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wovenstarlight · 3 years

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YWBK update: chapter 25 + liner notes

yesterday will be kinder has updated! you can read chapter 25 here, or start from the beginning here

okay, on to notes and commentary! first time i’m doing these, let’s hope this works out. commentary under the cut to save people’s dashes

Hamin laughs. “Given how bad you are at not being suspicious, that’s understandable.” “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad.” Hamin screws up his whole face in a squint. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little bad.”

this part was really funny to me when i wrote it because i was like “hmm reasons for DHM to understand why HHJ wouldn’t work in the guild” and then i was like Wait. Their Whole First Meeting, Dude. DHM was lowkey convinced for the longest time that HHJ was like, on the run from the KR version of the mafia, and got plastic surgery to look like his little brothers, and is possibly in some sort of witness protection program??? or something??? how else does he not have cops on his ass this man is so suspicious all the time

“I don’t think… They said the dungeons were, like, different worlds? Did they find people there?”

mafia theory second place. dungeon theory first place

“Like, humans? Um. No, no humans.” “So then you can’t be from there. Okay.”

dungeon theory shot down. mafia theory back in the running

“Hey,” he says cautiously. “I’m— I’m gonna go get us some water, okay? Why don’t you… take a minute.” “Okay.” “The bathroom is over there, if you need it.” “Okay. Thank you.”

after four years working alongside a guy you start to notice when he’s feeling a little out of it and needs a bit of a break... but as JHW mentions later you also learn to be a little subtle about giving him one

jung heewon What’s with your typing? It reads like Jihye’s [HYJ]’s fine. Very energetic Too energetic? He’s going to burn out. How do I make him calm down

Epic Burnout Man makes a reappearance! when translating sclass one of the things that makes me want to shake HYJ most is his habit of constantly adding things to his to-do list while he already has 1 billion things on his plate. and all the time he’s whining about “UGH there’s SO MUCH WORK to do” No One Asked You To Do It

Anyway. the point is. HYJ isn’t about to be beat by HHJ at Developing Issues 😔

jung heewon I haven’t spoken to him directly about this because if he’s anything like you he’ll take it as an insult You wtf whts tht supposed 2 mean quit typing jung heewon Better not say shit, mr “No, I can’t take days off and cater to my interests or go out with friends or on a date, I’m too busy taking care of the kids and making sure their needs are met, no I don’t care that there are thousands of people out there balancing personal enjoyment and romance and work AND kids at the same time, are you suggesting I be a BAD GUARDIAN to MY KIDS?”

see above re: not being too direct with pointing out when HHJ’s having Issues because he doesn’t react well

You wht but our eyes r fine jung heewon Even if having glasses doesn’t run in the family, you should still get him checked, just in case

top 10 funny time travel moments: referring to you and your past self as “us” (our = my eyes are fine), but other people think you mean “our family” (our eyes are fine = no family history of long/shortsightedness)

Also. Sooyoung-ie says hi [Attachment: 20XX1213_144516.jpg]

ok no lie this was one of the parts that pissed me off the most, even though it’s Literally One Line, because. i love chat exchanges. i really do. when done right they’re a lot of fun to read. But Do You Know How Long It Took Me To Figure Out A Calendar For The Events In This Fic. now everything’s TIMED i have to count HOW MANY DAYS IT’S BEEN since XY event so i can CORRECTLY NUMBER the FILE ATTACHMENTS!!! this sucks!!! it took me fucking forever to pin down a timeline just so i could write this chapter plus the few before and after it!!!!

anyway i gave up when i reached year. i just put 20XX. fuck it. we are running on fairy tail time now. (actually i think that’s XXnumber number? XX76? or was it X796. something like that. Who cares i stopped watching fairy tail forever ago)

Fuck it! Hamin will understand!! “If you Awaken you should come work with me,” Han Hyunjae says all in a rush.

“HAMIN WILL UNDERSTAND” => he literally was cool with me giving zero context for half a dozen absolute balls to the wall nonsense bullshit things i’ve done before. he’ll be fine with this too. dog_in_burning_house_this_is_fine.png

“You already know about the guilds, those are going to be for dungeon Hunters, but I was thinking of forming something like an independent group of contractors. Awakened people with skills that aren’t useful for combat, but that might… that will be generally useful. It’d be you and me, and maybe one other guy I met recently. Probably more in the future.”

given that HHJ has no idea currently that peace exists (i’m so sorry baby i’ll find a way to shoehorn you in soon i miss you so much) he’s got no intentions to start a kiseungsu business yet! he mostly wants to live quietly while just acting as a manager for other Awakening-related services, like YMW’s forge and DHM’s tracking service, along with the information exchange/lowkey spy ring that he’s planning on setting up with JHW and the bar. since HYH is fine associating with him in this timeline, HHJ’s thinking he can get a foot in the door that way, then eventually spread out into dealings with most major guild leaders

RIP to this plan. you were well-made but you will not last long.

“Please, I can’t tell you how I know that, I really can’t, it’d put me and my brothers in danger if it got out. But—” “No need.” Hamin looks slightly alarmed, and Han Hyunjae feels himself settle at the obvious concern in his eyes.

MAFIA THEORY RAPIDLY RISING TO PROMINENCE??? THIS IS NOT HOW DO HAMIN WANTED HIS GUESS CONFIRMED

“I spoke to the Task Force Head and she said that there’s been discussion about hosting a meeting for the nearby high-rankers, where they’ll announce the guild proposal and see who else is interested in trying it out.”

“they’ll announce” i’m sorry king 💔 you deserved a nap

(OH ALSO FUN FACT choi eunyoung is a canon character, not an OC of mine! she appears in uhhh i think late 140s? 150s? something like that)

“I think there’s… probably only one other S-rank who’s Awakened right now?”

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehhehe

Hamin beams. “No, they’re doing great! Spookie’s taken really well to the new housing situation, but I think Spots might miss the store…”

shoutout to @daemonic-dawn for letting me borrow a pet name, love u king. i had a much longer ramble about pet names here but i finished typing and realized it was all entirely off topic so i removed it for convenience

Hyunjae makes an annoyed noise in the back of his throat. “Don’t— I mean.” He huffs, visibly taking a deep breath, and Yoojin frowns reflexively. [...] “Is everything alright?” Yoojin kind of wants to be annoyed at his tone on principle, but he forces his shoulders to relax, matching Hyunjae’s posture. Though he can’t stop himself from being a little short when he answers.

things the brothers have learned in four years living together: getting confrontational often leads to arguments that just fizzle out anyway, so it’s way fucking easier to consciously tone down their combativeness in advance when talking to each other about things they have problems with, instead of screaming their heads off and then having to calm yoohyun down afterwards to boot

“I guess. Whatever.” Yoojin slumps. “Can I…” “Hm?” Hyunjae blinks at Yoojin as he gestures to the spot on the bed beside him, then jolts. “Oh! Yeah, sure, c’mere.” He opens his arms, and Yoojin goes over and flumps on the bed, head in Hyunjae’s lap. Almost immediately, Hyunjae starts stroking fingers through his hair, and Yoojin relaxes into the touch, listening as Hyunjae continues speaking.

cuddles 🥺🥺🥺 sorry i don’t have any other commentary here just. cuddles. extremely and overwhelmingly comforting for a man who spent the better part of 8 years(?) with no major positive relationships, and a kid who spent 12 years of early life basically abandoned by his parents. you had best bet they gave up on not hugging each other 1 year into this whole mess

Yoojin hums in acknowledgement. It’s not like he’d ever let himself get hurt; he has too many responsibilities to his family and friends. If he wants to be good enough to keep up, he can’t afford to fuck up like that. But… hyung will worry if he keeps working so hard. He can slow down a little for him.

Problems disorder man when will you stop. the way he sees “getting hurt” as an inconvenience and an obstacle to his duties rather than a danger to himself. the way he doesn’t really care if he himself gets hurt, but if it’ll worry his family, then it’s a no-no. it’s just. wow. i know i wrote this but i hate him

“Not really. I talk to Myeongwoo about it sometimes.” “Ah, right, Myeongwoo.”

haha gays

“Don’t be weird about him,” Yoojin warns[...]. “I won’t, promise.”

if the “i won’t” line had a dialogue tag it’d be “Han Hyunjae lied”

“Is Eunwoo still in his relationship?” “Mhm, happy as ever. Apparently they’re trying long-distance, now that Eunwoo’s gone off to university abroad.”

three guesses for who eunwoo’s dating and you won’t need the first two

Hyunjae raises his hands like he’s going to deny the accusations levelled against him, so Yoojin seizes him by the collar and shakes him until he cries for mercy

oh my o/rv ass struggled so bad with not writing “shakes him like a man betrayed” here. it killed me not to. but in the end i prevailed (against, uh, myself. don’t think about it too hard.)

“Jeez, okay, he’s an F-rank!” “Eh?! Then why—” “He’s also got an SS-rank potential skill,” Hyunjae admits[...].

play-by-play of this scene because god if i draw any scene in this fic it would be this one just for the sheer hysterical nature of HYJ’s reaction:

YOOJIN: I HATE YOU WHAT THE FUCK WHY. TELL ME HIS RANK

HYUNJAE: HE’S AN F

YOOJIN: WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK?

HYUNJAE: he’s also got an SS-rank skill,

YOOJIN:

#star.txt #work: yesterday will be kinder #writing commentary #my writing #making impulse decisions today. very tired. godonight i hope you enjoy but also you'll have to enjoy without me

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Godzilla vs. Kong Writer Talks About Spending 8 Years in the MonsterVerse

https://ift.tt/3uiXJ5q

This article conatins spoilers for GODZILLA VS. KONG.

Aside from studios Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, and certain behind-the-scenes executives, the four MonsterVerse movies to date have embraced largely different creative and directorial visions for each outing. This includes the latest installment Godzilla vs. Kong. But even though all four movies have had different directors, somewhat different tones, and mostly different casts, one of a handful of constant names has been that of Max Borenstein.

Borenstein has had a writing credit on all four MonsterVerse movies, starting with penning the screenplay for 2014’s Godzilla. Since then he’s co-authored the screenplay for Kong: Skull Island (2017), gotten a story credit for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and is back to full screenplay credit (with Eric Pearson) on Godzilla vs. Kong.

Of course Hollywood screenwriting is a tricky field: many projects have multiple writers come and go during development, production and even post-production, with the issue of who wrote what and how they’re credited an often complex negotiation between producers, agents, and the Writers Guild. But Borenstein (whose other projects include executive producing the TV series Minority Report and The Terror Infamy) has legitimately had a hand in the evolution of the MonsterVerse since the start.

With Godzilla vs. Kong off to a–yes, we’re going to say it–roaring start at a still-reopening and recovering worldwide box office (including nearly $50 million in the U.S.) and streaming away on HBO Max as well, Den of Geek got on Zoom with Borenstein shortly before the movie’s launch to discuss the development of this fourth–and perhaps final?–entry, its relationship to the other films, and what these iconic monsters mean to new generations of fans.

Den of Geek: You’ve been involved in each of the films up to this point. What was the process for this one? How many iterations of the story were you involved in?

Max Borenstein: I’ve been involved in the franchise in different ways from the beginning. I helped with Godzilla, the first film. It was a kind of a rebuild of the script from brass tacks when Gareth Edwards came on board to direct, and we worked really closely together. And I stayed more or less on that movie from then through production.

It was in post-production on that, that the head of Legendary at the time, Thomas Tull, and Mary Parent–who was then a producer and is now running Legendary–and Alex Garcia, who’s the exec there who’s really been overseeing the whole franchise, first came to me and asked if I was interested in being involved in writing a Kong movie that would sort of bring Kong into that universe. For Thomas, who was really the big fan and the kind of driving force behind it, it was always about creating a universe where ultimately we can bring those two together, like the Avengers, in Godzilla vs. Kong.

So those were kind of the marching orders from the very beginning, at least for me, once it was clear that we to some extent had cracked the code on the new American version of Godzilla. And through the years, I was involved on and off in every one of these films, but Godzilla vs. Kong was the one where I at this point, had become part of the brain trust, so to speak.

How did Godzilla and Kong change from the previous films?

By this point it was clear we had done the groundwork in terms of filling out what these monsters were, how we envisioned Godzilla, what level of anthropomorphic attachment they had to people, and how unknowable our Godzilla was. There have been so many different Godzillas over time. So we developed that and we developed an idea of how our Kong fit into the spectrum of different King Kongs over time.

Really for me, the mandate of this film was: how do we finally allow Godzilla and Kong to carry their own movie? In the previous films, because we were sort of establishing them, we always had these human characters who were our way in, and they still are. But more and more in this film, Godzilla and Kong are the stars, and everybody else is a supporting character.

Is it a challenge to come up with interesting human characters, especially when you know that people are there to see the monsters fight?

Yeah, it is. It’s always a challenge. And I think one of the challenges of it is scale. It’s very different from the superhero franchises, because in superhero franchises, your characters are actual people who also have superpowers. But in the case of Godzilla and King Kong, particularly Godzilla and Kong in this iteration, you’re operating at a scale that’s not human. It’s societal, it’s global. When they do something, it has a much larger impact. It’s much harder to have a human character have too much agency with these creatures without stepping into inventing devices that control the creatures. We do some of that, but on some level, it becomes boring if people are just piloting these guys.

So the challenge is how do you create human characters that allow us to experience that while not taking too much of the spotlight? I think we honed more and more as we went forward, that if you see the human characters less as protagonists in the traditional sense and more as supporting characters in the stories of Godzilla and Kong, they become crucial in storytelling. They’re not carrying the movie, but they might be like Simon Pegg in the Mission: Impossible movies, where there’s charm and there’s humor, and there’s emotion that comes from those characters. But they’re not being asked to carry the movie in the way that a star would, because our stars are Godzilla and Kong.

Did you know early on that Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler would be coming back from Godzilla: King of the Monsters?

Yeah. By the time I came into this project, those kinds of bones were in place. It evolved somewhat, but we knew largely what the cast of characters was going to be. They were kind of Camp Godzilla, and then Camp Kong was the main characters, Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall, and those guys.

Movies

Godzilla vs. Kong: A Brief History of Mechagodzilla

By Don Kaye

Movies

Godzilla vs. Kong: Where The MonsterVerse Should Go Next

By David Crow

Was Mechagodzilla always the secret villain?

Well, it’s funny. Because like I said, a lot of the bones for this one were in place by the time I kind of came in, in terms of those decisions. But I had originally written Mechagodzilla into [Godzilla: King of the Monsters]. It was very similar in the sense of being an opportunity for the human characters to have some agency at the scale of the monsters, which is one of the hardest parts of these stories.

It was something I really quite liked, and ultimately [KOTM director] Mike Dougherty, as they were developing it, kind of put it aside. But I was really happy that we had brought it back in Godzilla vs. Kong, because it felt like one of the main challenges of Godzilla vs. Kong is neither Godzilla nor Kong is a villain. We’re rooting in different ways for each, we’re connected in different ways to each.

So it felt essential to have a third thing. Round one goes to Godzilla and round two goes to Kong. The question is in round three, rather than having one or the other win, how can we have the two of them develop a grudging respect for one another and go up against the third thing. Mechagodzilla felt like this perfect route into that.

It’s fun how you tied him back to King Ghidorah by using Ghidorah’s skull as a control panel.

Yeah, totally. It had different kind of evolutions and expansions as we went along and then contractions, but it was always those two characters, Serizawa and Simmons [the Apex Cybernetics scientist and CEO, played by Shun Oguri and Demián Bichir respectively], who both are interested in this idea of being able to act at the level and the scale of the creatures. But each has a very different kind of perspective on what they want to do with that power and how that can corrupt them. Ultimately it got slimmed down, but still I think retained its fundamental sort of core.

When it came to the final battle, was there any point where one of them was going to lose or was it always planned that both of them would survive?

No, neither Godzilla nor Kong were ever going to lose. There were different moments of how far we took it in terms of Kong taking a beating, but the two of them were always going to gang back up and work together.

Have there been discussions about what comes next? Do you have ideas for a fifth film?

There have definitely been ideas thrown around. I can’t say I’m appraised on the absolute latest right now, but I know that it’s all about this being the kind of Avengers moment and hopefully people respond and audiences will dig the way that we’ve kind of wrapped up this initial chapter of the Monsterverse.

What about a Monarch TV show where they would chase different monsters around the globe?

Again, I couldn’t speak to whether anything like that has been discussed, but that’s something I’ve always thought would be really fun. It would allow you to get into a different kind of storytelling in a different kind of scale that has a little bit more X-Files vibe within that universe. I’ve always thought that’d be cool.

Over the course of the four movies, what elements do you feel the most ownership of?

These are such collaborative endeavors, as are just movies of this scale in general, and in particular movies like this that are so reliant on what you’re building in post-production in terms of creatures and everything. But every now and then, in the actual writing, there’s some dialogue here and there that makes you think, “Oh, that was mine. I’m proud of that.” The “let them fight,” moment from Godzilla is one, and there are a couple of moments in this one, like when Rebecca Hall says, “Kong doesn’t bow to anyone.” Things like that are moments that I’m proud of that made it into the movie, because those are the kinds of moments of dialogue that you look forward to in a movie like this.

The thing that I’m proud of is what you feel when these two characters finally come together–the emotional investment, I think, that we’ve built. When you get to that moment at the end, when Godzilla and Kong square off, not as enemies, but as allies, it’s the kind of thing that I feel proud of because I think we’ve done a lot of work to get to a place where we’re invested in these two characters and we feel kind of thrilled at the fact that the two of them create this grudging alliance.

What are your feelings about the original King Kong vs. Godzilla?

I had watched it when we started working on this, and it’s super campy and fun and hopefully we did it justice. It’s one of those films that it felt a lot like playing with your toys on the floor where you take the two toys that don’t go together, and suddenly they’re together in the same story. I always thought that one of the best parts of that whole franchise is the playful quality of just taking Kong, who has nothing to do with that world, and throwing him in there. That’s why those films always captured my imagination in that way.

What do you think that these monsters represent nowadays?

I think they’re both vessels. Godzilla certainly over the course of the decades has been a vessel for, at times our fears — whether it be fears of nuclear annihilation initially, or environmental degradation, the anxieties of the moment have been sponged up by Godzilla in different iterations over the years. Certainly Kong has evolved from his earliest days of being kind of a somewhat problematic kind of colonialist metaphor for “the other,” and over time has become just an iconic beloved character.

When these characters take on this scale, there’s this philosophical term, “hyperobject,” which this philosopher Tim Morton talks about–something so large that it touches everything and everyone all the time. You can’t have any conversation about anything without kind of also talking about it. Climate change is one of those things that’s just ubiquitous and everywhere. So is the pandemic. There’s not a single moment of any day or a single thing we do right now where COVID isn’t having some kind of impact because it’s on a scale that touches everyone around the world.

So [Godzilla and Kong] reveal to us the fact that we’re all connected, which is easy to forget when we live in big glass skyscrapers and we ignore the other people around the world. Hyperobjects bring us into connection. Godzilla and Kong, creatures of this scale that can hop around the world and touch everyone haphazardly and create tumult and chaos, reveal that in our globalized world, we are all connected for better and for worse. To me, that’s really what this movie is kind of all about.

Godzilla vs. Kong is out in theaters and streaming now on HBO Max.

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smolbeandrabbles · 4 years

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Cold Night - Ralph Anderson x Reader (The Outsider)

GIF Credit: X

Sure Be Cool If You Did / Bienvenue From Hell, Mon Amour / Made in the USA / Under The Weather

Author’s Note: So, we’re still using book Ralph’s personality. Because that’s where I’d like to keep him!

I just got this idea whilst thinking for a little too long about the show... And also this song, as ever, popped up on shuffle and went “You know what would be good...!”

And thus, you all get your 5th installment of Ralph Anderson

*Note, the DA is back to his book name, Samuels, for part consistency.

Disclaimer: Characters and plot lines from The Outsider are all Stephen Kings / Thanks YM@S for once again providing some great lyrics from this album / Gif not mine - credit as appropriate.

Premise: As detectives and partners, it’s good from time to time to discuss cases... But sometimes you need something a little more than just discussion to help you through them...

Words: 2063

Warnings: All Fluff - I just needed me some Sweet-Soft!Ralph.

_________ It was a cold night, we laid with each other just to stay warm Up all hours, not for the last time As it's a cold life, stay with each other one last time We could always run away some other night

Don't you let me go this time Don’t you let me go this time Don't go baby, it's time for us you know. Don't go honey, this way we'll never know Don't go honey, this way we'll never know

It was a cold night, the talk of forever kept us warm But even forever, doesn't last that long I say, say you'll never, say you'll never change

Say you'll never, say you'll never change Say you'll never, say you'll never change I knew the moment I met you I could never lose you I knew the moment I met you...

---

The house was unusually quiet. Not that it didn’t have its quiet periods, but when all three of you were in it at once it was certainly unexpected. You thought you knew the reason why, and shuffled from the room you were in - sorting books, and realising one was missing - through the house until you found him. Lying across the sofa on his back, holding the book up, not exactly engrossed, but turning the pages like he was paying attention. Ralph Anderson probably wished the case file had never crossed his desk – but then who else’s?

You leant yourself against the wall, arms folded until he noticed you. It was obvious by his body language that something was off. Which is why he was probably so quiet. He got through at least 3 more pages before he even noticed you were standing there. That was worrying, Ralph was the more observant of the two of you. And he liked to tell you that often. Usually by standing in the middle of the crime scene staring you down, hands on his hips; “yeah, what are you missing?”

No so today, although the fact that he didn’t look at you when he addressed you meant he might just have been waiting for the right time. “How do you read this?” You tipped your head to speed count pages; “...Strange words for a man who looks like he’s about a fifth of the way through it...” “I didn’t have anything else to do...” he mumbled, shuffling around on the couch. “Funny, you’re using all your tells...” you crossed the room to him in swinging lazy steps “Babe, what’s wrong?” He shrugged; “Nothing.” “If you wanted to take your mind off the case, may I suggest not reading a detective mystery novel?” He sighed, lowering his arms for a moment; “I just wondered if another detective could help me out? Like if I was missing something... maybe I could try another method? I dunno.” You frowned, “Well... you live with another detective... are they not good enough?” “I don’t want you involved in this one...” “Why?” You crouched “I’m a big girl.” “I know.” He laid the book on his chest and reached out for you; “...But I’m also aware you have a little girl...” fingers ran through your hair as he framed your face, the movement of his thumbs affectionate. You very nearly rolled your eyes “Ralph, it’s hardly Frankie Peterson 2.0...” “I know but I don’t want you involved - end of-!” “So you instead want to sit here and suffer in silence?” “Well...” it was a small smirk but it’d do “Yune isn’t available.” It was all you could do to chuckle; “Yeah well. Why doesn’t that surprise me.” You moved your hands to his shoulders caressing them gently - and hoping that would at least bring some comfort; “Baby, I’m here - talk to me.” “I know... I know I just...” Ralph sighed again, arm stretching further so that his hand covered your neck, meaning your hair now brushed against his skin. “...maybe that’s all I need right now?” You gave a soft smile; “What?” “You. Right here...” Then he applied gentle pressure and you knew what he wanted - you leant in to brush your lips to his; and he didn’t let you pull away - linking his arms behind your head. He successfully stole more kisses than you were going to allow him, before you propped yourself back onto your elbows. But one of Ralph’s hands still framed your face.

“Call me crazy... but... there’s something about you, Y/N... that I...” he laughed, quiet, breathy - like a private joke to himself “At points you are... erratic. But right now? You’re the most calming presence I think I could wish to get.” “Yeah?” You would disagree “Yeah.” He nodded, his fingertips moving in soothing patterns over your skin “...so I just need you right here... and maybe my head’ll clear a little.” “Well, you’re lucky I’m available and don’t have a date with the DA.” Though your smile was sweet “You know I would cancel on him for you, right?” He chuckled, leaning up to kiss you again as he took your hand in his; “I’m honoured-!” “Oh, no, it’s you that is doing me the honour of letting me of all people be your quiet space...” “Mhm-! C’mere...” Ralph pulled you from your position on the floor around the couch, and then tugged you down to lie with him, arms wrapping around your shoulders, he cuddled you close before kissing your hair. “I need you, Y/N... Real bad at times.” “Perfect balance.” You’d said it before… He’d said it before. Heck – so many people had commented similar you were starting to believe it. His smile was thoughtful “Beyond perfect balance. So don’t go changing on me...” “Wouldn’t dream of it...” you rubbed his back soothingly, “Now go on, you get on with thinking your case through. And I’ll try not to move...” “We’ll see how long that lasts...” he murmured, twining your legs with his in an attempt to make your promise a reality. “I love you... you know?” “...I did know that, I think, yeah.” “But I mean it. No jokes.” “Jokes?” You smiled gently, looking up into his serious blue eyes, and the way his mouth pressed into a thin line, furrowed brow creating those cute little wrinkles across his forehead. He worried too much. “Jokes? The Ralph Anderson I know doesn’t joke...” you kissed his forehead gently “Hush baby, you do what you need to. And I’ll be right here. We’re partners, y’know? I’ll always be right here...”

***

Ralph had never been the only one to need quiet alone time to think on a case. And sure enough, as he solved a tough one, you gained a tough one.

You loved talking things out and ranting but... Ralph was your partner at work, and after you’d spent all day starting sentences with ‘yeah-! BUT-!’ or ‘Oh! And another thing—!!’ you didn’t want to bother him. Especially not this late at night. But this one was keeping you up. You wanted to prosecute... Samuels was being iffy with the evidence and kept saying; “bring me something else.” Even when you’d exasperatedly told him “There is nothing else—-!!!” It was times like this you wished you didn’t have to take the case alone. And this one in particular was keeping you up. If you didn’t find evidence, the person responsible wasn’t going away – and you already knew they were capable of doing it again.

Hence why at 2am, when Ralph woke up alone, you weren’t with him. His first thought was to check in on Reneé – as it nearly always was, sometimes you liked sitting in with her, but sometimes he just wanted to be sure that she was safe. He stood in the doorway for a little longer than he’d been planning, with a tiny absentminded smile, before realising that at 2am he should be looking for you. He closed the door on her with a smile; “Goodnight, Angel…”

After the light outside caught his eye, he found you huddled out on the back patio with a fire burning and a blanket around you in a chair. He sighed gently, pulling his jacket a little tighter: “Babe. It’s freezing, what are you doing?” “I just... needed some air.” You gave a shrug but didn’t look at him, “Clear my head a little.” He leans against the inside doorframe not quite committing to the cold night air himself; “Are you okay?” You chewed your lip for a second, “Yeah.” “Y/N.” You huffed, frustrated at his stern voice and gave an agitated snap back. “I’m fine.” “No you’re not; you’re using all your tells.” Ralph always thought using your own lines against you was pretty clever. And looked at least mildly amused as he folded his arms. You scoffed, unimpressed with his deduction and buried yourself further into your blanket; Ralph continued – peering across the back yard, submerged in darkness, aside from the occasional firefly. He raised his eyes heavenwards, to watch the stars for a little while. Because he didn’t know what else you could be looking at. “…Is it the case?” “Hmph.” Was as good as he got, and when Ralph cast his eyes back to you, it was the fire you were more interested in. “Isn’t it always with us?” You bounced your leg gently and chewed your lip, he was right. You wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. He kept his eyes on you, but was continually met with silence. Eventually Ralph couldn’t stand it, and the wind chill was beginning to make him shiver. He stepped down onto the patio and crossed to you; “Come on.” “What-” you didn’t have much time to retaliate as he pulled on your blanket bundle and hoisted you into his arms “Come on. You’re gonna catch a cold at best if you’re out here all night-!” “RALPH-! PUT ME DOWN!” “I will. Upstairs! In bed!” He glanced back at the fire and, satisfied that it would burn out safely in its own, carried you back inside. Glad that your blanket cocoon would stop you from fighting this too hard. Having said that, by the time he’d ascended the stairs your head was resting against his chest and you seemed pretty sleepy. He deposited you on the bed – glad you were at least in comfy clothes. “You’re gonna sleep though? Right?” “…I dunno. I might need to do some more talking over this thing…” Ralph let his breath escape in an elongated sigh; “Right…” He pulled the duvet over you as he settled down. “Then you’re gonna sleep, okay?” “…Okay.” Though your agreement was somewhat reluctant. You had to wiggled your arms out of the blankets to wind them around him as he pulled you closer. Flinching suddenly as your skin brushed his; “Oh my god – you’re so cold! What were you doing-!?” “Trying to get my brain to work.” “Well if that leads to pneumonia, you’ll be no use to anyone…!” He rubbed your arms until he was satisfied you were warming up, pressing kisses gently to your forehead. By the time he’d finished, and had laced his finger with yours, heads together – you were wearing his favourite smile, content and sleepy, a little bashful and shy. The one he saw most often if he did something sweet for you, the one just before your eyes would look to the floor and you’d tuck your hair back and say ‘Thank you…’ Tonight however you giggled, “I think… I could probably do this forever…” “Huh?! What, sit on the back porch freezing to death-!?” That only made you laugh more and you finally got him to do the same, “No. Have you look after me…” “Ah-! You’ll be so lucky as me putting up with you forever…” But he was smiling, “…It’s what partners do, right?” “It’s more than some partners deserve…” You mumbled “Hey-!” He punched the top of your arm lightly “I won’t have you talk like that. Stop.” Then he took you back in his arms, “Y/N…” You snuggled into his chest, feeling his breathing, his heartbeat and the way his vocal cords reverberated through his body… his warmth… and you curled your fingers into his shirt. “Okay. Ralph. I’m sorry.” “You best be…” He rubbed your back as you curled into him, and then brought his knees up to wind his body around yours protectively “…Now, come on, softie – talk to me about this case…” “I love you.” He didn’t vocalise his laugh, but you could hear it in his voice - that joy could have been about how sleepy you sounded though. That you were switching off, finally “…Oh. I think that my detective skills helped me figure that one out a little while ago…” “…I’d like to love you forever… if you let me…” He opened his eyes, and watched you for a moment, but you didn’t reopen yours – just shifted to get more comfortable, and closer to him. He shook his head, with a smile; “Y/N…! The case-!” “T…tomorrow…” You yawned “It… can wait…” Ralph continued relaxing you until he was sure you were asleep, and only then did he close his eyes; “I love you too, you know.”

---

@menndelsohn @3134045126 @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad

I finally figured it out!

#Ralph Anderson #The Outsider #Ben Mendelsohn #Ralph Anderson x Reader #Anderson and Andersson Detective Co.#Harmony #Renee #117 #Don't be surprised if every man from this damn show gets written for #I mean some of you know what's coming ;)#That's it I don't really have anything else to tag this #Soft/Sweet #Short/Sweet #Linzi Writes #...I forget that tag so often...

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ask-de-writer · 4 years

Text

DARING DO and THE GRYPHON’S QUEST! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 3 of 19

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

DARING DO

and

THE GRYPHON’S QUEST!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

and

Carmen Pondiego

Cover art by Aranel the Cyborg, now Wind the Mama Cat

29584 words

Writing begun 03/29/16

This is a Fan Fiction based on My Little Pony. Canterlot, Princess Luna and the name Daring Do are owned by Hasboro Inc.

//////////////

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Chapter 3. The Library within the Library

Daring Do led her two charges out of the dining hall, across the Royal University grounds and on, out into the cosmopolitan city of Canterlot.

Walking close to the Castle, they came to the impressive Royal Library building. At the top of the stairs, awaited the huge, allegorically carved doors, showing the sun and the moon rising together over the field of knowledge. They swung open in response to an ancient spell.

Entering, the Gryphons craned their heads about, trying to take in everything, their crests showing their amazement. Grata asked reverently, “I thought that you said that the Great Library would require our Imperial Identifications. The doors simply opened. This Library is amazing. There is no such place in the whole of the Empire.”

With a bit of a smile, Daring Do replied in a hushed voice, “This is the Royal Library. There is a rumor that the caravan of old Marchhare, the Rom’s Ghost Who Guides, may hold a bigger library, but nopony has ever proved it.

“The Great Library may be entered from this one, if it is allowed.” She gestured to the end of a long aisle. “Down here is the Research Desk and the Closed Stacks. That is where you will need your Imperial ID.”

Approaching the impressive curved Research Desk, Daring Do took out her ID. Following her lead, Rahak and Grata took out theirs as well. The pony at the desk took one look at the Royal Seals of Celestia and Luna and at the Seals of the Empress.

She simply nodded politely and requested, “Please wait here. I will get the Research Supervisor.” She turned and disappeared into the rows of bookshelves behind her. Soon she returned with a pale yellow unicorn who had a gray mane and tail.

As soon as the Supervisor saw Daring Do, she smiled and asked, “May I inquire your reason to visit the Great Library, Antiquarian Do?”

Daring Do gestured to her “students” and replied, “Rahak and Grata have been sent by the Empress in person to research the actual origins of the Gryphon race. Since Glugemdown’s account of a sighting in the Far North had to be in the early 180’s PNW, we are seeking earlier material that is reliable or at least may point to avenues of physical research.”

Daring Do handed over her ID and the two Gryphons did as well. The Research Supervisor made some adjustments and inserted the Ids into the Spell Reader. There was a soft chime.

She smiled as she handed back the Ids. Daring Do asked, “May we have the assistance of Apprentice Librarian Blendin, please? He and I have worked together in the past and he is excellent at finding materials.”

The Research Supervisor simply nodded and spoke to a private line magic net mirror. “Apprentice Librarian Blendin to the Canterlot main doors, please.” Shortly there was a soft chime.

Several of the closed stacks simply faded from view. In their place appeared to be stout iron bound oaken doors. That was deceptive. The appearance was a glamor spell concealing two four tonne military armor grade steel doors sealed against being forced open from outside OR inside.

Daring Do smiled at them, remembering a time or two that her visits had needed that protection … from what was in the Great Library! It was not a place for the faint of heart!

She led Grata and Rahak toward the doors. Instead of opening in the usual way, they faded to the appearance of a gossamer mist. They all three passed through. As they entered the Great Library, the doors went solid behind them. Daring Do smiled at Blendin, her half brother and a truly talented Librarian. “Hi, Blendin! We need to find out all that we can of the true origins of the Gryphon race.”

Blendin’s green furred face twisted comically. “Their legends are easy. Facts? Not so easy.” He paused, thinking deeply. “Perhaps there is something lurking in those legends though.”

He turned to what appeared to be a physical card catalog and pulled out drawers. He laid out the drawers in order on a table. As he isolated particular cards, the Gryphons began to grasp just how unusual that card file was. As Blendin chose a card, the materials connected to that card appeared on the study table.

Looking up at the small mountain of books and scrolls, Blendin paused and took the end of the table in hoof. He pulled it out several meters. It grew more legs as it stretched out.

Blendin began laying out the assorted things. “I would give more credence for accurate descriptions to these,” he said, indicating a sub stack. “They are the oldest. It is interesting to note that, though the authors were absolutely Gryphons, they wrote in the Equestrian of the last days of Fortress Canterlot. Modern written Gryphon is easily traced back to that script.”

He sorted out a stack of perhaps fifty items.

Daring Do picked up one, stared at the title, and asked, “What did the catalog show you Blendin?”

“Dates. The very oldest manuscript there has no date but the author died in 54 PNW. Knowing that this is a huge can of worms, I am going let you sort out what happened.”

Innocently, Daring Do said, “We said nothing about it being a can of worms. What makes you so sure that it is?”

Blendin pulled a comic face and retorted, “Two Gryphons with Imperial commissions to dig into the origins of their race. You being willing to bring them HERE. The First Race Gryphon’s Manifest Destiny Party that is growing in the Empire. Isn’t it OBVIOUS?”

Rahak said quietly, “I hope not. If the MDP found us out, they would stop at nothing to silence our findings unless we truly find that ours is the Oldest of Races.”

Blendin took a few moments to show Grata and Rahak how to best organize their notes for comparing descriptions from multiple sources. Daring Do and the others began to work through the pile of manuscripts of all sorts, taking copious notes.

Blendin busied himself with another task. At the other end of the long table a different pile of far more modern books grew.

Taking a break to stretch her wings and neck, Grata took a quick look at Blendin’s new pile of books. She read a title. “Mutagenic Effects of Randomly Combined Spell Fragments From the Great South Bay Mage Weapon Blast.” Eyes gone wide, she picked another. “Mage Weapon Use In the Final Battle of the Nightmare Wars.”

Hearing the titles, Rahak picked another. “Weaponized Weather in the Nightmare Wars. Subtitled, Tactical and Strategic Studies.”

Grata had picked up one more. “The Use of Non Equine Magic on the Nightmare War Battlefields.”

Rahak found, “Baratted the Goat, a Biography of the Inventor of Non Equine Magic.”

Grata, crest going flat in sadness, discovered, “An Encyclopedia of All Intelligent Species of the World and Their Languages,” she read. “It is by De Writer and dated the fiftieth year of Fortress Canterlot.”

Daring Do pointed out, “This predates all of the others. Equestria did not yet exist. De Writer’s invention of the basic art of writing was still only a few hundred years in the past. Literacy was still fairly rare when this was written.”

Rahak, taking the book, leafed through it carefully. His crest showing both interest and puzzlement. “There is no mention of Gryphons at all. He knows of the Zebras and X'ibian dromedaries. He covers merponies, both fresh and salt sea kinds. He even has a part on DEER.”

Grata nodded. “That fits all of the rest of what we are finding. The MDP will blow their collective gaskets if we can prove what these things are showing us.” Rahak agreed, “I hope that the proof can be solid enough to be undeniable.” He sat and sort of drooped all over. “I fear that what we may find will not prevent a war at all. We may actually start one.” He sighed, “Proof will not sway religious fanatics. They ALREADY KNOW THE TRUTH.”

Blendin spoke briefly and quietly into a private magic net mirror before saying anything to them. “You are taking this better than I feared. I have told the guards to stand down.

“You have been granted permission to have copies of any or all of these documents sent to any place of your choosing.”

Grata thought for a moment and asked, “Can we have a map of the weather in use when the Mage Weapons were fired at the end of the Nightmare Wars? It could help us to set up our physical expedition. The Library is good but we will need to find solid physical evidence and proofs.”

Blendin nodded. “Good thought.” He rummaged in his card drawer, selecting one. The requested map joined the rest of the documents on the table.

Rahak suggested, “We will take it all. Put it in our dorm room at the Royal University.”

Blendin put his card drawers away in the card catalog and spoke briefly into his mirror again. All of the assorted books and other documents vanished from the table. Blendin pushed it back to its original shorter, four leg version.

Blendin stretched and observed, “I am hungry. As so often happens here, time got away from us. I know a place where there are great enchiladas. They will even fix ones with fish and shrimp for you Gryphons.

“So, dinner? It won’t cost you a bit.”

Daring Do brightened immensely and stated, “Free dinner? Enchiladas? I’m in!”

Rahak and Grata’s crests shot up! “Fish and shrimp? Count us in!”

Blendin nodded happily. He called in on his magic net mirror, “Apprentice Librarian Blendin leaving with Daring Do party. Give us Exit V.”

The heavy armor steel doors faded away and Blendin led them out into bright tropical sunlight.

<==PREVIOUS NEXT==>

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#DARING DO AND THE GRYPHON'S QUEST!#Part 3 of 19 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ms31x129 · 5 years

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MSR/other/long winded responses

@likos064

This is from another blog discussion @likos064 responses in italics and then my thoughts. The other thread was getting long and the tumblr kept timing out for me.

‘Personally, I have no interest in Mulder or Scully/Other. Regardless of whether it is before they met, during the show pre or post relationship, though I ignore any breakup because I find it redundant, even though I understand the limitations of a TV show and Drama 101. What I cannot ignore, however, are double standards when it comes to writing these Other-relationships. Generally, when its Mulder/Other, regardless of whether he and Scully are involved or not, Mulder is portrayed as the bad guy. Excepting pre-X-files, but even that might be a stretch.

Conversely when it is Scully/Other she is portrayed to be in the right, a woman who is simply being true to her desires and taking what she deserves. It doesn’t matter whether she is involved with Mulder, at the cusp or committed she is still entitled to have sex with whoever she wants. But this only applies to her. Even in fics portraying a breakup she is allowed to move on while he has to wait for her to come back, if he wants companionship. And at that point, I don’t want them together any longer.

Retrograde as mentioned above is a good example. I don’t want her anywhere near him and I find it preposterous that he is completely alone so that she can prey on him in his weakness. People can write, like and headcanon what they want. But I am disturbed by the abuse that is so often encouraged towards him. Why make her as damaging as Phoebe and Diana?’

I agree with pretty much everything you said above and perhaps that’s why the ‘break-up’ eps have bothered me, I have trouble with getting into Scully’s mind – perhaps that’s a result of male writers? And no ‘show bible?’ I am a Mulderist through and through and I try not (I might not always succeed) to ‘cut’ Scully down in order to praise Mulder.

Through the seasons I think there have been hints as to Scully wanting a relationship/family – at some point, and it’s actually hard for me to pinpoint when she really chose Mulder – although running away with him in the Truth was a pretty good statement. Jersey Devil, Revelations (her instinct with Kevin,) Home are 3 right of the top of my head. (What’s wrong with a woman who doesn’t want children?) In the back of my mind I think I could always see Scully as being the one to move on and be just another person who left Mulder.

Mulder I think does want a family, I just don’t know if he thinks he deserves it? He really is so good with children in the eps – is that due to his psychology background – maybe? He didn’t ‘bond’ with Kevin in Revelations partly I think due to the Religion aspect although he doesn’t naysay Scully when she wants to keep Kevin with them either. In Home Mulder is telling Scully a happy memory of being a kid, baseball his sister – that dialogue stood out to me as well as the remarks about the kind of home he’d like to settle down in. Cliché it is, but I think he’s was searching for the family he lost the day Samantha disappeared. Even if he hadn’t believed it was Aliens I think Mulder would have kept searching regardless.

‘You’re right she did want to be with him. However, I don’t view the desire to be the same as action though there is definitely emotional cheating on Daniel’s part. A Platonic Romance can be just as threatening to marriage as one with a sexual component. Nevertheless, the fandom interpretation takes the relationship in a direction far different from the one that Gillian intended and that’s what I thought of when you complained about Scully’s involvement with a married man.’

Hmm… I could be wrong, but I thought GA said in several interviews that she intended for it to be obvious Scully and Daniel had been lovers. Even though she knows Scully’s character is Catholic and had been brought up to respect marriage it was one of Scully’s rebellion’s? GA doesn’t have a strict religious view point, so I thought this part of AT was more GA than Scully especially since she seemed to scoff at her sister Melissa’s more open / nature new age beliefs. At the same time within the ep I could view it as did knowing Mulder allow her to open up to other religions? Ideas? IMO it would have been nice to let Mulder know that occasionally.

I will confess that I too have some reservations over her behavior in all things. According to Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter, Mulder and Scully are already involved in all things. The scene at the beginning with Mulder in bed was to indicate an ongoing sexual relationship not the start of one. Gillian knew this and still wrote Scully as deciding to leave Mulder, per the original script, only to change her mind again.

Well unfortunately we can’t take what FS or CC says for granted. I would love to read those statements though the only one I can recall is Frank S. reminding fans that AT wasn’t the first time M&S were in each others apartments overnight. How many times were we told William is Mulder’s son. For me that rankles as just another way to hurt Mulder, regardless all those years he thought he had a son out there.

‘My issue lies more in that this confirms Mulder’s fears, something that I see him being mocked over consistently; primarily when he runs away from her in Detour. I see numerous complaints about how he waited too long, but I always interpreted it, beyond TV show limitations and the patterns that existed in the 90s, as her not being ready for a relationship. Nor did I see an invitation of wine and cheese as a guaranteed sexual offer.’

I agree with this, I also wonder how much the whole experience with Scully almost dying affected him and wanting to be more, and of course Bill’s reaction I’m sure dug a little spot in his mind too. What is dying but another form of abandonment in a sense. I didn’t like ‘3’ either, but that was much earlier in their partnership so it was a little (very little) more palatable.

‘Nevertheless, I’m curious about your aversion to Scully’s attraction to older authoritative men. I don’t understand why you think she’s too smart for this. I always saw it as a father complex, an extension of the affection and more importantly approval she so desperately wanted from her father. Similarly, I viewed Mulder’s attraction to older women as a mother complex rooted in the affection his mother deprived him of following Samantha’s abduction.’

I know my aversion is mainly from a life experience and a friend’s story. I only took one college class and you could just see the professor eyeing up every girl that walked in until it landed on my friend. She was a straight A student, she wasn’t shy or outgoing we all thought her feet were planted firmly on the ground. He praised her, but you could also see subtle ‘put downs’ – you shouldn’t do it that way only an infant would things like that some worse. And all of us were shocked when she started a relationship with the professor who was 17 yrs older I think. Long story short he was married had 3 or 4 kids, she got pregnant he dropped her like a hot potato, she got an abortion and tried to commit suicide. We ended up finding out she’d been sexually abused as a child by her father or step-father. She moved and I haven’t seen or heard from her in over 30 yrs.

I know there wasn’t any hint of that in Scully and her father’s relationship, but the whole older-man/daddy issue has just always made me angry/disgusted in general.

’I see Daniel as an authority figure as well as a teacher who values her intelligence and makes her feel as though she matters. While Jack has a more obsessive quality towards his work, like her father who prioritized the navy over her. Both would have given her approval because they were teachers and she did her assignments. She mostly met their expectations. Until she didn’t.’

I agree with some of that. Mulder is different than those two men, I don’t see that many similarities. In NA when people say Mulder was treating Scully like her boss – jerk is the term I see most. Well technically he is the dept. head and he could assign her things. When they jointly investigate cases it makes sense to split up when their particular skills are better utilized – he thinks outside the box and she provides the facts/science when possible.

I always saw it as how much trust had formed that Mulder knew Scully would handle things. When he sort of scoffs at Scully handing off the case, I don’t take it as him not trusting/believing her – I think he was looking for any excuse to come back – I could be wrong.

And as I recall Scully has made jokes about Mulder’s dating or ala Jersey Devil Mulder’s “I have a life” reply to Scully. It seems okay when she does it but when he does it’s wrong.

‘Phoebe was manipulative but her mind games could still lead to rewards.’

I’m curious what rewards do you mean?

‘Diana I see as terribly accommodating but just as manipulative as Phoebe.’

Groan – I just hate the character of Diana for so many reasons. I hate when shows just drop in a character for shock value. I can’t believe in almost 5yrs of working together Diana’s name never once came up. That Scully never saw her name in a case file. That the LG never mentioned her before either you’d think there’d have been a comparison of the two, unless DF wasn’t a ‘work’ partner.

This is the man who opens up to Scully on their 1st case together and tells her about his sister in a very intimate way - even though he initially thinks she’s sent to spy on him. Yet when DF appears – initially its just generic basics about her, she gets shot and FTF come out with the whole ‘almost kiss’ scene. I’m sure DF would be too confusing for the ‘new’ fans Fox/CC were hoping to entice.

Then the Beginning – no mention of a kiss – Mulder appears so frustrated with Scully, but he trusts her completely with Gibson and it makes sense she’s the doctor. In the other eps with DF we never see Mulder seeking her out, yet he doesn’t seem to be sharing with Scully why he trusts Diana or the audience. To me that whole season (6) was Mulder making a choice to be with Scully at work and after work on cases like Dreamland.

I think the perfect time to introduce a new set of agents would have been right after FTF, are we to believe scientists worldwide wouldn’t have gotten notice of seismographs going off - tremors in Antartica they wouldn’t be down there investigating the cause.

Maybe that’s one of the problems with XFiles trying to straddle that line Aliens – but also real world cases happening in real time?

‘In both cases, Mulder’s need to please and be acknowledged would’ve been satisfied. I feel that Mulder and Scully partly satisfy these complexes in each other. Mulder is in a supervising role and Scully does want his acknowledgment and unless the script says otherwise, see Never Again, she gets it. Likewise, Scully acknowledges Mulder and appreciates him, unless the script calls for otherwise, like in all things. And if you decide to acknowledge the season 10-11 breakup.’

Quite the difference in DD and GA’s script(s), especially in the Unnatural it’s all about learning, a connection to someone, something even though neither M or S are in the ep, but for 7-8 minutes. I know some still get mad for the ‘ticking of her biological clock’ reference, but that is a common saying and Mulder was using it in that light-hearted way. Hollywood AD was a quirky ep and one of the ones that it’s hard to put in the XF ‘case’ universe, but even it had some poingnant moments and again M & S spending time outside of work together enjoying each other’s company.

And then AT – all about Scully, more of a character study. Mulder is flirty with his projector in the beginning and she’s stabbing her salad and snapping at him. I definitely didn’t care for snarky Scully. In the whole ep the only section I like is their conversation on the couch, the way DD plays Mulder and the way he looks at her – that man is in love, period.

S10-11 Breakup = stupid. As per the ratings immediate drop from week 1 to week 2 and kept on going. The idea that Mulder had to choose Scully over going back to work for the FBI – if that’s what he wanted to do is just wrong. And Scully just happening to work for a hospital and one or more of the patrons/dr.’s happening to experiment on his own children. There would have been the perfect ‘case’ to draw Scully back to working on the X-Files with Mulder and if they’d set up those other agents in S6 who knows how the series would have ended.

One other thing that bothered me as the show progressed is what I call the dumbing down of Mulder. In Deep Throat Mulder has the line about his hotshot pilot friend and asks a technical flight question in other eps he also would pull facts both unusual and technical out in dialogue. Then it seemed that slowly faded. Was it to prop Scully up as being smarter? I don’t know I just missed those little moments of Mulder’s brilliance.

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amindinmotion09 · 6 years

Photo

the apartments --- a bunch of people working behind the veil | open ages & faces

Ever since Europolis got itself officially on its feet, the need for secrecy within the criminal world was needed --- especially when it came to health care. Nobody wanted to get noticed within any other hospitals, or have any files on them after they were patched up. So they all started to pitch in, and help create a ‘sanctuary’ of sorts for those who couldn’t turn exactly anywhere else. Eventually, people were put in place to keep their hidden hospital --- well, hidden, from prying eyes. They’re a pretty tight knit group, and have many resources to back them up to keep the place running.

Their fronts have always changed as well throughout the years to whenever they feel the police might be catching wind of something suspicious, which has worked so far. Right now, their front is a set of apartments that might not look as glamorous as the rest of them, but have the best of the best once you step inside. All you to say is the current password, and you’re good to go. They’ve also been taking AI’s in to work on them after the recent revolution two years ago, wanting to place their trust in them since the hospital staff know how it can feel not being trusted sometimes.

** I have a few characters I have in mind that I’d really like filled out! You can either use a character you currently are working out that could fit the role. Or you can go with what I’ve written here (to be honest, what I’ve written is just something to inspire you. You don’t have to go with every single word I wrote). Everything is pretty much open, and however they’ve ended up the apartments is up to you. We can always talk on Discord if you want to take anybody up.

-----

They go by the NATO phonetic alphabet so they can keep their identity a secret from their own colleagues. Of courser, when you sign up on the site, you can use their actual names. Haha. But right now, I’m not sure what I want to call the organization just yet, so bear with me! However, if you have any ideas for me, then just send me a PM. :D

FOXTROT / THE LANDLORD (LATE 40′s - 60′s & OPEN GENDER) --

Foxtrot has pretty much helped run everything since it was first sparked as an idea (maybe 20 years ago), and they even were the co - founders alongside their friend(s). They were tired of having to watch their back whenever they’d hurt, so they created a ‘ underground hospital’ that now most people would only be able to hear through word of mouth. They’ve only had to run two fronts within the past -- a casino and a tech company, which makes them happy since it means that they can stay in one spot for a while. And even though they’ve worn many hats, they still run the hospital -- along with some help from their right hand man / woman, Bravo. However, they’re still a little weary about any sort of AI stepping through the doors, not wanting any blood to be shed in their hospital because of them.

BRAVO / THE SUPERVISOR (LATE 30′s - 40′s & OPEN GENDER) -- RESERVED FOR SNIDE

They’ll be the first one to tell you that they’re the actual doctor in the house, and not Tango (she’s more of a “geek” that’s keeping their tech up to date) just because she’s helping out. But Bravo has been by Foxtrot’s side for quite a good chunk of time, joining up with them a little before they became a ‘tech company’ (funny how things go). They’re very good at their jobs, and know exactly how to handle everything when shit hits the fan, being quite the surgeon. They’re quite rough around the edges, yet had been through a few things to make them that way. It also helps when it comes to balancing out the hospital, needing someone to keep their head above water. It was why they were kind of forced to teach Tango how to do stuff like taking bullets out of a wound, or how to stitch someone up just in case of an emergency; and the two might fight from here and there, yet have some respect for each other at the same time.

TANGO (AKA VICTORIA VEGA) / THE HEAD OF SECURITY (THIRTY SEVEN) / TAKEN BY NICOLE --

Victoria first found herself at the hospital’s door steps when she got herself into some trouble, which ended up with a couple of bullet wounds in her chest. If Foxtrot hadn’t been there to save her life, then she would’ve ended up on a table of a morgue. So to repay them, Victoria started to work for them doing small jobs five years ago, proving herself to be quite useful and able to catch on a little quicker than her predecessor. She was then taught by Bravo and Foxtrot on how to patch people up just in case they needed more hands on deck, which is more often than it should be. Of course, Victoria used to be an engineer before her world turned upside for her, which is why she convinced Foxtrox to let any AI be able to be able to come to the hospital if they need somewhere to hide for a few days, or need some fine tuning or are in need of some serious help. I’m thinking about having Victoria of being a former engineer with this subplot, so just let me know if that’d work? Otherwise, I can think of another reason on why she’d be shot. Right now, she’d mostly would be doing actual security related things for the hotel, making sure they’re safe from those who want to sniff around the building...and I just realized that I had said she was going to be a doctor. But as I thought about it, making her an engineer makes more sense.

ROMEO / LOBBY ATTENDANT (OPEN AGE & GENDER) / (TAKEN BY QI) --

Romeo have a sharp eye and quick reflexes, which is why they’re always by the front door when someone arrives and are the muscle part of the security for the hospital. They’re the ones keeping an eye out not just through a camera like Tango, yet everywhere else where all the blind spots are. They’re also very reserved, yet knows what’s going on through the grapevine and have their ears open for just about anything and everything. They’re good at finding out all sorts of dirty secrets (they’re not just there to kick someone’s ass) -- so if someone catches wind of what the apartments are really all about, then they’ll be the first ones to tell everyone to pack their shit up and get the patients prepped up & ready to go. Romeo does have the tendency to think up all sorts of bobby traps to place within the hospital as well, so you might see them staring at something and wonder why they’re doing so. I can also see Romeo being the one to teach everyone on how to use a gun just so they’re not totally defenseless -- and try is the word they’d emphasis on from time to time.

THE RESIDENT(S) / REGULAR PATIENTS --

This can be for anybody to be a part of, going from being some sort of competition to just someone wanting to snoop around to get dirt on the place. It’d be great if this person was a cop, and was able to infiltrate the hospital undercover as some criminal or dirty cop. Either way, it would be one way to shake things up since the hospital can’t hide in the shadows for too much longer. Otherwise, this particular section can actually be just for regulars, a few extra doctors and some nurses (maybe one or two).

#not being too fancy with my graphics #nightlandsreboot #character inspiration #not totally sure what i'm calling the apartments just yet.#I added my character into the mix so you know where she stands.#i'm also still working things out.#so i'm hoping it all makes sense.

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frederator-studios · 6 years

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Meet Joel Veitch and David P. Shute, Creators of “Kid Arthur”

From the dawning of 2000 AD - when Adobe Systems first pulled Flash from the Software Stone - British animators Joel Veitch and David Shute have crafted absurd and iconic web comedy for their site, Rather Good. They are bricklayers of our Modern Age of Memes; but beyond builders, they are Wizards of the Web, gracing our desktops with such magic as the Spongmonkeys and Punk Kittens Play ‘Fell in Love With a Girl’ by the White Stripes, memes that thrived even in the dark ether of the pre-YouTube web. Frederator is honored to have aided in their maturity into long-form content, heralded by the release of their GO! Cartoon, “Kid Arthur,” which comes in at a whopping 5 minutes and 40 seconds long. Joel, David and I sat about a round table to discuss out-of-control saxophonists, dial-up modems, and wizard cats of great Magick.

So how did you each find your way into animation?

JV: We were both already in animation when we met, weren’t we David? DS: I was fairly newly graduated at the time. I studied animation at Uni - Southampton University - and was doing adverts for a while before I met Joel. JV: I started off more on the web comedy side, and drifted into animation when I began learning Flash in the early 2000s. I soon realized that my heart lay with that more than anything else. I made a couple of things that did alright and it became possible to do it for a living… so yeah, I kind of fell into animation by accident, but loved it once I’d discovered it.

How did you guys meet?

JV: I had an office, which I was sharing with some people, who were making a video which was never released. It was... all copies were ordered destroyed.(they start laughin’) They were doing it for a client! Which turned out to be just so... completely insane. DS: It was a stop motion cartoon, and the idea was to parody something, but it was…. they gave… no I won’t say it, I won’t - (Joel is cracking up) They gave us the brief to be as offensive as possible with it. So me and another animator, we just went to town, made it. It was monstrous. It never got released, and that’s a very good thing. JV: I saw it through production and it blew my mind. Of course it never saw the light of day. But I was so completely overwhelmed by what I had witnessed being made that I asked David to come team up with me, and we’ve been a brothership ever since.

What did you guys first work on together?

JV: I still do a bit, but at the time I was doing a lot of comedy music. So we made a load of animated videos for the songs. For our own projects, that was kind of the bread and butter of what we collaborated on.

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What did the comedy music entail?

JV: Well the not-full-band stuff we did as Rather Good; often just guitar and singing. But I'm also the singer of a 7 piece ska band called 7 Seconds Of Love, and we did live gigs, which was a lot of fun. We still gig, if the events are big enough—but it’s tougher now that some bandmates have moved from London.

Any legendary comedy music gig stories?

JV: If I had to choose one… it’d be the time Chaynsaw climbed the lighting rig.

We all have band names: I’m Stallion Explosion, The Bearslayer is bassist, Chaynsaw is the saxophonist, and so on. One night we were playing at quite a big venue in London; large stage, gallery seating, and there was a huge lighting rig that went all the way to the ceiling. During the song “Ninja”, Chaynsaw flipped out. He took a running jump and flew over the barriers and into the crowd, disappearing in a pile of flailing bodies. He ran through the crowd to the back and began climbing up the scaffolding of the lighting rig like some kind of crazed sax-wielding gibbon. Up and up all the way to the gods, as the crowd went crazy and we wondered whether we were about to witness his death. When he reached the gods, he climbed over onto the balcony and sprinted out of sight. The crowd was going wild. They thought the stunt was part of the show but we had no idea what he was playing at. The song approached Chaynsaw's solo, with no sign of him. I assumed he had run off into the night, probably bellowing "CHAYNSAAAAAW!" and wielding his saxophone. However, just at the exact moment his solo began, he came barrelling out from backstage at full speed, skidded to a halt at the front of the stage and blasted out a storming solo. The crowd went crazy: they thought it was the best bit of showmanship they’d ever seen. But it was a fluke. He'd just run headlong through random passages and stairwells backstage until he’d burst out on to the stage at the exact right moment. It was a triumph. Nobody need ever know that it was a suicidally dangerous lunatic episode. My lips are sealed.

Yes, clearly. So Rather Good’s animations pre-date YouTube?

JV: Oh, pre-YouTube, yeah. You couldn’t really do video in those days because you didn’t have the bandwidth to do it, which was why Flash was so popular. You had to keep projects down to a couple of megabytes, very small files. Everyone was on dial-up modems.

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(Rather Good’s highly educational vid about the history of the world wide web)

Wild. Was your goal to just have fun, or did you have an online audience in mind while making things?

JV: Historically they’ve been a way to entertain ourselves, at least primarily. On the basis that if you’re making something fun, that you enjoy making, then it’s more likely to be interesting and enjoyable out in the world. If you over-analyze it, you end up with something that doesn’t work very well; that’s how bad comedy gets written.

So what was it like, helping to build meme culture from the ground up… rewarding?

JV: Ha, yeah... it’s a fascinating and evolving world, isn’t it? And it’s changing so much and so fast it’s just… it’s almost difficult to put into words, the sheer magnitude of it. DS: You couldn’t really imagine this ecosystem now, 20 years ago. It would sound insane. JV: I mean, it wasn’t that long ago that the big hit was a mini track with a bunch of animated gifs of hamsters. DS: A 4 second loop of a CGI baby dancing... JV: God, and do you remember the crazy frog? DS: Oh God… yeah. JV: (laughing) It’s come a long way, and that’s a good thing. And it’s not just a technological thing is it, there’s really important stuff about the way that it’s opened up… I used to say “democratization of creativity,” which is a slightly overblown way of just saying it’s much easier for people to get stuff out in the world than it used to be. There was a system of gatekeepers in place that was very difficult to get past, until a little before YouTube. That system is bypassed now, it doesn’t really have the power anymore to dictate what makes it onto TV and hence into the popular consciousness. That’s now distributed out into the world. Which is good, although there’s a new dictator now, isn’t there? The algorithms. But that’s a different sort of thing.

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(“We Like the Moon,” an ancient and powerful Rather Good meme. So revered that Quiznos used it to sell subs, in a commercial that you may, like me, vaguely remember as a fever dream from your adolescence)

Our strange new reality. Have you guys done much in the traditional kids space in the UK, with CBBC or CITV or others?

JV: We haven’t done much of anything in kids—most of what we’ve done for telly has been in the adult realm. One of our motivations for “Kid Arthur” and some other projects is getting to focus on character and narrative. Because for a long, long time, we’ve done short form - proper short form, often a minute or less long - and that’s fun, but you don’t get the opportunity to really develop character and story in those. It’s just gags. DS: That’s what’s been so fun about “Kid Arthur”: being able to actually build characters with a relationship between them, and have the space to explore that and the outer world.

So how did you guys come up with “Kid Arthur”?

JV: We’ve both always loved the Arthurian legends, fantasy worlds, Tolkien’s writing. It’s been a big part of our... cultural space, if you know what I mean? It feels like it’s been more ‘everywhere’ than ever in the last couple of years, since The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Game of Thrones and everything - everybody’s all about swords and dragons these days, which is fun. We’d talk about King Arthur and he’d pop up in conversation a lot, and we thought it’d be hilarious to put him and Mordred as kids in a modern day school.

So is the rest of Arthur and Mordred’s world totally normal, and no one notices that these kids are summoning dragons and crazy shiz?

DS: Absolutely, they’re clueless. JV: It’s too out there for people to process. DS: I think they’re aware on some dim level, but their minds are totally unable to process or comprehend it.

(Poor, sweet, unknowing ‘Miss’)

When did you guys decide to pitch to Frederator, and what stage of development was “Kid Arthur” in?

DS: It was still pretty early on when we pitched it. JV: I met Carrie Miller in London a while ago now, at an animation event. And we talked about how we ought to pitch something to you guys. So we’d been thinking about what we could do with Frederator specifically, and “Kid Arthur” felt like the right fit.

Who do you each relate to the most between Mordred or Arthur?

DS: That’s pretty obvious isn’t it? I’m definitely Arthur. (note: David voices Arthur. Meanwhile, Joel is cracking up) JV: But this is the thing though isn’t it, part of the joy of the character, is that Arthur, he’s a kind of all-conquering heroic warrior, but he’s got Dave’s personality here, you know? He’s kinda like “Sighhhh… oh God. He’s trying to destroy me again, isn’t he”. DS: Yeaaah. JV: And I very much relate to Mordred. (Joel voices Mordred)

Oh gosh, really? How so?

JV: Well, he’s an extension of my own character to a certain extent. I’m not painting a very nice picture of myself there, am I? I mean, he’s not totally evil - he’d be gutted if he ever did destroy Arthur. That’s key to it, isn’t it? DS: Oh yeah. He’d be bereft. JV: Utterly bereft.

Have you guys been developing your ideas for a full series?

DS: We’ve talked about it quite a lot. JV: There’s a whole expanded world that we couldn’t really fit into a 5 minute short, and more characters: Guinevere - DS: Merlin - JV: Merlin as a cat! He’s the most powerful wizard in the universe. But he’s also a cat, so he tends to use his awesome power to do stuff like magic up fish heads. DS: He’s not a super intelligent cat, mind you, just a standard cat. With great magic. JV: And there’s all the knights of the round table, the witches, the Lady of the Lake. There’s this pre-existing structure from legend of all of these quests, and it’s all just ripe to be transplanted into a little town, where it exists slightly below the surface, manifesting in, you know, neighborhood parks and ponds. DS: We really love this idea that Arthur and Mordred’s battle is this ageless, epic struggle between good and evil. It’s been going on in some form or another for thousands of years, and will continue until the apocalypse. So the notion that there’s all these artifacts and characters from this enormous mythology in this modern town, largely unnoticed by everyone else—that’s exciting to us.

How has reading about Arthurian legend played a role in development?

DS: The great thing about Arthurian legend is that there are several classical texts, and they all contradict each other. Even the relationship between Arthur and Mordred shifts around quite a lot. So there’s so much within range that we can play with, and select whatever fits our world best. JV: We realized early on, that with other historical characters - say Henry VIII - there’s a very firm history of who they were, a definite character that you can research. But with these guys... you know, whether or not there was a genuine historical figure who was the genesis of these tales, when you really drill into it, it’s mystic. There’s nothing definite in this history to grab hold to - or be beholden to. The variation is part of the fun of the idea.

How do you guys usually divvy up your work?

DS: We write collaboratively; we get together and bash out words. I take the lead on the art side, things like character designs and boards. Joel more on things like sound and foley, and general managing of projects, and you know, talking to people. I’m far more happy when I’m kind of locked away and not having to talk with anyone. JV: He’s happy to not deal with actual humans.

Do you guys always pitch together, or David do you prefer to sit that out?

DS: We normally get together for that kind of thing. But Joel usually says about 20 words for my 1 word, which is fine with me. JV: We’re pretty evenly split today aren’t we David? DS: Yeah, not so bad.

What are your favorite cartoons?

JV: Battle of the Planets! DS: Yeah, we like the 80s cartoons: Ulysses 31 I really loved as a kid. It was absurdly bleak. A guy and his son drifting through deep space, encountering depressing, frightening worlds… the whole thing was a bit hopeless. Which 8 year old me really enjoyed. JV: There was a show called The Trap Door which was fantastic. Claymation show - I presume that it never aired in the states, which is a shame because it’s wonderful, truly wonderful. And Danger Mouse is a favorite, always great. DS: There’s a couple more grown up things, like Venture Bros. - JV: - Adventure Time! DS: Of course, yeah. JV: And there’s some proper adult animation being made at the moment which is lovely. We both love Archer. And Rick and Morty is obviously what it is, it’s incredible.

Any last thoughts to share with the Frederator audience?

JV: I’d just like to say how grateful we are to Frederator for helping us realize our vision for “Kid Arthur,” and exactly as we envisioned it. Working with a lot of studios can feel like you’re smashing through a brick wall with your face; and you come out of it with a product that isn’t really what you wanted to create in the first place. But “Kid Arthur” has been our baby, and we were paired with an incredible team of people to help us bring it to life. Just thinking about how much we learned from Larry (Huber, the director)... it’s incredible. It has been lovely working with Frederator. DS: Throughout the whole process, it’s been really nice. That’s so rare. JV: I wouldn’t even say rare, David! It’s unique. It’s absolutely unique. So we’re thankful.

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Thanks for the great chat, Joel and David! I’ll be staying abreast of your Rather Good content - especially since I think a lot of it has been swimming around my subconscious mind for years. Excited to see what you guys do next!

- Cooper

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smileygene · 6 years

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“Business Man” 407Ladd fic

This is a Fic I wrote with the lovely @corkcollector :D

She’s a great writer and artist so better check their stuff out!!!

Word count: 8900+ words

Warning(s): Angst, Smut (at the end), Mochi (Because she is a cute dog)

Character/s: John(Kryoz), Smii7y, Scotty(407), Craig(MiniLadd), Mochi

Based on this song :D

New day, new target...

An envelope sat on Scotty's doorstep, he picked it up and saw a note "No Witnesses" he sighs, opening the envelope and seeing the target with a small deposit in a check, and a date on when is the kill due before they cut off the pay. Bonus will be added if you make it look like suicide, Scotty smiled at the bonus noted at the bottom of the file. He was a creative killer, cops do not suspect anything at all on his kills, and he was as invisible as the wind, not leaving any tracks or witnesses. He grabbed his bags and tools... "Time to scan the area." he said, grabbing a cigarette and lighting it.

***

Craig hated this place

He spent 5 years on getting a good degree on IT. Even passing his grades with flying colors, but in this economy he ended up as a computer repair guy for this big ass company.

The job didn't even pay well. Well, more like the boss had something against him, he didn't know fucking why he just showed him how to fix his laptop once and suddenly his pay is cut. He grumbled as he fixes yet another broken monitor, he even had to give reports on why it broke in the first place and they always put the blame on him.

"You just turned the thing off you idiot... “Craig thought to himself as he magically fixed yet another monitor, he was done. He would actually murder someone if they accidentally turned off their monitor again. He politely excused himself as He went back to the tiny prison he calls his office. Walking as fast as he could to get away from the idiots in the office. Suddenly, he bumped into someone, looking up he saw a good looking man with brown hair.

"Whoa, you gucci fam? Slow down now..." He said, in a smooth raspy voice.

"Ri-Right... Sorry..." Craig said, his cheeks blushing red as he walked away.

"Alright, see you later hot stuff... “The man said making him blush even more.

Scotty admired the nice view of Craig's ass, he was on his itinerary on People who has access on the target. Apparently within Craig's office lies the codes to disable the cameras on certain areas of the office. While there is a security room with access to the cameras. Craig basically has control of everything around here...

Craig sighed and sunk into his office chair. He spent all these past couple nights doing what his boss had told him to, doing even the man's own work. Yet, he still had more sent to him by the time he got back to his office.

He suddenly had the urge break shit he was so mad.

But he refrained himself for the sake of his shitty job.

He typed away on his computer, yawing every so often. He took tech, coding, math, IT, and Evan business for this? No, he had better plans, but he got stuck with this.

Scotty sat down, blending in perfectly as he is, well not perfectly really, he had to flirt his way in and right now he counted 3 women and 6 men complementing his ass. The cubicle he sat in was reserved by his employer, he had the perfect view of Craig's office and the target's office...

Now all he needed was a plan.

He took a sip of his coffee, the only thing he can tolerate in this place. Hopefully eliminating the target would make changes around here. He isn’t going to blame poor Craig for looking so glum while working here. This place was a literal hell...

Another five notifications popped up on Craig's computer popped up, everyone wanted him to do their shit. He threw his coffee cup and it shattered against the wall, the walls were sound proofed so no one would be able to hear him fume. He groaned and rubbed his face as he muttered to himself, walking in circles, his face red from the overwhelming anger he felt.

Why… why do they have jobs in the first place?

He can name a few people that hadn't even gotten the education or experience with this shit.

"These fuckers are getting paid twice as much as I do and they can't even work their fucking monitors!" He groaned. Yet again, no one heard him, his walls were sound proof.

He looked down at the broken mug on the floor and sighed.

That was his favorite mug...

Knowing he made a mess in his office, he got up and went to attend to the poor five souls who needed his help. Opening the door to his office, he used his phone track down the ones who needed help, starting of course with the Boss, the bastard always needed his help, whether it's in his PC or the router connecting to the internet, he always finds a way to break something in his office, even his sanity!

Scotty leaned back as he observes the office, he was only given a whole month to complete this assignment. He was thinking of doing the whole bit in a week but seeing the opportunities to mess around, he might do it in two weeks or so, whatever comes first.

He tapped on Craig's phone so he could profile him, know some dirt on him and his schedule so that he could know the guy better. Seeing the man out of his office, he easily assessed him as someone who had his dreams flushed down the toilet because he landed on a bad job. His brows rose at the sight of his credentials…

“What a waste…” Scotty muttered, he gazed through the glass seeing the broken mug and the coffee sleeping into the carpet. He noted that.

Craig flinched when hearing his boss yell at him through the phone, fingers twitching in annoyance. He sighs, "Got it boss, seven reports." He hangs up, running a hand over his cheek. Craig decided to work on his other co-worker so they would stop bitching.

Guess you're not going home tonight, Craig. Well, whatever you consider home. You live in a shitty apartment with no electricity.

He buried those thoughts at worked on someone's RAM, computer, wiring and such.

Something inside Scotty twitched as he looked at Craig, he actually felt sorry for the guy. Seeing the poor man deal with bitching co-workers and a whiny boss (which is actually his target), this job could actually be beneficial, after killing Craig's boss, one nuisance would be removed from his life.

He saw Craig approaching him now, Scotty sat up straight and went in character as he started to pin the guy on anything he could use as an advantage.

"Alright, what's your problem?" Craig asked, his tone sounded bored and uninterested.

"Uh, yeah... I-I think this file here must be corrupted, I can't open it." Scotty replied, receiving an eye roll from Craig.

"Have you tried unplugging your hard drive and then plugging it again?" Craig asked, Scotty nodded.

Scotty can tell that Craig was having a migraine already, Craig told him to step aside as he went inside Scotty's cubicle, and he leaned in and started to find the problem.

Craig focused on the computer, fixing his glasses every so often.

"Alright here's your problem," Craig spoke eyes still glued to the screen, "your file is corrupted, but it isn't that bad. We can still get it back." He smiled, this was one of things that was less idiotic. Didn't help is migraines, but he could easily fix this.

After five minutes or so Craig pulled away, "There! Good as knew." Craig grinned at Scotty before wincing at his phone suddenly ringing, he sighed, "Call me over if anything gets corrupted again." He patted Scotty's shoulder and went to take the call.

Scotty looked at Craig's ass before going back to his work, so his assessment was right, Craig was smarter than your average Joe. Scotty's file was coded with a hard to crack virus that looked like a simple corrupted file. He's gonna have to ask Smitty later to get him a better virus to get access to the security system.

Or maybe something else would work...

Scotty looked over at Craig's office, thanking the heavens that glass walls are built in so that he could easily observe him, his boss, the target's office, on the other hand, was just across Craig's. A long hallway stretched through it before seeing the door. Scotty smiled, a plan formulating in his mind.

Craig cleaned up his mess in his office, cutting his finger in the process, he sighed. He’s gonna be listing a box of Band-Aids after getting a stainless mug. Never again will he buy ceramic mugs. A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.

He looked upwards to see that... New Employee? He didn't know and didn't really care, he sighed and stood up after dumping the glass into his trash bin. He stretched out his back and opened his office door.

"Yeah?"

He asked nonchalantly. Craig reminds himself to take Tylenol later for his migraine. His eyes were void of any sort of enjoyment, just glaring.

"I just wanted to say thanks for fixing the problem earlier, and I also saw that you broke you coffee mug so I got you this" Scotty said, using in the friendly act to get to him.

Craig blushed at the word of thanks, he saw the new employee holding a bag of food from Starbucks and a box of Band-Aids. Seeing the Band-Aids reminded him of his still bleeding finger now staining the glass door.

"Oh shit!" Craig exclaimed, wiping the blood off the door. Scotty watched as the man get all flustered and compose himself.

"Here." Scotty stepped in his office, putting the bag of food at his desk. Craig only stood still, embarrassed at being like this in front of a really good looking guy.

Craig was flushed red and used a tissue to clean up a bit of the blood, sticking a band aid to his stinging finger, "I-I'm not usually like this, you caught me off guard." He muttered. This was a first for Craig, he never really got the chance to eat meals at the correct time.

He chuckled nervously, "Thanks... I'm, Craig," he smiled awkwardly, "though you may already know me." Scotty smiled, completely having the technician under his control "Scotty, I just got hired a few weeks ago so you might not really see me that much. How long have you been working here, you look younger than I Am.” he asked. Craig bit his lip, no one in the office really took time to know him, and Scotty was the first one who engaged him in a conversation.

"I'm just 28 years old, I got hired a year ago after graduating... It's hell really..." Craig said. Scotty handed him a Cappuccino and a Muffin, his stomach grumbling at the sight of food.

"Thanks... You know, you're the first person to actually acknowledge me here..." Craig said, taking a bite from the Muffin, almost tearing up because of food.

Craig happily ate, the muffin melting on his tongue. It was so good he could cry, he hasn't eaten properly ever since he got hired into this hell hole. His boss could suck it, he's taking a break to eat because he was hungry.

The thought of being acknowledged but another employee, a new one at that, made him a little suspicious, but he wasn't really trustful of strangers anyways.

Scotty tried to make a good impression as possible, wanting to get on his good side. Seeing Craig eat the muffin now means that the first contact was a success, he now had a good view of his tiny office and a peek at the codes on his PC. They chattered a bit more, Scotty disarming Craig for any useful info, So far he had none, Craig really was a smart cookie.

As Scotty made his leave, Craig thanked him one last time before returning to his cubicle. Scotty wrote in the first few things he observed. Making sure to add the details on Craig. He thanked his employer now for giving him a month to execute his plan.

The day passed and it's now 10 pm in the office, everybody went home and the only ones left are Craig, Scotty, and the Boss who is now approaching Craig.

"I'll be needing those reports in tomorrow Thompson, better wrap this shit up chop chop!" He exclaimed, Craig's boss was a fat guy with a balding problem. He wasn't even listening to him, he just looked at the poor buttons of his shirt, doing their best to hide a nightmare underneath those clothes.

"But sir— it's seven reports you want me to do," Craig fiddled with his wrist, "I don't think I can finish them all by tomorrow." Craig tried his best not to sock that fucker, he was getting tired of this.

"Then you're staying overnight to get it done!" The fat man snarled.

Craig shot his boss a glare and stood up, "Listen you fat ass I've been your work for the past year! It's almost been two years— two!" Craig didn't even acknowledge Scotty as he cussed out his boss.

It ended in a loud smack and a crunch.

Craig broke his boss' nose.

"Shit."

"Mr. Thompson? Am I clear?" Craig snapped out of his thoughts, breathing a sigh of relief knowing that what happened was just an illusion. He just nodded, continuing to type away as his Boss left.

Scotty just stared at the whole ordeal, wishing for something to happen because Craig looks like he's about to lose it in a moment. As the fat man left, Scotty stood up and collected his stuff. He contemplated on visiting Craig but he seems too immersed in his work to even notice him.

Craig sighed, "Bye, Scott." He muttered as he continued to type away on his computer. He wouldn't be getting a wink tonight, he already prepared the shitty espresso machine.

Bad coffee and several reports. This is going to be fun. He thought sarcastically with a scowl. Be really just wanted to break his boss' fingers, but he didn't want to stick in jail for "assault". Picking on big CORPS like him usually didn't end well.

5 am

Scotty was the first person to walk in the office, he wanted to do an initial background check on the area but it was disturbed when he bumped into Craig. Scotty almost screamed in terror by his looks.

"My god, did you really stay here and finished all that?" Scotty asked.

Craig stared at him, his eyes burning with anger "Yes" he said firmly

"I know I look like a fucking mess, don't need to be so dramatic." Craig mumbled grabbing another cup of coffee. He yawns as he makes the coffee, he has another day full work anyways, so there instead any use going home. He'll check people's computers to see if any of them have problems.

It's funny for such a big company yet they buy shit monitors.

Craig passed the reports to Scotty "Give this to the fat man, I'm going home" Craig said and left. Scotty was left to his devices and took this opportunity to inspect the specs of the office.

Craig walked all the way home when he realized that he has no money for a ride home, he took a sip from the coffee he stole from the office. As he relishes the warmth of caffeine on his throat a hand grabs him and drags him in the alley

"Give me your money" Said a man, pressing a knife on his back. Craig rolled his eyes. Coffee in hand he threw the remaining caffeine on the man's face, his attacker stepping back to wipe the hot liquid off his eyes. Craig then punched the man's lights out and the man fell down in one swoop.

"Fuck off" Craig says, walking away...

He arrives at his apartment, grinning as he stepped into his bedroom. At least his bed is was so comfortable, he would be out for hours he knew that for sure. Two all-nighters really take a toll on someone.

He falls limp onto his bed, not even bothering to change. He's knocked out instantly.

Two licks is all it takes to put him back to the world of the living. Craig's Samoyed pup sat neatly on his chest, barking at his return.

"Did you thank Mrs. Ferguson for feeding you?" Craig asked, patting the dog, in which he got a bark as a reply. "Sorry I can't play with you today Mochi, I need to rest, come rest with me..." Craig muttered, the dog seemed to understand him because the little pup found a nice place just beside his head and took a nap. The dog's soft breaths lulled Craig back to sleep.

Craig smiled, lying next to Mochi happily as he slept.

Scotty had almost finished surveying the office, writing reports on each of the things he finds interesting or informational. He kicked back in his seat and yawned.

His phone ringing woke him from his sleep, he looked and saw his boss' number on the caller ID (named "Fat Bastard") he tapped in and answered. A scream from across the line almost deafened him. Apparently Craig didn't sort out the reports correctly and now his boss is confused. He sighed, muttering that he will be there in a few minutes. He looked at the dog, the pup was wagging her tail at her now fully awaken Master.

"Fuck it... I'm taking you to work" he said, standing straight up and went straight to the dark shower. "I gotta pay the bill soon..." he muttered to himself.

***

Scotty was bored, flirty co-workers we seriously boring him, he fucked one of them in the Executive bathroom earlier in which he regretted doing because now the bitch seems to be attached to him now. He has laid out an initial plan in his first sweep in the office. He also realized that there aren't any cameras on the Boss' room, not even bugs. He'll planned on just grabbing the essentials when he got home and going for the kill the next day and just grab the payment and go to Hawaii.

Craig walked in the office, looking more human than what he looked like earlier. Mochi sat happily on his carrier, seeing the new environment around her made her wag her tail like crazy!

"It's nothing to get too excited about," Craig giggled kissing Mochi's nose, "Hope you don't mind me brining you to meet my crap boss." He muttered patting her head gently.

He walked towards his boss’s office, keeping Mochi safe in his arms. Craig sighed when stopping at the door, shoulders deflating. He was already getting a migraine and he hasn't even spoke to his boss yet.

"Craig explain yourself!" He boss screamed, anger in his eyes.

Craig sighed, "You have me two days to sort out several reports, sir." He said with a glare, "I usually get at least a one good night of sleep, but you've kind of ruined that for me."

"That doesn't excuse you from doing a sloppy job, seems to me that degree of yours is as useless as a toilet paper I wipe my ass with" his boss said, smirking at him. "I pay you too much to be doing such an awful job.”

Mochi whimpered on Craig's arms, hiding from the Boss' glare, Craig only managed to roll his eyes. "Sir, with all due respect. My student loans costs greater than my salary here. Now if you'll be giving any work load not related to the degree I took in college then I will be seeing you later." He turned his back on his awful Employer and went straight to his office, carefully putting his dog on the ground, she took in her new surroundings, emitting a happy bark at her master.

Scotty saw the new activity on Craig's office, a fluffy white pup ran around while Craig was working on a new work load. Scotty was on his phone talking to a friend as he would prefer to.

"Scotty? You still there?" Smitty asked on the other line.

"Yeah, so anything on this Craig guy?" Scotty asked

"He's a good friend of mine in college, smart ass dude and graduated with flying colors. Shame to see him ending in the dump of a job" Smitty sighs "I can help you talk him into getting a bug on the cameras so you could go and execute the plan, but you know how my services cost." he said

"I'll treat you and your boyfriend to a one week all expense trip to Japan. Sound good?" Scotty said

The line was silent for a few moments then Smitty answered "Fine... I'll drop by tomorrow, or maybe next week, I’ll text you…" he said then hung up.

Mochi jumped into Craig's lap, laying her head down his thighs and she yawned. Craig chuckled and ruffled his fluff, "Me too Mochi, me too." He was in a better mood when Mochi was here, he thinks he should bring her to work more often. His boss wouldn't give a shit, so it'll be good for him and for his stress.

He typed away on his monitor. What his boss said about his degree being as useless as the toilet paper he wiped his ass on infuriated him. He worked hard to get that degree, he put in the effort.

Craig ran a hand through his locks, he's been staring at the screen for so long it's fucking with his vision now. Craig's going to take a well-deserved break after he finishes his work.

Scotty was outside, just by the back off the building, he puffed out a smoke as he checked around the area for any escape route. Calculating any jump or curve, nook and cranny. The whole building itself was pretty easy to escape to, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"Okay, Mochi heel! Geez, I'm gonna have to cut the treats if you keep that up... Hey! that's mine get back here!"

A white puppy stopped and sat in front of Scotty, it's tail wagging happily at him, in its mouth was a half-eaten bagel. Craig ran in after picking up the dog and looked at it angrily. "That. Was. My. Last. Bagel!" he exclaimed not noticing Scotty's presence

Mochi licked Craig's nose acting like she didn't do anything wrong, it worked on Craig as he pouted, "I can't ever stay mad at you. Damn your puppy charms." He muttered pressing a kiss on her forehead.

Mochi barked at Scotty again and Craig faced him, "Oh, hey Scotty. Taking a break?" He asked, eyeing the cigarette and gazing firmly into his eyes. Craig was a tad embarrassed by getting caught being so soft, he usually held a strong figure, but he's done that for most his life.

Scotty, a little caught off guard, hummed lowly, "Uh, yeah," he cleared his throat and took a puff, "I don't get how you're still sane working here, 'specially dealing with that douchebag boss of yours."

"It pays the rent, a few more years or so and I might even pay the bills..." Craig said, looking at the discarded bagel Mochi dropped when she licked his nose. "Sarcasm helps keep me sane for one..."

Scotty laughed, "I can see that..." he took in another drag of his cigarette, puffing the smoke out as he crushes the butt of it with his heel "Wanna go to a bar or something?" he asked.

Craig's eyebrows rose "I'm still working on six reports..." he muttered.

"Come on, I know a place who allows dogs inside, it's my treat..." Scotty said walking off. Craig thought of going back to his office to work, but his stomach said otherwise. Beer isn't really food but it's a nice substitute...

"Scotty wait!" Craig exclaimed, running to him with the Mochi in his arms.

Scotty grinned at Craig, laughing as he ran, "Come on! I know a place where you can bring your pets!" The hitman knew he was getting off track, but Craig made him feel things he hadn't felt before. He was kind of a fuck once and no feeling attached kind of guy, but Craig was giving him problems. He wasn't sure if he hated or loved this change, but that doesn't matter. Scotty can have fun for tonight, a little delay in his plans wouldn't be a bother.

"John! My man! Get us two beers here!" Scotty announced as he walked inside the bar. Luckily the retro style bar was only a few blocks away from the office building so Craig was relieved. Mochi barked happily in his arms as he took in the scene.

Vinyl records decorated the place, while a jukebox sat in a corner playing indie songs. Craig loved it...

"Careful now, Hitler's a moody today" a man, John by the looks of it, said. He was a blonde, a little chubby on the side. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt decorated with hula girls.

"Hitler?" Craig asked.

"It's his cat..." Scotty said. A low growl was heard from a distance. Mochi leaped from Craig's arms and rushed to the jukebox, tackling a black and white cat. Mochi barked happily, the cat only looked annoyed.

"Mochi!" Craig exclaimed hopping out off the stool as he rushed to grab the white puff. He picked her up gently, but with a enough force to carry her away from the cat, "I don't like scolding you but," Craig inhaled, "bad girl." He muttered with a slight enforced glare. But he kissed her forehead anyways, "C'mon let's sit and order something."

He plopped right next to Scotty and sipped his beer. Craig himself knew wasn't a lightweight, but he didn't drink much either way.

"Bad for the resume" they say.

"You have an enegetic pup there pal. Hitler here just can't stand energetic pets, but I think he likes your pup." John said, taking a hit from his vape and puffing out a smoke that smells like cotton candy.

Craig smiled, patting Mochi's head, the dog barked happily as she sat in the bar, leaning over to Craig's touch. Scotty found himself smiling at him. He looked entirely different from outside of the office. Killing his Boss would be a favor.

"How's the boyfriend?" Scotty asked John.

"Still sending memes... but he's taking me to Japan next week. I wonder why." John says, glaring at him. Scotty only managed to bite his lips. Making Craig blush at his looks. Craig took a sip from his beer again, his eyes wandering over the place.

"So, Craig right? What do you do?" John asked him.

"Oh, I'm in charge of the IT department at BBS industries..." he replied, a sudden wave of nausea hits him when he says the name of his workplace

Craig sighs, "Which fucking sucks by the way." He mutters taking another sip of his beer. He never took notice of how much he really hated his job till now. Craig honestly wouldn't mind being a stock boy, hell, that job probably pays more.

Mochi licks his hand, tail wagging slowly.

All he wanted was to work somewhere he was at least a little respected and not wasting his three and a half years’ worth of college. Craig was just pissed at the world as of right now, but he'll eventually find a job that pays enough. Or he'll be able to pummel his boss at least once in his lifetime.

"I've only been there a few weeks so I'm a witness to it." Scotty said, sympathizing with Craig.

"Hey, the Bar is always open for y'all. Drain your sorrows here, and bring your pets too!" John said, giving them another round of beer. Craig smiled, still feeling the dread of going back to the hell that is his work place.

"I'm just gonna go take a leak." Scotty said, going to the restroom.

Inside, Scotty took out his phone to find a message.

Got the virus, just gonna need Craig to install it... Meet me at the office tomorrow at 5 -S7

Scotty took a deep breath, finally seeing his plan come in place. His thoughts wander onto Craig, a warm feeling settling in his chest.

He didn't like it

The next day Craig followed his usual routine with a harsh migraine pulsating his head. He was already preparing himself for his douchebag of a boss, but at least Scotty was going to make it more bearable.

His cheeks heated up at the thought of the lean, but otherwise muscular man.

Craig won't deny when a man looks good.

Oh, fuck it. You're in love pussy.

He thought to himself as he slipped on his suit, not really caring about his tie. Craig sighed, his thoughts landing on Scotty again.

Fuckfuckfuck.

He had it bad.

Mrs. Ferguson, his neighbor, happily gave Mochi another treat as she sat on her chair knitting.

"Take care of yourself now Craig" the old lady said "and pay your Bills, you and your Dog here might freeze when winter comes."

"Don't worry Mrs. F, I'm gonna be paying them soon enough." Craig said, petting Mochi and saying the old woman goodbye.

Taking a painkiller before entering the office building, he accidentally bumped into someone, almost dropping the pill. He glared onto the person until he finds himself facing a familiar face.

"Smitty?"

"Craig! What's up dude?" Smitty said, giving Craig a side hug.

"I'm fine, just fine... What are you doing here?" He asked.

The white haired man smiled, "I got a call here saying they need to upgrade some features in the security system, I think someone's managing it now but you better get there to check. I gotta go, I've got a plane to catch later. Talk to you soon!"

Craig was about to utter a reply but Smitty was already at the door. Something suspicious was happening at it made Craig uneasy.

He's a bit hesitant, forgetting about the pill and putting it back in its bottle. Craig was more worried about the security system than his migraine right now.

Craig rushed to his office, it was kind of the central of everything. Something must be wrong if Smitty was here, the dude was like an expert in this shit, but he guessed he had somewhere to be.

Oh, that's right. He said he was going to Japan with his boyfriend.

Craig hummed and sees Scotty standing over his desk with a... He wasn't sure what expression the man was wearing.

"H-hey Scotty," his voice had cracked and he cleared his throat, "I heard about the security system. Smitty run a diagnostic yet?" Craig asked standing next to the lean man.

"Yeah, he um, just got fixed a few bugs here because of some glitches in the system. Nothing to be worried about, we just need to install this" Scotty took a CD and gave it to Craig.

Craig sighed, "Oh, phew, I thought it was serious..." he took the CD in Scotty's hand, looking at it well "This is a pretty high class software..." he said, inserting the CD into the PC and letting it run.

"Only the best says the boss..." Scotty said "I'd better get back now, I'm pretty sure you can handle this..."

Craig waved him goodbye as he went back to finishing the reports and waiting for the new system to install.

"Now, we wait..." Scotty thought as he got back to his desk

The uneasy feeling didn't fade, neither did his migraine. He should take his pain medication now— first thing when he finds a better job he's getting the proper medication for these migraines. He downs a couple of pain killers with the disgusting office coffee and gets to work. It's the usual, but less people had asked for his help which he welcomed with open arms.

“I actually might be able to head home early tonight.” Just as he thought that five more reports were sent over from his boss. "Why do I even get my hopes up anymore?" He said flatly.

The hours passed but it felt like years, Scotty was getting impatient, fortunately, the people in the office were decreasing in numbers, hearing the folks say their goodbyes. He looked at his arsenal, a rope, knife, and a gun for emergencies. He was going for the suicidal kill. Hopefully the rope would hold on the Boss' fat ass.

"Just a few more..." Scotty muttered, seeing only five people including Craig inside the office. The four people are now starting to pack and leave, seeing them all head for the Elevators, Scotty went in, Knowing Craig will be too busy to even notice him.

"He'll call the cops...Perfect" Scotty thought, a sudden feeling of dread hitting him, but he didn’t mind it, he had a job to do.

Using the virus Smitty installed in, he got the cameras to play a loop that he recorded to display a video of a few people leaving the office.

"Three minutes..." That's all he needed. He walked the long hallway, reaching the Boss' office. He opened the doors to see the fat man sitting down and watching some erotic movie and reaching down to pleasure himself. It made Scotty look away for a minute. Slipping in quietly inside, he got the rope.

"Killing you will be a pleasure" he thought, before going in for the kill...

Scotty snuck up behind the boss who was wearing headphones and jacking himself off in his chair. His face contorted with disgust and he untangled to rope.

3...

Scotty began to tie it in the shape of a noose.

2...

He gets in a pouncing stance, a serious expression on his face.

1...!

He lunges, the rope tight around the fat ass' neck. It tightened more the man struggled, Scotty just snarled.

"Hey, Carl..." a co-worker called.

"Craig... its Craig..." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose...

"Whatever, the boss wants you to hand these to him." she said, her voice annoying Craig even more. "Why don't you hand them?" he asked

"Cause he asked for you Dumbass" she said, dropping the files and leaving him. Craig sighed, grabbing the files and the finished reports into his Boss' office.

Craig trudged down the hall, papers in his arms. For some reason the uneasy feeling grows, a cold nervous feeling building in his gut. He wasn't sure what for, but his hands began to tremble and he felt a little sick.

He hesitated twisting the door knob, fingers twitching. Craig bites down in his bottom lip and swallowed the sudden lump in throat.

He slowly opens the door.

What he saw made him drop the papers onto the floor.

He saw his Boss hanging like an ornament from the ceiling, with Scotty tightening the rope on his neck. He jumped down on the table making sure that he doesn't leave prints

Scotty was breathless swear picked up from the long white sleeved shirt he wore. He drew his gun, a bit disappointed that he didn't get to use it. He looked at the man.

"It was difficult hauling your fat ass... but luckily you're in hell now..." Scotty said, putting his gun back on his holster.

"Scotty?"

Craig just awkwardly stood there, not sure how to react. His brain just trying to process the situation. He didn't technically feel bad for his boss, but he's trying to wrap his head around the whole Scotty just killed one situation.

Craig's mind landed on one thing.

He was going to die, well, he knew this because no murderer in their right mind would leave a witness.

Ah, but Mochi.

Mrs. Ferguson could take care of her.

I hope Mochi doesn't feel as if I abandoned her.

His fingers twitched, his body kind of numb. Paralysis from fear he guessed.

"Fuck."

"I know you're a smart guy Craig, it will be a shame to kill you... not unless you walk away right now..." Scotty glared at him. Craig registered his words, picking up the papers and running as fast as he could.

Scotty knew that a panicked witness will be a problem, Craig was smart but he couldn't risk it. He ran after him, after cleaning up.

Craig was just at the back of the building. His hands shaking as he stared at his phone, his migraine got even worse, the pain was too much that he can't even see the numbers right. His breaths got quicker and his chest is getting tighter than the minute.

"You're having a Panic Attack..." Scotty's voice made him jump and fall, luckily Scotty just got him in time before he hit his head on something. "Calm down..."

"G-g-g-et away from me!" Craig uttered, pushing Scotty away, but the man was insistent and just held him enough that he wouldn't escape his grasp.

"I'm gonna need you to calm down Craig or else I'm gonna kill you..." Scotty smirked, this was a pleasant feeling for him to be holding Craig like this. If only he would stop struggling...

Craig took in sharp breaths, struggling to breathe. Everything was too fast, his head is beating in sync with his fast paced heartbeat. His vision was fucked, all he could see was red as he clawed at Scotty's back.

He was going to die. Mochi was going to be lonely.

"F-f-fuck— fuck, f-fuck—!" He muttered over and over.

He couldn't focus on anything besides Scotty and it unbelievable that this man who killed his asshole boss made him feel calmer.

Scotty managed to calm him down, the scratches Craig did on him was stinging yet oddly satisfying. He looked at Craig only to see him leaning at his shoulder, softly breathing.

"You calm now sweetie?" Scotty asked, Craig nodded and blushed at the name Scotty called him.

"Alright, let's go talk somewhere private..." Scotty whispered. Craig swallowed a lump on his throat as he meekly followed the assassin on his tail.

Craig felt scared, but overall calm. He kept his head down only looking up at Scotty when the hitman wasn't looking. Craig doubted he could run from a trained hitman, so he didn't push it.

Plus he still fell for the man.

Being in love with the killer. What a strange thing.

Craig might die tonight, but he didn't find himself caring. Of course he'll miss his little Mochi, well she deserved more than him anyways, so this might have one good thing coming out of it.

The walk was pretty short and he felt familiar with the surroundings. Suddenly Craig found himself staring at his front door. Mrs. Ferguson stood across with Mochi in his arms.

"Back a bit early today Craig!" the old woman greeted "And you bought in a handsome fellow with you! Is he your boyfriend?"

"That's a nice thought ma'am, but I'm just here to walk him home, work just gets to him y'know? Oh, I'll be getting that little thing now." Scotty said, as he took Mochi. Craig tensed, fear creeping on his back, will he kill Mrs. Ferguson too? Thoughts are racing as he frantically reached for his keys.

"You alright Craig? You seem tense?" Mrs. Ferguson asked, looking at him with concern. Craig can feel Scotty's glare "I-I'm fine Mrs. F! Ju-u-st tired that's all, me and my friend will be uh, resting for the night!"

"Alright dearie, just don't wake the neighbors now..."

Craig blushed at the last words the old lady said, Scotty smirked "Oooh, something you're not telling me Craig?" he asked

Craig's face turned bright red and finally managed to open the door with his shaking hands. Mochi barked happily patting his shin with her paws as they stepped inside. He was fucking terrified and his migraine was coming back, he's forgotten he'd had one since the burst of panic from earlier.

I'm a sick bastard, I'm in love with a hitman.

He stood awkwardly in his apartment, closing the door behind him and Scotty.

He kept his apartment clean, but used candles and battery fueled lamps— no cords and such since he had gotten to pay his electricity bill which he doubt he'll ever do now.

"Already setting up a romantic vibe here huh?" Scotty said, whistling at the sight.

"I-I don't have electricity..." Craig muttered, taking a seat on his sofa, Mochi jumped on his lap, licking his cheek. He smiled, but another jolt from his migraine made him wince.

"Hmm, we'll have to get warm somehow since it's starting to get cold..." Scotty said, poking around Craig's apartment.

"What do you want? Why did you take me here?" Craig asked bluntly…

Scotty's brows furrowed, "Hmm, not sure," he hummed and stared up thoughtfully, "if you were a normal witness, which mind you I rarely ever have a witness, you'd probably be dead by now." Scotty sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt locks.

"You make me feel... I guess— fuzzy? I usually fuck with no feelings attach, but you… I want."

Scotty was now leaning over Craig with a glare, "I don't know if it's just some sort of pity or that you genuinely make me want you. You're not boring like everything else."

Scotty grabbed a fist full of Craig's hair and pulled him forward, "It pisses me off."

Craig swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling... Aroused?

What did he want?

Why is he feeling this way?

What the hell is going on!?

"The hell does that even mean!?" Craig said, the dog started to whimper in his lap, feeling the fear within him.

"I don't know... but if you and your dog want to live you better stay put and don't get any funny ideas." Scotty said, kneeling down in front of Craig, he gently grabbed Mochi off his lap and sent the dog running to Craig's room without looking away from him. Craig only managed to watch in awe of what is happening...

Craig's body trembled slightly and his mind raced. He wasn't in the right mindset, questions flowing through his head.

Did he want this?

Didn't this guy kill someone?

So many questions, too many worries. His emotions, logic, and body were fighting with one another.

Craig jumps when two hands squeeze his shaking thighs and his eyes flicked quickly to meet Scotty's.

"Stay still, I have two guns on me right me right now, you don't want me shooting the other one... Well unless you don't want this…" Scotty said, his steely gaze turning soft. Craig only managed to surrender to his touch, leaning back on the sofa. Scotty took this as a signal to continue. "I'll take care of you... don't worry…" Scotty said. Running his hands over Craig's legs and started roaming to his body. He pulled at Craig's tie, and leaned in for a kiss.

Craig's thoughts and worries flew away as Scotty's lips pressed to his. He lifted his arms and encircled them over Scotty's neck, his hands running through his locks.

"Fuck, this is real..." Scotty thought, leaning over to rest Craig by the sofa's armrest. He felt his dick getting hard by the little moans Craig is emitting.

Craig's face was hot and red, holding back his small whimpers and moans was harder than it seemed. Scotty growled, "Open that sweet mouth of yours." He murmured between the kisses, pressing his lips harder against Craig's as his hands gripped tightly at the man's sensitive sides making him gasp.

Scotty pushed Craig against the couch more, the other's thighs wrapped around his waist. He takes advantage of said gasp and forces his tongue between Craig's lips.

This was such an unfamiliar feeling to Craig, never once had he made out with another person. He's kissed yes, but never got any farther than that. Heat began to pool in his gut, gasping and whining in the kiss.

Scotty started to mingle with Craig's clothes, removing his tie and throwing it somewhere across the room. Afterwards he began to unbutton his shirt, kissing the newly exposed flesh, the rest still covered by an undershirt. "You wear too much…" Scotty muttered as he bit onto the skin on Craig's neck, making the man moan. "Not too loud now... Remember what the old lady said.

Scotty took a moment and look at what he has done. Craig was sprawled on the couch, his lips swollen by the kiss, his clothes in shambles on his body, and he was a panting, sweating mess.

Scotty liked the view... but he wanted more...

"Pants. Off. Now." Scotty said.

With shaky hands Craig reached for the zipper of his trousers as tears started to fall in his eyes.

"I fucking hate myself, why am I like this? Why couldn't he just kill me!?"

Scotty didn't mind the tears, ran a hand through Craig's locks and tugged them for the man to look at him, "Don't cry now," he muttered, "you're in good hands." He kissed those tears away. He grabbed Craig's hand and helped him undo the zipper, keeping a fist full of his hair and staring into his eyes as he pulled down the man's pants.

Craig whimpers, his scalp stinging from the tight hold on his hair. He almost sobbed when Scotty's lips met his again, but he held back these tears as Scotty pressed his hand against the front of his boxers. His face growing red again.

Scotty liked the reactions he was getting, and he like it even more as he got ahold of his dick. He began stroking it slowly, the sensations making Craig squirm underneath him.

Craig needed to hold something, someone...

He embraced Scotty as the man started to pleasure him, nails digging on his back. Scotty liked the feeling, it was better than anyone he took to bed, couch, table... whatever!

"You're so good baby boy, I got you, don't worry" Scotty whispered, he himself beginning to get hard as he is.

"H-hhh– ngh–!" Craig gasped, biting his lip to keep himself quiet. He kept what his neighbor said in mind. His eyes watered, his legs trembling as more heat pooled into his office.

The nickname made him blush hard causing him to buck his hips upwards letting one moan slip by.

He felt overwhelmed, his body overheated as he let out whimpers and small moans into Scotty's shoulder keeping his grip tight on the man.

One of Scotty's hands made its way to Craig's backside and slips into his boxers.

"Mmhm, I like this..." Scotty whispered, he began to rub Craig even harder, faster. With each stroke comes an occasional thrust on Craig's hips. "Just a few more, just get those worries out of you, I'll take real good care of you baby boy." Scotty said.

"Fuck" Craig muttered, feeling almost light headed as he almost reached his limits.

One last stroke sent Craig over the edge...

Craig's eyes widened, his mouth open as he silently released. His body shook as he digs his nails into Scotty's shoulder with his back arched. His eyes watered as he panted, face red and body hot and sweaty.

He whimpers into Scotty's shoulders breathing heavily, body trembling from his high.

"Good boy" Scotty whispered "Always so good to me…"

Scotty took a second, standing up to remove his and Craig's clothes "You still up for another round baby boy?" Scotty asked. Craig blushed, but managed to nod. Scotty smiled, licking his hand and rubbing his now erect cock, he then lifted Craig's leg.

"Scotty… I-I don't think that would - Ah!"

Craig gasped in pain, whimpers leaving his throat the deeper Scotty went. His toes curled and nails dug into Scotty's back. The feeling of Scotty inside him was uncomfortable and itchy, his body hot as he clenched his eyes shut to get used to the sudden length inside.

He breathed through his nose, body trembling as the itch didn't go away because of how still the hitman was.

"Sc-Scotty it itch-itches," he managed choke out, "pl-please..."

Craig grew embarrassed when hearing his strained voice.

"I'm sorry love, didn't have lube on me I'm afraid, but just hold on now, it'll get better" Scotty's voice was a bit strained too, a mix of pain and pleasure coursing through him as he went in raw. He managed to pull out smoothly spitting on his dick to gain more friction and avoid hurting Craig even more. Scotty managed to thrust in with a little more friction, now picking up pace. He can see Craig getting hard again, he grabbed his pulsating dick, still throbbing from the earlier release, and started to rub him off again. Craig bit his lip, embarrassed about the pleasure he felt from this.

"Scotty... Ah!"

"That's it baby boy, keep saying my name..."

Craig's gut tickled with pleasure, his voice hard to keep down as he began to follow Scotty's thrusts. He swallowed thickly, sputtering out swears and Scotty's name as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

He sniffled his head falling back, the itching feeling fading away as it started to hurt less. Craig didn't know how to feel, everything felt too hot or too good.

Craig's thighs jostled with Scotty's rough thrusting, a sudden jolt of nerves making him let out a sweet moan of surprise.

The moan sent Scotty over the edge, his seed spilling inside Craig.

Craig also came, his seed spreading across his body. Slow deep breaths filled the room, Mochi barked from the side, the dog finding Craig's tie and now playing with it.

"Mochi... no... not my tie..." Craig uttered, lightheaded from the orgasms he felt. He was drained, his body unable to move, he liked the feeling.

"Hold on now, lemme clean you up before you pass out there.." Scotty said, walking over to the bathroom.

With the moon as his light, Craig saw himself, sticky seed covered his chest and abdomen, the feeling he felt was wrong but he didn't care. He loved the hitman, and if a bullet to the head comes after this, he will welcome it with open arms.

Craig breathed softly, eyelids going slack as he began to drift off. If he was going to die he hoped Mochi would have a better owner and the life she deserved. He loved Mochi and Mochi loved him, but he wanted her to have a good life if anything. Too exhausted to care he allowed Scotty to wipe him down, body shuddering as he looked at Scotty.

"If you're going to kill me," he started, "get Mochi a good home please..." Craig mutters in all seriousness, his heart clenching.

He loved Scotty, but leaving a witness was no good for hitman's rank he guessed.

"Who says anything about killing?" Scotty says, pressing a kiss on Craig's forehead.

"Wait... what-"

"Look, when I leave a witness, I kill them on the spot. You, eh, my heart got a bit too soft for you. Besides, I think my employer has a better use for you than your old Boss." Scotty says, lifting Craig bridal style as he walks to his bedroom

Craig's mind was fully awake now, questions boggling his mind "What are you going to do to me?" he asked

"Well, after cleaning up the mess in the office, I'm thinking... you resign and leave that shithole, get my employer to hire you, and then maybe get dinner over at Hawaii." Scotty replied, tucking in Craig before he slides in beside him, his head resting on Craig's chest.

Craig blushed and timidly wrapped his arms around Scotty. He buried his face in his hair, somewhat relieved to be bake to stay with Scotty and Mochi.

"Okay... But we have to take Mochi with us." He muttered into Scott's locks with a smile.

He couldn't believe he fell in love with a hitman.

Scotty smiled "Of course, we'd be taking her, can't leave this little angel now can't we?"

A great weight has been lifted off of Craig's chest, the feeling of living another day filled him with great joy, soon enough a wave of drowsiness started to wash over him, but he fought it just to make this moment last longer.

"Go to sleep now you idiot..." Scotty murmured, wrapping his arms around Craig. Mochi jumped in and took her usual spot just beside Craig's head.

Craig sighed, for the first time in his life, he didn't have to bother getting up early to work ever again...

He definitely wouldn't believe he'd actually be married and working with this crazed man in the future.

Hawaii was nice, it was exactly what he read in the books. Mochi sat on his lap, the dog grew bigger thorugh a few years, but she was still his little lap dog.

“Some juice love?” Scotty asked, passing a glass to him, the ring he wore shines brightly in his finger.

Craig wore the same ring on his hand, he smiled as he thought of the small ceremony, some friends came, a few sketchy people (He didn’t want to question it anymore), and of course. Mochi!

“Thanks love” Craig said kissing Scotty in the process.

Scotty only sat, draping his arm on his husband. Thanking the stars that he decided not to kill this one.

(end <3)

#mini ladd #angst #smut #407 #fourzer0seven #smii7y x kryoz #mini x scotty #fic #Smiley Writes

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birdiethebibliophile · 7 years

Text

{fic} Sight Unseen

Rating: G (no warnings) Relationship: Lucien/Cassian Word Count: 1,828

Tagging @squaddreamcourt. The promised Lussian fluff.

Also tagging @filippaeilharts and @hazelestelle because y’all encouraged me with my Lussian WIPs, like, MONTHS ago and here is one FINALLY.

Here on AO3.

Summary:

Based on @yalenayardeen‘s Cutthroat Fanfiction: ACOTAR Edition Generator! (Yes, I’m still using it.) Prompt was:

CHARACTERS: cassian and lucien; TROPE: blind date; TWIST: you must drink 3 alcoholic beverages (or 3 cups of highly caffeinated coffee/tea if you don't drink alcohol) just before writing the fic

(note: I did not follow the twist very exactly, but alcohol, caffeine, and late nights were involved)

__________________

Lucien was nervous.

He hadn’t been on a date in years. Years. He thought maybe the last time he went on a date was that twenty-seven-year-old hipster with the goatee and the beanie. His name was – God, Lucien couldn’t even remember what his name was, but he’d been a terrible kisser.

It didn’t give him high hopes for the date tonight.

His friend Feyre had been the one to set him up. Apparently now that she was getting laid on a regular basis, she thought that was the cure to all ills. You’ll like him, I promise, she’d wheedled when setting up the date. He’s totally your type.

Gay? Lucien had replied sarcastically.

Feyre had pouted. Lucien. You’re being difficult.

Can you at least tell me what his name is? What he looks like? So I don’t have to twerk on every guy under thirty in Rita’s to figure out who my date is?

All Feyre had told him was that the man’s name was Cassian, and he was an acquaintance of Rhys’s.

Lucien was not getting his hopes up. Especially as this Cassian was now – he checked his watch – almost ten minutes late.

He was sitting at the bar, next to Elain and her SO, Amren. Elain had happily volunteered to accompany him just in case, as he had said. Though from the way the two were making out now, Lucien didn’t think they’d be much help if this Cassian turned out to be a creep.

“Lucien Kelly?”

Lucien turned on the stool, and then – looked up. And up. He blinked several times. In front of him was an exceedingly tall, exceedingly buff, exceedingly handsome man. He was the kind of fit that you didn’t get from working out – the kind of fit you got from a job where you were lifting heavy things every five minutes. He must’ve just come from that job, whatever it was, because he looked a bit disheveled: flannel shirt partly unbuttoned, hair escaping from a messy bun, crooked smile surrounded by a five o’clock shadow.

Realizing the man was still waiting for an answer, Lucien cleared his throat. “That’s me.”

The man’s smile broadened, making his eyes crinkle. “I’m Cassian,” he said. “Your date.”

“Oh. Well. Nice to meet you,” Lucien said weakly as Cassian slid onto the barstool next to him.

“Buy you a drink?” Cassian offered.

“You don’t have to –”

Cassian cut him off with an airy wave of his hand. “Nah, I owe you for being late. Sorry about that.”

“Sure,” Lucien said, hard feelings draining away.

“It’s my boss’s fault,” Cassian confided as he motioned the bartender over. “Excuse me – a Guinness and whatever my friend wants.”

“Tullamore Dew, neat,” Lucien told the bartender.

Cassian grinned. “You have good taste. Anyways, I work at a farm about an hour away, and I told Mor that I needed to get off early because I had a date, but she said, and I quote, ‘Time and tide wait for no man, Cassian, and neither do cows, so get your ass in that barn.’”

Lucien laughed. “You really milk cows for a living?”

Cassian rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. “And lift hay bales and groom horses and shit. I hope I don’t smell like work – I didn’t have time to take a shower before coming over here.”

Lucien leaned in slightly, inhaling. “You do, but not unpleasantly,” he decided, unwilling to tell Cassian as yet that Lucien found the other man’s scent of hay and manure and sweat to be kind of… attractive.

“Well, I’m glad you don’t mind.” Cassian’s eyes swept down Lucien’s form. “I thought maybe –” He broke off, flushing. “Um, what I mean to say is that you look very nice.”

“You thought that I might be a stuck-up rich pretty boy?” Lucien supplied bluntly. “I know I look it. And smell it,” he added, thinking back to the touch of cologne he put on before heading out the door. He regretted it now; he didn’t want anything to obscure Cassian’s natural scent.

Cassian grinned sheepishly. “Maybe. Anyways, what do you do for a living?” He grabbed the glass of beer the bartender slid over to him and took a sip.

“I work in human resources,” Lucien said with a sigh. “Not nearly as interesting. It’s a lot of filing papers and answering angry phone calls.”

“Wait – like, you’re a secretary?”

Lucien scowled. “Okay, yeah, I’m a secretary.”

Cassian grinned. “Nothing wrong with that. I just can’t see you fitting in at an office, with the eye and the hair and everything.” He reached out and wound a strand of Lucien’s hair around one finger, rubbing it between the finger and his thumb. “Do you like it?”

“Eh.” Lucien shrugged. “I’m pretty good at it. My boss can be a bitch sometimes, but he’s a pretty good guy, and it pays well.”

“So you’re not stuck-up, and you’re not rich.” Cassian grinned, tugging lightly at the strand of Lucien’s hair before letting it go. “But you are pretty.”

Lucien took a hasty sip of his whiskey to hide his growing blush. “You’re prettier than me,” he argued once he’d set his glass down again.

Cassian gave him an exaggeratedly doubtful look, so Lucien leaned over and pinched his arm lightly. “Well, there’s more of you, isn’t there?” he said with an impish smile.

Cassian burst into laughter. “You have a point there,” he admitted. “Rhys didn’t mention you were funny.”

“Oh?” Lucien said, voice casual. “What did he say about me?”

“Nothing much,” Cassian said. “He said you were a friend of Feyre’s, and that going on a date would help me, quote, get over myself.”

Lucien raised his eyebrows at Cassian over his whiskey glass.

Cassian grinned. “I’ve been teasing the bastard non-stop about him and Feyre. Serves him right. He’s been swooning all over the place. Can’t say a word to him without him bringing her up. Anyways, Rhys insisted that being single was as good as being dead, so he’s been setting me up on dates for the past month.” Cassian leaned in, as if to tell Lucien a secret. Lucien noticed that his lips were slightly chapped, in a nice sort of way. “Between you and me, you’re the first one who hasn’t made me want to run out of the room. Congratulations.” Cassian lifted his glass and touched it to Lucien’s.

Lucien’s face felt hot as Cassian sat back up and took a drink of beer. “Thanks – I think. Though I’d like to think I rate a little higher on the date scale than that.”

Cassian made a thoughtful face. “It all depends,” he said. “I have high standards, I’ll have you know.”

“And what might those be?”

“Pretty simple, really. Be a good person. Like me for my personality as well as my good looks. Oh, and you have to like cats. I have one.”

Lucien grinned back. “Well, I can’t speak to the first qualification, but you have an absolutely sparkling personality to match your impressive biceps, and I have a cat as well.”

“Two thirds of the way there, then. What’s your cat’s name?”

“His name is Pumpkin, and he’s gigantic and orange. What about yours?”

“Muffin. She’s a tiny tortoiseshell,” Cassian said fondly.

Lucien snickered. “Did you pick the most stereotypical cat name ever on purpose?”

“Maybe,” Cassian admitted. “But I say having a cat named Muffin is one of the great joys of this life, you know?”

“Sure,” Lucien said agreeably. “Along with good whiskey –” he raised his glass in demonstration “– and winning at Monopoly.”

Cassian laughed, and Lucien felt a rush of ridiculous pleasure at being the cause. “I can’t imagine you can treat yourself to the second too often on a secretary’s salary,” he started to tease, then stopped. “I think there’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

“Hmm? Oh, hi, Elain,” Lucien said in surprise, turning on his barstool.

“Hi,” she said. Judging by the breathy quality to her voice, and the presence of at least two visible bruises on her neck, she and Amren would need to get a room soon. “Do we need to kill anyone?”

Lucien exchanged a glance with Cassian, who gave him one filled with mock horror. “No, we’re good,” he told Elain.

She beamed at him. “I’m going home with Amren, then,” she said.

“Okay.”

“To have sex.”

“Okay, Elain,” Lucien said, rather more loudly than before. “Have fun.”

“We will!” Elain said in the sing-song voice she used after three drinks, as Amren tugged her towards the door.

“I am so sorry,” Lucien said, turning back to Cassian. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t, you know, an axe murderer.”

“No offense taken,” Cassian said. “That was – erm – Feyre’s sister?”

“Oh, yes.”

“I can see the resemblance,” Cassian said thoughtfully. “They’re both equally obsessed with fucking.”

Lucien snorted into his glass. “That’s one way of putting it. Feyre set me up with you because she thinks getting me laid will cure my depression.” Then he processed what he’d just said and turned crimson. “Shit. I mean – not that – God, there were so many things wrong with that sentence.”

But Cassian was laughing. “She and Rhys were made for each other. Do you really have depression?”

“Yeah,” Lucien said. “Does that freak you out?”

“Nah,” Cassian said. “I’m on meds for ADHD, so no judgment here.”

Lucien let out a silent exhale. “I bet working on that farm helps as well, huh?”

“Hell yeah,” Cassian said. “I’ve been working for Mor since I graduated high school. College was never really for me, you know?”

Lucien nodded, then grinned. “Good thing you have the body for it, huh?”

“Are you ogling me?” Cassian accused.

“Maybe,” Lucien murmured, eyes dropping to the unbuttoned V of Cassian’s shirt. “Or maybe I’m admiring your personality.”

He was rewarded for his wit with Cassian’s laugh.

He was really starting to like that laugh.

*****

Cassian checked his watch. They’d been at the bar long enough that hordes of already-drunk college kids had started to pour in. “I guess I should head out – I start work at five thirty, and plus, Muffin gets upset if I feed her any later than eleven.”

“I should go, too.” Lucien started to stand up, but was stopped by Cassian’s hand on his arm.

“I really like you, Lucien Kelly,” he said softly. “And I’d like to do this again sometime. What do you say?”

“I’d like that too,” Lucien said, and he found that he meant it.

Cassian’s sudden smile – genuine, and bright as morning sunshine – took up his whole face. “I’ll see you soon, then.” And he leaned in and pressed his chapped lips to Lucien’s cheek.

“See you,” Lucien murmured, watching Cassian make his way to the door, with a dazed expression on his face and one hand to his cheek like he could still feel Cassian’s lips.

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #acomaf #acomaf fanfiction #acowar #acowar fanfiction #lucien #lucien vanserra #cassian #lucien x cassian #lussian #lussian fanfiction #m/m #fluff #mine

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jiminwreckedme · 7 years

Text

7 Letters

Chapter 1 - He who was named V.

| Prologue | 2 |

Member - Taehyung x reader , Jungkook x reader

Genre - Angst, Fluff, (future) smut

Warnings - none for this chapter

Word count - 6,196

Summary - A mysterious person who writes on your skin, an interesting co-worker who is making his way into your heart. A man whose past you need to know and a man who needs to understand your present. In a journey that takes you beyond the boundaries of time, sanity and love, you are left torn between choices to make and decisions to take.

And no. Not everything was about love. It was also about destiny.

[A/N] - I fused the original chapters 1 and 2 in this and changed 2 not-so-important character as well ( I’m sorry!)

“Happy birthday Y/N!”

You turned to see your colleague throwing you a wide smile as he walked through the office doors, hands filled with files. The inner you rolled her eyes as you feigned a smile and nodded at him once. He frowned, not pleased at your reaction, expecting a thanks or atleast a smile that was genuine, but of course you weren’t genuine. You would’ve been if it was your birthday today.

Exactly a month had passed since your birthday, and not one person at your workplace seemed to know that. Honestly, it was because of that stupid staff board up on the wall by the entrance that you thought was a pretty interesting concept when you joined the company. Every employees name, their birthday, their zodiac sign, things they like and things they hate, were neatly written down on post it notes and displayed for everyone to see. It was a great way for everyone to know a bit about the each other before formally introducing themselves.

Or so you thought, until the board in charge messed up your birthday by somehow adding an additional month to it and now everyone in the office assumed the happy day was today. Since the morning, you had received countless wishes and a half a dozen questions about when you were throwing that party everyone was waiting for, but you simply laughed it away. You had no interest in treating such shallow people for anything.

The last one year you worked here, you had assumed that by going to all these parties, dinners, clubs, karaokes together, you had made an admirable set of friends. But only today did you realize how limited to social life those relationships were. The fact that something as simple as your birthday was not known by anyone made it clear that they had no interest in extending their relationship with you to your personal life, and so you had no interest in investing time or money in friendships that were pretenses. Life had given you enough experience, that you learnt to endure only human relationships that were genuine. Half friendships were not your cup of tea.

You flipped through the many files scattered on your table, immersed in the drawings and fabrics and notes, your reading glasses perched on your nose. You had so many assignments coming up, not to mention the contract you received a few days back from client who seemed to have at least 9 digits in his bank balance. After all, this person’s house was three stories big and he wanted every inch of the first two floors redecorated to suit a more vintage taste. Of course your boss knew vintage was your specialty, so he assigned this client to you and as much as you were grateful for it, it was strenuous. It needed lot of planning and coordination of colors, patterns and things of that sort. You still had a months time till you would start the project but you were worried, refining your ideas again and again trying to reach perfection.

“So, what is the best interior designer in the town up to today?”

Color rising up your cheeks, you turned around at the voice. Not very far behind you, leaning against the table was Jeon Jungkook, his hand casually drumming the edges, his smile at you, making your heart race. You felt a little stupid. Sure Jungkook was super good looking, extremely charming and incredibly sweet but that didn’t mean you had to behave like a hopeless drooling teenage girl looking at her crush, every time you saw him. You forced your eyes to not roam over his body which was clad in a blue jeans and a very see through white shirt today. He was standing against the light moreover which was easily outlining his chiseled body. Surely it was made of at least 6 packs of abs, if not more. He dyed his hair you noticed, to a shade much darker, matching the color of his brown eyes now. He was so good looking, it hurt.

It had been about a month since he joined the office. 29 days to be exact. You remembered it well because he had joined the day just after your birthday and you had secretly thanked the universe for such a wonderful visual treat as a late birthday present. Since then he was constantly taking you aback with the compliments he dropped from time to time and the way he smiled at you from his table across the room. He would often buy coffee for the staff when you guys stayed up late, his ideas and creativity was amazing, his dedication to his job was impressive. You were convinced that there was literally nothing that could exist on this planet more perfect than Jeon Jungkook. And this perfect man, you rarely had an exchange of pleasantries with till now, was calling you the best interior designer? Wow.

“Best interior designer? When did that happen?” you tried to cover your overly happy self with an amused look.

“A few minutes ago, when the boss assigned me as an assistant to you for that vintage clients project. I figured things would be easier for me if I earned some brownie points by buttering you a little.”

You laughed at that. Though yes, he was good looking, this was what you liked about him. Nothing he did was a pretense and if it was, he didn’t hide it. He wasn’t afraid about voicing his opinion, he was genuine with people, something you had been seeing less and less in the world as you grew. Maybe that was what made you feel so attracted to him.

You were about to reply to that with something smart when another somebody walked by loudly cutting the not so awkward silence between the two of you,

“Happy birthday Y/N!”

Annoyed, you gave a sigh and turned slowly with another plastered fake smile on your face, clearly explaining your thoughts about this whole wishing thing. Jungkook seemed to be the only one who got the sarcasm behind your smile.

“Frustrating isn’t it? When people give this air that they care a lot about you, when really they don’t actually give a damn?” He watched as the confused colleague disappear behind his table. You looked at him surprised.

“What do you mean?”

“That it’s not your birthday but everyone is wishing you so sincerely which means, no one really cares. I mean if they truly did, they would have known it’s not today right?”

“How do you know? That it’s not my birthday? I don’t think I’ve ever told you.” you narrowed your eyes at him curiously.

“Well” He propped himself up on the table, bearing the weight on his hands. “I figured that your birthday and your zodiac sign on the staff board don’t really match, so one of them was for sure wrong and didn’t know which one. Your expression just now, sort of confirmed it was the birthday that was wrong.” He shrugged in a matter of fact tone.

Whatever he said or he noticed wasn’t even a big deal, but it gave you jitters all over. Did the fact that he actually put together that your birthday and zodiac sign don’t match, mean that he thought about you? Why else could he possibly notice such a small detail? Jeon Jungkook was going to make you melt into a puddle one day with all the heat he caused inside you.

“Nice observation assistant. This definitely earns you some brownie points.” Your smile at him was growing wider at his beautiful laughter in response.

“When was it though?” Cocking his head he let the sunlight behind him hit your eye, blinding you a little.

“Exactly a month ago. Same date.”

“Ah. That would mean I missed it by a couple of days maybe? It’s been less than a month since I’ve been here.....”

You nodded, telling him he’s right when he straightened out, his eyes shining with a sort of excitement.

“Then we should do something about it. I’m probably the only one in the office who knows your birthday isn’t today right? and I missed the real occasion a month back? Plus, today we both found out we are going to be working on a project together. So as a combined celebration we,” he shifted a little uncertainly. “should go out for a coffee.”

You blinked a couple of times stupidly and not because of the sunlight forcing its way into your eyes anymore. Did Jeon Jungkook just ask you for a date? For a coffee? Sure he didn’t say it was a date but it was kind of the same thing right?

The only problem was that it was a coffee date and you hated coffee. As much as you wanted to spend time with him beyond the office boundaries, you really didn’t think you could sit and pretend to like and enjoy it. Especially when you knew that both of you hated pretenses. A crush on him couldn’t make you a hypocrite right?

“Honestly Jungkook I would love to but the thing is I don’t -”

“Like coffee?”

You raised an eyebrow in surprise and he pointed at the board.

“That is the only thing that tells me the little I know about you.”

Coffee, lack of punctuality and pretenses. Those were the three things you had listed as things you hate. All three of which you seemed to be getting today. But you mentally take note that Jungkook remembered this detail about you as well and continued,

“Ah yeah. I don’t really find what is so appealing about the bitterness.” you said shaking your head

“It’s bitter but still addicting. It’s the same idea behind alcohol I guess.” he shrugged. “Then how about chocolate? I know this new shop that opened downtown and I heard the hot chocolate there is killer.”

Suppressing a smile at his attempt to find alternatives you leaned back with the most casual expression on your face “Well luckily chocolate is something I love.”

“Cool! so shall we go after work then? I need to go out to collect some fabric samples from around there anyway and I should be done only by 6. Do you think you can reach around the same time?”

“yeah sure.” you mentally kicked the screaming inner you. “I shall see you there at 6.”

He smiled like he was more relaxed now. You didn’t notice till the stiffness left his body that he was actually quite nervous. Were you making Jeon Jungkook nervous? Was this even possible?

“I should give you the address. It’s a bit hard to find if you don’t know the exact location.” he fished a pen from his pocket looking at you for a paper, making you search for a spare sheet on your table in the sea of office related material. Giving up the useless quest you held out your hand pointing at your palm and he smiled taking it, scribbling a couple of words on it.

“Well I’ll try to be on time. Hopefully the dealer doesn’t delay me. I shall see you later alright?”

He slid off the table and turned to leave when you called out to him again looking up from the words on your palm. “Hey Jungkook, if you are doing this just for those brownie points sake then you really don’t have to you know.” The place he wrote seemed to be a bit of an expensive one. You could tell he was one of those who would absolutely insist to pay for you and you didn’t know if it was alright to let him do that when you barely knew each other.

“Who said it was just for that?” he winked, giving you a cheeky smile and walking away. You were shocked that you lip was bleeding yet with all the biting of it to suppress your excited smile. Oh god, this man was definitely going to be the end of you.

Looking left and right you tried to figure out where exactly this cafe was. You lost the address Jungkook gave but you kind of remembered the name of the street. It was almost 6 already and you hated being late. You tried asking some of the passerbys if they know the shop but no one really seemed to have the patience to answer you. Consequently, you were standing at the same spot the last 15 minutes, still trying to figure out what to do.

But you felt weird. There was this constant feeling that someone had their eyes on you the whole time, watching your every move. It was stupid of course. Everyone around you was hurrying back home looking forward to the long weekend ahead. No one even had time to stop and look at you, stalking you was out of question. But you couldn’t help get the feeling that there was someone who was definitely following you. But who?

Annoyed at the lack of conclusion you were getting about everything, you decided to walk ahead and see if you could find the cafe when someone gripped your wrist from behind, spinning you around to reveal his face.

“It’s this way Y/N. where are you going?”

You breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Jungkook. “Oh thank god you’re here. I was this close to going mad. I sort of lost the address you gave. I think it washed away when I cleaned my hands after lunch.” you looked down a little embarrassed at your carelessness. Jungkook wasn’t bothered and gave you his trademark sweet smile.

“That’s okay, Good thing I found you then? It’s this way. come on.”

He held you by the hand and walked down the street turning left and you noticed that he didn’t let you go till you reached the cafe which was a good whole 10 minutes later. Walking in, the two of you found a small comfortable corner, far from the busy streaming crowd by the window and took it immediately. It was a nice place. Warm, cozy, just right for a pleasant conversation. And since you were both interior designers the first thing you talked about of course was the ambience and the decor. He was an easy person to make a conversation with and It had been days since you had such a nice company.

“Can I take your order please?

The voice triggers your memory and you turned at the familiarness to see Jackson standing there in an apron with a small notebook.

“Y/N?” “Jackson?”

As the both of you stared pleasantly surprised at each other presence, you didn’t notice Jungkook’s eyes flicker between the two of you with not expression on his face.

“Hey babe, it’s been long isn’t it? Never thought I’d see you in my shop”

Slowly detaching Jackson from your view you shifted it on Jungkook who looked impassive and then back to the man standing next to you, a bit bothered that Jungkook had to hear Jackson call you babe, but you were more surprised that Jackson called this his shop.

“Wow Jackson, you own this place?”

“Yeah” He grinned feeling proud of himself. “Me and my girlfriend opened about 2 months back. Business has been great so far. You can see, the place is pretty packed.”

“Jackson that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you.” and you really were. Though Jackson and you weren’t quite close, you knew he was a really good person and he deserved the happiness he was getting.

“Thanks babe. Now, what can I get you two?”

Jungkook quickly sat up speaking this time. “A frappe mocha for me and a hot chocolate with whipped cream for the birthday girl.” he smirked at you making you glare at him not so threateningly.

“Oh really? Happy birthday Y/N!” Jackson shook your hand vigorously “My my, aren’t you at the right place today then? Your order is on the house tonight. Have fun guys!” And he hurried away not giving you a chance to protest.

“Really Jungkook?” you shot him an exasperated look.

“Looks like even you ex didn’t know it wasn’t your birthday today.” he leaned back shaking his head.

“My ex? What are you talking about. He’s not my ex.” you told him amused.

“Really?” he frowned confused. “But he was calling you babe and it seemed like…”

“Jackson calls everyone babe to be honest. Probably even calls his parents that. We just….know each other.”

You had met Jackson back in your college days at the club. He was a chilled guy, it was a crazy night and you both hit off in a way two needy young adults normally would. After that night you met up a couple of times and it was fine with you two because neither of you were looking for a relationship. Then apparently he met a girl he wanted to date and it wouldn’t have been right to keep seeing you, so you guys ended things amicably. Jungkook, didn’t need to know all these details. But he definitely seemed more relaxed now that you cleared this for him.

And he was right. The hot chocolate was good stuff. That and a funny conversation with Jungkook were really making this evening enjoyable until he was interrupted by a client’s call which he had to take. While he spoke immersed in his conversation, you casually looked outside the cafe, scanning the busy crowd walking by the window on the other side of the room.

And your eyes met his.

He was standing exactly in the center of the view, the crowd pouring in and around him while he was looking straight at you, his gaze not wavering, eyes not blinking. And the word beautiful seemed like an understatement when it came to him.

The young man wore a black turtle neck that was reaching his sharp jaw with his hands tucked in his black trousers. His brown hair was decorated with shades of green, the tousled griminess promising finesse. Strong arched brows, thick eyelashes distinct cheekbones - all made him look so devilishly handsome. And then his eyes - they were deep and catastrophic, a dark chocolate brown mimicking the drink in your hand, giving a gaze hot enough to make you feel a burn in your chest. Even from this far, you could see the flecks of golden in his eyes.

But there was something odd about him. He seemed angelic not just because his face seemed to mimic the heavens but because he looked so ageless and aged all at once. His pale flawless skin, his pink lips that enhanced his face, his hazel irises, all made you feel like you were looking at a timeless beauty. He was beyond beautiful.

But who was he and why was his sight so fixed on you? He couldn’t be….him?

You look involuntarily at your hands that were warm maybe because of the drink you were having. Was it him? The one who spoke to you on your skin?

You remembered that day, about 2 weeks after your birthday when you had finally got the courage to write him your questions. Who are you? What is your name? And it was on this very hand that he wrote the answer to that. He replied with a letter. A single letter.

Was this him? The one who called himself V? Could this be the one who was a stranger yet not foreign to you?

You snapped out of your thoughts. You had to see him. You had to see him again but when raised your head and looked towards the window,

He was gone.

The sound of dripping water woke you in the middle of the night, your movements forming huge shadows on the walls of your house in the dim light of the candles. You rolled your shoulders that were stiff from lying over the dining table, slowly realizing that it was raining. Oh god. You got up swiftly and rushed to the bathroom to grab a bucket. If the rain got heavier, water would soon leak through that rotten crack in your roof and that, could potentially flood your house. You placed the red plastic pail under the crevice so it could collect the rain that had a countless number of times partially submerged your house with it’s cold waters. You mentally made up your mind the fourth time this week to give an earful to the owner for still not fixing the crack.

It was high time you moved to a new place. Just a year of living here and you were already sick of it. The freezing rainwater, the howling of the dogs at night, the noise of the train that passed by every half an hour - every sound would relentlessly bang against your eardrums, frustrating your every cell. But you couldn’t move from here. You didn’t earn much as an interior designer and you still had to pay off your college student loans. After setting aside the loan amount and the rent you paid for this place, you were left with hardly enough to cover your daily expenses. Since there were no resources to help you move to a more decent place, until you got a better job, this was where you had to survive.

Maybe after that big shots contract things could change. You looked at all the material spread out on your dining table, lit by candles in the sudden absence of electricity in your neighborhood. It was such a huge project, you even dedicated your weekends to it these days. Surely it would get you a bonus or maybe some extra commission after this was over. Maybe then you could at least get the crack fixed.

You were pretty excited about the project. Obviously because as an interior designer, a 3 story house would be one of your biggest challenges but also it enabled you to spend the entire of last week with Jungkook. You both were to come up with the ideas for redesigning the house and then create a presentation to show the client and get his approval. By now you had hardly finished designing the massive living room area. There was a long way to go with your new assistant on this project.

Jungkook was great to work with. He was imaginative and your tastes matched really well. Even if you disagreed about certain things you both would talk it out and resolve it calmly. Most of the time you spoke about work so you rarely got to talk about each other. It was only natural that you often found yourself looking forward to the moments when you ate lunch together or when he dropped you on his bike late at night, the two of you lost in your conversations. Jackson’s cafe had also somehow become your official hangout place.The two of you would land up there almost every evening for some or the other drinks and snacks. Jungkook and Jackson hit off pretty well. You also met Jackson’s girlfriend and you were starting to take a liking in her. While you really enjoyed the company of all three of them, that was not why you went to the cafe so often.

It was to see him again.

Ever since that evening in the cafe when you had seen that young man, you had been waiting to catch sight of him just once more. Your memory of him was starting to fade already. Now, a week later, you could remember only what he was wearing and barely seemed to recollect the soft details his face. You had to see him again before it was too late. Before you entirely forgot how he looked. You couldn’t help but wonder if that person was the same one who wrote on your skin.The person to who, from your 24th birthday, you could write back to. And after days of analyzing you thought finally figured out why you could speak to him, what had changed.

You had changed.

When you felt his presence for the first time, on your 8th birthday, one of the most significant days of your life, you had just lost your most significant battle. A drawing competition. Your position today as an interior designer of course stemmed from your passion for art as a child. Drawing contests and art exhibitions were an integral part of your childhood so losing that competition that day had disappointed you much more than you expected it to. The orphanage you grew up in never encouraged art much, so no one was bothered that you were wailing over a simple drawing contest.

But that day as you sat huddled on the bed crying, you saw art better than you had ever seen before. Flowers, designs, strokes of beautiful drawings began forming on your skin. And it was not just that night. Every night since then, some or the other strange pattern appeared on you and you stayed up all night under the faint light of your lamp, copying the intricate shapes in a book. There was a unique pattern to the work. The designs seemed absurd, random and archaic. But there was a beauty in them, a beauty you understood the more and more you looked at them. These designs in fact were the ones that got you your job today. Years ago the designs which gave you comfort for losing a small drawing contest, later became the reason for your first victory in the game of life.

When you were 16, they turned into words for the first time because of Mark. As great as it was being in a relationship with him, that much it hurt after you broke up. That day, Mark the asshole, became your first and last relationship. You were sitting under a tree silently cursing him between your tears, taking apart the birthday card he made for you, filled with messages that didn’t mean what they said, when you felt the tingle on your skin for the first time. And you saw the three words.

Are you okay?

While that should have scared you to death, it didn’t frighten you at all. Rather, even amidst your tears it made you smile. That day you realized, I love you were not the only three words that could make someone’s heart flutter. A simple question like this asked out of concern could warm someone on the inside too.

From then, the writings on your skin became your constant companion, understanding you in ways even you didn’t understand yourself. And Now on your 24th birthday you could write back to he who left these writings, something you could never do before. That meant there was something about the multiples of 8. Each time 8 years passed, something changed. You only wondered what would happen on your 32nd birthday.

You could ask him though. Now that you could talk to him, you could ask him, if he also saw the connection between your age and the link between you both. You could ask him hundreds and thousands of questions now. Questions you had about the world, about the relationship between you two, about him. You could also ask him if the boy outside the cafe really was him but you were scared. What if it was him? What would happen if you know how he looked now? It would mean he was no longer a stranger and something about that made you feel uneasy. The only reason you were able to share your most personal things with him was because he was unknown. Someone who you didn’t know. Someone who couldn’t judge you like the rest of the world. Someone who was there for you without needing you to be there for them.

Knowing who he was meant you were obliged to be concerned about him. It meant you had to be there for him too like he was there for you. It meant you would know more and more about him in the process, and as much as that excited you initially, it was starting to scare you now. What if he wasn’t who you wanted him to be? What if it was better if he was stranger? Rather than being disappointed, you’d rather not know him at all.

But you started to know who he was already and it all began the day you asked him that question…..

How was your day today?

Pretty good. I finally completed that preschool project today so I’m kind of ecstatic. How was yours?

Not very eventful. Nothing in my life is very eventful really.

What is his life? All these years you had only pondered and pondered pointlessly over this question. Even though now you spoke back to him, you somehow never had the chance to ask anything about him. Maybe it was because you were so immersed in just talking about your life all the time, that you never got to ask him about his. But you were determined to know today. Something. Anything about him. So you wrote again.

Listen.

Listening.

There’s something I want to ask you.

What?

Will you answer it though? Something tells me you won’t.

If I have an answer to it, I will.

You took a deep breath, the pen shaking in your hand. This was it. This was the first step you would take to know who this person was. And as much as you were waiting for this moment, you were suddenly afraid. Did you want to know though? How would this change things now? Would this even change things now?

What is your name?

My name?

I always hoped that there would be a day I’d know the name of the man with whom I shared my life all these years.

You assume too quickly sweetheart. I could be a woman for all you know.

You stared at the message too stunned to speak. Well of course, it didn’t have to be a man. Why did you always think it was a man writing to you? Maybe because of the way he portrayed himself? It was not too emotional, always to the point. He never gave too much advice, never seemed to have romantic ideals - whoever this person was definitely felt like a man.

I’m so sorry. Are you a woman then?

For some reason you could feel him laugh on the other side. Strange. You never felt that before.

No. I’m man, that I can tell you. But my name. That I cannot answer, for I don’t have one.

You don’t have a name?

A name is barely a transient word that others use to label you. For someone like me it has no meaning. It changes according to time, place and person.

So for someone like me, what would your name be?

There was a long gap. Your words sunk into your skin but his words didn’t appear. You put your pen aside thinking this was maybe a question you shouldn’t have asked. Maybe as anonymous you wished he would be, that anonymous he wished to stay. But then you felt the tingling sensation again.

You walked up to the window of your bedroom feeling the chilly night air on your skin, the droplets of rain running through your fingers. You felt goosebumps rise all over the exposed self that you were barely covering with your night clothes. The moonlight illuminated your pale skin making it look even more ghostly. The sun’s light never fell on you this way.

For the last 16 years, you only appeared in front of another person with every inch of your skin covered. It was crucial to do so, you had no choice. His messages had a mind of their own. They would appear anywhere and everywhere on you. Mostly it was on your hands or arms, but sometimes you woke up in the morning to find your whole body covered with black designs like you were some rebellious teenager gone emo overnight. Or sometimes it was just lines, scratch like marks, as though you were clawed by some strange wild animal. One day you even woke up to see poems, hundreds of poems, sad, romantic and painful inscribed all over you, but like always, as soon as you read them they sunk in and disappeared, leaving your skin like a fresh parchment waiting for it’s next message.

You had to be cautious all the time to ensure no one saw these words. You couldn’t let people know your secret. The only person who knew it, would never look you in eye since she found out. You were in grade 12 when you had shown your secret to the girl you thought was your best friend for 6 years and the fear she had in her eyes haunted you till today. Whatever was happening with you was not normal but you learnt to live with it and appreciate it. At least there was one person who didn’t fake their concern for you, and however inconvenient it was for you to dress fully covering yourself, a huge part of you was happy to do it.

But you still had some regrets. Not that you blamed him or something but this man V had absolutely ruined some aspects of your life. It was so hard to get clothes that fit in your budget, looked good and covered all of you simultaneously. It was harder to explain to all your tinder dates why even in the hottest of summers you showed up clad in such stuffy clothes, why a one night stand, was strictly at night and only in the dark, why you always left before the they woke up, leaving a simple note that it was an emergency. You had to make up answers for these questions all the time. So many lies that you wondered, if there would ever be a day when you could meet someone with whom you could truly be yourself - open, honest, with all your defenses down, not needing to be scared of anything.

There was only one man you could be yourself in front of. Not Jungkook, not Jackson, but the man who was your biggest secret himself. V. Maybe that’s why it was so important to you to see him. Even though it scared the hell out of you, you wanted to meet him, know him.

While walking back to the work waiting for you on the table, another crazy thought came into your head. You stared at the pen sitting on it for a minute before making up your mind and picking it up, letting your curiosity take over your fear.

Are you awake?

You write and watch as the words linger on your skin for what seems like eternity and then finally sink in replaced by his reply.

Yes, but what are you doing awake at this time?

Thinking.

About?

You.

What about me?

About who you are. Where you live? Who lives with you? If you are alone too like me? I was lucky enough to have someone like you to listen to me my whole life. Did you also have someone for you? There are so many questions I keep thinking.

You should really go to sleep now y/n. It’s getting late.

You should really answer my questions now V. It’s high time.

And what will you do knowing about me?

The same thing you did knowing about me.

I did nothing.

I will do the same then

The knowledge of who I am, is of no use to you.

Well was there any use to you knowing who I am?

God you are stubborn.

Can’t you see it? I think this is how it was decided to be. 16 years after I know you, I’m finally able to tell you whatever I want. I can ask you everything you’ve always left unanswered. I think fate arranged for this with a good intention.

Fate only arranges things for its own amusement. It plays horribly with the lives of people. Don’t fall victim to this. I don’t want you to regret this.

I won’t.

Do you really have to do this Y/N?

You could see his dislike for this conversation through his words. More like you could feel it. Some part of you somehow, somewhere clearly felt all the emotions running through him. He was feeling uncertain, vulnerable, scared. Scared like you felt at the thought of someone getting to know about your secret. He was scared of telling you about him. But now you were no longer scared to listen.

Yes I have to.

You were being brave with him today. Not allowing him to steer the conversation the way he wished, not making you the subject of the discussion. Maybe you were being too hopeful about this. Maybe he wouldn’t even reply-

What do you want to know?

You smiled, relaxing at his words. You could still feel him tensed, his nervous energy radiating off your skin, but you were not going to back off now. Not after coming so far.

Everything.

Everything?

Everything. Everything about you. Like you know about me. I want to know your story.

My story is not something I am proud of.

Why?

No one is proud of a story that begins with a curse.

#bangtanwriters-net #jungkook fluff #taehyung angst #jungkook smut #taehyung smut #jungkook angst #taehyung fluff #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts series #taehyung series #jungkook series #bts #7 letters #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bangtan

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dndgamergirl · 6 years

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Dming and God mods

in my experience in dungeons and dragons things are always crazy. when dnd is by the rules the players are the reason you have to be on your toes as a dungeon master. when your a player the dungeons master is the reason you have to be on the edge. and i can attests to the saying that when the dm smiles or laughs it is never a good thing. it scares the hell out of yo and some dm’s get a kick out of watching players squirm. its a give and take relationship but when the rules are fallowed its always fun.

however when one takes into account the idea of a person god modding then it gets bad. for those that dont know here is a definition of god mod fro dnd

God-modding is taking control of another player’s character during role-play. It’s frowned upon and with good reason: you only control your character and no one else’s.

the sad part is god modding is not just this. god mod can also happen if you do one of the fallowing in many dnd cycles

1: making a character without faults: this means the character can do no wrong in any way and you are constantly arguing with the dm over the rules

2: making a character that is in a sense op (over powered): this can play into level one since when this happens the players normally want to make it so the character has a lot of things the dm doesn't know about making it where the dm has to call out rules and in sense makes the air of the game play uncomfortable.

but its not just players that can god mod dungeon masters can as well which brings me to example 3.

3: letting a player make a character that breaks the rules of the game

lets have a example of this. say a character is in there right to something and they go through with the deed. as such away from others you have another person try to raise the character such as a mage or wizard doing the work of a cleric. any dnd player will tell you that this isn't possible. in some dnd and other games a game master can make exceptions but only if they find a item that can cause it or even having a player quest to find a way to fix this. but when a game master lets you make a player that goes against any forms of rules in right the rest of the players have a right to call them out on it.

god modding if anything is one of the worse things that can happen in a dnd game. one of the ways that this can go about is by putting limits on a character. in example of this ill use two characters i built for a dnd game im currently running. these characters are in a jest named npc’s they are select to this world but have limitations and faults like a pc character would but to a more extreme leash. the characters are simply called inn keeper and cook. both of these two are brothers one year apart, immortal but can still be killed in human form but must revert to god form until they regenerate a form over a course of so many months, and sons of Loki who are gods in their own right that have taken human form. why they chose so the party has yet to find out. they run a chain of inns that has copies of themselves running it and they at all times know what is going on in all the inns at that time. as a result only the real versions can leave the inn but copies have to stay int he tavern at all times not setting foot outside the border of the tavern.

although they have good powers if used they level the surrounding area and are banished from a area completely. and on top of that they can not give the party to much help they only give a item tell them what it does and leaves the party to pick if they keep it and figure out how to use it for there task. or they leave it and find another way around it. if they chose the later they have to make a deal for it. in this way yes its a safe form of god modding as it make a puzzle for the players as some things they give them might not help them on this quest and is needed for a new on further down the line or is just something that they trade off not thinking and can be needed again at a later date.

by making your players think on what they need to do it becomes less a god mod and more of a divine puzzle. one friend of mine finds that goddmodding in some games can be helpful for a dm but he also says that i can be harmful as well. “when you god mod as a character you have to make sure your players know ahead of time this character can god mod his rolls. i figured out a way around it though to make it so that its less god modding and more of the character is using the idea of warped probability. sort of like that alien guy from MIB 3.” in some ways i can see what he means building a character that can see many outcomes is a good idea but at the same time that comes as flaws. a character might not be able to know which reality he is in unless he asks the players. the players have a reason to either tell him or not. if they do he knows which of about 50 ideas of how combat will go but at the same time if not their in the world of about 269 scenarios that they lose. by using this i can see how he has made goddmodding hard for a character the gm is controlling but at the same time more trouble for the dm by having to think ahead of time and have a file cabinet of doom.

but dont think that god modding is just for in game it can be out of game as well. as a way of keeping up with my players and helping them with rolls i have a rule that when rolling for stats i must be present. this is because i have seen many games where a player was able to roll away from the game and it was completely unfair to the others they had a over kill of points that didn't seem to add up even to the dm. when i do this i make it a point to let my players know its nothing against them its just i want to make sure to keep the playing field fair. no one excluded for this not even me and my players often watch me roll stats so they can see im not cheating and that im playing fair by them. they never know when some things will be used so it keeps them guessing as to who it is they are going to fight. this creates a excitement for me and players alike as i dig in my files and pull npc sheets.

i got this idea from another freind who had this to say on the subject. “we used to let others roll what they wanted and the dm did aswell. one game though we realized that 3 of out 8 players where some what cheating. they used what is known as cheater die and soon we where not allowed to roll unless we where at the guys house and using his dice to roll so he knew we had non cheater dice. that worked ok for about a year but then they got wise and if thy rolled one thing they lied on the sheets. some things never added up and sure you could say that it was just luck until we saw the sheets. we had a bit of a accident in the house we played in when a water pipe burst over the winter and when the family got home we found some of the dnd stuff got in the water. so we all went over to chip in at different times of the day to help clean out and try and salvage things. on the work from dnd we found things that really made us mad.”

“we where all friends and we all trusted one another and this was way back int he 90′s. so some of the stuff for dnd that you guys have now is kind of major fancy now but the sheets from back then we guarded as not just a clue to characters but clues to who a person was. we had to look at the sheets to see whos sheet got messed up and we found the normal doodles and all but at the same time on the scratch papers we used to pass notes we found that one had said next time we have to roll for stats we need to say these numbers showed on the die. they where planning ahead of what characters they wanted to build we all did but to lie about a dice roll was hell. we confronted them on our next Friday night game and told them that half the group wanted them out but the rest where on the fence and we where not going to make them choose who to be loyal to. so we made them a alternate. they could stay in game but the dm had to roll the dice for them and they only got one roll. one is still with us but the dm is always next to them to make sure they are not cheating on rolls. i have no clue where the other two jerks are.”

in many ways some might say that this is kind of extreme but in many different game groups this is basic fact. if ne person cheats the whole group comes to question. its up to the game group or even a player to have a choice to stay with he group or disband from them and set out on their own adventure. we have all been Bilbo handed a contract of thorn and company when we look into playing dnd. the character sheet is the contract. you swear to fallow the game rules and to play fair. thats in anything be it rpg or signing contracts to play football. and just like in mainstream sports and in the job market you break the rules you and anyone else with you or associated must also be placed to the same outcome of that. when one player cheats at a sport the whole team is held in the same regard. its just facts of life. and its not just stats that this can be seen with.

i also make rules as to what races a player can use so that i have time to read up on other races if they where used in a game. so when a player tries to make a character of a unapproved race its still hard to tell them no but i have to stand stonewall on the fairness i try to keep with my players. granted if they want a character to look a select way yes it means that later in the game some things will come up. this brings into the point of should you tell your players or not. would keeping it to yourself as the dungeon master be considered god modding on your part? the answer is no. your the dungeon master keeping the way some what a mystery is a point. yo can chose whether or not to tell players but at the same time you can give out as little or as much if you like. but remember that at times some players might feel like you have it out for them. in many ways players can feel like they get picked on because of character class and this is not true. this is what a friend of mine said about her character.

“i was playing a bird race. and i picked the look of my character as a peacock man. i didn't want to do a parrot because i didn't want to have people doing the Polly want a cracker stick all the time. i was away for a time before i got to play my character so the party had a good bit of headway ahead of my guy in the game. the dm said he could work me into the next game as the same level as the others so i said sure. while he was setting up stuff while i was leveling my character from a level 3 to a level 6 he asked me if i was ok if we had me show up working at the brothel that the group was entering at the next one since i made mention i wanted my rouge to be kind of like a spy undercover for someone at ne point. i told him that be fine but i didn't realize those words would come back to haunt me.”

“when we started playing he said to me on a text my character was going to make a entrance and he said ‘as the lights fade once more for the next dancer you all hear a man in a booming voice call out. ‘lets hear it for SIR COCK’ and he starts playing the i want to see your peacock song. unknown to the others i had had a bad experience with that song and i had a panic attack right there. i had never told them so in a way i guess it was partly my fault that i didn't tell them but in a way it made me not want to play that campaign again. this was only after one person that joined constantly made the jokes and the dm let them make the jokes of saying the i wanna see your peacock. since then i dont go to that group anymore but i have a different one i play with once a month given my busy time sheets for work”

in a way yes this was kind of a dick move on the dm by letting that happen but at the same time was not so much a sense of god modding but bullying. i made this point as to me it didn't seem like god modding but to others it seems like it. but then they layed this on me as i asked why did the dm let them keep doing that?

“the players character was meant to be a counter spy at the time one that knew my characters past without doing any work on how they where working. this meant they had like uber magic items that you had to be like a cleric or something to use because of how the items where preset up int he game as they where home brew items. one of our cleric players noticed this looking through the booklet of items the guy gave us as a little home brew guide of his game and when they called the dm out on this the dm got pissed and told us all to get out of his house it was his game and he was gonna run it how he liked it. if we didn't like how he built his world we could get out. so my friend who called him out drove me home and we made our own once a month dnd group. didn't help that they made me the joke pony every day with that character.”

when this was further explained i realized the hell that some can have with dm’s and the dm playing god of the world. as a dm you are the story teller and the world shaper you wear the faces of monsters and innkeepers. you are the voice of rivals and companions. with a wave of your hand to throw dice you are a force that can calm or strengthen a storm. its a lot of power and at times can go to your head. because of this you have to be careful who is the punching bag and in some ways i have started to experiment with how to not have one person be the punch bag.

in this sense make a different person a punching bag at the time of game play. this way its fair have a list of a sheet and go in a rotation. after the rotation ends roll a die to see who gets what spot int he line up so that each person gets it. that or you can do it with each encounter person that got most damage taken is out of the running and go for the next one in line. i like to preroll the day before game to see which player gets to be the punching bag and its fun. so far the punching bag has yet to be used as encounters in my game seem to be solved mostly by verbal conflict but even then sometimes the players make one another punching bags and i dont have to do a thing.

so what can we take from the collection of stories and observations i have done. in some ways yes god modding can be helpful but only if used in the right way for select npc’s such as gods or demigods but you must always remember that you have to put major bars up on them to keep them in check. going in and god modding a player character however is never a good thing and can be bad for you as a player or dungeon master. and can and times be fun but know it is dangerous as many times you might lose those you have fun with if your not careful.

special thanks to those that offered stories to me to draw inspiration from and at the same time allowed me to post the ideas i had from the interviews i had with you. as promised your names will not be disclosed but thank you none the less

#dndgamergirl #god characters #god modding #tips #things ive learned from dnd

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ask-de-writer · 5 years

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DARING DO and the Gryphon’s Quest! : MLP Fan Fiction : Chapter 3 of 19

Return to theMaster Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

DARING DO

and

The Gryphon’s Quest!

Chapter 3

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

and

Carmen Pondiego

Cover art by Wind the Mama Cat

29584 words

Writing begun 03/29/16

This is a Fan Fiction based on My Little Pony. Canterlot, Princess Luna and the name Daring Do are owned by Hasboro Inc.

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1.) They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.

2.) They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

3.) All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction are actively encouraged.

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Daring Do and the Gryphon’s Quest!