#I’ve been bothered by the ‘they find H and L’s bodies theory

[heisenbutch]

..

[worldserasingandcreatinginmymind]

Flesh & Blood | Part Two

Series Summary: A mysterious stranger with ties to your past shows up in your small village

Chapter Summary: a quiet village, every day like the one before... until a mysterious stranger arrives

Pairing: Count Dracula x reader

Word Count: 2126

Warnings: none

A/N: as always spelling and grammar is not my strongest skill so please be kind :) if you want to be added to the taglist please drop me a message in my ask box

Y/B/D = your birth date, Y/H/T = your home town 

Masterlist | Part One

- - - - -

2020

The shrill beeping of your alarm wakes you up with a jump. You groan and roll over, picking up your phone from the bedside table and hitting the snooze button before dropping it back down. You allow yourself to stay in bed for the next 5 minutes, but its not long before the alarm is reminding you it’s time to get up and start the day. 

An hour later you're ready and leaving for work. You close the front door of the cottage you live in and head down the hill toward the village high street, taking in the views of the sea as you walk. You’ve lived in this village for as long as you can remember, but the view still makes you smile. 

The high street is one main road that runs through the small village and is lined with shops either side. As you walk down the street you greet various other villagers opening up their shops for the day. You hold your breath as you pass the butchers so you cant smell the scent of the uncooked meat hanging in the window. Then you pass the florist and take a deep breath, floral scents flooding your senses. You stop when you reach the local clothes shop and see the owner cleaning up shattered glass.

“Morning Roger” you say and he turns to look at you with sad eyes “what happened?”

“oh someone broke in last night. Smashed the window and stole the suit straight off the mannequin” he points to the naked mannequin left standing in the broken window display.

“did they take anything else?” 

“Nothing. Not even a penny from the till. Just the one suit, thats it.”

“that’s weird. At least theres not too much damage though”

“I guess I should count myself lucky that it could have been much worse. Have a good day y/n” he says with a tired smile as he takes the bucket of broken glass inside the shop.

You pass a few more shops before you reach the door of the bakery cafe and swing the door open, the familiar scent of fresh baked bread and cakes fills the air.

“Morning Maggie” you call as you drop your bag behind the counter and head into the kitchen at the back.

“morning love” She responds, looking at you over the top of her flour covered glasses as she kneads dough on the counter. Maggie is an older lady, with a friendly wrinkled covered face and greying curly hair which was currently contained in a hairnet. She had always been like a grandmother to you, and since losing your parents she was the only family you had left. Apart from being a bit of a gossip, she was a really lovely lady and you love working for her and listening to her crazy conspiracy theories. “did you hear all the drama last night?”

“yeah I’ve just seen Roger outside, he told me all about the break in” you respond, grabbing your apron off the hook and tying it around your waist. 

“oh no I meant about the drama on the beach?”

“no? What happened?”

“oh it all kicked off. Helicopters, sirens, the works. You didn’t hear any of it from up the hill?” 

“nope, must have slept right through it.”

“you young people, you’ll sleep through anything” Maggie says putting another batch of bread in the oven “well you missed all the fun. They dragged a body out of the sea and-”

“a body?!” You interrupt.

“well according to Carol anyway. She said she heard from Jan that someone had reported a body on the beach. Her grandson works in the police so she finds out things from him. Anyway, the police raced down there straight away but when they got there the army had already arrived and told them to leave. Army outrank the local police apparently.”

“wow” 

“and thats not all. I ran into Nigel this morning in the supermarket. Nigel lives right by the beach and he said he heard a gunshot and a load of shouting last night. He looked out the window and saw a woman lying on the sand bleeding, and people in black uniforms running everywhere. Looked like there were chasing a man. He ran down to see if he could help but by the time he got there the beach was empty. No sign of anyone at all. Strange right?”

“very” you nod, trying to seem more interested “what do you think happened?”

“maybe it was a vampire” a mans voice suddenly speaks and you both turn around to see a tall man with jet black hair stood looking at you through the serving hatch. 

“a vampire? Now theres a suggestion I didn’t expect to hear” Maggie laughs and the stranger laughs back at her, but you get the feeling he wasn’t really joking. 

“What are you cooking back there? Something smells.. exceptionally good” he says, his dark eyes fixed on you.

“All sorts of magic happening in these ovens, but unfortunately we’re not actually open till 8am” Maggie replies in her usual customer service voice and she walks through into the shop. You stay back in the kitchen, mixing the dough for the next batch of bread. 

“oh I’m very sorry, I didn’t know. I’m new around here” you hear the man say, he talks like an old fashioned gentleman.

“no bother, it’s alright. If you want to take a menu and come back in half an hour we’ll be happy to serve you a slice of magic”

“wonderful. I’ll be back then.” You watch as he turns to leave, then stops. “see you later Y/N” he shouts through to you and your eyes go wide as he shuts the door behind him.

“ooh I think someone likes you” Maggie teases and she walks back into the kitchen.

“how did he know my name?” You say, not really asking but more thinking out loud. 

“hmm I don't know. Probably read it off your name tag” she replies casually as she carries on baking. 

You look down at the small name tag you forgot was attached to your apron and let out a small sigh. Of course that makes sense. But you couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you thought about the darkness in his eyes. 

— — — — 

The day was dragging. The usual customers came and went, each with their own theories about what had happened the night before. Maggie was happy to listen and share her own views with them but you ended up zoning out every time. Instead you wondered about the stranger from this morning. Who was he? He said he was new here, does that mean he’s staying or just passing through? Either way, something about him made you feel weird and you found yourself watching the door anxiously every time the little bell above it rang. 

You were clearing tables after the lunch rush before you could go on your own lunch break, when the door bell dinged and a woman you didn’t recognise walked in. 

“take a seat, I’ll be with you in a moment” you say politely as you carry a tray of dirty dishes and mugs into the kitchen. You pick up your little note pad and pen ready to go take her order when Maggie stops you. 

“its okay love, I’ll serve her. You have your lunch” she says gesturing to the plate of sandwiches she’s made for you then walking out into the cafe greeting the stranger in her usual loud and bubble manner. 

You smile and take the food out through the back door and take a seat on the grassy bank. The sunshine warms your skin as you tuck in to the delicious sandwiches which Maggie has packed with your favourite filling. Once you’ve finished eating you lie with your back on the grass, watching the seagulls fly high above you and the white clouds moving slowly across the perfect blue sky. 

You lie there daydreaming for a while but when a fly noisily buzzes past your face and makes you jump you sit up, swatting it away with your hand. You check the time on your watch, almost time to get back to work. You take a few deep breathes of the fresh air before standing up and brushing the grass off you. Something catches your attention in the corner of you eye and you turn to look. 

There he is. 

The stranger from this morning stood in the shade, leaning against a tree trunk. A shiver tickles down your spine and he smirks at you as the two of you lock eyes.

“Y/N love, could you come back in now?” Maggie calls, poking her head out the door.

“yes yeah ill be right there” you respond looking at her and she goes back inside. You look back over to the tree but he’s gone. Was he ever really there or is he just on your mind? 

You walk back into the kitchen, deep in thought. 

“are you alright love?” Maggie ask, concerned when she sees the look on your face.

“yeah I’m fine” you snap out of it and smile at her. You spot the unknown lady still sat at the same table she was at before you went on lunch. “she’s still here?”

“she asked if she could use our wifi to do some work on her computer, I said its fine as long as she buys something. Anyway, I’m just nipping out. Will you be okay to run things here for a while?”

“of course, see you in a bit” you smile as she heads out the front door. The lady looks up at you from her laptop and you smile, but she just looks back down and carries on working. 

Ten minutes later the cafe is empty apart from you and the mysterious lady. 

“excuse me, could I get two more coffees please?” She calls to you and you nod. 

“two? Sure yeah, coming up” you reply slightly confused. Two? Maybe someone is coming to join her. 

You make the coffees and carry them over to her, carefully placing them down on the table next to her laptop. 

“Thanks, this one’s yours. Will you sit?” she gestures to the chair opposite her.

“huh? Oh, no thank you. I cant, I’m working right now” 

“theres no one else in here. Just sit for a moment. I have something important to discuss with you” she says friendly enough but with a serious undertone.

“i don't understand-” you start

“Y/N Y/L/N. Born Y/B/D in Y/H/T, but moved here to this village when you were 4 years old and you’ve lived her ever since. Your parents died 5 years ago in a car crash and since then you’ve lived alone in your family home, the lovely little cottage up on that hill.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“Sister Y/N, your great great grandmother, was a nun in Saint Mary’s convent of Budapest in the late 1800’s. In 1897 every nun in that convent was slaughtered. All but three, your great great grandmother was one of them. She fled to England and started a new life. A family.”

“How do you know this?” You repeat, getting frustrated. 

“Because I am a direct descendant of one of the other survivors, Sister Agatha Van Helsing. I’m Dr Zoe Van Helsing”

“What, so, someone broke into a nunnery and killed everyone. But our ancestors got away?” You don't understand why any of this matters.

“not someone, something” she pauses “a vampire”

“a vampire?” You stare at her in disbelief and she nods. She’s not joking, she really believes this. “this is ridiculous, I don't know what game you're playing with me but I want no part of it” you say walking away from her. 

“this is not a game, this is real. Y/N, a vampire killed all those nuns back then, and now he’s back. He’s here, and I think he’s looking for you” 

Her words stop you dead in your tracks. 

“He could have killed her, Y/N, but he didn’t. He made the decision not to kill her and he let her go.” She continues and you turn to face her again. “it’s all here in this journal written by your great great grandmother. I think you should read it”

You slowly walk back over to her and take a seat at her table. She pushes a very old, slightly torn and battered journal across the table to you. You open it up to the bookmarked page and begin reading. 

“1897. 

It all started when the undead man arrived…”

Part Three

Taglist: @a-dorky-book-keeper​ @agent-smulder​

[kitseis]

THE PURPOSE (SANS AUs X READER) - ACT 1; CHAPTER 3 (Part 1)

When you opened your eyes, you half expected to awaken in a hospital room. But, instead, you found yourself in a musty little cabin space on a creaky old bed.

Just like when you fell asleep.

You blinked in shock. It wasn't a dream? No, that couldn't be.....it must have been, right? There was no way that soreness that you originally felt could have disappeared so quickly, not after being hit by truck. Not only that, but you had been there for hours, and you didn't even feel hungry. It could be possible that, in this realm, the limits of your body could have adapted. Or maybe time didn't work the same way there? You had read many a book where the alternate realms behaved as such, and your system could still be used to your original time. It was logical. You were an intellectual--you thought many of these things at once, causing one huge headache. Wanting to shake it off, you slid out of the bed and ran your fingers through your (h/l) hair, which luckily wasn't too messy. You wandered over to the edge of the floating island, gazing out upon all the others. Looking upon the view, most of them holding the unique doors you had noted earlier, apart from the one you were on and a select few others. For the first time, you also noticed that the center island held on exceptionally large chunk of land, almost resembling a garden full of extraordinary works and devices. You assumed Ink created all of it, considering he had devised this entire world. It really was quite spectacular. For years you had been plagued with anxiety and loneliness, but here you felt a sort of serenity, and for once, you didn't feel completely alone.

"(Y/N)!"

You snapped out of your thoughts and looked down. There, far below you, you saw Ink waving at you. You smiled and waved back. Internally you wondered if they had been discussing your fate, or if they had figured out how you got here, and how to get you out. Despite all the joy you felt there, a part of you still yearned to return to your world. You wanted to redeem yourself, wanted to prove to all of the people who judged you and broke you down that you were worth it. Yet....something didn't feel right about it.

Shaking away these thoughts, you made your way down the bridge to Ink. As soon as you met with him, he said, "Come on." He led you to the huge middle island, a rope ladder to climb up to it. There awaited Dream, kneeling beside a beautiful, clear pond. Multiple of his little vials, filled with small spheres, were lined up before him. When he heard you approaching, he shifted his attention away from his current activity. "Oh!" he exclaimed, "You're awake, (Y/N)!"

You made your way over to him and crouched beside him. "Are these....?" A memory rushed through your mind. It was of the first time you came to this world, when Dream had found you. He had opened up one of these, and everything you had ever seen and experienced in your life had flashed before your eyes.

These vials held your memories.

Something about this made you uncomfortable. Someone--a stranger, at that--holding every single memory you had in the palm of his hand. Beside you, Dream frowned. He could feel the negative aura drifting from you. He wanted to lay a comforting hand on your shoulder, but decided against it. He might just make it worse. Instead, he replied to your question. "Yes. I've had to review them, as to try to determine just what is it that allows you to come here," he explained, "Before, I assumed it was because of your timeline. But I've realized it's just....you."

You shuffled a bit. If this was supposed to be encouraging, it wasn't. You didn't like the fact that he had seen every moment of your life. Dream could tell this, realizing he was digging himself a deeper hole. Nevertheless, he knew he would now have to go on with his cruel theory. "It...it seems that each time you experience a sort of near-death occurrence, you come here. Only, before, it wasn't as severe. This last one may very well have caused enough trauma to keep you here for quite awhile...."

"So, it has something to do with the accidents?" you confirmed. You had figured such, considering the fact that both times this had happened were after you had encountered an immense amount of pain, along with unconsciousness. First, it was the alleyway, and now the truck. And all the time between them, the visions of this world kept returning. And then there was what Dream said about your 'timeline'....did it have something to do with you, maybe? You hated to put importance upon yourself, but you had never heard of anything happening to anyone else, nothing like this at least.

This in mind, you regarded the nearby Ink, then looked back to Dream. With that, you stood up. "I don't mean to be rude," you stated, "But...I think I want some answers about this place. About what you called my timeline, about the AUs I've heard about, about this 'core code' thing...." You took a deep breath. "I don't want to be in the dark anymore." Ink and Dream exchanged glances, then you saw Ink smile softly.

"Okay," he said, "I think you deserve as much. You might want to sit for this, though. We have a lot to talk about."

The three of you sat by the pond, in a small triangle. You held your knees tight to your chest, anticipating the answers to your questions.

"Well," Ink sighed, "To begin, I should probably explain the AUs. AU stands for Alternate Universe, parallel dimensions and such." He spoke with a certain solemnity you had never captured from him before, and it kept you completely drawn in. "There are countless AUs--" Ink motioned around to the doors, "Each of these doors leads to their respective AU. The most well-developed ones are Undertale--the original--Underfell and Underswap."

You tilted your head at these names.

"I'll get to that," said Ink, "These are just names assigned to these universes by the ones who exist outside of them. They create these different AUs."

"Like...God?" you questioned.

He chuckled. "Not quite, but close. All of these AUs exist within this realm that we--Dream, you, myself--live in. I don't entirely understand it, actually, but I assume I'm not meant to. Within these AUs, there are also multiple timelines. That's where we get into your story, I think."

You blinked. All of this was so much, so complicated, but you thought you were getting the gist. At least, you hope so.

Ink continued. "I think the timeline you sprout from is one of the original universe, the one that started it all--Undertale. Specifically, the timeline where the Fallen Child--Frisk--made peace with the monsters and led them to the surface to join with the humans. Am I correct?"

You nodded. "That...sounds right." Dead on, actually, but you were too enveloped in his elucidation to say anything more.

"But...." Ink proceeded, "Something went wrong, it seemed. Somehow, there was a defect in your specific timeline. Something like the possibility of you not belonging there."

His words struck your heart like a lightening bolt. Somehow, though he hadn't meant it in a hurtful sense, it still made you feel a pang of sorrow. You shifted your eyes down, trying not to let on the fact that the idea bothered you.

Ink frowned. What was wrong? He didn't mean it in a cruel way, but obviously it still wounded you. He felt bad, but he knew he had to go on. So, he tried to save it. "Which means you have a specific reason for having been there in the first place." You looked up again, and he internally gave an exhale of relief, and smiled. "We'll have to figure that out later, though. You obviously have something that makes you stand out compared to others, especially in your timeline. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to get past the core code to access this world." Score. Totally saved it.

"The core code is what protects this place. The way to get into it is....erm....unsettling." Ink laughed nervously. "Which could partially explain the unpleasant way you arrived. It could have supplemented for the actual portal. So, do you think you understand now?"

"I..." You weren't entirely sure, but you assumed this was probably as unclear as it could get. "It's....a lot to take in, but I think I get it." You gave a firm smile and nodded. "Yeah, I think so...still confusing, but I think it'll clear up eventually. But...does that mean that this place is also an AU?" As soon as the words left your mouth, Ink stiffened, his eyes opened wide, as if you had shocked him. You felt a tap on your shoulder.

"That's...a touchy subject," Dream whispered to you. You felt a pang in your heart. Feeling compassion for the odd skeleton, you scooted closer to him and patted his shoulder.

"Sorry...I didn't know," you said bashfully, "You don't have to answer." Ink relaxed a bit, and his normal, casual smile settled back onto his face. He laughed and rubbed his neck.

"Haha, it's alright." He stood up and stretched. "For now, though, let's figure out what to do, before Error finds out....he'll want to...er....dispose of you, if he finds out." Ink chuckled nervously. You gulped. You didn't like the sound of that.

"But, wait, who's Error?" you asked.

"He's the destroyer of AUs," Dream told you, "He sees them as imperfections, as glitches and mistakes in the multiverse. He'll go into the AUs and...." Dream shivered. "He...completely obliterates them from the inside out, and he'll keep the Sanses of those AUs as...puppets."

"Each AU has it's own Sans?" you queried, though it was more of a statement, "I'm guessing both you and Ink are both variants of Sans?" You remembered the Sans from your world. A quirky, pun-loving skeleton with not an ounce of seriousness in him. He was so different from these two that it was hard to believe they were technically the same entity. "That's....weird."

Dream laughed. "Not once you get used to it."

Suddenly, Ink intervened. "Something's off..." You and Dream looked up at him. His face was set in a severe expression. "Speak of the devil..." Ink whispered, and took off.

"What's going on?" you inquired Dream.

Wide-eyed, Dream gazed at you. "Error." He grabbed your hand. "Come on. We have to get somewhere safe." He pulled you along, persuading you down the rope ladder and rushing your way opposite of Ink's direction.

"Will he be okay?" you asked as you ran.

"Ink's dealt with Error plenty of times before," said Dream, "He'll be fine. We just need to--" Dream was cut off my an ear-piercing static, causing both you and him to collapse, clutching your ears. You forced yourself to look in the direction of the noise. There, in the stark whiteness, opened a black hole rimmed with glitched-out colours. Behind all the static, you hear a deep, sinister howl of laughter emanate from the hole. Then, out of it came corrupted black hands, clutching the sides of the portal as the being dragged himself out.

What came from the chasm was unlike anything you had ever seen before. He was made of a malfunctioning black matter. His eyes were a swirl of red, yellow and blue, and he held an insane amber grin. He wore a bright red shirt underneath a heavy black coat with a dark, grim blue fur hood, along with blue-striped charcoal basketball shorts. His legs glitched between red and black, along with his fingertips and face. In fact, all he did was glitch as error messages emitted from him. This must have been Error, there was no doubt about it. Who else could it be, for crissakes?

"H̪͝e͕͑H̩́Ēͅh̫͠Ẽ͎ḧ̜́e̛̹!̩̎ the disturbing creature cackled, "Well, well, look-see what we have here!" His voice was deep and defective, changing from what sounded like radio waves, to high-pitched squeals, to low, demonic rumbles. As he emerged from the void, you could feel the world around you shake. The empty whiteness suddenly whirled into a pit of deep blackness.

You tried to stand, but found that the change had left you weak. Your head pounded and your stomach churned, your bones and muscles aching and throbbing. You clenched your abdomen in pain, hardly able to bare it.

You heard footsteps approach. Clenching your teeth, you gazed upwards. There he stood, grinning down at you maliciously. Cocky bastard, you thought furiously.

He leaned down, his face now inches away from yours. "You're unique," he pondered aloud. He then stood straight up again, snapping his fingers. Within a moment, blue strings burst from his fingers and shot straight towards you. Just as they were about to reach you, and arrow went flying towards Error. You looked the direction the arrow came from and saw Dream standing there, poised with his bow and another arrow ready to go. Error screeched in pain, clutching his side, where the shot had hit.

"Come on, (Y/N)!" Dream's usually soft and kind tone was now solemn and severe. You scrambled to your feet, following after Dream as he darted in the opposite direction. "We have to find Ink," Dream heaved, "Error must have somehow caused a distraction elsewhere as to get to us. Ink is the only one who can contend with Error. We wouldn't stand a chance--"

"(Y/N)! Dream!"

In the distance, you could see Ink rushing towards you. At the same time, you could hear Error's static not far behind you. You picked up pace, but before you could blink Ink darted past you, ginormous paintbrush in hand. You stopped and looked to see him clash with Error, tossing the bugged skeleton fly backwards. Error clenched his teeth, curling his hands into fists. In another instance, the same blue strings as before shot from his fingertips, attempting to wrap Ink, but the paint-covered Sans cut them off easily.

"(Y/N)!" Dream called to you, but you were mesmerized by the fray. When Dream had called your name, Error had somehow blasted Ink backwards. His gaze shifted to you, and he smirked.

"(Y/N), huh?" He chuckled. "W̛̮ó͎u̗̍l̬̽d̥̎n͇͆'̟̚t̔ͅ ͕͊y̡͂ȏ̦u̳̇ ̣̕l͉͋į̽k̰̀e̡̒ ̲͒t̜̉o̜̔ ͙͗b̰͌e̬̔c̖̓o̡͑m̼̈́e̻̍ ͔̅â̬ ͈͐p͓͑ā̭r͍͆ṭ͋ ǒ̜f̲͘ ͕̓m̼̈y̤̅ ̖͝c̡͊ò͇l̪͆l̨̉e̜͝c̥͘t̻̐i̢̊o̓͜n̆͜?͍̂" He lunged for you, but at that moment you felt yourself being dragged away from him. You whipped around to see Ink, who had grabbed your wrist and was now pulling you towards a mysterious looking door, on an island connected to the ground by a bridge similar to the one you had seen Ink build. Dream followed closely behind, firing an arrow every-so-often to keep Error back as best as possible.

"Where are we taking her?" Dream shouted.

[evangelene]

Just Happened to Be (3)

Summary: Jimin was an asshole, yes. And you were supposed to be nice, meek, and afraid of people like him. But you weren’t; even with a knife at your throat you stayed quiet and unforgiving–and he wasn’t allowed to like it.

Based off this request:

“Anonymous said:So how about bad boy Jimin I mean that’s cool I guess cause I mean who need bad boy jimin right pft not me.”

Usual warnings . This is a drug gang fic so naturally there’s gonna be a lotta shit.

Part One /  Part Two / Part Four / Part Five / Part Six / Part Seven

Because Jimin was injured--aka his group was forcing him to stay in bed until he healed--and because he was avoiding Yoongi (he may have missed some deadlines regarding your name and address), he was not supposed to be at the tattoo shop. But Jimin was never good at listening, and his creative bug was being stifled by his stuffy room back at the apartment. He figured if he went late enough at night he could hope to complete part of the pile of sketches he had to do for his clients. So, when his members were out and busy doing other things, Jimin snuck out his window like a runaway teen and walked his wounded ass to the shop.

He was alone there--well, at least he was supposed to be. He didn't bother turning on the actual lights to the shop, instead he worked under the emergency lighting they kept on through the night.

But that solitude changed the instant he heard keys struggle in the front door.

He panicked, diving to the floor to crawl under his desk. Jimin slid his chair in behind him in an attempt to hide himself before he got caught and, as a result, got his ass kicked by one of his hyungs.

It was a good thing that he went that extra mile for hiding too, because the second the footsteps clamored through the front entrance, he heard Yoongi's voice.

There was somewhat of a struggle; he could hear it in the shuffle of footsteps that followed Yoongi's sure lead. The theory was confirmed when Yoongi spoke. "Get inside."

Jimin couldn't yet see the two of them, but he could hear his hyung pushing them deeper into the shop--he could hear the annoyance and the exasperation of both parties. The scuffle led to Yoongi's tattoo station, where, ultimately, a body was pushed into Yoongi's tattooing chair. Then and only then could Jimin spot the person Yoongi had dragged with him.

You.

Something unexplainable tightened in Jimin's chest. He couldn't place where the fear sprang from, or who the worry was aimed towards--and he hated that. He hated everything about this moment, seeing you in his shop with Yoongi's grip on your chin.

"Alright now, you want to tell me why you have our Jiminnie protecting you?" He leaned in, and to Jimin it looked like he was going to kiss you. You looked like you didn't mind.

Jimin's hand touched the floor, keeping him rooted in his hiding spot.

You cocked your head to the side, batting away Yoongi's hand as you furrowed your brows on him.

"Y/N."  

Jimin didn't know why it surprised him that his hyung knew your name--you were captive in his tattoo chair after all--but it occurred to Jimin that he'd never called you by your name. Even though he'd known it for a while now, it never occurred to him that he could call you by it; it felt too intimate. And he didn't like how it sounded coming from Yoongi.

It was too...too...flirty? Why would his hyung be interested in a prude like you? No.

There was no way.

Jimin's fingers curled on the linoleum.

"There's n-n-no way."

"But he is, Y/N." Jimin's nails sunk into the soft tile."The stupid idiot was supposed to give me your name and address a week ago--but guess what didn't happen. The brat has been avoiding me the moment I gave him the order to give you up to me."

You sat back into the chair as if it belonged to you. "Y-Y-Y-Y-You don't s-s-sound as m-mad as y-y-you look."

"Of course I'm not mad--I have a hard time being angry with that boy for long. You see it too--he's still just a kid. He's haunted by this life; it was never supposed to find him but some stupid woman brought him into it. He wasn't supposed to get mixed up in this shit."

"N-N-No, but n-n-neither were y-you."

Yoongi let out a bark of a laugh at the ceiling. "Gosh, your eyes haven't changed at all. You're still the same."

What?

What?

Did you--you and Yoongi...did you know Yoongi?

"I'm sur-sur-sur-surprised you re-re-re-remember me. W-W-W-We only ever m-m-m-m-met once."

"Those," Yoongi gestured to your eyes, "are hard to forget. You were too far away for me to notice that night on the street--but when I finally hunted your ass down it all became clear. Of course it was you--of course Jimin found you."

"W-W-Were you l-l-looking for m-me?"

Jimin hated the way you had the beginnings of a sneaky smile, some flash of chemistry between you and his hyung that had him trying not to grind his teeth in his jaw.

"I was hoping we wouldn't find you. You were kept a secret for a reason--but I'm happy it was you out of all the people that boy could have found. I don't want him getting in any deeper than he already is. I want him to get away from us, not closer. That boy has some hope left."

Jimin stared at the back of the chair, momentarily forgetting that you and Yoongi knew each other. This was a moment that Jimin had to soak in; it was rare for Yoongi to admit that he cared. Everyone knew that he did--Yoongi was surprisingly soft--he just had difficulties saying it. Yoongi was a show more than speak kind of guy.

But then reality came rushing back in when you spoke once more and he was back to gripping the linoleum and watching you and Yoongi interact in a way that Jimin couldn't.

"D-D-Don't be too h-h-happy. You kn-kn-know he ha-ha-hates m-me. He's got h-h-hope, w-w-why would y-y-you be h-happy he f-f-f-f-f-found some-some-someone hopeless li-li-like me?"

Yoongi flicked your forehead, causing you to let out a noise of surprise; the smile Jimin's hyung gave you was gentle. It was an emotion that he wasn't used to seeing deliberately shown. "Now I know why hyung kept you a secret--you're surprisingly dense and cute."

There was no blush to your face, but Jimin felt hot. It was warm under his desk, and it just made him angrier.

"If it w-w-w-w-was Jun's inten-inten-inten-intentions to keep me a s-s-secret then h-h-h-he shouldn't have d-d-d-d-done w-what he d-d-did. M-M-M-M-Maybe then h-h-h-h-he'd still be a-a-a-a-alive."

Jun.

Jimin recognized the name instantly--because the man was his hyung as much as he was Yoongi's. Jun was the previous leader of Jimin's gang. He was the leader who killed Taehyung's brother, resulting in Taehyung coming to power. He was the leader who was killed in retaliation a couple years back. He was the leader who Jimin helped to kill Taehyung's brother.

He was the leader that brought a pleading Jimin under his wing to complete mutual vengeance.

But what the hell were you to Jun? You were far too young to be his girlfriend--you were...

"Big brothers want to protect their younger siblings--it's natural. Jun hyung was just upset that he couldn't protect you."

Jimin was trying to connect all of the dots together in his head--but the pieces that he knew wouldn't match up correctly. Parts of the full image were missing; gaping holes in faces and blurred empty spaces where an object in a hand should be. They wouldn't all fit together.

"I know, b-b-b-but we-we-we're not he-he-he-he-here to talk a-a-a-about my b-b-b-br-br-brother, n-n-now a-are we?"

Yoongi's gaze met yours, refusing to drop it as his shoulders fell with a heavy sigh. "Just, promise me that you won't let Jimin fall for you."

You raised one eyebrow at him incredulously, the words flying off of your tongue without even a moment of doubt. "Y-Y-Y-You're worried ab-ab-ab-about the im-im-impossible."

It took Yoongi a moment to respond to that one; to Jimin, it looked like his hyung wanted to thank you and throttle you at the same time.

"Are you stupid?"

There was something in the look that you gave Yoongi that felt like an iron bar--a shard of pain that you had not yet shaken from you. It was as if you'd told these words to a thousand different people.

"Y-y-y-y-you know wh-wh-what ha-ha-happened. No one w-w-w-will f-f-fall for a g-g-girl like me."

"It's going to blindside the both of you, you know that? You know what's going to happen--you're going to go missing. And then Jimin will risk his ass to go looking for you, but he won't know why he's doing it because he's as much of an idiot as you are. Or maybe you're going to die and then your name can be used as a pawn for Taehyung to torture Jimin with. That boy is falling for you--is this what you want?"

Liar.

Jimin wanted to scream that Yoongi was wrong; he wanted to bust out like the idiot he was and list the thousands of reasons he hated you.

But he stayed, and, in his mind, the memory of you smiling sunlight into a dark room resurfaced.

"N-N-N-None of th-that will ha-ha-ha-happen, b-b-b-be-be-bec-because it's im-im-impossible."

"No one loves a girl with scars, Jimin." Sooyoung chuckled, but there was never any humor in her laughs; she'd lost that spark a long time ago. "So don't let me get any, okay?"

Yoongi sighed, everything in him draining with exhaustion. "If you say so." His eyes sparkled with something warm, hints of the same kind of protection he offered his members glinting in the back of his irises. "But promise me you won't go and fall for him either; I don't want to see you get mixed in with us again. Jun would burst from his grave and kill me if I let anything happen to you under my leadership."

You matched Yoongi's warmth with a small, sad smile. "W-W-We b-b-both know I d-d-don't get a-a-a-a-attached, I-I-I-I-I've been th-th-through eno-eno-enough heartbreak. T-T-T-Trust me i-it w-w-w-won't ha-happen."

There was a moment where the two of you just stared at each other, some unspoken conversation passing between your glances. Jimin hated that he couldn't decipher the words in you or Yoongi's eyes.

Yoongi jerked his chin to the front door. "Get out of here before this place puts a curse on you."

You pushed yourself up out of the chair, gripping the edges of your sweater tighter together as you nodded towards the elder. "Stay s-s-safe, Y-Y-Yoongi."

He gave you a small two fingered salute that passed for a goodbye, seeing you out the door before slowly lumbering back towards his station. He pulled out his desk chair and sat down so his chest was pressed against the back of it before hunkering down to fiddled with one of his sterling rings.

"She's gone. You can come out now, Jimin."

Jimin froze under his desk, and, despite being found out, he did not move. "You knew I was here the whole time?"

Yoongi snorted. "The drawing shit I had Namjoon take you yesterday is back on your desk now. Of course I knew you were here."

Jimin slumped forward, resting his forehead on his knees. There was a long pause, a moment where Jimin was trying to gather the words to the overflowing questions in his head.

"Jun hyung's sister, huh?"

"Yep." Yoongi let the p pop.

Jimin groaned. "But she's so fucking stupid."

"So are you. Unfortunately, I think it's a match made in heaven."

"You're full of shit--you know I hate her guts."

Yoongi laughed, resting his arms on the back of the chair. "Oh believe me, I know."

Jimin couldn't say anything for a long while, he could only sit curled over under his desk with his stupid chair as a useless shield. "You're being too nice; I don't know how to handle it. Normally you would come across here and kick my ass."

"Because life will kick your ass for me soon enough--turns out my warnings were already too late."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Yoongi hooked two fingers, raising an eyebrow at Jimin. "Come on out now and draw. Your hands are shaking--you need to calm yourself."

"I don't like her." Jimin murmured, kicking his chair so he could make enough room to crawl out.

"I know." Yoongi nodded, watching as the younger sat down at his desk and got back to work. "I know."

~.~

Jimin, as soon as he was able to cut out his stitches, left his group's apartment with a switchblade in his pocket. He'd stewed at his place for weeks, having reoccurring dreams of Taehyung's horrible grin as he held his bloody knife--images of his face morphing into yours as you reached for Jimin's arm to help him up off the asphalt. He kept imagining that your eyebrows were furrowed in worry as you led him to your car; you were the type to worry about others more than yourself, even if they didn't deserve it. It was one of the many things Jimin hated about you, but what he hated most was that you appeared in his subconscious more than you should have.  

It was Taehyung's fault. Jimin blamed Taehyung for the dreams; he blamed Taehyung for the memories of Sooyoung that rose in frequency and clouded Jimin's thoughts. He blamed Taehyung for the pain of wounds too deep to even see, for the scar that marked his side and then some. He blamed Taehyung for you being there, being in his line of sight--even though it wasn't his fault, Jimin blamed Taehyung for life colliding him head on with all that was you.

He thumbed the switchblade through the depths of his pocket, stalking down the sidewalk towards that same territory edge that had erupted in all out war just a month before.  Jimin tried to be inconspicuous as he walked, but it was difficult considering his tattooed, dyed-orange hair, and scathing glare.

He scanned the street as he approached the territory line, trying to keep an eye out for Taehyung's boys in case they were expecting him. Or maybe they all thought he was dead--he hoped for that one; it'd be much easier to sneak in if he was a ghost in their minds. All in all, Jimin's plan for revenge was stupid, but then again he wasn't really thinking straight. The muddled mess of memories and dreams clouded his thoughts to the point that any chance at intelligence was ruined.

And then, before he could even get close to the territory line, he spotted you.

At first, he thought it was a hallucination--another moment where his mind fused the past with the present--but then you moved, stepping out from an unmarked building to wave to a person closing the door behind you. He knew it was you almost instantly; no one else was crazy enough to wear pants and a turtleneck in the heatstroke week of summer.

His footsteps stuttered and he found himself frozen on his path to vengeance. You continued, unaware of his presence as you started across the street to your car. Jimin wanted nothing more than to let you go--to let you continue to wherever you were headed so he could release his anger in a beating on one of Taehyung's men. Hell, the sight of you made his vision turn red in the hopes that he could make his once friend bleed.

But his mouth had other ideas.

"Idiot! The fuck are you doing here?" He shouted, blowing his cover for reasons he couldn't explain; despite his gut reaction to run in the other direction, he found your bewildered and flustered expression amusing. You spun around, your eyes instantly connecting with his. He didn't know why, but he expected you to run to your car, to flip him off, to escape or, hell, to even glare at him and curse him out with that stutter of yours.

Instead, you jogged towards him, your eyes clouded with worry and nothing else--just like in his imaginations and day dreams of you saving his life. Before he could say anything else, your hands were attacking the hem of his shirt, trying to lift it up in order to eye the progress of his wound. He slapped them away quickly, practically jumping away from you.

"Hey now!" He shouted, chuckling to cover up the way his voice cracked. "If you wanted to get me out of my clothes that badly then why didn't you just say so? There's a nice, cheap hotel just down the street." He winked at you, though there was no redness or fluster to your features. It seemed you were immune to men like him.

Another check on the list of things he hated about you.

You raised one eyebrow at him, rolling your eyes as you clenched your jaw and pointed to his side.

"That's a look, so attractive. How about you let your mouth loll open so you can let out some drool and--"

You smacked him with the dead weight of your purse, your mouth scrunching to the side as you furiously pointed to his recently healed wound.

"I'm fine, Idiot. Its fine--all healed up. See?" He lifted up his shirt enough for you to see his scar, the beginning expanses of abs that used to be there--though they were now buried somewhere under a food baby from his recent, forced bed-rest.

Again, there was no fluster, no chagrin--nothing. Nada. Zilch. No attraction. You just furrowed your brow on him, looking over his shoulder to try to figure out where he came from or what he was doing there. It was as if you were shut off to men--as if you thought that no man could truly see you as a female.

Because you were scarred.

"I'm not here for you, crazy," He murmured. "I'm here for some payback. I gotta go get that fucker for stabbing me." He patted his pocket with the switchblade, his lip curling into a wolf-ish grin that flashed a spike of fear in your eyes.

Almost comically, a ring of white surrounded your irises and your hands snapped out to grab onto his wrists, shaking them with a ferocity that surprised him. Honestly, it was the first time he saw your features dip towards anger, blasting a full blown scowl across your normally blank expression.

"Don't worry, idiot. I'm tougher than I look, you know?" He raised an eyebrow at you, his eyes drawing down your heavily clothed form. "Or maybe you're overheating from your prude clothes? Should I take them off with my--"

You reached up to pinch Jimin's ear hard enough that he swore you drew blood; he let out a shout of pain, cupping a hand over his wounded lobe--but he couldn't escape your grasp.

"What the fuck was that for?" He shouted, glaring down at you. "Don't you know that I could kill you if I wanted to, you fucking bitch?!"

You only pursed your lips at him and held your free palm out to him, eyeing his pocket with the switchblade.

"I'll stab it through that fucking hand of yours if you don't let me go. Honey, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

You raised your chin parallel to the ground. "Y-Y-Y-You owe m-m-m-m-m-me," You hissed, your eyes bright with a fire he hated to admit attraction to.

You were the opposite of all things attractive to a man like him.

But what could Jimin say, he was a pyromaniac.

He stared down at you, contemplating murder for the sake of easing his own annoyance; instead he fished the switchblade from his pocket and placed it in your open hand. Your fingers curled around it as you tucked it into your purse, your gaze never leaving his.

"Do you think that's going to stop me from going there? He deserves to get his ass kicked."

"O-On y-y-your own?"

"I've always been on my own."

You rolled your eyes, dropping your chin to incredulously peer up at him through your lashes. "B-B-Bullshit. It's j-j-j-j-just easier t-t-t-t-to s-say that t-then t-to say you-you-you-you've been h-h-hurt b-b-b-by some-some-someone."

He grabbed your wrist, squeezing tight enough that you let out a noise of pain, your eyes flaring with the beginning sparks of fear. But you didn't nurture that fear, you never let it bloom past a shitty firework that flared out into a dud. He wanted to bruise you, to make you shut up and go away--even if he was the one to call out to you. "Prude." He hissed. "Remember who you're talking to."

You stared at him even though your free hand was desperately trying to pry his fingers from your skin. "J-Jimin; I-I-I am t-t-t-ta-ta-talking to J-J-J-Jimin." It was like a tranquilizer to a charging lion.

"Why are you here?" His voice dropped from an angered snarl to a whisper.

"I-I-I-I-I work h-h-here."

Of course you did. Of course you did.

"Really? Between two warring gang territories? That's mighty stupid of you--but seeing the way your body looks, I figure you've been stupid once or twice before."

"I-I-I know." You ignored his latter part, something in your eyes flattening as he brought up unbidden memories from the depths. Even that crack of the whip wasn't enough to make you hate his guts.

"You know?" He threw his head back with wild laughter when you only nodded. "Shit bitch, why the hell you still here? You could have been killed long before your ass ever strolled into my shop. Fuck--here I was almost feeling sorry for you and--"

It took a lot of effort, but you managed to break past your stutter to interrupt him. "I--I want to b-b-be he-he-here!" You shouted, trying your damnest to rip your wrist free from his grip--but he wasn't letting go until he was satisfied with the conversation. And you being so stubborn just made him want to hurt you so you would leave and never look back.

Why was he the one to call out to you?

"Why? That's fucking stupid."

You nodded. "I-I-I'm aw-aw-awa-aware. Bu-bu-but I wo-wo-wouldn't change wh-wh-what I d-do for any-any-anything."

He didn't ask you what you do, but his gaze must have questioned you for him because you were answering, reaching with your free hand to pull out a photo from your purse. You handed it to him with one of those blooming smiles that made the sun come out from the clouds. He hated those smiles; there wasn't a damn thing about you that he didn't hate--he swore it to himself. "I-I-I w-w-work with ch-ch-chil-children in sit-si-situations like y-y-yo-yours. I-I-I try t-to give th-th-them an-an-an-an-another option. I h-h-h-hate to see pe-pe-people ruin the-their l-l-l-l-lives over th-th-this."

In the image you were crouched into a pose with two young boys, one hugging you while the other held the camera with a bright smile on his face. It was obvious that they were children who entered the hidden world far younger than Jimin did--you could see it on their faces that they had seen some shit. But you, they clung to you like you were an adoptive mother--the first friend in a world of adults that only ever saw them as a problem. They clung to you like you cured them from a cancer that they'd been fighting the moment they were born.

It sickened him.

"So I'm just another project to you then? Is that why you saved me?"

You fervently shook your head. "I-I-I-I only he-he-help th-those that w-w-want it."

"Then why me? I want nothing from you other than your friend's number and a great high--and only one of those you can help me with."

You chuckled, but it translated humorless on your face. "I-I-I hoped."

"Hope only brings you heartache and death--and not in that order."

"I kn-know."

He let go of you, watching you rub your reddened wrist. You gave him the softest nod before turning your back to him, starting to your car once more.

"Idiot!" He shouted to you, surprised that you still gave him another chance when you turned over your shoulder to stare back at him.

"Good people, surrounded by bad, die fast. You know that?" She sighed, her eyes glistening with tears despite the blood on her face. " Jimin, don't let me taint you."

"What's your friend's number?" He dug his nails into his palm, smirking at you even as you shot him a harsh glare and threw open your car door.

~.~

Jimin had planned to cut things off at the root--removing himself from the situation before it escalated. He had planned to never see you again; he avoided every possible path that may cross with yours. But as usual, life kept throwing you in his face and, since he was alone, he stopped fighting it for the moment.

He was working inside a coffee shop next to the floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed him to people watch. It was the only other place besides the tattoo shop that meshed well with his creativity. And since his members were currently in that day, he decided that some solitude at the cafe would be a better atmosphere for him.

But then you walked by the fucking window, crossing the street towards a nearby park. And you weren't alone.

It was a teenager, not a child, and she wasn't from the pictures Jimin remembered. Despite that, it was evident that she was in deep with Jimin's world based solely on how she held herself: like she was both fearless and afraid of everything at the same time.  She flinched anytime a person came near her--or even near you. But you were calm, it was part of that aura of yours that broke past barriers; you would smile down at her, smooth out her hair and suddenly the girl was giving you half-smiles, the tension in her shoulders releasing. You held your hand out to her and she took it, letting you lead her deeper into the park. As if to taunt Jimin, life kept you just within his view, the rays of your smile radiating heat through the window.

Jimin didn't remember picking up his pen, but suddenly he was staring at his sketchpad, watching the lines form without any aid from his mind. It was the beginnings of losing himself in his artwork, resulting in the clock swirling faster, the time shifting shadows on the sidewalk and yet, you were still in his line of sight. You were still there.

He didn't see nor feel the person behind him--he only became aware of their presence when they finally decided to speak.

"That's beautiful."

Jimin jolted from his art possession, his hands flying out to grab his drawing pad and reel it into his chest. He spun around like a wild man, his eyes connecting up with Yoorin's. She seemed almost sad as she looked down on him and his drawing.

Jimin suddenly forgot how to use language and could only stare up at her in confusion.

"You know," she said, "when I saw you here, I wanted to come yelling and screaming; I wanted to slam you against a wall and smack you until your pretty face was messed up. But then...then you just freaking sit there and draw some amazing shit like that?" She sighed, walking around the table to sit herself down in the empty seat across from him. She held her hands flat out on the table, her eyebrows raised. "May I?"

He slowly unfurled himself, handing her his sketchpad; it was too late after all--she'd already seen it. Now he could only wait and watch as her eyes roamed it.

"Where is it going to go?"

"Hm?" He found his foot tapped uncontrollably as his eyes tried to focus anywhere but out the window. You were sure to be there.

She raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes never leaving his face. "It's for a tattoo, right?"

Jimin opened his mouth, closed it--then repeated it once more until finally all he could do was stare at her.

Yoorin sighed, cocking her head to the side with a chuckle. "Even if it's not a tattoo it should be. This is gorgeous." She stared back at the drawing pad, running her fingers over the lines of the wings at if she could feel them etched into someone's skin. "Y/N--this is Y/N, right?" She didn't wait for an answer. "She'd love this."

"It's not--"

She dropped the pad to the table, her gaze incredulous. It was only when his drawing was back in his line of sight that Jimin could finally see the full picture.

It was you. There were no excuses to be found in the paper, nor in the pen marks that were hurried and purposeful--it was you. The woman pictured was just a shadowed silhouette looking over her shoulder--only the shape of hair and flecks of a smile and long, dark eyelashes could be distinguished other than the lines of her body. But what was remarkable about her was the way the flaming wings on her back stretched past her arm-span and lit up those few subtle features that made her you.

He found himself staring out the window, his eyes searching for you until they connected with your back as you ran after the girl who was laughing, throwing remarks over her shoulder that had you pausing to chuckle through heaving breaths. "She..." He swallowed. "Those scars...they're burn scars, right?"

Yoorin groaned to the gods of the ceiling. "Why can't you just be a real asshat? Why can't you just do this one thing and make me truly hate your fucking guts?"

Jimin couldn't look away from you. "I'm assuming you're here because she told you."

"That she saved your ass?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. No, that's not why I'm here. I'm here because she forced you to give up your switchblade and you let her. You let a girl who went calling her best friend in a panic because she didn't know what to do with a knife take it from you. You lost your blade to a girl who literally goes into a panic attack when she forgets to turn her phone off during a movie."

"Great. Yep. I did. What of it?"

"Do you like, Y/N?"  It was like the crack of a whip, a pipe fallen from the sky that pierced straight through his chest.

Jimin's lip curled instinctively as his head snapped away from the window, his glare fixating on her. "Why the fuck does everyone keep asking me that?"

Yoorin was unfazed by his sudden anger. "You should be thankful I'm even asking, I can see the answer in your face but I don't want to accept it. Do you like, Y/N?"

Jimin stared at her for one, long, hard moment before ripping his drawing pad from her grip. "I can't, so I don't."

"You're not good enough for her."

"I'm aware."

She cocked her head at him, rolling her tongue along her teeth. "What is with you? What happened to the bad boy that curses and makes women tremble in their shoes? What happened to the boy that beats the fuck out of anyone who gets in his way?"

"He was interrupted in the middle of drawing and has yet to fully resurface." Jimin snapped. "But if you want to bring him to the forefront just continue being annoying bitch, your looks are smokin' but they're not enough to stop me from putting a fork through your eye."

"Ah, there is he is." Yoorin chuckled.

"Why are you here?"

Yoorin tucked her hair behind her ears, as if she was prepping herself for the real blow that he already knew was coming.

"I wanted to tell you to stay away from her; I wanted to know if you like her or not because I need to know if I'll have to beat the shit out of you."

Jimin snorted, smirking at her. "Try me, sweet cheeks."

"I've got acrylics and I'm not afraid to break 'em in your skin." She flipped him off with one taloned finger.  

"I like it rough," he winked.

"You know it's so much less attractive knowing your goo-goo eyed over my best friend."

"I am--"

"Shut up." Yoorin cut him off. "Just shut up because I want to talk because it makes me feel better and I really need that right now. The fact that you like her makes me absolutely sick--because you're going to get her killed.  That girl...god that girl--you know, the craziest thing she has ever done is take off her seatbelt before the car was completely stopped and parked. I have always been the one to drag her into shit--this time...this time I will not let a fucking belly button piercing be the reason that she gets hurt. You are not allowed to pursue her--you understand?" She shook her head to clear her own memory demons before resetting her gaze on Jimin.  "Tell me that you don't like her. Tell me that you won't show her any nice sides of yourself--make her...tell me that you'll make her believe that you don't like her. Tell me that you won't let yourself like her."

"I don't give a shit about that fucking prude." But he hated the way that even he couldn't believe his own words.

Yoorin let out a humorless laugh. "You're fooling no one." She curled her hands on the table, staring at them instead; it seemed easier to cope if she didn't have to look at the monster. It was why Jimin hated mirrors. "Just...just promise me that even if you don't like her--even if your bullshit act is true and especially if it was false...don't let her die. Don't let my best friend get to the point where I don't know if I can bring her back. I-I can't see her like that again. I can't." Her voice cracked and in that moment, Jimin thought he was going to watch stone cry. You and Yoorin seemed like you were cut from the same cloth despite it all, you handled your emotions well--or at least bottled them neatly.

Jimin threw his head back, craning his stare to the ceiling. "You know I can't do that--in my line of business, you're asking for the impossible.

"I know," Yoorin murmured, "But humor me."

His fingers curled on his drawing pad. "I promise."

Yoorin smiled at him but it wasn't the same kind of warmth that yours had, there was no flip or drop to his stomach.

And he hated that; he wanted her smile to blow him farther away from you.

But it couldn't even compare.

"You're not as much of a douche as you make yourself out to be, you know that?"

"You know Jimin? There is no such thing as a pure person, not even you. They all die too quickly."

"No." He grunted. "I am an asshole--otherwise I would be dead."

~.~

Jimin had promised himself that he was only there to get his blade back, but by now he'd grown too smart to fool himself anymore. Before you waltzed into his shop in all of your prude glory, he could only remember those horrible days with Sooyoung--the pain of loving, losing, loving and losing over and over again until one of the two was dead.

But Sooyoung was at least a part of his world; she knew what she was getting into.

He threw his head back to lean against the brick, staring up at the sky to cloud-watch in hopes that it would make the time go by faster. He'd never really had a steady job aside from the tattoo/drug business, so he wasn't really sure what time you would get out of work--he just knew he wanted to be there when you did.

It must have come sooner than he thought, because suddenly he was startled by the loud bang of metal on brick and you were walking out without ever looking over your shoulder; it reminded him further of the fact that he shouldn't have been there. That you shouldn't have been there.

But he called out anyways. "Hey, idiot! You know, on these streets, you should really fucking look over your shoulder before casually walking to your car."

You whirled around; a beginning hint of a smile already on your face as if you knew it was him by just the sound of his voice. Your eyes were already scanning him for any injuries, not even questioning why he was here again. And god did they glitter--there was so much life inside of your eyes, so much in them that he never saw in Sooyoung's.

He couldn't think it was ugly.

He groaned, shaking his head at you. "Why the hell do you worry about other people so much?"

You shrugged, still giving him a closed mouth smile as you waited for him to explain why he was there. He hated that he could see the question on your face without you ever saying a word. He wanted to tease you, to squeeze and break and make you hate him, but at the same time he wanted you right before him. He wanted to be able to see your face when he felt like it.

That fact disgusted him.

"Give me my blade back."

"No." You cocked your head at him as if to say, 'that all?'

"Wow, not even a stutter?" He chuckled, trying to find the salt to kick into your wounds. "I'm surprised."

Your smile dropped but it was still in your gaze. "F-F-F-F-Fuck you."

"Nah, I don't want you to. You know who would be real great though? That Yoorin friend of yours that hunted my ass down the other day. God, you know she's just so--"

Your face dropped into annoyance and you reached up to pinch his nose, causing his voice to go squeaky before it cut off completely. He grabbed your wrists, holding them out away from him, resulting in your face being brought closer to his. "Goddamnit woman!" He shouted.

But you were giggling and god he thought it was too cute.

Cute.

Yes, you the goddamn prude were cute.

And that scared him, because wolves should never fall for the sheep they eat.

"You stupid bitch!"

"D-D-D-Dumbass."

"Oh go fuck off, whore."

"Mo-mother fu-fu-fucker."

"Stupid hoe."

"F-f-fuckboy."

It was stupid and childish and he didn't remember who started first, but suddenly you were both laughing and he had to let go of you before he did something he regretted. You folded over in half, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes from the force of your laughter.

"Us bad people, we taint the good, Jimin. Get away from me before it's too late."

"I really fucking hate you, you know that?" He snorted as you wiped the giggle tears from your eyes.

You only nodded up at him, bubbles of laughter still escaping your lips every now and then. "Th-that's f-fine."

There was a lot about you that he hated; but he hated your self-pity most. He hated the fact that you were fine being mistreated as if you didn't realized the effect you had on people.

And suddenly, he was angry--and it was fine by him because he needed to be angry with you. He needed to save you and to save you he had to make you hate him.

That would make you leave, right? That would make all the warnings he was given pan out correctly--neither of you would be hurt by him breaking you. It was a sweet hope, one that he thought he wasn't capable of anymore.

"How the hell is that fine? How are you just fine with being treated like shit? Are you fucking stupid?"

"M-m-maybe."

He wanted to make you eat those words, he wanted to wrap his hands around your throat and break what bones he could. He wanted to, he wanted to do it so badly and if it was anyone else, he could have.

But you were smiling.

"It's going to get you killed. Us, this place--these people that you surround yourself with--are all going to kill you. Why can't you see that?"

"Wh-wh-wh-why d-d-do you c-c-care?"

"Why don't you?"

You stared up at him so hopeless and lost that he wanted to erase that look from your face and replace it with your smile.

And he hated that he found himself wanting to protect that part of you.

He shook his head, throwing his hands up in the air as he backed away from you. "You're right, I don't care." His legs felt like running, but his body wouldn't let them. Instead he only turned and started towards his apartment.

That was, until you shouted to his back and stopped him in his tracks. "J-J-J-Jimin!! T-T-T-Thank you."

"For what?" He curled his lip at you over his shoulder, staring at you like you were absolutely crazy.

"B-B-B-B-Being you."

"You're fucking stupid."

You only smiled. "Y-Y-Y-Y-You too."

Jimin turned away from you for good this time, shaking his head as he wiped a hand down his face--part in exasperation, part in attempt to hide the redness to his face.

"Don't fall in love with me, Jimin." She whispered as she peppered kisses from his bellybutton up to his collar bone. "I'll just break your fucking heart."

[spockandawe]

I really need to stop saying that ‘I’ve got time and spoons now and it’s time to catch up!’ because I’m pretty sure it actually just means ‘look out, I’m about to be totally dead for a week or two’. But here I am, I’m not asleep yet, and I do like talking about nsfw character things.

Time to take on some of the more challenging characters from my inbox! First up is Nightbeat.

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Oh man, I’m a total sucker for any excuse to get people to cuddle, but I just can’t make it fit for Nightbeat. He’s no good at boredom, and understimulation is going to be really, really easy when you aren’t doing much but lying in a bed together. Unless you wear him out to the point of exhaustion and he drops asleep right afterwards, he’s going to be up and active. He can be affectionate and things too! But it has to come while he’s DOING something.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Ahhhh, this one’s tricky for everyone, EXTRA tricky for him. If we come at it from an angle of what body parts are most fun to focus on in bed, lemme think. For Nightbeat, if he had to pick ONE thing, it would be the face. Because like he did with Cyclonus, he can read an uncomfortably personal level of detail off all sorts of places if he wants, but the face is going to give away more about emotions in the moment than anywhere else. If he has to key in to any one thing, that’s the one. On the flip side, it’s a lot of fun to cover up his eyes and make him work harder for information. Because stuff in bed... there isn’t a SCRIPT, but there’s a fairly logical progression. Variety and Interesting Things are the way to keep him engaged, and it’s easier to stop him from getting ahead of the plot if you can slow him down and make him work for the information.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

This is a little abstract, but imagine, like... him breaking down the theory of what’s being expressed in the symbolism of a sex act. So like, imagine him getting a blowjob with the other person kneeling in front of him, and when he’s about to overload they pull off and Nightbeat comes all over their face. Nightbeat breaking down the MEANING behind the act in a way that people usually... don’t unless they’re me and writing about that kind of thing for fictional characters :V But if he’s able to talk through the ideas of submission, possession, surrender, marking, all that, he can access some emotional territory that really doesn’t come naturally to him :P

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Dirty secret. Hm. Probably he’s got a fantasy about being tied up and overstimulated to within an inch of his life, so much overwhelming sensation and exhaustion that he can’t even think anymore. Because he DOESN’T know how to stop his mind from constantly racing and problem-solving, and being forcibly knocked out of that headspace is something fascinating to think about. On the other hand, I don’t think he bothers sharing that, because pfft, someone who can overwhelm him enough to stop him from thinking? Can’t be done, he’s too brilliant, but it is interesting in the abstract. (don’t tell nautica, because that sounds like a challenge)

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Oh gosh. Let’s go with... not virginal. Experienced enough to know the basics, including the basics of a decent spread of kink stuff. But he’s never had a long-term thing, whether casual or emotional. In a casual setting, he doesn’t see the appeal, seems like an overall waste of time and energy when he can deal with the occasional urge on his own or find a quick hookup. He’s been vaguely interested in the relationship thing for a while, but there wasn’t anyone who was clicking with him that way, and it wasn’t an URGENT interest, so it’s slid for a long time.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Face to face, for sure, but within that I’m having trouble seeing any strong preferences. But having that face-to-face eye contact and such, it helps him stay engaged. Which is good! But he is prone to his mind kind of wandering off in whatever interesting new direction, and if he can keep himself focused on the scene and his partner, it’s more fun for both of them.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Oh my god, he’s a goof. It’s not very intentional, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously either. He acts however he acts, and can recognize the humor in being a kind of unusual person. He kind of enjoys gentle ribbing about the unintentionally-goofy things he does, because the other person is engaged and taking in information about him (the way he can’t help but constantly take in information about them), and is really processing and responding to that input. It’s not exactly the kind of decoding he does, but it’s close enough that he loves it. See: Nautica again,  I really, really love the way they interact.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He’s generally well-cleaned, but he doesn’t really seek out situations that would get him not-clean either. If he’s doing normal everyday things, he keeps up with stuff, but if he has a major hyperfocus thing going on, good luck getting him to keep up with food, sleepy, hygiene, any of it.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Oh my goodness, romantic is not the right word for Nightbeat XD He can be really sweet and caring, but I just can’t see him finding it important to perform romance. It’s kind of... not-necessary, to his way of thinking. He’s showing he cares in the important ways, and emotions are expressed there without setting aside actions to only Express Emotions. He’s attentive, as long as he’s interested and engaged, and if he’s sleeping with you, he probably does care enough to be plenty interested and engaged. Otherwise, why would he do it? Expressing DEEP, heartfelt emotions is probably a thing he dodges, because he doesn’t do emotional vulnerability very well, but that’s a whole other story.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Honestly, I’m not seeing it happen that much :P Physical urges happen, and sure, maybe he’ll sometimes act on them. But if there’s anything else that has his attention, getting himself off gets bumped to the back of the priority queue.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Ooh, this is going to come up a little under N, but I think that most of the kinks he has are centered around control. Either orders or bondage or laying out rules or whatever other thing. If someone can take control of him and make his decisions for him and take the steering wheel, that’s hot. If he can tie someone down and almost treat them like an experiment and methodically (sexily) break them down to an endpoint of one or more overloads, that’s hot. And fun. He doesn’t have much preference for topping/bottoming or subbing/domming, but he’s pretty easygoing within those bounds.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

No real preference? A place is a place, and unless bits of the setting are playing a role in the sex, the sex is about people and bodies. He just doesn’t much see why it matters.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

I think the best way to describe it would just be... being Interested in someone. If he’s interested and engaged and there’s mutual desire, hey, there we go. Hitting that point of interest and desire is the tricky bit, but once he’s decided someone is interesting and he likes them, that’s most of the hard part done. Have I said interesting enough times yet?

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Going from K, I think that where he stops being interested is when things go into the realm of like, painplay, humiliation, etc. Stuff that feels to him more about DOING a thing to a person, rather than it being a mutual activity. That’s not true depending on how you play, of course, but it’s where his interest stops. He doesn’t see much appeal in talking down to someone and telling them they’re just a toy for his pleasure. He’s fine with some pain within the context of something like bondage, but once it starts to escalate his interest drops.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Receiving, honestly. He’s not bad at giving, but oral sex is a fairly repetitive thing, and that’s not great for his boredom levels. It’s a bit of an issue sometimes in receiving too, but at least there he has more vision field to take things in, he doesn’t have to DO anything, and he can watch the other person, instead of getting just a close up view of the other person’s junk while he repeats a set of motions manymany times. He’ll give or receive without complaining, but it’s going to go better for everyone if it’s fast.

P = Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

Ummmm. Not fast, exactly. But not slow. I think getting him to either speed extreme would have to be coming from his partner, and wouldn’t be his pick. On his own, I think he moves at a reasonable clip, but it’s definitely not rushed, and it’s pretty measured. He wants to Do A Thing and observe the reaction and continue Doing Things. If it was a slow scene, boredom. If it’s fast, he’s not getting enough time to look at the interesting bits.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He’s totally down, but I doubt he’ll initiate often. Honestly, I think he rarely initiates period, but he’s usually pretty open and receptive. It’s fun, it’s not something he would have asked for on his own, but he’s more than happy to roll with it.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Game to experiment, but only if he intellectually can see the appeal first, because otherwise, why would he want to do the thing? So someone trying to explain why they like being objectified, he probably wouldn’t click any further than ‘I don’t GET it, but I guess I’ll take your word’. But if you can get him engaged with the idea of a kink and why it’s hot, he’s probably down.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He lasts a reasonably long amount of time, and I think he’s good for multiple rounds, but not with a very fast refractory period. He’s got stamina, but he’s not really designed for marathon sex (and he’d probably get bored before then and cut things short, tbh)

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

If he owns a toy, it’s a pretty basic model that he doesn’t mind losing or leaving behind somewhere :P He doesn’t see much appeal in sex without the connection of a partner, and he doesn’t see much appeal in toys when he’s already got two good hands right here.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Oooh, he wouldn’t think it was teasing, but he can be GOOD at this. If he gets into the mode where his partner is an experiment, where he provides an input and observes the reaction. Imagine him doing a SUPER thorough, methodical breakdown of everything about them. He could make this last for a long, LONG time. A long, SEXY time. Heck, even if he just got interested in how edging affects a person, he can be very patient as long as he’s getting interesting results.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Not too loud, I think. He can get vocal, but I think it runs more towards lots of words at a very moderate volume. If you can get him into just making noises and not words, you know you’ve done a good job with him.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

There’s a fic I’ve wanted to write for ages, with Nautica having Nightbeat either tied up and gagged, or tied up and blindfolded, and having the personal challenge of keeping someone like him engaged and getting past a bit of the built-in self-control and giving him an EXPERIENCE. Given enough history between them and how the trust and openness is balanced out, she could totally pull off that fantasy about getting so overstimulated he can’t even think anymore.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

It’s not low, but... it’s a low priority. If a partner wants it, that bumps it up the priority queue. If nothing prompts him, there’s lots of other interesting stuff he could be spending time on.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

NOT very. Unless you get him straight-up exhausted, he’s up and on his feet and MOVING as soon as he can manage. He’ll eventually wind down and come back to bed, if it’s night, but he doesn’t get sleepy after sex, he gets active.

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

May is Memphis’ monthlong civic celebration of music, barbecue, and ridiculous good times. As is tradition, here are the I Love Memphis ABCs of Memphis in May to help you get prepared for all the festivities, updated for 2020. A is for Art: Every year, Memphis in May releases a fine art poster commemorating that year’s featured country. The honored country for 2020 is the Republic of Ghana, and this year’s featured artist is Carl Moore. A is also for app: Memphis in May has two apps that you need to download: the Beale Street Music Fest app (just search “Beale Street Music Fest” in the App Store, a 2020 update is coming in March) and the LiveSafe app, which really, y’all DO download this. The latter is for our safety and is the only way for the organizers to communicate with everybody about schedule changes, weather (the park was on lockdown last year during WCBCC due to lightning), and other concerns. B is for Barbecue: The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (commonly called the “BBQ Fest” but it is first and foremost a cooking competition) is a magical time when pit-masters from all over converge on Tom Lee Park to slow cook pork (and chicken and alligator and anything else that can fit on a grill). It’s happening May , 2019 and tickets are $10 per day. C is for Cash: Bring some. You’re going to need it for food, beer, parking and any extras you plan on picking up. In theory, vendors have card machines and there are ATMs, but do not count on those working. D is for Don’t drink and drive: Finding a hotel room might be kind of dicey at this point, but you have several options for getting around safely if you plan to imbibe. A) Make a friend who lives in 38103 and make their place your home base. B) Program this number into your phone: (901) 577-7777 – it’s the local cab company. Pro-tip: If you’re calling a cab, call about an hour before you’re ready to leave since they’re going to be busy. C) Use ride-sharing apps Uber or Lyft. Just prepare for waiting and surge pricing, which isn’t that bad. I’ve walked somewhere downtown to grab some food and let the surge pricing settle out. Easy! There is no reason in the year 2020 to drink and drive, so stop letting your friends risk their life and license because they can’t be bothered to wait 15 minutes and pay about as much as it costs to park your car in most cities to call a car home. /rant E is for Embrace the insanity: Memphis in May is a giant, month-long party, so treat it as such. There’s no point in getting upset about little things (weather, drunk people, waiting, road closures, whatever). Take a deep breath and reach a place of acceptance and tolerance for the festival’s inborn quirks and you’ll have a great time no matter what. F is for food: There are food vendors of all kinds – ice cream, vendor (not competition) barbecue, tacos, funnel cake, lemonade, Pronto Pups – at all of the MIM events at Tom Lee Park. Make it your mission to try one of everything. Check out some of the awesome food vendors from BSMF 2019 here. G is also for galoshes, aka Rain Boots: The weather is unpredictable, and you’re not going to want to walk around in flip flops (or heels – c’mon people, use some common sense) so go with some sneakers you don’t mind getting muddy, or the traditional shoe of Memphis in May: the mighty rainboot. I’d take some plastic ponchos as well. H is for Have a plan: Don’t depend on cell service to connect you with pals, because the last few years it’s basically impossible to get through via text or phone calls, especially during Beale Street Music Fest. Instead, make a plan of when and where to meet or what to do if you get separated from your group. Some folks even bring walkie talkies. I is for International Festival: The “I” in Memphis In May stands for “International”, and each year a country is recognized with events, food, music, educational programs and more. For 2020, Memphis In May will honor the Republic of Ghana throughout the month. Check out the cultural events, performances and eating opportunities and be proud that you learned something during the festival. J is for Judges at Barbecue Fest World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest: It’s a cruel irony when all of Tom Lee Park smells like a barbecue sandwich and you can’t technically have any of it. Due to health department rules, barbecue contest cooking team tents are treated like private parties (meaning they’re invite only, and you can’t just walk in and buy food and eat). The only people who get to sample the teams’ cooking without an invite are the festival’s highly trained team of judges. K is for Know someone on a Barbecue Team: These are the solutions to the problem presented above. a) Know someone on a BBQ team: If you do know someone, though, don’t abuse it. If your buddies are willing to let you in, awesome, but don’t try to bring a pack of friends with you. Also, mind your manners: your barbecue team friend is doing you a favor, so you should be as low maintenance as possible and definitely tip. b) You can also buy “BBQ Alley” tickets  in addition to your $10+fees Barbecue Cooking Competition admission ticket. This relatively new portion of the event started in 2017. Read all the fine print and get tickets here once they are released (scroll down to the BBQ Alley section). L is for Lineup: Or at least part of it. After years of making us wait (and teasing us with weird clues on social media), Beale Street Music Festival organizers released some of the bands in December, and the rest announced in February. See the full lineup of Memphis In May music fest bands here. More than 60 artists and bands that will grace the stages on the banks of the Mississippi. Headliners for BSMF 2020 include The Lumineers, Lil Wayne, Weezer, Three 6 Mafia, DaBaby, The Avett Brothers, Three 6 Mafia, and The 1975. See more rock, hip hop, blues, and pop bands on the full lineup. M is for Music Fest: The Beale Street Music Festival (May 1-3, 2020) is the official start of the Memphis in May madness. Check the lineup list here. The times and stages schedule will be shared closer to the date of the event. Adarryll Jackson, Jr. M is also for Mighty Lights: We got fancy lights on our bridges, now, y’all! There’ll be good views of these nightly light shows from Tom Lee Park during Memphis in May events. N is for You Need To Bring Some Things: OK, this is probably not the most clever N phrase, but I wanted to let you know what you’re allowed to bring into the park: Read the rules about what you can/can’t bring to BSMF here. Read more about WCBCC permitted items here. O is for Overheated: You’re going to be outside in a park with little shade in Memphis in May. Even if it’s not crazy hot outside, it’s still easy to get overheated. Drink water, find a cool place to sit, and quit when your body tells you to. P is for Parking: Parking in one of the downtown lots or garages for Memphis in May can get a little pricey, so bring cash. If you’re willing to walk a bit, there might be some free parking to be had on the northern and southern ends of downtown. Usually the trolleys are running late. Better yet, don’t fool with parking and and head back up to letter “D” above for tips on using rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft. Photo by I Love Memphis Q is for Que-related Dance Contest: Don’t miss the Miss Piggy Idol contest on Thursday at the Barbecue Cooking Contest. There are costumes, there are props, there are men in dresses singing songs whose lyrics have been modified to be about pork. I am still laughing about a rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” that became “Beans ‘n’ Slaw” several years ago. R is for Run, Great American: The Great American River Run is a 5K, 10K, and half-marathon on May 23, 2020 with a course taking you through downtown and along the Mighty Mississippi in all its glory. Learn more here. S is for Shoes, Sunscreen, and Sunglasses: Wear real shoes. Memphis in May is no place for cute footwear. No flip flops, no heels. Think old sneakers, all-weather boots, something like that. The park is a mile long, and I’ve seen many a sad, abandoned single flip flop languishing in the mud. Also, don’t be one of those people “working on your tan” and just go ahead and wear that sunscreen (and sunglasses!) They will have sunscreen stations this year, too. T is for Tip in barbecue fest booths: Barbecue team booths are crazy expensive. If you get a tent invite, the least you can do is toss a $20+ in the jar for the bartender (especially if the drinks are free). U is for Umbrellas not allowed: Wear a poncho or modify a Hefty Bag instead if rain gear is needed. V is for Vendors: Beale Street Music Fest will have vendors of kinds selling festival merch, apparel, accessories, and more, in addition to plenty of food and drink. W is for Water: Dehydration sucks, and it’s easily preventable. Start hydrating a few days before you head to Music Fest or BBQ Competition. During the festivals, a good rule is one bottle of water / big glass of water for every big beer. X is for X-citing to see all those bands: I know I’m cheating with the X on this one, but the point is that the lineup has a lot going on. See the list here. Y is for You’re going to need a break: At some point, you will need a break from the festival. It’s more than ok to leave Tom Lee Park for a little bit and grab a snack (and a seat) at any of the restaurants downtown. You can leave and re-enter the park one time, just be back at least two hours before it shuts down. Z is for Ziploc baggies: Put your phone (and anything else that doesn’t need to come in contact with water) in a Ziploc baggie before you stash it in your pocket or bag. It sounds low tech, but isn’t a bad idea especially if you don’t want to bother with a purse. If you’ve got any other tips, please leave them in the comments. All photos by Joey Miller unless otherwise noted. Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

https://ilovememphisblog.com/2020/02/abcs-of-memphis-in-may-2018-edition/

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

May is Memphis’ monthlong civic celebration of music, barbecue, and ridiculous good times. As is tradition, here are the I Love Memphis ABCs of Memphis in May to help you get prepared for all the festivities, updated for 2020. A is for Art: Every year, Memphis in May releases a fine art poster commemorating that year’s featured country. The honored country for 2020 is the Republic of Ghana. While we wait for the 2020 fine art poster to be released, take a look at last year’s piece by local artist Evelina Dillon. Memphis was the honored “country” last year to celebrate the city’s bicentennial. A is also for app: Memphis in May has two apps that you need to download: the Beale Street Music Fest app (just search “Beale Street Music Fest” in the App Store) and the LiveSafe app, which really, y’all DO download this. The latter is for our safety and is the only way for the organizers to communicate with everybody about schedule changes, weather (the park was on lockdown last year during WCBCC due to lightning), and other concerns. B is for Barbecue: The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (commonly called the “BBQ Fest” but it is first and foremost a cooking competition) is a magical time when pit-masters from all over converge on Tom Lee Park to slow cook pork (and chicken and alligator and anything else that can fit on a grill). It’s happening May , 2019 and tickets are $10 per day. C is for Cash: Bring some. You’re going to need it for food, beer, parking and any extras you plan on picking up. In theory, vendors have card machines and there are ATMs, but do not count on those working. D is for Don’t drink and drive: Finding a hotel room might be kind of dicey at this point, but you have several options for getting around safely if you plan to imbibe. A) Make a friend who lives in 38103 and make their place your home base. B) Program this number into your phone: (901) 577-7777 – it’s the local cab company. Pro-tip: If you’re calling a cab, call about an hour before you’re ready to leave since they’re going to be busy. C) Use ride-sharing apps Uber or Lyft. Just prepare for waiting and surge pricing, which isn’t that bad. I’ve walked somewhere downtown to grab some food and let the surge pricing settle out. Easy! There is no reason in the year 2020 to drink and drive, so stop letting your friends risk their life and license because they can’t be bothered to wait 15 minutes and pay about as much as it costs to park your car in most cities to call a car home. /rant E is for Embrace the insanity: Memphis in May is a giant, month-long party, so treat it as such. There’s no point in getting upset about little things (weather, drunk people, waiting, road closures, whatever). Take a deep breath and reach a place of acceptance and tolerance for the festival’s inborn quirks and you’ll have a great time no matter what. F is for food: There are food vendors of all kinds – ice cream, vendor (not competition) barbecue, tacos, funnel cake, lemonade, Pronto Pups – at all of the MIM events at Tom Lee Park. Make it your mission to try one of everything. Check out some of the awesome food vendors from BSMF 2019 here. G is also for galoshes, aka Rain Boots: The weather is unpredictable, and you’re not going to want to walk around in flip flops (or heels – c’mon people, use some common sense) so go with some sneakers you don’t mind getting muddy, or the traditional shoe of Memphis in May: the mighty rainboot. I’d take some plastic ponchos as well. H is for Have a plan: Don’t depend on cell service to connect you with pals, because the last few years it’s basically impossible to get through via text or phone calls, especially during Beale Street Music Fest. Instead, make a plan of when and where to meet or what to do if you get separated from your group. Some folks even bring walkie talkies. I is for International Festival: The “I” in Memphis In May stands for “International”, and each year a country is recognized with events, food, music, educational programs and more. For 2020, Memphis In May will honor the Republic of Ghana throughout the month. Check out the cultural events, performances and eating opportunities and be proud that you learned something during the festival. J is for Judges at Barbecue Fest World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest: It’s a cruel irony when all of Tom Lee Park smells like a barbecue sandwich and you can’t technically have any of it. Due to health department rules, barbecue contest cooking team tents are treated like private parties (meaning they’re invite only, and you can’t just walk in and buy food and eat). The only people who get to sample the teams’ cooking without an invite are the festival’s highly trained team of judges. K is for Know someone on a Barbecue Team: These are the solutions to the problem presented above. a) Know someone on a BBQ team: If you do know someone, though, don’t abuse it. If your buddies are willing to let you in, awesome, but don’t try to bring a pack of friends with you. Also, mind your manners: your barbecue team friend is doing you a favor, so you should be as low maintenance as possible and definitely tip. b) You can also buy “BBQ Alley” tickets  in addition to your $10+fees Barbecue Cooking Competition admission ticket. This relatively new portion of the event started in 2017. Read all the fine print and get tickets here once they are released (scroll down to the BBQ Alley section). L is for lineup Is Announced Early: Or at least part of it. After years of making us wait (and teasing us with weird clues on social media), Beale Street Music Festival organizers released some of the bands in December! (Just in time for tickets as holiday gifts, eh?) Sixteen of the more than 60 artists and bands that will grace the stages on the banks of the Mississippi. Headliners for BSMF 2020 include The Lumineers, Lil Wayne, The Avett Brothers, Three 6 Mafia. Check out what else we know so far here. M is for Music Fest: The Beale Street Music Festival (May 1-3, 2020) is the official start of the Memphis in May madness. Check the lineup list here. The times and stages schedule will be shared closer to the date of the event. Adarryll Jackson, Jr. M is also for Mighty Lights: We got fancy lights on our bridges, now, y’all! There’ll be good views of these nightly light shows from Tom Lee Park during Memphis in May events. N is for You Need To Bring Some Things: OK, this is probably not the most clever N phrase, but I wanted to let you know what you’re allowed to bring into the park: Read the rules about what you can/can’t bring to BSMF here. Read more about WCBCC permitted items here. O is for Overheated: You’re going to be outside in a park with little shade in Memphis in May. Even if it’s not crazy hot outside, it’s still easy to get overheated. Drink water, find a cool place to sit, and quit when your body tells you to. P is for Parking: Parking in one of the downtown lots or garages for Memphis in May can get a little pricey, so bring cash. If you’re willing to walk a bit, there might be some free parking to be had on the northern and southern ends of downtown. Usually the trolleys are running late. Better yet, don’t fool with parking and and head back up to letter “D” above for tips on using rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft. Photo by I Love Memphis Q is for Que-related Dance Contest: Don’t miss the Miss Piggy Idol contest on Thursday at the Barbecue Cooking Contest. There are costumes, there are props, there are men in dresses singing songs whose lyrics have been modified to be about pork. I am still laughing about a rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” that became “Beans ‘n’ Slaw” several years ago. R is for Run, Great American: The Great American River Run is a 5K and half-marathon on May 23, 2020 with a course taking you through downtown and along the Mighty Mississippi in all its glory. Learn more here. S is for Shoes, Sunscreen, and Sunglasses: Wear real shoes. Memphis in May is no place for cute footwear. No flip flops, no heels. Think old sneakers, all-weather boots, something like that. The park is a mile long, and I’ve seen many a sad, abandoned single flip flop languishing in the mud. Also, don’t be one of those people “working on your tan” and just go ahead and wear that sunscreen (and sunglasses!) They will have sunscreen stations this year, too. T is for Tip in barbecue fest booths: Barbecue team booths are crazy expensive. If you get a tent invite, the least you can do is toss a $20+ in the jar for the bartender (especially if the drinks are free). U is for Umbrellas not allowed: Wear a poncho or modify a Hefty Bag instead if rain gear is needed. V is for Vendors: Beale Street Music Fest will have vendors of kinds selling festival merch, apparel, accessories, and more, in addition to plenty of food and drink. W is for Water: Dehydration sucks, and it’s easily preventable. Start hydrating a few days before you head to Music Fest or BBQ Competition. During the festivals, a good rule is one bottle of water / big glass of water for every big beer. X is for X-citing to see all those bands: I know I’m cheating with the X on this one, but the point is that the lineup has a lot going on. See the list here. Y is for You’re going to need a break: At some point, you will need a break from the festival. It’s more than ok to leave Tom Lee Park for a little bit and grab a snack (and a seat) at any of the restaurants downtown. You can leave and re-enter the park one time, just be back at least two hours before it shuts down. Z is for Ziploc baggies: Put your phone (and anything else that doesn’t need to come in contact with water) in a Ziploc baggie before you stash it in your pocket or bag. It sounds low tech, but isn’t a bad idea especially if you don’t want to bother with a purse. If you’ve got any other tips, please leave them in the comments. All photos by Joey Miller unless otherwise noted. Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

https://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/12/abcs-of-memphis-in-may-2018-edition/