#honorable mention is boys and busses

[loveharlow]

SEVEN [SEASON 2] - 001

PAIRING ‧₊˚ JJ Maybank x Fem!Reader

SYNOPSIS‧₊˚[10.9k] A whole month after John B and Sarah vanish at sea and the remaining four pogues are in for a jaw-dropping surprise that flips their world upside down (or right side up?) and it looks like they might be finding a way to the Bahamas

WARNING(S)‧₊˚ swearing, mentions of death, mentions of firearms, graphic depictions of drowning, unestablished relationship

NOW PLAYING‧₊˚

A/N‧₊˚ woohoo season two!!

˗ˏˋ series masterlist ˎˊ˗

IT’S BEEN A MONTH SINCE JOHN B AND SARAH WERE LOST AT SEA. Nothing had been easy. At all. You hadn’t seen your mother since that night and you doubted she’d be eager to get you back home. You, Marley, and JJ had been holed up at The Chateau, honoring it for John B. 

You and JJ have been bussing tables down at The Beach Club to keep the lights on and the water running, making a return to Pogue life actually offered you some odd kind of comfort. It had to have been around half past nine when the two of you arrived at work, getting yelled at for simply walking in late, aprons thrown at your chests.

Serving rich folks wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Well, at least when those rich folks weren’t talking about your two deceased - presumably deceased friends. 

JJ was serving one half of the outdoor dining area as you tended to the other, both of you making your best efforts to keep your heads down as the guests badmouthed your friends.

“Of course it was a Pogue. Did you expect anything less?”

“He’s a murderer.”

“I’m glad he’s dead.”

Ever since John B and Sarah vanished, dealing with the pricks of Figure Eight had given you a much shorter fuse. Every other day — an argument with a customer here, a borderline fist fight there. It was as if all someone had to do was say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time and boom. 

And today was one of those days.

You took a deep breath, approaching Topper’s table with your notepad in hand ready to take their orders when the girl at the left edge spoke, voice laced with disgust for a boy she never knew. 

“You should be glad.” She directed at Topper. “John B got what was coming to him. And it saved them the expense of a trial…” She shrugged, sipping her mimosa as if the words that tumbled from her lips were casual. And they were. Casually cruel. “John B’s going to hell for what he did to Peterkin.”

Your notepad slapped against your thigh as you let your arms fall, head rolling to the side. Topper’s mouth opened immediately, noting your expression of annoyance as the table you were waiting on continued to converse as if you weren’t there or as if they had no idea who you were. “Guys, they’re still investigating…” He tried, laughing nervously.

“John B didn’t kill Peterkin.” You spat, eyes glued to the girl who took another sip of her drink, eyes fleeting before they came back to you, looking you up and down. She chuckled, stirring the small black straw around the circumference of her glass.

“There’s no need to defend a dead guy, sweetie.” She taunted you as if you were a child. “We all know your friend was a murderer.”

“You wanna see a real murderer?” You interrupted, leaning forward and planting your palms down in the wood of the table. “Take your Corvette down to Tannyhill and you’ll find two.”

Topper scooted his chair closer to you, laying a palm on top of yours. “C’mon, just…walk away.” You stood back up to your full height, snatching your hand from up under his with a look of pure disgust written on your face.

“Get the fuck off me, Topper.” You spat, the table rattling underneath your swift movements.

“Is everything alright over here?” JJ’s voice came from over your shoulder. You made no moves to look back at him, still glaring at the three assholes crowding the table.

“Your girl’s over here losing her shit.” Kelce chipped, always looking to pick a fight where he could. “Might wanna look into a leash. Maybe a muzzle, too-”

“The fuck’d you say?” JJ challenged, stepping out from behind you as Kelce rose from his seat. The two were toe to toe at this point.

“Now is not the time…” Topper tried, standing from his own seat but you blocked his path.

“Why don’t you sit down, Top?” You said, less of a question, more of a warning. The boy didn’t respond, simply looking down at you as he prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue. As you two stared each other down, the other two boys got even more heated.

“Do something, JJ. Be a Pogue, man. That’s what got your friend killed, maybe you’ll get lucky-” Kelce’s words were cut off when JJ took a pitcher of water and threw it in his face, Kelce grabbing the blonde up by his collar as Topper went around you and attempted to intervene.

Within seconds, some of the older male guests pulled the young men apart. Raz, the manager, wasting no time in yelling both you and JJ’s names. The older, dark-haired man stood feet away watching the interaction occur. But he was never one to scold his high paying guests. 

You and JJ both nodded in his direction in silent agreement, reaching around yourselves to untie the aprons and shove them into the manager's chest. 

“You ready?” JJ directed at you. You simply grimaced and nodded, shrugging your shoulders.

“Let’s go.” 

With that, you both walked out of The Beach Club and into the parking lot where JJ’s motorcycle was parked. Halfway there, JJ’s heavy breathing stopped you in your tracks, looking to your left to see the blonde with a hand pressed against his chest.

He’d suffered from panic attacks here and there after everything that had happened. You’d been helping him through them to the best of your ability. He refused to tell Kie or Pope about them, you suggesting he do so in case they happened when you weren’t around, something you weren’t completely on board with. But it was JJ’s decision.

Setting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking, you rounded to stand in front of him. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah….” He breathed out, hand still on his chest as he shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”

“JJ.” You tried to ground him, stepping a bit closer. “Fuck those assholes in there, okay? They don’t know shit.”

“I know.” He nodded, gulping in whatever air he could gather in his lungs, shaking himself out of the oncoming panic attack. 

“Alright?” You asked, needing to affirm that he was okay. He responded nonverbally with a strong nod before motioning for the both of you to continue walking. Reaching the bike, JJ handed you the helmet he’d bought you, letting you mount the back of the bike as he slipped his own helmet on and threw himself in front of you.

You wound your arms around his waist as he started up the motorcycle, the vehicle jumping to life underneath you both as he sped off, not before letting the back tire dig a hole into the soil of the plants decorating the Club’s parking lot.

RETURNING TO KILDARE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL WASN’T EXACTLY ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES AT THE MOMENT. You didn’t exactly know what to expect when walking through the doors but you figured it couldn’t be that bad…

You figured wrong. 

You and JJ had just pulled up behind Kie’s SUV in your newly revived Ford Bronco, car doors slamming almost simultaneously as you all got out. Nothing had felt the same in the past few weeks. And you meant nothing. Walking into school used to be no big deal. Now it felt like a task to keep your head down.

Kie and Pope had been a few times since everything went down, so the kids were more focused on you and JJ.

The students gawked at the two of you like escaped zoo animals, pointing and whispering. Some not making any effort to conceal their gossip.

“I wasn’t sure they’d ever show up.”

“I heard they got arrested.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me.”

You heard Kie sigh heavily, trying to keep looking ahead. But looking ahead only made things worse. 

The school had this big rock that sat in the middle of the front yard. It was blank before, maybe save for some graffiti here and there. Now, it was covered with pictures of John B and all sorts of memorabilia. For kids who all thought he was some kind of murderer, they were quick to write his name in spray paint and take pictures next to a glamorized rock. 

“Think they had something to do with it?”

“They had to.”

Even now, the whispers and staring eyes were such a slap in the face. John B was everything to all of you and the audacity of all these kids who’d been going to school with you all for years to think you had something to do with anything that happened to him or what they were trying to say he did…

It made you so angry. 

“Fuck this.” You spat, hiking your backpack further up your shoulder. “I’m not staying here for this shit.” You declared, ready to turn on your heels and leave. You didn’t have to stay here and be these kids' mascot for the day. You’d take summer school over this. You hadn’t even taken a full step away before a hand on your shoulder was pulling you back.

You looked up to see JJ, glaring at him with squinted eyes and a hard expression “Don’t leave.” He pleaded, looking you in the eyes. “Six hours.” He said. “Okay, you just have to sit through it for six hours and we can leave, go back to The Chateau, make noodles and watch that reality show you love so much.” 

You stood there for a moment, not saying anything until Kie piped up. “He’s right. We gotta stick together.” You figured they were right. The four of you had already lost one friend. Better not to abandon who’s left.

You sighed. “...Okay.” You huffed. They all smiled smally. None of you had really smiled much anymore. But it gave you the smallest piece of hope that maybe one day everything would feel normal again. 

“...AND THE SLAVE BECOMES THE NEW RULER.” Mr.Sunn read aloud, back facing the class as you took notes, trying to avoid the frequent fleeting eyes of your classmates made it a lot easier to do your schoolwork than you thought. You could still feel the stares, but as long as you didn’t see them, you couldn’t get upset, which means you didn’t do anything “impulsive” as Pope put it. “Now, Diocletian splits the sprawling Roman Empire-” The teacher’s words were cut off by a chorus of phones going off at once, the chimes all similar to yours, Kie’s, Pope’s, and JJ’s. You knew for sure that one of them was yours, the desk vibrating underneath your hand. “-Into four separate kingdoms.” He finished, now facing the class, eyes scanning the room. “...Whose phone was that?” 

You remained silent, stealthily sliding the device off the desk as you sat your face in your free palm. “...Nobody?” The educator continued to press. “You will be tested on this.” He warned before nodding, turning back around to the chalkboard. “Now, who was Diocletian? An ex-slave who became the ruler of the Roman Empire…”

You leaned back in your chair as the man continued teaching, opening your phone to reveal a notification. 

Unknown Number

1 iMessage

You looked up at your friends, Kie the closest to you whispering. “Did you get it?” She asked all of you. You nodded in her direction. Who’d be group texting the four of you only? Sure, you had your fair share of trolls since everything went down, but nobody had said much recently. 

You and JJ shared looks, being the farthest two across the room, you both got out of your seats and crept quietly over to Pope and Kie, crouching in between the two. You all opened the text simultaneously, an image being the first thing to pop up. 

It made your heart stop. It was a picture of Sarah and John B. A picture you’d never seen before.

“Oh my God…” Kie whispered, straightening in her seat. You and JJ shared a look, being the first two to practically bolt out of the classroom, Kie and Pope lagging behind. You darted out into the hall, almost bum rushing a janitor.

“There’s no way it’s real, right?” You panted, trying to keep with the blonde as the other two caught up. “Right?” You asked again as the four of you burst through the doors to the courtyard.

“I mean, is that even possible?” Kiara added, skipping down the steps. “Shoupe said that they didn’t make it. That’s what he said.” She worried, throwing her school bag down on the nearest table. There were only two people out here, a couple minding their own a handful of feet away. 

You sat on the table top as you all crowded around one another, phones still in hand. “Maybe we’re overreacting right now ‘cause we can’t rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of sick joke.” Pope said as he and JJ sat on a table across from you and Kie.

“What if it’s actually him, though?” JJ proposed, leaning his elbows on his thighs. 

“We'll never know unless we ask.” You said with finality in your voice, opening up the text thread and typing. 

You

Is this really you?

Moments of silence went by before you saw those three dots start to bounce on the screen. “He’s typing.” You perked up, eyes looking up from the screen for a moment when you heard the reply come in. 

Unknown

Is JJ there?

Your brows furrowed, looking up from your phone and instead at the blonde looking down at his own. You saw him typing with a serious expression written across his face.

JJ

I’m here Bree

Moments went by once more as the person on the other end typed, it felt like you were all waiting for a bomb to go off when your phones chimed once more.

Unknown

Did you pimp my shortboard?

Silence went by for a few seconds before you all chuckled, one after the other. The saddest yet relieved chuckles you had let out in the last month.

“It’s him.” You tearfully laughed out, throwing your head back to look at the sky gratefully for a brief moment. You could feel tears in your eyes but they weren’t enough to fall down. Bringing your head back down, you looked over at Kie, both of you sharing bright smiles and throwing yourselves into a hug. 

You released one another to go over to the guys. JJ had stood at some point and you couldn’t stop yourself from jumping on the blonde, wrapping your legs around his waist and arms around his neck as he held you tightly and spun you around, cheering. 

You couldn’t contain your watery laughter, still latching to the boy when one of your arms reached out to dap up Pope. You unwound yourself from JJ, the Maybank boy setting you down gently. Your noses brushed against one another as he let you slide down the length of his body, your breathing hitching for a moment before you backed away.

Your phones chimed again, another message coming through.

Unknown

Laying super low in Nassau

“How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?” Kiara inquired, browns pinched together as she stared at the text on screen. 

JJ just shrugged, a lazy smile on his features. “Can’t kill a pogue, dude.” He said gleefully, you and Pope laughing along. He had a point. Shoupe made it seem like John B and Sarah had zero chances of making it in that storm. But you figured his word was never to be trusted. Your thoughts were interrupted when your phone buzzed again.

Unknown

Can you clear my name? Wanna come home

You couldn’t do anything but roll your eyes, a sassy smile on your face. “Duh, we’ll clear his name. Is he joking?” You proclaimed. You’d torch the Sheriff’s Station if it meant John B could come home.

Unknown

Be in touch. P4L.

The four of you looked at the boy’s last text with smiles, JJ being the first to cheer. “P4L, man. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” He cheered, snatching the baseball cap off of his head. The blonde jumped up on the empty table, the three of you laughing at his display of excitement. “P4L, baby!”

THE FOUR OF YOU HAD DECIDED TO DITCH THE REST OF THE SCHOOL DAY,  going to the docks behind The Wreck. You were still kind of reeling. You don’t know how to describe the feeling of having someone you love basically come back from the dead, even if the dead part was only really in your mind.

“So, we goin’ to the Bahamas or what?” JJ asked, throwing his bag on the wooden bench as Pope and Kie sat down. 

The brown-haired girl scoffed, leaning back on her hands. “There’s absolutely no way we’re getting to the Bahamas.” She dismissed the blonde, shaking her head. 

“Well, John B is gonna get cuffed sooner rather than later.” You chipped in, standing with your arms crossed and eyes squinted from the harsh sun, the wind blowing your hair. “If we’re gonna clear his name, we have to do it, like, now.”

“I’ll tell you how we can do it.” JJ said, leaning over the wooden railing.

“Oh, you have it all planned out?” Pope poked, eyeing the blonde with a usual amount of skepticism.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” JJ stood up straight, in front of the three of you as if he was presenting. His usual level of theatrics returning in full swing. The thought made you smile a bit. “We kidnap Rafe.” That made your smile fall. 

“I’m sorry.” You waved your hands in front of you, a look of bewilderment written across your face. "What?”

“We kidnap Rafe, tie him up and stick the gun in his mouth,” He reiterated, using his hands to mimic a gun. “And just wait ‘til he starts squawking.”

“Y’know, under other circumstances, I’d be fully on board with that.” You shrugged, looking at the other two who looked at you just as shocked as they were looking at JJ. “What? What’d I do?” You asked, to which they simply shook their heads.

“You know, torture’s a war crime.” Kie informed, eyes locked on you and JJ specifically.  

“Yeah,” Pope added, agreeing with her. “So, how exactly do you plan to clear John B’s name from a prison cell? Because that’s a felony.” 

“Okay, well, what ideas do you two have?” You asked, shifting your weight and giving the two opposers the floor. 

“All we need is a material witness.” Pope put on the table. “We saw Ward’s plane fly right above our heads with the gold inside of it. He didn’t fly it. If somebody else flew, they were there on the tarmac. They saw Peterkin get murdered.” He explained, you and JJ both taking a seat as he continued on. “We just have to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record.”

Kie shrugged from her spot, her brown eyes on Pope. “How are we supposed to do that?”

Pope pondered on the question for a moment, head bobbing as he did so. “...A little light espionage.”

JJ smiled from his place next to you, sliding the baseball cap over his mess of blonde strands. “A little ghost recon.”

KIE TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO DRIVE THE FOUR OF YOU DOWN TO THE PILOT’S HOUSE. It didn’t take much to figure out who he was — some middle aged white-man named Gavin, lived a couple miles out in a small house with his wife. You were all still on the road, still a good twenty minutes from your destination. 

“If this guy flew planes for Ward, he'd be pretty tight-lipped.” Pope said from the passenger seat, Kiara driving with you and JJ in the back. There was still a lingering cloud over you two but nothing that hindered the friendship. Or whatever it was now.

“So, then direct approach gets my vote.” JJ said simply, cocking back the gun you didn’t even know he’d brought with him. Although, you weren’t surprised.

“JJ, no.” Pope scolded him like a child. “Put the gun down, man.”

“We gotta keep this simple or else we’ll never get John B off.” 

“I agree.” You shrugged, eyes staring out the window as the trees passed by. 

“Not helping.” Pope reprimanded you as well. 

“Wasn’t trying to.”

“No guns, no violence. We’ll just simply tickle the wire.” Pope informed you all, holding an airpod between his fingers. “I plant my phone in his car, and then we listen in on your AirPods.”

Kie shrugged as she drove, both hands on the wheel. “Sounds like a solid plan to me.” The car pulling to a slow stop in front of the house. It was a decent sized home — two stories, a backyard, a garage, not any neighbors within walking distance. It seemed Ward had to have been paying this man well.

“I think this is his house.” Pope peeked out of Kie’s window to get a good look at the house, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Alright, uh, honk or yell or something if you see something suspicious.” He said, opening the passenger side door and getting out, crouching through the greenery to get around the house.

The car went silent as you all watched him disappear around the side of the house, JJ leaning back before speaking, his words directed at Kie. He wasn’t a fan of silence — no matter how awkward or comfortable. You’d noticed that over the years. “How’s it been goin’, Kie? Y’know, with Pope and all?”

“It’s good.” The girl replied shortly, not really able to see her face as she continued staring out of her own window.

“It’s good? All right…” JJ trailed off, tapping his fingers. You knew that meant another question was coming, a small smile making its way on your face. “In the bedroom, is he like, kinda freaky, ‘cause it’s Pope, y’know?”

At that, Kie turned around, looking between annoyance and disgust on her face that made you hold back a laugh. “Why are you asking?”

JJ just shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “I dunno. Just curious. Just spitballin’ here.” The girl simply turned back around in her seat.

“You don’t need to spitball.” She said, shoulders square. “We could sit in silence.” She suggested, staring back out the window once again. “Or we could talk about you two, since we’re spitballing.” Kiara threw out, the odd suggestion making you reel your neck back.

“What do you mean ‘talk about us’?” You asked, eyes fleeting towards JJ whose eyes were on you, the blonde taking a gulp and looking out of the window. You doubted he’d told Kie or Pope anything about what happened. But maybe he did?

Kiara just chuckled humorlessly from the driver’s seat. “Nevermind.”

You’d noticed Kiara’s odd behavior a few weeks ago. She kept dropping passive-aggressive comments as if she knew something but you’d chalked it up to John B and Sarah’s disappearance taking a toll on her. But there really was no excuse now. You’d wondered if you’d done something, but you kept drawing blanks. 

Just then, Pope jumped back into the vehicle, the atmosphere having shifted in energy. “Okay, phase one complete.” He panted breathlessly with a smile, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Nobody replied or responded, causing the boy to look around the car awkwardly. “...We all good?”

THE SUN HAD GONE DOWN ODDLY FAST IN THE TIME YOU’D BEEN WAITING TO “TICKLE THE WIRE”. Pope figured it was best not to do it right away in case someone had seen him sneaking around the house. But almost an hour had passed and he was giving the green light.

“So, whose tickling?” The dark-skinned boy asked. “‘Cause I planted the wire so, someone else has to volunteer as tribute.”

“I drove.” Kie threw her hands in surrender, both pairs of eyes turning to you and JJ in the back. You rolled your eyes and grabbed the phone.

“I’ll do it.” You said, to which the blonde pouted and shifted in his seat.

“What if I wanted to do it?”

Your face twisted in a ‘are you serious?’ kind of manner before speaking. “Because you always try to disguise your voice as a woman and you end up sounding like a recovering female nicotine addict.”

“That is not true-”

“It is true-”

“I have a very lovely, feminine voice-”

“Guys!” Kiara shouted, eyes darting between the both of you. “Can we please focus?” You sighed and pressed call. The phone rang four times before it was picked up.

“Hello?”

“Uh- Hello?” You attempted in a deep, masculine voice that came out nothing like one. You decided to ditch the cover up and use your real voice. Clearing your throat, you spoke again in your regular voice. “Is this Gavin?”

“...This is Gavin. Who’s this?”

You looked around at the three people in the car with you, a second of hesitation. “I know what happened on the tarmac.”

The man on the other end let out a nervous chuckle, perhaps he was around people. “...Who is this?”

The first step was done — get him rattled. Now you had to let him know about the leverage, without letting him onto who you were. “I know it was Rafe Cameron who killed Sheriff Peterkin. And I know you knew about it and lied to the police.”

“Okay, who the hell is this? I’m not kidding around.”

“I have proof.”

“You’re gonna tell me who this is right now, or I swear-”

“You could’ve saved Peterkin, Gavin, and you didn’t. You chose not to. And you’re not getting away with it.”

“Listen to me!”

“None of you are.”

“Who is this?! Who-” The man’s yelling was cut off when you ended the call, heart pounding wildly against your ribcage. You sat the phone down on the center console, leaning back into your seat.

“Was that okay?” You asked, an air of uncertainty to your tone, hoping you didn’t say too much.

“Yeah, that was perfect.” Pope assured, JJ giving you a high five. “All right, we tickled the wire. Phase two complete. Now, we wait and listen…” He explained, pulling out the airpods. He was about to put both in when you stopped him.

“Give me one.” You said with your hand out, palm up. “I tickled the wire so I should get to listen, it's only fair.” Pope shrugged, seeing no flaw in your logic as he gave up an airpod. Gavin’s headlights shone through the bushes just as you put the airpod in.

“All right, here he comes. Stay down.” Pope whispered, all four of you sliding down in your seats. Gavin’s car drove by, all of you straightening back up as his car disappeared behind  Kie’s. 

“He didn���t see us. Hit it.” JJ declared, Kie putting the car into drive and following Gavin as stealthily as possible, but close enough that the bluetooth would work. Within a few minutes, you and Pope could hear from the inside of Gavin’s vehicle.

“Call Ward Cameron.” His voice boomed through the earbud, phone ringing echoing out next. 

“What’s happening?” Kie asked, head whipping between Pope and the road, JJ’s eyes were glued to you.

“He’s calling Ward.” Pope said shortly, trying to focus on listening. The audio was muffled and borderline inaudible, you were only able to make out a few words.

“The audio is bad. Kie, you need to get closer.” You said, hand on the back of the driver’s seat.

“I’m trying.” The girl assured, accelerating the vehicle in the slightest. The closer she got, the clearer the audio came in. 

“I need to be paid more, alright?”

“You need to stop and think very carefully about what you’re about to say here, okay,” Ward’s voice emerged. “Because I have treated you very well. And I can’t figure out why I should give you one more damn penny-”

“I’ve got something that could put you away for life, Ward!” 

“What are you talking about?”

“I…I’ve got the gun, Ward, that your son used. I have it. I know you told me to get rid of it but I know how you work. So, I kept it.” You and Pope shared a look of astonishment, not going unnoticed by the blonde next to you.

“What? What is it?” You turned your attention to him.

“Gavin has the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin.” You told him, voice low as you continued listening.

“Somebody called me, okay?” Gavin continued, frantic and talking a mile a minute. “People are onto me. Somebody knows what’s going on.”

“Gavin’s trying to use the gun as leverage to get more money out of Ward.” Pope concluded.

“Nobody is onto you. There’s nobody that knows anything. Somebody is just screwing around with you, you just gotta calm down.” Ward tried to coax the man. 

“I want triple and I want the plane.” Gavin told Ward, conviction in his voice. 

“I can’t do that.”

“I don’t care.” Gavin cut him off. “You have to figure it out, I’ve got the gun!”

“Shit, he’s pulling over.” Kiara panicked, the SUV slowing in its movements. “Do I pull behind him? What do I do?!” 

“Just go around the block.” You commanded quickly with little thought, hopefully you'd still be able to catch most of the conversation.

“I want the money, now. You need to meet me tonight.” As Kie passed Gavin’s truck and made the first turn around the corner, the airpods went static, no more audio passing through.

“I can’t hear anything. I’m losing the signal.” Pope warned, tapping the earbud as if that would make it work. And as if things couldn’t get worse, Kie’s car pulled up to a ‘ROAD CLOSED’ sign, rendering you unable to go around the block as planned.

“What the hell is this?” Pope exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat.

“I’ll just back up and turn around.” Kie stuttered, putting the car in reverse right before a construction truck blocked the path behind the car. Luck was not on your side tonight, you guessed.

“Fuck it.” You muttered before jumping out of the backseat and booking it through the grass, JJ calling your name the loudest as the sound of another car door slamming was heard in the distance, Kiara then calling out for Pope. 

You booked it through some poor family’s backyard, triggering their motion sensor lights as you hopped the fence into the next. This time, interrupting some kid’s idea of a pool party. 

“Hey, Y/N!” A girl’s voice called, you looking to the side to see a brunette girl — Samantha from your history class. You gave her a quick smile and wave, nearly tripping over your feet as you did so. You could hear audio again right as the squad of kids disappeared from your sight, stopping in the middle of an unclaimed patch of grass as Pope skirted to a stop next to you, sliding.

“Gavin, you can meet me now at the construction site near that surf shop. Do you understand?” Ward’s voice crackled through. “You bring the gun, I will bring you your money. And then we’re done.”

“Yes, okay. I’ll, um, I’ll see you there.” Then the call was ending and Gavin’s truck was driving off. You took the airpod out of your ear just as Kie and JJ caught up to the two of you, both out of breath.

“What?” JJ said, throwing his hands out and stepping closer. “What’s that look?”

“He’s meeting Ward like, right now.” You told them enthusiastically. “We gotta go. Now.” You instructed, walking up to him and patting his shoulder before running back in the direction you came. “Now!”

THE FOUR YOU FOLLOWED GAVIN TO THE MEETUP SPOT WITH WARD. Some old surf shop off an old street, fairly unoccupied considering a lot of the buildings were being renovated. It was pouring cats and dogs and Pope had some old-timey camera he was using to look at things from afar.

“Nice camera, where’d you dig up that relic?” JJ jabbed, raindrops making his hair stick to his forehead, despite the baseball cap on his head. “Why not just use your phone?”

“Well, first of all, I like my antique electronics.” He sassed back at the blonde, face concealed by the black and blue plaid hood he had over his head. “Secondly, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away.”

“Lord of The Dorks.” Kiara joked.

You shrugged, tugging your own hoodie farther over your head. “Gotta hand it to him. It’s comin’ in hella handy now.” Just then you spotted the unmistakable figure of Ward Cameron running down the road in the rain, large bag in hand. “There he is.” You pointed out to the others.

“Yo, get down.” JJ whispered, the four of you ducking further below the wooden fence you were hiding behind. “There’s Gavin.” JJ pointed just as the man in question came jogging in from the opposite direction, both men entering the empty construction site. 

Pope stood his full height again, peeping through the camera. “Where are you going?...” He said to no one in particular as the two men disappeared within the building. “No, no, shit. I’m losing them.” He scolded, retracting the camera from his face. “We need to get higher.”

“I think I saw a fire escape back down the alley. Think it could get us to the roof?” You informed, licking the rainwater from your lips. 

“Better than nothing.” Pope replied, the three of you scurrying to follow your lead to the rickety fire escape you’d spotted minutes ago. As you expected, it got you high enough to see more clearly within the unfinished structure, a clear outline of two shadows from where you stood.

Pope wasted no time in kneeling behind the wall, camera to eye as you all waited for him to say something. “Okay, I can see them.” The anticipation was killing you, nothing but the sounds of rain and thunder while you waited for Pope to notice anything, anything he could take a picture of and give to the police.

Even though, admittedly, you weren’t sure the cops were on your side after everything that happened. Shoupe considered Ward a good friend, so whatever you gave him better be damn good, or at least good enough for him to look into Ward himself.

“I wish we could hear.” You threw out, still waiting for Pope to say something. 

“Ward just handed Gavin something. I think it’s the duffel bag he had with him.” The boy finally spoke. 

“Guys, I think this a payoff.” JJ voiced his thoughts. You simply scoffed.

“Of course, it’s a payoff. But do we really think Ward is just going to give into blackmail? He has to have something up his sleeve…” You suggested.

“...Gavin doesn’t look happy about something.” Pope perked up, zooming the lens in even further. “He’s yelling at Ward.” You could see the silhouette of the men, the larger one pointing harshly at the other. Within seconds, it looked like the two men were fighting. “Shit…”

“What’s going on?” Kiara demanded to know.

“I dunno,” Pope replied frantically trying to steady the camera with their rapid movements. “It looks like they’re fighting over something. Ward’s kickin’ the shit out of Gavin…”

“What is it?” JJ asked, the question on the tip of your own tongue.

“Can you see what they’re fighting over?” You piped up.

“No, I…” Pope stuttered over his words, watching the men continue to fight like dogs before the smaller shadow, who you guessed to be Ward, threw Gavin into some kind of structure, his body hunched over in pain, it seemed. “Holy shit. Ward’s got a gun, he just took it off Gavin.”

“Probably the one Rafe used to shoot Peterkin.” You concluded, crouching closer to the edge as rain obscured your vision. Silence filled the rooftop, watching the two men from afar. It looked Ward was walking off until he stopped in his tracks, his figure turning around in one swift motion and shooting Gavin point blank. You audibly gasped, crouching behind the wall completely as the others followed suit, Pope letting the camera fall from his face in shock.

“Oh my God!” Kie whisper-yelled. “That did not just happen.”

“Pope…” JJ croaked, recovering from his shock as Pope edged back up the wall, putting the camera back in front of his vision. “Tell me you just got that.”

Pope nodded. “Enough to put this asshole away for life.” He said, still looking through the lens. Ward’s figure suddenly stepped out of the structure, looking straight and nearly catching the four of you before you all ducked. It looked like he was looking for something. The thought of him seeing you didn’t instill as much fear as you thought it would, almost like you wanted him to.

“I think we should go now.” JJ suggested, the four of you getting up before Pope spoke again.

“Hold on, he’s coming out now.” He told you all, watching Ward’s figure roam the flooded streets. “I think he’s looking for the gun.” He said curiously, the remaining three of you watching with naked eyes as Ward crouched over a sewage drain. “I think the gun just went down the drain. He’s trying to get it…”

“Hold this,” Kie threw her bag in you and JJ’s direction, the pair exchanging a glance as she stood up on the edge, cupping her hands over her mouth. “Murderer!” Your eyes went wide as you and JJ attempted to pull the girl down back behind the wall. What was she thinking? “What is wrong with you?! Killer!” You and JJ managed to successfully pull her down, the girl shrugging both of you off.

“The fuck’s wrong with you? That doesn’t solve anything or help us, at all.” You scolded, angry at the girl's impulsiveness. Lord knows what could’ve happened if he saw you all. And who's to say he didn’t?

“I don’t care if he hears me. He’s a murderer.” She spat back.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure the murderer knows that he’s a murderer, Kiara. And I don’t think he really cares.” You retorted. “What? You want him to murder us next?”

“Guys…” Pope straightened, removing the lens from his vision once more.”He sees us!” He whisper-yelled. 

“Are you serious?” JJ said, shooting a brief annoyed look at the brown-haired girl. “C’mon, we gotta go.” He instructed, Pope being the first to run down the fire escape, followed by you, JJ, then Kie. You don’t know what happened but, somehow, on the way down, JJ bumped into your back, which caused you to nearly fall on top of Pope, which caused the boy to drop the camera — the device taking at least a ten-foot tumble to the ground. 

“No, no, no…” Pope cried, bolting down the last flight of stairs, picking up the camera out of the mud, which was now in pieces.

“Are you kidding? You fumbled it?” JJ threw his hands out, the boy with the broken camera in his hands whipping around to face you. 

“Y/N pushed me!”

“I didn’t push you!” You argued back, annoyed. “JJ bumped me!”

“Kiara was rushing me down the steps!” JJ defended himself, the three of you turning the girl in question.

“I was trying to hurry!” Was her excuse. Just then, you saw a figure coming down the alley, still too far to be able to see any of you. Hopefully. Instinctively, you grabbed JJ’s wrist and dragged him as you ran.

“He’s coming!” You warned, the four of you jumping over a brick wall and running to where Kie had parked, wasting no time in jumping into the SUV. Sodden clothes sticking to the seats, an unwelcome chill coming over your soaked bodies. 

“Can someone fill me in on what the fuck just happened?” JJ nearly screamed, Pope letting out an angry groan. “Holy shit, I can’t believe it. Wait, what were they fighting over?” The blonde asked, leaning over the passenger seat to look over at the camera in Pope’s hands.

“It was a gun, the one Rafe used. Gavin kept it.” Pope muttered, attempting to get the camera to work again.

“God, pick up, pick up, pick up…” Kie cried from the driver’s seat, all heads turning to her.

“Who are you calling?” JJ asked, face twisting. 

“Who do you think?!” The girl spat back tearfully, thumbs pressing incessantly at the screen.

“The cops?” You asked incredulously.

“Who else am I supposed to call?!” She yelled towards you and JJ in the backseat.

“Why would you call the police? That’s Ward!-” JJ reminded her.

“He has the entire Sheriff’s department in his back pocket! What makes you think that’s a good idea?-” You reprimanded her. 

“Shut up!” She basically screamed at the both of you as an operator picked up. All you could do was sigh. What makes Kiara think she can make decisions for the whole group? Especially with something like this. As if the police didn’t help to run John B into a storm that got you all into this mess in the first place… “Hi, hello? Someone’s been shot at the Grand Street construction site! You guys need to hurry ‘cause he’s dying, I don’t know if he’s already dead or not!”

You just sighed, sliding a palm down your face as she practically screamed at the operator before ending the call. “Okay, well, we can’t just stay here. We’re sitting ducks!” JJ pointed out.

“What do you want me to do?” Kiara cried, looking around the car. 

“Just drive!” Pope told her, the girl changing gears and speeding away from the crime scene.

 

“LOOK, IT WAS RIGHT HERE. THIS IS WHERE THAT MANIAC CLAIMED HIS NEXT VICTIM.” Kiara tried to explain to Shoupe, who’d of course been the one to respond to her 911 call. He’d insisted on taking us to where the “alleged incident happened.”. You simply leaned against a wooden post, letting her rant about crime to a man who would never believe the four of you until the day pigs flew. 

“Right…” Shoupe dragged on, eyes peering at the four of you individually. “And how long ago did you say this happened?”

“Like, forty-five minutes ago.” Kiara estimated, throwing her arms out in confusion. 

“‘Kay…” Shoupe nodded, writing something down in his notepad before looking back up at you all. “And so, Ward Cameron just popped one off and shot him? Execution style?”

“I mean, not exactly execution style,” You jumped after not saying much of anything the entire time, shrugging. “But I digress.”

“And he cleaned it all up in forty-five minutes?” Shoupe asked, a look of disbelief shining through his eyes.

“Yes.” Kiara insisted. “We filmed the entire thing.”

This made the Sheriff perk up. “You filmed it?” He inquired. 

“Yes,” Kiara sighed. “But we can’t show it to you because I rushed JJ down the steps and he bumped into Y/N and she fell into Pope then Pope dropped the camera and it…broke.”

“But we, we were there and we’re witnesses-”

“So, the dog ate your homework?” Shoupe sighed, planting a hand on his hip. 

“No, Shoupe, I know how it sounds-” Kiara pleaded, looking up as she spoke.

“Look, I don’t know what you kids expect me to do with this!” Shoupe scoffed, shaking his head at the four of you. 

“Your job, maybe.” You sassed from your place against the wooden beam. “But I, for one, barely expected you to do that.”

“You four dragged me out here in the middle of the night for nothin’.”

“No, it’s not nothing!” Kiara continued to fight.

“Except for some crazy stories about how Ward Cameron’s out on a random killin’ spree!” He explained.

“We’re not makin’ this up!” JJ jumped in. 

“It’s not a random killing spree.” Pope backed him up. “Gavin was his pilot. He was paying him hush money because he was on the tarmac the day Peterkin was killed, he saw everything.”

“Gavin was blackmailing Ward because Gavin kept the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin.” Kiara added on, using her hands for emphasis.

“He called him here and tried to pay him off but it wasn’t enough so, he shot him. With the murder weapon.” JJ concluded, Shoupe listening to each of their testimonies. You, on the other hand, figured it was pointless. The police would never help out pogues, even if it came at no cost. Ward had Shoupe wrapped around his murderous little fingers.

“...How do you know that?” Shoupe asked the teens.

“Pope did this thing with his phone, he put it in his car and-” Kiara was cut off when Pope explained for himself.

“We heard their whole conversation,” He motioned between himself and you. Shoupe then pointed between you and Pope.

“Y’all wiretapped him?” He interrogated. 

You simply shrugged, looking at Pope then back at Shoupe. “Is that bad or?” Shoupe simply held up his palm.

“Stop. Just stop.” He warned, pointing at all of you. “I’ve had enough.” He concluded, eyeing you all once more before walking off. You let a humorless laugh, pushing yourself off the wall. You expected nothing less. Or anything more.

“You’re just gonna look the other way again?” You shouted after the older man, the four of you trailing after his figure that was going down the steps.

“Why would we make this up?” Kiara whined, trailing behind you. 

“Why can’t you believe us for once?” JJ shouted, heavy combat boots making the most noise against the unfinished wooden steps. 

“All right, there’s nothin’ up there!” Shoupe told his guys as he exited the construction site, the extra deputies and officers piling back into their squad cars and turning their lights off. “False alarm, let’s all go home.” He said, walking towards his own police vehicle, the four of you still hot on his tail.

“What’re you gonna do when his wife comes looking for him? Huh, Shoupe?” You pressed the officer, watching as his hand touched his car door before he turned to you all, a cautious hand outstretched in front of him to keep you all at bay.

“Hey,” he said in a warning tone. “I know you’re upset and I know you think your friend was innocent-”

“He is innocent.” You said with finality, lowering your gaze.

“-But you weren’t there.” He said. “The only actual witnesses who are above ground say the exact opposite. And both of them have a hell of a lot more credibility than any of you, right now.” His eyes drifted towards Kiara. “I saw your little art project on Ward’s wall.” He told her. “Do not do that again. Gonna make things a lot harder for both of us...” He advised, opening his car door and getting in. “Go home.” He waved the four of you off as he shut his door and drove off. 

“I told you this would happen.” JJ scolded Kiara, snatching the baseball cap off of his head as you and Pope walked in front of the two. “Like, you’re the one that had to drop the camera.” He turned his attention to Pope, who paid him no mind. Kiara, however, did.

“It was your fault!” She told the blonde, turning to face him.

“That was my fault?” He asked, unbelievably. “Why do you always take his side?”

“Oh, the same way you always take hers?!” Kiara spat back, prompting you to turn on your heels. 

“What do I have to do with this?” You asked, pointing towards yourself. “You’re the reason the camera's broken!” You threw at Kie. 

“Guys...” Pope tried to no avail.

“And of course you come to his defense! I wasn’t even talking to you!” Kiara retorted, throwing her arms out at her sides.

“I was coming to my own defense, thank you.” You sassed back.

“Guys!” Pope tried once more, all of your angry eyes snapping towards the boy. “We’re not out of this yet.” He told you three, turning back and looking down at the sewage drain in front of his feet. “We can still go get the gun.”

“WELL, IT’S NOT IN THE TRASH, SO…” JJ breathed out, throwing the last trash bag from the drain onto the ground. It was the next morning and the four of you didn’t waste a second of sunlight before heading for the creek where the drain let out. The boys had spent the last hour pulling trash bags out of the drain while you and Kie searched them with no luck. 

“It’s gotta be in the storm drain, then.” Pope concluded, taking deep breaths with his hands clasped on top of his head. 

“Of course it is.” Kiara scoffed, shaking the messy bun on top of her head. “So, what’re we gonna do? Play rock, paper, scissors?” She suggested, throwing her arms out to her sides. JJ retrieved a crowbar from his bag that he’d insisted on bringing before the two of you left The Chateau. He and Pope pried the crate over the drain open as Kie continued talking while you fanned yourself, the Outer Banks sun making you sweat bullets. “Or, like, oldest goes first?”

The boys groaned as the crate opened wide enough for one of you to fit through, standing up straight and panting, JJ spoke. “There’s this worm down there — it gets into your blood and has to come out through your pecker. So, that would be a hard pass for me.” He declared his stance, eyes squinting from the sun as he adjusted the cap on his head. 

“That’s gonna be a no from me, too.” Pope raised his hand with the other on his hip, staring down at his feet. 

“No, I get it,” Kie smiled mischievously. “You guys are scared.” She mocked.

“Okay, why don’t you go in, then?” Pope threw out. Kiara just shrugged, looking away from the group.

“I just spent an hour digging through trash, so,” She informed, pursing her lips as her eyes drifted to you, the other two pairs of eyes following her lead. You immediately threw your hands out, letting them slap your thighs.

“For the record, we both spent the last hour digging through trash,” You retorted, squinting your eyes at them. “But since you’re all a bunch of pussies…” You taunted, holding your hands up in surrender as you walked to the entrance of the drain, the three of them protesting behind you.

“Woah, now…”

“I just don’t want pecker worms.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Wouldn’t want y’all getting pecker worms, right?” You assured, getting on your knees as they hit the little puddle of water seeping from the drain, the dark tunnel staring you back in the face. The smell of the drain was already wafting up your nose. “Gross…” You muttered, shaking it off.

You didn’t waste any time crawling forward on your hands and knees, water splashing after each step. “And hey,” JJ’s voice sounded behind you before you got too far, looking back to find his face. “Just, uh, be careful. Alright?”

You looked the boy up and down for a moment, not judgmentally just observantly. You never noticed how blue his eyes actually were before now, or how his eyes resembled those of a puppy when he was genuinely worried. Realizing you’d just been staring, you swallowed and nodded, “Got it. Can’t lose any more pogues, right?” You joked, sending the blonde a wink before turning back around and continuing your crawl into the drain.

The drain smelled of rust and something reminiscent of stale cannabis. Although your frame was small enough to fit through, it was still pretty tight. You made your way further in, inch by inch, loose change and sticks scraping at your arms and legs. You’d had to have been crawling for a couple minutes by now.

“See anything?” Pope’s voice echoed into the pipe.

“Nothing yet.” You called back, coming up on the catch basin. You dragged yourself out of the tunnel, now sitting in at least six inches of rancid drain water. Above you was another sewer crate, allowing the sun to give you some light.

The water wasn’t exactly clear enough to see through, especially with all the soda cans and plastic floating around on the surface. Using your hands, you felt around the bottom of the basin — everybody knows a gun when they feel one. But all you felt was what seemed like rocks, pennies, and lost keys. 

Some long, twine-like structure started to wrap itself around your fingers and your face twisted, lifting your hands to find someone's hair intertwined between your hands. “Ew, ew, ew…” You shook off the hair into a different section of the basin, shaking the disgust off and resuming your search.

All of sudden, you felt something large and hard, grabbing it in both hands. “I think I found something!” You called, lifting the object from the water, but it was no gun. 

“Is it the gun?” Came Pope’s voice but you were too busy inspecting the object — it was heavy, smelly, hairy, and… bloody. Extremely bloody, you couldn’t contain your yelp that came out more like a scream. 

“Oh my- ah, fuck!” You exclaimed, letting the thing fall from your hands back under the water. 

“Are you okay?” JJ’s voice traveled through the drain. “What is it?!”

“There’s something dead down here!” You yelled back, now backed up against the ladder that led up to the drain exit. 

“Don’t touch it, that’s how you get worms!”

“It’s a little too late, J!” You called back, hands slapping against the water in annoyance as you regained your composure. You were about to put your hands back under when your shoe slipped against something in the water. Your brows furrowed, kicking the object around for a moment. “Dear Jesus…” You prayed before reaching your hand back down and picking up the object from under the water — revealing a gun, dripping with water.

You let out a breath of relief, a small smile on your face as you twirled the object around in your hand. You could only hope it was the right gun. Something told you to inspect it — A Colt Rail Gun, serial number starting with 18J.

“Did you find the gun?” Kiara asked. “Y/N, did you find the gun? Is it Gavin’s?” You gathered your breath to respond when something in the way the water moved changed. The water startled to gurgle, the waves moving rapidly — someone was flushing the storm drain.

“Shit,” You cursed, the water getting warmer and more aggressive the more it came your way and you knew it was only a matter of time before it started to rise and you knew you didn’t have nearly enough time to crawl back the way you came. “Guys, the water!” You warned in a panic.

“Dammit! Y/N, get out of there, now!” JJ’s voice boomed over the gurgling of the water. 

“I can’t, there’s no way out!” You told him, you figured your best bet was the sewer opening above you. You hoped by some grace of God that it’d be loose enough for you to push it up. So, you tucked the gun into the waist of your shorts before climbing up the ladder, the water attempting to push your body back through the exit. 

You swore you could hear your friends calling out for you but there was nothing you could do but try and get them to where you were. Reaching the top of the ladder, you pushed and pushed to no avail. The metal wouldn’t budge.

Out of pure frustration, you started banging on the metal grate, the water below you rising by the second. “Help! Guys!” You screamed at the top of your lungs before fitting your fingers through the openings in the grate, wiggling them in the hopes that someone would see or hear you. “JJ! Guys, I’m over here!”

The water was at your chest when you saw what looked like three figures hovering above the sewage grate, a familiar set of fingers brushing against yours just as the water touched the base of your neck. “We’re gonna get you out!” JJ told you, all three of their fingers going through the opening as they attempted to pull as you pushed.

Your arms ached as you used all of your strength, the water touching your chin as you tried to keep your face as close as possible to the opening. “The water’s coming up, guys, come on!” You wailed right before the water went over your head, submerging you underneath as it came up through the grate. You held your breath and continued pushing before you felt the grate open, wasting no time in basically jumping out of the sewer and landing on the street.

You coughed up water, laying on your stomach before pushing yourself up to sit on your knees. You felt two strong yet lanky arms wrap themselves around your shoulders, pulling you into someone’s chest as you caught your breath. “You alright, princess?” JJ’s voice asked next to your ear. You couldn’t help but chuckle through a cough, pushing him off of you playfully, even though one of his hands remained on your shoulder.

Looking up, you didn’t miss the looks of suspicion on Kie and Pope’s faces but you ignored them, leaning back on your arms. Reaching around to the back of your shorts, you pulled out the gun, holding it up like a trophy. “Look what I found.” You taunted with a breathless giggle, wiggling the firearm around in the air. 

Pope and Kiara cheered, smiles on their faces. “Oh my God! Holy shit!” JJ exclaimed, a boyish grin on his face as he pulled a bandana from his pocket and grabbed the gun from your hand gently. 

“You actually did it!” Pope praised, dapping you up. Kiara outstretched a hand to help you up that you accepted, swaying on your feet slightly from dizziness. JJ must’ve noticed, planting a palm on the base of your back to hold you steady.

“Let’s get this baby to Shoupe.” He instructed, still giddy as he threw an arm over your shoulder, pulling you into his side as the four of you walked back to the car. 

“Y’ALL ARE TELLIN’ ME THAT THIS IS THE FIREARM RAFE CAMERON KILLED PETERKIN WITH?” Shoupe inquired, leaning back in his desk chair. You and Kiara sat in the two chairs across from him while Pope and JJ stood on either side of you. JJ had presented the gun to Shoupe — the firearm sitting clean and dry on the man’s desk.

“That’s exactly what we’re saying, Shoupe.” JJ started.

“And it’s the exact same firearm that Ward just used to kill Gavin.” Pope told the man, slamming his hand on the wood of the desk.

Shoupe stuttered over his next words, letting out a sigh before speaking. “And where’s that body again?” 

“Didn’t you check?” Kiara asked, an air of pity in her voice.

“I checked the hospital. I went by his house. He was out.” Shoupe nodded as he spoke, almost as he was trying to get himself to believe something.

“Well, of course he was out, Shoupe.” You piped up, still cold and damp from the sewer water. “He’s dead.”

“Just because he’s not in his damn house does not mean he was the victim of a homicide.” The officer told the four of you, lips curling in frustration. 

“You gotta be kidding.” JJ scoffed, shaking his head and he snatched the hat off of his head. 

“Are you even gonna send it in for ballistics ‘n shit?” You asked, leaning forward in your chair. “Or are you just gonna sit on your ass and continue to pin a murder on a kid who you know didn’t do it?” You pressed, voice biting.

“He’ll sit there and wax that mustache.” JJ taunted, throwing a hand out in the man’s direction. 

“I’ll wax your-” Shoupe stood up from his seat, chair scraping against the floor as he pointed in JJ’s direction before Pope and Kie chipped in, in sync.

“Shut up, JJ!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hurt his feelings?” JJ mocked as Shoupe made his way over to the door of his office, swinging it open.

“Get out. I got work to do.” The Sheriff ordered, motioning his hand outwards for the four of you to leave. “And y’all are smellin’ up my office.” 

Kiara was the first to leave, pushing herself up from her chair and approaching the man at the door. “Did Ward pay you? This doesn’t make any sense…” She said sadly before leaving the office and walking out of the precinct. 

“We brought you the murder weapon,” Pope spoke, walking towards the door. “There’s no logical reason for you not to turn it in.” He suggested and warned at the same time before leaving, leaving just you and JJ left.

You stood up from your seat, scoffing as you and JJ walked towards the man. “Protect and serve, my ass.” You spat, looking the man up and down as you walked out, JJ right behind you.

“You ain’t gonna do shit.” JJ taunted, walking closely behind you as you both left. 

“Out!” Was the last thing Shoupe shouted behind the pair of you as you exited the precinct. 

YOU CAME OUT OF THE BATHROOM AT THE CHATEAU FEELING A LOT CLEANER THAN WHEN YOU WENT IN. You had on an oversized shirt of JJ’s that you’d stolen some weeks ago, a towel wrapped around your head to keep your wet strands from dripping onto your shoulders. Marley greeted you warmly within seconds.

“I know you aren’t actually happy to see me again,” You told the animal, scratching behind her ears as she pawed at your thighs. “You liked it better when I smelled like sewer water.” 

The retriever just panted, mouth open as she cuddled into your legs, appreciating the scratches. You looked up to find JJ sat on the worn couch in the living, eyes on the pair of you. You made your way towards him, Marley following close behind as the nails on her paws scratched against the wood. She hadn’t been properly groomed since you left home — you brushed and bathed her as you could here and there, but you were too cautious to go near her with a pair of clippers and razor for fear of hurting her on accident.

Taking a seat next to JJ, who’d taken a shower before you, you noticed the look of frustration on his face. Kie and Pope had ventured off after taking the two of you home. You nudged the blonde’s shoulder with your own, gaining his attention with a cocked eyebrow.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” You asked, unraveling the towel from your hair. You tried to remain casual. It hadn’t been hard to communicate with JJ after what happened between you both, but it was definitely different.

“We’re running out of options.” JJ sighed, running his fingers through his messy blonde strands of hair. He was shirtless, only in a pair of shorts he slept in regularly. “If we can’t clear Bree’s name-”

“We will.” You affirmed, the boy's eyes connecting with yours. “You know, I don’t know if you remember,” You started, fiddling with your hands in your lap, a small smile on your face as you spoke. “But my dad, he was a really, I don’t know…spiritual guy, I guess. He was really big on karma.” You explained. “He always believed that even if we couldn’t give people what they deserved that the universe would. That’s how he taught me to never lie as a kid, made me believe that his punishment couldn’t be worse than the one the universe would inflict upon me. That if I didn't take accountability for my mistakes on my own, the universe would find a way to hold me accountable. His form of punishment was just yelling and then ice cream anyway, but still,” You told him, both of you laughing softly.

“...All I’m saying is that even if we can’t clear John B’s name, Ward and his psychotic son will get what they deserve.” You said with finality in your voice. At that, JJ smiled.

“Yeah, yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He lightly agreed. 

One glance at your phone had you realizing how late it’d gotten. Gathering your towel and phone, you stood from the couch, JJ’s eyes following your frame. “I should probably get some sleep. You, too.” You yawned.

“See you in the morning?” 

You nodded, about to turn and head for the guest room that was technically his when something urged you to stop. Turning around, you took two swift steps and leaned down to peck the blonde on the cheek softly. “See in the morning, J.” You didn’t stick around long enough to catch his reaction, whistling for Marley to follow behind you, but you could’ve sworn his cheeks were bright red. 

feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading.

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©loveharlow.

[koishua]

content creator year in review!

thank you @daegall for tagging me! i am inviting any creator that sees this tag to also share their year of creating! (please do this i want more fics to read so if you could just run along and tag me yeah ty goodbye </3)

first creation and most recent creation of 2022:

my first creation this year is pretty little flowers, i think. it's a sunghoon hanahaki!au excerpt from a larger fic i had been working on, but then gave up completing, as always. i think i like it a lot.

moments like these. my latest creation! i don't have much to say about it haha honestly i wrote so many different stuff this year that my brain just can't think of more words to write but yeah say olé for jay fluff.

one of your favorite creations of 2022:

rain again. it's a gaon fic and it's one of my favourites to come out of this year. it's a little out there in terms of plot, but it's so comforting for me personally. it was a cathartic experience, writing this, and i just adore the concept of self here.

honorable mention: try again. i was in a slump and decided to make myself feel better by writing this comfort fic. it's a little personal, just like rain again, so i guess that's why i hold this dear to my heart.

one creation you're really proud of:

les mur des j'taimes. me writing this was all spontaneous after i'd visited paris this year haha. i love how sweet and overall wholesome jungwon is in this one.

a creation that took you forever:

when flowers wilt on the 21st of march... don't even get me started on this fic. i despise and adore it to my core. i hope it burns, but also, yeonjun, jay, and heather are everything to me. i have such personal connections with these characters. i cried even thinking about the ending, because it hurt me to hurt them. that's part of the reason why i can't bring myself to finish the other half of it.

a creation from 2022 that received the most notes:

enemies to lovers prompts. i don't know what i put in the pot, but people really seemed to like this, so have it as it is at 5k notes, i think (?).

attractive and cute thing yeonjun does as your bf. now this... this is purely self-indulgent. this was me brainrotting and 2k people agreeing with me </3

a creation from 2022 you think deserved more notes:

this wretched world. i believe it's criminal that this has less than 100 notes. i know i was shadowbanned randomly, but what the heck, tumblr </3 it was my rage-driven brain child. please read this for angry feels. grim reaper/devil!hoon btw idk how to describe this entity.

the way home. i have the biggest thing for strangers!aus and i think this is my favourite one and it hurts me that it hasn't gotten as many notes as my other tubatu drabbles haha but that's okay.

a new fandom you joined and a creation you made for it:

xdinary heroes, all yours. forever in a jooyeon brainrot. they have become one of my favourite groups and i love them so much. domestic aus break me, so i had to write this.

a creation you made that breaks your heart:

you'll be flying. jungwon angsts hurt almost as good as hee/hoon angsts, what can i say? this one was a little personal as well, so i definitely shed a tear or two while writing it. it's one of my favourites.

farewell to a love. so... yeah... obviously a heeseung angst. i don't have anything else to say. i love me some sad hee feels.

a 'simple' creation you really love:

adore you. gyu and busses strike a primal thing in me idk how to explain it. they just make sense. so yes, bad boy gyu simping over reader while going back home. what else do you even want?

a creation that was inspired by another one:

the long night. straight up jack frost!hyunjin. i love peter pan concepts, but i love jack more, so obviously i had to make hyunjin jack. the vibes in this are one of my favourites. please read it if you can, because i need others to squeal about jack frost!hyunjin with me.

some of your favorite content creators from this year:

@neo-shitty @lebrookestore @xdhaven @yyxgin @chocosvt @orpheyeux @indgio @kdyism are the creators i remember reading most often this year! i haven't read here much, but if i did, these are the people who i read from! do check them out, because their writings are incredible.

[sammysvanfeet]

Secret Soulmate || Part One

Jake x Reader - Soulmate AU

Word Count: 2k+

WARNINGS: mentions of death/grieving a family member, fainting

A/N: Here's the first chapter of the new Jake series! Enjoy 💘

As a little girl, I had been told that finding your soulmate, your other half, was an experience nothing short of magical. I’d spent my entire life hoping and dreaming that there was someone out there for me. During my formative years, I had obsessed over who my person might be, what they could look like or where I would meet them. We were taught that our souls had been separated from our mate’s in our past incarnation and we were to spend this lifetime searching for them. The other half to our whole, the person that was destined to complete us. I’d spent twenty-something long years searching for mine and I hadn’t felt it, those sparks, until now. I think deep down, I knew it from the moment I saw him, he was undoubtedly the one. 

The thick summer air was almost cloying, sweet and sticky like candy that even the gentle breeze from the coast did little to offer a reprieve from. I sat in the shade offered by the modest front porch, sticking my arm out into the direct sunlight, almost expecting that I’d recoil and burn like Nosferatu. I wiggled my fingers and made lazy shadow creatures with my outstretched hand, a childish distraction from the many things I should have been doing. The sound of an ice cream truck jingling in the distance brought me back to old times. I had lived in this cottage by the beach almost as long as I could remember. It seemed so big when I was just a tiny young thing, but it had aged just as I had. While it did not increase in size, it had become worn, cracks appeared where the foundation was previously unblemished. It didn’t hold the same wonder and promise that it had when I was a child, but I suppose that was a reflection of the way I was feeling today. 

The unwelcome sound of my mother clearing her throat took me by surprise, causing me to jolt forward and drop the novel I had planned on reading out here. I was unsure just how long I had been sitting on this rocking chair completely lost in thought, but given her raised eyebrows, hands on hips and foot tapping with impatience… it had been entirely too long.

“Y/N, can you come in and help me set the table? This dinner has to be perfect.” She phrased this as a request, even though it was anything but. We tended to get along most days, but on an occasion like today she was inexplicably high strung, a type A perfectionist who wanted to make the very best impression, and all I wanted was to escape into one fantasy or another.

“I’m sorry, I was daydreaming.” I quickly apologized, picking up my book and following her into the house. She stood at the kitchen island where she had been stationed most of the day and resumed polishing her silverware at an impressively aggressive rate, surrounded by stacks of her finest china. I inhaled the smell of the roasting chicken, and eyed the various side dishes that were bubbling and warming on the stovetop.

“Mom, is all of this necessary?” I asked, incredulously, gesturing to the state of the kitchen.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” My mother chided, still buffing away at the cutlery. “You would think that you would be more excited to see your sister for the first time in two years.”

I felt briefly guilty at my lack of enthusiasm over our reunion. It’s not that I didn’t miss my sister, it’s just that I spent so much of my life living in her shadow. Polly was beautiful and popular in high school, whereas I was bookish and reserved. She had all the attention from boys and girls alike her entire life, whereas I was perpetually invisible. She got a scholarship for an esteemed university and graduated with honors, immediately scoring a job at a prestigious legal firm. The way she was going, she was set to make partner before she would even turn 35. And here I was, still in my hometown, running food and bussing tables to pay my share of rent to my mother. I had always paled in comparison to Polly and my mother knew it, too.

“Aren’t you excited to meet her soulmate?” My mother interrupted my train of thought, twisting the knife into me even further. 

She had obsessed over and ingrained the idea of us finding our mates since we were old enough to walk. Sometimes, I doubted that there really was someone for everyone, but the way my parents had loved one another was proof enough that we all had our person out there somewhere. Watching her mourn his loss was almost more painful than the death itself, seeing her turn into a shell of a woman before my very eyes, at such a tender age, was something no child should ever have to go through. She had never recovered from the heartbreak. Perhaps it was a physical pain, an ache from their severed connection; or perhaps it was the fact that she now knew she would spend the rest of her days alone.

Of course, it was my sister who had found her soulmate first. She was only a year older than me, so you would think my time was coming, but I had never had any romantic prospects the way she had. Despite being a hopeless romantic at heart, I was starting to accept that maybe I was destined to end up going through this lifetime alone… just me and my novels. To make matters worse, I was still a virgin, even at my age. I had told myself that there was no point in exchanging my energy with someone through casual sex if it wasn’t the person I was supposed to spend my life with. I had even felt guilty the very few times I had kissed someone, their lips always felt cold and just wrong. 

Excusing myself from the tortuous conversation and my internal spiraling, I dejectedly carried the ornate porcelain plates to our small dining room and began setting a place for four. My mother carried the now shimmering silverware and placed it delicately on stark white woven napkins, smoothing out the tablecloth and smiling at our handiwork. “Perfect, just perfect!” She exclaimed to herself. She wanted to make a good impression, she was nervous… I could tell by the way she fidgeted and fussed around the table.

The chiming of the doorbell rang as if on cue, echoing off of the scuffed hardwood floors. My heart raced, beads of sweat pricked at my palms. Suddenly I felt unprepared for this moment. How was I going to feign happiness for my sister when I was surely to be filled with unbridled jealousy?

“They’re here!” Mom squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. “What are you waiting for? Come greet them at the door with me.”

My mother grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to the foyer. She released me before she straightened out my skirt and brushed her hands off on her checkered apron, taking a steadying breath. After a few more suspenseful moments, she flipped the lock and swung the heavy wooden door open, frowning at the unfortunate creaking. Once she took in Polly’s presence, she immediately began to sob, taking her perfect daughter into a bone crushing hug.

“Moooom!” Polly whined, acting as if she wasn’t eating up the attention, rolling her eyes playfully at me over my mother’s shoulder. I smiled politely in return, unsure of how to act around her now.

Mom released her, wiping away some stray tears before asking the million dollar question, “So… where is he?”

I looked beyond the front porch to the yellow cab parked in front of our home. I couldn’t make out many details at first, but I could tell he had long, brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail, sinfully tight grey pants and a breezy linen shirt. On top of his head was almost a comically cheesy straw hat. He didn’t seem like Polly’s type but who was I to judge? After tipping the cab driver, her mate approached us leisurely, hands full of luggage, whistling without a care in the world. He had an air of confidence, even from afar. I couldn't see his eyes, they were concealed behind a pair of sunglasses, but the second his lips twitched up into a smirk, I felt all the air rush from lungs. I suddenly felt warm, almost feverish. I bought the back of my hand up to my head, checking my temperature. My mother eyed me curiously at the action, to which I faked a reassuring smile. As he got even closer, I began to feel dizzy, everything was way too bright and the light danced around my vision. An aching in my head made it feel ten times its size.

“What’s happening?” I whispered to myself.

All three of them turned to look at me. Polly’s mate removed his glasses and all I could do was gaze into his honey brown irises, noting the worry in them. They were so warm and strangely familiar, I just couldn’t tear my gaze from him. His eyes searched mine in return when his brow furrowed, but I couldn’t place the source of his concern. He opened his mouth to say something, anything… but his words would not come. My sister took this as her cue to introduce her new lover, but at the same time as she spoke, my knees buckled and I found myself collapsing, fading out of consciousness slowly.

The last words I remember hearing before I succumbed to the darkness were, “This is Jake.”

I wanted to resist the sudden pull into consciousness but something was forcing me to awaken. When my eyes had fluttered open completely, I allowed myself a moment to take in my surroundings. Above me was a golden sky peppered with the fluffiest white clouds I had ever seen. I surmised that it must be sunset by the way the sun's rays painted everything in an orange glow. I sat up slowly, taking count of my surroundings; I was alone on the bank of a white sand beach. The tide was low, just barely tickling the shore and there was a noticeable lack of sound. No laughter, no music… not even the cawing of seagulls. 

“Where am I?” I asked aloud, my voice sounding strange and distorted to my own ears.

“Ahh, there she is.” A mysterious voice startled me. I turned to find Jake, my sister’s soulmate, sitting at my side despite the fact that I was very much alone mere moments before.

“Am I dead?” I asked, pinching myself, beginning to feel frightened by the circumstances I had found myself in.

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly, “Not dead. You’ve been out for a while, though. Your mom and sister are worried about you.”

“What happened? How are you even here?” I rubbed my temples, desperately trying to find a plausible explanation for this dreamlike state that I seemed to be in.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He sighed, looking out at the shimmering ocean, “When I looked into your eyes, I felt like we had met before. My heart started racing and I felt an ache in my head, but when you collapsed I could no longer focus on the pain I was feeling, every nerve in my body was set alight but the impulse to catch you, to keep you safe, was much stronger than anything else I have felt in my entire life.”

I reached over to pat his hand, an innocent gesture of reassurance, but when we connected, flashes of past memories and lives long lived together flickered through my mind like the most magnificent film. In the span of seconds, I felt like I had experienced decades. I could tell Jake had seen it too, by the look of stupefaction on his face.

“It can’t be.” He whispered to himself. “I don’t understand.” 

“Jake?” My shaky voice commanded his attention, “I think you’re my soulmate, not Polly’s.”

TAG LIST

@celestialfauna @streamsofstardust @doodle417 @gretavanfle3t @theweightofjake @turtleskane @morganic-goods @loofypoofy @jakeslovehandles @fleet-prodigy @age-of-nyahh @gvfrry @greta-flanveet @way-to-go-lad @trplshotofdopamine @emsgvf @jakeyboiiiiiii @greta-flanveet @jakekiszkasguitarpick @kdarling1 @thecoldwind @theweightofstardust @colorinthisblackandwhiteworld @brokenbellz @mintysammykiszka @lvnterninthenight @jakesgrapejuice

[zamgoods]

Polar Express Heroine and Hero:  Kamala Joe Ticket

Tuesday November 11.24.2020       This eerie 11.10.2004 Christmas fright fest for a children’s movie may contain Easter Eggs of how 2021-2024 will be under Biden-Harris presidency.  You have got to see this movie again to see the parallels. No way I’m making this up. 

This movie is included in the 113 code.  Obvious meaning is 11/3, regarding November 3, 2020 US Presidential election.  We have previously noted other movies like Cars, Chicken Little, Taking of Pelham 123, and Deja Vu using this code.

Well in PE, Billy the Loner’s address is mention several times at the end of the movie to be 11344 Edbrooke Ave, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEfVgIcYNG8&t=4378s

1st of all spoiler alerts galore. Officials and executives who run the world are chosen as children.

2nd of all. Who has a movie where the main characters aren’t given names?  It’s obviously a riddle.  We are supposed to figure out who they are. The main protagonists are just referred to as Hero Boy and Hero Girl in the credits.  But we could call them by hot drinks and you’ll make the connections yourself.  

There is a tantalizing scene where creepy cloned dancing men leave the stolen kids stunned in their seats with brown mustaches and in a drunken state after serving them...”you’ve got it...hot chocolate!”  Later in the movie a cup of “joe” for Hero Boy offered up by a grinchy/scrooge like hobo.  

Now that you know who Hero Boy really is, guess who is the chocolate hottie?  You’ve got it!  Kamala Harris who was bussed to school as a girl, now she is being trained to the North Pole.  Look at the real resemblance of her as a girl at Christmas and Hero Girl.  It’s almost like they copied main elements of this character from this photo, with the exception of the facial features.  Another clue is the barrettes in Hero Girl’s hair.  The reddish lotus like flowers.  It’s what Kamala means. 

See Kamala celebrating Christmas with pig tales, tree and similar attire to Hero Girl.

Third of all.  The Hero girl loses her ticket because of “Cup of Joe,” Hero Boy, taking it, just like Kamala lost her presidential ticket to Joe Biden in the Demo Primaries.  She is taken out of the car as punishment to who knows where by the Ticket Master/ Conductor (Tom Hanks).  Her ticket goes to the wolves and eagles before getting her ticket back from Hero Boy. 

 Remember Kamala was the first to enter the Demo race for President but dropped out early and then on the fateful Aug 11 in 2020, Biden puts her back on the Presidential ticket as his VP.  

Hero Girl goes on to get the honorable LEAD punched into her ticket at the end of the movie because her confidence and sure footed leadership drove the train and pointed the way to the gifts and Santa Claus.  She could hear what Joe couldn’t hear, The music, the jingling bells.  

4th of all. Cup of Joe boy becomes a Believer and can hear the Silver bell. He is s-elected to get the first present by Santa himself.   Wearing a blue robe.  Democratic Blue.    to the left in blue (dem) robe and Kamala to his right.  Hero Boy (left) and Hero Girl  Billy lonely boy(right).  

Joseph Robinette Biden is portrayed in real life as growing up as just your “average Joe.”

Grand Rapids, Michigan is a catch all for present news.  How so?  The 25th Amendment that is all over the news and at the Capitol was ratified on account of the 38th President said to have been raised in Grand Rapids, Gerald Ford.  His accomplished wife, Betty Ford even worked at Herpolsheimers.

Little golden hair boy named Billy to far right.  They help out the lonely little guy, Billy, from the  “wrong side of the tracks” of Grand Rapids, Michigan giving him a cup of hot chocolate and befriending him.  He gets a Christmas gift for the first time ever.  He gets a transforming ticket whose words change yet boil down to the word TRUST.  Put it all together,  Billy can Trust he will start getting money from the Dollar Bill, FED, Treasury, etc.  Maybe even the poor will start getting money.  Stimulus Checks.  Raise in pay, wages.  Who knows...

There is a character known as Know It ALL.  His PJs have Jupiter C printed on it. It also says Explore on his top.  All of the characters represent significant ideas, offices, and much more... The Elves at Santa’s gift headquarters are clearly depicted, they do the accounts, judge who is naughty or nice enough to receive gifts for Christmas and seem like they speak Yiddish.  The use the word Mashooganah. Later Know it all is told that he doesn’t belong.  Think what you want.

5th of all watch the signs.  There is also this pudgy boy with bulls and XXXI and V down the middle of his shirt.  Always look at the signs and x’s.  Roman numerals X is ten. I is one.  V is five.  KNow it All with the classes has a rocket blasting off.  

Perhaps the Ride on Top of the World song sung upon departing from the North Pole, is a clue for the Railroad Ride or being railroaded because it’s all a dream.  Or is it?  

Please note that Time stops at 11:55 pm most of the movie. Until midnight when Santa leaves to drop his Pandemic gifts to the world’s kids from his giant red balloon.  

There’s so much information to gather with this movie.  No wonder so much money was invested in it.  hundreds of millions of dollars.  Yet the computer graphics don’t look so great for the time.  I mean Shrek and other contemporary animation movies were much more appealing.

Just look at the movie with this in mind and see what you think.  It is a crazy ride with so much danger, ups and free falls.  A real horror movie.  So get ready for the scariest 4 years ever.

[santamonicaroleplay]

❝ YOU’RE ALLOWED TO HAVE AN OPINION — AS LONG AS IT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. ❞

NAME: Theodor König GENDER/PRONOUNS: Male, He/Him DATE OF BIRTH: December 2nd, 1984   BIRTH PLACE: Berlin, Germany CURRENT RESIDENCE: Downtown OCCUPATION: Owner/Head Chef at Pläsier Restaurant    FACE CLAIM: Ben Barnes

BIOGRAPHY

trigger warnings: brief mention of cancer 

Born the second oldest of what would grow to be a much larger, bustling family in the small borough of mitte at the center — but, at the time of his birth, belonging to the western half — of the city of Berlin, Theodor König learned from a very young age the meaning of responsibility and accountability. A working-class family, Theo grew up in a chaotic and crowded but inexplicably cozy brownstone with his parents — Levin and Adela, both of whom balanced several jobs to provide for their children — and his maternal grandparents, the latter of whom did most of the work in rearing he and his eight siblings while his parents worked their fingers to the bone to afford their home and everything it took to feed and support their small compound of children. From the time he was old enough to balance on a chair at the counter, Theo found himself drawn to the kitchen, helping his Oma Elke chop vegetables and pluck herbs from their window garden for goulash or kartoffelsuppe, stowing away her traditional German recipes and rustic techniques in his mind long before he could even write them down. He quickly adopted the role of her sous-chef ( and favorite grandson ) where he’d stay for several more years before getting his first job at the age of 12 at the local fleischerei. By that point, he could already debone a fish and break down most common varieties of poultry. In a matter of months, he went from the butcher’s mop boy to his apprentice and would spend hours after school working in the shop alongside owner gÿnter, learning the ins and outs of the art of butchery.

Theo was fourteen years old when cancer of the lungs took his namesake Opa Theodor’s life, and it couldn’t have been more than six months later that his mentor and großmutter followed suit.  ❛ Died of a broken heart, deine oma, ❜ His mother had sworn to him one late night soon after over a half-empty stein as he did that night’s dishes, most of the other children long asleep. Ever the logician, he considered her words to be little more than drunken, sentimental rambling — sweet, yes, but impossible. The following day, he dropped out of school and sought a full-time position at the butchery, his schedule alternating between work and sharing the responsibility of looking after his younger siblings along with his eldest sister. He even picked up a second job bussing tables and doing dishes at a restaurant just a few blocks from his home, scrubbing the kitchen from floor to ceiling long after the chefs had already abandoned their posts. diligent and dependable, Theo kept both jobs for several years until, the Christmas just following his seventeenth birthday, Gÿnter presented him with a gift one night hours after die Metzgerei had closed — a plain white envelope containing a check and a folded sheet of paper, an application for le cordon bleu in Paris. He was shocked, taken aback — he’d never received a gift from his mentor, not beyond the boundless knowledge he had to impart, so to suddenly be presented with something like this — well, it rendered the young butcher and aspiring gastronomer speechless. And as wonderful an offer as it was, he almost refused — how could he leave his family for so long for something so selfish? Theo could hardly fathom the idea. It took much persuasion from nearly everyone close to the young man to convince him to apply, to go. It was an investment, after all — in Theo and in the future of the König family.

Studying the culinary arts at one of the most prestigious schools in Europe was an opportunity and an honor Theo still credits with carving the path for the successful future he’d found. Much like at home, he’d found himself living in a rather crowded apartment in the city of lights as he attended school, working nearly every hour he wasn’t studying or sleeping, taking shifts at kitchens and other odd jobs to not only support himself in his new home but have money to send back to his siblings in Berlin as well. He grew very isolated in the process, focusing all of his time and energy on self-betterment and the pursuit of skill and knowledge and next to none on socializing with his peers or coworkers. Before long, all of the blood, sweat, and tears he’d poured into his education paid off and he was graduating from Le Cordon Bleu with the highest honors. Theo returned home shortly after, proud of the news and looking forward to reuniting with his family once more, but the city of Berlin did not keep him again very long; He quickly discovered that his home could not provide him the same opportunities for personal and economic growth, and after several long months ( and a surprisingly tearful goodbye ) Theo returned to Paris for a position in acclaimed triple-michelin-starred l’ambroisie to work under chef Bernard Pacaud. it was there that Theo discovered and finessed his own personal technique, a hybridized culinary experience drawing from the traditional German roots of his Oma and his Meticulous training in french cuisine. as he grew from line-cook to sous-chef at one of the city’s most prestigious restaurants, so did his salary; He’d gone from sending what he could to help his parents get by to being able to support both himself and his parents’ household, encouraging their early retirement after a lifetime of hard labor.

Theodor remained in Paris through his twenties, collecting awards and accolades and building a name for himself in the upper echelon of France’s elite culinary circles, before the loss of his mother and the scattering of his siblings to all parts of Germany, of Europe at large as they grew older, encouraged him to stretch once more beyond his comfort zone. He was thirty-one when he decided to move to the united states, where his reputation had already preceded him. After spending two years exploring the kitchens of manhattan as a guest in search of somewhere new to flourish, he’d decided the concrete jungle of nNew York wasn’t for him — reminiscent of his hometown in how industrial it seemed. It was the state of California where he fell in love. He’d not seen such beautiful beaches or pleasant weather, palm trees or mountainous cityscape in his life, and he’d quickly decided it would be where he settled. Three years ago, Theo uprooted his nomadic life on the east coast to build a fine-dining establishment of his own design from the ground up. Pläsier is his brainchild in everything from aesthetic and design to the rotating nightly menus that he creates by hand. Theo is thriving now just as much — if not more — than he had in Paris, and he’s done so with his own name. Strict and meticulous, he runs a tight kitchen, but in his three years he’s already earned a Michelin star and young American chefs flock to Pläsier for a chance to work under the classically trained chef. though he has a tendency to be quite arrogant and downright harsh at times, particularly in the kitchen, Theo still has a humble heart under all the bravado — he continues to support his mother and has helped put several of his siblings through secondary schooling, and often sends gifts of gratitude and appreciation to Gÿnther.

[btsreactionsandtexts]

BTS REACT TO: Asked to go to Pride by s/o

Asked Anon:  In that case is it okay if I resubmit it now? It was something along the lines of BTS reaction when their SO asks them to go to pride/pride parade with them?

Another one that should’ve been out long time ago - Admin Dayna

Seokjin

Although he went knowing he wouldn’t quite fit in with it all, he was happy just to be there with you and experience it with you. He fought through his general awkward phase and eventually joined in on the socializing later on into the day. It wasn’t until he was offered some food and drinks when he really got with the spirit of it all.

Yoongi

You asked him if he was down to going with Pride with you and he shrugged all cool like... you know how Yoongi is.

Left the place with his same chic exterior, but when he arrive to Pride and saw how high spirited and exciting the entire event was, he couldn’t keep up his facade any longer. Yoongi and Yourself got caught up in the life of it all and didn’t notice how much you two went in at it until you both laid down and woke up to aching, sore bodies.

Hoseok

EXTRA.

Bitch, he was living for it.

He wasn’t expecting Pride Parade to be as hype as it was. He came as your cheerleader expecting protesting of the sort - but when he saw those drag queens bussing it wide open to Beyonce it was LIT. Hobi knocked out the second he got home, too tired from all the dancing and singing to wash off all the face paint he let some little boy with and sharped eyeliner and cleanest lipstick application you’ve ever seen cover him with.

Namjoon

Down for the cause.

You: You know Pride -

Him: Say no more.

He followed your lead the entire parade. Namjoon was completely in awe by the spirit the people of pride had. They were all so brave to walk out in a public that seemed to hate everything about them. It made him feel proud to be associated with and have the honor of saying he walked among such strong people.

Namjoon rants and raves about how impressed he was by it all. When pride came again the next year, he asked you if he could come himself.

Jimin

Shy Little Mochi™ was hesitant at first.

Jimin wasn’t too sure of how everything necessarily went down during pride. He expected the long walk and all, but the idea of the thousands of people and high-energy party atmosphere was intimidating to say the least. But because you asked him, and you are his jagi, he wanted to go just to support you. 

He was happy he went at the end of the day. The joy on your face and the people around him was seriously contagious.

Taehyung

He had known about Pride prior to. You had mentioned a good month before hand that you were interested in going, but it never settled with him. It was just something that he forgot about a couple minutes later. It doesn’t take much to convince him to go with you either. He was actually looking forward to seeing all the outfits, all the colors, hear the music, and see people dancing and have a good time. 

Sounds like good fun to him.

He spent a good portion of arriving to pride taking pictures and videos of everyone around him. But after a while, the energy of all the pride goers sucked him in, and he left the place with a handful of new friends, and his face covered in paint and glitter.

Jungkook

Like Seokjin, he went with you as support, not necessarily expecting himself to fit in much at all with everyone else. He followed your lead awkwardly, shying away from socializing until a Queen came along and made the two of you feel right at home. She had you guys join her and her friends on a float and the two of you end up having a lot more fun at the parade than initially planned.

On the way home, Jungkook had picked up on some Drag Slang and occasionally uses it for Comedic Relief.

Comedy Queen Kookie, you dig?

[kurasmaniac-blog]

#it needed to be more violent, I’m going to burry you, you don’t have magic.

In the hospital

daddy dropped me

there are historical figures and concubine queens

they chose me as martyr for my workout regime and as reward for my honesty

little girls resemble solid black babies who try and eat your face openly

tried to fix their dented heads when they got dropped from their cribs

syringles full of things slightly acidic

they opened my trachea

i was unconcious and interrogated

i begin smacking them around

TELLING them how stupid it was to do a thing like that

still managed to tell them a few things they didn't know

at home

finger nail clipping troubles

black widow bites

white python with yellow rings

they think they can abandon me if not completely financially

put hom outside

generaly not there very much

where?

pedophile

brother

no tv

on and off one way then the other

they refuse to feed me

two faced talking to kids who would have been my frinds

i don't get hurt very much i guess

tee ball

pedophiles

dented a kids head for harassing me

coach thinks he can fuck my little butt

i knocked half his teeth out

one swing

no damage initially but as he tries to go back to get my poor little butt hole

i was three

they all talk to eachother about what a bad little shit i must be

pedophile kids in day care #1

moved on to a second

fought every kid who asked me

knocked a kids teeth out for being a little mexican and trying to give everyone HIV

teacher knew the two intruders and tried to drug me

one single cop shows up somehow tries to break one of my wrists

i can see he is full of crying and try to assist him mentally

i continue fighting kids relentlessly

residual growing from the drugs

in and out seeing it all conciously

people try to break my legs

their wish dreams begin manafesting showing me broken memories and arguing that they had done what they said

im still 100% in tact

my grandmother on each side trys to rape me

assorted shit they try and feed me

elementary school starting with kindergarten

i rip a little girls broken arm off basically

a few more kids say they have fought me

little girl tries putting paper clips in my head

i bend her jaw with two punches

she loses her mind and says "i just got that off"

my soul smiles up at them openly

first grade second grade the cops had already seen me

i loved jumping off swings

but i had hurt so many people god came down and put my face in the ground

as high as the roof landing solely and flat on my face

i bled crainially

a puddle of clear liquid on my face and desk they would have licked me

stop defending yourself you're fucking the kids up

kid thinks he is hercules and wants to help everyone by trying to break my nose

i lie to him like they had lied to me

my nose is clearly not broken

i lose more of the kids its like they're just not there

i lose the ability to run without pain

dentistry

teeth filed

suppposidly removed for breaking the coaches face

second set is given to me

i had only walked into school twice even at that point

ultra decked a kid because a girl said he was a little fucker "stop raping me" they said

more drugs for beating so many of their children

kids who had been to my house lose it and go after things pets and family

there was supposed to be a funeral at some point they tried to kill me

i broke a toe walking down to the kitchen for a drink

i was sent back home from hell and scared the shit out of everyone royaly

im no longer capable of hearing them try and explain their reasons to me

one night i woke up having to remind myself to breath

brother and girlfriend kill parents

they go after me

putting cigarettes out in my nose

trying to cut

and failing horribly

the girl was daughter of a police officer whose face i had also broken right after his daughter

at a friends house other dad and second son come hope after going to the hospital having tried teaching the boy fighting and yanking his neck breaking the spine they

they had refused treatment and his head falls off in my arms

i had still only used violence defensively

i refuse to take karate for fear of perminantly damaging a student then instructor in that order

on anotyher night the dad of the dead boy tries to fuck my poor little butt hole

my only explanation is i simply don't and can't have the fucking of my butt magically

loss of memory

cop dughter girl has doctors try and cut off my arms and legs leave a for fork in my chest and chain me to my bed

the chains are broken i manifest new arms and legs which i use a bit to grab the girls face a bit and i notice they urge me to not hurt the girl by fading in and out

there are too mny things in my list here for me to just be full of shit believe me

sixth grade camp for 2 of the 7 day week a proctor dissapears for judging me and another kid and trying to put shit on at least my ear

he dissapears

my pants and broken belt fell off in front of a girl and i notice she has trouble not noticing my nuts

jr high first new friend trys to hold me under water but i didn't like it and shattered one of his testicles he has one

at a girls party somehow i overstayed my welcome so they try and cut my face off paint it with tatoo ink burn bitch at then shun me

before i can get out i find myself inside the house and the girl freaks out she wanted me to leave because my mother followed me in and i had to bitch slap her

drugs

i make a big scene talking to my mom on a cell phone they don't like me

the girls dad carrys me outside by the shirt and puts me directly into mothers car

pipe bomb

met tiesto he lived there i guess

the girl was rape/fucked because people knew my parents thinking of them poorly

i would have to have at least one of these mentioned having this many

havent done homework since second grade

little herculese still thinks of bending one of my arms so i shove a foot right up under his girlfriends butt in a class

on an extended field trip a fat kid drugs me and i hear i defiled a sanctuary but don't have memory of crying myself to sleep much less living with it like a mistake at all actually

kids had put shit in their pockets and thought of me

i don't get to go to the girls second party

on the final days of school field trip i miss the buss call but find some kids who stayed also find myself out by a buss and rape a police officer to get myself put home

i had robbed a crain game and grabbed at least 15 stuffed toys

i was punnished for not doing the monkey bars right and dislocate a sholder but still manage to get to the top the climbing pole

teleport frisbe

a bee flies right up into my shorts and didn't seem to want to leave

im debating not going back to add in all the other things for elementary school typing this is tiresome in itself

high school

staying late after school eventually turns to my brother throwing my dad a surprise party where i had died in the bathroom party girl put magnesium on my hed and it melted its way right through me

the bathroom is a mess and my dad watched me die

i pop back up and walk out into the living room naked not having clothes some mexican kids tried to piss all over my room

there must have been something wrong with my dad for refusing reason like he did i hear i knocked teeth out of his face for my poor little butt holes honor

barbeque injector to the heart

huge trap door spider made a snack of me

people tried to kill my cat

loss of vision but there were people who tried talking to me

the police had investigated the corpse in the bathroom and say it wasn't me

i smiled

stabbing for my method of provocation

soemthing fucked me

someone cut the skin off my left arm and tried to wear it

the next day i walk back to the hangout just fine

people threw rocks at my mother i didn't make it all the way home conciously

i thuroughly haunted a school performance and broke a girls face for their indirectivity

my bend in my jaw is still there

i don't go to my fathers house anymore after that party

find myself at my mothers and know not much more than that her housband breathes heavily when hes angry

when im at another house with one of his kids i end up staying for a week strait

when they wre drinking they poison me

on another night i make it too the bathroom after drinking heavily and think of it as a victory

i wake up in the bathroom with my left hand clutched around a puking girls pony tail shes screaming WAKE UP WAKE UP don't put my head in the toilet

as i take it off my hand responds slugishly with each finger prying itself off individually starting from the left pinky

i clutch my hand and call back to sleep

residual

i have a few short visions one of a neck readjustment i enjoy pranoidly

another of my mother and her housband trying to get me to leave that house why not just put me outside

i get a car

i drift around this same turn in my city 10 times having looked at the reason and ignoring my good way out i slam one front left axel into the curb breaking it loose then take a right turn and make it to a spot to park

the tire stayed on and they cannot police me

im gifted a few dips in the road and scrape part of a plastic under carrige piece off partially but being half an inch thick it cannot have happened

i was smoking at a church and let a guy try my manual car without me i hear a loud crash but the car seems fine later i realize he must have tried to blow the transmission seeing how the car acted just after

the car now runs on me

another set of people tests me at first mostly with steroids in a single spot cutting drugging

when someone threatens me i still just tell them to hurry the fuck up

drugs

a few long trips drugs found a girl with "tongue fur" which i cant have because earlier i was given a yellow funguns that was "if you're not dead in a week that's not what this is" i lived and the fungus formed a line around the horizontal rim of my tongue

there is a tackle box on every corner and everyone is on a foreign telephone netowrk

one night i appear just in front of my drive way pull in and am followed throught the door shot up and left unconcious

earlier there had been mexican workers broght from a separate city so many that step father is shuned "you never bring them back"

if a person fails it is clearly their fault or literal mind rape possibly

i made the girl who showed interest hot and for a while she thinks of it as raping me until she gets HIV

the last mentioned group of people one night summon me with wishes to go and have a rave far away and by the end the only thing i can say is they couldn't afford what I bought them by being there

a girl of them is kidnapped and raped supposidly

i tried many times after being shot up maybe 10 times taking pills and not smoking to pull her ass back to my car but the best i can do is offer my sholder for stabbing

the brakes became clogged with sand

we were moved and i took people home

the girl is recovered by one of the group and her authority father she had jondis

the now hot rape girl and a guy had given HIV to many people including both their families

i got a job

i somehow broke the computer system at that restourant but i had been driving my car with parifanalia and a broken tail light for long enough to get the idea i should use this chance to continue my high school work of being there weather anyone liked it or not

the cop whos sons head had fallen off in my arms tied to put a harpoon slug in my left eye

one morning on the way to school my windows had been rolled up and the frost was heavy on my windshield

i back out at a point of defrosting thinking it would clear up but find myself in the same place as before looking right at the answer clearly but not able to act

i passed throught a pillar my mother having been pushed into the drive way and proctor on the corner of my mountain rode street where there were some kids waiting for a buss i had never noticed

hercules had killed one of my cats for raping his home and i end up running over a kid who was playing in the street

the proctor pulls a boi knife and puts it through my face i have a vision of POW soldiers being hydrolically injected so i say no

one of the kids starts yelling about how a little gir had started crying and i pull off to make more magic

parts of the kids body were stuck to the bottom of my car and i took all of it strait to the closest parking space at the school to the school

there were police waiting but they just shoot so i vanish again losing memory not really knowing

the puddle was hercules' little cousin and my cat was at home

i did mushrooms up in the mountains and played car pinball all the way down to a friends house

the police showed up there but i had already fallen asleep from eating too many mushrooms

at the school graduation there was a special surprise for me in the form of some guy holding my diploma who the just ran thinking i didn't have it but did

father was there and tried to rip it in half i vanish again

my year book had been handed around the whole school

i didn't see it at all i'll make some wish for that later as long as not too much is a staged story

many people have HIV at this point

one final night after work i had been drugged for a week or so by the guy who brought the HIV back from cuba

i cant do anything but hurt people

she stood there in the hall unable to call me a bitch without explanation and I finally understood psychology

that part of their face is bent, so is mine but if it actually matters i wont ever care

i don't have HIV but i like to think that maybe some had been let go

i don't know how much of that acid they gave me but i drove home parked turned the music up as my brain dried out

if anyone had an objection i didn't hear of it right then

brother and the second cop had the second cops dad take drills to my teeth at a party i was summoned to

the damage wasnt immediate but later and just some

if that kid was hercules then my tee ball coach was zues whose lack of teeth have fucked my head up for years

i went to the planned parenthood and almost was raped but found myself outside

i was taken to two 5150's where by the end one had missing people the the other had seen me inside a secret wall room

i end up in the mountains one night and a kid with heppatitis shoots me up

everyone has a fucking needle

historical figures all around along with a zues and herculese makes me think there once was an after life but they refused to take responsibility and leave it there before showing up here to rape little boys

i raped and took a walk through the rave in LA one night on invitation apparently party girl told me i was a fagot

i didn't pay but i still even got inside after tiesto himself had failed to just walk up and beat me

once inside i was split into five went everywhere then took a seat up in the top section

they asked me to leave twice played me part of a song saw my brother and floated down to a door across the crowd from where I was

ruffles?

i landed on the other side near the enterance to the VIP section but just walked out into the fog

oh

went the wrong way and found myself home turned the music up and began wrenching around my bent faw right side

finally once i headed around to the back drive way it was loud again but i had a magic barrier that kep the high school kids away and the kids kept the other people away

my head started screaming at me and i was alone with it to beat as time went on

my psichiatrist heard me once say that the human trafficing people couldn't do anything about me either so they decided t kill me

one night i was sick with the flu had a heart attack

another day i went out to mow the lawn but i had gotten so clogged by the medications there was some pain

a while after i see my drivers license picture looks just like the kid from terminator two after he beat that hooker

on walks i found things i had never seen a mushroom that reminded me of a lamp shade red fat butt spiders like a black widow and small tube scrap that looked like it had been cut

i was going to use it as a blunt crutch but thought it might be metal lit one end and held it at the other

it was hot in less than 1 second and probably cold before i dropped it

i think about it having the mark of being cut and a piece left from it being broken off but i don't think people have anything like it

i threw it away thinking nobody would ever give a fuck who cares i found it on a walk no you don't have it

i have the kings crown magnet still

on the way i had broken kids cops an fbi agent but who gives a fuck i was born in a hospital

the phich meds were good for a while and i had gone back to laughing then suddenly it turned drastically to extreme discomfort the word for which people still don't acknowlege

it was that way for at least a year of painful discomfort not being able to sit still or stand

until one day i decided to give a bit and stop taking the medication

then the drugs quietly gently turned back a few different attempts later

but the yelling i had done in my room and the music had attracted me attention again i didn't hear of any of it from a person at all

nother guy dances down my hallway uninvited bounces into my room and tries to flip the light switch but the bulb breaks and im sitting there blinded by the light of my computer screne

they cant hear me thinking

someone got the little girl at the end of the street the tongue fur right the fuck up in the top end of it

i herd some people outside my window even my land lord so i guess they cant get the fuck out of my house either

i got my new house of my own in a mobile home park and in the first few days someone had assigned a hagared lady to try and do "something"

once the pandemic hit in the first few days there was a guy in a truck and not knowing well enough to stay away i talked to him

my casual manerisms concerned the people from down the street

but after the builders tried to crack the house in half and the HIV kids spitting at my father

[shah2323-madtitan]

Pittsburgh Tomorrow Podcast: Richard Florida, Author, “The New Urban Crisis”

Donald Bonk interviews Richard Florida, influential professor, writer and concrete theorist, as a part of the Pittsburgh Tomorrow podcast sequence. That is the second a part of a three-part interview. The transcript is abridged and edited for readability.

View the episode archive here. Learn Richard Florida’s Inventive Class bio here. Learn his College of Toronto bio here.

“I feel focusing actually exhausting on ensuring that Pittsburgh isn’t pulled aside—respect for distinction—might be necessary. The truth that Pittsburgh is blue and purple is necessary. However in Pittsburgh, that isn’t a pitched battle like it’s within the nation. Folks even of their similar household have a Trump supporter and a Biden supporter.” —Richard Florida

Richard Florida’s ultimate quote from Episode 11 (Half 1)

Florida: I feel Pittsburgh might be the perfect, probably the most livable, probably the most sustainable. And I’d echo probably the most racially and economically inclusive. Mayor Peduto is an previous pal of mine from my Pittsburgh days. He’s put an emphasis on inclusive innovation. I feel this concept of a shared prosperity, reminiscent of the union motion, the steelworkers, to individuals who wrestle, who actually fought pitched battles within the streets of Homestead alongside the Monongahela River. I feel Pittsburgh must be the mannequin of the perfect, probably the most equitable, probably the most inclusive, the healthiest, the most secure and most resilient small metropolis on this planet.

Richard Florida Episode 12 (Half 2)

Bonk: That’s extraordinarily useful, simply tying that previous historical past, as a result of the union motion clearly shared wealth. Shared prosperity was Pittsburgh’s story via the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Florida: Take into consideration additionally the devastating influence of the Spanish flu on Pittsburgh: The truth that individuals had been annihilated within the manufacturing unit and metal mill complexes, the truth that there wasn’t entry to well being care, and the way that stimulated a motion in Pittsburgh to offer significantly better public well being.

After which, that mixed with the nice floods and the air air pollution, with the air air pollution contributing to respiratory misery. This different motion after World Warfare II, to sort of do the Renaissance, which wasn’t a lot about altering the economic system because it was about making Pittsburgh a cleaner and safer and higher place to dwell.

If you happen to take the union motion to present working individuals a greater livelihood, and also you mix that with the environmental motion and the motion for well being, Pittsburgh has this sort of innovation in its very DNA. That’s the opposite factor I feel Pittsburgh has going for it within the wake of this COVID disaster.

My view is that the central enterprise district such as you see in Manhattan—the monetary district, the Mid-City Headquarters District—is a relic of the previous. It’s sort of the final echo of the commercial age. It’s what the manufacturing unit complexes had been to Pittsburgh and Detroit. There isn’t a motive that lots of of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of individuals have to get in vehicles and trains and busses and subways and commute a half hour, 45 minutes, an hour, 90 minutes every method to go to work.

Pittsburgh is a metropolis of neighborhoods. At its core, it’s a metropolis of neighborhoods. What urbanists are speaking about at this time is that the COVID disaster creates the power to rebalance metropolitan areas round a set of hubs and spokes. In fact, there’ll be a midtown and a monetary district. There’ll be a downtown Pittsburgh.

However you possibly can think about—there already is—out close to the schools, out in among the northern, southern and western suburbs, creating these spokes, these neighborhoods the place individuals can work, dwell and play and spend much more time with their household. Pittsburgh is completely laid out to do that as a result of it’s a metropolis like Toronto, a metropolis of neighborhoods. It isn’t only a metropolis constructed round one middle core, though it’s middle core, after all, is spectacular. It’s a metropolis constructed round quite a few spectacular neighborhoods with little facilities of their very own. In turning into this new sort of metropolis area, Pittsburgh can construct itself round its nice historical past of neighborhoods as a secure, inclusive and resilient place with round 15 and 20 minute neighborhoods unfold all throughout the area.

Bonk: You’ve listed a variety of concepts when it comes to fairness, innovation and the inexperienced motion. The writer is on this moonshot notion. If you happen to had one massive concept that Pittsburgh may take into consideration adopting, what wouldn’t it be? Do you assume there’s one singular concept amongst these concepts that will be transformative of Pittsburgh’s narrative?

Florida: Yeah, I do. Pittsburgh ought to put collectively each single philanthropic greenback it will possibly. We will go down the listing of foundations and the brand new wealth that’s been created in Pittsburgh, not simply of Pittsburghers in Pittsburgh, however individuals from Pittsburgh who made wealth exterior of Pittsburgh. Put collectively the largest pot of cash—Tepper, Cuban, Heinz, Mellon, Benedum, no matter—to draw the 100 finest and brightest celebrity geniuses on this planet, from pc science and synthetic intelligence to arts and tradition.

One of many issues the COVID disaster has achieved is make individuals really feel unmoored. For the primary time of their lives, individuals are saying, “How do I wish to dwell? I wish to spend extra time with my household. I don’t wish to return to the grind. I don’t wish to get on a aircraft. I don’t wish to go to the workplace day-after-day. I’m working from house. I’m spending time with my spouse and youngsters. Spending extra time with my pals. I’m dwelling in my neighborhood. I’m getting more healthy. I’m using my bike. I’m strolling.”

If Pittsburgh mentioned we wish to appeal to 100 MacArthur Genius Awards—which isn’t a MacArthur Genius Award that claims, “Keep the place you’re”—it will say, “Come to Pittsburgh and be a part of this cohort of 100 of those unbelievably good individuals from throughout disciplines.”

And use this to undergird Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon is the place that’s nonetheless closest to my coronary heart. I feel, pound for pound, Carnegie Mellon College is the best college on this planet. Bar none. It will not be as massive as MIT, will not be as massive as Stanford, however pound for pound, given what it does, as a result of it doesn’t have this grandiosity. It has a humility and the individuals there are simply unimaginable.

I don’t know everyone in my division within the Rotman faculty (College of Toronto), it’s so massive. Ninety 5 thousand college students within the College of Toronto. I knew nearly each college member at Carnegie Mellon. I had a joint appointment in pc science and software program engineering as a result of I used to be working with individuals there.

Anyway, make Pittsburgh the best middle of synthetic intelligence and computer-related, software-related city know-how on this planet. So one genius award every for 100 of the perfect and brightest, however an actual concentrate on synthetic intelligence, significantly because it applies to good cities.

This space of city tech—mobility, surveillance, city automation, supply, we will go right down to listing, micro-mobility—is massive. That is the largest sector of excessive know-how since software program.

Pittsburgh is a laboratory. It has the dimensions to attempt it out. It has Carnegie Mellon. I’d say, general, concentrate on these 100 geniuses, however make an actual deep dive transfer now into making Pittsburgh the middle of synthetic intelligence, computer-related innovation in cities and good cities of city know-how. These two issues are moonshots that may repay.

I keep in mind when Astro Teller (CEO of Google X) was at Carnegie Mellon and he got here up with this firm known as Physique Media, which was one of many first to place a sensor in your arm—I’ve a match bit on my arm now. He was the primary to do this sort of factor. All of that sensor know-how in your home and within the airport, temperature checks, well being checks, we’re going to must outfit elevators and buildings in order that they’re more healthy and safer: That stuff comes out of about 4 universities on this planet, of which Carnegie Mellon is one.

In order that’s the moonshot. The Heart for City Innovation, City Tech and the 100 finest and brightest on this planet come to Pittsburgh with their analysis financed. Boy, it will be one thing that will place Pittsburgh for achievement for the subsequent hundred years.

Bonk: As you mentioned, the human scale that exists permits individuals actually to have a cup of espresso in a means, in Pittsburgh, amongst these hundred geniuses or different college members at CMU, which may not exist at a large college.

Florida: Yeah. One different factor, Donald, that we all the time talked about, Herb Simon (1978 Nobel Prize profitable economist and a Turing Award winner, pc science’s highest honor) all the time talked about and I talked to my colleagues about once I lived in Pittsburgh: My home or condominium saved getting nearer to the college such that once I left, I lived on Devonshire Highway throughout the car parking zone from the Heinz College, renting a home that the college had acquired.

Now, why is that? In New York Metropolis, Toronto, Los Angeles or Boston, there are plenty of distractions. In Pittsburgh, there are fewer. I’m not saying that’s good or dangerous, however you gravitate to the place the power is. The place’s the power in Pittsburgh? On the Carnegie Mellon campus.

I in all probability would have been dwelling in my workplace had I stayed one other 5 years. The size of town is small. Many individuals dwell shut by. Most of us come to the workplace once we lived in Pittsburgh. Nobody ever goes to their workplace in New York Metropolis as a result of it’s exhausting to get to, it’s far, and there’s plenty of distractions. However in Pittsburgh, you gravitate to your colleagues and your college students into the on-campus life.

That’s one other massive benefit to the world surrounding Carnegie Mellon and the College of Pittsburgh—it’s nearly like an prolonged campus, a collegial campus. That’s an enormous deal. Extra individuals are on the lookout for that now. Extra individuals are saying, “I don’t wish to get on a aircraft. I don’t wish to do all this different stuff. I wish to do actually fascinating work and be near my household and pals.” And I feel Pittsburgh has that to supply.

Sensible individuals have all the time cherished Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has good and progressive in its DNA. Pittsburgh has all the time revered intelligence. It’s not like a lot of the remainder of America is, so captivated by superstar tradition.

I’ll offer you a comic story. We spend the winter in Miami Seashore and, you understand, we like town and wish to assist the mayor. And also you see what’s occurring with the COVID disaster there. It finally ends up that my youngsters, despite the fact that I’m Catholic and my youngsters and my spouse are Catholic, my youngsters in Miami are in Jewish preschool. In our little Jewish preschool are DJ Khalid’s youngsters. DJ Khalid is Palestinian. It’s a really secular Jewish preschool.

Anyway, so, the mayor is attempting to get it collectively. COVID is spiking. My spouse says, “I’ll speak to Khalid and have him do a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for carrying a masks.”

The one particular person the parents in Miami would hearken to is DJ Khalid. Do you see what I’m saying? They wouldn’t know what to do with a professor like me if I mentioned, “Put on a masks.” They might say, “Who’s that man?” However in Pittsburgh, there’s a respect for intelligence. If you happen to’re at Carnegie Mellon, you might have standing locally the best way you don’t have even should you’re at MIT in Boston; you might have some. So there’s a respect for studying, for analysis, for intelligence in Pittsburgh.

In that means, it’s a magnet as a result of individuals say, “Oh, I can have help from my analysis, however individuals assume what I’m doing is definitely good. If I work at UPMC and I’m a transplant surgeon or working at tissue engineering, individuals assume I’m truly contributing to the society in a significant means.”

So I feel it’s each the truth that we’ve magnets for expertise and that there’s great respect for that expertise within the surroundings that’s very distinctive within the America of superstar tradition at this time. Tradition worships celebrities and wealthy individuals. Pittsburgh is very similar to, I hate to say, going again in time. It’s like being a part of the material of what America was and plenty of issues we misplaced. Intellectuals and researchers actually, actually like that local weather.

It’s actually fascinating that once I have a look at the USA from the vantage level of Toronto, I’d say our nationwide politics is in deep, deep hassle. We’re so darn polarized. I imply, look, Joe Biden will get elected. It might be means higher. The nation will pull collectively. He’ll truly put some Republicans in his administration. I feel this (time, now) is the low level.

However once I have a look at what’s nice about America, it’s the Pittsburghs and the Philadelphias and even Newark, my hometown and Bentonville, Arkansas, the place I’m doing work, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Omaha, Nebraska. It’s this up-from-the backside, public-private partnership anchored by universities like Carnegie Mellon, Penn, Drexel, or NYU—I might go down the listing—Rutgers, Newark and NJIT in New Jersey, which can be placing collectively these redevelopment efforts and now specializing in resiliency and inclusivity. It’s this up from the underside factor.

I feel one of many massive tendencies we’ve to vary within the wake of this COVID disaster is don’t strengthen the federal authorities. The very last thing we have to do is give our federal authorities extra energy. What we have to do is give the Pittsburghs of the world the facility they should develop.

Perhaps Pittsburgh won’t ever be the trendiest place for younger individuals. Perhaps younger individuals will all the time go to the large, massive cities, particularly of their 20s and early 30s earlier than they wish to have a household.

However then when you might have youngsters, you say, “Oh, it’s exhausting to dwell right here. The faculties aren’t superb. I’ve received to commute. I’ve received to attempt to discover a public faculty. I received to commute them a half an hour, an hour to a personal faculty. I don’t wish to put them round all elite wealthy youngsters. I’d quite have them in a superb public faculty or in a neighborhood faculty.”

Pittsburgh has an surroundings of affordability, cohesive neighborhoods and great housing inventory. There are just a few locations like that in the USA, however it’s not an infinite listing. Going again to the COVID disaster: When individuals develop into unmoored, they are saying, “I like New York. I like San Francisco. However I’ve two or three youngsters now and it’s getting much less reasonably priced. Do I actually wish to go to the suburb, or can I distant work from Pittsburgh, Nashville or Indianapolis?”

Now, it won’t be that everyone results in Pittsburgh, however everyone has a pal who mentioned that they favored Pittsburgh. Nashville had this vibe occurring 5 – 6 years in the past. Pittsburgh’s now there.

What I’d say to Pittsburgh is to be careful for the brand new city disaster. Be careful for the disaster of success. If you happen to mentioned to individuals in Austin 20 years in the past that Austin would develop into unaffordable, they might have checked out you such as you’re from the moon. If you happen to mentioned Nashville would develop into unaffordable, individuals would simply say you’re an insane particular person. However when you get this dynamic, it will get a maintain of you. Denver is within the throes of it now.

The opposite factor I’d say to Pittsburgh is to watch out, as a result of all the pieces that you simply’ve achieved proper, might develop into, paradoxically, a problem for you or part of a brand new city disaster that units up the lure of success.

Bonk: Only a sidebar right here shortly earlier than we get to the final query. I interviewed two individuals just lately. One is a Wharton grad who has a startup named Qlicket (www.qlicket.com). His identify is Vivek Kumar. He’s 35. He has his firm in Pittsburgh, however he additionally has distributed groups in New Delhi and San Francisco. What he does is arbitrage Pittsburgh. He lives in Pittsburgh, however he has a room in Silicon Valley, so he flies there, stays in his little room, after which flies again to Pittsburgh when he must. So it’s not essentially staying in a single place or the opposite, however Pittsburgh is a house base.

Florida: I feel you’re precisely proper. I feel this concept of the multi-locational family goes to develop into increasingly more. I’ve heard this lots about San Francisco, however I’ve additionally heard it more and more about New York.

San Francisco and New York are just too costly to have plenty of house. It’s actually exhausting to have the house it’s essential to have a house workplace and have youngsters. So what you do is hire or purchase a studio, which continues to be dearer than a home in Pittsburgh. Now, some individuals in San Francisco are going to the agricultural areas exterior of San Francisco. Some individuals in New York are going to the Hudson Valley, however others are saying, “The heck with that. I’d a lot choose Pittsburgh.”

My good pals on the Kaiser Household Basis in Tulsa have created this program known as Tulsa Distant, which an try and create a neighborhood of distant employees. There are individuals from New York, San Francisco, L.A., Chicago and Atlanta. I might go down the listing of those who mentioned, “I’d quite dwell in Tulsa.”

I feel I’ll all the time must be related to New York, Washington, D.C. or someplace. However you possibly can dwell in a single place and hook up with the hub facilities. And Pittsburgh is one.

Look, when individuals speak in regards to the rise of the remaining, they make a mistake once they discuss 300 locations. Once we actually drill down into the rise of the remaining, you’re speaking a couple of dozen or two dozen locations. And Pittsburgh is on that listing. There’s a very quick listing of locations that may be hub and spoke connections, and Pittsburgh is definitely one in every of them.

Bonk: So, the analogy is the hub and spoke within the Pittsburgh metro space—neighborhoods connecting to the good facilities like Oakland—is identical hub and spoke metaphor for the nation utilizing Pittsburgh.

Florida: Yeah. I forgot my one different moonshot concept. I had one other one which I received so enthusiastic about, which fits again to days in Pittsburgh speaking to people like Tim McNulty, who’s nonetheless at Carnegie Mellon, and Don Smith on the Regional Industrial Growth Company (RIDC).

We talked about how you could possibly make Pittsburgh extra of a hub. With the Biden administration more likely to come on stream and with main infrastructure spending, a part of the continued stimulus can be excessive velocity rail.

If we had been to undertake a excessive velocity rail initiative in the USA, we might join what John Gottman, the nice financial geographer who invented the concept of megalopolis known as the Chi-Pitts Mega Area—excessive velocity rail going from Pittsburgh, west to Detroit and Chicago and east to Washington, D.C. and New York, or connecting in via Washington, D.C. And perhaps sometime to Toronto; that’s extra of a pipe dream. However take into consideration an East-West Coast connection the place you’d have excessive velocity rail that would cut back the rail commute considerably.

That’s the sport changer, the best way to make Pittsburgh actually the core spoke in a multi-hub spoke system. So that will be my third moonshot: 1. A expertise genius grant to deliver them to Pittsburgh (for instance, the highest 100 in AI, Pc Software program, Robotics, City Sensible-Tech, Arts & Tradition) 2. Make Pittsburgh the AI-urban tech capital of the world. three. Join the rattling place via high-speed rail, as a result of the Biden administration goes to must do it.

Bonk: Proper, so, create the bodily equal of the digital infrastructure that we have already got in place. That’s actually great and I respect that deep thought on that stage.

Lastly, have a look at 2050, three a long time sooner or later. 1990 is as distant as 2050. If you happen to’re within the City Redevelopment Authority, the mayor’s workplace or the county government’s workplace in Pittsburgh, are there three extra Pittsburgh-centric, granular issues that you simply assume Pittsburgh might tackle as mission that will make an impactful distinction?

Florida: In 2050, I’d be 93. I don’t assume I’ll be alive. My youngsters are going to be of their mid-30s. I need them to dwell in an excellent world. That’s what I need greater than something—my two ladies to dwell in a incredible world. That’s one thing I’m nervous about.

I’d say Pittsburgh wants to actually double down on social cohesion. It’s a tough factor. It’s not like, you understand, create an incubator or develop an industrial incentive bundle. One of many issues that distinguishes Pittsburgh from the remainder of America, which I like about Toronto and why my ladies have twin citizenship, is it’s very cohesive and you’ll really feel it pulling collectively in a disaster.

We arrange our entrance porch right here. Folks stroll by and have a glass of wine and speak within the night. That’s a Pittsburgh factor. I feel focusing actually exhausting on ensuring that Pittsburgh isn’t pulled aside—respect for distinction—might be necessary. The truth that Pittsburgh is blue and purple is necessary. However in Pittsburgh, that isn’t a pitched battle like it’s within the nation. Folks even of their similar household have a Trump supporter and a Biden supporter.

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Breaking News: Inside the Obama sisters' relationship

New Post has been published on https://www.thisdaynews.net/2018/05/25/breaking-news-inside-the-obama-sisters-relationship/

Breaking News: Inside the Obama sisters' relationship

Malia and Sasha Obama are not only close in age, they have a tight relationship too. The former first daughters had a unique upbringing, moving to the White House at a very young age and growing up in the spotlight. Whether rubbing elbows with celebrities, traveling the world, or just trying to go on a date with the Secret Service in tow, we’re here to give you a unique glimpse inside the lives of these historic siblings.

They gave us all the feels at a state dinner

It was a moment applauded by sisters everywhere—Sasha and Malia attended their first state dinner, honoring Canada, in March 2016. At the black-tie event, the girls met Canuk actor Ryan Reynolds, who posed for an adorable photo with Sasha (and gave Malia the photobomb opportunity of a lifetime.) While little sis appeared to be totally starstruck over the Deadpool (2016) hero, Malia played the role of approving big sister by sneaking in a two-thumbs up in the background of the pic.

Folks swarmed to social media to comment on the official White House photo, snapped by Pete Souza. “Sasha is fangirling over Ryan & Malia is just kinda like ‘nice embarrass yourself in front of freaking Ryan Reynolds,'” tweeted one follower (via Mashable). Another Twitter user said the photo actually made her “want a sister so bad,” and another quipped, “Sasha Obama meeting Ryan Reynolds is all of us meeting Ryan Reynolds.”

At the dinner, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau specifically mentioned the girls, saying (via Entertainment Tonight), “I admire you very much, both of you, for your extraordinary strength and grace.”

President Obama also acknowledged his daughters at the soiree, saying (via People), “When I was first elected to his office, Malia was just 10 and Sasha was 7. And they grow up too fast. Now Malia is going off to college…And I’m starting to choke up.”

They spent spring break in Cuba

After that glamorous state dinner, Sasha and Malia jetted off for spring break. While many teens head to the beach or just hang out at home for a week, the first family logged the first presidential trip to Cuba in nearly 90 years. The visit marked a historic international milestone, but it also solidified Sasha and Malia as style icons. The Daily Mail hailed the teenagers as “fashionable forces to be reckoned with, even surpassing their mom Michelle’s ability to send style bloggers into a frenzy.” The Huffington Post went so far as to say the Obama girls “stole the show.” Malia even showed off her Spanish language skills, translating for her dad at a restaurant in Old Havana.

They fill in for each other at events

Malia proved willing to help a sister out when Sasha’s schedule proved problematic. Tongues and twitters wagged when Sasha was a no-show at her dad’s farewell address in Chicago in January 2017, but Malia, moved to tears, was there to represent them both during the emotional speech. Big sis, at 18, was in the middle of a gap year before heading to Harvard University in the fall of 2017, but 15-year-old Sasha was in the throes of another semester at the prestigious Sidwell Friends School in D.C and was reportedly home studying for an exam. Seriously.

The internet was impressed. As one Twitter user put it, “Sasha Obama out here missing her dad’s farewell speech to STUDY for a TEST and I’m debating whether or not to wake up for class tomorrow.”

They can swap embarrassing dad stories for years

Sasha and Malia are only just beginning to date, but we can only imagine how their future romantic lives will shape up given their father’s penchant for embarrassing dad jokes (not to mention the fact that he was leader of the free world for eight years!) His wisecracks at the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardoning became so cringe-worthy that his daughters reportedly chose to opt out of their final ceremony in 2016. President Obama joked at the event, “Thanksgiving is a family holiday as much as a national one, so for the past seven years, I’ve established another tradition: embarrassing my daughters with a corny-copia of dad jokes about turkeys,” he said (via Entertainment Tonight). “This year, they had a scheduling conflict…actually they just couldn’t take my jokes anymore. They were fed up.” Badum-ching!

Also in November 2016, President Obama admitted his daughters had been dating, and he was okay with it. “The truth is, I’m pretty relaxed about it for two reasons,” he told a radio station (via Today). “One is [their mom] Michelle…she’s such a great example of how she carries herself, her self-esteem, not depending on boys to validate how you look or you know, not letting yourself be judged by anything other than your character and intelligence,” he said. The other reason was much more embarrassing for the Obama girls—the Secret Service. “There’s only so much these guys can do,” he quipped, referring to his daughters’ suitors. “These poor young men come by my house and…” Best of luck to these ladies as they look for love, despite their famous (and famously embarrassing) dad.

They landed summer jobs

Even the president’s progeny have to earn their own spending money. Sasha spent the summer of 2016 working at Nancy’s seafood restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.—one of the Obama family’s favorite spots. She allegedly spent her four-hour shifts doing typical starter-job duties, such as bussing tables and manning the takeout window. The only difference was the Secret Service presence. “We were wondering why there were six people helping this girl,” a waiter at the restaurant in Oak Bluffs told the Boston Herald (via the New York Daily News), “but then we found out who it was.” Perhaps in an effort to deflect attention, Sasha reportedly went by her full name of Natasha while on the job.

Malia spent the summer of 2015 interning on the set of the HBO series Girls (2012-). She was spotted getting coffee for the cast and crew and helping shoo away the public from the set. How did Malia land that gig? “She’s a fan, and she mentioned that to [show creator] Lena [Dunham] when she came to the White House,” a source close to the production told Us Weekly. “Lena and her get along great.”

Who’s the ‘Grumpy Cat?’

Thogh Barack and Michelle have worked hard to protect their kids’ privacy, the parents have offered fleeting glimpses of their daughters’ unique personalities. According to the New York Daily News, Malia is “an avid reader” who “plays piano and the flute, studies ballet and favors soccer.” Sasha, known as “Sassy” to her mom, is “the family’s cutup.” She reportedly took piano lessons, and her father even helped coach her basketball team.

During a visit to The Late Show with David Letterman in 2015, mama Obama dished, “I’m not gonna say which one is which, but we have one who generally stays [even-keeled], and then we have one we call our Grumpy Cat. Our salty biscuit…I’m not saying. They could be watching. But they know who they are.”

They have distinct tastes in music

The Obama girls’ concert game is strong. Malia spent some time in Chicago during the summer of 2016, reportedly twerking and maybe smoking at the Lollapalooza music festival. The aforementioned evidence of a teenager being a teenager was caught on smartphones and rebroadcast for the world to opine.

Sasha also apparently enjoys live music. Later that same summer, she was spotted at Jay Z’s Made in America music festival in Philadelphia. grooving to Rihanna’s set.

The girls also spent some quality time with their mom at a huge Beyoncé concert in Baltimore in 2016. The show reportedly coincided with Malia’s high school graduation and Sasha’s 15th birthday. Word is the Beyhive even sang “Happy Birthday” to Sasha that night. That wasn’t the first time Beyoncé sang for a member of the Obama family. She performed during President Obama’s inauguration ceremonies in 2009 and 2013.

They do chores

Despite spending eight years in the White House surrounded by staff at their beck and call, Malia and Sasha still had to do chores and maintain a strict bedtime. According to a 2009 article in The New York Times, the girls had an 8 p.m. bedtime and set their own alarm clocks for school the next morning. They were also expected to clean their rooms, and once first dog Bo came on the scene, the sisters were expected to take him for walks and clean up after him. On an episode of The View, Barack said (via News One), “We don’t let them watch TV or use their computer except to do homework during the week.” He said Malia got a cell phone in 2011, but could only use it “on weekends.” Sound strict? There’s more.

The presidential parents worked hard to shield their kids from social media. According to the New York Daily News, the girls were not allowed to use Facebook while the family occupied the White House. Michelle reportedly told them, “You can’t go off on somebody, you can’t act bratty. Because you may be having a moment, but somebody could use that moment and try to define you forever. So you want to be cognizant of that…You’re not going to have Facebook for a long time.” That was in 2013, so we’ll see if Malia and Sasha’s public presence increases now that their family’s tenure in office has come to an end.