#(part of that reworking is leaning HARD into the horror aspect of the Everything from dusk's pov

[magic-is-something-we-create]

It’s not an utter emptiness of the air, an absence of thought and emotion, a void that sits where a city should, that has me fighting not to double over at the pain in my gut. It’s not even the writhing, wretched hatred coiling around Lakia’s neck at the sight of the ruins, the sorrow that sticks to Ember’s prone form as they sob, the stone dropping in Andy’s soul that rings through the distance between us as she climbs the cliff--though they might have come close, anywhere else.

It’s the terror that clings to the ashes.

It's the flickering visions of others’ lives and loves disintegrating before their eyes that bleed into the edges of my perception whenever I look at the wall of char. It's the stained glass figures that peek over the cliff of bones, still screaming, still breaking, still so much like the one that cradled me as I felt my sister’s life end.

It’s that no one else sees them.

guess what ya boy's working on on this fine friday

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,494 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 18: Magic Shop

"I won’t say clichéd things like 'have strength'. I’ll just listen to you, listen..."

Busan - Marine City; Haeundae District South Korea

The trip to Busan yielded much fruit.

Seokjin expected no less, however, when it came to Anastasia.

While she already submitted her letter of resignation to her own company, holding true to her word, Seokjin decided it was best that he kept his as well. He would give her time to bid her co-workers farewell and to get her affairs in order. When she brought the contract, it was signed and he also put his own signature on it as well – completing the deal with his sealing stamp. It didn’t surprise him that she was anxiously waiting for anything to change; for the final nail to sink into her coffin.

But no, this was the beginning of a very beautiful relationship. He would make sure of that.

And he did. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Seokjin informed her that she needed to pack a suitcase so they could go on a business trip. He wanted to take the time to properly get to know her in the business aspect. He knew what she was like personally, at least from what the younger ones often mentioned. She was funny, loyal, and fair. But she also had self-esteem issues, mostly stemming from attempting to claim a dream and failing in said endeavor.

He didn’t want her to feel she couldn’t take anymore risks. Certain risks could bring the greatest rewards. But some gambles left a person completely destitute. Seokjin wanted to make sure that she was capable of discerning which types of deals she would be willing to take to bring more profit to the company, as well as reassure her that it was okay to make mistakes.

They took the train to Busan. There was no need to rush. They had three days of work ahead of them, all paid for and then some. Seokjin explained the details of what they were to do while they were out and about. It was also a chance for her to explore and get some downtime away from the cramped office space of a corporate building. Most of her work would involve being at his side as he conducted business deals and attended corporate meetings. Again, something she was used to, but not in such an intimate fashion.

Anastasia enjoyed taking photos and would do so every time they stopped. She had a keen eye for location and architecture, as well as for anything that looked aesthetically pleasing or what sorts of things could use improvement. It was a little difficult to get her to talk about herself, but when she did, the American woman did not hold back and it was something Seokjin appreciated. Her honesty made her human and being more human meant being more empathetic to the ideas and understandings of others. It was a necessary skill when it came to being an investment company. Sometimes it wasn’t always about turning a profit.

He took her to various shopping centers, allowing her to take notes on a variety of stores. They tried different foods and tested out a plethora of products. Everything from electronics to makeup and skincare items. She seemed a little surprised at how her complexion looked after having a makeup artist provided her with a color palette to suit her skin tone. Seokjin purchased the kit, as well as the skincare lineup that accompanied the makeup. Anastasia protested, of course, but he simply told her that it was work-related and to let it be. She couldn’t properly help to advise him on what to do with his finances if she didn’t know what they were investing in.

The first day blew by faster than either anticipated. They enjoyed a nice meal at a high-end restaurant where he offered up suggestions. She listened and even asked the servers what they recommended for the evening. Again, Anastasia took notes even while they ate, which amused Seokjin.

The second day was much more productive and they visited more stores. A few of them offered sales pitches to which Seokjin listened politely. He offered his ear to Anastasia, wanting to hear what her thoughts were on a few of the companies. Practical and fair, she agreed that some needed to be reworked before they could be given investment funds to continue their ventures. She even reached as far back to the factory workers who would be producing some of the items that were being pitched to them. This was something most people failed to consider or would completely disregard the workers’ financial needs in the production line. Could they afford to give compensation and pay their people overtime? Would they have paid holidays off and was there a rollover system for PTO?

Every single detail was not overlooked by Anastasia and she gave advice even when they looked to Seokjin since he rarely spoke in these instances. In actual board meetings with a few of the companies he’d invested in, he made sure that she was right beside him to hear and comprehend everything that was going on. She didn’t have very many questions and when she did, she did not hesitate to ask them to the other board members. There were whispers about her being disrespectful for speaking for Seokjin, but he quickly squashed those comments when he explained her position on his staffing team.

They took breaks often, which he insisted. She didn’t complain but he could tell that she was averse to the idea of breaking her momentum. But after the eighth meeting scheduled for the day, he could tell that Anastasia needed a break.

Seokjin took her to a variety of places, explaining the reasoning behind wanting to invest all the way out in Busan. The Golden Jackals weren’t planning on working the underground circuit forever. Assimilating their assets, selling off those they didn’t need, was all part of the plan to legalize themselves. Golden Star was just the beginning. With Jimin working Jeju and Taehyung dipping into the entertainment industry alongside Namjoon, eventually they would be able to build from those foundations and focus on key aspects of their company that they wanted to shine the most. Even Jungkook’s eyes were turned toward industrialization and Yoongi’s foreign relations were key to solidifying their own need for investment overseas.

And Hoseok would be the figurehead over it all.

Their final night in Busan was a celebratory one. He wanted to reward Anastasia for all her hard work. She agreed to the reward, but only accepted it on the terms and conditions that it would be a casual night. Nothing fancy and nothing that involved her having to walk around in high heels all night. Seokjin laughed, obliging.

They agreed on dinner and a movie. Anastasia preferred actions or thrillers to horror films and Seokjin wasn’t really a fan of romantic comedies. They came to a happy medium, settling for a murder mystery film instead. After it finished, they discussed when they were able to conclude who the actual killer was at the family estate.

Seokjin liked it when Anastasia laughed. He enjoyed seeing her nose wrinkle up when she blew her food and how freely she smiled when something tasted good or if she saw something amusing. There were times when she seemed to have a faraway look in her eye, but then he’d have to catch her as she tripped over her own feet. As organized as she was, he found it a little humanizing that she was also a bit of a klutz.

“I want to shoot fireworks on the beach,” she said suddenly as they walked and ate Bungeoppang.

He chewed, the sweet red bean paste thick on his tongue as he looked down at her. “What?” Seokjin laughed. “Do you know how cold it gets at the beaches here during this time of year?”

She took another bite of the fish-shaped bread, blowing around her teeth to cool the snack. “So?” Anastasia swallowed, puffing one of her cheeks out at him as he scrutinized her. “I’ve never done it before. Get off me.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “And you want to do it now?”

Anastasia shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back out here just for fun.”

Seokjin grinned, nudging her shoulder just a bit. “Don’t worry,” he said gently, “you’ll be able to come out here when you have time off and enjoy yourself. I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “You and your promises.”

“I haven’t broken one yet, have I?”

Anastasia raised her brows at him. “Well, no…but—”

He shook his head. “Then trust me when I tell you that you’ll be able to come out here again.” He leaned in toward her as they continued walking. “…when it’s warmer.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she said while pointing at him.

“Feel free,” Seokjin replied easily, polishing off the rest of the fish-shaped bread. He watched her do the same. “Tired?”

Anastasia gave a nod while attempting to stifle a yawn. “Yeah, a little bit.” She stretched her arms over her head. “Are we still scheduled to leave in the morning?”

He nodded. “We are. Unless you’d prefer we leave tonight.”

“Getting train tickets this last minute is expensive.” She frowned up at him and he did his best not to smirk. He merely arched a brow with mild curiosity. They began walking down the street to head back to their hotel. “Besides, we haven’t even packed our things or checked out of the hotel yet. Don’t be unreasonable.”

“Who’s being unreasonable?”

“You are,” she clipped while rolling her eyes, “knowing you, you’d make the staff work double time just so they wouldn’t get a bad review.”

Seokjin laughed outright as they turned the street corner, his hands slipping into his coat pockets. “So harsh. Last minute checkouts aren’t unheard of, nor are they unreasonable.”

“No, they’re not. But in this case, it’s completely unnecessary. Don’t make those people sweat for no reason.”

He laughed at the reprimanding expression painted over her face and nodded, making sure that she walked on the inside of the sidewalk and away from the street. It was a little late, but Seokjin knew that they would have enough time to pack and get everything together tonight before leaving first thing in the morning. As soon as they arrived back in Seoul, it would be business as usual. He’d already received the reports from Namjoon and the others. Taehyung was out of the hospital and Hoseok was uneasy after his meeting with Changkyun.

He knew that Hoseok would never say it out loud, but Namjoon conveyed his worries over the phone. Things were moving faster than they anticipated and Seokjin couldn’t help but wonder if The Jade Fangs were in the process of making another move to expand their reach.

“Seokjin-ssi?”

Seokjin looked at Anastasia, blinking a few times when he realized she had a concerned look on her face.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“No, you just looked like you were deep in thought.”

His smile fell a margin. “Did I worry you?”

She nodded and, again, he appreciated her honesty.

Seokjin reached out to press his hand to her lower back, ushering her toward their hotel just as a sleek gunmetal sedan pulled up by the entrance. He took note that her brows were furrowed and he tried to give her his best smile. He didn’t like that he even had such a look on his face.

Strange, he thought, I normally don’t let people read me like that.

As they made their way toward the front entrance, Seokjin’s eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar figure exit the vehicle. He leaned toward Anastasia so he could whisper into her ear.

“Go ahead and get some rest.”

She seemed to take note of the situation, reading it quicker than he’d anticipated. Her brows furrowed with concern as she tried her best not to bring any attention to herself. He really did appreciate her care.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, an attempt to reassure her. “Yes, I’ll be inside soon.” Seokjin met her gaze, smiling to alleviate any worries she may have had. “I promise.”

Anastasia bit her lower lip before nodding and entering the hotel. Once inside, Seokjin waited until she entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, he turned and glanced over his shoulder as the person approached him. His lip piercing was connected to a chain that was attached to his right earring. Seokjin saw him grin widely at him, however he didn’t return the smile.

“Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places, Jin Hyung.”

“Wonho-yah,” came Seokjin’s even tone, a soft lilt toward the end of it, “I didn’t expect to see you here either.”

Wonho shrugged. “Oh, you know, business meetings and the like.” Seokjin watched his eyes dart toward the hotel lobby where, thankfully, Anastasia was no longer located. “Was that your personal assistant?” Their eyes met once more. “She’s kinda cute.”

“Don’t even dream about it,” he said while grinning, “you wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.”

He saw Wonho’s lips form into an “O” shape before it melted into a smirk, his eyes narrowing deviously. “Is that a challenge?”

Seokjin scoffed while tilting his head to the side. “She’d eat you alive. Salvage your pride a little, will you?”

Wonho belted out a full laugh, his eyes almost disappearing as he did so. Seokjin grinned but there was no warmth behind his eyes. The younger male held his hands up in mock surrender while shaking his head. After a while, the two just stood shoulder to shoulder, faces in opposing directions.

“You know, Jin Hyung, I heard an interesting little rumor.”

���Do I want to know?”

Wonho shrugged, his head lifting to the sky. “If it’s true, it’s a shame.”

Seokjin cast a sidelong glance to him. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to know.”

He pivoted on his heels to head back into the hotel. Just as the sliding glass doors opened, he heard Wonho shifting behind him.

“When you’re gone, Jin Hyung, I want to see just who is going to be able to stop us…”

Seokjin paused, craning his neck slowly to look back at Wonho, whose smirk was still firmly in place.

“…when we decide to completely take over.”

He narrowed his eyes at Wonho as the younger man stuffed one hand into the pocket of his leather jacket.

“It’s not smart to aim for the sun, Wonho-yah.” Seokjin smirked, scoffing soon after. “Icarus died when he tried.”

Then he went inside the hotel lobby and made his way toward the elevator. A soft buzzing reverberated in his pocket and he pulled out his phone to see a text from Namjoon.

Namjoon: Hyung, it’s almost time.

Seokjin’s eyes narrowed.

We’re almost there, my brothers. I promise it’ll all be over soon.