#we're supposed to constantly face the customers

[firebirdsdaughter]

Also…

… As I try to phase back into a more online presence, sorry for everyone I've left hanging message/social-wise, if you're still following me/looking at my blog. I stg I haven't forgotten, I've just been so massively drained bc of work and drama at work (next person who says the words 'luxury retail' is gonna hear me scream). I still have lots of thoughts, I still want to talk, I just have really bad executive dysfunction and possibly ADD that make it hard to maintain conversations/focus. I'm not trying to be an ass, I just lack the concentration.

[lowkeyrobin]

Headcanons for mcyt x reader doing a cooking/baking stream together??

I love your writing!!!

<3

ooooo okay okay!!! yes of course bro ; also thank you!! I appreciate it sm 🫶🫶🫶🫶

MCYT ; cooking/baking stream

includes ; tommyinnit, tubbo, ranboo, badlinu, nihachu, quackity, & foolish gamers

warnings ; language, grease fires

masterlist

TOMMYINNIT

you guys were making lasanga

Garfield jokes every five minutes

there's pasta sauce and cheese everywhere

he's constantly screaming to the viewers because you keep slapping him with the lasagna sheets, cooked or dry

"y/n! help! I'm being assaulted with lasagna sheets!"

he stained his shirt with pasta sauce 💀💀

almost set the house on fire bc he somehow left shit in the oven before preheating it

you turn on music halfway through and it turns into a karaoke stream

"CALIFORNIA GIRLS WERE UNFORGETTABLE-"

TUBBO

what was once a nice cake baking stream turned into making your kitchen a biohazard

somehow, you both went on a spree dropping everything to the point the frustration got too much for you, and you nearly screamed, while tubbo was trying to joke around about it to make you feel better

eating the remaining batter after putting the cake pan in the oven was a must

"aren't we gonna get salmonella?"

"that's only for Americans"

"really???"

the next 40 minutes consist of karaoke and reading dumb tweets/threads and AITA Reddit stories

"no, you are not the asshole because you were accustoming to a customer's needs, the fuck?"

"fire the manager"

"if they could've I feel like they would've"

cake was a 10/10

RANBOO

you were making soup because you found a good recipe you wanted to try

you accidently spilled the broth and covered your legs in it

he cut himself chopping up the celery (very minor cut dw)

"cooking stream? more like we injure ourselves for two hours stream"

"cooking stream? I hardly know her"

very chaotic but very good soup

during the intervals where you guys were just waiting for things to cook, you started a hashtag on Twitter to ask you guys stuff

and you answered them while keeping an eye on the food

afterwards you guys watch TV and eat your food while still streaming

"normalize eating on stream 2024!"

FREDDIE BADLINU

you were making breakfast for dinner on stream

you had to go use the bathroom while the bacon was cooking and left Freddie to tend to everything for less than a minute

and he started a grease fire.

after he got it extinguished he kinda just stood there waiting for you

meanwhile chat was exploding with panic and laughter

"Hey, y/n, I don't think we're having bacon tonight!"

"What the fuck happened???"

luckily no damage to anything other than the meat

the rest of it was really good though, and the stream had enough action for tonight 💀💀

NIKI NIHACHU

you guys were making cupcakes

you dropped like two eggs 💀💀💀 so while she was getting new ones you were cleaning up all the eggshell fragments and the insides

you got the camera to show stream your fucking mess and someone sent a dono saying "butterfingers ass"

the cackling after that 💀

you're able to get them into the oven though

and while you're waiting for them to cook, you watch dance moms and discuss everything wrong with it

commentary youtubers? I hardly know them

she begins making the icing while you pull the cupcakes out to let them cool

10/10 cupcakes they're amazing

you guys had a pride flag theme so lmao

ALEX QUACKITY

you were supposed to be making pancakes as a little challenge

his are literally raw and he put chocolate chips from the freezer straight in them

"that banana isn't gonna help anything"

"how do you know that??"

flour is everywhere. it looks like a war started

you put to much non-stick spray on the skillet and started a little fire

but Alex to the rescue dw

he couldn't even figure out how to use it and almost sprayed himself in the face!

goes on Twitter later to update that your kitchen was completely fine but the underneath of your microwave is a tiny bit melted

you blame him every time after that 💀💀

"my microwave melted a bit because you don't know how to use a fire extinguisher!"

"youre the one who used too much spray!"

chat always sides with you, too 😭😭

FOOLISH GAMERS

you thought making fried rice was a good idea? wrong

he literally has no idea what's happening

"can you make the scrambled eggs for me while I tend to the vegetables?"

"how many?"

"they're literally on the cabinet"

chat clipping every single funny moment too

"is the rice cooker even on? holy shit you left it on warm"

"I thought that meant it was on!"

"dude you've used this thing before, how long did it take for you to cook it?"

"like, forever"

"oh my god"

fried rice 10/10

he's complaining about the vegetables like he didn't have like two hours to say something about different veggies

[misscinnamonroll16]

Brozone diner au: the day John Dory took off part two

"We're talking about forcing John Dory to take a day off. Like an actual day off. Even when we're closed on the mandatory holidays, he's still here doing something. Cleaning, stocking, rearranging, all kinds of stuff. He needs at least a day to just relax and probably catch up on sleep.” Bruce answered, waving his hands about as he talked. "Ah, ok. Yeah that's gonna be hard. We need to come up with a plan before we do anything else. We need to think of every possible outcome and prepare for it." Branch said, already writing down outcomes. “Or, or, hear me out, we play the health card." Floyd said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The rest of them gave him a confused look, unsure of what he meant. “We play the health card, the card he plays with me when he thinks I'm ‘working too much’. He says I need to take time for my health and take care of my body. Pull a uno reverse on him. He needs to do the same so when he tries to wiggle his way out of it, we can point out all the things that are causing him stress, anxiety, high blood pressure or anything else. Like working a dinner rush causes high anxiety and stress. Constantly lifting trays full of dishes can cause carpul tunnel. Not to mention the toll it takes on one's mental health. I very rarely get angry customers, he seems to get them all the time, which causes more stress. We just say we're worried about his health, he can't refuse because then he'll be brushing off our worries and he doesn't want to do that. Boom, full proof plan.” Floyd said confidently, crossing his arms. "That's so smart, I'm surprised I didn't think of it first.” Clay said, staring at Floyd, a bit dumbfounded. Floyd was about to stand up and argue with Clay about what that was supposed to mean when Bruce held up his hands.  “Ok but when should we do this? We can't just go out there without an idea of when would be a good time to do this." Bruce said, thinking aloud. "Sunday. Probably in the evening. That way he can't argue about taking Monday off. It's our slowest day. So he won't have to worry about us being busy and can actually relax." Branch said, the plan coming together. The brothers quickly went back to work to avoid alerting John Dory to their plan, playing it off as if they were killing time. 

Sunday evening comes and all of them are beat, it was the busiest day they had had in a while, making several thousand dollars worth of sales. After closing up, the younger brothers give each other a nod, silently saying it's time to put their plan into action. They went to the office, standing in the doorway as John counted their registers and safe with Clay (Clay just double checking JD's work). "How you doing John Dory?" Floyd asked nonchalantly. “Good." John replied before continuing to count. “You sure? You seemed a bit tired today. Like you needed a break." Bruce said, leaning his back on the door frame casually. “Yeah I'm fine. I guess I didn't get very much sleep last night." John Dory said before handing a stack of cash for Clay to count. Clay barely looked up, they added more details to the plan, like who was gonna say what and in what order. John wrote down the numbers and entered them into the system, a few seconds of silence passed before Branch butted with his own line. “Do you ever get enough sleep? Always seems like you're here late and open early. When do you sleep?” Branch joked, shooting John a cheeky grin that was met with a stern look. "Well I sleep after I clock out and close up. Then I wake up to come open this place up. Some nights it's takes longer to close up. Like today, that was the busiest we've been in like, a month.” John said, taking all the money from Clay and putting it in the safe.  "Maybe you should take tomorrow off then.” Branch said sincerely, subtly giving JD the puppy dog eyes. They could see the hesitation in John's face, that was Floyd's signal to go in for the kill. “He's right. It's not healthy to overwork yourself. We worry about you sometimes. It's only because we care about you and your health. When was the last time you had a day off?" Floyd's voice was sweet and gentle, asking a question they all knew the answer to: never. John Dory looked like a deer in headlights, unsure of how to respond. “When was the last time you had a day off John?" Clay questioned, knowing where this line of questioning should go. John Dory got very quiet and tried to avoid eye contact with his brothers. “When was it?" Bruce said directly. John mumbled out an answer, prompting a ‘hmm?’ out of Bruce. “I don't remember." John said quietly but it sounded deafening in the silent office. “WHAT?!?" the younger three said, being a little overdramatic. “John, working non stop is not healthy. You're gonna get burnt out. You should really take a day off at least. You make me worried, man.” Clay said worriedly, causing John to cringe a little. "Clay's right, John. We worry about your health sometimes. You should take the day off, if not for yourself, for us at least.” Floyd said gently, coming over and placing his hand on John's shoulder. They had him right where they wanted him. The office got quiet again, the seconds passing felt like hours. They continued to look at John expectantly until he finally caved. Alright, fine. I'll take tomorrow off. But you guys call me if you need me. And Clay, you're opening, Branch you're closing.” John Dory said defeatedly, Branch and Clay groaning in annoyance. They knew they couldn't openly cheer for their success but opted for teasing their brother about what he was going to do on his day off. As John locked the door, Bruce cleared his throat, catching John's attention. “Oh and John?" “Yeah?" John said as he put his keys back in his pocket.  “Stay out of the diner tomorrow. A day off is not meant to be spent at your place of work." Bruce responded in a no nonsense kind of tone. John Dory rolled his eyes, pissed off a little that his baby brothers were trying to tell him what to do. “We're serious John Dory. You don't see us in there on our days off. And the only time we are is when we're with friends. So just take a day away from the diner. I promise we'll call you if we need you.” Floyd said, placing his hands on John's shoulders, letting him know how serious he was. The others looked at John with the same serious look, he inwardly groaned annoyed with his baby bros.  

@bzjohndory

[sovonight]

what's exhausting about bg3? I know me and a few others haven't been able to get it bc we're poor and I wanted your take on how it's exhausting if you don't mind

i called it exhausting for ace reasons so if you're not super ace you'll be fine. i do have other disappointments though:

visual character customization is lacking

like okay i'd bought the game blind so my disappointment is 100% on me, but can you blame me for assuming based on posts of people raving about the customization options and saying they 'made their oc' that there would be a fully-fledged cc with sliders for facial features and everything??

what you get is just a set of like 8 preset faces (for human/elf/half-elf/tiefling/etc at least) and 2-4 body options. there's an impressive amount of hairstyles at least, but what the fuck does that matter if i can't even really customize my character's face. there's not even much you can do with the textures--you only get a palette of pre-approved colors instead of a color picker, there's no option to flip or translate tattoos/facepaint, and you can't even layer makeup textures. the ui design here is very clunky too which just underlines how low of a priority it must've been

on one hand i get it, this all costs time and money and they clearly had a lot on their plate with the actual meat of the game, but on the other hand my character gets the most closeups on the camera in dialogue/cutscenes, so why can't i do more with their appearance?? the character customization possibilities everyone raved about really just boil down to class, stats, & numbers, so basically more like arpg character building, where it's more about gameplay than the character

don't get me wrong, the race/background/class you pick do influence dialogue options, but i can't do something as standard as sculpt my character's face?? are you kidding me?? like, if they're not gonna let me do that, then what the fuck are all these high res glossy graphics for?? everyone else in this game gets a unique look except for me, huh? if they care that little they might as well turn this back into a text-centric game and let me import a custom png for my character like in the old days

there are a few points in the game where i was like, they really took the trouble to write and pay a voice actor to voice responses based on player actions to that level of specificity… when that time and money could've been put towards the cc. like yeah it's impressive, but it's empty. i don't need this character to voice my exact actions--i KNOW i took those actions--i want something of worth to me.

navigating the map is kind of a pain

you use the keyboard to control the camera, and you use the mouse to click where you want the character to go. the issue i have with this is that the camera is SO frustrating to orient and zoom in and out sometimes--they go through great pains to try and not show the insides of any 3d models while you're moving the camera, and they'll cut away the rooftops and other levels for you, but sometimes the game just Doesn't Understand What I'm Trying To See. like they've made it so ~elegant~ and ~presentable~ that it gets in my way. i constantly feel like i'm fighting the controls--not just of the camera, but the movement too. tbf, i don't know how this could be made better so i think what they did was the best solution, but i do get very frustrated

there's no undo button if i click "hide" by accident

unlike literally every other button on the hotbar, there's no "click again to confirm" or "right click to cancel". they just instantly hide and that bonus action is WASTED

you can enable tutorial-like informative popups, but they forget to teach you some of the most basic ways to interact with the world

there's a heavy rock at some point that's "too heavy to throw" but is clearly meant to be interacted with. …you're supposed to click and drag to "drag" it away. i had to look up what to do with it and i'm not crazy because MANY people had the same question!! not to mention those small tunnels around the environment where your character's like "well I'M too large to fit in there" and i'm like "oh i'll summon my tiny familiar and have them scurry in there!" only for the tunnel to be like "uh your familiar can't interact with me actually". so i give up because i'm over it at that point and i go online hours later to look it up and SOMEONE SAYS YOU CAN SEND YOUR FAMILIAR THROUGH THE TUNN-- (at this point i have keeled over in rage)

you can press left alt to highlight interactable items, but they only highlight what they think is important based on their own mysterious criteria. you have to sweep around like it's an i-spy game to figure out ALL the interactables in the area

i would like this if the CAMERA WERE EASIER TO OPERATE and if--actually no! no! i would NEVER like this! either highlight everything or highlight nothing at all, don't waste my time! i understand that some stuff is left unhighlighted so that the characters can roll perception checks and go "OH! a hidden lever!" but JUST TELL ME OUTRIGHT WHERE THE CRATES ARE. i play with an unavoidable glare on my screen and also, frankly, i have better things to do than squint and pick out every item in the room. let me get my meagre satisfaction from looting and be done with it!

there is absolutely no firm indication of when you might be stepping into an exclusively romantic or sexual line of dialogue

i would like this if i could turn the sex off. like set sex to no. i'm a fan of not having too many dialogue indicators or visible approval bars, BUT ONLY when i know i can relax and feel comfortable in the game. this game loves suggestive wording so i can never tell whether a scene could just be played platonically or not. like (early spoiler) gale invites you to a private magic lesson that he says can only take place in an intimate setting, so you meet him after the party, alone. given the other conversations i'd just experienced (from the fighter & the vampire) i was like great this is going to be sexual isn't it, but i was weak and wanted character interaction so i gave in and i went--and then IT WASN'T??? in fact you could play it totally platonically?? so i almost MISSED a perfectly good companion interaction because of the overly suggestive way it was worded!

"sovo are you sure that isn't just gale's personality to say it like that" YES BECAUSE EVERY COMPANION EXHIBITS THIS. it's woven into the companions, into the narration, into all the word choices. it's just a suggestive game all around, the atmosphere NEVER goes away, even when it's just a false alarm. it's part of why it's so ABSOLUTELY exhausting--because i know every other person playing this and seeing this is having a blast, and i'm the only one out here with my guard up and 10 layers of emotional shielding because i CAN'T like any companions because they're GOING to proposition my character at some point and i WILL take emotional damage when my only options are "yes let's enter a fully animated sex scene!" or "no i fucking hate your guts". do you see?? do you see my pain?? where is the middle option--the compromise?? and oh yeah, the rest of the real life world thinks my complaints are baseless, ridiculous, and avoidable. "just don't fucking play, idiot!" but do i not deserve to have fun as well? can i not get a CRUMB of something in a world where i have to make everything myself?? just once, can i play a game and have it fit--not perfectly, but at least fit??

just give me the heart icons of da:2/da:i. tell me when i'm walking into a flag i don't want to raise. better yet, when the game asks whether or not you want nudity enabled, add an option there to opt out of romance too. i say romance even though all i want is to opt out of the sex dialogue options bc as we all know romance and sex can NEVER be separated--

anyway those are my gripes. the things i like about it are… well, there are a few fights where i was like, oh that's cool that it actually uses the environment and/or teaches you a mechanic about the game that you can put into use later. the environmental puzzles are interesting, but all satisfaction is lost when i have to look up the basic mechanics they rely on that i was never taught or made aware of in-game. but i don't play games like these for gameplay, i play them for the story and the companions and the romance, so given this specific game i guess i should just keel over and die

[ladythornofrivia]

Cigarette Girl

Pair: Rindou x Reader

Warning: Mature Content and Adultery. If you’re under 18, I’m sorry, you can’t read this

Author’s Note: I didn’t get to do my permit test. So I’ll be doing it next month, which means I have more time to gain knowledge on it, which is great! More knowledge more confidence, right?! I'm still doing my best on writing the story. Rindou and Reader are going to meet soon. (Note: Report if someone decides to steal the synopsis and my story. And notify me. Thank you) ❤️

Chapter 1: Grenade In Her Hands

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Anyone who goes nearby the doors or halls knows exactly what's going on. As long as they're far away--out of sight, out of mind, as people say--no one will suspect a thing.

"You're fired," the employer said, pounding his desk with his palm after ending an ugly phone call from one of your boss's regular customers. "Do you know how badly you fucked up, (y/n)? Very bad. I lost one of my favorite customers because of your half-ass job!"

"What? What do you mean I'm fired?!" you said, hands shaking frantically, yet tight grip onto her boss's desk. "Yui demanded me to take over her shift; she didn't give me enough info to handle all the process--I was doing the best I could to find help, but everyone kept saying that they're "sick"."

"Fuck me, (y/n)," your boss said, groaning in anger. "Because of your half-ass job, now every single one of the new customers aren't coming in! We had to close the store in early."

"I did my job as best as I could," you interjected. "I'm always here on time, I always take their stead. Besides, talk your employees about this--they're the ones who don't want to do the job."

"Let's see--you're constantly late, you didn't follow the rules--always fucking around. And you talk back to me, your humble manager? You got a job because of me. Your hours of fucking around have been saved because of me. And now you're going to victim blame me? I'm the only one who saves your ass."

You shook your head at his ignorance. "For the record, I didn't fuck around; those "admirable" people you favor we're the ones who fuck around. They didn't do shit when I have to cover all their shifts. They don't want to do the fucking job; they want to do the bare minimum and get paid quickly."

Your boss flicked his wrist in a dismissal and hissed between his clenched teeth. "Oh, please, (y/n), you always like to play victim--a fucking damsel-in-distress. This is real world, not a fucking high school, for fuck's sake!"

"It's true, though," you fired back. "They threatened me over the text saying that if I don't do the shift, they'll sue me."

Your boss raised his finger at you. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies, (y/n). Go pack your things. They're in the right to sue you however they want. I don't give a fuck what happens to you. If you want to screw around, go apply to prostitution. You deserve it, you fucking pig. Go be a pig somewhere else. I have nothing else to say to you. And if I ever see you again, beating your ass is the only payment you only ever going to get from me."

Clenching your fists, your mind urged you to try to find a cup of hot coffee to splash on his face, wanting him to go blind for not taking you seriously.

But by the end, you don't want to prove them right. You just want to live in a good life with a stable job of any kind to provide for your sick parent. Your brother, however, being a pathetic adult he was--and still is--you wish nothing more but to live in a better house in a better environment with your mom, hoping she'd get better, that she can rely on you and support you unlike your sibling, whose supposed to be the one in charge. Leave his sorry ass out to whoever is going to take care of him.

With a gritted smile, you took off your apron and threw it at his face, hearing a panicked muffled sound from him as he fell off the ground with stacked boxes fell atop of him. Those heavy, stupid boxes you kept seeing every time you have a meeting with the employer has now became your ally, wishing those boxes were a little heavier than your boss's personal insults.

"Fuck you and your stupid ass, pervert, just because you didn't get good tits and cunt from me. Maybe you should be in the adult industry instead to get your annoying frustrations out. I won't expect a payment from you, stupid bastard,” you said, gathering your things at your locker to put in a box and walk out from the building to call a cab.

Dialing your old phone to relay a message to your sickly mother, someone tapped your shoulder. It's your co-worker, Aimi, with a smile on her face.

You didn't smile back, still carrying the box.

"Sorry about him and everyone else," Aimi said. "You don't deserve it." Aimi picked in her pocket and gave you a good amount of cash around ¥500,000.

You found yourself gasping. "Where did you get that?"

"I stole it from every single one of the co-worker's wallet."

"Put it back; I don't want to get blamed at. They'll sue me," you said, shoving the money back towards Aimi. "You're going to sell me out if they find you."

"Because you helped me last time, I have no other way to pay you back. You've been helpful to me, even when I'm sick or taking a day off. And the boss hasn't paid you for more than a week. You deserve to have a good payment before you leave. Besides, I'm planning on quitting, too. I have no intentions on telling them about you."

"Good luck," you said with a stiff smile by the time the taxi arrive at the side of the street.

"You, too." Aimi watched you mounted inside the cab and waved a goodbye at you as the taxi took off.

*~~*~~*

Your brother wasn't there as you reached home. You paid enough money for the taxi. At this rate, you’re thinking about a better transportation, a better and faster travel in order to save a lot of money and time.

A dreaded silence fills you every time you got home from work. A never joyful silence. It's always haunting, making you to expecting things for the worse--a real life horror movie.

Checking your phone, you expect a call from your relatives. You got none; everyone in the family want nothing to do with you; you often ask if someone in the family can take care of your sick mother in case something bad happens; your mother is too weak to travel to the hospital, so you try to find your ways as best as you could. Always making pathetic excuses about how 'Time takes up on their work' or other relations to work. Of course they didn't want your reason to be voiced out. They never wanted to hear what you're up to, what your family is up to, because whenever you call, it's always the words, “Mom needs help; she's sick, I can’t drive: I need your help to take care of Mom. Take her to the hospital. I don’t want her to go.”

When you asked your brother to help, he told to you to “fuck off”.

And none of them took it well. When you try to contact your mom’s friends, they never picked up your message, your voicemail. Everyone is enjoying their vacation and their retirement. Your mom’s friends are weird.

Funny how they always wanted help from your mother. But whenever your mother needed help, that's where they're up and gone without a second thought. What good is family and friends are for if they don't help but to stab you in the back as a gratitude in return and always making lame excuses at every chance they get the moment you speak up?

You did everything you can to support yourself. The house you're living in was quite ordinary, yet empty. Every single decoration is there, but the presence of joy and company was always lacking, and is often lacking. You try to redecorate it a few times, thinking about anything to make a soothing ambience to match the atmosphere, but nothing matches compare to what you have in mind. You ran out of alternatives.

You wanted everything back from the way it was before--before the mess, before the time you have wasted grew bitterness, you wanted it exchange with happiness and fondness to look back on. Instead, every year has grew harder and impacted greatly on your health and the hope somewhere inside your cognitive thoughts, vanished. You had friends, but all left you when they find out you aren’t rich, and that your older brother spends his time on drinking alcohol and shouting all night, disrupting the neighbors and shattering beer bottles. You protect your mom against his antics; hid her in your bedroom. Despair is your greatest enemy.

You were hoping someone is there to knock on your door and help you find a way out with your sickly mother. The last job you got fired on, was the last straw. With your lack of experience, you wanted nothing more but to commit a terrible act for you to spend money on getting your mother to a full recovery.

Being a better person, to rise above everything and everyone who has no commendable, moral act made you sick to the stomach. You wanted it to stop. Being a better person--to improve as one--seemed unreachable. Everyone in the family, even at work, never gave you a chance to improve for a better growth.

Life seemed unfair unless you're ethereally winsome, extremely wealthy and popularly unique to look at. Privileges meant everything, hard work meant nothing. If only your life is easier with money and lawyers. When you're at your worst, nobody was there to help you.

You can sue anyone who betrays you. But you decided to not go onto their level. Rising above than "civil" and "good", "benevolent" people is the only way to survive in life.

Never minding the expectations of them calling or texting back, you went upstairs on your right.

At your bed, your mom lay asleep with a heater on.

Collapsing down on your knees as your heart began to gnaw with pain. You couldn't handle the pressure anymore. With many people in the world, you're still alone and vulnerable and feeling the worst wave rumbling in your blood and body.

You wanted nothing more than to become a dust, shredded with silken blood and fractured bones.

Gathering your courage, you swept your feelings aside and put on a smile, carrying on as you lifted the plastic bag with nutritious food for her.

"Hello, Mom," you greeted with a sad smile. "I got you some food--your favorite."

Your mother stitred awake, sleepy eyes facing at you. "(y/n)," she said, breathing and yawning as you watched her stretching within stiff motion.

"I got you food," you said, placing it down.

You watched her gather the food at the table and ate every last crumb and portion, including a hot drink you ordered.

"I got fired, Mom," you said. "They didn't pay me back with money. Tried to blackmail me, too. I'm sorry, Mom. I tried my best to get into a better track on pulling myself together. But I got great news. I got the money for you to go to the doctor. We can check and see what's wrong. We can also get the medication."

Your mom splayed her hand, caressing it on the side of your face. "Don't worry, (y/n), everything will fall into place. I want you to know that."

"I hate our relatives," you sputtered with a soft weep. "I hate them. They used you and then took off--cut us off, even. They're so pathetic. Mom, I don't want you to go."

Your mom chuckled. "I'm still here."

You shook your head. "That's not what I mean. I wish Hiroto would get sick instead of you. With your kindness and loving trait, you don't deserve to get sick.”

"Your brother is having a hard time. Just ignore him."

"I can't. He's been drinking everyday. He stole the last money whenever he has none. I don't want him to come back here. He always invaded our space and always talk down on me. Why do I have a family member like him?"

Your mother shushed, embracing you. "Someday there will be someone who loves you and cares for you. You won't need me anymore."

"Everyone is a pervert, a liar and a monster."

"Not every one," your mother said. "You'll find someone special," she promised, patting your back. “I don’t want you to be helpless and hopeless if I someday were to be gone from this life.”

As she mentioned of you wanting to have someone special in your life, your heart numbed, at first, then burnt and squeezed by something regarding your past. As if you knew who. Regardless, you haven’t met anyone special just yet. Your life has been frozen since high school—work and taking care of your mother. But finding work is difficult.

As you embraced your mother, you said, "Someday, everyone who underestimate us, they'll be sorry—I just hope they’ll realize they’re in the wrong. I'll never leave you, Mom. Never."

“I know you won’t.” She kissed atop of your hairline.

With a dead-end, you have to come up with another plan to be permanently away from being under a mercy of your useless drunken brother and your self-centered relatives. Everyone wanted a shortcut, but in order to obtain shortcut of privileges, it must be earned with right and clever work.

In your life, your hands are never filled with luck and fortune, nothing but full of grenades.

After you put your mother back onto your bed, you called your other friend, and left a voicemail. "Hey, can we meet up at the café?"

*~~*~~*

He’s been there since 30 minutes past, and all he couldn’t think about but the smell of drugs and scattered pills.

"Can you get rid of the bitch?" Rindou asked Sanzu, who was polishing his expensively customized katana.

In a lazy form, Sanzu crossed his leg over the other, seeing a clear reflection of his scarred face--two diamond-shaped on each corner of his lips.

"Which bitch?"

"The one whose recently with me."

"Which one? I know you have plenty of bitches in your hands."

His lips curled in disbelief and disapproval. "Are you high?"

"No, I'm low."

Rindou rolled his eyes. "Aoi. Aoi Tanaka."

Sanzu's lulled expression grew with disgust. "That bitch? She smells like sewer rat. What do you see in her?"

"Are you going to do it or not?"

Sanzu placed his weapon down. "What's the catch?"

"I'll give you one of the expensive drinks at the club."

"No."

"No?"

"I want cash. I want more customized katana to add on my collection."

"How many?"

"Five more."

Rindou's brow flicked.

"Fine, ten!"

Rindou sighed with hands on his hips, then his hand stretched towards Sanzu for a handshake. "It's a deal."

Sanzu hit Rindou's hand instead like a high-five. Rindou frowned as Sanzu cackled like a drunk person.

"Just make sure you hide her body. If anybody suspects her missing, whether a friend or family," Rindou continued with a whisper.

"I'll get to it. Finally some action. I want to test my katana on them."

"Don't fuck this up. Or I'll tell Mikey about it you decide to be incompetent once you find her or anyone who associates her."

Sanzu released a maddening laughter. "Trust me, I won't."

“Clean your room for once. Maybe the girls will go with you when you want to flirt with them.”

Sanzu flicked his wrist in dismissal. “Yeah, mom.”

At once, Rindou quitted the room with a huge relief released from the intensity on his shoulders.

Finding another girl should be easy for Rindou. He hated sticking to the same girl for six months. No other girl could refuse his offer.

Taglist: @galactict3a @colored-tr-panels @f1yh1gh @mrssano04 @glamourkills18

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1132: Cuddly Date Night (King of Fighters)

9:45 p.m. at Yabuki's Residence's Living Room........

Leona: Unbelievable~ (Cuddling Under a Blanket With Shingo on the Loving Room's Sofa While Smirking Seductive at Him) Cuddling with the Colonel's daughter at the comforts of your own home?~ (Starts Snuggling Up on Him) How very scandalous of you indeed!~

Shingo: (Chuckles Lightly and Ticklishly by his Girlfriend's Snuggles) Easy for you to say!~ Snuggling up with your cute boyfriend in his own home is a pretty rebellious move on your end, ma'am~

Leona: (Raises an Eyebrow While her Smirk Starts Getting a Little More Wider) You're cute you say?~

Shingo: (Eyes Begins to Widened at the Realization of What He Just Said) Cute? H-Handsome! Handsome. W-What I meant to say that you're snuggling up with handsome, cute- Ah dang it! (Starts Pouting a Little While Twiddling his Fingers) Can we start over? I messed up on a few lines......

Leona: (Giggles Softly) Shingo!~ There's nothing wrong with being labeled as "cute". It's one of many traits I love about you~

Shingo: ('Sigh') I know, but I wanted to sound more cool and rebellious like you did a second ago.

Leona: Well, I'm flattered you think highly of me amd performance~ (Smiles Sheepishly) Though, to be honest, I don't think I have what it takes be an actual rebel.....

Shingo: Same. I'm too chicken to cause trouble on purpose for the life of me....

Leona: (Shrugs) It's seems we're both too pure for this troublesome world I suppose.

Shingo: I don't mind the sound of that. As long as we're in this together.

Leona: (Smiles Softly) Of course~

Shingo: (Gives his Girlfriend a Kiss on The Lips Before Sighing in a Relaxed Manner) I'm so glad I have the day off tomorrow......

Leona: (Frowns a Bit in Worry) I take it your day at work today was stressful this time around.

Shingo: ('Sighs a Bit Heavily') Yeah....Something like that. Rude customers constantly rushing us to get their orders done, I had to break up a fist fight shortly after while having a cup of coffee thrown at my face.

Leona: Oh no. Was it hot and scolding?

Shingo: No, it wasn't fortunately, but it wasn't any less annoying that's for sure. Then after that, some big guy with glasses starts barging into the shop, and rather than order his drink like any sane person here, he instead starts going around demanding us to bring Athena out and give him a Psycho Ball across the face!

Leona: (Genuinely Couldn't Believe What She's Hearing Right Now) Why....couldn't he asked for an autograph instead? That would've clearly been more safer.

Shingo: THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!! But when i tried to tell him that and Athena's busy at the moment, he started yelling at me about how I'm just some common slave worker who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as her, let alone be associated with her establishment to begin with!

Leona: (Forms a Darken Glare on her Face) You don't say......

Shingo: (Quickly Calms Leona Down) N-N-Now hold on, Leona-san! There's no need for you to worry! Really!

Leona: (Slowly Calms Herself Down) Are you sure?

Shingo: Positive! I mean, sure, what he said was upsetting and it almost made me wanna punch the guy, but lucky for him, Malin and Hinako were able to kick him out before another fight happened. 'Thena even went out of her way to make caramel tea to help calm my nerves before it was finally time for me to clock out for the day.

Leona: ('Sighs in Relief') That's good to hear. I'm happy we have to day to ourselves tomorrow.

Shingo: You're off too, Leona-san?

Leona: (Simply Nodded) That's right. Father insisted I take the a day or two off to a change.....(Smiles Softly) And luckily for you, I'm more than willing to spend every moment of with you, darling~ (Starts Snuggling Up on Shingo Some More)

Shingo: (Smiles Back While Blushing) Yeah~ How was your day, Leona-san? I hope it wasn't as bad as mines.

Leona: (Giggles Softly) Don't worry, it wasn't. It went a lot better than I expected it would go actually.

Shingo: Nice! Did anything exciting?

Leona: Not really? I was tasked to train and instruct some of the new recruits in the lower ranks while Ralf and Clark were away to their mission.

Shingo: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise) You did? That's so cool! What did you taught them?

Leona: Only the basics: How to prepare themselves in the battlefield, how to aim and shoot at the target precisely, how to blend in with their surroundings without begin seen by the enemy, and so fourth.

Shingo: Were you nervous?

Leona: A little, but it didn't take too long for me to work up the courage to the take the lead fortunately. It also helps that the recruits were all cooperative throughout the whole ordeal.

Shingo: That's good. Does it feel like something you wanna do again sometime in the near future?

Leona: I suppose, but only when I'm ordered to do so again. I don't think I have the capabilites become a full fledged leader just yet.

Shingo: That's understandable. Leadership takes a lot of work from what I've heard.

Leona: You've heard right. It takes years of building trust and forming a strong connection with your fellow comrades into becoming one. Both qualities I must learn if I were to ever lead again.

Shingo: (Gives Leona a Reassuring Smile on his Face) Don't be afraid to give it your all. I know you'll become a great leader one of these days.

Leona: (Heart Begins to Melt in Genuine Happiness) And I know you'll become even more a stronger fighter than you are now. Which is why we are going to the gym and train first thing tomorrow morning.

Shingo: (Eyes Widened Again) On our day off!?

Leona: (Gives Shingo a Stern, Yet Cute Looking Pout on her Face) Don't act suprise, mister. You know as well as I do that we've been falling behind in our training sessions as of late, thanks to our work schedules.

Shingo: ('Sigh') True. And I have been wanting to try out a few new moves I've came up recently.....Can we go to gym at 10am instead at least?

Leona: I suppose we can do that. But ONLY if you give me more of your loving for the reminder of the night. That's am order

Shingo: (Chuckles Lightly) Yes, ma'am~ (Starts Kissing on Leona's Cheeks)

Leona: (Giggles Ticklishly by her Boyfriend's Kisses) Shingo-Kun, you adorable dummy! Slow down a bit, will ya?~

Shingo: (Stops Kissing Leona For a Second Before Chuckling Some More) What?~ You said it was an order.

Leona: (Starts Calming Herself Down From all the Giggling) I did, I did. But you haven't given me the time to prepare myself yet.

Shingo: Right. Sorry about that. Take as much time as you need, 'hon.

Leona: Thank you. (Takes a Deep Breath Before Smiling Brightly Again) Okay! Now I'm ready~

Shingo: One kissing session coming right up!~

And so Shingo resumes back to kissing Leona on the cheeks, causing her giggle amd smiling even more ticklishly than she did originally under his embrace as the movie they were previously watching, continues to play the whole time.

@tampire

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@theweebmaster31

@thelexhex

[stupid-sloot-headcanons]

I love the idea of an Elle woods villain! Just someone who knows the finer things because the closet we have is Mr compress but even then that's shaky, because he's less old money than he is a dramatic thespian. So having a very tasteful villain would be fun, giving advice on villain outfits, constantly saying how "oh my god, you need to rebrand the bar, the fact that you have a mysterious late night vibe without the velvet booths is a crime," The villain is probably the only one there with a collage degree too and it'd show, always bringing nice things to the league like chocolates or perfumes, wanting girls night with toga, I think that'd be so wholesome

She tries to make DIY face masks for everyone while keeping their skincare needs in mind

"Okay, sooo Jin, yours is a mud mask since a peel-off would hurt your stubble. And it's got lavender which is supposed to be really calming and relaxing!

Tomura, yours is super hydrating; me and Magne looked up the best ingredients for people with conditions like dermatollomania and we made something super custom with all these vitamins added to it. Plus I made it red so it matches your eyes and it's like, you wearing the blood of your enemies since you're super hardcore.

And...okay, so, I was worried about anything that could infect your burns and staples Dabi, so yours is kinda simple. Sorry! It's all natural though: aloe Vera, some coconut oil, and some manuka honey for your hand mask. And we're gonna be extra clean and try to bandage off your burnt bits with some linen cloth and some nice cold water before we put the mask on your...uh, not burnt bits. Cool?"

[buyhouseez]

Home Inspections

Classical feng shui scholars learn about the four major house types within the first many days of instruction. These houses are described in broad encounter strokes. Two of the four are probative for health and connections and two are not. Two of the four are probative for fiscal luck and the other two are not. But to place too important emphasis on these four orders of house types, is like judging a book by its cover or a oil by its frame.

In the 20th century, these four house types were given catchy descriptions, restated from further non-literal Chinese terms, where by we've one house type that's now labeled "good for people/ good for plutocrat" (aka Wang Shan Wang Shui). The exact contrary house type is appertained to as "Reversed," as in the reverse of the stylish house. also there are the two mixed house types, with one being supposed" good for people bad for plutocrat( Double Sitting) and the other bone Read More

In reality, we know that life is more complicated, and yet we all know someone who's fat, but unhealthy or fat but veritably unhappy. One of the most frustrating effects I encounter constantly is a prospective customer who wants me to help them in house stalking and they've heard about this" good for people/ good for plutocrat" house and they only want to live in that house type and not others.

This is a veritably myopic way to go house stalking since what qualifies as good Feng Shui overall is grounded on a lot of criteria which isn't determined grounded solely on the house's exposure or time erected. In fact, there are so numerous cases when a bottom plan lay-out is defective, that it seriously undercuts or over-rides the nature of the so-called stylish house of these four major orders.

For illustration, I had one customer whose house was supposed this" Wang Shan Wang Shui"( good for people/ good for plutocrat house type.) Meanwhile, the factual bottom plan demonstrated that the bedrooms, entrance and home office were in the worst corridor of the house.

To annul a little, it should be understood that no house on the earth has all innately positive areas. On average, there are about four of the total eight introductory directional zones in any structure that are considered more or worse than the others. Then's a specific illustration For a house which was erected in 1985 and facing south between 160- 170 degrees, the stylish locals( in the flying star map) will be in the northwest, north, northeast and east sectors.

he other directions (west, southwest, southeast and south) are n't so at this point, we haven't indeed studied the bottom plan. We're just assuming about the most positive influences for that one house, being one of the 144 total flying star maps to consider.

So with this house in mind which was supposed to be so good, that customer had perpetual fiscal problems, connubial straits, problems with his children, legal issues, order problems for both hubby and woman , as well as a serious burglary where they lost valuables totaling$. So, I would not call that a "good for people/ good for plutocrat" house. In discrepancy, I've a customer who enjoys world-wide fame as an actor in television and film and yet he lives in a" Reversed" house type, which is supposed to be" bad for people and bad for plutocrat." He has a happy home life and does relatively well in his career which has gauged further than 30 times.

So, how is that possible? Well, away from fortune which over lifts Feng Shui, this man happens to naturally dwell in the most positive corridor of his house rather of the most negative corridor.

[forceofcalm]

This morning I read two short stories and made a Tumblr account.

Did the short stories influence my decision to make a Tumblr? Absolutely. Let me talk about them.

So, I've been on this binge with reading and writing. I'm at the point where I'll read anything. Nothing is sacred — if it has words on it, I will read it (with the only exception being... tweets? and sometimes YouTube comments because I am not perfect and love niche subculture drama).

I've been bouncing between reading fanfiction (easy, filterable, usually soothing in the way watching something like Vampire Diaries or Grey's Anatomy while you cook dinner is) and actual published works (can be really rewarding, great to steal from, paper smells good) but as for what kinds of published works I'm reading has shifted this past week.

Okay, yeah. I got a subscription to NYT to read food writing. I finally know why there's a big text blurb on every online recipe page now: these people are trying to be food writers. I'm still not going to read it because I only care about the recipe most of the time, but that's not the case with Eric Kim.

I found out about his writing via a food-themed fanfiction I was reading — did I mention I love it when people put that much soul into their fanworks? anyway — and he is the kind of writer who just has a very consistent, inviting tone. Absolutely perfect for food writing, great to learn from in general. You can pick any piece of his and see precisely what I mean within the first few sentences.

I needed to have all of that preamble because I think it's crucial for me to recognize at this point in writing, I'm still very new. I've taken English classes before, sure. I took advanced English classes in high school and college, sure, but they were always a means to an end: I only really cared enough to get good grades so I could escape my dysfunctional family.

Reading and writing because I want to is cathartic; it's forgiving, in a way. More than anything, it's a gift. As a kid I read to escape — now I read to expand. I want to read everything.

Did I say we were going to talk about short stories before? We're here now. Finally.

Last night I binged queenlua's blog posts after some rabbit hole I fell into on AO3. They have a post on some short stories they found worth reading, and I decided to read two of them this morning, specifically "Ponies" by Kij Johnson and "Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu (fair warning: this is impossible to get through without an adblocker).

The imagery in "Ponies" was spectacular. Johnson balances having Lisa Frank visuals in the mixture of unsettling details while avoiding coming off like something out of Happy Tree Friends. Did it shake me to my core? Do I feel like a new person after reading it? Not particularly. But I didn't dislike it.

I couldn't help but think of this My Little Pony PC game I used to play as a kid that I could never figure out. You had a pony you customized and raised, and you needed to make it like you enough to listen to you so you could train it to jump over fences and take it with you in town to meet all the other ponies. I never got that far because I was obsessed with giving my pony everything you weren't supposed to: pizza, lollipops, cupcakes... My pony constantly had a tummy ache, perhaps understandably. My pony never learned how to jump over the fences. We never got to go into the cute little town together, and I never progressed past the beginning of the game, but boy did we eat a lot of Pony Pizza.

There's probably some life lesson or metaphor there, right? Right?

Anyway, the overall message of "Ponies" was so incredibly on-the-nose that I'm left wondering if I was missing something — is it a parody, satire, or is it meant to be taken at face value? It was intriguing in the way that I'm immersed while reading but completely forget most of it after I close the tab. It was a short read, and I think I got something out of it, even if it was just remembering all the ponies I used to mercilessly feed pizza.

"Paper Menagerie" did strike me in a way that "Ponies" did not. I cried. I cried even though I knew what was going to happen. Maybe it's just the mixed kid in me, but I thought about my father and his relationship with his mother. He never liked to talk about it, but I imagine it looked a lot like "Paper Menagerie." Even without that personal note, I think this story has some really powerful passages. I would quote my favorites here, but I don't want to spoil anything.

I want to read more short stories. I want to read more poetry. I am currently reading more plays! There is so much I feel like I'm catching up on since I got into this craft "late" — I'm trying not to stress about it and do what I can.

[epicqtefail]

I find it funny how Connor is supposedly built to integrate easily with humans but Cyberlife straight up designed him to lick corpse blood off the floor. Even his attempts at being approachable or friendly on purpose can be awkward sometimes (like whenever he tries to fake a smile and makes a 😬 face), so the stuff he's supposed to be good at can still come across as weird, even compared to other androids. Though maybe that aspect is just his personality shining through in spite of Cyberlife's best efforts lol. It's always fun to think of Hank having to deal with some of Connor's more quirky and off-putting behaviour after befriending him and finding out "oh this isn't an android thing, this is a Connor thing, he's just Like That."

THIS face? hehehehegehe

(the eye squint is either a calculated attempt at looking genuine or he really is straining himself. I do not believe this man has any control over his face the entire game is him not being able to control his face).

i love that you brought up his quirks in comparison to other androids because yeah, if it weren't for the other androids typically acting like humans i would also put connor's quirks down to him simply being an android, but it really is, like you said, his personality shining through :') (honestly he's a goofball in a very human way). and it's not even down to him being non-"deviant" throughout most of the game because relative to other undeviated androids he's still seen as uncanny in a different sense. Where they're eerily pleasant, he's what cyberlife customers would consider a nightmare, deliberately spilling drinks and putting human remains in his mouth (which is interesting because i feel like there was potential for him to be disarmingly endearing or charming but we're constantly shown that humans find him off-putting and deviants are shit-scared of him. i'm glad of that direction, though (side side note: i also dont personally believe it was all a double-bluff)).

I like to think it's down to him being more in touch with his conscious processes where other androids ran mostly subconsciously with clear-cut conscious objectives before they deviated. Connor was probably designed to have more executive control over his own decision-making pre-deviancy than any cyberlife android before him, and it's at the point where he can disobey orders from his supposed superior because he's been given one ruling objective (stopping the deviants) and how to get there is mostly up to him... so if he believes something is conflicting with that objective then... soz lieutenant i've got a job to do.... and this leads to misguided justification for self-indulgence with no initial self-awareness (he genuinely convinced himself that all the head-pecking and dog-petting was integral to his mission). he acts the way he does because he wants to (good for him :^)) and anything he doesnt want to do comes across as extra forced in the face of his usual expressiveness.

oh also i want to believe that Connor's awkwardness is also a little bit down to Hank giving him a hard time of it all. sure, adapting to human unpredictability is one of his features but i don't think his social protocols or whatever accounted for having to drag his co-worker kicking and screaming to crime scenes and just the unprofessionalism of it all. He was really thrown into the deep end of navigating human complexity (as was Hank with android complexity) and he's probably very caught off-guard and frustrated and trying to fall back on these chummy co-worker routines and stern professionalism and most of it isn't working and it's scrambling his code

speaking of Hank YEAH with their kind of friendship i'd be inclined to joke that Hank is the only one frustratingly aware of connor's deliberate odd behaviour while everyone else makes excuses for him but really it's the opposite of that :''^D. hank's like "of course it would be weird if he were human but he's an android he's just doing android shit he can't help it" and his colleague is like “look hank i have android housemates too and none of them stand at the foot of my bed while i sleep."

connor milks the whole "i am a robot man i do not understand" to get his way and he will continue to as long as hank lets him. but what is a best friend if not an enabler of your weird side?

[dragon-kazansky]

Made with love | Helmut Zemo

Chef Zemo AU! 👨‍🍳

Gender neutral reader

Collage by @realremyd

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 8

Helmut Zemo was waiting outside of the airport with his car. He parked as close as he could to the doors, right where you should be able to see him when you came out.

It had been a month. You had gone back home to sort out your affairs, with the help of your darling friend Wanda Maximoff, and had done everything you needed to. Things you had sent over were now tucked away safely at home.

Your home. The one you would now share with him.

He checked his watch for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. He had closed up the restaurant today, wanting to spend it all with you. He just wanted you back in his arms.

Every time the doors opened he would wat h the crowds with Ken eyes, waiting. Yet, you hadn't come out. He sighed as he waits.

Both you and Wanda assured him you would arrive in time. You were even bringing another friend to stay a while.

Over the last month you had been constantly messaging and calling one another. Mostly about all these plans you had cor the restaurant, but also about the two of you.

Helmut promised that once you had moved in, he would spoil you. He was going to make you so very happy.

The doors opened again. His eyes focused on the crowd. His heart began to race and his lips curled into a smile.

There you were. Just as beautiful as he remembered.

Your eyes found his. Friends instantly forgotten, you run toward him. Helmut pushes off his car, opens his arms wide, and meets you about halfway. You collide into him. His arms are instantly wrapped around you and his lips claim yours.

Wanda and Natasha stand by, watching you.

Natasha had heard lots about this Helmut Zemo. Though Wanda was your best friend, Natasha was a special friend too. She was protective over you and wanted to meet the man who had stolen your heart.

Wanda coughs loudly.

You pull away from Zemo, but kept your arms around him, turning to look at your friends with a sheepish smile.

Helmut wasn't even looking at your friends. He could see only you.

"This is Natasha, my other friend. I've told her all about you," you say, looking at him.

"It's nice to meet you," he says, glancing at her. She nods.

"Likewise."

His eyes turns back to you and he has that goofy smile on his face again. He unlocks the car and let's you all in, obviously with you sitting upfront with him.

"Any news on Stark?" You ask, once the car sets off.

"He is doing well. His restaurant is a success."

"And Escorpión Morado?"

"Still open."

You don't like the look on his face or the tone of his voice.

"Helmut?"

He glances at you.

"Stark is stealing my customers. Business is declining and I don't think we have much time before it's out of control."

You look at him, lips tugging into a frown.

"Good thing I'm here then."

He glances at you again, his own lips curling into a smile.

"Yes. It is."

He drives you to the apartment, the girls follow you both up to where Zemo lives and you all enter the main living space.

"My new home."

Helmut comes up behind you and snakes his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. He kisses your cheek and then rests his head in your shoudler.

"Our home."

Wanda taps Natasha on the shoulder and they make their leave, going to stay at the hotel. Once the door closes behind them, Helmut turns you around and kisses you again.

"Welcome home."

You smile softly.

"Thank you."

You were a Sokovian citizen now. It was a lot more straightforward than you had thought.

You're very happy to be here.

"So, the restaurant. I take it it's not open today."

"No. I let Sam and James have the day off so I could meet you and bring you home. Your things are in your room."

"Thank you, but still, are you prepared to go through with this?" You ask.

"Yes. Help me save my restaurant. I need you."

You smile.

"I know you do."

You take both of his hands in yours and hold them, squeezing them lightly.

He smiles handsomely at you. He's never felt so lucky in his life before.

"Where do you want to get started?" You ask.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, obviously the menu is important, but what if we start planning the new look for your restaurant. Let's show Stark that with have both good taste in food and interior design. I was doing some shopping and found a fee things. Want to check them out?"

He nods. You ask him to take a seat while you fetch your laptop. You open it on the table in front of you, as you sit next to him.

You're sitting nice and close. His arm settled right next to yours. His knee nudges yours lightly as he rests his elbows on his open lap.

You open up all the tabs you had saved.

"You really have been doing your research," he chuckles.

"I have. New furniture, new floors, new decor and lights. You can pick everything, it is your restaurant. Remember, we're not replacing the restaurant, we are sprucing it up, giving it a new look."

He smiles softly as he looks at you.

"Well, take a look, Helmut."

He turns his eyes back to the laptop, wishing to look at you little longer. He scrolls theough the choices and you make notes on all the things he likes. You help him because what looks good with what, and before you know, you can almost see how it will look.

A couple hours later you get a message on your phone.

Wanda: Breaking in the mattress yet? ;)

You: OMG, WANDA, STOP!

Wanda: What have you been doing then?

You: Redesigning the restaurant. What about you and Nat?

Wanda: Drinks!

You roll your eyes and reply:

You: Not surprised. Have fun! See you later.

You put your phone down and ignore any incoming messages after that.

"Are you hungry?" Helmut asks, raising from the sofa.

"Yeah, actually."

He holds out his hand. You take it and let him pull you up and lead you into the kitchen. He only let's go of your hand to grab his apron and put it on. He then, very smoothly, moves around the kitchen grabbing ingredients.

"What are you making?"

"Schnitzel," he grins at you.

"Is there anything you can't cook?" You chuckle. It's very clear this man has done some globe trotting of his own.

"Many things, but I can also make many things too," he winks at you as he sets up a pan, ready for cooking.

You come to stand beside him. He presents two pieces of pork which he quickly works on pounding thinly. He sprinkles them with salt and pepper.

"Have you ever had schnitzel?"

"No. Which I should be ashamed of considering I have been to Germany."

"Then it will be my honour to give you your ever first!"

You chuckle softly.

He slides over to the empty space of his counter and puts down a bowl and two plates. One plate with flour and salt, the bowl with eggs which he let's you beat, and the final plate with breadcrumbs.

This man's own kitchen is stocked with everything he could need. As you look at him in his own kitchen, which you suppose you can also call your own now, you realise just how much he loves cooking.

"I'll do the first one, you can do the second one, alright?"

You nod.

You watch as he picks up the first piece of pork. He coats it in flour on both side, then into the egg on both sides, and then into the breadcrumbs. He shakes off any excess and pops it into the pan he prepared.

"You next."

You pick up the other piece and do exactly as he had done. Into the flour, into the egg, into the breadcrumbs. You shake off the excess like he had done and he steps back as you place it in the pan.

What you didn't expect was for him to cage you in. He lifts one of your hands to the pan and stands right behind you as you now both cook.

You can hear his soft breathing in your ear. The hand he has resting on your hip make your spine tingle. You're very much aware of how close he is to you.

His lips brush against your ear.

You shiver involuntarily.

He chuckles softly, his breath brushing the shell of your ear.

Before you can think too much about what he's doing, he promptly take the schnitzel out of the pan and onto a plate with paper towels on it. He leaves you rather quickly, going to pick up some leafy salad from fridge.

You take a deep breath and try to keep your composure. God, the way he makes you feel!

He returns and plates up the schnitzel, slicing a lemon and placing the slices on top of each one, serving with a bit of the salad.

He turns to you with a smile.

"Schnitzel."

You chuckle and take one of the plates. You both sit down and tuck in. Once again you're left blown away by this man's skill, but there was also the fact you helped.

Zemo makes a low moan after eating some of his.

"This is good."

"I should hope so, you made it."

He chuckles, looking at you.

"Actually you did. This is the one you prepared."

You look down at his plate. He had purposely taken the one you had done. You smile softly.

"You're eating my one?"

"Yes."

You bite your lip shyly. Once again he leaves you a shy blushing mess.

When you finished eating, Helmut cleaned up, though you did make a fuss about helping him. After losing that little argument, you headed to your room.

For a spare room it was big enough for you. You could fit in quite nicely here. You unpacked your cases and spent a bit of time planning on where this is would go or what you would need to buy. This was your space. You would make it your own.

A knock on the door had you sitting up on your bed. Your handsome chef enters the room and smiles at you.

"What do you think?" He asks.

"I like it."

Helmut sits down on the bed with you and pus you into his side. You cuddle against him, feeling content.

"I'll get to see you every day now."

You chuckle softly.

"Yes. Lucky bastard, aren't you?"

"I'd say so."

You kiss him softly. He places a hand on your cheek and looks at you with the softest gaze.

He almost wants to say it.

He doesn't.

Not yet.

You smile softly as you close your eyes and sit with him in the quiet room.

Today is the beginning of the next chapter of your lives.

@namethathasnotbeentaken @belle82devart @cathrin2405 @lieutenantn @wilder-fangirl @latenightartist-author @lucky-luck-lucky @hb8301 @charistory @thatoneartgalsstuff @thesuitkovian @malkaviangirl @zemosimp420 @realremyd @the-chaotic-cow @lostghostgirl94 @zafiro-draco @lazygurl05 @pinkcutiepiee @goddessofmischief03 @whovianayesha @myybebe @awesomesauce-abbie @that-stupid-head-tilt-thing @swooning-for-mc-avoy @nonamec0s @apparrio @scuttle-buttle @alex-the-nb @my-blood-is-maple-syrup @greeneyedblondie44

[pixie-cocaine]

ATEEZ Reaction To: Catching them off-guard by being naked

Hii, I've noticed your requests are open. And i've been seeing your Ateez reactions recently, which are amazing. :D I just wondered, do you think you could do an Ateez reaction where their S.O. walks into the room naked while they are playing a game, working on music etc? (Kind of like that new Tik tok trend going around atm) x

Guuurl, sorry I waited so long to actually do something about this ask lol, but hopefully this will make you happy :)

Songs Listened To: X by CODE KUNST + LEE HI, FXXK It by BIGBANG, Dante’s Creek by THEY + DEAN, Baby Don’t Stop by NCT, Love Talk - Wayv, A Little Death by The Neighborhood

Hongjoong ♡:

• This man was straight vibing and your sneaky ass just HAD to do something

• “Joong.”

• “Yeah?” he didn’t look up from the small journal, with which he was jotting down lyrics for a future song he was to produce for

• He kept his eyes trained on the pages

• And uh-uh, that wouldn’t do 😤

• You rolled your eyes and waltzed over to the boy, putting a hand on the shoulder of the chair so you could swing him around to face you, an eyebrow raised

• “Look at me.”

• And he sure as hell did dafdsaffwq

• Face said :O

• Doesn’t matter how many times he sees your nude body, still looks like a kid in a candy store lol

• To say he was completely distracted would be a huge understatement

• Hanky panky in his mini studio? Yessir

Seonghwa ♡:

• Looking at this gif and listening to a slowed sexy song is gonna kill me istg

• Also, who let him act like a little hoe in their comeback? Keep your shirt down, mister, it’s not safe

• Gorl has nothing to do in his sparetime because he’s not too big of a gAMeR, but he does like to play phone games when he’s especially bored

• Would probably be playing like fuckin uhhhh candy crush or something when you said “lemme do sum a lil crazy 😌💅“

• You were kinda just curious to see what his reaction would be if you showed up witcha tiddies out

• So you got out the shower and half-assedly threw on a silk robe that Hwa got you for your birthday, not tying it or anything, but rather letting it slip off your damp shoulders while the front sat open and displayed your body for all to see

• His reaction when you leant against the doorframe and fake pouted?

• Immediate 📉

• Everday and night he’s gon chase you frfr

• “C’mere...,” He’d mumble, tossing his phone to the side 

• Level thirty-seven could wait ;)

Yunho ♡:

• Playing pc games at home is one of his favorite things to do (He’s even said so)

• PC games are his go-to when he gets bored of console

• So he’s constantly in his lil gaming room so that if you’re ever sleeping, he doesn’t wake you up

• He was on a multiuplayer session of Valorant when you decided to ruin his gaymer grind

• F in the chat boys

• “Yunho?”

• “Yes?” He stops his hastily typed directions to his game buddies in favor of giving you a quick glance from his chair, and has to look over again to make sure he's seeing things right

• Yeah, he was definitely seeing the pretty rise of your breasts and smoothness of your thighs, revealed from the towel now on the floor, right. Especially the way both of those lovely attributes were becoming larger as you approached him

• "W-woah!" He rushes to shield his eyes, though you only giggle and swivel his chair around in order to straddle him, removing his hands from his face

• "What? Am I too repulsive to?"

• "No! No it's just...," Yunho trails off, letting out a shaky breath and trying his best to not stare so obviously. Literally just paying attention at anything but what you wanted him to

• You only grin, tilting his chin to you face you head-on, "It's ok to look, baby. Don't be so shy"

• a forgotten game and heated chair sex is what would lead to your surprise

• kiss kiss for baby 😘

Yeosang ♡:

• We need more Yeosang gifs, this is ridiculous y'all ;(. Also, we're just... Not gonna talk about San on the side 💀

• Oh oh! And Yeosang getting bolder on stage is my favorite thing

• soooo snowboarding

• Yeosang said he likes to do that in his free time

• He'd just got a new custom board, which the front had lovely baby blue dripping forest face and the meaning of his name painted in black for the back, "Sound Resonating From A High Point."

• He was waxing it in the kitchen with it sat atop the island for easier space when he felt your arms slide around his waist, to which he smiled at, still continuing his work

• "Hello there," he mused

• "Baby, what would you do if I told you I was naked?"

• bitch hUH??

• He really did not waste time with turning in your hold and IMMEDIATELY looking down to see what you're wearing

• He chuckles upon , giving a cat whistle before bending down to set you on top of the counter

• "What's this for?"

• "Bored," you purse your lips, allowing yourself to lean back on your forearms as you spread your legs, "And you seemed like a good time-passer"

• Yeosang hums, falling to his knees easily enough and pulling you towards the edge of the island, then presses an affectionate kiss to your inner thigh

• "Fair enough"

San ♡:

• San likes to spiffy up on his English, which is still pretty hard for him even if you assure him that he's doing just fine when he speaks it around your family

• That being said, you'll sometimes catch him at the table with a textbook in front of him and a language journal by the side that he uses to write small romanizations

• You were particularly bored today. And damn, was San looking good with his messy black hair and shirtless torso. He never really did wear shirts around the house.

• "Sannie," You sang from the doorframe, fresh out of the shower and a bit sexually frustrated considering San hadn't touched you for a couple weeks due to your busy schedule

• He hummed in acknowledgement, jotting something down in the journal as he alternated between both the book and notebook

• You knew he was busy but his English really wasn't bad, so it didn't need to be now. It could wait a bit longer

• Sighing, you drop the towel from your body and fling it at San, which makes him jump and pull it from off of his head, looking towards you immediately and gasping

• You put a hand on your hip, giggling at how he tries to calm himself down

• lol goofy boy

• "C'mon, I know you're tired, I can help you relax," you gesture with a finger in a beckoning motion, and like he was already planning on it, he hops up from his seat and follows you back to the bedroom

• sorry if this was kinda boring lol, let's just San could have literally any reaction and frankly, this is probably the most tame he would be

Mingi ♡:

• Like Yunho in a lot of ways

• He does like to play games (probably PC, too), so you already know he'd be mashing that controller in the living room lol

• "Aww man, are you kidding me!?"

• Mingi gets shy, especially when it comes to you, so when you decided it'd be a good idea to step in front of the screen while he was playing Zelda with the towel around your body held open, he was a visual representation of keyboard mashing

• "Woah—Ohmygod-" [insert Minnie baby accidentally throwing his controller in his haste to cover his eyes]

• "You don't want me?" You ask, pouting and tilting your head

• His response is spreading two of the fingers across his eyes to peek, nodding his head frantically but trying to find the right words so he doesn't make you sad, "You just scared me is all! I don't wanna be rude by looking when you don't want me to or anything..."

• He takes his fingers away to hold them out instead, making grabby hands until you smile and crawl into them, in turn, climbing on top of his lap and letting him press his face into the valley between your breasts so he could kiss the skin there while looking at you

• "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea," he mumbles, nuzzling his head farther down

• "No baby, you're fine," You reassure him with a hand ruffling the strands of his hair

• sweet hanky panky alert 🚨 sweet hanky panky alert 🚨

Wooyoung ♡:

• it's the large ass gif of Woo and his ponytail for me

• Oh and yeah, I know this doesn't quite fit theme of YOU walking in on them to flash your boobies but you're gonna keep your mouth shut and pretend it does 😏

• Another gamer.. damn this is getting repetitive

• hmmm

• Dance practice it is! 😃

• Woo doesn't like repeatedly practicing the same moves over and over again, but he did like the progress he made with each re-do, so he supposes he'll bear with the exhaustion

• Well.. obviously not now, because he's just walking through the bedroom door when he finally registers that you're sitting on the bed, lying on your stomach and scrolling through your phone with a leg raising your body go the side

• You snap your head to look at him, "Ah, there you are," you grin, pushing yourself up to a sitting position, "Thought you were gonna come home late again"

• Wooyoung let's out a snort as he closes the door behind him and drops his dance bag to the side, already taking his inky black hair out of the ponytail it was previously in and shaking it loose

• "What a nice surprise"

Jongho ♡:

• No thoughts, only buff babie

• And how he sung "sex in the morning baby" with a scary amount of aggression

• lol it makes sense that sweetie likes to play racing games on his computer

• LITerally so precious ;(

• Same trope (yes I'm a disappointment); Jongie plopped onto his lil chair with a fluffy blanket around his shoulders and headphones on that cute little head of his

• He said "I love playing car games, vroom vroom y'all 😤"

• And you said "I love playing surprise games, yes yes 😈"

• Gorl, when I tell you he squeaked out of surprise at how you turned his chair around to face you ;(

• "Uhh... Am I- Am I supposed to be looking?" He stammers, eyebrows raised and eyes locked on your bare front

• "By all means, baby," you purr, shaking your head with a familiar fondness at the boy in awe before you

• Just like Joong, he never tires of seeing you naked. He loves looking at you when you're nude, because it's when he can appreciate all aspects of you

• "Hang on, let me pause the game, I'll meet you in the bedroom"

• Getting intimate with Jongho is quite easy. He'll pretty much always say yes to sex, and it's pretty casual when you hint at it

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Chapter 4 -- Perfect Harmony | Charlie Gillespie

Summary: Emily Fox is a talented 17-year-old with a passion for all things music. Her dream is to become a successful singer-songwriter one day. But to achieve that dream, she needs to get into one of the most prestigious music schools in her district – it’s all been part of her plan since she was six. Sadly enough, those schools cost a ton of money that her parents don’t want to invest. They don’t even want her to pursue her dream. So, now Emily’s hustling, working at the music store to save up to get into college. That’s until she meets Charlie, an annoying seventeen-year-old boy with the same dream as her. The only difference is, he’s just doing it. He doesn’t need a fancy college to pursue his dream to become famous with his band. He just writes his songs and books small gigs here, there and everywhere. Will meeting Charlie defer her from her dream college, or will he actually help her achieve the dream?

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x OC (Emily Fox)

Warnings: mentions of death, sexual assault

Important note: the characters of Charlie, Owen, Jeremy and Madison are based on the characters they play on the show and i do not own their names, only OC are mine. The songs aren’t mine either, they’re all from the show except for one.

Chapter four 

 ~|Emily Fox|~

“Guess what I did this weekend?” I ask Madison excitedly when I see her at her locker on Monday morning. She stares at me, blinking a few times. She did not expect me to be this excited on Monday morning. “You rode an elephant?” she asks when she realizes I won’t continue until she guesses. “Don’t ever ride elephants. They’re not made to do that,” I tell her off, “No, I finished writing my song!” Madison’s eyes widen before an excited squeal leaves her mouth. Now we’re getting weird looks from other students, wondering why the hell we’d be so excited on Monday morning. “Let me hear!” she shouts loudly, but I quickly dim the fire inside her eyes by shaking my head. “I still need to tweak it a little, but I think it might actually have potential,” I say. Madison pouts. “I’m sorry, Mads. I promise you, I’ll let you hear it once I pick up the courage to ask someone to duet this with me.” “Like on TikTok?” she asks, visibly confused. “No, I think it might sound better as a duet. I sang like part of it with this Charlie dude at the Music Store.” Madison’s eyebrows rise whilst her eyes widen. “Who’s Charlie?” she asks, the bell nearly ringing out her voice. The two of us make our way to class together. “The Cute Douchebag I told you about?” “You never said he was cute…” “I’m telling you now. He kept coming back to play this one guitar in the store to escape from his parents and I let him while I cleaned up the place. And then on Saturday, he suddenly started singing this verse that fit perfectly what I already had. It sounded amazing, Mads. Our voices blend really, really well together.” I take in a deep breath and release it into a sigh. “Mmh… Cute Douchebag Charlie serenades you and you turn it into a duet… Sounds like the start of a great Romantic movie,” she thinks about it for a moment, “I’d watch that.” “I’m going to put your feet back on the floor, Madison, because nothing’s ever going to happen between Charlie and me.” I can’t hide the smile tugging at my lips though, and I think Madison has seen it too as one of the corners of her mouth curls up into a smirk. “Mmh-mmh…” she hums and before I can bring anything else in, she dips into her classroom, leaving me all alone to find my way to the room next door where I have my first class. Let’s pray today goes by fast. Which only works by constantly imagining what it would be like to show Charlie the song I wrote with his verse added to it and what it would be like if we sung it together. I wonder if he’ll be at the store tonight and if he is, do I immediately tell him I’ve finished the song? Or do I wait until I’ve perfected it? Or do I—I can’t even finish my thought when the bell rings, signaling lunch time. Halfway through.

“Dreaming about mister Cutie Pie?” Madison’s voice startles me as I stand in line for lunch. “Hell, Madi. Give me a heart attack, why don’t you?” She gives me her most mischievous grin. “So, you’re not denying that you were dreaming about mister Cutie Pie?” “No,” she raises her eyebrows, “I mean, no I wasn’t dreaming about him because he’s still a douchebag.” I take a sandwich from the canteen lady. “A very cute Douchebag,” Madison wiggles her eyebrows. “How do you know he’s cute?” I ask as we move towards the fridges for some soda. “You told me. And I found him on Instagram.” She reaches in her bag for her phone whilst we head towards the table we always sit at. “How did you find him on Instagram?” I ask her, sitting down and taking the phone from her to look at his photos. Some of them look really cool and artsy, most of them with his guitar, whether that be electric or acoustic. “I checked the Music Store’s Instagram and looked through their followers and found about fifteen Charlies, but none of them as cute as this one.” I glance up at the handle at the top of his page. Charles_Gillespie. Gillespie? That’s a very unique last name. “You should be in the FBI, Mads,” I tell her and find myself scrolling through all of his pictures. “I mean, it’s no rocket science, babes,” she shrugs off her FBI-abilities. I shake my head at her, and then deep-dive into the wondrous world of Charlie Gillespie’s Instagram. Those eyes. They seem more golden in real life than they do in the pictures on here. And that smile. In one photo, he has like a really lazy smile on his face, but it looks so freakishly adorable that I nearly melt on the spot. “Someone has a crush!” Madison sings into my ear. “I do not,” I sound way more offended than I intended to. “Okay, fine. You do not. But when you stop being in denial, I’ll be here to tell you ‘told you so’,” Madison tells me sassily. I so want to say something to that, but I’m stumped. And too distracted by Charlie’s Instagram. I’m so distracted I even forget to eat and only leaves me with five minutes left to eat an entire sandwich. I shake my head at myself, disgusted by my own thoughts. This boy.

“Heading to work?” Madison asks me when she meets me at my locker after the final bell. “Yep, have to lock up again and work on my song,” I tell her, shutting my locker and shouldering my bag. “Do you think he’ll be there again?” I chuckle, “It would surprise me if he wasn’t. He’s been at the store every day since the day I met him.” Madison raises her eyebrows again. That’s how she looks at me a lot lately. “Someone has a crush on you.” That mischievous grin appears on her face again, and it just makes me shake my head disapprovingly, but I can’t help but smile too. The thought of him having a crush on me disgusts me and makes me feel all giddy inside at the same time. “Yeah, sure,” I say, “See you tomorrow, Madi,” I wave at her, leaving her behind at the school to make my way to the Music Store, where, to no surprise of mine, I find Charlie at the guitars again. He doesn’t even notice me walking in. “There’s only one customer left,” Ash tells me, “He’s been here a lot, hasn’t he?” “What? No? This surely is the first time I see him,” I reply, not being able to hide the sarcasm. “Just lock up when you’re done,” she says throwing me the keys before hopping across the counter. She’s the only person who could ever do that so smoothly. “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” she yells over her shoulder and rushes away before I can come up with a good comeback. Completely leaving Charlie to his devices, I begin sweeping up the place. Scattered sheet music goes back in its place, dropped food wrappers are being picked up and thrown away, misplaced instruments go back into their place. I’m nearly done when I hear Charlie cough behind me. “Ah, Charles. Didn’t see you there,” I say when I turn around to face him. “Well, yeah… People tell me I can be very quiet,” he replies awkwardly. I hardly believe that. He’s the most obnoxious person I have ever met. “I wanted to ask; did you finish that song we sang the other day? I really liked it and I thought maybe if you’d finished it, we could sing it together?” My eyes widen at the mention of the song. Should I tell him the truth? “Uhm, no, I haven’t finished it yet.” The lie rolls off my lips before I can stop it. “Great! I actually had this idea for a verse last night,” he reaches into the pocket of his skinny jeans and a piece of folded up paper appears. “I think it would sound good as a bridge.” He unfolds the paper as he says it and then places it on top of the piano wing, reaching just past me. I get a whiff of his deodorant and aftershave. A blend of minty fresh and musky undertones. I realize it’s my favorite scent in the world. “I feel your rhythm in my heart, yeah You are my brightest, burning star, woah-woah I never knew a love so real We're heaven on earth, melody and words When we are together we're” He looks up at me every now and again when he’s singing. And all it does is cause hurricanes in my mind and the rhythm of my heart quickening. “And then it goes back into the chorus you wrote,” he finishes, breaking our eye contact once again. “Because, you know, that was really good.” He awkwardly coughs again. His eyes pleadingly looking up at me from underneath the strands of hair. That’s when I realize he isn’t wearing the beanie I’ve seen him with so many times. His brown locks lay messily across his head, but it creates a rougher look, which works for him. “Yeah, okay, thanks, Charles,” I say, recomposing and returning to the tougher façade I’m used to putting up around him. “You done? I need to clean up.” I point around the room to emphasize my lie. The room is entirely clean, I just need to get out of the situation. “Why are you pushing this away, Emily?” The question takes me aback a bit. “It’s obvious we’re supposed to write this song together. With both our ideas and creativity together, we can create so many amazing songs. This is meant to be, Emily. Why can’t you see that?” I’m not entirely sure what he means by ‘meant to be’. We are? Or as a band? Or a singer-songwriter-duo? I don’t even have the time to ask him, because he’s already turned around and making his way to the door. “I write alone,” I tell him quickly, causing him to freeze with his hand on the doorknob. He looks back at me with those pleading puppy eyes. “So, whatever you think is meant to be, it’s not going to happen.” He simply nods his head at that. “Good to know.” For the rest of that night, I wonder if that’s going to be the last I hear of him.

Even Uncle Mitch can tell something’s wrong when I’m in the kitchen making myself some food after my shift. He stares at me with those worried green eyes of his and sits down across from me at the table. “You want to vent?” he simply asks, which he knows is enough for me to break. I take a deep breath, wondering where to begin in this story and what to leave out for my old Uncle’s sake. “There’s this boy—” before I can continue, he jumps up. “Who do I need to chase down?” he tries to sound tough, but Uncle Mitch is the gayest of all the gays. He’s not afraid to show off his more feminine side. But in situations like this, when he pretends to be all tough dad and everything, it’s just kind of endearing. Because that’s not at all who he is. “No one, Uncle Mitch.” He slowly sits back down and lets me continue, propping his head onto his hand, elbow resting on the tabletop. “This boy always comes into the Music Store during my shifts. He either has this excuse to be there, buying picks or strings or polish or whatever, and one night he asked if he could stay and play some guitar whilst I clean up because he wanted to escape his parents,” I take a deep breath, remembering what my parents told me when I said what college I wanted to go to. “I couldn’t say no to that, could I?” Uncle Mitch hums with a small smile on his face. “So then he sang part of a song he wrote and it kind of matched with the song I was writing, so I sang along with him, and then we sang the chorus together and our voices match really well and they blend so beautifully and I bet you would’ve gotten goosebumps, Uncle Mitch,” he chuckles at that, “And today he came up with a bridge for the song and he sang it to me and it was perfect and I kind of shook him off. I should’ve told him how beautiful it was, but I didn’t.” I sniffle, tears pooling in my eyes, and I’m not even sure why. “And then he asked why I pushed him away because we’re meant to write songs together and I don’t disagree with him but…” I trail off as sobs take over my body. “But you can’t write songs with anyone else but your Uncle Bobby,” Uncle Mitch finishes, his voice sounds closer suddenly. When I wipe away the tears, I feel his arms snake around my body. All I can do is place my hands on his, and softly cry as he speaks. “I know it’s hard, Muffin, but you have to know that your Uncle Bobby wouldn’t want you to stop making music. He’d tell you to go for it if he heard how well the two of you work together. I think you know he’d want you to work with this cute boy.” “I never said he was cute,” I chuckle between the sniffles. “You’re crying at the dining table about a boy. If he’s not cute, I don’t know what you’re crying about.” He lets go of me and assesses me from a distance. I look up at him. “He’s cute right?” I nod my head. “I’ve taught you well.” He presses a kiss to my head and makes his way out of the kitchen. “I don’t know what to tell him when I see him again though? If I ever see him again.” “Just make sure your song is finished and show him what you’ve made of it. Then he’ll realize you’ve changed your mind.” I nod my head, taking in all the advice. “And I’m sure you’ll see him again, Muffin. You’re a catch.” He winks at me before completely disappearing out of the kitchen. “It’s creepy when you say that!” I shout after him before turning back to my food. “But it’s not when Cutie from the Music Store says it!” I hear him faintly somewhere in the house. Uncle Mitch is the best person in the entire world. I wouldn’t know what to do with him. Mom and dad wouldn’t know what to tell me in a situation like this. Dad would probably hunt Charlie down and mom would tell me I wasn’t ready for a relationship with a boy. Thank Heaven’s for Uncle Mitch. The light in the darkest dark. He’ll shine bright forever.  

Taglist: @parkeret​ @lukeys-giggle​

Lemme know if you want to be on my taglist for this story/any of my other works!

[bytedykes]

god j*ces behaviour in s1 (and in general but s1 in particular) irks me so much !!!! even from like ep1 where he’s like “you know what alec? dial it down a notch 😐” when his boss (and elder) is like this does NOT add up. how he uses clary to be like “oh IM not being bad if SHE wants to go to the silent brothers :3 she doesn’t know it’s bad so again i have a scapegoat” or how he ignores alec trying to put some sense into him multiple times (city of bones, that graveyard part, the du mort roof) and how he YELLS at his superior ?????

this man is like i want to be ur panasonic <3 probs just so he can use that bond to side step authority “oh no he’s my other half he knows me and my intentions!! i’m going to break the law”

and DONT get me started on the whole “u treat him like lap dog” and he doesn’t even TRY TO DENY IT ??? just “takes one to know one :)” @ simon and i’m like......... u .... admit u like him for the legal mobility he gives u and his genuine loyalty..... and then he literally calls him like “yeah i get mayrse and robert need me back at the institute but i need YOU here to make me look good infront of the ginger i want to get with”......

(simon was justified in smacking him around that episode he at least knows what it means to care about ur friends without them existing to benefit u)

god i could go on all day about it... i mean i guess kudos to d*m for making it so easy to hate the blondie..... even then.... the whole mess with meliorn where he’s like I KNOW WHATS BETTER !!!! when he straight up didn’t know anything that was going on (lydia being there AT ALL, how alec and izzy had to take political slaps to the face) and then acting like alec was doing it all to antagonise him when jace only knows 2 things in his little pea brain: be an adrenaline junkie and be Terrible In Bed.

(thank u for entertaining me i’m writing a massive 2.5k essay and need something to yell about so that my writing is coherent <3 and i hope ur having a good day as well :3 - mitski anon)

AAUGH THIS ASK <33 I LOVE IT

gonna try to answer this somewhat cohesively but sorry if i fail 😩

ugh YEAH lmao like !!! alec is the acting head !! alec is also his older brother and parabatai!! for all purposes alec is the leader of this whole thing, he runs the place, this is ALEC'S institute. and jace just ?? does not give a shit and shows no respect to him whatsoever <3 bc thats how u treat ur boss 🤪

(even if alec WASNT the acting head hes still jaces older brother and listen i have siblings i know what we're like, even then jace has no respect and constantly pulls things and holds them over alec like !!! he uses the parabatai bond and the benefits it gives him to target alecs insecurities and just directly undermine him and UHGHG hate this bitch so much its unreal !!!)

YEAH LIKE i know i keep saying this but alec is trained for this he is literally the institute head HE'S the one with all the political training and he's the one who leads the communications with the clave and he's the one who all the fallout will land on when jace does the shit he does!!! and bc he loves his family he'll shield jace from the consequences !!! aaauagrrrrrgh

and i've said it before too but i can give clary some leeway regarding disrespecting and not listening to alec bc she's in a new world and she doesn't know their rules or customs (dont get me wrong she still absolutely acts batshit stupid and should listen to alec and MAKE AN EFFORT to learn wtf is going on and let the responsible ppl handle the situation, but she at least has an excuse) BUT JACE IS A BORN AND RAISED SHADOWHUNTER!!! HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST FIGHTER OF HIS GENERATION OR W/E!!! HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!

alec is like: this is a bad idea and it will directly affect my reputation as a soldier and a leader, and if you take 5 minutes to listen to me i can provide at least 3 safer, legal alternatives, that will get results just as (if not more) efficiently

and jace is like um sorry did u say smth? no nvm i dont care goodbyeee

he really said "i know it's illegal and alec will have to deal with the results of what i'm about to do bUT IT'S THE RIGHT THINGGGG who gives a shit about rules or any semblance or order!!!"

jace goes "im a REAL SHADOWHUNTER i know our rules and laws and customs so i can INTENTIONALLY ignore them and break them ON PURPOSE!!!"

jace only knows 2 things in his little pea brain: be an adrenaline junkie and be Terrible In Bed. -> ASLDFKJ I COULDNT HAVE SAID IT BETTER ANON 😩😩

izzy should also know better but she at least makes the barest minimum of effort and tries to take some of the weight off alec lol, meanwhile jace is like "YOU LOST CLARY???" as if clary didn't purposefully evade alec and run away asdfhewfkdlsjhjks

simon smacking jace around rights!!! shoutout to simon for being an actually good friend and overall likeable person 😩 unlike SOME PEOPLE hwjkhsfkdd

omg goodluck on your essay anon!!! dang i should probably work on my hw too but im not for some reason hfsjskk

[a-blue-secret]

CHAPTER VIII

BACK TO MASTERLIST

Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX

GENRES: royal au; fantasy au; magic au; friends-to-enemies-to-lovers; king!beomgyu, vizier!taehyun

PAIRING: taegyu

WARNINGS: severe swearing, mentions of blood, mentions of fire

WORD COUNT: 3.2k+

AN: this chapter took an achingly long time to complete, and while it’s not very long, it’s really important!!

SUMMARY: Best friends turned enemies, Kang Taehyun has managed to trick Choi Beomgyu into his service, and to rule for a year and a day, until his youngest brother would be old enough to take the throne. Choi Beomgyu has no intention of being obedient however, and tries to thwart Taehyun’s orders at every turn. With a growing amount of distrust and lies within the court, will Taehyun manage to keep the kingdom of Gojongja from falling apart?

"Stop fidgeting," Taehyun said through gritted teeth.

"I can't help it," Beomgyu responded, teeth similarly clenched. He waved politely as he sat down on the throne. "This is so itchy. I told the seamstress not to put the silver stitches down the side of the trousers, but evidently she didn't listen to me."

"Well do try and endure it," Taehyun said, a plastic smile on his face as he bowed to the noble who came up to him. “We have three more hours of this.”

Beomgyu crossed one leg over the other, trying to quell the itching. He rubbed his nose, annoyed. “Who made the revel this long?” he demanded, glaring at Taehyun.

“You said to keep it as if it were a real revel,” Taehyun replied smoothly. “Don’t you remember?”

Beomgyu sighed. “The flower ritual, the ballad composing, the synchronised dance and then the free dance? Is the schedule normally so packed?”

“Well, it’s a festival celebration,” Taehyun reasoned. “Those are always really long. Plus, we needed to include something like a flower ritual to make it seem real.”

Beomgyu grumbled, fidgeting with the silver stitches on his legs. “I can still go and interact with them, right?”

“Yeah sure, I don’t care,” Taehyun dismissed. “If you get mauled before your speech, it’s not my problem.”

“I won’t get mauled,” Beomgyu said. “That happened one time, okay?”

“Yeah, and since then we’ve hidden in the King’s Corner. Which you didn’t set up this time. But by all means, you’re welcome to try and see if you’ll be overwhelmed by the people.”

“Rude,” Beomgyu muttered. Nevertheless, he stayed up on the dais, elbow propped up on the throne’s armrest, cheek smushed against his hand.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

Taehyun had gotten good at zoning out during formal events. He stood, next to Beomgyu’s throne, staring at nothing and thinking of nothing. He was completely and utterly zoned out from everything that was going on around him. When he registered a finger annoying at his sleeve, however, he gradually zoned back in. Taehyun looked down, a look of mild annoyance on his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Those ruffles look annoying.” Beomgyu, eyebrows furrowed, was examining the lace ruffles of Taehyun’s sleeve, a look of utmost concentration on his face.

When Taehyun tried to tug his arm away, Beomgyu only held tighter to the fabric. Afraid of ripping it, Taehyun kept his arm in place, choosing to subtly glare at Beomgyu.

“Come on, I know you’re not really that fascinated by my sleeve. What do you want?”

“I want to know what colour this is. Ivory? No, it’s far too much of a soft colour to be ivory. Chiffon, maybe?” Beomgyu paused, frowning down at the sleeve. He leaned forwards so that his nose was practically touching the material, and spoke in a low tone. “Also, there are Lords watching me, and I don’t like it.” He leaned back with a casual smile on his face. “Ah, I’ve got it. It’s pearl.” He smoothed down the fabric, gently rearranging the folds so that they hung evenly. Taehyun’s ears burned when Beomgyu’s fingers brushed against his skin, and he quickly crossed his arms to prevent Beomgyu from playing with his sleeves anymore. He shot Beomgyu a glare, before scanning the crowds. The scowl slipped off his face once he noticed what Beomgyu had picked up on.

“You’re right.” He bit his lip, scanning the ballroom. Now he was paying attention, he noticed that something about the atmosphere felt… off. He widened his eyes a little, realising what it was. “Shit. Beomgyu, are you sure you still want to go ahead with this?”

Beomgyu looked at him as if he were crazy. “Uh, yeah? Of course? A few hostile Lords aren’t going to stop me.”

“No, no, it’s not just them,” Taehyun said. He nodded his head towards the ballroom floor. “Can’t you feel it?”

Beomgyu looked out at the ballroom, scanning the marbled room. He looked at the people, gathered together in their small groups, talking, dancing, eating. He looked at the few strange Lords lurking behind the pillars, glancing at the dais on which Beomgyu and Taehyun stood. He looked at all of this, before turning back to Taehyun. “No? I don’t feel it?”

“You don’t?” Taehyun said sceptically, scanning the ballroom himself. “Hm. That’s odd.”

Beomgyu tilted his head. “Why? What do you feel?”

“I don’t know, it just feels… something feels… not right. Something doesn’t feel right.” Taehyun shook his head. “Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing.”

Beomgyu eyed him for a moment, before signalling over one of his personal guards. “Call in the Invisi. Something’s not right here, and we need to be cautious.” The guard nodded, stepping down from the dais to carry out the order. Taehyun looked at him curiously.

“You’re bringing in the invisible guards?”

“I trust your judgement,” Beomgyu stated simply. “If something happens, it’ll be good to have them here. If nothing happens,” Beomgyu shrugged. “That’s fine too. They won’t appear unless necessary, so it’s no harm done if we don’t need them.”

Taehyun nodded slowly. “Yeah, I suppose that makes sense,” he acknowledged. “You trust my judgement that much, huh?”

“Well duh. You’re literally one of the smartest people in Gojongja. I didn’t pick you to be my vizier just out of spite,” Beomgyu said. “I’d rather like to have you by my side as I rule.” He quirked a small grin. Taehyun’s ears warmed at the unexpected compliment. With a start, he realised he missed this. Missed how warm and friendly it could feel to be around Beomgyu. The past few months, they’d constantly be surrounded by this cold, electric chill around them, as if one wrong word would ignite an explosion from either one of them. He glanced down, and gave a small smile.

“So I guess you want me to be the Queen to your King?”

Beomgyu’s smile froze in place, before slowly slipping off. He gave a small scowl. “That’s not saying I want to be King,” he said. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that.”

And just like that, the fragile, comfortable atmosphere they’d created was shattered with those words. It reminded them both of how they’d managed to end up here, and the unspoken undertone of ‘I still haven’t forgiven you for betraying me’ hung in the air between them, like a cold, unshakeable chill.

Taehyun didn’t say anything, and returned his gaze to the ballroom floor.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

The two of them stood there on the dais for a while longer. Neither said a word. Beomgyu kept glancing over at Taehyun, while the vizier was intent on avoiding his gaze. Taehyun scanned the crowds of people idly, before doing a double-take and looking more closely.

"Beomgyu…"

"King Beomgyu, if you may," Beomgyu corrected, taking a sip of water. "We're in public."

Taehyun ignored him. "Where's Lord Yeonjun?"

“Oh, he’s visiting Aruyeo,” Beomgyu said calmly. “He had a letter to deliver. I told him one of our messengers could take it for him, but he said the person it’s for is wary of strangers. So he’s taking it himself.”

“He’s riding all the way to Aruyeo?” Taehyun asked, surprised.

“Yes. He left this morning. He might not be back for a while.”

“So he took one of the horses… and left? To Aruyeo?” Taehyun said doubtfully. “Do you trust him?”

"Yeah. Don't worry," Beomgyu patted Taehyun's arm, "everything is fine."

"Did you actually plan a speech?" Taehyun asked skeptically after a few moments.

"Yes. Sort of. It's all up here," Beomgyu said, tapping the side of his head. "I'll know what to say when the time comes, chill," Beomgyu sighed when Taehyun glared at him. "Remember the impromptu speech I gave when you crowned me? That was good, wasn't it? It'll be fine."

Taehyun hummed dubiously, but didn't say a word.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

“Sir, it is almost time.”

Beomgyu nodded. “Thank you, Seojung.” He took the glass and decorative spoon offered to him, and looked over at Taehyun. Taehyun nodded.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said to Beomgyu.

Beomgyu stood up from the throne, and walked towards the front of the dais, lifting up the glass and spoon.

The light, tinkling sound of metal against crystal filled the ballroom, and gradually the chattering died down as everyone looked up at the King. As he looked around, suddenly, he felt it. There was something wrong.

Nevertheless, he willed away the foreboding feeling in his stomach, and smiled, a brilliant, sparkling smile, which lit up even the darkest corners of the ballroom. “You’re all well, I hope? I apologise for organising a revel at such short notice, but I hope you all don’t mind.” He gave another bright smile, looking around the room.

“As you all know, this revel is to celebrate the Flower Moon, which is today. Now, you may be slightly confused at this, since here in Gojongja we don’t really celebrate the Flower Moon. But, this date coincides with an important announcement I wanted to share with you.” Beomgyu clasped his hands together, and a little flicker of nervousness fluttered in his stomach. There was definitely something wrong. “About a month ago, Coronation Revels ended. During then and now, several things have happened, which I believed it would be best to tell you about.

“Some of you may know that an Aruyeonan representative came to my coronation, as is custom when a Gojongja monarch is to be crowned. This lord has the name Lord Yeonjun.”

“Cut the chase!” a voice called from the crowd. “We know what you’re going to say, so hurry up!”

Beomgyu blinked, momentarily thrown off, before quickly regaining his composure. “Alright. Lord Yeonjun came to propose an alliance, and I accepted.”

Outraged yells were heard from the crowd. Some people nodded their heads in a ‘I told you so’ way, as if they knew of the alliance already, while others looked outraged and shocked.

Taehyun’s hands, which were clasped tight behind his back, dug into the soft skin of his forearms. This was going to go wrong.

“I told you!” The same commoner as before yelled out. “I told you, that Lord told me he’d made an alliance, and no one believed me! He did this without telling us! He gave away our land!”

“Please calm down! I assure you, this alliance was made with Gojongja’s best interests at heart. I’d never give away your land. It is beneficial to us, it truly is.” Beomgyu placed a hand over his chest. “I swear it.”

“Sir!”

Taehyun’s fingers wrapped around his wrists tightly. He turned in the direction of the voice. Though his face didn’t change, inwardly, he cursed. Those stupid Lords.

“Your Greatness, if I may,” the Lord called out. “Even if this alliance was to be beneficial, don’t you think it would have been best to discuss with the public? This is their land you’re bargaining with, their lives you are potentially altering.”

Beomgyu frowned. “I am sure I just said that this alliance does not affect your land, nor your lives. The only thing we bargain is our knowledge.” He looked at Taehyun. “Is that correct?”

Taehyun nodded. “Yes, sire. The only physical part of our country that we bargain are the forests.”

“See?” Beomgyu turned back to the Lord.

“But still,” the Lord continued. “Discussing it with us beforehand gives us reason to trust you.” The Lord turned to address the rest of the public. “Do you think, having a new King make important decisions such as an alliance, without discussing with his people first, is a trait of a King you trust?”

People voiced their agreement, still glaring at Beomgyu.

“That is enough,” Beomgyu said, annoyed. “Please, sit dow-”

“Is it the sign of a good, strong King to team up with another Kingdom? Is it a sign that you are capable, if you need another Kingdom to back you up? And most importantly, is it the sign of a trustworthy King for you to do these things without telling any of your people?” The Lord scoffed. “It’s not. It’s not at all. You-” he stabbed a finger in Beomgyu’s direction- “are not a King I’d trust at all.”

Beomgyu blinked, shocked, before letting out a laugh. “Well that is indeed a pity! You don’t trust me? That’s understandable.” When the Lord opened his mouth again, Beomgyu held up a hand. “Enough. I am not even a year into my reign. And, being from a new clan, of course you don’t trust me! However, you must have seen me in court, perhaps about five years ago? And you’ll know that I am nothing if not trustworthy and have Gojongja’s best interests at heart. You, however…” he looked at the Lord, and gave a pitying smile. “You are a lesser Lord. Who, I believe, has only been in court for just over a year. What do you know about what I’m like?”

The Lord pursed his lips, face growing dark. He stood there, vibrating with anger, before rushing towards the throne. Before he could get far, though, Beomgyu thrust out his hand, presumably to use the wind to push him back. However, as soon as he flicked his wrist, the chandeliers suddenly exploded, raining crystals onto the ballroom floor. Most fires from the candles were extinguished as they fell, but some caught the ivy and set fire to the vines. People screamed, cowering away from the crystal shards. Over the chaos, the Lord continued to yell.

“He can’t even control his abilities! What sort of King is he?”

More voices began to chorus angrily against the King. Beomgyu didn’t seem to hear any of them, glaring at the first Lord who had spoken out. The Invisi had already begun to spill in from where they’d been standing to try and placate the people. Beomgyu was still stood, motionless, and Taehyun felt his hands curl into fists. He looked back out at the crowd, and saw that all the Lords had disappeared, and only the common folk remained. He felt his arm being tugged, and suddenly, Beomgyu was pulling him off the dais, away from the ballroom.

“Hey!” Once they were out in a hallway, Taehyun tried to yank his arm away to no avail, glaring at Beomgyu. “Let go.”

“Shut up,” Beomgyu glowered, striding fast down the hall. Taehyun was going to say something else, but caught sight of Beomgyu’s face. His mouth was set in a hard line, eyebrows furrowed. Taehyun hadn’t seen Beomgyu with anything other than an annoyed frown or a teasing smirk before, and this strange side of him sent chills down his spine. Beomgyu’s eyes, normally twinkling with a mischievous light, were now dark and fierce, and burned with a ferocity that Taehyun had never known a human to possess. Taehyun gulped, and let Beomgyu keep a firm grip on his arm, leading him to wherever the King was going.

“Wh-where are we going?” Taehyun asked.

“Council room,” Beomgyu replied shortly. “All the Lords disappeared, see? They’re probably there.”

“O-okay.”

Beomgyu glanced at him, and noticed the iron grip he was keeping on Taehyun’s arm, and let his hand release the vizier. Neither of them said another word.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

Beomgyu threw open the door. “What-” he roughly scraped the chair across the floor, pushing it aside- “the fuck-” he slammed his hands down on the table, glaring at the other members of the council- “was that?”

Taehyun quietly followed Beomgyu, standing behind the King.

Beomgyu’s fingers curled into the wood, ferociously glaring at the Lords, who had suddenly gone silent. “Well?” he asked.

At that moment, the one troublesome lord strolled in, followed by an incredibly tall one. “Ah, you’re here already. I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself.” the Lord bowed mockingly, smirking. “Lord Haejun, Your Greatness. A pleasure.”

Beomgyu stared down his nose disdainfully. “I don’t care. I just want to know what that was.”

Lord Haejun widened his eyes, putting his hands up innocently. “Don’t put all the blame on me!” He looked around, and grabbed the tall lord’s arm. “It was Lord Soobin’s idea.”

Beomgyu let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m not dumb. There’s no way this was his idea.” He stalked up to Lord Haejun, and brought his face close to the Lord’s. “Why did you do that? Why would you go to so much trouble as to put fucking bombs in my chandeliers?”

Lord Haejun looked unfazed, grinning obnoxiously. “No bombs, Your Greatness. It was simply you and your out-of-control power.” Beomgyu growled, and fisted Lord Haejun’s collar, pushing him up against the wall.

“You little shit,” he hissed. “That wasn’t me. You know that!”

At this point, Taehyun knew that he should step in, maybe separate the two, but he couldn’t seem to do anything other than stay against the wall, and watch it all unfold.

“Oops, looks like you found me out,” Lord Haejun said. As Beomgyu snarled at him, scrunching up the Lord’s collar even tighter, he let out a laugh. “Gosh, father said you were calm and composed! Where’s all that gone, hm?”

Beomgyu growled, and released the Lord’s collar. “Lord Namjae’s little boy, are you?” He turned to glare at Taehyun. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Taehyun, for some reason, couldn’t speak, couldn’t utter a word against Beomgyu’s rage. It was like all his words had deserted him. He opened and closed his mouth helplessly.

Lord Haejun straightened his collar, smirking. “He didn’t feel like there was any need, obviously. Anyways, Father’s away on business, so I planned the little… performance in his stead.”

Beomgyu clenched his hands into fists. “Little? You harmed the public! This is serious. Did you all know about this?” he thundered, glaring at the rest of the nobles. They all stuttered, suddenly unable to form coherent sentences. “Doesn’t matter. You probably all did.” Beomgyu turned his fierce gaze to Taehyun. “You take care of them. And this time, don’t fucking forget to remind me to change the members of this council.” He gave one more disgusted look to the cowering lords, and a venomous glare towards Lord Haejun, before sweeping out of the room. Taehyun stuttered weakly, hand raised. Beomgyu was just… storming out? He looked around the room, unsure what to do, before waving a hand.

“You- you’re all dismissed.”

And then, without waiting for the lords to react, Taehyun hurried out after Beomgyu.

“Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu turned at the call of his name, and saw Taehyun running to catch up with him. “What?” he snapped.

“A- are you okay?”

“I’m fucking fine,” Beomgyu said sarcastically. “I’ve just been accused of intentionally harming Gojongja, and called weak in front of the whole Kingdom. I’ve never been better.” He glared at Taehyun. “Don’t ask me stupid questions.” With that, he stalked off, leaving Taehyun standing shellshocked in the middle of the carpeted hallway.

“Sir Taehyun!”

Taehyun looked behind him to see Yeonjun coming up to him. It was evident he’d just gotten back from riding, as his boots were splattered with mud, and he still had a coat on.

“I saw all the glass in the ballroom,” he said, stopping next to the vizier. “And there’s a lot of blood, and some fire. What happened?” For some reason, the question ignited an irritated fire within Taehyun, and his mouth twisted into an annoyed frown.

“Well the announcement went fine,” Taehyun said sarcastically. “What do you think?” He glared at the Aruyeonan. “Just go to your chambers. Don’t interfere.” Yeonjun hesitated, but bowed and walked away, muddied footprints following him down the hall. Taehyun watched him go, and ran a hand through his hair. What the fuck had just happened?

[fuck-customers]

Adventures in Flooring

I'm a floorcoverings department manager in a midwest-centric building materials store that rhymes with Bernard's. And every goddamn day some customers make me feel like I'm talking to a fuckin Bethesda NPC. Like the other day I was helping a customer out with finding some t-moulding (kinda t-shaped transitional strip that goes in doorways or between 2 types of flooring of equal height, typically hardwood or laminate) and had this kind of infuriating exchange.

Me: "Alrighty then! So sir, are you wanting prefinished, or are you wanting to stain this yourself?"

Customer: "I'm looking for prefinished. I don't want to have to stain it."

M: "Understandable, we'll try to find something close to what you have. Are you looking for a lighter, or darker finish?"

C: "I'm looking for prefinished oak."

M: "Well, most of our transitions are oak. Are you meaning like a typical golden oak? Or are you just looking for like a clear coated?"

C: "I want prefinished."

M: "Right, but what kind of finish are you looking for? I've got a lot to choose from and I'd like to help narrow it down for you."

C: "Prefinished. I don't want to stain it."

M: "..."

And recently the GMs have been infuriating me more than usual. Like, half the time I kinda play clown music in my head when 2/3 of them are talking, but even that's not helping when I'm already working open to close half the week (basically 15-hr days) because we're so short on people (myself and the other DM, our fulltimer, a part-timer that can only work like 8 hrs a week and on a very narrow timeframe because of his other job and an MT that has to be on the same shift as either myself or the other DM) thanks to them taking one of my closers from me and my only morning stocker being terminated for showing up piss-drunk one morning (which, yeah. He'd come to work smelling like booze but passing the sobriety and drug tests and we'd had THAT convo but yeeeeeaaaaah he was smashed). We got an email about some limited-quantity hardwood floor we were going to have coming in that was ordered SPECIFICALLY for a big flooring sale we're having at the end of the month and a task to basically stow it in overstock when we got it to ensure we'd have enough for the sale. So the other DM and I worked pretty tirelessly reworking our whole overstock area to make room for the new flooring (it's quite long and takes up a whole bay; so we somehow had to clear 2 whole bays to ensure it all would fit). Flooring comes in, and the GMs wanted us to put it out on the floor and not in overstock!! Like??? Pals this is from CORPORATE, THEY wanted it overstocked. I DON'T HAVE ROOM. ALL OF MY SPECIAL BUY/CLEARANCE BAYS ARE FULL. But no, they basically said screw what corporate said. And so MT and I had to struggle to figure out how we were going to get this on the floor, how the fuck we were gonna jenga this shit in there, and I ultimately ended up having to heavily reduce my facings for a couple laminate floors that I sell a lot more of and flat out shitcan a few discontinued items for this big expensive hardwood that is going to sit on the floor not selling until the end of the month when it's like 40% off on sale and blowout. And then they had the nerve to get upset when I had to handwrite the price sign for it because GUESS WHAT! I CAN'T ORDER A SIGN BECAUSE IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE MERCHANDISED YET. And during this whole ordeal everyone and their mother wants blinds cut and I'm the only one there that can do it.

And a super-special "Fuck You" to the lady with the uncontrolled crotch goblins that kept climbing onto my vinyl machine, running underneath the forks on my forklift when I was trying to reorganize that overstock and basically fucking brake-checking me by constantly running in front of me despite me blaring the horn. And then she had the nerve to get pissed at me when I yelled at them for this shit and asking her to keep an eye on her children for their safety, and for driving my forklift in a fucking freight aisle and honking at her children, despite the fact there are like 15 fuckin signs warning you that there is heavy equipment in use and to WATCH YOUR CHILDREN.

At least I'm hopefully getting a new stocker on Wednesday... if he passed his drug test.