#just because they just added so many dates and since the venues are bigger the tickets are cheaper | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ithinkilikeit-reactions · 4 years

Text

We keep missing each other (Johnny/smut)

NCT/WAYV masterlist Group Masterlist

A/N: This is loosely based off of Love, Rosie and it’s what inspired this because it’s my favorite romance film and I adore it.

Tags: Johnny x female reader, best friends to lovers, a little bit of heartbreak, the smut is not the point but we know that by now, I have no self control so this will be long, Cursing, arguments, mentions of cheating, college, adult life

Smut tags: Grinding, oral sex (giving receiving), Mild hair pulling, Unprotected sex (wrap it up kids), teasing, Johhny being a bit possessive

NOT PROOF READ (none of my work is I’m sorry)

Word count: 8430 words (I’m so sorry)

“Are you two dating?” It was a common question to both you and Johnny. A question you were both so incredibly used to hearing. No, you two weren’t dating and no you never dated. Not in all of the years you knew eachother, you never dated.

That was a lot of years. Elementary school being where you met. You remembered it like it was yesterday. The feeling of someone significantly bigger than your 6 year old self, shoving you to the ground. Turning around you saw a head of bright red hair and a boy that was older than you. As you opened your mouth to say something, the boy fell over himself and revealed a smaller dark haired boy. “Don’t push people!” He said to the red head, crossing his arms over his chest.

“But you pushed me too!” The boy retorted and you pushed yourself off of the ground. “Because you pushed me!” You defended your savior, crossing your arms as well. “Johnny! Y/N! What are you two doing?” The teacher called and you both ran away giggling.

You really could never forget that day, Johnny came to your defense. He always came to your defense. The bigger kids never dared pick on you with him around and since that day, you were inseperable.

Even through highschool, no especially through highschool. You would say you were the closest throughout highschool. `Walking into the big building for the first time, hand in hand. Everyone thought you were together, but no, you were eachothers moral support.

Until you weren’t. Although you were the closest during highschool there was a wedge. Johnny wasn’t just Johnny to you anymore. No, Johnny was now Johnny and you cared for him in a way that wasn’t just as friends.

“What are you doing?” You asked, looking up from your magazine and at Johnny as he stared at himself in the mirror. “I think I need to shave.” He said and you started laughing. “Shave what? You have maybe one hair on your chin.” You commented and he turned to you. “What do you have to be so cruel for?” he mumbled, walking back to your bed and crashing onto it.

Glancing over, he noticed your focussed face as you read. “What are you reading anyways?” He asked, snatching the magazine out of your hands. “Give it back.” You reached for it only for him to pull it just out of your grasp. “’Kissing and what you’re doing wrong’ that’s an interesting title. What are you doing wrong with kissing? Maybe you should kiss someone first before finding out what’s wrong with your kisses.” He teased and you snatched the magazine back.

“Now who’s being cruel?” You pouted, closing the magazine before tossing it onto the floor. Johnny laughed and pushed you back onto your bed, laying on top of you with his head on your chest. You were so glad he couldn’t see your face, or how red your cheeks were. “I just can’t believe you’re eightteen and have never kissed.” He remarked and you pinched his arm. “HEY! It’s not a bad thing. I didn’t mean it like that.” He lifted his head, looking at you and lifted his hand.

You could feel his fingers over your cheek and you could feel your own cheeks heating up. “I just- why haven’t you kissed anyone yet or really dated? You’re pretty, you’re smart... a bit of a smartass-” His voice trailed off as you laughed, cutting the odd tension. Johnny meant those words, he always saw you like that and he loved that about you.

“I’m not gonna kiss just anyone. It needs to mean something. At least to me.” You mumbled and Johnny sat back up. He looked down at you, you looked so pretty to him. So close, but so distant. You were his best friend, just his best friend, right?

You pushed him back slightly because he was still on top of you and got out of your bed. “Which that should be soon. Matt asked me to the dance coming up.” You said, fiddling with the stuff on your nightstand. Johnny felt a pain in his chest, it was brief, but it didn’t go unnoticed. “Matt? And you said yes?” Johnny asked, looking anywhere but at you. He didn’t completely understand why he was feeling this way and he didn’t want you to think something was wrong.

“Yeah, I said yes. I wasn’t really getting any other offers and well, Matt is nice.” You said and glanced back at him. He was fiddling with a loose thread on your blanket, staring at your posters on the wall. “Matt’s nice.” He laughed and you sighed. Matt wasn’t the nicest to other’s around him but he was kind enough to you. “Well, nice enough... What about you then? I heard you’re going with Kimberly. She’s not particularly nice either.” You retorted and he shrugged. “She’s pretty though. She can be nice when she wants to be too.” Johnny admitted, Kimberly wasn’t his first choice but she wasn’t his last.

“I guess we’re both going with ‘okay’ people.” You said and he finally turned to look at you, eyes locking with yours. “I guess so.” He said softly, mouth turning down into a frown and you couldn’t help but reciprocate it.

The dance rolled around and there you were with your date, Matt. He cleaned up nice enough, sporting a tux and he even managed to find a corsage for you. It was completely the wrong color, but that was alright. Afterall, it was the thought that counted.

You loved your dress, your long dark blue dress and thought you looked absolutely amazing. Until you saw Kimberly, walking arm in arm with Johnny towards the venue from Johnny’s car and well, your confidence faltered.

Johnny was right, she was pretty, no she was gorgeous. Her dress color matched yours but it fit her so nice, her hair was done beautifully, her makeup was absolutely perfect. She was perfect

But Johnny, Johnny looked like a dream. So much so it made you stop to take a deep breath. His hair was pushed back out of his face, aside from some strategically placed strands that fell into his face. His full suit made him look so adult, something you two definitely weren’t yet. He was smiling so big and his eyes were sparkling, you could tell that even with the large distance between you two.

However he could feel eyes on him and found you and Matt still standing by the cars. He smiled at you and your returned it, knowing you would be able to talk to him when you got inside.

“So are you sure you and Johnny have never been together before?” Matt asked, offering you his arm to escort you inside. “Very sure. He’s my best friend, nothing else.” You lied straight through your teeth, you’ve said it so many times you were starting to believe it. “Does he agree?” Matt asked as you walked inside and you laughed. “I assume so.” There was no way Johnny had feelings for you. “You both are dumb.” Matt mumbled, entering the hall your school had rented out for evening.

Your night was good, spent dancing, chatting, laughing and for the first time in a few hours you sat down. Matt had an arm around your waist but you felt that grip loosen. “I’m going to go talk to some of my friends for a while, if you don’t mind?” He asked, smiling at you. “Oh yeah, go on ahead. I’m just gonna sit here a minute.” You smiled back and watched him disappear into the crowd.

After five minutes, you were fighting to keep your eyes open a sudden wave of exhaustion hit you. But you weren’t ready to go home just yet, you hadn’t even talked to Johnny at all. That little witch Kimberly was glued to his side the whole time, made it harder to approach him. It was already hard enough with him looking like that.

“If that ass Matt left you here, I’ll hurt him.” Johnny’s voice knocked you out of your thoughts. He was standing in front of you and smiling down on you. “He went to talk with friends. I’ll have you know he’s been really sweet all evening.” You said and glanced around him. Kimberly wasn’t there. “Where’s your date then?” You added and he sighed. “She went to go hangout with her girls. So I came to check up on you, I saw you were sitting alone.” He explained and you nodded your head in understanding.

The quick upbeat music in the background faded slowly, starting up a slow song meant for a slow dance. “Come on, let me dance with you.” Johnny said, extending his hand towards you. “Are you asking or demanding?” You laughed and took his hand. “A little bit of both.” He squeezed your hand and pulled you up.

His hands quickly moved to your waist and yours wrapped around his neck, he was very much guiding your movements. You started swaying to the music, your chest pressed to his and you looking everywhere but his face. Boy your cheeks were warm.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you yet, but you look so pretty.” Johnny complimented and you finally looked at him. “Thanks John. You clean up pretty good yourself. I can see you shaved the hair on your chin.” You joked, moving your hand to stroke over his chin as he laughed. But the action was more intimate than you planned and his laughter stifled. The air turned serious and you could feel Johnny pull you even closer into him. Your hand moved from his chin to his cheek and your eyes were still locked. You weren’t sure if you were moving closer to him, or if he was moving closer to you but you were definitely moving closer together.

But the tapping on Johnny’s shoulder ruined the moment and he was so mad for it. “What?” He turned around, voice a bit scarier than what he meant. But his expression grew soft seeing Kimberly there with a big smile. “What? I’m your date. Mind if I steal him back Y/N?” She asked, fake smiling in your direction. Your heart felt incredibly heavy, wanting to say no and wrap your arms around him. You know, claim what was yours. But you decided against it.

“Of course not. You’re his date after all.” You returned her fake smile and removed yourself from Johnny’s touch. You removed yourself from his general vicinity, you didn’t want to be near him. Not if he was with her.

You two had gotten so close that evening, so incredibly close that evening that it made you wonder what would have happened if you said no to her.

Making your way back to your seat, you were visibly sulking on your way. This was your chance and you blew it. You brought yourself to glance back at Johnny, noticing the incredibly close proximity between him and Kimberly. This was your first heartbreak.

“Hey there you are.” Matt said and joined you at the table. “What’s wrong?” He instantly noticed your down expression. You couldn’t help but look at Johnny and you really wish you didn’t. His lips were locked with hers as they swayed to the music and it looked so incredibly sweet. That could’ve been you and him.

Matt grabbed your chin lightly and made you look away, he could tell. He could absolutely tell that your heart was broken, it was your expression. The way all the color drained from your face and the way you were biting back tears. “Come on, let’s get you home.” His voice was soft, fingers catching the tears that managed to spill over. You nodded softly, not having the energy to stick around any longer.

He slipped his jacket over your shoulders and wrapped an arm around you. That was all Johnny saw at least. He didn’t see your heart breaking over him, no he only saw you leaving wrapped sweetly under Matt’s arm and it made that ache return in his chest.

That night started your relationship with Matt. He knew you weren’t over your best friend, but he promised to be there for you and he promised he would do what he could for you. Which you greatly appreciated and slowly, your feelings for Johnny sank to the background. Not being completely gone, but not being the main event in your life.

That hurt Johnny, but he understood. You were both getting older, relationships were natural and you were slowly growing apart. But you still considered him your best friend. But he did take a back seat, he was with Kimberly and you both seemed happy.

It remained that way until college, you and Matt had a small apartment off campus. Johnny lived in a small apartment with Kimberly... until he didn’t. Until he found her cheating on him in their shared bedroom. Until he showed up at your apartment at midnight.

“Here.” You handed him a glass of water, pulling your sweater sleeves down as you sat down next to him. “Thanks.” He mumbled and refused to look at you. Johnny looked sad but not as sad as you should be in a situation like this.

“Johnny, it’s you.” Matt said, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He had went to bed early and missed the phone call explaining Johnny needed to talk to his best friend. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry to be here so late, man.” Johnny apologized and finally looked up. His eyes were glossy and it was obvious something was wrong. “It’s alright, I’ll leave you two to talk. I have big exam in the morning.” Matt explained and placed an arm on your shoulder. Leaning down he pecked your lips and you reciprocrated the action.

Johnny knew what Matt was doing, that was just a small way of Matt reminding him that you were with him and not Johnny. Johnny shook his head to himself with a small knowing smile. Fuck, you would never cheat. Johnny knew that, he knew you were too good for that. He was mentally beating himself up for his choices. But you looked happy and he couldn’t ruin that.

“So she was just, screwing some other guy. In your bed?” You asked, pulling your knees up to your chest. “Yep, right on our shared bed. I’m pretty sure they were on my side of the bed too.” He almost laughed, making you snort. You never did like Kimberly and he knew that.

He glanced at you with a sad smile. “Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh.” You said, covering your mouth as you laughed even harder. You didn’t even know why you were laughing, maybe it was because you knew she wasn’t nice and he didn’t listen. But hearing your laughter made him also break out into laughter. “Fuckkkkk, I should have known. I should have listened to you.” Johnny rested his elbows on his knees and put his hands in his hair.

“The men in my life never believe me when I say I’m always right.” You joked, but turned serious. This was a serious situation and as much as you were joking now, Johnny was hurting. Leaning over, you wrapped your arms around his waist and tucked your face onto his shoulder. “You’re too good for her. You deserve better.” You absolutely meant it and something in the back of your mind said “I can be better for you!” but you pushed it aside.

His hands grabbed yours and just held them for a moment as you hugged him. He was just thinking at this point. Thinking about how not upset he actually was at Kimberly and how upset he was with himself for making that choice to be with her.

“I love you.” He said and the words didn’t catch you off guard. You told eachother this frequently, but Johnny meant it differently this time. You just didn’t pick it up that way.

“I love you too.” You mumbled into his shoulder, hiding your yawn. It was midnight after all. Johnny held you against him a little longer, needing the physical comfort but also just enjoying the feel of you against him.

“You don’t mind if I stay here tonight right?” Johnny asked, breaking the silence. You shook your head no. “You know I don’t mind.” You mumbled and he sighed, leaning back. The position made you switch the way you hugged him. Your head resting on his chest and his arms around you.

“Y/N, you coming to bed soon?” Matt called from your bedroom, ruining the comfortable silence. “Yeah, I’m coming.” You called back and pushed yourself off of the couch, “You need anything before I go?” You asked, looking down at him. His hand was still holding yours and he was having a hard time letting it go. “No, I should be fine. Thanks again.” You nodded, looking at your hands.

“Goodnight, Johnny.” You said softly and quickly walked away, needing to remove yourself from the situation. “Goodnight.” He said softly, knowing that you couldn’t hear him anymore.

The next morning, Matt walked into the living room completely ready for the day. However, he had not anticipated Johnny laying on his couch. Rage bubbled up in him, Matt knew Johnny was single now and Matt knew your feelings for him had never really gone away, you had just been distracted.

He stormed back into your bedroom to see you making the bed and you looked at him in surprise. Matt looked angry and hurt and you had no clue why.

“You let him stay the night?” Matt asked and you nodded, still being confused at the situation. “You could have at least asked me, at least. But no anything for Johnny.” Matt said, letting things go that he had been holding onto for a few years.

That was what Johnny woke up to, Matt yelling and he shot off of the couch. “What do you mean anything for Johnny?” You asked and he could hear it from his position in the living room. “Don’t be stupid, you know exactly what I mean. You’d do absolutely anything for him, any time he calls you and says he needs you, you’re there. Even if it means leaving me in the middle of dinner, or in the middle of the night.” Johnny felt a wave of guilt wash over him at Matt’s words. You never told him that you left Matt in those situations, you never told him and it weighed on his chest like a ton of bricks.

“That’s bullshit, Matt. He’s my best friend and -” Your words were cut off. “Well what am I then? I’m just the boyfriend.” There was a pause and Johnny was almost too scared to breathe.

He stood there in the living room absolutely frozen as Matt stormed past, not even giving him a second look before leaving your apartment. Johnny felt guilty, he felt so guilty.

“You’re still here.” You commented, seeing that Johnny was still standing there. He turned to look at you and noticed the streams of tears down your face. “I’m-” You cut him off, raising your hand to tell him to stop. “No, just no. I’m not in the mood.” You cried and covered your eyes. You felt his hands on your arms and you moved away.

It bugged you immensly that Matt was right, it bugged you immensly that Johnny had such a big hold on you still.

“I think it might be better if you leave.” You said the words, you didn’t mean them but you said them anyways. Johnny took a step back, looking at you with confused eyes. “Wh-” “Just leave, please Johnny.” You looked up at him with teary eyes and trembling lips. He wanted nothing more than to hug you, wipe your tears away and tell you it would okay.

But that was counter productive and he knew this wouldn’t fix the situation. However he couldn’t help but wonder why you always came to his aid when he needed you.

Johnny grabbed his things, finding it hard to look at you again because he knew if he did, he wouldn’t be able to leave. You watched in silence aside from your sobs, you didn’t want to do this. But you didn’t want to lose Matt. It wasn’t fair to him, he was always so good to you.

As the door shut behind Johnny, you felt yourself completely breakdown. It was hard coming to terms with the fact that you still loved Johnny. Yet here you were and things weren’t easy.

He had called you throughout the week after, but you never picked up. Things with Matt were good, Matt could be your forever and you wanted to make it work. Johnny was now on the backburner now more than ever. It hurt him deeply, he felt so incredibly guilty.

It was obvious you didn’t want him around and he didn’t want to be a burden. So after about a month, the calls and the texts stopped. He would see you on campus, laughing and smiling with your friends and Matt and you would spot him with his own friends too, smiling and laughing.

Life without eachother was do-able. But it wasn’t fun.

That was when you heard about the engagement about a year later. You didn’t even know Johnny was seeing someone at all, let alone getting engaged. But the news crippled you, especially after you sent the simple text (and the first one in almost a year) that read ‘Congratulations’. The words made you crumble onto the floor in your bathroom, into a crying mess. You were inconsolable and nothing could make you stop crying, not even Matt coming home.

Not even Matt asking what was wrong, especially not Matt seeing your text to Johnny and it really didn’t help when Matt told you that he couldn’t do this anymore. That he couldn’t be second to Johnny, that he tried and that he did his best to get over it. But he just couldn’t, he couldn’t be with someone who was emotionally with someone else.

You simply let him go, watched him walk out the door without saying anything. All you could do was cry and that was all you did for days. You cried when Matt came to pick up his things, you cried when your friends came over to see if you were okay and you cried when you saw the engagement post on social media.

But at one point your tears run dry and well by that time you were graduating from college. Due to your friendship with Johnny, your parents had become great friends with eachother and well it seemed neither of you informed them of your falling out. So you were bound to group family activities and it was the first time you would have spoken to him in about a year.

“Long time no see.” His voice came from behind you as you waited for your parents to show up. Your heart was pounding in your chest, less nervous about him scaring you than you were about seeing him again. Turning around, you put on a forced smile. “Hey!” You sounded happy, you think.

Johnny looked great, as always. A black leather jacket covering his arms, with a grey shirt underneath and simple jeans and sneakers. He looked like Johnny and he hadn’t changed at all. Why hadn’t he changed?

He was surprised at seeing you so close again. You looked tired, forcing a smile as you looked at him. But you still looked like you, absolutely beautiful and he was now remembering everything from a year prior.

“Hi! I don’t think we’ve met.” A sweet voice knocked you both out of your trance. What you hadn’t noticed, or refused to notice was that he was holding hands with someone. A beautiful someone, a girl who stood tall with a slim figure and long flowing hair. She was the typical beauty queen and you didn’t expect anything less.

“I’m Madison, Johnny’s fiancé.” You shook her hand, swallowing thickly. “I’m Y/N, Johnny’s childhood friend.” You introduced yourself, avoiding eye contact with her because you couldn’t bring yourself to it. “Nice to meet you.” She said and smiled brightly. She seemed sweet too... fuck.

“Where’s Matt, I don’t see him anywhere?” Johnny asked, looking around the general area to see if he was near. The last time Johnny saw him it seemed like he was ready to rip his head off. “Oh, uhm we broke up a few months ago.” You explained softly, looking to the ground and silently thanking God that your parents’ car pulled up.

Johnny felt his chest tighten. Was that his fault? Was he the reason that things didn’t work out with Matt? The argument he overheard now replaying in his head like it did the days after it happened.

“Son!” His mother broke the silence, wrapping him in her arms. “Y/n!” She called, noticing you as you helped your own family with their things out of their car. “Mrs. Suh!” You said in return, seeing Johnny’s mom put the biggest smile on your face and for a moment you forgot about everything. You ran over, hugging her tightly as she pet your hair. “Ah, just as pretty as ever.” She said, taking a step back and looking at you. She was so sweet.

You watched your mom hug Johnny, looking at him the same way his mother was looking at you. “So handsome! And your fiancé, you’re absolutely beautiful!” She said and you and Mrs. Suh turned to look at them. You didn’t even notice that Johnny’s mom hadn’t acknowledged Madison.

Her hand rubbed over your back as your mother doted over them, the ring, her hair, Madison’s face. “I always thought it would be you two getting engaged.” She said softly, looking at you. She was making sure no one else could hear the conversation. “I don’t know if I’m ready to accept her to be my daughter in law, I kind of already accepted you as my daughter in law.” Her words made you tear up and you looked at her. “I love you Mrs. Suh, but I really wish you didn’t just say that.” You said and dried your eyes quickly before anyone could notice.

“I say, we all go out to dinner tonight. All of us.” Your mother said as your fathers joined you all. “That sounds like a great idea! I would love to hear more stories about Johnny.” Maddison said and you couldn’t have hated an idea more. This evening would quite possibly be your own personal Hell.

You tried everything to try and get out of going, the last thing you wanted was to sit across from Madison discussing napkin colors for her wedding but that’s exactly what you ended up doing.

Your parents were deep in conversation with eachother, Johnny getting roped into it as well. That left you and Madison to talk and boy was she talking. You were exagerating and you knew that. She was such a sweet girl, she was just so excited about her wedding and you really couldn’t blame her. You would be too.

“I know his favorite color is blue so I wanted to have small blue details throughout the venue, that’s cute right?” She asked and you looked up from your pasta. “Yeah. I guess so.” You weren’t really listening but she couldn’t sense that. You were good at pretending.

“Johnny, why haven’t you asked Y/N to be one of your groomsmen? You’ve been friends for so long.” Johnny looked at you with apologetic eyes. He could tell you didn’t want to be there. “I just didn’t think she would want to be a groomsman. But if you want too, the spot is yours.” His words were serious and his eyes were drilling holes into yours. “I- I-... I need a minute.” You quickly pushed your chair away from the table and made your way to the bathroom.

All the tears you had been holding in throughout the day managed to spill over and there was no controlling it anymore. Turning into the hallway where the bathroom’s were situated, you pressed yourself into the wall and let it all out. You didn’t care if anyone walked out, you didn’t care. You were still very much in love with Johnny.

He watched you walk away and he could see that look in your eyes, the one that meant you were about to cry. The look on your face that you had when you kicked him out of your house that day.

“Excuse me.” Johnny said and stood up, leaving the table and Madison. He wasn’t just going to leave you alone again. He couldn’t do it.

Walking through the resturaunt, following your steps he made his way to the bathroom. However he wasn’t expecting to see you crumbled against the hallway wall, crying and breathing heavily. He didn’t think twice before wrapping his arms around you.

“Johnny you can’t do this. I can’t have you do this.” You said between sobs and he looked at you. “Go back and sit with her. Please.” You added, pushing against him slightly. He didn’t realise this but he was crying himself. “I can’t.” He mumbled and he wasn’t lying. How could he get married while still feeling this way for you?

“You can. Johnny you’re getting married. We missed each other again.” You cried, speaking the words out hurt. You kept missing eachother. Taking a deep breath, you wiped your eyes and stood up straight. Pushing against him to do the same.

Johnny looked at you, his head was a mess. He didn’t know what was right anymore. He was engaged and he loved her, but not in the way he loved you. Not the deep love he had for you and always had for you, he didn’t feel that for Madison at all.

“You’re getting married, Johnny. Go back out there. Please. Madison is a great girl.You’re going to have an amazing life with her.” You held his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. You meant those words, he didn’t need to ruin this for himself. He chose to propose to her for a reason, he needed to remember that.

“I haven’t seen you since you kicked me out about a year ago. How do you expect me to just go back and leave you like this again?” Johnny asked and you looked up at him. He looked so hurt and you never regretted previous actions more. “I shouldn’t have kicked you out like that then, but that was then. I can’t turn back time. But I can support you now.” You explained, forcing a smile and you weren’t really happy. But you were going to be, you were going to be supportive because you didn’t want to lose him again.

Johnny’s mind was blank as you reached up and dried his tears. “Now, let’s go back out there and celebrate the fact that you’re getting married.” You added, just looking at him. “Okay.” His voice was barely audible and you pulled him out of the hallway slightly, just to get him to move because he wasn’t going to take the step on his own.

Making it back to the table, Madison was staring at you both. “We needed to talk about groomsmen things.” You forced a smile, sitting down again and watched Johnny do the same. Madison looked between you both, trying to register everything that just happened or trying to piece things together. But things were starting to get more and more clear to her when she started noticing how Johnny was looking at you. Mrs. Suh couldn’t help but watch the scene unfold in front of her with concern.

You made it through dinner, avoiding Johnny’s eyes, avoiding Madison’s and avoiding all conversation. You made it through and then, you made it home. You were going to give yourself a few days to grieve, it was what you needed. Johnny had been the only man you had loved in your entire life and it was time to let him go. Or so you had thought, until the rapid knocking on your apartment door disturbed your crying session.

“Johnny? Why are you here?” You were angry to see him there, especially after the events that had unfolded at dinner. Johnny leaned against your door frame and he had a small smile on his face. “Can I come in?” He asked, examining your face and the tears tracks going down your face. “Is that the right thing to do?” You asked, not wanting to open the door to heartbreak again. “It is, trust me.” Johnny was smiling and you couldn’t say no to that smile, you hated yourself for it.

Moving to the side, you let him wander into your apartment. He was still wearing his clothes from earlier that day and he looked tired, but happy.

“Madison called the wedding off.” You stopped dead in your tracks and just froze. “What?” You choked out, looking him dead in the eye. How could he say that so casually?

“She called off the wedding.” Johnny was smiling and you were just confused. This day had been a whirl wind of emotions for you, so you were having a hard time comprehending how he was so amused at the situation. “How can you say it so happily?” You asked, voice sounding so amazed and confused at the same time.

“Because I’m happy. For the first time in a long time, I’m happy.” Johnny moved closer to you and grabbed your hands. You were starting to put things together, realising that for the first time you and him and actually had a chance. Your hand squeezed his and you smiled slightly. “Why’d she call off the wedding?” You asked, not being able to hide the happiness in your voice but also being genuinely curious.

“Apparently, I’m not as good at hiding my feelings like I thought I was.” He started, pulling you closer to him. He wrapped your arms around his waist so that you were fully pressed against him. The close proximity wasn’t awkward. After all the years of liking eachother, it didn’t feel awkward anymore. It felt like finally, it was supposed to happen.

“After dinner, we went home, she sat me down and just said ‘you love y/n, don’t you?’ and well she wasn’t wrong. So I told her ‘I thought I loved you, I thought I was over it all. But seeing Y/N again made me realise, I love her. I have always loved her and I think I always will. I’m sorry’ and well, she called off the wedding and now I’m here.” Your tears were coming again and well, you were scared to look up. “If you’ll have me... I’m not missing you again.” Johnny added, his hands moving to cup your face.

His lip was quivering, nerves running through his body as he looked at you and your teary eyes. Were you gonna push him away again? You hadn’t done it yet, but were you going to do it now?

Your hands slowly moved up, wrapping around his neck slowly. “I’ll have you.” You said softly, moving to stand on your toes as you finally pressed your lips to his. For the first time ever, you were kissing Johnny and it was better than anything you had ever experienced before. Not because he was the end all be all of kissing but because it was him and it was right.

Johnny hummed against your lips and allowed his arms to wrap around your waist. His lips were moving in perfect sync with yours and he was craning his neck to be as physically close to you as possible.

Your kiss deepened and Johnny grip on you tightened, feeling his tongue slip into your mouth. A small moan left you and felt a burning in your stomach and inbetween your legs, you had wanted this for so long and now you felt needy. Your hands moved, pushing his leather jacket off of his shoulders and he helped slipping it off. It dropped to the floor with a thud and you both smiled, your hands cupping his cheeks before kissing him again.

Johnny’s arms wrapped around your waist again, picking you up easily and catching you off guard. His hands now cupping your ass as he held you up and moved you both to the couch.

He sat down and held you in his lap, straddling his waist. Your kisses were horribly agressive, making up for lost time and Johnny moaned against you. “Fuck, I love you.” He said, feeling your fingers tangle into his hair and your core grind over his. “I love you too.” You said, the conotation being way different than the way you had ever said it before.

Johnny moved his lips to your neck, taking his time nipping and sucking at the skin. “I remember the night of the dance.” He said inbetween kisses, his finger inching up your shirt slowly. You sighed feeling his teeth graze against your skin and at the painfull memory of the highschool dance. “I should’ve kissed you that night.” He mumbled into your skin before going to leave a mark. You were finally his and he was going to make sure people knew it.

“Yeah you should’ve.” You were breathless, hips rolling over his. “But hey-” You pulled his lips off of your neck and looked at him. “I have more experience now anyways.” You laughed and he bucked his hips at your words.

“You can’t just say that and not expect me to fuck you into this couch.” His lewd words caught you incredibly off guard and almost made your jaw go slack. Flipping you both over, your back hit the couch cushions as you felt his weight press against your denim covered core. Your hands moved to his ass, pulling him against you harder because you needed some relief.

You tugged on his shirt, pulling it up as he grinded against you as you wanted it off. He helped you pull it off completely, balling it up and throwing it on the ground. You looked at his bare torse as he sat up between your legs, your hand trailing over the muscular ridges. “When did you get so built?” You asked, more admiration than an actual question. Johnny was absolutely beautiful.

Laughing, he grabbed your hand that was trailing over his body to lace your fingers together. “That tickles.” He said seriously, other hand by your head to support his weight. His eyes were scanning over your face, the way your hair spilled over the couch pillows and the slowly forming marks on your neck. “How have you not changed after all these years?” Johnny asked but you could tell he was talking to himself. Running his finger over your facial features lightly, before moving it down your neck and dragging it over your clothed chest before reaching the bottom of your shirt.

His finger hooked under the fabric and lifted it up slowly. You helped him pull it off, smiling at his dramatics as he took his time. “Don’t mind me, just admiring the view.” You laughed at his words only to shut up instantly as his lips kissed the skin just on the edge of your bra, just to tease.

Your hands moved back to his hair, wanting him to finally touch you. You had only been waiting for a few years.

He tugged your bra down roughly, revealing your nipples. He placed hot open mouth kisses, again with the goal of leaving marks before taking your nipple into his mouth. You tugged his hair with a satisified moan as his tongue over the bud, his other hand moving to your back to take your bra off fully. He didn’t want his mouth to leave your skin so the action was messy, but he didn’t care.

Discarding your bra fully now, he moved over to the other side and took your nipple between his lips again. Johnny glanced up at you to see your eyes shut and soft sighs escaping your mouth as you toyed with his hair.

His hand moved down, swiftly unbuttoning your jeans and slipping his hand into them. You gasped at the sudden contact on your clit, making your eyes open wide and he chuckled against your skin.

“Catch you off guard?” He asked, moving down your body further and kissing over your stomach. “You talk too much.” You gasped out feeling him apply more pressure to your core. It felt like you had electricity flowing through you.

Smiling to himself, he tugged your jeans down your legs and struggled slightly around your ankles. You sat up, helping him with a little laugh as you finally kicked them off. As Johnny was about to push you back onto the couch, you got onto knees on the floor and he looked at you with wide eyes.

Especially as you started undoing his jeans, his eyes followed you. You sat inbetween his legs, pulling his jeans down quickly before focussing on his very obvious hard on. You grabbed his cock through his boxers, running your tongue over your lips and Johnny was absolutely mesmerized. You could hear his sharp inhale as you freed his cock, making you smile before kissing the underside gently.

Looking up, your eyes locked with his before you took the tip into your mouth. Johnny would have been lying if he said he hadn’t imagined you like this before. But his imagination was way off of the real thing, he never imagined you being so confident and well the confidence was incredibly sexy.

“Shit baby.” He choked out, gripping your hair and leaning forward as your head bobbed on his cock. Making a makeshift ponytail in his hands, he guided you gently, still giving you enough space to do what you wanted. You looked up again, just watching him grit his teeth as you took him as far as you could. Hitting your gag reflex but you pushed through, pulling back off while running your tongue over the underside of his cock.

Using your ponytail, he pulled your mouth off of him completely and he simply looked at you while breathing heavily. “Where did that come from?” He asked, still holding your hair. His other hand came up, wiping your lips and making you smile.

“I was going to go easy on you but now I just can’t.” Johnny said and pulled you back onto the couch. But this time he sank onto his knees on the floor, sitting inbetween your legs and looking at wet patch that had formed in your panties. “You’re all talk John, you always have been.” You teased, looking down while taking your finger between your teeth.

He shook his head with a small smirk on his face, just looking at before running his finger over your slit. He couldn’t help but smile though, your banter was still the same after all these years, even while he was between your legs.

His hands pulled your panties down harshly, making you jump slightly and his hands moved to grab your thighs. Putting them on his shoulders, he leaned forward and kissed your clit softly, teasingly. You hummed softly, enjoying even the slight touches as his arms wrapped around your thighs. Then he dipped in fully, tongue running over your slit before wrapping his lips around your clit. Your back arched, making your legs pull him even closer and you moaned.

Johnny’s fingers dug into your thighs, holding you down as you moaned his name. This was a dream.

“Johnny stop, I’m gonna cum.” You moaned, trying to push him away but he held you down. Not moving his mouth anywhere, he sucked your clit harshly. The coil in your stomach tightened immensly and you gripped the cushions, looking at him watching you. “John-ny.” You stuttered, being thrown over the edge and arching your back off of the couch. Your body was on fire and covered in a cold sweat as he rode out your orgasm on his tongue, but his eyes didn’t leave you for one second.

“All talk huh?” He asked, wiping his mouth before hovering over you. “Just fuck me already.” You moaned in response, your body still being in a high from your orgasm. “No thank you?” He tutted before leaning down and capturing your lips for a messy kiss. You could taste yourself on his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck as your legs wrapped around his waist.

“Please, Johnny.” You whined, placing your lips by his ear. “Fuck.” Hearing you beg was practically enough to make him cum on the spot, so he didn’t really have time to tease.

He ran the head of his cock over your slit before slowly pushing into you. You let out a shaky moan and pressed your forehead to his, feeling him stretch you out was a lot. Johnny moved his hand by your head for support, groaning as he fully sheathed himself into you. Your nails dug into his shoulders and you placed light kisses by his ear. “Please fuck me, Johnny.” You begged softly, bucking your hips as you did so to taunt him. He said he wasn’t going to go easy on you and you wanted to test that.

He drew back his hips without a word, slamming into you harshly and making you gasp. He continued to do so, moving his hand so that he could wrap his arms around you and press your chest against his. This gave him even more leverage, hips pistoning into yours faster. Your moans went silent, not even being able to say anything let alone something of value.

“You’re so quiet now, cat got your tongue?” He asked, sounding breathless himself but he didn’t care anymore. You choked out a whimper, nails now dragging down his back. Your eyes were shut, finding it hard to keep them open as he hit your g-spot repetitively, making your legs shake.

“Look at me.” Johnny said softly, his forehead pressing to yours. Opening your eyes, they instantly locked onto his. His hair was sticking to his forehead and his eyes were noticeably darker with lust and he looked so good. “You’re mine, right?” He asked, hips slowing down slightly but thrusting deeper than before. “Yes.” You were absolutely breathless, feeling another orgasm right around the corner.

“I’m not losing you again, right?” It was a bit of insecurity that Johnny was starting to show, but he needed to hear it. “No, I’m all yours.” You moaned out, gasping as his hand moved down to your clit.

Satisfied with your responses, his index finger rubbed circles on your clit and he could feel you tightening around him even more than you already were. You did your best to keep your eyes open, your nails digging into his skin helping you focus on that.

“Cum for me.” He said softly, his own hips stuttering as he felt himself on the verge of cumming. “I- I love you.” You whined, clenching around him as your orgasm washed over you. Johnny’s hips stuttered at the words and the feeling, cumming inside of you with a groan. He burried his face into your neck as he stayed still and your body relaxed underneath him. Your fingers now moved over his back as you both caught your breath, however he stayed inside of you making you shiver as he moved.

“I love you too, by the way.” He said softly into your skin, making you laugh. He leaned back, looking down at you with a smile before slowly pulling out of you. You sighed, still holding onto his shoulders as he did so. He moved you both to lay down on the couch and catch your breath, not being nearly energetic enough to go shower or cleanup just yet.

He held you as your head rested on his chest, fingers playing with your hair softly. You kissed absentlmindedly over his chest, something you had thought about doing alot when you two weren’t together and he just watched you.

“Why did it take us this long?” He asked, disrupting the silence. “I like to believe it’s because of fate. But in reality it was probably us just being too blind and stupid to realise that we liked eachother.” You smiled at him and he stretched, placing an arm behind his head.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Mom told me to ask you to that dance in highschool, but I was convinced you didn’t like me like that. I thought you thought of me as a brother.” Johnny explained and you hid your face in his chest. “I thought you saw me as a sister. Until you almost kissed me the night of the dance. But then Kimberly just had to come and snatch you from me... little witch.” You ranted, making him let out a hearty laugh. “Well, watching you go home with Matt wasn’t easy either.” He admitted and you kissed over his chest again.

“Your mom told me something earlier too, which almost made me cry then but now I can laugh at it.” You started and he looked at you with a cocked eyebrow. “What did she say?” He asked and you smiled. “She said she wasn’t ready to accept Madison to be her daughter in-law, because she already considered me as her daughter in-law.” You smiled triumphantly and he started laughing again.

“Yeah, she’s going to be absolutely ecstatic to hear that this finally happened.” Johnny smiled, moving some stray hairs out of your face. You sat for a second just looking at eachother and smiling, this was what you both had wanted for years and normally an ending like this would have been anticlimactic, but it absolutely wasn’t. This was it, Johnny was it for you and you were it for Johnny.

“I’m sorry it took me so long.” You said softly, tearing up a little just thinking about it all. “I’m sorry too. But we’re finally here.” He said, brushing away the tear that escaped you. “I’m not missing you again, not ever.” Johnny reassured, leaning forward to kiss your forehead.

“Never again.”

Tag list (my first ever tag list yayyyy): @keonaforever21 @heroesfan101 @alreadyblondenow

A/N: I’m so so so sorry that this took so incredibly long to post. I got sick and then really unmotivated to write. But now I’m here and I have finished this and am excited to write some more now! Please give me some feedback!! ♥♥♥♥

#johnny seo #johnny seo smut #nct #nct smut #nct 127 #nct 127 smut #johnny suh #my johnny

477 notes · View notes

bbdaydreams · 3 years

Text

Courage My Love// Semi Eita

Pairing: Semi Eita x Reader

Summary: You like Semi and come up with a plan to confess to him, unfortunately it takes a turn. You meet again a couple years later by chance.

Chapter Five: Old Friends

Series Masterlist•<previous•next>

—————

“Thank you all so much for coming out tonight!” Semi spoke into his mic, sweat dripping down his face from all the jumping around he’d done in the past thirty minutes. “We’re coming up on time so this next one is going to be the last one. Once again thank you so much!”

The boys were currently playing a well known venue in their area that offered a standing room for shows and seating towards the entrance for those looking to eat. It’s small but mighty, especially when it’s filled at max capacity at least once a week. The boys were regulars, performing at least once every other week.

When they finished the song, they all walked off stage and headed backstage to put away all their gear so the next band could play.

“God, I love playing here,” Subaru started.

“Yeah, we’re lucky to get to do this,” Jiro added on.

“Imagine if we played a bigger venue. I don’t know how I’d act,” Semi continued.

“Crazy, right?” Ranmaru and a strangers voice added on. The four young men turned to the source of the voice.

“Hi, I’m from Misfits Records. You guys have quite the following and I’d like to sign you guys. I’ve been to a couple of your shows and I think you guys have what it takes to make it.”

The boys turned to look at each other before looking at the man, Jiro being the first to speak. “Are you sure it’s us you want? There’s still more bands playing after us,” to which the rest of the boys responded by punching his arm.

“He means yes. We’d be honored,” Semi took over.

Fast forward two years now, your band has blown up and you now have listeners all over the world. You’ve had the opportunity to travel to 4 different continents, some tours lasting a week, the longest being three months. Getting to open for bigger bands was always becoming normal but being invited for guest vocals during sets and songs was even more frequent.

You’ve gotten the chance to perform at festivals and events like Warped Tour which is what really helped expose Courage My Love to even more people. The first time you were invited to join the run, the four of you spent the entire tour talking to people as much as you could, being kind to strangers, thanking fans for their support, and checking out other bands and complimenting their performances. All that wasn’t to promote yourself, even though that was the goal. Everything you did was genuine, and you four genuinely wanted to get to know others. This caught the attention of many passerby’s which caused them to check out your music. It made other musicians want to befriend you for being so honest which was something that was hard to find in the music industry nowadays. People were so hungry for fame, they weren’t above using others to climb higher. Your rise in popularity caused curiosity which made you guys get more interviews.

“Hey, hey, hey, we’re here in Courage My Love’s tour bus! Say hi everyone!”

“Hey!” You four greeted when the camera was pointed at all of you.

They asked general questions about your formation, how the tour was going and about the second album you just released months prior before deciding to ask more personal questions.

“We can all agree that dating is hard enough as it is, I can’t even imagine how it is for you guys since you’re on the road so much.”

“You’re right about that. We’re all happily single at the moment though, right?” Yui answered causing you and the others to nod your head yes.

“We definitely have tried to date but yeah touring definitely gets in the way,” Izumi added.

“We’ll have you guys ever thought about dating another musician? Maybe someone throughout the tour? Anyone caught your eye?” The interviewer asked suggestively.

With interviews, you always had to be careful with how you respond. You never want something to come back and bite you in the ass. You also had to watch out for suggestive questions like the one asked, those are just trying to fish out some drama.

“Personally, no. I don’t think I could simply because it’d be a lot of time away from your partner which isn’t fair to either of you,” you answered before looking at Haruka so she could answer the rest.

“We take everything we do pretty seriously despite how we can come off sometimes. Dating someone you’re touring with just seems like drama waiting to happen which is something none of us want to be a part of,” she finished with a smile.

“I see. Well, what is it like to be an all female band in the music industry?”

“You can just check out our newest single, Now You Know, for that. I think it explains itself pretty well.”

“Oh! Looks like we’re out of time, thank you so much for hanging out, see ya next time!” She thanked you guys personally for your time and you all did the same before her and the crew left.

“I can’t believe she tried us with that,” Yui spoke, stretching in her seat.

“It was pretty bold of them,” Izumi agreed.

“It’s sad. I just know they wouldn’t ask guys that. We’re here to make music just like them,” you added, getting up from your spot to go to the small kitchen to start dinner for you all.

“Being a woman sure is hard, and for no reason,” Haruka finished, grabbing her drumsticks to tap the table to get some frustration out.

Album release day! Courage My Love released their third album the following year, coincidentally the same day Semi’s band released their first album, whom unknown to you changed their name from Eagle Thorns to Won’t Regret. Courage My Love reached the number one spot in the rock category that week, a huge milestone. Won’t Regret reached top 20 which was a much better response than they expected. Both bands spent that day celebrating by having a small party at their respective label’s office.

The next day when you went into the studio your manager delivered you with the news for your next tour. “You guys are going to be touring with ONE OK ROCK in the US! You’re going to be the second act. Big things girls, big things.”

“We’re touring with them?” You asked, not believing the fact that you were going to be playing shows with one of your favorite bands.

After reassuring you, you reached out and grabbed onto Yui’s arms in excitement jumping up and down. While you were hyping yourself up, Haruka asked their manager who the opening act was going to be resulting in her eyes going wide.

“We’re touring with who?” The boys asked their manager, leaning forward in their seats with mouths wide.

“You’re gonna be touring with ONE OK ROCK and Courage My Love. Your latest single really blew up, the singer of ONE OK ROCK loved it so much he actually asked for you guys specifically.”

“No fucking way,” Semi spoke in awe.

“We’re not doing it,” Ranmaru announced, making the rest of his band members jump in surprise and disagree.

“Are you crazy? We can’t decline an opportunity like that!” Subaru started.

“Yeah! This is such a huge opportunity and you’re gonna say no?” Jiro added.

Semi stayed quiet, knowing he was the reason why Ranmaru said no. The two of them were pretty similar in mindset which made it easy for them to call each other. “I’ll do my best,” Semi said, looking at the bassist.

“Eita, we don’t need drama on our first big tour.” Ranmaru did feel bad for being blunt but he knew it was how he could get his point across. This tour could either help make them or break them. “I want us to succeed. I want us to keep playing music together.”

Subaru and Jiro stayed quiet, now understanding why Ranmaru reacted the way he did. They both had to agree with him. They’ve all put years worth effort into the band, it’d be a shame for it to fall apart after they had just made it.

“I know. I don’t want to ever not play music with you guys. I owe you guys a lot and I’m tired of holding us back. I swear I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll apologize the moment I see them. Won’t Regret comes first, always has and always will.” Looking around the room he saw the small smirks on their faces, giving him comfort.

“Whatever you say, leader,” Ranmaru joked, pushing Semi’s shoulder so he wasn’t so stiff.

“We’re right behind you dude,” Subaru laughed.

“We’re gonna do it!” Jiro jumped bringing his band mates into a group huddle.

“You guys won’t regret this tour, I promise,” Semi said earning a smack on the back of his head from Subaru.

“Bad pun, Eita.”

Hey, this is Taka from ONE OK ROCK!

You guys are probably preparing for tour since it starts in a few days but I’d like to invite you and your band mates to dinner to meet you all!

Let me know if you can make it

-Taka :)

That was the text that you had received that led to you and the girls getting mildly dressed up to go eat at a restaurant the day before tour started. The tour was going to last six weeks and starting it off by having fun with everyone you were going to be performing with sounded like a great idea.

The four of you walked into the dimly lit restaurant together resulting in the hostess to escort you towards the table that had been reserved for your group. “Oh! Ladies you have arrived! Please have a seat,” Taka spoke, getting up to pull open the chairs so you all could sit.

Upon announcing your arrival, everyone looked up to face your group. Your face immediately grew warm when you saw the familiar faces, locking eyes with the one person you never thought you’d cross paths with again and even though Semi was fully aware this was going to happen, he still couldn’t believe it. Breaking eye contact with him, you gave a look to Haruka as if asking for help since Yui and Izumi already sat in their seats. Your actions didn’t go unnoticed by your old friend, reason being you used to give him those same looks all those years back. Haruka nodded her head and took a step towards the empty seat next to Semi before being stopped.

“Oh I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to come off as rude but I’d like your singer to sit here. I’d like to talk about vocal and stage stuff with them if you don’t mind,” Taka apologized. Knowing he was being sincere and understanding where he was coming from, you knew you shouldn’t argue and instead just suck it up. Haruka gave you a gentle smile before sitting between Yui and Jiro. Sitting down on the chair between Semi and Izumi, Taka pushed it in for you like a gentleman before going back to his own seat. “Alright, let’s order!”

A waitress came over to the table and gave her regular spiel of the specials as she handed out the menus which you unfortunately had to share with Semi since they were short on them.

“You can order first,” Semi spoke softly, letting you have the menu to look through. He wanted to tell you so much more. Apologize right then and there and try to fix things between you two but he couldn’t knowing he had to be professional right now. Ranmaru and Subaru kept glancing at him over their booklet as a warning to not fuck up the nice meal for them while Jiro chatted with your band mates. Semi just wished you two could talk like old friends.

Accepting the tall binded leather booklet, you gave a small thanks before opening it to look through it. This was going to be a long night.

—————

a/n: filler chapter but look!! They finally reunite!

Taglist: @pluviophilefangirl @yourstarvic @sunaswife @mynscorner @syaziahvg @discountkiyoko

#haikyu #haikyuu!!#semi eita #semi x reader #semi haikyuu #semi eita x reader #haikyu x reader #haikyu x y/n

37 notes · View notes

tyrantisterror · 3 years

Link

I did a four part series of trivia posts when ATOM Volume 1: Tyrantis Walks Among Us! came out, and that was pretty fun! You can see that set of trivia posts here if you’d like. I thought it’d be fun to do another now that ATOM Volume 2: Tyrantis Roams the Earth! is out - just one this time, because a lot of the trivia I talked about with Volume 1 still applies.

I’m gonna divide this into two sections: non-spoiler trivia, for things that really don’t give a lot of plot points away, and spoiler trivia, for things that DO give away major plot points. I recommend not reading the spoiler trivia until after you’ve read Tyrantis Roams the Earth!, for obvious reasons, and will put the spoiler trivia under a cut.

Ok, let’s go!

- So if you read ATOM Volume 1, you probably noticed that the book is split not only into chapters, but “episodes,” which consist of four chapters a piece. It’s kind of a nod to how the series owes a great deal of its DNA to various monster of the week shows, with Godzilla: the Series and The Godzilla Power Hour being obvious influences. It also allowed me to pepper in some illustrations and cheesy b-movie style titles into each volume.

- The first “episode” of Volume 2, Tyrantis in Tokyo, pays explicit homage to the giant monster movies of Japan, perhaps even moreso than the chapters that came before it. Given how much Japanese media influenced ATOM - from tokusatsu like the Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman franchises to anime like Digimon and Evangelion (hell, the title of this episode itself is a tip of the hat to Tenchi Muyo by way of one of its spinoffs) - it kind of felt obligatory that Tyrantis visit Japan and pay his respects.

- Tyrantis in Tokyo also fits in a tribute to another staple of Atomic Age pop culture: Rock and Roll.

- Kutulusca, the giant cephalopod that appears in Tyrantis in Tokyo, is one of the oldest kaiju in this series, dating back to the first iteration of Tyrantis’s story that I put to paper back in 2001 or so. It’s changed a lot since then, but its fight with Tyrantis goes more or less the way it originally did.

- Old Meg, the giant placoderm/shark, and Nastadyne, the bipedal beetle, both owe their existence directly to Deviantart’s Godzilla fandom. Old Meg originated as a dunkleosteus monster I submitted to a “create a Godzilla kaiju” contest held by Matt Frank, while Nastadyne is based on a Megalon redesign I made during the “redesign all the Godzilla kaiju” phase of DA’s kaiju fandom.

- The second episode, Tyrantis vs. the Red Menace, gets dark as we visit the USSR, which had enough REAL horror with atomic power in its history to make creature features seem a bit defanged by comparison. It’s probably the episode with the strongest horror elements - ATOM’s always been influenced by Resident Evil, and this is probably where that influence shows the most strongly.

- It also features the first fully robotic mecha in the series, the mighty Herakoschei! Its name is a combination of “Heracles” and “Koschei the Deathless,” with the former part being added by its Russian creators to make it seem a bit more international as they offer it to the U.N. in hopes of gaining aid for a very extreme kaiju problem they’ve developed.

- Most of Tyrantis vs. the Red Menace takes place in the Siberian Monster Zone. Its name is a reference to the Lawless Monster Zone in Ultraman, which is such a cool fucking name I wish that I wish I could go back in time and steal it.

- The next episode, Tyrantis’s Revenge, is... full of spoilers, so we’ll move on for now.

- The penultimate episode, Tyrantis vs. the Martian Monsters, is a love letter to MANY different sci-fi stories that involve life on Mars, though the most prominent of them is of course The War of The Worlds (one of my top 3 favorite books) and its various adaptations. From its tentacles sapient martians, the tripodal leader of the titular monsters whose name includes the word “ulla” which is uttered by said sapient martians, the plant monster made of red vines, the cylinder-shaped spacecraft the Martian monsters are sent to earth on, the copper-skinned stingray-esque flying martian who shoots lasers from its tail, and the fact that every chapter title in this episode is a quote from the book, the H.G. Wells influence is STRONG.

- The final episode, Invasion from Beyond!, is shamelessly inspired by Destroy All Monsters, although there’s a dash of “To Serve Men,” Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and The Day the Earth Stood Still mixed in as well. It’s also sort of a tribute to my first “published” bit of a kaiju fiction - a rewrite of Destroy All Monsters that included EVERY Godzilla monster that had appeared at the time, which my middle school self wrote back in 2002 or so for Kaiju Headquarters, a kaiju fansite I’m not sure exists anymore. Invasion from Beyond! is just as ambitious (but hopefully better executed) as my DAM Remake, with dozens upon dozens of different kaiju duking it out, earthlings vs. aliens.

- There were three different documents I made to outline the final battle of Invasion from Beyond! It’s the largest episode of the series so far and more than half of it is that fucking fight. My inner child is pleased, though, so hopefully you will be too.

Ok, that’s all I can share without spoilers. READER BEWARE WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW THE CUT!

JUST MAKING SURE you know that SPOILERS will follow from here on out. Read at your own peril! YOU WERE WARNED!

(I’m gonna start with lighter ones just in case you scrolled too far and want to turn back)

- There’s a number of explicit Spielberg homages in ATOM Volume 2, from a “we need a bigger boat�� joke during a chase with a giant shark to the fact that Invasion from Beyond! opens with a group of people flying to an island of monsters to review whether or not it should get more funding.

- When Tyrantis appears in the first chapter, I snuck in modified lyrics of The Godzilla Power Hour’s theme song. “Up from the depths”... “several stories high”... “breathing fire”... “its head in the sky”... Tyrantis! Tyrantis! Tyrantis!

- The two rock bands in Tyrantis in Tokyo have real life inspirations ala Gwen Valentine, albeit a bit more muddled than hers. The Cashews are inspired by The Peanuts (see what I did there), while The Thunder Lizards are a mix of The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper. I wanted The Thunder Lizards to be more akin to the myth of a famous rock and roll band than the reality - less the real Beatles and more the Yellow Submarine cartoon version of them.

- The song The Thunder Lizards write for Tyrantis was written to fit the tune of “The Godzilla March” from Godzilla vs. Gigan, though ideally if someone made an actual song of it it would be its own song. I got the idea from Over the Garden Wall, which used the Christmas song “O Holy Night” as a a starting point for “Come Wayward Souls.”

- Perry Martin, UNNO reporter and peer of Henry Robertson, is a nod to Raymond Burr, with his name being a combination of two of Burr’s most famous roles: Perry Mason, and Steve Martin from Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956).

- Dr. Rinko Tsuburaya is a few homages in one. Her name comes from Rinko Kikuchi (who played Mako Mori in Pacific Rim), while her last name is obviously in homage of Eiji Tsuburaya. Her being the daughter of an esteemed scientist is inspired by Emiko Yamane from the original Gojira.

- Nastadyne’s Burning Justice mode is named after a similar super mode from various Transformers cartoons, though it’s more directly inspired by the Shining/Burning Finger super move from G Gundam.

- Martians sending kaiju to different planets via shooting them out of cannons (with or without cylinder spaceships around them) is another War of the Worlds shoutout. So is martians living on Venus after their homeworld was made uninhabitable, actually.

- Kurokame’s vocalizations are described as wails in explicit homage to Gamera. His name can be translated as either “black tortoise” (a reference to the mythical guardian beast Genbu, which can also be construed as a Gamera reference thanks to Gamera: Advent of Irys implying Gamera and Genbu are one and the same) or a portmanteau of the Japanese words for crocodile and turtle - “crocturtle.”

- Burodon’s name is just a mangling of “burrow down.” It also sounds vaguely like Baragon, who Burodon is loosely inspired by. AND, since Burodon is sort of a knockoff/modified Baragon, that kinda makes him a reference to various monsters in Ultraman!

- The final battle of Tyrantis in Tokyo is sort of a hybrid of the finales of Ghidorah the 3 Headed Monster and Destroy All Monsters.

- The Japanese kaiju teaching Tyrantis the art of throwing rocks at your enemies is both a joke on the prominence of rock throwing in Japanese kaiju fights AND the tired trope of an American hero learning secret martial arts from a Japanese mentor ala Batman, Iron Fist, etc. In this case, the secret martial art is throwing rocks at people.

- When introduced to Herakoschei and its pilot, we are told that the strain of piloting this early mecha is so intense that many pilots have died in the process, with the current one passing out on more than few occasions. This is of course a Pacific Rim homage - sadly, no one invents drifting.

- Herakoschei’s design is a loose homage to Robby the Robot and Cherno Alpha, because big boxy robots are cool.

- The Writhing Flesh and ESPECIALLY Pathogen are both hugely influenced by Resident Evil and The Thing. Giant body horror piles of raw flesh, tendrils, mismatched mouths and limbs may be a bit outside the main era of monster design ATOM homages, but they fit the themes and bring a nice contrast.

- I came up with Pathogen long before Corona but MAN it definitely feels different in 2021 to have a giant monster whose name is a synonym for disease driving other creatures crazy in a quarantine zone than it did when I plotted out the story in 2016.

- The chapter title “Hello, Old Foes” is a riff on “Goodbye, Old Friend”

- Minerva, the kaiju-fied clone of Dr. Lerna, is meant to be an homage to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which is a genuinely good giant monster flick. I am sure many of you will also believe I included her because I’m a pervert whose into tall women, but you’d be wrong! I included the seven foot tall Russian mecha pilot Ludmilla Portnova because I’m a pervert whose into tall women. Minerva’s inclusion was just coincidental, I swear!

- Since Promythigor is a play on the archetypal ape kaiju to contrast Tyrantis as a play on the archetypal fire-breathing reptile kaiju, their fight has a lot of nods to King Kong movies. Promythigor attempts the famous jaw-snap maneuver of Kong (with less success), J.C. Clark paraphrases the “brute force vs. a thinking animal” line from the King Kong vs. Godzilla American cut, and Tyrantis slides down a mountain to knock Promythigor off his feet in a reversal of Kong doing the same in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

- Tyrantis sliding down a mountain on his tail doubles as a Godzilla vs. Megalon homage.

- Though Promythigor is the archetypal Ape and Tyrantis the archetypal Fire-Breathing Reptile, I think it’s fun to note that in some ways, Promythigor is the Godzilla equivalent in their matchup, and Tyrantis the Kong. Promythigor has a slight size advantage, was scarred by humans performing unethical weapons technology, and is associated with violent explosions. Tyrantis is a good-at-heart prehistoric beast who humanized in part by his unlikely friendship with a human woman.

- Of course, in the context of the famous quote from the American cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla, they remain in their archetypal lanes. Promythigor is the more intelligent of the two (though not necessarily wiser), and Tyrantis is in many ways a brute reptile. Their battle is a rebuttal of sorts to the assertion that Kong is the “better” animal because he is closer to human. Promythigor’s near human creativity and emotions don’t make him the kinder/more benevolent monster, but instead fuel a very self-centered and destructive attitude that makes him the far more dangerous threat. On the other hand, Tyrantis, who is less intelligent, limited in communication with others by his reptilian mindset and instincts, and simple in his thoughts and desires, is nonetheless a sweet creature that is easily dealt with when others consider his animal needs and mindset. There’s a quote from Hellboy I love that probably sums up all of my writing thus far: “To be other than human does not mean the same as being less,” and that’s what the matchup between these two in particular tries to illustrate: the “less” human Tyrantis is nonetheless more benign than the “more” human Promythigor.

- Kraydi the psychic lizard began life as a soft sculpture I made of the Canyon Krayt Dragon from The Wildlife of Star Wars. The sculpture didn’t look much like the illustration, but I liked how it came out, and so I made it an original monster named Kraydi (see what I did there). Figuring out an explanation for that name in ATOM’s world was possibly the most difficult kaiju naming task in the series, but it worked out in the end.

- Kraydi and Promythigor having psychic powers is a result of my time on Godzilla fan forums in my middle school years. Most of the forums had OC kaiju battle tournaments, and SO many of those kaiju had a wide array of beam weapons and psychic powers just to win the tournaments by beam-spamming and mind controlling their foes into oblivion. There’s a special kind of rage you get when your original creation is beaten by “Fire Godzilla” because he has a genius level intellect and the power of unstoppable telekinesis. Kraydi began as (and still is I suppose) my attempt to do a psychic kaiju well, while Promythigor’s villainy being tied to psychic powers being forced on him is sort of my passive aggressive commentary on people foisting powers on a monster without any real thematic reason for them.

- Henry Robertson and Dr. Praetorius chewing out the laziness of people giving kaiju completely unaltered names of mythic beasts will probably be seen as a jab at the Monsterverse and/or the numerous writers in the kaiju OC scene who do the same, but it’s ACTUALLY a jab at my past self, who had DOZENS of kaiju whose names were just Greek mythological figures verbatim. There are dozens of kaiju named Hydra, Scylla, Charybdis, Chimera, etc., past me, try to make the names stand out! Oh wait you did. I mean, don’t pat yourself on the back too much, you still went with “Mothmanud” as a canon name and never came up with something better, but, like, good on ya for trying I guess.

- Dr. Praetorius takes his name from the evil mad scientis in Bride of Frankenstein, who basically has all the wicked traits that Universal’s Frankenstein downplayed in their take on Dr. Frankenstein. Ironically, ATOM’s Dr. Praetorius is a bit less evil than his fellow mad scientists in ATOM. I really like how his character turned out, he surprised me.

- Isaac Rossum, the pilot of the USA mecha Atomoton, is named for Isaac Aasimov, whose robot stories are to robot fiction what Lord of the Rings is to high fantasy. His last name is a reference to Rossum’s Universal Robots, which is where the word “robot” came from.

- The unfortunate pilots of MechaTyrantis in ATOM Volumes 1 and 2 are all nods to Jurassic Park. John Ludlow = John Hammond and Peter Ludlow, Ian Grant = Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant, Dennis Dodgson = Dennis Nedry and Lewis Dodgson.

- A good way to pitch Invasion from Beyond! would be “what if the staff and monsters were able to fight back when the Kilaaks tried to take over Monsterland?”

- Ok, here’s a fun joke that no one will get but me because it requires a very specific chain of logic based on some obscure and loosely connected nerd bullshit. There’s a rocker in ATOM’s universe named Sebastian Haff, right? One of his songs, “Darling Let’s Shimmy,” is referenced right before a mothmanud larva emerges from the ground in both ATOM Vol. 1 and 2. Ok, so, in the Bubba Hotep, an aging Elvis impersonator named Sebastian Haff claims he is actually the real Elvis Presley, having changed places with the real Sebastian Haff as a sort of Prince and the Pauper deal that went wrong. Got that? Ok, so, in UFO folklore, a common joke is the theory that Elvis didn’t die, but was rather abducted by aliens (or he actually WAS an alien the whole time - the whole “Elvis didn’t die, he just went home” joke in Men in Black is a good example of this). Ok? Ok. So, in ATOM’s universe, we can surmise that their equivalent of Elvis, whose name is Sebastian Haff, WAS abducted by aliens, and that his song “Darling Let’s Shimmy” is subconsciously influenced by his repressed memories from his time aboard the Beyonder spaceships, which is why it accidentally awoke a Mothmanud larva in Volume 1. There’s a lot of bullshit jokes I put into ATOM, but this is perhaps the bullshittiest of them all.

- One of the most common bits of feedback on ATOM Volume 1 I got was “I kept waiting for something to eat Brick Rockwell, he’s such an asshole.” And I had to smile and go, “Oh, yeah, guess he never got his, huh?” the whole time without letting on that he was going to die here all along!

- Dr. Lerna and Brick Rockwell’s nature as foils to each other is probably most apparent in Invasion from Beyond!, where both are given fairly similar situations - a nonhuman approaches them with a solution to a global crisis - and react to it very differently. I worry that some people may think they both made the same choice and got different results, and that that’s hypocrisy on my part, but I hope I wrote it so you can see how their choices and situations actually differ in key ways, and why their decisions, while similar on the surface, are ultimately very different, and thus result in almost opposite outcomes.

- So, when I planned out this book in 2016, I swear I didn’t know about the Orca from 2019′s Godzilla King of the Monsters. Having the plot hang around Dr. Lerna deciding whether or not to use a sonic device to rouse all the kaiju to save the earth was not INTENDED to be a Monsterverse reference - it came about from me looking at Pathfinder’s take on kaiju, who are all explicitly influenceable by music, and thinking, “Oh, wow, music and songs DO have a major connection with kaiju in a lot of media, I should do something with that.” Whem KOTM came out a few days after Volume 1 came out I realized I was kinda fucked here, because the comparison was definitely going to be made, but I’d also set this all up already and you can’t just change suddenly to avoid looking like a copy cat and make a good story, so... I dunno, I leaned into it a bit, but it is what it is.

- While most people will probably think they’re a reference to the Reptoids of UFO folklore, the Reptodites are more inspired by the Dinosapien of speculative evolution fame and, even morso, by the Reptites from Chrono Trigger. Me wanting to avoid the “lizard people control the government” conspiracy theory trope is one of the main reasons why Reptodites have this non-interference clause with humanity.

- Lieutenant Gray is a bunch of different humanoid aliens rolled into one - a little Hopskinville goblin, a little classic gray, a little this one weird alien with five-fingered zygodactyl hands, etc.

- There’s some Beyonder Mecha in this volume that are basically kaiju-fied versions of the Flatwoods Monster. The species that built them ALSO engineered the Mothmanuds, because connecting Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster is fun!

- Pleprah is, obviously, a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater.

- Tyrantis’s brush with death, in addition to being so very anime, was inspired by my dad outlining how mythic heroes often have to travel to the underworld/land of the dead before they can finish their journey. It’s one of the plot points that I’ve had planned for this series since middle school.

- I’m sure some will view it as hackneyed and corny, but as a person who’s battled with depression for decades, having Tyrantis’s choice to live be the big heroic turn of the finale was very important to me. Tyrantis incorporates elements of a lot of imaginary friends I made as a kid, and in many ways he’s kind of the face of my more positive side in my head. He’s been telling me to choose to live for a while, and while maybe to an outsider it may seem hackneyed, it’s just... very Tyrantis. He chooses life and kindness in the face of pain and struggle. That’s Tyrantis.

- Tyrantis’s powered up form is called “Hyper Mode,” which is another Gundam reference. Originally it was a lot gaudier and involved him turning gold like a fuckin’ Super Saiyan. I opted for something a little more toned down here.

- Also, speaking of KOTM references, I decided to make Hyper Mode Tyrantis’s final duel with Pathogen be a sort of foil to Burning Godzilla’s final bout with Ghidorah in KOTM. Instead of ravaging the city, Hyper Tyrantis’s pulse of energy rejuvenates his fallen allies, and as a result he is “crowned” not out of fear for his supremacy in the wake of killing a powerful enemy, but in gratitude for his kindness. See? Leaning into it!

- And now I can finally reveal that Yamaneon is ATOM’s equivalent of The Monolith Monsters - that is, a kaiju that is also a mineral. I took the “strange continuously growing rock” thing in a very different direction, though, as unlike The Monolith Monsters, Yamaneon is actually alive.

- At various points in the pre-writing process, either Promythigor, MechaTyrantis, or both were going to die fighting Pathogen. I ultimately decided to let them both live, with MechaTyrantis even getting his flesh and blood body back, because I think it’s more interesting and thematically consistent that way. They get a chance to heal their wounds by changing their ways.

- The Great Beyonder and Dorazor both almost didn’t make the cut, as I felt they didn’t have the same pull as villains that Pathogen, Promythigor, and MechaTyrantis did. But then I thought that could actually be the gag - build them up as the final boss, only to have Pathogen take their crown. I want to explore post-face turn Dorazor a bit more, though. We’ll have to see about that in a later volume.

- Volumes 1 and 2 make up what I call “The Ballad of Tyrantis Arc” for ATOM. I call it that because Tyrantis’s storyline in these two volumes was patterend after Chivalric ballads like Yvain the Knight of the Lion. Tyrantis, a heroic warrior who is kind but dumb of ass, learns of strange goings on outside his home and investigates. During his journey into the unknown he falls in love with a powerful woman, whose favor he tries to win. Through happenstance he is separated from his love and, distraught, wanders around fighting various foes to prove his worth, before finally returning to his love a better hero. Invasion from Beyond! could even be seen as a sort of Morte d’Artur, with Tyrantis and a bunch of other kaiju heroes (including Nastadyne and Kemlasulla, who are built up as Hero Kaiju of Another Story) take part in a huge battle that threatens their idealic kingdom (of monsters).

- Volume 2 isn’t the end of ATOM, but it’s designed to work as an ending if you want to tap out here. As a reader I feel a definitive ending is important, but as a writer I’m always tempted to revisit my beloved characters, so I feel giving closure while leaving a few doors open for possible future adventures is a good compromise between these positions. There will be more ATOM stories, some (but not all!) following Tyrantis and Dr. Lerna, but if you want to know that Tyrantis and Dr. Lerna get an ending and the resolution to their arcs such a thing promises, here you go. An ending, if not THE END.

#The Atomic Time of Monsters #A.T.O.M. Trivia

23 notes · View notes

prettyoddfever · 4 years

Text

what happened when Panic! at the Disco opened for The Academy Is...

The same situation happened in both the UK and the US, so I’m combining both of the early 2006 tours here and just talking about one aspect. But here’s some background context first...

So it was pretty clear by late 2005 that Panic! at the Disco was popular enough to be headlining their own tour even though their first show ever had been in August. The problem was that the band didn’t feel like they had enough experience playing live yet, plus tours had to be booked pretty far in advance… and nobody could’ve predicted how quickly the band would become big. I’m not sure exactly when the two TAI tours were booked with P!ATD as an opening band, but those plans had definitely been established before the end of P!ATD’s very first tour since fans were talking about it by late September when AFYCSO was released. Brendan from The Receiving End of Sirens was on that first tour with P!ATD and said “on the first date they were still relatively unknown. But [their fame] happened so fast that by the last date of the tour they – by anyone’s account – should’ve been headlining the shows. But they were billed as the opener and that’s the spot they were in.”

Then P!ATD moved on to open for Fall Out Boy, AFYCSO was released, their fanbase continued to grow at an exponential rate, and some headlining shows were quickly created for the December break between tours. Those shows sold out super fast so extra dates were added, which then sold out too (those ticket sales happened in November btw). P!ATD seriously had the fanbase to pull off their own tour just 3 months after playing their first show… but then their first couple months of 2006 were devoted to tours that had been booked during what felt like a totally different era.

I think if you just hear the idea nowadays that Panic! at the Disco opened for The Academy Is… it might sound like that was cool of TAI to help out P!ATD and get them some exposure lol. But that’s so far from what ended up happening. Panic! at the Disco didn’t need any help at that point – their rapidly escalating popularity actually detracted from the band they were opening for. Both the UK & US tours felt like they were co-headlining tours at best. Sometimes it seemed like TAI was more of a footnote on P!ATD’s tour. I liked both bands, so I didn’t know how to feel about this whole season… I wanted to be thrilled for P!ATD’s success, but at the same time I felt really bad for TAI.

It became evident early on that the reason so many of these shows had sold out ridiculously quickly was because of P!ATD. I remember some of TAI’s fans were confused in fall 2005 over why the shows for early 2006 were selling out so fast and being upgraded to bigger & bigger venues since TAI had just finished playing those same small UK venues in October. The London date for January 2006 got upgraded to the freaking Astoria. It did seem weird for the size of TAI’s crowds to change overnight. Meanwhile, British P!ATD fans were frustrated that the shows kept getting bumped to bigger venues because they only wanted to see the opening band (and didn’t realize so many other people were doing the exact same thing).

So a good portion of the tickets were sold to P!ATD fans, which meant that people were actually leaving the shows right after P!ATD finished playing. I heard so many stories from fans who felt horrible that TAI had to come onstage to see a decent chunk of the crowd headed for the door. It was their tour! Even the Hellogoodbye fans were grumbling online that most of the crowds seemed to be P!ATD fans who didn’t care about the other bands yet were still blocking access to the stage.

Way too many people started referring to both the UK & US tours as “the Panic tour” – even some media outlets too. There were venues that had only P!ATD listed online for the band that was playing. I also remember some sites & radio shows seriously said “Panic at the Disco (and guests).” A lot of magazines & reviews did seem to give equal coverage to both P!ATD and TAI, but that still just made it seem like a co-headlining tour. There were two other band on the US tour too! Acceptance and Hellogoodbye were opening just like P!ATD... and Panic wasn’t even direct support initially.

interview quotes & article excerpts from the UK tour:

This review from the Glasgow show basically sums up what many fans were also saying:

A large portion of the crowd headed for the door when Panic! At The Disco left the stage. It seems the bands tonight most definitely played in the wrong order, as The Academy Is were left with a modest and seemingly difficult to impress crowd, but they took it in their stride and played a jolly good set of somewhat more average emo tunes... It’s obvious tonight that Panic! At The Disco were the main attraction, with The Academy Is taking their second place with dignity and poise. This whole tour seems to have been a sell out, and it’s obvious the reason why is the band with the exclamation mark in their name. (x)

From Rock Sound’s print review of the Manchester show:

“Next up is the band that everybody came to see, the grammatically wanton Panic! at the Disco. Taking to the stage dressed like outcasts from a fancy dress shop at closing time and pounding straight into the syncopated vaudeville post-emopop anthem ‘The Only Difference…,’ an impolite riot of young dancing girlies infects the venue. Staggeringly obvious is the band’s immense swagger, poise, and suggestive confidence; reminiscent of a group who have been in the game years rather than months. Also apparent is the genuine popularity of the group as each staccato beat or hip twitch of lead singer Brendon Urie makes the many boys and girls in attendance move, scream, gasp for air and convulse in ways not seen since The Beatles made their first Stateside trip.

The Academy Is… have the unenviable job of topping the frenzy of their electro-infused underlings… despite frontman William Beckett’s gender-bending dance moves and pornographically tight trousers, the band do not cause the same consternation among the gathered mass… when compared to the very public and very dramatic ascension of Panic! at the Disco, they fall unfortunately short of the night’s glory. Three bands and only one conclusion: all hail the new dawn of the Panic! revolution.”

From P!ATD’s spring 2006 Rock Sound cover article:

...British critics struggle to effectively describe the furore [P!ATD] has had the temerity and indignity to create without any real UK media ‘push.’ Let’s not forget that they have only truly become an “it” band in this country since the turn of the new year [through] word-of-mouth and Myspace… On their debut UK tour Panic! blew their label mates (and headline act) The Academy Is clean off the stage; no mean feat considering the support and fan base of the band they usurped. Has such talk from press and fans caused any tension between the two groups?

“It was a weird thing,” acknowledges Ross sheepishly. “We did not expect it would be that way at all. I don’t want to say it was obvious, but it became apparent that we did better than them on some nights.” Urie chimes in immediately, keen to downplay any hint of tension between the two parties: “They were totally polite with it too though; I think they saw it too but they just joked about it and asked us to tone down our set as we were wearing the kids out before they came on! They were not jerks about it at all, so that made things much easier to deal with.”

a review from the Leeds show on the first night:

“… It was almost as if these guys were the main attraction, and even when speaking to The Academy Is… after the show they were worried that Panic were a bigger attraction than them! I was really surprised when the band themselves were setting up their own equipment on stage.” (x)

another review from Leeds:

“…The biggest injustice of the night is provided when large amounts of the crowd abandon the Cockpit after P!ATD have, in underwhelming fashion, left the stage. Maybe because it's a school night, more likely because The Academy Is... aren't cool enough for their presence. But tonight the scenesters have got it spectacularly wrong. The Academy Is... are over in England for the second time in three months after a pre-emptive showcase of their album last October. Then, as now, they epitomise how pop-rock should be done: effortless, stylish and plain fun to watch.”

One fan at the Leeds show said she she was close to the stage and didn’t notice too many people leaving after P!ATD played, but she said a couple hundred people walked out after P!ATD finished playing at the Manchester show the next night. Fans from other shows said it didn’t seem like that many fans left after P!ATD was done, though... so it varied.

ARTICLE EXCERPTS & REVIEWS FROM THE US TOUR:

Here’s an excerpt from a Billboard review from the first week of February that was titled “Panic! at the Disco Upstages Tour Mates in Toronto:”

“The second stop on the Truckstops and Statelines tour was scheduled for a much smaller venue, but ticket demand moved the show to a new venue roughly six times larger. Perhaps it's because The Academy Is... was headlining the four-act lineup, but most likely it was the fact that Las Vegas buzz act Panic! At The Disco was on the bill too. And while The Academy Is... delivered a solid, catchy and hook-riddled set to close the night, the horde of teenage girls was clearly there to see Panic! At The Disco's lead singer Brendon Urie deliver retro-dance, electro-pop tunes whose wordy titles are nearly as tedious as a couple of their songs… Panic! At The Disco made a quick exit after the winding, almost Queen-like ‘Build God, Then We'll Talk.’ Sadly, roughly one-third of the crowd followed suit. Those who stuck around saw The Academy Is... put on a strong, tight rock show… but even the punchy "Attention" and "Season" didn't create the havoc for which [they were] hoping… As the show wound down, Beckett thanked Hellogoodbye and Acceptance but omitted Panic! At The Disco. An oversight? Perhaps, but a move also easy to chalk up to showmanship. Because while The Academy Is is the top banana on this tour, in terms of popularity and crowd response, it's playing second fiddle.”

The TAI fans I came across online seemed to agree with that review even if they didn’t like what was happening. However, a lot of them were also celebrating when almost half of the crowd cleared out at some shows right after P!ATD played because then the TAI fans could move closer towards the stage. They were like mildly offended that people were leaving, but also thrilled at the same time lol. But the amount of people leaving at each show definitely varied throughout the lengthy US tour… sometimes a ton of people walked out and other times it sounded like most of the crowd stayed for TAI.

Tom Conrad’s February 6th update on TAI’s site said “every band on this tour has been slaying it. some of you though look a bit tired by the time we take that stage. we need to work on your stamina.” In an interview during this season Mike Carden said he didn’t see people leaving after P!ATD... then he tried to focus his answer on how the bands were like brothers on the same label. I really don’t know much about what TAI said about the situation (especially after the tours), so maybe someone else can add more. I mainly just know that Tom Conrad later posted some responses to Alt Press questions in March 2007 and said: “…Warped Tour, however, was not where the morale significantly dropped within the band. It began during our sold out headlining tour with Panic! At the Disco, where the shows started feeling like a co-headlining tour to the leaders within the band.”

Kerrang wrote in a future article that they had first met P!ATD “back in March when they were stealing the limelight on a modest co-headlining club tour with The Academy Is…” and I honestly have a really hard time not remembering this as a co-headlining tour too ha. It absolutely felt that way. But it was actually a good thing that P!ATD wasn’t headlining yet since they had made it clear that they wanted more experience before they tried to headline their own tour. So it was fortunate that they had late January through March 2006 with TAI to work on their stage presence and learn more about being a band before they did their first headlining tour in April.

THE MAIN POST

21 notes · View notes

theydontknowaboutusimagines · 5 years

Text

The Set Up - Harry Styles One Shot (Part 5)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Everything was still going great, if not better in your relationship with Harry since becoming official. You still hadn’t really told many people in your lives yet because you two wanted to sort get used it for a bit. You knew you would tell Gemma eventually, but right now it was nice watching her squirm for information.

Your co-workers were also very interested in learning about your love life ever since they found out you were dating someone. But you couldn’t worry about adding into workplace gossip because you had a huge event and issue coming out. The 10th anniversary of The Mixtape was in a few days and everyone was working on the issue by piecing different article from the past, some behind the scenes moments and also the story and history of where it all began.

While, the magazine part of The Mixtape hasn’t been around for ten years, what started it all as been. In addition to the magazine issue, you were having a huge party for everyone who helped make your dream possible. You really wanted Harry to be there, but you also knew what that would mean. Everyone would know about your relationship and it’s not like you wanted to hide it or anything, but you weren’t sure how he felt about doing that just yet.

You two had sort of talked about what it meant now that you were together, but there was never really a full discussion on it. You’ve never dated someone that was as famous as he was and seeing how was how his past relationships usually become known at some point, you weren’t sure how you were going to handle that.

Since, you were working so much on the newest issue, you hadn’t really seen Harry much since that morning when he asked you to be his girlfriend. And you felt bad about that especially since in only a few short weeks he’ll be on tour.

Luckily, the first few dates weren’t too far and you were planning on going to at least opening night, but still, you wanted to spend as much time with as you could before then. You were eating lunch at your desk when you got a text from Harry.

Gooooood afternoon, beautiful. Just letting you know, you are to be at my house by seven tonight.

There will be dinner on the table, dessert in the freezer, and a surprise for you on the telly.

You may also wish to bring a change of clothes because I’m in need of someone to tell me if I snore or not.

You smiled reading his text before quickly trying a response.

Lucky for you, I should be done no later than five. That should give me plenty of time to head home and get back to your place.

See you then, lovely.

The next few hours passed by slowly and after being on the phone finalizing everything for the party you were exhausted. Part of you really wanted to just go home, take a hot bath, relax and go to bed, but the bigger part of you really wanted to see your boyfriend.

When you got to your place, you decided to grab a quick shower, and change into more causal clothing before pulling some clothes from your closet and drawers to throw into an overnight bag. Once you had everything you needed you went straight to your car.

You weren’t terribly far from where Harry lived, but sometimes traffic made it seem further than what it really was. It ended up taking you almost an hour to get there and you were behind annoyed and had to pee. Since Harry buzzed you in at the gate, he was already waiting for you at the door.

He smiled holding his arms out, “You’re here.”

“Finally,” you groaned. “Bloody traffic.”

“I’m sorry, love,” he said taking your bag from you.

“It’s fine,” you smiled giving him a quick kiss.

“Hm, I’ve missed that,” he whispered pulling away.

“Sorry,” you sighed. “Work has been crazy with everything going. You know when I had the idea to do the grand celebration and special edition issue, it sounded so much better than actually doing it.”

“I’m sure it’ll be worth it once it’s finished,” he said pouring you a glass of wine.

“I know, I know, I keep telling myself that, but it’s not just me. Everyone is stressed and fuses are short,” you sighed. “I really want to enjoy this celebration because I worked... my team.. everyone has worked too fucking hard to get where we are and I want to be happy about that.”

“Hey,” he said looking at you. “Everything’s going to work out, it’s going to be fine, and you’re going to enjoy it once it’s done.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” you joked.

“And besides, that’s what I decided to all of this,” he smiled. “I know you’ve been stressed and working crazy hours, so why not have a nice at home dinner with your boyfriend.”

You smiled wrapping your arms around his waist, “Thank you, this is something I really needed.”

He smiled leaning down to kiss you before the two of you sat down for dinner.

Once you were finished eating, you helped him clean up, despite his protests and the met over on the couch.

“So, what is this about something being on the tele?” You asked looking over at him.

“Well, I asked Gemma what your favorite movie or tv show was, something that you could watch that would de-stress you a bit,” he said.

“Oh my god!” You gasped. “You did not!”

“I did,” he laughed. “I found it on Hulu, so I figured we could watch your favorite episodes or something.”

“You are amazing!” You smiled wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug. “Have you ever seen it?”

“Actually, no,” he said. “Maybe one or two episodes, or part of an episode, but no I’ve not.”

You pulled away from him, “Wait? What? You have never seen the without a doubt the fucking best TV Show in the history of tv shows with the greatest couple ever?”

“Uh, no,” he said with a laugh. “Damn, Gemma wasn’t lying when she said this was your favorite.”

“Damn fucking right,” you said. “Screw my favorite episodes, we’re watching this from the beginning.”

“Fuck, what did I sign up for,” he laughed.

“Shush!” You said grabbing the remote and selecting season 1, episode 1. “Let the binge watching begin!”

It was the day before the anniversary party and not only have you not found something to wear, you also hadn’t asked Harry about going. Gemma would be there and you wondered if she had mentioned anything to him. He hadn’t said anything to you about it and you weren’t sure how you felt about that. He obviously knew about the event, but he asked about if you wanted him there.

You knew you would have to say something to him and now that you thought about it, the longer you waited the more awkward it would be. Since everything was set in place, you would spend the entire day finding the perfect outfit. It wasn’t going to be a super fancy party, but you were the co-owner, founder, and editor.

Jam had already found her’s and was not stressing as much as you. That was one of the reasons why you two were able to work together. The two of you balanced the other out. You were at your place getting ready to head out, when your phone rang.

“Hey, Harry,” you smiled.

“Hey, are you on your way to the office? I thought we could get breakfast, or I could bring some coffee or something in,” he said.

“Actually, I’m not going in the office today,” you said. “I’ve got some shopping to do.”

“Oh, shopping? Do you mind if I tag along?” He asked.

“That depends, how do you feel about tagging along?” You laughed. “I can’t promise it’ll be a quick trip.”

“I don’t care,” he smiled. “I’m spending time with my girlfriend, that’s all that matters.”

“We’ll see if you still feel that way by the end,” you laughed.

A bit later, Harry ended up picking you up and the two of you headed into the city together.

“So, what’s the goal for this day of shopping?” He asked.

“I need an outfit for tomorrow,” you said. “The uh.. anniversary party is tomorrow night.”

“It is?” He asked. “I mean, I knew it was coming up, but didn’t realize.”

You winced, “Yeah, sorry.”

“I take it, you don’t want me to go?” He asked softly.

“No, it’s not that,” you said. “I want you to go, actually. I thought you wouldn’t want to go, is all.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to go?” He asked.

You shrugged, “I figured it would be too public for you to want to come and plus, it’s not going to be this super fancy, extravagant party like you’re used to.”

“I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not,” he sighed shaking his head.

“I-I’m sorry,” you sighed.

“The public thing, I could understand, but the last bit about the party, Y/N, do you really think I’m that fucking shallow or whatever?” He asked.

“What? No,” you said.

He simply shook his head and continued driving after the light turned green. You sighed knowing this would was going to come back and bite you in the ass.

You reached over taking his hand in yours, “I’m sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier, but honestly, I didn’t think you’d want to come. You’ve got a lot going on, plus, we haven’t even told our friends and family about us being together, so I didn’t think you’d want to be seen publicly with me. I mean, yeah, there’s not going to paparazzi or anything there, but there will be public people who are attached to their phones.”

“Y/N, you’re my girlfriend. I care about you, I’m fucking proud of you, so of course, I want to be there for your big night. This is a two way street, baby, I want to support you, just as much as you want to support me. I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked and how stressed you’ve been and I want to be there to enjoy it with you,” he said. “If you want me there.”

You smiled bringing his hand up to your lips, “I want you there.”

“Well, then it looks like I’ll be needing an outfit, too,” he smirked.

The night of the big anniversary party was here. You were at the venue with the party planner making sure everything was getting set up and there weren’t any mishaps. Harry’s place was actually not too far from the venue, so you would be getting ready there and staying over night. Even though you two mostly talked it out, you could tell it still bothered him a little about you not mentioning the party before.

But you couldn’t worry about that now because you had the party to worry about. Most everything was already set up, there would still be a little final touches added here and there, but you were so happy everything was going well. Once you got the thumbs up, you went back to Harry’s house to get ready for the party that would start in less than three hours.

When you arrived, Harry was making lunch for the two of you, he smiled when he saw you.

“Just in time,” he said.

“Hey,” you smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said kissing you quickly. “How’s the set up going?”

“Great,” you smiled. “I can’t wait to see everything once it’s finished.”

“Me either,” he smiled taking a bite of the sandwich.

“Can I ask you something?” You asked.

He nodded, “Anything.”

“Are you still upset about me not asking you to come before last night?” You asked.

“A little,” he shrugged. “But like I said, I can’t blame you for feeling like you did. This is still new to both us.”

You nodded taking his hand, “It really means a lot that you’re coming though. I want you to know that.”

He smiled leaning over to kiss you.

A few hours later, your hair and makeup was done and you were all dressed ad ready to go. You had found a gorgeous black and white jumpsuit with a sweetheart neckline.

“Oh boy,” you groaned.

“What?” Harry asked pulling his suit jacket over his shoulders.

“I didn’t realize “the girls” were going to be this noticeable,” you groaned. “I don’t remember it looking like that in the fitting room yesterday. Does it look bad?”

He smirked, “Quite the opposite actually.”

You rolled your eyes, “You would say that.”

He laughed putting his hands on your waist, “It doesn’t look bad, I promise. I don’t think there’s going to be any nip slips, so you’re good.”

“I’m going to take your word for it,” you said pointing at him.

He smirked kissing your cheek, “But you are missing something.”

“What’s that?” You asked.

“Hold one second,” he said walking over to his dresser and taking something out. “Now, before you freak out, I want you to know that I just happened to come across this and thought it would be perfect for you.”

“Why would I freak out?” You laughed. “What is it?”

He handed you a medium sized box and you looked at it suspiciously before taking into your hands to open it. When you do, its a necklace with a little diamond incrusted charm in the shape of an old cassette or a mixtape.

You gasped looking at him, “It’s beautiful.... I... wow.”

“Here let me put it on,” he smiled taking it from the box while you turned around.

He wrapped it around your neck and clasped it, “There you go.”

You turned around wrapping your arms around his shoulder, “Thank you, I love it,” you smiled before leaning up to kiss him.

Arriving at the venue, you were shocked to see how many people were in attendance. You squeeze Harry’s hand and he gave yours a kiss. You smiled a bit before getting out of the car and headed into the venue. Harry stayed by your side as you went in through the back.

“Ready to meet everyone?” You asked.

“Born ready,” he joked.

You laughed walking in to where everyone on the main staff was waiting before the big entrance and speeches. When you walked in with Harry Styles on your arm, everyone froze and their jaws dropped.

“No fucking way,” Jam said. “This is the mystery bloke?”

“Uh, surprise,” you laughed. “Everyone, this is Harry, this is everyone. The Mixtape staff.”

Harry smiled making his way to greet everyone. Most everyone was still in shock and Jam smirked looking over at you with a big thumbs up. You laughed rolling your eyes before grabbing yourself and Harry a drink.

“So, what do you think?” You asked taking a sip.

“They seem lovely,” he laughed.

“I think there a bit starstruck right now,” you laughed. “I’ve never seen them this quiet before.”

The rest of the night when smoothly. All the speeches, the little videos playing, photo ops, everything was just how you wanted it do go. Gemma was there and she kept giving you and Harry a knowingly smirk with a few i told you so’s thrown in the mix. Once all of your duties were finished for the night, you really were able to enjoy it and you did.

You danced with your boyfriend and took pictures with him. You also noticed that neither of you were downing the drinks and that caused something to cross your mind. You and Harry still had yet to take that next step in your relationship, not for the lack of want.

And the want was very high that night. When the party was over, the two of you got into the car the was picking you up. On the drive to his house, he took his hands in yours, playing with the rings on your fingers. You giggled laying your head on his shoulder.

“Was it everything you wanted?” He asked.

“It was perfect,” you smiled. “Thank you again for coming.”

“Of course, baby,” he smiled looking over at you.

The car was mostly dark aside from the glow of the screen in the front and the streetlights and cars that passed by. You brought your hand up to his cheek, pressing a kiss against his lips. He ran his hand up your arm and down your back, bringing you closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

Both of you are obviously to the driver until he let out an awkward cough. Blushing you two pulled away from the other, anticipating the final minutes until he pulled into the driveway. You two got out from the car, making sure you had your bag and headed for the front door. You giggled as your boyfriend took your hand and practically pulled you up the steps of his home before fumbling with his keys again.

It only took him a few short seconds before unlocked it and pushed the door in. As soon as you both were inside, he slammed the door shut, locked it, and took your hand. He pulled you closer to him, wrapping your arms around his waist as he took your face into his hands.

Smiling up at him as you leaned your head towards him, he smirked hovering his lips over yours, teasing you for a bit of a kiss before finally pressing his lips into yours. His fingers soon found themselves in your hair as he deepened the kiss. You gripped onto his shoulders as both of you started making your way through the foyer.

“Bedroom?” He whispered against your lips in-between kisses.

“Fuck, yes,” you mumbled before pulling him in for another kiss.

He smirked putting his hands on your ass and picking you up. Your legs wrapped around his waist as he carried you into his bedroom. After turning on the light, he walked over to his bed, sitting down with you on his lap. You pushed his suit jacket down his shoulders as he pulled his arms out of the sleeves.

You bit your lip as you felt his lips against the skin of your neck and collarbone. Your fingers trembled with anticipation as you unbuttoned the remainder of his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders and down his arm.

“So, fucking hot,” you smirked running your hand over his chest and shoulders. “And all my mine, right?”

He smirked, “I’m all your’s baby,”

“Good,” you whispered kissing him again.

Less than a few minutes later, you felt his fingers on the zipper of your jumpsuit. He pulled it down slowly, his hand softly touching the newly revealed skin of your back. Since it was all one piece, you got off of his lap long enough for him to pull the fabric all the way down your body.

“I didn’t realize you weren’t wearing a bra,” he noted as you retook your place on his lap.

“There was one built into the top,” you smirked. “Why? Disappointed with what you see?”

“Far from it,” he smirked.

He didn’t waste anytime attaching his lips to your naked chest and cupping it with his hands. A moan escaped your lips as you gripped onto his shoulders. The longer he paid attention to your chest, the more you wanted his attention elsewhere, as well.

Sensing this, he brought his hand down and slipped his hand into the last remaining piece of fabric on your body. Your grip on his shoulders, tightened as his hand moved in slowly in a circular motion. Removing his lips from your chest, he kissed his way up your neck before finally placing them back onto your lips.

Moaning against his lips, he smirked moving his hand a little faster.

“Fuck,” you groaned his lips.

Smirking, he removed his hand, much to your dismay before placing his hands on your hips and rolling you over onto your back. You stared up at him, chest heaving up a down a bit more at your elevated heart rate, cheeks redden, and sweat starting to glisten your skin. You moved hair out of your face as you watched he slowly pull the black, cotton fabric from your body.

Once it was in a ball on his bedroom floor, he ran his hands up your legs as he pushed them a bit more further apart. He crawled onto the bed, hovering over you before planting a kiss on your lips. You smiled putting your hands on the sides of his face.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “Gorgeous, fucking sexy as hell.”

You giggled, “Hm, thank you.”

He smiled kissing you one last time before making his way down your neck and chest, slowly. Once his lips finally left your chest, he made his way down kissing and licking your stomach before you felt his hand returning back to it’s previous position. You gasped when you felt him inside of you, one finger, moving at an achingly slow pace.

Needing to hold something, your fingers found their way to the sheets, gripping them as pleasure started taking over your body. Not that you were holding back before, but the sounds erupted from your body as soon as you felt his tongue working it’s magic on you, where quite loud and you were happy the nearest neighbor was far enough away.

The build up in your body was starting to rise, your body practically begging for releasing. When your boyfriend start picking up his pace, you knew he had realized this, and soon after you were screaming his name, along with a few choice words as the waves of pleasure took over you body. He stayed where he was until you were completely finished and then he kissed his way up your body before licking his fingers as he hovered over you.

“I uh, take it you like that, huh?” He breathed out.

“A little bit, yeah,” you smirked as you tried catching your breath.

“Only a little?” He raised an eyebrow.

You giggled nodding, “Yep,” you said making sure to pop the ‘p”.

“Hm, then I guess you wouldn’t want to continue then?” He asked.

“Not even close,” you smirked pulling on the top of his trousers. “We’re in for long night ahead of us.”

“Oh fuck,” he laughed pressing his lips against yours.

You didn’t waste any time removing the remaining clothing off of him as you kissed him. He rolled you over onto your back as he deepened the kiss. You ran your hands over his chest causing him to moan against your lips. He pulled away from a bit, reaching over to grab something from the table near the bed.

You smirked bringing your lips up to his neck as you kissed along the skin there.

“Shit,” he groaned.

“What?” You laughed.

“I dropped it,” he groaned.

You giggled as he leaned over even more trying to reach the foil package on the ground. You smirked reaching over and tickling his side causing him to yelp out, which made you laughed even more. After picking it up, he took in his hand and looked over at you.

“Why do you always do that?” He groaned with a laugh.

“Because it’s funny,” you smirked.

“Oh, just like this is?” He smirked before tickling your sides.

“AH! Okay, okay,” you giggled. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

“Hm, you know what I can’t resist?” He smirked.

“Hm, don’t know?” You asked.

“You,” he whispered.

You smirked leaning up to kiss him as he fumbled opening the wrapper. He pulled away from the kiss briefly and looked down at you. He brought his hand up to your forehead, pushing a strand of hair away. Smiling up at you, you reached up to return the favor before you felt him gently push into you.

Neither of you moved for a moment, savoring the feeling of being together. You moved your hands down his sides putting them on his waist as he moved slowly. You let out a whimper against his lips. One of his hands ran up your leg as you gripped onto his back.

By the time both of you were finished, sweat practically dripped down your bodies. The room was filled with your heavy breathing as both of your chests heaved up and down. He rolled off of you before bringing you close and taking your hand in his. He smiled bringing it up to his lips and leaving little kisses on each of your fingers.

You giggled, “I figured you’d be tired of kissing me for a bit.”

“I’d never get tired of kissing you,” he smirked. “Hell, I do it all the time if I didn’t need to breathe.”

You laughed shaking your head before pushing the sheet off of you and getting up.

“Hey, what, get back here,” he groaned.

“I need to wipe my makeup off,” you laughed. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

He looked over at you with a pout as he reached for your hand, except he leaned over too far causing him to lose his balance and fall onto the floor bringing you down with him.

“Ow, fuck,” he laughed.

“Was that because you hit the floor or because I hit you?” You laughed looking down at him.

“Both,” he laughed. “You know this is your fault.”

“What? How?” You laughed.

“Because you got up,” he said. “Had you stayed in bed cuddling, I wouldn’t have fell on my ass.”

“Or maybe it’s your fault because you’re so needy,” you giggled.

“No, I don’t think that’s it,” he laughed pushing hair behind your ear.

“Oh, well, then I guess since you’re not needy, you wouldn’t want to join me in the shower then?” You asked raising an eyebrow.

“Baby, I’m as needy as needy can fucking get,” he smirked. “Now, let’s go.”

You laughed as you got up, quickly making your way to the bathroom.

Welp, looks like there’s going to be another part! With a bit of angst for all those who want it!

#One Direction Imagines #Harry Styles Imagines #Harry Styles One Shots

223 notes · View notes

unloveable-unreachable · 5 years

Text

You’re the One My Heart Wants- Chapter 7

Word Count: 3,196

Warnings: Swearing

Author: Me

Headlines for the USWNT:

~~The USWNT World Cup roster announced. Many players from the 2015 World Cup return.~~

~~Ali Krieger added last minute to the World Cup roster, Jill Ellis happy with her team.~~

~~Will the defending champions hold on to their title?~~

Y/N POV

“Thank god Jill got her head out of her ass and added Ali. I was afraid she wouldn’t and that would’ve been another, yet again, Jill Ellis major fuck up,” Ash says over breakfast. I nod, agreeing with her statement while looking over at Ali. She smiled brightly at both of us before going back to eating her oatmeal. She wasn’t wrong. Jill could’ve really fucked up by not adding Ali, not like she hasn’t done it before as we all know. Ali almost didn’t answer her call because she thought it was a joke and she was tired of Jill’s bullshit. But Ali was happy to finally be back on the roster, and she definitely let us know it. She wanted to show Jill what she missed out on all these years and knowing her, she would. Even with all of the stress surrounding the situation and all the bullshit, I was happy. Me and my moms playing together again to secure another World Cup title. What more could I ask for? There wasn’t anything I could think of that could beat that, or at least anything that could come close to this feeling.

It’s been a few days since my date with Alex, and I still haven’t told Ali and Ash. Not that our date went bad, believe me it didn’t. It’s just that Alex wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet, she wants to stay in our bubble for a little while longer while she figures out how to tell the team. So we’re keeping our relationship a secret, for now. I didn’t mind it. I wasn’t one to flaunt my relationships, the very few I’ve had, because it just puts pressure on the relationship and that only manages to fuck it up. I wanted to have Alex all to myself for as long as I can, knowing the media frenzy that comes with dating her and the lessened privacy that comes along with that. Our bubble was something I was happy for, so why mess that up? Keeping it a secret was hard though because we keep sneaking looks at each other at training and obviously talking more off the pitch than we had previously. I know we need to be more careful but I can’t help it, she’s fucking beautiful. How could you not stare at her? It’s impossible I tell you, impossible. She makes me happy and she says I make her just as happy, so I’m just going to keep respecting her wishes even if it means keeping our relationship a secret for a little while longer.

After breakfast, Ash loads up the car with all of our bags so we can get to the airport on time. I was riding with them because: one, I always travel with them if I can manage it, and two, Alex had already left for training camp the night before. Also because I hate flying alone, just a stressful situation I try to keep myself out of as much as I can. The whole ride to the airport we talked about who didn’t make the roster and their wedding planning. “So this is what the venue looks like, and this is where we’ll be standing for the ceremony,” Ali says while showing me pictures on her phone, “I’ll be standing on this side, and you’ll be standing next to me with Syd next to you. And then next to Syd --” I cut her off after hearing that last part, “Wait, wait...I’m your maid of honor?” She looks at Ash, who gives her a smile, before looking back at me. “Well yeah, why not? We haven’t really asked people yet because we’ve been so busy with the planning for the venue and everything else, but I want you up there with us. We want you up there with us. So I guess this is us asking you if you want to do it,” she says while giving me a smirk. I swear my heart grew five sizes on the spot, and I have to keep myself from tearing up. “Well of course my answer is yes, duh. There’s no way my answer would ever be a no. You guys have always been there for me through everything these past four years. You’re my moms. I want to be there for you two on your special day,” I practically yell at her, overly thrilled by their offer. She smiles at me with one of her big ass smiles and looks over at Ash, “See, I told you she’d say yes.” Ash starts laughing and we continue talking about their wedding as we walk to our gate.

“Y/N. Wake up, kiddo. We’re here,” Ash says as she pushed my shoulder when we pull up to the hotel. When I open my eyes I immediately regret the nap. We have training later when everyone gets here and I know I’ll be dragging the whole time, even though I’m still stuck doing light training for a few more days. Ash practically has to drag me into the hotel up to Jill and Dawn, groaning while trying to shake the sleepiness. When Jill gives us our room assignments, I literally wake up immediately after hearing who my roommate was. After getting my bags from Ash, I practically run up to my room, unlocking it to find my roomie, Kelley, on her bed. I drop my bags and immediately jump on top of my best friend. “Smalls!! I’ve missed you so much!” I yell as she lets out a loud laugh. “I missed you more, Biggie Smalls!” she yells back while trying to push me off of her. When I finally get off of her, our room is filled with laughter as we catch up after not seeing each other for two weeks. “So, how’s your head? Alex told me she banged you up a little in the locker room,” Kelley says from her bed while I unpacked my training clothes. I try not to let the mention of Alex affect me, but I pause a moment before answering. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just needed a few stitches, no big deal.” She accepts the answer, and we both start getting changed for training.

While we wait downstairs for the rest of the team, I’m pulled into a group hug with all of my best friends, except Kelley who was off with Allie somewhere. The hug is filled with ‘I missed yous’ and giggles. When they finally let me go, Sonny asks, “So tell me Y/N. Have you met anyone special in Orlando?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me and I notice all three of them, Sonny, Sammy, and Lindsey, staring at me waiting for an answer. Of course Sonny would ask me that, she was always concerned about my love life when I played in Portland. She was determined to find me a girlfriend, with the help of Lindsey and Sammy (when she was around). Why did they have to bring it up now and here of all places? My eyes widen and I look around the room, realizing Sonny’s question caught the attention of some of the other players around us. Others being Ali, Ash, Kelley, Allie, and of course Alex. I catch her eyes, seeing that she was worried that I’d tell our secret, before looking back at my nosey best friends. “No, Sonny. I haven’t met anyone, not yet at least,” I smile a little, knowing I had met someone but they’d never know, and they accept my answer. Or at least I thought they did. “Well I think I found someone for you,” Sonny says and starts talking about one of her friends on another club. I stand there awkwardly, trying to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. “Alright kids, leave Y/N alone. Her dating life isn’t anyone’s business, especially not you three,” Ali says as she pulls me away towards the vans for training. Thank god for overprotective moms like Ali.

Training sucked, to say the least. I played great, well better than anyone should expect from light training, but Sonny and Lindsey wouldn’t leave me the fuck alone. They followed me around the whole afternoon trying to get answers from me, which I brushed off every question like they weren’t there. When I finally managed to get away from them, I sit down on the side of the pitch to watch the remaining of everyone else’s training, which was just 2v2 drills. I watch Alex mostly, I mean can you blame me?? She was a great player, and she was fun to watch since she always managed to show up most of the team. Also because she’s the most beautiful thing to ever grace the soccer pitch. Since it was team drills I can look at her without anyone noticing, which was a perk to this light training bullshit. Alex notices me staring at her and gives me a quick smile and wink before focusing back on the drill. Like I’ve said before, we weren’t being careful at all. But literally no one was catching on to our flirting no matter how obvious we were being, so who’s going to stop us? At the end of training, while I was packing all my things into my bag I feel someone sit next to me. “Hey,” Alex says with a soft smile. I smile at the sound of her voice, and then I end up smiling bigger when I look at her face. “Hey, long time no see,” I answer back. “Are you okay? I saw you sit down over here all by yourself and watch the end of training,” she says with a worried look clear on her face. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just still doing light training for one more day before I can get these stitches out and get checked out one last time,” I answer while giving her a soft smile because I knew she was still sorry. She nods with a soft smile as we both stand up to go back to the hotel.

The team wanted to go out to dinner after training, which I wasn’t up for but Ash begged me to go with them. Who was going to argue with a begging Ashlyn Harris? Not me, that’s for sure. I was just happy that I packed my sleeveless suit (that showed off most of my tattoos, hidden and not hidden, perfectly) just in case we went out to eat, and that Ash had enough jewelry to ice up the whole team. I start getting ready, making sure everything was taped down. We don’t want anything accidentally popping out now, do we? I check myself out in the mirror just to make sure I looked decent enough to go out with 22 beautiful women, especially my girlfriend. I fix my hair one last time before meeting Ash and Ali in Ash’s room. “You look fucking sharp, Y/N,” Ash says, giving me approving looks. She was also dressed in a suit, her’s a dark grey and mine black, and wearing a significant amount of diamonds. We were probably the only ones in suits, but we didn’t care because we looked fucking good. Ali smiles, agreeing with Ash’s statement. As we walk out in the hallway, Ash is asking me about my new tattoo on my sternum and if it hurt like her’s did, which of course it did. The three of us are met in the hallway by Kelley, Allie, and Alex. And to say she looks beautiful would be a hell of an understatement. She was practically a Goddess in every way. She was in a black dress that fit her in all the right places, and her hair was down and wavy. The whole combo made it hard for me to control myself from kissing her right there on the spot. She notices me staring, and smiles a little before moving everyone’s attention to Ali and Ash, the happy couple. I try to focus on something other than Alex as we head downstairs to the restaurant.

When they finally seated us, I’m sitting between Ali and Alex. We’re screwed if either of us starts drinking, secrets aren’t easily kept when drunk. And we both were known for being VERY open while drunk. The night goes on without any slip-ups or indications we were hiding something, even though we kept catching each other staring a little too long at the other. Thank god. Most of the conversations around the table were either about our chances in the World Cup or personal conversations that only a few knew about. It was nice being around all of the girls again, it’s a good feeling knowing that no matter what happens between our clubs in the NWSL we all had each others backs no matter what. Near the end of dinner, Crystal pulls half of the team to the dance floor and of course Ash was the first one out there, dragging Ali with her. That meant they would be gone for a while, so I could finally be ‘alone’ with Alex. When they leave Alex whispers, “You look really fucking good, by the way.” That one sentence causes me to turn bright red. I turn to look at her and she gives me a goofy smile, knowing what she just did. I roll my eyes at her, and whisper back, “You look beautiful, Al.” We take what short amount of time we have left before our friends came back to stay in our little bubble for a moment. It’s the most time we’ve spent around each other since we got to training camp, and I was soaking every second in. I squeeze her hand under the table as everyone else returned to the table.

I manage to get away from the group when they mention more drinks, of course Kelley was the one with the idea. I knew drinking wouldn’t help my head ‘injury’ or keeping mine and Alex’s secret, so I told Ali I was heading out. She frowns before letting me leave before Ash noticed. I leave Alex with the group with an upset look covering her face. I hated to leave her, but I was over all of the drinking and just wanted to get in bed. I was glad to be away from everyone for a moment since they make me extremely anxious because you never know what they’ll do next. I’m pulled out of my thoughts when someone calls for me to hold the elevator, which I do. To my surprise, it’s Alex who gets on the elevator with me. Thank god. “Hey, you,” she says as the doors close, giving me a hug. Fuck, I didn’t realize how much I missed her touch till now. “Hey,” I say with my head nestled in her neck. I pull away and look into her eyes as I smile at her, completely happy in the moment. I lean down, placing my hands on her cheeks, and kiss her softly. She recuperates and slides her arms around my waist. The kiss is short but passionate, to say the least. We pull away from each other as the doors open and walk out of the elevator. Once we see that we’re alone in the hallway, Alex laces her fingers in mine. “So are we counting tonight as a date, or do I still owe you a second date?” Alex says with a laugh. “A date that was supervised by our whole team? Could’ve been better, I didn’t even get to hold your hand till now. So that ‘date’ was a bust,” I say with a small laugh, “No, this time I owe you the date. If we can manage it, I want to take you out on our off day in two days.” We stop outside my door while I wait for her answer, which naturally doesn’t take too long. “Of course I want to go out with you if we can get away from everyone. I’ll make sure I’m free,” Alex says before kissing me again. I smile as she pulls away because she immediately looked around the hallway since she forgot to look before kissing me. I laugh while trying to get her attention. “Do you want to come in for a minute? Kelley shouldn’t be back anytime soon if you want to, but if you don’t want to risk it I --” I’m cut off by a very drunk Ash and Kelley calling my name from the end of the hallway, being led by a very annoyed Ali. Alex groans and steps back from me towards her room across the hall.

“Y/N, you missed soooooo much,” Kelley slurs when she reaches me in the hall, as I wave goodnight to my moms, “Oh hey, Alex. When did you get here?” Alex looks at me for a moment before dealing with Kelley. “I didn’t feel like drinking, me and Y/N were talking about training since she missed the last part of it,” she says to Kelley. She accepts the answer before saying she needed a shower, leaving us alone in the hallway again. When I look at Alex, she has an apologetic look on her face. “What’s wrong?” I ask, stepping towards her. “I’m sorry for putting you in this situation,” she starts with tears forming in her eyes, “I hate keeping us a secret, too. I’ll tell them soon, I promise.” She was crying now. I pull her into a hug, rubbing small circles on her back trying to calm her down. I knew how hard all this was for her and I didn’t want to pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for, especially since I haven’t come out to the team yet either. “Alex,” I whisper trying to calm her down, “It’s okay, don’t cry. You don’t have to rush and tell them just because you think it’ll make me happy. I’m already happy with you. If we have to keep this a secret for however long you need, then I’m okay with that.” When she looks up at me I can see that the tears have stopped, and there’s a small smirk forming on her face. She looks to her left then her right before leaning up to kiss me. I can feel her desperation behind the kiss, so when I kiss her back I put as much passion and comfort into it as I possibly can in a short amount of time. I pull away first, seeing in her eyes that she didn’t want to stop. I wipe away a stray tear from her cheek and give her a smile. I step back to my door, looking back at Alex who looked like she wanted to follow me into my room.

“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow, okay?”

To Be Continued

#alex morgan #alex morgan imagines #alex morgan imagine #alex morgan x reader #kelley o’hara #ali krieger #ashlyn harris #krashlyn #uswnt #uswnt imagines #nwsl #nwsl imagines #woso #woso imagine #You’re the One My Heart Wants

215 notes · View notes

secretbangtn · 5 years

Text

ownership (kth)

pairing: taehyung x reader

warnings: smut (forgive me for I have sinned), cursing, dom!tae, biting

word count: 3,101

summary: tae invited you to be his date to an awards show, the first time that you two would be seen in public together. things get a little crazy at the after party and tae ends up getting jealous, having to remind you who you’re going home with.

author note: whoa the first dirty thing I’ve written I feel so dirty (wednesday) my dudes (irrelevant vine reference)

Sitting on your couch, you listened to your boyfriend talk about his day at the studio, voice wavering in and out as he moved around in your kitchen. It had been a long day, so the two of you were just going to order take out and lay on the couch until you fell asleep to the sound of Netflix playing in the background. Between being in the studio, practices and shows, there wasn’t a lot of free time to spend together so you liked to take advantage of each and every moment that you got. Everything was good though, the two of you were happy together. “Hey babe, I found out something interesting today about you.” That definitely piqued your curiosity, making you glance up and into the kitchen to see the grin on his face. “Did Jimin tell you another one of the stories from when we were kids? That’s unfair, I’m going to have to start spreading his stories now.” He shook his head and laughed. “As much as I would love to hear about your embarrassing childhood moments, I have something more exciting than that.” The way his smile lit up his face and his eyes crinkled a bit from how hard he was smiling, you could tell this was something he was really excited about. “Well out with it then.” You teased. “We have an award show coming up.. And you were invited to come with me.” Your heart dropped from your chest into the pit of your stomach and you bit your lip. “Babe, I don’t know how I feel about that..”

Since the two of you started dating, your relationship was incredibly private. When you got together, you made it clear that you needed a divide from his fame. You didn’t want to be treated differently just because you were dating one Korea’s most popular idols or because your best friend was also one of them. You had your life and career from before Tae, and you didn’t want to give that up, which your boyfriend understood. You shouldn’t have to change your entire life just because of who you were dating, that wouldn’t be fair. So now that he was asking you to be a bigger part of his world, he could tell that it was a little hard for you to give up any of that. “I know.” He softened a little, biting his lip as he watched you. “I know it isn’t easy, but I want you to be there with me. It’s a big deal, this is a big deal and I want to share it with you.” You almost felt your breath taken away from you, tears welling up in your eyes at his words. “Of course I’ll be there Tae. I’ll always be there for you.” You quickly got up and gave him a tight hug, tucking your face into his neck to breathe him in. He smelled like chamomile and lavender, like the lotion he always wore. But he also smelled like home. Your home. “I’ll be there.” You murmured quietly.

Days flew by, blurring together. You would’ve forgotten about the event if Tae had stopped talking about it. Suddenly it was the day of and you had to start getting ready. You pulled out your things and looked through your closet when you heard your boyfriend come in, eyes glancing over you with a lazy smile on his face. “Nope, you’re not doing any of this yourself, I called someone to do your hair and make up.. And your dress was just delivered. I think you’ll like it.” Your eyes widened and you looked over at him. “Tae, I could’ve done it myself, really it’s not that big of a deal.” He shook his head and walked over, pulling you into his arms. “It is though. I want this to be perfect. It’s the first time anyone is seeing us together and I want you to feel your best. Let me take care of you.” You knew better than to try to argue, so you sighed and nodded, giving him a small smile. “Okay.” Within a flash there were so many people in your home, ushering you into the bathroom so they could start on your look. They were all friendly enough, people that Tae had known for a while. You felt pretty comfortable after just a few minutes, and by the end you were joking and laughing with them, forgetting what they were even doing, until you looked in the mirror. Your make up was simple, nothing too heavy but it made you feel confident, and your hair was very similar to how you normally wore it, just with a bit more volume and elegant looking. After the make up and hair was done, you got up to go find the dress that was picked out for you by your boyfriend. At the end of the closet on a hook was a black garment bag. Every step you took closer felt like your impending doom which in turn was making you nervous. Your shaking hand slowly unzipped the bag, a gasp leaving your lips at the dress that was unveiled. Tae had the designer make a dress specifically for you. It was made out of satin, off the shoulder with a high slit up to mid-thigh. It was a deep burgundy color that would go perfect with your complexion. It was like the two of them together had thought of everything, he had taken off handed comments you had made about dresses and turned them into reality. After you you were dressed, adding the finishing touches to your look, you saw the total package for the first time. It wasn’t very often that you felt so good about yourself, but this was one of those times. It almost took your breath away.

Walking downstairs, you brushed your hair over your shoulder to meet your boyfriends gaze who was waiting for you. His jaw dropped when he saw you, staring. “What? Is it bad?” Your mind immediately went to the possibility that something was wrong with it as he furiously shook his head and took large steps to be in front of you, needing to touch your warm skin, needing to see you up close. “You look like the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.. How did I get so lucky to get you as my girlfriend?” He murmured, running his hands down your arms before taking your hands in his with a wide smile. “I had a picture in my head.. But you’ve completely exceeded my exceptions and then some.” You blushed and leaned up to pride your lips against his. “I love you, you dork.” The beautiful sound of his laughter came from his lips, before he nodded. “I love you too. Now shall we?” He held his arm out for you as you took it and nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Let’s get going.” He guided you out to the limo, which you just shook your head at his antics of wanting to make the evening perfect. Slowly getting into the car, it was hard to not flash anyone with the way the dress was designed. You glanced at him, there was a dark look in his eyes and a smirk on his face. “Be careful love, I’d hate for anyone to see what’s mine.” He kissed your jaw as he got in beside you, resting his hand on your thigh gently.

As the limo pulled up to the other guy’s places and they got in with their respective girlfriends, everyone was chatting and having a good time. You got compliments from all the girls and you were happy. Though the closer you got to the event definitely made you feel nervous. You’d never walked a carpet or taken public pictures with your boyfriend so you weren’t at all sure how this was going to go. He could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of you, squeezing your thigh gently. “It’ll be okay. Don’t worry so much, you look amazing and the event is going to be a great time.” He gave you a smile which you returned, anxiety easing up a bit. It was still there, but at least it was substantially less than it was before. As the car pulled up and stopped, you could see the crowds of people, the bright lights and could hear the noise. The anxiety bubbled up into your throat and you did your best to swallow it back. Most of the other girls had been to events before, so the other guys got out first, leaving you and Tae last. He glanced at you and gave you a sweet smile. “Are you ready?” After a moment you took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

He got out first, holding a hand out to you to help you out, though this time you were a lot more careful of not flashing anyone. You glanced around for a moment before turning back to your boyfriend with a faint smile. He guided you to the carpet, staying close to the other guys. You started posing for photos with your boyfriend, giving the cameras a small smile, before glancing up at him and smiling. It almost felt natural, which was weird for you, as you hadn’t done this with him before. But he made you feel safe, comfortable. Everything was okay with him. After a few moments of him introducing you as his girlfriend, chatting with interviewers and posing for photos, you noticed there was a gentleman standing off to the side, staring at you. He was pretty deeply eyeing you, looking you up and down as if you were a piece of meat and he was hungry. It was almost uncomfortable, and Tae hadn’t noticed yet, thank god. He was the jealous type and didn’t take too kindly to others eyeing you like that. You and Jimin had grown up together and had a very fun, teasing relationship and he was even sensitive to that at first. After a few moments of chatting, he kissed your cheek, finally noticing the guy behind you. His eyes narrowed and his grip around your waist tightened, biting his lip hard. He shot him a look before turning back to the interviewer. “Thank you so much for your time, we really have to be getting inside.” He gave them a smile before guiding you into the venue. “That man better have not been thinking about you in some type of way. You’re mine and I don’t share with anyone.” He growled into your ear, sending a shudder down your spine. “Yes sir.” You murmured quietly, pressing a kiss to his cheek gently. After a moment you were surrounded by the guys and their girlfriends, who were all laughing and joking around, which lightened Tae’s mood a little bit.

The award show came and went, the boys performance was electric and you were singing along to every word, grinning when your boyfriend winked at you from the stage. , They did end up winning their categories, taking home two awards and looking great doing it. You and the other girls were all screaming for the boys, laughing and holding onto each other, these were some of your closest friends after all, between work and your time with your boyfriend, you didn’t have a whole lot of free time for a social life. After the show ended, you all met up and headed to the after party you’d been invited too. It was a little bit of a relief, you knew all eyes were on you during the award show, so now you could just relax and enjoy yourself with your friends.

Your boyfriend was high on the win, holding you close and showering you in affection. After being there for a few moments and socializing, he left your side to go get drinks for both of you, leaving you with one of the girls. The two of you were chatting when you felt a hand on your lower back, you turned to greet your boyfriend and take your drink, jumping a little when you realized it was a complete stranger - the man who had been eyeing you on the carpet earlier that evening. “Uh hello.. Can I help you with something?” You asked, taking a small side step away from him, trying to get some distance between the two of you. His lips curved into a small smirk, eyeing you before his eyes settled on your face. “Yes, I believe that you can. Do you know how beautiful you are? I’d like to get out of here with you, take you back to my place.” Your eyes widened as you glanced at Jin’s girlfriend almost as if asking for help, before turning back to the guy. “I’m sorry, I’m here with my boyfriend. But thank you for the compliment.” You shot him a polite smile before turning back to the other girl, gasping when you felt him run his hand down your arm. “Excuse me, what’s going on?” You heard a familiar voice, Tae, come from behind. He was holding your drinks, a deadly expression on his face as he watched the situation go down in front of him. The guy immediately took a step back, noticing the expression on his face and that this definitely wasn’t going to go down well. “I-I..” He stuttered, trying to make an excuse for himself. “Get away from her and don’t come back. If I see you again, I’ll make sure you can’t talk to another girl the way you talked to her.” He growled, causing the guy to run off, and he turned to you. “What were you doing?” Your eyes were wide and staring at him, not sure how to handle the situation. “Just standing here. He came up to me.” He nodded and set the drinks down, taking your hand.

“Alright. We’ll be right back.” He gave Jin’s girlfriend a smile before pulling you off up the stairs. “Tae. Tae, I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here.” You whispered to him as he looked over at you with a smirk. “Well you’ll just have to be quiet then won’t you?” He pulled you into a closet, shutting the door behind him. It was filled with cleaning supplies and the random objects that the house seemed to collect piled into one tiny room. It smelled like lemons, old clothes and Tae. It was then you realized he was right in front of you, cupping his face in your hands with a smirk. “What are you thinking right now?” You asked softly. “How much I want you.” He purred, before pressing his lips against yours. They were soft, and he tasted bitter like the alcohol he had been drinking just minutes earlier. Your head was swimming as the two of you kissed, him moving to wrap his arms around you, hands sliding down to hold your ass. You let out a quiet moan against his lips, tugging him closer to you. He immediately pulled back and swatted your ass, tutting softly. “What did I say about being quiet?” You bit your lip hard. “I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet.” You whispered as he nodded and kissed down your neck. “That’s what I thought.” He smirked against your skin. “As much as I want to go down on you right now, we only have so much time.” He hiked your dress up and unzipped his trousers. Stroking himself a few times as he bit his lip, he slid your panties to the side and slid into you with a groan. “Fuck.” He cursed under his breath as he bit down on your neck to keep himself from being too loud. Meanwhile you were gripping the back of his jacket for dear life, trying to keep the moans you wanted to let out inside. He thrust into you a couple of times, sighing at the feeling, causing you to whimper softly, gritting your teeth. Your noises didn’t go unnoticed as he bit down particularly hard, making you gasp. “Quiet.” He growled into your skin, making you shudder and nod quickly. “Tae, I’m close.” You gasped as he nodded and reached down to rub your clit. “C’mon. Cum for me.” He murmured, pressing his lips to yours. You could barley hold back the moans as you came, gripping onto his hair. A few seconds later he spilled into you with a whine, holding you close to him.

For a few moments, you two stood there holding each other as you panted to catch your breath. “Well, we just had sex in a closet.” You whispered to him, laughing. “Yeah.. Not my best moment, but I didn’t like the way he was looking at you and I couldn’t really help it.” You smiled at your boyfriend, shaking your head. “You’re the only one that I could ever want Tae, I promise you.” You kissed him softly, holding onto his jacket as you sighed against his lips. “We should probably go catch up with everybody else though.. They’re probably wondering where we went. Plus I don’t particularly feel like getting caught like teenagers in a closet.” You laughed a bit, adjusting yourself to look halfway decent. “How do I look?” You asked him, running your fingers through your hair to look a little more decent. “Wrecked.” He smirked a bit at his handiwork on your neck, shrugging a little. “Now everyone here knows your mine.”

“As if they didn’t know that before.” You rolled your eyes, taking his hand as you stepped out of the closet. When you walked back downstairs, you could feel the evidence of what you had just done running down your legs. You quickly hid your red face in Tae’s arm as he looked for your friends, guiding you over to them as they smirked at you. “We were just wondering where you two ran off too.” Yoongi smirked at the two of you over his drink that he was sipping. “Yeah, are you okay Y/N?” Jungkook asked, genuinely concerned about you. “I think she’s more than okay, Kookie. I wouldn’t be too worried.” Jimin let out a laugh as he shook his head. “Let’s get out of here shall we?” Tae looked down at you, before everyone headed out to the limo. You were the last two to get in, as he pulled you back into his arms, whispering in your ear, “When we get home, you better be ready for round two."

#bts #bts smut #reader x taehyung #reader insert #kim taehyung #min yoongi #kim seokjin #kim namjoon #park jimin #jung hoseok #jeon jungkook #secretbangtn #ownership #smut #tae smut #kim taehyung smut #bts fanfic #bts imagine

229 notes · View notes

go-events · 5 years

Photo

GO Rom Com Spotlight: @heavens-bookshop

The enchanting @heavens-bookshop has claimed How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to adapt for Good Omens in the Good Omens Rom Com Event.

For reference, here’s a little background about the source material!

About How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: An advice columnist, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), tries pushing the boundaries of what she can write about in her new piece about how to get a man to leave you in 10 days. Her editor, Lana (Bebe Neuwirth), loves it, and Andie goes off to find a man she can use for the experiment. Enter executive Ben Berry (Matthew McConaughey), who is so confident in his romantic prowess that he thinks he can make any woman fall in love with him in 10 days. When Andie and Ben meet, their plans backfire.

We spent some time chatting about how the adaptation is coming so far, as well as future plans for it! Now, get to know @heavens-bookshop a little better!

* * *

goromcom: You know how if you open a Tumblr chat with someone you haven't chatted to before, Tumblr tells you two things they post about? I wanted to tell you that yours reports that you post "about #yes and #oh my god." I think those are actually lovely tags, and they show that you are frequently quite excited and supportive of the things you reblog and post! :)

heavens-bookshop: Hah, that's hilarious! I suppose that's understandable seeing as this is a blog I made just for Good Omens stuff! Anything I post or reblog here is content that I utterly enjoyed engaging with and want others in the fandom to see.

goromcom: That’s really great; I love the positivity.

You chose to adapt How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as your rom com. Has this movie been a favorite of yours, or is there some other reason you chose it?

heavens-bookshop: It's not really a favourite, although I do have some fun memories attached to it, I guess! I went to see it at the cinema when it was released, I was in high school and I went with a few of my friends. The film was okay, but I had much more fun afterwards just hanging out with everyone! I picked it out from the list because I felt like the main concept was one that lent itself pretty nicely to a Good Omens AU, where your two main characters have opposing goals (but develop feelings for each other along the way...)

goromcom: Definitely can see the parallel there, and also, I think the movies we see with friends in high school stick with us in a way movies you see later on just never will.

What's your favorite moment of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and are you looking forward to presenting it in your adaptation? Any loose plans for that scene that you can share?

heavens-bookshop: Well, there's a scene towards the end when the two main characters are heading out to a fancy event, and Ben arrives at Andie's place to escort her to it. When she walks out of her building, she's in a really beautiful outfit and it takes Ben's breath away. I am really hoping to have a similar moment in my story, with Aziraphale playing Andie's part, and Crowley playing Ben's part. I've worked it over a few times in my head, but we'll see what happens when I get down to writing it!

goromcom: Sounds quite exciting!

Other than recreating that moment, do you plan to stick very closely to the story beats of the original movie, or make bigger changes?

heavens-bookshop: I plan on making a lot of changes. The overall premise is a fun place to start from, but when I re-watched the movie a few weeks ago, I got some pretty severe whiplash from how badly it's aged (I think this is something to be said for a lot of media in the genre). Much of the story revolves around the whole "Men vs Women" thing, and involves some awful misogynistic and homophobic tropes that I am very much throwing in the bin. So we're ditching the "haha aren't women clingy" narrative in favour of playing up Aziraphale being the standoffish fussy bastard we all know and love.

goromcom: It’s definitely been a recurring theme among the participants that their source material really hasn’t aged well! It’s a testament to the GO fandom, I think, and the lovely people taking part in goromcom, that everyone is seeking to smooth out the rough edges of the source material.

What's an interesting decision you've made in your planning so far--a notable casting decision, a changing of venue, or some other plan you have to paint Good Omens all over your rom com?

heavens-bookshop: Well, for starters, I updated some of the concepts - instead of working for a magazine, Aziraphale works at a Buzzfeed-esque website called Paradise where he writes an advice column. Crowley still works for an ad agency, but instead of trying to win a deal with a diamond company (which was very tied to a lot of outdated views on the roles of men and women in relationships), it's a dating app. I've also changed the location to London, mostly because I'm way more familiar with it as a place. I also wanted to include a few more of the women in Good Omens, so Aziraphale's two work BFFs are Anathema (who writes horoscopes) and Madame Tracy (who writes for the spirituality section).

goromcom: Okay, be right back while I go write in for advice from Aziraphale.

But after that, our last question, one I am blatantly stealing from The Good Place: The Podcast. Tell me something "good". It can be something big or small. It can be a charity you think is doing good work, or you can talk about how great your pet is.

heavens-bookshop: I would like to mention two UK-based charities that have had a special place in my heart for many years - Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie. When I was a teen, my mum was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and we pretty much provided all her end-of-life care at home. Macmillan and Marie Curie gave us a lot of the resources we needed to do that. Macmillan was a wonderful support system for my mum, and not only looked after her medical needs but also sent someone she could talk to about the emotional ordeal of facing a terminal illness. Marie Curie sent a registered nurse to stay with my mum through the night in her final weeks so that we could try to get some sleep while secure in the knowledge that she was being looked after and had someone by her side. They both provided us with some peace of mind during an incredibly rough time, and I will be forever grateful for all the work they do in supporting the families of people with terminal illness. If you're in the UK, I'd really recommend donating to either of these charities if you ever have the chance.

And so that I'm not just ending on a sad note, I will also tell you about my wonderful cat, Luna. I adopted her shortly after I moved to Texas in 2016 - I had moved all the way from the UK, on my own, and Luna kept me company on those days when I felt alone and completely out of my depth. She's followed me everywhere I've been since, even coming with me when I moved to Canada a couple of years ago (yes I moved a Texan cat to Canada in the middle of February). She is weird, very loud and talkative, has an ongoing vendetta against my running shoes, and I love her to bits.

goromcom: I had a hospice support team for my father’s end of life process, and I will love all of those people until the day I die. I am so glad your family had that sort of support as well. I’m so sorry about your mum.

It’s so wonderful of you to come back around, too, and mention how uplifting having your pet has been for you. I am so happy you have Luna by your side. I also have a talkative cat (with a space-themed name, as well, Nova) and so many days that would be bad are better with a little furry friend with you.

Keep watching for @heavens-bookshop‘s thoughtful GO retelling of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Coming soon!

#goromcom #good omens #goromcom spotlight #heavens-bookshop #how to lose a guy in 10 days

23 notes · View notes

christophersymes · 5 years

Text

Celebrity Status

Celebrity Status, an ongoing L(G)B(T)+ story also on Wattpad and Quotev.

Next –>

Prologue: Interview With Jordan Hall

"Alright," talk show host Jordan Hall cleared his throat, taking an excited breath, "I've got to be absolutely honest. I've been nervous about this week's guests ever since I knew who it was going to be."

He comically rubbed his hands down the sides of his pants. "My hands are clammy, my hair's— tell me the truth, is my hair a mess?" He ran a hand through his coiffed hair.

The audience shouted dissent, then laughed as a few viewers in the front row complimented him.

"Okay, good, good." Jordan grinned, gripping the mic a little harder, posture straightening as he walked across the stage. "I've been bugging my wife all week, blasting their music and trying to hide my hopeless crushes, I've been listening to them for way longer than that, and now I think I've stretched this introduction long enough. Without further fanboying, here's Mason, Austin, Chris, and Andrew, the boys of Nosam!"

The audience drowned out most of Jordan's words, whose noise was liable to render a person temporarily deaf. Behind them, a screen showed clips of the band, Mason shirtless and sweaty, ever the theatrical frontman. Chris and Austin nearby, bass and guitar, making faces at each other, and a shot of long hair momentarily covering Andrew's face from behind a drum set. The boys shook Jordan's hand and sat alongside the host. Jordan had to signal the crowd to quiet down when they showed no signs of stopping.

"Jordan, hi, you're like, my favorite host of all time," Chris said as he sat down between Austin and Andrew, getting a playful flick of the ear from Andrew.

Mason, closest to Jordan, leaned in close, whispering loudly. "He's only saying that because he's a kiss-up."

Jordan laughed, "You say that as if it makes a difference to me. Chris, you're my favorite bassist of all time, and I'm not only saying that because you're the only bassist whose name I know."

Chris laughed, blushing lightly after having gotten up to shove at Mason.

Jordan exhaled, looking at them. "You're all even prettier in person," he breathed wistfully, cueing laughter from everyone. He grinned, leaning forward, "Seriously, you guys are unbelievable. You took over the world so fast, and you've still got conspiracy theorists reeling. Are you aliens? Are you a government-formed group intent on putting a trance on the masses? Is there a Nosam fan cult working to boost publicity and further adding to your talent?"

Mason was leaning forward in his seat, an amused grin slowly growing on his face. Andrew looked mildly disturbed by the words coming out of the host's mouth, Austin was trying not to laugh, and Chris looked like he wanted to Google all of this.

"I don't— I think they don't want us to comment on this..." was Austin's ominous response, trying to hide a smile. Andrew nodded, expression blank.

"We will say this, though," Mason glanced at his bandmates, "we don't think Andrew's human."

Jordan gasped at this, glancing at Andrew. "Andrew? Is this true?"

Andrew met his eyes, staring and not blinking. Jordan moved as if to look away, but kept the eye contact, biting his lip nervously. Someone backstage played a suspenseful piano melody. Andrew cracked a smile that made Jordan laugh.

"I guess that's another theory to look into. So, you guys are about to go on another tour, of course. I've got to say, and I'm sure everyone else agrees, it's impressive how much energy and dedication you have. Every time I look, you guys are performing! Doesn't it get exhausting?"

Mason looked to the others. "Sometimes, yeah, but... I don't know, I guess we're addicted. It's a rush, it's being as close to fans, to people, as possible. Making them smile, feeling that intimacy, that joy. What we were always after was performing, it's our favorite part of being Nosam."

Jordan smiled. "Very lovingly put. That love and passion definitely shows at every one of your concerts. You've recently come up on five years of being together. How's that feel?"

Chris made a face. "You make it sound like we're married."

Mason laughed, pinching the cheek of the closest victim, Austin. "God, I wish, sweetheart." "Not this again," Austin groaned, moving away into Chris, which caused him to knock into Andrew, who pushed at all of them, making everyone crack up.

"As bandmates, it's interesting," Chris announced, pushing away from them and rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "But, really, it's been unbelievable. Going from cover sessions alone in my room with Mason to playing at the O2 and Madison Square Garden and The Forum— tens of thousands of people— it's— it's just more than I— we— could have ever imagined five or even two or three years ago."

Andrew had his head in his hand, leaning on the armrest as he listened to Chris, but he frowned and stared at him as he talked about the venues. "The only place we haven't played is the Bubble Bowl."

Mason wheezed loudly, joined by Austin, Chris, and the audience's equally loud laughter.

It took a second for the penny to drop, and then Jordan laughed and nodded as he responded to Chris' words. "To be honest, some people expected the Nosam hype to die down a while ago."

"But it's only gotten stronger!" Mason grinned, blowing kisses at the crowd.

"Yes, to the point you're being called the biggest boy band in the world— which, I know you guys are a little sensitive to being called a boy band—" Jordan couldn't help but laugh. "Especially with Starlight's endless teasing."

"Did somebody say Stella?" Austin joked, whipping his head towards Jordan.

Mason smirked, "Down, boy, your master's not here, so you can— ow!" He pouted as he got a well-deserved whack in the head from the guitarist.

"That is another very interesting factor in conspiracy theories. How three of you managed to date— and not just date— but fall for all the members of an all-girl band is astounding."

"Even more astounding is that Mr. Frontman is the one left single." Austin grinned mischievously, making Andrew laugh and Mason roll his eyes.

"Ha. Ha. Yes, I'm single." Mason looked to the crowd, winking. "I don't think you guys mind that much, do you?"

The crowd whooped and hollered, some of them wolf-whistling.

Jordan put a hand on Mason's arm. "It's okay, Mason. I'm sure you'll find someone soon."

"Aw, come on. Why're you guys bashing being single? Nothing wrong with it. And I get to enjoy the company of many lovely ladies. I'm charming and sociable by birth."

Jordan chuckled at that, shaking his head. "You've got a point. I do believe you on that. Oh, to be young and as incredibly attractive as you, Mason!" He put a hand to his chest, looking up to the ceiling.

Mason pouted, pointing a finger at him and getting up to hug him, "Oh, Jordan, don't do that. You're a beautiful man."

"Stop it, Mason, I'm starting to rethink my entire marriage with you holding me like this."

The audience loved that, and they cheered for everyone to give Jordan a group hug. Jordan happily drowned under the boys, making sure to remind the camera that he loved his wife, but he wouldn't mind sharing. When they finally let him go, Jordan was still smiling. "Regardless, Mason, everyone finds it hard to believe you won't find someone to tie you down." "On the contrary, I'm usually the one doing the tying." Mason wiggled his eyebrows as they sat down. "I'm not easily tamed."

"We'll see about that," Jordan grinned, motioning for the boys to follow. "I've got a game I'd like to play with you guys, it's sort of a dating game— Austin, feel free to opt out, I don't really want to get you murdered..."

Austin blushed, but actually seemed to consider it before saying, "Don't be ridiculous, Jordan."

Jules giggled at something Austin said in the interview, leaning against his twin, Rosaline's shoulder. "God. I fucking love them so much."

Rosa laughed, shoving back at him. "I know you do, dumbass. Your entire fucking life revolves around them!"

Jules scoffed. "Does not. I have a job. And school."

"And the fansite, and Nosam, and your love for Austin, and your irrational hatred for Mason–"

"I don't hate him," Jules groaned. She always said he hated Mason. He didn't hate any of them! "He's just an asshole sometimes. And he's so easy to pick on, Rose. He's a bigger whore than you!"

Rosa faked being offended, laughing a little. "No one is a bigger whore than me! Hear that? No one!"

Jules stared at her in amusement, then shook his head. "You're an enigma, Rosie."

"What did you just call me?"

"...An enigma?"

Rosaline jumped on Jules, dislodging the laptop as she tried to hit his head in retaliation for calling her Rosie. He laughed, just yelling the nickname instead, tackling her back onto the bed.

The fight ceased after she shoved a pillow over his face, and Jules laughed into it, kicking her lightly on the chest. She fell down next to him, sighing heavily. Jules pulled the pillow off his face and shoved it under his head, turning to look at her. The talk show was still playing in the background, but they'd both seen it twice already. By now, Mason was being an idiot and flirting with Jordan all over again, singing some song to him to seduce him.

Rosa looked over at Jules. "Hey, I've got a question."

"Yeah? You're my fucking twin, just spit it out."

"How come you're still at home putting up with Mom? It doesn't make sense, Julesy. She treats you like shit, and so does Derek half the time. At least with him, I understand it, he's twelve, he's rotten. But Mom..."

"I'm her kid," Jules sighed. He shrugged a little. "What she said earlier... It's just her still coming to terms. She's being pretty shitty, yeah, considering it's been about five years, but I expect it this time of month anyway. It's when the bill usually comes."

Rosa sighed. "But she's our mom. Shouldn't she love us all the same?"

Jules rolled his eyes, smiling at Rosa. "I'm sure she does. She just... doesn't show it the same. I'm fine, Rosa, I'm over it again. It's easier lately."

But that was a lie. Nothing was easier lately. He was finishing up school, soon to be a graduated music student, with no fucking idea what he'd do with his life beyond waiting tables. Maybe with his psych minor he could do some kind of music therapy, but... Even then, he'd want out of Michigan and far away from his mom and her transphobic, snippy remarks on his gender, the monthly bills from the hospital from five years ago, how he was never home to help his brother learn guitar, how he was totally unexpected when he came out just after Rosa in birth...

"I know when you're lying, baby brother," Rosa said quietly. She smiled softly at him, then kissed his forehead as she leaned up to grab the laptop again. "Hey, dude, isn't there a new interview coming out in a bit?"

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #lgbt stories #trans stories #celebritystatus

2 notes · View notes

raywritesthings · 5 years

Text

What Have They Lost? 1/?

My Writing Fandom: Arrow, The Flash Characters: Barry Allen, Iris West, Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen, Connor Hawke, Cisco Ramon, Ted Grant Pairings: Barry Allen/Iris West, Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen Summary: "I can definitely tell you that there’s a way we’re going to bring [Laurel] back and she’s going to be alive and well. And Flashpoint might have a little bit to do with that." -Wendy Mericle AKA: The AU where that wasn't a blatant lie, and Flashpoint has bigger repercussions for Barry's friends and allies than he first realized. Notes: So, probably not wise to start yet another WIP without finishing the one I have going but...I got really excited about this idea and wanted to see what people thought. If this is continued (which I hope to do so), things may get a little confusing as certain characters will be going by different (more comic book accurate) names, but I'll do my best to make that clear when introducing them. There are characters referenced in this chapter who will have a bigger role going forward, and when that happens I will add their character tags. Similarly, if some characters haven't been mentioned at all yet, that doesn't mean they won't be in the story. Their character tags will be added later, too. Much thanks to @colorofmymindposts for beta-ing this chapter and helping me restructure some things. It's a much better beginning as a result. Title is pulled directly from a line in DC Rebirth by Geoff Johns while song titles and lyrics were pulled from both the Black Canary solo book and Green Arrow Rebirth, and I make no claim of owning any of them. I hope you all enjoy and let me know your initial impressions! *Also can be read on my AO3*

Barry felt that, all things considered, life was treating him fairly well lately.

Of course, he’d had to fix the mistake he’d made going back in time to save his mother, and even now there were consequences from that. The team hadn’t been happy to learn that truth, and he worried his and Cisco’s friendship would never again be quite what it was. There were things that had resulted from his meddling that he would always feel guilt over.

But not this. Not him and Iris. Despite an awkward first attempt at a date and the second getting interrupted as well, they were falling into a better pattern now as a couple.

She found him in his lab one late morning while Julian was out at a crime scene, so they had the space to themselves for a bit. Iris wrapped her arms around his middle from behind and placed her chin on his shoulder, though he doubted it was to see the spectrometer he was working with.

“Any plans for tonight?”

Barry shook his head. “Nothing specific. You know, just,” he waved a hand to indicate general Flash stuff, which Iris understood with no trouble.

“Think you could take a break for one night?”

Barry raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because I got concert tickets and I want you to go with me.”

A concert? That wasn’t usually his scene. “How’d you get them?”

“Daria in Arts and Entertainment gets sent them sometimes and she can’t make tonight work, so she offered them to me.”

Daria in Arts and Entertainment? That probably meant this was some kind of pop thing, didn’t it? Barry’s face scrunched up.

“I don’t know, Iris…”

“Bear, come on.” She squeezed him tight for a moment before letting go and taking a couple steps back. “It’s Birds of Prey!”

“Am I supposed to know them?”

“They’ve only been my favorite band since college, so I would hope so,” she remarked, and Barry turned around with a frown. He could have sworn Iris always said she liked the pop star Cassidy best. “They do some slow stuff, too. I know how you like your jazz,” Iris added with an indulgent roll of the eyes. “So are you in or out?”

He knew Iris still wanted to do some normal couple stuff as well as more extravagant dates. And if she was happy, Barry was sure he could put up with some music that might not be his taste.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m in. It’ll be fun.”

“Great.” Iris leaned in and pecked him on the lips. “Gotta head back to work, but I will see you later for our date. I’ll text you the details.”

“Okay.” Barry watched her go, his smile falling off his face as she disappeared down the stairs. If this was Iris’ favorite band, he was going to have to do some research.

He went to his computer and searched the name Birds of Prey, only finding articles about a band and their lead singer, a woman only known as Dinah.

“Triumphant return to Central City after particle accelerator accident,” he read aloud to himself from the bit of preview text from one article. What did that mean? And why did the name Dinah sound oddly familiar to him?

A knock on his lab door called his attention, and he was busy the rest of the afternoon with casework, even with Julian’s added assistance. Rather than resume his internet search after his shift ended, Barry decided to pursue a different avenue of inquiry.

Cisco was present when he rushed into STAR Labs. His friend barely looked up from the computer monitor he’d been studying.

“Cisco, hey, what do you know about Birds of Prey?”

That question caught the engineer’s attention. “Uh, you mean one of the greatest musical groups of our time?”

“Yeah. Sure.” How did everybody already know this band besides him?

“They’re stopping here on their comeback tour. I think it’s tonight, isn’t it? I missed the online bid for tickets.”

“Iris got two from her coworker, so we’re going tonight,” Barry revealed.

Cisco groaned. “Lucky. I only saw Dinah live once, back when she was doing open mic nights around colleges, you know?” Cisco’s gaze got a faraway look. “I had a poster of her on my wall all through grad school. I’d give anything for a picture with her.”

“Well, I can’t promise that, but I can try and get you a picture of just her.” Barry checked his phone. “I’ve got to meet Iris at the house.”

“Yeah, have a good night.”

“You, too.” It hadn’t been perfect, but Cisco had at least been willing to open up to him about some topic, even if it was one that made little sense to Barry.

He arrived home and changed quickly into clothes better suited for a concert. Iris already had the keys to the car, so she drove them over rather than him running them. They parked on the street near the venue and joined a fast-growing line to get in.

“So, everybody keeps calling this the comeback tour,” Barry began. “What’re they coming back from?”

“You really didn’t hear?” When he shook his head, Iris continued, “They were performing on stage the night of the particle accelerator explosion.”

“And there was an accident,” he said, repeating what he had read before.

“Yeah, the sound equipment and everything, you know? I mean, the band manager got them all off the stage before anyone got too hurt, but there were all kinds of rumors about Dinah’s voice being damaged or the trauma being too much to let her go back on stage.”

“Wow,” was all Barry could come up with.

“Yeah. But, she got back in the game. This is their last stop on the tour, at least for now. People are wondering if they might go international next.”

They had passed through the doors and now were too busy looking for their seats to talk. They weren’t right in the front row, but Arts and Entertainment writers were clearly given a good spot, probably in hopes the review would be better.

The lights dimmed, and a voice came over the systems. “Central City, here tonight is the band that needs no introduction. This is...Birds of Prey!”

The obligatory fog machine obscured things as the musicians all got into place. He counted two redheads and a woman with hair so dark it almost bordered on black. Nothing about them seemed to stand out in his memory.

But he didn’t need the large screens on either side to tell who the woman was that strode confidently downstage to the mic in the center. Even if it should have been impossible.

“Laurel?”

The crowd was too loud around them, and Iris was busy with cheering and didn’t hear him or see his distress.

How could it be possible? He still remembered standing in front of Laurel’s grave, watching as Oliver tried to hold back the anguish that had been in the wet sheen of his eyes and the deep lines of his face. He didn’t think he could ever forget that look. It hadn’t just been Barry’s team who’d loved her.

And yet she was standing above him on a stage, so alive.

“Hello, Central City! It is good to be back.” Laurel paused to let the cheers subside. “I wanted to make sure we stopped here on tour. Had a bit of a fight for it. You can ask Ted.”

Iris leaned over to tell him, “Ted’s the band manager. He’s practically a father to her.”

“He is?” Who was Ted? Where was Captain Lance?

Iris nodded but gave him a second look. “You okay?”

He felt incredibly faint, actually, but there was no time to explain anything to Iris. There were people all around them and Laurel was speaking again.

“But Ted agreed, because we don’t walk away from things. Right, Central City?”

Laurel paused again for cheers. Someone out in the crowd shouted a, “We love you!”

“I love you, too!” She replied with a beautiful smile. “No matter how many times we get knocked down, we get back up. So let’s get up and get things started!”

She motioned back to the band, and the dark brunette hit her drumsticks together four times before the rest of the music started up. People were already on their feet, and Barry stood as well to see better. Now that he was over the shock he started taking more of her appearance in. There was still her blonde hair cascading down her back, but that was about where the similarities ended in how this Laurel styled herself. She had on a blue tank top, ripped up jean shorts, and fishnet leggings on under those. Fishnets!

Was it Siren? Was this all just some trick? And yet even as he thought that it made little sense. Iris’ favorite band since college, Cisco’s poster in grad school...somehow, Laurel Lance had been a member of this band for years.

But she’d been a hero. They all knew that. Or they had.

The song they were performing now seemed to be called Fish Out of Water, judging by the chorus. Barry could relate to that feeling. Then it hit him that Laurel actually had a really good voice. He’d never known that about her, whether it had even been true before...all this.

Because it was dawning on him what this was. Just like the changes that had occurred to his friends’ loved ones because of his meddling, the only explanation for Laurel not only being alive but drastically different than he remembered was the timeline being altered. But how could he have missed this?

If this much was different, what else had changed in Star City? He’d spoken to Felicity briefly since returning to this timeline and realized John now had twins instead of a daughter, but what about Oliver? Were he and the others okay?

“I’m gonna slow things down a bit,” Laurel was saying. “Even if I know you guys like things fast around here.”

Iris nudged him in the side with a big grin. It faded as he looked at her, though. “Seriously, Bear, you okay?”

“It can wait.” Now wasn’t the time or place to get into it. He wasn’t even sure how to explain to Iris that a woman she had never met but admired was now still a woman she had never met but admired just in a different way.

“If ya broke the wings of a blackbird, baby...it’s a joke to think she’ll look backward, baby,” Laurel sang. She looked...sad, somehow. Not in an obvious way. The confidence was still there, but it was like something was missing. And Barry thought he knew what it was.

His mind raced as the band closed out with another louder number to get people cheering right at the end.

“How do you feel about pretending to be from Arts and Entertainment?” He asked at more of a shout in Iris’ ear to be heard.

She raised both eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Barry ran instead, back to her office at Central City Picture News to grab a camera and a couple of press passes. When he reappeared at her side, she blinked in surprise.

“Barry—”

“It’s kind of important that we talk to her. I’ll explain on the way home.”

Iris looked unsure, but she nodded, trusting him. Barry felt a boost of confidence at that; the rest of his teammates weren’t that willing to trust in his ability these days.

They made their way backstage with the passes and waited as Laurel and the others exited the stage. Barry felt a little stunned to watch her approach this close despite seeing her up on the stage. She was real and alive and a part of him wanted to rush forward and hug her — but that would probably get them kicked out.

There were a few lucky fans with special passes there, too, and he watched as the woman and sometimes-teammate he’d known signed autographs and took selfies with them. He snapped a couple of pictures with the camera he’d borrowed for appearance’s sake.

“Great show tonight, Dinah,” Iris called out to get her attention. She held out her hand when the other woman approached. “I’m Iris West with Central City Picture News. Huge fan, really.”

“Thanks for coming out,” said Laurel, her eyes only briefly passing over Barry, and it was so strange not seeing even a hint of recognition there. Had they never met in this timeline? What did this mean about whether she knew the others?

“So what’s next for the band?” He asked. “International, somewhere else in the states? Star City, maybe? It’s our, uh, sister city,” Barry added when both Laurel and Iris gave him odd looks.

“Funny you should say that. We’ll be taking some time off in Star, yeah. Ted and me, anyway. The other girls are stopping home in Gotham, but Ted’s got a place there.” She nodded back towards an older man with flecks of gray in his hair and a few lines in a deeply tanned face.

“Great,” said Barry.

“Your new song, Blackbird. It’s really good, and the lyrics, uh, what’s the story behind that?” Iris asked. Barry knew he’d put her on the spot and that this style of interview wasn’t exactly her specialty. He thought she was doing a great job, though.

Laurel shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of false starts in life. A lot of things I’ve had to walk away from. You learn to live with it.” She glanced over at Ted again who made some kind of motion. “Listen, there’s a girl scheduled to meet me in the green room, so if we could wrap this up?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I’ll message your people if I think of anything else to ask,” Iris said quickly. “Thanks so much for your time.”

“Yeah, thanks Lau— uh, Dinah,” Barry remembered at the last second. Her eyes jumped to his with a sharp look.

“Yeah. You too.” Laurel said quietly. She turned and walked away, glancing back at them over her shoulder once.

“So what was that actually about?” Iris asked in his ear. Barry gave a start and looked away from the hallway Laurel had disappeared down. They went through a side exit and started the walk back to the car.

“I know her. Or knew her. Um, before I changed the timeline.”

Iris’ eyes widened. “Really? How?”

“She wasn’t a singer. She was the Black Canary. A hero, part of Oliver’s team. She died last spring—” Iris stopped in her tracks, expression one of alarm. Barry reached for her hand to keep her moving down the sidewalk. “—or she did in that timeline. I don’t know how this happened.”

Iris was quiet for a few moments, processing the information. “Well, at least she’s here in this timeline?”

“Yeah, but,” Barry began. He shrugged. “It’s so different. She doesn’t even go by the same name!”

He remembered seeing Dinah on the gravestone, only then realizing they’d all been calling her by her middle name the whole time. What made a person decide to change names? How far back did this divergence from the timeline go?

Iris was frowning, discomfort showing on her features. She had defended his actions in changing things to the rest of the team, but was this a step too far? What did she think of him now? “Well, Bear, I think you’re just going to have to leave this be,” she said eventually. “It’s too late to change things.”

“I know. I just — I need to check on the others in Star, okay? Just so I know what’s been going on if we ever have to team up sometime.”

“Okay.” Iris let him go with a kiss, and then Barry was off running again, first to get his suit and then to Star City.

What was Team Arrow like without a Black Canary? What was Oliver like? He didn’t know too much about the other man’s relationship with Laurel, but they’d obviously been close judging by how affected he’d been at the funeral. What would Barry be like without one of his teammates? He couldn’t even imagine it.

He entered the cave and stopped, calling out to make sure the space wasn’t as empty as it appeared. “Hey, Ollie, you in? Really need to talk to — woah!”

Barry didn’t quite dodge out of the way of two arrows connected by a wire that shot out and pinned him to the wall behind him.

A young man, teenager really, with blonde hair and dark skin emerged from behind a support beam. He carried a bow and quiver of arrows and was grinning as he approached. “Gotta watch your surroundings better, Flash.”

“Connor,” said a familiar voice, the tone only slightly warning.

“I’m only messing, dad,” said the teenager to Oliver as the older man approached. Barry felt his mouth drop open. Since when did Oliver have a second son?

Oliver himself seemed different, somehow, in ways that were hard to define. The stubble he usually had could more accurately be called a goatee, and there were lines in his face that Barry could have sworn hadn’t been there. But he didn’t look as abjectly miserable as the last time Barry had seen him.

“What’s going on, Barry?”

He decided to just cut to the chase. “What do you know about Dinah Laurel Lance?”

Oliver’s face scrunched up. He frowned, though it was more in confusion than anything else. Then the worst possible answer left his lips.

“Who?”

#lauriver #westallen #barry allen #laurel lance #iris west #oliver queen #arrow #the flash #cisco ramon #ted grant #connor hawke #black canary #green arrow #my writing

16 notes · View notes

theonyxpath · 5 years

Link

Questions! We get questions every day, and while a lot of them start with “when”, as in “when is my favorite book coming out?”, a fair number are more about some integral things that aren’t obvious to folks if they haven’t been lucky enough to read this blog regularly.

Unlike you, my fine friend, who no doubt already know a lot of the following! But I bet there’s a few things in there even you can use brushing up on!

“In order to put out so many game lines, Onyx Path must be a big TableTopRPG company with lots of employees, right?”

Well, we work with a lot of talented freelance creators, but there’s only four actual staff members, so no, not really big at all. There’s myself, as founder and Creative Director, Mighty Matt McElroy as our Operations Director, Lisa Thomas as our Office Manager, and Mirthful Mike Chaney, our Art Director and primary Graphic Designer.

The hundreds of writers, editors, artists, designers, and developers we work with all around the world are all freelancers – that means that they are hired with a contract. Sometimes per project, sometimes for a time period to do a particular agreed-upon set of goals.

“You mean that those lovable scamps from the Onyx Pathcast – Dixie, Eddy, and Matthew – aren’t staff members?”

Correct! Although the Pathcast is one fun thing that they do for us, and their biggest responsibilities lie in shepherding our projects, all three of them are freelancers for us. Albeit freelancers who are part of our weekly meeting to cover how all our projects and the company in general are doing because they are just really great at what they do.

Being freelance also means that our creators can easily take part in other projects for other companies – which is something I encourage. More experience from any source means that a creator is building their expertise, and that means better and better projects for all of us.

We also hire consultants when needed – sometimes for long periods, sometimes on a project – to cover viewpoints or areas of expertise we need to have. Sometimes to cover the nuts and bolts, day to day needs of part of our business, like working with translation partners or like James, our Kickstarter concierge, that our usual crew don’t have the bandwidth for.

TC: Aeon Distant Worlds art by Michele Giorgi

“I heard Onyx Path was secretly still owned by White Wolf, and that you, Rich Thomas, were still with WW.”

That sounds like an internet rumor, and we all know how reliable those are!

So, no. I left WW a few years after the merger of WW with CCP and started Onyx Path Publishing in 2012. I am the sole owner. Other than being a licensee of the current White Wolf/Paradox, we have no other connection with them on a business level. Again, let me underline that no other company has any sort of ownership of or ability to control Onyx Path.

Also, Eddy Webb does not own Onyx Path, or even part of it. Because I’ve heard that rumor, too. He owns Pugsteady, which is a very good company all on its own.

M20 Book of the Fallen art by Michael Gaydos

“But you do own Exalted, right?”

Nope. Exalted, Chronicles of Darkness, and the World of Darkness books that White Wolf/Paradox allows us to publish under license still belong to them.

Beyond the fact of WW‘s ownership of those IPs, what that means for you noble readers and players is that Onyx Path has limits as to what we can publish based on what the owners of the game lines are comfortable with us publishing. For example, we get a lot of this sort of question:

“Why won’t you make Hunter The Reckoning, Demon: The Fallen, or, OMG, Mummy 20th Anniversary Editions?

And the reason is: we would – if it was cool with White Wolf/Paradox. Unless they give the OK, about these or any of the books we publish under the license with them, we have no legal right to just put out a book. This has been true for us going back to when CCP granted Onyx Path the license, so it’s not something nefarious, just how this license works.

The Realms of Pugmire game lines, Cavaliers of Mars, Dystopia Rising: Evolution, and Legendlore, are also licensed lines as well, with different sorts of contracts that specify different things as part of their terms.

The game lines we own, and therefore have a much wider latitude on how the lines develop, are: Scion, Scarred Lands, They Came From Beneath the Sea! and the Trinity Continuum. Without outside approvals, we can move a lot faster with our decisions as to what projects to do next, and how fast, and in what order, and where they are sold, and, well, just everything.

So if it seems like you’re hearing and seeing a lot more hoopla about our owned lines lately, that’s a huge part of the reason: we can just decide on Scion Pantheon Journals in a meeting Monday, and they can go on sale on RedBubble on Wednesday.

By Jove! That’s actually what’s happening this week! What a coincidence!

TC: Aeon Distant Worlds art by Sam Denmark

“You didn’t announce anything new at GenCon, and the First Draft section is getting kind of thin. What’s up? You guys out of ideas?”

Far from it! I think the Project Progress section here on the blog can be, or at least, has been, misleading in this regard. What we’ve had happening for the past year or year and a half, has been a kind of bloat brought on by us finally finishing a bunch of old Kickstarter and other projects, and being up-to-date on current Kickstarter and other projects.

Plus, we have multiple pitches that we’ve been waiting to hear on – relating to my notes above about approvals from our Licensors. Doesn’t make sense for us to get writers started until the projects have been given the green light.

Most importantly, we’ve several bigger projects still under wraps: from working out just what we want to do all the way to finishing the outlines for writers. For example, now that we ran the Trinity Continuum: Aberrant KS, we’re working on TC: Adventure! and actively discussing how to bring all that’s awesome about a pulp-genre setting to modern audiences, while dealing with the more problematic aspects of the time period.

Oh yes, there are still many games we want to create and we are all set to develop more projects for our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

Keep an eye out in this space as well as on our social media for the Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter that will be launching after August wraps up!

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features our Terrific Trio deep in anticipatory antics about upcoming games they’re excited about!

Today in the media we’re mainly going to talk about our Twitch channel! As you can see from the schedule, we have games planned for Scion, Pugmire, TC: Aberrant, Scarred Lands, Vampire, and there’s so much more to come! Please do check us out and if you have an Amazon Prime account, and aren’t already subscribed to a Twitch channel, you can subscribe to ours for free for exclusive content! Here’s the channel for you, and thank you so much for keeping up with our content: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath/

And if you missed it, here’s episode zero of Paws & Claws, our Pugmire actual play on the Twitch channel: https://youtu.be/Y519d9Cmx7g

We have of course produced videos beyond that, including this video here where Matthew asks for your They Came From ideas: https://youtu.be/ek8x-eoJ2Tc

And the Onyx Path News went live today. Find the link to today’s episode here: https://youtu.be/XE1kAsRYIJw Matthew talks all about new releases, Kickstarter, Backerkit, community content, our media, and his favourite authors!

We’d be remiss if we didn’t promote some of our favorites too. As our main focus is on our own Twitch today, we’re going to point you in the direction of only a couple more channels, but the big list of streams will return next week!

Here’s Occultists Anonymous (who are also appearing on our Twitch channel) with their Mage: The Awakening actual play: Episode 36: After emerging from Atratus’ soul and getting a frenzied call from Mammon, Wyrd the Seer and Songbird investigate their cabalmate’s disappearance. https://youtu.be/GopIcUu-rAU

And the excellent Story Told Podcast continues their superb Dragon-Blooded actual play here, so do tune in if you’re interested in Exalted: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-12

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

As always, you can find most of Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re offering a selection of Scion pantheon themed journals on our RedBubble store!

Conventions!

Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd PAX Unplugged: December 6th – 8th 2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Development

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

W20 Art Book (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Post-Approval Development

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

V5 Chicago Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Editing

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Post-Editing Development

Memento Mori (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e Companion)

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars – Contracted.

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Contracted. Sketches already coming in.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers – Contracted. LeBlanc doing the splats.

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed – Thinking I throw a bunch of this at Vince and Trabbold.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties – Michele is doing the critters.

Deviant (KS) – Contracted.

Trinity RMCs – Getting Riley on these this week.

Cults of the Blood God (KS) – Mark is in to do fulls and cover.

Chicago Folio – Lemme see who I got left post KS art buy for Cults. I am gonna try to get Paul Lee to do the fulls.

Mummy 2 (KS) – Got Matthew’s notes.

In Layout

CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel

Dark Eras 2 – Files with Aileen

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

VtR Spilled Blood – For Josh.

DR:E Jumpstart

Aeon Aexpansion

Proofing

C20 Cup of Dreams

V5: Chicago – Inputting errata.

Geist 2e – XX’s and then Indexing.

Signs of Sorcery – Inputting errata.

M20 Book of the Fallen

DR: E – Inputting errata.

At Press

Dragon Blooded – Deluxe at Studio2, shipping.

Dragon-Blooded Cloth Map – At Studio2, shipping.

Dragon-Blooded Screen – Shipped to Studio2, shipping.

Trinity Core Screen – At Studio2.

TC Aeon Screen – At Studio2.

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.

Trinity Core – Printing.

Trinity Aeon – Printing.

Shunned By the Moon – PoD proof ordered.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Born on this date in 1921 – Gene Roddenberry, who, love him or leave him, got Star Trek on the air and set the stage for many, many, folks’ first introduction to science fiction – and utopian science fiction at that! Plus, because why not, this is also the birthday of William Marshall in 1924, who appeared on Star Trek as Professor Richard Daystrom, and whose amazing voice graced us as both Blackula and the King of Cartoons! Also, to continue the Star Trek theme: in 1938, Diana Muldaur, who appeared on both the Original Series, and on STtNG as Dr. Pulaski, was born, and last but not the least likely to get it on on an alien planet, William T. Riker’s portrayer, Jonathan Frakes, was born in 1952. (Bill Clinton was also born on this date in 1946, and while we all know he’d give Riker a run for his money, he was never on Star Trek – just a US President.)

#Onyx Path Publishing

5 notes · View notes

nosamlight · 5 years

Text

prologue

“Alright,” talk show host Jordan Hall cleared his throat, taking an excited breath, “I’ve got to be absolutely honest. I’ve been nervous about this week’s guests ever since I knew who it was going to be.”

He comically rubbed his hands down the sides of his pants. “My hands are clammy, my hair’s— tell me the truth, is my hair a mess?” He ran a hand through his coiffed hair.

The audience shouted dissent, then laughed as a few viewers in the front row complimented him.

“Okay, good, good.” Jordan grinned, gripping the mic a little harder, posture straightening as he walked across the stage. “I’ve been bugging my wife all week, blasting their music and trying to hide my hopeless crushes, I’ve been listening to them for way longer than that, and now I think I’ve stretched this introduction long enough. Without further fanboying, here’s Mason, Austin, Chris, and Andrew, the boys of Nosam!”

The audience drowned out most of Jordan’s words, whose noise was liable to render a person temporarily deaf. Behind them, a screen showed clips of the band, Mason shirtless and sweaty, ever the theatrical frontman. Chris and Austin nearby, bass and guitar, making faces at each other, and a shot of long hair momentarily covering Andrew’s face from behind a drum set. The boys shook Jordan’s hand and sat alongside the host. Jordan had to signal the crowd to quiet down when they showed no signs of stopping.

“Jordan, hi, you’re like, my favorite host of all time,” Chris said as he sat down between Austin and Andrew, getting a playful flick of the ear from Andrew.

Mason, closest to Jordan, leaned in close, whispering loudly. “He’s only saying that because he’s a kiss-up.”

Jordan laughed, “You say that as if it makes a difference to me. Chris, you’re my favorite bassist of all time, and I’m not only saying that because you’re the only bassist whose name I know.”

Chris laughed, blushing lightly after having gotten up to shove at Mason.

Jordan exhaled, looking at them. “You’re all even prettier in person,” he breathed wistfully, cueing laughter from everyone. He grinned, leaning forward, “Seriously, you guys are unbelievable. You took over the world so fast, and you’ve still got conspiracy theorists reeling. Are you aliens? Are you a government-formed group intent on putting a trance on the masses? Is there a Nosam fan cult working to boost publicity and further adding to your talent?”

Mason was leaning forward in his seat, an amused grin slowly growing on his face. Andrew looked mildly disturbed by the words coming out of the host’s mouth, Austin was trying not to laugh, and Chris looked like he wanted to Google all of this.

“I don’t— I think they don’t want us to comment on this...” was Austin’s ominous response, trying to hide a smile. Andrew nodded, expression blank.

“We will say this, though,” Mason glanced at his bandmates, “we don’t think Andrew’s human.”

Jordan gasped at this, glancing at Andrew. “Andrew? Is this true?”

“I guess that’s another theory to look into. So, you guys are about to go on another tour, of course. I’ve got to say, and I’m sure everyone else agrees, it’s impressive how much energy and dedication you have. Every time I look, you guys are performing! Doesn’t it get exhausting?”

Mason looked to the others. “Sometimes, yeah, but… I don’t know, I guess we’re addicted. It’s a rush, it’s being as close to fans, to people, as possible. Making them smile, feeling that intimacy, that joy. What we were always after was performing, it’s our favorite part of being Nosam.”

Jordan smiled. “Very lovingly put. That love and passion definitely shows at every one of your concerts. You’ve recently come up on five years of being together. How’s that feel?”

Chris made a face. “You make it sound like we’re married.”

Mason laughed, pinching the cheek of the closest victim, Austin. “God, I wish, sweetheart.” “Not this again,” Austin groaned, moving away into Chris, which caused him to knock into Andrew, who pushed at all of them, making everyone crack up.

“As bandmates, it’s interesting,” Chris announced, pushing away from them and rolling his eyes good-naturedly. “But, really, it’s been unbelievable. Going from cover sessions alone in my room with Mason to playing at the O2 and Madison Square Garden and The Forum— tens of thousands of people— it’s— it’s just more than I— we— could have ever imagined five or even two or three years ago.”

Andrew had his head in his hand, leaning on the armrest as he listened to Chris, but he frowned and stared at him as he talked about the venues. “The only place we haven’t played is the Bubble Bowl.”

Mason wheezed loudly, joined by Austin, Chris, and the audience’s equally loud laughter.

It took a second for the penny to drop, and then Jordan laughed and nodded as he responded to Chris’ words. “To be honest, some people expected the Nosam hype to die down a while ago.”

“But it’s only gotten stronger!” Mason grinned, blowing kisses at the crowd.

“Yes, to the point you’re being called the biggest boy band in the world— which, I know you guys are a little sensitive to being called a boy band—” Jordan couldn’t help but laugh. “Especially with Starlight’s endless teasing.”

“Did somebody say Stella?” Austin joked, whipping his head towards Jordan.

Mason smirked, “Down, boy, your master’s not here, so you can— ow!” He pouted as he got a well-deserved whack in the head from the guitarist.

“That is another very interesting factor in conspiracy theories. How three of you managed to date— and not just date— but fall for all the members of an all-girl band is astounding.”

“Even more astounding is that Mr. Frontman is the one left single.” Austin grinned mischievously, making Andrew laugh and Mason roll his eyes.

“Ha. Ha. Yes, I’m single.” Mason looked to the crowd, winking. “I don’t think you guys mind that much, do you?”

The crowd whooped and hollered, some of them wolf-whistling.

Jordan put a hand on Mason’s arm. “It’s okay, Mason. I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”

“Aw, come on. Why’re you guys bashing being single? Nothing wrong with it. And I get to enjoy the company of many lovely ladies. I’m charming and sociable by birth.”

Jordan chuckled at that, shaking his head. “You’ve got a point. I do believe you on that. Oh, to be young and as incredibly attractive as you, Mason!” He put a hand to his chest, looking up to the ceiling.

Mason pouted, pointing a finger at him and getting up to hug him, “Oh, Jordan, don’t do that. You’re a beautiful man.”

“Stop it, Mason, I’m starting to rethink my entire marriage with you holding me like this.”

The audience loved that, and they cheered for everyone to give Jordan a group hug. Jordan happily drowned under the boys, making sure to remind the camera that he loved his wife, but he wouldn’t mind sharing. When they finally let him go, Jordan was still smiling. “Regardless, Mason, everyone finds it hard to believe you won’t find someone to tie you down.” “On the contrary, I’m usually the one doing the tying.” Mason wiggled his eyebrows as they sat down. “I’m not easily tamed.”

“We’ll see about that,” Jordan grinned, motioning for the boys to follow. “I’ve got a game I’d like to play with you guys, it’s sort of a dating game— Austin, feel free to opt out, I don’t really want to get you murdered…”

Austin blushed, but actually seemed to consider it before saying, “Don’t be ridiculous, Jordan.”

Jules giggled at something Austin said in the interview, leaning against his twin, Rosaline’s shoulder. “God. I fucking love them so much.”

Rosa laughed, shoving back at him. “I know you do, dumbass. Your entire fucking life revolves around them!”

Jules scoffed. “Does not. I have a job. And school.”

“And the fansite, and Nosam, and your love for Austin, and your irrational hatred for Mason--”

“I don’t hate him,” Jules groaned. She always said he hated Mason. He didn’t hate any of them! “He’s just an asshole sometimes. And he’s so easy to pick on, Rose. He’s a bigger whore than you!”

Rosa faked being offended, laughing a little. “No one is a bigger whore than me! Hear that? No one!”

Jules stared at her in amusement, then shook his head. “You’re an enigma, Rosie.”

“What did you just call me?”

“...An enigma?”

Rosaline jumped on Jules, dislodging the laptop as she tried to hit his head in retaliation for calling her Rosie. He laughed, just yelling the nickname instead, tackling her back onto the bed.

The fight ceased after she shoved a pillow over his face, and Jules laughed into it, kicking her lightly on the chest. She fell down next to him, sighing heavily. Jules pulled the pillow off his face and shoved it under his head, turning to look at her. The talk show was still playing in the background, but they’d both seen it twice already. By now, Mason was being an idiot and flirting with Jordan all over again, singing some song to him to seduce him.

Rosa looked over at Jules. “Hey, I’ve got a question.”

“Yeah? You’re my fucking twin, just spit it out.”

“How come you’re still at home putting up with Mom? It doesn’t make sense, Julesy. She treats you like shit, and so does Derek half the time. At least with him, I understand it, he’s twelve, he’s rotten. But Mom…”

“I’m her kid,” Jules sighed. He shrugged a little. “What she said earlier… It’s just her still coming to terms. She’s being pretty shitty, yeah, considering it’s been about five years, but I expect it this time of month anyway. It’s when the bill usually comes.”

Rosa sighed. “But she’s our mom. Shouldn’t she love us all the same?”

Jules rolled his eyes, smiling at Rosa. “I’m sure she does. She just… doesn’t show it the same. I’m fine, Rosa, I’m over it again. It’s easier lately.”

But that was a lie. Nothing was easier lately. He was finishing up school, soon to be a graduated music student, with no fucking idea what he’d do with his life beyond waiting tables. Maybe with his psych minor he could do some kind of music therapy, but… Even then, he’d want out of Michigan and far away from his mom and her transphobic, snippy remarks on his gender, the monthly bills from the hospital from five years ago, how he was never home to help his brother learn guitar, how he was totally unexpected when he came out just after Rosa in birth…

“I know when you’re lying, baby brother,” Rosa said quietly. She smiled softly at him, then kissed his forehead as she leaned up to grab the laptop again. “Hey, dude, isn’t there a new interview coming out in a bit?”

prologue | chapter one

#prologue #nosamlight #story

3 notes · View notes

thezodiaczone · 6 years

Text

November Forecast for Leo

Your annual “nesting season” has arrived, Leo—and you’re oh-so ready for a little downtime! The Sun is in Scorpio and your fourth house of home and family until November 22, so if you’re already drafting your holiday gifting and guest lists or eyeing decorations, well, blame it on the stars. For you, Scorpio season is all about getting your “hygge” on—the Danish art of perfect coziness that became extra-popular last year. Bring out your ambient lighting, your scented candles and the cashmere throws…then snuggle up with your favorite people!

The November 7 Scorpio new moon is an ideal day to pause and attend to your personal life. If you’re thinking of buying a home or expanding your brood, today could set the wheels in motion. Make a dedicated plan to add regular self-care and downtime to your busy calendar.

But don’t get too comfortable in your newly adorned Lion’s den just yet! Despite the comfy backdrop, November is one bustling month in the stars. Jupiter and Uranus are making major zodiac sign changes, and three planets will move in and out of retrograde. Martha Stewart moment: interrupted! The second you fill an oversized vase with eucalyptus leaves or put a “simmer pot” on the burner, life turns into a hyperactive scene (though the scent of orange peels and clove is still lovely, Leo…).

It starts on November 6, when radical changemaker Uranus, which has been retrograde in Taurus and your career house since August 7, backs into Aries and your expansive ninth house. Between now and March 6, you’ll want to reconnect with a visionary project, or resurrect plans to travel or study that got sidelined after Uranus entered Taurus on May 15. Since last spring, you’ve been busy with exciting career shifts, perhaps even starting on a whole new path or stepping into a meaningful leadership role.

Uranus’ final spin through Aries will make sure you don’t leave your ideals at the door or “sell out” in the name of success. After March 6, the side-spinning planet will settle into Taurus until 2026, not to return to Aries again in your lifetime. Book those bucket-list vacations and set entrepreneurial plans in motion; but prepare for a few plot twists and turns while Uranus is retrograde until January 6, especially if you’re a student or frequent traveler. Life will NOT follow a linear path…so embrace the unexpected and stay flexible with your plans. Any chaotic curveballs might make you frantic in the moment, but they could lead you to an important realization.

The headline news arrives on November 8, when expansive and lucky Jupiter begins a 13-month visit to Sagittarius, amplifying your fifth house of passion, creativity and self-expression until December 2, 2019. Woo-hoo! Not only is Sagittarius a fellow fire sign, but the fifth house happens to be the domain of the zodiac that’s ruled by Leo. Translation: You’ll be hosting the planet of good fortune in YOUR native turf for more than a year. How awesome is that?!

Get your wardrobe and glam squad ready, Leo: Showy Jupiter in this dazzling zone could be a nonstop party. If you’re an artist or performer, this could be the year that your talents gain major recognition since Jupiter in this fame-fueled sector puts the spotlight directly on you. This Jupiter shift will be quite a change from the last 13 months. Back in October 2017, Jupiter decamped to Scorpio and your fourth house of home and family. Your private, personal life took center stage, and while you had plenty of other cosmic action pushing you into the public eye, you still may have spent a lot of time flying under the radar. With Jupiter expanding your foundational fourth house, some Leos moved into bigger spaces, bought or sold homes or added new members to their families.

Now Jupiter turns on the stadium lights and demands that you trade those yoga pants for red-carpet gear. And you might not be strutting down that step-and-repeat alone, either. With global Jupiter in your zone of infatuation, sparks could fly with someone from a wildly different background, perhaps even through a long-distance affair. Single Leos could be fielding multiple admirers, and couples might experience a romantic resurgence. It’s been shown that novelty stimulates attraction because doing new things together causes the brain to release adrenaline and dopamine, giving you a “rush” that feels like the honeymoon phase all over again.

Since the fifth house rules fertility, don’t be surprised if all that excitement leads to the bedroom…and, for Leos of the childbearing set, to a “baby on board” status. Just watch for the drama to amplify with outspoken and leap-without-looking Jupiter in this fiery zone.

On November 16, a little wrench gets thrown into Jupiter’s plan because Mercury, the planet of communication, technology and travel, will turn retrograde until December 6, spending the bulk of its pivot in Sagittarius. Back up your most important data and erase those raunchy photos from your online albums! Mercury retrograde can mess with all your electronic files and devices and could also bring an embarrassing public gaffe (like we said: delete those photos). Retrogrades reconnect us to the past, so in your love life, unresolved tensions can flare—or you might see the return of an ex. Maybe you finally get some closure on some ancient history or put that stupid fight to bed already. For some Leos, a romantic reunion could be in store. Proceed with caution: Mercury retrograde isn’t the best time for binding decisions!

You’ve had your share of this already because Venus, the planet of love, has been retrograde since October 5. With the planet of harmony and attraction gone awry—which happens every 18 months—relationships and friendships were on the rocks. On November 16, Venus will turn direct (forward), bringing back the love; but you’ll still have to contend with Mercury’s mayhem for a little bit longer.

On November 22, the Sun will join the party, moving into Sagittarius for four weeks and kicking off the holiday festivities. It’s Thanksgiving in the U.S., and you’ll have plenty to be grateful for during Sagittarius season. Your joie de vivre and “It factor” will go through the roof, especially on November 26, when the Sun and Jupiter make their annual conjunction. Many astrologers consider this the luckiest day of the year. Certainly it’s one of the most charismatic, with the revitalizing Sun and optimistic Jupiter combining their superpowers. And since it’s happening in your head-turning fifth house, don’t be surprised if the world takes notice of you!

While you’ll revel in being the star, there’s one day when you’ll want to focus on being an awesome team player. That’s November 23, when the year’s only Gemini full moon beams into your eleventh house of collaborations and humanitarian endeavors. The next day, November 24, healing Neptune ends a five-month retrograde in your eighth house of transformation and wealth. Get your holiday giving underway, Leo, whether you raise funds for a charity drive, grab tickets to a benefit ball or press “donate now” on the website for your favorite cause.

Love & Romance

Relationships are heating up! Spicy Mars is spending yet another full month firing up your committed partnership houses. Until November 15, the red planet is in Aquarius and your dynamic duos zone (where it’s been since September 10), turning up the temperatures AND the tension. On the downside, couples may fight more and single Leos could feel the pressure to pair up. Watch out for the tunnel vision now!

With Mars here, though, you’ll be highly attracted (and attractive) to people who are looking for a real-deal romance. This month, you could meet someone who has the potential to stick around for the long haul. Coupled Leos could bring some sexy excitement and adventure into your bond, prioritizing your one-on-one time. Things will get even steamier starting November 15, when Mars blazes into Pisces and your erotic eighth house for the rest of the year. Just watch for a streak of jealousy and possessiveness that could flare up.

Meantime, Venus is wrapping up a six-week retrograde on November 16, spending the first couple weeks of the month adrift in Libra and your communication house. With Mars pushing your buttons, you could be quick to bite people’s heads off. Maybe someone’s getting on your nerves or your stress levels max out, and you end up (regrettably) snapping at someone. Save the big talks for November 9, when Venus and Mars unite in a cooperative trine (120-degree angle), helping you clear the air and return to productive dialogue. If you need to apologize today, please do so!

On November 8, lucky Jupiter starts a 13-month visit to Sagittarius and your fifth house of true love. This could be one of your most adventurous romantic years in over a decade—but there could be a brief interruption a week into this transit. Communication planet Mercury turns retrograde from November 16 to December 6, mostly in Sagittarius, causing another round of the “ex factor” or possible bruised feelings—and egos—in the game of love. Slow down and think before you speak or rush under the mistletoe with anyone.

Key Dates

November 30: Venus-Uranus Opposition Talk may be cheap, but under this potentially game-changing transit, you or your sweetie could initiate a dialogue that radically shifts the relationship. You may discover something about your mate that alters the state of your union. Good news? Bad news? It all depends on how you both handle it.

Money & Career

Don’t hate, collaborate! Competitive Mars is spending all month—and the rest of the year, really—in the partnership houses of your chart. From September 10 to November 15, the red planet is booked for a stint in Aquarius and your seventh house of contracts, strategic alliances and balance. Working well with others is the goal here, and Mars could speed up any dynamic duos you’re considering.

You may feel pressured to sign on the dotted line, and if you’re ready, do it quick! On November 16, communication planet Mercury will turn retrograde until December 6, which is a less favorable time to sign paperwork, since details and fine print can be overlooked by accident. There can also be technology crashes and data losses, so back everything up to the cloud and strengthen those passwords.

On November 15, motivator Mars zooms into Pisces and your eighth house of joint ventures and long-term finances. You could feel the intensity of those holiday expenses coming up, so make a budget! Some Leos might be considering an investment or a large purchase (such as a car or home). With galactic galvanizer Mars at the wheel, this could all move quickly. Be sharp and strategic about how you use your time, energy and resources now. Do your research instead of rushing in, even if your instincts say “go!” But don’t take too long, because you could miss out. Strike while the iron is hot—but be sure to polish and sharpen your weapon first.

Work pressure will lift a bit after November 6, because disruptive Uranus will take a four-month vacation from Taurus and your career sector. You’ll get a little break from the constant change that’s been happening since Uranus entered this sign back on May 15, keeping you on your toes at all times professionally. Uranus will dip back into Aries until March 6, which could bring exciting chances to study, publish your work or start an indie business. Take your time while Uranus is retrograde until January 6, but revisit some plans that got sidelined and see if there’s still gold in them hills!

Key Dates

November 19: Mars-Jupiter Square The stability of a collaboration could be threatened under this power-tripping transit. A larger-than-life personality (is that you, Leo?) may be looking for a bigger half of the pie than what was originally agreed upon; or one party might be doing all the heavy lifting while the other is “busy” playing Candy Crush Saga.

Love Days: 13, 18 Money Days: 24, 29 Luck Days: 23, 31 Off Days: 29, 16, 20

#leo #monthly horoscope #horoscope #horoscopes #astrology #leo monthly

35 notes · View notes