#next ones are sitting in drafts but i'm WAITING FOR DAY 4 DROP

[mosaickiwi]

Hi again! Hope you've been doing okay!

First off I just wanna say that you always deliver, I mean "Fall Unto Me"?? Four part+an epilogue of me being torn between wanting to baul my eyes out and wanting to melt into a puddle from the feels :')

But as for the request, could I ask for Angel and [REDACTED] redecorating his appartment? Getting rid of the gaudy furniture once and for all!

Don't forget to drink water and take breaks whenever you need to! My brain is also 105% filled with this skrunkly but the trick is to keep two neurons in a cell reserved for this >:] /silly

HEHE I’ve been ok! Hope you are too!! <3 thank u for appreciating my (deranged) brainrotting fic c: the suffering is my favorite part. I’m drinking lots of water cause summer hates my ass. 💖 Also sorry this is long I am clearly not winning at the "be normal" challenge.

14 Days With You is an 18+ Yandere Visual Novel. MINORS DNI

💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤

Redecorating

“This one?”

The dark haired man peered at the laptop in your hands for a long moment. “It's… nice.”

“Yes…? You called the last three couches nice, too. Any other thoughts?” You gently goaded your partner.

Choosing new furniture with [REDACTED] was supposed to be easy. You'd pick something, and he'd agree. Except you wanted it to feel like home for both of you. He didn't have to say the mushy, obvious line: as long as you were there, it was home. So progress was challenging with some things. You were sitting together on the current couch—the ugly, lifeless one that came with his apartment for some reason. 

His brow crinkled as he searched for different words. Those soft blue eyes went back and forth across the screen until he said, “It’s cozy yet functional.”

“Did you just summarize the description to me?”

He confessed to the crime with a sigh. “Angel, all I think when I look at it is you. And how cute you'd look sitting on it. Like y’do right now.”

“I'm always cute. Focus on the couch, please. Not me,” you insisted.

“No promises.”

“Let's see…” You had to find some way to get through to them. An idea came to mind that you knew he wouldn't like very much, but you had to try. “Pretend we're not dating. Or maybe I don't exist? You come home—don't make that face! I said pretend—so, you come home after a very terrible day and you see this couch. Is it nice then?”

[REDACTED] still made that face as he answered you. “Annoying as fuck to clean.”

It was progress. You didn't want to dwell on why that would be what they thought about after getting home. “Did the first one I showed you seem annoying to clean?”

“Mm... a bit.” They reached forward to change the webpage back for another look. “Y’never showed me these.” 

You leaned over to see what he was talking about. There were a few humongous bean bag chairs on the furniture wish list you’d made. “I just thought they looked fun to take a nap in. But I’m not sure we’d both fit, so it’d be silly," you explained and tapped the mouse to continue skimming through your other selections. “We can think about the couch later. I found some wall art that doesn’t look like it came from a dentist’s office.”

His eyes carefully followed the scrolling page until the bean bags disappeared at the bottom of the screen, but he didn’t protest.

💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤

The new furniture had arrived—and been efficiently assembled by your boyfriend, despite your protest—while you were at the library, so you were excited to get home. [REDACTED] held one hand over your eyes as he unlocked the apartment’s door.

“I already know what all the furniture looks like, Ren.” Even so, you didn’t wave their hand away.

You could hear the door click as he guided you into the foyer. “I may have added a few extra things,” he hummed while you blindly struggled and failed to take off your shoes. “Actually… close your eyes f’me.”

“O—kayy?!” Just as you closed your eyes the floor slipped away under you, replaced by familiar arms cradling you to their chest. His quiet footsteps barely echoed against the marble as you got your wits about you. The living room wasn’t that far, so you were certain where he took you without seeing anything. You just didn’t know where exactly in the room.

They turned and came to a stop, rooted in place for a moment as if thinking to themself. “Y’gonna scream if I drop you?” 

“...Yes. Maybe.”

Without another word he let go. There wasn’t enough time to scream as you immediately landed against plush fabric with the faint crinkle of something below it. The fabric crinkled some more as you felt your shoes being taken off.

“Can I open my eyes yet?” you asked. You could already tell what one of the ‘extra things’ was. It felt like heaven.

“Sure, love.” Their voice was a little farther away than you expected. Probably from hurrying to put your shoes in the closet.

You found yourself nestled on one side of the room, with a perfect view of his handiwork.

A couch that was easy to clean, in a color you insisted he decide on, draped with a luxurious looking blanket that wasn’t in your list. A coffee table with rounded corners so they wouldn’t keep hitting their leg on it. Some wall art of Attack on Giants—with extra pieces from a show you sort of recognized, but definitely suited the man's tastes. A few shelves to show off merchandise from another of your favorites. And the enormous, navy blue bean bag he’d so rudely dropped you in moments ago.

Your darling hacker stepped in from the foyer and tossed their hoodie onto the new couch. “Everything good?” he asked, piercings pulling up in a smile.

“I think I love it.” Your eyes scanned the room again and eventually landed on the pictures. “And I love that you added your own stuff.” It didn’t seem to be a clone of your apartment that he just happened to live in, like you worried about. “What about you?”

“S’better than before. ‘Course, the best part is that I don’t have t’see some shitty couch when I open the door—I get to come home to you, trapped in a bean bag.” He stood up and walked over, eyeing you playfully from above. “Comfortable?”

You nodded, then immediately yelped when he fell forwards. Just before you were squished, he caught himself on tattooed arms, caging you in the crinkly, soft material. You only felt some of their weight on you like a heavy blanket. A soft laugh slipped past your lips as he got comfortable himself, clinging to you as best he could while you both sank further into the depths of the bean bag. It’d be impossible to get out.

You wiggled your legs, straining to even find the damn floor. No doubt a futile effort, you had to sigh, “At least we both fit on it."

[REDACTED] didn’t speak, already yawning from the exhaustion of setting everything up before meeting you at work. The walk to and from the library certainly didn’t do him any favors, either. In a matter of seconds, he was fast asleep in what surely felt akin to a nest, all four lanky limbs wrapped around you like a snake.

[calcitedraws]

Comet City Chapter 4

Okayyy so I couldn't fit any yandere villain content but I'm just working on the set up. 👍

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Your workday was relatively slow, you were assigned to write a piece on a local cafe chain’s collaboration with a B-tier hero. You decide to head there for lunch, halfway out of curiosity. You swing by the library which was just a few minutes away, but Arlo wasn’t there as you dropped off a book. So you shot him a text asking if he’d like to join you for lunch. You head to the cafe and wait in line for what feels like forever. You end up with a pastry and drink. You sit in the park, eating and writing your rough draft for the paper. You shoot another text to Arlo, asking if he’d like you to bring him something from the cafe for his lunch break. It wasn’t like him to not answer quickly, but he might be busy. The pastry was honestly bad. The drink was fine but not worth the shitty price. But you couldn’t write that in your article.

The day was nice, the park was sunny. Your mind drifted to last night with Zenith, he acted so weird when you had to leave. But you were just glad you didn’t have to spend too much time with him.

Suddenly, a hand was on your shoulder. You glance up, spotting Zenith himself in full hero regalia. You jump, your stomach sinking as he sat next to you.

He said your full name, asking if it was you. You nod, your eyes wide. He chuckles, patting your shoulder.

”You work for the Starlight Read, right? I read it, it’s pretty good.” He chuckles. He’s carrying himself differently. Like he doesn’t even see you. What the hell was going on?!

”I saw your article about the attack on the Hero Academy. I think you wrote it really well.” He says.

”Oh, um… thanks. Um, so… Zenith, why are you here?” You say, blinking owlishly.

“Well, like I said, your article was great but… Maybe you forgot something? I mean, don’t get me wrong, you did a great job, but you didn’t give a full account.” He says, leaning back casually. 

“I’m sorry, did I… miss something?” You ask. Your heart was racing a mile a minute.

”Unfortunately, yes. Maybe you didn’t see it, because you had run off, to call for help. Great move, by the way, just what the Hero Academy would recommend for civilians in that circumstance.” He says. You just watch him, nervous.

”Why didn’t you write about Comet’s Dove?” He says, leaning his elbow onto his knee, shooting you a good-natured grin.

You squint, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about.

”Who?” 

“Dove! It’s what everyone is calling that new vigilante, the one who fought Techbyte at the academ. I suppose it’s a recent nickname, but I got it to stick.. You should take notes, sweetheart.” He chuckles. You resist the urge to roll your eyes and you pull out your paper and pen to write notes.

”I’m sorry, who named them that?” You ask.

”Well, off the record? Me. But just say the city folk decided it on their own. I mean, that’s how the nickname stuck.” He chuckles, as if he was being clever. You ask him a few questions, trying to make it look like you weren’t asking questions about yourself. If you knew too much too quickly he’d wonder why you knew things about your previous conversations.

”Well… I’d like to ask a favor. You know, hero to reporter.” He hums.

”You want me to write an article about the Dove?” You ask, raising your eyebrows.

”Off the record? Yeah. Just… make them look good. Just run any comments about them by me, actually.” He says, patting your shoulder. Despite his stellar smile, there was something a bit… off. Maybe it was because you knew he was a bit clingy. But this? It felt off.

You nod, hyper aware of his heavy hand on your shoulder. Your wrist aches for a moment despite it being a month since he injured it.

“I'll… do what I can. The public doesn't view vigilantes kindly.” You say, carefully. He shrugs.

“You'll find a way to sneak some positive comments about them in.” He says, patting your shoulder again before getting up to leave. As suddenly as he had approached, he was gone. 

You spotted Arlo approaching, looking a bit nervous.

”H-hey I got your text!” He chuckles, sitting next to you. You explain that your boss sent you out here at the last minute.

”Was that Zenith? Is… everything okay?” He asks, eyeing the hero, who is now across the park signing autographs. You sigh and roll your eyes. God, Zenith was a jackass.

”Yeah. Apparently he- ‘off the record’- wants me to write something positive about that new vigilante. Apparently they’re named the ‘Dove.” You scoff.

”That’s stupid.”

”Yeah, I know! The nickname is so stupid!” You say, exasperated. Why did his stupid nickname even stick? Why did they even give you a nickname, you didn’t want one.

”No, I meant like, why does he want you to write about the Dove? Isn’t it weird Comet City’s golden boy wants you, and specifically you, to write something good about an illegal hero?” He asks, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, his eyes trained on Zenith. 

“Is, isn’t it?” You sigh. 

“… His hero agency is a big contributor to the Starlight Read, no?” Arlo asks. His tone catches you off guard. He seems so… bitter, almost disgusted.

”Yeah, I’m pretty sure. It’s why we cover their hero work so often.” You hum, shrugging.

”So… What? Does that mean you have to listen to him?” He asks, turning to look at you, his eyebrows pressed together.

”… I mean… Not technically? But-“

”But? But what, he just gets to call the shots and push people around when he’s on the agency's leash? And when did we start approving of vigilantes?” He asks, getting slowly heated up. You raise an eyebrow.

”Yeah, Zenith is a jackoff. But…” You think for a moment. You wanted Zenith off your back as soon as possible. “I don’t think pissing off someone that famous is too wise.”

Arlo pauses and sighs, low and defeated. “Doesn’t it piss you off?”

You pause, staring at Arlo. You never knew him to be anyone with a strong sense of anger towards the system, but then again you two have never talked about it other than making fun of hardcore hero fans.

You think about the power Zenith had despite being on a leash. The Hero Agency demanded him to do things like dye his hair and it sounds like he doesn’t have much of a say in the matter. But he also had enough influence to apparently be able to land you a job in the hero agency despite being an illegal hero with no certifications. It was pretty confusing. 

“I only want to know what’s so special about this Dove for him to bully you into writing about them.” He hums, narrowing his eyes back at Zenith.

You give a soft hum back, getting lost in your thoughts.

Arlo quickly checks his watch, nodding to himself.

”Anyway, I gotta go. Sorry I missed lunch with you, maybe we can get lunch tomorrow?” He asks, standing up. 

“Yeah, sounds good. Not at this place though, it sucks.” You chuckle, gesturing to the  barely nibbled on pastry with the obnoxious logo on the wrapper. He chuckles and gives you a side hug before walking away. He stops and glances over his shoulder.

”Zenith… What do you think of him?” He asks.

”I think he’s a jerk.” You chuckle. It felt nice to be able to say that about him with someone you knew wouldn’t gasp or lecture you. Because Arlo somehow always got you. He smiles, his eyes crinkling slightly.

”Me too.”

————————————

Your article about the cafe was received as well as any other filler article and best of all you got paid. You had a day off, so you decided to run errands. 

You had passed by a big ceremony by city hall for the unveiling of a hero statue in the park, but you just rolled your eyes and walked on. Someone else was set to write a story about it, so you didn’t feel the need to attend. City hall was near the library, so you dropped by to pick up a new book.

When you walked in, you scanned around for your friend. 

“Absent again?” You ask the clerk, who shrugs.

“He’s been acting odd lately, is everything alright with him?” She asks, gentle and concerned. You think for a moment.

”I haven’t noticed anything odd.” You shrug. 

You left with a pleasant goodbye, shooting a text to Arlo to ask what he was up to.

When you left the library, you saw that the congregation outside of city hall had gotten bigger. Out of both curiosity and the instinct to stand and watch, you joined the crowd. You spot Zenith by the mayor, You knew there was a statue under the thick red sheet of fabric draped over it.

“And now, we’d like to reveal our city's masterpiece!” The mayor cheers, gesturing for Zenith to remove the fabric. He floats into the air, grabbing the fabric at the top of the statue and pulling it away before coming to stand next to the mayor.

The statue was of Zenith, a fist on his hip and one hand pointed directly to the heavens, a determined half smile was on his face. It appeared to be either gold-plated or at least intended to look like gold. A few months ago you’d brush it off but… after properly meeting Zenith you didn’t know what to think. You supposed it reflected his hero persona well. It just looked so… serious. 

Suddenly, a sharp high pitched whine comes from the speakers. The feedback causes everyone to flinch. As soon as it dies down, all eyes are on the mayor. He chuckles and holds the microphone back to himself to speak, but no words make it through the speakers. The two fiddle with it for a moment before a voice boomed over the speakers.

”Is this what Comet city needs?” A voice seethes. The crowd goes silent and still. Not everyone recognized Techbytes voice but everyone knew that something wasn't right.

“Another statue for another hero… And who paid for it? Certainly not anyone who needed it.” He speaks, his voice dripping with venom as you spot him with his spider-leg pack, held above the crowd as he approaches the stage. Zenith starts floating a few inches off the ground.

”That's the problem with these people. That's what none of you quite get.” He growls, snipping every vowel. Gasps are heard from the back of the group and you crane your head. When you feel something brush against your ankle, you gasp too, looking down to see a swarm of Techbytes spiders weave through the crowd. They eventually settle as a silent warning.

”This doesn’t have to escalate, Techbyte. These are good people and they’re not your enemy, let them go.” Zenith says, puffing his chest out a bit. “You have a problem with me? Fine, but you said that they aren’t the problem.”

”Why isn’t Zenith fighting him?” You hear a small child ask. You crane your head to them. A pit of disgust wells in you to think about why Techbyte has all these spiders in the crowd.

“… We’re colateral.” A man sighs, low and furious.

The crowd murmurs as Zenith and Techbyte talk, but it doesn’t look to be going well. You wish Techbyte would turn the microphone back on so you could tell what he’s saying. You slowly take a step forward. The spiders didn’t seem to care as you pushed your way to the front. You didn’t even know why you were doing it, just instinctually chasing the danger. Eventually, you’re close enough to hear them. Zenith is negotiating, his jaw clenched and his voice low but strained, nervously eyeing the murmuring crowd. 

This was a tense situation. There were stakes for everyone involved and nobody wanted to back down. You close your eyes, taking a deep breath in and out as you spot your coworker. You approach them and they seem startled to see you.

”I thought you had a day off.” He says.

”I thought I did, too. At least you’re getting paid for this.” You chuckle, elbowing him gently. He didn’t seem amused but he lightened up every so slightly.

”He’s in a tight spot. Can’t beat the shit out of Techbyte or the spiders go wild.” Your coworker says, low and serious. You nod.

Eventually Techbyte turns back to the crowd, turning his microphone back on as his spider legs carry him up and towards the center of the congregation.

”You poor fools… You’re trapped. And your hero can do little about it because the moment he does, I’ll command my Tech-Spiders to tear you all apart. See how useless he is now.” He chuckles, cruelly. You glance back to Zenith, his jaw clenched. 

“What’s wrong with you?!” Your coworker suddenly shouts, his voice deep and booming. Techbyte freezes and turns to him. You tug at your coworker’s sleeve, begging him to shut up but he just gives you a wink.

”You say you care about us and then use us as collateral!” Your coworker shouts as Techbyte approaches him. You take a step back.

”I do. I care about all of you, because you’re people. They care because casualties make them look bad.”  Techbyte growls, pointing to Zenith. 

“He’s right!” You shout, joining your coworker. If you were about to get your ass beat, you might as well try to de-escalate. 

“Listen, I get it. They just spent way too much on some stupid statue. But holding civilians hostage? Children? You aren’t doing your cause any favors.” You call out. Truth was, you didn’t know if Techbyte truly cared or was some scum that crawled up from the bowels of society with some stupid ideology he’s willing to die for.

He stares down at you, silent for a minute

”You were there. At the Hero Academy.” Techbyte says, his voice slightly less bitter. You nod.

”And you didn’t hurt anyone there. I pointed that out in the article.” You say. You had leave out how he threw a punch bowl at a guy, but that wasn’t important.

”You did. You’re a good journalist.” He says. You squint, but don’t question it too closely.

”I don’t think you came here to hurt people. I think you came here to send a message.” You call back. If you could get him to release everyone, maybe you could make Zenith's job easier.

”Please let these people go.” You say, gesturing to the rest of the crowd. 

Techbyte goes quiet, before scanning the crowd. He quickly turns his head to glance at the bell tower before turning back to the crowd. 

“I can’t do that.” He says, staring back at you. Shit, this was going to be harder than you had hoped. His legs carry him away, back to the stage. 

This was mind boggling. Everyone was at a stalemate. The audience couldn’t leave, Zenith couldn’t fight Techbyte without making the spiders lose their minds, and you couldn’t get caught having powers.

”Please!” You suddenly scream. You were scared and frustrated, to be honest, you didn’t even think Techbyte was listening. But he pauses, craning his head to you.

”… Only the civilians can leave.” He says, his voice oddly calm. He gestures to the spiders, and they scuttle back, letting the people go. 

“I suppose you're right, my dear… Not all of my lessons have to end in blood.” He says cryptically, eyeing the statue. Everyone is still for a moment, before rushing away. Murmurs of relief spread across the crowd as people left. You glance over your shoulder at Techbyte as he stares back. Your coworker locks arms with you before the two of you join the crowd in leaving. 

Going back was a bad idea. Techbyte was in the heart of the city, attacking the hero’s directly. You have no choice but to head home. You knew that the full force of the Hero Agency was about to be on him, and joining in could cause unforeseen trouble for everyone involved.

You heard a boom behind you and screams. You don’t need to look behind you to know what a villain causing property damage sounds like. You run into the nearest alley to change into your vigilante disguise.

Coming back out, you find a goddamn mess.

The statue was toppled over and the spiders were swarming, tearing the courtyard of city hall apart. You quickly start using your shadows to smash any spiders you come across. You didn’t know how many they’re were, but you knew hero’s would have a hard time going after Techbyte if they had to watch everywhere they stepped. Plus there were civilians, likely who were unaware of the initial attack.

You could see Techbyte fighting with Zenith, weaving around  nearby buildings. Zenith could likely deal with him and there was likely the rest of his hero squadron on the way. All you needed to do was get as much done as you could before the hero’s showed up and you could leave.

You check your watch. Techbyte started actually attacking around three minutes ago. All you could do was get rid of as many of the mechanical bugs that you could as you heard the sounds of Zenith and Techbyte fighting growing louder and more frequent.

You hear your vigilante name get called before you turn around just in time to see a huge chunk of debris get launched right at your head.

[lazycats-stuff]

Chapter 11

Hi everyone, just a little... Well this has been in my drafts for way too long so to those who were waiting for this... I hope it's good.

Warnings: nothing much, angst, some comfort from Bruce

Word count: 1.8k

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Elias felt like he was breaking at the seams. Slowly but surely and he knew it was only a matter of time. In between his online school, training to go out on patrol and thinking about meeting Ra's, he had another hit coming. One hell of a hit.

Theo, his best friend called him out of the blue one afternoon. Elias was in his room, just reading and he accepted the call, happy to talk to his friend once more. He didn't see him, but he was more than happy to talk to him about the stuff going on.

" Hey Theo, what's up? " Elias started talking, happy to hear his friend once again, lying down on the bed fully.

" I have... Some news. " Theo started and Elias noticed how sad he was. Hesitant too. Theo was more often than not direct with everything he says. Never hesitant.

" Are you okay? You sound off. " Elias said, putting the book fully away. He waited for Theo to continue, but a sob caught him off guard. " Hey, what's going on? " Elias pressed, worried about his friend, sitting up.

" I'm sorry... " Theo said, breaking down fully. Elias' eyes widened at those sounds. Theo never really cried liked this. Elias have seen it a few times, but it was a rare sight.

" What's going on Theo? " Elias asked, biting the inside of his cheek.

" We are moving to Seattle. Dad got a job opportunity there... " Theo said as he tried to calm down and tried to stop crying. Elias couldn't hear anything else, he just dropped the phone on the bed.

No.

Not this. First his mother. Now Theo... Why is life so intent on punishing him? Elias wiped his tears silently. He didn't even have any energy to cry out loud.

He shakily picked the phone back up, putting it next to his ear.

" Elias? Are you here? " Theo asked very shakily.

" I am... When is the move? " Elias questioned as he stood up, not being able to be still anymore.

" It's in 2 days. We already packed up, we are just waiting to go... I want to see you before I go. I can't say goodbye to my best friend over the phone. " Theo pleaded as he took a deep breath.

" I'll come. I can't say goodbye over the phone either... So you're going on a Saturday? I'll drop by then. " Elias said quietly and Theo was silent for a few moments.

" I'll take it. I'm going to miss you, you know... I can't think about it anymore. " Theo said shakily and Elias nodded, despite the fact that Theo couldn't see him.

" Yeah... See you in 2 days. " Elias said and Theo said see you back before hanging up.

Elias wanted to scream.

Elias wanted to cry.

Elias wanted to break something.

But he couldn't do anything. He was just numb. His world was in shambles around him, burning. Mother gone, good friend gone and he is supposed to meet his father and sister, who are assassins. And he has a nephew his age. His mother was an assassin too. He wasn't sure which tenses to use. Present or past.

Elias sighed, clenching his fists tightly. He stood up, looking for Bruce. He needs to talk to him. He needs to get some sort of advice. Something... Elias walked quietly through the manor halls, looking for Bruce.

He checked his study, where he was looking over some papers, but raised his head when he heard someone come in. Bruce's eyes softened when Elias came in, but his brows furrowed together when he saw the look on Elias' face.

Pure and absolute defeat.

" Elias? " Bruce prompted as Elias sat down, crossing his arms. Bruce put his papers down and gave his full attention to Elias and his troubles. " Is everything okay? "

Elias took a deep breath as he glanced at Bruce, trying not to cry. " Well, " He started, looking down at his lap. " My best friend Theo is moving away. He called me and they'll move in a few days. And... I do need someone to drive me to the building... And maybe I need some advice. " Elias mumbled and Bruce wanted to hug him right away.

" I understand. It hurts and you feel alone. All of your constants in life are now gone and you feel lost and confused. But you shouldn't feel lost. I know you don't know us and we aren't that connected, but I want you to feel safe in this family... And I'll have no problem with driving you to say your goodbyes. Okay? " Bruce said and Elias nodded, knowing if he spoke a word, he would break and it wouldn't be good at all.

" Alright. If you want to talk more, I'm here. Do you want to talk more or do you just want to go to your room? " Bruce asked softly, leaning forward a bit.

" I'll go to my room. " Elias mumbled, leaving the office, going to his room, just ready to lock himself in there and wallow in sadness and anger at life.

No wonder why everyone's pissed at it.

Elias swallowed as he leaned against Bruce's car, trying not to cry. He saw a U-Haul truck being filled and then driving off. Elias adjusted his leather jacket, biting the inside of his cheek. Bruce observed it all quietly, knowing that Elias felt a whole lot of emotions inside of himself.

Bruce saw it. So much turmoil behind his eyes...

Bruce lifted his head when he heard footsteps, seeing that a boy Elias' age walking up to them. That must be Theo, Bruce thought as he watched in silence. Theo nodded at Bruce, clearly nervous beyond belief.

" So... I guess this is it Eli. " Theo started, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking away from Elias.

" I guess so. " Elias said quietly, eyes glossing over. Bruce sighed internally. Elias is clearly a sensitive child and he isn't afraid to be emotional.

" I'll miss you, you know. " Theo continued and Elias nodded in response, sighing quietly as he tried not to cry.

" I'll miss you too. Have fun in Seattle. " Elias said, rubbing the back of his neck. " Will you be visiting Gotham? Ever again or are you never stepping foot in this city ever again? " Elias wondered and Theo winced.

" We are never coming back. "

Bruce looked away for a split second. That is one hell of a blow to Elias' psyche.

" I know, I don't like it either, but I can't do anything about it. But we can stay in touch. " Theo offered and Elias nodded. That would be nice. " But I do have to go, we need to go catch a flight. " Theo said as he hugged Elias and Bruce swore that Elias was just ready to break.

Despite the emotional turmoil, Elias hugged Theo back and patted his back. The two separated after a few moments and Theo went to his parents' car. Danielle, Theo's mom, walked over and gave him a hug too. John, her husband also gave him a hug.

They would all miss Elias.

Elias shuddered as the car drove away and Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in support. " Are you okay? "

" Honestly? "

" Honestly. "

" I hate life. I feel like shit. " Elias mumbled, trying not to cry. He exhaled shakily, trying not cry.

" I know, but it gets better eventually... Do you want to go home? " Bruce asked softly, rubbing his shoulder gently.

" I do. I want nothing more than that. " Elias mumbled as he looked at his apartment window that was facing the street. He raised his head to look higher, but paused when he saw a figure at the roof.

His breath hitched for a moment and Bruce looked at the spot where Elias was looking.

Nothing.

" Are you okay? You know, lets get you home. " Bruce said as he ushered Elias into the passenger seat, making sure he is buckled up before driving home.

Elias looked out the window, thinking about everything that has happened in the last few weeks. Mom going missing, finding out what she does for a living, finding out your entire life is a lie, meeting your father who is a leader of a group of assassins, also finding out you have a sister and a nephew who is your age...

That is messed up.

" How are you holding up? " Bruce asked.

" My life is a mess. And something out of a damn soap opera. And a cheap one too. " Elias mumbled and Bruce smiled at that.

" Yeah, I know, but how are you doing mentally? I know it must be tiring to have all of these changes. " Bruce said as he drove back home to the manor.

" I feel like someone is punishing me. I feel like someone is... Just pulling the strings and being like. 'hm, how do we hurt Elias this time?' I swear. " Elias mumbled and Bruce chuckled at that.

" I know. But it will get better eventually. " Bruce said, taking a turn.

" I hope so... When can I become a vigilante? I've been training for a while. " Elias said, hoping to switch subjects. Bruce smile, knowing the strategy that Elias was pulling.

" Well, you are doing well. But you need to work more on your stealth. And your aim when it comes to Batarangs. " Bruce answered and Elias huffed.

" I can't let you go unprepared. I need to make sure you can hold your own. Besides, you'll need a moniker. A symbol too. That's not something to take lightly. It will define you for as long as you wear that symbol so you need to think wisely. " Bruce said as he got onto the road to the manor.

" Also, please don't get a Robin symbol. I have 4 of them. Too much birds. " Bruce added, chuckling.

" What symbol am I supposed to take then? A bat symbol? " Elias mumbled and Bruce chuckled at that.

" That wouldn't be that bad. Another bat... I would finally have some sort of backup with those birds. " Bruce smirked and stopped in front of the manor, waiting for the gates to open.

" But either way, it's up to you to choose your symbol. But the name is more important. That's something that defines you. Alongside the symbol of course, but a name is more important. " Bruce said as he drove into the yard, parking the car outside.

" I guess I'll need to think about. " Elias mumbled, ready to hurl himself into his room and just...

Exist. At this point, everything is on the backburner. Ra's, mom, training and everything else.

[thatcheeseycandle]

(Current me here right before posting this, I yeah- I was a bit burnt out from a lot and I found this sitting in my drafts while looking through them. Might as well post it while I can)

//ITS ACTUALLY A GOOD MONDAY CAUSE ITS A HOISNY READING WOOOOOOOOO

TW FOR SPOILERS ON THE ENTIRETY OF HOISNY CHP. 4 BTW

wOO OKAY I'll be wishing that the notes aren't gonna jinx me LMAO

"He didn’t want to think about what had happened at the Great Race, though it was the only thing he could think about." Felt that feeling before hOLY GOSH

Diving head on with a fresh recap of the chapters before this with it's angst I suppose BEHHSWHDH but hey I'm not complaining SO YEAH CONTINUING ON

(insert me reading silently with some "oUGHS"s in the mix, I can't remember how I exactly felt about this bit but I remember that I was just sad for Thomas. Like my guy found out all his family was wiped out IN SECONDS right there and it was infront of A LOT of people.)

"What would Gordon say if he saw his friends divided?" Well considering a lot, it's not a thought to dwell on with the joyous of emotions unfortunately BEHSHDHDHSHS

(Okay yeah insert another silence with the only noises from me being "oh"s and "oUGH"s cause I don't know how to word how I felt but I just felt like my heart was melting but like in a way I felt sad for them)

"'Wait a minute-' Samuel started, suddenly coming to a realisation. 'The story of you falling into a mine, that’s true?!'"

'It was written about?!' Thomas screeched, his face going as red as James’s paint from embarrassment and both crews spontaneously started laughing." I LOVE THIS BIT OHMYGHAHAGAHSJXH

(Yet again, I couldn't find the words to describe my reaction for the rest of this considering my lungs kept deflating when I regained a bit of oxygen every sentence LMAO)

AAYYYY READING RWS LETS GOO

This whole bit, I love it so much like YEAHAHDJDHDH LETS GO THEYRE GONNA READ RWS and AND THEYRE GONNA HANG OUT WITH EACHOTHER (aka cope with their situations together LMAOCHDHSJ)

Okay people WE'RE AT THE STEAMWORKS NOW LETS GOOO

(Yet again, lost my words at this bit and my feelings were basically a combination of curiosity and sadness sneaking from the back of my mind aka I started slipping into that unbreakable trans whenever you read)

Ah crap okay Scot you better not slip your words on this (but hey I cant exactly blame him if he does considering that was HIS BROTHER)

(Okay seriously WHAT IS WITH ME PAUSING WITH MY WORDS IN THIS- Insert another silence with the only emotions in this being relatability and sadness)

Scot you aren't the only one to have a hard time sleeping now BHAAHSHXBJAJXH SO YEAH

(Seems like I was so shocked in this scene that I fORGOT TO WRITE MY REACTION TO IT But basically it was me being super shocked, my heart dropped, then needed minutes to process it before continuing on)

“No, it’s not silly. You’re going through a hard time right now and what you’re experiencing is valid.” SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK AND SIDE HENRY‼‼

(Okay sorry for interrupting this reaction with my current notes but GOD I FORGOT TO WRITE DOWN A LOT OF REACTIONS. But from what I remember of this, I think I was just happy at the fluff that started to slither in. Thank God I'm finishing up this review the same day Chp. 5 comes out so I dont have to wait after this LMAO)

And RIGHT THERE FOLKS we end it off with a cliffhanger, except it's a nice cliffhanger! Very excited for the next chapter now that's built up to that

Yet again credits to Loraine ( @lorainedoesthings ) for releasing such a great chapter! Very excited to see what's to come in these coming weeks

[joon-ipersgirl]

O5 - “the coveted client”

genre: mafia!au, angst, fluff, slow burn, mystery-thriller

pairing: namjoon x reader (f)

word count: 4.6k

warnings: cursing

summary: charismatic. beautiful. fearless without question. the ambitious team of seven young men in charge of spiral, downtown district's hottest new club, go above and beyond to provide 100% satisfaction to their clients.

after an eventful night out, you have no choice but to join the team for property damages greater than your intern salary. challenging a series of events that can no longer be left to coincidence, secrets threaten to burst at the seams as your professional and private life collide, and another - more sinister - debt is added to your total.

how far are you willing to go to pay back your pound of flesh? remember nothing is ever as it seems...

a/n: hello friends. here is part 5. leave a comment on how you're feeling about this story. i'm debating on discontinuing it from tumblr. thank you vi for reading as always. enjoy everyone :)

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

Training tonight @ 6pm. Don’t be late. You read the incoming text with a grin. Even in text, Suga is straight to the point. Shoving your phone back into your pants pocket, you leave the small kitchenette and head back to your small desk with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. You can still remember the looks of horror on the boys’ faces after Suga announced your immediate hire and it’s been two weeks since then. Was it wrong to take pleasure in their discomfort? Probably. Would you stop? Never.

“Is that a smile I spy on Miss Y/N Y/L/N’s face? The Devil must be here to collect his wife,” Paul exclaims as you sit back down. You laugh and prop your chin on your hand as you stare at him over your desktop screen.

“Can a woman not just be happy, Paul? Why does it have to come at the expense of a man?” you ask, a fake feign of hurt in your voice.

“Of course women can. Just not you,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders. You shake your head, your smile still present on your face. Paul would not ruin your good mood.

“Ouch. That one might have hurt if I actually gave a fuck about your opinion of me,” you say while reorganizing the folders Manager Kim had dropped onto your desk from the day before.

“Y/N! Language!” Laura chides as she walks into your cramped office space. You roll your eyes and flip through the countless papers on your desk to order them in order of priority.

It’s honestly a miracle that none of you manage to murder each other while you work though it’s crossed your mind several times. JM Events and Affairs is a lucrative event planning company, but apparently could not afford to at least place its clerks in a room larger than 500 sq ft. Being entry level is a struggle most days, but eventually it would all pay off and you would become a successful event planning guru. For now though, you’re stuck here with the imbeciles you had to call co-workers.

“Manager Kim wants to see us in her office,” James says as he pokes his head around the wall of the cubicle, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. “Now,” he emphasised. He doesn’t wait for you to follow.

Paul shoots you and Laura a raised brow of confusion as you grab your notepads and file down the long corridor to Manager Kim’s well decorated office. She’s an older woman who’s been in the business longer than you’ve been alive. She credits her success to always staying ahead of the trend even if she didn’t create it, though most times she did. Her style is impeccable and she is meticulous as she is jovial. She’s, quite simply, a genius.

James has already taken a seat in one of the two plush grey chairs in front of her large, industrial sized desk. Rows of colorful binders are organized on her desk - no doubt detailing the new events the company is planning on hosting. Manager Kim enjoys the arts and it’s evident from the variety of paintings that hang on the wall. Today, she’s dressed in a powder blue knit sweater that matches whatever shade of nail polish she wears tucked into a pair of belted, high waisted wide leg pants. Her matching steel toe boots peek from underneath.

“Ah, good. You’re all here,” she begins as she sits behind her desk. You gesture for Laura to take the other available seat as you stand behind James and Paul stands next to you.

“We have a new client considering the company for an event. He’s very important for future networking opportunities so I expect the very best work from you.” Manger Kim usually wasted no time getting straight to the point and today is no different. “In fact, I’ve been monitoring your work very closely because I knew a client like this would be coming very soon,” she stands from her desk, navy blue binder in hand.

“What kind of event is he planning on having?” James inquires, his pen ready to take notes.

“He didn’t give specific details, but I’m sure if we can book him for this minor event, he’ll give us the main one. I’m quite sure of it.” Manager Kim snaps the binder shut and smiles at you all. Her white blonde bob is immaculate, not a single strand out of place.

“Should we start drafting ideas now?” Laura asks.

“Yes, I need several drafts from each of you by 4pm this afternoon. Please have them -”

“Are we just supposed to forget about the other events we have coming up? This guy didn’t even give us any major details for effective planning!” Paul interrupts. Manager Kim turns to look at him.

“Well Paul, if this client is of no importance to you -” Paul tries to backtrack, but to no avail as Manager Kim continues on “- I will not need your drafts or your portfolio.” She beams at him and Paul blanches. You grimace.

“As I was saying. Please have your portfolios and 4 drafts submitted to me by 4pm today. They should be in priority order and include everything from food to colors, entertainment and venues. Remember, the customers knows best -”

“- but finesse, finesse, finesse,” you, Paul, James, and Laura finish. Manager Kim should have that framed and put on her wall.

“Lovely. Goodbye,” she waves no longer looking at you, already lost in her grueling event editing process. You knew better than to loiter and the four of you head back to your small workspace.

“You really fucked up there Paul,” you say as you sit down at your desk.

“Thanks, Y/N,” Paul deadpans. He drops his head quite heavily on his desk. Laura winces.

“It’s okay, Paul. Maybe you can still show her something and -” she starts.

“You know Manager Kim isn’t the forgiving kind,” James interrupts. “There’s nothing more he can do,” he finishes nonchalantly.

“I hate to agree -” you begin.

“No you don’t,” Paul cuts in.

“- but James is right. Manager Kim is all about quick thinking and Paul failed that test. He’ll have another time to redeem himself, but he has to sit this one out. You should be happy, Laura. Less competition,” you say with a shrug and flip open your notepad to start drafting.

“Do you even have an empathetic bone in your body, Y/N?!” Laura hisses as she walks over to rest a hand on Paul’s shoulder.

“Sometimes,” you reply. “But everyone has to eat and I refuse to go to sleep on an empty stomach.”

Laura looks disgusted at your answer and she goes back to consoling Paul. James had left the conversation a long time ago and you admired his ability to ignore almost everyone around him. His coldness and detachment made him ruthless in an unsuspecting way and you’d learned the hard way not to underestimate him. Laura would learn eventually that while people thought it was the strong who survived, it was really those who were able to adapt to any environment that really thrived.

It’s after lunch that you receive an email from Manager Kim requesting for you to meet her in the lobby in fifteen minutes without any further explanation. You ask no questions and sit in the lobby, counting the people that come out of the elevator that were not Manager Kim. It’s already 1:24 pm and you’ve just started your third draft. Creating on a time crunch with no real guidance is no walk in the park and you try to keep your frustrations under control as you run through possible color combinations for the event.

“Y/N! There you are! Let’s go,” Manager Kim calls as she exits the building without checking to see if you follow.

You scramble to grab your purse and notepad, scurrying across the lobby in the high heels she insists you wear. Manager Kim is already seated in a company car as you yank the passenger side door open and fall into the seat.

“Very good,” she says and wastes no time pulling into traffic. You awkwardly try to secure your seatbelt as she zips through the small spaces between cars. Gods protect you from this woman and her hazardous driving.

“Where are we going?” you ask after you manage to situate your purse, coat, and notepad in your lap comfortably.

“Downtown. We’re meeting with the client.”

“We?!” you repeat, surprised.

“That’s what I said isn’t it? We’re also late,” she says as she makes a sharp right turn onto Matthews St. You barely miss hitting a cyclist and you send up another small prayer for you to make it to your destination safely.

“What about the drafts and portfolios? Aren’t you going to review -”

“Did I say I wasn’t?” She glances over at you from the corner of her eye and you close your mouth. You would not fail this test.

Manager Kim pulls over into an impossibly tight space in front of a large corporate building that reads Hastings and Lewis. A well established law firm if you remember correctly. It has to be at least 14 stories high and exudes the architect’s vision of simple modern design with large windows and exposed steel structural support. You both exit the car and you align your steps with hers, your heels clicking in time against the marble flooring as you enter the building. You say good afternoon to the doorman who simply nods at you in greeting.

“Hello. How can I help you?” the receptionist asks behind the raised desk, her head barely visible.

“Yes, hello. My name is Madeline Kim. I have an appointment to speak with Mr. Cavallero at 2:15pm.” You glance at the clock behind the receptionist. 1:53pm. You bite your lip to hold your outburst. To be early is to be on time, you could hear her say.

The receptionist smiles and nods as she searches her computer for the appointment. “Yes, here it is. Please have a seat. Someone will come and get you shortly.”

Manager Kim nods and perches in one of the available seats. You shake your head as you take a seat next to her, ignoring the itching in your palm to pull out your notepad and finish your drafts. You can tell by the way Manager Kim is sitting, not scrolling through her various binders or the calendar on her phone, this is a formal interview and you would not be the one to fuck it up. There would be time to finish the drafts. You would make sure of it.

“Ms. Kim?” A young man in a sharp, black suit stands in the center of the room smiling at you. 2:05pm. Right on time. “If you could follow me this way, please.” He turns towards the golden elevators and you follow behind him. “My name is Lewis Carlisle and I am the assistant to Mr. Cavallero,” he tells you as he pushes the button for the 10th floor. He sticks his hand out for each of you to shake.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Carlisle. Thank you for having us. This is my assistant, Ms. Amani Jung.” A lie, but you go with it.

“A pleasure to meet you,” you say with a bright smile and a firm handshake. He returns a smile of his own.

The elevator doors open and you follow Mr. Carlisle through the open workspace plan. This is the kind of place that promoted collaboration and teamwork. How could it not when the light airy feeling made you want to turn to your neighbor and ask them what they thought about a particular problem? JM Events and Affairs should have hired their interior designer. Maybe some of their employees wouldn’t struggle as much to meet their deadlines.

“Mr. Cavellero unfortunately will not be able to meet with you in person today -” Manager Kim’s smile tightens at his words “- but he did relay all of his expectations for the company brunch,” Lewis says as he holds open the door to a small meeting room. It’s in the center of the floor and the walls are made of pure plexiglass. It screamed expensive.

“How wonderful,” Manager Kim comments as she sits down and sets her purse down on the ground.

“Would either of you like something to drink? Water? A Coke?”

“ A water with light ice will do, thank you,” she says.

“I’ll take a bottle of water, please,” you reply and sit down beside Madeline. You discreetly pull out your design notepad along with your actual note-taking pad. Lewis nods and promises to return quickly with your drinks as well as the file containing the event details.

“You seem upset,” you comment while scribbling down the words brunch and law firm onto a new blank sheet for your fourth and final draft, your brain already conjuring up ideas.

“What makes you think that?” she asks, turning to you slightly as she too sets up her own note-taking station.

“Your smile failed to meet your eyes,” you say nonchalantly. From the corner of your eye, you see her break into a grin as Lewis enters the room, a cup of water in one hand, a bottle in the other, and a slim manilla folder tucked underneath his arm.

“Thank you again, Mr. Carlisle,” Manager Kim says with another bright smile, her hand in his as they shake hands again.

“You’re very welcome. I’m sure Mr. Cavallero will love what you put together for brunch,” he replies.

The meeting seems to be a success and you’d gained some much needed insight for your fourth draft while being Madeline’s “assistant”. You’re no longer paying attention as you exit the meeting room and head back towards the main elevator, Madeline and Lewis making polite conversation. You run over all of your drafts as you check the time discreetly. It’s 3:20pm. You would still have enough time to review your plans and work on the others files Manager Kim had assigned. You grin in victory.

“Mr. Cavallero!” Lewis exclaims as the elevator doors open.

The man is an older gentleman with neatly groomed hair and warm brown eyes. His coal grey suit is neatly pressed, a sharp crease present in the center of his pant leg. Definitely high quality and only dry-cleaned. His smile displays a set of perfect of white teeth. As he steps out of the elevator, holding it open so it wouldn’t close, the Armani Exchange watch glitters under the artificial lights.

“Mr. Carlisle. I assume this must be our event coordinators. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet with you. An emergency meeting was called for a major case,” he apologizes.

“I understand, Mr. Cavallero. Things are sometimes out of our control. No need to explain,” Madeline says with a smile as she enters the elevator. You follow behind her. “Mr. Carlisle was quite capable. I will have Miss Y/L/N send over the final details for the event by Friday for your approval.”

Mr. Cavallero’s eyes shift over to you and he smiles. “I look forward to it. Enjoy the rest of your day, ladies.” He let the doors go as Lewis tells you goodbye, the doors closing off the last of his words.

Manager Kim’s shoulders visibly relax as you descend to the lobby, but you make no comment. Though their conversation was brief, something had clearly transpired between them. Madeline seems to have noticed you watching her as she inhales and fixes her posture. She was back to business.

“I assume I don’t have to tell you not to say anything about this meeting?” she asks as she nods her thanks to the doorman, your steps once more in sync as you exit the high rise building.

“What meeting?” You say with a grin as you wait for her to unlock the company car.

The heat of the staircase in Spiral welcomes you again like a familiar friend after not seeing them for a long time. There is still the hustle and bustle of vendors dropping off boxes as the final details of the new designs are being put into place. People couldn’t wait to see how Spiral had fared after the robbery - which you still didn’t believe was actually what happened - and it seems like Friday’s opening night couldn’t come soon enough. Even Paul and Laura were considering stopping by after all of the shit they talked before.

You enter the main space and glance around, looking for one of the boys. Your purse bag is heavy from the event files and you head over to set it on top of the bar while resting your aching feet. Paul, Laura, and James could not believe you’d managed to turn in your drafts and portfolio at exactly 3:57pm after being gone so long; they would eventually learn to not underestimate you. You glance around again and notice a group of people sitting in one of the newly upholstered booths quietly chatting to one another across the way. Were these the new employees?

“Already lounging on the first day of the job, Y/L/N?”

You look to your left as you shrug off your heavy overcoat and see Honcho coming around the bar, a pile of clothes in his hands.

“Of course not. I just wasn’t sure who to report to,” you say with a shrug.

“Well, you’re looking at him,” he replies with a grin. You have to stop your mouth from falling open. Of all people, it had to be him? “What? Are you disappointed?” he asks as he continues across the room to the small group. You grab your stuff and walk over after him.

“No, I just thought -”

“Thought it would be Suga? As much as you like to charge in and demand shit sweetheart, Suga is a very busy man and doesn’t have the time to appease you all the time. Sit,” he commands with a jerk of his head. You narrow your eyes at him, but obey. It’s only then that you notice the other five persons staring at you in confusion as you bickered. You swallow the urge to huff in annoyance as Honcho begins speaking.

“Thank you all for being on time. Congratulations on being hired. I’m Honcho and I’ll be your manager at Spiral. You’ll meet the rest of the guys later. These are your uniforms. We have a strict adherence uniform policy, so please do your best to be dressed in your proper attire. If you have long hair, it will be tied up or back in a bun or ponytail. Ladies, we ask that you wear red lipstick to match our colors. We’ve also given you options for bottoms: a skirt or pants.” Honcho holds up a pair of each for demonstration. “Whatever you decide to wear is up to you. We only ask that all your shoes are closed toed and we would prefer no sneakers; we’re trying to sell a vibe here. Any questions?” He doesn’t wait for anyone to speak up. “No? Great. If you could introduce yourselves to each other, that’d be fantastic.” He looks over to the boy on the other side of the booth.

“Uh, hi. My name is Micah. I’m 21 and recently graduated from college.” He tosses up a small wave before pushing his glasses further up his nose. He’s narrow shouldered and naturally blonde. Cute, if you will. They would chew him up and eat him alive if he continued to be so timid.

“Hey, I’m Luca. I’m 23 and a graduate student at Oberman.” Luca definitely fit the vibe Spiral os going for with his dark hair and dark eyes. He would have no problem wooing the numerous women who would walk through the door. A great business move in your opinion.

“Hey y’all, Savannah here. I’m 22 and working part time while in school.” Another blonde hair, blue-eyed coworker. How fun. The bubbles in champagne had nothing on her as she beams at the rest of you around the table.

“I’m Jack. I’m 24 and I guess I’m here to save up for a new car? Need some extra cash,” he finishes with a bashful grin. The girl next to you snorts. Jack is a big man with broad shoulders and you would assume he was hired as additional security based on his size. Imagine a man as big as him bringing over your strawberry mojito? Exactly.

“Giselle. 21. Law student. Loans have to pay themself off somehow right?” Luca laughs and Giselle smiles. Yuck. If you weren’t already sick of the office romance - if you could call it that - between Laura and Paul at JM, you were going to have to endure another one here? Gods be with you.

“Y/N Y/L/N. I’m 22 and an event planner,” you say nonchalantly and turn to Honcho, waiting for his next instructions.

“Not going to tell us the reason you’re here?” he smirks and you roll your eyes.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

“I’d like a lot of things, Y/L/N. In fact, I can think of a few -”

“Gross,” you say, interrupting him, your face turned down in disgust. He laughs.

“Always think someone wants something from you, huh?” He shakes his head, still chuckling. “Everyone, go get changed and I’ll explain your duties to you once you get back.”

The six of you ease out of the booth, grabbing your uniforms as you head to the restrooms to get changed. As you follow Savannah and Giselle, you can’t help but scan the hallway for anything you could have missed as the memory of your second night here flashed across your mind. There had to be something that you were missing.

“I hope these uniforms are cute,” Giselle grumbles as she steps into an empty stall.

“I’m sure it’ll look great,” Savannah chirps.

You step into your own individual stall and drop your stuff on the floor. Slipping out of your heels, you step out of your slacks and tug off your blouse. You hold up the uniform shirt. It’s a plain black t-shirt with the letters in red spelling out Spiral in a spiral formation. The pants are made of a faux leather shiny material. They look tight and the sides have cut outs with strings laced in them from hip to ankle. The skirt is exactly the same. You sigh. This was really the vibe?

You dress quickly and tug on your Doc Martens. Honcho would have to wait for the lipstick. Exiting the stall, you see Savannah trying to adjust the strings on her pants while chewing her lip.

“Is it supposed to be this exposed?” she asks, checking herself out in the mirror.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Giselle says exiting the stall and tugging down the hem of her skirt.

“So much for equality in the workplace huh?” you say. The two of them laugh.

The three of you return to the main space, Micah, Luca, and Jack already back at the booth with Honcho. Their eyes widen when they see you.

“Looking good ladies,” Honcho calls with his traditional large grin. Of course he would comment.

“Yeah, yeah. What’s next?” Giselle asks as she wiggles her way back into the booth, trying to cover her modesty.

“We’re going to take a tour of the facilities, get you acquainted with the space, and fill out the last pieces of paperwork. We’ll also have you help with some of the decorations; don’t worry, you’re going to get paid for this session. Then, we’ll see you on Friday for your shifts,” he replies. “Alright, let’s go.”

Again, he doesn’t wait for you to follow. As you’re setting your belongings down to catch up with the rest of the group, you spot Jin heading towards the bar. Just the man who you needed to see.

“Are you coming Y/N?” Savannah calls to you as the group heads up to the second level.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there!” you lie, knowing damn well you’re going to ambush Jin. You pretend to search for something in your purse as you double-check the group is far enough on the second level to not notice you not following before you head over to Jin.

“Well hello Jin,” you say as you wiggle your way onto a bar stool.

“Y/N,” he says with a chuckle. “What can I do for you?”

“Just answer a few simple questions.” you smile as you rest your chin on your palm.

“Alright,” he replied skeptically.

“Where’d you move the body?” The bottle of Aperol nearly slips out of his grip as he turns to look at you.

“Excuse me?” There’s no laughter in his voice.

“The body of the man in the bathroom,” you clarify. “How’d you get it to disappear like that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replies, busying himself with stocking up the bottles of alcohol under the shelf. He won’t meet your eyes. You know he’s lying; his body language says it all.

“Oh come on, Jin. You can tell me. It’s not like I’m going to go to the cops or anything,” you say nonchalantly. “Clearly they didn’t seem to care since they weren’t that thorough with their questions.”

“Y/N, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. You were concussed remember? Maybe you imagined whoever you’re talking about.” He glances up at you. You roll your eyes.

“Really Jin? You’re going to use the concussion line on me? You knew that I shot him; I told you that. I just want to know where you put him and why there were no reports of a missing man from the incident on the news at all,” you say with a shrug. He finally turns to face you.

“Maybe nobody reported him missing. Maybe he slipped out after you ducked behind the bar. What does it matter? Look, it was a traumatic night. For all of us. I don’t know anything about whatever or whoever you’re talking about. Hell, you probably don’t know either. Please, don’t make this working relationship anymore difficult for yourself than it already is. Just come in, keep your head down, and head out.” His hands are splayed out on the bar and the distance between you has closed significantly from when he’d started talking as he stares you down. “Worry about the things that concern you, like repaying your debt.” His tone is sharp and final. There’s no friendliness in his face either.

“Y/L/N! You’re not getting paid to sit on that pretty little ass of yours. Get up here now!” Honcho yelles down to you over the railing of the second floor balcony.

Ignoring Honcho, you cock your head and look at Jin again, thinking. “Okay Jin. Heard you loud and clear.”

You hop off the bar stool and adjust your skirt. You say nothing further as you head upstairs. It seems as though Jin would be of no help to you, but honestly, it didn’t matter. If it didn’t concern you, why was Jin lying about knowing what man you were talking about? Why had Suga tried to discreetly cover up that paper in his office the other day? What was really going on at Spiral? You’re determined to figure it, even if you have to work extra hours to do it. What happens in the dark must eventually come to light.

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

joon-ipersgirl, 2020

[the-princess-with-pancakes]

Bordelands movie is in the works

Which is a bit weird to say. I never expected this game to land on the big screen, but it will and even sooner than I would expect. 

A day ago (20.02) Variety wrote an article about it, here is the full link because I'm gonna allude a lot from it:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/borderlands-movie-eli-roth-lionsgate-1203509333/maz/

So Lionsgate announced this movie in 2015, which I didn't know, but lately, they settled a new director, Eli Roth. A guy who is mostly known for directing gory horror movies. And they also announced the (new?) writer, who is Craig Mazin, known for latest hit Chernobyl (2019), but he also wrote the scripts to The Hangover II, III (2011, 2013) and Scary Movie 3, 4 (2003, 2006), which in this four movies he wasn't the only writer. 

As for now, from this information that we got, for me, it sounds like a disaster. I'll start from the procuders, Avi and Ari Arad because there isn't much to say. Avi Arad produced more movies, which include e.g. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018) but also both Ghost Rider and both Hulk movies. So, I can't draw any conclusions from this. The same goes for Ari Arad, executive producer of Iron-man (2008) and both Ghost Rider movies.

Next coming to the for the writer, which I think has a weird situation. I think, that Lionsgate seeing the latest success of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019) and latest Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) decided to push the game movie, that was sitting on the shelf for the last five or more years and asked someone to write quickly a new draft of the movie. And for some reason, it was Craig Mazin. I think it's because of money. I think that Lionsgate isn't trusting in the movie and gives it a low budget and money will be the villain of this story. Yes, Craig is the creator of one of the best TV Shows of last year, but he's also a co-writer of some pretty awful movies. I haven't seen this tv show, but Borderlands stands big time on its crazy, dark humor. Good humor. And as far as I know, Chernobyl (2019) wasn't funny, like at all. As for the sequels of The Hangover (2009), I've seen these movies a few years back, before I really shaped my taste and chose my kind of humor, so I'm not gonna talk about it (let Rotten Tomatoes tell you, 33% for the second and 20% for the third), but I've also seen Scary Movie 4 (2006) and it was awful, even for me, even then, so... And if my predictions are true, if they trowed him some money and told to quickly write anything, then... oh boy...

And now for the director, which scares me the most. I love the Borderlands series, I played most of the games, I wish it the best and this guy isn't it. Yeah, sure, I haven't seen any of his movies, so who am I to say? I have a right, to write my opionion (which in this particular case is based on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and IMDb), so here it is. He directed e.g.:

Cabin Fever (2002) (62% Rotten Tomatoes, 55 Metacritic)

Hostel (2005) (61%, 55)

Death Wish (2018) (18%, 31)

The Hause with Clocks in Its Walls (2018) (66%,57)

You can see, where my concerns are coming from. I'm afraid but also a bit interested in this whole mess. Maybe I'll watch two or three movies he directed but can't promise anything. It's just a shame, that for now, just Werner Bros decided to live a risk a little and drop more coins in a game movie with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019), which was a fine movie, but had great worldbuilding and some good looking CGI Pokemon. I'm sure, that someday, movies based on games will be a hard ground to step on like superhero movies are right now. For now, we just have to wait, see and hope, that this adaptation won't be a disaster, but at least an enjoyable movie.

[ecotone99]

[Sf] let's go

PROLOGUE I don't know how it happened. Only that it was a slow process. First the weak, the young and old, the Ill and poor. They were the first to show signs. They slept more and more which wasn't that noticeable because they sleep all the time anyway. However we noticed the problem when they stopped waking up. Then the average people and even the well off started sleeping. This went on for the next six months. No one could figure out how to wake them up or to stop people from falling asleep. At the end of the first year all the people who were still awake moved everyone else to a central city. The sleepers were put in pods that kept them alive providing them with nutrients and other basic needs. The pods monitored them and recorded data in hopes of finding some answers. Every one else was also give a pod in preparation for the worst. Luckily the city runs itself so all we had to do was research and by the end the computers were doing that too. By the end of the second year I was the only one awake. Which I question every day. Why me? Of the millions in the pods why am I awake? CHAPTER 1 : AWAKE I started recording this as a precaution, in the case that I do become a sleeper or if someone wakes up I can fill them in on what happened. This camera is powered by solar panels with a backup plasma battery so I never really need to worry about it dying. ..... Dying that's something that you forget about when you have an entire world that just fell asleep. For two years now I haven't thought about death. Sleeping seemed so much more likely. The fear of going to sleep and not waking up. The ever present possibility of a necessity becoming a prison. That seems more real. Every day I do the same thing. I wake up it gets a little later daily, two years ago I woke up at nine am, a year later it was ten today eleven. After awake up I check the pods, I know the alarm will sound if anything happens. High pitched if a system failed. Low pitched if someone wakes, but I check away. Then I eat, the auto farm produces enough to feed everyone but I carbon freeze the rest for reserves. After breakfast I play pokemon go. It's dumb but it passes the time I carry two phones and play against myself, valor verses mystic, I take the gyms and hit the pokestops one day and the next I switch to the other phone. I helps me feel like it's the good old days. Not to mention it helps me stay active. I come back for lunch around two and after lunch I conduct my research. I'm not a scientist but you pick up a few things when there are ten people awake in the world and the other nine are fading fast so I learned everything I could and now I do the research while they sleep. Five o'clock is quitting time I eat dinner and shower then bed by seven. Then repeat over and over. When I'm lying in my bunk trying to sleep but being too afraid to let it happen, I often think of the days before. They seem like a dream now so surreal that it couldn't be the truth. That life had to be nothing more that a dream. CHAPTER 2 : DREAM I was a handyman before. Nothing special, not a man of science or a politician. Just someone to call when you needed a carpenter or a plumber. My dad always said that's something that will always be needed. They may have computers for everything else but they can't duplicate the human touch. The craftsmanship. So I followed his words. I served in the army first though. The draft for the war with Russia had just kicked off when I turned eighteen and sure enough three months later I was at Fort Benning, Georgia for basic training and infantry school. I served two tours in Siberia as forward forces against the attack on Alaska. When the sleep started taking people I thought it was the Russians attempting some kind of biological attack. But when most of Russia fell asleep I knew I must be wrong. I'd give anything to be back on that battlefield now. At least then I had allies around me and a clear objective. Now the gun shots are silent, the battle cries are only echoes in my head and the died are only sleeping. So it's my job to them wake up. I've had to become a scientist and put down my hammer spending hours researching book after book to find an answer that's never been found. Now instead of fighting with a rifle my fight is one of the mind. CHAPTER 3 : MIND I've been completely alone for about two months now. I have a routine which makes me feel safe. However I can feel my mind slipping. Talking to sleepers, talking to myself, Talking to walls. Desperate for something to talk back. To help me focus I've begun to play my recording back each night. Not to mention pokemon go actually really helps. I pretend that the other phone is someone else and I'll look at some of the other phones, if they have it I use them too. As a "guest appearance". CHAPTER 4 : APPEARANCE There is a lure! A pokemon lure! I didn't place it but it's there. I opened the app and there it was twenty five minutes left on a pokestop maybe 7 miles away. Someone else is here. Not me and not a sleeper but another person who is awake! They know I'm here and that I play pokemon go. So they've probably been watching me for some time now. Do I go to it and see what they want? Do I start building defenses and prepare for them to attack? If I get captured or killed there will be no one to protect the sleepers but this lure could be an olive branch and I have been extremely lonely. That settles it I'll go. I am taking a rifle and sidearm though, just in case. *The man moves out of view as he turns the camera around and straps it to his helmet* let's go see if it's friend or foe. CHAPTER 5: FRIEND OR FOE *The man rides his bike check the phone every few minutes to make sure he's heading the right way, once he gets close he drops his bike. He pulls up his rifle and starts moving forward, slowly moving his head back and forth between buildings scanning for danger* OKAY I'M HERE! What do you want? *A second voice answers from the shadows *"I'll answer with another question. What do you want?" I want to know who you are and why you've been watching me. "Is that all you want? How boring." Answer me and show yourself. " I am the reason your friends are asleep and I have been watching to understand why you are not yet asleep. I wanted to place the 'lure' to see how you would react. I will answer nothing else at this time. Goodbye" wait! I have more questions. *silence* Damn, what the hell just happened. *biking back as fast as he can the man arrives to the pods and does his checks* no harm has come to the pods so why draw me out? Was that really the voice of who ever was responsible for all the sleepers. If so how. A virus? A poison? What could it be? And who are they? Most importantly what happens next? CHAPTER 6: NEXT For the last five days I've rode back to the pokestop where the voice was but nothing else has happened. I'm more paranoid than ever now. I've built fortifications all around the area, trip wires that trigger alarms, and pit falls. However if they really have been watching they'll know exactly where to step. Other than to check the stop I don't leave camp. No more casual pokemon go. Who ever that was they definitely have pushed me closer to insanity. CHAPTER 7: INSANITY Its been a month since the event. A week since I checked the site. I have been hearing voices from the pods. The sleepers I think they are trying to tell me something. .... maybe if I close my eyes I can focus on the words. Yes I hear them. They know the secrets. They say they'll tell me. *the man sits quietly for a few minutes eyes closed face still. He then falls forward dropping the camera. As he lays there asleep foot steps are hear from behind the camera.* "finally the last one falls"

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