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lennydaisy · 4 years

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EPIPHANY SERIES // OUTER BANKS // CHAPTER THREE.

(n.) a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand. or suddenly become conscious of something that is very important to you.

“Care to seize the day, my friend?”

Outer Banks Season 1- FEM OC! and ?

Here’s the link to Chapter Two in case you haven’t read it already <3 Check it out!!

Babysitting isn't for everybody. And at the beginning, I didn't think I was for me either. They say every child is different and this job has proved that couldn't be more true. Call it delusion, but I thought babysitting would be the easiest job on the planet. Getting paid to look after someone's kid for a few hours whilst they run for the hills for a sliver of free time. Sounds easy enough right?

Wrong!

You need to have thick skin when it comes to babysitting. No matter how much the parents reassure and praise their kid for being a literal angel on earth. That said angel will call you a do-do head at least once whilst simultaneously having a tantrum because you told them no, despite how much they promised that their parents allow them to climb onto of the refrigerator.

The first time I babysat it was actually a baby I was watching. The mom wanted to get out of the house and away from the responsibility of her 6-month-old. She had graciously written up any and every scenario that could play out in the few hours she was gone. And I was feeling confident. Until I wasn't.

They wouldn't stop crying. And their special lamb, that the board told me to give to the baby when they were upset, ran out of batteries, and I couldn't find new ones anywhere.

They refused to eat, just spitting the pureed food back in my face. They also wouldn't keep their socks on and that was the last straw for my sanity. I understood now why the mom had been quick to run out the door.

I ended up calling Kie, begging for her to come and help. I don't know how she understood a word I said, I was practically hyperventilating over the line, staring at the baby who was crawling around in a fit of rage.

Kie was truly a godsend. She somehow fed the baby and managed to get them to sleep before the mom came back. It did result in me splitting my first wage with Kie, but I wasn't complaining, I was just happy that I made it out of that house with just a headache and not an external crisis. Though that did come later.

I've babysat an 8-year-old boy, who ran away from me in the park. I did find him eventually. After giving myself a hairline fracture in my right wrist from climbing the tree he got stuck in.

I've babysat animals before. That wasn't part of my non-existing contract, but the way they spoke about their pets was very humanlike. It didn't end well for me, it never does. It resulted in me holding four leashes of four overly excited Komodo Dragons. Just kidding. The refused to move and lacked any type of emotion.

'I took you guys to the beach, be grateful.'

Now, I know what you're thinking, Komodo Dragons? Aren't those Illegal to have as pets? The answer to that question is yes! But I didn't know that. Just imagine Shoupe's face when he saw me practically dragging not one, but four, exotic animals across the boneyard. It looked suspicious is all I'm going to say.

Turns out the two guys who asked me to babysit their dragons for them we're smugglers who purchased and sold exotic animals. Not good. Apparently, they were already under the police departments radar and the pair planned on legging it to the in-country hoping to change and clear their names.

That worked out well for them, I think? Nothing else was really mentioned of it after my dad collected me from the police station. They're still on the radar, I hope. If not then there are two brawny men out there that could come and kill me in my sleep for ruining their very illegal business. Look, If you are up to some suspect things, my dumbass is the last person you'd want to be involved. I will unironically get you caught.

That's how Ward Cameron had heard about my very pristine babysitting service. Noticing the little bit of trouble that always seemed to shadow me, he offered to hire me permanently as his youngest daughter's babysitter.

That was three years ago, and here I am still babysitting Wheezie.

"This is stupid," Wheezie complains, trudging behind me, pushing forward the shopping cart filled with lost items that we found on the beach.

Since there is no internet in Kookland, in other words, Wheezie's heart line is currently in critical care. I decided to venture outdoors with her for a change. Instead of just sitting around her three-storey clubhouse or in her four-acre backyard, I thought it would be nice to comb the beach of any debris that the hurricane brought along.

There was a lot of personal items that washed up on the beach too. Wallets, bags, photographs, books, clothes, wine bottles, footballs, toys, you get the gist. Most of them were ruined, either waterlogged or just completely useless. However, somethings just needed a good clean, and that's what we are going to spend our day doing. There is no way of telling what belongs to who, so we'll just turn them into the lost and found and hope they'll check there if it was important enough to them.

Our two trollies worth didn't even make a dent in the rubble that litters the beach, but it was a start. Say hello to a summer of hard labour.

"There was a hurricane Wheezie, have some sympathy" I roll my eyes at the girl who was less than thrilled about today's plans.

"I do have sympathy," she claims defensively, "It's just pointless. No one's gonna come looking for this junk," eyes flickering through the findings in her trolley.

What we found isn't pointless. They belong to someone. I think about it the same way I did as a kid when I wanted every single teddy bear in my bed at night so none got left out, so I didn't hurt their feelings. A ragged old soccer ball might look worse for wear, but it has a home and I going to get it back there.

"It's not junk," I object, stopping momentarily, waiting for the stroppy pre-teen to catch up. "Say you lost your phone and someone found it, and returned it too you. You wouldn't be grateful?" I theorize in terms that I know she would understand.

"My dad would just get me a new one," she shrugs nonchalantly, not missing a beat.

"Well, not everyone's fortunate that way," I remind her, blinking suddenly as the sun shines on something reflective in the cart, blinding me.

Reaching towards the sparkling object, I realise that it appears to be quite expensive. It's a glass ashtray. Rubbing the damp sand off the surface, my thumb feels an engraving. In swirly calligraphy, reads the initials:

'S.G'

"I'm sorry," Wheezie apologizes, wincing when she heard my comment, "I didn't think-"

"-It's okay," I smile at the girl. It's not like I don't understand my current life situation. It's pretty shitty, I know, but I live with it. I was born a Pogue for a reason. I wasn't supposed to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth, though that doesn't mean I hate those who are. They have it easier than me and my family, sure, but that's just how it is in the Outer Banks. Some are more fortunate than others. It does, however, leave a sour taste in my mouth that Kook parents will just throw money at there children to get them to shut up, but that's just a Pogue's opinion.

The generators haven't kicked in yet, seeing as though the Camerons security code gate is bouncing loosely against its unlocked hinges. Holding the gate open for Wheezie to push by with her cart, I catch a glimpse of their usually perfectly mowed lawn. Instead, I see plenty of fallen trees and scattered branches, broken plant pots, and ruined garden monuments. It’s not a good look, especially for the high-class Camerons.

That just goes to show, hurricane's don't show mercy on anyone, Kook or not.

As a wise man once said; 'Thanks Agatha, ya batch.'

Parking our carts beside the Cameron's private pool, away from the workers who are just trying to do their jobs. I turn to Wheezie saying, "You go get some soapy water and gloves and I'll empty the carts."

Nodding her head, she rushes into her house, leaving me slightly confused, 'Where did the sudden enthusiasm come from?'

Emptying the carts, I lay out what needs to be cleaned the most: from a bronze candlestick holder to a old, yet unique, shoe buckle, and everything in between. And of course, the ashtray.

Holding it gently in my palms, legs crossed against the cold slabs, I couldn't help but feel hypnotised by the intricate marks that littered the tray. It truly was a lost treasure.

"I'll take that," announces a voice from behind my hunched figure, jumping when a hand snatches the tray from my grip.

Coming to my feet, I'm ready to snatch the tray back from the sudden thief, but I stop when I realise who it is. Why am I not surprised, I am on their turf.

If it isn't dumb, dumber and dumbest.

Throwing the delicate glass from hand to hand, Rafe lets out a low whistle, "Check the weight on that," he tosses it to Kelce who was standing tall behind him. Kelce nods his head in approval, of course agreeing with what Rafe has to say.

"Who did you steal that from Pogue?" Rafe smirks thinking he has me sussed out. Not wanting to give the satisfaction that him lobbing around the ashtray is causing me heart amputations, I stare him in the eye, "I didn't steal it. I found it."

"You did, did you," he utters pushing past me, his head low with a sick smile, taking in the view of the tressures that I had laid out, "And what about all this? Did you just find that too?"

I say nothing. He knows the answer to that question. I already told him. I don't need to explain myself, especially not to Rafe Cameron.

His eyes flicker over Wheezie and I's findings, taking in each and everyone with a curious eye, before he cracked, "Bunch of junk," kicking some of the items into the pool.

All I could do was stare. Stare as someone's possessions sunk to the bottom of the marble pool, clashing and crumbling at the foot of Rafe. I fell sick.

His friend just laughs, egging him on. Kelce patting him proudly on the back, handing him back the ashtray. Rafe turns to face me, that smirk never leaving his face, but I can't look at him. I refuse to.

"-Hey Rafe, dad's looking for you," a soft voice breaks the harsh glare that Rafe was sending my way. Nodding his head at the voice, he holds the ashtray out for me to take.

It was too good to be true.

Gullible enough, I reach out for it, only to have it slip through my fingertips. Unable to hear the shattering of the glass as it hits the red slab, my brain refuses to accept fate as I stare down at the shards.

Laughing lightly, I bite my lip, nodding my head understandingly, not expecting anything less from Rafe. A sharp grip on my wrist snaps up my damp eyes, "See you later, Pogue," he hisses in my numb ear, before marching away as though nothing happened.

Sensing a presence, I meet eyes with the 3rd and final member of Rafe's crowd.

Topper.

Smiling lopsidedly at the well put together boy who hasn't moved or spoken since showing up, "Nice friends you've got there Topper," I say monotoned, watching as the boy snaps out of his trance-like state before following Rafe with a blank expression and his tail between his legs.

Shuddering out a breath, I unclip my waist bag and begin to pick up the chunks of glass. Pausing when a pair of clean, white shoes entre my line of sight, "Careful," she crounches down, picking up a shard, placing it into my bag.

A few minutes of picking up the sizable pieces, all that was left on the slabs was a glittering shimmer. Satisfied with what was salvaged, we stand back up to our full height. It was silent. Awkwardly silent.

"Thank you," I shyly say, not at all pleased that the Cameron girl had caught me in a moment of weakness, but at least she didn't mock me for it.

"Your welcome," she smiles before reaching for the tennis rackets she had thrown on the ground before coming to help me. Certain that was the end of the exchange, I turned back to the pool where pieces of metal and loose book pages float carelessly on the surface.

It was just a bunch of junk anyway.

"Hey," Sarah turns, rubbing the back of her head subconsciously, "I'm going to save mice from the birds," she says, pointing out to the bottom of her garden where the surge has blown over, waterlogging the grass.

I just blink at the girl, confused as to why she is even telling me this. Letting out a gentle huff, "I have a spare racket," she offers, holding out one of the two rackets she has in her hands.

Finally catching what she's throwing, I look anywhere but her direction, "I can't," hoping to find a legit excuse as to why I don't want to help her be a hero for mice. Then it hit me, "I'm supposed to be babysitting Wheezie."

My triumphant smile fell as fast as it came when Sarah says, "The powers back on, Wheezie will not willingly come outside again," still holding out the bat for me to take, "Also, my dad's back, so your shift ended about 20 minutes ago."

The more reasons she adds, the more difficult she is making it to say no, and she knows it as well. Her eyebrows dancing lightly as she waves the racket around like a tempting treat.

Giving in, seeing as though I have run out of excuses to give, I grudgingly accept the racket. Maybe her being the sworn enemy of my best friend would have been a good excuse, but I didn't think of that at the time. And what would I of said:

'Oh, I can't help you, even though you selflessly helped me, because my best friend hates your guts.'

What are we, middleschoolers?

I can't help but feel wrong about it though. Like I'm betraying my role as a pogue, as a best friend. But if I feel that way about just being near the kook princess, that doesn't make me any better than her brother. A judgmental prick.

Let's call it paying back a debt. She helped me, now I'll help her. Tit for tat. Anything to make my mind feel at ease.

Walking behind the women who seemed to be on a mission, I'm met by the shrieking flock of overhead seagulls, each nosediving into the burrows, hoping to catch their next meal.

"Operation ‘Save The Mice’ is a go," she announces, holding out her racket waiting for me to tap mines against hers, declaring our battle. I couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Why does this concern us?" tapping my racket unsurely against hers.

Nodding her head in confirmation, she takes her stance, eyes now set on the sky. "You have about as much compassion as a rock," she focusses her swing, untimely missing by a long shot. It was entertaining to watch, I'm not going to lie.

"Tell me something I don't know," I reply, leaping back as the girl swings her racket with vigour and fury at the diving gulls. I can't help but laugh at her attempts.

Having enough of my laughter she turns around, a challenging look flaring in her eyes, "Think you can do any better?"

I just shrug my shoulders, twirling the racket around my fingers, smirking at my trick, but Sarah just looks unimpressed. Watching as a flock of gulls take their position to dive, I jump as high as possible hoping to swat them away.

At that moment I learned something about human capability. Humans shouldn't jump. Like ever. It's embarrassing. What do we expect? To touch the stars? It's nice to dream and imagine that when we push both legs of the ground, arms reaching high, that we are close to flying. Let's just say my non-existing dream to become an Olympic long jumper has just flushed down the toilet.

Another thing I learned is that when you swing a racket, with force, at a cluster of hungry Seagulls, you will get attacked. The only thing between them and they're next meal is me, and they didn't hesitate to remove me from the situation.

Letting out a shriek, I run away from the burrows, hands protecting my head as the birds swoop at me. Without a second thought, I run behind Sarah, using her as a shield to protect my crouching figure from the diving gulls.

After two minutes of fearing for my life, I can't help but chuckle at myself. And Sarah joins in, shoving my arm lightly, pushing me away from hiding behind her. The sudden shove causes me to stumble over my own feet, falling back on the grass. I couldn't help but laugh more, seeing stars as my stomach cramps in pain.

Sarah holds out her hand, trying her best to keep her balance from laughing, offering to help me up. I accept without a second thought, allowing her to pull me to my feet. Both smiling widely at our stupidity.

"Let's get these birds," I smirked at the girl who nodded her head in agreement. Both of us taking a battle stance, ready to defend our people. Or well Mice. They attack us, we attack them.

A cold shadow suddenly covers the setting sun that was shining against us. We let out another shriek, holding each other as we attempt to duck from the relentless gulls, running away from the burrows.

"Sarah!" I hear someone shout over our screams. Too busy protecting ourselves, we didn't even register the voice, "Mason?!" They ask in confusion.

Finally feeling safe enough from the killer birds, I look up to see Mr Cameron making his way towards us with Lana Grubbs at his side. 'Why is she here?'

"We're busy!" Sarah exclaims, picking up and tossing me the racket I had dropped when I fell, going back to swinging at the birds. She takes one side of the burrows and I take the other, waving around my racket. At this point I don't even care about the mice, those birds attacked me! So, I'm attacking them!

"What are you two doing?" Mr Cameron asks, not understanding why his daughter and his hired babysitter are running around like headless chickens.

"Saving mice," I reply, flashing my eyes over to the man, who stands with an ever so slightly amused look. "The birds are having a field day," Sarah adds, pulling me with her, chasing after the devils in the sky.

"Girls, the birds have to eat too," He implies, but we didn't hear any of it, still aimlessly swinging. "No, it's a mouse genocide out here," Sarah states breathlessly.

"It's the circle of life," Mr Cameron's patience was running thinner, "Now come on, I have a human being-" finally introducing the other presence in the garden. This pauses our attack, both looking apologetically at the lady, "-I'm so sorry. I'm Sarah."

Shaking the ladies hand, "This is Lana Grubbs, Scooter's wife," Mr Cameron introduces, "You were storm prepping with him, right?" he asks his daughter.

"Yeah," she answers, still breathless, "He helped me latch the cabin to the Druthers," nodding her head in the direction of the docked boat at the end of the pier.

'It's a nice boat,' I thought taking in the beauty of the three-story yacht, 'You can't hide money, huh.'

"Last night?"

"Yeah."

"And did he go out after that?"

"From here?"

"Yeah."

"No. Are you crazy? There was a hurricane," Sarah laughs lightly at the thought of someone willingly going out during a storm.'I could think of a few people,' bringing my attention back to the two adults in front of me.

"Well, did he say where he was going?" Miss Lana asks, her eyes erratic, "Get a phone call or mention anything?" The desperation lacing her voice makes my heart stop with sympathy for the woman.

"He didn't say anything to me," Sarah shakes her head, her tone not hiding her pity for the lady.

"What about you Mason?" Mr Cameron asks me, "Have you seen Scooter recently?" his questions sparking Miss Lana to look my way, her eyes glistening with withering hope.

"The last I saw of him was when Pope and I delivered to your house," regret instantly hit me, as I had to be the bearer of bad news. It was true though. The last time I saw Scooter was earlier this week when he opened the door for his groceries. I've seen him at Save-A-Lot a few times, but that was months ago when I had to tell him to leave because other customers were complaining that he was bothering them for money.

"I'm sorry," I apologise to the lady who just shakes her head, looking at the ground.

"Is he okay?" Sarah asks her dad who just nods, wrapping an arm around Miss Lana, "He's absolutely fine," he reassures Sarah, before guiding the dazed woman back towards the house.

"Oh!" I hear Mr Cameron exclaim, spinning round to face me, digging through his pockets, "Thank you for watching Wheezie today," he says, placing a brown envelope in my hand.

"Thank you, sir," I smile with gratitude as he makes his leave again.

Sighing, I slap the envelope a few times in my hand, turn back to a Sarah. I go to snap her out of her daydream, but get interrupted by a distant voice, "Hey Sarah!"

At the top of the disarranged lawn stood a scornful Topper, hands in his pockets as he looks down on us, making his way over at a snail pace.

"You better go," I flick my head in the direction of her boyfriend whose eyes are slitted with distaste. Holding out the racket for her to take, she nods her head and makes her way over to Topper, not even sparing me a glance.

I get it.

"I want you to stay away from that pogue, alright?" I hear him utter not so quietly under his breath, knowing fine well that I'm still able to hear him. I pay him no mind, finding my own way out. That's what he wants. Attention. That's always been what Toppers wants. And I'm not going to give him that satisfaction. Not anymore.

Humming a gentle tune under my breath as I make my way towards the gate. I double-take when I spot a hunched figure sitting by the pool, "Wheezie?"

My sudden appearance spooking her as she ripped the earphones out from her ears, the buds projecting a catchy pop beat. The girl sat on the cold slabs, clad in yellow rubber gloves and safety goggles, surrounded my various cleaning tools: a basin of soapy water, a toothbrush, a blow torch?

"What are you doing?" I ask sceptically, making my way towards her as she stuttered over her words before giving up with a sigh.

"I heard what Rafe said," she admits, her voice low as though afraid to speak out against her brother. That's the Rafe effect. He gets off on it. Knowing that everyone around him, his family included, is too scared to tell him he's a mess with even messier opinions. "And it not true," she adds.

Wheezie walks over, holding out the shoe buckle that we found on the beach. The once rusted and unrecognisable buckle now sparkled a blinding silver, and despite its eroded corners, it was still in great condition, "Pretty, right?" she notices my expression, "That's not the best part," she claims, turning over the buckle, holding it out of me to take.

Engraved on the silver base scribed, 'Made in Occupied Japan.'

"I couldn't save everything, like books and stuff, but I tried my best. I even made a box and everything," She rambles, rushing over to pick up the homemade box that read, "Lost and Found," painted in bold, pink lettering. In the box sat: a polished pin, the candlestick holder, a handful of leather wallets and all the other salvageable treasure that we found. And now the shoe buckle.

"It's not junk," she says, passing me the box, "They belong to someone and I hope they find them," she says, rubbing the back of her tinted red neck, finally understanding why I had her help me in the first place.

It's not junk.

I'm not great when it comes to other peoples emotions. They make me want to shrivel up and go invisible, but I can't help but admire the girls change of heart, but I'm still awkward so, I just ruffle her hair, hoping the annoying act conveys my gratitude.

Having enough of me for one day, Wheezie pushes me toward the gate, practically kicking me out. "See you next time kid," I shout over my shoulder, smiling as her face grovels at the word 'kid'.

Basking at my long journey home, I give up attempting to balance the light box in my arms. I place it on the sidewalk, unzipping my waist bag wanting to tuck the brown envelope, that I was struggling to hold, away.

The clattering of glass pauses my actions. Reaching in, I pick out a small piece, watching as the setting sun danced across the surface, shining every colour of the rainbow onto the tarmac.

'S.G'

Chapter Three: FIN!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it’s kind of filler. Kie would be proud of Mason for beach combing, her tendencies are rubbing off on her.

I choose for Mason not to go to the motel because that’s just what I choose, I don’t really have a reason why. Well I do, but I can’t tell you yet. You’ll find out eventually, if my idea goes to plan...

So we learned about Mason very perfessional babysitting service. Also I know that Rafe is, y’know bad, but I’m excited to explore Mason’s relationship with him. It will be interesting to write!

What did you think?

I’m really excited to write the next chapter. Mason is going to get buzzed.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter <3

Also, if anyone would like to be tagged in future chapters, just let me know and I’ll for sure do that!

*TAGLIST*

@xshinytrashcanx @prejudic3 @annoylinglyaries

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swimmingnewsie · 4 years

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Of Coffee and Cookies- Chapter 17

Link to AO3

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“Come on, slowpokes! We’re going to be late!”

Elsa couldn’t help but laugh as her little sister rushed ahead, running and tumbling through the streets. Though admittedly it still made Elsa nervous, parkour was an active part of Anna's life now- a part that made Anna happier than she had in months. The pure joy on Anna’s face as she swung around on dubiously strong light fixtures was worth the minor scrapes and bruises she helped fix up at the end of the day.

“Oh no you don’t!”

She shook her head as both Kristoff and Ryder ran ahead as well. They had gotten so competitive in the wake of Anna’s newfound strength, always wanting to race when given the opportunity. It left some sense of normalcy that had been gone for the longest while. But unlike her companions, she felt no reason to rush. Softball had nine innings after all; it was okay to take her time.The warm spring sun felt perfect on her face, a light breeze bringing her peace and clarity of mind.

As April turned to May, the weather wasn’t the only thing that was improving. After her night in the emergency room, things changed quickly for Elsa. Berkeley Behavioral Health had ordered a genetic test for her, one that tested the compatibility of antidepressants with her body. And after years of the wrong medication, Elsa finally had something that worked. Between that and exercise and the increased sessions with her therapist, the highs felt good again and the lows weren’t as scary. It was incredible what just a few small changes made.

She felt better than she had in years.

She could work again. Her responsibilities were still stressful; her students still emailed her at two in the morning over their exam results or advice for their papers; her dissertation was still a mess. But the mess was manageable now. Nights that might have otherwise been lost to crying and sleeplessness had turned into only an hour or two of distress. The chains on her mind had loosened, not broken, but there was space to breathe again. Space for fun. Space for life. And to her greatest joy, space for Honeymaren, who had been by her side the whole time, even when things were tiring or frustrating or upsetting.

Elsa could finally repay her for the previous months in gentle kisses and sweet love. She could be there for all the little moments they had missed before: rubbing soft circles in her back as she lamented the awful PTA meetings she was forced to attend; holding her as she told her about the awful phones calls she had to make that day; smiling as her love got excited over a lacrosse match. Or in this moment, getting to watch the middle school softball team she had heard so much about at night.

The sound of a ball clinking against a bat drew her attention from her thoughts. The faint sound of cheering followed, unconsciously quickening Elsa’s steps towards the small field.

The stands were relatively empty, not that Elsa truly expected much different. It was a sixth grade softball game in the middle of Thursday afternoon; parents were the target demographic. But even for the light crowd, the kids in the dugout certainly filled the field with energy and excitement.

Well at least the kids on the opposite team. Maren’s girls for the most part, bless their hearts, were terrified of the ball. And being a home game, it would take a while to get past the top of the inning.

“Come on, Janie! You can do it! Strike them out!” Maren cheered enthusiastically from the side. Elsa couldn’t help but blush; Maren looked good in her coaching uniform, highlighting more than her authoritative attitude. She couldn’t help but stare at her-

“Quit gawking at your girlfriend! There’s baseball happening here!” Anna shouted from above her.

Elsa laughed, racing up the bleachers to her sister. “You stinker!” she teased, tussling her sister’s hair. “I’ll get you back for that.”

Anna laughed in return. "I'm not the one eye-fucking my girlfriend at a children's sporting event."

"Anna, language!" she jabbed before any of the parents could do the same.

Anna rolled her eyes before looking at Kristoff and Ryder. "Am I wrong?"

Ryder shook his head laughing. "Sorry, sis. I'm asexual as they come and even I can tell that's what you were thinking."

"You've never been exactly subtle, Els," Kristoff chuckled, only causing Elsa to blush more heavily.

Elsa glared at him. It was good natured, but she would kill for the teasing to end."Hush up and watch the game."

"As you wish, your majesty."

---

"Eye on the ball doesn't mean it's gonna hit you! You can do it, Megs!" Ryder shouted from the stands.

Even he had to admit, this year's team wasn't the easiest to cheer for. The girls were quite timid and afraid, especially of the spherical object that ran the game. But, dutiful brother and occasional waterboy, he would cheer them on day in and day out. Even if they hadn't scored in four games.

"I'm sorry, Coach's Brother!" A dejected preteen shouted back after striking out.

"It's okay, kid! You'll get it next time!"

Ryder sat back down, resting between two bleachers. The innings were moving slowly, but at least they were moving. He looked to the field changing and then to his friends around him. Maren was high-fiving her students, making any attempt to bring their spirits up. Elsa on the other hand was still eyeing his sister, with Anna not so slyly taking embarrassing pictures. And then there was Kris.

Kris was engrossed in something, flustered by something on his phone. It was cute, the way that he bit his lip and scrunched his brow. "You know the baseball's up here," he teased, poking his ex-boyfriend on the shoulder.

“Sorry,” Kris sighed, putting his phone down. “Guess I’m a bit distracted is all.”

Ryder huffed, looking back at their friends. “Seems you aren’t the only one. But I think I’m better to help you than them, don’t you think?”

“Maybe.” He stretched his back, smiling at the satisfying crack. “Just looking at jobs, but I- I feel conflicted.”

“What over, find something better than baristaing?” Ryder teased lightly. “You’ve been applying for weeks, did you get a hit somewhere?”

“Sort of.” Kris ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking around. “They’re offering me a promotion at Mermaid’s. They want me to be the assistant store manager. They want to train me to run the whole damn thing.”

Ryder couldn’t help but smile. The promotion would mean the world to Kris. He would be able to fix up his car properly and finally have a regular schedule and probably so many other things. “That’s amazing, dude! That’s so exciting! Why are you excited?”

“I- I don’t know,” he said, nervously picking at some grout in the bleacher. “I would have to take some more classes and certification. More food safety and even some management and marketing classes at the community college. But- I don’t know. Weeks ago I was so desperate to get out of there and now they’re offering this position and it feels almost like a betrayal to me? I don’t know it’s stupid,” he shrugged.

“It’s not stupid, man. It’s a big decision. And it’s not one you have to make right now.” He gave Kris a pat on the back, turning to get up. “You know what will make this better?”

“Yeah, and what’s that?” he asked, with that dumb little teasing sound to his voice.

“Nachos,” he said point blank. “I’ll be right back.”

He headed straight down to the small concession stand. He tried to be as fast as possible, but perhaps he was a little too fast when-

“Shit, not again! I’m so so sorry. Are you okay?” A young woman with bright multicolored hair ran into him, sending his food falling. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. Let me get you a new one? Please?”

“Um, I’m okay. Are you okay?” he asked, brushing the last of his chips off of his shirt, a bit baffled by what happened. “You don’t have to, it’s not a big deal.” If he was being perfectly honest, he wasn’t sure who had run into who.

“No, no please I insist,” she said, helping to brush off a few crumbs. “I’m Gale,”

“Ryder,” he said, starting back to the stand. He was finally able to get a good look at her- no them. He noticed a pronoun button, pinned proudly on a t-shirt for the middle school. “One of your kids go here? I’ve been around for a while, but I can’t say I recognize you.”

“My nephew,” they said before turning and ordering. “I think he has a crush on one of the girls on the team. He certainly has a sudden interest in baseball, that’s for sure. But who am I to object? I’ve always wanted to share it with him. Glad I finally can.”

Ryder smiled. “That’s sweet. Some of my favorite memories were of my dad taking me and my little sister out to play. Definitely something worth passing-”

“Gale!”

Anna was shouting up from the bleachers. How the hell did Anna know them?

“Hey! How’s my favorite barista?” they laughed as Anna started to come down. “I was just going to text you! What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“I get off at 10:30. Pre-closer, so hopefully I’ll be out on time. What’s up?” she said, dusting herself off. “Ryder, this is my friend Gale. I met them at my parkour class.”

Ryder nodded, grabbing the food that was set out. “So this is that Gale? Nice to finally meet you.”

Gale blushed. “Talking about me?” they teased. “Hopefully good things.”

“All good things,” Anna said rolling her eyes. “Like how badass you are, how you always manage to beat me in a race,all sorts of good things.”

They laughed. “Well I’m flattered. Well I was going to text you and ask if you would want to come out with me to Oaken’s tomorrow night? They’re doing a fundraiser for some high school’s GSA. Karaoke and drink profit goes to the school. What do you say?”

“How did a high school manage to run a fundraiser through a gay bar?” she asked with a small laugh. Ryder nodded; he was thinking the same thing.

“I think the owner’s kid goes there,” they shrugged. “Nevermind that, what do you think?”

Anna pondered it for a second. “What do you think, Ryder?”

HIs eyes widened. Was she trying to get them together? What was her goal here? “I mean it sounds like fun. You should go.”

“Think I would be fine bringing some others?” she asked.

Gale nodded enthusiastically. “More the merrier. It’s for a good cause.”

“Perfect! Ryder, you tell Kris and I’ll tell Elsa?” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before running off. “This’ll be fantastic.”

Ryder stood in shock for a second. “Um, sorry about that. Anna has a bit of a habit of-”

“Meddling?” they laughed. “I know. She kept trying to set me up on dates until I told her I was aroace.”

He didn’t think his eyes could get any wider. That’s why Anna was asking what he thought. “I- I’ve never- I’ve never,”

They tossed some of their hair back. “It’s okay. A lot of people don’t understand. Don’t worry.:

“No, no,” he said, putting a hand out as if to catch himself from stumbling over his words. “It’s just- I just realized it myself a couple of months ago. I haven’t met someone- not in real life at least- someone like me.”

Gale smiled. “Well Ryder, I will happily be your first triple-A friend: asexual, aromantic, agender.”

Ryder smiled back at them. “Thanks.”

“Come on, we’ve got some softball to watch.”

---

“Elsa, come on. You are not going to a gay bar in your professor clothes.”

Elsa tilted her head at Honeymaren. “What do you mean? I look good.”

“You look professional,” Maren said, wrapping her arms around her waist. She leaned her head into the crook of Elsa’s neck. “Besides, how am I going to dance with you if you wear that stiff shirt?”

Elsa laughed a little bit as Maren nibbled at her ear with a kiss. “You seem to be doing just fine right now.”

“Mmmmm,” she moaned softly. “Perhaps, but you’ll get hot so quick in that.”

“Oh, you’re worried about me being hot?” Elsa teased, reaching back to touch Maren’s hips. “Then what do you think I should wear, Oh Great Firemistress?”

“You are such a dork,” she said, sneaking one last kiss. Maren searched through her girlfriend’s closet, working past her usual work clothes. “What about this? I’ve never seen you wear it?”

“Never the occasion. A navy sundress isn’t exactly lab attire?”

“Hmmm, well good thing we aren’t going to the lab,” Maren smiled mischievously. “For me?”

“Well,” Elsa smiled, tapping on her chin. “Only if you help me take this off?” she teased.

“Oh, that I can absolutely do.”

---

Kristoff paced nervously in the living room. He hadn’t been out in a while, much less going out with his ex-boyfriend and their group of friends. But this would be fun right?

“How long does it take to get dressed to go out? Elsa is a stickler for time,” Anna sighed sitting down on the ground, her back against the couch.

“Well I don’t know if you noticed, but my sister is also in there with your sister. We could be waiting a while,” Ryder teased, handing her a controller. “Might as well play.”

“Uck-” Anna said, taking the offered controller. “Don’t make me think about the fact our sisters might be boning while we’re home.”

“Hey, I don’t like it either! Why do you think I put on Mario Kart?”

Kristoff smiled. Even after all this time, Ryder made his heart flutter. He shook his head and pushed it aside. He couldn’t act on it. It wasn’t right. “You know we could just go bug them to hurry up?”

“And risk burning my eyes out? Fat chance,” he laughed. “You want in next round, Kris?”

“Sure, I’ll play winner.”

Maybe going out wouldn’t be so bad. He could let loose of it all, be whoever he wanted for a night. It would be good. It had to be.

---

Anna didn’t know what to expect when they arrived, but it certainly wasn’t the dance club they arrived at. She hadn’t heard much about it other than seeing it on the news when it first opened, but Anna hadn’t been much for clubbing when she had first come to the city. It was everything the old Anna would have loved: loud music, a large dance floor, and plenty of people.

She fiddled nervously with the bands on her wrist. She had to admit, the club was pretty clever. There were a set of bands for the gender you identified as and a second set for what you were looking for. It had always been a passive thing, something she and Elsa had talked about, but she never brought it out in public. She had been too vulnerable after Hans to try and deal with it. But wearing the bisexual bracelet made it real, powerful. She could be her true self with no limits.

The music blared an old pop song she couldn’t but dance to. She smiled, letting herself move freely towards the bar where Kristoff was sitting alone. “What are you doing here by yourself?” she asked with a little more gusto than normal. “You’re at a dance club, and you aren’t dancing!”

“I don’t have that kinda rhythm,” he laughed, sipping on his whiskey. “Go, I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Now,” she laughed, a bit giddy. “Come on, the song is called “Shut Up and Dance” not “Sit Down and Drink.””

Kristoff shook his head, downing the last of his drink. “You’re drunk.”

“Maybe...” she slurred. Her mind did feel a bit foggy, but it was a good fog. A happy fog. A fog she wanted to share with Kristoff. “Come on, please?”

Much to her delight, he joined her in dancing. Neither were particularly good, but they didn’t have to be. She danced against him, her back to his chest and breathing in his scent. Normally the musk of sweat and alcohol would have turned her away, but she found herself wanting to draw closer.

“Having fun?” he asked as her movements slowed. Her limbs were tired, and she just wanted to hold onto his warm embrace.

“The best,” she said, breathless. “The best because you’re here and it’s fun and it’s really really nice.”

She felt his chest shudder, but decided to ignore it. “Best because I’m here?”

“Mhm,” she nodded. “I know you’re sad about Ryder still, but you came and are having fun.” Her eyes opened wildly, gaze unfocused. “You are having fun aren’t you? I’m sorry. I’m so awkward. I’ll shut up and-”

“No, no,” he gave a small laugh that made her whole chest feel like it was about ready to burst. “Just not what I thought you would say.”

Her body relaxed again against him. “I’m glad you’re having fun,” she said, her eyes getting tired.

“You wanna sit down for a bit? Have some water?” He was holding onto her hand, leading her off the floor. She nodded slowly, letting him lead her to a chair. “There we go. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks, Kris. Love you.”

She didn’t watch as he walked away, didn’t notice or care how he reacted. She was happy and warm and a little drunk. Everything else could be taken care of in the morning. But for now, she would live in this one perfect moment.

#frozen #frohana #elsamaren #kristanna #frozen fanfic #my fic #adorable babies are adorable

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wildpawed · 4 years

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LAYER ONE : THE OUTSIDE

NAME: Sebastian Andrew Matthews EYE COLOUR: Dark brown ( can have a super lowkey golden aspect in certain lights ) HAIR STYLE / COLOUR: Dark brown, kinda curly and often left a mess to do its own thing because he really doesn’t care about being aesthetically pleasing HEIGHT: 6′2″ CLOTHING STYLE: He’s not the type to really care about clothes aesthetically, but he’s big on practicality. He has so few clothes I could probably give it is own headcanon but his standard outfit is a white tank top, a buttoned flannel and jeans ( often covered in grease and oil from mechanic work ) with steel capped boots. If its not that, he’s wearing super loose trackpants, a hoodie with whatever large band shirt and a pair of converse lace ups. BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE: His eyes. Bird or not, he’s trained them to be able to pick up the most minor details when given the chance to really observe an object or person.

LAYER TWO : THE INSIDE

FEARS: Being killed / eaten by the competition in the wilds ( which is super valid considering how he lives ), being forgotten about and not making an impact on the world around him in relation to his studies, which have basically become his life’s work. GUILTY PLEASURE: He doesn’t believe in guilty pleasures, but he gets really into hunting. He never kills for sport because he understands that all creatures, whether they be predator or pray, play their parts in the ecosystem and with human interference already posing many threats, he doesn’t want to mess around with anything else. BIGGEST PET PEEVE: Being ignored, being interrupted and spoken on top of and people speaking on behalf of him. His whole life pre-curse was basically all of the above and he really can’t handle that and will get a little yelly if it means that people will actually listen to what he has to say. AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE: To expand his knowledges on working on making that bridge between science and magic more clear, to be a good dad to his little ones despite the curse making all of the above increasingly difficult.

LAYER THREE : THOUGHTS

FIRST THOUGHTS UPON WAKING UP: To hunt. His day starts an hour or so before sunrise and his brain is mostly animal fronted, but after pushing past that thought his brain goes to his wife and kids and he helps out with them before going off to do the Bird Things. WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THE MOST: If it’s not his wife and kids and he’s not a bird, brain completely defaults to the sciences. He likes to be super stimulated and his thoughts often inspire experiments and hypothesis that he’ll eventually test out and I love that for him. WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT BEFORE BED: Bed thoughts are family time. He thinks about how lucky he is to have B and that she loves him despite how weird and awkward his life can be and he thinks about how he loves the little ones and while he’s just laying in bed with his wife is the most pure thing and its that real happiness for him. BEST QUALITY: His mind! Birdness aside, he has a perspective super different to everyone else and more often than not can help in situations by thinking of things that others probably wouldn’t.

LAYER FOUR : WHAT’S BETTER ?

SINGLE OR GROUP DATES: Single. Having time with B is honestly one of the most important things to him in the entire world and he Does Not Handle people infringing on that at all. TO BE LOVED OR RESPECTED: Both, he’d like to be loved as an individual by those he cares about and he would love to be respected as a scientist for the discoveries he’s made. DOGS OR CATS: Cats are a bigger threat to him ( can climb trees and generally be in high places like he can ) and dogs are noisy and require too much attention. When he was a teenager his family used two have three pets ( two dogs, one cat ) and he loved them, but now he’d rather much neither.

LAYER FIVE : DO YOU…

LIE: He’s often way too blunt to bother lying and beating around the bush and really would rather not, as he knows exactly how it feels to be lied to... but literally if its anything but keeping the supernatural as under wraps as possible, he really doesn’t lie and it would take one hell of a situation for him to even consider it. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: Absolutely. He’s survived this long in the wilds without anything but himself and he knows for a fact that not many people could. BELIEVE IN LOVE: As someone who got very little love from his father as a child, its a weird question... but after a lot of WANT SOMEONE: He has someone and she is his everything!

LAYER SIX : EVER BEEN …

BEEN ON STAGE: Not in the context of performing, but he used to have to be in front of people a lot when doing church things for his father. DONE DRUGS: Yep, but nothing too hardcore and alcohol ended up being his default for grieving when all that ish went down. CHANGED WHO YOU WERE TO FIT IN: Nope. Even if he wanted to, Vincent wouldn’t have let him, as that man is obsessed with image and he had expectations of his only son.

LAYER SEVEN : FAVOURITES

FAVOURITE COLOUR: He is big on earthy colours for his own clothing, but ( not to get all tumblr 2012 on you ) he loves the colour of the sky, especially on a nice warm day when flying is easiest. FAVOURITE ANIMAL: That’s kind of a weird question because what context are we talking? Like, honestly his brain leans towards what his favourite animal is to eat and if he were to answer that, he really likes squirrels ( eating them and also the challenge of the hunt ). FAVOURITE BOOK: He loves all science books honestly and is pretty much always found with one open with heaps of notes and little dogtails on important pages and stuff like that. FAVOURITE GAME: He’s not really a game person, but he loves sudoku, word finds, crosswords... and because he can’t enjoy things casually, he often times himself while doing them.

LAYER EIGHT : AGE

BIRTHDAY: 2 February AGE: 29 AGE YOU LOST YOUR VIRGINITY: 24 DOES AGE MATTER: Yes. He doesn’t have a reason for this one. Its just a preference for there not to be a big age gap.

LAYER NINE : PREFERENCES IN ANOTHER PERSON

BEST PERSONALITY: Kind, compassionate, open minded, honest BEST EYE COLOUR: He really doesn’t care for aesthetic things, but he loves Blaez’s brown eyes and the way the sunlight hits them and how wide and bright they are when she’s smiling BEST HAIR COLOUR: Again, not an aesthetically based person at all but he loves B’s black hair and the red streaks that are so iconically hers and how they frame her face, bringing attention to her beautifulness. BEST THING TO DO WITH A PARTNER: Nature walks ( both with he and B in human form or with him flying above and her running beneath him as a wolf ), learning about things B likes ( as she tries so hard to understand what makes him happy even though her brain struggles to dance with a lot of that stuff ), simple intimacies of little touches while watching watching something on TV or just being in each other’s presence. did he use this just to stan his wife endlessly? absolutely.

LAYER TEN : SENTIMENTS

HE LOVES: Nature, flying, his wife, his kids, sciences. HE FEELS: Apathetic to a lot of things, but cares really deeply about a lot of things, one needs needs to have the patiences of all the saints to try and get through his many, many Great Wall of Chinas to get through to him. HE HIDES: How much he cares about a lot of people around him, but his whole thing is self-sabotaging at this point, if we’re being really honest here. HE MISSES: His mother! Like, in general he misses her, but he misses her so much more because of the circumstances behind her death and all the trauma that’s related to losing her and... that’s a lot that he really hasn’t even completely processed and dealt with yet. HE WISHES: He kind of wishes he wasn’t cursed ( because it completely prevents him from having a mundane life ), but at the same time he absolutely refuses to go back to who he used to be because he sees his old self as something weak and completely unequipped to survive in the cruel ass world.

tagged by: stolen from @vorcotec tagging: @brothersgrim ( literally either bc this is A Lot and took me literally a few days bc i have the attention span of a toddler who’s had too much sugar ily ), @teardownheaven, @ofgrief, @asteriixa, @strxngernow, @crackedmxgic and literally anyone else who wants to !

#🌙 ; dash games

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sparda3g · 5 years

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The Seven Deadly Sins Chapter 309 and 310 Review

Chapter 309 Review

I want to apologize for the late review for this particular chapter. With the next chapter already released, I will run down as quickly as possible. The chapter covers the awkwardness of the Sins’ awareness of Meliodas, leaving from earth forever. Not only Meliodas had to endure the sadness from his friends, but Elizabeth had to endure to keep smiling while her friends cried for her. She did fight to prevent him from being the Demon King and stay in the realm for eternity. It was almost like she lost the battle, but it is what it is. It was a bit touching to say the least.

The one part that fans have been dying to know is the situation with Zeldris and Gelda, and thankfully, this chapter unveil it; however, it’s not all good news. The good news is Gelda is freed from the seal, just as Meliodas promised. The bad news is Zeldris is missing, assumed to be gone from Earth, whatever exactly that means. Just when she is back to roam freely, he gone missing. I do feel a bit sympathy for Meliodas since he feels guilty for the mess. I am glad that this series is acknowledging the faults or flaws of the characters; in fact, the next chapter even did it better, but let’s not jump ahead.

The most amusing moment is the big news at the castle. The King Bartra proposed Meliodas to not only marry Elizabeth, but inherit the throne as King; the easiest Game of Throne battle. It was the best time for Meliodas to break the bad news, but the awkward mood continues on. The real shock comes in when Elizabeth shares her thoughts. Not only she objects her father’s proposal but decides to join with Meliodas to the Demon Realm. Well, it’s not like she has any future at Earth, so it’s fine to chase after her man. I mean it could have been worse, like chasing after a man who tried to kill you and have nothing to offer back at your hometown. That sounds insane.

This was a good chapter that is slowly resolving everything there need to be addressed, though some will be missed; at least, that’s how it was progressing. “This is building up for a sad farewell to two beloved friends and I like it. I know the final battle wasn’t that great as well as anti-climactic in some regards, but the epilogue has been nice so far. Maybe a little too happy, but it is what it is. Now that Elizabeth and Meliodas are going away forever, the ending is going to be bittersweet, but heartwarming for the two who struggled for a very long time.”

Did you notice the quote? It’s there because in my early draft, I was going to address like that. The reason for keeping it there in quotes is to give you an idea where my mind was thinking at the time. The next chapter… shattered it into zillion of pieces.

Let’s begin…

Chapter 310 Review

The series is close to the end with the chapter’s title, “Farewell.” If that wasn’t convincing enough, the magazine also indicated that the series is at the climax; strongly suggesting the conclusion. It was a fun ride while it lasted. It’s the night before the day of departure. Elizabeth is getting ready to leave for tomorrow and Elaine wish her the best. It’s nice to see more of their friendship, which I thought it’s sweet. I remember the chapter where they talk like they have so much in common. It would have cool to see more teamwork from them, but their friendship is good. Elizabeth may not be cursed anymore, but her time on Earth is nearly over. It’s better than death, that’s for sure.

I like the scene with Hawk singing to the sky; the same song that his late brother sang. I thought it was charming for what it was, though it does play a part later on. Diane is still upset that her two close friends are leaving forever. I do hate goodbyes. Merlin details the Demon Realm, which sounds like hellfire; nothing like Dragon Ball’s interpretation of hell. Luckily for Elizabeth, she can survive there for being so holy. Even so, I can’t imagine me thinking, “This is right,” while living in practically hell. The best of luck to her.

I thought the following scene from the last chapter was skipped entirely, but it turns out it was saved for a flashback, but it does help out the narrative flow. Elizabeth is pure solid on embarking the life in the Demon Realm for all eternity (not literally), and she has no regrets. Like I said in my last chapter review, she has nothing left on Earth, so this is fine. Granted, it reminded me how one character decided to hop in a different timeline for a guy forever, but you know, if you have a new path with a bright future (irony), take it.

What makes the scene heartwarming and oddly rewarding, at least to me, is Meliodas’ regrets. While Elizabeth is ready to go to her new life, a bit irony, Meliodas has tons of regrets to go over. It was amusing at first with Meliodas wishing his future child to meet with Ban’s, and Diane and King wonder what about theirs. Someone jumping ahead of Meliodas’ future. It then becomes pretty sentimental with Meliodas admitting that he doesn’t deserve the good treatment, rather belong in hell. He even admitted how he was incredibly selfish to focus on Elizabeth over everything. It resulted Zeldris’ death, which confused me, as well as Arthur’, which also confused me. It’s probably just from his thoughts. Best to wait for confirmation like a grave.

The reason why I said rewarding is because the writing acknowledged the flaw of Meliodas’ character. For a while, I was annoyed by the hard focus on the romance, despite having its moments. I don’t hate nor dislike it, but the plot could’ve have that in the background, not the foreground. It’s as if the world can’t move without them getting together. I understand it’s Romeo and Juliet influence, but it doesn’t have to brush everyone aside. That all said, the fact he acknowledged his flaw does ease up the bumpy journey. The last thing I want is everyone think this is perfectly fine. Yes, it doesn’t repair the flaw entirely, but it salvaged enough from being a fatal one.

It does help with Sins reflecting all the good deeds Meliodas has done, even when his main focus was Elizabeth. There’s ups and downs in life, so Meliodas should be thankful for not only doing some good deeds but making great friends along the way. The captain couldn’t be anymore prouder to be with them. The Seven Deadly Sins is disbanded and sadly, it’s for good. This was a pretty nice last moment with the team. The series is really ending and although it was flawed, like what series isn’t really, I am going to miss it.

The day of departure is here with the portal to the realm placed in the isolated snowy field, and already feel like it’s truly ending. I’m expecting an epilogue (to an epilogue) such as a huge time-skip to finish the story in the next chapter, so I’m prepared for the closure of current timeline. I like the fact Hawk decided to go on a journey to Purgatory to see the life his brother lived in. It’s no wonder why he was singing last night; it’s a way to say, “His next path is set.” This is a nice sendoff.

What’s also a nice sendoff is Elizabeth’s. She smiled in front of her loved ones, but deep down, she was sad to say goodbye. It’s why she quickly turn around to leave. I respect that and despite my problems with her character, she has a good end. The whole scene feels good yet sad because once Meliodas and Elizabeth leave, the good old day is over. Meliodas says farewell and well, the series is almost over. That page got me a bit touched. It was fun while it lasted…

Now…

Imagine yourself in my position after reading my review. It sounds very crystal clear that I absolutely believe the ending is here and nothing will go wrong. This is the best place to play the theme song. Go play Pokemon theme song where Ash said goodbye to Butterfree. It has the same setup. If anything, just play the first theme song. Roll credit, because it’s over. Hell, play Avengers Endgame credit scene with awesome roll call graphic cards, because that’s how perfect the ending is. It’s set to end the series for good. You got that? Fantastic! Now then, play the song that played in that infamous episode of Game of Thrones called, “Red Wedding.” Why? Because this happens!

In my experience, I have been trolled by writers many times; whether it’s from an anime, manga, television show, etc. This has to be the best one so far; at least in the realm of anime and manga. Everyone I know bought it. I bought it. Nakaba trolled us; simple as that. He played us like a damn fiddle! I thought Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul’s “ending” was messed up; this takes it. Kubo of Bleach, you better return with a new level of troll. Now that I have cool down, let’s go over the positive.

To begin with, it’s not over. This is great for those who wants not only a better final boss, but a better endgame path. Next, the curse being destroyed is no longer the case as Elizabeth has freaking died in front of our eyeballs. First of all, that takes kintama to do that, so kudos to Nakaba. More importantly, the idea of easily removing the curse is redeemed because it’s still on. Let’s face it, many of you have bought it and hated it. Well, we got trolled in “The Seven Deadly Trolls” episode. Lastly, I said this line after the chapter ended, “Did Nakaba redeem himself?” Depend on the path, I’ll say he has created a second chance. I’m legit amazed. That gif with that guy with his mouth wide open and then applauding is worth using it here.

So, that was the chapter; a shocking one at that. It goes to show you: go to Kodansha to pull the best level of troll. Right, Isayama and Nakaba? But seriously, I was fine with the way it was going. All the indications for it to end were there. A new anime season to end the series, Nakaba’s declaration to end under 40 volumes, and the amount of hype for the climax from magazine and the editor’s note. All the LIES! As for the chapter itself, it was heartwarming and swell until the ending. I can’t believe I fell for it. Well, many of us did. What’s next? I don’t know, but I am really looking forward to it. We’ll see soon enough. In the meantime, I could only imagine Meliodas’ mind saying this line…

youtube

Go to 00:58 - 01:18

Have a good day...

#The Seven Deadly Sins #nanatsu no taizai #chapter 309 #chapter 310 #review #spoilers

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ryuzakisan · 6 years

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Yagami Light’s Biggest Mistakes

Before you start reading this, I want you to keep in mind that:

- My native tongue is not English. I apologise for all the mistakes I might have made.

- I don’t want anyone to get offended by anything I write, because I definitely do not hate Yagami Light. I will just be stating my objective opinions about him.

- It’s been a long time since I last watched the anime, so I might have remembered some things wrong. Please correct me if you notice anything like that.

- If you think I am wrong or there’s a detail I missed, please share them with me. Reading your opinions would be a pleasure.

- If you have anything to ask me about this article-kinda-thing or anything else related to Death Note, you can submit questions.

In my opinion, none of Death Note characters were %100 pure and innocent. Most of the characters weren't even the kind of people they claimed to be, especially Yagami Light and L Lawliet.

Who we will discuss about in this article is the main character Yagami Light. In the whole anime/manga, he had one ideology. To provide justice to the world full of rotten people by killing criminals and eventually become the God of the new world that he aspired to create. It, of course, wasn't the easiest thing to do. Even though there were lots of people who worshipped Kira already, there were also people who contemplated Kira's actions as crime and stood against him. As a result of that, Light had to deal with various hardships that came in his way in order to prevent from getting caught by his biggest enemy L, the greatest detective in the world who also considered himself as justice.

In the fight of the world's greatest detective and world's greatest serial killer, Light made multiple mistakes that caused him being L's number one suspect. These, in my opinion, were his biggest mistakes:

1) Killing Lind L. Tailor in the live broadcast:

He basically revealed that;

He lived in the Kanto region in Japan. (It was first told that the broadcast was live worldwide which probably gave Light the courage to kill Lind this easily but, in fact, L was planning to do the broadcast in every region of Japan at different times to find out where Kira could be living and he started with Kanto since it had the biggest population out of others, so that was basically a trap.)

He was able to kill from distance and (since there was no way Kira could be in the highly-protected studio) the only thing he needed, in order to kill someone, was to know their name and face. L proved how Kira kills for the second time after Lind’s dead body’s vision faded away, his signature appeared on the screen and he told that the person who had just died wasn’t actually him and challenged Kira to kill him.

The two clauses you have just read above were really efficient and helpful for L to find out who Kira could be. In addition to that, Light killing Lind also gave clues to L about what kind of a person Kira could be. He made sure that;

Kira was childish and certainly hated to lose, considering on how fast he could kill an innocent person (Lind was actually a high profile criminal who was sentenced to death) just because he stood against him and basically told him what he was doing was wrong and he was a criminal.

2) Changing the time of killings:

Since Light’s dad, Soichiro Yagami, was working for the police; Light had the opportunity of hacking their system and see how the Kira investigation went. By the help of that, he realised L already suspected Kira could in fact be a student considering on the victims he picked (they were mostly shown in the evening news) and the time period he chose to kill them. That’s why he decided to change the time of killings. I can’t say it was the best decision because when he did that, L:

Immediately noticed either Kira could have hacked their system or someone had been leaking private information about the case for some time.

The possibility of Kira being a student had increased since it definitely was abnormal for Kira to change the time of killings right after L had the suspicion.

NOTE: If my memory doesn’t serve me wrong, Light found out he could control the time of his victims’ death after he realised L was suspicious about Kira being a student. That’s why I definitely don’t think changing the time of killings was Light’s biggest mistake because he was so new at using Death Note and he still had a lot to learn.

3) Killing Raye Penber:

I can’t decide if Raye Penber’s death was necessary. When I think about it, it sometimes makes sense and sometimes it just doesn’t. That’s why I divided this part into two sections: Excuses for Light to kill Raye Penber and Why Light shouldn’t have killed Raye Penber.

Excuses for Light to kill Raye Penber:

After Ryuk told Light he was being followed by a stranger, Light immediately answered him saying whoever was following them was probably an agent and he would get rid of him as soon as he saw the agent’s face and found his name. For me, that was the second time his Kira self took over Light (the first one was when he killed Lind L. Tailor.) because there was someone who was after the person that was supposed to be the God of the new world and that person was trying to prevent him from providing justice.

He made a perfect plan not only to murder Raye, as well as murder all other FBI agents that were on duty of following the other suspects. He knew he would be under danger if he killed Raye only.

Why Light shouldn’t have killed Raye Penber:

After following Light for some time, Raye was not suspicious of him anymore. The last day of Raye following him was indeed when Light planned all the chaos in the bus just to find out Raye’s real name. Although the fact that Light couldn’t have known if Raye still doubted that Light could be Kira makes this clause certainly invalid.

Light never intended to kill his victims outside his room as long as it was necessary which means there was literally no way he could do something suspicious as Raye was following him.

Naomi doubted one of the suspects Raye was following could be Kira. Because, before his death, Raye had told her about what occurred in the bus and Naomi had some reasons (especially the criminal dying because of a heart attack) to think it could be something related to the case. After he died, she was sure that she was right about her thoughts. That’s why she immediately tried to communicate with L. If Light didn’t meet her by coincidence, he would surely be under danger. In addition to that, by killing Naomi, he put himself into a higher risk in my opinion. Even though she didn’t manage to communicate with L, it was later told to L that she tried and when she went missing, Light would have become the main suspect if L thought Naomi was murdered by Kira.

For me, by killing all the FBI agents, he confirmed that Kira was in fact one of the suspects, he was still able to reach information about the case and he would continue killing whoever comes in his way to stop him, which is surely opposite to his ideology and is just another proof that he is childish. Instead of killing the agents, he should have waited for Raye to be convinced Light was innocent and stop following him. Then he wouldn’t have to act inconsistent to his motive.

4) L’s test:

After “Ryuga Hideki” confessed Light that he was indeed L, he basically told him that he thought Light had a strong sense of justice, he had great deductive skills and because of that, he wanted to work together with him in order to catch Kira. However, before accepting Light to be a part of Task Force, L had to make sure if Light really isn’t Kira. These were at least what L said, nevertheless Light already knew L wasn’t genuine about any of that.

L eventually took Light to a cafe and showed him the pictures of what victims in jail wrote on the walls (Those writings were, for sure, a taunt to confuse L, but also a proof that Kira could control his victims’ actions before their death.) then asked him about his thoughts. Light, of course, found the secret message behind the notes immediately: L, do you know Shinigami loves apples?

Right after Light found the message, L showed him another picture which was fake and told Light that there was actually another note but Light acted like he knew there was three of them and never asked if they were the only notes that were left. In addition to that, the fact that Light kept insisting if there were three notes, his theory would be perfect did nothing but increase L’s suspicion about him being Kira. Plus, Light was the only person in the entire Task Force who could see things from Kira’s point of view and answer all of L’s questions easily and quickly.

In my opinion, instead of being competitive, he should have focused on his number one priority, which was obviously decreasing L’s suspicions on him and killing him eventually. So basically he should have played the stupid.

5) Calling Misa:

When Misa and “Ryuga Hideki” first met , she knew that “Ryuga” was lying about his name (because Misa had the Shinigami eyes) but she wasn’t aware that she was talking to L indeed. When Light realised that he could have used Misa and L’s unexpected meeting as an advantage to kill his biggest enemy, L had already collected enough evidence to prove Misa was Kira 2, which increased the possibility of Light being Kira 1.

Once Misa and her manager left, Light immediately called her to ask Ryuzaki’s real name. However Ryuzaki caught him, because he had stolen Misa’s phone when she was with them. So he was the one who picked up the phone and because of that, Light just made things even more obvious. Light, of course, couldn't have known Misa was going to be taken under custody for being the second Kira, although he should have waited for asking her for Ryuzaki's real name.

Thank you so much for taking your time and reading all of this. I hope you liked it! (:

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reylohasmyheart · 6 years

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Worst TLJ Take Smackdown: "Kylo's offer to Rey is satisfying because it shuts down Rey's I-can-change-the-bad-boy idea and proves Kylo is selfish and doesn't love her, what a good way of showing girls they can't help toxic men," or "Reylo was necessary because it's not realistic that a woman's first sexual experience be with a guy she actually loves or ends up with, Rey had to have a bad relationship with Kylo so she could learn to value the actually good men in her life." I'm facepalming...

Yeah those are both terrible takes! TLJ did a great job of deconstructing the myth that one person can save another, specifically that a woman can save a man and I LOVE that it did! But that doesn’t mean the movie is trying to say that Rey or the audience is wrong for hoping he’ll come back or believing in him. The point is just that he’ll have to do it himself, that trying to drag him back over the moral line is not a good or healthy thing for either of them, that redemption can be something we help each other achieve but not something we can ultimately accomplish for each other.

As for the other claim, the idea that a girl’s first romantic/sexual experience should be with a “bad boy” as a learning experience is so repugnant to me. I believe that anything, even bad experiences, can be an opportunity for growth if you do your best to learn from them, but to say that anybody should willingly seek out a toxic relationship as a necessary prelude to a healthy relationship is craaaazy. (What??)

And of course neither of these takes applies to Kylo and Rey at all. It’s insane to me that some people try to twist their dynamic into everything except what it actually is. If Kylo were just a horrible, manipulative monster whose only aim was to hurt, use, or hate Rey there would be no tension or drama and no conflict at all. Rey, and the audience by extension, would simply want him dead and it would have been a narrative failure on both his and her part that they didn’t kill each other when they had a chance.

His proposal and her subsequent rejection is a thrilling and difficult and narratively satisfying moment precisely because it is very complicated and not a straightforward effort on his part to make her be evil or to use her for her power. It’s interesting because it’s about two people loving each other on opposite sides of a line but being unable to agree on how they’re going to cross that line.

Kylo makes Rey a real, genuine offer of love and it is THE FACT THAT IT IS GENUINE that makes it all the more heartbreaking that it is wrapped up in destruction. Trying to pretend that He Doesn’t Care About Her At All And Is Just Trying To Use Her completely sidesteps the complexity of his offer and the entire danger of it. It’s dangerous not because it’s an offer of destruction- Rey has no interest in destruction- but because there is love right alongside it. The problem for her is how she is supposed to untangle that, how she is supposed to let go of what she wants- him- while rejecting what is, essentially, an unhealthy offer of power and destruction, which she knows she cannot accept and still be a good person.

This is a great arc for Rey and a beautiful and difficult moment. Choices should be hard; conflict should exist; and love paired with destruction poses a far more difficult and powerful problem for Rey than the problem of “hmmm he’s a manipulative monster who is using me for my power should i ACCEPT HIS OFFER???”. (

Rey rejects his offer because she is morally strong and good and hates destruction but the difficulty comes from the fact that she wants the love that is motivating the offer of destruction. She rejects him but with tears in her eyes and heartbreak on her face. If you try to say she doesn’t care about him you make her rejection not the brave and beautiful and difficult choice that it is- one that showcases her moral fiber, her strength, her purity of heart- but the easiest and most natural thing she could have done. You can pretend that a decision motivated purely by hatred and by the fact that it’s the right thing to do- in other words an easy decision- is somehow a more interesting narrative choice than a difficult decision that breaks your heart but that you still make because it is the right thing to do. But you’d be wrong.

If you don’t see that there is more going on between Kylo and Rey than is standard for enemies, you are reading the movie wrong. This isn’t about whether or not you “ship it”. If you miss the fact that they love each other (on some level, in some way- let’s not quibble here) or if you try to deny it and delude yourself into thinking it’s not there, you miss the whole point of this movie, the sequel trilogy, and quite possibly star wars as a whole.

[And I will NOT respect your opinion because it is an objectively flawed and bad interpretation of the movie. You are being a bad, unobservant, unthinking consumer of media and it’s clear that you should stop talking about star wars because you don’t know what you’re talking about.]

#asks #anon #reylo #tlj #sorry i kind of snapped!!!

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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15 Best James Bond 007 Games Ever

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After multiple delays, No Time to Die is finally hitting theaters in the UK and U.S., marking Daniel Craig’s final appearance as super spy James Bond, the end of an era for one of the more beloved 007s. It’s still too early to say in which direction the storied franchise will go next, but now is the perfect time to look back at the history of 007 in video games, especially as Hitman studio IO Interactive prepares to bring James Bond back to gaming!

Just like the films, some Bond video games are much better than others. There are a couple of stinkers out there, but also some all-time classics. If you’re looking to get an extra fix of 007 ahead of No Time to Die, these are the secret agent’s very best adventures on consoles and PC:

15. 007 Legends

2012 | Eurocom | PC, PS3, X360, Wii U

While 007 Legends is the most recently released Bond game, it also has some serious issues that keep it from placing higher on this list. You play as the Daniel Craig version of Bond re-living his past adventures. That sounds fun in theory, but seeing the current Bond and modern gadgets in missions based on Goldfinger and Moonraker never quite feels right.

Worse, the entire campaign feels more like a generic Call of Duty clone than a true 007 experience. While stealth is an option in most scenarios, it doesn’t even work that well. In a spy game! There are worse ways to kill a few hours, but there are also much better Bond games out there. All that said, this installment does provide a great tour of Bond’s greatest cinematic hits for newcomers and longtime fans alike.

14. 007 Racing

2000 | Eutechnyx | PS1

There have been so many amazing chase sequences in the James Bond films that a 007 game focused solely on driving seems like the perfect fit. The results, however, were pretty mixed. There’s a good selection of cars from the movies here (including the iconic Ashton Martin DB5), and when missions focus on just driving as quickly as possible, it’s a pretty fun game. More problems arise if you find yourself in any sort of combat situation.

The biggest problem with 007 Racing is just that it tried to do too much in a PS1 game. The technology wasn’t there yet. Make a new 007 Racing with a decent budget and it could top a list like this in a few years. But if you love Bond’s cars, this is the best way to get in the driver’s seat.

13. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

2004 | Electronic Arts | GCN, PS2, Xbox

The reason Rogue Agent is on this list is because it tried to do something new with the Bond franchise, even if it ultimately missed the mark. First, you don’t even play as 007. Instead, you’re an ex-MI6 agent with a cybernetic eye. That’s also why the game is called GoldenEye. It has nothing else to do with the movie, or the much better 1997 video game.

Putting aside the tenuous James Bond connections, Rogue Agent is a pretty typical first-person shooter from the era with a couple neat tricks up its sleeve. You can see through walls and deflect bullets with your magic “golden eye.” There was also a really solid multiplayer mode that was sadly taken offline years ago. If EA had just called it something else or not included the Bond connections, it would probably be much more fondly remembered today.

12. Tomorrow Never Dies

1999 | Black Ops Entertainment | PS1

The best thing that can be said about Tomorrow Never Dies is that it has a really great soundtrack. Of course it includes the classic Bond theme, and the movie theme by Sheryl Crow, but just minute-to-minute, the game has a lot of pumping tracks that would feel right at home in any film in the franchise.

As for the gameplay…it’s fine. Tomorrow Never Dies is heavily inspired by the shooting and stealth gameplay of Syphon Filter, but not quite as good. And Syphon Filter hasn’t exactly aged gracefully. At least the skiing and driving levels are pretty fun though.

11. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded

2011 | Eurocom | PS3, X360, Wii

Never say never again, but due to the complicated rights issues, GoldenEye 007 will probably never see an official re-release, even if it would certainly be welcomed by millions of gamers who grew up in the ’90s. Instead of dealing with legalities, Activision decided to just make its own version of GoldenEye with a modified story and Daniel Crag in the Bond role instead of Pierce Brosnan.

And Goldeneye Reloaded is pretty good, with lots of varied objectives and high production value. It actually feels like an authentic James Bond experience. There’s even a respectable multiplayer mode that channels a lot of what made the original game great. Still, the level design never quite reaches the heights of the N64 classic, and the AI is pretty bad in the single player campaign, which keeps this from being an all-time great Bond game.

10. James Bond 007: The Duel

1992 | The Kremlin | Sega Genesis

The Duel is a really ridiculous game, but also way more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Timothy Dalton lends his “likeness” to Bond for the last time as the secret agent infiltrates enemy bases with only his trusty pistol so that he can plant bombs and rescue identical damsels in distress. There are plenty of generic henchmen to shoot, but Oddjob and Jaws (apparently borrowing one of Dr. Eggman’s leftover boss machines) also make appearances.

Even though it feels a little by the numbers at times, the controls are tight and the 16-bit soundtrack is surprisingly strong. You could do much worse with a licensed platformer from the early ‘90s.

9. James Bond 007

1998 | Saffire | Game Boy

While everyone remembers Rare’s N64 Bond offering from the year before, gamers overlooked this gem for the original Game Boy. James Bond 007 is played from a top-down perspective and it was never even released in color, but Saffire still managed to pack a truer Bond experience into this tiny cartridge than many more technically advanced games have.

There’s an original story with plenty of humor and innuendo, the option to sneak around or use karate moves, and the studio even managed to include baccarat and the classic James Bond theme. This one is still well worth tracking down.

8. Blood Stone

2010 | Bizarre Creations | PC, PS3, X360

Blood Stone received a lot of hate from critics upon its release, but looking back now, it’s hard to understand why. The combination of cover-based shooting, melee combat, and focus kills that let you quickly dispatch enemies hold up really well. And Bizarre Creations, best known for the excellent Project Gotham Racing series, even threw in a few very fun (though short) driving sections.

Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are back to lend their voices to the game as James Bond and M respectively. With its excellent original plot, nonstop action, and high production values, Blood Stone is the closest thing you’ll get to an interactive Craig Bond movie.

7. From Russia with Love

2005 | Electronic Arts | GCN, PS2, Xbox

From Russia with Love is probably best known as the Bond game that brought Sean Connery back to the role for the final time. EA even got him to record some new dialogue, though Bond is still modeled off his classic ‘60s look. Between the presence of (arguably) the best Bond, a plot based on one of his most beloved films, and the use of the iconic jetpack from Thunderball (just because it’s awesome), From Russia with Love is pure fan service from start to finish.

The game isn’t completely true to the movie, though. Legal issues have plagued the Bond franchise for years and that meant some odd changes to the game’s story, with the villainous organization OCTOPUS replacing the movie’s SPECTRE. If the rights could be worked out now, From Russia with Love is begging for a modern remaster.

6. The World Is Not Enough

2000 | Eurocom | N64

Even N64 aficionados forget about the second Bond FPS released for the console. The World Is Not Enough takes a lot of obvious cues from GoldenEye, with similar missions and level layouts, plus a respectable multiplayer mode. But it also carves out its own identity with several new weapons and gadgets. The game also added voice acting — something that’s sorely missed when going back to GoldenEye now.

Does everything work here? Not quite. The AI is particularly weak, and it’s not the easiest game to go back to now, but at least it’s aged better than the movie it’s based on.

5. Agent Under Fire

2001 | Electronic Arts | GCN, PS2, Xbox

Agent Under Fire went through a really tortured development. It was first intended to be an improved port of The World Is Not Enough. Then, it was going to be more of a direct sequel to GoldenEye. Finally, it ended up as its own original project, and it still holds up pretty well, with some solid shooting mechanics and driving missions inspired by Need for Speed. It’s just unfortunate EA couldn’t secure the likeness of any past James Bond actors, so 007 ended up looking like Sterling Archer.

And while the multiplayer may not be the best a Bond game has ever seen, there are some great maps here, and thanks to the inclusion of bots, you can still fire it up today. There’s not much to dislike about Agent Under Fire, and EA only improved on the formula, the following year…

4. Nightfire

2002 | Eurocom | GCN, PS2, Xbox

Think of Nightfire as a much more refined version of Agent Under Fire. After taking a break from the last game, Pierce Brosnan provided his likeness for Nightfire (although someone else voices the superspy). The FPS levels are much more fun to navigate than its predecessor’s and require the use of tons of gadgets to complete. The AI puts up a real fight, too. The driving levels maybe aren’t quite as enjoyable as the ones in Agent Under Fire, but that can be forgiven when the shooting is this good.

The campaign is really short, but multiplayer has surprising legs, with eight excellently designed maps, a dozen different modes, customizable bots, and a handful of playable Bond villains from past movies. It could have been a huge hit if console gaming had online multiplayer at the time.

3. Quantum of Solace

2008 | Treyarch | PC, PS3, X360

Largely ignored at release, Quantum of Solace is probably the most underrated Bond game. It’s built on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare engine, which had just been released the previous year, so the shooting is silky smooth. But it also tried to innovate with melee attacks and a cover system that switches to a third-person perspective. The moment-to-moment gameplay is filled with the explosions and big set pieces that Call of Duty is known for. You don’t do much sneaking either, but that fits the grittier tone of the Daniel Craig movies.

It’s unfortunate that Activision went in a different direction with the Bond license after Quantum of Solace. This was easily the best of their offerings, and a Treyarch-developed sequel could have been something really special.

2. Everything or Nothing

2004 | Electronic Arts | GCN, PS2, Xbox

Everything or Nothing is notable for being the first big budget Bond game that actually tried to move the series out of the shadow of GoldenEye. The switch to a third-person perspective wasn’t revolutionary, but it did allow for much better stealth gameplay, plus the addition of rappelling and a neat spider robot. Everything or Nothing actually makes you feel like a superspy with an arsenal of cool gadgets at your disposal.

Even the obligatory driving sections are firing on all cylinders here, with one Road Rash-inspired chase sequence featuring Bond on a motorcycle that’s quite possibly being the best level in any Bond game ever. Everything or Nothing would be a fantastic template to follow for any developer looking to resurrect the Bond franchise in video games. (Talking to you, IO!)

1. GoldenEye 007

1997 | Rare | N64

Of course GoldenEye is still the best Bond game of all time. A half dozen developers have tried to outdo it over the last two decades and still GoldenEye reigns supreme. The funny thing is that nothing about GoldenEye should have worked. Licensed games were notorious for their poor quality in the ‘90s. Movie tie-ins released two years after a film has hit theaters are almost always shovelware. Plus, the legendary multiplayer mode was only added to the game just a few months before release. On paper, GoldenEye sounds like it should have been a massive disaster on par with E.T. for the Atari 2600.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

And yet, the final product still stands out as one of the greatest first-person shooters of all time. Yes, it’s a little rough around the edges now, and the frame rate really chugs along at times, but it’s still incredibly fun to complete objectives in classic levels like Facility or Train. Or just watch watch a mission completely go to hell, as you try to survive against a horde of guards who’ve cornered you. The replay value, with tons of unlockables for completing missions quickly, still outshines many modern shooters.

Then there’s the multiplayer with its near-perfect maps and endless options. GoldenEye 007 was the peak of multiplayer shooters on consoles in the ’90s, with its fast-paced shooting and excellent maps. Sure, it would be easy to make a much better looking and sounding Bond game now, but it’s hard to imagine any team could create something more innovative or more fun. GoldenEye 007 remains the undisputed king of Bond games.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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askmyboys · 3 years

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M o r e characters (they aren’t related tho!)

I really should keep up with posting my characters when their done so oop- here y’all go enjoy a good man and a bastard (derogatory) | Name: Gordon Goodman

| Nicknames: Gord, Don, or Gordo

| Gender: He/Him and They/Them

| Age: 30

| Height: 8’2”

| Species/Race: Unknown

| Hair Color: Bubblegum Pink (his hair is usually in a man bun or a ponytail)

| Eye Color: Black (his eyes are literally like googly eyes, the pupils are usually in opposite spots of each other)

| Skin Color/Body Type: He’s pretty pale and he’s VERY lanky and to be honest it almost seems like he hasn’t got any bones in his body the way he can bend, stretch, etc (another thing to note, a lot of his body is just,, l e g s- bigem legs fdjksljfd)

| Appearance: His main outfit is literally a rainbow one, he’s got a rainbow suit on, pants to match and even somehow rainbow looking oxford shoes (he got ‘em custom made) and imma tell you rn it isnt a soft/light/pastel rainbow, its fuckin FULL ON burn your retinas bright- But… If your eyes are sensitive to bright colors he carries around a certain case (it’s got his other outfit that he prepared just in case someone’s eyes are too sensitive and hurt by bright colors) his secondary outfit is a light blue suit vest with a long sleeved light pink shirt underneath it, his pants also match the undershirt and his shoes are pink n blue oxfords (he does wear a pink n blue bowtie as well, it's much more soft light almost pastel colors tbh) They don’t have any inhuman features honestly, no fangs, nothing the only thing inhuman about them is the fact they seem so toon like and can do many things humans just cannot. He also doesn’t have a beard or any sorta facial hair either (hes babyfaced p much)

| Personality: I’ll be blunt, Gordon here is 100% a himbo, he’s super sweet, kind, caring but not very intelligent- he’s got a heart of gold and a smol brain (sometimes he can actually say some intelligent stuff but then like not even a few seconds later he won’t even remember saying any of that) despite being so lanky he seems to be VERY strong as he can pick up very heavy objects that a normal human couldn’t, he can also fit and squeeze into places most people couldn’t thanks to this ability, honestly there’s not much to him backstory wise, he didn’t have no traumatic past or any trauma really! Sure, I mean, there have been people who have been mean n awful to him BUT he still treated them kindly even then, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body! Not cruel, not sadistic, not evil, none of that! He’s just a Goodman! (heh) a 10/10 boy

Who could do no harm to anyone, if they try to get physical with him he’ll legit just pick them up and hold them in a hug instead like “Shh! It’s okay, we don’t hafta fight…! I’m sure all ya need is a nice big hug!” but ye that’s about it for personality wise stuff.

| Side Facts: Likewise he has a lot of toon abilities, for an example- He has once pulled a flower out of his ear (which made his eyes rattle and roll around before falling back into place) and has handed it to someone, don’t worry the flower was as clean as it could be- It’s not only flowers though, he can pull anything out of his head essentially (bigger items though take a lot out of him and it’s a lot harder to pull those out so pls try to stick with smaller themed items) it’s not that he can’t because if he were determined enough he could pull something as big as a fucking sofa from his mind if he so desired ...but he’s never had to do that before- That’s p much his item summoning ability and how it’s done.

He’s super stretchy, flexible, and even moldable! He’s like a contortionist but probs without any limits whatsoever, he can bend, twist, etc- Hell, bc his body is mostly legs- He can legit without even having to balance on his hands just fall backwards to look at you, he usually has a grin on his face but with him it’s not spooky at all tbh- he’s just a bright, happy, outgoing and friendly dude! He loves to have a smile on his face but more importantly he loves to put a smile on others faces! Now that being said, he does understand sadness is a thing, anger, etc- And it can’t just magically go away, heck- while he doesn’t usually feel much anger- He does get sad sometimes himself! Even if he gives someone a hug, holds their hand, or anything he knows that won’t automatically make everything better or okay, he might be a himbo but if there’s ONE thing he understands it’s feelings and emotions ...Well he understands them to s o m e degree

He’ll be there for anyone who needs him though! If you want a hug he’ll wrap his arms around you! (if it's more of a snuggle, he’ll coil his arms around you ...pLEASE THO- remind him of how you have bones and your much more fragile than he bc he would never hurt anyone on purpose but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to accidents now does it?) or if you need someone to listen he’ll be happy to listen to you! If you need advice? ...H-He claims he’s not good at that but he has intelligent moments there sometimes but then he forgets what he says afterwards but he knows whatever happened it seemed like it helped so that makes him smile!

| Name: Darius Sullivan Gibson

| Nicknames: Dare, Sully, or Gibs

| Gender: He/Him

| Age: 39

| Height: 9ft (he IS hunched over a bit tho so he’d probs be 8’8” since he’s got them boots)

| Species/Race: uH- dEFINITELY NOT HUMAN FOR DAMN SURE

| Hair Color: Black (his hair has got a lil curly bit in front and that’s what I’ll give ya, a lil curly swirl jgfkdslfdj)

| Eye Color: Dark Green

| Skin Color/Body Type: Ghostly pale and he’s VERY large and wide, hims a BIG B I G man, this man is shaped like a fuckin B L O C K fghjdksljfhdk

| Appearance: His main outfit is a long black trench coat (a leather one) he usually doesn’t keep it buttoned either with a dark green turtleneck underneath it, he also wears a black ribbon tie and his pants match his turtleneck and he wears heeled black leather chelsea boots and he also wears a black cartwheel hat, he also wears fingerless gloves that match his turtleneck/pants. He has a fairly thick beard and sideburns (not really a long one but its just,, well, t h i c k) he has long pointed ears, multiple green tongues, some green tentacles (its that dark green shade, bright colors are b a d for him), and even a weird black tail that has a green fluffy bit at the end, and all his teeth are sharp but he has two particular sets of fangs top and bottom in his mouth that stand out more so than the rest of his teeth. And of course, he has sharp black claws as well (even though you can’t necessarily see it on his hands, his fingers are purely black, the best way to describe it is just pure dark energy lmao). And finally he doesn’t really have prominent scars but there’s scars LITTERED all across his body.

| Personality: Oof he’s baad, like- purely disgusting- literally tbh- He’s a smug, cocky, and arrogant bastard- He thinks EXTREMELY highly of himself, perhaps he has a God Complex even tbh- But also when I say he’s purely disgusting, this man smells like so many things and NONE of them are good- he’s also a murderer (it isn’t technically cannibalism but he does eat humans), he’s cruel, sadistic, and evil af- A bad bad slasher man, his favorite weapons are a cane, knives, or guns tbh- But then again those are just favorites- he’ll use ANYTHING he can as a weapon tbh, hell he’d pick up a random human and use them as a baseball bat to another- he’s also flirtatious but in a bad dark way, one example is he’ll flirt with you by literally stating how he’d love to just eat you up ...and you might think oh how sweet but um n o, he means it, just- come near him, stick your arm into his enclosure and see what happens hjfdksjdfks- you’ll be missing an arm-

Would easily use you like a lollipop tbh- oh god he’s gonna commit the b i t e of 87 hjfdkslkjdfs- he’s just, god he’s so awful- i wanna punch my own creation but he could easily defeat me and he would tbh, he’d be the one to challenge and fuckin kill god, there can be o n l y one fjkdclsjkd there is no tragic backstory btw, he’s straight up just a slasher, murders because he thinks its fun and everyone is so weak and pathetic compared to him!

There is no “befriending” this man, BUT… If he does grow “fond” of you then you’d more than likely be nothing more than a mere pet to him and nothing more or a possession even but if you're in his possession, a pet of his… You’ve definitely got the b e s t protection you could ever get in your life ...Well from ANYONE else, from him though? I mean, it's still risky, he IS a killer so just bear it in mind okay?

| Side Facts: Another thing he’d do, bc he smokes a LOT of cigars and I mean a l o t, he’ll legit bend down JUST so he can blow cigar smoke directly in your face, he also might put a cigar out using your head while also calling you a good little ashtray ...the more I talk about him the more I,, hate my own creation- i hate him purely and wholeheartedly

He lives in a place called Shademoor City and more specifically on a street called Brinewood, his street is definitely one for the not so nice ones of the city, like the further you go and closer you get to Brinewood St the more grotesque and nasty everything looks, and his “home” well it’s sorta more like a hideout area- He probs does have a mansion somewhere bc he uh he I S a rich man, what he did/might be doing to earn said money? ...Eh don’t worry about it- but if he does that mansion is EXTREMELY far away from Brinewood Street.

He’s more so a night owl but very rarely will you actually see him in the daylight, the nighttime is just the easiest to strike at, after all- it's so easy to hide within the shadows, hide in the alleyways and wait for unsuspecting prey to walk by.

He has a black cane with a skull on top of it and fun fact, it’s not just a cane haha fuck youuu!! Its also a SWORD B I T C H! (to him, swords are just bigger and fancier knives, either way, it still kills the victim!)

#my ocs #original characters #Gordon Goodman (a good man!)#Darius Sullivan Gibson (Bastard: Derogatory)#my own characters #ocs

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briteboy · 7 years

Photo

MORE ASKS I’VE BEEN IGNORING!!!!!!!

GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT

P.S. ALL OF U WHO SENT ME THE CHAIN THINGY ILYSOMUCH

Why is her step-douche such a foken piece of shit? omg i hate him

some mysteries are never meant to be explained tbh. why is he so ugly and evil? who wronged him? but also who cares he’s in jail forever now good riddance ugly

I know this is probably really bad, but after I saw the newest molly posts, I thought of that video where the little girl is yelling "MISS KEISHA, MISS KEISHA, oh my fukin gosh she fukin dead"

OMFGFD I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THAT VIDEO WAS SO I JUST WATCHED IT AND I’M LAUGHIN

i don’t blame u i bet when it happens i’m gonna be like “u know she ded”

(To the previous anon) i agree with you so, so much! In Poland, these dumbass politicians are letting shooting pregnant bisons (?? Im not sure how they're called) become legal. Like BITCH WHAT. Can you imagine??? A fucking pregnant lil' cow getting shot????? I feel Molly's pain on an emotional level rn (sorry if this is too nsfw, just needed to get that outta my system...)

i think this was in response to someone saying that hurting pregnant women is one of the worst crimes but um WTF shooting animals at all makes me itchy but pregnant ones..............nah that’s......nah

it’s ok get it outta ur system i’m here 4 u

the first thing I check in the morning is your account.... you have me whipped! ;|

OMG WHA LMAO REALLY that’s wild. i feel like i’m the only one who looks at my page which is dumb but like idk i still feel like a little kid that no one cares about lmao. but then you guys exist and amaze me with your responsiveness every day and i just ;____________; ily all

hi Sunny. first of all i'm gonna say i love your story and your editing style so much! your blog is goals like literally. i need an advice if you don't mind. you always find such amazing angles for your pictures while mine are so boring. any tips or tricks you can share?

HI thank you so much ;-; sooooo i’ve been thinking about this question the past couple of times i went in game, trying to figure out how to describe how i take pictures. for one thing i live in tab mode lmao. meaning you press the tab button on your keyboard to go into camera mode and get all these sexy angles and super zoom and stufffff. i almost always zoom in super far idk why. so there’s one tip. i honestly just play around with going up and down with the q and e keys (i think?) until i find angles i like. i take a lottttt of pictures with so many different angles just so i have a lot to choose from. basically i try to focus on different things in each picture in order to get a mix of the most diverse and dynamic shots possible. you just need to experiment and get creative. i know that’s the most vague advice ever but really just try a new angle that you’ve never considered before and i bet you’ll get cool results. an interesting setting is also the biggest factor, because certain objects and their placements will give you interesting results.

i honestly want to print out your reaction pic to that one post and just hang it on my wall, put it in my heart locket necklace, stamp it on people's faces, start an email thread with it. i love it.

an add on to the last ask i sent about your reaction pic. i've been looking at it religiously since it was posted, and i dont regret a minute of it. LMAO I'LL STOP NOW.

SAKJDLJKGKSDAF STOPPPP LMAOOO i looked so ugly but that was my pure unadulterated reaction to that question and i trust you all to not judge my ugliness and instead share this reaction with me. i’m glad u liked it that much, i just printed it out and i’m cutting it into a small heart to put inside ur locket ok

everytime i hear cigarette daydreams by cage the elephant i think of a serious case of the novembers like its so fitting and then i get all emo when i listen to it lmao rip

OMMMMGGGGGGG YESSSSS how have i never made that connection before honestly. cage the elephant is one of my faves and i’ve seen them perform twice actually!! i’m watching the music vid for that song now and even that reminds me of my story ;-; i cry

thank you for sending this, and also i cry @ the fact that you used the actual title *dies* now this song is gonna make me emo til the end of time thx

i might sound like some crazy stalker fan but i just want to say you are so freakin awesome and nice and funny and cute and (i can go on forever) so caring! i love your blog so much and all the hard work and care you put into all your posts and followers. thanks for making my day and making me smile so much. you have no clue how much i look forward to seeing your posts and your hilarious hashtags and answers from asks and AMAZING story posts. im sorry i just wanted to let you know ur awesome ily

OFMG WHAT!!!!!! I AM ONLY AN EEL!!!!!! but no you don’t sound like a crazy stalker, i actually love this, you’re too sweet, thank you ;-; i’m just blushin so much reading this omg. YOU EVEN LIKE MY TAGS WOW that’s true love. ily ;-; <333

how do you get your sims' facial expressions to line up with your scenes? I feel like my sims' faces are never right :(

tbh i just use a lot of the same neutral poses...my go-to’s are @helgatisha‘s poses lol. they’re the easiest to work with when i do just plain talking scenes, and often i tweak my sims’ eyebrows and mouths with the liquify tool if i want them to look a bit more concerned, sad, mad, happy, etc., it works like a charm!! i also tend to play around with angles, you’d be surprised how much a different angle can enhance a scene.

Hey smol bean, I'm sent you an ask and now I feel bad that it probably made you feel anxious because you didn't answer it. It was the one about you not liking my posts, I have anxiety too so I'm sorry If I made you feel sad. I think I'm just looking for validation from people I look upto you get me? Anyway sorry again, don't worry about it! Love you!

hiya bb, i know you saw my answer to your original post (and i’m sorry it got some negative attention, i didn’t mean for that to happen by any means) anyway don’t sweat it, and i really appreciate this follow-up message. you didn’t make me feel sad, i just wanna know what i can do. it’s just a hard question y’know. i understand what you mean, i think everyone wants validation to some degree. tbh you can just come off anon and message me, i promise it’s not as nerve-wracking as it seems! ily

How did you make Santi's tattoos? I want some like that for my Sims but idk how to do it

boop

I HAVE A FEELING THAT MOLLY IS GOING TO DIE DURING THE BIRTH OF THE BEAN OR IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HER STEPFATHER FINDING OUT ABOUT THE BEAN

WELP U WERE RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING

how did you make your characters page on your blog like that?

uoohhh like what?? i used this theme (monolog) if that’s what you mean aheh. here’s a guide on how to use custom page themes

okay so THIS IS MY THEORY: they might keep the baby and molly might actually carry it to full term, but then the kid dies in childbirth and either molly also dies or maybe kills herself or gets killed later? or maybe she's still alive but just won't speak to santi anymore cause she like can't look him in the eye after all of that or idk?? since ppl were sending theories i wanted to add mine lmao. another possible theory is that the stepdad finds out and kills her but thats TOO DARK omg

TOO DARK U SAY...WELL!!! it’s not AS dark as you guessed but only marginally

If Molly turns out to be alive and raising their kid alone (though from what I'm seeing in response to most questions I think that may not be the route) am I allowed to slap Santi (unless Molly didn't give him the option to help) because raising a child alone is not easy I've watched my mom do it for years.

YEAH i would give you permission to slap him lmao he would be a grade A piece o’ shit if that were the case. i would never ever write that tho because santi does own up to his actions if they’re that detrimental. his altruistic nature, no matter how backwards, would never allow him to do that.

There will be complication with the abortion so she will not be able to carry a baby anymore and she's going to kill herself OR her step dad is going to find out and he'll beat her to death. And in both situation Santi his blaming himself because he wasn't there at the right time... Okay I really really hope I'm wrong now !

I don't even follow your story very closely but every time I see your posts my heart hurts.

OMFG...that’s how u know the pain is real

but like wow my stuff is really so visceral that even my apathetic followers can feel the hurt...that’s real...that’s real my guy

omg!! you should 100% play or at least watch a playthrough of life is strange! legit the best game ever made, its so beautiful. the storyline kills you a thousand times over (much like your beautiful story) <3333

yaaaa i’ve heard lots of good things about it!! my bf played it actually, maybe he’ll revisit it again someday and i’ll watch him do it (i’m only a fan of video games if i can watch them like a movie lmao) thank you btw <3

I am shook and I worship you and your story and you are amazing WOW BYE

WORSHIP LMAO WHAT!!! PLS I AM UNDESERVING...ily tho don’t worship false gods

Do you let Molly and the younger versions of your characters frolic around your main save or do they have a separate one?

UM YES LMAO because i didn’t even know you could have separate saves until after i started the flashbacks lmao i’m...a noob. i don’t want separate saves anyway because 1) it’s too much of a hassle switching back and forth and 2) it gets too confusing for me and i’d be afraid of overwriting one save with another and NOPE too much anxiety for that soooo yeah there’s three santis in my game: child, teen and adult lmfao (fun fact: teen santi’s name is literally just Lil Santi)

I made it to my senior year with 6 A's and 1 B ... Be proud of me too? 😂 Lmao I told this to people and some of them were just like .. okay cool?! LMAO it's so funny but also kinda sad

I AM PROUD OF YOU TOO!!!!!!!!! my smart childrens

“okay cool” UM PLEASE that’s a feat...at my school if you got an A in a class in senior year you were allowed to be exempt from the final. so yeah that rules. ily

#nonsims #saviorhide #anonymous #THEY ARE DONE #FINALLY #EXCEPT WCIFS LOL DON'T...don't hate me #i try

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justbeingbrookee · 7 years

Text

I JUST WANT TO DO IT PT.8

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 9]

Can also read on AO3

Word count: 9,788

———

What is love?

Hm, the easiest answer would be Park Jimin. Right? No….

Love is a word that everyone knows but no one can truly explain. Most of us can even say it in multiple languages, Sarangae, Amour.

You google the meaning of love and this appears ‘a strong feeling of affection.’

Well that was a great help in deciphering your new feelings for Jimin, not! You sit up on your bed, then lay back down before rolling around and placing the covers over your head. You have never been more confused about anything in your entire life. Even picking a University was easier than this.

Then you remember his eyes, the way they twinkle when he looks at you, the way your heart reacts so strongly to his presence. Jimin is the most beautiful person you have ever seen in your entire life but not just on the outside, his soul is beautiful too. The kindness in his heart and how pure his soul is just makes you melt. He makes you feel more confident about yourself, more like a woman deserving of a man’s love. You shiver just imagining his soft touch running down the spine of your body. His feathery kisses running up your inner thigh.

He gives you butterflies every single time you are with him and he just makes you excited, you feel giddy again like you are about to go on the scariest, tallest most thrilling rollercoaster ride ever. He makes you feel whole like before him there was a part of you missing, something you can live without but once in a while that empty feeling will creep in. Before Jimin there was nothing in the world that could fill that emptiness until that day on the stairway when you met Jimin and everything changed, the emptiness fully disappeared. Even now just thinking his name makes you smile, it makes your heart race and it’s addictive. You can’t and don’t want to imagine a life without him and surely that’s what love is, right?

But how can there be love without trust…

You remove the covers and sit up. Your heart sinks just thinking about the deceitful things you have done. Playing two guys, having sex with two guys…You bite your nails, a habit you haven’t done since you were a child and blankly stare across the room.

‘It’s already done, you can’t go back,’ you tell yourself. How you move forward is what is important now. With more lies or finally with the truth?

You exhale.

You have to tell him the truth, both of them and then hope that your love is strong enough to withhold this bumpy ride.

Lalalalala

Speak of the devil

“Hello,” you answer too excited.

“What are you up to?” you hear a bored Jimin on the phone.

“Just rolling around all lonesome like in my bed,” you respond joyous and giddy just from hearing his angelic voice.

“Hm, why does that sound so good right now?”

“Wanna join me?”

“Don’t tempt me, I might just walk out of here, work is so boring right now. Someone messed up the design samples and I have to redo them before tomorrow morning.”

“Aww, does that mean you will be doing an all nighter?”

“Why would you miss me so much that you won’t be able to sleep?”

“Ha, yeah right,”

“Whyy you always lying, MmmmOhMyGawdd” he sings through the phone.

You recall the meme and can’t help but laugh at his silliness … why do I love this dork again?

“Stop acting like a Loser, Park Jimin,” you grin and he lets out a small laugh.

“You know I like it when you say my full name.”

“Park Jimin, Park Jimin, Park Jimin,” you repeat for no apparent reason. (Is this foolishness a symptom of love, if so I am so screwed.)

“I love you,” he quickly says in a low serious voice over the phone. The thing is he speaks those three words with such vigorous confidence as if their equivalent to saying Hello but to you it’s not equivalent, it hit’s you hard. Like a boulder crushing a tiny ant, you stop breathing for a second. As these strange yet pleasant feelings that those words bring, warm your cold heart. He loves you, you repeat those words in your head once more.

But since you can’t bring yourself to say those words just yet you say the first thing that comes into your mind.

“I will cook you dinner,” the words are out of your mouth before you can even process the magnitude of what you have just said. ‘I will cook you dinner,’ the fuck, you can’t even cook toast. Okay, well maybe that’s a massive exaggeration but you get the gist.

“What, well now I like the sound of that,” Jimin says sounding happier, more alive. You hear him shuffle through the phone (sitting up perhaps).

“I knew calling you would cheer me up, it will probably take me an hour and a bit to finish everything up here and then I will come home.”

“Please, don’t get too excited,” you try to lower his expectations.

“__ don’t worry anything you make will be fine.”

“You promise, Jimin,” you ask searching for some reassurance because you haven’t done this in a while but for Jimin you will try. If you don’t kill him or give him food poisoning the dinner will be a success.

“I promise, okay, let me finish this up, I’m feeling hungry already.”

You say your goodbyes and hang up the phone and curse your big stupid mouth.

-----

You go into the kitchen and rummage through the little food you have. You decide to make spaghetti Bolognese as that is the easiest, quickest meal you can make with a ray of confidence that you won’t burn it and he might actually…(might being the strong word here) enjoy it.

You start by placing the dry spaghetti in the pot now full of boiling water and you close the lid and let it cook. Whilst that cooks you start chopping the onions, garlic, carrots and celery sticks before placing a pan on the hot cooker and putting the whole packet of beef mince inside, you let it simmer then place everything inside.

You carry on cooking your meal whilst biting your bottom lip, what if he doesn’t like the food and deems me a terrible cook, hence a terrible girlfriend….wife…everything…. you shake your head in disillusioned horror. Jimin isn’t like that you convince yourself.

After finishing up with the cooking you turn everything off and go into the bedroom to change. You decide to wear something comfortable (since you are inside the house) yet cute because you know this is the courting or pursuit stage of this relationship. So you decide on wearing a cute blue dress shirt with big orange lace details at the front. As if the left side of the dress shirt has big orange shoe laces on it.

You put on a tiny diamond bracelet on your right arm and fluff up your hair and call it a day. Good thing as well because just as you were getting up you hear a knock on the door and a massive smile spreads across your face.

His here.

You open the door glee with joy, so much so that you lose any form of control you had and leap into his arms as if it’s the most natural way to greet someone. You wrap your legs around his waist as he stumbles back trying to find his balance. Shocked and amused at your level of excitement he smiles. You place your hands between his handsome face and just take in this view. Your eyes are fixated on his messy brown hair parted in the middle down to his perfectly shaped dark eyebrows but when they land on his bright soul baring hazel eyes you fall into a trance, you want to soak up this moment…just for a few more seconds you want to imprint this memory in your brain forever so that you never forget how his eyes are looking at you right now. Filled with patience and warmth and how his skin glows against your gentle touch and the way his lips are pressed together in a beautiful heart shape.

You reach down and kiss him, whilst overwhelming yourself for no good reason. It’s then, amidst feeling the wet and warmth of Jimin’s lips against yours that you decided that tonight would be the night you would tell Jimin everything, the whole truth about Jungkook. You break away from him and smile before saying “You ready to eat?”

You serve him a plate of the food you cooked and wait for him to take a bite. He does and you watch his face closely, looking for any signs of his opinion on your food. You find none.

“Do you have any salt?” He raises his head to face you and your heart sinks sharply.

Shit, how could I forget the salt?

You pass the salt shaker to him quietly already defeated. I can’t even remember salt, the basic ingredient to any meal, shoot me now. You think completely over this meal… this night. You just want to sleep already.

You sigh deeply and grab your plate before sitting in front of him and eating quietly.

“Hmm,” he says.

And you slowly raise your head and look at him from under your lashes. You don’t dare talk.

“Oh, this is really nice,” he takes another bite and you realise that he has already eaten half of the contents on the plate.

Is he being truthful or not right now, you make a face and watch him closely. Still not daring to say a word.

He licks the sauce off his succulent lips and takes another bite.

“hm, this is probably the best spaghetti Bolognese I have ever had,” he says scraping the last piece of food on the plate and giving you a big grin.

Your heart starts to flutter and you start cheesing so hard you cover your mouth with your hand and look to the side in an attempt to hide the immense joy his words are giving you. Ohh snap, he actually likes my cooking, *you internally squeal* does that mean I’m girlfriend, no fiancé…no. Wife material. Ahhhh, your brain goes into overdrive.

You literally have an episode inside your head whilst Jimin just stares at you in awe. He really fell in love with a cuckoo bird didn’t he? He silently laughs to himself.

After you finish your meal you put the plates away and come back to the table.

“Come sit here,” Jimin says patting his lap. You go over to him without any objections in fact you lightly skip over into his lap and then place your arm around his shoulders.

“I have something for you, close your eyes,” he says bending down sideways to retrieve something from his bag.

You do as you’re told and close your eyes shut. All you can see is darkness but your other senses suddenly heighten. The sweet peach like smell oozing from Jimin hits you then and you enjoy the pleasing smell so much that you shuffle a little bit closer. You then hear him place something small like a box maybe?..... on the table.

“You can open your eyes now,” he softly whispers into your left ear.

You press your lips tightly and freeze for a minute, letting the anticipation build up. What in the world could he have gotten you? Then you open your eyes slowly and spot a….

Beautiful blue little box with a white ribbon around it. You slightly lean in and read the black inscription that says ‘Tiffany & Co.’

Your eyes bulge out and a large gasp comes out. No…noo…no you shake your head. Refusing to believe this is happening. You’re not really a jewellery kind of girl, especially not the expensive type. So much so that if someone was to name all these expensive brands you would probably not know any of them but THIS little blue box you know….Every girl knows what this little blue box means.

Your bottom lip starts gaping up and down as your mouth refuses to close. Jimin wouldn’t, it’s only been 5 months…then your mind remembers Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, they were together for three months before he proposed….But their divorced now so no….NO. You finally turn to Jimin and you see him trying to hold back a laugh.

“What…is…this?” You squint your eyes not trusting him one bit.

“Open it and see,” he leans back as if he has just handed you a packet of crisps.

This can’t be what I think it is, if it is an engagement ring then boy, I’m saying no because he needs to go down on one knee and say all the mushy shit about how much he loves me and wants me to be his wife.

You pick up the light blue box gently before pulling off the white ribbon and slowly removing the lid.

You see a single gold key. And you instantly let out a deep breathe.

Then you hear a loud angelic laugh, it fills the whole entire apartment.

“Oh my gosh, you are too funny, you thought it was an engagement ring didn’t you?” Jimin leans back and then curls into a ball before slapping his leg still in a fit of laughter.

“You FUCKING SHIT,” you turn around a hit Jimin on the shoulder.

“Oh man, you should have seen your face, I honestly wish I had a hidden camera in here.”

For some reason, you don’t find this funny. You look to the left and then to the right, still missing the punchline of this joke.

You drop the box onto the table and stand.

That laughter quickly stops then.

“Playing with my emotions isn’t funny Jimin,” you sulk.

His soft hand slowly caresses your left hand.

“I’m sorry,” he says whilst wrapping his arms around your hips and pulling you back down into his lap.

You turn your head to the left not ready just yet to forgive him.

He picks up the opened little blue box and places it in front of you.

“I mean it, I didn’t mean to play with your emotions, can you forgive me?” he apologises in a sweet and sincere voice. Well, how can a girl still be mad after that?

You face the box in his hand and look at the shiny gold key.

“Hold on what’s this key for?”

Jimin smiles “I was going to give you this, my apartment key so that you can come and go whenever you like because what’s mine is yours. I also had it engraved turn it over.”

You pick up the box from his hand and flip the key around and read what it says ‘You hold the key to my heart - jm’

“Why are you like this Jimin,” you hurriedly turn around and plant aimless kisses all over his button nose, cheeks, lips… “Huh, why do you make me so emotional, my heart is about to explode.”

You kiss him on the lips again. “Will you take responsibility if I die because of an overwhelming amount of love, huh?” You look up trying to push back the tears, no but seriously why am I so flipping emotional lately?

“Come here (he brings you in for a nice embrace) there’s no such thing as overwhelming amount of love, I love you *he pauses for a moment* I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you, crazy huh?”

“Not crazy at all,” you respond in a timid shy voice. For the first time truly understanding that Jimin himself is feeling the same way you are feeling right now.

You are about to tell him that you love him back but then he whispers something in your ear “Check underneath.”

There was a silver little container around the key that you carefully lift up and then you gasp again.

“Awee, Jimin,” you squeal looking at the beautiful earrings. There are two thin and long silver earrings each with a pink pearl at the end.

“You like them?” He asks modestly.

“Like them, I love them, Jimin you didn’t have to, aww.”

“And I already have a special occasion to wear them at, our company is having a special ball because we have a new CEO, I was wondering if you wanted to come… as my date?” You give him a wide grin and a cheeky wink.

“Well how can I say no to that wink, when I can’t even wink.”

“Whyy you always lying,” you sing and Jimin goes into another fit of laughter.

“I seriously can’t wink,” he protests.

“I have seen you wink Jimin.”

“Look, look,” he closes his right eye a little bit too hard and then you start giggling. “Ohmygosh, you idiot, what was that, haha.”

“I’m crying, literally because of you Jimin,” you wipe a little laughter tear away from the edge of your eye.

“When is this ball?”

“Erm, Thursday next week.”

“hmm, yeah, I think I can make it,” he says.

“You can,” you respond very excited, you nuzzle your nose on his button nose.

At the end you never get a chance to tell Jimin that you love him and you clearly don’t get a chance to tell him the truth about Jungkook. You decide that maybe after the ball you will let him know everything but as of now there’s no harm in just appreciating a few more precious moments whilst enjoying the blissfulness of this new found love.

------

Thursday couldn’t have come any sooner, all everyone can talk about at work is the ball. Everyone who is everyone is going to be there, people from other accounting firms, business moguls, a few politicians and some heavy weights in the tech industry. If there was ever a place to be for networking, this ball would be it.

Everyone was allowed to leave an hour early in our team and you were all relieved, you had already bought your dress and had already painted your nails with a sexy yet subtle grey colour. You had even text Jimin to double or more accurately triple check that he was definitely coming and of course he was.

Tonight was going to be perfect, like Cinderella going to the ball except you were an independent grown woman who didn’t need no prince to help find her glass slipper. Whilst thinking of glass slipper’s you decided to match your sleeveless navy blue midi dress that had intricate patterns with some cute pointed black heels that had a thin black ankle strap.

An hour before you and Jimin had planned to meet up you have finished putting on your make-up and had parted your hair to the side with a low ponytail and a strand of hair curling down the left side of your face. You are going for the stunning yet smart professional look. You then put on your black bra since the top part of your dress is sheer black lace. And as you’re doing so you brush your hand on your left breast and it slightly feels tender, you press both your breasts and something feels different, you look down and push your boobs together. They feel heavier or is it just my imagination. Hm, you decide since it’s almost that time of the month and you haven’t gone yet and that’s probably the cause.

You push that thought to the back of your mind and start getting dressed and glammed up.

You feel so ecstatic tonight that from the point Jimin knocks on your door and you see his handsome angelic face smartly dressed in a matching navy blue suit you just go into cloud nine. Nothing could possible ruin this night.

And it is perfect.

From the moment you arrive at the venue you are in awe at the extravagance of everything. The white majestic building, the sheer number of foreign expensive cars probably carrying multi-millionaires. Even when you enter the beautifully decorated high ceiling building and spot the waiters holding crystal and champagne glasses and different coloured ball gowns twirling around the dance floor. You just melt and soak in this beautiful atmosphere.

“__,” you turn your head as you hear someone calling your name.

It’s Judy, you sigh and force a fake smile.

“Hi, Judy,” you say as she reaches were you and Jimin are standing. You haven’t even been here for 5 minutes, she is not going ruin your positive vibes you tell yourself.

“Oh, who’s this lovely man next…” Judy pauses mid-sentence almost salivating at the presence of Jimin. A part of you can’t even blame her, he is a rare beauty.

So you just smile and introduce them.

“Judy this is Jimin, my date. Jimin this is Judy we work together”

“Ah,” is all Judy manages to say as Jimin reaches out to shake her hand. You see her cheeks turn slightly red and try really hard to not laugh.

“Where’s your husband Judy?” you ask and her dagger eyes quickly shoot up at you. Was I not supposed to ask that? Oops, you grin.

She presses her lips together before saying “He wasn’t feeling too well….I better let you guys mingle, bye,” and she’s gone.

“Well that was interesting,” Jimin says after she leaves.

You shake your head and try to forget that just happened. “Do you want a drink?”

“Yes please.. *buzz* oh, hold on wait,” and he reaches down to check his phone before letting out a swear word under his breath that only you are able to hear. You look at him concerned.

“Is everything okay?”

“I have to go.”

“Oh!”

He types something fast on his phone and then lets out a deep breath.

“I really have to go, some stuff at work, it’s like they can’t even run the place without me.”

“yeah…okay,” you mouth in a barely audible deflated voice. It’s like de javu. You look down slightly disappointed.

“Look at me, please,” he whispers moving closer and placing his tender hands over yours. You lift your head but your eyes dart around everywhere else but on Jimin.

“You’re mad aren’t you, you can hit me, here hit me,” he turns his body and points at his shoulder. You look up slightly but don’t say anything.

“Okay, if you’re not going to hit me, I will do it,” and he actually punches his shoulder twice. You don’t say anything and then he slaps himself on the face. You gasp and hold his hands down before a laugh escapes you.

“Stop, why are you like this…okay, okay I’m not mad, Jimin, go,” you giggle truly unable to stay mad at this cute little fuzz ball.

He smiles, kisses you on the cheek and then exits the ball.

Luckily, you soon find your friend at the ball and you greet each other. She’s just as excited as you so she’s able to lift your spirits.

“Have you seen the new CEO?” You had asked sipping your champagne glass.

“His over there next to Hoseok,” you look at the direction she’s pointing at and spot them together speaking to another guy. Then you see one of your co-workers manoeuvring his way towards the direction of the CEO but then he stops abruptly and turns the opposite way.

“Woah, did you see that,” you say to your friend.

“Yup, that’s Hoseok for you, his like the CEO’s bodyguard or something, his only letting certain people speak to him.”

“Well, that sucks doesn’t it.”

“You can say that again, let’s forget about him their so many powerful women in this place, it’s crazy, come let’s mingle.”

And you do just that, you are so astounded by all the women that you meet and speak to, Ursela Burns who is currently the chairwoman of Xerox and was previously CEO of the company just leaves you speechless, she was so nice and forthcoming and a little bit inspirational because as a smart woman she has climbed so high. But Sheryl Sandberg who is the Facebook COO leaves a huge impression on you and you are left feeling empowered. All the women you meet have a great story behind them and it makes you remember why you worked so hard to get here and how your journey is just beginning and you never know where you could end up in ten or twenty years’ time.

“Gurl, you were right about the amount of powerful women here, wow,” you say finally resting as you sit down waiting to hear the speech from the new CEO.

“I told you…__ don’t turn around, I think someone’s coming this way,” your friend’s mouth suddenly opens as she looks behind you. You try to turn around, way too curious not to. But she holds your shoulders still.

“No, __, I think his coming this way, fuck __ he is smoking hot.”

“How can you say that and not let me look, let me just take a small little peak,” you try to reason with her, he can’t be that good looking. So you take a peak.

*Sigh*

Let’s just say she didn’t tell a single lie, he is smoking hot with an amazing body that just fits perfectly in that black suit, it’s just…

You turn back around and sink down into your sit contemplating why your life is like this.

“I know him, his one of the guys I told you about,” you whisper to her.

“Shut up, noo,” she takes a peak at him again and then gives you a cheeky look.

“No, he looks so fucking delicious though, you lucky bishh…okay, his almost here,” she straightens up and fidgets with her bag and then grabs her phone.

You feel a hand on your shoulder and instinctively you look up and find a rather dashing guy smiling down at you. You can’t help but smile back. What is wrong with you?

“Care to join us Jungkook?” You say on impulse.

He sits down next to you and you then introduce your friend to him. He lightly squeezes your thigh under the table before whispering. “I missed you __,” you just giggle and lean into him.

Luckily you hear the mic sound and you turn towards the direction of the sound. The CEO begins his well prepared speech but you barely hear anything as Jungkook whispers sweet nothings in your left ear that make you blush and you end up placing your hand over his under the table whilst you play footsie with each other.

You didn’t mean for it to happen, you love Jimin and his the only one that you want but it’s just so hard to ignore Jungkook especially when he speaks to you in that velvety sensual voice of his and caresses your thigh, your hand and the back of your neck. It’s just so hard. And the guilt tries to fight it’s way into your consciousness but it feels so good being around Jungkook that you just giggle like teenager and go with the flow.

“Have you guys had a chance to meet with the new CEO yet?” Jungkook had asked after his speech was over.

You and your friend had both said no and Jungkook just smiled.

“Let’s go, I haven’t spoken to him either,” he said standing up and holding his hand out for you. You hesitated for 2 seconds (in your defence those 2 seconds felt like an eternity, so at least you tried) before taking his hand and signalling for your friend to come as well.

To your surprise Hoseok didn’t send you guys away instead he had greeted the three of you, well mostly Jungkook in a very friendly manner. It seems Jungkook was quite close with the new CEO and you see them talking about catching up with a game of golf. Then his attention draws to you.

“And who is this lovely lady?” The CEO says, you can see Hoseok opening his mouth about to speak but Jungkook beats him to it.

“She’s my girlfriend and she also works here as an accountant so you better look after her,” Jungkook says proudly holding your hand.

You force a smile, your friend coughs and Hoseok gives you a warily look.

You’re not sure if that’s the way you would have wanted to have been introduced to the new CEO.

But neither less the introduction has been made and you and your friend have a rather pleasant conversation with the guy.

“Have you guys seen the patio, it is rather beautiful at this time of night,” the CEO suddenly says and Jungkook looks at you asking if you would like to see it.

You slightly nod and you both say your goodbyes to everyone and make your way to the patio.

Jimin POV

Jimin finds himself standing at the entrance of the ball, he spots many people conversing, some drinking and a few dancing. The atmosphere seems more relaxed and joyous now than when he left earlier. He searches the room looking for __ but he can’t seem to spot her anywhere. Surely she hasn’t left already.

He made sure to hurry to the office and sort out the crisis there until it was rectified in a state where everything was fine to be left until tomorrow before rushing back here. He was driving so fast that he almost got a speeding ticket but now that his standing here alone, unable to locate __ his thinking if maybe he shouldn’t have left in the first.

She had been looking forward to this ball all week long and he had just left without so much as a warning. He had to make it up to her, he wanted to make it up her and show her that this won’t happen again. To him she has become someone who is more important to him than anything else in this world and he didn’t want to lose her to anything especially not because of work.

Then he spots Ju…(his mind goes blank for a second) Judy, yes the woman he had been introduced to before he left. He walks up to her and another female.

“Did you see him Judy, she’s so lucky,” you hear the other female speaking to Judy as you approach them.

“Hello, Judy, I’m not sure if you remember me from earlier,” you interrupt their conversation.

Judy turns around and her face goes slightly red whilst the other female stares at you.

“Oh, Jimin was it, how could I forget,” she looks at the other female and then back at you.

“Have you seen __ by any chance, I can’t seem to find her,” you ask.

“Erm,” she looks around the hall. “You said you were her boyfriend right?” She finally speaks. You look at her with a stone face wondering how that was relevant to the question you had just asked before forcing a smile and nodding.

“Ah, do you know where __ is?” Judy turns towards the other female standing next to her. You turn to face her and she instantly begins to cough and shakes her head strongly saying no.

“YES, I remember now I think I saw her with someone, they seemed pretty cosy, didn’t you say they went up to the patio to see the romantic night light or something,” Judy speaks before reaching down and sipping on the champagne glass.

__’s friend watches Jimin walking away towards the direction of the patio and then turns towards Judy.

“Judy you are soo messy, how could you say that to him?”

But Judy just laughs and sips her drink because tonight has just gotten so much more entertaining.

After leaving the hall Jimin asks a couple of waiters for directions towards the patio but as they tell him where to go Judy’s words keep ringing in his ears.

Pretty cosy….with someone….romantic nightlight…..

__ wouldn’t do that, he trusts her completely and knows that she would never do anything that would break his trust. And from the looks of things __ and Judy didn’t seem to be that close so it could all be a ploy of sorts.

But when he reaches the door leading to the patio his heart starts to accelerate and the craziest thought occurs in his mind.

What if…

He unexpectedly hears a female voice followed by a male voice.

And that what if automatically turns into a, could she really do this?

He suddenly starts doubting himself, she wouldn’t do that.

Slowly, he turns the door and looks inside.

Indeed what he heard was a female and male voice.

….

But luckily it wasn’t __ but some other couple in there.

He nods his head and apologises for disturbing them before slowly walking out.

Relieved, he rubs his chest and decides he will just head home, she might have just gone home and is probably waiting for him to return.

So he makes his way to the car park.

And as he does that he curses himself for even doubting for one second that __ would ever cheat on him or even entertain another guy. Even though she hadn’t said it yet he knew that she loved him and that they love each other greatly.

He smiles to himself when he enters the car park as he recalls the time when __ had thought the little blue box contained an engagement ring. Even though she was pretending to act all shocked he knew that deep down if indeed there was an engagement ring in there she would have said yes. A part of him wishes, it was an engagement ring, as crazy as it sounds.

“Jungkook, stop it.”

Jimin freezes.

He knows that voice, he would be able to pick out that voice anywhere, even in a room full of a thousand people.

He doesn’t want to turn around, his heart beats faster as his body refuses to move.

“Your words say one thing but your body says another,” a male voice speaks and the car park is filled with a giggling sound that Jimin has heard a million times before.

He forces himself to turn around and is gobsmacked by what he sees in front of him. It feels as if he has been hit by a truck and it is crushing his heart into small pieces. As if a sword has just been pulled through his heart and now blood is dripping from it.

The woman he loves is currently in another man’s arms, she is looking up at him with a massive smile on her face. His hands are wrapped around her waist and their slowly moving down. She’s giggling and his head is reaching down towards her ear and nibbling it.

“Jungkook, stop,” she says again her voice full of joy.

Jimin blinks multiple times, he even rubs his eyes. Is his brain deceiving him right now because what he is seeing right here can’t be true. The woman that he loves is at home not in this other guy’s arms. Yes, that’s it, whoever this is, it can’t be her. So Jimin makes the decision to go home and check if she’s there.

He refuses to believe this is her so he turns his head away from them.

…….

*HONK*

A car behind him honks very loudly making him jump out of his skin and instinctively he looks back at their direction. He sees her huddling up closer to him as the car honks but then her eyes navigate towards you and slowly her eyes register with her brain who you are and her face instantly changes, the once happy giggling person has now turned into a lost confused perplexed one.

[BACK TO YOU] – same time

Please tell me that isn’t Jimin standing there looking at me right now. You feel Jungkook rubbing your back and you move his hand away and try to step away from him. What the fuck is happening, that’s not Jimin, no, noooooooooo. No! You start to hyperventilate and breathing suddenly becomes more difficult, no.

The car that had honked speeds past you and you spot Jimin very slowly walking towards you. Jungkook says something but you can’t hear anything, your ears start ringing and your head starts spinning.

You take deep breaths but nothings helping, Jimin is still walking towards and you Jungkook is still staring at you. NOOOO. You want to cry but your body is frozen in place unable to fathom this horrendous situation you have suddenly found yourself in.

You start digging your nails into the palm of your hand as Jimin finally reaches you. You can’t stop staring at him unsure what he will do or say to you.

He stops in front of you and looks at you dead in the eyes. You have never seen Jimin’s eyes so cold and dark before. He lifts his left hand and you flinch but don’t move away. He gently moves his soft fingers onto your ear and moves down it towards your earrings until the pink pearl is in between his fingers.

“I see you wore my gift today as promised, they look nice on you,” he mouths in a raspy voice you have never heard from him before.

You can feel Jungkook stiffen on your side but you dare not look at him.

And Jimin lets go of the earring, you want to explain yourself….you want to say something….anything but your brain won’t let you, your brain can’t accept that this situation right here is actually happening.

“I’m Jungkook, her boyfriend and you are?” Jungkook suddenly extends his head.

You lean your head back and stop breathing. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME, what is that…boyfr……you close your eyes. Ah, I’m feeling a migraine coming on. The sides of your temples start to throb.

“Are you now, that’s the first time I’m hearing of this,” you hear Jimin’s calm yet cold voice.

“Unless you’re her father I don’t know why my relationship with her should affect you, but since you are so curious let me enlighten you, we are together, we have been together for some months now, is it what 5 months __,” Jungkook looks down towards you. You can feel two sets of eyes facing you even with your eyes closed.

‘It’s done... they know about each other, it’s over…there’s no more hiding or lying anymore. The truth is finally out,’ these thoughts run through your head a few times before you finally open your eyes. You face Jungkook first and grab hold of his wrist before saying “Can you wait here for a minute?”

JUNGKOOK POV – same time

I nod my head and watch her grab his wrist and move 10 feet away. At first after seeing him touching on her ear like that he became jealous, only he was allowed to do that. Which is why Jungkook felt the need to inform this guy of their relationship. But now as he watches her move him away and him moving his arm away from her Jungkook starts to feel something.

“Jimin I’m sorry,” Jungkook hears her say. Her eyes look as if they’re about to cry.

“Is what his saying the truth, are you and him in a relationship whilst you’re also in a relationship with me,” he shouts visible angry now.

Jungkook is stunned, out of all the jealous feelings he had felt a part of him never would have thought that this guy would have been someone she was serious about.

“I’m sorry Jimin, I didn’t mean for it to happen like this, you just both came into my life at the same time and I didn’t know how to stop it but I love you Jimin, I love only you,” and the woman Jungkook loves starts to cry.

Jungkook hates seeing women cry and still a small part of him wants to go over there and wipe her tears away but her words of endearment for this Jimin guy stop him, she loves Jimin, only Jimin. Then what about him, what have they been doing all these months, why would she let him take her virginity if she loved this other guy.

He is in shock and angry. How dare she, how dare he.

“Did you have sex with him?” This Jimin guy asks her with his hands in a fist now.

She looks down before slowly nodding.

“Wait…wait so you were screwing both him and me at the same, were you even a virgin or was that another lie?” He speaks each words with such visible hatred.

She tries to hold his hand and carries on pleading for forgiveness but he just pushes it away and suddenly turns to Jungkook before looking back at her.

“I was such joke to you wasn’t, every time I told you I loved you, you probably thought what an idiot, okay so go, go to your boyfriend. I never want to see you again.” And he turns around, walks towards his car and drives off.

It’s then as you see __ on the floor crying her eyes out because of another guy that it hits like a tonne of bricks that she was in love with another. You walk over to her and hand her a handkerchief from your pocket. She accepts it without looking up and wipes her moist face.

“ __, I don’t even know what just happened right now, one minute we are laughing and the next some guy I am guessing someone you love appears and now you are on the floor crying. I know you probably don’t care but I’m hurt, stupidly I saw a future with us but I guess I was the only one. I’m not going to shout at you because there’s no point you look like you have already had enough of that but I just want to say one thing before I leave. You __ meant a lot to me and you made me happy and joyful and silly me thought the feeling was mutual.”

She looks up then and says in a hoarse voice “No, Jungkook, I enjoyed our time together it’s just,” before another wave of tears began to stream down.

“I know, I know…but it wasn’t enough was it, I wasn’t enough.” Jungkook reaches down and wipes her tears from her cheek and kisses her forehead one last time.

“I want you to be happy __, even if it’s not with me I just want you to be happy.” And with that he gets up and walks away towards his car.

BACK TO YOU – same time.

You hear Jungkook’s car start up and then drive off. You feel your body shake as you place your hands on the cold concrete floor. You want to remain here and let the ground take you in but you know you can’t, not if you still want to have a career as an accountant. So with that one remaining thought that even if you have potentially lost both Jimin and Jungkook at least you still have a thriving career.

You push yourself up and brush the dust off your dress before grabbing your phone and turning on the camera. You check your face and try to fix it and your messy hair as much as possible. You just need to make it to the taxi and you are free.

You take a calming breath and then start walking. Your legs are still shaky from everything but they still move one in front of the other towards the car park entrance.

The thing is when you finally lift your head up you spot the last person you would ever want to see at the entrance.

“Judy,” you acknowledge. She’s there grinning with an empty glass in her hand.

“Aw, __ are you okay?” She asks with a condescending tone in her voice.

You don’t have the strength to deal with bully Judy right now. So you walk past her but clearly that wasn’t part of her plan so she shouts after you.

“I don’t even blame you, two handsome guys if only I was younger, such a shame it had to end like this but to sleep with both of them, isn’t that a bit hoeish....if that’s even a word. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise now you don’t have to screw two guys at the same time,” and she starts laughing to herself.

“Who would have thought, eh…” you stop listening to her at that point and just carry on walking. You don’t care about Judy or anything else right now.

You don’t know how but you manage to leave the building and find a taxi. All the way in the taxi ride you stare blankly outside the window. You remember thanking the taxi driver when you arrive home and make your way up the stairs towards your apartment. When you get in you remove your shoes and drop your bag before making your way blindly into the bathroom and turning on the shower.

The second the water hits your face and starts dripping down your dress all the way down to your feet you start to cry. This time without any restraint. You drop to the floor and hug yourself as the water continues to hit you. Your cries are loud and so hard that for that moment you lose yourself in a very dark and depressing place. You have never been like this before. You let it all out, the sadness, guilt, sorrow and regrets you have been holding in all this while, you let it all out and just cry.

You are in the shower for a while until you tire yourself out from all the crying. So you force yourself up before drying yourself and getting into bed. Even though you are tired it still takes some time before sleep calls for you and when it does your mind replays over and over again the incident that occurred in the car park. It affects you so much that you end up waking up at 4am in the morning and every time you close your eyes images of Jimin’s angry face or Jungkook’s irritated face appear so you decide to get up and check your work email.

The first thing that you see with a red alert on is an event of a presentation for one of the company’s sustainability efforts. You can do these presentations with your eyes closed now so you can usually do the preparation within a 20 minutes slot but since you can’t sleep you decide to go the extra mile and do a bit more research on this company so that you don’t just cover the requirements but go beyond that.

At 6:20am and with 20 slides full of information and analysis’s you happily decide that you are satisfied with the presentation the way it is and it has been a great distraction from everything you have on your mind.

You quickly hop in the shower and then put on your black sleeveless dress and some matching heels. You have some coffee just to keep you awake before quickly heading out.

When you arrive at work you are still in a daze and your mind doesn’t feel as though it’s fully there but as you walk into the office something feels off, you can see people glaring at you and others just shaking their heads at your direction.

You sit down regardless, not caring to even ask but then your friend comes to your desk as you are turning your computer on and drags you outside into the storage space.

“Are you okay?” She looks at you concerned.

“What do you mean,” you stare at her confused.

“I heard….Judy has been spreading around something about you. She said that both the guys found out about each other and left you alone crying on the floor yesterday,” she leans in to give you a hug.

You are still as you try take in what she has just said.

“Judy said,” you repeat gently moving out of her arms.

“Yes, she told everyone in the coffee room about it and they told people. I ended up finding out about it from Jin from the law department.”

“Oh wow, who knew my love life would be so interesting to others, I’m fine, it will all blow over soon. Judy can gossip all she want’s, that’s the least of my worries.”

“Yeah, she’s probably like that because her husband didn’t even come, just ignore her,” your supportive friend says whilst giving you a friendly smile.

“I will,” you smile back touched by her concern.

Judy on the other hand, you will find a way of dealing with her later, she is becoming rather troublesome, you think as you walk back into the office ignoring the stares and finishing the preparations for the presentation.

At 10:15 you set up your slides on the projector and you stand up in front of everyone, there are about 15 people in this room, mostly senior staff and a few secretaries but before you start Hoseok walks in with the new CEO and they sit down at the back.

You don’t let it phase you and commence to giving your presentation. You make eye contact with everyone and speak clearly as you go through each slide. At the end a few of the senior staff members even ask you a few questions and you respond as best as you can before everyone nods their heads in agreement that this companies sustainability is fairly good with a few questionable aspects that you pointed out but still with further investigation you can find a suitable solution to meet the standards.

The new CEO claps his hands “I like this presentation, it looks as though you did a lot of in-depth research into the company and have a rather knowledgeable understanding of sustainability in that industry,” he nods his head and whispers something to Hoseok who also nods his head.

“Thank you,” you respond and with that the CEO and Hoseok get up and leave. They are followed by some senior staff and as you shut down everything on the computer you hear two females whispering near you.

“Is that her?” one says to the other.

“Yes, that’s her, did you see the way her face lit up when the CEO said something to her, maybe she wants to add a third guy to her group of men,” the other replies.

Your face starts to heat up and you click the X button repeatedly on the powerpoint presentation. [not responding] appears at the top.

“Didn’t you hear that those two guys she was sleeping with left her crying on the floor after she was caught,” they both start laughing before getting up and leaving.

And of course that is when the computer finally shuts down.

Your face is still burning up as you exit the meeting room so you decide to go to the ladies bathroom instead of the office so you can at least cool down with some cold water.

As you enter the bathroom you instantly hear Judy’s voice and to no one’s surprise she’s retelling what happened yesterday. Does this woman have nothing better to do, you think annoyed now.

“Do you have nothing better to do than gossip about my life?” You say, completely done ignoring this shit now.

She turns around and starts laughing whilst looking at the two women she was just telling the story too. They both look down and manoeuvre around you to leave the bathroom.

“It’s not really gossip if it happened is it, it’s more like facts,” she says with a smug face.

“So it’s facts then that your husband of less than a year only married you for money but now that he knows you’re not as rich as you pretended to be his already moved on to his next suga mamma,” when you finish speaking you see the hate through her eyes, she begins to grind her teeth and for the first time today you have found something to smile about.

“At least I’m not a fucking dirty slut…”

…….

Everything unexpectedly goes dark. You remember grabbing Judy’s hair and her pulling your hair in reverse. You are both screaming at each other and then someone’s pulling you away from her.

“I have never been in a fight before,” you say to a stranger sitting next to you. Is this the person who pulled you away? You don’t know where you are. You can’t believe what you have just done. You just snapped and…

“You can go in now,” the secretary speaks looking at you and you stand up and head into the room. When you enter you see Hoseok sitting behind the desk. Oh yeah, you remember his been promoted to a partner now.

He gives you a disappointed look and tells you to sit down. You do as you are told.

“You don’t know how saddened I was to hear that you of all people were in a fight inside the building, this is unacceptable __,”

“I’m sorry,” you manage to say with your head facing down.

“Why? Everything was going so well for you here, after that brilliant presentation we were even discussing promoting you next month,” he stops and lets out a heavy sigh. But you don’t say anything.

“If it was up to me I would have just told you both to go home for the day and calm down but with new management and the company looking to go on in a new more positive direction I have no choice but to suspend your contract indefinitely.”

A single tear rolls down your face and you get up saying “I’m sorry,” before walking out of the office.

You want to cry but you don’t. Not here. You hold back the tears and lift your head up high as you march outside the hallway down the stairs and outside the building.

Suspend your contract indefinitely….you hear again and again in your head. You carry on walking and then search inside your bag. You can’t find your wallet. Of course of all days today is the day you forget it at home. You search your bag and find some change that is enough for a bus to take you home.

You stand at the bus stop your mind in disarray as to what has transpired in the last 48 hours. You start to feel light headed all of a sudden so you go to sit down on the bench as you wait for the bus. Sitting down makes you feel a little bit better.

Shortly after the bus arrives and you pay for your ticket but as you are walking towards the seats at the back that light headed feeling returned, everything starts spinning and darkness overcomes you and the last thing you see is the floor moving towards you.

…………

“young lady, young lady,” you hear as you half open your eyes. Is she an angel? You see a figure surrounded by white lights.

“Can I ask for your pin so I can call someone to get you,” the angel speaks. You blink a few times and then mouth 4599 before closing your eyes and letting the darkness consume you again.

……….

That is until a loud beeping sound wakes you up. You squeeze your eyes shut and then lick your dry lips. You slowly open your eyes and then blink a few more times. Surprisingly you feel a lot better than you did before. When your eyes finally adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings that look like a hospital room you then honestly curse the heavens for making you end up here.

“How are you feeling?” a deep strained voice says. You turn to the side of your bed and see Jimin sitting on the chair beside you with his eyes red holding your hand.

You blink a few more times, I must have really bumped my head hard when I fainted, no way Jimin….

The door slides open and Jungkook followed by a nurse enter the room.

Jimin’s hand instantly releases yours and he leans back into the chair.

“Ah, good you are finally awake,” the nurse smiles at you. She looks peppy you observe.

“It looks like you fainted on the bus and an ambulance was called to get you. I’m sorry I wasn’t sure about an emergency contact so I called the two numbers you call the most,” she smiles.

Really lady…..you just stare at her blankly not even bothered to fake a smile.

“We took your bloods when you arrived and the doctor should be here with the results, but there’s nothing to worry about, these things do happen but mostly it’s nothing serious,” she finishes her sentence and then reaches down to pick up your chart and begins writing something down.

Whilst she does that you look at Jungkook at the end of the room with his arms crossed on his chest. The corners of your mouth ever so slightly lift up. He came, he didn’t have to but he still came.

Looking from Jungkook who is facing the ground to Jimin on the chair a part of you feels a little bit of joy as this has confirmed that even though they’re both mad at you when they knew that you were in trouble they still came.

The door suddenly slides open and the doctor enters.

“You must be __, how are you feeling?” He asks looking at you and then nurse all the way down to the papers in his hands.

“So your blood results have come back and they show that…” he pauses and looks at Jungkook who is behind him facing the ground and Jimin on the chair who has suddenly sat up.

“Congratulations, you are currently three weeks pregnant.”

The room falls silent.

………………….

“Hahahahahahahaha,” you start laughing and strangely enough you can’t stop…

You are pregnant.

“Hahaha,” you carry on laughing. The doctor and nurse join you. “It is indeed wonderful news, congratulations, do you know who the father is?” The nurse asks all cheerful and innocent like.

And you laugh even louder, do i….do i?

“Of course, his in this room with us at this very moment,” the only problem is I don’t know which one of the two guys in here is the father.

-------

End Comments - I'm speechless...like a lot happened. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you again to everyone who has read this story this far. [Next Chapter]

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emperorren · 7 years

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on reylo being one-sided

(and why I’m not a huge fan of this scenario)

This is something I’ve wanted to address for a while---the fairly popular idea that the “only” romance we’re going to get in canon between Rey and Kylo will be one-sided on Kylo’s part. That there’s no way Rey can ever return his feelings (or, more accurately, his obsession), and will never forgive him for what he’s done.

I’m curious as to why this became so easy to believe in our corner of the fandom (and I mean specifically reylo shippers). Is this because we want to keep our expectations low? Is it because we recognize that some of the arguments “against” this ship are valid? Is it because, despite all meta and character analysis, we ultimately see Rey’s character as incompatible with Kylo’s, or we don’t believe in the writers’ ability to make her compatible without “ruining” her? Are there any actual signs of this dynamic being necessarily, intrinsically unrequited?

The answer to the last question, in my opinion, is no. Kind of the opposite. But I’ll get to this later; meanwhile, I’ll concede that this is probably the easiest, safest scenario to speculate on. Kylo being fixated on Rey is already de facto canon, we’re not exactly making wild speculation here. From “what girl?”, to "forget the droid, we have what we need”, to the way he watches her for who the hell knows how long while she’s unconscious, to “I can be your teacher”, it’s clear that our bad boy finds Rey fascinating, and it’s not a stretch of imagination at all to assume that this fixation will only get worse from this point on---that he’ll probably try again to kidnap or lure her again to his side, now that he knows how powerful she is. Villainous crushes are a Thing, so there’s nothing particularly outrageous or unrealistic about this.

Rey, however, is much more problematic. Her developing some feelings (whatever their nature) for Kylo really seems at odds with the way her character is portrayed and with her other main relationship (Finn). She doesn’t seem to feel anything but unadulterated hatred for Kylo at the end of the movie, and she has every reason to feel this way: the guy killed her newly found parental figure, hurt her best friend, is complicit in genocides and the destruction of an entire solar system, his every action proved that Leia was wrong about him. That Rey can ever feel even the slightest sympathy, let alone attraction, for such a person does sound like a stretch. "Falling” for Kylo would either irreparably taint her likability as a protagonist (what kind of person is attracted to someone who hurt her friends?), or, as many ant*s fear, turn her into an ooc, pallid imitation of the strong willed, independent, loyal young woman we’ve seen in TFA. Rey doesn’t have any real “reasons” to fall for Kylo, and the authors can’t make it happen unless they bend her character in really unpleasant ways. That’s the assumption.

But we shippers still want to see some romance---because what we saw blossoming in Kylo is unmistakable and too juicy not to be explored by the narrative. A tragic unrequited love on Kylo’s part that ends with him embracing the fact that Rey will never return his feelings, but still sacrificing himself for her safety, and redeeming himself with this purely selfless act---that sounds like a good compromise, right? Right. It’s not bad. It’s feasible from a storytelling perspective, it leaves Rey’s agency, personality, motivations etc. intact, while giving a payoff to Kylo’s anticipated *pull to the Light* without turning the story into a cheesy, bad trope-ridden romance in which the bad guy “gets the girl” as a prize for becoming good.

Still, I'm skeptical.

I’m 100% here for angst and a conflicted, tortured Kylo Ren who doesn’t know what to make of his feelings for the enemy, but do I really want to watch him chase a recalcitrant, disgusted Rey around the galaxy for the next two movies? Hell, no. Not only I’m afraid I’d find this repetitive and quickly exhausting, but the discourse around him would only get nastier, the “stalker” reading of his character more substantiated. Honestly, I don’t want to hear any of that.

But more importantly: even if it’s done well and the stalkey vibes are kept at minimum, it would work for Kylo, for his arc. Rey, on the other hand, would remain crystallized in her rejection of everything Kylo Ren is and stands for, which reeks of character stagnation, tbh. Especially compared to the enormous development that Kylo would undergo should he start to genuinely care for Rey.

You know, if you put all the burden of character evolution---of “meeting halfway”---on Kylo Ren and none on Rey, the inevitable risk is making him much more interesting than her. (honestly, he already is, because the writers bothered to give him some complexity, some flaws that read as flaws, and not just as endearing quirks that don’t compromise the overall adorableness of the character.)

I personally don’t see Rey as already whole, and I strongly reject the idea that “she shouldn’t change anything about herself”. Not changing anything about yourself doesn’t sound like a great idea if you’re the protagonist of a trilogy that is simultaneously a hero’s journey and a rite of passage into adulthood. Rey needs an identity arc, a trajectory. She starts as a character with a rather black/white sense of morality, that the narrative doesn’t really challenge or present as even remotely problematic. That’s definitely less complex than, for example, Finn, who has a moment of “fuck, I’m getting the hell out of dodge” and then comes around, who lies repeatedly to Rey, to Poe, to Han, to the Resistance, who has this huge shadow of his former identity as a stormtrooper looming above him for 3/4 of the movie. Finn is conflicted---he doesn’t share Rey’s unflinching loyalty to bb8 (although, unlike Rey, he did meet bb8′s owner), and his primary concern is getting the FO out of his system and saving Rey. Rey otoh jumps on the good guys’ bandwagon almost immediately, the only thing holding her back (her desire to go back to Jakku to wait for her family) conveniently pushed aside to shove her into action. Amazing, but two more movies of Rey never questioning herself, her loyalties, her assumptions, never showing a single flaw, never even being tempted, sound absolutely dull to me. Luke is so memorable as a hero because he evolves throughout the movies; he’s not stagnant. He begins his journey as an idealist, naive farm boy with a very black/white mentality (the same we find in Rey), but then he’s broken, he learns something that forces him to reconsider his place in the war (in the universe) and his perspective shifts, and he sees a man to save where he used to see only an enemy.

Of course, Rey’s arc doesn’t necessarily have to be similar to Luke’s, and her evolution surely doesn’t hinge on her relationship with the main (anti)villain. But the way they’ve framed her interactions with Kylo---including the fact that their duel represents the climax of the movie---tells me that this dynamic is going to be crucial. It would be a missed opportunity if Rey’s feelings weren’t as complex and layered as the ones Luke has for Vader.

I see the word “agency” tossed around a lot when promoting the idea of Rey never *falling* for Kylo. It’s a legitimate concern. But I think there’s a difference between:

a) feeling something for a person; b) acting on those feelings; c) letting those feelings define all you are or, worse, destroy who you are d) becoming a passive object of someone else’s desire

I definitely don’t want options C & D for Rey, and I only want B with... reservations (that is, if Kylo stop being an aggressive, self entitled ass, and changes himself in turn) but I think A is crucial---not for Kylo, but for Rey’s arc and complexity as a character. Feelings don’t have to be explicitly romantic, and she might continue on her path without giving in to them (i.e., refuse to let them dictate her actions)... but that she’s never going to feel sympathy for him in her heart is nonsensical given the way they shaped them as each other’s foil.

It’s important to note that Rey’s esteem of Kylo has already hit rock bottom by the end of TFA. Henceforth, it either rises or remains static, and I think we can all agree we can’t just watch two more movies of Rey thinking of Kylo as a monster. Well, I suppose someone could, but I for one would be bored to tears. (storytelling-wise, a character screaming their hate against their enemy in such a transparent, literal way in the first act is only a good choice if it’s going to be subverted later.)

Unrequited love is also at odds with my perception of this dynamic as intrinsically mutual.

Everyone commented on the yin and yang subtext, that was possibly a source of inspiration for a lot of imagery surrounding Rey and Ren (starting from their curiously similar names). The thing about yin and yang is that they both need each other---they both strive to incorporate the other to achieve wholeness; it’s a two sided feedback. If Rey, the yang, doesn’t need, or care for, or feel temptation for Kylo, the yin, then you can throw the whole yin/yang narrative out of the window. There’s no yin/yang dynamic if the yang doesn’t need, or want, the yin.

Even at this early stage, it’s a give and take between them. Kylo invades Rey’s consciousness to grab the map, Rey turns the tables on him and “steals” power and knowledge from his mind. The duel is a power play, a battle for dominance where each of them gets to have the upper hand at some point. Everything Kylo does to Rey, Rey returns in spades, almost mirroring him. So far, their interactions have been essentially violent, but should Kylo begin to feel something akin to affection, or compassion, or attraction for Rey, it makes sense to me that this would stir something of the same nature in her, an equal but opposite reaction. Why? Because they’re linked through the Force, she “feels” him as he “feels” her. Because she learns his story, and realizes that he wasn’t born bad. Because she starts dealing with her own darkness, and this makes her see Kylo’s in a different... light, no pun intended. I think these issues are already solidly rooted in canon, and in the hands of a skilled writer (and I think the authors behind this trilogy are skilled, if maybe lacking a bit of courage), can become a perfectly realistic premise for Rey to start feeling “something” for Kylo while maintaining her complexity

tl;dr; “Rey redeems Kylo by doing absolutely nothing” is infinitely less interesting to me than “Rey and Kylo change and redefine each other through their collisions and interactions”. If I had to choose between a one sided romance on Kylo’s part and no romance at all (but rather, a mutual... friendship? ambiguous antagonism?) I’d choose the latter without blinking. I’m more interested in the mutual nature of whatever’s going on between them (even if it’s just platonic), than I am in any explicit (but one sided) depiction of romantic feelings.

#ramblings #possibly fanwank #tagging later #**#one sided reylo

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anavoliselenu · 7 years

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Creighton chapter 17

“The label is going to shift the entire record around after you turn this bad boy in. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the first single.”

His words fill my chest with warmth, and I pick up my guitar and flip a page in my notebook. The rest of these are going to bare my soul just as much, so I might as well get through them and make them as good as they can possibly be. This is more than my career, this is my passion, and I’m blessed to have this chance—and lucky to have Vale’s time.

“You ready to hear the next one?”

“Lay it on me, girl.”

I begin to play, and the smile on his face grows. By the time I finish, he’s rubbing his hands together.

“Okay, a few tweaks to the chorus, a rework of the bridge, and I think this one is going to be fucking awesome too.”

I reach for my pen. “Let’s do it.”

Vale packs up his guitar and leaves the bus at a quarter to twelve. We shake hands, and I feel like he’s seeing me as a professional now, which is validation I didn’t realize I wanted from him. I’m not just the naive girl who stepped off the stage of Country Dreams; I’m a rising talent in the world of country music, on both the songwriting and performing fronts.

With that confidence bolstering me, I tinker with the songs some more until the clock reads 12:20. Still no sign of Justin.

My confidence in Justin and not being an afterthought takes a blow, however. He’s still gone, and he hasn’t called. I’m interrupted from the slow slide into the pit of doubt by my buzzing cell phone—the one that arrived that arrived yesterday via express mail. Inside the box was a note from Tana.

Don’t you dare let your focus slip from that tour to your husband’s fine ass. This is your future, girl. Love ya, T.

Even long distance, she’s still dispensing her brand of wisdom, and it was a good reminder.

My phone buzzes again, and I finally look down. I don’t recognize the number, and normally I’d let it go to voice mail, but right now, I’ll take any distraction I can get.

“Hello?”

“Will you accept a collect call from the Clay County Jail?” a computerized voice asks.

What the hell? I haven’t gotten a call from jail in a long time. Not since the year before I moved in with Gran, and Mama was thrown out of a bar for fighting over her latest in a long string of men.

I should hang up, but my curiosity and need for avoidance spur me to respond, “Yes, I’ll accept the charges.”

The voice that comes next sucks me right back into the past.

“Hey, baby. Mama missed you.”

After the fifteenth in-person interview is complete, I finally have two competent security professionals assigned to Selena. The security contractor didn’t object to me doing the interviews, but he did object to me bringing in someone who wasn’t on his team.

“We can’t vouch for him, and if something goes down, we won’t be taking responsibility for it.”

“I can vouch for him,” I say, looking over my shoulder at the brick shithouse who barred me from getting backstage in San Antonio.

His name was easy to get, and his background check showed he was a three-tour Army combat vet formerly of the First Infantry Division.

The man proved his character to me when he turned down my money, but I never would have considered letting him near Selena without a clean background check and a personal interview. He was late coming in from San Antonio, and now I’m running late for lunch with Selena.

A check of my watch shows I’m running really fucking late. As in, if I make it back to the bus in ten minutes, I’ll be just in time to tag along to the radio spot.

Glancing at my two new hires, I wave my hand toward the Escalade. “Load up. Your new job starts now.”

When we arrive back at the bus, it’s empty. Chaz, the driver, is smoking a cigarette and shooting the shit with the crew. According to him, Selena left only a few minutes earlier.

We pile back into the Escalade and head for the highway, which is closed. For a goddamn presidential visit.

“Fuck!” I slam my fist against the dash.

“Sorry to say it, boss, but we ain’t gonna make it on time. This ain’t my hood, so I don’t know the back roads like I would if we were in SA.”

Earlier, I handed off the keys to Marcus, aka the brick shithouse. Ironically, he wasn’t trained in evasive driving maneuvers like the other guy I hired, but considering he dodged roadside bombs in a Humvee, I feel pretty comfortable with him behind the wheel. It would remain to be seen who would be driving Selena around when I wasn’t with her.

I scrub a hand over my face.

“Yeah. I know. Shit. By the time traffic clears, she’ll probably already be on her way to the venue.” I glance from Marcus to the guy in the rear of the SUV. “Let’s head back, and I’ll introduce you to her crew first, and then Selena. She might balk, but regardless of what she says, you stick to the plan. You report to me, not her.”

The man in the back nods wordlessly.

From the driver’s seat, I get an altogether different response. “You gonna be up shit creek for being late, boss?”

I think about how I left things with Selena.

“Then kiss me. Mark me. Let him know that I’m absolutely and completely out of his reach because I belong to you.”

I’m not sure I’ll ever forget her words. They’re etched on my brain and have reverberated ever since she spoke them.

When I started down this road, I couldn’t have envisioned ending up in this position. And I’m not talking about the fact that I’m in an Escalade with two bodyguards driving down the side streets of Dallas. I’m talking about the fact that I’m caught up in this woman in a way that I’ve never been with another. It might have started out as purely physical, but I should have whiplash from how fast things have changed.

Leaving her alone with Vale went against all my possessive instincts, but I’m finding that I trust her, which is a new development for me. My last marriage, as short as it was, left me with a healthy distrust of women.

I met Shaw when I purchased a chain of luxury resorts off the auction block. It was founded by her grandfather and then run into the ground by her father before she could take control. She was ambitious, driven, and totally and completely pissed that her family legacy was circling the drain.

I tried to fire her, but she refused to leave, saying she’d work for free if I would just let her stay. I caved, and not only a little because her passion for the business was contagious. Shaw was an amazing leader of people. Charismatic, and also absolutely gorgeous.

I opted to take a personal role in the turnaround, and one thing led to another. We were a great team when it came to business, and more than compatible everywhere else. It made sense, or at least it did when Shaw pitched the idea to me like the skilled businesswoman she was. We were married within six months to the day I met her, and in a moment of generosity, I agreed in the prenup that she could keep the resorts if things didn’t work out.

Three months after the wedding, I realized that the resorts were all she really wanted out of the deal. This was the first and only time I met someone who was a cagier negotiator than I was.

She was in love with someone else the entire time, and viewed me as the quickest and easiest way to reclaim her family legacy. The only thing that kept me from being crazy bitter about the way she coldly ended it was that righteous bitch, karma.

Shaw didn’t end up with everything she wanted, because she lost the guy she truly loved. Apparently he wasn’t the type to swallow the idea of his woman marrying another man. I couldn’t blame the guy, and Shaw has since retreated into her hardnosed businesswoman persona, and the fun, playful side I caught glimpses of never emerged again, as far as I know.

Shortly after the divorce, I discovered that the problem with giving a woman a chain of resorts as a divorce settlement was the growing number of women eager to be the next ex-Mrs. Justin Karas. The line of them grew long and creative, and I didn’t trust a single one.

Marrying Selena was a great way to put a stop to the women desperate for my attention. I’m not proud that entered into my motivations, but I wasn’t going to apologize for anything that got me to this point with this woman.

“Boss?” Marcus prompts, dragging me back to the here and now. “Shit creek?”

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I’m still figuring her out.”

A mix of a grunt and a chuckle comes from the other man in the car, Orrin Steel, a former SEAL who lost mobility in his left thumb and had to leave his team because of it. He opted to bow out of the Navy completely because he refused to ride a desk.

“You’ll be trying to figure her out for the rest of your goddamn life. Women are a mystery best left unsolved,” he adds.

Marcus erupts into laughter, and I’m still trying to decide if Selena’s going to be pissed. The unfamiliar feeling of anxiety creeps in when I recall how she left only a two-word note before she walked out of my New York penthouse.

“You’d better drive faster,” I say.

Selena climbs on the bus less than an hour after I return, but the initial feeling of relief I have at seeing her is wiped away when I take in the stooped set of her shoulders and pale face.

Flipping my laptop shut, I rise. “What’s wrong?”

She skirts around me and sinks into a chair.

“Just a long day,” she says, her tone defeated.

“Selena.” I only say her name, but it carries a wealth of meaning. I know she’s full of shit, and she knows I know she’s full of shit.

“How do you feel about having a meet-the-parents day?”

Her question catches me off guard, especially because her shot at meeting my parents died the day my mother and father were killed in an attack on the African village where they moved us for their missionary work. It was a story I worked incredibly hard to keep out of the media to this day.

“Excuse me?” I ask.

Her eyes flick up at me from beneath dark lashes, and she says, “My mother may be coming to visit.”

From what she’s said about her mother, this new development shocks the shit out of me.

“Really?”

“Yeah, but only because I couldn’t think fast enough to figure a way out of it.”

“Well, that’s honest.”

“It was the call from jail that threw me off my game.”

“Excuse me?” I repeat.

“If you weren’t sure before that you married white trash, you can rest assured that now you won’t have any doubt. My mama was arrested for breaking and entering into my gran’s house back home. Apparently the sheriff didn’t have my number, so when I called the police station, they filled me in.”

Selena’s voice is weary, and she won’t meet my eyes. “They wouldn’t have even arrested her, but my mama broke up the sheriff’s marriage before she left town by crowing about sleeping with him one night when she was drunk. His wife caught wind of it, and didn’t believe him when he swore he hadn’t. She left him, and he’s never forgiven my mama. He also knew, like everyone in town, that Gran left me everything, including the house. So she had no right to be there at all.”

“And that equates to her coming to visit, how?”

“I had to wire them money to bail her out of jail, and she has nowhere to go—that’s why she was breaking into Gran’s. When she asked to come here, I couldn’t find the word no fast enough in my brain. Don’t worry; she’ll last a day or two, hook up with some roadie—”

Selena sucks in a deep breath and continues in a shakier tone. “And then I won’t see her again until she runs out of the cash she’ll steal from me and anyone else who isn’t guarding their wallet. That’s what happened when she tracked me down at the very beginning of the tour.” Her voice breaks on the last word.

I cross the small living area of the bus, wrap her in my arms, and lift her into my lap as a few tears slip over her lids. I’m so shocked by the change from spitfire to hurt little girl that I have no idea how else to comfort her.

She leans against my shoulder for a beat before pulling back and climbing off my lap. She swipes at her eyes, smearing her mascara, and begins to pace.

“Damn it. I won’t cry over her. I’ve cried over her too many times. She doesn’t deserve any more of my tears. None.”

“I agree. No one deserves your tears.” Not even me, I add silently.

“And then there’s you,” she says.

“Me?” I ask.

Let’s pause for one second and acknowledge the fact that this is a stupid fucking question for a guy to ask a woman at this particular juncture, but it’s out of my mouth before I can call it back.

“Seriously? You stood me up. Again. And my mama, the gold digger, is coming to visit, and I’ll have her yapping in my ear about how I’ll never hold on to you unless I do something magical, like bleach my asshole or vajazzle my cooch, and even then, I’m probably not woman enough to keep a man like you.”

Fuck. Selena’s mother really did a number on her, and that woman will not find herself welcome here to continue the job. There’s no way in hell I’ll let her near Selena. I don’t give a fuck who she is.

“I didn’t expect it to take so long.”

She crosses her arms, and I’ve done enough negotiating to know that her body language says she’s closed off to any kind of reasonable interaction.

“What were you doing anyway?” she demands. When I open my mouth to respond, she holds up a hand, and I pause. “Never mind, you don’t need to tell me. It’s not like this is that kind of marriage anyway.”

The acid in her tone puts my back up. I know she’s pissed and emotional, but her taking swipes at what we’re starting to build here pisses me off.

“And exactly what kind of marriage is this, Selena?” The question is a loaded one.

“We both know it’s not going to last. I’m a passing fancy for you. And in case you’re wondering, I’m not bleaching my asshole to keep you on the hook.”

Her offbeat and slightly twisted sense of humor does the impossible; my pissed-off mood evaporates. I rise from the chair and move toward her, my predatory instincts taking over.

Pinning her to the fridge, I growl, “Not even if I ask nicely and promise to fuck that tight little asshole until you’ve come so many times your pleasure receptors are blown?”

She lifts her gaze to mine and mumbles, “I knew I shouldn’t have said that.”

I smooth the hair away from her face and lower my lips to her ear. “Don’t ever be afraid to say anything to me.”

When Selena doesn’t reply, I pull away and stare down at her. “Selena. Look at me.” I wait until she complies. “If you really believe what you said about this not lasting, then we have a serious problem.”

Her teeth scrape her bottom lip, and she hesitates before asking, “Why?”

I infuse my words with steel, because I want there to be no confusion about the gravity of what I’m saying. “Because there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go.”

Her big brown eyes blink twice, and her mouth falls open. The spitfire who faded away for brief moments flares to life again.

“Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my I’ll be waiting in a hotel suite with a prenup and an engagement ring husband?”

I cup her face with both hands, needing the contact. “Things change, Selena. And everything has changed for me because of you. If you haven’t figured that out yet, then I’ll just have to show you.”

“I don’t get you,” she whispers.

I lower my forehead to hers and breathe her in. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve already got me.”

She turns her head, breaking our contact. I drop my hands to my sides, and a shred of doubt filters into me, bringing a completely foreign feeling with it—uncertainty.

I consider crushing my lips to hers until her thoughts are filled with nothing and no one but me, but I also understand the value of backing off and letting her settle so I can return to claim victory another day. With the news of her mom’s arrest and upcoming arrival, not to mention the unrelenting tour schedule, I suspect Selena is teetering on the edge of her breaking point right now, and the last thing I want to do is push her over.

This isn’t about me. This is about her.

Deciding to change gears, I step away and nod toward the bus door.

“Want to meet your new security detail?” I ask.

“Security detail?”

“That’s where I was. Doing personal interviews and reviewing background checks. I needed to make sure that I felt comfortable with them before I could bring them around you. If you have any issues with either of the guys, let me know, and we can replace them. But having said that, I think they’re both solid choices.” I meet her eyes. “I’m willing to trust them with your safety, and believe me when I say that isn’t something I do lightly. At all.”

Her posture relaxes for a fraction of a second, but tenses once more when she asks, “You think they can keep Mama away from me too?”

“Don’t worry about her. I’ll handle that myself.”

The energy from tonight’s show is exactly what I need to shore up my inner reserves. The crowd was amazing, singing along and screaming. Maybe it’s a sign that I’m a vain person, but there’s really nothing like thousands of people chanting your name.

You’d think a girl from Gold Haven, Kentucky, who started off singing karaoke with the smell of fryer grease clinging to her hair and clothes wouldn’t feel perfectly comfortable on a stage in front of ten thousand people, but I do. It’s where I belong. Every time I get up there, it’s with the absolute certainty that this is what I was born to do.

But just thinking about the past reminds me that Mama is coming to visit, and regardless of what Justin says about taking care of her, she’s going to find a way to dig her hooks into me. I just don’t have thick enough armor when it comes to her. I want to call her back and tell her “hell no, I changed my mind,” but I don’t have any way to get in touch with her.

As I’m falling asleep on the bus, curled into Justin’s arms¸ the haze of orgasm steals my filter, and I tell him, “I wish I could turn back the clock and tell my mama to go somewhere else, anywhere else. I don’t want her here. I don’t want her messing with my life again. It never ends well.”

Justin squeezes me against his chest and presses a kiss to my hair. “Go to sleep. You’ve got another long day tomorrow in Biloxi.”

The vibrations from the road and Justin’s steady, even breathing lull me into a dreamless sleep.

The next afternoon, I pull out my phone and check the time for the twentieth time in the last five minutes. Not because I’m worried I’m going to miss the Biloxi meet and greet, but because I keep expecting Mama to come barreling backstage and wreaking havoc like a raccoon sneaking into a house through a chimney.

Justin shoots me a questioning look. “What are you doing? You’re not going to be late, so calm the hell down.”

I suck in a breath and release it slowly, trying to calm my nerves. “It’s not that. It’s Mama. I was hoping I’d get that out of the way early so I could get myself together for the show. I hate this feeling of being on edge.”

Justin’s expression goes blank. “Shit. I forgot to tell you. She’s taken care of.”

I swear, everything in me slams to a halt—my lungs, my heart, the very blood in my veins. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I arranged for her to take a vacation. All expenses paid to Miami. I own a large portion of a resort there, and I figured it would give you the break you need. It was easy enough to get her to agree.”

At his nonchalant announcement, I come unglued. “And you didn’t bother to mention it?” The question comes out as a screech.

He scrubs a hand through his hair, not meeting my eyes. “Fuck, Selena. We’ve been going nonstop today. It slipped my mind.”

“Damn it, Crey. I’ve been dreading this shit all day. You could’ve told me and put me out of my misery.”

I pace the room backstage as I rant. I know I’m overreacting, but Justin doesn’t understand my mama or the stress that comes along with just thinking about her. He watches me pace, letting me vent, which is probably a smart move on his part. Come near the clawing she-beast and you may lose an important appendage, and wouldn’t that be a shame?

After about twenty trips back and forth across the fifteen-foot-wide room, I’ve calmed down a smidge. I chance a look at where Justin is leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, wondering if he’s holding in a laugh for all he’s worth. As I stare for a minute, I realize he isn’t. But I also can’t read what he’s thinking.

“What?” I snap. Okay, so the she-beast isn’t totally pacified yet. I just need to channel the energy into my performance tonight. That I can do.

“You called me Crey,” he says.

I shake my head. “Is there something wrong with that?”

He nods slowly. “That’s what people close to me call me, but you never have before.”

I bite my lip and consider. “So?”

“Nothing. I was surprised, is all.” He waves a hand. “Feel free to continue the tirade.”

From anyone else it might sound patronizing, but Crey just seems to be letting me get it all out. Which is exactly what I need right now. And that realization right there is all it takes to calm me down.

“I’m all tiraded out,” I say, stopping in front of him.

“Then maybe this is a good time to ask you if you’re up for a flight back to New York after the show next Thursday. I know we haven’t really talked about how things are going to work after the tour is over, but I’ve got some things I need to take care of at home in person that I’ve been putting off, and I’d like to have you with me.”

I’ve been dreading the what’s next for us discussion, so my question is tentative. “You get that I don’t want to stay in New York permanently?”

Justin’s expression turns serious. “We’ll figure it out, Selena.”

“Okay. I’ll go.”

His smile is wide and genuine. “I’m glad I’m not going to have to kidnap you then. I really didn’t want to go to the gala alone.”

“Gala?”

“A charity thing. At MoMA.”

When I open my mouth to say that I’m not sure what MoMA is, he says, “Come here.”

I cross the room and stand before him, just out of reach. “We don’t have time for anything dirty right about now.”

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