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park-jimin-isnt-real · 2 years

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"edge of tonight" part twelve ~ the meeting

pairing: namjoon x reader (lots of platonic ot7 x reader) rating: T 16+ genre: mafia au, angst this part: Your meeting with Mr. Wang (at a cheap downtown cafe) doesn't go according to plan. tw: mafia au!, angst, swearing, violence, guns, injury, implied death, there's a the guy who didn't like musicals reference and if you get it i will love you forever, overuse of the term 'Coffee Girl' i'm sorry i'm also annoyed with myself, i am horrible at writing action scenes pls be patient with this chapter, i also know next to nothing when it comes to medical procedures, seriously please just suspend your disbelief for this chapter, some of yall might not like jin by the end of this chapter and i'm sorry, not beta-ed (i need a new beta if anyone's interested) word count: ~8.6k track #15: Pick a Fight ~ Anna Akana: "Call me aggressive, contentious and so excessive, go ahead, teach me a lesson, baby, let me have it." the edge of tonight masterlist an: NO ONE TALK ABOUT HOW LATE THIS WAS OKAY I'M SO SORRY. really the last few hundred words of this chapter turned into a couple thousand and it was so frustrating bc i just wanted it to be DONE. but now it finally is so please enjoy and let me know what you think. thank you for being so patient!! and as always, the lovely moodboard at the bottom was made by the fantastic @mirahuyooo

The drive was quiet. And awkward. You sat in the backseat with Jungkook, but your gaze was locked on the passing scenery as your head rested against the cool window. The kitchen had been so lively, everyone chiming in and bickering. Part of you wanted to join in, but something kept stopping you.

You felt like you didn't belong anymore.

The way everyone talked, even with the addition of the other three, it was like nothing had changed. Like you were never gone. Like they just moved on without you and rebuilt their lives in a way that you weren't needed. Genius Labs, Just Dance, the hospital Jin would be going to later was probably the own Yoongi had told you he owned.

They didn't need you.

So you stayed silent, and watched the snow-covered trees slowly turn into snow-covered buildings, and tried not to think.

"I can't believe Jin-hyung didn't make us crêpes," Hobi mumbled from the passenger seat.

You could hear Yoongi's smirk. "Don't worry, Seok-ah, we'll get us some shitty croissants at a cheap downtown café."

"He said he would, though, if..." Hobi trailed off. You could feel his eyes on you and put together the end of his sentence easily. If you stayed.

"No he didn't," Jungkook said. You were grateful he took the attention off of you so quickly. "He said me and Taehyungie could have raspberries, he said nothing about making breakfast for everyone."

"It was implied!"

"It really wasn't, hyung."

Your lips turned up ever so slightly. It was nice, in a way, just listening to them. You missed this kind of light-hearted banter. No one was actually angry. No fights were going to break out. No arguments would be created. It was peaceful. It was easy to focus on them.

You didn't want to think about what you were going to do after your meeting with Mr. Wang. You didn't want to think about Jackson, blowing your phone up with call after call. You didn't want to think about Namjoon and... well, you never wanted to think about Namjoon. You thought about Namjoon too much.

You were thinking too much.

"Hey, Honey Bunches of Oats." Hobi's voice broke through your train of thought. You kept your head pressed against the window but turned to him, biting back a chuckle at the name. "You look like you're contemplating the meaning of life there, you okay?"

You smiled at him, but could tell he wasn't convinced. "I'm fine, don't worry." You looked back out the window. "I wasn't thinking about much of anything, really."

"I call bullshit," Yoongi said. "There's no way your head is empty." It wasn't, but you didn't want to talk about any of it either. You were tired of answering questions and explaining yourself. Just because you had most of their answers didn't mean you had all of them, nor that you wanted to share them. The car fell back into awkward silence as they realized you weren't going to speak again.

You needed a plan. That's what you forced yourself to think about. You had known Song wouldn't let you go so easily, but you had hoped that offering to return the obscene amount of money Namjoon and his gang were apparently worth would sway things in your favor. You were going to a new location, too, so you wouldn't have a lot of time to scope out an escape route if things went bad.

That was probably why Namjoon had sent these three with you. If it came down to it, you could survive Hobi's driving, Yoongi was probably a better shot than you were, and Jungkook looked like he could hold his own. It also explained why Namjoon didn't come with you himself.

The biggest thing was making sure it looked like you were alone. As much as Yoongi had offered, no one could sit in the meeting with you. It also meant you couldn't be seen getting out of their car.

"How much farther?" You asked as you sat up.

"About a kilometer and a half," Yoongi answered, "why?"

You undid the seat belt. "Drop me off here."

"Why??"

"Because they don't know I'm with anyone and I'd like to keep it that way, so either pull over and let me out, or I'm jumping." Yoongi started pulling over as Jungkook protested.

"But we promised RM-hyung—"

"You did, I didn't." RM must have been Namjoon, and that promise must have been to keep you safe. "I'm a big girl, Bunny Boy, I can take care of myself. Besides, we're in a populated enough area that Hobi should be able to hack into some camera system and you can stalk me that way."

Hobi rolled his eyes, but you could sense the concern rolling off of him in waves. Yoongi gave you the last few directions and told you they would be waiting down the block for you. "Don’t freeze your ass off."

"Busan gets colder." You opened the door and climbed out before they could protest more. You crossed the street with a quick glance to make sure you wouldn't get prematurely hit with a car, then made your way along the sidewalk.

Plan, you needed a plan, and you needed one fast. The biggest issue you had was you didn't know what game they would be playing: Seoul's, or Busan's. A meeting like this in Seoul would consist of an exchange of information and then you potentially getting sniped 24-48 hours later. A meeting like this in Busan would consist of an exchange of information and then you getting stabbed or shot before you even left your seat.

You looked all around you as you weaved through the light crowd on the sidewalk. Wang sent you to a public place, so chances of you getting directly attacked mid-meeting or right after were slim; but the tall buildings around you left far too many opportunities for a sniper open. There were a number of open alleyways that could be used for a quick escape, but the chances of getting cornered in them was also pretty high.

Would they attack you? Or would this be nothing more than breakfast and a send-off? Would they wait until you were back in Busan before joining the many who want your head?

Did you even want to go back to Busan?

...

Okay, nope, you weren't going to think about that right now. Right now was about survival—survive, then you could think about things like that.

If Busan made you good at one thing, it was surviving. If it made you good at two things, it was surviving and improvising. This was a situation where you couldn't plan ahead very far, you'd have to think on your feet in the moment. You couldn't think about it like a game of chess; that would get too complicated and you would get bogged down with details.

It was a game of rock-paper-scissors: either you'd get shot immediately, sometime later, or you wouldn't get shot at all.

Those outcomes were basic enough you could create rough drafts of a plan around. Not getting shot at was ideal, and required the least amount of work behind it, but not getting shot at was also the least likely of these outcomes. Getting shot sometime later had the most variables and was most likely, but later meant you could worry about it later.

Getting shot at immediately was the big problem, and unfortunately one you couldn't really address until you saw the environment you would be dealing with. Would there be lots of space to move around in or would things be cramped in tight? How many people, civilians, casualties could there be? And could you avoid them altogether?

You had stolen the gun beneath Yoongi's seat as you got out of the car, and the weapon was safely tucked into your waistband and hidden by your jacket. You weren't walking into this unarmed. But Seoul liked handling things quietly; the less chaos in the streets, the more the families and gangs could achieve. So for your benefit, and Bangtan's really, you couldn't shoot first.

You stopped in front of a decent-sized coffee shop on the corner. Windows lined the walls facing the street, and you could see a fair amount of customers inside, both standing in line and already seated with their drinks and laptops. Beanie's was printed on a sign hung above the door, with a doodled coffee cup next to it.

It was cute.

Why the fuck did Wang want to meet you here?

What trap were you about to walk into?

You looked around one last time, and from the corner of your eye you caught a glimpse of a familiar black car pulled up against the curb just a block or two away. You didn't glance at it for long—you couldn't, in case you were already being watched—but knowing someone familiar was here gave you a small sense of calm.

They wouldn't let anything happen to you.

Well. They wouldn't let anything within their power happen to you. You had a lot more autonomy than you used to and you were more than capable of getting yourself into and out of trouble; after all, you weren't sixteen anymore.

You took a deep breath and pulled the door open, making a small bell jingle overhead. You were grateful for the rush of warm air against your skin. You looked around the shop but saw no sign of Wang or any of Song's men, at least not inside. You did arrive a bit early, so you could use this time to your advantage. You got in line to order as you made note of everything around you.

There were no booths, just tables and chairs, and those could be used for either offence or defense. Chances were the windows weren't bulletproof, if anything they might be tempered, so there were several easy albeit obvious possible exits. Hot coffee itself could be a weapon and you wondered if asking the barista to make it as hot as possible would tip anyone off.

"You know what?" The man ordering in front of you caught your attention as his voice rose. "I'm never coming back here again. That sign's bullshit!" You took a step to the side to avoid being run over by him as he stormed out.

"Oh my god, so mean," came the came a high-pitched mocking whine from the barista behind the counter, currently flipping the retreating figure off.

"Happy holidays, sir!" A different barista yelled over her coworker, her voice overly chipper the way only someone who worked in customer service and was constantly yelled at could be. "Ohhhhh-kay, Emma, why don't you go take a break in the back, alright?" You watched the man's retreating form for another moment, then stepped up to the counter.

You froze.

"I am so sorry about all that," the barista continued. She hadn't looked at you yet, still pushing buttons on the register, probably clearing out the last order. "Anyways, uh, hi, welcome to Beanie's, what can I—" She finally looked up at you and paused, then broke into a real smile. "Oh my god! Y/N, right? From the ball last night?"

Jin's date, who he had just introduced you to last night, was standing on the other side of the counter.

And suddenly you knew exactly why Wang wanted to meet you here, and you knew exactly what kind of trap you just walked into.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, not bothering to keep your tone light. "Does Jin know you're here?"

She giggled. Giggled. Like she didn't know her life was about to be in danger. "Of course he does! I work here, obviously, and he's gonna stop by for lunch before he heads to his shift at the hospital."

She didn't know her life was about to be in danger.

"Has Jin told you anything?" You watched as her smile fell and her cheery disposition turned confused.

"About what?" She asked in return. You looked her in the eyes for a moment longer. This wasn't clever avoidance, the I know what you're talking about but I can't make it obvious that I know what you're talking about type of look.

She. Didn't. Know. Anything.

Two. They were about to be two members down.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him," you muttered, getting yourself as close to the counter as you could without climbing over it, and leaned over so only she could hear you. "You need to get out of here. Now."

"Why?" She whispered back. At least she had the common sense to look scared.

"You're not safe, not anymore." You glanced over her shoulder. "Is there a way you can get out through the back?" She nodded hesitantly. "Go hide out, call Jin to come get you now, and if you start hearing gunshots you run."

Her eyes went wide at the mention of bullets possibly flying. "I—what?" The bell above the door rang.

You pulled away, back to what a normal customer-employee distance would be. "Yeah, can I get a large black coffee?" Your voice went back to normal, but your eyes kept boring into hers. It took a second too long for her to perk back up.

"Of course!" She smiled and tapped away at the register. "Is that for here or to-go?" She looked at you again, and while you hated the fear you could see badly hidden in her eyes, you knew that fear would help keep her alive.

"For here," you answered, and she visibly relaxed a bit. "I'm meeting someone in a few minutes." She nodded and tapped again.

"Anyone special?" She asked you, her tone almost teasing. At least she was a good actress.

"Afraid not, just business."

"Will that be all today?"

"For right now, yeah." You glanced at the total on the screen facing you and pulled a small stack of cash from your pocket, handing it to her.

"We'll have that ready for you in just a minute," she said as she sorted the money into the register.

"Anna."

She paused, once again confused. "I'm sorry?"

"The name for the order?" You offered. "Anna." Her brows pinched together for a moment, and she looked like she was about to ask about your fake name, but she carried on instead.

"Right, of course, I'm so sorry. We'll have that right out for you." She scurried away to begin making you the drink you weren't planning on drinking and another barista filled her spot to help the person in line behind you.

You took a seat at a table next to one of the windows and looked out at the half-busy street. On the outside, you were fine. Just chilling, waiting patiently for your coffee. On the inside you were screaming. How did you not connect these dots earlier?

Song's men were watching you all night. They saw everyone you interacted with. They made note of who they were and how they could be used; and when they couldn't find much, if anything, on Jin, they turned to his date.

This sweet, innocent girl, who worked at a cheap downtown café and was probably falling in love with one of your old best friends, and had no idea what she was getting herself into.

You were going to kill Jin. He fucking knew better.

And when you ran out, it was her they decided to try and use against you solely because she was a civilian, she was innocent. They were trying to appeal to your humanity while putting you in a Catch 22: do what we want and she won't get hurt. Fight back and she's dead.

You knew Song wouldn't let you leave easily, even if you returned all 8 billion won. They knew you knew something, and they were going to do anything to try and get it out of you, including dragging other people into your mess.

Your simple game of Survival Rock-Paper-Scissors had turned back into the game of chess you were trying to avoid.

You could keep yourself alive. There weren't many scenarios where you would actually wind up dead. Injured, sure, there were plenty of those, but not dead. But you were much less sure of your abilities to keep yourself and someone else alive, especially when that someone else didn't have nearly the same training or skillset as you did.

"Order for Anna!" You twisted in your seat, about to get up and go fetch your coffee, when a set of legs came into view in front of you, stopping your movement. You didn't look up. You didn't need to.

"Please, allow us to get that for you," he said as he sat down in the chair across from you. One of the guards, you assumed, who had come with him went to the front to collect your drink. You turned to face him.

You were out of time.

Mr. Wang was a stout man with more muscle than fat, and probably about the same age as your father, maybe a few years older. He was Song's Right Hand, and you often wondered why Song would send someone so high up the hierarchy just do deal with someone like you.

He smiled. "Good morning, Ms. Lee." It was always unnerving, the way he said your name. Like he knew it was fake.

"Good morning, Mr. Wang." You kept your voice polite, trying to mask your worry with boredom. "I believe you promised me breakfast?"

"And yet you've already paid for your coffee," he said as the steaming drink was placed on the table in front of you. The guard took a seat directly behind you. They were trying to keep the outside appearance of the meeting casual.

"You should've gotten here before me, then."

Wang chuckled. "For someone who didn't want to meet this morning, you certainly are excited."

"The sooner I got here, the sooner I could leave." You were already tired of the forced pleasantries. "Why are we here, Mr. Wang?"

"You know perfectly well why, Ms. Lee. You're a clever girl." A chill ran down your spine at the phrase. It wasn't the first time you'd heard it, but it always carried such a sinister tone. Your father's voice always echoed in your mind. "I'm positive you've already figured it out."

"I have, and it's funny how you think I care." You rested your head against your palm, leaning on your elbow.

That got Wang to pause, but only for a small moment. "I recall you telling me that you didn't deal with innocents."

"If she attended the ball last night, then she isn't all that innocent, is she?" She absolutely was, but the more you could get Wang to think otherwise, the more he would focus on you instead of her. Wang only hummed, and stared you down a moment longer before folding his hands on the table.

"The information, Ms. Lee." His voice was harder now, lower. The small talk was over. The waters had been tested. The pieces were in place.

The game had begun.

"And what information would you like? As I said on the phone, I have plenty, but not much of it requires your attention."

"And as I stated—"

"You'll be the judge of that, yes, yes, I remember." You rolled your eyes and looked back out the window. "Ask away."

Wang was silent. You people-watched as you waited for him to take his turn. There was a small advantage you had over him: he was probably playing seven mind games right now, and whatever happened here would effect most of them. You were only playing this game right now, so all your attention could stay focused here.

It was a very tense two minutes before he spoke again. "The information, Ms. Lee," he repeated.

You turned back to him and smiled ruefully. "And what information would you like?" You asked again. Normally, you could play this game all day, but it wasn't just your life at stake right now. "Specific questions get specific answers, Mr. Wang."

The man let out a sigh, as if he were indulging a young child. "The information on Bangtan, Ms. Lee. We had originally hired you to kill them, still none of them are dead. But surely in the past four months you've managed to do something of use."

Actually, no. You really haven't done anything. Had you not run into Jungkook your first night in Seoul, and had he not mentioned Namjoon's name, perhaps the past four months could have turned out differently.

But instead, in the past four months you've done next to nothing but have a panic attack nearly every day, get maybe two hours of sleep each night, and occasionally run into someone from your past. The only times you actually tried to do what you were hired for was the night you first met Park at the bar, and last night at the ball.

You have done nothing but bullshit your way through this job.

"I've learned a number of things," you told him, "does that count?" Wang only lifted an eyebrow at you, but it had no effect. He was far from intimidating, and you were far from impressed. You continued, "I've learned what the Southern Underground means when they say that the North is boring; I've learned that public transportation is much better here than it is in Busan; and I learned that I am pretty enough for Park Jimin to sleep with."

You have not slept with Park Jimin. You did not want to sleep with Park Jimin. A very large part of you still wanted to cut Park Jimin's dick off.

But if it was going to upset them to think that you did sleep with Park Jimin and that that was the reason he was still alive, then yeah, sure, you slept with Park Jimin. Best sex you've ever had, ate you out like a champ, his hips did not lie.

Wang stayed quiet, merely observing you. You didn't like the way he was looking at you. You expected him to be angry, sure, but there was an air of disappointment about him too. Like he had expected better from you and you had let him down. "So what you're telling me, Ms. Lee, is that we paid you an obscene amount of money—in full, in advance, in cash, just as you required—to kill several people, and you have spent the past four months whoring yourself out to them?"

The hand in your lap curled into a fist and you dug your nails into your palm. It was still sore from last night, but that helped. The pain was the only thing that kept you from reacting to his words.

You hated that word. You hated that word. There was a phantom stinging on your left side, right over your ribs, and your father's voice rang through your head again.

You wanted to be a whore that badly, Darling...

"Well maybe you shouldn't have lied to me." And this was where the bullshitting continued. Wang's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the accusation. He opened his mouth but you kept going. "I am a clever girl, Mr. Wang, and I did my research once I got the job. I'm not sure who is kidnapping women and children, but it's not Bangtan. They're far from saints, but they still have some decent morals."

Wang closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath in, slowly letting it out. You weren't sure if he was buying it or not, but you really hoped he was. "Enough." That single word set you on high alert. It could mean anything. This wasn't how the game usually went.

"Enough," he repeated, then looked over his shoulder at the man behind him. "Call my son, tell him the game is over." Wang stood, and you felt the one behind you stand with him. "Grab her, let's go." A hand grabbed your shoulder.

"Don't fucking touch me." You shoved the hand off and glared up at Wang. "I am not going anywhere."

"Let's not make a scene, Ms. L/N." You froze, eyes wide. "Please make this easy and come quietly."

L/N. They knew who you really were. How did they know? You had been going by Lee Anna for the last six years. This job was far more dangerous than you had ever thought.

You shoved the panic down, Jackson had taught you years ago that you can't panic in the middle of a job, not if you want to stay alive, box it up, shove it down, get the job done, you can break down once you get home.

I'll be there to help you when you do.

"If you didn't want me to make a scene, Mr. Wang, you would've chosen somewhere more private for us to meet." Like hell, would you ever go anywhere quietly. Besides, making a scene gave you several advantages.

Like chaos you could better escape in.

You grabbed your coffee and threw it at Wang, smirking in satisfaction at the cry he let out as the scalding liquid soaked into his suit. The man behind you grabbed your shoulder again, this time more firmly. Instead of pushing him off, you grabbed him by the wrist and stood, twisting his arm around as you moved. He cried out from the pain, his limb in an unnatural position. With your free hand, you pulled the gun from your waistband and shot.

Blood splattered as he dropped and screams erupted from the other customers and employees. You turned and shot the other guard, the one that had sat behind Wang, and though it wasn't a fatal shot the man was still down for the count. You ran to the front, people moving out of the way of the crazy girl with the gun (several of them on their phone probably calling the police), and vaulted yourself over the counter.

You crashed into the back kitchen, calling out for Jin's date. She had followed most of your instructions and gone into the back after making your drink. You saw her pacing in fear by the back door, her phone clutched in her hand. "I told you to run if you heard gunshots!"

"I didn't want to run alone!" Okay, you couldn't really blame her for that. "This leads into the alley out back." You grabbed her hand and shoved her out the door.

"Stay in front of me, run as fast as you can, and whatever you do, do not let go of my hand." Her grip on you turned harsh as she did what you said and the two of you took off running through the alley. "I've got a car waiting two blocks over, but we need to get to it through the alleyways."

"Why?" She was already panting, which didn't bode well for either of you.

"Because we'll be easier targets if we run out on the street. That's probably where the rest of them were waiting." Wang was probably expecting you to run, but he had probably planned for you to run out the front instead of the back. They were bound to follow you, but they'd be behind you, which gave you a better chance of protecting her.

"Who even are they??"

"People who want my head and were willing to use you to get it." She turned to look at you over her shoulder, and you were satisfied at the fear in her eyes. Fear would keep her alert, and hopefully, alive. "Turn left."

You could hear footsteps coming. If you were alone you could just take them on, get it done and over with and leave their bodies as a message: This is what happens when you mess with me. But you couldn't risk anything happening to her, not because of you.

The alley you were running down lead to the street with no other turnoffs you could use. It was still too early in your escape for the two of you to be back out in the open. You risked a glance over your shoulder, trying to see if it was clear enough to turn back, but you didn't get a good look at the man in the distance before Coffee Girl gasped and stuttered to a halt. Your gaze shot forward once more and fell on a dark silhouette holding a gun.

You raised yours to shoot, acting on more on instinct than rationality, when you heard a familiar voice yell out "Joystick!" You recognized the codeword instantly: drop. You wrapped your arm around Coffee Girl's shoulders and forced her and yourself to the ground. Her string of mumbled "oh my god oh my god oh my god" was cut off by a scream as another gunshot sounded followed by a thud.

"Photocopy," Yoongi called to you, signaling that it was clear to get back up. He jogged over to help both of you up, though it quickly turned into you and him trying to help Coffee Girl. "I'd hoped you'd know those."

"Spent a week in Daegu," you told him, looking behind you at the dead body now laying in the alley.

"And you survived?"

"Barely."

"Yoongi?" Coffee Girl asked quietly, her voice shaking. You turned your attention back to her; she wasn't doing okay, not that you expected her to be. "You're involved in this too?" Yoongi gave her his bracket smile in response, but it did little to comfort her.

"Where's the car?"

"Coming back around," Yoongi answered. "Once the gunshots started we needed to appear as though we were fleeing civilians. I jumped out to come find you and J-Hope took the wheel."

"J-Hope?"

"Hoseok."

Dread rushed through you. "Great, Hobi's driving."

"He really has gotten better."

"I call bullshit."

"What is going on?!" Coffee Girl yelled, catching your attention once more. You turned to face her fully and placed your hands on her shoulders, hoping to help ground her a bit.

"Hey," you said, your voice firm but gentle, "I know things are confusing and beyond scary right now, but you gotta keep it together for just a bit longer. We're going to keep you safe, and you're going to be okay, and soon you'll be back with Jin and you can ask him all sorts of questions. Okay?" She took a deep, albeit shaky breath, and nodded. You dropped one hand, then looked at Yoongi. "How much longer until Hobi pulls up?"

"A couple more minutes?" He sounded like he was guessing. "Traffic gets backed up when people start panicking—thanks for that, by the way."

"Remind me to apologize later." You let Coffee Girl go, both of you leaning against the brick. "How many people do we think are looking for us right now?"

Yoongi shrugged. "Can't be too many left, with how many we've alre—"

There was another gunshot, too close for comfort, and the brick next to your head burst in a small spray of rock. Coffee Girl screamed in your ear again, covering her head and dropping to the ground. You dropped with her, trying your best to cover her body with yours while Yoongi shot back. You heard the click of his weapon and a soft fuck.

"Trade me," you told him.

"Not a chance in hell," he protested, dropping into a crouch to trade out the magazine.

"Let me take care of this, Yoongi."

"No."

"Yoongi—"

"We aren't losing you again." That made you pause. In a way, you could understand what he was feeling. There was a big difference between then and now, though.

"I'm not sixteen anymore, Yoongi," you told him, "and beyond that, I've spent plenty of time surviving down south. I can take care of myself. She can't." He turned away, and you recognized the I don't like what you're telling me but I can't argue against it either look. "Get her out of here, and let me go."

He let out a deep breath. "Fine, but I expect you to be right behind us."

"Fine." You stood up to aim for the shooter, and to draw his attention, while Yoongi helped Coffee Girl up enough to get her on her feet so she could run. After a few seconds of not getting shot at, of not seeing anyone, and when you were sure the other two had a chance to get further away, you called out, "What, too scared to shoot?"

"Don't provoke them!" Yoongi hissed at you. You ignored him, taking careful steps backwards.

"Come on, don't be shy! I don't bite hard! And my aim isn't that great!"

"Y/N!"

You rolled your eyes, but turned to follow them, only speeding up when you heard thudding footsteps behind you. So they wouldn't shoot at you, but they'd chase you? That was definitely worth looking into later.

You were right behind Yoongi when you left the alley. The once kind-of-busy street had been essentially abandoned, the occasional car driving past replaced with several police cars; though surprisingly the roadway hadn't been blocked off from any potential oncoming traffic. Then a familiar black car shot past, and the three of you ran for it.

"Don't let her get away!"

Hobi skidded to a stop against the curb just ahead of you, Jungkook jumping out of the back before the car had fully stopped moving. He pulled the passenger door open then raced towards you. Yoongi pushed Coffee Girl forward, Jungkook catching her wrist and pulling her ahead, then pushed her into the front seat. Yoongi went to the side facing the street, flinging the car door open and throwing himself into the back. Jungkook opened the opposite back door, and held it open for you.

You heard the gunshot before you felt it. A hot, tearing pain ripped through your left side right as you dove for the opening. Jungkook jumped in after you, slamming the door as Hobi took off. Coffee Girl was in the passenger seat, probably in shock, and you were sandwiched between Yoongi and Jungkook.

You clutched at the wound, trying to slow down the bleeding, clenching your jaw against the pain. It was a lucky shot. You would need to deep clean your jacket again.

Hobi was focused on driving (and no, he had absolutely not gotten better in the last ten years, you definitely felt just as sick as you used to); Jungkook was leaning around the front seat, trying to talk to Jin's date; and Yoongi was on the phone. You wanted to pay attention to that, to stay focused on something, but the new wound was disturbing an old emotional scar.

You knew what was going to happen. Eventually one of them would notice you were injured, Yoongi would inform Jin, Jin would probably strap you to a medical table so he could take care of the new hole in your body, and then he would see the scar. And then he would tell Namjoon.

And Namjoon couldn't know about it.

Despite knowing better, you leaned your head back and closed your eyes. You needed to stay awake. You needed to stay alive. You needed to not be so damn tired.

You needed Jackson.

Your free hand patted around your jacket pockets, looking for your phone. You needed to call him back, and he definitely needed to know about the shot. You also knew it had been too long since you'd last talked with him, and with the new developments this job had, he needed to be in the loop.

He was also 100% going to get after you for getting injured and for not answering his calls and the sooner you contacted him the sooner he could get every bad word about you out and move on to the important things.

"Where's my phone?" you mumbled, feeling nothing but soft jacket as you continued searching. "What the fuck?" You definitely had it in the café, you had to check and make sure it was on silent so Jackson's calls wouldn't interrupt your meeting.

"You okay?" Yoongi asked, turning his phone receiver away. Jin was no doubt bombarding him with questions about how Coffee Girl was doing.

You tried taking a deep breath, then had to hide a pained grimace you were sure he picked up on. "I can't find my phone."

Yoongi's eyes narrowed. "And beyond that?" he prodded. You didn't look at him, and tried to make the hold you had on your side casual. "Y/N?"

"I smell blood?" Jungkook said, trying to wrap his large body around the front seat. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"N-no, no, I'm okay." Coffee Girl reminded you of when you were sixteen. You could vaguely remember having been pushed into a dark car, someone you cared about injured and resting in the back, the smell of blood.

"Jin, we have a second problem," Yoongi said into his phone, "and this one's worse. Seok-ah, step on it." Hobi somehow started driving faster, and you squeezed your eyes shut hoping to avoid getting motion sickness on top of what you were already dealing with.

"Y/N-ssi? Did you get hurt?" Jungkook turned his questions to you, and you could hear the same care and concern in his voice that he had in your apartment last night. Honestly, why did he care so much? The kid barely even knew you.

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't the question."

"Yoongi—"

"No, not this time, not when you're bleeding out in the back of my car. Jin, we'll see you at home. Try to keep Namjoon calm."

"Good luck with that," Hobi said, probably to himself, as he whipped the car around a corner. You grunted as the movement made you slide into Jungkook. You held onto your side tighter, trying to hold the wound and yourself together.

Namjoon couldn't know.

"Y/N-ssi, please, that's a lot of blood, let us help you."

"I'll be fine, just get me to the estate—"

"I'm working on it!" Hobi interrupted.

"—and then I'll get stitched up!"

"Would this help?" The quiet voice shocked you, and you turned to see Coffee Girl offering you a rumpled up piece of fabric. "With the bleeding? Your jacket looks a little..." She trailed off, looking for the right word but coming up empty. You didn't blame her.

You blinked at her for a moment. Slowly, your free hand reached out to take the fabric from her. It was her apron, you could see the coffee stains on it now. "Thanks," you told her quietly as you tucked the apron under your blood-stained jacket, wincing a little at the movement.

"Hyung, text Jin, tell him our ETA is five minutes," Hobi spoke up, taking what you recognized as the forever-long driveway back to the estate. If you thought about it, having such a long entrance; Hobi had probably hidden cameras and motion sensors in the trees that lined the road and kept a close eye on them. Any extra time to see that someone is coming could be the difference between life and death.

You leaned your head back and closed your eyes again, trying to mentally prepare yourself to see Namjoon and to fight with Jin. This wasn't the first time you'd been shot, and you could take care of yourself just fine. You knew Jin would have a fully-stocked medical room somewhere in that building, you'd just need someone to point you in that direction and you'd manage on your own.

But Jin wouldn't go down without a serious fight - if at all - and Namjoon was probably losing his mind already. Getting him to stay away from you wouldn't be possible without help from some of the guys.

Really, why wouldn't they all just leave you alone? Why wouldn't everyone leave you alone? No more jobs, no more Jackson, no more past coming back to haunt you.

"Don't fucking fall asleep."

"Min Yoongi I swear to god—"

"You aren't in any state to make threats."

"I don't remember you two fighting like an old married couple," Hobi sighed. "You ready for the panic?"

"Kook, hold Namjoon back," Yoongi said.

"But—"

"Do it. We gotta get Y/N downstairs with as little interference as possible."

"She'll probably need to be carried in," Hobi added.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" You yelled. "And I can walk!"

"You probably shouldn't though," Jungkook said softly.

"And they are all waiting for us on the front steps," Hobi announced as he pulled up to the estate. You opened your eyes to look out the window. Namjoon had paced himself a little path in the snow, while Jin was endlessly tapping his foot. Jimin and Taehyung had apparently returned and were leaning against the front door. "Good luck to all of you."

"We aren't going to war, hyung."

"OH, yes you are." Hobi put the car in park and everyone but you and Coffee Girl started moving. Yoongi opened the door and climbed out of the car, Hobi and Jungkook following suit. Jin ran up to the passenger door, followed closely by Jimin, who looked a lot more concerned for Coffee Girl than he had seemed with you earlier that morning.

Namjoon tried lunging towards the car and tripped going down the stairs. Tae reached out to catch him before he could fully fall, then pulled him back and said something to him that Namjoon didn't like.

Jin opened the passenger door and immediately began bombarding Coffee Girl with questions. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all? I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry."

"Hyung, give her some space, let her get out," Jimin gently chided him, holding his suit jacket in his hand.

Jungkook caught your attention by holding his hand out to you. You looked back and forth between it and his face. You saw nothing but quiet determination and gentle earnestness. "You can trust us," he whispered, repeating his words from last night. You gritted your teeth, and held your side harder.

Namjoon couldn't know.

You glanced back at Jin and Jimin. Coffee Girl was now out of the car, with Jimin's jacket wrapped around her shoulders to help protect her from the cold. You could hear Jin telling her, "I'll be with you as soon as I can, I need to help Y/N, but this is Jimin, he's the one who drinks a lot but he'll take care of you."

"Hey! Don't slander my good name in front of her!"

"Y/N," Jungkook said again, "please." He held his hand closer to you, like that would make you more likely to take it. Jimin wrapped his arm around Coffee Girl and began leading her inside. Yoongi and Hobi had joined Tae in holding Namjoon back. Jin turned his sights on you and any sympathy in his voice vanished.

"Y/N, get out of the car, now."

You really didn't like being bossed around. "Jungkook asked me nicely."

"And you didn't move. My turn. Out. Now."

"You're not—"

"Not your friend right now," Jin interrupted you. "Right now, I'm a doctor trying to save your life and giving you the option of autonomy before I risk making the wound worse and pulling you out."

"You can't do that."

"Try me."

"Hyung, please, let me hand—"

"Three."

"Are you fucking serious Jin??"

"Two."

"Don't fucking touch me!"

"Hyung!"

"One!"

"Can't win the game if you're dead!" Taehyung's voice rang over all of your arguing, the line directed at you. "Is this really how you wanna go? Bleeding out in a car because of some cheap shot and refusing help from your friends?"

…

Well, when he put it that way, no, not really. You'd contemplated your death before, but a cheap shot in the side was never on the list. If and when you did go, you wanted it to be on your own terms.

Not something like this.

You met Jin's eyes, matching his ferocity. "Only you." Namjoon couldn't know.

"If that's what it takes," he yielded easily. "One of us will need to help you with the stairs though, you've lost a lot of blood."

"I haven't lost enough to lose coherence," you mumbled, finally taking Jungkook's outstretched hand. He helped pull you from the vehicle and caught you when you wobbled after standing. Jin turned and quickly made his way up the front steps and into the estate.

Namjoon still stood on the porch, being lightly held back by Hobi and Yoongi, all three of them watching you with concern (and in Yoongi's case, a bit of frustration). You looked away quickly, not wanting to chance making eye contact.

Jungkook helped you take a few steps, your breathing abruptly becoming shallow and labored from the movement. You clutched at your side and felt the stares boring more holes through your jacket. Jungkook paused after getting you up the first step. "Maybe I could carry you again?" he asked timidly. "It'll be faster, and maybe a bit less painless for you."

Maybe it was because you had just been shot, and you had already fought with two of your old friends, and you saved a poor innocent girl from possibly getting killed today. Maybe it was because you wanted to get out of Namjoon's sight as soon as possible, and you wanted Jin get things over with, and you wanted Taehyung's words to get our of your head. Maybe it was because you were tired, and you were in pain, and part of you had already given up. Maybe it was a complex combination of all of these things that made you say yes to Jungkook's offer to carry you for the second time in twenty-four hours.

He picked you up even more gently than he had last night, mindful of your wound, but that didn't stop the pain and discomfort from being put in a new position so quickly, nor from being bounced in his arms, even as he tried to keep you as steady as he could.

You won't admit that you curled into his large chest as you passed the three men still standing and staring at you, hoping to keep them from getting too close a look at you, to keep them from seeing you wince at Namjoon's soft, "Y/N…"

Jungkook carried you into the house and to the door that you assumed led down to the basement, and where Jin kept all his medical things. Going down the staircase was bumpy and Jungkook kept muttering "sorry, sorry, sorry," all the way down. You were relieved once you reached the bottom.

The basement was large, and gave off a more homey and lived-in vibe than the rest of the estate did. There was a section full of gym equipment, a couple large couches in front of a wall with a projector hanging on the ceiling above, and a few table games like pool and table tennis. Another wall had a full bar and an open pantry with stuffed with snacks, and some bookshelves lined with both books and what looked like DVD cases.

It was close to what you expected to see from a bunch of single men in their mid-to-late twenties.

Jin was in one of the rooms that branched off, and Jungkook took you there. It was basically a room taken straight out of a hospital with how many medical supplies Jin had stacked and organized in it, complete with an uncomfortable looking hospital bed that Jungkook gently placed you down on. You leaned back with a sigh of relief to finally be in a more horizontal position.

Jin had a tray of tools and supplies next to him, and he was getting the IV set up. "Upstairs, Kookie," he said, "go help keep Namjoon calm."

"But—"

"Now, Kook. I need to focus."

"Won't you need help though?" Jungkook asked in a last-ditch attempt to stay with you.

That got Jin to pause. He looked at you. "If I do need a second pair of hands, who do you want down here?"

You sighed again, but had an easy answer. "Yoongi." He was Jin's stand-in nurse back when Jin's medical room was the smaller bedroom in his apartment, and if Yoongi did see anything you knew he wouldn't snitch.

Jin nodded, then continued working. "Tell Yoongi to be on stand-by, now up you go." Jungkook rolled his eyes, but left, grumbling something about how even though he's the youngest he can still do things and help people.

"Keep this on." He clipped a sensor onto your middle finger and the screen next to the bed lit up with your vitals. "Okay, first we need to stop that bleeding, then I can insert the IV to start replacing it. I'm guessing you won't let me cut your jacket off you?" Your glare was the only response he received. He exhaled. "Then this is going to hurt."

"I'm already in pain, Jin." You dropped the apron and tugged your jacket off your arms, then rolled your shirt up to expose the injury. It was small, and wasn't complete through your torso. It looked more like a large bug had taken a bite out of you than it did a gunshot wound. The bleeding had started slowing, although it was still constant.

You hoped Jin was too occupied with it to notice your scar directly above it.

"Alright, so what I'll do is clean around it first, then—"

"This isn't my first time being shot, Jin," you told him, beyond exasperated at this point. "I know the process, let's just get it done please."

He didn't say anything back, probably just as done with you. You kept your eyes firmly on the ceiling, despite the brightness of the lights hurting them. Jin worked quickly, just as knowledgeable in the procedure, considering all the bullet wounds he's definitely worked on over the years.

"I don't know my blood type." you said as he tied the tourniquet around your arm.

Jin shrugged. "We're all different types, the seven of us, so I just have a large storage of O-neg. Make a fist." You complied, wincing slightly at the pinch of the needle going in. "Alright, let's get some pain killers in you, shall we?"

You didn't like the feeling of new liquids being forced into your veins, but you did welcome the quick relief they offered. That relief was short-lived, however, as your body started to relax a bit too much and your eyes started drooping.

"Did you sedate me?"

Jin wouldn't look at you. "Your body is going to need plenty of rest in order to fully recover."

"That is a bullshit answer and you know it."

"I'm sorry, Y/N, I truly am, but you've fought just about everyone today, and I can't have you fighting me while I'm trying to take care of you." Your eyes stung from the betrayal he didn't understand.

Instead of responding, you closed your eyes fully and accepted it. It was another things being in Busan had taught you well: accepting things that were happening to you. You had fought as hard as you could, but in the end you weren't strong enough (you never were), so it was time to just accept the will of someone else. Jackson told you time and again that your life would be easier that way.

Your last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was remembering that you still hadn't called him back.

ta-daaaa~~~ thank you again for reading!! please comment and reblog and let me know what you think. hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!! and a super special thank you to my taglist peeps, lemme know if you want to be added to list and subsequently become a Cool Kid™️ @illnevertrustmyselfagain @misschino @youlook-likehell @dany-but-not-targaryen @nyx-goddess-of-choas @fangirl125reader @wordsaremyswords @clowdyblue @tutnotmytea @scentedsope @hope122598 @veronawrites @ayoongiverse @myooniverse @jiminrings @mirahuyooo @cafemyg @lolalee24@elyte @hyungieyoongi @singukieee @hello-neema @thebadassmotherofmyshotas @kawaii-bear @notsooperfect @mintyoonjisworld @glams00 @thisisnotangel @fangirl-and-stuff @dprssdgal @irony-of-living @hobateas @remmykinsff @gukieater @cherrie11113 @lovra974 @girlwithluv0613 @whatsakilo @yoursoontobestepmom @juju-227592 @zahraaelamira @xyahrinx @belladaises @jaiuneamesolitaiire @lookhere-2seok @imnotokayfuckup @rjsmochii @theealanis @mintsugarmy @rosesarehim @smol-grandpa @highly-functioning-mitochondria @jinsquishes @maximofftrash @diamonddia-mond @soliloquyboopboop

#bts #bts mafia #bts mafia au #bts fic #bts fanfic #bts writing #bts angst #yoongi x reader #hobi x reader #jungkook x reader #edge of tonight #part twelve #jin x reader

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baenxietydad · 2 years

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Getting Into Knives || Hatfish

@davidhatter

Was this partially an excuse to have company while he stocked Miss Anna’s fridge for her? Oh, absolutely. But did he also think this was an excellent way to trick Mr. Hatter into being his friend? For sure. Food was a kitchen witch’s whole Deal, wasn’t it?

And besides he didn’t think anything else about him was interesting enough to lead with. Maybe all of the books he read? It was hard to talk about books for him; there were so many, how do pick which ones to bring up? Aish, this was much easier.

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

Ah, yes, and Karen was here.

Karen chirped again from his lookout spot at the window to tell him Mr. Hatter was here just before the zoomies took over and he ran circles around Miss Anna’s living room.

He ushered him inside and said with a warm smile, “Here, I’ll grab these. Say hi to Karen before he yells at me. He came along to see you.”

Marlin emptied to grocery bags and set everything out while Karen got his attention.

“Damn, you really did get everything on the list. 잘 했어 (jal-hess-eo), I should shop with a list more often.” Usually he just thought of what he wanted to cook and hoped he remembered.

“Sorry the kitchen’s a little -- I’ve been cooking all morning for Nam-min and for Miss Anna so her fridge is stocked and she won’t have to cook after vacation. I always do when I’m cat-sitting for her. We’re basically family.” He grinned and pointed to a picture on her fridge of the two of them and Nemo and her two grandkids at a dance recital about six years ago. There were others featuring Nemo with her grandkids, both older and newer, and even one of just him and Nemo sitting on her floor one Christmas morning when Nemo had been about eight, interspersed with pictures of her two grandkids.

“It’s the least I can do for everything she’s done for me. Specifically for getting me through Dance Mom hell. As the kids at work would say, she’s a real one.”

#look you can pry my tmg titled out of my cold dead hands

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greenjacketwhitehatdocmui · 2 months

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Frozen Fanfiction Fragment: Negotiations

This is a "what-if" scenario with one of my OC's for a Frozen fanfiction. I suppose that it's a divergence of a divergence, which would make it some sort of branch? Twig? Perhaps a rabbit hole?

Anyway, in the normal universe, my OC comes in several months after the coronation. But, what if...he was there? And what if he asks the questions that nobody thought to ask?

TW: Implied suicidal intent.

[snip]

“Honestly, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, but that’s not germane to the issue at hand. We have far more pressing issues.”

Elsa blinked. “Wait, did you say--?”

He sighed and shook his head. “That isn’t important now. Right now, I’m more worried about your well-being.”

She arched a dubious eyebrow. “Because I’m queen?”

“Because you’re a person,” he corrected her. “You are deserving of compassion, kindness, and a decent meal.” He gestured to the campfire with the stew heating in its pot. “I mean, here you are in the middle of nowhere, with no food, no water, no…” He trailed off as he came to a harsh realization.

Elsa bowed her head. She hugged herself, as if trying to warm herself.

“No nothing,” he whispered.

She managed a shaky smile. “Nothing but freedom,” she said.

“From a certain point of view, yes,” he agreed. He stirred the stew. “However, there is a certain flaw to your reasoning.”

She blinked. “Flaw? What do you mean?” She straightened up.

He gestured to the bleak landscape, ignoring the foul looks of Hans and the Weselton bodyguards on the other side of the bridge. He pointed in the direction of Arendelle.

“What if that doesn’t stop?” he asked. “Upon gaining your…freedom, what if the situation continues unabated?”

“It won’t.” There was a stubbornness in her pout, as if she’d decided this long ago. “This came from me; it will end with me.”

“And if it doesn’t?” he persisted. “What then? You won’t be around to address the situation. You’ll be…free.” He turned his attention back to the stew. “Ah, it’s ready.”

Daniel scooped out two bowls, one for each of them. Reluctantly, Elsa took hers and a wooden camping spoon. It was a far cry from the gourmet meals she was used to, but the smell was promising.

He looked at her expectantly. She flushed slightly as she realized that he was minding his manners, even in the desolate surroundings.

She dug in and raised her spoon. Nodding, he did the same. As one, they tucked into their modest meal.

Moments later, or so it seemed, Elsa was looking at a clean bowl. Beside her, Daniel sighed with satisfaction; he’d cleaned his bowl as well.

“You know,” he began, “perhaps we’re looking at this all wrong. About your magic, I mean.”

“How so?” Elsa was intrigued. He wasn’t trying to wheedle her. No, he was just having a conversation. It was something she hadn’t had in years. Nobody really talked to royalty.

“Is it possible that you are, in fact, the conduit of a greater power?” he asked. “I’m not speaking in the religious sense. By this, I mean that it’s a power that has existed and you are merely the latest holder. It’s most likely basic, primal…and will persist.”

“Interesting theory,” she said. She was intrigued. She could never talk to many people about the ramifications of her magic. “Is this your way of getting me back to Arendelle?”

“It begs the question: Am I speaking to a Queen or not?”

“I ran,” she reminded him. “In my absence, Anna is—”

“—missing,” he interrupted her. “I’m sorry, but that is part of the pressing need for your return.” He paused. “And by the laws of Arendelle, you cannot abdicate without a full council meeting. You also must present the articles of abdication to not only the council, but to the people—”

She shook her head, almost indignant. “Are you quoting the laws of my land to me?”

There was a hint of impudence in his smirk. “I had to memorize all of them. Dad took out this big, thick red book and I went through it until I felt like my eyes would burst,” he admitted. “It’s hardly the most riveting of books.”

“No, it isn’t,” she sighed. “Are you always one for debating?”

“I’m the son of The Diplomat,” he said. “Dad told me that words are weapons.” He paused and gestured to a watchful Marshmallow. “Of course, I could be going at this all wrong. I’m sure that the likes of some people believe that you intend to return to Arendelle with an army of invincible snow creatures to take back—” He blinked. “Oh, that’s right. Technically, Arendelle still is yours.”

Elsa fought down a chuckle, but it escaped. She covered her mouth with her left hand.

“Ah, progress,” he remarked. “I should like to see that smile again sometime.”

Comments? Questions? Should I continue?

--Doc

#frozen #frozen fanfiction #my writing #elsa

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gvftea · 3 months

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"Can I say I hate the photos posted now. Like the photographer they use now im not a fan of. I dont care if its the vibe they wanted and they specifically picked them based off that for this tour/album, I hate it. I miss the casual, good photos. I dont want the blurred photos."

"I miss their prior photographer, the new one is shit" ah but I vividly remember all of y'all talking shit about Paige and Anna Lee's work 24/7 roughly a year and a half ago. And now y'all suddenly love it? Y'all are seriously never satisfied with anything and will always find something to bitch about lmao. Paige and Anna Lee probably got tired of being harrassed by y'all.

#greta van fleet #gvf #josh gvf #sam gvf #jake gvf #josh kiszka #danny wagner #danny gvf #jake kiszka #sam kiskza

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aevyk-ing · 1 year

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Reading the W.I.T.C.H. reboot, part 3

-Is that Andrew Hornby? And Elyon has a crush on him? Her crush with Matt was really important in the original plot.

-Elyon is still a softie. Good.

-Okay, what just happened? Elyon: I need you. Will: Hi! Elyon: … Will: Oh, forget it.

-Cornelia has two sisters? Is she the middle one? Huh…

-Ahh, Kandrakar is Art Deco now!

-“She’s not Elyon’s friend, she’s perfect.” LOL

-Also, them having black speech bubbles don’t make them sound… like the good ones.

-“You know Pat the Dog, from Friends. We want that, but in deer.”

-Agh, Corny’s new sister is a Tiktoker.

-BTW, if she doesn’t want to be compared to her, she shouldn’t be playing football. There’s a lot of sports. Nobody does Pilates?

-The device? Is she deaf?

-Wow, all the parents look different.

-Anna? That’s your mother, young lady!

-Great, now Christopher is boring.

-Parents, never laugh at your kid’s interests. NE-VER.

-Will face’s at Irma’s message is me reading that interaction.

-Ah! I’m going to miss Will’s sweet apartment.

-Matt is Indian now.

-Another one into football? Not everybody likes it, you know?

-Will totally has the best expressions.

-The Queen of Sheffield? Taranee? It-should-be-Cornelia. It’d also make a lot more sense her being a perfectionist so she can be at least as good as her older sister.

-“If you’re starting a club I want to join. I don’t care what you talk about.” ¿? Irma is the one joining 19 clubs. You’re just there because they need a fire girl. Which should be Elyon at this pace, because it doesn’t make sense for this Taranee to be the firebender.

-Yeah, I hate her.

-You know, you’re lucky nobody wanted to join your club about witches. It should be a normal friends meeting, but then Will just happens to appear.

-Elyon, that’s something you only tell your best friend, in confidence.

#w.i.t.c.h.#w.i.t.c.h comic #w.i.t.c.h. reboot #will vandom #irma lair #taranee cook #cornelia hale #hay lin #elyon portrait

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night-heron-writes · 2 years

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Buddy Daddies Episode 9 "No Sweet Without Sweat"

~*~Warning: Spoilers for Buddy Daddies Episode 9 under the cut~*~

Overall this was a very cute episode with almost no angst, which means next week is going to be painful. We're entering the final arc of the season here, and things are going to ramp up.

The first thing I noticed about this episode was the background music during the scene where Kazuki, Rei, and Miri were asking Kyutaro to come to the field day. The music playing in the background was typical classic-esque music that would play in a cafe, but what caught my attention was that it was played in a minor key. (Don't ask me which key, I don't have perfect pitch.) Minor keys are often used in music to signal ominous things. If I have my music theory straight, D-minor is considered the saddest key. It'd be interesting to know exactly which key this piece was played in.

Another thing that caught my eye was the way the shot zoomed in on Kyutaro's face when his eyes narrowed, and then the immediate cut to the opening song. This does not bode well, and combined with the musical implications I am starting to get an inkling that Kyutaro will betray our protagonists.

Rei going overkill to secure a spot was hilarious and also very touching. He went out in the middle of the night to secure the best spot to watch Miri. However, the barbed wire monstrosity was a bit much. Plus the way he just easily vaulted over the brick wall? He missed his calling as an Olympic gymnast smh.

Also Kazuki's camera setup kills me. I grew up with a dad who loves to take pictures and has all the snazzy cameras, but even he never used three at once. Look at that telescoping lens on the middle one! Kazuki is prepared.

The discord helped me identify the brand that the cameras spoof off of. If you look at the marking on the camera, you'll see that it says "Milox", which is a spoof of Nilox. Here's a screencap so you can see it clearly.

I think somebody needs to tell Kazuki that this is not what people usually mean by "fun fact".

Absolutely dying at the fact that the daycare mamas still believe the whole "oil baron and washed-up comedian" story. 😂 What kind of fanfiction-type bullshit has Kazuki been coming up with?

Miss Anna is the MVP of tug-of-war. We stan a queen.

Poor Taiga has managed to make enemies for life out of both Rei and Kazuki. That child isn't going to make it to elementary school.

What really got me about this episode was that the leitmotif I've nicknamed "Miri's Family" started playing the minute Rei unfolded the scavenger hunt card that says "family", and it doesn't stop playing until the field day is officially over. I think that's the longest we've heard it play! I'm almost in tears bc Rei and Kazuki have realized that Miri thinks of them as a family. A big moment for the both of them, and the leitmotif makes it all even more touching.

But the post-credit scene. Ah fuck. It's October now, and Kyutaro has yet to either give the organization information or tell Rei and Kazuki. So his decision so far is not to decide? It looks like the organization is starting to get antsy and press for information. Kyutaro better abide by what he told Rei and Kazuki in episode 5:

One final note: It's absolutely hysterical how wrong my predictions were for this episode:

The daycare mamas' group chat pops up again, probably speculating on Rei and Kazuki's relationship history or how they got Miri

Rei and Kazuki get way over-invested bc they don't understand the idea of "friendly competition". (Almost a given, especially after that promo video 😂)

Kyutaro will show up at least once, likely in the post-credit scene

the post-credit scene will be the the only part of the episode that addresses the request for information.

We will get a hilariously over-the-top training montage where Kazuki and Rei coach Miri. I'm talking like on the order of the dodgeball episode of spy x family where the kiddos were climbing a jungle gym but it looked like mountain climbing 😂

we get at least one new important musical theme, or one becomes important that wasn't earlier.

I'm at 2 for 6 with my predictions.🤣 Maybe I'd better stick to the musical analysis...

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies spoilers #episode 9 #lea over analyzes fictional stuff again #long post

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thesinglesjukebox · 7 months

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MEGAN THEE STALLION - "HISS"

youtube

We have now arrived at our last song of the month. We will not be covering any other songs this month. See you in March!

[7.73]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: As a lifelong Barb, it saddens me to see Nicki enter a paranoid, truly despicable frenzy. The only upside? We get songs like this. [9]

Anna Suiter: Megan might have created a brand new season! [9]

Nortey Dowuona: Megan said one line and ended Nicki's career in one fell swoop, rendered Cardi B irrelevant for another year, and notched another hit. I expect you all to be at the next tour. And be there early! [10]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: It's a category error to think of this as a diss track – it's more a supernova-level airing of grievances, as comprehensive of a litany of disdain as I've heard in rap. It loses something in listenability as it goes on -- Lil Ju & Bankroll's beat feeling a little like an endurance test as it grinds you down -- but maintains its fundamental appeal no matter how many times you loop it. Megan's charisma, both as an instrument of inward love and outward spite, shines true. [7]

Will Adams: It's not a tour de force, it's a tour de ferocious: Megan's near non-stop onslaught is a marvel to listen to, no matter the beat's plainness or the mid-point spoken word bit that trips up the momentum. [7]

Thomas Inskeep: Is any rapper right now better than Megan when she's on one? Based on "HISS," maybe not. Also, she doesn't get the credit she deserves for her little vocal tics, her "ah!"s and "ha!"s, which are nearly as good as Michael Jackson's. [7]

Ian Mathers: Delightful throughout, but I must admit I giggle like a small child every time I get to "when I'm in the gym I think about bitches that I'm shitting on." [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The energy is undeniable, but the moment when the beat drops and she talks only dampens the mood. Ultimately, this isn't a song I care for, but I appreciate that it makes me want to root for her. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: The fury and virtuosity are both undeniable, even if I'm not really sure whether I like this or just support it. [7]

Leah Isobel: It is very satisfying to hear Megan in firebreather mode, especially since it's so well-deserved; she's gotten a raw fucking deal over the past couple of years, and if anyone has the right to let off some steam by shit-talking everyone else, it's her. She has the technical ability and linguistic smarts to back up her aggression, too. But as satisfying as it is to see her skill and subtlety send one of her adversaries into a week-long tailspin, there's also something a little disheartening about the spectacle. "Cobra" pushed at the edges of her art, trying to articulate her real struggles within the frame of her party-starter persona, and did an admirable job of inverting her usual performance of sexuality and strength into vulnerability and entrapment. By contrast, "HISS" feels boxed in, not just by the constraints of her public image but by the constraints that the perception of her public image places on her actual selfhood. When she raps, "Say he fucked Megan, and now he the topic / These n***** thinking they lowered the value / All this free promo, I'm turning a profit," the video shows her nude with her hands tied behind her back: her body, constricted, defenseless, and presumed to be available just because it is visible. That's the real anger that animates "HISS": anger that her humanity is not and will never be enough, because of what other people think about her body. But people don't want to hear that, so instead, we get beef. Yum. [7]

Taylor Alatorre: "Um. Miss... Thee Stallion, ma'am? I'm... not entirely sure if you have a full and accurate understanding of all the processes that factor into the monetization of social media clicks and page views, as well as certain other key elements of the modern attention economy. If you would like to register for my quick-and-easy 6-week course, you could soon be earning a-- oh. I see. My bad. I-- I'll just be going, then." [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#megan thee stallion #music #rap #hip-hop #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

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specialagentlokitty · 1 year

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Thomas Barrow x Sister!reader - the best big brother

Hi can you also write an second part of Thomas x sister Reader - the best big brother and a part two of Thomas x Reader - unlikely friends? Thanks 💙 - Anon💜

Part two:

Thomas realised it was going to be a struggle to get you to fully open up about the truth behind you leaving everything behind, but you did seem a lot happier.

Though sometimes he catch you staring into nothing, or you just seemed a little too lost inside your own head.

And today was one of those days, you had a half day and you were sat at the table staring at the book in your hands but not quite reading.

“(Y/N), her Lady Grantham has requested you upstairs.” Mrs Hughes said.

You snapped your head up and nodded, setting your book aside you trailed behind her.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“I cannot say, but I’m sure not.” She smiled.

You followed her upstairs and into the bedroom.

“Ah perfect, thank you Mrs Hughes that’s all.”

“Very good my lady.”

Mrs Hughes left and you stood there nervously, practically bouncing on the balls of you feet.

“You needn’t look so worried.” Lady Cora laughed softly.

“I.. I’m sorry my lady.”

“Come, sit down.”

You sat down and looked at her.

“How are you liking it here at Downton?”

“It’s nice my lady, very different to what im used to.”

“I heard you used to be part of the travelling circus, what was that like?”

“Oh it was wonderful my lady, the people were ever so kind to me and taught me many things, how to juggle, sew, tricks to remove stains and marks on clothing, how to play different instruments. It was a wonderful time.”

“O’Brian mentioned she heard you talking about going back.”

“Maybe, sometimes I think about it, I do miss the travelling.”

“Is something holding you back?”

You thought for a moment, brow furrowed as you did and then you looked back at her.

“My brother, I fear it should deeply upset him if I were to leave and he couldn’t see me anymore.”

“Ah, Thomas. What’s he like with you?”

“Oh he’s ever so kind my lady, he helps me when I need it, and takes me on days out when we have the same half day. I know not many of the servants like him aside from Miss O’Brian and Daisy.”

“He’s a complicated man from what I’ve heard, him and Mrs O’Brian are as thick as thieves.”

You nodded your head in agreement.

“I was wondering if perhaps you would be interested in position of Lady’s maid, for Lady Sybil. Poor Anna and O’Brian rush around trying to do everything.”

“I… don’t know if I could to be completely honest. I’m not sure what a ladies maid does my lady.”

“Well, we can always have it explained and shown to you if you wanted. You don’t have to accept if that’s not what you want.”

“Thank you my lady.”

She smiled and nodded and looked at you carefully.

“Can I ask why were you travelling for so long?”

“My… my father was not a very kind man, especially not to my brother. Thomas did his best to protect me from that, and one night in anger he left, and my father direction that at me.”

You sighed softly.

“I know thomas blames himself.”

“He is not to blame though, is he?”

“Oh no of course not! Thomas did everything for me, I always swore one day I would find him, and then I happened to be an hour away, and I decided to come and see him.”

Lady Cora nodded her head.

“You won’t let Thomas mix you up in anything troublesome will you?”

“Of course not my lady, and he would never drag me into his plans either, he would want to keep me very far away from it all.”

“Well that is a relief to hear. Should you change your mind about the ladies maid, please come talk to me, or Mrs Hughes.”

“I will my lady, thank you.”

She smiled and nodded her head, letting you go and as you were heading back downstairs you found Thomas standing in the hallway and he gestured for you to wait.

So you did.

He finished talking to Mr Carson, and then he walked over to you, placing his hand on top of your head.

“I heard you’ve been offered position of ladies maid.”

“Yes, I was just speaking to her ladyship about it.”

“Did you accept?”

“No, I’ve been given some time to think about it.”

“What’s there to think about? Plenty of house maids would get on their knees to beg for a position like that and you’ve just been offered it.”

“I know Thomas but I.. I just need to think about it is all…”

Thomas sighed, looking down at you.

“I know you want to go back to the circus.”

“Maybe…”

“(Y/N) that’s not life, not when you can build a good one here! A stable place, food, money, everything you could ever need!”

“I don’t know if I want to be stuck being a servant the rest of my life Thomas, I.. I don’t know what I want.”

“So you’d just throw it all away to run around with circus freaks?” He asked

You pushed his hand away and glared at him.

“This circus freaks as you call them Thomas are my friends, they’re my family! They took me in when I had nothing and gave me everything! I owe them my life!”

“They’re nothing but lowlifes who scramble and make fools of themselves just for money!”

“Because they don’t have a choice! Because of people like you!” You snapped.

You took a deep breath and glared at him.

“At least they were there for me.. at least they didn’t abandon me like you did…”

You stormed past him.

You went downstairs, grabbed your book and then made your way back to your room and you stayed there all afternoon.

You were supposed to come down for supper, but you didn’t want to, so you stayed away.

The following morning, you still refused to speak to Thomas, and he sat as far away from you as you sat next to Mr Bates.

“What’s going on?” He whispered.

“Thomas thinks he knows what’s best for me.” You grumbled.

“I’m trying to stop you from throwing your life away, but if you want to do that go ahead, don’t come crawling back when you realise you made a mistake.”

“Thomas!” Anna hissed.

You glared at him.

“Coming here was a mistake.”

Standing up, you walked away and knocked on the door to Mrs Hughes office and opened it.

“I’m sorry you’re busy…”

“Not at all, come in, we were just talking about you actually.” She smiled.

You walked in and closed the door behind you.

“Did you think about her ladyships offer?” Mr Carson asked.

“I did, and I’m going to turn it down. I have decided to have in my notice and leave within the month.”

“Whatever do you mean? I thought you liked it here.” Mrs Hughes said.

You nodded your head.

“Please don’t get me wrong I do, and I am deeply thankful for what you have both done for me. But I cannot stay here and have my life dictated to me by my brother, it’s one of the reason I ran away from home.”

“Then where will you go?” Mr Carson asked you.

“Back to the circus.”

“Have you really though about this?” Mrs Hughes said.

“No, but that’s where I want to be. Where I want to go.”

“Think about it for a few days, and should you wish to still go, then we will accept your resignation.” Mr Carson said.

You nodded your head and went about your daily duties.

And just like Mr Carson said, you did think about it, and you were set on still leaving, it was what you wanted to do.

As you were upstairs cleaning one of the rooms, you quickly stopped when the door opened.

“My lord, I apologise I wasn’t aware you were coming in here.”

“That’s alright it was a last minute decision really. Carry on, don’t let me disturb you.”

“Very good my lord.”

You went back to your cleaning, greeting the others as they came in, and you were speaking to Lady Sybil about a dress she wanted to know if you could fix for her.

“Ah, Mr Carson with our tea. Perfect timing.” Lady Cora smiled.

“I must be going now my lady, but I can fix that dress for you.”

“Oh thank you so much.” She smiled.

You gathered your things and stood aside while Thomas, William and Mr Carson came in, and you looked away from Thomas.

“Oh (Y/N)?” Lady Cora asked.

You set your stuff down.

“Yes my lady?”

“I heard you’ve decided to leave Downton, is there a reason for this?”

Thomas stopped when he was doing and looked at you.

“I have decided to return to the circus my lady. They’re here at the end of the month, so I will go with them then. Thank you all for what you have done to me, I have enjoyed it here.”

“Can we not talk you out of it?” Lord Grantham asked.

“I’m afraid not my Lord.”

“Could Thomas talk you out of it?” Lady Cora said.

“I believe Thomas may be relieved to hear about it my lady.” You said quietly.

She looked between you and Thomas.

“Sit down, both of you.”

She put a chair in front of another chair and both you and Thomas sat down facing one another.

“You told me your brother kept you here, so what’s changed so drastically you feel you must leave?” Lady Cora asked you.

“We.. had an argument my lady…”

“And that’s reason for you to run away?” Lady Mary asked.

“No, no of course not. But I believe it would be best for us both if I left.”

“You surely cannot think that.” Thomas said.

You looked at him.

“Why would I fight to get you to agree to stay here if I wanted you to leave so badly?” He asked.

You shrugged a little and looked away from him.

“I don’t want you to leave.” He said.

“You don’t?”

“No, of course not. If you leave how else am I supposed to know you are safe and well?”

You shrugged again and he sighed heavily.

“We will talk about this later.” He said.

“Fine…”

“Does this mean if I let both of you go now, to talk about this, you will come back up and tell us you’re going to stay (Y/N)?” Lady Cora asked.

“Possibly my lady.”

“Right, Carson you can manage with just William?”

“Yea my lady.”

You and Thomas were ushered away and he grabbed your wrist, taking you downstairs he led you out the door for privacy and he closed it.

“So, why are you really leaving?”

“Thomas I had my whole life dictated to me by father, when I left I had freedom, though not many choices, but I had freedom. And I came here in hopes for the same freedom and you’re telling me what jobs to accept, I don’t think it fair.”

“You’re right it isn’t, and I should never have pushed you into accepting it but I just want what’s best for you, surely you understand.”

“Of course I do…”

He sighed, lighting a cigarette.

“Then what’s the other reason?”

“I said some mean things to you…”

“So? I say rude things to people all the time.”

“That’s not the point, the point is I blamed you for not being there for me when I knew it wasn’t your fault. I never should have blamed you, and I was worried.. you wouldn’t want me here anymore…”

Thomas walked over, placing a hand on your head.

“You’re so foolish, of course I would still want you here, where else would I want my little sister to be if not by my side?”

You shrugged a little and he chuckled.

“Come here you silly girl.”

Thomas hugged you and you hugged him back.

“I just don’t want you to think you have to go back to a life of the circus that’s all.”

“I’m sorry…”

Thomas sighed, looking down at you.

“Are you still going to leave? Because if you are I won’t stop you.”

“Why?”

Thomas pulled away from the hug and smiled down at you.

“I should come with you of course, I would never let you go back out there again, I’m sure I can learn a trick or two from you.”

You smiled brightly.

“You would leave everything here for me?”

“Of course, nothing is more important to me.”

You quickly hugged him again and pulled away.

“Well you should be so lucky that I have decided to stay.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

“You’ve got yourself a good life here Thomas, though you should really work on making friends. It’s a good life. And I would never want to take that away from you, plus I should like to have some more experience behind me as a house maid.”

“What about a ladies maid?”

“I will ask for a trial.”

Thomas smiled at you, putting his cigarette out.

“Good.”

He looked around before looking down at you.

“If you ever want to go back to the circus we will both run away.” He whispered.

“A backup plan.” You grinned back.

Thomas nodded his head and out looked to the door as it opened.

“I have been asked to bring you both back up.” Mrs Hughes said.

You both followed her back to the room you had left, and you stood in front of the family.

“Has a decision been made?” Lord Grantham asked.

Thomas placed his hand on your head and looked down at you, nodding his head.

You turned back to them.

“Yes my lord. I will be staying, Thomas has convinced me I cannot keep running off to the circus when I get upset.”

Everyone laughed.

“And about being my ladies maid?” Lady Sybil asked.

“I should like a trail, to see if it’s something I can do my lady.”

“Of course we can arrange that for tomorrow!” She smiled.

“Well I am glad you two have made up, it is such a shame to see two siblings fighting with one another.” Lady Cora said.

“We’re sorry to have worried you my lady.” Thomas said.

She nodded her head and you beamed up at Thomas and he gave you your things, ushering you out of the room so he could work

#Downton abbey #downton abbey x reader #downton abbey x you #Downton abbey imagine #thomas Barrow #thomas Barrow x reader #Thomas Barrow x you #thomas Barrow imagine

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moonspirit · 8 months

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Hi my dear Moon!

Hope you're doing well.

So, for the writer's ask🖤

1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16

(sorry, it's a lot, but you know, I'm always glad to see you speaking about your writing and amazing talent)

Hello Anna T^T Thank you for the ask!

1. What are you most proud of in your writing right now?

Well, let's see. I've never been particularly proud or confident in my writing, ever, I think, but recently I've been rather happy with structuring and scene progression. It feels nice to have events and things take place somewhat evenly and as planned :3

2. Is there something you're specifically working on to improve your writing?

Vocabulary. Vocabulary will kill me T_T I hate english sometimes T^T

8. What piece of advice did you hear/read recently that's been helping you to improve your writing?

Not particularly recently, but also recently (iykyk), but: to take things one at a time. I tend to freak out if I haven't had the next 5 (minimum) chapters fully planned out and drafted, and this has been a rather new anxiety haha xD Until around Chapter 13 of VBEOW, I wasn't stressing myself with meticulously outlining future chapters all that far ahead; it was at most the immediate next chapter and then the next one too, with everything else having a general idea, but not too detailed. But since ch.13 when the plot started to get a little more complicated and dense, I realized I had to have the next 5-10 chapters fully outlined and structured or I would mess things up. This has had its pros, but also its cons where now I'm scared to death if I'm a little late with planning that structuring. I need to remind myself that it's okay, to breathe, and to take one step at a time >_<

9. What do you feel that you are naturally talented with in terms of creative writing?

Uhhhhh XD I have no clue, to be very honest, but maybe I'm quite decent with blending non-canon-imagined-flashbacks and canon-events?

10. Do you have any personal pet peeves about your writing that you're working to change?

I get too hung up on how best to describe movements, especially during smut. It's a nightmare T^T

12. Who/what is your greatest inspiration for your current story?

Life in general. There was a time when I couldn't really see much beauty in it (even now there are days when I don't) but learning to see the little magic in mundane moments and experiences is really uplifting. There's something very special in just breathing fresh, pristine air, or having the wind tickle your hair. There's something miraculous in kicking your feet in a stream of ice cold water and listening to the richness of a loved one laughing loud. It's these things, coupled with all the things I don't have and have never experienced, and hope to one day. I can't go without saying, that it was Clouds' writing too that gave me that kick to get out of a slump and pick up writing again.

14. Is there something you wish readers would pick up on more in your stories?

Ah well, no, not really. I'm pretty happy and satisfied with what they are picking up atm, and they usually don't miss! I'm very grateful for that.

15. Talk to me about how you go about word choice. Do you have an example of your writing that you're particularly proud of clever word choice?

HAHAHAHAHA I literally JUST complained about vocabulary!! But well. I usually don't give it much thought, I just write. There are times when I really don't like how a passage reads, but then I remind myself to just get on with it; I can always edit it later, when I'll likely have more braincells than I have at that moment. I have noticed though that many times, the sentences I phrase, rhyme xD At certain instances, this is planned, but other times, I have no idea it's happening and only notice it when I proofread.

As for an example about a passage I'm proud of... There are a few but here's one. It's nothing exemplary and doesn't really have any special wording choices, but I like the simplicity of it. And I'm very attached to it xD From Ch.16 of VBEOW - Sparks:

He stood there, feeling the tides wash over his ankles, and the salty sea breeze kiss his skin. He saw the sea with a handful of seawater cascading through his fingers, mesmerised by the way it stretched into the horizon. He watched the sea rise and fall and move, and noticed the way it was so, so blue. Mikasa told him it was the colour of his eyes.

He longed for Annie so much that day.

"Hey Annie," He said a week later, looking at her, so peaceful and cold inside her diamond. "I found out why the sea is blue."

He was so glad he was alone that day. "Commander Hange found out the water absorbs red wavelengths of the light, leaving it blue for us to see."

He didn't know what to do with his hands.

"But that's the scientific answer."

A lone tear rolled down his face.

"The sea is blue because the sky falls into it, Annie."

16. Where are you currently at in your writing mindset? Frustrated? Excited? Focused? Other?

Very tired and stressed to the max. Excited for some future events that will happen in VBEOW, but that's not conquering my exhaustion as of late xD

Thank you for asking T_T !!!

#ask #annawayne #ask game #writers ask

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kudosmyhero · 1 year

Text

The Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #240: Revelations, part 1: Walking into Spiderwebs

Read Date: January 29, 2023 Cover Date: November 1996 ● Writer: Todd DeZago ● Penciler: Luke Ross ● Inker: John Stanisci ● Colorist: John Kalisz ● Letterer: Richard Starkings ● Editor: Ralph Macchio ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● "Walking into Spiderwebs"… title inspired by No Doubt'? the timing is right. ah, late 90s/early 00s music was my fave! ● MJ is heckin proggers ● idyllic scene with Peter and MJ walking through a neighborhood resplendent with autumn foliage and Halloween decorations ● heh, not-so-subtle clue behind Alison Mongrain about what we can expect her personality to be?

● I'm lost on this clone stuff. I hope the accompanying podcast explains it a bit… ● how did this Trainer dude betray Ben, I wonder ● squeak Liz Allan is talking to Foggy! ● gasp FOG-GY you dog! they're dating? ● if Ben and Peter are clones, why don't they look the same? ● RIP, Trainer. and who is that?? ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: In the ruins of the Multivex Corporation, Seward Trainer has completed repairing the device that will regenerate his withered body. Gaunt warns Trainer that he will tolerate no further failures. That's when they are visited by Gaunt's mysterious employer, who orders Seward to hurry as he is preparing to initiate his plans that will finally see the destruction of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Seeing who this person comes to a total shock to Trainer, who realizes that Ben Reilly is in deadly danger and tries to think of some way he can warn his friend.

Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter and Mary Jane are arguing over the facts of an old Bugs Bunny cartoon as they wait for a bus. The bus soon arrives and Peter's pregnant wife boards it so she can ride into Manhattan for a shopping trip with her Aunt Anna. As soon as Mary Jane is gone, Ben Reilly drops out of the trees right on time for his meeting with Peter. At that moment, at the Daily Bugle, Ben Urich has gotten an unmarked envelope by registered courier. It appears to be a letter from Liz Osborn who has information she wants to provide him and asks for him to meet her at the Bugle at 10 pm that evening. Ben considers the good fortune he has making friend with Liz Osborn when he wrote his book on the Osborn empire. However, he is unaware that others in the building have also received similar black envelopes.

Later, Seward Trainer has managed to sneak away from his keepers and made it to Ben Reilly's apartment. However, as he knocks on the door he is ambushed by Gaunt, who is decked out in new cybernetic armor. Digging through the rubble for Trainer's body, Gaunt discovers that Seward somehow managed to slip away. While at the Daily Grind, Shirley Washington has just hired a new waitress named Alison Mongrain. Although Mongrain is warmly welcomed to the team, Shirley and her staff are put off by her cold personality. Back in Queens, Peter brings Ben Reilly up to the attic of their Aunt May's house. Peter explains that he and Mary Jane need to clear some space when they move in, and he wants Ben to go through things because they are his memories as well. Ben is touched by this, as when he was on the road for five years he lived a very minimalist lifestyle. Looking through all the belongings, Ben finds a photo of Peter Parker with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. This brings both men to tears, as they both miss the two people who were like parents to them. That's when Peter opens up and tells Ben that when he was first told that he was a clone he freaked out, but he eventually learned from Ben's example how to live with the truth.

Back in the city, Seward Trainer has survived Gaunt's attempt on his life and trying to figure out what to do next. Spotting someone reading an issue of the Daily Bugle inspired Trainer to go to the Bugle building in the hopes of finding Peter Parker. That's when Gaunt catches up on Trainer and attempts to kill him again. However, Seward manages to flee the scene by hopping into a subway train. However, Gaunt rips open the subway car in the hopes of getting at him. Later, at the Osborn Industries Plant located at Islip, Long Island, Liz Osborn has taken a more active role in the company she inherited when her husband died. She is on the phone with her boyfriend and lawyer, Foggy Nelson. She has just got a letter from Ben Urich asking her to meet with him at the Daily Bugle that evening and asks Foggy to tag along with her. In Queens, Peter and Ben come across a box full of Peter's old books. They both reminisce about the good memories they had reading these books as a child. When they find their favorite book, Peter Pan, it prompts Peter to tell Ben something that he has kept secret since Aunt May's death. He tells her that on May's last day the pair took a trip to the Empire State Building where she revealed that he knew that Peter was Spider-Man for years and that she was very proud of him. He admits he kept this to himself, particularly after he learned he was a clone, as he wanted to keep that memory of his own. Ben understands and tells Peter that they need to stop letting themselves get distracted and get back to work.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Paul Sousa the director of maintenance of the building interviews two recent hires. A lot of the staff suddenly quit and he has had to quickly hire new people. After reading the glowing references the two men received from their former employers -- Oscorp and Multivex respectively. At that moment, Seward Trainer emerges from the subway outside the Daily Bugle. However, he is attacked by Gaunt again and is forced to flee down an alley. As he begins making the distance between himself and Gaunt, Seward runs right into the arms of Gaunt's mysterious employer. Having grown tired of this loose end in his plans, the mystery man snaps Seward Trainer's neck, killing him instantly. By this time, Peter and Ben have become distracted again when they find Peter's old Battleship board game. They are interrupted by Mary Jane who calls to tell Peter that she and her Aunt Anna are going for lunch at the Daily Grind and asks her husband and Ben to join them. They agree, unaware that Gaunt's mysterious employer has been listening in on their conversation and has other plans for the Parkers and Ben Reilly.

This story continues in Sensational Spider-Man #11…

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Spectacular_Spider-Man_Vol_1_240)

Fan Art: Pregnant Mary Jane Watson by Zedilll

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider-Talk - "Revelations"

#marvel #marvel comics #my marvel read #podcast recommendation #comics #peter parker #ben reilly #spider-man #comic books #fan art #amazing spider-talk #spectacular spider-man

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artdecosupernova-writing · 1 year

Text

Word Prompt

Word: Move WIP: Darkspace Portent Timeline: sometime in the M31 arc CW: it’s a bit spicy but it’s fine lmao Word Count: 1,994 Additional Notes: Companion songs to this piece are “Tongue Tied (feat. Brandyn Burnette)” by Mahalo & Disco Killerz and “If You’re Going (I’ll Go)” by Anna Shoemaker

***

It had been a month and a half of back-to-back missions for the Consortium. All but one mission was considered a failure, with minimal but heartbreaking casualties, resulting in the dressing-down of a lifetime from the delegates. Warren resigned himself to taking time off indefinitely, his spirits crushed seemingly beyond repair, and made the trip home to Tournaltis with the hope that Thrive would be there. Perhaps not to take on the worst of his frustrations as he knew he'd had a major project going on, but at the very most he'd hoped he could lounge around while Thrive worked, absorbing his vibe and taking solace in his company.

Instead, upon disembarking, he was greeted by Hondris informing him that Thrive wasn't even going to be planetside for at least a week.

Which was fine…or so Warren thought.

He tried sleeping, though it was the middle of the day and the capital house felt empty despite the fact that he knew it wasn't. He attempted to watch a movie on the terminal in the wall across from his bed, but he wasn't able to focus on it for more than a minute at a time. Even the vids of past Skywaste concerts held no appeal to him—he did shoot Guetry a text complaining that his "lack of showmanship" threatened to put him to sleep.

To which Guetry responded a few minutes later with only a picture of himself, makeup running down his face though his buoyant expression contradicted him, in front of a screen displaying the exorbitant contents of his bank account. He had a middle finger up for good measure. Warren laughed out loud.

He spent some time in the kitchen, indulging in his favorite fruit and chatting with others, but found he was simply too restless to unwind. He left the kitchen in a fouler mood than when he'd entered, and he stopped by his room to change into a cropped t-shirt and sweatpants before trudging to the back of the house where his newly built personal dance studio resided, intent on implementing the second-best way he knew how to outlet his stress.

He opened the door with his shoulder and startled at the realization that someone was standing in the far corner near the ambient controls.

"Yo, what—?!"

"Ah. I expected you earlier." Thrive tapped the touchscreen, swiped at something else, and continued to speak without otherwise acknowledging Warren's presence. "I suppose that's my fault. There'd be no way for you to know what the plan was if no one told you, in fact, what the plan was. Though that's the aim of a surprise, I know that."

Warren let the door close behind him, still stunned. "…Were you here the whole time? I've been home for hours."

Thrive glanced at the window over his shoulder, the massive window that stretched the width of the entire room and was impossible to miss if you weren't highly engrossed in something else. He seemed to just notice the distant sunset. "So you have."

"What the hell is going on? What plan? I thought you had a project to work on."

"That part is true," Thrive said, rubbing his hands together and frowning at the controls again. "I'd been working on something since your first mission failed. It's taken me quite a long time to prepare. I'm not certain it's been perfected, but I've discovered in my research that perfection isn't something to strive for as far as this is concerned. Especially when it comes to preparation being one-sided."

Warren sighed. Seeing that Thrive was home definitely acted as a mood booster, but tension still corded through his shoulders. "What are you talking about?"

Thrive finally looked at him, and Warren only then spotted the form suit—hued in a shade of the darkest chocolate, definitely an obhelian make, possibly not functional like a form suit at all. A glorified bodysuit with shorter sleeves than was usual. "For a few days following your call after the first mission, I racked my brain for an idea of how best to be there for you. You called me again soon after with the news of the second failed mission and I realized that this was going to have to be a serious gesture. Something that would mean more to you than anything I've ever done to this point. And then it occurred to me."

He tapped the screen and the lights faded down until they shut off, bathing the room in the natural glow of the setting sun.

"With each call relaying your hardships, I became more determined, despite my personal discomfort and disdain for the activity, to achieve a specific goal: be a partner." He set a timer that counted down from twenty seconds and turned to Warren, approaching him from across the room. "I think now, more than ever, that carries the weight of several meanings."

Warren met him halfway, unsure the conclusions he drew in his mind were correct though the evidence added up without error. "What's happening right now…?"

"Unless I'm mistaken, you're experienced with duet choreography, are you not?"

A bolt of excitement ripped through Warren, and he stared up at Thrive with wide eyes and a creeping grin. "Oh, shit…are you about to dance with me?"

"I understand that improvisation is somewhat more difficult for duos, especially if one party isn't as familiar with the practice as the other. I'm confident, however, that having the advantages of oras'at combined with our unique brand of connection through physical contact will make this a smoother exercise." Thrive appeared focused as he stood in front of Warren, the edge of a smile peeking through despite. "If you trust me, that is."

"Okay. Never been so fucking in love with you before."

"Reserve those revelations for the end," Thrive murmured, sliding an arm around Warren's waist. "You may change your mind depending on how this goes."

"Oh, baby, c'mon." Warren gripped the back of Thrive's neck, gazing into his eyes, full to bursting with adoration and affection. His breath hitched in his chest with it. "You could be the worst dancer imaginable and I wouldn't care. I know you hate the very idea of this, so this means more to me than you'll ever understand."

Thrive did smile, then, his outline a halo from being silhouetted by the sun. "If it makes you feel anything close to how I feel when I'm with you, then I'll have succeeded."

The timer reached zero, the first song swallowed the room, and the connection was instant. It started as gentle rocking, synced due to Warren's hand at the back of Thrive's neck, and when the music picked up, so did they.

They danced as if they were a single entity. Confidence building between them, keeping their hands on one another in any way possible, taking cues from their connection and their instincts to anticipate the scope of their next move. While Thrive wasn't exuberant in his motions, he proved to be an excellent partner, knowing when to support and knowing when to cooperate, when to give and when to take. He was surprisingly fluid, though considering his style of combat and the range of his flexibility, Warren supposed he should've expected it.

Sun sinking into the horizon, nobody existed in the universe but the two of them, as often was the case when alone. The longer the night rolled on, the more sensual their dancing, Thrive having figured out Warren's favorite moves. He leaned him back, gripped his hips, and they swayed close enough together that the heat of their bodies inflamed Warren from head to toe. They shared an incredibly lustful space yet had so much fun doing it that time soared by yet stretched the length of an eternity. There reached a point where Warren was convinced that stopping would be a greater letdown than interrupted carnal intimacy.

He'd no sooner had that thought when the playlist ended and they were plunged into sudden silence. The room was dark, the stars in the night sky outside the window witness to Thrive holding him close, fingers entwined, a hand curled into Warren's hair.

Warren used a second to catch his breath, heart wild in his chest, his skin tingling from their proximity and the sheen of sweat he'd somehow gone without acknowledging until then.

"I'm pickin' up on some interesting things from you here, E.T.," he said, barely a whisper against Thrive's lips.

Thrive pressed forward so he could speak in Warren's ear. "That, my love, is all you."

"Okay, so…guess I'll go, then."

In the strained quiet that followed, Thrive tilted Warren's face up to his and kissed him, heavy and emotional. Warren hopped into his arms, claiming his mouth, the snap of reality becoming a catalyst of desire that coursed through him with far more intensity than ever before. Thrive slid his hands up his back under his shirt, sinking to the rubber foam floor with him, riding their continued mental connection into a desperately-craved physical one.

—

Late the next morning, Warren shuffled into the bustling kitchen feeling as haggard as he possibly looked.

Corin greeted him with a travel mug of coffee and a plate of breakfast. "Courtesy of the king," he said, motioning to the stoves where several people had taken to cooking meals, including Thrive.

Warren caught Thrive's eye and smiled. "Hey, gorgeous."

"Ugh, don't," Corin muttered, setting the plate down in front of Warren and moving away.

Thrive ignored him. "Good morning, Warren." He scraped something from a pan onto a plate held out to him by Roel. "I trust you slept well?"

"…Yes and no. Slept better than I have in ages, but I think I was hit with, like, a whole meteor between falling asleep and waking up."

"Prolonged physical activity can cause muscle soreness after the fact, of course," Thrive said. He cracked an egg of some kind into the pan. "I hope you don't mind that I moved you to your bed—I assumed waking up on the floor of your studio would have worsened the soreness."

Corin made a loud noise of disapproval and Ryst smacked him on the back of the head. Thrive released a quiet but powerful chuckle at Corin's expense.

Warren nodded in Corin's direction. "We'll continue the conversation discreetly after I shut my stomach up."

"Bountiful Skies," came Corin's sarcastic reply.

Thrive waited in Warren's room once the kitchen had been cleaned, and Warren greeted him with a strong embrace, planting a solid kiss on him as he did so.

"Damn," he said, sliding a hand up to Thrive's shoulder. "I still can't get over what happened last night."

"You don't have to." Thrive smiled at him, a warm one he'd only broken out in his company. "If it's alright with you…I'd like to do that again."

Warren blinked, taken aback. "…Which part?"

"All of—well." Thrive quirked his eyebrows suggestively. "All of it, I suppose. Though I more specifically meant dancing. I may not understand the cultural significance the same way you do, and I may still think it's somewhat ridiculous, but I do understand that the benefits are numerous. Your enjoyment and gratification were…intoxicating. A bonus."

"Okay." Warren was lighter than air, beaming, already sensing the most taxing month and a half in a long time melting off of him under the sunlamp of Thrive's participation in his hobby. "Yeah. Let's make it a routine. We could come up with special choreography just for us."

"Spiritual." Thrive pressed a gentle kiss to Warren's cheek, then his jaw. "Enamored."

"Impressed that I've whittled you down to only one-word sentences," Warren teased, then kissed him again, for real.

By the end of the week, Warren was in a good enough place that he felt he could go back to work. However, this also meant that by the end of the week, he was in a good enough place that he didn't really want to.

#word prompt #Darkspace Portent #M31 Arc #pair: Sun & Moon #repost

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