#saw the new ep and was inspired | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hannyoontify · 10 months

Text

an interview with an angel - hong joshua

member | news reporter!joshua x fencer!reader

genre | meet cute, fluff

word count | 2.5k

synopsis | for some people, when they’re in a dire situation, god sends them an angel. for you, he sent you an attractive young man who goes by the name of ‘Joshua’

warnings | cursing, reader has a slight(?) panic attack but shua is an absolute sweetheart, poor flirting bc yours truly doesn’t know how to flirt

notes | inspired by that one scene in ep 6 of twenty five twenty one, not proofread

If you had to explain your current situation in two words, it would be royally fucked.

You’re a newbie, basically a nobody in the fencing world (according to Yu-rim’s kind words) that somehow managed to climb their way into the national fencing team and become a finalist in the Asian Games. No one knows how you did it, but when you first stepped onto the piste for your first match, you had managed to grab the attention of every person in the arena.

You’re a rising star, you realized. As you sit in your train seat and twiddle your thumbs impatiently, you notice more and more people stealing glances towards your direction. You don’t know when you transitioned from a nobody to a rising star, but something told you that qualifying for the national team played a big role in familiarizing your name with the general public. You found yourself slowly sinking into your seat, trying to hide yourself from the prying eyes of passersby, but your bright red fencing bag and your obvious national team jacket didn’t do a good job of keeping you low-profile.

You were a newbie, now a rising star, a rising star that is now royally fucked. After mixing up your fencing bag with another athlete from Singapore, you caught the first train to the station where the athlete and her couch were waiting, swapped bags, and you were now on your way back to Gyeongju. The scheduled arrival time was 1:05 pm, leaving you with plenty of time to go back, warm up, and maybe squeeze in a short interview.

It was now almost 2 pm and you were nowhere near Gyeongju. The train had inched forward maybeonly a few yards and that was an hour ago. You’re usually a calm person, the type to remain calm and composed under any amount of pressure, but today was different. This was your first international competition and you worked so hard to get to where you were now, you were not about to lose your chance to become Yu-rim’s rival because of a stupid delayed train.

You had been contemplating what to do for the past 30 minutes, and just as you finally made up your mind to try and talk to a staff member, the train lurched forward, chugging down the tracks as it picked up momentum.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, we will arrive at Gyeongju Station at 2:10 pm.”

Hearing this made you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding, and you could feel some tension leaving your shoulders. You glanced down at your watch. Your match was supposed to start at 3:00.

You could make it. There was no way in hell you were going to forfeit.

Joshua poked his head out the window and let out a loud groan when he saw the traffic in front of him. There was no way he could stop by SBS’s temporary office and get back to the arena in time. Most roads were closed off for the safety of the athletes participating in the Asian Games, meaning that everyone in the area had to use the same road to get to their destinations. Joshua isn’t usually an impatient person, but he was in a bit of a rush. He was supposed to submit his report for athlete Go Yu-Rim and return to the arena shortly after for his interview with athlete [Name].

He drummed his fingers against the wheel impatiently, checking his watch every 30 seconds out of pure annoyance. And as luck would have it, Joshua saw an incoming call from his fellow reporter, Yoon Jeonghan. Nothing good usually came out of calling with that sly man. Behind every word was a double meaning, and you would find yourself agreeing to anything that he said before you could even process what he was saying.

“SBS News, Joshua Hong speaki-”

“Of course I know it’s you, Hong Jisoo,” the voice on the other line sounded frantic. Panicked. This sent a wave of dread through Joshua’s body. Jeonghan was never frantic. Never. “Seungcheol’s waiting at the train station right now. His train was supposed to arrive an hour ago and I was supposed to pick him up since you were in the middle of a match. But his train got delayed by almost an hour and my event’s about to start- Do you think you can pick him up? He has an event at the same time as you and it won’t start for another hour, right?”

Joshua was at a loss for words. Almost nothing had gone right for him today, from the coffee spill on his work shirt this morning to the traffic mess in front of him and now this. He had to pick up Seungcheol, meaning that he wouldn’t be able to submit his report in time.

No matter. His friend was more important than a dingy old report.

“Sure, I can pick him up,” Joshua replied, already switching the gear of his car to take a left instead of continuing forward.

“Thank the great heavens above, you’re a godsend, Hong Jisoo,” Jeonghan rambled, his voice now sounding more distant as he presumably fumbled through his messenger bag to find his notepad and pen. “I’ll call you after your event is over, we deserve to get a drink after all the shit we went through today.”

“You got that right,” Joshua mumbled under his breath, his cellphone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he tried to maneuver through the cars to get to Gyeongju Station as fast as he could without breaking any traffic laws. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Bye, Shuji! Talk to you later.”

Once he grunted out a farewell, Joshua turned his attention back to the road as he pressed on the gas. Ten minutes passed quickly, and Joshua found himself running around the train station, looking for his blonde friend. Seungcheol had gotten in a lot of trouble from the company when he had first bleached his hair, saying that it made him look unprofessional and gave him a bad image. Fortunately for Seungcheol, he had two friends who had the best persuasive skills in probably the entire country. Joshua and Jeonghan had vouched for Seungcheol, convincing the head of the sports news that not only was Seungcheol a great reporter who was very thorough when he fact checks but he was also breaking stereotypes about dyed hair and the public’s perception of dyed hair.

Joshua searched the different boarding and disembarking platforms, looking for a familiar head of blonde hair, but it was nowhere to be found. He rested his hands on hips to catch his breath. He was more out of shape than he thought he was. Joshua made a mental note to start working out again regularly when he spotted a blur of bright red that zig-zagged around the big crowds of people.

Joshua almost immediately recognized that red bag. It belonged to you, a rising fencing star that he had been keeping an eye since the qualifiers for the national team. He sensed something from you. Perhaps it was potential, maybe stardom. He didn’t know yet, but he knew from the moment he saw you step onto the piste that you were going to do well.

But what the fuck you were doing here, 50 minutes before your first international game?

The moment you stepped off the train, you bolted through the station, not even sure of where you were going. You just knew you had to get back as soon as possible.

So when a strong hand grabbed your wrist, stopping you, you almost threw a flying kick out of pure frustration. The last thing you needed right now was a fan who wanted an autograph or some stranger who wanted to know why you carried a big red bag on your shoulders. (Yes you’ve gotten that question quite a bit since you were in middle school)

“Excuse me, but I really need to-” You turned around, ready to lash out on whoever was clueless enough to stop you. But instead, you were met with intense, sparkling doe eyes that peered into yours.

“Athlete [Name]? Why are you- Your game starts in less than 50 minutes, follow me!” Joshua grabbed your hand and began pulling you through the train station with amazing speed. If you hadn’t done that training with Coach Yang, you were pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to keep up right now.

Joshua wordlessly grabbed your fencing bag and threw it over his shoulder as he weaved through the big crowd, his hand never losing grip of your wrist. “Excuse me! Please make way! National athlete coming through! Future gold medalist right here, please make way!”

You felt your cheeks warming up at those words. Future gold medalist. You didn’t know who this man was, but did he really think you were good enough to become a gold medalist?

Joshua spotted a blonde head up ahead, but he had far more pressing matters now. Seungcheol raised his hand and greeted the familiar face with a smile. “Shua! You came to pick me up?”

Joshua ran straight past Seungcheol without sparing him a single glance.

Seungcheol pouted, upset that his friend had just completely ignored him until he noticed who Joshua had in tow. The rising fencing star, [Name]. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Seungcheol decided to let it slide with a quiet chuckle.

Adrenaline coursed through your veins as you and the mysterious– and frankly attractive–young man ran into the bustling parking lot. Joshua reached into his pocket and fumbled for his car keys and pointed it to a blue, expensive looking car. It beeped back in response to its owner.

“Get in,” Joshua set down your fencing bag in the backseat as you climbed into the passenger seat. You closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath, but your breath came in short gasps.

Joshua busied himself with starting the car engine and was about to tell you to fasten your seatbelt when he noticed that you were shaking. He reached out and held one of your trembling hands in his own.

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” When you opened your eyes, you found the same doe eyes from earlier peering into your eyes. Except this time, they weren’t intense and in its place was a certain tenderness in his dark brown eyes that brought you a sense of comfort. “We’re going to get to the arena in 15 minutes, you’re going to warm up for 30 minutes, and you’re going to compete and win, okay? There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be okay.”

You let out a shaky exhale and nodded slightly. “We stopped for almost an hour and I was so- so scared that I would have to forfeit from my first international game and-”

“Breathe, [Name]. Breathe in,” Joshua also took a deep breath in with you so you would feel less embarrassed. “And out. See? You’re okay. You’ll do great today,” He squeezed your hand reassuringly and you gave him a weak smile.

“You think so?”

Joshua smiled back at you. “I know so. Now buckle up, this is going to be a rough ride.”

He wasn’t kidding when he said that it was going to be a rough ride. Your escort was a reckless driver who was also a bit of a dare-devil. You lost count of how many times he almost ran a red light, but considering your dire situation, you didn’t really mind.

“By the way, I never caught your name.”

Joshua glanced over at you and smiled. “Open up the glove compartment. There should be a stack of business cards tied together with a rubber band. That’s my business card.”

You did as he told you to, and pulled out a card amongst the (messy) stack. “Hong Jisoo.. from SBS?”

Joshua flashed you his signature smile. “At your service. Although, I do prefer Joshua over Jisoo.”

“Did you study abroad? I’ve never met a Korean person who goes by an English name,” You said, a skeptical brow raised at the stranger.

“For a while, yes. I studied in America for a couple years and came back 3 years ago when things got a little financially difficult for my family.”

“And SBS? I’ve never heard of SBS before, are you guys new?”

Joshua nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! SBS is a new broadcasting station and my friends and I are here to cover the Asian Games this year.”

“I see…. What sector are you covering?” You asked.

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh at the current situation he was in. “Sorry but, I’m the reporter here but why does it feel like I’m the one getting interviewed?”

“Oh..” You felt heat rising up to your face, your cheeks and the tips of your ears burning a bright shade of red, similar to your fencing bag. His laugh sounded so pretty, you wanted to hear it again. “Would you like to interview me then?”

This made Joshua laugh again, and you smiled at the sound. “Of course,” He lifted a hand up to your face in the shape of a fist, pretending to hold a mic in front of you. “I have two questions for you, Athlete [Name]. This is your first international competition and you’ve made your way to the final. How are you feeling? Did you expect to make it this far?”

You grinned. “I feel honored to be here. I’m still recovering from the shock I was in when I first qualified for the national team. I genuinely can’t believe I’m competing in the finals round of the Asian Games, I still occasionally pinch myself to remind myself that everything is real. It’s been a huge honor competing with every athlete I’ve sparred with and I’m so grateful for all the love and support I’ve been receiving, especially my coaches. I hope to not disappoint them and return the love by winning the gold medal.”

Joshua listened to you intently, occasionally glancing at you whenever he could. He would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel attracted to you. The natural blush on your cheeks from running, the wind blowing past your hair, and the gentle smile that graced your lips as you talked about how grateful you were to be at such an esteemed competition.

At one point, Joshua was so engrossed in your words and your voice and your face that he almost missed a red light.

“I know I’m attractive but you gotta keep your eyes on the road, buddy,” you joked. When you said that, the last thing you were expecting was for the reporter to agree with you.

“You’re right, that’s my bad,” Joshua grinned at you with that cheshire grin of his. You looked away, a warm glow rising up into your face. “Time for the second question.

“If I asked you out on a date after this, what would your response be?”

You answered almost immediately, your heart in your throat. “My answer would be yes.”

reblogs and feedback is always appreciated ^-^

548 notes · View notes

wilbursoot-updates · 7 months

Text

Lovejoy: The British rock group that we will have to follow very closely…

Lovejoy is in this article!

Rock is not dead! Lovejoy explores the nuances of independent, almost garage rock, while breathing a breath of fresh air.

Just a year ago, they played their first concert. This summer, Lovejoy performed on stage at Rock Werchter. A real accomplishment for this English indie rock band.

Lovejoy was formed only two years ago, under the leadership of William Gold and Joe Goldsmith. The group was formed almost by chance: the two long-time friends met Mark (the drummer) on the Fiverr application and Ash (the bassist)… in the toilets of a burger restaurant.

They are releasing a brand new single this October 6, “Normal People Things”. Meet the group that intends to become the spearhead of English rock.

Before being in a band, you had your own solo project William. How is it different creating music alone, versus in a band?

William Gold: Oh, it's very different, especially in my lyrics. I often choose the safer option when writing for the band, because I'm a little afraid of what they will think of me. My solo music has always been very direct and sometimes a little too raw, whereas Lovejoy is a little more like my stream of thoughts converted into poetry, whereas my solo music is just my thoughts.

Do you think it's better or just different?

William Gold: I think it's better. Personally, I much prefer Lovejoy's lyrics to my solo music. I feel like it's just as personal, but it touches on different areas, areas that are a little less raw and acerbic.

For the instrumental part, you all compose together. How do you do?

Joe Goldsmith: I'm still figuring out how that process works... (laughs) I think we're still a pretty young band, so we haven't gotten to the point yet where we don't like each other anymore. So, everything is going pretty well. But as far as the process goes, I think it varies and we don't really have a strict definition of how to create a song. Sometimes it starts from a riff that Mark writes. Sometimes the starting point is an idea Will has for the lyrics… It's very random and we're trying to figure it out, because we want to be a little quicker.

You released an EP last May, what was your inspiration?

William Gold: Life in general, and all the experiences we've had. And my musical tastes personally evolved a lot during this period as well.

Joe Goldsmith: We started playing live a year ago, and I think that's definitely influenced the way we approach songs. We saw how the public reacted to certain parts of our music and we adapted our old catalog. We changed the songs slightly live to make them more exciting for the audience.

Is there a particular message you want to convey through your music?

William Gold: I just want people to dance. I want excitement. I want to convey honesty and passion.

Joe Goldsmith: I just want to inspire other people to take on creative projects. I want people to write songs, paint pictures, write poems...

William Gold: And they do!

Joe Goldsmith: Our fans are really very active and talented. We are constantly given amazing gifts. I have oil paintings in my house (portraits of us) that people have done. I have handmade sculptures, giant stuffed animals... That's my favorite thing about all of this: seeing that our ideas inspire other people.

Which song do you consider the most meaningful to you?

William Gold: I think “It’s All Futile!” is the one that is most personal to me. But of our latest songs, I think “Call Me What You Like” is the one I’m most proud of lyrically.

You have your own label. Is it important for you to have your own independence?

William Gold: Absolutely. Our independence is incredibly important. We're still trying to find our way in this industry. It's crazy to see how much support you need to do a lot of things, but also to see that you can do a lot of things yourself. And I feel like we're doing a good job of navigating the two. We are by no means a DIY band, but we want to do as much as possible ourselves.

What are the benefits of doing it yourself?

William Gold: Agency and freedom. And simply out of stubbornness! We don't want to give away our catalog when we can do so much on our own.

Joe Goldsmith: Once you cross that line, you won't really go back. You will never be independent again. So we're going to continue this as long as possible.

What sets you apart from other groups?

William Gold: I think it's our very strong connection with our fans.

Joe Goldsmith: I see other bands and other labels trying to make this...

William Gold: ...but we can't make it. We're lucky to have it and it's not something we did intentionally. It wasn't a marketing team that told us what to do, but we managed to create this heartfelt connection ourselves, and it's our most important priority to maintain, excite, and prioritize it above everything.

Joe Goldsmith: I try to do as much as I can to give back. I always do treasure hunts and secret competitions for our fans, to make sure they have a great time.

William Gold: I want to make sure that all of our concerts provide an option for people with less financial means. So, we have a messaging system where just ask to get tickets at half price (or even less). We do it at every concert where it’s possible. And when theaters refuse to do it, we try to find alternatives. It is essential to maintain our “fan base” at a high level.

#lovejoy #wilbur soot #joe goldsmith #normal people things #articles

270 notes · View notes

slavghoul · 1 year

Text

Interview from Rock Hard [FR] Magazine 5/2023

In which Tobias talks about Spillways, Phantomime, how he chooses what songs to cover, the state of the world, why he loves churches, and some touring technicalities.

Rock Hard: Let's go back to the version of "Spillways" that you recorded with Joe Elliott, the singer of Def Leppard. How did this collaboration come about?

Unfortunately, this story is less sexy than it would have been if I could have done exactly what I wanted. Before Impera was released, I regularly mentioned Def Leppard in interviews because some of the experimentation on that album was inspired by that band, their writing style. […] As I often mentioned Def Leppard, people around me eventually told me that Joe Elliott and Phil Collen regularly spoke highly of Ghost in interviews. Since I obviously thought it was cool, someone suggested a collaboration. A good collaboration shouldn't be forced, it should happen naturally. The best ones are often the ones that weren't supposed to happen. Two drunk musicians somewhere accidentally writing a good song... Crosby, Stills & Nash style. People who, by chance, find themselves together in a different context from the one they are used to and do something together, by accident. Something magical! That's how I would ideally have wanted it to happen. So I said I was ready to call Joe Elliott and see if we had a rapport. We started talking on the phone and texting a lot, me living in Sweden and him in Dublin. As we were both on the move almost all the time, and he was on tour, we couldn't meet. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he tells me that he has recorded some vocals for 'Spillways'! Quite frankly, I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it. I was anticipating a possible collaboration, but in a different way. To be honest, I thought we would create something new later on. But when I heard the result, I thought two things. Firstly, I found it very flattering. Secondly, I thought Joe brought something new and cool to "Spillways".

But you would have preferred to have the opportunity to write a new song with him.

Yes, that's the way I saw it, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. And then I said to Joe, "You know how we post those funny little episodes on our social media?" He replied "Yes, I think I saw that!" and kindly agreed to participate in one of them. Nowadays, many artists are over-solicited to record video clips for anything and everything in order to keep their channels updated: "Come and see us in concert in such and such a city!", etc. etc. The aim is obviously to keep the media space occupied.

By creating "content"!

Exactly! And that's exactly what I don't want to do. That's why, instead of all this crap, we started some time ago to create these little humorous episodes. One day, for example, I came up with the idea of an episode set in 1969 featuring a sort of "pre-Ghost" group. To do this, I obviously had to write a new song, which I did with this psychedelic track, 'Kiss The Go-Goat', which I thought was funny. When we recorded it, 'Mary On A Cross', another song of the same type, came along. So we ended up with two sides of a single that became 'Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic.’ Instead of just announcing the release on our networks, we chose to shoot a new video in which we featured Papa Nihil and explained the origins of this so-called 'pre-Ghost' band. I thought it was a much more clever and fun way of presenting the single. We do the same when it comes to announcing an album release or a future tour. Joe Elliott has a great sense of humour and is capable of self-mockery, so he kindly agreed to play this little game.

Ghost have made a habit of releasing an EP between their albums, mostly, if not entirely, made up of covers: If You Have Ghost (2013), Popestar (2016) and now Phantomime. How is it not just about “creating content”?

For me, it's a kind of exercise. I like analogies. Let's imagine that the place we are in is a theatre, and that this theatre, in order to be viable, has to host performances all year round. At least fifty weeks a year. Daytime rehearsals, evening performances... You are the director of the place and you know that the play that is currently being performed there will end at the end of the month. So you look for something else to program in order to make the most of the place and keep your staff busy. Maybe an old classic like Doctor Glass (Hjalmar Söderberg, 1905), an adaptation of John Steinbeck, or a rereading of Shakespeare's Hamlet that you could revisit by inviting this actor or that director, renting out your theatre for three extra months for the occasion. Working on this old material, even if it means not releasing it if it doesn't work. We do that to keep the team active, enthusiastic, focused. That's my way of working. I worked simultaneously on the Impera album and the demos of the covers that are on Phantomime. One day I could record 'Spillways' and two hours before leaving the studio to go home, I could look at any of the covers and decide which ones to keep. So, as soon as Impera was finished, I was able to concentrate on those covers that the album's producer wasn't interested in putting on the record. Which was fine with me. I spent some time sorting out the covers I had recorded as demos. There were ten in total, but I only kept five. Because with those five tracks I thought I could come up with a really strong rock EP. In my albums, there are highs, lows, really metal tracks, ballads, instrumentals, etc. So I thought it was a good idea to make a really strong rock EP. I felt it would be cool if this new EP was viscerally rock’n’roll. The opening track, "See No Evil" by Television, sounds like the Rolling Stones on methamphetamine! (laughs)

You like the songs you cover, that's a prerequisite. But their lyrics also play a very important role in your choice.

Yes, that's what makes me choose a song or not.

Is that the number one criterion?

Erm... (he thinks for a long time) If I hesitate between two songs, yes, absolutely! Let's go back to Leonard Cohen, for example. For the bonus tracks of Prequelle, I chose "Avalanche" because it seemed to me to have a biblical and existential significance. This was not the case with 'Take This Waltz', another Cohen song that I liked as much, if not more. The latter, with its Viennese waltz feel, would have metaphorically taken us to Austria, which would not have been very coherent, unfortunately.

Should these covers speak about God, the Devil, ask questions about religion?

They must speak about evil, about good. Be existential, biblical, philosophical, but seen from a certain perspective. Or at least tick one of those boxes, like 'Hanging Around' (The Stranglers) which is about Christ. Some of the other covers I've recorded are more specific, such as 'Phantom Of The Opera' (Iron Maiden), which is about horror. I also make my choice according to the humour of the songs I want to cover. It should be close to my own sense of humour.

You mentioned the first Phantomime cover, "See No Evil". It takes on a different resonance today because, on January 28, 2023, we sadly learned of the death of Tom Verlaine, the leader of Television.

When I recorded this cover in 2021, just after completing Impera, it was already a tribute. But obviously, with Tom's death, this song takes on another resonance, that of a final posthumous salute. I've been listening to Television for twenty years, and I love them and have always considered them a great band. In indie clubs they always play the same song, 'Marquee Moon', but Television had many other good songs, especially on their first two albums: Marquee Moon (1977) and Adventure (1978). I like those two best. It's a band that had a huge influence on one of my previous bands, Subvision. So much so that at the time, I thought several times of covering Television songs that I loved: "See No Evil", but also "Elevation" and "Foxhole".

The first single from Phantomime is Genesis' 'Jesus He Knows Me', a scathing critique of televangelist stars like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker and Robert Tilton. Ugly people who have made their fortune by 'promising salvation’ to naive believers for big bucks. Can we expect to see you wearing a wig in its video, as singer/drummer Phil Collins did in the original video for this song in 1991?

(Laughs) We've already shot the video for this cover version (editor’s note: the interview was conducted on 11 March 2023) and I'm not in it, but it's a direct nod to the original video. I've always liked this song - except for the reggae part, which I thought was horrible in the Genesis version and which I reworked - and it's funny to see how this 1991 text is still relevant today. Except, of course, for a few "old-time" words, like "phone book". The televangelists are still there on television promising things to people who take their word for it and shower them with money because they are assured of "salvation", they are promised heaven. I also rearranged Iron Maiden's 'Phantom of The Opera' after taking care to contact Steve Harris for his approval.

Indeed, in your retelling of this song, you are the Phantom and not its victim...

Yes, I wanted to be the Phantom. I submitted the idea to Steve, who gave me the green light. I only made some surgical changes. Similarly, I would have liked to have proposed the same thing to Phil Collins so that the text of "Jesus He Knows Me" would have been more in line with the times. Change, for example, "but she don't know about my girlfriend / or the man I met last night" to "or the dude I screwed last night". Alas, lack of time prevented me from doing so. And then, since this was a slippery slope, I thought: - What if Collins refuses? Or what if he gets pissed off? - We could have made these changes without asking anyone's permission - as long as the artists get their royalties, it's not a problem - but there was no way I was going to do it. Neither I nor my label wanted to alienate anyone, obviously.

In 1977, in "Hanging Around" by The Stranglers, which you also cover on Phantomime, the singer Hugh Cornwell sings about several things, but also about Christ "telling his mother not to worry because he's comfortable in the city where he's high above the ground". Is that why you chose it?

Actually, the key thing that made me choose this song from the band over any other is that I grew up listening to the album it's taken from, Rattus Norvegicus (1977), the Stranglers' first release. There are a lot of songs on that album that I would have loved to play because, as a musician, I really like to play those kinds of songs. ‘Hanging Around' was a good fit for us because of the lyrics, but also because it was more in keeping with our style. Ghost are obviously a metal and hard rock band, but also have a strong punk sensibility. Punk, but well played (smiles). For me, The Stranglers have always done "well played punk": this band knows how to play, how to arrange its music, unlike GBH and Discharge, to name but two. Mind you, I also like the latter, but not for the same reasons. A lot of punk bands from the late 70s/early 80s sounded "sloppy". It wasn't for lack of trying to play better. When The Clash and The Jam went into the studio, they tried to do their best and they sounded great! The same goes for The Adverts. Those guys were doing their best. Nowadays, some people think that being a punk is to play badly on purpose, to be messy. No, no, no ! But I digress...

What is the reason for the nod to Metallica's 'Fade To Black' in the solo on 'Hanging Around'?

Just for fun. When I'm working on a guitar solo, I throw things in here and there, like a messy painter. It's like stretching a canvas on a wall and making big brush strokes... But when I start to feel like I've got something cool, I dig in more surgically, a bit like a collage artist would. I interweave little elements, and when it comes time to insert a solo into a piece, I refine things by continuing to add new elements. Generally, a solo gives you a space of freedom in the middle of an otherwise totally structured song. That's when you can come up with different things in terms of melody. So that's the way I do it, even on the demos of the covers. I ask my sound engineer, Martin Eriksson Sandmark, to play me the draft of the solos I've been working on over and over again, and then I try out different things, whatever comes to mind. It's as if I'm drawing a mental map of what the solo will become. Sometimes, if I'm on a part sometimes, if I'm on a bluesy part, I'll let myself play a few notes of Gary Moore’s "Still Got The Blues", or, if I'm tapping, Van Halen's "Eruption". When I was working on the solo for 'Hanging Around', I felt like playing this part of Metallica's 'Fade To Black', just for fun. And it ended up on the demo. I'm a decent guitar player, but I'm not at the level I could have reached if I'd worked harder. I could just record these solos in the studio, where you can always slow things down when you play them and then speed them up and put them on the album, but Fredrik Akesson can play these parts without tricks and with much more finesse than I can. He recorded the solo for "Hanging Around" as I had presented it on the demo, with this nod to Metallica, and we thought it was so cool that we kept it.

Hugh Cornwell, the ex-singer of The Stranglers, said in an interview that, although he was not a believer, he loved visiting churches. Is this also true for you? Are you also attracted to churches?

Yes, passionately! I believe in them like I believe in Star Wars. I've always thought of churches as stage props. Walking into one of them is a bit like walking onto a film set of the original Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. It's awe-inspiring, even though you know it's just cardboard. Churches have magical powers because they are centuries-old buildings and we know that a lot of things have happened within their walls. Not that I'm trying to throw up on these places of worship, but when I go into a church I don't hear God, but the whispers of time. I am not an atheist, although intellectually I can see that there are many reasons why I should be. I believe in a Force, in an Energy. I also believe that we don't know many things, but that there is a balance between these different energies. The white and the black.

Good and Evil...

Absolutely! Right now the world is in crisis, but we're going to get through it. It's a vicious circle. We do ourselves a disservice if we think that if the world were rid of people like Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Jair Bolsonaro and the ayatollahs of Iran and Iraq, we would be out of the woods. I think all this can happen - and I hope it will, in a way - but Good and Evil will always be there. That balance is necessary. But I am an optimist by nature. I believe that there is a future for Volodymyr Zelensky and the Eastern bloc. That there is perhaps a chance to put into practice what was tried there some thirty years ago. And I believe in a free Iran, in a possible return to what this country was in 1978. What a beautiful day that would be! But that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a new war somewhere else in the world. I'm an eternal optimist, but let's face it: history is always starting over. As I said, it's a question of balance, a permanent coming and going. Because I believe in this Force I was talking about earlier, I truly believe that the West can win, that the way we live and the way we have built our society is a step forward that shows progress and can make a large majority of people happy. Not all, but most. But even if we all lived in love and peace for five years, something else would come along to create chaos! An alien or something! (laughs) That's how it works. Our mistake is to believe in the status quo, in nirvana. It's not going to happen. It's always about balance. The Vatican and organised religion... All that crap is just to pick people's pockets, to control them, to take their energy and scare them into plundering them. The same goes for the GOP (editor’s note: the American "Grand Old Party", suspected of having Christian nationalist leanings), which only deceives people in order to take their money! That's all you need to know. It's simple, so simple to understand. All this does not mean that the energy that emanates from churches is not real. When you walk into one of them, you feel - or so I believe - the energy of all those who have gone before you, for decades, for centuries. Their fears, their hopes, etc. So much so, sometimes, that you can feel oppressed, even upset. So I can walk into a church and feel a sense of awe. I love visiting these places, especially from an aesthetic point of view.

On Phantomime, you also cover "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner. Don't you think that, given the state of the world today, we do need "another hero"?

I think Zelensky has shown how much we like heroes, how important they are to us. I think back, for example, to how the world went wild when Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal in the 116th minute to help Spain win the 2010 World Cup against the Netherlands. I believe in human determination and how it can inspire the world to distinguish between what is important... and what is really important. What is important for our daily lives. Yes, it's cool to have a complete collection of Venom's work, but it doesn't matter if I’m missing the most important thing. In the last ten years especially, the western world has been focusing on tons of unimportant things trying to pit people against each other, cancel culture and all that stuff... It proves that we are spoiled children. Our mentality shows it when it comes to security. Seeing Zelensky defend himself as he does appeals to our most primal instincts: it's beautiful and very inspiring. Nothing else is more important than that. It is the only thing that matters... Otherwise we have to be prepared for a lot of people to live in misery.

Next August, you will tour in the USA with Amon Amarth. I noticed that they will not accompany you on the last date, in Los Angeles, on September 11, 2023. There is no opening act, you ask the audience not to use their phones, etc. That sounds like a live DVD!

Yes, we are indeed planning to film this show, but it won't be the end of the Impera era cycle, even if we will not have so many dates left after this concert. There will still be a few shows in South America and Australia.

Nothing in Japan? A country that one might think Ghost was made for.

At the moment, it's not very clear. We had a lot of discussions with the Japanese promoters, as there was talk of us appearing on the bill of a Japanese festival scheduled for this month. Unfortunately, the festival was postponed... and then rescheduled for March! I think they originally had a big headliner, but the headliner didn't show up. So they cancelled, and then considered a smaller edition with Pantera. With all the back and forth, we ended up dropping out because it was too risky for us to play one date there after six months of inactivity. Our team is currently taking a break, but we preferred to use this time to rehearse for our next shows. The first one will be in Rouen on May 21st. We learned a good lesson the last time we played Hellfest. It was so hot that day, the conditions were so extreme, that we almost had a storm. We really had to fight against the elements and it affected me (Editor's note: the last encore of the show was not played, as Tobias was suffering from vocal problems). It was a very tough show. What really pissed me off was not the fact that I lost my voice, but the fact that the festival-goers who were there were not treated to our entire production. It was indeed difficult to foresee these extreme conditions. This summer we have to play festivals again, so we have reworked our production, which will be better adapted to the complicated weather. On this tour we will play in Spain, Finland, Norway, Greece, all within a few days of each other. So we'll be touring with two identical stages, so we can do all these shows without too much downtime. It's not very ecological, I'm sorry to say, because sometimes we'll have to take a plane to get to these cities in time. Not great, but it's the only way...

Will you play any of the Phantomime covers live?

One thing is for sure: we will play 'Jesus He Knows Me' because it's the first single from the new EP. As for the rest, we'll see during the rehearsals how the set evolves - because it's going to evolve a bit from the 2022 set. We're thinking of playing some songs from Impera that we've left out so far.

#the band ghost #tobias forge #interview

448 notes · View notes

americaswritings · 1 year

Text

When we fall | Part 3

Warnings (for all parts): Fluff, angst, description of injuries and blood, gun use, cursing, probably unaccurate policing/medicine

Summary: You moved to Chicago to start a new life. Working as a doctor alongside your brother Connor you make new friends and although you swore to yourself not to let any man in your life at least for a while, your promises fail when you lock eyes with a handsome stranger in a bar.

Words: 6k

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Doctor!Rhodes!reader

A/N: And here is the last part of the short series. The events are inspired by a chicago med ep. I really hope you enjoyed it :)

Part 1 | Part 2

“We’ll take care of you and your daughter.” You smiled at your patient reassuringly, noticing someone moving towards you in corner of your eye. Turning your head you saw a man with tousled hair standing at the threshold, his eyes almost hazy as his gaze skipped around the room.

“Where’s Leah?!”, he barked out, his eyes only focused on your patient. Your gaze flickered towards her, taking in the fear in her eyes and the gasp that left her lips. “Jake? How did you find us here?”, she whispered, oblivion dripping from her voice.

“Did you really think you could just leave and take our daughter with you? She’s my daughter too!” He took a threatening step closer, eyes narrowed. “Now, where is she?!”

Your patient’s breathing had quickened and a look at the heart monitor told you she was about to have a panic attack. “Sir, I need you to calm down and take a step back”, you said forcefully, drawing his attention on you. His eyes jumped to you, anger brimming in them.

“Like hell I will! I’m taking my wife and my kid home now!” Your eyes flickered towards the nurse, giving her a little nod to signal her to call the security service, before you met his again. “I can see you’re upset. But your wife and your daughter are sick. They need treatment and rest-”

“Shut up!” You flinched as he yelled at you, his loud voice alarming multiple people around you. “Everything okay in here?” Will appeared at the door, his eyes scanning the room until they landed at yours, staying there as he waited for an honest answer.

The man shook his head furiously, but he took a step back. You almost exhaled in relief. “I want to see my daughter! Now!”, he demanded, but before anyone could gave him an answer, he turned and ripped open the curtain to the next room.

You heard squeals, alarmed voices mixing with the sound of another curtain being ripped open. “Sir, I need you to leave now!” Will leaned forward to grab the man’s shoulder when suddenly he yanked out a gun, twisting around and pointing it right at Will’s chest.

A gasp escaped you as you watched Will stumble back, his hands raised. “Look man, we’re just trying to help, okay?” But the man, Jake, didn’t seem to hear any of it, his eyes filled with hatred and something that scared you even more; desperation and determination. A dangerous combination.

He wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted.

“What’s going on here?” You heard Connor’s voice, saw him step out of a patient’s room and move towards the intruder. From his angle he couldn’t see the gun, couldn’t know the severity of the situation.

“Connor, no!” Your legs moved forward at the same time as the man turned around, the gun pointed at your brother. Everything seemed to happen so fast and in slow-motion at once as your body reacted purely on instinct, the fear for your brother carrying you forward.

You didn’t know if he meant to pull the trigger or if it was out of reflex, but you had no time to think about it as a shot rang out.

You would have screamed, but no sound left your mouth as the impact hit you, sending your body tumbling backwards until it hit the wall. Only moments before your feet had carried you forward, but now they suddenly couldn’t take your weight anymore, your body sinking to the ground.

Around you screams were erupting, but they sounded drowned out, as if you were underwater. Your name was being called, but it all seemed to blend into a haze.

You tried to peek at where you felt a sudden pressure in your body, shock mixing with confusion as you saw blood staining your clothes. Just seconds ago you had been standing in a patient’s room and now you were on the ground, your own blood pooling around your feet. It didn’t make sense.

From the periphery of your eye you saw people running. Some moved towards you, but most of them the opposite way. Away. They were running away.

And they were pushing, tripping, falling over each other. “Put down the gun!” You saw one of the security men approach, his own gun drawn at the attacker. Another shot cut through the atmosphere, but to your horror it was the security man that fell, blood splattering from a wound to his front.

“Everyone just back off!”

Jake’s sharp voice snapped you out of your shock and all at once reality hit you. Pain sank in, slowly at first and then in a stream of hot sensations. Tears formed in your eyes at the burning pain and you grit your teeth, trying to will it away, because you knew you needed to be aware of what happened next.

Lifting your head slightly you found the ER had mostly cleared out, only a few people remaining. Among them were Will and Connor, both of their bodies’ turned towards you in a way that suggested they had tried to get to you, their hands raised.

“Just let me get to my sister, okay? I’m a doctor and she needs help.” You stared at Connor, seeing the panic he tried to restrain as he appealed to the man reasonably. Jake’s eyes flickered towards you, hesitance written over his face.

“You didn’t want this to happen, do you?” Connor asked, his voice strained. “So let me make this better. Let me help.” He was pleading now and another wave of panic filled you as you realized he was only mere seconds away from doing something reckless.

For a moment you thought you were going to throw up from the sickness that cursed through your body, but you feared you wouldn’t even be able to move your body in the state you were in.

Jake let out a frustrated breath, gesturing towards you with his gun. “Okay. Okay!” Connor rushed over to you immediately, his concerned eyes meeting yours. “Are you okay? How do you feel? Can you tell me where you’ve been hit?”

You tried to follow his questions, your mind spinning. Instead of an answer you let out a groan as Connor found your wound, pressing down on it. “We need to stop the bleeding.”

Now that he was here by your side a weakness took over your body and you welcomed it. Welcomed the dark, because it felt easier to lean into it than fight it. But it never swallowed you. As much as you wished you could just pass out, the pain didn’t end, keeping you caged in your body.

You didn’t need to ask him how serious your condition was. The urgency in Connor’s movement alone was enough for you to confirm it was bad, the seeping hot pain a further indicator.

You saw Jake still waving his gun around, speaking in an animated tone with Will and Maggie. To your left someone had crouched down next to the security guard and you felt a flicker of relief when you saw it was Ethan.

A cough rose up your throat and your body shook, sending an ache through you. When you wiped your mouth you noticed your skin had turned red.

“No, no, no”, your brother whispered, his eyes frantic. “Connor”, you said, your voice a little hoarse. He paused for a moment, both of you locking eyes in a quiet exchange. “I’m scared”, you whispered, feeling a few tears escape your eyes.

Connor swallowed, his eyes filled with desperation. “I know”, he leaned closer, “But you will be okay. I will fix it, okay?.”

You nodded slowly, needing to cling to his words. To hold onto the reminder that you would be okay. That your life wasn’t over when you hadn’t even started fully living yet.

It didn’t make sense. You had woken up a few minutes before your alarm clock, had been in an oddly good mood as you had gotten ready for work and even your patients had been unusually patient and grateful. Today was a good day. Not a day that could turn into such a catastrophe in the blink of an eye.

This didn’t happen. Maybe in books or on tv. But not here, not to people like you.

“Hey!” Dr. Goodwin appeared in your vision, bending down to Connor and you. “What’s the status?” You hadn’t seen her before, but knowing she was here already gave you a sparkle of hope. As the hospital’s executive director it was her job to find solutions, even in the face of the worst possible events. She would get them out of here, somehow.

“She’s been shot in the abdomen. No exit wound so the bullet is still inside. I believe she’s bleeding internally.”

You saw a shadow cloud Dr. Goodwin’s as she looked at you and it was as if you could see the wheels in her head turning as she assessed the situation.

“What’s going on?”, you asked weakly, needing to know if the others were safe. “Mr. Whitman demands to take his wife and daughter and leave. I was on the phone with the Chicago police department. They told me he’s got a history of domestic abuse and violence. The wife filed a report on him and moved states to get him out of her life.”

“And he found her now.” You gulped, slowly piecing the pieces together. Dr. Goodwin nodded, graveness written over her face. “So what’s the plan?” It was Connor, his voice urgent.

Dr. Goodwin sighed, taking off her glasses and pinching the brick of her nose. You had never seen her like this, so defeated, and it filled you with unease.

“The police is here and a squad team too. But there is no way we can let them inside or get someone outside right now without Mr. Whitman noticing. Right now they are preparing for getting just one person in. Unarmed.”

“What help is that going to be?” Connor let out a scoff and it annoyed you how quick to judge he was, and more so, that you agreed with him. What would another person talking to Jake change?

“It would be a trained officer, who has the experience and skills to deal with these kind of high pressure situations. The plan would be for him to try and talk to Mr. Whitman first and if that’s not effective either, assess the situation and make a move or get back to the team and share valuable information with them.”

You could see Connor still shaking his head, but Dr. Goodwin stood again. “It’s the only thing Mr. Whitman has agreed to. You know I would prefer to get everyone else out, but he has been clear. If one person leaves, he is going to make use of his gun again.”

“And what are we supposed to do now? Just wait?”

“Connor”, you tried to calm him, but his eyes snapped to yours. “We need an OR now! Monique!” The blonde nurse standing next to Ethan looked over. You could see the fear written all over her face. “Can you take over for a moment?”

She gave a nod, her eyes flickering to Jake who didn’t let them out of sight. Crouching down next to you the two quickly exchanged their hands applying pressure onto your wound, the sensation making you let out a groan.

But you pushed away the pain, trying to focus on Connor. “What are you doing?”, you hissed as you watched him get up, wishing you could hold him back.

“Dr. Rhodes, we should wait for the officer to arrive. Right now the situation is stable and I can’t risk-” “Stable? Is that what you call this?” Connor pushed himself fully up now, the movement catching Jake’s eye.

“Sit back down!” But Connor lifted his hands, taking a cautious step forward. “My sister likely suffers from an internal bleeding. We need an OR to-” “No! Nobody goes anywhere!”

Connor’s face fell, his shoulders sinking, but he took another step forward. The grip the fear had around your heart tightened. “Please, I need to stop the bleeding. You don’t want her to die, right?”

Jake stared at you for a moment before his attention was back on your brother. “I just want my daughter and my wife!”

“And we get that. We do. But she-”, he turned halfway towards you, his eyes not leaving Jake for a second, “has nothing to do with this. Let me save her life.”

“I said no one goes anywhere! You save her here or you don’t save her at all. It’s on you!”

You watched Connor open his mouth again, but before he could say another word Jake stepped forward, his gun pointed directly at his chest.

“Do I look like someone who’s joking?!”, he yelled, making everyone around him flinch. Connor made himself a little smaller, taking a small step backwards while shaking his head. “Yeah, so you better listen to what I’m saying! No get your ass back down there!”

You didn’t have the heart to watch Connor when he returned to you, to see the defeat and hopeless on his face. The fear.

He had barely sat down again when another turmoil broke loose, gaining everyone’s attention. It had to be the officer Jake had allowed in, though you didn’t want to know what he would get in return for the favour.

Although you didn’t feel much hope regarding the plan, you trusted the police to make the right choice. This couldn’t be their first hostage situation, so they knew what to do, right?

What you hadn’t anticipated was that the officer coming in could be someone you knew. Someone you knew very well.

Jay.

No.

You blinked a few times, but it was unmistakably him.

His voice. His physique.

A touch at your hand drew your attention away from him for a moment and you noticed Monique had reached for it. Only now you saw you had balled your hand into a fist, all the tension left in your body visible in that one grip. Slowly she loosened it, taking your hand into hers instead and squeezing it in reassurance.

You didn’t know the young nurse so well- she was a little more on the reserved and quiet side- but the gesture filled you with deep gratitude, giving you the strength to look up again and face this new reality.

Jay hadn’t noticed you yet, his whole focus on calming Jake enough to make an uneventful entrance. When he seemed confident in the situation he scanned the room, assessing the conditions they were dealing with.

He did it with a professional calmness you wished you could have right now, his face only giving away his emotion when they fell on his brother. “Hey, man. You alright?”

He stepped forward, avoiding any rapid movements and Will nodded. “I’m okay. But Mrs. Kaden is in a bad condition. The stress on top of her physical state worries me.”

He said something else, but he had lowered his voice that it was impossible for you to understand anything. Jay nodded. “What about the two victims?”

“The security guard got hit at the shoulder. He’s stable.” “And the other one?” Will shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness. “She’s over there with Connor. It doesn’t look good, Jay.”

It was strange, listening to them and knowing they were talking about you. Waiting for the moment Jay’s eyes fell upon you.

You didn’t know what kind of reaction you were anticipating, but nothing could have prepared you for the utter shock that filled Jay’s face as he looked at you.

You watched him do a double take, every trace of his confidence and expressionlessness gone, replaced by a turmoil of emotions. He almost lunged forward, stopping himself when Jake’s warning voice filled the air.

You could see Connor’s questioning gaze on you, but you were focused fully on Jay as he made his way over to you with careful movements.

When he crouched down in front of you, he was close enough for you to see a hint of fear in his eyes. “What happened?”

Your petty argument, the distance, it all seemed forgotten as you stared at him, not strong enough to hide your own fear. “I got shot.”

Although it was obvious, it was the first time you had said the words out loud, had acknowledged the fact that this was really happening to you. It felt surreal, even with the burning pain spreading through your body, making it impossible to keep your composure.

Jay’s eyes softened as he heard your husky voice, the effort it took you to form the words another sign how bad your current shape was. For a moment his eyes drifted over your body, his face twisting in pain as he stared at your blood, before he looked up again.

“He said he’s going to kill us if he doesn’t walk out of here with his wife and his kid.” Jay nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I know.”

“But- you’re here now…right?”

“Yeah, I am.” Jay tried to force an encouraging smile on his face, but you knew him well enough to know it was strained.

“You’re here”, you repeated relieved, your voice almost giving up at the end and you coughed. Jay stared at you, his eyes a little widened, his pupils dilated in fear.

He was scared. For you. He was scared for you.

“Her pulse is up to 120 and she’s sweating.” It was Monique and you saw her exchange a look with Connor. “What’s her condition?” Jay was talking to Connor now, as if he had only now realized he was there.

Under different circumstances your brother wouldn’t have let go what had just happened right in front of his eyes. He would have teased you until you would have told him the truth about Jay and you. But now he did, just like that, knowing there was no time for it as yours was running out.

The thought sent another wave of fear through your body, but with the hot pain and the growing weakness you felt too overwhelmed to do anything about it. So you tried to focus on the feeling of Monique’s hand holding yours, on Jay’s closeness and your brother’s words.

“The bullet likely caused internal bleeding. She’s losing too much blood.” Connor almost ran a hand over his face like he always did when he was stressed, stopping himself when he saw your blood on his hands.

“What do you need?”

“I need an OR. I need to find the bleeding and stop it.” His voice was a mix of desperation and determination and Jay listened intensely. His mask of professionalism was back in place, the sight having something grounding to it in the midst of this chaos, but you could detect a few flaws where his emotions threatened to pour in.

“I’m here to negotiate”, he began, eyes cast towards Jake, continuing lowly, “but really I think this will take a different ending.”

You wanted to ask him what that meant, but it seemed too difficult and you were forced to watch him get up instead. As Connor tried to get up too you tried to catch his wrist. You failed, but the movement still let him pause.

“Don’t go, please”, you whispered, your body shaking. You wished you could stop it, but you had lost all control over it, and when had it become so cold?

You felt Jay’s eyes on you as Connor leaned down to you, placing his hands on the sides of your face. “You’re sweating and your pulse is way up. Your skin is ice cold and you’re pale. I don’t need to tell you what that means. We need to do something now.”

You felt tears run down your cheeks as you tried to shake your head, silently pleading him to stay. He had already risked it with Jake once. What would he do when Connor tried it again and this time he wouldn’t give up?

“I’m coming back.” Connor stroked your cheek once before pressing a kiss against your forehead. Then he was gone, his touch only a faint memory as your head sank back against the wall.

As the two walked away from you they blurred into nothing more than silhouettes. Muffled voices filled your ears, but they were too drowned out for you to understand anything. Monique was speaking to you too, the level of her tone indicating she was saying something to soothe you, but her words never reached you either.

A part of you wanted to pass out. As much as you wanted to know what happened, with Connor and Jay not by your side any longer all your fight had left you. The pain felt unbearable now, as if someone had lit your body on fire and the flames were eating at you, slowly burning you alive.

Your throat was closing and it was getting hard to breathe. Every once in a while you choked on air, raspy coughs escaping your mouth. And it was so cold. Colder than the winter in Chicago.

The last sound you heard before the darkness finally swallowed you was a gunshot.

The first thing you felt when you woke was the heaviness of your body, as if an invisible weight had been placed upon you.

You could hear the steady beeping of a monitor, the sound having something reassuring to it. You listened to it for a while, too tired to pull yourself out of the haze yet.

But then the events of the day came crashing back to you, the image of Jay and Connor both leaving your side to get Jake to let them save you. The sound of a gun going off.

You blinked your eyes open, your vision only slowly clearing. But eventually it sharpened, revealing the inside of a hospital room.

You weren’t surprised at the sight, but you still paused when you took in the IV you were hooked upon. “Look who’s awake.”

Turning your head you found April at the door, a smile on her lips. But you could see it wasn’t as effortless as usual and you wondered where she had been when all of it had happened.

Had she gotten out, left to wonder about Ethan’s and everyone else’s wellbeing? Or had she been hiding in one of the other patient rooms?

“How are you feeling?” She stepped into the room, beginning her check-up on you. You let her do it, squinting when she shone a bright light in your eyes. “I’ve felt better before”, you answered truthfully, growing slightly more aware or the pressure in your abdomen.

At least it didn’t hurt yet. You didn’t want to think of the moment the pain meds would wear off.

“Where’s my brother?” April had finished her tests, squeezing your hand. “He’s still in the hospital. I told him to go home and get some rest, but he insisted on staying.”

April shook her head, clearly disapproving of your brother’s choices. “But I did get him to take a shower. He should be in the on-call rooms right now. Do you want me to go and get him?”

You thought about it for a moment. “No, let him sleep. It’s been a hell of a day for him too.”

April nodded, a small smile on her lips. “What about detective Halstead? Do you want me to send him home too?”

You stared at her in surprise. “He’s still here? Wait- how much time passed?”

“5 hours. And yes, he’s here. Actually, he just got himself a coffee. I might have forgotten to mention how disgusting the one from the vending machine is.”

“You’re evil.” You narrowed your eyes at her, chuckling. April shrugged. “Can’t have anyone know our secrets. So what is it with you and the other Halstead. Is he the one you’ve been texting this whole time?”

You hesitated, ready to deny her words, because you were used to keeping it a secret. But you weren’t sure that was possible after today, and honestly it all seemed so unimportant know that you had almost lost your life.

“We were. But things are kind of- complicated between us so I’m not sure where we’re standing.”

“Well”, April walked towards the door, a smile on her lips, “whatever it is it can’t be so serious. You should have seen the way he looked at you when you came out of surgery.”

Your chest tightened as a wave of emotions flooded you. “He really stayed for me?”

April grinned. “He might have claimed there to be paperwork at first. And then that he wanted to look after his brother. But Will went home hours ago and guess who spend the whole time of your surgery pacing the waiting room.”

April winked at you. “I’m going to search for Ethan now. I wanted to wait for you to wake up before leaving.”

Warmth filled you and you had to blink away the tears, touched by everyone’s concern for you. But the mention of Ethan’s name had also reminded you that you hadn’t been the only one hurt today.

“Is everyone okay? The security guard, did he make it?”

“Oh yeah, we’re all okay.” Before she could say another word someone else appeared in the doorway and April left, a knowing smile on her lips.

“Hey.” You didn’t think you had ever heard Jay speak so softly. It made you want to pull him close and snuggle up beside him, be safe in his arms and forget everything else.

“Hey”, you said, trying to sit up a little, but realizing it was a pointless mission.

You supressed a grin when you noticed the coffee cup in his hand, but Jay had followed your gaze, lifting it up. “That’s the worst coffee I’ve ever had”, he declared, “and we’ve only got a new machine at the precinct last year.”

You chuckled lightly. “We have the good one hidden in the break room. But don’t tell anyone I’ve told you that.”

Jay grinned. “Your secret’s safe with me.” Pulling a chair to your bedside and setting his cup on the nightstand he sat next to you, his eyes flickering over your face.

“I prefer when I am the one taking the bullet.”

He smiled, but it was a sad smile, the stress from the past hours visible on his face. “What can I say? You made it seem so effortless.”

But Jay didn’t seem amused, his eyes heavy. “When I heard about the hostage situation, I hoped you weren’t on shift. I called you, but you didn’t pick up.” He blew out a breath.

“And my brother didn’t either so-” He ran a hand over his face. “It’s why I needed to be the one going in. I needed to know if you were okay.”

“And they let you?” Although you knew they had, you were surprised Jay had been chosen. You didn’t doubt his capability as a cop, but just like you weren’t allowed to be on a personal case you had believed Jay’s involvement would have been a red flag as well.

“Not at first, no. But I was very convincing. And Voight’s not too strict about the rules anyway.”

You didn’t want to imagine the length Jay might have gone to, to get what he wanted. Especially with Voight, who didn’t appreciate anyone speaking up against him or acting out of line.

You stirred a little, your body beginning to ache. “What happened after I passed out?”

Jay’s brows drew together and you could see the graveness in his eyes. “He wouldn’t let you go.” His jaw hardened. “Like I said, negotiations didn’t work with him.”

“Does that mean…-”, you trailed of, your heart heavy. Jay gritted his teeth. “Our backup plan was for me to lead him somewhere the squat team could take the shot.”

“So he’s dead now?” You didn’t know what to feel when Jay nodded his head once. Certainly not regret, not after what he had done, but there was no relief either. Instead you just felt numb, like the turmoil of emotions you had experienced in the past hours had left you completely empty.

“And the mother and her kid?” “They are okay.” Jay seemed as relieved to deliver those news as you felt and for the first you truly allowed yourself to take a big exhale. “As okay as they can be under these circumstances.”

“How could he even walk in with a gun?” You shook your head in disbelief, wishing for answers you know you would never get. “The hospital’s head launched an investigation”, Jay told you and you imagined the stress Dr. Goodwin must be facing even now that it was over.

“That’s good I guess”, you muttered. “Yeah.” But Jay seemed somewhere else with his thoughts and for a moment you feared he would go back to being distanced towards you.

But to your surprise he leaned forward, his hand almost touching yours on the bed. “What happened?”

You scrunched up your nose in confusion. “To you. What happened to you? How did you get shot?”

You took a deep breath, knowing you would have to face that question again once Connor was up. He would be upset, but as much as you regretted your action, wished things had gone differently, you couldn’t say it had been a mistake. Not if you had prevented something worse, like a bullet hitting your brother.

“It all happened so fast.” You closed your eyes, trying to recall the moment. But your memories were hazy, the images blurry, only in fragments.

“I saw Connor coming out of a patient’s room and he- he couldn’t see the gun. Jake would have shot him. He- I- I had to do something.”

When you opened your eyes again you saw Jay’s green eyes staring intensely at you, his brows furrowed deeply.

A shadow covered his face, but it vanished before you could ask about it.

“So you’d rather get yourself killed?” It sounded a little accusing and your face fell, anger filling you. “Don’t you think I know that now? But you would have done the same for Will. I know you would have.”

Jay shifted. “That’s different”, he said, but you tilted your head at him. “I’m too tired for that conversation.”

Jay looked hurt and disappointed, but you didn’t regret your words. You couldn’t take his arguments now, not now when you were still coming to terms with the reality that you had almost lost your life.

“I didn’t know you were so selfless. I mean-”, Jay rubbed the back of his head, “I knew, because of your job and how you treat your patients, but taking a bullet for someone else? I didn’t know you were a hero.”

He was smiling now, trying to loosen the atmosphere, but this words had the opposite effect on you. “I’m not”, you said quietly. “I didn’t even mean to do that. My body just- reacted. That’s not bravery or selflessness.”

This time Jay touched your hand, the unexpected gesture drawing your attention back to him. “It’s always an instinct. It happens too quickly for anyone to make a conscious decision. It can be a reflex and still be brave. Because you didn’t hesitate.”

You hadn’t thought of it like that before and you started at him, your thoughts swirling in your brain as the desire to be close to him clouded your mind once more.

“Does it ever get easier?” You blinked, a little scared to be so vulnerable in front of him. “On tv they are fine after that. They are so cool about it. But what if I’m not fine? What if that was probably the worst thing that ever happened to me and I’m so scared?”

You bit your lip, forcing back the tears. But the truth was you weren’t ready to die yet. And coming so close to death had left its marks on you. You could feel it everywhere, as you gazed around the room, took in all the sensations you could feel, looked at Jay beside you. It was all so much.

“Hey.” Jay squeezed your hand. “That’s acting. It’s fake. You almost died. You’re not supposed to be fine right now.”

A tear escaped your eye and you wiped at it, trying not to be furious at yourself for losing your composure in front of Jay. “I don’t know how you do it. Getting shot at and still running towards danger and not away.”

Jay seemed sheepish out of a sudden, no hint of his usual confidence and wit. “It’s my job. Just like I could never do what you do.” You felt yourself smile a little, his recognition making you feel a little less small in the hospital bed. “And sometimes there are- things that happen on this job that you don’t just get over. We all have things we’re dealing with. Even I.”

Now you squeezed his hand, trying to show him you were there if he ever needed to talk to someone. Jay looked at you with gratitude in his eyes. He understood, even without words.

Silence settled in, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. There came no pressure to come up with something to say, no need to say anything at all and you could see it was the same for Jay, his thoughts drifting.

“So Connor huh?”

You hadn’t expected the question, drawing your brows together. “What?”

Jay licked his lips, inhaling. “I saw you two together. And then today-”, he trailed off, gazing to the side as he collected himself.

“I don’t know what you saw-”, you began, but Jay raised a hand. “Don’t deny it. I’m not blind. It’s obvious how much you care for each other.”

You started at him, rendered speechless as you tried to imagine what he could have seen. But it didn’t matter, because Jay was- “You’re jealous!”

He twisted in his chair, pulling his hand away. “I’m not jealous”, he said, but you shook your head, grinning. “Yes, you are.”

Annoyance flashed over his face. “I just don’t like to be played with.” Your smile faded a little, but the relief you felt only grew as your slowly began to piece it all together.

“That’s why you acted so cold towards me out of a sudden. You saw me and Connor and you thought-” You almost let out a laugh, only suppressing it as you took in Jay’s unamused expression.

“Well detective Halstead, Connor is my brother.”

You watched with delight how his face turned into confusion, surprise and then hope. “He’s your brother”, he repeated in disbelief and you nodded. “I told you I came to Chicago, because I have family here.”

Jay let out a groan, the previous tension melting from his body as your words sank in. “But Will-”, he paused, clearly rethinking something his brother had said to him, “that bastard. When I saw you together I asked him about you and he warned me not to try anything, because of Connor. He never thought to mention once that he’s your brother.”

“You asked Will about me?”

Jay narrowed his eyes playfully. “That’s what you’re concerned about?”

You let out a laugh. “Not concerned, no. I just- you asked your brother about me.”

Jay raised his brow. “Why is that so hard to believe? I mean, you asked him about me too.”

Your face flushed. “I did not!”

“Yes, you did!” Jay chuckled, clearly enjoying your embarrassment. “Will told me about it. It’s why he got so suspicious so fast when I brought you up.”

“And then he mentioned Connor and you figured-” “he said that if I tried anything with you I would have to deal with Connor Rhodes. And it’s not like you two have the same last name.”

“Different moms”, you explained and he sighed. “I should have just talked to you, but I got so mad and then I heard you two talk and I just- reacted.”

“You should have”, you agreed, “but I should have been more open with you too.”

“So, let’s try again?”

His voice sounded so soft when he said it you felt yourself melt under the covers. “If you’re ready to deal with Connor Rhodes”, you pointed out playfully and Jay shrugged, his natural confidence back.

“After I helped save your life I’m pretty sure I’m well in with him. Which reminds me, you owe me three times now.”

You rolled your eyes, feeling the tiredness return to your body. Soon enough you would be drifting off again. “It’s twice, considering you cancelled our first date.”

Jay grinned. “Fair enough. But I’m taking you out once you’re out of here.”

You smiled. “I’m counting on it.”

Tags:

PERMANENT

@capkilljoy @fairytalesforever @hamartocado @choke-me-sweet-pea @sleepinginthegarden7 @thenoddingbunny-blog @ttalisa @hallecarey1 @Not-jay-c @sunwardsss @writingrem-blog @the-pink-petite-princess @wanniiieeee @part-time-patronus @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @theshortegg @not-reptilian @msdrpreist @alisonhepps @hallecarey1 @thatfangirl42 @dustyinkpages @ellabellabus07 @iluvjj @wayward-hunter @sweet-texas-girl @rosie-posie08 @ @olsensnpm @meyocoko @alexxavicry @shhh423 @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jayyeahthatsme @savagemickey03 @alexxavicry @partiallypearl @earthtolottie @gisobsessedwithfanfiction @navs-bhat @AlohaStitch_626 @multi-fandom-lover7667 @xcallmetaniax @esposadomd @halsteadloversworld @girlintheredscarf @randomwriter1021

ONE CHICAGO

@alldaysdreamers @krswrites @oosnapitskat @okiegirl24 @mads-weasley @nyx2021 @human01sposts @wanniiieeee @dustyinkpages @randomwriter1021 @cosmic-psychickitty @smoothdogsgirl @yyourmotherr @luckyladycreator2 @penguins0527 @rippl3s @sande5098 @freyathehuntress @sorry-i-spaced @narnianaos @jtxox01 @captainjoongiekissme @killerrbunnii @randomhoex @mrspeacem1nusone @thesithdiaries @cosmicwintr @fdl305 @insane-fangirl @thaliadoesthingd @crazy4pennywise @morks-watermelon @automaticpeachsong @arialikestea @lanea-1 @hoeshii @multi-fandom-lover7667 @mrsjna @toohighhopes @caroldanverwife @Kanji_Chikara @chsatlntic @halstead-severide-fan @halsteadloversworld @mrspeacem1nusone @durandingers @keabbs @sorry-i-spaced @zizzlekwum @slytherlight @itserickalove

Add yourself to my taglist!

Please let me know what you think :)

407 notes · View notes

starryalpacasstuff · 4 months

Text

Last Twilight Ep 9; The conclusion of Mee's story

Mee's story was such an amazing addition to Last Twilight. I've explored the parallels in the stories before here, and this episode marked the conclusion of Mee's story. I absolutely loved that the book was actually written by a father who's daughter was going blind. Much like we enjoy and find comfort in queer allegories made by queer creators, Day found comfort in David's writing.

I forgot to get a screenshot of the exact dialogue, but in the last leg of the story, Mee seeks out the Last Twilight mountaintop in hopes that it will break the curse. Day seeks out the mountaintop too. to see the place that brought this story to life, to know what the author saw, and to have one more memory for himself for when he loses his sight.

We see them enact Mee's journey within the book, also mirroring the journey David would have gone on when bringing his daughter to the mountaintop. Mhok reads the story that David wrote, travelling with Day as David would have travelled with his daughter, the inspiration for Mee.

Side note, Day's happiness when realizing that Mee was based off of someone very similar to him is understandable. There's nothing better than finding others who are like you, especially when they're behind works you see yourself in. It functions both at face value, and as a queer allegory.

Then, of course, they reach the mountaintop. and Mhok reads the ending of the book, in which Mee is bathed by the sunlight and turns to stone, never to fade away again. Mhok doesn't like the ending, it's too abrupt, too sad. He doesn't understand why Mee's life has to end there, why the author would choose to end the story of a girl inspired by his daughter in this way. But Day gets it. As he's sitting with Mhok at the mountaintop, he understands what it's like to want to be trapped in a moment forever. (This also says a lot about their characters, and how they view the world differently)

In the end, Last Twilight didn't come. And sure, there's some 'the journey was more important than the destination' stuff here, but it's also about Day finally accepting that his sight is gone for good. I've talked before about how Mee no longer chasing after the sun paralleled the end of Mhok and Day's relationship as caretaker and caretakee(?), and I think that Mee turning to stone parallels this point of Day's life somewhat similarly. Mee would never fade again, but she would remain a statue forever, a fate viewed to be just as bad, if not worse by many. Day has become fully blind, a fate viewed as far worse than his vision before. But maybe, this could lead to a new chapter in his life, where he could be free of the small, torturous part of his brain that refused to believe that his sight wasn't coming back.

So yes, maybe it was better to end the story this way. Day may be fully blind, but he has Mhok to ensure that Day never fades away again.

And it's ok that Last Twilight never came, because he saw it anyway, and the last thing he ever saw was the face of someone he loved, the face he wanted to be the last thing that he ever saw.

Mee's story could be seen as tragic, yes. But to her, turning to stone, trapped in a wonderful moment for her to treasure forever, this was a fate far better than chasing after the sun forever, forever afraid of fading away.

#if this seems incoherent and messy thats because it is and I apologize #i have more thoughts but the thoughts to text converter part of my brain seems to be permanently damaged #hope this makes sense because i rewrote it like thrice because i couldn't get it to make sense #last twilight #last twilight the series #last twilight meta

117 notes · View notes

akaashiwaifuuwu · 7 months

Text

dress - taylor swift

Lee felix and fem reader

Warning : smut, yn ex is a jerk, very fluffy, last part is inspired by friend (season2 ep 4), being called slut (that's it ig)

(An: I have exams going on its my half yearly, it will end tomorrow plus it's durga puja knocking was very busy with shopping and all I hope you all like it, please interact with my works as it helps me !!)

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT !!

you broke up. It's done. All those things just flashed infront of your eyes, the memories, the kisses, the I love yous, it's all gone, he was cheating on you this entire time.

It meant nothing to him, but it meant everything to you all those 4 years went to a vain, he was manipulating you, mental and physical abuse which you ignored because you were so in love with him. They say in love every wrong becomes rights.

"Excuse me, you will catch cold" your dull eyes meet a boy who have freckles. "Are you okay?" He was holding the umbrella above both of you and you nodded yes "tell me, what's bothering you" that's it. You broke down.

He was scared "can I touch you?" He asked and you replied yes causing him to hug you and you cried harder. "Let's get you home, you will get sick yeah?" You nodded.

"I don't know where you live" that guy said "oh, I'm felix, lee felix" he smiled at you "im y/n and I live here" you pointed him your block "no way, i live here" he smiled "your smile gives comfort" you looked down "well, see you soon" he said "don't you wanna come in?" You turned around

"wouldn't it be a problem for you?" He looked at you "not really" you look dull "well we can-" you were cut off my him "I can come some other day okay?" He smiled and went back waving you goodbye.

It has been 3 months since the break up, will you say you're over him? no. You haven't met that guy since that day, you wanted to show him your gratitude.

"Oh my God, we met finally, I was waiting for you to call me, I'm hurt that you didn't" that voice. You turned around to see it was your ex. You wanted to run away. He grabbed your wrist "let's go yeah?" You grabbed his hand which was holding your hand "you're inflicting me pain".

"Me? i could never ever hurt you" He yelled "it's you who hurts me, you know I love you" you were going to give in but his grasp was so tight, you were pretty sure you have bruise now.

"Look she is hurt, let her go mister" ah that freckle boy you saw, he had 7 more ppl they all look so strong "okay whatever you got new people to fuck, enjoy being a slut".

You were crying, again. You were hurt, again.

"I dare you to say that again" the freckle boy said "she is a-" he stopped "whatever, she is a pathetic whore" uh oh "that's it" felix walked towards him and you tugged him, his eyes soften.

You were there, you can't hear anything. "Hey, yn you're okay?" You smiled and walked away. You were so dumb, stupid, so in love.

Felix ran upto you. "Hey, let's go out" he said, the freckled boy heard a whimper as he turn around he saw you crying. Soon you bursed into tears

"Was I not good enough?" You dont know him, yet you trust him.

Here you are, it has been 2 years since that messy break up took place, you and felix have been extremely close, he is studying computer science and you're doing law.

It's peaceful being with him. Comfortable silence you know? It's not awkward.

"Yn" he called you out

| say my name and everything just stops |

"Yes?" You looked at him. Oh how you melted. "I bought KitKat for you!" He exclaimed smilingly. "You remember?"

"Obviously baby" ah. That nickname which makes you wanna scream, yell, rip off your hairs, you were flabbergasted. He held his hands out "let's go?" And you hold his hand back 'webtoon typa shit' you told yourself.

You were walking peacefully when felix told you to go back you were confused and you heard someone call out your name as you turn back, him.

you were in shock. Felix pulled your hand and you both started walking away. "I didn't feel anything" you were dull "I moved on" you smiled and felix wiped your tears.

It's okay yn, you did it, you thought to yourself.

felix was knocking at your door while saying "yn yn yn yn yn yn-" you finally opened the door "oh my god what do you want, it's 3 am, 3 AM!" You looked at him "it actually 3:15 am but nevermind I saw your lights on so I thought to check up on you" wow, wait what? "What were doing late night?" You looked concerned "Stop making that face or else you will get wrinkles".

Deadass. "Okay okay I wasn't able to sleep" you stopped blocking the door and he let himself in, he saw all the notes, books scattered "Woah there, you're cramming?" He looked at you "im sleepy" you said "you ain't wearing a bra?" He was flabbergasted "buffon, I will sleep and you expect me to wear bra while I'm at my room?".

Fair point.

"Let's sleep" felix took your hands and turned off the lights "you can sleep?" You looked at him "my room was cold and I guess I need something warm enough" he smiled while you both lay down. "What are we?" You both looked at eachother, he replied "anything you wants us to be" oh that stupid smile.

| I don't want you like my bestfriend |

Your head was resting on felixs arm. You both were close. Very close. But you were too sleepy to notice anything. Once you closed your eyes felix heard your snores and you turned to him while grabbing his waist. It's normal for you both to cuddle.

In your dream you both had a family and cute little family, where he took care of you both. It was amazing.

You woke up and saw him holding you tightly as if you were a glass which he doesn't want to let you go and slip so that you will break. The way when you broke he picked every piece of you. He is holding you so that you don't break again.

Your heart flutters, bestfriends feels like this right? Once you removed his hair covering his forehead "yes angel?" He looked at you. You are stucked. You just wanna be his.

Today's class was so hectic "lix" you yelled while hugging him and you saw his friend circle "ayo how's you" minho looked at you, you smiled at him.

Oh how jealous he was "soooooooo" hyunjin came and looked at you "Are you dating?" Hyunjin got a no from you "let's go on a date then".

Felix stopped working. "Well I like certain someone if something doesn't work with them, you can be my side chick" you winked at him.

"If he can't fuck you, you're most welcome to come towards me, I bet my fingers will help you" he smiled "anyways" you looked at felix "why don't we watch some movies".

Felix. His name gives you endorphins. You just want him to hold you. "Morning" you heard while you met him on your way to shopping market "youre coming with me" he smiled at your command "Where are we going?" He laughed.

While you were trying on cloths he was taking your packages "how's this dress?" He looked at you "wow, you look amazing" he whispered as if something took his breathe away "look at the back it's so pretty" backless. It was backless.

Right now at the party you were wearing the same outfit with heels and red lipstick. People were looking at you. Felix was definitely flabbergasted.

| only bought this dress so you can take it off |

Here you were kissing him while holding his collars and his knee on between your legs. You were at his place. While whimpering and grinding on his knee while he was kissing you "you looked so pretty, hard to touch". He said as he started removing your heels.

From lips to legs he kissed every inch of your body. "You're so ethereal honey" he removed your dress, you felt so surreal. "I love you" you said it, you were vulnerable and you did. "I love you too, my love"

"Fuck youre this wet?" You were shy "im sorry" you looked away "why are you apologizing?" He looked at you "my ex told me being wet is bad, it means im a slut and get turned on by everyone" you looked at him.

"Oh fuck that bitch, being wet is good and normal there's nothing to apologize for, my love" he took you to his bed.

"Ethereal" he look at your face, "I can fuck you better than hyunjin".

"May I have your consent?" He looked at you "yes darling" he took off his cloths and your bra and panties "wow, I got no words, I'm so mesmerized by you"

He played with your clit causing you to moan, and then he licked your pussy while playing with your clit, you grabbed his hair, while trying to close your leg between which you were unable to due to his head.

"I will come please please" he smiled while inserting the finger and playing with the clit.

Your head rested on your bed "oh you came" you smiled and you looked so fucked up, "how do you feel?" You were not able to answer at all "your leg is still shaking? You won't be able to handle me take rest baby".

"No no no I need you please" you grabbed him while crying "okay okay okay, have me all you want" he said while wearing the condom.

He said while inserting himself and grabbed him so hard, it felt amazing and you screamed, "aw are you feeling good?" He said while thrusting himself "you're so cute" he smiled.

"Felix" you moaned and clenched so hard "fuck baby, you're clenching so hard" you're about to cum and he is too.

He went deep and slow "felix" you screamed and came and he came inside you.

It's morning, "sleeping beauty smh" hyunjin was walking while you woke up and you had cloths on? How? "hyujin, how many times I gotta tell you? This is real life not some texting shit" minho glared at him "whatever" hyunjin threw his head back "180 degree, 20 minutes" once hyunjin heard it, he shut up.

"Yn you're up" bangchan looked at you the atmosphere was too serious "okay I pull up" you said thinking it will lift the vibes "that's the worst way you can try to change the atmosphere, yn you have skill issues" minho walked.

"So are you two official?" Changbin interrupts "what are you talking about?".

"You're wearing his clothes the hell bro?" Jisung said while drinking coffee, you layed down on his bed and turned facing his bed while kicking your feet and giggling, "are you stupid?" Seungmin added "stupidly in love with felix" you mumbled but you were pretty sure no one was able to catch it as your face was pressed into the bed.

"Pardon?" Jeongin asked "nothing" you got up "where's felix?" Once you looked at the guys, you saw they guys closed their eyes, "yn wear pants" chan scolded you "im wearing look" you lifted your shirt but they still didn't open their eyes.

"You know what I will find felix" you sighs heavily, while walking towards kitchen "you're awake" he made a comment "so about yesterday, what are we" you asked him "clearly not bestfriend" he laughed.

"Gimme kiss" you pouted "brush your teeth" he looked at you "okay daddy" you walked away.

Once you were back you saw the guys at the kitchen "you both had sex?" chan banged his hands to the table "okay okay it happened but I like her and she likes me too, it's mutual" chan saw you.

"You didn't even said that to me?" Chan looked so hurt. "You didn't even said you liked her" chan looked at you "I thought I don't have chance so it would've been better".

"You betrayed me" chan looked at you "you know the time, when we heard chan moaning it's cause he was sending a girl memos of him moaning and she gave him money" everyone gasped "how did you know?" Chan exclaimed while pointing at felix "who told you" the pointing fingers turned into minho "you're a death meat" minho looked away.

"Minho have a third nipple" chan exclaimed "you bitch" minho gasped while everyone looking at him "hyunjin pays money to girls to tell him he's a bad boy, and degrade him" minho pointed him "if im going down im taking everyone with me" minho smiled proudly.

"Guy's we are forgetting felix and yn are dating" changbin reminds "okay so we didn't confess but yn would you like to be my girlfriend?" He looked at you "I can't comprehend what just happened but yes I would love too and minho you have a third nipple?" You smiled "don't remind them" minho whispered.

114 notes · View notes

overnowsfcb · 4 months

Text

cindy lou who; rúben dias blurb

summary: hurts to realize you were the woman before the one

warnings: angst, alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism

note: this blurb is inspired by the song 'cindy lou who' by sabrina. im gonna make a new series with fruitcake ep so this is the first — venus 🫂💐🫧

You wished you hadn't turned on your phone, wished you hadn't opened Instagram with the intent of capturing the first time you felt a positive emotion after four months of doubting your worth.

That spontaneous happiness, your smile for the festivities, and your outgoing personality were snatched away in a second when you saw that photo on his Instagram. Your finger hovered, filled with sadness, analyzing his facial expression and his enamored gaze.

His lips on her cheek as she laughed, a flawless smile adorning her face with crimson lipstick highlighting her full lips.

You swiftly turned off your phone; you couldn't continue torturing yourself. But your mind denied you that possibility—how could you escape the unbearable alarm that had triggered in your mind? Just when you thought you'd found an exit, it turned out to be an illusion, and you were standing on the edge of the cliff all along.

Even your favorite song blaring through the club speakers wasn't going to stop you from unfairly reproaching yourself for not having been enough for him. Had you failed at something?

Perhaps you should have tried harder to reach his heart, even though you were just rubbing salt in the wound because, in your wisdom, you knew the limits he set in front of your actions to prevent you from crossing further.

Why with her? Why did she seem to have found that ingredient you had been searching for so desperately? Your chest burned. What kind of karma did you owe to endure this?

Could you even blame her? If she resembled a fallen angel from heaven with her white dazzling teeth and long, jet-black hair like Cleopatra, and you admitted that your assigned role in Rúben's life was to guide him, to accompany him to the final stop, to the dock.

And now, drowning in alcohol, your mind kept processing the treatment he surely gave her, everything he denied with you—introducing her to his family, sitting by the fireplace with her in his arms telling childhood stories, dreaming about a life together while kissing underneath the fireworks, feeling the explosive magic he didn't want with you but with her.

You downed another shot, the climax in your state that failed to make you forget about him, the whole room spinning around. Amidst your group of friends, you grabbed your best friend's hand, running to the bathroom where you vomited while she rubbed your back and tied up your hair. "He didn't deserve you," she whispered, watching as you finally crumbled, hugging the toilet.

A night where you thought you could return to your former self before his body was tattooed on your fingerprints like a spirit clinging to your shoulders, one that would forever haunt you turned into just another chapter with an open ending.

#ruben dias x reader #ruben dias angst #ruben dias x you #football x reader #football angst #football imagine #ruben dias imagine #ruben dias blurb

78 notes · View notes

hanjsquokka · 4 months

Text

The Phantoms - [ 3RACHA ]

🎙 SYNOPSIS : A lovely independent home in the suburbs of Seoul at a low cost? You didn't question it until you found out the house came along with three extremely confused ghosts.

GENRE : ghosts, music band, rockstar, hip-hop, non idol au!

PAIRING : 3racha × fem!reader, han jisung × fem!reader

CONTENT WARNING : will contain swearing, slightly mature content such as smoke, weed, alcohol, mentions of sexual activities (no actual smut), angst, confused 3racha, ghosts, underwordly stuff (idk). This is highly inspired by the show Julie and The Phantoms!

EP 02 - the only idol i know is park jinyoung: the ghosts of 3RACHA weren't as bad as some of the boys you knew but they sure were a handful. for some reason, no one could see them but they sure could hear them. the ghosts themselves were struggling to adjust to the fact that they were ghosts and they missed out on a big chunk of their life. after a small argument with jisung, you begin to see another side to the snarky guy. but when your best friends show up at your house unannounced with news that you didn't want to hear, how long would it take for you to face your fears?

WORD COUNT : 2.5K words

TAGLIST : @leefelex @stayconnecteed @lovestay-channie @cutiebin @johnnysgirl @naomisosoup @xerces00 @autumn-lv @chalahyung01 @vampcharxter @skzruby @lolareadsimagines

prev | next | masterlist

“You have got to be kidding me.” Jisung muttered as he stood in the middle of a footpath in downtown Seoul. It was dark outside, but that didn't stop the hustle and bustle of the people. And he was sure the neon light coming from the signs was brighter than the sun. Just how much did he miss in the past twenty years? Music and chatter filled the streets as he slowly walked around. There were food stalls lined on the side of the road (he was never going there again), stores were open and he could feel the cool air conditioning on the inside.

People walked straight through him, which was a weird feeling. Everything looked like it was from the future- which it was, but still! There were advertisements for… Kpop groups on huge LED billboards. Was Kpop really that popular now?

“There he is- Jisung, you can't just disappear like that!” Chan and Changbin nearly startled him to death (was that possible if you were a ghost?) as they appeared behind him.

“I just needed some air.” He muttered in reply, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

“You were acting like a real douche to Y/n, you know that?” Chan crossed his arms. “And yet she's still letting us stay in that house, thank goodness.”

“I didn't mean to come off so strong!” Jisung defended himself. “I was just confused. And angry. And it was wrong of me to do that to her, I understand that now.” He added quietly.

“Well, at least you came back to your senses.” Changbin patted his shoulder. The older boy looked around. “Wow, this is…”

“Bright.” Chan said. “And loud.”

They walked through the streets of downtown Seoul, watching the sights around them. A heavy feeling rose in his chest as he saw teenagers goofing around, a couple holding hands, kids playing around their parents. Jisung was never going to be able to experience any of that. He was never going have… a life like these people.

Like most musicians, Jisung lived for music. He would've given up anything for it. Including his ties with his family. Which he did. Chan and Changbin were like his parents at this point (not just because they act like a married couple). Going away from home was a big step in his life and he was so sure he was going to make it.

But life had other plans for him.

“Jisung. You in there mate?” Chan waved his hand in front of Jisung's face, making him come out of his little trance.

“Sorry. I was just thinking… about our families. It's been twenty years…” He took a deep breath. “I wonder how they are, you know?”

“We could go check up on them.” Chan suggested, swinging an arm around Jisung's shoulder. “I can't go to Australia- well, I dunno if I can but- if I could, I would want to check up on my parents and Hannah and Lucas.”

“Can we go later? Like in the day or something.”

“Of course we can.”

They spent some more time in the streets. There was a familiar tune playing in the speakers somewhere, but Jisung couldn't point a finger as to why it sounded familiar. He shrugged and brushed it off. He was definitely going to have to do some catching up on the latest kpop groups.

You woke up feeling tired, getting off of your bed and going to the kitchen for something to eat once you brushed your teeth. It had been four days since you saw 3RACHA in your basement, four days of absolute hell- in your opinion.

It wasn't that you hated them. You found them to be quite interesting.

Chan was usually very nice to you, always reminding you about something you forgot like your work folder or your to-go coffee cup. You could see he was still adjusting to the whole ghost thing, because he invited you downstairs to the studio to show you something he'd been writing but the paper and pen kept phasing through his hands- which annoyed him a lot. But he was really passionate about music. You could see that in the songs he wrote, the way he spoke and how his eyes lit up as he rambled about the inspiration behind a certain song.

Changbin was a bit hot and cold. He was nice sometimes, like in the mornings when he gave you a quick hello. On the other hand, he was a bit distant sometimes. Usually when you were in the studio. It was hard for him to swallow the fact that… it was your place now. So you let him take your laptop that you didn't use for work. He seemed to enjoy YouTube a lot. You often came home to a girl group song playing over the Bluetooth speakers in the living room on full volume with the music video on the flat screen.

Jisung was well… he hated you. At least that's what you believed. He was in a sour mood whenever you were around most of the time, but you tried to understand where he was coming from even though he really tested your limits sometimes. He was holed up in the studio for the majority of the day and he was out during the night. You figured he was trying to regain his balance because at times, he was pretty sweet when he wasn't cussing at you.

But it was really really difficult living with three boys. Three really loud boys. You'd often wake up in the middle of the night because they decided to have a midnight band session.

Which brought you to this morning. You already had a lousy sleep because all you could hear the entire night was music. In the kitchen, Chan was reading some paper he placed on the island in the center of the kitchen, Changbin was trying to pick up a bowl but his hands kept phasing through the utensil instead of picking it up and Jisung was staring into your fridge, the door wide open with a hungry look in his eyes.

“What are you doing?” You asked as you slammed the fridge door shut, making Jisung look at you with pure annoyance.

“What the hell dude? Do you know how long it took to open that?”

“If you could pay my electricity bill, I would've let you keep that door open for the whole day.” You opened it again for a carton of milk and shut it close. “But you can't eat, can you?”

“Doesn't mean I'm not hungry.” He said grumpily as he sat down at the breakfast counter.

You took out a box of cereal and caught the bowl Changbin managed to pick up for a few seconds before it fell through his hands again. “Careful with that.” You told him and made yourself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, sitting down at the breakfast counter. “So you guys can pick up your music equipment, you can sit on stuff but you can't hold a bowl?”

“I dunno. For some reason, our mics- easy. A bowl- difficulty level maximum.” Chan shrugged. He looked up at you, holding the paper he was previously reading. “Also… you kept my stuff… our lyrics and ideas. You didn't… throw them away?”

“I didn't want to. They're good ideas.” You ate some of your cereal. “I especially liked the ones that… weren't like the songs you recorded. Don't get me wrong, hip-hop is pretty cool but these days, Kpop is a huge thing in Korea and globally. Like BTS-”

“Who?” Changbin interrupted.

You stared at him. “You guys don't know Bangtan?”

“The only idol I know is Park Jinyoung.” Jisung stated, making you almost snort out your milk. “What? Is that- is that funny?”

His innocent look with the wide boba eyes- a stark contrast to his usual expression- made it even funnier. “You have a lot of catching up to do.” You laughed.

“I don't get it. Why is it funny?”

You only laughed again. You finished your breakfast a while later and began getting ready for the day. You didn't have work at the office for today, so you took up the chance to do some little planning for your housewarming party. You could hear the boys playing music downstairs the entire time, which was oddly comforting despite the fact that Changbin was yelling half of the time.

You were going to invite quite a lot of people (which your introverted side was dreading), especially music people. Many of your classmates from college worked in big companies, so you were hoping one of them could help you on the start to your own music journey. With Korean pop and the entertainment businesses taking up the majority of the industry, self made artists were… rare. Most of them were unsuccessful. Which was why you'd have to start slow and do something different- something that wasn't the regular boy or girl band.

Your phone rang while you were hanging up some picture frames on the wall. “Oh, it's done? I'll come over and pick it up. Yeah, yeah- thank you so much. I'll be there within the hour.” You cut the call and put the phone in your pocket.

“Hey I'm going to head out for a bit-” It was already weird that you were telling ghosts that you weren't going to be in the house for a while, but it was even weirder when said ghosts were trashing your newly furnished basement courtesy of a really upset Jisung. Which was funny because he couldn't move a lot of stuff so whatever he was picking up went straight through his hands.

“Where is it?” The rampaging man said, immediately spotting you and poofing in front of you. “I swear to God Y/n, if you threw away my guitar I'll-”

“That guitar was yours?” You asked, knitting your brows together. “I assumed it was Chan's, to be honest.”

“Nah man, I'm all keyboard and drums.”

“It's mine and you better have it in your princess bedroom!-”

“Just because one room is slightly pink, doesn't mean the entire house is!”

“I don't give a fuck.”

“Neither do I. I have things I need to do.” You said in a stern tone. “Don't trash my house.” Was the last thing you said before you marched back upstairs.

“Here you go.” The guy at the counter handed the guitar to you. You delicately took it into your hands, examining the instrument. To be frank, you knew it was Jisung's guitar. His name was on the back of it. When you gave it for servicing, however, you didn't meet the ghosts yet. You were saddened by the state of the neglected guitar and you took it to a repair shop where they told you they could get it back into its previous glory.

“It's beautiful… thank you.” You paid and exited the store, holding onto the case tightly- when you walked straight through Jisung. “What the- dude!”

“You… got my guitar repaired.” He was standing in front of you again, his eyes widened in shock. He kept looking from the case to you and back again.

You slowly nodded, unsure of what to do. “I did…” You started to walk back to your car, the rapper trailing behind you. He was unusually silent- which was unnerving. You were so used to Jisung being louder than a megaphone, you didn't know what to do when he sat in the passenger seat of your car, holding onto the guitar case like his life depended on it, still silent. “Something wrong?” You saw him swallow, drumming his fingers on the dashboard as he took a deep breath before turning to you and shook his head. “Alright then…” But just as you started the car, your phone rang.

“Y/n!” Jeongin's voice played over the speaker in the car as you pulled out of the parking lot. “So we're in your house-”

“How the hell did you get into my house?”

“Hyunjae gave us your spare key-”

“My what?”

“Why are you so worried?”

“Because you broke into my house!”

“Girl- chill. We're not going to raid your fridge… Never mind, Seungmin did.”

“Dude?-”

“Why is your house so messy? You've barely been here for a while and it's starting to look like a frat house.” You muted the call and snapped your head towards Jisung. “You go home and make sure Chan and Changbin do not blow your cover. My friends are worried as it is. If they find out… I'm not interested in going to therapy sessions with Hyunjae again.” Jisung nodded and poofed away.

You drove as fast as legally possible to your house, only to find your best friends in the studio. Chan, Changbin and Jisung stood to one side. Changbin had an unapproving glare on the non-dead boys poking around the place.

“Why are you guys even here?” You approached the two of them.

“We just wanted to visit our best friend.” Seungmin quipped, his eyes narrowing at the place where the ghosts were standing. You gulped. He couldn't… He started walking over to them.

Chan panicked. “No way-”

“When were you going to tell us…” Seungmin walked straight through the ghosts and picked up a guitar- no, not just any guitar. The same guitar that you picked up a few moments ago. The same guitar that was supposed to be in your car. You looked at Jisung but he was just as confused as you were. “That you got a new guitar?” How did that even get here?

“Uh…” Your eyes darted from the guitar, to Seungmin to Jisung. “I bought a lot of things…?”

Seungmin picked it up. “It's an old model. And super sleek.”

“Stop touching my guitar.” Jisung told him even though he couldn't hear and then turned to you. “Tell him to stop touching my guitar.” You shook your head and shrugged.

“Why are you guys here?” You asked again, taking the guitar and placing it back in its case.

“Just to check up on you.”

“I'm not a kid, Seungmin. I can take care of myself.”

“Well jeez, we just wanted to be nice. You're living alone in this house after living with Hyunjae for years and not to mention…” He shifted from foot to foot. “We were worried about you. We shouldn't have talked so much about you making music and playing when we knew how difficult it's been for you.”

Your hands dropped to your sides. “You don't need to worry so much. I'm… doing okay. And the music bit… I'm working on it.” There was a weird look on Seungmin’s face. “What's wrong?”

“You see…” Jeongin started. “Felix isn't going to randomly show up at a house party even though he knows us. So…” He looked at Seungmin.

The expression they had on finally made sense. It was guilt! But why were they guilty? You looked between the both of them and somehow it clicked. Your eyebrows rose as you shook your head. “You didn't.” They didn't deny it. “Holy shit, you told him I would play something, didn't you? You-”

“This is a big opportunity and you should be thanking us for being amazing best friends.” Jeongin ducked to the side as you reached for him. “Also your party is this weekend.”

“What?”

“He's a busy guy!”

“Do you know that this weekend is in three days? How the fuck am I supposed to prepare a song and make myself sing it in front of people?”

“Good luck?”

You only looked between the both of them and then at the ceiling. You were screwed, that was certain.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: life has honestly been a bitch these past few weeks but here's the next chapter <3 also there might a little surprise coming on saturday so keep an eye out! i rewrote this chapter twice because i didn't like how the words were flowing 😭 the next chapter's going to be a lot more interesting (i hope).

100 notes · View notes