#Wired $100K

[hotpinkrathian]

Well, as promised, I have posted the past EIGHT chapters of a United Front.

My total word count, after the epilogue, is 118 THOUSAND words... color me speechless.

Thank you to everyone that embarked on this little journey of mine with me, your comments and Kudos have meant the world while I was going through a tough time.

So, please allow me to pitch my fic to everyone following the #Kyalin tag one last time.

A completed, 100k + mystery Kyalin Slowburn. You have angst, you have pining, there is smut there is badass bending from both Lin AND Kya. There is sacrifice and reconciliation. Politics and relationships and morality.

This is a little piece of me and I think it says a lot about who I am and what my values are. So of you're bored, and looking for something to read, I hope you'll consider A United Front

[efingart]

Just What I Needed - Chapter 21

ao3

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty

The low rumble of the train was almost soothing. After spending a day and a half in and out of fighting sleep, Bell could feel her eyelids growing heavy again. Leaning forward onto her elbows, she allowed her body to sway with the train. She had even gotten used to the feeling of sitting on the cold, stiff bench. 

Used to the smell of the overpacked compartment. 

Or maybe she had just gone numb. 

She closed her eyes and ran her fingers over her knuckles. Her skin was so dry it threatened to crack at the slightest movement. Wrapped around her fingers were dirty bandages dusted with smoke, dirt, and blood.

A woman sitting across from Bell coughed. She opened her eyes at the sound. She couldn’t distinguish the coughing woman from the others on the bench facing her. 

They were now shadows of themselves, blending together as gray figures wrapped in lumps of cloth. 

Hours ago, when they boarded the train, there was panic, exciting talking, and bargaining. But after a while, they collectively settled into a resigned silence. 

Even their clothing, at first a jumble of muted color palettes and patterns, seemed to have taken on the gray mood.

The women were all aware of what awaited them at their destination.

And that most would never make it out again.

Bell hunched her shoulders and pulled her coat around her, gripping the fabric tightly in her fist. The skin on her knuckles split. Blood ran down the back of her hand. She wiped away it on her dark coat. The red stood out too much in this gray world. 

She hissed against the sting and took in a deep breath. At least it no longer hurt to breathe. 

The last time she had been able to shower, she noted that the bruises were slowly fading to yellow. 

They caught her relatively quickly after she ran from the airport. 

She thought they would kill her for her desertion. They had come close enough.  

But instead, they brought her back and threw her into a cell. They kept her in near darkness with no visitors except for the occasional anonymous guards. They never said a word to her. 

Maybe they were worried that she would tell them why she did what she did. Put ideas into their heads. A special forces operative refused a mission. Like that was an option. Refused to force the ideology on those who didn’t want it. 

When they secreted her away in the night, she thought for sure her time had come. But when they loaded her on the train with these other women, she knew her punishment would be far worse. They were going north. They hadn’t killed her because they wanted her to suffer. Keep her half alive in a prison camp with little hope of escape.  

Where she could spend her days slowly wasting away, a drawn-out death only fitting for a dissident, she would die there, buried in an unmarked grave, never to be spoken of again. 

Would she do it again?

Yes.

The train jerked as they hit a curve. Bell braced a hand against the wall next to her to steady herself. The woman beside her was caught entirely off guard and slammed into her. Bell grunted softly at the sudden impact but managed to grab the woman in time to keep her from falling forward.

Once it seemed that the train was headed along a straight stretch of tracks again, Bell let go.

The woman muttered what sounded like a “thanks.” And they both settled back into their seats as if nothing had happened. 

Bell sighed and pulled her coat tighter around herself. 

She looked away from the compartment and through the honeycomb fencing separating them from the passageway through the car. She had picked this spot to be able to keep an eye on the guards as they walked through on patrol. 

Also, the air was the freshest here. 

Coldest too. 

Actually, the air was foul no matter where she sat, but at least she could turn her head to the side and not get a noseful of someone’s ripe stink. 

However, body odor was the least of their concerns when it was, to her best guess, five to six hours between bathroom breaks.

By counting those and the guard patrol, she at least had a vague idea of the time they had spent on the train. She imagined it was still a few days until the next stop and just under a month until they reached the end of the line.

A woman across from Bell stood up, drawing the eyes of everyone in the car. She placed her hands on the metal luggage shelf above the bench and stretched her back. 

The stretch looked good. Some of the other women started to move as well. No one else stood, but a small wave of shoulder rolling and leg flexing made its way through the car. 

Suddenly, very briefly, the gray women were in color again. 

But Bell stayed in place. A patrol would be coming through soon, and she didn’t want to risk catching the attention of a guard. She quickly rolled her shoulders before settling back into her hunched position—nothing to see here.

“...how long?” The woman next to her rasped. 

Bell pretended not to hear her.

“How long until the next stop?” She hissed again. 

“How should I know?” Bell hissed back. 

Fuck maybe she should have let her fall. 

She wasn’t interested in making a new friend on the train and now was not a good time to get caught up in a conversation.

The voice sighed. Bell couldn’t tell if it was exasperation or exhaustion. 

Maybe a little of both. 

Leaning back against the compartment wall, she stared dead-eyed at the floor. 

So far, she had avoided any trouble from the guards. It was already a long trip, longer still, if the guards caught wind of who she was and why she was here. They must not have known. To them, she was just another anonymous woman on her way to work until she died. 

As expected, the door between the cars creaked open. 

The guard stepped through, brandishing a baton which he dragged along the metal fencing. The rattling sound filled the compartment. Anyone who had been managing sleep would have been jolted awake. The standing woman quickly took her seat.

In the compartment just before hers, she could hear a low murmur building.

The women there were pleading with the guard.

They were desperate. They must still have some fight in them to beg for any small comforts: water, food, bathroom breaks.

But trying to extract any sympathy from these assholes was fruitless.

If they hadn’t been chosen picked for their lack of empathy, the job quickly sucked it out of them. 

She noted that this guard, in particular, didn’t just lack empathy. He relished in their misery. With every patrol, his eyes seemed brighter, and there was a developing spring in his step. 

As the prisoners faded away, he was coming to life. 

Feeding on their pain and hopelessness. 

The guard stopped walking. He took a wide stance as he faced that first compartment seeming to listen to their pleas.

The voice of one woman was louder than the rest. 

Bell suspected she was standing in front of the fence. She could almost picture her standing there gripping the honeycomb for balance. Delicate fingers curled through the holes, exposed to the passageway. 

The guard cocked his head to the side. Pushed his lower lip out—a mask of sympathy. 

He nodded as he listened. The cigarette dangling from his lips bobbed with the movement of his head. 

A nod that seemed to say he understood. That he would try to get her what she needed. 

Bell could hear the relief in her voice. The woman was buying it. 

Pinching the end of the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, the guard took a drag before stubbing it out on the side of the train. 

He never stopped looking at the compartment. He must have been holding eye contact with the pleading woman. 

Then he did something unexpected. 

He grinned. 

And the pleading stopped. 

Because the grin plastered on his face was cruel and ugly. 

And too late, the woman had realized her mistake.

A scream like no other peeled through the car. Sharp. Visceral. It sent a chill up Bell’s spine. 

The guard had brought down his baton on the fence. 

On the woman’s fingers. 

Bell could see them in her mind, broken, swelling. The pain and the shock keeping her from bending them to get them out of the way as the guard swung again. 

Deep aching sobs followed by soft, soothing voices. The other women in the compartment must be trying to help her.

The guard glanced at the compartment one last time before chuckling and continuing his patrol.

As he approached, Bell saw a few women around her hide their hands in their coat sleeves. But once his shadow darkened their compartment, everyone stopped moving. Breathing shallowed to minimize the rise and fall of their chests. 

Their collective terror seemed to encourage him. The cruel grin on his face widened. 

He was a man who likely was not respected when he was out of uniform. Plain-faced, average build, easily lost in a crowd of people. 

But when he donned the uniform, he felt like someone.

A part of something. 

Justified in his cruel nature.

He tapped his baton against the metal, snickering when some women jumped at the unexpected sound. 

“You,” The guard said, pointing to the woman sitting next to Bell.

She did not look up. 

Well, that would piss him off.

Bell tensed.

That might motivate him to come into the compartment. He could be so overconfident, spurned on by his treatment of the last woman, that he thinks the women of this car wouldn’t challenge him that they’d allow him to drag the blonde out. 

“I’m talking to you,” He growled. 

The blonde pressed her hands firmly into the bench. Holding herself steady. 

Bravery?

Or terror?

Bell crawled her fingers up the bench and just brushed the back of the woman’s hand with her pinky. 

Silently telling her that she was there for her. Not that the blonde would know what that meant. 

“Get up.”

The woman did not get up. She briefly touched Bell’s pinky before moving her hand away. 

The guard went for his keys. 

“I’ll get you out of here,” Bell whispered. 

The blonde’s head moved slowly, an almost imperceptible nod. 

The keys rattled against the box covering the lock. Then it clicked. 

Bell let out a few steady breaths as she watched the guard take a single step into the compartment. 

The ear-piercing sound of metal grinding against metal split through the air. It would echo in Bell’s head long after the sound stopped. 

The sickening sound of bodies slamming against the walls and floor reverberated through the compartment. 

A force threw Bell against the back wall of the compartment. Someone slammed into her. 

Then the lights went out.

Muffled sounds of agony carried to her ears.

A growing heat radiated on her forehead. 

Blinking, she saw that the lights were back on. 

She could hear the shallow sound of someone’s final breaths somewhere nearby.  

Bell grunted. There was something heavy on top of her.

Someone.

She braced her hands below her body to lift herself. One hand against the floor, the other ended up on something soft, which gave a little as she pressed into it. There may have been a little sound like an oof. But she couldn’t be sure.

Don’t think about it.

Her forehead throbbed with dull pain as she stood up. 

The heavy thing slid off of her back and fell away, landing somewhere with a muffled thump. 

Her arms and her back ached. Carefully rising, she took in her surroundings in a daze. 

Bodies.

Fresh drops of red dotted the bodies, staining the clothes and the dead faces as Bell looked down to observe them. She could feel it now, hot blood rolling down her face, dropping off at her jawline and chin. It stuck to her hair, droplets forming like red dew at the end of each strand. 

Head wounds always bleed so much. 

Bell grabbed the edge of her shirt and began to rip part of the fabric. The motion set her off balance. She backed into the fence with a metallic clatter. 

Tearing away a piece of her shirt, she applied pressure to where she thought the wound was, hoping to stop the bleeding. Leaning against the fence, she looked at the scene before her. 

A few lone figures lay draped over the benches, but most of them ended up somewhere in the middle of the floor. 

In the tangle of limbs and clothing, she could barely make out one person from the next. They had come together as this new thing—this dead lumpy mass. 

Dead lumpy mass that broke your fall. 

As her eyes focused on the group, her gaze passed over someone still alive. Reaching out to her. Chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. 

There was nothing she could do for her. 

Then slowly, the arm lowered, the eyelids drooped, and the breathing stopped.

The quiet in the compartment filled her ears. 

It was consuming after the hours of the rattle of the train. 

And it was quickly broken by a soft groan. 

One of the bodies began to rise from the pile.

Bell recognized her.

The blonde. 

She staggered over to Bell, grabbing her waist to steady herself. Bell wrapped an arm around the woman, holding her at the armpit to keep her still.

“We need to get out,” Bell said, her voice failing her on the last word. Her chapped lips cracked as she spoke. The sides of her mouth stung as tiny cuts appeared on her dry skin.

The blonde nodded but looked back to the other women.

“We can’t-” Bell cleared her throat, “-can’t do anything for them.”

It was harsh, but she wasn’t even sure she could carry herself out. She needed to focus on getting out of this compartment, off the train, and then away to somewhere. 

She’d figure it out.  

Bell exhaled. Gripping the fence, she turned slowly to look down the passageway.  The guard lay dead. Stuck between the door and one of two large metal containers that must have slid down the corridor during the crash. The door to their compartment had been hung to swing outward. But at some point during the crash, it had been forced inwards, creating enough of a gap for part of the guard’s body to wedge itself in the opening. 

Bell pushed on the body to get it out of the way. The exertion caused her head to throb again.

And the damn door wouldn’t even budge. 

Bell took in a deep breath. She was about to try the door again when the blonde tapped her shoulder. 

“You’re bleeding.”

Bell sighed in annoyance. She knew that. 

Why was this woman wasting her time like this?

Couldn’t she tell they needed to get out?

Ignoring her irritation, the blonde produced a square of wool and a loop of thinner fabric and began wrapping it around her head. Bell held the material in place over her wound as the blonde worked. 

With a glance at the pile of bodies, she realized she did not want to think about where the other woman got the fabric.

The blonde finished wrapping and tied it off in a knot at the back of Bell’s head. 

She barely muttered a thanks before saying, “I need your help.”

The other woman staggered over and pushed against the body with her.  The metal containers shifted, firmly bracing against the opposite wall. 

“Fuck,” Bell exclaimed. 

She was sure that surviving guards would be patrolling the cars soon, checking for their fallen comrades, survivors, and any potential escapees. 

And if the train still had a working radio, they would be calling for trucks to transport them all to the next station. 

The time to leave was now. Especially when they still had the darkness for cover.

Mustering their strength, they pushed again. The metal groaned. It felt like it was starting to give. And then nothing.

“Fuck!” Bell shouted.

Bell slammed her fists on the fencing. 

It was almost enough.

The utter exhaustion.

The pain in her body, her head. 

What was the fucking point?

If she got out, what would she go back to? She had nothing. 

Nothing to look forward to.

Always watching her back. Because eventually they’d hunt her down, and then maybe they’d kill her.

The blonde touched her shoulder again.

“We have to keep trying,” She urged. 

Bell nodded. She looked at the door. Looked at the body. 

“Pull on the door,” Bell instructed, then she sat on the floor and placed her hands behind her. 

The blonde stared at her, confused. 

“The door doesn’t-”

“I know. Pull on it anyway.”

The other women clearly didn’t think it would make any difference, but she pulled on the door.

With both feet, Bell kicked the body. 

“Pull harder.”

The blonde moved her feet closer to the door and adjusted her hands. She leaned back as she pulled. The metal groaned in protest. Bell kicked again. And again. 

And the body moved. And then the containers moved. 

And the door snapped back into place. 

Bell stood up and pushed on it. It swung out into the passageway. 

Both women breathed a sigh of relief. 

“The keys,” Bell said, bending over the guard’s body. The keys were still in his hand. 

She tossed them to the blonde.

“Let people out as we go. If anyone is alive.” 

The blonde looked stunned at the idea, but she nodded. 

Bell searched the guard. 

He carried a knife, a pistol, and his baton. 

Bell pocketed the knife and held on to the pistol. She handed the baton to the blonde. 

The compartment ahead of them looked in even worse shape. Blood splatter dotted the walls. Broken bodies everywhere. She couldn’t see any movement inside.

“Stay low. Unlock the door. Give them a chance, at least.”

Though she doubted that any of them were alive. 

They moved to the end of the passageway. Bell opened the door between the cars. The air outside was cold, but other than the wind and the occasional creak of metal, it seemed eerily quiet. Surviving guards might still be trying to regroup. Figure out what happened and make a plan. They were moving a bit slower than she had expected. Maybe they hadn’t even radioed for assistance yet. 

Bell surveyed the area around them. A soft layer of snow dusted the ground, except for a large section where one of the cars ahead had jumped the tracks and dragged across the dirt. 

Small snow flurries fell, attempting to settle in the upturned earth, but the fresh ground was too warm for them to accumulate just yet.

Bell peered through the window of the next car. It was dark inside. 

Unable to see anyone, she carefully pushed down on the handle. The door groaned, opening slightly but stopped short. It was stuck. She leaned her body weight against it, and as the door gave way, she could hear fabric skimming the floor on the other side. 

As she entered the car, she stepped over a slumped-over body that must have been blocking the door. 

“Wouldn’t it be easier to go back? Or leave the train?”

Bell shook her head. They’d certainly run into guards back there. The majority of the survivors would be back there too. Maybe it was just paranoia, but things seemed too coincidental for her. A train crash? That happens. 

But in the dead of night? 

In the middle of nowhere? 

And during a regular guard patrol?  

She felt more comfortable staying on the train as much as she could until they could figure out what was happening.

“The guards will be back there. And if we search the train, we might find some supplies.”  

Just ahead of them in the car, a light flashed. The two women froze. It took a moment for them to realize that it was just one of the overhead lights. It had become dislodged in the crash and was dangling from the ceiling by its cord.

As it swayed, it flashed on and off as the electrical connection was made and lost.  

It wasn’t much, but it lit up the car enough to help them navigate. 

Across the center of the passage lay a piece of bent fencing. The bottom half still attached to the cell walls, and the other half bowed across the passageway. Spines of twisted metal stuck out from both ends. A body had been impaled by one of these. A few others lay limp across the honeycomb, weighing it down. Tiny rivers of blood streamed down the car's floor to pool by their feet.

At the opposite end of the car, she could see that the door had been crimped in the crash. It was likely unusable. But the light also illuminated what, from where she stood, looked like a supply cage. It might have something worthwhile inside. 

But first, they would have to get around the fencing. They’d have to move under it.

Under the bodies. 

“Fuck,” The Blonde breathed. 

“Just look straight ahead,” Bell advised as she stepped over the wreckage. 

Behind her, she heard a retching sound. 

Bell ignored it and pushed forward. She ducked under the fencing, ignoring the occasional droplets that hit the top of her head. 

One section of the fence was so low she needed to crawl under it. 

Bell cleared it and went to the supply cage.

It was empty. Bell slammed her fist against the fencing, and it rattled back at her. 

“Fuck,” She relayed this to the blonde and turned to help her but stopped when she saw something briefly pass by the window. 

“Wait,” Bell hissed. 

She quickly threw her coat over the light and broke it. They were shrouded in darkness. 

Then she crouched down and waited, knife drawn. 

The door at the back of the car opened. 

She could just make out the silhouettes of two guards. They beamed flashlights over the compartments. 

Bell hoped they would be satisfied by the lack of movement and maybe even deterred by the state of the car and move on.

And it seemed for a moment that they would be. 

One of the guards turned around as if to leave. 

“Evgeni might be in here,” The other guard said, “We should at least check.”

The first guard groaned and reluctantly turned on his heel. 

“It stinks in here.” 

“It stinks in all the cars.”

“Disgusting filth.”

“It’s better than what was waiting for them.”

The first one hummed noncommittally. 

The door slammed shut behind them. They kept their flashlights aimed at the ground. Bell did her best to blend in with the other bodies, difficult as it was to do when she could barely see her surroundings. The flashlight beamed over where the blonde lay. 

Just under the impaled body. 

Dead fingertips brushed the top of her hair. 

The light hovered there for a moment. 

“All this to see if your drinking partner is still alive?” 

The flashlight holder swung the beam away, observing the damage to the compartment. 

She heard footsteps and then a metallic crunch.

“That’s not going to hold your weight.”

A groan, both from man and metal, as something heavy and organic, hit the ground.

“There, should be fine now.”

“You’re disgusting.”

The flashlight landed again on the broken metal fence. One of the guards was climbing on top of it.

Fuck.

The metal groaned in protest with each step. As he reached the center, just above the blonde, it began to bow. Bell stopped her breath. 

But it held his weight, and finally, he hopped off, landing inches from where Bell sat. 

“Oh,” The man sighed. His voice was heavy. He beamed his light across the floor, shining it over what must have been the body of his dead friend.

“Oh, Evgeni,” He cried mournfully. 

He crouched by the dead man and placed his flashlight on the floor. 

“Okay, can we go?” The first guard did not attempt to hide the impatience in his tone.

“Can you have a heart?” The second pleaded with surprising emotion. 

So these guys do feel something. Sometimes.

The other guard made an irritated sound and turned his back, sweeping the train car. 

Carefully, Bell drew her knife and crept over to the crouching guard. In one movement, she covered his mouth and sunk her knife into the back of the guard’s neck. He dropped quickly. Quicker than her body weakened from her imprisonment, could react. 

The sound drew the other guard’s attention, and he swept his flashlight over to her. 

But then he groaned. 

“Ponomarev fucking idiot, don’t shine that in my face. Let’s get out of here.” 

The blonde had crawled to grab the flashlight just in time. She was currently beaming it directly in the other guard’s eyes. 

He turned away from the light. 

Bell took the flashlight from the blonde. Imitating Ponomarev’s footfalls, she stepped heavily onto the metal fence. She held the flashlight high to make herself seem taller. 

Bell hoped the ruse would work. She could be ready to shoot him, but that would run the risk of a dozen more guards hearing the shot and heading straight for them.

When she hopped down, he turned again.

“You are so slow-” He stopped mid-sentence. It was then that he must have realized she was not Ponomarev. 

Bell drew her knife, but he knocked it out of her hand. His fist grazed her cheek. The knuckle of his index finger made contact with bone.  The blow sent her a step back. He bridged the gap quickly, grabbing her throat. Behind her, she could hear the blonde shuffling around. 

The guard had Bell on the ground, both hands around her neck.

“Fucking bitch,” He spat. A rain of spittle hit her face. His breath smelled sour, like days-old beer and coffee. 

Bell slammed the flashlight into his skull. His hands loosened. She brought the metal flashlight back down, trying to aim for the same spot on his skull. She heard a sickening crack as she landed on the bone. His hands were off her. The guard doubled over, clutching his head. She greedily took in a breath of air.  Then brought the flashlight down on the base of his neck. He landed on the floor.

The blonde appeared beside her and helped her up. 

“Are you all right?” 

Bell nodded.

Then she searched the guard. She found another set of keys looped around his belt. 

“Might be important?”

“Let’s hope.”

She picked up the flashlight again and used the guard’s shirt to wipe the blood and other debris off. With help from the blonde, she pulled his coat off. She was not about to go back for her own. 

“Let’s keep heading towards the front.”

They made their way outside. The car just ahead had derailed, but it was upright. 

Bell climbed the ladder up to the door and placed her hand on the handle. She hissed and quickly moved her hand away. The handle was hot.

Carefully she leaned over to look through the window.

A swirl of dark smoke moved to reveal a blaze of orange light. Bell could feel the heat radiating from the door. 

“Shit.”

The car was on fire. 

Likely started with a match or cigarette flying into a pile of rags.

She remembered how she compared the women in her compartment to lumps of cloth and shuddered. The screams of soldiers hit by napalm rang in her head.

Bad way to go. 

Bell shook the thought from her head and jumped down.

Peering around the train and seeing no guards, she waved to the blonde. 

“Stay low and close to the train. Keep your light off.” 

They moved alongside the train. It was snowing heavier now. A light pack of snow dusted the ground and crunched under their feet as they moved. 

Bell looked back, peering into the darkness for any sign of someone coming up behind them. She heard nothing and saw nothing. 

Perhaps they had only sent one patrol. There may have been more survivors than she had thought, and they would need as many guards as possible to keep the prisoners in check. In that case, it would take a while for them to realize that something may have gone wrong. 

Though that seemed like wishful thinking. 

And there were still the trucks to worry about. She was not a prisoner they would easily overlook. Eventually, a call would be made, and the right person would know to search for her. 

Ahead of them was another car- derailed but tilted at an odd angle. As they approached, Bell realized why it looked so strange. Laying on top of this car was another car. It must have careened into the one in front, the force of it snapping the coupling and flipping one on top of the other. 

How they were both still upright, Bell didn’t know. 

Soft beams of light illuminated the underside of the top car. Half of the roof of the bottom car had been peeled back like a tin can. 

Bell climbed the ladder and tried the door, but it was wedged shut. This window was smaller than the others and equipped with security bars.  She peered through it.

Two locked cages lined one side. And in this car, the passageway was wider. 

“This could be a supply car. Might even be guns,” Bell breathed.

“Behind us,” The Blonde hissed.

Bell looked back. She heard them before she saw them. They were shouting at each other. 

“Get under the train.”

“Under?”

“Now.”

Bell hopped on top of the car. There was a small gap in the roof between the two cars. Wide enough that she might be able to fit through, but one side consisted of jagged metal. She glanced back. She could hear one of the guards hop onto the ladder. He was jiggling the handle.

It wouldn’t give for him either. 

Bell flattened herself against the roof of the car. Metal groaned. 

All around her, she could hear the guards walking through the snow. They were trying to find a way in. 

Carefully she shimmied out of the dead guard’s coat and laid it across the sharp metal. Carefully and as quietly as she could, she slipped through the hole in the roof. 

She dropped down to the floor and came face to face with a guard. A metal beam lay across his middle. 

Bell looked away from the two halves of the guard and examined the two supply cages.

The crash had severely damaged one, while the other looked relatively intact. However, its contents had been tossed around a bit. 

Dry rations.

Her stomach grumbled.

Had it been so long since she last ate that dry rations were starting to look good? 

Medical supplies. Alcohol. Tea. 

Extra clothes and fucking blankets.

While they had sat back there in filthy clothes, freezing their asses off. Of course.

There was enough that they could make a run for it. 

Maybe.

No. They could make it. They could find a town, a barn, somewhere safe.

What about the others?

She picked up a canvas bag and grabbed what made sense to carry.

Throwing it over her shoulder, she went to the second cage. She tried one of the keys she found on the guard’s dead body. The key fit, but the door was so twisted and bent it wouldn’t budge. And she didn’t want to risk making too much noise. She would have to make do without. 

Bell sighed.

Who was she kidding?

Even if she escaped and survived. They’d find her and hunt her down.

She thought of the other women. Survive a train crash only to still be sent to the gulag. Bell wondered how many of them actually deserved their sentences. 

What kind of crime could they have committed that necessitated destroying someone’s life? Breaking up families. Ripping mothers away from children. 

Bell looked at the bag in her hand. Then she grabbed another one.

When she finished packing the second bag, she went to the door. A crate and a long piece of metal were blocking it. She cleared it and listened before carefully opening the door. The guards surrounding the car must have given up and moved on. 

Maybe there was another supply car on the train with guns. 

Ducking under the train, she found the blonde, who crawled out and looked at her expectantly. 

She tossed her the bag with supplies in it.

“You should go,” Bell urged her. 

“Why wouldn’t you come with me?” 

Bell looked to the back of the train.

“I-”

“You can’t save them.”

“But maybe I can give them a fighting chance.”

“How?”

“Kill some guards. Let them out. Maybe some can make it. Better than waiting here, don’t you think?”

She shouldered her bag and turned toward the back of the train. 

“Oh, is that all?” The blonde said as she followed her. 

Bell decided against arguing with her. The other woman knew this was a suicide mission.

Why fight when she could use the help?

When they reached the back end of the train, they could see a collection of guards milling about. There weren’t many of them left. But still too many for them to take on.

They were shouting at each other, deciding what to do next. Several were sweeping the area, likely checking for escapees. 

Ducking under the train, they watched their patrol for several minutes. 

“No prisoners outside,” Bell observed, keeping her voice low, “Must be in one of the cars.”

“We’re going to try to fight all those guards?” The blonde whispered.

Bell shook her head. There was no way. 

“Prisoners first, then.”

They’d have to search the remaining cars. 

But they couldn’t just go opening doors. It was more likely that all the cars back here were occupied by guards. Bell climbed up the ladder of the first car and looked through the window. She tapped the window with her knife and leaned back on the ladder. Her breath fogged up the tarnished surface of the train, and she shifted her feet on the cold rungs of the ladder as she waited. 

She adjusted her grip on her knife. Despite the cold, her palm felt sweaty, and if she had to wait any longer, she was sure the knife would slip from her hand. 

And then the door creaked as it opened inward. The warm steam of someone’s breath puffed out from the open door and into the night. 

She stabbed just below it.

The body crumpled forward, and she caught it under the armpit, but its weight pulled her down. Her hand, still holding on to the ladder, begin to slip. 

The steaming blood from his neck wound dripped down her shoulder, soaking her wool coat. 

The guards were standing close enough. She was sure they would hear the sound of the body falling. 

It was a risk she couldn’t take. She attempted to step down a rung on the ladder. And for a moment, she thought it would work out. But the body began to slide off of her shoulder. 

He was going to fall. Her arms ached. 

Bell adjusted her hand to gain a tighter grip on him but only managed to grab the fabric of his coat. He was slipping, and there was nothing she could do.

 

A pair of hands shot up, supporting the guard’s shoulders. With the blonde’s help, she was able to step down the ladder and set the body quietly on the ground.

She climbed the ladder again. The door had shut but not fully latched. Carefully pushed it open, pistol at the ready this time. 

She crept into the train car. 

Everyone inside was dead. 

Someone had begun to pile up bodies. Checking for survivors, probably.

There was nothing useful inside the car. Bell exhaled in frustration and headed back the way she came. 

She went through the door and hopped down, reuniting with the blonde outside. 

They moved to the next car. Unguarded and empty. 

Fuck.

They couldn’t check every car like this. It took too much time. 

And as they moved, they could hear the guards’ chatter. 

The engine radio had been destroyed in the crash. That was no surprise. But they had managed to reach a nearby base using the caboose radio.

Trucks were on their way.

They had no way of knowing how long until they were here. 

It all seemed so pointless. 

She was exhausted and injured. The smart thing to do would be to go and figure out the rest later.

But she couldn’t bring herself to leave. 

She looked at the blonde. 

“I don’t know how much time we’ll have. We can’t keep searching like this-” She was about to tell her to go when there was a commotion from the direction of the guards.

They had found the bodies. 

But there was something else. Someone had checked the engine. The crash was deliberate. They would need to fan out and search, try to find the saboteur. 

“Shit.”

“I wish I had a cigarette right about now,” The blonde joked, “Think we can still run?”

Bell shook her head. 

“Not together.”

“Damn.”

They wouldn’t be able to save the other women. Not with the guards actively searching. It had all been a waste of time. 

Bell sighed heavily. 

“I said I’d get you out, right? I’ll create a distraction. Then you can run.”  

“Distraction? With what?”

Bell opened her bag. She had stuffed it full of bottles of alcohol, rags, and matches.

“It’s the best I can do.”

“They’re going to catch you. Why would you do this? You don’t even know me.”

Bell ignored her, closed up her bag, and shouldered it.

“We don’t have time, so you better get moving.” 

They separated, and Bell hurried towards the armory car. 

She could try the cage again. She wasn’t expecting to find anything substantial there, but maybe something better than a pistol. 

Stopping between two cars, she peered around them at the group of guards. If she weren’t so exhausted, she might have been able to hit a couple of them from here. But now she wasn’t so sure. It didn’t matter. If they didn’t get her, the trucks would. This was only supposed to distract them anyway.  

Crouching in the snow, she removed a few bottles and stuffed them with cloth from the med kit. She lit one on fire and threw it as hard as she could. She watched it arc and land just short of the guards. 

Some shouting. Then a few separated from the group. Moving towards her. 

Quickly she lit another bottle and threw it. She broke out into a run, so she didn’t see the bottle land but heard the screams. 

Someone fired shots in her direction. They were behind her now. They must have crossed between the cars and followed her tracks in the snow. 

Bell ducked just beside a rail wheel and waited. She could just make out the figures in the dim lighting. She lit the cloth and tossed the bottle.

More screams. 

Bell ducked her head under the train. All of the guards seemed to be heading in her direction. 

A shot whizzed past her. Someone must have spotted her. She ran. 

She hoped the blonde had taken the opportunity to run. That she had gotten away. 

At least she had given her a fighting chance. 

She reached the armory car. Her lungs felt raw from breathing in the cold air. She staggered and nearly slipped in the snow. 

Kneeling in the snow, she propped her bag next to her and dug through it. She lined the remaining bottles in the snow, uncapped them, and stuffed the cloth in them. 

For a moment, she stared at them. 

Her last stand.

She looked over her shoulder between the cars. The guards were closing in. 

At least she wouldn’t have to throw the bottles very far this time.

Bell blinked several times to help herself to focus, then she picked up a bottle and lit it. 

She aimed and threw. A moment later, she found herself lying in the snow—searing pain in her arm. 

And then it came back to her—the sound of a gunshot. Someone had seen the fire and shot at her. Bell dragged herself back behind the cover of the train and examined her wound. The bullet had only grazed her. 

Lucky.

And it hit after she had thrown the bottle.

That was almost too much luck.

She looked to the rest in their neat little row, sitting just in the line of fire, just out of reach.

Her last stand hadn’t amounted to much.  

Leaning against the armory car, she closed her eyes and listened.

The soft crunching of snow under boots. 

The muffled orders.

They would surround her soon.

Opening her eyes, she looked into the blank nowhere ahead. 

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

A cold breeze blew through her, and it was then that she remembered she had left her coat on top of the armory car. 

Her breathing was heavy. Puffs of steam floated in the air in front of her. 

Snowflakes drifted down from the black sky. Some caught on her eyelashes.

Lived twelve more years only to die in the snow anyway.

An ear-splitting sound rocked the train. Bell ducked as shattered glass shards flew into the air like projectiles. She could hear several pained shouts all around her. 

The car just next to her, the windows had finally blown out from the fire. 

Vaguely Bell could hear the chaos around her as the confused guards tried to understand what had just happened. 

They hadn’t been aware of the fire. So they didn’t quite understand where the glass had come from. 

Before they could piece it together, something else happened. 

Bell listened.

Soft thuds.

Grunting.

Shots fired. 

But not at her. 

Women’s voices.

No. Not a chance.

She leaned to look around the armory car.

It was the surviving prisoners. They were putting up a fight. From what she could tell, they had grabbed whatever they could find for weapons. They had used her distraction to their advantage. 

The tired gray women had come to life for one last fight. 

That fucking idiot must have let them out. She should have run. 

Bell watched them. Watched women go down. Take soldiers down. 

There weren’t enough of them. They didn’t have the training. 

But they were still fucking fighting.

And she had almost given up. 

Bell looked around, and there were the bottles still in their neat little line. She dove for them.

She rescued the matches from the snow and looked for a good spot to throw them. 

Finding one, she moved to light the cloth when she heard something above her. 

Something large jumped off the train car and into the air above her. Dark wings billowing in the wind. 

It hit her square in the chest, knocking her to the ground. 

The bottle in her hand broke. The scent of alcohol briefly wafted in the air.

Without thinking, Bell buried the broken bottle in its chest. 

It crumpled over on top of her pinning her down. She lay there in a daze. And then suddenly, the weight was off of her.

The blonde was rolling the thing away. When Bell glanced at it, she realized it was only a guard. In her daze she had mistaken his coat for wings. As if he were some giant mythological beast. And not a person. But he had only been a person. And now he was dead.

The blonde offered her hand, which Bell took.

“You should have run,” Bell said.

The blonde chuckled.

How?” Bell asked.

“You know, they say Soviet Women are the toughest women.”

Bell chuckled breathlessly. 

And for a second, she believed it. 

But when she looked to the fray again, it seemed that there were just as many dead women as guards. 

Guns and training made up for numbers. 

“We’re going to die, aren’t we?” The blonde asked.

Bell nodded as if agreeing but then said, “Haven’t yet.” 

She made a move towards the bottles. 

The sound of approaching vehicles made her pause. 

Then the wreck was flooded with light. 

Large spotlights swept through the area. 

The fighting came to a standstill. Everything had just frozen under the lights. 

The first gunshot ripped through the air. Followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground with a thud. Another. And another.

Bell winced with every sound. She turned around, her tired eyes surveying what she could see between the train cars. 

Another body fell. This one rolled under the train.

The glassy eyes of a guard stared back at her. A small trickle of blood rolled down his forehead.

They were shooting the guards?

A figure blocked the light nearest to Bell. 

Someone stepped between the trains and walked towards her. His long green coat caught the wind.

Even in the bright light, she could see streaks of gray hair forming by his temples. Those weren’t there before. He had grown a mustache. 

How many years had it been since she last saw him?

What did he want?

“You’re alive. I’m glad.”

Bell stared at him. She did not reply. She felt her body swaying where she stood. She just wanted sleep or death. At this point it didn’t matter. 

She didn’t want to have this conversation. She didn’t want to be in the freezing cold without a coat as snow seeped through her boots. She just wanted to be done. 

“Are you ready to join me now?” He asked. He seemed so sure of himself. So sure she would give him the answer he wanted. 

“Join you?” 

Was he saying-

“Did you? All this-” She trailed off. He couldn’t have possibly orchestrated this whole train wreck for her. 

“Call it repaying your loyalty.”

Loyalty? 

She had run from him. Abandoned him and his cause. She had wanted to do things the right way. And then she abandoned that as well. 

She had been anything but loyal. 

Bell looked to the surviving fighters. They were the reason she was still here. 

Loyalty. 

“What about them?” She asked, nodding to the women. Her voice felt raw. 

He hesitated.

“Виктория-” 

“You crashed a fucking train for me,” Bell narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t interested in hearing how he wanted to spin the story. Whatever it was would be bullshit. Pretty words. 

“You want me to believe you’re just going to leave me here?” She continued.

He said nothing. 

She nodded to the women again.

“Save them, and I’ll go with you. I won’t run again.”

____________________________________________________

Later, Bell found herself in the back of one of his trucks. The blonde settled in next to her, still carrying the bag of supplies with her.

The other women, what was left of them, were in a second truck. 

A third truck stayed behind to take care of the train. The blaze lit up the night sky. If she watched it long enough, she could almost imagine feeling the heat coming off it. Just about everything would burn. And anything that didn’t, they would cover it up.

It was just a bad train wreck. 

Tragic.

But these women were criminals anyway, so it was not a big loss.

Bell wasn’t buying that they only sabotaged this train for her. There must have been something more on it. But what she couldn’t imagine. What could possibly be that important on a train headed for the gulag?

“Victoria? That’s your name?” The blonde asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

Bell nodded.

“Fitting.”

She paused as if she was waiting for Bell to ask her name. 

When Bell didn’t, she offered it, “Ivanova. Kira Ivanova.”

Then she began digging through her bag and produced a bottle.

“I think this calls for a drink.”

Bell laughed and took the bottle.

____________________________________________________

Woods closed the folder and looked at Mason. 

He had that damn look on his face that Woods knew all too well. 

Fuck.

“I need a beer.”

tagging: @sogdads @scumbagg @shieldsbucky @quizzyisdone @stupid-stinky

[roosterbox]

No drabble today. This fucking thing, supposed to be about 100 words I remind you, ballooned into over 1k. Fucking hell. I think I’ll just clean it up a little more and put it on AO3 as it’s own fic. Like that FWB story back in July.

The prompt was Demon. The ship was Arthur/Eames. Here’s an excerpt, for the curious:

Once he’d felt the pull to his power, Eames followed it all the way to this house, a nondescript little nothing in some small suburban neighborhood. And he had appeared, in all his demonic glory, to the man standing there. This wasn’t his first time at a summoning. There were usually screams. Plenty of cowering. Maybe some horrified cries of “We didn’t know! Have mercy!”

Music to Eames’ ears.

This guy, however… He’d looked surprised for approximately 0.2 seconds before his expression slid back into mildly nonplussed. Quite frankly, Eames was impressed.

“Now that you have summoned me,” he made sure to put as much power and reverberating bass behind his voice as he could. Well, as much as he could without pulverizing this little human being instantly. They were terribly fragile creatures. “What service would you request?”

——

Gonna work on it a bit more, and maybe put it up later on tonight. Back to shorter stuff tomorrow, I fucking hope, lmao.

[dollfairy]

I hate being the highest level of seniority in the branch on weekends sometimes bc I get so anxious but also low-key love when my soft-spoken colleagues call me in to be the muscle

[bahablastplz]

SKZ Recs (NSFW)

As a chronic fanfic reader, I have a lot of recommendations. So, these are the ones I think about the most. All of them include smut, so they're 18+. Red text indicates fics on AO3. Go support these amazing authors!! Enjoy!! <3

Bang Chan 

The SKZ house @writeonwhiskey (Chan x reader x Hyunjin…SKZ but make it a frat… and also sexy) 

Silent cry @j-0ne25 (Fake dating/friends to lovers, live laugh hurt comfort… emphasis on the hurt) 

Love is intuitive @skzonthebrain (forbidden love and angst… so emotional and loving <3) 

Kinktober Day 8 @dreaming-medium (breeding, best friend, fake dating, so sweet and spicy) 

Summer in Seoul @writeonwhiskey (strangers to lovers, summer love, spicy and romantic) 

Saturday mornings @skzdarlings (Chan/reader/Seungmin where Seungmin is an absolute menace that gets reader in trouble… dom Chan is so good in this one omg) 

It’s cold out @therhythmafterthesummer (roommate Chan is going through his rut… oops there’s more ABO on this list than I realized sorry not sorry) 

Bodyguard: The first guard @skzdarlings (A sequel to the bodyguard, an ongoing work that has elements of enemies to lovers and great, in-depth world building and character development)

However you want it, lover-lover @cbini (you ask your bf Chan to step on you after watching spicy edits of him on tiktok omg)

More than just friends @kwanisms (roommate Chan is entering his rut... he's usually able to control himself but this time you're ovulating. sprinkle some brat taming in here as well and it's so delicious)

Lee Know 

The Experience Project @leeknowsallyoursecrets (Enemies to lovers Lee Know, really good plot and relationship building!) 

Sanguis Limerence @jl-micasea-fics (Vampire OT8, Lee Know x Reader x Chan, SUPER good world building, especially in their sequel with the backstories… I was so invested. And it’s super hot)

Barb Wired Brat @roseykat (BDSM Lee Know with reader going into subspace… awakened things in me) 

Audience @gimmeurtmi (2 min, wet dreams, exhibitionism, degradation… yeah) 

Well Shit @2chopsticks2eyes (Brother’s best friend, inexperienced reader, enemies to lovers and fwb… literally so good) 

Sea May Rise, Sky May Fall @skzms (Lee Know x Reader x Han, complete series, Pirate AU with beautiful world building, in-depth characters and GREAT smut. One of my all time favs)

rsvp @cbini (teasing dom vampire boyfriend Minho and you get the punishment you deserve... brat taming and so so so sexy like it's insane)

Changbin 

 The accidental acquisition of sugar @skzdarlings (accidental sugar daddy Changbin x reader that’s absolutely hilarious with great smut) 

Valentine’s series ‘do you really think you’re in a position to give orders’) @skzdarlings (forbidden love/romeo & juliet style but with gun play… um this was so hot tho) 

Close your eyes (...And count to seven) @MysteryBird (Possessive gang leader bf! Changbin that you’re trying to piss off by sleeping with the other members… 100k+ words and so delicious) 

Hyunjin 

Praise kink Hyunjin @dreaming-medium (A kinktober fic, enemies to lovers detective Hyunjin… absolutely delicious) 

Snowed In @moonjxsung (really artistic, heartfelt, and beautifully written)  

Jury’s still out @straywrds (rivals to hooking up/hate sex… super spicy and hot) 

Dressing down @jl-micasea-fics (shopping trip with best friend Hyunjin turns out spicy ahh the chemistry) 

Four of wands @straywrds (beautifully crafted story I was so immersed in!! witch Hyunjin and sex magick, the characters have so much depth! crazy tension)

Han 

Watch your six  @dreaming-medium (sensory deprivation kinktober ah this is engraved in my brain) 

The same but different @skzdarlings (ahh hanlix fairy au where they’re linked with great world building and is so funny… I maybeee think about this every day) 

Sea May Rise, Sky May Fall @skzms (Lee Know x Reader x Han, complete series, Pirate AU with beautiful world building, in-depth characters and GREAT smut. One of my all time favs)

Screen Identity: Mismatched Passion (SIMP) @leeknowsallyoursecrets (Spin-off series to the experience project! Jisung x reader enemies/academic rivals to lovers in which they’re both anonomously sexting each other on discord without knowing who’s on the other end of the screen!!! top tier level tension)

Felix 

The bodyguard @skzdarlings (Forced proximity, enemies to lovers, had me SUPER invested and made me cry) 

The same but different @skzdarlings (ahh hanlix fairy au where they’re linked with great world building and is so funny… I maybee think about this every day) 

Snap out of it @2baabbies (Felix gives you the option to either go home with your shitty boyfriend or go home with him at the end of the night ahhh!!) 

Seungmin 

Bet on it @skzonthebrain (Academic rivals, enemies to lovers and such good tension/chemistry) 

Audience @gimmeurtmi (2 min, wet dreams, exhibitionism, degradation… yeah) 

Saturday mornings @skzdarlings (Chan/reader/Seungmin where Seungmin is an absolute menace that gets reader in trouble… dom Chan is so good in this one omg) 

Seungmin + hairpulling @straykeedz (kinktober fic, best friend Seungmin finds out you have a thing for hairpulling and can't get you out of his head... this is taken straight from the deepest depths of my fantasies i s2g)

no nut november @gimmeurtmi (this whole nnn series is fantastic but seeing Seungmin lose his composure because of his breeding kink does something for me)

august is a fever @seungminheart (mean dom Seungmin... you don't think he is really into you so you see how far you can push him/I love mean dom Seungmin and I think this fic does it just right)

I.N. 

Lavender boy @hyunsvngs (A/B/O Alpha jeongin… super sexy and great dynamics) 

Clueless @jeongin-lvr (inexperienced big dick I.N. that just wants to make reader feel good… also omg he’s so hot in this pls) 

Better and better @seungminheart (sharing a bed, best friend Jeongin, amazing banter, soft dom Jeongin, brat taming, every trope from my hopes and dreams)

Third leg? @beesspacedotorg (huge dick alpha Innie... some brat taming, great banter and dynamics and sexy)

OT8 

Sharing a bed series @skzdarlings (Best trope ever and they really do it justice) (Chan's is linked but you should read all 8)

Sharing is caring @skzms (Minsung x reader x OT8… really well written spice) 

Fake texts @thefantasyden (I swear these are like crack I read them every single time) 

Kinktober23 @roseykat (one of the first SKZ blogs that I started reading that really brought me deep into the fandom… My fav from this is Table Manners and Bible Studies, and it has a part 2)

All Bark no Bite @doitforbangchan (Main pairing is Chan x Reader with some OT8, it's an ABO au with some really good spice)

Masterlist

[starkidmunson]

glitter & crimson

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

“Marry.”

“What?”

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

“Eddie, we’re not playing FMK; you’re supposed to be telling me his name.”

“Oh. That’s…. Joe Jonas.”

“…he’s literally from Hawkins. And he’s holding a hockey stick.”

“Nobody from Hawkins is that hot, man, no way.”

~~~

Gareth posts the clip to his personal TikTok. Before he can get around to reposting it on Corroded Coffin’s band account, it has more than 100k views. Things only spiral from there, because once the band shares it, the video goes more viral and ends up on the screens of the right people.

chiblkhwks: harrington94 is social media challenged, but we’re going to make sure he sees this. Will keep you posted.

The comment is immediately overshadowed by a busy day of PR. A photoshoot to an interview to a radio show to the green room at the Fillmore in Boston, before an intimate pre-album release show for members of their fan club. Eddie has completely forgotten about the video entirely, but Gareth’s phone pings with a text notification.

“A response has been issued!” He declares to the room, still grinning down at the screen of his phone.

The rest of the band shares a collectively confused look, all seeming pleased to find they’re not alone in whatever they’ve missed.

“What?” Jeff asks for the group.

In lieu of an explanation, Gareth just flips the phone in his hand around to show a TikTok, stitched with the clip they’d made earlier that morning.

~~~

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

#Stitch

“Is… is that supposed to be a compliment?” Steve asks, making a pinched face as he laces up his skates.

“You watched the whole video. He compared you to Joe Jonas.” The girl behind the camera responds, but he levels her with an unimpressed look. She doesn’t respond, and after a beat, he sighs.

“Yeah, alright, I guess Joe Jonas is hot. I’ll take the compliment.” He huffs, standing to his feet and moving from the bench he’d been suiting up on toward the ice. The girl follows him, gliding toward the net once they're in the rink, never falling out of pace with him.

“Do you know who it is talking in the video?” She presses, and Steve looks unimpressed again.

“You mean the other hot guy?” He asks with a grin, then nods. “That was Eddie. I’m surprised you don’t know him, the Party listens to Corroded Coffin all the time.”

The video loops back to the stitched clip from Gareth’s initial TikTok then. Everyone in the room processes what just unfolded.

“The Party? Did… did Steve Harrington just make a reference to DnD? Or is that some sports thing I dont understand?” Jeff asks.

Freak raises his hand, indicating he’s next to speak. “Not only that, but his nerdy DnD friends listen to us all the time?”

“Did King Steve call Joe Jonas hot?” Eddie asks, visibly still trying to connect the wires in his brain that fried at Steve’s agreement. “Did he call me hot?”

All three turn toward Eddie, whose face is still reflecting the long form math equation his brain is trying to work out, and Jeff sighs.

“Well, boys. I think we’ve officially lost him.” He says, bowing his head. Freak and Gareth join him solemnly, making Eddie huff and cross his arms over his chest.

“You’re all so dramatic.”

“Gee, I wonder who encouraged us to be this way,” Freak exaggerates through a grin, before shoving a guitar into Eddie’s chest, just in time for Paige to open the door and summon them.

“We can have a meltdown over Harrington after the gig,” Gareth promises with a pat to Eddie’s back as everyone moves around him, exiting the green room and heading for the stage.

~~~

Riding his post-show high, Eddie makes a bold move in the CC band TikTok, commenting under the video Steve had stitched.

corrodedcoff!n: we’ll be in chicago 1/26 if harrington94 and ‘the party’ are free 🎫

He only gets about 20 minutes of peace before Gareth is jumping around, proclaiming himself the greatest wingman in history.

“It’s an offer for free concert tickets made over social media, and he hasn’t even answered, Gare Bear.” Eddie tries to get him to relax, but he, too, is eager to see how the other reacts to the offer.

He wakes up the next morning to the answer he’d been waiting on, and his stomach flips as he reads it over.

harrington94: only if you guys come to the home game 1/27 🏒

__________

Steve doesn’t even bat an eye when Max shoves her way into the locker room, b-lining straight for him.

“Can I help you?” He asks without looking up, unhooking the padding from his calf and letting it drop to the ground in front of his locker.

“Are you using TikTok to publicly flirt with Eddie Munson?” She asks, voice quieter than he’d typically expect from her, but he just scoffs.

“I’m just being friendly! You’re the one who started this in the first place! What, you didn’t expect me to log on and check if they’d responded?” He asks in response, freeing his foot from the skate, before placing a cover over the blade and letting the boot drop into the lower shelf beside his locker.

“I’m just confused because you’ve been super weird about coming out, and now you’re out here hitting on a rockstar all over social media, that’s all.” Max says, and Steve freezes for a moment.

“Do you…” he trails off, before closing his eyes and rubbing a thumb into his temple. “You really think I just accidentally came out?”

“You called Joe Jonas and Eddie Munson hot, encouraged this rockstar to come to your game when he’s in town and also accepted tickets to see him perform, Steve.” Max was monotone, and held her hands up defensively when he groaned. “I’m not starting anything, I’m just saying that this could get blown out of proportion now.”

They discuss a little further, deciding neither of them will publicly acknowledge anything that’s been posted to the account for now, until they actually come up with a plan.

Once he’s in his car heading home, Steve calls Robin.

“Dingus,” she greets, as always, and he lets out a grumble. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“I think I accidentally came out on the internet, and it’s Eddie Munson’s fault.” He’s met with several seconds of silence as he starts his car on the path to him and Robin’s shared apartment.

“Eddie, the drug dealer from high school?” Robin eventually asks, confused, and Steve groans again.

“Yeah. He uh, also is in a band?” He supplies, and Robin’s quiet for a moment as she processes. Then, he hears the tapping of a keyboard. “What are you doing?”

“Looking Eddie up, obviously.” Steve can practically see her eye roll, even though they’re not FaceTiming. “You’re nothing if not consistent, I guess. Doe-eyed curly brunet.”

Steve scoffs. “You say as though you’re not the one currently waking up beside Nance every morning.”

He’s met again by a short silence, before Robin lets out a little puff of air, in a small laugh. “Thank you again for being so cool about that, by the way.” She says, before he hears clicking on her end. “Apparently, Eddie is out as bi. Corroded Coffin does a charity show for the Trevor Project every year, and he’s been to a lot of Pride events.”

Steve’s stomach twists with each new bit of information she provides, because a part of him wants to be that out, wants to be like Robin or apparently Eddie, freely sharing that part of themselves with the world and having no one give a shit. But that’s not how it works on so many levels for Steve. Beside the shit he’d have to deal with on the ice from certain other players, he had no idea how it would impact the team overall. There’s no way to gauge how fans would react, when there’s never been an openly gay player in the NHL. And that didn't even begin to touch on how his parents would react.

“Hey,” Robin breaks him out of his spiral and he realizes he’s been chewing a hole into his cheek. “I can hear how loud you’re thinking right now. Do you need me to come home?” She asks, gently, and he sighs.

“Please.” He mumbles after a long pause, and is grateful when he hears the jingle of car keys from the other end of the phone.

~~~

Robin scrolls through article after article once she gets to their place, pulling Steve onto the sofa with her and laying his head in her lap. Her fingers twist through his hair, doing her best to keep him calm as she reads up on the situation playing out to try and help gauge how big of a hole he’s dug himself this time.

“I don’t think there’s really anyone who thinks you were flirting with him. Not seriously, at least.” She tries to assure him, but he’d already seen the twitter posts to contradict that before she came over. He sighs and rolls onto his back, so he’s looking up at her, and shrugs.

“I kind of don’t think there’s any avoiding it, at this point.” He mumbles. “I’m not… I’m not ready to come out, not like this. Not on this scale. I think the only thing I can do is carry on and hope it doesn’t get turned into any bigger of a deal.”

Robin hums down at him, and continues to brush his hair back out of his eyes. “Okay. So you don’t come out yet. But don’t overcompensate for it, okay?” He scrunches his face up at her, and she types something into her phone before turning it back into his face. He immediately pales, met with a photo of him out with Heidi last year. With a black eye on full display, he looks miserable behind a fake smile.

“Low blow,” he grumbles, pushing himself away from Robin to sit up beside her, and she raises her eyebrow at him, still holding the photo pointed in his direction.

“‘Maybe they won’t notice or ask why my literal teammate punched me in the face at practice if I take a fucking supermodel out to dinner.’” Robin’s imitation is a little too good, a sure sign of too much time spent together.

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it!” He asks, taking the phone off of her and closing out of the image before locking it. He drops it back into her lap with a sigh. “I just don’t know how many times I can keep getting away with hiding it.”

“Well, it helps that Billy got traded out to LA. He would be insufferable about this, and would absolutely make everything 10 times worse.” Robin muses.

Steve sighs and hesitates for a moment before dropping his head back into her lap, curling into her. “I just want it to be on my terms, when I’m ready.”

“We’ll figure it out, and it’ll all be okay, no matter what. Okay?” She assures quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek.

His phone dings with a new notification; Max texted him a screenshot from TikTok.

corrodedcoff!n: you’ve got yourself a deal 🤝🏻

[matchadobo]

KIDD; kiss-proof lipstick review

warning/s: very fluff, fem reader, youtuber/streamer!kidd, shy!s/o, modern au, most nsfw thing could happen is an abrupt makeout

note: based from this -> post, smaller italicized texts are sub-bullets

kidd as a youtuber that normally does metal covers with his band (heat, killer, and wire)

has about a solid following of 100k subs bc they're just so cool

that is until his viewers asked for his makeup tut bc he always looks so bomb

his viewers have also requested fit checks like what he wears in a week

kidd forgot to mention that he has a s/o, which mildly upset a certain demographic who was ahem thirsty for him

you as his gf doesn't really mind if he talks to himself in front of his phone or camera on random times, but he always tells you a quick warning beforehand bc you sometimes appear on the bg of his vids/streamer

i also think that at some point, kidd does game streams bc he's lazy to edit. his fanbase supports any content he does whether it's just yap streams or food streams or band rehearsals

i feel like he always aims for competitive games that are pvp like MK, COD, league, etc. it just feeds his ego, and he enjoys trashtalking 😭 riling his opponent up and all that

it's all so funny, which explains his fanbase that tolerates his insufferable temper and jokes. it takes a certain kind of humor that other people might take as offensive

but the second he got sponsored by a punk make-up line, a pr box arrived at his doorstep bc he rarely checks his emails

he'd ask you to do a makeup stream with him, but you were too shy about it. especially after being the final boss of a certain demographic that is attracted to him 😭 but you never told him that. knowing him, he'll probably flip all of them off and cause drama

he'd start up stream, poorly introducing the products. you laughed to yourself at how bad he was at complimenting or kissing ass to the brand he legit has never heard of😭

kidd knows how to apply his makeup; shadow, liner, and lipstick. he tried on a purple and red shadow combo and his usual full eye liner.

his stream at that point became very chill, his fans loving every bit of his craft and how focused he was doing everything. especially at how he looked like afterward

"now we got- kiss-proof lipstick? they sent me a shit ton of fuckin' shades!" he showed a whole box of liquid lipsticks. laughing at the ridiculous amount.

his fanbase requested a test of the kiss proof on his palm, showing interest in the product

but kidd had different ideas. it might be a good way to hard launch you already.

his ig and twt already had pictures of you during dates, but your face was always hidden most of the time

"a test on my palm? oh boy, i have a better idea for that."

he'd call you, "babe! baby! c'mere a moment, i need ya a bit."

his chat would go: "babe?!?! omg hard launch?!", "omg here is his s/o!", "OH GOD KIDD YOU SLICK CHEEKY FUCK!"

you'd be scared for a bit, but kidd looked really excited. besides you also want to check out his makeup products.

"are we gonna do it together?" you muttered lowly, referring to the review

"kinda." he shrugged. "i just got one lil job for you, you'd love it promise."

you were skeptical at first but oh well. kidd lets you pick the lipstick of your choice, which was a bright red. it always looks good on him.

the chat was highkey going crazy when your body from neck below was showing

they also noticed how kidd started acting differently, he spoke softly and he had this meek smile while looking up at you

he lets you apply it on him. you were now seating with the seat he pulled to let you down. the chat now being able to see you. you waved a hi shyly, and man the view count started going up

twt was already full of you guys 😖

kidd then fanned his lips, waiting for the product to dry.

"ok, what's next?" you asked, popping the lid close

"this." he grabbed the back of your head and kissed you on stream. holding the kiss pretty good in there, smirking through it as he did so, before sucking on your lips open

you were too flustered and frozen but he even had the audacity to angle his head the other way to continue kissing you

it was pretty fucking lewd, he was really getting in there

but you, you melted from his lips and his firm grip on your nape

the chat and stream lagged at the amount of chats and view counts increasing exponentially

once he pulled away after a good 2 minutes, he turned to the screen and said, "so? it really is kiss proof, aye?" he bursted out laughing at your reaction which was the same when he started kissing you 🤣

the chat also went hysterical, both from freaking out with the both of you and your reaction

you honestly didn't mind, you half expected it. it's kidd we're talking about🤣 because kidd did it as a flex and as a fuck you to his haters (especially those who were targeting you)

you had to excuse yourself which resulted to even more comedic response from kidd at how cute you are. you were burning red btw

you later come back to tell kidd and chat that you're okay, and you plan to get back on him for that

JASDHSAJDJSAJDSA I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! JUST DID THIS LAST NIGHT

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fics like the book Red, White & Royal Blue as requested in this ask. The fics all have varying combinations of the main tropes of the book (enemies to friends to lovers, royalty, famous/famous, and/or fake relationship). You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

💙 Queen of Arizella by seducedbycurls

(M, 277k, omegaverse) Harry is King of Arizella, he needs a Queen and who better than an omega on the run from death? Louis will learn to become the perfect Queen -the perfect fake Queen, but only for a few months.

💙 The Greatest Thing by @infinitelymint *

(E, 163k, canon) Harry and Louis haven’t spoken since the band broke up when a dangerous combination of Niall Horan, tequila, and an ordained Elvis impersonator means that the two of them have to embark on their biggest publicity stunt to date - together.

💙 Façade by written_with_no_end / @written-with-no-end

(NR, 133k, famous/famous) An AU where Louis is the lead singer of The Rogues, Harry is the lead singer of White Eskimo and both are sick of being in the closet so kiss one night to fuck with the media.

💙 Lightning Strikes The Heart by @fournipplesau , @justalarryblog

(E, 130k, historical) As expected every year, the Lockhart House hosts the season’s opening ball, and its invitation is the motive of the hustle in town, and every family hopes for the invitation. This year is no different, but this year everyone's attention is focused on the new Duke of Montgomery, His Grace Harry Edward Styles, and whether he will attend it.

💙 Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings / @greenfeelings *

(M, 112k, famous/famous) When Louis sacks the role Harry auditioned for in Scorsese's next big film, their irrational feud starts. Who could have guessed it would get even worse when for promo season, their teams decide to present them as a couple for publicity?

💙 mirrorball by cherryboys

(NR, 102k, famous/famous) When Harry is asked to fake date Louis Tomlinson, an actor he hates because he bad mouthed one of Harry's songs in the beginning of his career, he is opposed to the idea.

💙 white winged dove by duchessy

(M, 100k, arranged marriage) Pressured to marry in order to save his family from financial and social ruin, Louis finds himself caught between wanting to be selfish and doing what he needs to do for the sake of his sisters, if no one else.

💙 king of my heart by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze *

(E, 83k, adaptation) A Red, White, and Royal Blue AU where Hollywood elite, Louis Tomlinson, finds himself falling for the closeted Prince of England.

💙 A Night in Hollywood by Sax246

(NR, 71k, famous/famous) Louis quickly comes to realise Harry is only enjoyable on the screen and not in-person. When the two get caught in a fight by paparazzi at a celebrity party, the media goes crazy, and they are forced into a PR-relationship against their will.

💙 don't want no other shade of blue by padfootyoudog / @louisisworthit

(E, 58k, omegaverse) it was foretold that Alpha Prince Harry would be mated to a beautiful male omega with eyes that could rival the stone amethyst, but Omega Prince Louis refuses to believe it.

💙 Need So Much of You by @lululawrence *

(NR, 46k, canon) the would-have-been canon compliant, fake relationship, friends with benefits, friends to lovers fic where Louis wonders if this thing going on with Harry is going to break him or change everything for the better.

💙 walk my days on a wire by sunshiner *

(E, 38k, famous/famous) when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.

💙 (we will be) as if chosen by @alivingfire *

(E, 35k, secrets)  Under the watchful eyes of millions, Louis has to figure out how to keep his carefully constructed house of cards from falling, and the first step to accomplishing that is to keep from falling in love with the irritatingly charming Prince Harry, who just won't stop showing up and trying to whisk Louis out of the constraints of his boring life.

💙 Lies & Liability by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

(M, 34k, historical) Harry Styles wishes that he will enter matrimony out of true love, no matter how favourable the match with any which alpha may be.

💙 Sail into the Sun by orphan_account

(E, 31k, Prince Louis) Louis needed a way out, Harry needed a husband. It was a mutual agreement. Doesn't mean they have to like each other.

💙 Dancing With Masks by @softfonds *

(E, 18k, famous/famous) With awards season coming up and new films on the way for both of them, Harry and Louis' managers decide it's time for them to date for publicity. 

💙 rapture in the dark by stylinsonsupporter

(T, 13k, hate to love) Harry does the Winter Girlfriend routine with Louis instead.

- Rare Pairs -

💙 Love Like This by @reminiscingintherain *

(E, 32k, Zayn/Louis/Liam) A Zouiam RWRB AU, featuring Louis as the First Son, Liam as the Prince, and Zayn as Liam's friend and equerry. 

💙 Be My King (I'll Be Your Queen) by transteverogers *

(E, 15k, Zayn/Liam) That one where Zayn's a royal bad boy and Liam's his PR agent/Personal Assistant and basically everyone knew they had feelings for each other before they did.

[charmedreincarnation]

hi i’m sorry for this small rant. i really hope you reply to it because i’m spiralling so bad. i have been listening to v powerful luckiest girl and get all your desires instantly forced subs and i had two really bad days and overall my life feels so shit and i feel like nobody gives a shit about me feel left out with my friends and am really regretting some past choices i have made as in subjects i chose to study. why do subs not work on me ever? i detach but subs just don’t work for me idk what should i do i want to enter the void and live my better/dream life but i keep failing and i’m so spiraling so hard rn. i am not even seeing small success i can’t even manifest my acne away or to grow a few inches how will i enter the void and magically change my life entirely. please help me out. how do i manifest or enter the void as soon as i can. i am being delululu living in 4d but yes ik if i am truly living in the end i shouldn’t have doubts but it’s been so many months when will i see results in my 3d. manifestion should be instant right. i’m sorry for my negativity i hope you have a great day

Hi love! I feel like any of this could be answered in another ask, but you seem really worried, so I'm going to answer it anyway!

First and foremost, you are allowed to have doubts. Just because you have doubts doesn't mean you're producing those thoughts. From a psychological perspective (which aligns with LOA), our thoughts are not entirely our own. This is a scientific truth, whether you believe in LOA or not. Scientists say that our thoughts are influenced by external factors such as our environment, upbringing, and the thoughts of others. Sound familiar? They also claim that we have the power to change our thoughts and create our own reality by consciously choosing the thoughts we entertain. So, just know that you're going to have doubts until the end, but as long as you categorize them as random thoughts and not your own beliefs, they don't matter! For example, if someone dressed as Chucky the doll jump-scared you and you started having "scary" thoughts about it, that doesn't mean you actually believe Chucky is real and coming to get you. You have psychological responses to certain things that have been ingrained and coded in you for a while now. What LOA does is help us intercept these false messages and reframe them as "useless" instead of messages we encode in our mind and assumption.

I've always been interested in psychology and neurology, and even though it doesn't directly relate to your question, it's important to mention that you do have a brain, and your brain is wired to act in certain ways. Once you're aware of why you're acting and believing certain things, it becomes way easier to understand that the 3D world is malleable. I really suggest reading books by authors like Joe Dispenza so you can understand yourself better. Also, watching YouTubers who explain anxiety and reading self-help books can provide helpful ways to manage your own anxiety.

The second thing is, if you don't believe in subliminals, I don't know why people do this, but if you don't have faith in something or assume it doesn't work for you, just use something you have a little faith in. For example, maybe you're more logical. You can read about brain waves and then listen to binaural beats for anxiety,manifesting, and faith. Have faith in it, because you'll understand and know that those waves genuinely change your brain's alignment. That's just one example, but subliminals are not the only type of audios out there. There are many other methods to explore.

Also, meditation is very helpful. Not just to reach the void, but do you know how many conscious thoughts we have in a day? On average, it is estimated that a person has around 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day. These thoughts can range from conscious, deliberate thoughts to automatic, repetitive thoughts. That doesn't even include the number of unconscious thoughts we have, which is probably 100k+. You constantly have these little things running around in your head, trying to keep you alive, keeping you repeating the same thought patterns, beliefs, and assumptions. You can't consciously control them most of the time, but your brain and mind are working overtime 24/7. It's not your fault, so that's why meditation can help you. Not just to reach the void, though you can tap into that using some form of meditation as well, but to clear your mind and then it’s there it will be better to affirm and believe you can do whatever you desire. If you're not truly embodying the desired state, which you're not because you sent this ask, do you think a few measly affirmations can counteract the hundreds of thousands of thoughts you've been having every day since birth, most of which you don't even know exist? Affirmations do work, but trust me, I've been where you're at and worse. This is not the state to solely rely on "miracle affirmations" because you won't believe them, and when something doesn't happen, you'll just want to give up and confirmation bias will make you subconsciously think, "Well, see? I knew it. It isn’t real" But in reality, your mind is just looking for proof to align with your negative beliefs.

I know you say you haven't manifested anything, but can you really think back to something you thought was a "coincidence" or something you didn't really ask for but it just appeared? We usually brush those off as just the world at play or a small world, but nope, that was you. Maybe you don't have clear skin or whatever your desire may be, but as you probably know, that's because you've put it on a pedestal compared to all the other "small" but great things you've manifested

I know you probably wanted me to tell you exactly what to do, but I genuinely don't know you the way you know yourself - your own self, mind, and behaviors. You know best, fr! I could have said anything I've said before, like imagination is the real reality, the 3D being malleable, if you can see and feel it you can manifest it, try SATs or lucid dreaming lalala. But I've learned that you know what you have to do. Sit and meditate to learn about yourself and your mind, and why you think what you think. What past experiences do you still hold onto, reliving them in your mind and creating assumptions that no longer serve you? They can still affect you, we are humans and emotions cling to us like bees to honey, and that's okay. But we need to start moving those experiences into the past and start creating with what we are now, which is the present. Any given moment is a time to say, 'Okay, this doesn't serve me anymore, and this does. I don't want this life anymore, I want this type of life,' and consciously start creating with those desires instead.

Acknowledge your doubts, they're just doubts, and they're really just an extension of life factors that have been slowly consuming your mind. You may have them, but as a god, do you have them? No. But as a human, you are influenced by them, and who cares? You know who you are and your power now, so if you disregard them, work around them. But I can't tell you what to do because I'm not you! I wholeheartedly believe that you will get through this because I have as well and the lows are just apart of your journey as the success as corny as it sounds. But when you do succeed I promise you’ll back to this movement and just be very happy you didn’t give up despite how hard it was 💝

[meanbossart]

Hi! I came across your blog recently, and I love the story you created around your Drow character. The art you created for it is truly inspiring! I haven't yet read the story you wrote so forgive me if the question is a bit redundant, but did DU Drow reject Bhaal in your story? And if so, how did he cope with being abandoned and emptied of his essence? I finished this chapter of the game recently and it left a bitter taste in my mouth, because I felt like it might have been a bit traumatic for the Dark Urge char, even though it's presented as the "best choice" for the sake of the story. So I'm very curious to see your take on this, and on what happened to your own character!

Thank you so much for enjoying my work!!! And no worries at all, all the lore about him is scattered around this blog and the fic is over 100k friggin words long. I don't expect anyone but myself to put this mess together at this point LOL

Yes, DU drow rejected Bhaal and had his whole deathly nap that Withers saves you from. His feelings on it at first are both of relief and a (foolish and misguided) confirmation that he's as impervious to harm as he always thought himself to be, lol. This outlook is a little... Tainted as time goes on as he realizes that with clarity of mind comes a lot of feelings that were once completely unfamiliar to him. Also, instead of being totally rid of bloodlust as he might have expected, DU drow realizes that he... Still very much enjoys killing, violence, and is still experiencing intrusive thoughts of harming himself and others. This is something he's conflicted about and must grapple with later, as he both indulges it with glee at times but is also disturbed by it, as he isn't sure if it means he's still subject to any impulses that are beyond his control.

(SPOILERS FOR THE FIC A LITTLE BIT:) But essentially he comes to understand that his brain, while wired to see things through a filter of violence, is indeed completely under his control besides the eventual emotional outburst - this is just who he is, as a person. He's extremely passionate in his relationships and that passion often translates into these aggressive fantasies which he sees a certain beauty in. This has nothing to do with Bhaal, but it is most likely partially a result of the life he led up to this point. DU drow will never be normal, and in truth, he likes that, but there is a shame involved that occasionally creeps up on him and is unlikely to ever go away entirely - I think that's just par for the course, and the very least of consequences that he deserves for once being a genocidal maniac.

I agree with you that I wish there were further consequences to denying Bhaal - but I would rather not get too deep into it because I do plan on addressing that in my story later ;)

[fcble]

THE FABULIST'S FIELD GUIDE TO FABLE.

Somehow I've managed to post almost one hundred thousand words on this blog in the form of writing pieces. Which is absolutely insane to me because I don't think I've managed to write one hundred thousand words of creative writing towards any single project in the rest of life up until this Tumblr blog. And maybe this type of celebration is a little premature but I have things planned and I will hit 100k. It's also the three year anniversary of this blog, and I want to celebrate that too.

This is a little recap of where we've been, where we are, and maybe where we're going. And by we, I mean me and the guys in my head. This is also a sort of guide to their writing pieces and the reading order because I did not write in chronological order.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN

There are four major, earth-shattering, life-changing events that happened to various Fable members that had repercussions to various people over various years. If you're interested in all the writing as a whole, I have a Google doc in posting order here and chronological order here, which splits up a lot of the pieces.

[ OO1 ] MINGEUN'S NATIONALITY SCANDAL

In order to debut, Mingeun made a deal with Taein, the company's CEO, to lie about his upbringing, and therefore his nationality. He was born in South Korea, but immigrated to Canada with his family when he was two. When it came to being a Fable member, Andrew already had the diaspora member position on lock. And the main vocal position, which led to Mingeun being cut from the debut lineup after Haksu joined at the last minute.

Jaeseop fought for Mingeun's inclusion and won, leading to Taein brokering the deal with Mingeun. Everything went swimmingly for the first two years, where Mingeun pretended he didn't understand a word of English, and never uttered a word about Canada. He uttered very few words in this time period and was always out of the spotlight.

In the summer of 2020, having hit their stride with their previous album a few months earlier, the lid on the entire operation was blown via Dispatch articles. Given that Fable was on the rise, both in Korea and internationally, it didn't take long for friends and classmates from his childhood to corroborate the news. Mingeun's hiatus was immediate, and it would be over a year before he returned to the group. In the months that followed, he gained a reputation for being a liar, and in turn, tainted Fable as "the group with the liar" for some time.

RELEVANT POSTS: One of the news articles that broke the news. Pre-redemption arc perception. A drabble. "Not Enough." "Live Wire."

[ OO2 ] HAKSU'S BLACKMAIL

Haksu was the last member to join Fable. In the most succinct way possible, he spent the last two months of 2017 stalking and harassing Taein until he was accepted as a trainee. This is because he very much believes in fate and he had a dream about him. In the least weird and creepy way possible. It's only what he did because of it that becomes weird and creepy. Armed with his knowledge and physical evidence of Taein's adultery, he used it as a bargaining chip to get his foot in the door.

At the end of 2017, the debut lineup was otherwise set and they would have debuted earlier, if not for Haksu's sudden inclusion. Jaeseop and Mingeun tried so hard to get him out of there, but he was surprisingly stubborn and resilient and optimistic. He's also the best singer in the group, which is why Mingeun was demoted to main dancer and then nearly kicked out.

After debuting, Haksu continued to use Taein's crimes against him to secure himself the position of center, along with every opportunity that came Fable's way for the first few years of their careers. This continued on until 2021, when Taein and his wife began divorce proceedings. Having lost his best bargaining chip, he had to start learning how to share the spotlight. The majority of Fable fans continue to consider him the undisputed center.

RELEVANT POSTS: "Great Things" part one and two. One part of "Form is Emptiness."

[ OO3 ] EUNSU'S DEPARTURE

Eunsu was Fable's main rapper for three years, until he left the group in August 2021. The official reason for his departure was given simply as "personal reasons." The real reason he left was the death of his older brother, Yonggeum, which left him as his parents' only child. His father runs the only Buddhist temple in the small town he grew up in, a position that was passed down through his family for generations. It was expected that Yonggeum would inherit their father's position. That gave Eunsu the freedom to do things like become a kpop idol. After his brother's death, he was compelled by a sense of duty to return home and learn his father's role.

Despite his departure, he continues to interact with the rest of the group to the point where it's like he never even left. He writes songs for them, features on some of them, appears on a bunch of their livestreams, and is still Mingeun's best friend.

RELEVANT POSTS: "Form is Emptiness" part one and part two.

[ OO4 ] 'THE PROBLEM WITH FABLE'

Ever since their debut, one of Fable's greatest assets and their biggest weakness has been their concept. After building their careers as a modern take on mostly Joseon-era culture, they're boxed into the same square. They hardly ever do anything different, and when they do, it pisses off half their fanbase. These problems and some more were the subject of a viral video essay by Lightspeed member Tyler, but before he joined a survival show and became an idol. You either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. But I digress that has little to do with Fable.

Responses to this were split, with Mingeun and Jaeseop weighing in with their own opinions. They are a bit too decently established and also a boy group for this to really affect their reputations. It just sits in the back of Jaeseop's mind and bothers him every now and then.

RELEVANT POSTS: "the problem with fable" itself. Mingeun and Jaeseop's reactions.

There are a few smaller plotlines that focus more on individual members.

[ OO1 ] BYEONGHWI (AND GICHEOL)

Byeonghwi is the only character whose storyline is mostly romance-focused. I wanted at least one of them to have a smaller stakes plotline that wasn't lying about their entire identity or blackmailing their CEO. So I spun a wheel and it landed on him. Which works out well, because his idol origin story was always somehow passing an audition he went to with a friend.

Anyway, his plot is very linear and straightforward. He had a friend. He debuted first. He confessed and it went terribly. He no longer has a friend.

RELEVANT POSTS: "First Love." "Sea Change." "No Return."

[ OO2 ] ANDREW

Quick side note Andrew is the greatest thing that happened to Fable. He was not in the early drafts. It was just Mingeun against the world. A lot of things are better for them and also for me because he's in the picture.

As far as plotlines go, he's the diametric opposite of Mingeun. His story is also a lot more vibe-based. It's very much about his identity, and trying to find a place for himself, both as a Korean American returning to the so-called homeland, and as an artist in the kpop industry. I don't really know how to TL;DR this I think the TL;DR is his pieces.

RELEVANT POSTS: "Not Enough." "Double A-Side." "Piano Concerto in A♭ Minor" part one, part two, part three. A drabble.

WHERE WE ARE

After all of that happened, I am trying to pick up the threads and extend them years into the future. The easiest way to do this is probably by member.

KIYOUNG recently returned from his mandatory military service. Other than that he's big chilling. Not to be confused with bing chilling. He's adjusting to civilian life again. RELEVANT POSTS: "Piano Concerto in A♭ Minor part one"

ANDREW is being recruited by Taein's somewhat shady business partner and not-quite-chaebol-heir Jinguk, for reasons he still doesn't really know. He has been Fable's temporary leader for the past nine months, and will continue to be so for another year or so, while Jaeseop is enlisted. RELEVANT POSTS: The drabble again. And also his piece which is linked in three parts right above so I'm not doing that again.

JAESEOP enlisted in December. He will be there for some time. Before he went, he tried to prepare Andrew as his substitute. He considered it putting his affairs in order, like he was going to die. RELEVANT POSTS: The saddest announcement ever o7.

INTAK is technically the first Fable member to go solo, in a move absolutely no one could have predicted. He released a mixtape in August. He went to Japan with Byeonghwi and Mingeun and returned with an entire extra suitcase of anime merch. RELEVANT POSTS: The album. A news article.

HAKSU briefly went home in May and missed Fable's last tour date. He did not know that his parents set up a date for him. He also did not know that the date was with one of his sasaengs. It's bad for him right now. RELEVANT POSTS: Tour absence. "exploring haksu's sasaeng problem." "One-Way Mirror."

EUNSU might as well be in Fable with his appearance on Intak's album. He also hosted Mingeun back in November after he got into a fight with some of the other members for reasons I can no longer remember because it's been almost a year and I didn't write it down. RELEVANT POSTS: "Interlude: Birthright."

MINGEUN was given an ultimatum early in the year by Taein. It took him a while to get around to it, but he broke up with his girlfriend of almost four years in July. He's also been on house arrest for majority of the year. RELEVANT POSTS: "Live Wire." "Interlude: Chances." "A Night Out On Earth." An epilogue.

BYEONGHWI is doing things I have yet to post anything about. He's in a situationship with a fan. Nothing like Haksu's situation. There are no relevant posts because this is in my head. It's been going on since Fable's album in the spring of this year.

WHERE WE'RE GOING

Poll time! What kind of ending will Fable have? (This is just an interest check I'm going to do whatever I want.)

The good ending is something along the lines of their disbandment when their contracts expire. The bad ending is they succumb to what might be the only scandal that could kill them. After they made it through Mingeun's rough patch I really believe they could survive anything else, EXO/cockroaches of kpop-style.

Other than that, I don't have many more plot points fleshed out yet. I will go wherever they take me 🫶.

[the-soliloquies-of-sadists]

#365

“I just got the notice.  It’s done.  I never thought I would have seen a wire transfer of fifty thousand dollars into my account.  OK shithead, you are for real.  Get naked.  I want to inspect my property.  That’s what you are to me.  You are a cunt.  You are a toilet.  You are a punching bag.  You are whatever the fuck I want to make of you.  Right now, I want you naked…. 

“I don’t give a shit about those two drivers over there.  Leave your clothes right there, but hand me your phone.  Look at the screen.  I saw your post to Facebook.  You were able to follow orders.  The video was short and to the point.  You let your family and friends know that you met a hot daddy that you are moving in with, and that you will be living off the grid and that you won’t be able to respond to anyone for a long time.  You actually told them not to worry, that you trust me.  That last part was a nice added touch.

“What’s your passcode?...  I’m going to change it and then deactivate the facial recognition.  Your phone will be locked away, but I will still need to access it from time to time—you know, for the $5,000 monthly payment to me.  Which reminds me, what is your password for money transfers?...  Ok.  This is your first real test….  Yup that works.  I’m going to change that code later.

“Stand up and turn around.  Let me see what I own for the next year.  Nice tiny pecker.  Don’t like that it feels that it is free to get hard.  I completely understand why it is hard.  I’m that fucking hot.  When I install you inside the cab, I’ll have a cage to put on it.  It won’t come off too often, if ever. 

“Are you naturally smooth, or do you shave your chest?...  Good.  No manly pelt for you, God made sure of it.  Your pubes will come off in a bit too.  Turn around, let me see my new fuck hole….  Nice and hairless.  You douched out like I told you?  Good.  We’ll get you set up for cleaning out while on the road.  How many times in the past week have you been bred?... 

“Interesting.  I don’t get it.  You are quite cute.  You seem to have no problem getting men to fuck you.  You have money, enough to not only pay me over 100K across the next year, but you can take a year off to be tied up, roughed up, fucked up in the back cab of some unknown brutal asshole truck driver.

“I don’t know what you are running from.  And I don’t care.  What I do care about is I don’t want some drama creeping into my cab, during the year you are with me and the time after.

“Get on your knees and look up and into your phone’s camera.  I want you to say the following in your own words.  That you come here of your own choice.  You are paying me $50,000 up front to live in cab with me, and $5,000 each month.  This is non-refundable at any time.  You want to be controlled by me in all aspect of your life.  You know that I am a brutal sadistic man.  Sex with me is not a guarantee and is not part of the money paid.  I want you to beg on camera for me to brutally use you, sexually and otherwise.  That includes using you anyway I see fit.  You consent to all my demands.  You can revoke it at any time and terminate our agreement.  In fact you know either of us can terminate this role.  If I do it, you will be left naked on the side of the road somewhere.  If you do it for any reason, then you would gladly pay me a penalty of additional $50K, transferred from this phone.  You will beg to be bound for most of the day.  You will beg for me to humiliate you and degrade you.  You got all that?

“Good.  Now look at your phone’s camera…. Wait I should also get you on my camera too.  Can’t be too cautious….  Focus your attention on your phone, and… go….

––––

“That’s done.  So now let’s get you locked up properly in the cab.  Come here.  When crawling into my cab and I’m right behind you, pause and lean over my seat.  Stick your pussy out.  Let the world see your ass.  I want to check out my new fuck hole. 

“This is a pretty pussy.  Oh there is some hair back here.  Don’t start yelping now.  I just yanked out a couple.  There’s a lot more to pull out.  What?  You think I’m going to use my clippers on a pussy?  Or your crotch?  Fuck that.  You’ll be fine with a yank or two… or twenty, or whatever it takes. 

“If you are going to have an issue that I’m going to yank out your hair, this is not going to go well for you.  If you can’t handle one minute with me, how the hell are you going to last for a year?  You paid for one year to submit to a sadistic trucker with one the fattest cocks out there.  Do you still want to do this?  Or are you living in a fantasy world?  If you want to bail, now is the time.  I will pull out of here, leaving you naked without your phone.  And I will definitely make sure that the penalty fee is transferred to my account before you can even make it over to one of those two drivers over there.

“What’s it going to be?  Climb down and go over to them, or climb into the bunk on your back and get your legs up high.  You have ten seconds to decide your next year.

“Atta faggot.  When you get up there, you’ll see some ankle and wrist cuffs.  Go ahead and put them on.  I need to secure your shit. 

––––

“Hey shithead.  I talked with one of the other drivers who was watching you present yourself to me.  He wants to fuck you.  I told him that I will only let him if he’s brutal.  He just smiled and said, ‘Ohhhhh I can do that.’  So it looks you got your first fuck customer. 

“Damn you look good.  But let’s get you secured.  These wrist restraints get clipped here.  You secure?...  Good.  Now this ankle goes over here.  The hard one is this last ankle.  The fags I secure always find this difficult….  Relax.  Relax this leg.  Fucker, just suffer through the pain.  This is the pose you will be in as we drive across the country; your cunt leading the way.

“Now for this.  See this.  This is not your ordinary chastity cage.  No this one flattens your dick head to just over half an inch.  There is no way for you pull out.  Your balls, as tiny as they are, are pushed in your taint region so that when you sit down, you will crush them.  You won’t be able to get a hard on due to the pain it causes.  This is going to hurt. 

“Scream.  I don’t give a fuck.  This is going on.  There!  Now for the lock….  With that click, this is not coming off. 

“Oh shit!  He’s already here.

“Come on up….  I was about to cunt the fag.  You can watch….  I just need to remove some of his pubes.  Get over there so you can watch.  I don’t use a clipper or anything like that.  I just grab a hold of a tuft and yank it out.  The faggots always scream when I do that.  That’s music to my ears.  Gets me rock hard.

“No, you can leave the curtain open.  I don’t give a shit who sees me take ownership of this fagmeat.  If the other driver wants to join, so be it.  This is the pussy’s first moments submitting to me; he needs to know what’s in store for him for the next year.

“Hey shithead, open your fucking mouth.  Eat your pubic hair.  Chew and swallow.  Everything that gets yanked out goes right into your mouth.

“That’s what you got to do to these fags.  He knew that I am a sadistic bastard when he agreed to live with me for a year.  He knew that’s what he was paying me for….

“Yeah, he paid me fifty thousand to ride with me and ride me….  No shit!  And he’s paying me five thousand every month.  Fuck yeah.  The first transfer went through about ten minutes ago.  A friend of mine told me that I should be charging for my fat cock.  He told me about a site where this type of shit goes on.  I posted that I’m a driver with a seven by eight-inch dick looking for a hole to fuck while on the road for the next year.  I jokingly put a fifty-thousand-dollar price tag, and wouldn’t you know it within a week, this faggot replied.  Once I showed him a pic of my cock and me next to my tractor, he wanted to throw money at me. 

“Open up.  Eat this last tuft.  I will save the rest of your snatch for another time.  It’s time for me to fuck this cunt.  Let me show you the dick that will own your life.  Look at it.  It’s barely rock hard, and it’s already fatter than a beer can.  You got me leaking boy.  There is so much slop under my foreskin.  You will be expected to clean me up every day, after every time I fuck you.

“Hand me some of that lube.

“Hey shithead.  You ready to be cunted?  The lube goes on for my pleasure, not yours….

“Scream fucker scream.  Right to the root.  Resist or accept me, I don’t give a shit.  I’m going to dump my three-day load into you through all your screaming.  You want me to cum faster, keep screaming.  It ain’t going to take me long.  First cuntings never do.  Your pussy walls are like silk on my dick.  Oh fuck.  I’m gonna cum. 

“Look up at me.  You know I own you?  You know this cunt is mine?  Just nod.  Good.  You want this load?  Of course, you do.  It’s what you live for.  It’s gonna cost you though.  Look at my fist.  Here comes your first black eye.

“BOOM!  Fuck yeah.  And I’m gonna cum.  I’m gonna cum!  Ahhhhhh!  Ahhhhhh.  Fuck yeah.

“Whew!  That was fucking good.  You’re up!...  What?  That bother you?  Then don’t fuck him.  I don’t give a shit.  Besides, I love giving black eyes.  My favorite part is making the fagmeat respond ‘I didn’t listen’ to any inquiry as to how it happened.  Damn.  Thinking about that is getting me hard again.  He’s already starting to regain consciousness.

“Hey Shithead!  Rise and shine in the summertime!

“Your dick is still hard.  Go on.  Fuck him…. Yeah, there you go.  Go on give it to him.  You said you would be brutal.  Fuckin’ be brutal….  Yeah yank his nips right off.  He needs to know the year of hell that lies in front of him.”

[whyse7vn]

POSITIVE VIBES ONLY! -

[ ot7 x reader ]

WHO’S IN PARIS?

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

tae: can someone wire me 100k?

jk: how do you wire something??

y/n: beats me

namjoon: 100k?

jimin: why?

jin: did you hear lucas left nct LAMSOO

yoongi: who?

hobi: i’m about to raise the roof

yoongi: oh

tae: can someone send me 100k or not omg

y/n: are you not a millionaire???

jk: word on the streets is that he’s a hardcore gambler

jin: ur living room does not count as “the streets”

jk: 😟

y/n: guys kai is enlisting i’m gonna throw up

yoongi: gws

hobi: pretty girl you like peaches 🩷

y/n: you’ll never be him

hobi: 😞

namjoon: why does tae need 100k??

y/n: yeah why does tae need 100k??

jk: let the audience know tae

tae: yes or no can you send it now?

jin: i could but i won’t

yoongi: no

jimin: asked for coffee the other day and you said no

now you want 100k how about you kys

hobi: i’ll send it

y/n: no you won’t

hobi: i won’t send it

jk: bold of you to assume i have 100k

namjoon: jungkook what?

you make more than 100k a day??

jk: okay??

bold of you to assume i have access to my card

namjoon: ??

jin: i don’t even wanna know tbh

y/n: he once ordered a 10k marching band the day after the hamster we had died because he needed to “clear his head”

jimin: you guys had a hamster??

jk: lived one day will miss tony forever ☝🏻

yoongi: this is why we shouldn’t of let the 2 youngest members live together

y/n: jungkook once brought a “picassco” painting of iron man for 50k

jk: is very pretty it’s in my room

hobi: picasso is dead

jk: what

jimin: tae and jennie let’s get into that

tae: let’s not

jin: REAL is that why you need 100k stuck in paris bf of the year?

y/n: RIGHT WHAGT IS GOING ON FR

tae: nothing

namjoon: ?

y/n: be fr tae

tae: are you jealous??

y/n: no

jk: yes

y/n: what

tae: what

jk: ur giving her 100k ofc im jealous

jin: omg?

y/n: FR??

namjoon: ur giving her 100k?

jimin: that’s insane

yoongi: does she not have money?

hobi: her and tae fr twins then

jimin: how is he giving away money he clearly doesn’t have?

tae: i have 100k

jimin: ur not acting like it

namjoon: wait so ur asking us to send you 100k that you already have to give to ur gf?

tae: what??

jk: guys i’m kinda confused rn

tae: i don’t have a gf?

yoongi: bro

jimin: i don’t even care anymore

y/n: tae was dropped as a baby

tae: OMG 😧????

jimin: constantly

tae: wtf namjoon say something this SICK the way they talk to me

namjoon: i give up

y/n: wasn’t talking TO you i try to keep that to a minimum

tae: when she hates you 😍

jk: jennie hates you?

hobi: she’s kinda real for that

tae: stfu about jennie

jk: omgee did you fight??

yoongi: you guys are not real

there’s no way

jimin: the next bitch to send a question mark being shot and killed immediately

y/n: mark lee

hobi: let’s play ball

tae: mid

y/n: MARK LEE MID ARE YOU OUT OF UR MIND???

jimin: …

y/n: if you shoot at kill me that would be considered a hate crime

jimin: it will be worth it

y/n: :c

jk: :3

hobi: :0

yoongi: freaks

namjoon: cute

tae: guys i feel like you don’t actually love and care for me

jk: whaaat ur really cool!

y/n: yikes

jin: jungkook sarcasm says it all tbh

jk: what

jin: nvm he just dumb as hell

jk: ??

jin: ur so cool jungkook!!!!!!

jk: ur coolest jin ^^

jimin: the oldest too

namjoon: don’t start

yoongi: yikes x2

hobi: eeek

jimin: i care for none of you

y/n: ur ugly

jimin: take it back

yoongi: i would put you all in a freezer

namjoon: what?

hobi: cold >.<

jk: does tae still need 100k?

tae: YES

jk: okay

tae: ???

jk: ???

tae: are you not giving it to me?

jk: no?

tae: wtf?

why did you ask then?

jk: cuz i wanted to know if you still needed it?

y/n: all these questions not enough answers

jimin: amen

hobi: queencard

namjoon: i think being in this gc is what taking acid would feel like

jin: druggie

jk: namjoon pls don’t do drugs

yoongi: save me

hobi: so tae is single?

tae: taken by the lord

jimin: i’ve been counting down the days for the lord to take you

tae: when i actually die ur gonna feel an unbearable amount of guilt

y/n: jimin when will you rest omg

jimin: i’m a born hater it’s hard to live like me

yoongi: if i were you i would kms

namjoon: i love having positive conversations with you all

hobi: me 2

jk: is it just me or am i the only one not seeing the positivity rn…

y/n: love you bffs 💓

jk: okay nvm !!!

me after lying saying i’m gonna release more stuff and then just running away 🤭🤭🤭. i’m just silly like that am i gonna regret posting this at 3 am and not proof reading it? possibly but it’s okay i’m back for how long? god knows but the jennie and tae stuff absolutely crazy i must say #gothemtho i have nothing else to add love u kissing you mwah mwah.

[lady-charinette]

For the psychopaths on AO3 that write the amount of chapters they'll finish their fic with:

what supernatural foresight do you have in your hamster-burrowed-spaghetti-wired brain that you can tell you'll finish your 100k slow burn, enemies-to-lovers Fairy/Demon AU in 8 chapters?? I wanna know

[platitudinalteen]

My brain is hard wired to be self destructive to a nearly pathological extent...

That said, if I'm going to be obsessive to an almost debilitating degree, I'm going to do it with flair. This is my official announcement that I've reached 100k on my wip. Yay.

[morbidfleur]

The wire should be required viewing for everyone whos parents makes 100k+ a year