrenching and entertaining AF, but also incredibly shallow. Their world is one where simply copying what everyone else does on social media (influencer mentality) with an inflated belief in themselves based on nothing concrete other than their belief of it is much more important than the chatter from their mate planning their wedding or what to do for the weekend with their partner.

Their desperate cry to be positive ends up just being a shallow self-serving attempt to be normal when they have yet to accept that they are not the norm. That isn’t always a bad thing, even here. This whole blog was an afterthought after I saw a “WTF happen to this movie” video about the 2000 film, “American Psycho.” I really need to sit through that movie again and I am highly considering listening to the audiobook version down the road once I finish some other stuff I want to hear first. There were a string of films that really talk about societal change in the negative around the turn of the century. Fight Club, American Psycho, Rules of Attraction. There are a bunch of them. I feel like they hold up pretty good 20-something years later and all. Probably even more so now than they were then. Fight Club was 1999. American Psycho was 2000. We are talking 2 decades and some change ago now.

The point I am trying to make here is; I just do not see enough creativity in these efforts by others, especially on social media. Mostly, I am directly talking about people I know somewhat personally that I have been friends with over the years and I have watched them descend into a sort of controlled madness on their social media. There have been times when even I consider this for myself. Am I contributing to this and at what level am I doing this at? All along with what I am doing to correct it and/or understand it better.

If I was closer to these people I would probably have different feelings about the logistics of their efforts and where they are coming from. How severe their mental health is, which I know is at play here with most of them. I post these thoughts in places where they all would have to make an effort to see them. So I do not worry about that; nor even if they did take offense to it. It is my opinion, on my platform, which is both mine and not theirs. I never mention names/accounts and I am also including myself and my short comings into the conversation as well. No one knows, but me and them (if they were to make the effort to see/read those comments and have some insight about their own lives.)

I mean what are the odds that I would see their TikTok rants the morning after I saw the video on American Psycho the night before and to make the correlation between the 2 different types of direct media and their messages that are presented and not associated together directly? I do not wanna catch too much, “Mineo, WTH are you talking about” heat? So what I am trying to say is; aren’t you all just as tired as I am? Seeing people you actually know contribute to the influencer mentality of life, moral high ground, superficial talk? Words are said but the concepts seem extremely vague and narcissistic. I get it. I should probably remove Meta services and TikTok to get these things out of my area of perception. Hey, I get all that. It is a little hard for me because of what I got going on inside these services at the moment.

The best efforts I have made is just let sleeping dogs lie. “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” can be associated with change. The thing about change is, it sucks, it’s uncomfortable, it’s painful AF and it’s HARD. Even with all the good intentions, others may not share that. They have their own intentions. Be it to love or be loved, to live and let live or live alone with nothing. Change is never easily embraced. Change is always these things. If you can accept change you have already begun moving forward.

The levels of toxicity people tend to project onto others via their own social media these days really has made me pull away from being social with people in the real world that I already know. Their posts make me not wanna follow them or even support their endeavors anymore be it professional or personal. I have disconnected from them and their mentality of trying to be the superior moral high ground alpha person in the room. I see this in both sexes. This isn’t just towards dudes I know or ladies for that matter. I want to help, I want to be there for others in my circle that now appears to have been blindly accepted upon. I am very limited and even more limited with patience/faith in other people. They simply never do what they say they are gonna do. Ever… Not some of the time or once in a blue moon, but all of the time. They never complete what they set out to do or at the very least make that transparent enough to not question or not if that person is firing on all cylinders.

Having faith in people and that faith transitioning to expectations held on other people. The expectation has to be based on something other than wishful thinking. It has to be built upon. With real tangible things. Like action. Action is real truth. If someone says they are coming over and they don't show up. What was said and what was actually done are not one in the same. The expectation must be built upon from action. What we do... Not say, but do, matters… That is why I say people never do what they say they are gonna do. Because they say, but what they do are not even close to the same thing in most cases.

“It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.” ~Claude Bernard; because everyone already knows everything already and they need no more education, insight or perspective. They believe themselves to be master. The thing about mastery of anything is no one is ever the master. Always the student and never the master should be the perspective, but it hardly ever is.

I am trying to have more INTENTIONALITY in my life or (to be about, represent, stand for, or be directed towards some object or state of affairs). Intention isn’t enough if one does nothing about it and that is where my crossed roads end. If one seeks change and does nothing to make said change happen then nothing will happen and nothing will change. If someone goes on TikTok and tells the world they are right about this/that and we all have it wrong then I guess what is seen, what is shown and what is actually projected never are the same things or even closely associated together. Yet, that is what is expected of us. To simply comply, agree and obey…

OBEY…

My advice to people like this is stop talking about it or projecting it onto other people because you want it to be real so bad, but lack any of the actual attributes to make it real and tangible. Stop changing the rules of the game and get better at playing the game. The question of your existence isn't solely about what you are. It is about who you are. Lead by example, lead by action, which is the only real truth out there.

I ask, don’t you get tired of having to cycle through your friends every few years, because they drop you because of this “better than you influencer of moral high ground mentality?” Going on social media and complain about that and tell everyone how wrong we all are and how correct you promote yourself to be. Is it an accident people leave you? That people around you leave you high and dry, which now seems like it is a constant theme in your life? Take that WOKE stick out of your ASS and grow the Fuck Up… If you want respect from others for your moral high ground, walk the walk. It isn’t an update status. It isn’t a fad. It isn’t a reaction video on TikTok. It isn’t something you can copy from someone else’s social media and post as your own original thoughts.

You Have To Be This Yourself.

No matter how many LIKES, HEARTS, ReTweets you get will not make you more than what you are right now. You want these things. Then suffer alone and quietly like all the others that came before you and picked themselves up and discovered what you are trying to discover now. PEACE… You have to endure unmet expectations. Lots of them… Here is a thought, don’t have any expectations at all. Be prepared, you may walk alone for a long while before the serenity of that peace finds you…

Nobody wants to be with or around a NARCISSIST…

  quam quod sumus Latin for (more than what we are) By David-Angelo Mineo 2,340 Words 8/21/2022

[darrowwyrlde]

So @a-mad-scientist-approaches did this thang with Cards Against Humanity cards and I thought it was so funny I immediately had to do the same...only I don’t have that game so...

Apples to Apples! Tell of the Pines!

Q: How are they feeling today? 

A: Mabel - Obnoxious

     Dipper - Lucky

     Stan - Sensual

     Ford - Explosive

     Fidds - Powerful

     Wendy - Funky

     Soos - Revolutionary 

Huh. Actually quite fitting if I do say so myself. 

Q: What has its gots in its pocketsessss?!!!!

A:  Ford - Computers

     Stan - Tidal Waves

     Mabel - Cholesterol

     Dipper - The Dump

Mabel! Stop hogging all the donuts! And Dipper! You don’t need to be collecting samples of everything!

Q:The @gfhunklescalendar 2019 is going to be...

A:  Popular

Yay! Raise those funds! 

Q: What’s the last thing they’d eat?

A:  Mabel - A Sunrise

     Dipper - Victorian England

     Stan - Buying a House

     Ford - My Neighborhood

Um...I don’t think you can eat those things anyways guys. 

Q: Secretly Favorite TV show is about...

A:  Mabel - Bingo

     Dipper - Angry Hornets

     Stan - Mark Twain

     Ford - Charging Rhinos

Mabel gets WAY into it when the international bingo finals are being broadcasted. 

Q: Mabel’s oddest crush was a...

A:  Boisterous Trampoline

Their love was a flame that burned bright, but was quickly snuffed after recess was over.

Q:______ is the ______ twin.

A:  MABEL is the FANCY twin

     DIPPER is the RESPONSIBLE twin

     STAN is the DELICATE twin

     FORD is the NEAT twin

I love Ford. He’s just so awesome and cool and NEAT! 

Q: The nerds’ latest DDMD campaign involved a......

A:  Mischievous Canadian MTV Pirate

I want to play THAT game! (Someone draw what this even means! Stan’s alter 80s ego )

Q: What do they find most attractive? Being....

A:  Mabel - Peaceful

     Dipper - Puffy

     Stan - Distinguished

     Ford - Cuddly

     Soos - Odd

     Wendy - Nerdy

Oh really Mabel? That’s interesting. Ford, I’m always up for cuddles. Stan, we already knew that after your thing with Susan. “She’s so fancy” or whatever. Ooooo Wendy! You like nerds eh? Well guess what Dipper likes! He likes peeps who are......puffy. Puffy? What....Hey Soos! Good choice! *thumbs up* ....puffy? 

Q: We do not talk about....

A: Oxygen

Okay then...

Q: Absolutely Hates....

A:  Mabel - Loan Sharks

     Dipper - Eleanor Roosevelt

     Soos - Dr. Suess

     Wendy - Emily Dickinson

     Stan - Oprah

     Ford - Michelle Pfeiffer

     Fidds - Beach Parties

Um guys...I didn’t mean people? Soos, I guess I understand you there and Wendy? Is that because you have to read her ‘poems’ for school? Stan...alright I think that might make sense but what did Michelle Pfeiffer ever do to you Ford? Fidds clearly has never been to the right kind of beach party

Q: Dipper’s favorite BABBA song is....

A: Bright French Wines

*GASP* Mine too! sarcasm *cough* sarcasm

Q: Absolutely Loves:

A:  Mabel - My high school prom

     Dipper - State Fairs

     Stan - Losing Your Job

     Soos - Rubber Gloves

     Wendy - Toys

     Ford - Lightning

I think I might be sensing some sarcasm here. Coming from....that direction *points right at Stan* 

[hopethedork]

Hey remember me? The one who asks you to do all of the asks in an ask me? Can you do thay for emoji asks?😂

How could I forget you?! 💛💛 And oh my gosh, there were so many so sorry it took awhile- but I did it!

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone?

 I don’t think I have a secret I haven’t told anyone? I have webbed toes though so I guess that’s pretty weird lol 

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be?

My dog ;-; 

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?

Charmander and Aerodactyl! Charmander is a cutie and Aerodactyl is just super cool, I also really like Eevees.

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?

I think I was eating yogurt? with strawberries?? I have no explanation  

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friend?

We go months without seeing or talking to each other (long distance) but once we’re together nothing at all has changed~

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back?

nahhhh

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)

I… am good with dogs? I like that I can set my mind to something and that I enjoy making things as well.

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it?

regretting the choices I make= overthinking  E V E R Y T H I N G

🎁 what never fails to make you happy?

mint chip ice cream

💙 what annoys you about some people?

the inability to empathize with others

😤 do you get angry easily?

under the right circumstances

🐇 what do you always daydream about?

stories I want to write! 

🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change? 

I honestly wouldn’t know where to start ._. 

✈️ what is your dream city and why?

I really love Tokyo. My favorite thing about it is that there are still large trees and shrines everywhere despite the fact it’s one of the world’s major cities. NYC is a close runner up though- I think I mostly enjoy places where you can still see some of the history through the city itself.

☕️ talk about your ideal day

I’d like to eat breakfast and go on a walk with my doggo, then I’d work/run any errands, then spend time with people I care about ^,^

🌸 are you an introvert, ambivert or extrovert?

oh boy I’m definitely ambiverted

💧 when was the last time you cried?

like an hour ago rip .-. 

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment

1. “Even For You” from Infinity War, oh man…

2. “Beautiful World” from Evangelion 2.0

3. “Breaking of the Fellowship” from FOTR

4. “He Mele No Lilo” from Lilo and Stitch

5. “Alive” by Phil Lober

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d either want to be a shapeshifter because that’s amazing or be something like the Avatar and control air and fire C:

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?

keep movin’ forward

💚 who are you jealous of and why?

I’m not sure that jealousy is the right word… but I had a lot of trouble recently with people who went to the same school that I did and could without having to work or take out any loans to do so. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it was really frustrating for me because I wasn’t able to focus on school alone as they could.

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why?

Each I feel has a major flaw- but I’d choose intelligence because with it you can achieve the others.

🙊 what are you ashamed of?

I mean… a lot 🙃

🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn?

I only know English which is SO frustrating to me ToT I’ve tried now to learn both Spanish and Japanese, but I have a loooooot of trouble and didn’t even pass my last language class ;^;

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be?

I’m actually shocked that I’ve never put any real thought into this before??? I’m torn between A BUNCH tbh but if I really had to pick I love Peter Quill in MCU.

💜 which acts of kindness are you going to do today? 

I SHALL SMILE AT STRANGERS IN A NON-CREEPY FASHION

🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why?

DRAGONNN

dragons are cool

🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislike

AHA no 

😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious lately

WHERE AM I GONNA LIVE

🍪 what did you want to be as a kid, and what do you want to be now?

I wanted to be a dog 😂 

I still wouldn’t mind being a dog

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods?

ALL OF THEM

🍑 what are you obsessed with?

I don’t really think… anything?

💘 what happens to you when you’re stressed?

I usually go into this weird survival mode where I won’t stop until everything I need to do is done. On rarer occasions I’ll do nothing at all and stress myself out more 😂 

I wouldn’t recommend either

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker?

I don’t usually seek it out, but I definitely have a blast once I’m in that kind of a situation!

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?

I hate avocados

☔️ would you consider yourself a good person?

I try to be

😊 what do you like to do as hobbies?

Aside from cosplay I also love drawing, writing, and hiking/exploring. I also used to be superrr active and played volleyball and water polo and did rock bouldering until I got injured and couldn’t anymore.

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself?

“The Calendar” by P!atd

🐝 what’s your worst trait? how are you planning to improve it?

I get very very anxious, and most of the time it’s for no reason 

🎨 what do you always doodle when you’re bored?

usually eyes!

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams?

I think I’m just trying to figure out what they are still 😅

👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why? 

A majority of the Marvel/Avengers cast. I admire a lot of them for different charity work that they do and I think it’s amazing whenever they visit children’s hospitals costumed and in character. It really hits home aha. 

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person?

yes lol

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.

Lord of the Rings (Tolkien)- “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” & “There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)- “Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world, it’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”

My third book is “Petey” by Ben Mikaelson but I can’t remember any quotes because it’s been years since I’ve read it ToT 

😔 what do you always do when you feel sad? does it help?

I try to relax or reach out to friends to spend time with, it usually helps just depending on the situation~

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad?

It’s weird, but a special I watched on Animal Planet yearssss ago said that if sharks don’t keep swimming that they can’t breathe and will actually drown .-. So I tell myself to move forward and keep doing things because that’s the way to get through tough spots!

🌍 which country do you live in?

le U.S.

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words

 Tall, Weird, & Clumsy

🐵 which quotes changed you?

“It is what you do with failure that ultimately determines your future” 

💭 do you keep a diary?

not a diary in the traditional sense, but I try to write sometimes to keep track of my thoughts.

💫 who inspires you?

Stephen Hawking, Tolkien, Dwayne Johnson 

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why?

Weird experiences definitely lead you to believe in something of the sort!

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?

shorts in winter and pants in summer AKA bad choices

🎬 what are some of your favourite films?

Big Fish, Fellowship of the Ring, The Winter Soldier

🍦 what is one treasured childhood memory?

My mom and sister took me to a really cool coffee shop for like my 11th birthday, it was one of those nice occasions where a bad day becomes good ^,^

🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

J.R.R. Tolkien for very, very obvious reasons~

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: First Day of Playoffs, First Vegas Playoff Win; Sam Bennett; Jesse Puljujarvi – April 12

I’m sure much of the hockey world was looking forward to the Flyers/Penguins series. Anyone following hockey for the last 10 years or so would vividly remember the 2012 series which featured goals and fights to the heart’s content.

Game 1 wasn’t so much a playoff game as it was a public execution.

Pittsburgh skated away with a 7-0 win on the back of a 24-save shutout from Matt Murray and a natural hat trick from Sidney Crosby. Brian Elliott was mercifully pulled after the fifth Pittsburgh goal and Petr Mrazek let in a couple more after that.

A lot of the focus for the fans and media will undoubtedly be Crosby, who scored a ridiculous bat-out-of-mid-air goal again. One thing that stood out to me: the Flyers didn’t get the memo to not make Evgeni Malkin mad. Not long after he took a hard hit that was blatant interference (he never had the puck and the play was about 30 feet away from him), he decided to go all Angry Geno on them:

Malkin and Crosby really out here playing anything you can do I can do better pic.twitter.com/ZHPyBRxUjn

— Filipovic Forsberg (@DimFilipovic) April 12, 2018

It didn’t lead to a goal – dang post – but Malkin was simply dominant at times in this game.

Pittsburgh continued their trend of using Justin Schultz on the power play which certainly raises questions for the next fantasy season. I wrote often last summer about the mix of him and Kris Letang making for a messy situation at draft time. They seem pretty committed to using Jultz on the top PP unit. Letang is clearly the superior player, but situation matters a lot. It will make for some interesting projections.

*

Winnipeg took the first game of their series against Minnesota 3-2 but some bigger news was that Mathieu Perreault injured. He took a couple big hits – one a blatant interference – and eventually just left the game late in the second and did not return. It’s the playoffs so we won’t get any sort of specific update, and the team has depth to overcome it, but he’s a key piece to their forward group. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.

With Minnesota up 2-1, Patrik Laine did what Patrik Laine does:

.@PatrikLaine29 with a snipe. pic.twitter.com/HhI2gJOXTx

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 12, 2018

He’s a guy whose ADP should be fascinating next year. Can he go in the first round? He’s probably already one of the top-3 goal scorers in the league and he’ll only be in his age-20 season. He was a second-round pick last season in most fantasy leagues. He’ll definitely find his way into the first round, right? How high would you be willing to draft him? Let me know in the comments.

*

The first-ever Vegas playoff game was rather dull. I don’t mind low-scoring games, but outside of a couple very good saves from Jonathan Quick, there wasn’t much to speak of offensively in the Golden Knights’ 1-0 shutout win. I’m sure Vegas fans don’t really care about the manner of the win, however.

By the way, Shea Thedore was the lone goal scorer. There’s your trivia answer sometime in the future.

Most media members were wrapped up in the hits in this game – over 100 through two periods. Let me tell you, it didn’t lead to an exciting game.

*

For those with subscriptions to The Athletic, I recommend this article by Corey Masisak on how the New Jersey Devils infused analytics into their organization.

I’m not going to go through the whole thing, but two things stuck out to me:

Taylor Hall is very much into advanced stats and tries to keep up on the research as much as possible. He was always a player who did the things on the ice necessary to help his team win, but it’s pretty cool to see he’s still trying to evolve his game.

The relative unimportance of players to “believe” in the use of non-traditional stats. And it makes sense. It’s not really that important that a player believes they shouldn’t dump the puck in all the time, eschewing entering the zone with control. It’s just important that the coach believes they shouldn’t, coaches that way, and that the players buy into doing exactly that. If all that happens, it doesn’t really matter what the players do or don’t believe.

Anyway, I just thought it was an interesting article. Give it a read if you can.

*

Not to go on an Athletic binge, but the story by Aaron Portzline on Artemi Panarin and the hardships he endured growing up was something else. He’s a special person and a special player.

*

We’ve gone from “Joe Thornton will not play game one” to “Joe Thornton hopes he can return in the first round” in the span of two days. Of course, the team knows this all along, they just don’t want to share the information. All the same, a return for the second round, should the Sharks get there, would be a huge boost.

*

There is a cool fundraising effort going on started by Ian McLaren of the Score to raise money for the Humboldt Broncos. It’s a Money on the Board pledge wherein you decide how much you want to donate for a specific event in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Maybe you want to donate $5 for every goal scored by Nikita Kucherov, $10 for every Golden Knights win, or $1 for every penalty minute in the Penguins/Flyers series (might need to take out a loan for that one).

Please consider if you are able. Do not feel pressured if you can’t; money is tight for a lot of people. If you can, just follow this link.

*

The news came out that Vladimir Tarasenko will be out 4-6 months recovering from shoulder surgery. That is, uh, pretty bad. Four months would leave him a month until training camp. Six months would have him return sometime after the regular season has started.

A couple weeks ago, I mused that Tarasenko’s ADP would probably fall from where it was in 2017-18 and that I would be a buyer. Now, I’m not so sure.

He’s clearly an elite talent and going into his age-27 season, I wouldn’t expect much in the way of a decline in skills. But I loathe drafting players coming off serious injuries like this. Injuries which don’t let players have a regular offseason. I suppose a shoulder surgery is better than a knee or a hip surgery, but it’s no small issue all the same. 

What say you Dobber heads? How concerned are you about Tarasenko for next year and what round would you take him if you knew he’d be in the lineup for game one of the 2018-19 campaign?

*

There were just three games on the playoff schedule so I wanted to go back over the fantasy regular season a little bit. We have the whole summer to look ahead to next year so I’m going to spend some time looking back on 2017-18 to see what it can tell us about the season to come.

  Individual Expected Goals

Jesse Puljujarvi

Cam went over some left wingers and individual expected goals per 60 minutes from the Metro division. I recommend reading that.

Connor McDavid led the Oilers in individual expected goals scored for the season at 1.12, which was among the league leaders. Any guesses on second in Edmonton? Pretty easy to guess, right? It’s Jesse Puljujarvi.

Obviously, the 12 goals and 20 points in 65 games aren’t enough for fantasy. It’s hard to put up a big fantasy season with 13:22 in ice time per game, though. He also played just 12:21 over his final 30 games of the season. No one is going to produce being used as a fourth liner.

I watched enough Oilers games to feel pretty confident in saying that Puljujarvi didn’t play himself down the lineup. Was he a consistent presence game in and game out? No, but very few of their players were. The fact they cut down on his ice time as they were playing themselves out of the playoffs is lunacy. They should have been giving him 16-17 minutes a night to try to build him up for 2018-19.

Next season will be Puljujarvi’s third. They don’t have a better scoring winger on the roster (assuming you consider Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins centres and not wingers). His shot-share numbers were good, his production rates were good, and his shot rates were good. My bet is they go looking for a scoring winger this offseason (LOL) and that worries me for Puljujarvi’s usage next year. He’s good. He can probably be very good. You wouldn’t know it the way the Oilers treat him, though.

  Sam Bennett

It was a very up-and-down season for the 21-year-old Flames forward. He started the year with zero points in his first 15 games, went on a tear in the middle of the year that saw 13 points in 14 games from November 28th through December 28th, and registered one point over the final four weeks of the season. Even in leagues that count hits, that kind of inconsistent production made it hard to rely on him in fantasy.

Bennett also led the Flames in expected goals per 60 minutes. His mark of 0.92 was also top-25 league-wide among forwards with at least 500 minutes played. His problem was his shooting percentage, managing just over 7 percent at five-on-five after being close to 10 percent over his first two seasons.

Here’s the interesting thing for me: he barely shot while on the ice on the power play. Among the 214 forwards with at least 100 minutes of power play time, he was 209th in individual shot attempts per 60 minutes. The only players who shot less often were Nick Foligno, David Desharnais, Travis Zajac, and Zack Smith. Not only did he underperform his expected goals at five-on-five by a pretty significant margin, but there was no chance he’d make up the difference on the power play shooting as little as he did.

Over his first two seasons, Bennett’s expected goals scored per 60 minutes (0.62) wasn’t far off from his actual goals scored per 60 minutes (0.68). Last year was a huge deviation and under-performance. The 2018-19 campaign will be his fourth, and you know we love our fourth-year breakouts here. He’ll have a hard time being consistently productive in leagues that don’t count hits as he’ll likely be third line/second power-play unit, but don’t sleep on him in deeper leagues. A jump in shot rates on the PP could help get him close to 20 goals and 40 points.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-first-day-of-playoffs-first-vegas-playoff-win-sam-bennett-jesse-puljujarvi-april-12/