#10 and 1 in the 'you genuinely piss me off sometimes' club

[vangoghs-moved]

how would you rank the untouchables from best to worst? and how would you rate each of them out of 10

From best to worst: 1) Olivia 2) Anwar 3) Ruby

I actually really like Olivia, I think she's hilarious. Simone deserved more focus this season and I honestly thought she'd grow closer to the other girls (Aimee, Maeve, Lily & Ola) due to the Breakfast Club scene in S2 but oh well. She has some really sweet moments and I liked that both her & Anwar were so protective of Ruby during S3E4 - I always assumed they hated each other so it was nice to seem them care for other. Olivia's a good one, a solid 7/10.

Anwar, we don't really know much about him? Except that he's scared of bumholes. He pisses me off sometimes, his lines are always like so brutal and direct but they're also really fucking funny. I don't really think about Anwar if I'm honest but I like him, he can stay  6/10.

I fucking hate Ruby, I don't think that's a secret at all. I genuinely cannot find one redeeming quality in her character (and not all characters need redemption arcs, @ Laurie Nunn). I think the way she treats everyone, including her friends, is just plain bullying and she has shown zero growth throughout the entire show. Her entire relationship with otis is an absolute disgrace, she was ashamed of him since day one, she tried to change the way he dresses, the way he talks, the way he walks. I just honestly do not get the hype around her character nor do I get why people are so quick to feel sorry for her and ignore the past two seasons of the show and all the harm she's done to people. A really shit -1000/10

[yhsujin]

first of all i haven’t been in a group for some time so excuse me if i’m fuckin’ slow but omg im!!!! so excited to be here!!! i’m lea ( 22, she/her, gmt+8 ) and this is my baby nam sujin, who is the leader & lead vocalist of june. tbh i’m still in the middle of figuring her out so pls bear with me. here are her stats / profile / biography if you wanna read, but i’d also talk about her more under the cut!!! no plot page bc we don’t do that here aka im actually lazy rip please give this a heart if you would like to plot and i shall slide in your ims soon <33 if you’d rather plot on discord, feel free to ask for my username or give yours so we can talk there!!!

tldr bio:

nam sujin, 23, idol, leader & lead vocalist of june

she came from a middle class family, is the second & youngest child, has been living in her older sister’s shadow since she was born bc her mother thinks her sister is better than her :’)

she grew up trying to impress her mother but nothing she did was ever good enough, so by the time she turned 14 she’s like im over it and started to do things just to piss her mother off

literally just a nice kid turned bad bc Life Made Me Do It

music has always been a huge part of her life and she genuinely enjoys singing - another thing that pissed her mother off bc she thinks singing and listening to music are a waste of a time, but that’s the only thing that makes sujin happy so she’s like sorry mom can’t hear u im busy listening to music

never thought of becoming an idol bc she didn’t think she’s good enough for it but she accompanied a friend to bde audition one day and was encouraged by the company to give it a try, so she sang for them and surprise. she passed the audition!!!!

her mother wasn’t too happy about her decision to become an idol, thinking it wasn’t even a real profession to begin with, so she left home and never looked back bc she’s determined to make her dream come true (and also bc she just hated being home)

one of the ace trainees in the company, but it took her multiple delays of debut and two survival shows for her to finally become an idol - she had almost wanted to quit when she failed the second survival show but she ended up staying when bde announced they would be debuting the first girl group!!! and she’s in!!!

kinda upset that she’s not the main vocalist and hated the idea of being a leader at first. she thinks it’s Too Much work, but somehow managed to suck it up and did her best anyways

still hates her role in the group, but girl is Trying Her Best. keyword: try

wants to produce her own songs one day 

etcetera:

sujin was bright as a child, but eventually she grew bitter and jealous of her sister (mostly bc she always gets everything and is absolutely better than her, but she’d never admit it out loud)

actually a smart kid. she’s not that far behind her sister, but her mother always makes it seems like sujin is 1000x worse than she is, so bc of that she becomes really insecure and thinks she’s never good enough for anything but also at the same time she’s like i’m better than u

which means she fakes self-confidence bc she has none and to quote marina and the diamonds: 'cause i feel like i'm the worst, so i always act like i'm the best

due to her upbringing and the constant failure she went through during training, she’s gotten a little cutthroat in her ways of doing things, so if she’s set her mind on something, she’s gonna get it no matter what it takes

although she seems calm and relaxed on the outside, she can get hella competitive when she needs to be bc she hates losing

often misunderstood as cold and unapproachable bc she’s usually quiet and distant, especially with strangers, but she just needs the right people to bring out the goofy side of hers sometimes

on-stage persona: playful, flirtatious, sometimes sensual, girl crush

off-stage persona: quiet, distant, could be chaotic when she wants to, savage

has definitely twerk on tv several times before bc she can

loves her june girls to death, and it shows from the way she takes good care of them, but won’t deadass admit she cares for them

about her rumor that she hates her members: sujin just naturally has bitchy expressions on her and some netizen has called her out for being unprofessional or whatsoever bc she definitely has been giving looks or stares at her members and staffs on camera before, and sometimes her actions or words get mistaken for her hating her members (she used to be on bad terms w some of the members and was the Biggest Bitch to them but nope you didn’t hear that from me)

also the type to rarely express her affection in words bc 1) she doesn’t know how to do that shit and 2) she’s a huge tsundere so all she’s got is tough love to offer

will definitely 10/10 judge you bc girl can have opinions, she said

she’s quite blunt when it comes to her opinions, doesn’t really like to sugar coat things

skill-wise she’s a great vocalist, is also quite decent in dancing but again it’s a Lot of Work, she would rather just sit down and sing her heart out instead

would deadass self-sabotage when things get a little too happy and peaceful for her bc she thinks she deserves nothing good :(

which is why shes always caught up in toxic relationships but they usually start with her bc shes a Messy Bitch

instead of talking about her feelings she would just rather lash out at someone bc that’s easier and that’s how she copes with stress, except now she goes clubbing and gets her ass drunk when she needs to unwind

has a nasty temper especially when she’s super tired, but would totally try to keep it lowkey when she’s in public bc she has a Reputation to maintain but will likely go off if it’s in private

really likes to go out and spend time w her friends whenever she has off days

looks like a bad bitch but she’s actually rly sensitive and just wants to be loved

i repeat she’s a messy bitch so if our plot suddenly goes from soft and wholesome to angsty out of nowhere it’s her, it’s ALWAYS her

with that being said pls gimme angst plots bc i live for them <3333

[wetalkaboutbooks]

The King’s Men- Nora Sakavic

Apologies for how late this is, but it’s here now! So, here is my final review for both The King’s Men, and for All for the game as a whole. Spoilers ahead for all books in All for the Game, and a warning for mentions of harder source material that the books do work with. Anyway, here we go! 

I think that I will split this into the good, the bad, and an overall review of the series as a whole.

What Was Good?

Characters

Starting with Kevin. I really adored getting to a softer, more hopeful side of him. I felt the way he engaged with UCS and Jeremy was incredible, seeing him act like a normal person, with friends, who didn’t live in a constant state of fear, was lovely. I love Kevin, I think his character development is very well paced. I do wish that his alcoholism would have been dealt with, and his girlfriend, but we will get around to that later. For now, I think that his tattoo was a good way to show him moving on, taking control of his life, and reclaiming his skin from Riko. Also, proud of him for telling Wymack the truth.

Next, Matt and Dan. They’re so cute, the final scene where her strip club family comes to see the game, and how her and Matt work together is fantastic. I don’t know how to express exactly how much I love their relationship, it works so effortlessly and pays off in every scene they have together. They are such a highlight for me, and make the book a lot better.

Allison is a babe. When she just backhanded Aaron for talking smack to Neil about Seth, I have never rooted so hard for a character as I did for Allison in that moment. She had the least amount of development by far, and the least amount of time within the novel. The scene where she is looking at the banners did the same thing that Kevin’s tattoo did, in a smaller way. It was the idea of moving past a person’s control, moving into oneself, and standing without an essential pillar to their inner ideas and person. Allison and Renee were also very cute, and their relationship is adorable.

Seth, if you read my other reviews you knew this was coming, I love him, I miss him, he’s wonderful because he was so flawed. I do have some genuine thoughts about him this time around. So, I felt like this time around his death was finally properly acknowledged. He was allowed peace and closure, I miss him yes, but his death means something. Which is conflicting, but I think it's good. It’s more than just Allison that sees this, it’s Neil as well. I think he finally gets the remembrance he deserves in this book, as it comes from the people who matter.

Neil! I love him, he’s different in this book, more soft. And loved, he knows what he wants and knows that he can have it. He can let go of some of his walls and learn who he is again. He’s wonderful, and stronger as a character than he has ever been. I don’t really have all too much to say, mostly because his development was so natural. He’s wonderful, I think I love him too.

Nicky and Aaron, eh. I don’t really feel too strongly about them, I like Aaron, and Nicky is alright I suppose, but they didn’t get a lot of development throughout this book. They were better, so that’s good.

Renee is my love, what a badarse, bless her soul.

Andrew, he’s done it, I like him a lot now as a character. His growth this time around has been wonderful, the way he and Neil work together is so well done. The whole “I hate you” bit is endearing, the pipe dream scene, the mountain scene, the bandaging scene before the shower. But beyond them together, Andrew can stand so much taller on his own now, without Kevin and Neil he is a good character, he isn’t redeemed, but I think from this point on he will be.

OTHER

The fact that Andrew and Neil didn’t get together until after he was off his drugs, wonderful.

The amount of cop disrespect, go off.

The dialogue is very good at times, and had me laughing or almost crying at times.

The scene where Neil is kidnapped, and his dad just, you know. Walks down the steps barefoot. Just, slap slap, his bare feet on the cold ground. Pfft, can’t.

“My dad comes to all my games.” Kevin stop I’m already crying.

The blood in the locker scene was wonderful.

Jean, my French loving heart goes out to him. Also, poor boy, glad he’s free.

Game scenes, love them as always

The Not so Good

Less in this book then in the rest, so that’s a great sign.

Kevin. I wish he got to recover more, he’s a main character and deserved more than a half done revival. His girlfriend was a shoddy put it to give him something to go for. I love her, don’t get me wrong, but she deserved better than being Kevin's eventual redemption. And Kevin deserves to live for himself for a while. Without Riko, or Andrew, or anyone else. Let him live. Also, would have loved to see him take the tattoo off without being pissed.

Trauma. Can’t these characters have some respect for the suffering of their friends. They all need a break, and honestly so do I. I can’t anymore with the disregard of pain, a lot of it comes off as victim blaming, namely Neil in regards to Andrew. 

The trigger warning need to be taken seriously, please look them up if you are planning to read it. The dead animal scene was terrible and unnecessary. 

Which leads to Riko. Yikes, where to begin? Let’s start with the end. His death was shocking and a messy way to tie up the fact that he wouldn’t stop unless someone made him. He became far too easy to hate, see the fox scene, and I stopped hating him. Just felt pity for him, which isn’t very fun. I suppose there’s a bit of nuance to it, if you think, but I don’t think it played out well with his end being so dull. Yikes, what a let down, all this build up to his death and then it didn’t mean anything.

Seth. Wow, yikes, here we go again. This is sort of the same idea as Riko’s death, don’t tell me a character’s death means nothing, and then shoe in it means something at the end. It’s cheap, and takes away the message you gave in the first place. In this case, that being that sometimes people die and there are only a few who mourn, and it doesn’t mean anything big, but it still means something. Then boom, it’s a plot point for character development and all that work, accidental or not, is thrown away.

OVERALL

As a book

This is the best book in the series, by far. Sakavic really grew as a writer and it show’s in this book, in the pacing the game scenes, the dialogue, in the overall themes that were presented. I loved it, I really did. I loved this book, it was fun and I had fun.

8.5/10, Thank you for a wonderful ride.

As a series

Everything above, while true, does not extend to the series, I of course cover the flaws in my other reviews, but to summarize it’s not worth the wait. It takes too much bad writing, to much pain, and disregard, to get to this point. If you can put up with it, then it get’s fun, but overall. Eh, didn’t like it that much. 5/10 for the series. 

Book 1 Book 2 

[thegayfromrulid]

Frkm 1 allll the way to 99. Also, the next SAO game eugeo lives as a sword and not die (thank GOD)

@2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars- I will not eat lollipops. 

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Cotton candy! I actually get super bad headaches from bubblegum.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Probably lonely genius...

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Soda bottles!! I feel so fancy!! And old-timey.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

I guess tomboy even though I’m a boy??

7. earbuds or headphones?

Aren’t these the same thing? I think I prefer over-ear headphones, but I don’t really like either. 

8. movies or tv shows?

Depends on the genre I guess. But as a main rule, live action- movies, animated- TV shows.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Potato salad.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Frankly, I wasn’t good, but I was really good at pissing all the jocks off-

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

I make myself these homemade egg mcmuffins. I enjoy them a lot. I am very picky about breakfast.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I only have one and it’s very generic: The Gay From Rulid’s Playlist. Yes it’s on Spotify. Yes, it’s 99% anime openings and endings and maybe Bet On It from HSM2. Be ashamed of me. Go on.

13. lanyard or key ring?

Lanyard! Mine is a BNHA one I bought from an artist at Nekocon!

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Either Sweet Tarts or Nerds. 

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

I usually have one leg tucked up under me and the other stretched out.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

A black and white pair of Skechers. They look like shit. They almost never are replaced by another shoe. Not even in the gross muggy heat.

18. ideal weather?

When it’s just warm enough to wear a t-shirt and sit in the sunshine, but cool enough that I’m not hot, and a little breeze is going. I think of this weather quite often. 

19. sleeping position?

On my belly kinda spread out like a shounen protagonist.

21. obsession from childhood?

J.R.R. Tolkien. Have always been obsessed with him and his works. 

22. role model?

Redundant, but Tolkien again. Linguist and writer. Living my dream. 

23. strange habits?

I unplug things like microwaves, lamps, and TVs when I am done using them. Very little remains plugged in at my place. The modem, the fridge, and the clock. That is it.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst. It’s my sister’s middle name. And I especially like the purple ones.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Blue by Eiffel 65. I don’t know why that song sticks out so much in my memory but it’s nostalgic for me. Tiny AJ hyperfixated on this song before anything else ya’ll. 

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Curl up in the sun on a blanket and nap. 

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Hot cocoa blanket cuddles. 

28. five songs to describe you?

Uhhhh...I’m not very musically literate. Let’s go with Born This Way (the first person I came out to sent me that song so it feels special!), I’m Free to Be Me by Jamie Grace, Praying by Kesha, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift ( @delicateeuphorias​ would you believe it xD), and right now thinking about someone dear to me who’s been gone See You Again is stuck in my brain.

30. places that you find sacred?

Arboretums or big botanical gardens where I can get lost in the plants for a moment and take in how pretty they all are. And old monuments/big things people of the past built. A lot of things were built by people with no rights/freedom and I think about them and how despite the fact that they had nothing, they made such a lasting impact on our world. 

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

*slips on my Owari no Seraph cosplay* I will kick ass in this sweet ass cape-

33. most used phrase in your phone?

My phone seems to think it’s “Kirito’s ass” and I want it to not think that.

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

O-O-O-O’REILLYYYYYYYYYY’S...Autooo PARTS.

35. average time you fall asleep?

I’m an insomniac it could be 10 pm it could be 3 am who knows I sleep for an hour I’m up again...

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Fucking CAN I HAS CHEEZBURGR cats. 

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

This all boils down to how much I’m packing. Going for a sleepover? Duffel. Going to con? My giant suitcase with room for all the bells and whistles of cosplay.

38. lemonade or tea?

Tea!

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Oh cruel I looooove lemon. The pie!

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

In high school here- so, aside from me being the resident weirdo (I DID come to school dressed as the TARDIS), my senior class decided to squirt hundreds of bottles of chocolate syrup on the sidewalks. We were an open campus so it’s all in front of our classroom doors- we had no hallways. And then they. They fucking EGGED ALL THE DOORS. The whole campus smelled like...ick.

41. last person you texted?

My father and mother in a group text to cry about customers treating me poorly. 

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

I prefer the jacket pockets because I still haven’t found a way to get men’s pants under the radar of my ever-watchful parents and women’s jeans pockets are SHITTY. Women gotta boycott this shit it is UNACCEPTABLE-

44. favorite scent for soap?

Peppermint...peppermint ^-^ I like to smell like...mint.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy!

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Recently I was reminded I live alone and my new favorite sleeping outfit...is...just some boxer shorts. Suck it dysphoria. Manly nightwear.

47. favorite type of cheese?

Pepper jack, Swiss, or ricotta. 

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

Strawberry :3

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

I’m gonna sound so gay but when @disasterbikirito​ started laughing about a certain GIF and his laugh was so infectious I couldn’t help but laugh too. 

51. current stresses?

Are you shitting me it’s everything. Every. Single. Thing. I cannot breathe. I am having meltdowns. Someone fucking save me I cannot deal with COVID well.

52. favorite font?

Garamond for writing in my free time, Doulous SIL for all the linguistics IPA symbols my greedy heart desires. 

53. what is the current state of your hands?

Smooth but my fingertips have been gnawed on. I am stressed, okay?

54. what did you learn from your first job?

Gosh, lots of things. But the most important takeaway is that a good boss will genuinely care about you. I miss that man. He was so wonderful and so caring and taught me so much about theater. Technical things and artistic things and historical things. Sometimes I wish I could have made a career out of working under him. 

55. favorite fairy tale?

Beauty and the Beast (AH...AH...I SEE YOU ROLLING YOUR EYES BECAUSE I’M TRANS. I KNOW. I *KNOW*.)

56. favorite tradition?

It’s a family tradition kinda unique to my household. Each year, we draw a name from a hat, and that name comes with a lot of words that describe us and what we liked over that year. We then each take a $20 bill and we go to a little hobby shop with cheap things in it and use that $20 bill to fill a Christmas stocking. We then hang them back up and empty the stocking full of candies and random silly things and have a good laugh and guess who filled whose stocking. 

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

The first one is coming to terms with knowing my dad has a severe illness. It really shook my family up, and it’s terrifying us right now with everything going on, but after a while, I learned that he was smiling, so I could smile, too.

The second one is my mother coming back from her tour in the Middle East on top of the murder of my godmother. Two very stressful things happened at once. My mother got very violent from her PTSD and her best friend died in a horrible way. It was an adjustment for everyone, and it kind of ripped my family to pieces. I can say, though, that my parents are still married and are getting better, and my sister and I are coming back to the family to be more open and healthy.

The third, and maybe some of my followers are aware, was getting rid of my ex-fiance. He was a man who sexually assaulted me repeatedly and I won’t go into details beyond that. It took me 5 years to get rid of him and accept what happened, but I am a much happier person now and while I work through the trauma that caused me, I have the most wonderful partner by my side and if you had told me back then I’d find someone as kind and patient and loving as him, I would have laughed and thought you were insane. 

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

Probably what I put on all my fanfic updates: “I know. I’m an asshole.”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Some kind of shoujo romance but it’s bi also I want a sword.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

There was nothing more smartass than Alice Synthesis 30 in SAO 18 asking a reporter to open up his head and prove he was human I’m sorry like OOF-

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Get in losers, we’re playing Steppin’ Out by FLOW, Elle me dit by Mika, Blue by Eiffel 65, ADAMAS by LiSA, and Touch Off by UVERworld.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

I was on Webkinz more than I want to admit. 

65. any permanent scars?

Yup. I have one on my toe where I split the skin in half. I tripped. I have three surgical scars from when I had my appendix removed. And...the mystery scar. I was supposedly born with a scar it’s at the part where my foot meets my leg on my left side and you can see how it’s stretched over the years if you run your finger over it. The joke is that the doctor taking out my mom’s appendix scratched me in the womb. 

67. good luck charms?

Not really a charm but I do have a little Kirito keychain I carry everywhere I go that I fiddle with when I’m nervous.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Artificial bubblegum. Disgustiiiing.

70. left or right handed?

I am right-handed.

71. least favorite pattern?

Zig-zags. 

72. worst subject?

History...I am ashamed. It’s interesting, I just suck at it.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Gingerbread and marshmallow. I am a bit picky about mixing foods and flavors, so this was the weirdest I could think up. 

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

Can you hear that? It’s my hysterical laughter. 12 on a scale of 10. I get up there pretty frequently. Thank you, chronic crippling pain. 

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I...I don’t remember...I don’t even remember...I think I had to be like what...kindergarten? 

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

THIS IS CRUEL I LOVE ALL POTATOS I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH-Au gratin.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Aloe!

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Coffee from a gas station. Mark my words...I will never get grocery store sushi. Ever. Again. My stomach has not forgotten. What a mistake. That was. 

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

So, my driver’s license hasn’t had an updated photo since I was 15 and just had a learner’s so I look like I want to murder a man but my school ID I had just run about a mile in the cold because the bus wasn’t running that day and my face is red and I look like I’m crying...probably the school ID...

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Jewel tones~~

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

I am from the South and we call ‘em lightnin’ bugs.

82. pc or console?

Errrrr console. I’m not a gamer by any means but there’s way fewer things to press on a console controller. 

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Neither...what...no...neither...they will put me to sleep...I will be out in seconds...the most dangerous things...people talking...and then I’m out...

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, she’s a LOT easier to dress. Those rubber clothes. SMH.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies but they gotta be the soft ones.

87. your greatest fear?

Being swallowed in the ocean. By a fish or a whale. I don’t play. Church kid don’t play with big things in the ocean with big mouths.

88. your greatest wish?

To make enough of a difference in someone’s life that they learn to love themself.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

Such a selfish thought...gosh...the mere thought of prioritizing someone troubles me. 

90. luckiest mistake?

Telling a cute guy sending me dog pictures was an excellent flirting technique as he sent me pictures of his puppy. I immediately thought “oh god I’ve fucked up bad” and at present we’re kinda head over heels for one another so maybe just be stupidly blunt once and a while you might find true love. 

91. boxes or bags?

Boxes. My cat didn’t force me to say that. Not at all. Sock, buddy, off the keyboard-

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight. I like the sun. The sun is my friend. It is warm and would never betray me.

93. nicknames?

Sister calls me “spoony” when she’s being ridiculous. No, I don’t know what that means. Mama calls me “cakes.” I had friends who called me “Deku” because I’m a crybaby. Had a few people DM me and straight up call me “Eugeo” or “Eug.” AJ is technically a nickname. 

94. favorite season?

Springtime!!!!! It’s...HERE!

95. favorite app on your phone?

I use like three apps...so Discord.

96. desktop background?

It’s. It’s Kirito and Eugeo. What did you expect.

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

Mama’s, dad’s, mine, and my parents’ house number. And does the emergency 911 count (pahahaha). 

(I answered the others in delicateeuphoria’s ask!)

[unimpressedperson]

Jackpot | pt. 3 [FINAL]

(Found this picture in @youthstuffs , thank you for posting it)

Genre: Fluff and Crack, I guess…

Warnings: None

Pairing: Kim Namjoon x @taesbetch , Kim Namjoon x Reader

Word Counting: 8.5k

Synopsis: Nya spent her whole life in Las Vegas, she would never imagine that local knowledge would ever be useful. However, her vision changed when Kim Seokjin appeared and introduced her to a few friends, film producers, whose needed guidance through Las Vegas underrated places for a movie. She agreed in working for them, and in that moment none of their lives would ever be the same. What happens in Vegas, not always has to be kept in Vegas.

A/N: Heeeeeeeey Nya!! Finally the last chapter! The oneshot has originally 20.958 words, so I decided to split it in three chapters. It’s the final one. The closure of this rhapsody (am I cocky, lol?), yeah. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing, ‘cuz it was fun talking about RPDR, movies, Vhope, Jeon Seagull, Namjoon, you, Dragon! Yoongi au spitting fiiire oooh, Star Trek references, etc :) Forgive any grammar mistakes.

- x - x - x - x -

Yoongi knew it. He fucking knew it in the moment Namjoon began contending about some girl willing to guide them through Las Vegas. He saw back in then that something would rotten up during the process. Nothing could ever go soft and swift, every damn time, Kim Namjoon would come up with some drama, or Hoseok and Taehyung would fight, or the pipes from their filming location would BUST IN GEYSERS FROM EVERY WALL AND FLOOR.

He could gain money by showing off his auguring powers. At least from some dumb folk like Namjoon.

They worked together for 10 years. A decade living through ups and downs, but what kept their Cinematography Company moving and succeeding was the timing. Namjoon directs a successful movie, then gets involved with someone, breaks up and directs a shitty movie. It was a cycle in which Yoongi never complained and watched happening time after time. In 10 years, Kim Namjoon proved to be a genius and that he acknowledge the romantic vicious cycle, never defying it by getting involved with someone after almost breaking their business.

In situations of risk like these, Yoongi takes over his Spock role and always gives good advices to Captain Namjoon. It was his Vulcan power, after all. The Enterprise never bankrupted precisely because everytime one of the bosses made a bold move or a bad decision, someone would soothe it with a better idea or stopping before happening.

This time, though, Namjoon was being a stubborn bitch. Yoongi considered the idea of poisoning him and keeping the whole company under his name and charge.

Oh, he really pondered and even searched for undetectable poisons, but their 10 years story spoke louder than the homicidal side of Min Yoongi.

Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi met whilst working. They were producing the songs from a  soundtrack, after so many nights of writing and playing instruments, sometimes all by themselves, their similarities brought them closer. A beautiful and honest friendship blossomed, nurtured with honest, curses, talent, humor, sarcasm and a lot of partnership.

Eventually, their dreams became way too big and only working for a company wasn't satisfying them. With their savings combined, Namjoon and Yoongi registered a firm called “Enterprise Inc.”. They had the name and ideas, but only when Taehyung and Hoseok appeared that their machine began working.

Independent movies were becoming a trend, so their company grew and more people got hired to different task. Jimin, Jungkook, Emerson, Jade, Taylor, Shmaillah, Zariah and Robin were now part of their big family. They treated each other like relatives.

However, since not everything happened smoothly, Namjoon also had his flaws. Unfortunately, his passion and volatility affected financially their business and finances. Kim Namjoon loved loving, but his kind of love changes fast and finishing a relationship always turned him into a grumpy man.

His longest relationship lasted 1 year and a half, with an author and professor of Creative Writing at London Institute of Art, Barbara. Unfortunately, their break up made Namjoon extra unbearable, to a point where the actors hired would quit and the filming had to be stopped. His mood swings almost led Enterprise to declare bankrupt.

Of course Yoongi dated, actually he's been officially living with Emerson for over five months, but his personal life never affected the professional. Home feuds stayed at home, even because his girlfriend worked as head from the Enterprise's Marketing and Advertising department.

After discussing, they slept for four hours. Yoongi always valued his sleep and would rest whenever (and wherever) possible, but their argue made the atmosphere inside the room unbearable. Namjoon couldn't sleep as well, he knew Min was right, but and if he allowed himself getting closer to Nya, then doubtlessly at some point would end up falling for her. Namjoon was an assumed romantic mushy, but with a volatile heart.

They went to the buffet, dragging a sleepy Jungkook and an awaken Hoseok jogging, dancing, humming and texting his boyfriend, also animated and sending copious audios thrilled with the last night events. Even though it was already noon, people having breakfast could be seen all around.

— I can see a whole bunch of people with last night’s makeup smudged. Walk of shame, guys. - Jungkook murmured after drinking a whole mug of coffee.

— You walked in the hotel with someone else’s skirt, smudged makeup and cummed pants in a brown paper bag. Walk of shame, bro. - Yoongi grinned and stared at Jungkook.

— Last night was nuts, wasn’t it? - The younger one asked, sipping from his second mug. - We started in a bar and end up in a Ball. What the fuck, I love my life.

— Yeah. Crazy night. - Namjoon disassembled himself from the conversation with a sweep of hand.

Jungkook could feel the tension around. Namjoon and Yoongi were clearly pissed at each other, and it was palpable around. The air was borderline toxic with so much electricity. However, Jeon could rightfully guess why. In his time working for Enterprise Inc., that same negative energy surrounded them plenty of times before. Currently, everyone knew their financial situation, since two actors decided to leave the project in order to get away from Namjoon and his bad temper, and one actress who broke contract after being casted to a bigger production.

Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon were great egos and minds. Working together represented war and success. They bickered, yet found ways to reconcile and respect each other’s differences, at least during toil days of finishing every detail, since both were also meticulous with lighting, angles, planning thoroughly even colours and shades. In fact, Jungkook graduated in cinema, but most of his practical knowledge was obtained by watching his bosses.

For a matter of fact, Jungkook could have chosen to remain in Korea and work with K-Dramas, movies or even MVs. Their cinematography industry was in constant growth, Jeon would never actually be unemployed, mainly with his fame as an idol. Even though his payment wasn’t the highest one, residing in London wasn’t impossible or uncomfortable, he could be classified as a wealthy lad, since the fame acquired during his boygroup years still paid him for image copyright licensing.

Jungkook was so famous in Korea, that every film produced by Enterprise Inc. sold like water on desert. Their film grossing came 6% from Seoul only. His stardom reached such a level that Jeon Seagull was mentioned beside great names like BIGBANG and Super Junior.  

When Jungkook became 25 years old, his biggest fan club in England during a whole month sent 25 roses to the Enterprise Inc. building daily.

Although, even with fame and constant proofs of how influential he still was, Jungkook felt good by being treated like a younger brother. No one gave him a special treatment or rolled out a red carpet whenever he walked around. Once, after having a small party at Yoongi’s place, he vented with his hyungs about fame and all, Min Yoongi stared at him blankly and said placid:

— I couldn’t care less about your idol life and shit. For me, you are Jeon Jungkook and works with film editing, you can even sing whilst doing your job, but it will never earn you a golden star.

It worried him watching his hyungs and main inspirations brawling, probably over Namjoon’s love interest in Nya and how it would affect his work. Also, Jungkook knew about money problems and thought about offering some cash to help and stabilize their finances, however everyone knew Yoongi would rather sell a kidney before accepting any loan.

— NOO!! - Hoseok yelled and punched the table, cell phone still on his other hand and eyes furiously staring at the screen. That unexpected behavior startled everyone.

— What happened? Did someone die? - Namjoon questioned, genuinely worried.

— No! But someone is about to! Taehyung finished watching The Umbrella Academy without me! I'm going to kill my boyfriend! - Hoseok declared and began typing furiously.

- x - x - x - x -

Nya felt an apprehension in the air, like something was off. Namjoon and Yoongi barely looked at each other, definitely not a subtle change from their past behavior. It could be only a hangover, or not. Well, she wasn’t in such position to question them.

Whilst Namjoon and Yoongi were silent, Hoseok and Jungkook were jamming to whatever played on the radio, creating choreographies out of blue and pulling the grumpy men. Maybe in a common day things were like that, very balanced: two neutrons and two protons.

Their last demand was going to thrift shops, and places selling wigs. Their desire was an order, so Nya chose “Opportunity Village Thrift Store” and Honey’s favourite place to buy wigs.

The ride to Opportunity Village seemed to last forever. Namjoon wanted to talk and have fun along with Nya, Hoseok and Jungkook, but Yoongi could consider it flirting and throw a homeric tantrum. Oh, he would die out of embarrassment.

Arriving was a relief. Yoongi stretched his legs and stared at Jeon. Before leaving the hotel, they decided that having Yoongi always sitting on Hoseok’s lap wasn’t fair, so using their best tool of democracy (a.k.a rock, scissor, paper) the last ones would play to decide who would flump and who would be flumped. In conclusion, maintaining a Jungkook steady during a car ride isn’t comfortable.

Opportunity Village Thrift Store looked huge. Garment tracks, clothing rails, huge baskets and hampers with colourful fabrics and shoes. It felt like a paradise and a warzone. Namjoon seriously considered the idea of diving in one of them, only to test how it feels like, but kept a composed behavior.

Nya got in and pulled a huge pink coat from one of the baskets, throwing it in Yoongi’s direction, whose first reflex was to deviate, watching the fabric becoming a puddle on his feet. He picked it up and dressed. Understanding it as an ice-breaker, everyone else decided to have their fun exploring what the store had to offer.

— I’m gonna pop some tags. Only got 20 dollars in my pocket. - Hoseok began singing happily, getting out from the fitting room with a huge ass fur coat covering down his knees, pink glasses and platform shoes.

Jungkook was with his body halfway in one of the baskets, but after listening the fitting room’s door opening, he stood up using a baseball cap, a t-shirt made of black tulle with Xs covering the nipples. Hoseok never behaved discreetly, but seeing him all dressed up and singing Macklemore, it made Jeon cackle and sit on the ground.

— You look like an asian version of Elton John on a budget! - Jungkook managed to utter between guffaws.

Before Jungkook died out of laughter, Namjoon showed up with a brown ushanka covering his lilac hair, white jacket with voluptuous shoulder pads and a brown clutch. Jung was about to pronounce something, when Kim opened a huge and glittery fan that was hidden inside the jacket’s pocket.

— You look like a cheap version of Adam Lambert, Jeon. - Namjoon sounded serious, but a quirk dimpley smile took over his features.

Everyone laughed and looked around for Nya, since Yoongi was anything but undercover with his bright pink coat, sitting on one wooden bench close to the fitting rooms, he typed something on the cellphone, a deadly serious face, not even paying attention to all foolery.

The woman emerged from the third and last fitting room. She was using a dress made of golden sequins, her cleavage in evidence and left leg standing out of a opening. Namjoon, Jungkook and Hoseok shut up and stared at her in awe.

— Can someone please make a joke so I will feel less embarrassed? - She muttered, cheeks getting warmer and redder with their eyes laying on her stunning figure.

— Nya, Big Bird from Sesame Street called. - Yoongi pronounced without looking at her, still typing and unfazed. - He wants his drag queen dress back.

They got back to laugh until tears were streaming down their faces, even Yoongi giggled a little. Everyone went back inside a fitting room, dressing back their own clothes and going out, looking for more funny outfits.

…

Namjoon and Nya would never understand or feel able to explain how, but somewhere between laughing at a pair of ugly ass shoes and grabbing more stuff to try on, they found themselves making out inside one fitting room. Sitting on the ground, her legs straddling him and his hands cupping her ass, their mouths connected and only separated looking for air (or taking turns in kissing necks), lips moving in sync and desperately grinding against each other.

After a few minutes swirling tongues and trading saliva, they stopped gasping for air, foreheads touching and now fingers intertwined, laying on Namjoon’s lap. Nya smiled and gave him a quick peck, without saying a word. They agreed in making out without pronouncing syllables, got there and began smooching, not a single sound needed.

Namjoon moved his hands and posed them on her waist, smiling whilst staring and decorating every feature from Nya’s attractive face. The dimples, oh those dimples, she held his face and began kissing those goddamn cute details. Namjoon moved his face a bit, getting back to peck her lips passionately.

— I don’t want to leave this fitting room ever again. - Namjoon whispered watching Nya hop off his lap and sit beside him, laying her head on his shoulder, a long arm enveloping around hers.

— If we are going to do something else, then we gotta leave. - Nya murmured and caressed his clothed knee, making small heart shapes there.

— I like the way you think. - His free hand lifted her chin leaning a little to kiss there again.

Before they could even think about continuing the make out session, a loud knock on the door was heard, startling them. Namjoon froze on his spot when a deep voice was heard, most specifically Yoongi’s voice.

— Kim Namjoon, why is Nya inside a fucking stall with you? - He sounded pissed off and it scared even the woman.

— W-who told something about Nya being here? - Namjoon questioned, trying to keep his cool.

— Who told me? A blue bird appeared to tell me. - His sarcasm sharp and killer like a knife, as always. - I COULD HEAR SOMEONE WHIMPERING FROM THE FRONT DOOR! AND IT WAS YOUR WHIMPERINGS!

Looking around, Namjoon tried to find another exit other than the door, in vain of course. Nya noticed Yoongi’s frown when he saw they kissing the day before, but would never imagine how against making out with her. By the way, why did Min even cared about it? Well, she didn’t understand, but Kim’s reaction surprised her: Glancing around desperately, fidgeting and anxious.

Did Yoongi carry a gun with him after all?

— Namjoon, you know I wouldn’t care about your romantic life, if you were capable of dicking down someone without falling in love and ruining our business! - Yoongi scolded profusely, words spitted like fire. The small man had flames inside his belly, always keen to burn whoever dared to cross his path and stumble. When their partnership became real and moneymaking, Namjoon’s creativity and intellect lost ground to Yoongi’s audacity, geniality and incredible honesty. Everyone in a meeting could witness how Min grows talking about money, market and tactics on getting attention, the same way Kim shrinks. 148 IQ points, tall and intimidating, but the business head looked like a human Hamtaro.

Indeed, Namjoon felt rickety closer to Yoongi. Who wouldn’t? Although their partnership equally shared in 50% of profit between them, who always controlled their accounts and hired people was Yoongi. Kim Namjoon was creative and smart, but Min Yoongi was ferocious, visionary, not afraid of facing bigger companies and calling attention to their work. Success depends on many more aspects than a well produced movie, knowing how to speak with business man, sell their product and spread their name. The universe knows Enterprise Inc., Mr. Spock always the mind, Captain Kirk their face and voice.

Namjoon wholeheartedly respected Yoongi, which was a mutual feeling.

It’s not like Yoongi was perfect and never made mistakes during their ten years career, running a filming company and producing polemical content.

Seven years ago, Min Yoongi dived from head to toe in a project about korean idols selling girls around the world, promoting prostitution and drug dealing. The movie was a mixture of documentary and fiction. Purposely or not, apparently the villain portrayed resembled a lot a certain manager from some big entertainment company and they were sued. Back in then, drowning in debts, Namjoon sat down and studied similar cases, learning with someone else’s past equivocation, he based their marketing on that judicial situation.

In the same way his sharp tongue and bold behavior made them big, Yoongi also caused a lot of trouble by saying something offensive. Once, Min Yoongi argued with a group of australian entrepreneurs, owners from a huge farm with mines around, a collaboration organised with Seokjin’s help was being discussed. Maybe joking about their political bias wasn’t the best choice of icebreaker, ‘cuz when they found themselves, Mr.Smith was red in anger and punching the table stopping himself from whacking Yoongi’s face.

However, Yoongi was right, Namjoon falls in love way too easily. Perhaps it was loneliness, or his massive levels of empathy. Fearing the loss of his company, Min Yoongi felt the grip and patience held along their trip fly away in the moment Jungkook and Hoseok appeared, but Kim and Nya were nowhere to be seen. Whimperings inside one stall, it was the last straw.

Nya and Namjoon got out the fitting room, red as beets. Yoongi had a hand covering his face, pissed off and trying to control his voice volume, not wanting to cause a stir.

— Why do you care? What happened of so serious? - Nya raised one eyebrow, still confused about Yoongi’s reaction about them making out. He would be sane to complain about public display of affection, but not the whole idea of someone kissing another human being.

— Namjoon is a workaholic, but also has a huge problem with loneliness. -  Yoongi slid the hand down his face and stared at her, dead opaque eyes. - Every single time he gets attached to someone and breaks up, who deals with his tantrums and childish behavior, grumpy face and irascible humour, believe me, wouldn’t be you, it would be me, our hired actors, and of course our ring of friends. He gets unbearable.

— But we are not dating or in love, if anything ever happened, it wouldn’t leave Vegas. You are overreacting. - She was clearly embarrassed with the whole situation, when did she expressed any feeling of passion? Nya flirted with Namjoon and mentioned sex, but never said anything about dating, falling in love, or whatever.

— Yoongi, you are being irrational. I’m not in love, we are just young, horny and getting along. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. - Namjoon backed up Nya, pissing the hell off of Min, who took a long and deep breathe.

— Exactly! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but you know who else will be staying in Vegas? Us. We’re coming back in a month and if you dick her down now, you will probably want to get another dose after. I want you fully focused on working in ‘Fierce’, not splitting your thoughts between tortuous falling in love and doing your job properly. - The shorter man spat, again fire coming off his mouth.

— I’m focused! I’m having fun, but also analyzing every place we’ve been to!

— Oh, you are focused, right? Focused like a fucking cannon under a drunk man’s watch! - Min Yoongi snapped, if he ever worried about not causing a stir, then it disappeared like Namjoon’s rationality. - Do you know what I was doing whilst everyone tried on clothes? I was trying to resolve some of our location renting problems and checking how the filming for our other projects are going. - He got closer to Kim, poking one of his long fingers against the taller one chest. - By the way, did you make any contact with Enterprise every since we landed in Vegas? Did you check your phone? Did you worry about anything other than inserting your dick in somewhere or someone?

— No, but… - Namjoon suddenly felt small and shrinking more and more.

— That’s what I thought! Your whole focused ass is whipped and willing to lose everything we fought for, all for one night stand with some random one!

— Shut up! - Nya yelled, flustered and vexed, stepping closer to Yoongi. - Don’t you dare referring to me as if I’m not here. Don’t you ever treat me like someone random, trivial. I’m not a random someone, I’m the one guiding you around Las Vegas for free. It may not be something as big as filming a movie, but it’s also helpful. - She poked Yoongi’s chest, he gave one step back, their discussion drawing attention from people looking around, Hoseok and Jungkook showed up. - Your posh ass can be rich, or the owner from a company, but don’t you dare talking about me like a brainless person, someone incapable of fucking with someone without growing fond of that person! Your friend can be sappy and weak minded, but I am not. You don’t know me, Min Yoongi.

— We better leave before anything else is said, right Joon? - Jungkook asked, pulling Yoongi by one arm in the door’s direction.

— Yes, please, I don’t think I can keep on guiding you guys, I would say I’m sorry, but it is not true at all. - Nya seemed gloomy, but also frustrated. They were discussing sexism and pre-concepts in a movie, but Yoongi’s opinion about her seemed far from awaken. Maybe it was more about Namjoon and his past relationships, but why couldn’t Min consider her vision? A relationship necessarily has to have two sides, and both agreeing with their terms. Even if Kim fell in love, nothing would ever happen again if Nya did not fancy it.

Women do have voices and their standpoint should be taken seriously.

Maybe Yoongi wanted to protect both parts from heartbreak or unhealthy obsession, but what a problematic way of showing his worries. Why couldn’t he just ask for Nya’s opinion? It’s not fair or right.

Nya watched them leaving, Yoongi frowning and Namjoon in shock, both being dragged down by Hoseok and Jungkook. Everyone inside the thrift shop staring at them, dividing their glances between Nya and the group.

- x - x - x - x -

Whilst packing their bags again, Yoongi checked his pocket list of goals for the travel. He concluded that everything needed was basically sorted, places chosen and their owners actually liked them, which would make it easier to bargain better renting prices. Their casting situation and debt with Nya could be solved within days and a few phone calls, since while Namjoon was flirting, Jungkook and Hoseok were doing some bullshitery, Min gave his cellphone number to a no number of people.

Staring at Namjoon and his gloomy eyes felt heartbreaking, but Yoongi knew that it was the right thing to be done. Kim needed to keep his head on the game. They only had one chance, and oh boy, Min Yoongi would hold it with claws and teeth.

Nya was a bewildering creature and, after filming everything, Yoongi would totally invite her to their premiere, however in order to actually having a Premiere, they first had to rent places, cast people, transport their shit, direct, film, edit, and first of all, not declare bankruptcy. Namjoon should’ve know better, acting like a horny teenager would be the death of them.

The lilac-haired man wished things could be different, but Yoongi was correct and sane: Kim Namjoon would never know how to balance a relationship with work, at least not without slipping at some point and getting hurt.

Namjoon was aware of his workaholic condition. All of his relationships got to dramatic endings after spending hours in a row inside his office, studio or even at home, but with a notebook almost morphing into his lap. Every single one of his past girlfriends were very understanding, and accepted that working represented over 80% of his life, routine and thoughts, but being pushed into the background felt tiring. Namjoon hurted himself so many times with that and promised to change, which never happened.

Let’s face it, his fate had nothing to do with a successful love life.

Truth be told, but never convinced. Namjoon thanked mentally Yoongi, he saved Nya from a very frustrating life beside him.

Hoseok and Jungkook didn’t dare to say a word from hotel to airport. No one felt the need. Silence seemed adequate and anything else would only trigger into bickerings. There was no energy or disposition to raise voices and argue.

Silence and rain, those words defined their travel back to England.

- x - x - x - x -

— Zariah finished the filming of “Beast”. She sent the files to Jimin and Jungkook, but I think they will need my help, since Jeon is stuck with all those sequential cuts Yoongi made during “Je M’appelle Carinè”, and Park is simultaneously working on the sound effects for our first animated short-film “Poundcake”, and in… Oh Jimin is recording the soundtrack to “Fierce”? I’m proud of him. - Taylor, a short, chubby young lady, with short brown hair and sparkling eyes, was standing in front of Namjoon’s office table, staring at her iPad and checking every information, whilst he stared blankly outside the window. - Should I keep on working as your secretary? Or can I help Kook and Chim Chim on editing “Beast”?

— What? What did you just say? - Namjoon looked at her, blinking fast and slowly getting back to reality. - Sorry, Tay. I lost myself in my mind again. It’s been happening more often than I would like to assume.

— That’s alright. - She pulled a chair and sat in front of him, placing the iPad on her lap. - What’s bugging you, Joon?

Namjoon gazed again outside, eyes oscillating between shining and getting opaque again. Where should he even begin with? His mind was hopping from thought to thought, concern to concern, and somehow, even filled with preoccupations, Nya always danced between daydreams and awaken nightmares. Despite trying his best to forget and move on, the lady with a contagious smile, beautiful eyes and the smoothest skin ever seen found her way back to divagations.

Enterprise Inc. wasn’t placed in a huge building, actually, they placed had to place a billboard outside to indicate where the firm resided. An ancient building about to be demolished, that’s why Namjoon and Yoongi could bid a whole four floor building for such a bargain. With its structure, the duo fixed some details and reformed every flat, turning into different studios. Every deck had a specific department: first video editing and animation (recently inaugurated by Taehyung and Hoseok after finishing their online animating course), second reserved to audio (both recording and editing, Yoongi built his office there) and characterization accessories, third filming studios, last everything related to managing (marketing, advertisement, Human Resources, Management, and of course, Namjoon’s office). No one would ever imagine how proud Kim and Min were of their achievements, every award and nomination resulted in motivation. They were succeeding, from the bottom and going higher.

Imagining himself waking up and heading to somewhere else, other than the building made of red bricks and black doors, that thought scared the shit out of Namjoon. He would never cooperate or live happily after declaring bankrupt and having to shut down his business, at least not after conquering so many prizes, awards, incredible movies under his name. No, closing doors would never be an option.

— Taylor, I know everyone is aware of how ramshackle is our financial situation. Those projects, “Beast”, “Je M’Appelle Carinè”, “Poundcake” and “Fierce”, are our last string of hope. That’s why we are rushing to finish and release them. - Taylor nodded, in fact, everytime Namjoon and Yoongi argued behind closed doors, rumours around the office were spread. - Specially “Fierce”, we are investing every dime left in that. It’s probably our most expensive and laborious movie, but we count on it to keep us working for a few more months. Two weeks ago me, Yoongi, Hoseok and Jungkook went to Las Vegas and rented places to film, but something happened there.”

“See, our guide, Nya, is the most dazzling creature alive. Not a single soul ever made me feel so impressed in my whole life, yet I can’t get attached to her. Not before finishing the filmings for “Fierce”, it would make me lose focus and possibly fuck everything up. It’s not my intention, but I can’t get her out of my head. Whenever I stop and think, she is there, dancing through my worries and thoughts.”

— Joon, why can’t you talk to her? - Taylor pushed her glasses down the nose bridge and raised one eyebrow. - It seems like by avoiding Nya, you are focusing in nothing else but her. Maybe this time your romantic curse was casted differently. You are not dating her, perhaps the vicious cycle is broken. Also, being unable to think about anything else won’t help you directing.

— I don’t know… - Namjoon pouted and laid his head against the wooden table, leaning the forehead there.

— When the filming to “Fierce” will begin?

— In two weeks. - Namjoon mumbled without raising his head, but now facing his brown walls. - We casted some american actors and actresses, our luggage is being packed, Yoongi made deals with every place to film, rented a house for the crew and us.

— You have two weeks to decide whether you want to invest in something with Nya, or not. It’s up to you. - Taylor made a flourishing movement with one of her hands, whilst standing up and staring again at the iPad. - Now about the “Beast” video editing...

— Go help Jimin and Jungkook. - Namjoon dismissed her and got back to his thoughts.

- x - x - x - x -

— Namjoon, you know I hate to accept when I’m wrong, huh? - Yoongi had an U shaped pillow around his neck, resting peacefully on a comfortable seat, whilst Kim typed on the notebook, adding some reminders on the script to himself. - But I think you should call Nya and ask her out.

— What? Why? - Namjoon turned his head and stared at Yoongi's unfazed face.

— You never had to take notes on scripts in order to work right. You are way a fucking genius, with 148 IQ points, had written masterpieces and composed glorious songs. - Min said without looking at his friend, but placing a hand on his knee. - In the past month you barely talked during reunions, you've been unfocused and divagating, also I spoke to Emerson, and she mentioned a certain talk you had with Taylor. Man, you need Nya and it's insane. You spent less than 24 hours by her side and now living without talking to her seems like a punishment. I don't understand how and why, but if contacting her during our permanence in Vegas will cheer you up, then I'm 100% supporting you. We need our leader, our main director.

Namjoon got back to typing without delivering a single sentence, Min’s hand still on his knee. Suddenly the space between their seats felt tinier, they were way too close and He needed to absorb Yoongi’s new position on Nya’s awe. Indeed, having his approval on looking for her was amazing, but how? During their trip to Las Vegas Min Yoongi said harsh things, leaving right after. Upon weeks of silence, even having Nya’s phone number saved, Namjoon never made effort to apologize, keep in touch or whatever. He respected Yoongi’s opinion, but his spitted phrases and dark tone made both parts highly uncomfortable.

He wanted and decided that looking for Nya was part of his plans whilst filming in Las Vegas, but embarrassment spoke louder and clearer. Namjoon wanted, but had no balls to accomplish it. At least not after remaining mute whilst Yoongi spat mean words at her, he could’ve defended their situation, stand up and put Min on his place. Well, what happened was far from ideal.

All Namjoon could think about, even before hearing Yoongi’s concerned and caring words about his mental state, was Nya, and what were the chances of her accepting to go on a date with him. Namjoon despised the idea of Nya evicting him.

Unlike Yoongi thought, Namjoon wasn’t in love before. It took him an array of nights stalking Nya’s Facebook page, checking her Instagram and reading how passionate her friends seemed to feel. Now, he felt obsessed and slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being dumped.

Nonetheless, Namjoon decided to pull himself together, grow a pair of balls and try. ‘No’ is a possibility, risking won’t harm.

Trying to gather some courage, the lilac haired man opened a new Word file and named “Captain’s Log”, getting in full Star Trek mode, he was Captain Kirk afterall.

“Captain’s log. Stardate -303753.640. We are arriving in the dusty and hot atmosphere of Las Vegas, a city located in the middle of Nevada, a state from United States of America, North America, one of the seven continents from planet Earth. My Vulcan friend, Mr.Yoongi, possessor of a great logical intellect is encouraging me to look for a human partner in our new location, specifically someone already acknowledged by Enterprise as homo sapien sapien, formed by carbon and XX chromosomes, turning it into a fascinating woman named Nya by her genitors. After our last expedition through Las Vegas, the relationship development between Enterprise’s Captain, yours truly, and terrestrial local resident Nya were harmed by Mr.Yoongi’s behavior towards her. Nevertheless, I’m willing to change our perspectives and get another chance.”

- x - x - x - x -

Saturday. A boring afternoon ghosting over Nya’s body, sitting on her couch along with Alexa. They were watching something about wildlife in Taiwan forests on National Geographics, a bowl with caramel popcorn between them and cups of mint tea. The curly-haired woman stared around her living room, noticing how the yellowish painting was peeling and slowly showing stripes of the white paint under it. Basically, her walls looked like an albino zebra. The purple sofa comfortable and everything else seemed pretty fitting, not needing to be replaced or moved. Oh, she was proud about her good taste in decoration.

Boredom hit Alexa like a truck and a deep grunt left her throat, almost scratching its way out. She grabbed the remote control and began zapping through channels, looking for something more interesting than animals mating or bullying each other.

— We should go out. You look like a mushy potato in that set of sweats. Is it yellow because you’ve been copiously using that for the past four weekends, or is it the original colour? - Alexa snorted, trying to combat boredom with jokes. - Honestly Nya, what the fuck happened? You explained something about Korean entrepreneurs, but as far as I know you’re not eager in investing on stock market, so I don’t know why their business would affect you. Did you get involved with one of them?

— No shit, Sherlock. - Nya mumbled and took a sip from her tea, trying to gather some words without sounding grumpy. - I have nothing to do with their business, but see, they hired me to guide them through Las Vegas. I’ve done that once before for one of their friends, the Seokjin guy I told you. Remember?

— Seokjin? The cocky and rich film producer? I remember him, he was funny and immensely confident, literally, I’ve never seen someone so sure about his looks. - Alexa kept her glance on the television. - Big dick energy at its finest.

— Yeah, him. - Nya avoided talking about Namjoon and cia, but now, completely alone with her best friend, it seemed like a good moment to vent. - One of the film producers I accepted to guide, he was funny, interesting, smart and a very good kisser, although, apparently someone deeply confusing. Like, I felt interest on him, but never said shit about being in love, unlikely what Yoongi understood and took as the gospel truth, his friend could cherish me with a thousand roses, but I would never date him and then break up, even because it takes more than 24 hours wandering around sin city and a good fuck for me to enamor someone.

“I don’t know how are the girls they know and usually go out with, but I’m not innocent. We don’t live in a book from Jane Austen. They claim to be so woke and liberal, discussing pre-concepts, sexism and homophobia on their scripts, but behaving and thinking like Mr.Darcy. Did they ever consider a scenario where women have voices and opinions? A scenario where I can easily say no and continue my life? See, I’m not hurt because I’m fancying Namjoon, but because from the moment they introduced themselves and their ideas, they seemed like progressivists, looking for equality, open-minded guys, willing to fight our biased society with their movies. However, Yoongi insinuating that Namjoon and I would ever date or engage in a long-lasting romantic relationship, without even considering my perception on it all, the possibility of the woman only looking for a good fuck. He literally throw a tantrum in a thrift shop about it, calling me some random one. The delusion hurt me.”

— Uh girl, I’m sorry about it. That Yoongi guy really assumed some fucked up things about you. - Alexa turned to stare at her friend, who didn’t spare a look from the television, even though she wasn’t actually watching it, only avoiding eye contact. - But you went through several deceptions along life, why is that different? What happened lately that you remain thinking about them? Or him?

Nya got tired of staring at nothing and met Alexa’s brown eyes, thick and beautiful eyebrows. She took her cell phone and found the long text Namjoon sent a few hours before, throwing it to the friend, keen to understand everything surrounding her grumpy aspect.

“Kim Namjoon [03/31/2019, 8h34min]: Hey Nya.

Sorry taking so long to contact you. I couldn’t find words apologizing my behavior four weeks ago. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can say now. I could’ve defended you, Yoongi acted like a jerk and said some hurtful things, which I don’t agree 100% with. I wasn’t in love back in then, but I understand his side from this story. Yoongi is worried about our finances, which I was the responsible for fucking up. Let me explain it all, expose the situation we unintentionally inserted you in.

A few months ago I broke up with an incredible woman who taught me a lot, but also couldn’t bear my working schedule and how I always set her aside. The career I built along with Yoongi always goes first, it’s my main priority, and I never learned how to balance ‘working Namjoon’ with ‘dating Namjoon’. The result of that break up was a moody me, who brought hell to surface and made two of our casted actors quit, they couldn’t deal with my humour (beside one who quit after receiving a better role somewhere else). It really cost us way too much, since they received for working day and we couldn’t ask their payment back. Also, when the infamous movie was released, the numbers were low and barely covered our bills and paychecks, media and critics criticized it harshly.

However, what happened is a vicious cycle which I’m stuck in. It’s one of the certainties from life: death, the ones most adaptable to change will survive and that I’m fucking up a relationship and then ruining a movie. Yoongi always found a way to contort it and put us back, saving our finances, but this time the loss was gigantic. Our company is solely relying on the success of ‘Fierce’, and a few other projects we will be releasing.

I’m not trying to find excuses for everything Yoongi spat to your face, he was rude and unnecessarily loud, but I’m begging you to consider his side as well. We are not up to losing our company, it’s our deepest fear. Min Yoongi and his stone cold heart is trying his hardest to get our butt off bankruptcy. I guess inside his head, he is willing to drag me away from anything considered as a distraction.

Now, enough of Yoongi and our financial trouble. Let's talk about feelings.

Yeah, I'm a lonely man and tend to get attached pretty easily. However, I wasn't in love with you. Nya, you seemed like someone really interesting and attractive, I'd rather chew my feet off than leave Las Vegas without kissing you. You are smart, independent, proactive, empathetic and friendly. Within hours being guided by you through Vegas, we saw how passionate you are about people you grew surrounded by, how you care deeply about them all and are willing to give up on money in order to help them.

By the way, our deal is still up and we casted your friends (Carol even gained a solo scene where she dances and Sasha got lines). Hopefully they already told you, but if they didn't and you are suspicious of my word, get in touch with everyone you introduced to us.

Continuing…

I wasn't in love with your back in then, but after two weeks thinking about it all and checking your social media (sorry about it :S), I grew fond of you. Everyone seems to love you so much and your heart is so big, couldn't help and now I, Kim Namjoon, am fancying you as well.

I'm not hoping to gain your mercy, but am willing to try and get your sympathy back. Would you go out with me sometime? Not in a romantic way, if you don't feel comfortable.

Again, I'm sorry about how it all began and hope we can fix it.

I'll be staying in Vegas for a while.

Thank you. Bye :) “

— First of all. Did he deadass structured the text like an e-mail? - Alexa looked up from the cellphone in time to see Nya grinning. - You are considering the idea of accepting his invitation? Girl, I ain't gonna tell you what to do, but that Namjoon doesn't seen to be a jerk, he could've just gave up, but he insisted and apologized. Did he actually casted everyone you asked to?

— Yes. Two weeks ago I received a text from Carol and Sasha, they thanked me and all. Tio Diego is also renting his bar for their movie. They also chose Paris as the main filming place, casting Honey too. - Nya felt divided, hoping on Alexa's opinion to define what should be done. - I'm still a bit hurt for what happened, but they proved their integrity by casting and renting everything and everyone I suggested. Namjoon apologized, gave me Yoongi's point of view and invited me to a date, giving me the option of saying no or defining if it's romantic or not.

— Nya, I don't see a plausible reason why you would say no. - Alexa’s hand snaked between them and landed on the other woman thigh. - You are only trying to find excuses because you are stubborn. If you want to, then go, get dicked down and you don't necessarily have to head back to him ever again. Even though he assuredly grew fond of you, it doesn't mean you obligatory have to engage in an actual relationship.

Nya huffed and slapped Alexa’s hand off her thigh. She hated when the girl with wavy black hair was right, and unfortunately Alexa seemed to never be wrong.

- x - x - x - x -

The night sky was clear and the air cool, wind making leaves from trees huff against each other and a chill run through everyone's spine. However, Namjoon felt sweat bidding down his forehead, anxiously shifting from one foot to another and resisting the urge to bite his nails.

The lilac-haired man was standing alone in front of Devito’s, same dining Nya took them the first night. His white t-shirt covered by a thin plaid shirt, jeans and white Converse, outfit plained specifically to seen laidback, since Nya chose the place and said it wasn't a fancy date. She was a ten minutes late and Kim had this crazy thought culminating in his mind, where she probably gave up and would call at any moment to dump him.

With 15 minutes of delay, Nya showed up dressed casually with a black Iron Maiden t-shirt, brown corduroy coat, skinny jeans and Vans. Her curly hair free and adorning the whole picture, no makeup, except for a cherry coloured lipstick. Flawless, Namjoon felt like his legs were made out of jelly and would collapse. His guts contracted in the same moment butterflies attacked his stomach. His mind hazing and suddenly his vocabulary vanished, being resumed by the extensive plethora of words pronounced by someone 2 years old, basically “bluh”.

The first half hour from their date felt weird. No one knew what to say, so small talk almost defeated them, but Namjoon decided to insist. Between eating burgers for dinner and dying out of embarrassment from going out in such situation, Kim decided to thank Nya.

His grateful words somehow touched Nya's heart. He sounded so sincere and whipped by her presence, that keeping the attitude of someone offended seemed pointless. Alexa was right, Namjoon liked Nya.

Goddamnit, Alexa.

Like a chain of gratitude, Nya thanked Namjoon for remaining faithful to his promise of casting her friends. He blushed and sipped on his fizzy cherry drink, grinning slightly, dimples marking their presence and reminding the woman why she thought Kim Namjoon was such a heartthrob beforehand.

Those dimples. Goddamnit, dimples. How can you be mad at someone desperately fluff with such a cute face? Nya wanted to stay loyal to her belief and hard feelings, but Namjoon's polite behavior, lovely face and insistence made it specially complicate.

Goddamnit, Namjoon.

Their body language clearly showed how the unsolved business led to a huge amount of sexual tension, Nya could bear it masterly though. Talking about everything and nothing at all, that's how Namjoon decided to speak his mind. What's the point of sitting and awkwardly pretend there is not an elephant in the room? Well, let's excuse it and set the pachyderm free then.

— Nya, I don't know if you are ever going to forgive me for not standing up for you, or whatever… - Namjoon's hand slipped swiftly closer to Nya's, touching her pinky but not holding it, avoiding more of an intimate contact.

— It's not that you didn't stood up or defended me, see there is so much more. Did you guys ever consider the idea that, I don't know, I could easily not want something serious with you? - She allowed his pinky to snake from her side and lightly take a hold of it. - I'm not mainly mad at you, disappointed with both Yoongi and you, though. For guys claiming to be so open-minded, then why is it so hard to assume I don't want a relationship? That I'm glad having something unofficial and leaving? Fuck, you make it so hard to believe you are an hypocrite.

— I'm not an hypocrite. I do believe in women's sexual freedom and ability to choose partners without necessity of commitment. I'm shitty at not getting attached, it doesn't mean that everyone else is also suckers for love. - His gaze was no longer on her eyes, but staring down to his own lap. - Indeed, we discussed my side, claiming I’d fall for you and ruin our project, but never considered your opinion, the possibility of you wanting nothing related to me. We behaved in such a sexist way, I’m profoundly sorry.

Their order arrived, someone almost spinning on her calves. Burgers and fries, so much cheese melting down the seeded bread. What a vision. If the conversation wasn’t in such an uncomfortable place, Namjoon would probably declare his passion for the juicy and greasy food in front of them.

The chit-chatting kept its slow pace. If National Geographics decided to make a parallel between their behavior and animals socializing, then they were trying to mingle, like Taiwan birds, Nya and Namjoon were singing in order to attract each other, hoping to link and connect. They got along once, why was it so hard to do it again? What wasn’t being said? Who was holding the cat inside the bag?

— I think I’m fancying you. - Namjoon finally took the cat out of the bag, or it could be a mice, ‘cause within seconds the elephant sitting on their conversation got up and left. Gone late, pachyderm.

— What? - Nya lifted an eyebrow. - I don’t know why I’m surprised, you said it in the message. Sorry, keep talking.

— When I closed all deals and rented everything we needed for the filming here in Vegas, my friends and my crew was all like ‘Heck yes, Vegas! Strippers, gambling, money, casinos, yaay!’, and even trying my best, the hardest, to focus on working and directing a masterpiece this script deserves to originate, all I could think about was you. - Namjoon decided it would be appropriate to look at Nya, she seemed unfazed, which made him nervous. - Travelling hours in a flying sardine can to see Nya! No one, except for the boys and Jin knew who you are, and kept on questioning me why so much anxiety and excitement over seeing you. And not even I understood. Working and wondering about what you could be doing really messed with my head. Nya, you messed with my head!

— Ok, Namjoon, it’s a lot of information. - She didn’t spare a look, he felt intimidated, but Nya’s behavior never showed any insecurity. - I don’t fancy you, but it doesn’t mean I cannot grow fond of you at any moment. However, in order to see it happening, you’ve got to insist. If you really want to be with me, then you’ll need to stick along, we’ve got to go out more, in different places. We can totally link up and have great sex today, but it won’t guarantee another row. Got it?

Well, Namjoon felt relieved. Nya was far from being mad at him. Oh, he remained willing to go out, as long as she was there.

In the end, if Nya and Namjoon’s story was something elaborated by Jane Austen, then it would be Sense & Sensibility. Nya and her sense changed how Namjoon dealt with his sensibility, breaking a vicious cycle, where engaging in a romantic relationship without previous thinking ruined all logical thoughts and mature behavior.

The end.

[aconceptbiz]

Nine in the Afternoon

Reader x Shayne...The first time you meet Shayne Topp.

Chapter 1: The Outsiders

UGH. You sat with your back to the bar wall. You didn’t want to be here. The girls at the studio had asked you to go out for cocktails this afternoon/evening and you had agreed, expecting to go to Applebee's or some kind of sports bar. All you had wanted was an order of cheese sticks and a pint of Bud Light. Of course, you weren’t going to tell these LA beauty queens that, but when the Uber had shown up at your apartment building and you opened the door to see Cindy wearing a red glittery cocktail dress, you really should have gone back inside that moment. I mean, who even goes out at 6 p.m. on a Friday? Sure, you didn’t have work tomorrow, but why so early? You wouldn’t be able to start drinking at 6 pm and expect to still be able to walk at 10 pm. So you didn’t.

A group of guys had taken a liking to your friend group, and soon there were rounds of shots and bottles being ordered to your section. Guy after guy approached you, trying to offer you a drink, to which you politely declined, and if they were persistent, you impolitely told them to piss off. You wanted to leave so badly, but you didn’t want to look like the prude of the studio girls. So you sat on the sticky booth bench, reading an ebook through your library app in the back of this bar on a Friday night. 

You had just reached Chapter 3 in “The Outsiders”, and were in the middle of falling in love with Soda Pop when you felt the booth dip down beside you. You didn't even bother looking up this time but braced your self for the offer you were preemptively going to decline.

“So, the normal library too quiet for ya, or are you just really trying to get into the setting?” A broad-shouldered, dirty blonde guy had sat down next to you. He was blushing slightly but had a smirk showing in the corners of his mouth. 

“Excuse me, but were you looking at my phone screen?” you quipped, annoyed that he had been visually eavesdropping. 

“Oh I’m sorry...” he frowned, looking genuinely apologetic. “I didn't mean to, I was just making sure I wasn’t interrupting a work email or something.”

So he wasn’t trying to be a smart ass, he was being considerate. 

“It’s not a big deal,” you said shrugging, “I thought you were making fun of me before you were about to try hitting on me. You know, the whole ‘if a boy is mean to you, that means they like you’ thing.”

“Oh you mean, toxic masculinity?” he said, looking straight ahead disappointedly, 

I raised my eyebrows. “Yeah, that,” I said, sounding more surprised than I had meant to. 

“Nope. Not me. I don’t like you, but I like that you like reading.” He smiled at you while glancing down at the phone you were still holding. You locked your phone and laid it in your lap. 

You noticed that your whole group of ladies had found their way to the dance floor with the group of guys that had been buying them drinks. Figures. 

“So why aren’t you out there busting a move with your buddies?” you asked, watching the bedlam taking place on the dancefloor. 

“Buddies? I barely know them. They’re just a few guys I workout with sometimes. They invited me out for a beer. This is not what I thought they had meant. What about you? Why aren’t you out there with your girls? They look like they can actually dance.” he stretched his arm out on the booth behind you. He had sat far enough away that his arm didn’t actually really reach you. You realized he was just rearranging his body to lend his attention to you instead of flirt with you. You involuntarily smiled.

“ They’re really not my girls. I take classes at ‘Real Dance Studio’ every now and then, and they dance there too. They invited me out for cocktails. Kinda like you though, I thought they had meant cocktails from Applebee’s or something. All I wanted was some freaking mozzarella sticks and a Bud Light.” you watched your dance friends initiate a dance-off with another group of girls who had shown up on the floor. 

You realized it was quiet. You looked over to see the guy gawking at you, eyebrows raised, and a laughing smile on his face. 

“What?” you said quickly, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. 

“You’re telling me, that this beautiful girl right in front of me, that was reading an ebook in the middle of a club, only wanted to go out for mozzarella sticks and a Bud Light?” His voice had raised an octave as he was trying to talk without laughing.

“Yeah I guess I am.” you giggled and blushed, diverting your eyes to the phone in your lap. 

“So you want to get out of here or what?” He asked, still laughing in his voice.

“What?” you asked, smile fading. The color had left your face. You thought this guy was cool and wasn’t gonna hit on you. Guess you were wrong..”Dude I don’t even know your name.” you said, sassier than you had imagined.

Immediately he stopped smiling and looked worried. He threw his hands up in a hold-on gesture. “No that’s not what I meant! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how that would sound. I meant, did you want to get outta here and go get those mozzarella sticks and a beer? With me. It’s totally cool if not, I just don’t want to be here, and I didn't think you did either. If I crossed a line, I’m sorry..” he was babbling, clearly upset that he offended you. 

You giggled. “Hey it’s okay,” you cut him off, “ I get what you mean now, just a misunderstanding. That actually sounds really fun and I’m starving. Sure.” You grabbed your purse, shoving your phone inside. “You ready now?” you asked, standing up from the booth. 

“Oh, um, yeah.” he stood, clearly flustered by your sudden agreement. He patted his pockets, making sure he had everything you guessed. “Let’s go, I’ll order us an Uber.” 

You looked around the booth once more, making sure not to leave anything behind as he took out his phone and ordered your ride. 

He slid his phone into his pocket and held out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Shayne by the way, and I’ll be your entertainment for tonight.” He smirked.

You reached out to shake his hand. “Y/N, and I’m not paying for your services.” You said laughing. He smiled at you and turned on his heels to lead the way out of the club.

[lalainajanes]

96 & 81. I’m a new fan of your writing! Ugh I love klaroline so much

96 Scars + 81 The Missus and The Ex

She’s known Klaus forabout a year, has recently been out on three excellent dates with him, when shefinds out his deep dark secret.

She'd have beenpissed it but it’s too freaking hilarious for her to work up any righteousindignation.

One quick Google andCaroline gets why he’d kept his mouth shut. She’d made some questionablechoices at nineteen, ones she’s really glad aren’t immortalized on the internetforever.

Klaus Mikaelson, ubersnob about popular culture, prickly unless sufficiently motivated, and scornfulof vast swathes of humanity, had once starred on a reality TV show.

And not just anyreality TV show. He’d been on what had essentially been a Jersey Shore rip-off.Just set in a swanky London apartment and with fancy accents. It had onlylasted one season.

The partying anddrunken fights and hookups appear to be pretty much the same.

Klaus had sportedhighlights and worn baggy t-shirts and baseball caps and belted his pants toshow off his boxers. Teen!Caroline probably would have thought he was hot butpresent day Caroline has a plan to slip some cheap ribbed tanks and self-tannerinto Klaus’ birthday gifts.

His exasperated faceis super cute.

She’d taken thebombshell pretty well and Klaus had endured her giggling over old pictures (toa point but Caroline wasn’t going to complain about him kissing her as adistraction).

When she’d gottenhome it had been impossible to resist pulling out her laptop and looking forclips.

And when it turnedout the series was all online? Well, she’d ordered takeout and settled in for amarathon.

Six episodes in andshe’s kind of obsessed. The version of Klaus on her screen is fascinating. Shesees tiny glimmers of the man she knows but he also seems to be a bit of ajerk. He sneakily leaves little sketches of his roommates on their beds. Thenot so flattering ones cause some drama and the good ones end up pinned in thecommunal kitchen. He oozes cockiness and has a tendency to flex when he’sshirtless, sometimes walks in a way that could only be called a swagger.

He flirts shamelesslybut his interest in one of his housemates seems genuine. Unfortunately, she’salready in a relationship.

Caroline has amillion questions, starting with why in the world had he ever even auditioned,and she’s considering making a list.

Caroline (9:14 PM): I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were involved in AN ACTUAL LOVETRIANGLE!

Caroline (9:14 PM): I’m kinda jealous.

Caroline (9:15 PM): I’m think I’m rooting for Lucien though. Sorry. He’s just so freakinginto her.

Caroline (9:15 PM): Making out with Aurora’s visiting BFF was a dick move, btw.

Klaus (9:17 PM): Sadly, that was far from the worst of my poor decisions.

Caroline (9:18 PM): Oooh, ominous.

Caroline (9:18 PM): I’m excited.

Klaus (9:19 PM): I don’t suppose I could convince you to stop watching?

Caroline (9:20 PM): Are offering me sexual favours? ;)

Klaus (9:20 PM): Obviously.

Caroline (9:21 PM): Sorry, I’ve gotta pass. Something tells me you’re going to be pretty easy.

Caroline (9:22 PM): But don’t worry. I promise not to hold anything you did 9 years agoagainst you.

Klaus (9:23 PM): I appreciate that.

She starts up episodeseven. It opens the morning after Klaus’ attempt to make Aurora jealous, thecamera lingering on him in bed, very naked under a single crumpledsheet.

Is it pervy thatshe’s ogling him? Probably, since he’d been practically a baby.

Klaus is awakenedrudely by Aurora upending a large-ish bucket of water on him, he leaps from thebed, shouting slurred profanities.

Screw it, Carolinethinks, as she turns up the brightness on her screen and leans in, eyeing theareas where the wet sheet now clings. No one has to know about the ogling.

Aurora and BabyKlausengage in a fight that is loud and rambling and Caroline thanks whateverproduction grunt had been tasked with painstakingly subtitling it. Aurora triesto cite friend code, Klaus counters that she has a boyfriend so it really isn’ther business what (or whom) he does. He scoffs at her assertion that he’d beentrying to hurt her, smiling cruelly and informing Aurora that she’s just notthat important.

Caroline winces whenAurora bursts into tears. Klaus’ regret is plain but he storms away withoutapologizing.

She fast forwardsthrough some plot involving other housemates, pauses when she sees Klaus again.He’s at the club they seem to hang out at most, the kind with pumping music andflashing lights. Caroline assumes the venue had some kind of deal with theproducers. He’s slamming back shots, his mood less than festive, and Carolineassumes he’s about to do something dumb.

Approximately thirtyseconds later the camera captures him punching Lucien.

Angry drunk boys, sopredictable.

It’s chaos on herscreen, other people seem to pile on and the cameras are constantly jostled.Caroline can barely make out who is who. Aurora’s red hair is distinct, andshe’s in the corner of the frame, yelling, having climbed on the bar.

When things calm downKlaus is bleeding. His hand clutches his opposite arm and the sleeve of hisshirt saturated and dark red.

Caroline (9:45 PM): No fair. You totally have a way cooler how I got this scar story thanme.

Klaus (9:46 PM): So you’ve never needed a dozen stitches after a bar fight?

Caroline (9:47 PM): Nope. But I guess I’ve still got time.

Klaus (9:48 PM): It’s good to have goals.

She feels a littleanxious watching Klaus get loaded into an ambulance, seeing him in pain andstruggling to answer the EMTs questions. Silly, since he’s perfectly fine andjoking with her via text, only a few blocks away.

The episode ends withthe ambulance door closing, his roommates huddled together for warmth on thesidewalk watching it drive away.

Caroline checks thetime, debates moving on to another episode. She doesn’t actually have to go tobed for another hour so she could watch some more. She knows Klaus andAurora must hook up at some point - Caroline’s watched plenty of reality TV andKlaus’ show was less subtle than most.

She hasn’t feltjealous yet, doubts she will. She’d lose her shit if Klaus were to up and getweird about her high school boyfriends. They weren’t any of his business andCaroline’s not going to make a fuss just because she can see one of Klaus’ pastrelationships with her own two eyes thanks to the magic of technology.

Veering in a more romanticdirection with Klaus has been really good, and he’d made it clear it wassomething he’d wanted for a while. His past has no bearing on their present.

Besides, Carolinekind of likes Aurora, or at least the version the cameras capture. She’s a littledramatic, sucks at any and all forms of housework, but is at least willing tolaugh at herself. Plus, the poor girl’s family seems nuts - a phoneconversation with her parents had been icy and her brother had appearedonscreen only to lecture her about how unbecoming it was to associate withpeople beneath her and how Aurora was shaming the family.

Caroline doesn’t havesiblings but her knee jerk reaction had been a big fat yikes.

Plus, it’s not hardto see the behind the scenes manipulations. Aurora’s confessionals often havingher comparing and contrasting Klaus and Lucien, waffling about her feelings,and Caroline can easily envision the leading questions that she’d had to dealwith.

The results ofshoving young, attractive people together, forcing them to interact, andsupplying copious amounts of booze, are pretty predictable.

See: the bajillionvarieties of Real Housewives.

There’s no wayCaroline’s curiosity will survive not knowing how things end but she can wait abit. She shuts her laptop and stretches out the kinks in her back, grabbing herphone once more.

Caroline (9:56 PM): Do you want to get lunch tomorrow?

Klaus (9:57 PM): So you can interrogate me, I presume?

Caroline (9:58 PM): Yep. You don’t have to answer anything if you don’t want to though. I’mjust super fascinated by how that guy became, well, you.

Klaus (9:59 PM): Not sure how to take that, love.

Caroline (9:59 PM): I meant it in a good way. I like you. The you I know.

Caroline (10:00 PM): Past you seems kind of exhausting and I want to reach into my laptopand shake him sometimes.

Caroline (10:01 PM): Mostly because his commitment to hats is out of control.

Caroline (10:01 PM): Please tell me you got rid of those.

“Oh my god, I need tostop,” Caroline mutters. She closes her eyes, huffs out a laugh. Maybe sheshould have just gone to bed. She resists the urge to apologize for rambling.No need to call attention to it.

Klaus (10:02 PM): The only hats I own are functional, designed for warmth

Klaus (10:02 PM): I like the you that you are now too.

Klaus (10:03 PM): I can meet you at 1. Does that work for you?

She smiles down ather phone, taps out a quick affirmative. Retro trashy reality TV can wait,she’s got a fourth date outfit to put together.

[tossertozier]

hi so i love your writing. i’m a writer myself and i don’t really know how to start up my tumblr. rn my blog is extremely small and gets no attention but i have an idea for a fic that i think could be rly cool. do you have any advice on how to get your work noticed bc i know i’m a good writer but it’s so discouraging when you have an audience of under ten people. it almost seems pointless to waste the energy if no ones gonna read what i write

oh bud!!! i’m sorry you feel this way

okay, i’m gonna start this off with the real deal, non-bullshitt-y content you asked for: it seems real basic, but just tagging appropriately and posting consistently. like, i get the most followers because of my joke posts. those incorrect quotes posts or the losers clubs as posts. if you’d really like to get more people reading your stuff, you gotta get people to see it in general, which involves growing a follower count. those little blips are much more marketable than posting fics themselves. but once uve gained some followers, they’ll be much more likely to read your stuff when you post it rather than scrolling past it in a tag.

starting out is tough!! even if you go back on my archive account. the second fic i posted in fandom didn’t get any comments until my other fics started picking up speed…i think weeks if not months after i posted it. 

i have 0 talent. literal trash garbage, when it comes to photoshop, but i’ve noticed this is a reallllllllllll artsy photo heavy fandom. if you can make any kind of edit to advertise your work, i’ve seen people make gifs and moodboards for their fics and those fics seem to do Hella numbers. 

interact!! with other content creators. i am TRASH at this in this fandom because i’m currently a writing machine and literally all of my allotted fandom time i generally use to write. but!! read and comment on other people’s stuff, like and reblog their posts! make some friends! 

and also, just calling for engagement. if u post in the tag like hey i’ll take prompts & manage to crank out even 500 words on something someone was interested in reading, or even a HC list (which ive never seen in fandom before and im 100% sure i do wrong) 1. you’ll stretch yourself as a writer by writing stuff you never planned on. 2. you’ll make urself really approachable as a person and 3. everything you write will have, guaranteed, once person who wants to read it, lol! this isn’t the only way to call for engagement though. when you post ur fic, just ask for feedback. it’s easiest for people to give feedback on specific aspects, so maybe ask for feedback on something you worked hard on or weren’t confident about. ask for guesses as to what’ll happen. ask for thoughts on an oc or a plot or anything like that. literally just prompting people to get involved with your content!

okay, so now you have that. but for real: this is my genuine, true blue advice:

write for you.

really. if you’re writing for yourself, no one can take it away from you. write to express yourself or a bit of the world you see. regardless of it gets 10 hits or 10k, you’ve made something, and that’s genuinely something to be proud of. and every time you make something, you’ll get a little better at making it. it’ll come easier. try your hardest to not seek validation for what you’ve written. it’s really, really hard and i know that better than anyone. but the true sense of pride should come from how you feel about your work, not how many people read it or like it or approve of it or whatever. 

& this is gonna sound weird for me to say given the context of your ask but:

sometimes things that are popular… are worse.

^^ only to be read in a freckle voice.

no, but legitimately. you wanna know what my most popular fanfiction i’ve ever written is? the one that got the most attention? it was a crack!spoof!fic i wrote when i was pissed off with my fandom. i wrote it on my phone at work. and it got so big that i had to personally DM the OG content creators for that fandom and ask them not to read it out loud because they said on a livestream they’d do it in a youtube video. it was trash garbage, and it, to this day, has way more credit than anything i’ve ever written. possibly will write! 

i find that consistently, fandom to fandom, the things that i put the most time and effort on get the least attention. it just happens. :/ i’ve really gotten used to it. think about…even irl. 50 shades of gray killed the bestseller list for weeks on end and it’s complete garbage. (& no, i won’t apologize for saying that) imagine how it must have felt to be a legitimate literotica writer during that time, whose work is not only not respected but actively shamed.

you can’t foresee what people will enjoy. or if you can, tell me how, because i legitimately have no idea. the best you can do is really write with your passion, write with your love and write with your best intentions. 

also, send me your stuff if you like, and i’m happy to read it.

[rockrageradio]

MICHAEL MONROE ANNOUNCES DIRTY AND DANGEROUS NEW ALBUM

‘ONE MAN GANG’ AND RELEASES VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK

ALBUM SET FOR RELEASE 18th OCTOBER 2019 VIA SILVER LINING MUSIC

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE STARTING AUGUST 9th

A genuine rock star since birth, Michael Monroe innately knows exactly how to sing, swagger and walk the most glamorous and colorful of walks. "One Man Gang," the former Hanoi Rocks man’s brand new offering on Silver Lining Music, is all about the fun of Friday nights, seven days a week, letting your hair down (or up!) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock ‘n’ roll dream.

Recorded and mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland over three weeks in March 2018, the 12-song record was mixed that following Autumn with Monroe and band-mates Rich Jones and Steve Conte on production duties.

With stunning presence, Monroe’s vocals blaze their unique trail across catchy, low-slung guitars mixing with saxophones, harmonicas and trumpets, plus a smorgasbord of exciting hooks and melodies. One Man Gang is old-skool strut with rudely fresh vigour.

The title-track’s bombastic bar-room blitz (featuring a guest appearance by Captain Sensible of The Damned) is a valuable reminder that even if born in the gutter, you must always look to the stars.

“It sometimes seems like everybody’s pissing on their own parade,” says Monroe, “whether that’s voting stupid people into power and then complaining about them or whatever, but I’m all about living with a P.M.A. – positive mental attitude – and I’ll never allow myself to be forced away from that.”

Then there’s “Last Train To Tokyo”, with the sort of sticky-yet-crispy riff that was designed to take over radios from Japan to Jamaica.

“In the ‘80s, Hanoi Rocks had a very special relationship with Japan,” explains Monroe, “and it will always be one of my favourite countries. Plus, they still live for rock ‘n’ roll as it should be celebrated, they still have physical product, they still make it crazy, exhausting and really exciting every time you go there, which I am really grateful for.”

With the further electric likes of “Junk Planet”, “Hollywood Paranoia” and “Wasted Years” on board, One Man Gang is going to smash down doors and give the rock ‘n’ roll scene a swift, and necessary, kick up the ass.

Michael Monroe will soon be striding back towards the arenas he was born to be in, and everything you see is everything you get.

“I do what I do and I’ll never change,” says Monroe, “I don’t dress any different on or off stage because this is who I am… this is the real me.”

2019 TOUR DATES:

Aug 02 Sieravuori Eura, Finland

Aug 03 Kaisla Tampere, Finland

Aug 10 Vesileppis Hotel Leppävirta, Finland

Aug 16 Summer Sonic Tokyo, Japan

Aug 18 Summer Sonic Osaka, Japan

Oct 22 John Dee Live Club & Pub Oslo, Norway

Oct 23 Pustervik Gothenburg, Sweden

Oct 24 Fryshuset Klubben Stockholm, Sweden

Oct 25 High Voltage Rock Club Copenhagen, Denmark

Oct 26 HeadCRASH Hamburg, Germany

Oct 27 FRANNZ Club Berlin, Germany

Oct 29 La Maroquinerie Paris, France

Oct 30 02 Academy Islington London, United Kingdom

Nov 01 Brudenell Social Club Leeds, United Kingdom

Nov 02 The Craufurd Arms Wolverton, United Kingdom

Nov 03 Engine Rooms Southhampton, United Kingdom

Nov 04 The Mill, Digbeth Birmingham, United Kingdom

Nov 05 The Garage Glasgow, United Kingdom

Nov 06 Manchester Club Academy Manchester, United Kingdom

Nov 07 The Fleece Bristol, United Kingdom

Nov 08 The Sugarmill Stoke-on-trent, United Kingdom

Nov 09 Hard Rock Hell Chapter XIII Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom

"ONE MAN GANG" TRACK LISTING:

1. One Man Gang

2. Last Train To Tokyo

3. Junk Planet

4. Midsummer Nights

5. The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider

6. Wasted Years

7. In The Tall Grass

8. Black Ties And Red Tape

9. Hollywood Paranoia

10. Heaven Is A Free State

11. Helsinki Shakedown

12. Low Life In High Places

Available on CD, Coloured Vinyl, Digital formats and as special D2C editions, pre-order live as of Aug 9th

RECORDED AND MIXED AT: E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland

PRODUCED BY: Michael Monroe, Rich Jones and Steve Conte.

RECORDED, MIXED AND ENGINEERED BY: Petri Majuri

BAND LINE-UP:

Michael Monroe - vocals, sax and harmonica

�Rich Jones - guitar and vocals

Steve Conte - guitar and vocals

Sami Yaffa - bass Karl Rockfist - drums

Guest appearances from Captain Sensible (lead guitar on “One Man Gang”), Nasty Suicide (lead guitar on “Wasted Years”), Eicca Toppinen (cello on “Low Life In High Places”) and Tero Saarti (trumpet on “Heaven Is A Free State”).

FOLLOW MICHAEL MONROE ON:

http://michaelmonroe.com

https://www.facebook.com/michaelmonroeofficial

https://twitter.com/michaelmonroe

https://www.instagram.com/michaelmonroeofficial

http://sl-music.net�

http://www.facebook.com/Silver.Lining.Music.Ltd

For further information visit:

www.sl-music.net

#soundcheckwithgentry #michaelmonroe #rock #rockmusic #rocknroll #classicrock #metal #rockrageradio #rockisNOTdead

[cyuya-nakahara]

A Different Sort of Dance - Ch 1

read on ao3

Bass thudded. Lights flashed. The smells of sweat, perfume, and alcohol all swirled together on the dance floor, and Chuuya was about to immerse himself fully. It was 10:49 on a Sunday evening, and he'd found his way to a sleazy club on the bad side of town. Happy Birthday, @trisha-is-trash!! I meant to write a oneshot but it seems you’re so special that you get a chapter fic instead :3c

Chapter 1

Bass thudded. Lights flashed. The smells of sweat, perfume, and alcohol all swirled together on the dance floor, and Chuuya was about to immerse himself fully. It was 10:49 on a Sunday evening, and he'd found his way to a sleazy club on the bad side of town.

He liked going to the small packed clubs in unfriendly neighbourhoods. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he was looking to dance or to fight. Often, the answer was "both". Clubs like these suited his fancy. Chuuya was queer, but the place wasn't. He rather liked going to places frequented by people of various orientations. He could always get what he wanted. If someone took well to his advances and he got a dance? Win. If they didn't and picked a fight? Also a win by him. The men he picked typically did one or the other, and Chuuya had little preference in regards to the response that he got.

He downed the half a shot he'd ordered —he'd learned to start light— and made his way into the crowd, heading for a brunet he'd picked from afar.

"Hey. You." Chuuya said, lightly touching his back and moving in front of him fluidly. He made eye contact and gave a coy blink.

"Voulez vous danser avec moi?"

The French dripped from his tongue with an allure he didn't even need to try for anymore. It didn't matter if this guy spoke the language. He'd understand it.

The brunet blinked, expression blank aside from mild surprise.

"Me?" He asked, gesturing toward himself. Chuuya smiled, this was good.

"I'm certainly not talking to anyone else." He purred, touching the man's arm.

The brunet looked hesitant, but not but not actually opposed. "I'm not actually here to dance," he said, stepping back. "I'm actually a member of security."

Chuuya just stepped forward to meet him again, closer this time, putting a hand on the other man's chest.

"I don't think that's what I asked."

The brunet swallowed, looking a little closer at the man that was being so persistent. He had vibrant red hair that stood out even in the low light, and wore an old-fashioned hat that he'd managed to pair well with his outfit, no matter how bad it should have looked. A passing beam of the club lights revealed his eyes to be a bright blue, and suddenly, the brunet connected the appearance to one he already knew. A slyer smile overtook his features as he understood, and he asked lowly,

"Are you here to dance or raise hell?"

With his change in tone Chuuya shot the same expression back, his grin spreading on his lips.

"Depends on what you want."

"I think," the brunet began, putting his hands on the other, "that I want us to take this somewhere else."

He paused, then continued, "We have private rooms."

Chuuya raised a brow as he took the man's hand and twirled himself before grinding against him from behind.

"You think you're getting laid? You must think I'm a whore if you're making that call so fast, dumbass."

"Dazai." He corrected. "And, I just want to see the man that kicked my colleagues' asses in good light."

Chuuya turned to look the man in the eye. He didn't look dishonest.

"Chuuya." He offered. "I'll bite. But it better not be some piece of shit break room."

Dazai had no such intention.

The taller man lead the two of them off the dance floor and up a flight of stairs, bringing them to a room that was locked by a keypad. He punched in the code and let them in, revealing a posh lounge with an unmanned bar and soft leather seating around the walls. He flicked on the overhead lights. They weren't bright, but they were much more illuminating than anything they had downstairs.

Chuuya stepped in. He was...impressed.

"Not bad." He mumbled. Dazai smiled.

"It's our V.I.P. lounge. You're quite the celebrity tonight."

"And what makes me so special?" Chuuya joked. He looked around, taking in the details of the room. The club music was muffled by the door, and a frown edged on the corner of his lips.

"You still owe me a dance." He added.

Dazai ignored the comment.

"Why wouldn't you be a special guest?" The man asked, walking to the bar and retrieving two glasses and a bottle. "In the course of just a month you've done quite a large amount of damage to mafia properties. Injured my colleagues. Certainly terrified our guests."

Chuuya narrowed his eyes as the brunet poured wine in a glass for him. Mafia, huh?

"So what, are you here to take me out then? Lead me back here to what, poison me with wine? Nice try."

Dazai laughed.

"You're right to think I'd go for poison if I wanted to kill you. You'd kick my ass in a fight. But that's not why we're here."

He sat down with the glasses at a table along the wall, gesturing for Chuuya to join him. He did, but Chuuya didn't dare drink the wine.

"I'm not stupid. What're we here for? All I've ever asked for in your establishments were dances."

Dazai scoffed.

"Maybe so. But you've done quite a bit more than that, haven't you?"

He paused and looked at the table, and then surveyed the smaller man that sat across from him. He was short, dressed somewhat provocatively in an outfit that showed off his stomach. There was a choker around his neck. He had every reason to be intimidated in the situation, but as Dazai met his eyes, it was clear that he wasn't —at all. He lingered a little longer on the other's eyes.

"The wine isn't poisoned." He said, taking a sip from a glass before handing it to Chuuya. He swallowed with force to make his point. Chuuya took it reluctantly, and took a small sip.

"We'd better not die together." He quipped darkly.

Dazai laughed genuinely.

"I think I'd have to know you a little longer for that, but don't be a tease."

Chuuya looked at him strangely but let it pass. It was becoming clear that the man he picked tonight was a bit...odd.

Dazai downed his own glass quite quickly, and leaned back, a smile on his face.

"There's no bounty on you, the higher ups don't even care yet. I've just been wanting to meet you. Last Tuesday was quite impressive." He paused to laugh, remembering it. "You flung Tachihara all the way across the bar when he tried to interfere. It was quite the show. What did the guy do? The one you were fighting, I mean."

Chuuya made an audible 'tch'. Last Tuesday he'd gotten really pissed off.

"Called me a faggot and tried to choke me when his drunk ass realised he wasn't dancing with a chick. Threatened to rip out my hair. I taught him a lesson." He said flatly. His jaw jutted out in disgust. He actively hated that guy.

Dazai, however, was interested.

"I thought you just liked fighting." He admitted. "Have you just been cleaning up our trash this whole time?"

Chuuya shrugged.

"I do like fighting. I also hate bigots. But I always come out to dance."

"To think I almost denied you."

"If you'd given a polite, firm 'No' I'd've let you be. I only beat up assholes."

"Pity."

Again, Chuuya let the strange remark pass, and an awkward silence grew between them.

A buzz of his phone vibrated against his leg and suddenly Dazai became aware of how long they'd been chatting.

"I have to go." He said, standing up abruptly.

"No way, you still owe me a dance!"

"Here," he said, setting a business card on the table and rushing for the door, "Meet me at the shoddy café three blocks west from the nice McDonald's tomorrow at 3, okay? And don't raise any hell tonight, I like to be around to see it."

Before Chuuya could answer, Dazai was gone, leaving the redhead to inspect the card left behind. It was a pale blue. The centre of the card read only one thing, and nothing else:

DAZAI OSAMU

[topicprinter]

Let me introduce you to a world where you can make millions of dollars sending emails alerts with hand picked cheap flight deals.I’m going to break down the business strategies and tactics that I’ve seen "flight hackers" employ methodically over time to grow, monetize, and optimize.I’m going to show you how these systems predictably lead to success with the right combination of experience, charisma, and grit.Then I’ll explain how I’m breaking into the market with my own spin on things and realizing my destiny as a 21st-century cheap flight list disruptor. Or something. Meet the players:• Scott’s Cheap Flights (SCF) is a freemium internet service that sends email alerts for cheap international flights.o Scott himself even documented the early days of starting the flight alert service, and has become massively popular with reddit users through a series of highly upvoted AMAs.o Since beginning in 2015, SCF email list has amassed 1.6 million members and they employ a team of over 30 individuals including content marketing managers and IT wizards. It's a legit operation.• Jack’s flight club is a freemium internet service that sends email alerts for cheap international flights specifically from England. He calls himself a flight hacker.o Jack himself even documented the early days of the flight service and has been massively popular with reddit users through a series of highly upvoted AMAs.o Jack now employs a bunch of people and has over a million subscribers.• Fly Almost Free is also a fremium internet service that sends email alerts for cheap international flights. o There seems to be some reddit beef between SCF and FAF due to alleged stealing of content which I have not been able to confirm or deny.o He also claims to be a “flight hacker” and has done massively popular reddit AMAs.There’s also: Dollar Flight Club, Thrifty Traveler, and the list goes on... The Similarities and the RealityWhat these flight alert services all have in common:Well traveled young dude sending links to cheap flight dealsHip and helpful marketing persona that’s accessible to Gen Z through the geriatric.Similar email drip campaigns over the first few weeksSimilar premium subscription offers and pricingBut first of all…Where do these flight deals come from?These flight hacking ninjas will readily admit that the sophisticated technology they use to find these incredible deals is mostly stuff like: • google flights • sky scanner • ITA • momondo, • hipmunk • skiplagged, etc.This suggests that finding good deals seems to be primarily an outcome of putting in the time to look as opposed to any reliance on proprietary technology (though I cannot confirm what tools any given individual may or may not use).My original perceptionI remember seeing one of the Reddit AMAs a few years ago and feeling quite impressed by this man who claimed to be a “Flight Hacker”. This idea of hacking your way to cheap flights—it felt mystical and mysterious and welcoming all at the same time. I now realize that “flight hacking” is less like computer hacking, and more like the hacking up a journalist with a bone saw. The parallel being that you can hack a flight itinerary into sub-component parts to optimize your value.So yeah, it’s different than I originally perceived it to be, but who cares.There’s absolutely still value being offered here.If there wasn’t, there wouldn’t be millions of people subscribing to these flight lists.So what is the real value?The need being met here isn’t about new technology. In fact it’s quite the opposite.It’s about adding the human touch back into a medium that’s become automated and increasingly irrelevant with stupid nonsensical deals.Like, ok: $300 to Paris is a good deal. But I don’t want to make the 39 hour layover in Uzbekistan. It’s not all about price.It’s having someone who’s looking out for you. Like a buddy.Anyone can look at Google flights every day… but honestly who wants to?Wouldn’t you rather just have some friendly well-traveled dude who’s actually been to some of these places suggest flights?The answer has been a resounding SURE WHY NOT. How these launch:From inception to scale, this seems to be the formula of how to jump start the business engine of a cheap flight alert service:Earned media like a magazine interview leads to scale of subscriber base (worth noting that Scott of SCF was a journalist in his previous life)Leverage that subscriber base into massively successful reddit AMA where you interact with your fans in the comments to show how much you are loved.Reddit AMA delivers mucho free traffic to your site because “everyone wants a piece of this flight hacker thing” once it has 17k upvotes.Once they land on your landing page this is the basic sequence: The FunnelPeople sign up for free versionThey get free email alerts for cheap flights. These alerts also display an advertisement for a paid premium version, usually offering more deals and extras.An email drip campaign is employed to build brand familiarity before presenting the paid subscription more directly a few weeks later.A portion of free subscribers convert to paid and money is made.The money is then used for subscriber acquisition, support, beer, etc. But how much money?Exploring the economicsI’ve had a lot of fun building some pretty advanced models in excel to look at different outcomes, but here’s a really simple example to give you a baseline:100,000 Free subscribers 2% conversion rate (SCF claimed 10% in one Reddit post so maybe conservative) = 2,000 paid members X ~$35/yr =$70,000 Revenue - $5700 for email hosting = $64,300 profit/yr (excluding web hosting, design, technical, etc)So theoretically, you could spend up to $64,300 to acquire 100,000 Free subscribers and break even within a year… assuming that you’re able to execute a similar strategy and assuming that free subscribers convert within a year.This works out to a free subscriber break even acquisition cost of about 64 cents.Interesting theory…Let’s try it out. Aiming my sights:I knew I wanted in on this. It was something that large amounts of people genuinely enjoy and get value out of.Now I probably could’ve rushed out and bought AmericasCheapestFlightsByPW.com and started up a copycat with moderate success. But why bother?There has to be some actual unique value I’m providing or I’ll eventually become the lamest offer and fade away into irrelevance.I needed to be differentiated somehow, whether through brand, focus, price, etc.To take on the big dogs who have the scale, you gotta think like an insurgent.So I started looking around for what I DIDN’T see... What I couldn’t find out there:What was missing? What might people enjoy? What pisses people off about the existing offers?Two things stuck out as pain points:1.Domestic flight deals. Everyone seems to be so focused on the international flights. And when they expand, they expand to other countries. I decided to look inward and offer international and domestic flight deals.2.City Specific Focus. I’d get an email alert with a very enticing subject line. I’d hurry to open it so I could jump on a good deal. I excitedly scrolled down the list of 10 airports only to find that my city wasn’t on there! It was like waving a steak in front of a dogs face just to yank it away. Needlessly cruel. Not ok. So I’m focusing on these 2 BIG THINGS:These two major differentiations will become my calling card:1. Cheap flight email alerts JUST for your city.Each city has it’s own individual email list so you ONLY see deals for YOUR departure airport.This also has the added bonus of getting to build a more segmented and intimate relationship with each city. You’ll get to know which deals they really love and look for and can send accordingly.2. International & Domestic dealsAmerica is beautiful, too, and we’re not all digital nomads. Sometimes it’s nice to go see your Aunt Sally’s in Dallas for a weekend. We send domestic deals, too. A quick note on why I'm qualified to run a cheap flight email listI’m a young well traveled dude who knows how to use all the travel search sites and even has some tricks up my sleve from the years of booking flights.I’ve been tracking my deals and I am providing cheap fares that are on par with the major players.I’m A PEOPLE PERSON I’m GOOD WITH PEOPLE!I grew local sandbox site to 6k subscribers and proved a premium conversion funnel that sustains the operation and people love it. I’m actually having fun too, so I want to do more now.So here's how I started testing it out... The Sandbox – PhillyFlightList.comI’ve spent the last 5 months growing a sandbox version of this idea in my own local city (Philly). I honestly never expected it to get as large as it has, but with nearly 6,000 subscribers it’s starting to gain traction. And it’s this positive reception that’s encouraged me to share this with other cities.There was an article written about Philly Flight List early in its existence, and another reporter from a larger publication has reached out to schedule an interview as of yesterday which is promising.I set up a paid premium version for $5 to help cover the email hosting fees which are getting higher as the list grows. The revenue from that is enough to cover the email fees and have some left over to continue investing in the site.The business engine works.And as an added bonus, t’s surprisingly fun looking for flights. When you find a good deal it feels like you finally hit the winning combo on a slot machine.I wonder if getting medically diagnosed as a cheap flight addict would help build street cred?But anyway, it’s going well. People like it, I like it, and it’s sustainable.And very importantly, it’s scalable.Which brings us to… Expansion Time: The Launch of LocalFlightList.comI’m now launching the nationally reaching Local Flight List, which consists of 11 different city-specific flight lists:• Atlanta• Boston• Chicago• Dallas• Los Angeles• Miami/Ft. Laud.• New York City• Philadelphia• Phoenix• San Francisco• SeattleAgain, the distinction in my service is twofold:  1. When you get an email alert you KNOW it's for your departure airport. You don't have to scroll through a long list of airports just to see if it even matters to you.  2. In addition to international flights, you also receive cheap domestic flights. This is something that really isn't being offered but has proven very successful in my initial list. The domestic deals are equally as popular as international. A question for the web experts:Though each city specific flight list is hosted on the same site—localflightlist.com/seattle, localflightlist.com/phoenix, etc… I also purchased some associated standalone domain names just for the hell of it.Would love any thoughts around the idea of hosting all on the same site, vs different totally stand alone sites. Interested in learning more about pros and cons from perspectives of SEO, CX, Branding, etc. if you have any tips. Final thoughts:Congrats if you’ve made it this far. This was a major brain dump and I hope it’s been an entertaining read. I could write another 30 hours about this and not run out of things to say. But I won't.Just a few other things I wanted to tack on before I let you go… Why I singled out Scotts Cheap Flights in the title:Honestly, I have absolutely NOTHING against them! I just figured they’d be the most well known example of a similar service that people would be familiar with. Also since our main offers are somewhat different, I think there's certainly room for both of us.The truth is that we’re still at the very beginning of the cheap flight alert industry development and there is true value being created here by all parties involved. Anyone who makes affordable travel more accessible is good in my book and I’m proud to be serving up flight alerts along side other experienced travelers.Which brings me to my next point…NEVER LOSE FOCUS ON THE CORE COMPETENCY:Yeah, I just spent a bunch of time talking about the strategy and the numbers and the whatever, but the truth is that regardless of your industry, no amount of support structure or strategy can save you if you deliver shitty results.So first and foremost: I WILL CONTINUE TO FIND AND SEND GREAT FLIGHT DEALS!I’m lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit, and I’m definitely excited to bring my personality and experiences to the whole process. It really doesn’t get better than finding a niche that’s both extremely helpful and profitable. So far so good, but I’ll let you guys know. And one last thing: Don’t go rushing off to buy http://yourcitiescheapflights.com 5 minutes after you finish reading this. Because you also need to think about:The websiteThe software and integrationsThe payment systemsThe designThe marketing and communicationsThe email campaignsThe customer support and answering questionsTHE CONSTANT FLIGHT SEARCHINGThe accountingThe legalThe charisma...Don’t kid yourself—it requires a tremendous amount of time and effort. But is it worth it? Who knows.

[unpopularly-opinionated]

Extensive Ramble/Rant Regarding How to Fix The Mummy (2017)

Forward:The movie wasn’t terrible, it just could have been (and should have been) a LOT better. These are in no particular order and wouldn’t all work together in the same movie, but are changes that I feel would’ve made the movie significantly better.

1: They never should have gone to London. Believe me when I say this, I am a HUGE England fan, like beyond fan-status to creepy-stalker-status. I'm an American born-and-raised but my room is entirely decorated in Union Jacks and other misc. English stuff. I'd pay a million dollars to have been born English. So believe me when I say they never should have gone to London.

It added nothing to the overall story save that it was where Prodigium (the fancy monster hunters club that Jenny and Dr. Jekyll are a part of) was located. This movie is called the Mummy, it should have remained in Iraq where the sarcophagus was initially found OR been taken to an off-site, maybe temporary, base for Prodigium in Egypt perhaps. It should have remained in a Middle-Eastern desert area to keep the setting.

The only real reason I can find for them going to London (beyond the plot point about the Crusaders that I'll mention next) is that every movie goes to London these days. Why? I don't know. It's an amazing place surely, but so is a million other places on the planet. Why they always choose London, I don't know.

2: The Crusaders shouldn't have been involved. Unless I've seriously forgotten, I don't believe it was ever actually explained WHY some random crusaders had Ahmanet's ruby OR her dagger. It just seemed so random and clearly was meant as only an excuse to take them to London.

I suppose it could be argued that they stole it during the Crusades however it makes very little sense why they would intentionally separate the ruby from the dagger and bury them in two different places, or if they somehow knew it was an artifact of evil then HOW do they know? It's never explained, and it should have been, or avoided altogether by just keeping crusaders out of the story completely. There's too much missing context and/or history that overall makes their addition fall flat.

3: The movie should have opened with sex. As is with pretty much all supernatural action movies, it's the power of love that drives the main character to win the fight. This is totally fine, completely expected, and sometimes strangely a welcome addition to a movie. Except, there actually needs to be a love connection for this to work.

Honestly, at no point in the movie do I actually feel that the love between Jenny (Annabelle Wallis) and Nick (Tom Cruise) is real. Frankly, I'm STILL convinced that before that scene in the beginning where she accuses him of stealing her map, they had never met and she was just making up the whole damn thing about the hotel room sex.

The movie should have opened up with them in the alleged hotel room having sex and then when morning comes he slips away with the map and him and Chris (Jake Johnson) go out into the desert in search of treasure. Even if it was just a brief scene chopped up into a 10-second clip, that still would have added some potentially significant character development to both Jenny and Nick, as well as some much needed relationship development.

Because there was little to no development for their romance, it made the scene at the end where she dies and he stabs himself with the dagger to become Set fall completely flat. She comes across as nothing more than an acquaintance throughout the movie, one not worth becoming the Egyptian God of Death to bring back to life for.

4: Jenny should have stayed dead. As I said, some of these may be conflicting and this one might conflict a bit with the last one but actually doesn't have to completely if you want to develop the relationship and then kill her off.

I should preface, it's not that I don't like Annabelle Wallis, she's a good actress, attractive, and someone I could in theory see a typical Tom Cruise character hooking up with.

However, Jenny is not a good character. In one scene she's telling Nick that she thinks they pissed off the old gods, something that if anyone said in the real life you'd think they were completely mental, but in the very next scene she's in, when Nick is telling her he's seeing Ahmanet and that he's cursed she think's he is the mental one.

Now if she's lying then of course the obvious question is WHY is she lying when she literally just mentioned something about pissing off actual gods just a minute ago, but if she's not lying and genuinely thinks Nick is crazy then again WHY when she works for an actual monster-hunting secret society that deals with crazy monsters and curses all the time?

This is a trope I see in Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural movies, shows, books, games, etc. ALL THE TIME and it's a really obnoxious one. You live in a world where you are completely aware that monsters, or magic, or other unbelievable things exist and yet when someone you know says they have seen something equally unbelievable YOU DON'T BELIEVE THEM. It's infuriating. You know monsters exist, so why would you be so surprised that your friend has seen one? You wouldn't!

5: Nick shouldn't have gotten away at the end. Given their casting choice (which I'll mention in the next one) this idea is definitely an unlikely scenario but just hear me out.

Assuming Jenny stays dead in this improved version, after Nick stabs himself with the dagger, becomes Set, and kills Ahmanet, he should have gone over to Jenny's lifeless body and been upset over her death, and then immediately have been caught by Dr. Jekyll and Prodigium with the movie ending with Nick being locked in one of their cells as Nick, possessed by Set, yells at the camera.

It was unlikely because obviously Tom Cruise is supposed to be the face of this upcoming cinematic monsterverse, but I think it would have been significantly better had he been caught by Prodigium. Hell, the next movie could open with Dr. Jekyll interrogating Set/Nick about Jenny's death. Who better to understand a man with evil inside of him than Dr. Jekyll himself? The next movie could be about finding a way for Nick to bring Jenny back but having to do so while helping Prodigium locate another monster, all while dealing with the literal God of Death inside of him occasionally possessing him for a time.

6: Nick's character shouldn't have changed dramatically by the end. This one might take some explaining, as I'm not saying he shouldn't have grown by the end of the movie because obviously he should. All character should, especially when they've just been introduced to the existence of monsters, dark magic, and real Egyptian gods.

What I am saying is that the character we are introduced to from the very beginning is not the same character we see at the end. From the beginning, we have a sleazy guy who slept with a woman to get a map that leads to ancient artifacts he can steal to sell online for profit. In other words, he's basically an overall bad guy.

He's also not implied to be very intelligent throughout most of the movie, not to say he's dumb as a rock but he isn't very clever or wise. He isn't the Indiana Jones or Nathan Drake type of ancient treasure hunter who deciphers ancient texts and follow history to find hidden artifacts to put in museums later, he's the Aladdin type of treasure hunter who stumbles across treasure or needs a direct map to it and when he finds it he immediately thinks to use it for selfish gain.

In the end however, this seems to change because suddenly he can put two-and-two together that stabbing himself with the dagger will turn him into a god so he can fight off Ahmanet, and that he can use this god's power to bring Jenny back to life, and that he has to run away before Prodigium sees him because he knows they'll capture and/or kill him immediately for being Set.

This could be argued as me being nit picky and if so then so be it. I don't think Nick's character as shown to us throughout a majority of the film is nearly smart enough or capable of the self-awareness required to be able to do all of those things. This is another reason why he shouldn't have gotten away in the end of the film, because he shouldn't have known that he should have run in the first place.

Yes, yes I understand that the signs were all sprinkled throughout the film that Prodigium would kill him to stop Set, that the dagger would turn him into a god, and that this particular god was the god of death. I still don't think his character should have picked up on those signs, or at least his character should have been described as more of an Indiana Jones/Nathan Drake type character instead of a petty for-profit thief that he's portrayed as.

7: It shouldn't have been called the Mummy. I don't actually have an idea or suggestion for what it should have been called instead, but it just shouldn't have been called the Mummy. Contextually it makes sense given the movie is about a mummy, however the obvious comparison to be made is to the older Mummy movies with the same name despite them not really being all that comparable.

The older films were significantly more comedic in nature and played off as more of an Indiana Jones film if Indiana Jones brought his whole family for his adventures (and no I'm not comparing Crystal Skulls to The Mummy movies). Calling this movie the Mummy, while it recruits hype from any fans of the older films, would ultimately harm this movie given that it's nothing like those movies and would likely garner spiteful ratings by those who saw it believing it to be like the older movies.

It'd be like if I made a movie about a sci-fi treasure hunter and named it Indiana Jones. The only direct links are that his name is Indiana Jones and that they're both treasure hunters, but obviously my movie is nothing like the old Indiana Jones movies because mine is set in space with a sci-fi setting. Ultimately I would just be shooting myself in the foot naming it Indiana Jones.

[i-am-simply-kelseys-thought-blog]

20 years, 20 facts 6/27/17

1. My full name is Kelsey Patrecia Lachance. I hate my middle name because no one can say it right. (pa-tree-sha)

2. Even though, I am 20 years old I still use kids mouth wash. Act Kids Bubble Gum Blowout. I like the taste of it and the fluoride in it helps keep my teeth strong. I use whitening toothpaste so the mouth was is a must.

3. My best friend doesn’t live in the United States. My best friend is from France. We met when I was attending the University of Maine at Augusta. He was a foreign exchange student and we really hit it off. We have been friends for three years now!

4. I’ve worked as a barista for Starbucks for the past four years, and it has been a great job. You have the opportunity to experiment with different flavors and make new drinks. This comes in handy when a guest comes up and asks for a random drink. If you ever have the chance to become a barista, DO IT!

5. I graduated high school a year early. I graduated a month after my seventeenth birthday. This year I will be graduating from college and I’m so thankful for all the opportunities I've been given.

6. I go to Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. Everyone complains about the school, but I absolutely love it. It’s everything I could have wanted in a college. The professors are so nice, the campus is small, and everyone in our small community acts like family.

7. I only keep in contact with one person from high school. I’ve learned that high school friends are not forever friends (other than my one). College is different though. I met one girl during orientation and we have became best friends. Along the way after some misfortune, I’ve made some other really good friends, and even my best friend.

8. Most of my friends are guys. I mean, I do have friends that are girls, but girls in general cause a lot of drama. I want absolutely nothing with drama. I just want to live a happy life, drama free.

9. I’ve cut many, many friends due to their excessive involvement with drama. I recall many instances.

10. My favorite color is green. Green is what you see in Maine in the summer. All the trees have tender green leaves. I spend a lot of time around the color green. On my hiking trails, kayaking trips and even just in my room (my walls are painted green.)

11. My mom and I are super close. She knows everything, and by everything, I mean EVERYTHING. There isn’t anything I haven’t told her. We are basically best friends.

12. When ever I get super upset to the point where I am going to break down, I have the urge to runway. I runaway to any body of water and just sit and think. The water calms me, and makes me happy. It reminds me that no problem is as big as it seems in that moment. While I’m sitting near the water reflecting, I always debate throwing my phone into the water. Sometimes things are better without social media.

13. I live on snapchat. Snapstreaks are sooooo important to me. You’re probably thinking this is silly, but I doubt you’ve ever had a snap streak that was higher than 200 so stfu.

14. I drive a 2006 Toyota RAV4. It’s honestly the best car I’ve ever driven. 100% chance that my next car will be an updated version of the RAV 4. It’s an SUV, but a pretty small one. On my car, the back door opens sideways instead of up and down, and I love that. My kayak fits perfectly on top of it without any extra straps.

15. My favorite song constantly changes. Right now, It’s Crying in the Club my Camila Cabello. One thing I do hate about the song though is that it talks about drugs in it, and she’s a big star for many teens, and knowing what I know about juveniles, it pisses me off, but the song is super catchy.

16. My dog is also my best friend and my partner, as you know she comes with me on my travels. She’s good to hike with, or just hang out with. Julie, my eleven year old black lab, still acts like she is only two years old. She is pretty small, she only weighs 52 pounds.

17. I never ever though I would be depressed in my entire life, but when my dad left I was depressed for months. I honestly didn’t think I would make it through it. I thought that I would just shut down. Trust me, I wanted to, but knew it would be no good. I had been hurt so many times by people that this was the last straw for me and I lost all of my emotions. To this day, it is hard for me to express my feeling to the people I love so very much. I feel bad, but I just need to learn how to express and show my emotions again. Honestly, to trust myself again. I’m so shocked that I let these people hurt me.

18. I recently learned that life is a journey, so you should make it one you are proud of. Don’t do things because others want you to. Do them because you want to. In the long run you will be happier.

19. “Nothing is ever easy.” A quote I have heard many times. I still have an unanswered question that I’m curious about. “Is anything that is worthy, easy?” It seems as if something you really want is never easy to come across. It seems like I have to climb the steepest mountain just to complete one task towards my goal/s. I mean, I don’t mind it just gets tiring sometimes.

20. “You find love when you’re not looking for it.” Everyone says this, but is it really true. I mean, I didn’t believe so. I was one of those people who thought I might never find the “right” person. I would have just settled for anyone. I haven’t had much experience in the love department until recently. I had been with all the wrong people. My list of people was like a featured subscription on snapchat where it lists all the wrong people to be with. In a time where I thought I would be single for awhile, I tried to make the best of it. I was young, blonde and single. I had many possibilities ahead of me, especially going into summer of senior year. Then Jacob appeared in my life and I wouldn’t change it for anything. It just felt right. He is one of those guys you can tell that is genuine to his word, and always tries his best to do the right thing. I never though I would find someone to have the ideal relationship I’ve always wanted. I wanted that relationship where we can just be ourselves and do goofy relationship things. Not only do we have my ideal relationship, he’s my ideal kind of guy. He has a good personality, he is genuine, like I said. He told me he wouldn’t hurt me and that meant a lot seems I had recently had the loss of all feelings from the whole situation with my dad. Not only was he ideal with the things that matter most to be, but he is cute and tall. He came into my life when I least expected it, but it happened. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is don’t give up on love, just have patience. Your Jacob could appear when you’re not looking.