#so basically this college has two campuses and i don’t know which of them i’m supposed to go to or at what time or where in said building

[alpacaparkaseok]

The Other Side

Part One

Genre: KSJ Soulmate au

Warnings: none

Word Count: 8.7k

What is tachycardia?

Tachycardia: abnormally high heart rate

Causes: exercise, stress, anxiety, fear, anger, or love

Ventricular tachycardia: may be life threatening; please see: “soulmate”

Since I could begin to retain information around the age of four, I have been taught one thing over and over again.

Soulmates = mortal danger.

Granted, I wasn't the only one who was taught this. I wasn’t raised in some strange cult or taught that love was discouraged.

No, actually. It’s just a part of life.

Soulmates are commonplace, my own parents being an example of that. The world we live in is riddled with beautiful contradictions, one of the most prominent of all those lovely contradictions being the existence of soulmates.

There is no fancy system put into place, no timer or thread of fate that ties us together. There’s really no way of knowing who or when or where you’ll meet the person that is supposed to complete you and bring joy to your life.

I’m sure there’s some sort of way that fate decides when, seeing as the majority of people meet at a fairly young age. The number of soulmates that meet over the age of fifty are few; although it’s been known to happen a couple of times among senior citizens placed into nursing homes.

Soulmates are the sole reason that most children can pronounce the word “tachycardia” before they reach the age of seven.

Tachycardia typically isn’t fatal, it’s something people tend to experience quite often when the circumstances change. Out on a run? You’re probably experiencing tachycardia. Terrified that there’s a burglar in the house? Yep, tachycardia coming right up.

Have you just stumbled across your soulmate for the first time? Tachycardia in its most extreme form will hit you like a brick wall in just a second.

“Who can tell me what the first response you should have when you see that someone has made contact with their soulmate?”

A flurry of hands fly up to the sky, my own included. The steps are rushing around in my brain, just begging to be let out.

“Haneul?” I’m called on and fight a smile as I answer my instructor’s question.

“First, move one of them to a separate room. Place a door between them if possible, and then call 911 if there are no soulmate assistants available.”

My instructor nods, smiling warmly at me. “Exactly. Now can somebody go through the calming exercises step by step…”

Somebody nudges my side, and I turn to see my friend and fellow applicant, Yuri, smiling at me.

“You’re totally getting in,” she whispers to me.

I roll my eyes. “Just because I answered one question right?”

“He remembered your name...that definitely means something.”

Turning my attention back to the front before we’re caught whispering, I entertain the idea before kicking it out. It’s best to not think about it too much, I can’t look like I’m bored or not paying attention. This is too important a day to give a bad impression. The sigil on the instructor’s shirt only serves as a reminder.

The Bighit entertainment logo stands out like a beacon as the instructor moves about, calling up a couple of applicants to demonstrate how to properly restrain someone without hurting them.

His movements call attention to the yellow circle below the Bighit logo, the color that marks him as a ‘soulmate assistant’. Basically just a fancy word for someone who has to make sure if an idol accidentally meets a soulmate at a concert or any other event, nobody dies.

Everyone goes home happy. Alive, and newly bonded.

And if I get this job, that means I’ll go home happy and paid. That’s all I could ever want, isn’t it?

If we’re being completely honest, being hired on as a professional soulmate assistant for Bighit or any other big agency would be a dream come true for someone like me. I would get to travel, meet new people, all the while receiving a steady paycheck while attending concerts for free.

Sure, it’s a tough job. It requires constant vigilance; a single yawn at the wrong time could mean disaster. Which is part of the reason why my parents thought I was a bit crazy wanting to go into such a profession. They backed off a little once I showed them what kind of money I’d be in for, though.

All of it has led to this moment: going through one final walkthrough before we’re called in for individual interviews and eventually left to leave things up to fate. It’s a pretty big deal to have even made it this far. The actual interview process with the soulmate board of Bighit entertainment is rigorous, eventually leading to a one on one interview with one of the managers of either TXT or BTS.

Our group that started off with just over 200 applicants has been filed down to ten. Tensions are high, Yuri’s near constant fidgeting is a sure sign of that.

Ten remain, but only two will be hired on. One for BTS, and one for TXT.

Not gonna lie, I’m hoping I’m getting interviewed for TXT. I have a hunch that Yeonjun, Beomgyu and I would get along great.

Not that I’m picking favorites.

Our small overview comes to an end, the instructor getting to the part we’ve all been waiting for.

“If you’ll remain here for a few minutes, we’ll be pulling a few of you in for interviews. Remember, if you don’t get interviewed today that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Don’t overthink it too much.”

The instructor leaves the room, and a collective sigh goes throughout our small group. Yuri is bouncing her knee, keeping her eyes planted on the wall in front of her. All I can do is wait, I suppose.

Life is cruel that way. It’s the same way with soulmates. All there is to do is wait. Live life as if you aren’t waiting for that one heartstopping (or rather, heartstarting), moment in which you come face to face with the person fate has decided will love you better than anyone else on earth.

It would be foolish of me to say that everyday for the past four years I haven’t entered my classes on campus or any restaurant holding my breath in hopes that today would be the day. College campuses are a kind of hotspot for soulmate activity; one of my trainings was actually spent just shadowing different classes and waiting for something to happen. It was my first hands-on training, and it only lasted a week.

In a single week I assisted in four different soulmate placings.

And that was in the middle of midterms; when the odds of meeting your soulmate are fairly low because stress levels are high. People are less likely to mingle with different groups of people, if they even bother to look up from their textbooks at all. So needless to say I was always waiting for it to happen.

Always waiting, never experiencing. It’s safe to say that after I graduated both my parents and I were a bit disappointed. While it’s not necessarily uncommon for people to reach college graduation age without a soulmate, it’s also an instant way to get everyone to pity you.

Sure, I wallowed for a while in self-pity. However, once I set my mind on pursuing a career in soulmate assisting within an idol group, I was an unstoppable force. And as for finding my soulmate? I used the possibility of working for Bighit as another way to make my parents feel better about their lack of a son-in-law.

If I get the job, I’ll be traveling the world. The chances of me meeting my soulmate would surely skyrocket.

“Choi Haneul?”

I jerk out of my stupor to see the instructor waving me over. Yuri gives me a light nudge, smiling at me encouragingly as I make my way over to the door with a pounding heart.

Fun fact: many people panic and think they’re experiencing what are referred to as “soulmate spikes” the second they start to feel a spike in their heart rate. 9.9/10 times they’re wrong. One way to tell if you really are experiencing soulmate spikes (the initial spike in heart rate upon seeing your soulmate) is if you’re also experiencing intense tunnel vision.

The instructor gives me a curt nod, refusing to give anything away. He simply escorts me down the hallway and into a room where someone is looking over some papers.

Sejin, manager of BTS.

Maybe he’ll pass me along to TXT if he thinks I’d vibe better with them? No, I think to myself. There’s no way I’m about to undermine myself.

“Choi Haneul?” Sejin asks me, a light smile on his face as he looks up at me. I nod, unsure of whether or not I should even say anything. “Please, take a seat.”

The instructor closes the door behind him as he leaves, and suddenly I’m alone with someone I never realized could be perceived as intimidating.

“It’s very nice to meet you, I’m Sejin.”

I nod, fighting a sarcastic chuckle. Does he actually think I don’t know who he is, or is he just being polite? “I’m Haneul, thank you for having me.”

Sejin smiles again, looking back down at his papers. “Of course. Now, this probably won’t be a very long interview. Your stats speak for themselves.” He waves the paper in the air, and I see my application form as well as my transcripts from college. “I do just have a few questions for you, if that’s alright?”

“Of course.” I put pressure on my legs, reminding myself to keep still.

“Wonderful. First off, how comfortable are you with constantly being in new environments and having to adapt to an idol’s schedule? It’s a rigorous one.”

Chewing on the inside of my cheek I process the question. “I wouldn’t say that I’m very comfortable at all.”

Sejin’s eyes grow wide, but he proceeds. “And why is that?”

“I wouldn’t want to grow comfortable with it. That would draw away my attention from my job, and my job pretty much depends upon me remaining alert at all times. Now, could I adapt to the schedule? Without a doubt.”

Sejin gives a small chuckle, leaning back against his seat. “Huh. Interesting.”

☆

“C’mon, we have to celebrate!” Yuri bounces up and down, practically glowing. “I can’t believe we both got interviewed!”

I smile along with her, still a little giddy. “Yeah, but don’t you think that’s a little premature? It was just an interview, after all. The really important part is if they call you after.”

“Whatever, don’t you want to celebrate with me? I never thought I’d make it past the first week.”

That I can definitely agree with. It’s a competitive field for sure, and the agency does its best to weed out the weak. For good reason, obviously. Nearly half of the applicants the first week in were fangirls hoping they would match up with one of the idols they might work with. And the other half? Those were the ones who quickly realized that they weren’t crazy enough to want a job that required excessive time and effort.

“Alright, where do you want to go?”

Yuri jumps in place making me laugh. Dragging me along behind her, we take the first taxi we can find. The streets of Seoul are filling up now that the evening is coming along. It’s a Friday night; everybody is going to be out and about, celebrating the end of another week.

When we make it to the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that the two of us have frequented a little too much over the past few months, there’s a fairly large crowd mulling about. We squeeze into a booth after paying for our food, finally able to eat without feeling like I’m going to throw up from the stress.

“Wow, is it just me or does this taste even better now?” Yuri looks up at me with wide eyes and full mouth.

“Is it just me or do you look like a gopher right now?”

If it wasn’t for the piles of food between us I’m sure she would have smacked me. She settles for a quick kick to the shin instead. Hissing at her, she offers me a sweet smile.

“So what’s Sejin like? He’s always seemed like a sweet little teddy bear to me.” Yuri asks before shoving more food into her mouth.

I shrug, thinking back over my interview. The entire thing probably only lasted about 20 minutes, but I think it went well. “He’s nice. Professional, but he honestly wasn’t that grueling. He just said my stats pretty much did all the talking. I think he was just trying to see if I was crazy or not.”

Yuri snorts, nodding along. “Same. Do you think you passed the crazy test?”

“Too soon to tell.”

We delve back into our food, talking more about our interviews. Despite the huge unanswered question hanging between us, did we make it?, the stress from earlier has dissipated. There’s nothing left to do except wait. I feel satisfied with all the work I’ve put in; there’s not a lot more I could’ve done.

It’s the sound of someone’s phone ringing that has us pausing. We look at each other with wide eyes, but there’s no way they’ve already made their decision-

“It’s just my mom,” Yuri sighs out as she brings the phone to her ear. She chats with her mother for a few minutes, reassuring her that everything went well today. I mindlessly push my food around, the sound of Yuri’s ringtone put me on edge for a moment. They definitely won’t call tonight. We just finished!

“What did your mom say?” I ask once she hangs up. Yuri shrugs.

“Just wanted to know if I was interviewed. She said she’s rooting for the both of us, she seemed pretty relieved that we’re not going for the same position.”

That’s right. While I was pulled in for an interview with Sejin, Yuri was pulled in for an interview with TXT’s managers. As far as we’re concerned, we’re now contending for our spots as soulmate assistants to two different groups. And considering that each group is only looking for 1 assistant, it’s pretty competitive. The instructor did say there was a small chance of hiring two per group, just depending on their needs. One of those would only be a part-time assistant though. Definitely not the ideal position.

“Yeah, same here-”

Yuri’s phone lights up again, and this time there is no sigh of relief as she sees who’s calling.

Looking up at me with wide eyes, she looks like she might throw up all the food we just ate. “It’s the agency.”

Gasping aloud, I drop my chopsticks and wave at her to hurry. “Answer it! Quick!” Yuri gives me a terrified look before slowly bringing the phone up to her ear. I chew on my lip as I watch her expression change from terrified to startled.

“R-really? That’s great news!” Yuri bounces up and down in her seat, and I mirror her movement. “Of course! 9am? Sounds perfect...I’ll be there! Thank you so much!”

She drops her phone on the table as she pants. “...so?” I ask her, and she grins up at me.

“I got the job!”

We both scream a little louder than necessary, the people sitting in the both across from us glaring in our direction. “No way! That was so fast!”

She nods, running her hands through her hair. “I know! They just said the decision was easier to make than they expected, seeing as I have the most experience out of the people they interviewed. I’m supposed to head in tomorrow to go over the contract and get to work.”

There’s a little twist of uncertainty in the pit of my stomach as I realize that Yuri was hired within a matter of hours. What does that mean for me?

“That’s amazing, Yuri. I’m so proud of you.”

She shakes her head, unable to stop smiling. “I’ve got to call my mom, should we head out?” I nod, following her out of the restaurant. She’s practically skipping to a taxi, waving it over. I laugh at her behavior.

“I can’t believe it though. Make sure you tell Yeonjun that we’re meant to be best friends.”

Yuri slides into the taxi, and I follow after her. She fixes me with a dazed smile as she gives directions to her apartment. We live in the same complex, so it’s easy to go anywhere with her.

“I’ll be sure to tell him. Who knows, maybe the two of you are soulmates!” Yuri winks at me even as I cringe.

“No way, he’s way too young for me.”

Rolling her eyes, Yuri manages to get one more comment out before her mother answers the phone. “Whatever, you’re only like what? Three years older? Mom! Guess what!”

By the time we make it to our apartments Yuri is still gushing to her mom on the phone. My own parents texted me, I just responded and told them I was interviewed. Their obvious excitement over making the interview fails to buoy me up, though. Not when I’m becoming more and more convinced that I’m not going to be receiving a call tonight.

Perhaps I’ll wake up to a consolation email in the morning, thanking me for my time and sending me on my way.

Yuri invites me over to her apartment to continue in the celebrations, but I opt out of it. She frowns, about to apologize or something but I speak up before she can. I don’t want any apologies; not yet. That makes it seem like it’s really over.

“My parents are begging me to call them and you know how long they can talk for,” I say, backing away. “I’d better go call them now so I can still get to sleep at a decent time. Congrats again, Yuri. You deserve it. Let me know how everything goes tomorrow, ok?”

Yuri nods, still frowning. “You sure you don’t need anything?”

“Nope! I’m all good. Good night!”

I wave before turning and heading up the stairs. Yuri lives on the ground floor whereas I live on the third. It’s a small apartment complex, and it’s pretty quiet most of the time. Tonight though, people are celebrating the weekend, and the sounds delve into my ears until I have to screw my eyes shut and press my hands up to my ears.

Leaning against my door the second I close it behind me, I sigh. The thoughts are too loud in my head right now.

What started off as a hopeful day has effectively crashed and burned right before my eyes.

Peaking one eye open I glare at the big world map I have hanging up in my living room. To anyone else it’s just another lovely piece of artwork. Painted on a thin canvas with vibrant greens, blues and purples it draws the eye and fills people with wanderlust.  

For me it represents a dream that is becoming more and more unobtainable.

My best friend from my childhood found her soulmate five years ago. We were freshly graduated from high school, it was perfect. I thought that it was perfect, at least. They were able to finish growing up together, figuring out college and taking time to really fall in love before life became too crazy to hardly eat.

They got married two years ago. It was beautiful and they made it look so easy. They finished up college together and moved to Gwacheon. I haven’t seen her for a year now, we’ve just been naturally growing apart.

She’s always been supportive of me trying to find my soulmate. It’s odd, seeing that I’ve always been the one obsessed with learning about them and preparing for that moment and she’s the one that just happened to stumble upon her soulmate right after she turned 18. But she never made me feel like I was falling behind or at a loss.

Our last phone call reminds me of the entire reason why I bought that gigantic world map in the first place, hanging it where I would see it every time I walked in the door at the end of the day.

“You know Haneul, he’s out there. There’s no question about that.”

“I know...just, where? I’m starting to think that he doesn’t want to be found.”

“That’s not true. And if it is, I’ll personally slug him for you.”

“Thanks, I think?”

“You know what you need to do, Han?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“Of course I am. You just have to go out there! Get out in the world, get out of Seoul, and go live your life! The second you get out and start living your life will be when everything falls into place for you. I’m certain of it.”

“I’d love to do that, really. But how on earth do I manage that? I need a stable job, I have an apartment to pay for. I can’t just leave everything to go in search of someone I’ve never met and who maybe isn’t ready to be found.”

“It’s up to you. But I know you, and you’re not happy. I can’t imagine it, I’m not going to pretend to understand. We both know I got lucky...but really Haneul. I know it’s scary and there’s a lot that you don’t know the first thing about, but I just think that if you want to move on from this you have to leave the apartment and get out there. And you think he isn’t ready to be found? Nobody ever is. But I can guarantee that the two of you are both ready to be loved.”

It’s been nearly ten months since that phone call, and it’s been nearly ten months since I became friends with Yuri and found out about the agencies beginning their hiring process. It seemed too good to be true, especially once I found out about the heavy schedule filled with nearly nonstop travelling and meeting people.

I always knew there was a reason I went into the soulmates studies. Finally it seemed like the opportunities were appearing that I so desperately needed.

Ten months. Rigorous training and exhausting schedules that sometimes had me wondering if this really was the right path for me.

But every night, sometimes late enough to see the black sky begin to turn to a hazy gray with the promise of dawn approaching before I even had a chance to sleep, I stumbled home and saw that map.

Somewhere. Every night, I’d see it and chant the word to myself. Somewhere. You’re somewhere out there.

It’s worth it, isn’t it?

Slowly standing up from my position against the door, I glare at my phone as I take it from my pocket. No phone call.

Another glance at the map, the beautiful colors and lines mocking me as it tells me that while he may be somewhere, I am still here. And as long as I remain here, where my soulmate is will be a big question mark.

No phone call. No job. No soulmate.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I make my way to my bedroom. Now would probably be a great time to shower, but I’d much rather just lay here on my bed and stare up at the ceiling as I wallow in self-pity.

“Happy Friday night to me.”

☆

I think it’s on the third ring that I wake up from my slumber, still in my clothes from the day before. Groaning out a few incoherent words, I search my blanket for where my phone is ringing incessantly.

“Who…?”

Finally grasping my phone, I hold it up to my squinting eyes. My mouth drops open of its own accord, my heart rate spiking. Clearing my throat, I attempt to sound like I didn’t just wake up as I answer the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello, I’m calling for Choi Haneul?”

My voice gets caught in my throat. “S-speaking.”

“Wonderful. My apologies for calling you so early, I’m manager Sejin, I interviewed you yesterday?”

Straightening out my clothes even though he can’t see them, I nearly scoff at the idea of him having to introduce himself. Like I’d forget.

“Right, no worries. How may I help you?” Slipping into the role of gracious host, I chew on my lip.

Sejin wastes no time getting to the point. “We certainly didn’t expect to come to a decision so quickly, but after reviewing the interviews and applicants, you were a standout Miss Choi. As a representative of Bighit entertainment and manager of BTS, I would like to offer you the position of central soulmate assistant. That is, if you’re still interested.”

I’m practically floating above the floor by the time Sejin finishes speaking. “I- yes! Yes, I would be honored.”

Sejin chuckles lowly. “That’s perfect. Let’s see it’s...6:30 am now? Would you be alright to head in to the company by 9 to go over your contract and meet with the senior soulmate assistant?”

He could have asked me to show up wearing nothing but a garbage bag at 3 in the morning, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes.

“Of course, I’ll be there!”

“I’ll send you an email with where to go and further instructions.”

“Thank you!”

Laughing again, Sejin allows me this bit of joy. “Thank you, Miss Choi. I’ll see you shortly.”

I’m nearly panting as I end the call, falling back against my bed and staring up at the ceiling with a mad grin. Then, body bursting with excitement I leap up from the bed and hurdle into the front room.

Hurtling to a stop before my map still hanging on the wall, I call my parents.

☆

“I wonder what it’s liiiiike,” I sing at the top of my lungs as I rummage through my closet for something to wear. Double checking the email from manager Sejin, I decide that it might be best to bring in some backup.

Bringing my phone up to my ear, I wait for Yuri to answer the phone. It’s barely seven in the morning, chances are she’s just getting ready as well.

“Haneul?”

The grin that’s been a permanent resident on my face for the past thirty minutes grows wider. “Yuri! I was wondering, could I carpool with you to the agency?”

It’s silent on the other side while Yuri connects the dots. “What do you mean...wait, shut up! You got it?! You got the job?!”

Yuri screams louder than I did while I was on the phone with my parents, but now I can’t help but scream right back. “YES! I got it! They just called me this morning!”

We’re both a happy mess as Yuri decides to bring her things upstairs to get ready with me. “I already picked out my outfit last night, I’ll just bring it up. Be right there!!” She really doesn’t waste any time, because less than two minutes later I open the door to find a panting Yuri nearly buried beneath her pile of clothes and makeup bags.

“Here, let me take that,” I mutter, laughing as she lets me ease some items of clothing off of her pile. “That was fast.”

“Han!!! I’m so happy for you!” As soon as we dump her stuff on my bed, Yuri pounces on me and begins trying to strangle me like a boa constrictor. “I was so nervous for you, and I didn’t want this to drive us apart. I knew for a fact that you were by far the most qualified, they would’ve been complete idiots to let you go!”

Laughing, I drag the both of us over to the closet. “What are you wearing to this, then? What does ‘casual-nice’ even look like?”

Yuri takes the opportunity to show me her outfit, my jaw dropping as she puts it on and shows it off.

“I was thinking something like this,” Yuri says as she straightens out the sleeves of the sweater she wears beneath the checkered brown dress.

My mouth drops open of its own accord. “Wow.”

Yuri frowns as she goes to look at herself in the mirror. “Is it too much?”

“No,” I shake my head as I delve into my thoughts. “I’m just thinking that you’re going to make everyone in there wish you were their soulmate.”

Cheeks turning a furious red color, Yuri waves off my comment. “Whatever. Let’s find you something to wear.”

In the end I try on four different outfits before settling on one that I think will do the job. It’s certainly more simple than Yuri’s but I find that it’s more functional.

“So pretty,” Yuri coos as she gets ready beside me, the vanity proving to have just enough space for the two of us.

“Me or you?” I question, smirking at her. Yuri grins.

“Both.”

☆

Yuri ends up driving us to the agency, much to my eternal gratitude. Once the time came closer, I began to become more and more nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve started a new job; I’ve been working at the university for the past four years and only quit about a month ago in order to make room for the rigorous training that was a result of making it to the final round of applicants.

I’m grateful for Yuri’s company as she chatters about how excited she is, it’s keeping my mind off of the nerves that are currently tying themselves into a knot in the pit of my stomach.

“I just really think that the boys seem really genuine, you know?” She says, tapping out the beat to the song playing on the radio on the steering wheel. “From everything that I’ve seen and heard about them, they seem really cool. I’m excited to meet them.”

Shaking my head numbly as we slow to a stop before a red light, I try to remember just how badly I wanted this job. “Yeah, they do. I’m jealous, I wanted TXT!”

Yuri cackles as she glances over at me. “You can’t even complain, you’re probably going to be paid way more than me!”

That much is true. While Yuri will still be traveling a lot and certainly have her hands full with the five members, I’m going to be paid more. With the constant traveling, meetings, and seven total members, my job will be nonstop.

Either way, the moral of the story is this: we’re about to make some major money. But there won’t really ever be enough time to spend it.

That’s not why people become soulmate assistants. Those that go after it for the money are quickly weeded out. A job that requires all of your time and then some is exhausting, and the uncertain element of every situation is enough to drive some people crazy. I’ve heard about how concerts can be nightmares sometimes, especially when the crowd is huge.

Just imagine it: one of the group members makes eye contact with someone for less than a second, and suddenly they’ve got tunnel vision and are trying to jump off the stage into the sea of adoring fans that are all too happy to receive them. Then, somewhere in the crowd of thousands of fans, there’s a poor person who’s freaking out and feeling the symptoms of tachycardia, but guess what? So is everyone in the crowd. Adrenaline is pumping through them all since they’re at their favorite band’s concert.

Long story short, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The biggest thing is for one of the soulmate assistants to grab the idol before they can abandon all reason and their heart gives out, and the other assistant has to find the fan who’s wildest dream just came true.

It doesn’t happen that often, but it has been known to happen on occasion. The most recent was at a TWICE concert, where Sana happened upon her soulmate in the middle of a set. The video of the soulmate assistant acting in record time to contain the situation went viral and it’s one that I had to watch several times throughout my training.

“You guys have a senior assistant, don’t you?” I ask, wondering at my title as central soulmate assistant.

“Yep,” Yuri starts back up again as the light turns green, checking the clock. We’ve still got plenty of time. “From the email they sent me it sounds like I’ll be a junior assistant for about six months before moving up to senior.”

“So fast?”

Yuri shrugs. “Sounds like the senior assistant is about ready to retire. What’s your title?”

“Central.”

“Oh, so fancy.”

There are typically two different forms of soulmate assistant hierarchy; the junior/senior pattern and then the central system.

Junior/senior system is pretty self-explanatory: the senior assistant has typically worked with the group for a while already, and the junior assistant acts as an apprentice of sorts. Learning the trade and preparing to someday take over the responsibilities of the senior assistant. They work as a team to ensure the safety of the group.

A central assistant is a more in-depth and new system. Essentially, I’ll have eyes and ears everywhere from various staff members, who are constantly updating me on potential soulmates. All of the staff have been educated in the basics of soulmate studies, so they know what to do to subdue the situation if need be.

According to Sejin’s email, I will most likely be the only licensed soulmate assistant on the team. My job is to remain close to the members so I can hopefully be the first on the scene to help and get everything under way.

It’s exciting, but also a lot of pressure. My only hope is that the boys don’t run into their soulmates for a while; I would like to at least get to know everyone before having to get all up in their personal space.

The agency looms before us in the morning sun, looking somehow inviting and dreadful at the same time. Yuri follows what the security tells her at the front, parking in the parking garage before turning the car off.

8:42.

“We’re a bit early, but at least now we’ll be able to find where we’re supposed to go.”

I nod numbly at her words, trying to fight the pounding in my heart. 

Side Effect #1: Rapid Pulse Rate

“I’m kind of freaking out.”

“Me too. I’m glad you’re here, though.”

“I’m glad you’re here, too.” I grin at Yuri.

It’s quiet in the car before we build up the courage to get out. Our shoes tap against the ground, filling the silent garage with noise. Once inside, we’re directed by a receptionist toward the offices of Sejin and TXT’s management. They’re on the same floor, so we take the elevator together.

As soon as the doors close, Yuri lets out a squeal. “I’m going to dieeee!”

Laughing giddily at her reaction, I lean up against the wall of the elevator and try my best to control my breathing. “Same. Same. Whoo, I need to breathe.”

Side Effect #2: Shortness of breath

The elevator ride is entirely too short, because before I know it Yuri is dragging me out into the hallway and searching for the office #12. I’m supposed to be looking for #17.

Of course Yuri finds hers first, my friend coming to a stop just before the door, turning to grab my hand with surprising strength.

“Quick, tell me that I’ll be fine,” she hisses.

Gently removing her hand from mine, I give her an encouraging smile. “You’ll do great, and everything will work out just fine, Yuri.”

Rolling her shoulders, she gives me a mock salute before stepping up to the door. “See you later?”

“Good luck.”

I scamper past as she knocks on the door, looking back as she’s ushered in by a middle-aged man who must be the senior soulmate assistant. He wears the tell-tale yellow circle on his shirt, his eyes wide and alert as though always on the lookout.

He must have left an apprentice with TXT; there are always a few mulling about the agency to step in for the main assistants when they need to attend to other things.

#17 is just a few doors down, the door already wide open as I walk up to it. I don’t allow myself to pause and freak out again, because I’m scared that they’ll hear me start screaming out here or something.

Shoving down the nervousness to the corners of my mind, I take a deep breath and tap the open door lightly.

Sejin sits at his desk, talking quietly to someone sitting in the chair before his desk. He looks up at me, smiling politely. The person in the chair before him turns around at the sound of my knock, and I find myself face to face with none other than the leader of BTS.

“Miss Choi, great to see you,” Sejin stands, Namjoon as well as he waves.

I bow, hoping that my face isn’t too red as I look into the office. It looks like it’s just Namjoon. What a relief.

“Thank you for calling me back,” I say, nodding to Namjoon. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Namjoon smiles at me, gesturing for me to take the seat beside him. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Sejin spoke highly of you.”

Shuffling into the office, I give Sejin a surprised look. “That was kind of you.”

“I was only telling the truth. Namjoon helped me make the decision in regards to the position, so don’t just thank me.”

Namjoon gives me a sheepish smile before settling back down in the chair. I follow suit, mumbling out a small ‘thank you’.

Once we’re all settled, Sejin produces a packet and slides it across the table to me, another one to Namjoon, and keeps one for himself.

“Ok, shall we get started?”

Sejin begins explaining the contract, Namjoon listening intently beside me. The fact that Namjoon helped with all of this makes me feel a little better somehow. It makes me feel like I won’t be quite so out of place with BTS.

We’re stuck in his office for nearly an hour just going over the finer details of the job, and by that time I’ve finally come out of my shell enough to form a few intelligent questions.

“How many staff members do you have that went through soulmate training within the past three months?” I ask, leaning back in my chair as I examine the Staff Preparedness section in the contract.

Sejin looks over something on his computer. “Within the past three months? Only two; the rest are within the year. We have them renew the course once a year. Why three months?”

“There was a technique that was completely discredited by Léo Dupont and they just began applying it in soulmate training within the past three months. While it may not seem that important, it can sometimes make a big difference in timing.”

Namjoon looks at me with wide eyes, a hint of respect blooming there. “What was the technique he discredited?”

“The glass door technique. It was believed that if the soulmates could still see each other but refrain from actual physical contact, this would assist in the ‘come down’ from the surge in heart rate.”

“It doesn’t?” Sejin asks.

I shake my head. “No, in fact, recent studies show that it nearly doubled the ‘come down’ time. It also served as a spike in the heart rate, long after it should have returned to a normal range. It nearly killed Jennifer Aniston before someone moved her to a more secure location. Best case scenario is a complete cut-off from view, and engaging in verbal contact rather than physical.”

“That’s good to know,” Sejin mumbles, typing something out on his laptop. “I’ll send out a memo with that information as well as advise staff to renew their training as soon as possible.”

We go over a few more details before Namjoon sits up in his seat. “We’re about done, right? I just got a text from Soobin saying they’re all gathered up and ready to go.”

My heart rate spikes again as I realize that we must be meeting together after this. And from the sounds of it, it’s practically the entire agency.

“Yeah, just about. Do you want to sign, Namjoon, and you can head out?”

Namjoon signs Sejin’s copy of the contract before getting up and heading toward the door. “We’re excited to have you join the team, Miss Choi.”

“Thank you! And you can just call me Haneul, don’t worry about it.”

Namjoon’s dimples make an appearance as he smiles back at me. “Then I’m just Namjoon to you. See you guys in a bit.”

Sejin covers the last few points in the span of ten or so minutes, clearly ready to get going like I am. We finish up going over vacation days when he leans back with a sigh.

“And yeah, I think that’s about it. Any questions? Today you’ll be getting a feel for the schedule and meet the boys and staff you’ll be working closely with, so don’t hesitate to ask them any more questions as they come.”

Palms starting to sweat with the idea of meeting the rest of Bighit shortly, I give a curt shake of the head. “I think I’m good for now.” Ignoring the tightness in my chest, I reach out for the contract.

Side Effect #3: Chest pain

“Wonderful. Just sign here, and I’ll send you a copy of this.”

☆

Sejin and I walk down the hall after being dropped off at the fifth floor. The second the elevator doors opened I could hear the ruckus of two kpop groups in one room.

To my shock Yuri’s voice rings out, followed by a bout of laughter. It would appear that she’s already found her place.

Sejin gives me an encouraging smile as we inch closer to the room at the end of the hall. “You ready? It’s been a pretty big couple of days for you.”

I can’t help but find comfort in Sejin’s attitude. I’m glad he understands the deer in the headlights look I’m probably sporting right now.

I hope my soulmate is like him.

The thought passes through my mind suddenly, making me go blank for a moment. While it’s a true sentiment, I have to focus on making a good impression today so I can find my soulmate another day.

One day at a time, Hanuel.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I respond, offering him a shaky smile in return. Sejin chuckles, and I wonder if he felt the same way early on in his manager days. I wonder if he still occasionally feels that way, now that BTS has grown more than anyone ever expected.

He goes before me, entering the room and already falling into a conversation with someone. I hesitate for a second, my heart pounding so hard that it’s hard to focus. Rolling my neck, I take a step into the room.

“Ah, there she is!” Yuri chirps out, leaving from where she was beside Beomgyu, who was showing her a video on his phone. “You guys took a long time.”

If my heart wasn’t currently trying to leap out of my ribcage, I would come up with something funny to say.

“Haneul is very thorough,” Sejin comments from where he stands beside one of the TXT managers. “Would you like to introduce yourself?”

“Quick,” I hear someone speak up, “Everyone pretend like Sejin didn’t just say her name!”

It was Hueningkai that made the comment. I can tell who it was because the boy in question is currently dodging an elbow to the ribs from Taehyun. Yuri laughs at their behavior before looking back to me expectantly.

“Oh,” my voice sounds a bit croaky. After clearing my throat, I try again. “Hello everyone. I’m Choi Haneul, it’s nice to meet you all.”

The seven members of BTS come up to the front, gathering in a line like it’s second nature. Namjoon gives me a small smile, which I take comfort in.

“Well, you’ve met me already...this is everyone else.”

Taehyung steps forward, giving me a small wave and grinning wide. “Just call me Tae.”

Jimin gives his friend a wide-eyed look. “Isn’t that a bit informal for just meeting?” Tae’s cheeks go a little red.

“Is it?” He asks, and I nearly pass out from the amount of sweetness in the room. “I think we’ll be good friends, so why not just skip the formalities?”

The boys reflect various levels of long-suffering as Jungkook shakes his head while the rest of the room laughs at Tae’s odd manner. “We both know it doesn’t work like that.”

Sejin answers the question I didn’t even know I was thinking. “In case you’re wondering, they’re always like this. Might as well get used to it.”

Yuri giggles at my reddened cheeks, but I brush off the embarrassment enough to look back at the boys. “That’s good to know.” The boys break from their line in order to return to wherever they were lounging about earlier. Once they turn to leave I feel a bit better; my heart calming down. Hopefully, with time, I’ll be able to breathe properly around them.

I remain near the door, unsure as to what to do next. It looks like Sejin and the other managers are preparing to give a debriefing of sorts and everyone is just waiting around for it. Thankfully, Yuri remains beside me.

“How are you holding up?” She asks me quietly. I give her a long look, conveying the depth of my feelings perfectly.

“I can’t calm down. I feel like I’m either going to pass out or going to run the length of Seoul in five minutes flat.”

Side Effect #4: Lightheadedness and/or fainting (syncope) 

Yuri snorts. “Now that I’d like to see.”

Taehyung calls out to me, pulling me from my conversation. “You’re from Seoul, Miss Choi?”

I smile warmly at him, already taking a liking to him. He’s one big contradiction: his looks make him appear intimidating, but he has the warmest personality.

“I’m originally from Anyang, actually. But I’ve been in Seoul for the past five years.”

“Oh, we’re neighbors!”

Jin is the one who spoke, and I look to where he stands behind the couch, leaning down to watch something on Jungkook’s phone. His eyes are turned up to me, a hint of excitement at being from neighboring cities evident in his expression.

Less than a second is all it takes.

In the second grade, I learned that within the span of a single second, a bumblebee can beat its wings 200 times.

That fact fascinated my young brain; 200 times in a single second?! Of all the wonders in the world I had discovered and had yet to discover in my life, this was the fact that stayed with me. How could such a small creature accomplish such an improbable feat, all within the confines of the time it takes to blink?

My junior year of high school I learned that the average pair of soulmates begin to experience the initial spike in heart rate that leads to tachycardia within the first 0.002 seconds of eye contact. That means, even if it’s a passing glance, the moment those two sets of eyes make contact, everything is about to change.

As I hold eye contact with Jin across the room, I believe that there is a small part of me that knows I should be thinking about everything I’ve learned about soulmates over the past few years. Where are the steps I used to recite day and night in order to keep them memorized?

Yet, that little 8 year old girl with wonder-filled eyes as she learns about bumblebee’s amazing abilities is the only thing I can come up with. Almost as if she’s in the room with me, looking back and forth between Jin and I with that same expression.

Something clicks for me in that single moment as my heart rate continues to jolt and jump. Something seems to connect between bumblebees and soulmates.

Like a bumblebee’s wings frantically beating to keep itself aloft, my own heart begins to do its best to meet the same pace.

Side Effect #5: Heart palpitations (a racing, uncomfortable or irregular heartbeat or a sensation of "flopping" in the chest)

I’m barely aware of distant voices all around me, a few growing in volume as the truth sinks in. I feel arms trapping my own against my torso, and I gasp for air as breathing becomes more difficult. Frowning, I realize that someone is trying to move me away.

Away?

Jin seems to notice I’m being moved away at the same time I do, because the frozen posture he had is broken as he straightens and lurches forward.

He’s all I can see. It strikes me in that moment that he looks a bit different in real life. Sharper, yet somehow more welcoming. Those eyes, although frantic, have kindness imbued in them. The fingers that are outstretched toward me are a bit crooked, and I can’t help but wonder for a moment if our hands will fit together like everyone always says soulmates do.

Wait, soulmates?

Amidst the pounding in my chest and burning lungs, I suddenly have a moment of clarity. The wiry arms wrapped around my torso must belong to Yuri, and she’s speaking calmly into my ear.

“Count with me, Haneul. 1, 2, 3…”

Opening my mouth and marveling at how dry and scratchy my throat feels, I croak out, “...4…5…”

“What comes next, Han?”

“...6.”

Yuri hums, gently trying to ease me backward. When my body locks up, she tries a new method. Coming around to face me, she keeps a firm grip on my shoulders, and gets up on her tippy toes to look me in the eyes.

“We’ve got to move you to a separate room, Han. You remember, don’t you?”

There’s a small voice in my head that wants to tell her that yes, I do remember. However it’s drowned out by the sound of my heart beating in my ears as it continues to pick up speed. Yuri is instructing the boys to grab Jin as he continues marching toward me on shaky legs. He’s only about three feet away, arms extending toward me while Yuri pins my arms down and shoves.

“Grab him!” Yuri shouts even as I cry out from being shoved away. In a flash I see a couple of different pairs of arms reaching out to Jin, effectively stopping him in his tracks as he struggles against them.

“Please,” Jin says in a surprisingly calm voice even as he pushes against Jungkook and Sejin. “Please, just let me-”

“Han, I know your mind is a jumbled mess right now, but please. Remember that this is a matter of life or death. You want to see him?” Yuri doesn’t wait for my response, which makes sense as I haven’t once looked away from Jin. “Then get out of here. Now.”

Like an electric shock to my senses, I breathe in deep. Still unable to look anywhere other than Jin - his sweater has a loose thread on the collar, I should fix that for him - I do the only thing I can.

Closing my eyes is like swimming through concrete, but gritting my teeth I just manage to do it. The second I break contact with Jin, my body relaxes just enough for Yuri to push against me and shove my unwilling feet out the door.

She has a firm grip on the back of my shoulders still as she shouts out to nobody in particular, “I need a room!”

Someone must answer her, because we abruptly change directions before coming to a stop. I refuse to open my eyes for fear of falling back into the imobile state I was in before, and Yuri still hasn’t given me the clear.

“Yeonjun, grab my bag! Bring it to me.”

The sounds of everyone scampering around are drowned out as I hear Jin’s broken voice calling out once more.

“No, don’t take her. Please don’t take her from me.”

Like a dam of freezing water breaking over my head, my eyes open and I spin around, seeing Jin breaking free of Sejin’s grasp and dragging Jungkook along with him.

Just as my eyes find his once more, the door slams shut.

Part 2

masterlist

taglist: @taylorroe3​ @dreamcatcherjiah​ @thecaffeinatedscribbles​ @marianeamine 

#jin soulmate au #bts soulmate au #Kim Seokjin soulmate au #soulmate au #jin soulmate #jin x oc #bts x oc #jin series #jin fluff #jin angst #bts angst #bts love story #bts love #jin bts #bts jin #jin deserves more #Kim Seokjin fluff #kim seokjin

[confusedlamp]

Mental Health Strategies

I have dealt with various mental health BS (anxiety, depression, ADHD), and while I haven't gotten it all figured out, I have been dealing with it for well over a decade now. I figured I would make a list of coping mechanisms that have helped me and are worth trying out if you haven't already. None of these things are “magic” (just try this and your brain will be all fixed!),  and obviously not applicable in all situations. I mostly learned these via therapy or from other people struggling with mental illness. This also may or may not be to help me have a list of things written down for when I forget. 

Putting this below a keep reading thing because this got long FAST: 

For depression funks:

-Find a small task you can complete. Wash a dish, throw clothes in the hamper, take out the trash, etc. Something small.

-Take a shower. And try changing clothes. Even if it's in to some pajamas. If you aren't up to showering, try washing your face and maybe wiping down with a wipe. But a change of clothes will still feel better.

-Eat something. Doesn't have to be "healthy." Some food, no matter what it is, is better than no food.

-Can you get outside? Doesn't have to be to excercise. Just sitting on the front steps for a few minutes in the sun.

-Doing something to take care of yourself. Can you brush your teeth? Have a glass of water? Brush your hair? Just pick one thing and so it.

-Plan something. See if you can get a friend to meet you to hang out (or zoom) or maybe for dinner. For yourself, maybe find a movie to go see (post pandemic). Preferably find something that has a set time.

For panics:

- Square breathing. Breathe in for 5, hold for 5, breath out for 5, hold for 5. Repeat.

-There are a ton of meditations on youtube. Search "5 minute meditation" and you'll find a ton of videos.

-After the initial panic is over try calling a friend. If you can't for some reason (sometimes it's 3 am or your friend isn't available), try finding some cat videos on youtube. I highly recommend Cole and Marmalade. Something light that will get your brain on something else.

For Executive Dysfunction:

-Remove steps to putting things away. For awhile in school, I would have a mess of papers that weren't organized or put away because I was trying to use a binder. As silly as it sounds, having to neatly align paper holes or got find a place to punch those holes, would prevent me from putting things away. So I switched to folders. Suddenly I stopped losing things and my papers were organized.

-Bullet journaling. Or rather, I just have a little notebook where I put all my to do lists, grocery lists, project planning, brainstorming, etc. I don't properly Bullet Journal (TM) but I keep all my lists in one spot and it helps.

-To do lists in general. Writing out steps to get something done. Cross things out when you finish them. You get a better sense of accomplishment.

-When executive dysfunction is preventing you from getting out of bed, break it down. Step one, sit up. Step 2, swing legs over side. Step 3 stand up.

-Same with any task. If it seems too overwhelming or you just can't bring yourself to do it, it might be because you are looking at all the steps and feeling it's too much. So just think about the first one.

-Alarms and reminders. I put everything on a calendar in my phone. Google Calendar allows you to set a reminder for events days, weeks, hours, and minutes ahead. You can also set alarms for things like "I know I need to leave at 3 for the appointment, so I am going to set an alarm for 2:45 to start getting ready." Do not rely on yourself to look at the clock. YOU WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CLOCK IN TIME.

-Set the dang alarm clock across the room. That way, you gotta get out of bed to turn it off. Once out of bed, go take any meds, or if you don’t have meds, go do a small morning task. Usually doing this small task is enough to get me awake enough to not get back into bed. If I do, well, at least I have taken my meds. 

Sensory Issues:

- Fitted sweat pants and hiking pants. I can’t stand tight clothing, but I want to look presentable. Sweatpants that taper can still look decent. Travel pants or hiking pants (you can find these at places like REI), basically look like slacks but are made out of stretchy material. They also usually are made out of quick dry material which is nice. 

-Fidget and sensory toys. I really like hedgehog rings which have these little spikes on them I can run my thumb over. Also the tangle. I have a tangle that has a rubber coating that has little bumps on it. What you end up liking might differ, but those are two of my favorite. Also, if anyone gives you shit about these, you can explain “it’s sorta like a stress ball, but instead you [whatever you do with this fidget toy].” 

-Ear plugs. I wear these a lot because I have particular issues with sounds, especially certain ones. I prefer either silicone gummy ones or I like these that are “slim” because they don’t make my ears hurt. You can also get musician ear plugs that are made for musicians to protect their hearing, but still be able to hear tones and what is going on, for when sound is simply too load (also good for concerts). 

For General ADHD things: 

-Work somewhere different. This is a bit limited due to the pandemic currently, but just working at the kitchen table instead of your bedroom can help. In college, I used to go to the library to work. Just the idea that I was going to someplace specific to do a specific task, helped me actually get started. 

-Promise yourself that you will work for 10 minutes. Set an alarm if needed. Usually just starting will make the task seem less intimidating. If 10 minutes is too much, do 5. 

-Cardio. Get your self moving. This is good for a lot of things, but I highly recommend it for before you have to sit down to work on a task, like school work. I personally run, but if that’s not your thing dance, a class, walking, biking, etc. Just whatever you like. 

-Time dependent things are good to get yourself going. Again, this is limited by the pandemic, but for normal times, can you meet a friend for breakfast? Can you schedule your appointment so you have to get to it before you start work? When I was in college, I used to go to morning gym classes before my first class of the day. This got me up and if I was 5 minutes late, it was better to do that for a gym class than a physics class. Bonus because it was exercise and I could focus better on the class. 

-In classes, try to find a notes buddy or study group. That way, if you zoned out a moment, you can ask them for the notes from that section and vice versa. Also, meeting up with them is a great way to have a set time to study. 

For General Anxiety/ Depression: 

-This is going to sound cheesy as fuck, but: Make a list for what you are good at. Things you like about yourself. Things you have accomplished. They don’t have to be super deep, but can be. Do you like your nose? Can you paint your nails well? Are you good at understanding your cat? Are you good at writing? Drawing? Did you overcome a bad test and still manage to pass a class?  If you have a friend or significant other that you are comfortable with, ask them to help maybe. Keep this list for when you feel like shit. 

-Yoga. I’m sorry to put this on here because it seems like the most neurotypical advice, but. I honestly love this shit. If you haven’t given it a shot, there’s a reason why people like it. You don’t have to belong to a gym to try it. I highly recommend Yoga with Adrienne. She has some great beginner videos. 

-Take breaks from social media and news as needed. Seriously. You are a single person and can’t fix everything. Do what you can (share the information, make a donation, join in mutual aid efforts, etc.) but doom scrolling and obsessing won’t help anyone. If you won’t do it for yourself, consider that burning yourself out will make you unable to help later on. 

-Create things. They don’t have to be amazing. Crocheting, knitting, drawing, writing, etc. Having something that you can look at and be like “I made that” is really satisfying. Youtube has some great tutorials for pretty much anything. For drawing, I really like Proko. He has some great videos on drawing faces. But again: IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE GOOD. 

General Resources/ Advice:

-If you are currently in college, most campuses will have groups for counseling and even limited one on one sessions. Usually, these counseling groups are free and the one on one sessions can help you find a counselor nearby. 

-How to ADHD. Seriously I love this youtube channel. She goes over how ADHD affects the brain and has seriously helped me understand it better. 

-The Trevor Project. For LGBTQ teens and youth. They have a hotline and many other resources.  

-If what is stopping you from getting therapy is the idea that you are being dramatic/ are not that bad/ others have it worse: Go get therapy. What are we going to do, find the one person who has it the worst off than anyone and only they are allowed to feel bad and get help? Screw that. Get some help. 

-Remember that there are good things in your future. Where ever you are in life, you have something positive in your future, even if you don’t know it yet. One day, there will be a moment when you look back on the dark times and be so glad you didn’t give up. 

-Obligatory: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  (1-800-273-8255). This is national suicide prevention lifeline, for the US. They can help. 

-https://www.crisistextline.org/ For when you don’t like phone calls, try texting instead. Has US, Canada, UK, and Ireland numbers. 

#well there you go #my post #mental health #coping mechanisms #adhd #depression #anxiety #depression recovery #mental health resources #hope this helps someone #mental health strategies

[meggannn]

Can I ask, what's the beef with Greg Ellis and Mark Darrah? I haven't been keeping up with BioWare in general and the Dragon Age fandom & company division in particular (I'm more of a Mass Effect person) so all I noticed is that two big names (were?) quit a few days ago so I am genuinely puzzled at that exchange. Did Ellis get screwed over by BioWare/Darrah somehow or is he doing some unfounded shit-stirring?

Oh for sure, so I don’t know all the details, but I’ll try

Greg Ellis

Greg Ellis is the voice actor for Cullen, a character who is in every Dragon Age game. the actor has been a pretty shitty person for a while—I’m sure there’s a callout post for him somewhere on tumblr—but he’s the British equivalent of a Trumper, transphobic, hosts a podcast/contributes to/does audio readings for a right-leaning website that complains about liberals and universities, often gets into fights with LGBT+ folk on twitter and block them (so many that a lot of DA fans couldn’t read his tweets today lol).

[ID: Greg Ellis tweet: “I praise @Ayaan for supporting @jk_rowling in standing her ground. They are heroes of our times. /end ID]

[ID: Greg Ellis tweet: “Today on The Respondent @GreggHurwitz discusses the challenges of identitarianism on college campuses. /end ID]

From Wikipedia: Identitarianism: “The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a post-World War II European far-right political ideology which asserts the right of Europeans and peoples of European descent to preserve the culture and territories.”

[ID: Greg Ellis tweet from June 2018: Indicative of our current culture that I tweet about inspirational free thinkers & up pops a trolling SJW who can’t separate me from my work. Conflating my inclusive & equitable opining with a video game character I voice is SJW indent politicking full blown.”

Greg Ellis tweet replying to a disappointed fan who was upset about his support for Trump: “Speaking ‘on behalf of thousands of fans’ of a video game & suggesting I ‘broke their hearts’ because I support ALL who hold Presidential office is ludicrous. VG fandom is not exclusive to LGBTQ or those not hate filled about @potus. I believe in equity & inclusivity.” /end ID]

to demonstrate how much of an attention-seeking child he is, Ellis also likes to tease his fans with hashtags and get them up in a tizzy to gain followers, tagging things #Cullennites and #DA4 just to wind up bait-switching and actually talk about something completely different, or maybe even nothing.

[ID: Tweet from Greg Ellis, I don’t have the date but I believe this was from spring of 2018: “I’ve been officially authorized to disclose details about the game only when I reach 10k followers. I feel like a puppet. Will you help pull the strings? I’m positively itching to share. #videogame #announcement #cullenites” /end ID]

Beef with Mark Darrah

I think what specifically started his beef with Mark Darrah was this summer, Ellis tweeted in support of Ayaan/JKR (above), resulting in a lot of upset fans replying to him. He got in lots of fights with them, blocking several, prompting fans to make more tweets expressing anger/disappointment about DA4/the future of Cullen, and even tweet at other Dragon Age developers asking if Cullen could be recast if he comes back at all.

Mark Darrah made a tweet saying basically nothing substantial about it, but he said: “It’s important to us that the people we work with are aligned with our BioWare values. This will be apparent when we’re ready to announce what actors will be lending their voices to the game.” He even replied directly to a few fans throughout the tags/search results who were concerned, including @theherocomplex​ which I saw, so it’s a safe assumption he was at least taking the anger seriously.

Ellis replied to the public tweet: “What r the @bioware values @BioMarkDarrah? Don’t the loyal #Cullenites & @dragonage fans have a right to know? Don’t u have a responsibility to tell them? DO u support cancel culture? Do u support defamatory comments like this? Careful how u answer ~ u might lose ur job”

I mean, it’s pretty ballsy to threaten a lead creative at a company responsible for a chunk of your fame when your character’s arc is effectively over and they don’t need to have you in any games anymore... there are tons of crappy British actors out there to replace you, and it’s not like they don’t already have Gideon Emery in a dozen different wigs, lmao

What Happened This Week (Dec 3 and Dec 4, 2020)

Mark Darrah was, until recently, a staple in the Dragon Age team. A lot of people were worried when his resignation yesterday came out of the blue, and Casey Hudson (also a lead creative/big name) also resigned from the Mass Effect team at the same time, which to me is pretty concerning.

Yesterday after the news broke, a fan asked Darrah if his beef with Ellis might have had anything to do with his departure (basically asking if it was a forced resignation): “If this has anything to do with a recent blowout with a VA from Inquisition who publically called for @BioMarkDarrah to be fired, I'm going to be so sickened and disappointed by this company for siding with bigotry.” Darrah replied with just “lol” which to me was a little concerning, because if you read it sarcastically, it seemed to imply the drama with Ellis did have something to do with it. without proof, it’s difficult to say, and of course Darrah and Hudson gave polite goodbyes but are silent on the real reasons that prompted them to go.

Today, Ellis has managed to convince himself that he did get Darrah fired, likely over the stink he raised about Darrah publicly for siding with LGBT+ fans over him. but in his replies to that, Darrah mentioned pretty open skepticism in his tweets that Ellis would ever be rehired by BW again, so.... maybe the Ellis drama is not it. IDK.

TLDR: basically, Ellis is a bigoted right-wing voice actor who picks fights with fans who call him out, and he is still coasting off the attention highs he got from voicing a highly controversial video game character in a franchise that hasn’t hired him since 2014. in summer 2020, Ellis threatened Darrah’s job (not at as if he has any power to threaten him with), basically because Darrah stood up to him, and now that he no longer has to play civil as a BioWare employee, Darrah finally snapped and called him out on twitter for being unprofessional and implied Ellis wouldn’t be asked back to BioWare anyway even if Ellis WAS the reason he left. other Dragon Age developers (who still work at BW) are liking and replying to Darrah’s tweets with supportive gifs/emojis, so I think it’s a fair to say Darrah’s attitude is prevalent in the company but current workers just can’t say anything, and they do not want Ellis back again.

#dragonsdeadanddancing #askbox #greg ellis cw #bioware stuff

[meepmorpperaltiago]

Stranger Things future headcanons

My Stranger Things hyperfixation is Strong rn so I’ve slowly been piling up all my future headcanons into this way-too-long monstrosity ✌️

– Hopper and Joyce get married in 1987 and basically live happily ever after

– They get together pretty much as soon as they’re reunited – as the cabin has been destroyed beyond repair and Joyce wants to move back to Hawkins, Hopper and El end up staying at their new house in what’s supposed to be a temporary arrangement but becomes permanent pretty fast

– Hopper struggles a lot post Russia but with the support of Joyce and the kids he gets through it

– Murray is his best man

– El waits a year to go to college and then moves in with Mike when she’s in her second year and he’s in his third. They don’t go to the same college but they get a place close enough that they can both commute to their respective campuses

– They also get a cat named Leia and both get jobs to earn a bit of extra money considering they’re still students – El works at a local library and Mike works in a coffee shop

– Max and El are roommates in their first year of college (Max took a gap year) and Max moves into the apartment opposite Mike and El’s

– Lucas and Max are basically the Ross and Rachel to Mike and El’s Chandler and Monica, they have constant on again off again drama for years until they finally get together and stay together when they’re a little older

– Will goes to art college in New York, while Dustin also goes further afield to study communications, but they keep in touch with the others as much as they can

– Having already had their first concert experiences back in ‘87 with Madonna’s Who’s That Girl Tour, El and Max go to the Blonde Ambition tour together and have the best time

– The gang also all go and see Nirvana together because the image of them all huddled together jumping up and down to Smells Like Teen Spirit is too precious

– Mike proposes to El on a quiet Sunday morning in their apartment – he makes her Eggos on a special plate that says “marry me?” on it

– They find out there’s a clearing in Mirkwood that’s become popular for weddings and they have their ceremony there, on the 7th November 1994, 11 years after they first met. Literally everyone sobs.

– Once she graduates El continues working at the library while she works to get a master’s degree to become a therapist. In the year following whatever’s going to happen in season 4, with the help of Doctor Owens she started going to therapy and it helped her so much that she eventually realised she wanted to help people that way – and with a heck of a lot of hard work, she succeeds!

– Mike studies literature and eventually becomes a high school English teacher, with an ambition to become a writer someday. He stays that way for 6 years, until him and El start having kids and he decides to become a stay at home dad, especially because El earns more than he does so financially it makes more sense for him to take time out of work, plus he really wants to be a more active dad than his own father. While he’s at home with the kids, he writes his first full fantasy novel, which eventually becomes a massive success and allows him to fully launch his writing career in the way that he always wanted.

– Mike and El have 3 kids – Lily (b. 1998), Ryan (b. 2000) and Emma (b. 2004). All 3 kids inherit El’s powers and they work incredibly hard to make sure that a. The kids are raised to keep it concealed and that b. They never experience the pain and fear that El suffered.

– Nancy and Jonathan become a highly success journalist – photojournalist team, eventually getting married and having 2 kids after a few years of travelling the world, Jason (b. 1997) and Clare (b. 2001)

– Steve and Robin remain lifelong friends – they end up working together when they’re older, because he eventually becomes a gym teacher and she becomes a language teacher

– Because I’m basically projecting Ross and Rachel onto them, while they’re on again and off again Max and Lucas end up with an unintended pregnancy, which Max discovers at Mike and El’s wedding – their son Ethan is born in 1995 and they’re great co parents even before they properly get back together

– While Lucas becomes an aerospace engineer, Max becomes a skateboarding instructor and eventually starts her own skate school

– They finally get together permanently in 1999 and never look back, eventually getting married in 2002 and having a second child, Marcus, a year later

– Will comes out to everyone at the end of his first year – he becomes a comic book illustrator and ends up with a comic book writer named Chris Cole. They get a civil union in 2000 and then get married as soon as they can and they adopt twin babies named Matt and Emily in 2005

– Dustin does something techy with computers for a while but him and his wife Demi get a farm out of nowhere (I just love the idea of Dustin’s life taking a completely random direction and everyone being shocked ok) – they say that their animals are like their children

– In 2007 at a party reunion Lily, Marcus, Ryan and Emma put on a truly epic performance of the first two high school musical soundtracks, with Ethan, Matt, Emily and all the adults as their audience

– The party eventually get a group chat that they post in constantly

– Once a year they also all get back together in person specifically to play a big game of D & D (they do it over zoom in 2020 and are planning to do the same this year)

– Leia passes away in 2006 and a year later the Wheelers get a labradoodle named Chewie

– Max and El get a podcast together. I don’t know what the heck they talk about, but they have a podcast. Their children are highly embarrassed by this but they don’t care at all.

– When El first moved out to go to college just over 30 years ago, she promised to phone Hopper every Sunday – they call each other every Sunday afternoon to this day and when lockdown started it became a FaceTime with the whole family.

#stranger things #mileven #jopper #the party #eleven #hopper #Joyce #mike wheeler

[neshabeingchildish]

League of Extraordinary Geniuses || The Prologue

The Girl with the Purple Hair AKA The Smartest Woman in the World 

Author’s Notes

‘They just GAVE her this honorific! The Smartest Woman in the World? How insulting! I didn’t spend the entirety of my life working beyond my hardware and having to remodel and upgrade frequently for some normal human girl to get a few degrees and just RECEIVE status as my female counterpart!’ 

Chase Davenport was in a very bad mood, and currently stuck in his own head. Davenport Industries was donating a dozen high quality, top grade androids to one of its employees, for an assignment in Dystopia, on which she would be attempting to deconstruct and rebuild the city to make it a Davencity - one of the many cities where basically all of the income and resources fit into an ecosystem created and maintained by the success of a Davenport driven economy. 

Chase felt like it was gentrification and colonization, but as long as Mr. Davenport saw to it that the people in the communities selected were allowed to stay and contribute, then at least, they wouldn’t be completely taking away people’s homes and lives. 

So… more of an occupation of sorts, but… Dystopia was one of those places that was such a mess that ANY change had to be for the better, and it was very close to this lady’s heart, apparently. She’d worked there for many years, traveling back and forth on charity missions between semesters in her academic career, ‘until she ingeniously swindled universities into giving her degrees.’ 

Chase pulled up her information in his bionic system, something he had been doing quite religiously ever since finding out that he was expected to be a part of these shenanigans. Mr. Davenport lauded this woman as “the person most fit for this job,” and as a condition of Chase’s current position in the company, he would have to shake the hand of this person in front of the world and approve of that sentiment, ‘thus endorsing the so-called “SmArtEst WOmAn In thE wOrld”’

Feeling that she “swindled” universities was unfair, but he was still pretty raw about all of these plans and mostly about that ‘COMPLETELY UNFATHOMABLE TITLE.’ Secretly, he admired her audacity and her follow through. He would never be able to admit it, as long as she was considered his intellectual equal and a high priority for Mr. Davenport.

She began a little challenge that she called "The Degree Collection Challenge." She would contact the Deans of Ivy League campuses and basically profess that she would be able to complete certain degrees in (some unprecedented amount of time), with their permission. Initially, they would agree, out of the pride and certainty that she couldn't do this. It became her brand - doing all of the work possible to earn an official degree in what should have been not enough time. Organizations began to try to monitor her endeavors and make sure she wasn't somehow cheating, hacking, doing SOMETHING illegal to yield the results that she was yielding, and eventually androids were utilized. Universities paid Davenport Industries A FORTUNE to basically stalk this woman with the intent to prove that she was unfairly gaining elite degrees from their institutions. 

She kept fairly earning her degrees, racking up work, experience, and notoriety as one of the smartest people in the world and her new title as the Degree Collector, ‘a title she can be worthy of.’

It was on her verified social media, and whenever she went to do interviews and speak at colleges, it would always be on the caption or the headlines. He was fine with that. In fact, after a mention from a fan who said that they would LOVE to see her have a conversation with Chase Davenport, the bionic smartest man alive, she confessed that she was a HUGE follower of his work and would also love a conversation with him. He was flattered. She was famous, in her own right, and smart, as well. Also, she looked pretty in all of the photos and footage he saw of her, so finding out that she was a fan was highly favorable.

Her announcement led to Donald arranging the meeting AND giving her a job in one of his places close to her Alma mater, Harvard. She was already earning him money with the android monitoring systems from several colleges, and he wanted someone that popular and smart under his umbrella. Chase would be her “introduction to Davenport Industries” in her biography, even though he didn’t actually have the opportunity to meet her. In fact, his brother, Leo wound up having to pick her up and getting her settled into her new Davenport provided space, because Chase was out on missions. 

She understood. As a self proclaimed huge follower of his work, she knew he went all over the world to tend to various threats, and after a while, the prospect of having a conversation with him became lost and he forgot all about the girl with the purple hair who Donald used as a publicity stunt a few years ago. ‘UNTIL… She became lauded as “the Smartest Woman Alive.” 

For THAT to be true, she would need bionic access to all of the world’s information, to computer connections, satellites, etc. She would have to be extraordinary. She was just some woman with a bunch of degrees that she did get impressively quickly for a typical woman… but still… She was just a typical woman and he got frustrated every time he thought about the fact that her title pretended to rival his! 

“Mr. Davenport?” He heard from behind him and he cleared off his research and cleared out his eye before turning and seeing a slim, petite, far more beautiful in person than in any of the publicity photos where she was typically working. “Hi!” She said, excited and extended her hand, “Charlotte Page. I know that I’m early, but The Dom said that I could let myself in with my access permissions, and I really wanted to be able to speak with you outside of all of his… panoply.” 

Chase shook her hand. It was soft and her handshake was firm. She had on a cream colored pantsuit that fit her form, but was sleeveless and her arms indicated someone who took great care of her body. In fact, her body indicated someone who took great care of her body. And her face, her hair, and so on. 

She didn’t look distressed, disheveled, with a mound of purple hair tied up in a puffy, messy bun. She wasn’t to her knees in an assignment or charity work, or in protective gear in her lab, and she wasn’t online, in a dimly lit room, speaking tired, because of the lack of rest she had. Her hair wasn’t purple either, or curly or puffy... It was... they call those goddess locs, if he remembered correctly from having seen the hairstyle before, and hers were a mixture of browns, with golden accents and charms in them. 

He saw several superhero emblems - Captain Man, Kid Danger, the Dystopian Defenders, ‘So, she’s a superhero fangirl’ some African symbols and cutesy stuff too, a few lightening rods... She was staring at him and he wondered if he was studying her looks too long.

This was the first time he saw her face to face, and it was an amazing sight. “Well… Nice to meet the…” He paused. He realized at that moment that he had never said it out loud and also that he could not.

“The Degree Collector?” She said, saving him the discomfort of calling her the smartest woman alive. She folded her arms casually and said, “Although, my degrees can’t really be at all impressive to you, with the educational catalog that you’ve got. And for what it's worth, I never actually refer to myself as the other thing, either. When there’s someone like you out there and nobody else comparable, that would seem gauche. Not to mention the fact that my life has been teeming with privilege and opportunities. There’s probably a woman out there right now that might have mollywhopped me in the degree collecting challenge if she had more access and wealth, so… I’m good with being Charlotte Page. Charlotte Page is amazing.”

He relaxed a little and felt secretly justified in his silent protest of her being called that. But, now that it was out of the way, he did have other questions and interests about her that he would have already addressed had he not been simmering in anger. He began with, “What is it about Dystopia that makes you so passionate about it?”

A twinkle sparkled in her brown eyes and she was the prettiest and softest thing he could ever remember, in that moment where she thought about Dystopia. She unfolded her arms and began to move her hands around as she talked, “I think it’s because it was my first chosen home. I decided to go there and try to make a small difference. I brought along the two most important people in the world to me and together, we made it our home, for a little while, but made a big difference in a small span of time. Whenever I had to leave, my heart stayed there. My friends didn’t come with me because there was just so much to do and they felt more needed there than I might have needed them with me.” She called over one of the water boys and grabbed a fresh bottle of water from them. “I was working on a Biological and Biomedical Sciences degree and after only one year of doing that, realized that it would take too long for me to do everything that I wanted to do in Dystopia, or even in this world. SO, I took a note out of my friend’s little sister’s book… She managed to graduate high school early because she had to take so many summer classes. I shot for the same basic principle, but on the college level and once it began to be a thing that I just do… I continued and I use everything that I can to try to make Dystopia better, for my friends and for my fondness of it as the first home that I chose for myself.”

“Wow. I’ve actually never chosen a home, so I don’t know this attachment. Mr. Davenport has orchestrated where I go for all of my life,” he admitted.

“Why?”

“Well… Because, he’s the one in charge,” he said and shrugged his shoulders, slightly embarrassed. She studied him for a while and he felt mildly uncomfortable under her watch, but simultaneously enjoyed the attention.

“At least he’s a genius. The gods know I’ve worked under the control of complete idiots before..” She thought for a little while longer, then added, “But… not genius enough, I would say.” She finally commented and averted her eyes to glance around the room. “He’s definitely probably smarter than me, but nobody’s smarter than you. You’re Smartie GOALS. It doesn’t rationally make sense to me that you’re in a room with someone, but you’re not the one in charge.” She shrugged and called over a recycling collector to pass off her empty bottle. “You know?” She punctuated the thought, hoping she wasn’t completely out of line for speaking it.

He placed his hands in his pockets and said, “I’m always the smartest man in the room… but not necessarily the wisest person, and definitely not always right. There has to be some humility to make our dynamic work, and if there are these gods you speak of somewhere, they know that HE’S not going to have any. I’ve challenged his authority a couple of times, but it never works in my favor. He really has an infrastructure that calls for his leadership.”

“Maybe you need to separate yourself from that infrastructure to reach your fullest potential,” she said. He looked at her, startled and she laughed and shook her hands and head, “Sorry, sorry! I realized after I said it that I totally sound like an up-and-coming supervillain trying to get the smartest man alive in her corner! I’ll shut up immediately about that. It’s just...my parents weren’t really that involved in a lot of my decisions… They did this thing where they raised me from the first moment I seemed cognizant to learn to do for myself. I don’t always understand those of you who have a more codependent situation with your parents. I think that I expected less commitment, since you refer to him as “Mr. Davenport. I don’t even refer to him as Mr. Davenport!”

He just laughed a little. It wasn’t really her business how he was raised in a capsule in a basement, that his biological father was someone else, etc. She was just making conversation, and you don’t spring heavy things on pretty girls in the middle of conversation. That’s how you never get pretty girls. One of the many ways, at least. His list was still growing at this stage in his life.

After a while, Donald Davenport came through with the camera crew and the dozen androids. He and Chase presented Charlotte with the supplies and she gave a thank you speech to him, and to Chase, although with all of the emphasis that she put on Chase in this thank you, she noticed that The Dom took it as a slight against him. 

That was one of the reasons she called Donald Davenport, “The Dom,” instead of Mr. Davenport or even Donald. That man would honestly be completely comfortable with total submission from others and she often wondered and worried about his wife with these habits, though his brother, Douglas, told her that the wife “wore the pants” at home. A likely story!

She liked Douglas. He was usually her means of contact. While she did bond with Leo upon her first meeting over their shared experience of limited bionics (and hers being even LESS accessible than his, at the time), it was Douglas that she could count on for fun experiment approval and such. She wished that he was here today, but he had some things to do in Centium City, so he had to miss it. He did promise to help her get settled with the equipment in her Dystopia office, whenever he  finished.

After the speech, Chase escorted Charlotte to the shuttle, hating the thought that when this conversation ended, he’d never see her again, and resenting himself for not being able to meet her sooner, or at the very least, to appreciate her for who she was and seemed to be. “Well, thank you for indulging me,” she said. “I’ve wanted to meet you for so long, and now that dream has been achieved!” Her smile was bright and her eyes were hopeful. “Should… we exchange info, or would that be weird for you?” 

“NO!” He said, too excitedly, with a chaotic smile, then followed up with, “I mean, no, it wouldn’t be weird! Yes, to we should!” 

She laughed uncomfortably and handed him something, “Here’s my contact info.” He looked at the  chip inside of the palm of his hand. “New tech that your Uncle Donald and my mentor Schwoz have been working on. It’s an information chip. It basically lets you, as a bionic have access to a normal that you would have to the other bionics.”

“Like… I can track your GPS?”

“On my devices. I don’t have a GPS system in me, but, you definitely have all my numbers, email addresses, etc, and contact with my devices. So… If you don’t get in touch with me this time around, I’ll know that you just didn’t want to.”

“What if I were a stalker?” He asked.

“You aren’t. You’re not the only person who can do extensive research, Mr. Davenport.” She winked at him and he practically melted. ‘Charlotte Page IS amazing.’

.

Three Years Ago...

She heard an electronic alert in her inner ear and uncovered her forearm to check the notification. She tapped the side of her face a few times in order to translate the message, then delete it. “The drop off is here,” she told Henry and Jasper, over the comm. 

“What? We can’t go now!” Henry complained and punched one of the henchmen.

“I know. WE can’t. But, I’ll rendezvous with the supplier and we’ll reassemble at the base,” she said. 

“No! That’s too dangerous.”

“Danger is our brand,” she reminded him.

“Defense. Defense is our brand. That’s why we’re called the Dystopian Defende- Cha… Dystress!” He called out loud. But, she was already barreling her way passed the automatic gunfire being aimed at her and dived behind a collapsed statue.

On the comm, she said, “Deflector… Focus on your mission, and I’ll focus on mind. Catch you when we get back.”

“Dystress, you do not have a forcefield and there is gunfire!”

“T-Force is here with the shipment and if they have to leave it at the drop off, you know that everything will be pillaged. The kids need those supplies.” She adjusted her metal glove gauntlet, pressed some codes on her forearm and groaned as she lifted the biggest piece of the statue and flung it at the shooters. Two were crushed and two ran for cover. Henry and Jasper fought with other henchmen as she made a run for it and slid beneath a pulled up piece of gate to get off of the site.

She notified her contact to beg them not to leave, because she was on her way, then proceeded to run for 15 minutes, dodging curious onlookers and maneuvering through sporadic waves of people. Whenever she reached the drop off, her contact was still there. “Max! Thank God you stayed,” she said and rushed to give him a hug. 

He smiled, “For you? Of course.” They slapped hands and he shook his in pain and hissed. She was quickly apologetic. She still had on her metal glove gauntlet AND her strength was still enhanced. “Were you in a fight?” He wondered. They were usually the contact and coyote for the charity that Charlotte worked with to get quality supplies brought in - everything from seeds, food, school resources, and hygiene products. Sometimes, they couldn’t even PAY for them in the city, because their charity put a dent in the business of too many crime lords depending on child trafficking, child soldiers, and other exploitation of the impoverished kids of Dystopia. But, Max always seemed far more concerned about how Charlotte was doing than the kids he was helping. She had a feeling that he might have had a crush on her.

“Yeah. I had to leave Deflector and Dogwalk in battle to come collect. Supply theft is one of the few crimes that has INCREASED since we got here. We’re causing such a dent in the organized crime, some of the well kept criminals are turning to petty crimes, and some of the bosses are trying to hit our shipments personally. We need an entire goddamn redo with this place. I’m supposed to be leaving after a short while... I didn’t even want to leave them today for this. I hate that they’ll be fighting crime here, probably until they die!” she complained, knowing that she was exaggerating, but also that Max would let her complain to him.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes, “Hey. You get this stuff to the kids and don’t worry about your team. Give me their coordinates,” he said. He was already in his super suit and mentally prepared for a fight.

She tapped on the screen on her arm, sent the coordinates, and he opened a portal, “This one will bring you and your supplies to the base,” he said. Then another opened beside it, “I’m gonna go make sure that your dudes don’t die.” She covered her heart with both hands as he stepped into the golden light and it evaporated with him going to Henry and Jasper’s aid. Charlotte collected all of her things and stepped into the light. Workers would meet her on the other end. 

She came through the other end right outside of the camp, tapped her face twice and her outfit morphed back into regular wear. Her purple hair was even tied up. She took the handle of the trolley and moved towards the base. 

And that was exactly what she thought about whenever she walked back onto base with supplies and resources, from Davenport Industries, ready to execute her most ambitious plan ever.

“Is that Charlotte?” Someone asked. She turned to see the director of the charity and was going to go greet her, but “CHAR!!!” from two very eager big boys came roaring towards her as Jasper and Henry ran up to hug her. 

Jasper lifted her into the air and spun her around. Henry yanked her down and bear hugged her painfully. “Ummm… Are you two trying to incapacitate me?” She asked. They put her down and she shook the director’s hand. Everyone was talking to her at once, but whenever several jets landed nearby, she grimaced and promised, “I’m sorry, but I have to touch base with T-Force and with my deconstruction team,” she pointed a thumb at each of the jets. “I’ll definitely regroup and do stuff with you guys later, though.” She turned to go towards the jets, and Henry and Jasper frowned.

Though, Henry squeezed Jasper’s shoulder and said, “You know her work is very important.”

“And we’re not?” Jasper wondered.

“Yeah, but… I’m sure she’s on a tight schedule. And that’s millions of dollars of support that she has to oversee. Come on. Let’s start on dinner!”

Charlotte’s heart rate sped up the closer she got to the T-Force jet. She had gotten word specifically from Max Thunderman, himself that he was going to be heading up this mission (which was basically to guard the Davenport staff as they set up operations for the project, personally vowing to guard Charlotte with his life. She didn’t need it, but the sentiment still made her all giddy inside. He’d never know it, though. 

Whenever he got out of the jet and approached, advanced and new black super suit with an emblem that rotated fire and ice around a lightning bolt; she dipped her head courteously and said in a calm voice, “Nice to see you, Thunderstrike. How’s the suit working out?” He smiled and pulled her into a hug that she returned, but quickly ended, lest she get caught up in her feelings. 

“It’s working out wonderfully. The best fashion designer that I know designed it and the best biological technologist and engineer that I know made it.” 

Her face warmed up and she couldn’t believe how after not even seeing him for years, the thought of being around him already had her semi floating. “So, you ready to help me to create a whole new Dystopia?”

“I’m ready to watch your back while YOU create a whole new Dystopia,” he said, with his hands held out.

“That works!” It was a good day for her. She had been able to see her favorite people in the world, and set out on a journey that would maybe rightfully earn her that title that made Chase Davenport cringe. 

Throughout the deconstruction, The Defenders kept working Dystopia and with T-Force nearby, Charlotte’s work was able to be done without attacks and theft, AND, she set up daily feeding cycles to discourage stealing and establish healthier diets for less privileged Dystopians. One of the first buildings that was worked on was the high tech, maximum security prison. The other one had been overcrowding since she, Jasper and Henry first came to Dystopia, and Henry had told her that a lot of the lower level criminals were simply released because the courts couldn’t ethically put or keep many of them in there under the population conditions. Charlotte named the place for Max. The Thunderman Super Max Penitentiary of Dystopia. He liked having his name on something and all, but he was more concerned about rehabilitation and reformation. So, she got with an architect for designing a rehabilitation center for criminals and villains who could be redeemed. That one, she put his full name on.

She was working on her favorite thesis during that time on the necessity of superhuman and nonsupers relations for the balance of global inequities and her rapport with Max became a better gateway into the supers world than she previously had, while her relationship with Swellview’s finest gave her the down home and small scale hero angle. 

As things became more functional, and more Davencentric, T-Force was reassigned to other missions and the Elite Force would be rushed in for any emergencies in Dystopia. Charlotte was sad to not be able to see Max as much, but it was kind of nice that she got to see Chase sometimes. Unfortunate that it was usually during a crisis, but they actually worked well together in those. The last visit that the Elite Force (his team) came to assist, she was able to show him the Chase Davenport Reference Library of Dystopia. He was honored, though shocked that “Mr. Davenport would approve this.” She laughed about that. She hadn’t gotten approval on anything and as long as the statistics she sent him kept improving, he wasn’t bothering her for it.

In her time there, jobs had been created with the nearly constant building, the pollution problems had been addressed, littering and waste disposal rectified, plant life and trees planted, wastelands beautified, and the corrupt government and laws cleaned up. The head of the charity was now the Mayor and Henry and Jasper inherited the charity and renamed it Budding Flowers. The base was fortified and remodeled, while The Dystopia Defenders’ lair, the Defender Dome, was erected nearby. 

Dystopia became the most flourishing Davencity in the world. The Dom loved being “the most” something “in the world,” so she was pretty much set for life and the Defender Dome was the lair that Henry and Jasper had both always dreamed of. She had revived the ecosystem and the economy - not on her own of course, but as the leader of the project, she would get the credit deserved of her work and announce additional credit while in her spotlight. She loved Dystopia, and now, she could always be proud of it... But... She didn’t necessarily want to just quit while she was ahead and rest of the fruits of this venture. Charlotte Page was amazing. One city was absolutely an accomplishment for her to save. But... how much more of the world could she save if she kept pressing forward?

“Charlotte Page is amazing,” she said, looking out of the Defender Dome at the city below that was unrecognizable from all of the before photos taken via satellite and from the place that she lived a year and visited on “breaks” from school. It was a new place. She was capable of possibly molding an entire new world.

#Henry Danger #Lab Rats #The Thundermans #Chasing Thunderbolts Fic #League of Extraordinary Geniuses #LOEG Update #Nesha Fics #Multiverse Fics

[vinca-majors]

Michaela Brown, ScaryMommy:

Upon graduating college with my hard-earned degree to teach high school English, I almost immediately began planning for  my graduate studies. Lots of high schools around the country require their teachers to have a masters degree, so that was a motivator. Plus, it came with a pay raise. And, I truly enjoyed going to school. In fact, at the time, I hadn’t ruled out going on and earning my doctorate as well.

I did end up graduating with my M.A. in secondary education, after writing a thesis I’m damn proud of. My path changed a bit and I never went on for my doctorate, but you can be sure as hell if I had that I’d claim that Dr. title. That my students—even the grumpiest of teenagers whose eyes shot daggers at me as I made them read Shakespearean sonnets—would be calling me Dr. and not Mrs. or Miss.

And as I’ve encountered other professionals with that Dr. title, I’ve never hesitated to refer to them that way. My children’s formal principal went by Dr. Matthews. No one questioned it. I’ve had professors at the undergraduate and graduate level use the title. Again, that’s what we all called them. With respect. And without hesitation. Just as we refer to famous figures like a man we’ve all heard of—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.— because each of these people put in the work, the years, the money, the commitment, and the dedication. Each of them earned their Dr. title.

So yeah, when Dr. Jill Biden completed her education and earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from the University of Delaware, she rightfully earned the title “Dr.” and deserves to be referred to as such. Just as any other professional with that level of expertise does as well. Is she a medical doctor? No. Does she claim to be? No. Have professionals in academia added Dr. to their titles once they’ve earned their doctorate for centuries? Yes.

However, because some ignorant asswipes remain stuck in 1950, or don’t understand how higher education works, or simply are bound and determined to hate on the Bidens as they hated on the Obamas even though they are kind and supportive of others—regardless of political party, her title is under scrutiny.

The Wall Street Journal stupidly published an op-ed, which has now gone viral, that was moronically entitled, “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.” And, of course, this piece of trash essay included a byline that reads, “Jill Biden should think about dropping the honorific, which feels fraudulent, even comic.”

Joseph Epstein, the “writer” of this ignorant word vomit, opens by condescendingly calling Dr. Biden “kiddo” and offering her advice, as if he is in any position to advise the First Lady of the United States on literally anything. “Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter,” Epstein mansplains.

He then goes on to insult her dissertation on student retention at community colleges, calling it “unpromising” and, in the same paragraph, refers to the idiotic but commonly used quip that no one can call themselves “doctor” unless they’ve delivered a child.

Let’s break this bullshittery down, shall we? First of all, Mr. Epstein, your piece reeks of envy. We’re sorry you didn’t have the… guts? courage? stamina? intelligence level? (who knows) to actually ever earn a doctorate, but you sound bitter. It’s not a good look. Also, it’s clear that you don’t respect the value of community colleges, which is where Dr. Biden has spent a large portion of her career. And, finally, the world now knows that you are threatened by smart women. Bravo.

Also, we’ll be sure to let all the medical doctors out there who’ve tirelessly fought COVID-19 this year, holding the hands of dying patients, and also those brilliant scientists who thankfully have brought us a vaccine that offers a beacon of hope, that they don’t get to call themselves “doctor” because they’ve never caught a newborn baby. I’m sure they’ll appreciate that tidbit of info from you—*checks notes*—a man with one single undergraduate degree, no earned doctorate, and zero medical expertise.

Basically, Mr. Epstein, it’s obvious that you have some personal issues you need to unpack. Maybe take some time over the holidays to do a little self-reflection? Like, why do you even care what title Dr. Biden goes by? Why are you so scared of women who are more successful than you?

Your piece then goes on a long, barely coherent rant about “honorary doctorates,” which is not what Dr. Biden has. If you’d like to blast the validity or point of bestowing honorary doctorates on celebrities like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, for example, go right ahead, but that has nothing to do with Dr. Biden. This lack of cohesive argument is why I’ve referred to you as a “writer” a few paragraphs up, because it seems apparent that you don’t understand the need for basic textual support.

(Calling you a jealous asswipe, well, that’s just a reflection of your character.)

Finally, your last “supporting argument” (again, use of quotes intentional here) as to why Dr. Biden should drop her title is because apparently doctorates don’t count anymore. Back in the day, you explain, doctoral exams were far more grueling, but today’s candidates get off way too easy.

“One had to pass examinations in two foreign languages, one of them Greek or Latin, defend one’s thesis, and take an oral examination on general knowledge in one’s field,” your op-ed states. “At Columbia University of an earlier day, a secretary sat outside the room where these examinations were administered, a pitcher of water and a glass on her desk. The water and glass were there for the candidates who fainted. A far cry, this, from the few doctoral examinations I sat in on during my teaching days, where candidates and teachers addressed one another by first names and the general atmosphere more resembled a kaffeeklatsch.”

(I had to look up what kaffeeklatsch meant—it’s an informal social gathering at which coffee is served. Excuse my lack of knowledge there. I’m just a silly woman with a higher degree than you.)

And, as you end with, “Dr. Jill, I note you acquired your Ed.D. as recently as 15 years ago at age 55, or long after the terror had departed,” you not only insult her by addressing her as “Dr. Jill”, but you also imply that because she likely didn’t faint while taking her exams or defending her dissertation, that somehow her degree isn’t real.

That’s the crazy thing about education—it evolves. Today, kids even use these neat little things called computers! You wouldn’t believe it. Another way we’ve evolved is to realize that shockingly, our doctoral candidates don’t have to become physically ill to prove they are smart and worthy of their degree!

(I mean, you never even tried, Mr. Epstein, so I guess even today, doctoral programs are only for the toughest among us, like Dr. Jill Biden.)

Also, it seems that Northwestern University, where you were previously listed as “emeritus lecturer of English,” has scrubbed you entirely from their website, stating that it is “firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Epstein’s misogynistic views.” Again, evolution! Change is good.

Hmmm. So one of you is a misogynist with no teaching history to even brag about as your previous employer has disassociated with you, and another is a successful educator committing to helping all Americans have access to a proper education. Oh, and the second one goes by Dr.

Looks like the real “comical fraud” is you, bruh.

And just so we’re clear, Dr. Biden has always been committed to ensuring that everyone (not just pretentious twats like you, Joseph Epstein) has access to a fair education. Earlier in her career, she worked in a psychiatric hospital where she taught English to adolescents with emotional disabilities. During that same time she also earned two (yes, TWO) master’s degrees, one from Villanova University and one from West Chester University. In 2009, after earning her doctorate, she began teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College, and advocating for community college education has since been her passion. “Dr. Biden has always said that community colleges are ‘one of America’s best-kept secrets.’ As a teacher, she sees how community colleges have changed the lives of so many of her students for the better,” explains former president Barack Obama’s White House website.

Sorry, Mr. Epstein, but not everyone can afford to enroll in an English class at Northwestern taught by a raging sexist who gets his balls in a bunch when women succeed. For many, community college is a better fit, and Dr. Biden is a big part of that.

“In 2012, she traveled across the country as part of the ‘Community College to Career’ tour to highlight successful industry partnerships between community colleges and employers,” the website goes on to say. “In the fall of 2010, she hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges with President Obama, and she continues to work on this outreach on behalf of the Administration – frequently visiting campuses, meeting with students and teachers, as well as industry representatives around the country.”

Imagine all of the hard-working Americans Dr. Biden has helped by supporting community colleges. Future teachers just like her often get their degree while working full time, raising a family, and going to college at night. Who knows, some of them may even—gasp—go to grad school too. High school kids who choose to forego going away to a full-time university and instead, take classes at a community college closer to home, are given that option because of people like Dr. Biden. Kids who go on to be EMTs, police officers, technicians in trade industries, engineers, and find success in the business world. Or, they transfer those college credits to a larger university down the road when they have the means to do so. Single moms doing their best to give their children a good life often attend community college classes online, after their children are asleep, proving that they have the drive and determination to do more and be more.

So, what it all boils down to, Mr. Epstein, is that you really, really hate that there’s about to a woman in the White House who’s smarter than you. And not only that, but she inspires women everywhere to work hard, earn their degrees, and then they’ll be smarter than you too. Yikes. That’s a tough pickle to be in, Mr. Epstein. We’re sorry that you are so insecure and unhappy with your own lack of success.

At least you can still wrote those stellar op-eds though! Good luck with your “writing” career, kiddo.

#dr. jill biden #michaela brown #scarymommy #op ed #joseph epstein #current events #SO fired up right now #gimme that feminism #my country tis of thee #long post

[tessatechaitea]

Justice League Annual #1 (1987)

Martian Manhunter has five thousand different super powers compared with the one super power of the rest of the team (Black Canary's sonic scream. The other "super powers" are just technological accessory based).

If this comic book isn't about Martian Manhunter's addiction to Oreo cookies then what am I even doing with my life? The only reason I love Martian Manhunter is that he loves Oreo cookies and I view him as the father I never had. Whenever I had a problem growing up, I would think, "What advice would Martian Manhunter give me?" And that's why I was so fat in Junior High School because the answer was always "Eat more Oreos." I know Martian Manhunter's eventual addiction is to "Choco's" but fuck Choco's. Fuck them like every other off-brand Oreo cookie. They fucking suck. Speaking of things that suck, this dick isn't going to suck itself. Now picture me pointing at the comic book because I need to read it. That's how I begin reading all of my comic books. And I say it loudly so the neighbors will think, "Oh boy! That guy next door isn't a nerd at all! Total sex maniac!" The "Hunting the Manhunter" blurb on this cover reminds me that Millennium is coming up and I think I hated that? No, no. I'm sure I loved it! There are two things I couldn't get enough of in my teen years and comic books was the second one of them. Kord Industries has bought some property in the middle of Ultra-Nowhere, South America, and some of its employees have gone off to scout the location.

Wasn't that the episode with the shape-changing hottie who loves sucking the salt out of men? You know what I'm talking about. Also she was probably a male monster posing as a female monster. Proof of that theory is that every single episode of the first season of the original Star Trek could also have been the name of a gay bar.

Inside the abandoned research facility, the Kord employees encounter pretty much the same thing Kirk, Spock, and the other one encountered:

Vampire John Travolta! It's possible I'm misremembering the Star Trek episode.

While on monitor duty, Guy Gardner discovers that large groups of people on four different continents seem to be under the control of a single will and Batman asks Martian Manhunter, "Do you think this is League business?" What the fuck else would be, Bat-Turd?! A new Internet fad like planking or the Harlem Shuffle? I mean, it totally could be that except that the Internet doesn't really exist during this story. I mean if you want to be a pedant about it, I suppose the teenage Internet across college campuses. But nobody likes a pedant so just shut the fuck up and live in my reality while you're reading my stupid comic book review. Just take the fucking Red Pill and relax! Except don't do that because the idea of The Matrix Red Pill has been co-opted by the worst of humanity who think they're somehow the most logical and philosophical people on the planet when they're really just awful monsters rationalizing all of their mean desires.

How did people come away from reading this comic book hating Guy Gardner and not also despising Batman?

The Justice League splits up into teams of two to cover the mass hypnosis issues in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and Los Angeles. I'm not sure Batman knows how to balance teams because he sends Doctor Fate and Martian Manhunter together while leaving Mister Miracle with Blue Beetle. Here are my teams: Guy Gardner with Blue Beetle because Blue Beetle is effectively worthless and Guy Gardner has the most powerful weapon in the universe. Batman would go with Black Canary because her sonic scream is sort of like a bat's echo location. Martian Manhunter would go with Scott Free because they're both aliens. And Booster Gold would team up with Doctor Fate because their outfits match. Blue Beetle and Mister Miracle head to L.A. with some, um, problematic dialogue? I think?

This is an "anal sex/everybody in Hollywood is gay" joke, right?

With newer comic books, a scan of 620 pixels (basically the width of the main column of the blog (although I think the width changed when I added the Goodreads app. I should probably fix it so the 620 pixel pictures stop bleeding off into the right-hand frame (if you're reading this on Tumblr, just ignore it. Just ignore everything since Tumblr fucked up their code and now I can't even center pictures or get the captions to sit snugly right up underneath the scans))) was usually enough to read the dialogue clearly. But with these old comics on newsprint, they're fuzzier and the font seems much smaller. Sorry about that but I won't betray my artistic integrity by scanning less than the full panel! At least not in this case is my defense against the pedants who can easily find many examples of me doing exactly that. First Black Canary is treated like shit by Batman and now she teams up with Booster Gold who can't stop hitting on her until she reminds him she's a competent limb-breaker. This must be the kind of comics Comicsgaters wish we could return to! "Remember when women were treated as sexual objects and not one member of the Justice League was Black and constantly said, 'Booyah!'? What great times!" Black Canary and Booster Gold become John Travolta Vampire slaves almost immediately because Batman chose the improper team pairings. It's bad enough that Batman would fail at making proper pairings but it's extra bad when Batman is being written by a writer and the writer made that choice. I mean, how do you pass up the opportunity to team Booster Gold with Doctor Fate?! They would look so fucking good together! Batman and Guy Gardner (you know how you can tell Hal Jordan is the real Green Lantern? Because people will say "Green Lantern" when discussing him instead of "Hal Jordan") wind up in Tokyo where Doctor Light is all, "Hello, boys! I'm a vampire now!" Then she blinds the fuck out of them because Batman forgot to put on his Bat-sunglasses.

Batman steals this move from Doctor Light in the next regular issue.

Doctor Light kisses Batman and he's all, "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Okay. I get it. Being a vampire is pretty awesome. No wonder writers write vampire versions of me every other year or so."

I don't think the editors briefed Willingham on what Beetle's Bug can and can't do.

Beetle lands at Kord West and is immediately swamped by John Travolta Vampire's thralls. So he does the thing he does in nearly every comic book except the one where Maxwell Lord shoots him in the head: he runs away. But he doesn't run fast enough and winds up possessed aboard the Bug with Mister Miracle. The story hints that Miracle gets possessed just after the scene changes but he's Scott Free, the world's greatest escape artist! I would guess he'd be the one to save everybody else but judging from the cover, it's Martian Manhunter who keeps from getting possessed. In Australia, Doctor Fate wades into a group of infected people because he's a gigantic arrogant prick. He's all, "I'm a frickin' Lord of Order, assholes! I know a spell that can get to the root of this problem!" And then the Vampire John Travolta is all, "I'll kill Kent Nelson if you don't leave his body." And Doctor Fate is all, "Well, J'onn, I've gotta go! Nice hanging out with you! Ta ta!" Which leaves Martian Manhunter as the only person left on Earth who isn't infected (or at least the only person left who is in this story). I bet that's pretty lonely. But Martian Manhunter is used to being lonely. I wonder if he's capable of making his right hand into a female martian so he can fuck it? Martian Manhunter has no idea what he's dealing with so he puts on Doctor Fate's helmet to gain all of the other powers that he didn't already have without it. But only for a few seconds because Superman would never be able to get an erection again if he found out Martian Manhunter had all of his powers and could also do magic. J'onn wears the helmet just long enough to learn what Doctor Fate learned about the contagion: it's a sentient cell! It's smart cancer! And I guess Vampire John Travolta was Patient Zero. Now J'onn just has to figure out how to fight Smart Cancer. I don't even know how he'll defeat it because I just looked up Smart Cancer in the Who's Who to read about its weaknesses and wouldn't you know it? There's no entry for Smart Cancer! Maybe it was in an update that I don't own. Like that version of Who's Who that was just loose pages to stick in a binder! I have that one too but it's possible I just didn't buy all of the expansion packs. Martian Manhunter heads to the source of the contagion to meet Smart Cancer head on. What he finds is a boss from Castlevania.

When you have thousands of people at your disposal, is the most effective way to use them shoving them together into one giant person?

The first thing Smart Cancer's Granfaloon does is try to smash J'onn with its people fist. In effect, it's smashing a dozen people head first into the ground so that dirt sprays up all over the place. So I guess a dozen or so people are now dead, right? It's not like Smart Cancer gave them invulnerability to massive head wounds.

I think this panel is the one where all the Justice League editors through their hands up in resignation and sighed, "I guess the Justice League is ridiculous now."

Martian Manhunter realizes, like me, how fucking stupid Smart Cancer is to put all of its people in one gigantic people-shaped basket. Since all the minds are linked, he realizes he can throw the Fate helmet on one of the people and Doctor Fate can possess Smart Cancer. It works but only for a limited amount of time. Doctor Fate can't hold that many people under his sway. But Doctor Fate does know who can control Smart Cancer: the martian! He can shapeshift his cells into some kind of prison or something. I don't know. It was explained in the most basic medical and scientific terms but they were still beyond my attention span. In the end, Martian Manhunter contained the Smart Cancer in him and that's where it lives now? Oh, and speaking of "the end," check out this clever and titillating final panel:

"Why's it gotta be the ass of the only woman on the team?" I say while pulling my pants down.

Justice League Annual #1 Rating: What?! I don't rate annuals! I mean, maybe sometimes I rate annuals. This one was okay. It was sort of interesting but I was disappointed that Vampire John Travolta wasn't the actual enemy. I hope Smart Cancer fights its way out of J'onn and makes another appearance later.

#Justice League #DC Comics #DC #Keith Giffen #J.M. DeMatteis #Bill Willingham

[seawoes]

     PARK JIMIN, HE/HIM, CIS MALE  —  HABAEK SEO  is a child of TYPHON with the power of POISON MANIPULATION and MONSTER CREATION.  they were born in 1995 and have been in nemean lion since 2013.  with the change, they HAVE GRADUATED FROM the MEDICAL role which makes sense since they’re usually SURFING or GOING ON MISSIONS.  

hello! i’m deni. i use she/them pronouns, am over the age of 18, and live in the gmt+9 timezone. i like giving my girlfriend forehead kisses and drinking too many sodas. baek is a newish character, so he may undergo a few tweaks as i develop him in threads. below is a quick outline and i have a few connection ideas. i’m looking forward to writing with everyone! it’s been too long since i played in the greek myth world :3  

stats.

name.  habaek seo preferred name.  baek birthday.  june 7th, 1995 ethnicity.  korean gender identity.  cis male sexuality.  pansexual hometown.  busan, korea element.  air

background.  ( abridged for now. adjustments to be made. )

 -  mother a volcanologist who hooked up with typhon  -   found out she was pregnant, returned to lecture full time in busan. married her best friend, a fellow researcher, who was baek’s “father”  -  baek attended private kindergartens and international schools, which made it easy for him when they bounced to new zealand, the philippines, mexico, and hawaii. basically anywhere his mother secured a researcher position until baek was 16.  -  first monster attack was a huge WTF moment for them. so was meeting a sea nymph and demigod duo who rescued them.  -  they were directed to nemean lion and had tearful goodbyes  -  he didn’t feel welcome at nemean lion. especially one his parentage became known around campus and he discovered his ability  -   baek escapes promptly 2 months into it to find his mom.  by that time, she’s settled in cozy with the nymph, who promises to protect them.  -  they’re able to travel the world again until baek graduates high school. as promised, he enrolls in nemean lion and learns how to better control his powers.  

quick blurbs.  -  teenage years were a lot of  “but mom, i’m a demigod”  smack!  but they adore each other baek talks to her all the time  :(  -  baek learned how to surf in korea, but excelled in the philippines. he actually won a few amateur competitions and considers pursuing a professional career constantly. -  currently enrolled in UCLA’s online college as a sophomore. pre-nursing major. planning to apply for the school of nursing soon.  -  has never met his father. doesn’t know a lot about greek mythology. isn’t super interested in it, either. knows enough since 16 yr old bullies basically used facts about his father & monster siblings as a weapon against him

nemean lion blurbs.   -  baek chose medical as his track because  a)  he wasn’t super fond of the idea of fighting for the rest of his life  b)  he initially wanted to return to the civilian world and be useful somehow and  c) there was definitely either a vibe or some self-doubt about his abilities since his father’s, yknow, that monster -  graduated from medical in 2014.  -  in 2017, he went on a disaster of a mission. a near-death, overwhelming experience. he wasn’t able to heal the assigned hero of that mission  -  one of his best friends  -  and damaged them forever. he promptly retired from an active healer. -  requested a transfer abroad to work as a teacher instead -  stuck to international campuses since. most recently stationed in south east asia.  -  reluctantly transitioned into an active healer role about two months ago when monster attacks became stronger, more aggressive. returned to LA about three weeks ago  ( timestamp: from start of RP opening )

powers.  -  specialties: poison inducement -  improved dexterity and endurance, poison and fire immunity -  strengths: healing, support, some combat and self-defense  -  weaknesses: insanity inducement messes with his mind -  weapon of choice: crossbow  /  bow and arrow -  doesn’t know about his ability to create monsters yet

* basically, baek will give someone hurt a “good” poison or induce someone into thinking they’re totally safe and healthy, tricking their brain. a placebo affect until they can get to actual safety. 

personality.

sun sign.  gemini. expressive, sociable and restless, baek’s driven by a sense of curiosity about other people and the world around him  -  and, to a self-interested degree, a curiosity about himself. he likes spending time with people, friends and family, but can lose interests in conversations quickly to move onto another. a touch irresponsible, but enthusiastic and adventurous when it comes to problem-solving. needs stimulation and freedom. 

moon sign.  virgo. practical, attentive and energetic. baek understands intuitively that the world is chaos, and sometimes things that don’t make sense just happen  -  and if problems are complicated, solutions are, too.  flips between nervous energy and detailed, hyperfocused work. finds comfort in domesticity or putting things into “order.”

chinese zodiac.  wood pig. simple, honest and lovely. sympathetic and understanding of other people’s problems, with a kind and liberal attitude towards life. however, rather temperamental, and he has a tendency to give up if the goings get too tough. tolerant of others, but are sometimes gullible and naive. 

hobbies.  surfing. diving. spelunking. hanging out at aquariums. meditating. getting tattoos. skateboarding. knitting. hiking. scoping out the best restaurants. hustling at arcade halls. anything he can use his hands with, or requires movement.

physical. 

body type.  five foot eight. slim, lean build. warm skin. eye color.  brown hair color.  dyed orange. black natural.  piercings.  left ear three times. right ear two times. tattoos.  mom’s date of birth on the inside of his right wrist. “HUMAN” on the left side of his rib cage. scars of a shark bite outlined around his right shoulder. protective lion’s head in between his shoulder blades.  clothing style.  a saint laurent paris style, but with a compact, limited closet and more beanies. prefers looser, breezy tops and slides or sneakers.  

-  smells like salt and sunscreen  -  body temperature runs higher than average 

#. ABOUT ➤ BAEK SEO . #nlintro

[acopenhagenarmy]

HOLLAND’S AND MIN’S - 2

Pairing: BTS x reader but mostly hyung-line x reader

Mafia!au - gang!au - assassins!au

Word count: 4.2k ish

Warnings: Mentions of death, nudity and sex apart from that some strong language. And I think that’s it for now..

Summary: Growing up in one of the biggest and most feared mafias has it’s perks, but what happens when you and you’re friends are suddenly shipped off to the other end of the world? Will you stay together or will the world you live in tear you all apart?

Part one / Part two / Part three

Taglist: @purpletaehyung92 @jinmydarling 

You looked out of the window, as you watched the scenery, that was the world, flash by before your eyes. Your head was pounding with an incredible hangover from the day before, and no amount of sparkling water in first class, was able to dull it.

You heard a groan from the boy beside your own little cubicle and looked at Jungkook stretching his body in the seat/bed, that he was stuck in for the next few hours. He gave you a puzzled look.

“What’s up love? You all right?” He grinned at you as he turned his body towards you to look you in the eye. You mirrored his action and rested your head on one of your hands, as the other laid down your body.

“No Kook, I’m not. Gosh I’m dying from this crazy ass hangover! Why did you guys convince me to take all those tequila shots? I mean seriously, I think I was dancing at the tables at one point.”

A loud laughter erupted from his throat. “Oh trust me you did, and Jimin has the videos to prove it!”

You rolled your eyes at the statement, and not long after you could hear Jimin yell.

“Hey you wanna see it?!”

You sat up in your chair, looking back on the twin who were seated in his own pod behind you.

“Of course I don’t wanna see it you idiot! There’s no need to relive it!”

The three boys laughed and Hoseok and Jimin quickly returned to their previous conversation. You could feel Jungkook’s eyes lingering as your hand ran over the katana that leaned against your seat.

“But seriously Y/N, are you okay?” His voice was nothing more than a whisper as he tried his best to keep your conversation private. To be honest, you weren’t quite sure yourself, and sighed to buy yourself a little extra time.

“I don’t know… I’m a little afraid. I’m afraid I will end up being a disappointment and therefore not live up to what’s expected of me. It’s just, what if I fail?” You look into the eyes of the handsome man beside you, a man you trusted with your life, and all he could think about was the terror he saw reflected in them.

His eyes scanned your face, with a serious look you hadn’t seen in a long time. But he didn’t know what to tell you to keep your mind from wandering to those dark places. And he couldn’t help but wonder if you really didn’t know how amazingly talented you were? How beautiful…

His eyes lingered at your plush and red lips who were so close he wanted to reach out and touch them, but he composed himself quickly before you had any chance of noticing the longing in his eyes. He coughed and sent his signature bunny smile your way.

“You are too hard on yourself. Your father has chosen you as his successor because of the talents you’ve displayed from an early age. If there was anyone better suited for the job it would be them sitting in this seat with that katana and you know it”

You sighed and leaned back into your seat as you looked up into the sealing.

“I know but-“

“No but’s Y/N, don’t let all of those small-minded men get to you, don’t believe for one second you weren’t born to do this. Don’t doubt yourself… Okay?”

“Okay… Thank you Jungkook”

You sent a sweet smile his way as you took his large hand in yours. Squeezing it a little. A small hum left you as you closed your eyes.

“Why all the humming?” Hoseok said behind the two of you

“I just took Jungkook’s hand. And you know it’s so big and manly compared to Jimin’s delicate ones, just a nice contrast, that’s all” You shrugged your shoulders as laughter erupted all over, not only from the boys but the staff as well.

“Fuck you Y/N!”

“That’s what you get for taking embarrassing photos of me!”

You’d always been the most you surrounded by these men.

You’d all been dropped off outside the school. It was a high-class neighborhood, very unlike what any of you had imagined for a school for mafia kids and assassins. You looked at each other, picked up your backs and walked towards the entrance.

The doors were opened in front of you as you were about to pull the handle, startling you a bit. Instinctively you reached out for your katana that was placed in its holder on your back.

A girl stood before you with a beaming smile and red locks framed her face. You looked at Jimin beside you who quickly let go of his knife as he shook his head. After all a smile that big, wasn’t usually an indicator of danger.

“Welcome guys!” The British accent was not to be mistaken, and she continued: “I hope you’ve all had a pleasant flight!” She turned towards Jimin and the boys almost completely ignoring your presence and bowed.

“We’ve set up your rooms and I hope they live up to your standard. You are the last one to arrive, but it’ll be easier for you to say hi to everyone that way I guess”

There was no doubt in your mind that she’d seen the tattoo on his neck and naturally assumed that he was next in line for the throne. You were used to it by now, but poor girl, she was sucking up to the wrong person.

Jimin kept glaring towards you, trying to interrupt the young girl and correct her assumptions. But there was no stopping her.

“If you all just come with me, I’ll show…”

“You’ll all have to excuse my father’s stupid ass assistant, for some reason this girl doesn’t know the meaning of a bloody katana”

A laugh erupted from all you, as she sent a puzzled and worried look towards you. You just shook your head and gave her a smile.

The boy who was leaned up against the staircase waved his hands towards the girl and said: “Shoo little girl, and let me give these people a proper welcome”

You dropped your bags and walked towards him, embracing him in a warm and friendly hug. “Tom… Gosh it’s been too long!”

He pulled you away and rested his hand on your cheek and gave you a beaming smile “I know love, I’m sorry I haven’t been to visit the last few years. But my mother has been stuffing my head with knowledge, I guess you’ve been in the same situation with your dad?”

“Yeah can’t deny that one” You returned his smile and rested your hand on top of his leaning into his touch. Tom and his family were close allies with yours, and you didn’t mind one bit. The two of you had worked closely all your lives to make sure that the family’s contact in Britain was stronger than ever. After all he was the one to take over his family’s dynasty.

His mother had taken over her family business, which is how she met his father. A charming man who was the principal of the halls you now walked. Because of his mother, Tom had learned from an early age that women were just as powerful, if not even more than men. Which was another reason why the two of you were so close.

You finally let go of each other to allow the boys to say hi to their friend as well. Jimin basically jumped into his arms as he screamed “Holland!” through the hall. He returned the happy welcome with a “Park!” the two of them laughing as they stood in the hallway in the arms of the other.

After they’ve all catched up a little he led you all up the stairs to what he called the dorms.

“They are a lot bigger than American dorm rooms on college campuses, so don’t worry there should be enough space for you all. The bigger families live in this hall which is where you’ll be staying as well. And don’t worry I’m close by as well” He winked at Jimin, who responded by blushing.

He then opened a door that lead you all to you to a big hall. People were running back and forth between the rooms trying to get their belongings from the right suitcases. Everything from makeup-bags to shoes and guns were thrown a from one room to another.

It was a sight for sore eyes. All the young men and women who the world feared and wanted to bring down, had come together in one building. Any outsider would fear every one of you and run to the hills if they saw the hall that lied before you. But you, you felt right at home.

The door behind you shut close and the room became quiet as all eyes were on you. People knew the four of you by reputation, but none except the Holland family had met you up until now. And suddenly you were grateful that you’d dressed somewhat intimidating.

Your hair hung loose and framed your face. You wore a tight fitted t-shirt and completely black cargo pants. They were held up, once again, by a Gucci belt. But this time the buckle was a tiger with diamonds all over, custom made in both black and gold. Your katana was on full display, as you could see the handle stick out beside your head. Letting people know exactly who you were. The same did the tattoo and the ring on your left arm and hand.

The boys were dressed similar, Jungkook in a turtleneck and a bumper jacket, Hoseok in his Dior attire with the sniper case in hand. And Jimin in a v-neck which showed of his tattoo that traveled from his neck to his chest.

You didn’t know exactly what people were thinking, but you could see both the respect and fear displayed on their faces. As you walked past people they stated talking once again, getting back to their crackhead behavior. And when you were almost at the end of the hall a boy came running out one of the rooms, stopping you in your tracks.

He had light, almost silver blond hair and a gummy smile on his lips as he crashed into the wall on the other side. In his arms he had both towels and clothes, making you wonder what exactly he’d been up too. He rested against the wall, laughing.

Not long after you heard a yell from the room which the silver-boy had just escaped.

“Hyung!!!”

A blue haired boy came out into the hall completely naked, with only his hands covering his junk.

“Give it back now! Jesus Christ Yoongi I’m not in the mood for this right now okay?” His eyes were focused at the boy who were now sitting on the floor trying to contain his laughter, not even realizing you and the four other people who had a perfect view of his naked form.

“A-hem…” Tom cleared his throat to get his attention. His eyes suddenly landed on you and the boys which caused a deep blush to creep up in that amazingly gorgeous face of his. He gave you an embarrassed boxy smile and bowed towards all of you.

“You’ll have to excuse me; this was not how I wanted to greet you noona…” His smile disappeared quickly as he looked back at the boy, which you assumed to be Yoongi. Rage were burning in his eyes.

“Okay, so now you’ve humiliated me in front of them, can I please have my clothes back?!”

The boy stood up and shoved the fabrics into the hands of the boy.

“Sure Tae, but remember to keep them hidden, or I might come back” He winked at the man who quickly ran back into his room.

With a smile still on display he straightened his shirt and turned towards you. He was every bit as beautiful as the other, there was a spark in his hooded eyes and that smile… it almost took your breath away. You looked him up and down and then you located the dragon on his left arm. The design was colorful, and when he moved his arm it almost looked like the dragon became alive. You almost feared it would fly of his arm.

“Blade Park I assume?” he raised one of his brows as he looked into your eyes, as well as your soul. You figured the man was used to women who crumbled before him. But you were no ordinary woman.

“You are correct Min Yoongi” You returned his stern but somehow flirty look and decided that a little smirk wouldn’t be completely unprofessional, and he returned it a split second later. There was something about him, it was almost as if he hid behind this hard, smug and flirty persona. But something told you that there was more hidden behind the walls he’d build up. And you would love to break them all and learn his secrets.

You could feel Hoseoks restlessness by your side, you knew all he wanted was to grab you and pull you far away from the silver haired boy who stood before you. But instead he gave him a nod, acknowledging that he after all held a higher position than he did.

The Min family were also a Korean based mafia. Your biggest competitors, and even though they had a larger area than your family did back home. Yours were fare more successful. Unlike the Min’s your family didn’t deal in something as petty as drugs. They hadn’t done that for a few generations.

No, you dealt with weapons, it didn’t matter if you were on the right or wrong side of the law, if you had the money you would be able to buy whatever your heart desired. Besides that, your grandfather had mastered the art of engraving everything that had a surface to a t.

Because of that every mafia boss that had just a little bit of class sent their weapons your way, whenever a new person was added to their inner circle, for engraving. This also meant that you didn’t have a lot of enemies, because your father didn’t deal in money, no he dealt in trades. If you wanted the Park artwork, and the respect that followed with it, you had to go into business with the family. This was all something you had learned before you turned ten of course.

Yoongi looked towards Hoseok and as he crossed his heavily tattooed arms in front of his chest he said: “Ahh you must be the famous J-hope! I don’t think I’d ever seen my father as sad as when you declined his offer to come work with us”

It didn’t come as a shock that the Min’s had tried to recruit Hoseok, if you had to be completely honest, you’d be surprised if they didn’t. He was incredibly talented, most likely one of the best assassins in at least a few generations. But behind the ruthless killer was a sunshine personality and a kindness unlike any other. Which is why you nicknamed him hope ten years ago, a name he’d chosen to keep.  

“Well the Parks offer me a lot more than just money, so it was an easy offer to decline” He shrugged his shoulders and glanced towards you, a glance that only Yoongi noticed.

He did his best to kill the smile that was threatening to make an appearance, and luckily for him his thoughts were distracted by his friends who called out his name.  He turned his body towards the sound, but his eyes never left the four of you.

“Guys get out here and meet the Parks”

Two tall figures appeared from one of the rooms, both incredibly handsome. One of them had shoulders as broad as you were high, or at least that was how it felt. The other had legs for days and dimples in each cheek as he sent you a kind and heartwarming smile.

“Blade I would like to introduce you to Kim Namjoon and Seokjin” Yoongi said as he pointed towards each of the men.

“Kim Seokjin?” You said as you looked him. He bowed before you and as his eyes captured yours as he said: “In the flesh miss Park”

He was the most beautiful human you’d ever seen. His dark locks were messy, his eyes were big and held a spark as bright as the stars, his lips were full and looked almost like a heart. And you couldn’t help but wonder how they would feel against yours… How they would taste…

“You have quiet the reputation Seokjin”

“Please call me Jin”

“Jin… My father speaks highly of you, apparently you are the one to get a hold of if you need any kind of poison?”

He sent you a look and a small and shy smile.

“Well I’ll take that as a compliment, but yes, I guess I’m your guy then”

“I think I need some help with that, would you be open for a discussion some day?”

“I’ll clear my schedule, just let me know”

You once again focused your attention on Yoongi but finding it hard to look him in the eye with the two godly like figures behind him. Something that clearly pissed him off, you could see his tongue poke the inside of his cheek. Something you also did when something pissed you off. Cute.

“And this is Namjoon, he’s my right-hand man”

He gave you a dimpled smile and a small bow.

“I’ve studied you from afar Blade, tell me why that nickname?”

Just as you were about too speak you heard Jungkook’s voice, you turned to look at the man as he spoke. His face held no emotion, and he stared down the tree men as he spoke.

“Because she’s the best with a katana our dynasty has ever seen”

You could see the impressed expressions in the faces before you. An embarrassed giggle left your throat before you had a chance to kill it and looked at your feet. Your hair hid your face and small strands of it hid the blush that formed in your cheeks from the compliment.

The boys all smiled at the sound, each of them wondering just how it would feel to be the one to tuck the strands of hair behind your ear. Jimin didn’t let their looks go unnoticed, as he made him self a mental note to keep you as far away from them as he could.

“Impressive… That I must say, but if you don’t mind me asking, what are your name?”

“That’ll be something you learn when you’ve earned my respect Namjoon”

You saw a spark in Yoongi’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, making you wonder if it was even there in the first place.

“Hey, where Taehyung?” Jin asked.

“Naked guy? I think he was getting dressed…” Jimin answered.

“Yoongi you didn’t” Jin groaned as he brought his large hand to his face.

“Hey! Don’t act like you’ve never teased our maknae” His gummy smile was once again on full display.

“Jesus Yoongi, you better go check on him” Namjoon said, as he once again entered the room he’d just appeared from.

Tom looked at you, an indicator that it was about time they got moving. After all you hadn’t settled in yet.

“I think we’ll get going guys, it was nice meeting you. I hope… I’ll see you again soon”

“So do I” said Yoongi, but it wasn’t more than a whisper, so you never heard it

You walked past them, which made each of their hearts flutter with excitement as they were now able to smell your perfume. Leaving Hoseok to feel a sting of jealousy as he saw them drool over you, but instead of dwelling in his feelings he took your hand and pulled you a little closer.

He walked into his room as he looked down at his hands and sighed. A weird feeling was roaming in his chest, but it was impossible for him to pinpoint exactly what it was. All he knew was that it had to have something to do with you.

He had studied you from a far, in fact they all had for quiet some time. Trying to decipher just how they could win you over. None of them had the courage to discuss this with his father of course. The hatred Mr. Min held in his heart for your father was something he was taught, he looked at your family with hatred and jealousy instead of inspiration.

Yoongi had no interest in the drugs his family sold, in fact it bored him. There was no excitement, ever day looked the same, the only thing that spiced them up was whenever someone failed at their job. He strived for something more, not just for him, but for his family.

He wanted to build something people respected, but then again, he didn’t want to just lean back and let other people take care of his dirty work. He loved so much of what he did, the spying, the fights, hell even the killing was fun from time to time.

Most days he would sit back and wonder if they would be better of with any other in charge but him. But no matter what he felt inside, he knew he needed to make changes in how things were done, and that was were you came in.

At first they’d found the task easy, he had told the boys of his plan, they were to take over your dynasty. Because how hard could it be when a girl was to take over the throne? It turned out to be a lot harder than they’d first thought.

Plan a had been to seduce you, make you fall in love, win you over, marry you and earn their way in this way. But they quickly learned that you weren’t that kind of girl, you had no interest in love whatsoever, so they quickly threw that plan aside.

Plan b had been to take it by force, but as they counted your close allies, him and the boys was once again reminded why his father hadn’t done that years ago. There were way to many and in the end the war would end with his own demise.

They were now at plan c, become your friend and ally, he was prepared to work by your side, even below you if that meant they’d be able to do something other than threatening young drug dealers.

But he hadn’t expected you to have this affect on him, he felt dizzy, like he could throw up any second. He threw himself in his bed, covering his face in his hand as a groan escaped his lips.

“What’s wrong hyung?”

He looked up at Taehyungs face, he looked like a giant question mark with his big eyes and slightly open mouth. He sent him a little smile to calm his younger friend down.

“I don’t know Tae; I just hope we’ll succeed”

Taehyung took a few steps towards the bed as he dried his still wet hair in the towel. He playfully hit Yoongi’s leg, and he moved it to make room for him on the bed.

“Are you sure that’s all?”

The young man had his arms crossed before his chest. They were a weird pairing of friends those two, one quiet and introverted, the other a social and happy butterfly. But they balanced each other out perfectly, like a real-life example of yin and yang.

“No?” he sighed as he sat up, pulling his knees towards his chest, and then he continued. “Is it wrong of me to use her like this? To use her family and her power to get what I want? I mean she’s not a bad human being Tae, I know that, and I just fucking met her”

“Well instead of playing games, maybe you should just ask her you know? No schemes, no backstabbing, just ask her if she wanna go in business with you when you take over from your father?”

“Why would she agree? I need to earn her trust fist…”

“Why?”

Yoongi made a face and looked at Taehyung with disbelief written all over it.

“What do you mean why Tae, you can’t just walk up to someone and ask them for a partnership”

He shrugged his shoulders and answered

“The way I see it you have two options, make your motives known now and then earn her trust little by little. That way she’ll know from day one that she can trust you. Or become her friend, let her get the idea, go into business with her and hope for your dear life she’ll never find out you used her for more power. Because she doesn’t seem like the kind of women who takes betrayal lightly. Hell, she might even send J-hope after your sorry ass”

Taehyung stood up and walked away from his leader as he spoke. He laughed a little as he said the last sentence. Something told Yoongi that J-hope would like to hunt him down, especially if he had ever hurt you.

He was conflicted, because even though he didn’t want to admit it yet, he knew he didn’t want to hurt you. At least not on purpose.

Maybe I’m your enemy and friend

#bts #bts mafia #bts mafia au #bts mafia imagine #bts assassin au #mafia au #yoongi mafia #namjoon mafia #hoseok mafia #jin mafia #jungkook mafia au #taehyung mafia #guest: tom holland #bts x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #bts gang #bts gang au #bts gang imagine #bts imagine #bts x female reader #bts friends to lovers #bts friends to lovers au #bts enemies to lovers #bts ot7 #ot7 x reader #bangtanarmynet

[saltwatersweets]

I Could Even Learn How to Love Me

author’s note: it’s ya boi back on their bs. anyways this idea was based off a post i saw like a week ago but i’ve looked everywhere and just cannot find it. that’s tumblr for you i guess.

anyways, i don’t think there are a ton of warnings for this fic (unlike the last one, ho boy), but just in case, this has what’s certainly not a clean cut happy ending, but it’s more bittersweet and hopeful, so certainly not a sad ending either. also some hints to ptsd because steven. if i missed anything, please tell me! please.

also if i had a typo fucking drag me across the floor until i fix it. you are given full permission.

“Life is… well, life is really different these days.”

He got in his car, the keys jingling softly from his fingertips. Today, he drove alone.

“I’ve been trying to get used to everyone changing, but it still feels kind of wrong. It’s not nearly as bad as it was when the Off-Colors graduated from Little Homeschool, though, so that’s nice.”

There have actually been a few more graduations since then; he went to all of them. The second one involved Little Larimar, Snowflake, and a Nephrite, which Centi (after all these years, he had never really wanted to start calling her Nephrite. And after all these years, she had never corrected him.) seemed especially excited about, giving the recent graduate a big hug. The last one was newer, only happened about a week ago. Seeing the Heaven Beetles, Cherry, and Freckles (the Lapis he and, well, Lapis had convinced to join Little Homeschool) go had been especially sad, but it was made a softer blow by Freckles joining Garnet and combining a dance and yoga class. Cherry even bought herself a phone and got Pearl’s number!

“Oh! Speaking of the Off-Colors, Lars and his crew have been in space for a while, but I called them a couple days ago and he said he’d promise to visit Earth soon, so I’m excited about that!”

It’s not like Steven had only visited Lars once in the few months he’d been in space; he hadn’t! But the Off-Colors had been almost finished exploring the moon base that Stevonnie had been trapped on, so they agreed to go back to Earth for a few months. Lars seemed pretty excited to see his parents again, and considering the… strained relationship the family once had in the past, Steven was happy for him.

And even though the two had gone their separate ways, Steven knew that Lars wanted to see Sadie again.

“Sadie and Shep have made a few more songs and have been pretty successful, and I’m happy for them! I’ve so far gotten their songs for a really low price; I guess there’s a friends and family discount?”

The last time he had seen Sadie had been nearly a month ago, and she looked… really happy. Despite being nearly four years younger than her, he felt proud of her. Shep was chill as ever, giving him a pat on the back when they saw him, and letting him play their instruments. Their new songs are certainly different from Sadie’s past rock style, but they’re still a great listen.

The duo’s official “band name” (can it be called a full band with only two people?) is “The Daffodils”. He feels it fits.

“Connie’s checked out a few college campuses! She seems really excited to get enrolled somewhere, and I’m excited for her! 

I’m really going to miss her, though… but she promised she’d visit me every weekend, and we’re going to video chat a lot while she’s there! Plus, I’ve still got another year at least until I have to let go of… of this, I guess, so I should be able to pull myself together by then.”

She had toured a couple colleges before asking him if he wanted to come to one: Empire City University. He had been to Empire City a few times, sure, and had seen pictures, but no part of him was prepared for the sheer size of this college. Not even the hotel he and his dad (and Pearl) had stayed at all those years ago was as big as this college. It was bigger than Little Homeschool, and that place had to be huge in order to fit in every Gem’s needs! 

...And… it fit all of Connie’s needs, too.

He tried to ignore how awful it’ll feel in the future when she starts going to some college, and had no personal interest in asking Garnet how he’ll react.

Stars, he’s going to miss her. He’s going to miss her so much. He wondered if this is what the Diamonds felt like when he left to stay on Earth. He really hopes not, for everyone’s sake. The last thing he wants to do is become clingy to his girlfriend.

“But on the bright side! Connie and I have been officially dating as significant others for almost two months, and she says she’s always going to be there for me, so I believe her. I mean, she saved my life when I was basically dying, and… ohhhhh boy I’m not going to go into that now. That’s a whole bucket of worms to open and sort through at a later date."

He’s not quite sure when they began to fall in love. It may have been from the very moment they locked eyes (Lars, at the time, certainly seemed to think so), or perhaps it happened gradually, over time, as they became closer and closer. At least, it mostly seems to be the latter idea with how Steven fell for her, but he isn’t ruling out the former option just yet. He’s not certain how he really views her, whether it be as a romantic partner or a platonic partner. 

Neither of them care. It doesn’t really matter what they call each other, because they love each other all the same.

“Speaking of basically dying, heh, the Diamonds have been pretty great these past few months, what with them not… smothering me all the time. And I’m glad they haven’t smothered Spinel too much, either. I don’t think they should become too reliant on each other, but so far they seem… really happy. I’m happy for them, too. They visited Little Homeworld a couple months ago, and Spinel really loved all the meep-morp stations. The Diamonds were a liiiiiiittle too big to walk around though, heh.”

He’s visited them a few times in the past few months. It was… difficult, to say the least, to talk to White after he yelled about how he just wanted to fix everything, how he was supposed to make things better, because that was what he was for, wasn’t it? 

He hated the shocked yet horrified look on her face. It’s somehow even worse than the one she gave him after ripping his gem out, and that one is up there.

After a while, though, they were able to connect and he understood her a little bit more. She even apologized for removing his gem, which was… certainly good character development. Guess she can add “sorry” to saying “please” and “thank you” to everyone, even lower life forms, huh?

Blue and Yellow have been okay, too, if a little purposeless after not being in power anymore. (Boy, does he know that feeling.0 He hasn’t seen Blue cry once in months, and most Gems can actually talk to Yellow without cowering in fear. Also a start. Her large appearance is made slightly less terrifying due to the small, pink Gem who spends a good portion of her time on Yellow’s shoulder, he supposes.

He’s really proud of how happy Spinel seemed last time they talked to each other, which is a strange feeling, since she is over six-thousand years older than him. She’s really gotten along with Volleyball (and laughs every time she calls her that name), and a lot of Gems who remained on Homeworld really look like they enjoy her company. Heck, last time he saw her, she only mentioned Pink twice! Steven hopes she’s moved on. He hopes he will someday, too.

“Bismuth, Peridot, and Lapis have loved working at Little Homeschool this past year, and honestly it’s great to see them more often since they’re so much closer. Lapis managed to save a few things from the barn, like some of her meep-morps! Bismuth doesn’t like Camp Pining Hearts as much as the others do, but she still likes seeing them get so excited about new seasons. Oh, and Peridot has learned even more about Earth culture! Let’s hope she doesn’t find out about memes, huh?”

The last time he saw the trio was a few days ago. It was… nice, talking to them after everything that happened. Bismuth was a really good sport about repairing the construction to Little Homeworld after the damage he caused, and he’s grateful for that. 

Peridot and Lapis still have been pretty sad about Pumpkin, so much so that he almost wants to create a new sentient plant for them to hang around. But… considering what happened last time he tried that, it doesn’t seem like a good idea. They’ve so far busied themselves with making more meep-morps, talking about Camp Pining Hearts on Tweeter (when did Peridot get so many followers? He’s the savior of literally the entire universe, and yet he only has seventy-two), and teaching students about Earth.

One of the students happened to be Navy. That was… a very awkward reunion.

“Jasper and Curly - one of the Lapises who was terraforming what used to be a perfectly untouched planet - still haven’t joined Little Homeschool yet, which I’m kinda bummed about, but they seem happy doing their own thing. We even got Jasper to talk to a few of the Gems about channeling anger into expelling it out- well, that sort of thing. She hasn’t been so aggressive lately, and she’s a fun sparring partner to have!”

It’s not for lack of trying that she hasn’t joined the school yet; Steven’s been wanting her to at least try it ever since it was built. But she hasn’t, and he’s trying to learn to let that go. The part of him that wants to help, though, insists otherwise. If he can help her, then he should.

Maybe then he can be useful again.

No. Dad says he shouldn’t think like that anymore. He can’t. He doesn’t want to think that way anymore.

“Dad and the Gems have been… they’ve really been great. I just… they’re the ones who told me to go here, you know? Well, okay, it was mostly Dad, since Gems don’t really have this sort of stuff -though I can think of a few Gems who probably need it, but… you know what I mean. They really care about me, even though sometimes I probably don’t deserve it… But I really love them a lot. And I know they love me too. And I’m happy for that.”

And it’s true; they have been pretty great about all this, especially with everything that’s happened. Especially with everything that’s he’s done that’s probably his fault… They’ve been great at telling him that it’s not.

He thinks Dad still does love Rose despite everything she’s done, and to say Steven didn’t know how to react to that was an understatement. Of course, he wishes they didn’t have this conversation right before Steven accidentally crushed his van, but nonetheless they sort of talked it out. You know, eventually. Steg is still a fun fusion to form, even though he still misses the long hair.

Garnet has been enjoying “Yoga and Dance Class” (she’s not really good at names) with Freckles, and he’s even been to a few. Finding new corrupted Gems is always hard for him, especially with… recent events, but most really like doing yoga and jamming out to some tunes. Garnet even helped what used to be an Agate’s Pearl and a Lapis feel more comfortable regularly fusing. 

Amethyst still regularly hangs out with Steven at places like Fish Stew Pizza and Funland, and a couple of the Famethysts started helping around at Funland, too. Even a few Rose Quartzes came around once in a while, and the meetings were certainly… awkward, to say the least, but were enjoyable nonetheless. She really looks like she feels at home with the other Quartzes, and even has warmed up to Jasper a little bit. She really is mature now, but they still act childish sometimes. And maybe that’s okay. Maybe. He’s still getting used to this whole it’s okay to have interests thing.

Pearl has talked to the other Pearls quite a few times; they really get along. One Pearl, a cream colored one, had even been part of the rebellion before she was corrupted and the “terrifying renegade” had been very excited to see her again. Volleyball goes to Little Homeschool a lot. She’s not enrolled there, but loves the cheerfulness of the place and seeing how happy the other Pearls (especially Blue and Yellow Pearl, who still haven’t gotten a nickname from Steven) are. She’s surprisingly good at art (maybe juggling had given her good and steady hands), but not quite as good as Blue Pearl. She doesn’t seem to mind at all.

Oh, yeah, and Pearl finally got a license. He doesn’t want to be in the backseat with her speeding and breaking the law ever again, even if it is for a cute girl she likes.

Steven’s gotten a lot better at driving lately. He almost turned pink just pulling up about half an hour ago due to all the traffic, but aside from road-rage, he’s alright. When he stepped out from the Dondai, he looked up and sighed. 

He had to at least try and get better. For them. He’d do it for them.

And maybe one day, he’ll do it for himself, too.

“So, to answer your question, things have been… pretty good. A little stressful for sure, but the Gems and I have really started to understand each other and be on the same level. I’m really glad that they’re giving me my space while also being there when I need them. It’s… it’s really nice. It hurt to tell them about what White did while they were under her control, but they took it better than expected. I was so… scared to tell them that yeah, Mom’s gone, she’s been gone for eighteen years now. I thought they’d get angry at White for taking my Gem out, or… or me, for taking Rose away. But they weren’t. I guess they’d expected Mom to be gone for a while now?”

The room was getting smaller, and he tried to push on.

“But, yeah. I’m- well, I don’t think I’m okay right now, at least not yet. But I’m definitely better than I was before, and that’s a start, right?”

“That is a start.” His new therapist replied, checking the time for how long this session would be. Only six more minutes; they hoped that would be enough time to let the teen think about some things until next session, should he choose to attend. “I’m glad you’re not comparing how far you’ve grown with how far you should be. You’re already on the right track to becoming a healthier young adult. I do, however, hope you realize that I really have no idea who you’re talking about.”

Steven blushed, and they were happy to see that it seemed like a normal, human blush, a light pink across the cheeks instead of the neon glow they had heard about from the boy’s family. “Heh, that’s what Cherry said when I talked about what’s been going on since the Earth nearly died. Again. You should meet the Gems and humans; you’d probably like them. Plus, I’m pretty sure a lot of them need this sort of thing way more than I do…” His voice began to become quiet. 

“What makes you say that?” They asked, clicking their pen absentmindedly. He was tapping his foot rather loudly, though, so they assumed he didn’t mind it.

“I just… I know I’m messed up, you know? But I should be better about it by now. Other people have been through way worse, and I’ve been able to fix them, so why can’t I fix myself?”

If they had glasses, they would be pulling them down in disappointment. “Are you alright with me slightly insulting you?” They asked.

“Can’t be worse than what I’ve heard.” Steven replied, a little playfully, before taking a sip of his water. “Bring it on.” “Okay.” They began. “You absolute moron.”

They really should have expected him to spit out his drink.

“I take back what I said about you not comparing yourself to where you should be; that is literally what you just did. Right now.” They sighed. “There is no set place to how you should feel. Based on what your father described to me in his call, you have been through things no one should ever go through, much less a child to young adult. You are perfectly valid in not feeling okay, and you shouldn’t have to have the full responsibility of ‘fixing’ yourself or others.”

“I know.” He said, looking away. “Just… everyone’s relied on me to help them, and to be there for them, and just… guide them through their problems for them. And suddenly everyone’s able to do that on their own and don’t need me anymore. And suddenly I’m the one who’s got problems but just… sometimes it still feels like there’s no one there.”

“I’m there,” they smiled. “And I’m sure your family is too. They wanted to help you by sending you to me, you know. I’m sure they care about you just as much as you care about them, and they want to help you if they’re getting you help.”

Steven was silent for the rest of the session.

“Here is my phone number, should you come back next week.” They said, handing him a business looking card.

“Okay.” Steven said, putting the card in his jacket’s pocket for safekeeping and opening the door. “See you later?”

They smiled. “See you later.”

Moments after the door shut with a soft click, they began immediately looking anything and everything they could about Gem history.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The drive home is silent, music blasting in Steven’s ears so loudly he can’t think. He likes it that way. Personally, he doesn’t want to think about anything right now. He just wants to get home. It’s no Sadie Killer and the Suspects, but it’s good. It was written by the creator of Crying Breakfast Friends, too, so that’s probably the reason.

The house, now fully repaired after Cactus Steven’s rampage, is near silent, despite all three of the Gems looking at him. He goes to set the car keys on the counter, before sitting on the couch next to Garnet.

Amethyst is the first to speak. “Sooooo… how was it?”

He doesn’t really know what to say. Difficult? Emotionally taxing? He didn’t even do as much emotional talking that his therapist probably wanted him to, so he can’t say that one. Enlightening?

“...Sensible,” is what he chooses.

“Do you think you’ll go back sometime soon?” Pearl asks, worry thinly veiled in her voice. He looks up at her.

“...I think so. Yeah. Sometime in a few weeks.”

Immediately the Gems are crowding him, but he doesn’t quite feel suffocated. All three are saying nonsensical words of gratitude and love, and he loves them too.

Eventually, the talking dies down, and he is able to catch his breath a little bit. Garnet’s words are almost quiet, but he hears them with ease. “We’re so proud of you, Steven.”

A small, content smile half-tugs at the corners of his lips. “I know.”

And maybe one day, he can look back and be proud of himself, too.

#steven universe #su #original character #pearl su #pearl #cg pearl #amethyst su #amethyst #garnet su #garnet #everyone else is mentioned and i really don't feel like tagging all that #hints to ptsd #bittersweet ending #hopeful ending #the steven fucking gets therapy fic we all needed #atlantis scrolls

[meyerlansky]

idk if you've elaborated on meyer and charlie getting together because charlie gets jealous of plot device!jimmy but if you haven't would you want to?

I HAVEN'T YET but i would in fact love to because this is a fave of mine :D so in addition to the stuff in that one post, @goatsandgangsters and i routinely spitball a modern au verse that we affectionately call "loser au" in which team ny is... kind of losers. they still come from disadvantaged backgrounds and they still do like petty crime shit, but because the landscape of organized crime and law enforcement is way different in the early 21st century than it was in the early 20th century, they don't manage to break into Big Stuff and rake in the big bucks

all this is to say that, in my head, the "jimmy+meyer leads to jealous charlie leads to meyer/charlie get together" set up is like a branch off loser au? so like jimmy goes to one of the Prestige Colleges in NYC, columbia or nyu or city college or something, and meyer is maaaybe enrolled in one of the two-year programs in the cuny system? but he hangs out in the studenty areas of whatever Prestige College jimmy goes to [and tbh the three of them probably sell prescription drugs to college students on those campuses—meyer passes as a serious scholarly student extremely easily, benny definitely has a script for adderall or something that he Does Not Take, and charlie has other Supply Connections] and SOMEHOW he and jimmy start talking about whatever nightmare american novel meyer is reading for fun at the same time as jimmy's us lit survey assigned it as a reading, this is why jimmy is just a plot device, i haven't put a lot of thought into his school shit because he's just there to be mostly-no-homo-heart-eyes in meyer's direction

which never happens

charlie and benny are the charming ones, meyer doesn't go looking for outside attention and isn't really used to being on the receiving end of it, but like. benny has not read faulkner and would reply to anything meyer had to say about his work with "more like FUCKner, amirite?" frank has read more than charlie or benny, but frank is also Old and tries to diffuse meyer's annoyance with the Great American Novel in a productive way so he's no fun to argue with. and charlie wouldn't want to listen to meyer tear steinbeck apart. [that's what meyer thinks, anyway. for the record, charlie absolutely would listen to meyer's rant about steinbeck's boner for The Dignity Of Poverty for HOURS, but meyer is pining and dumb and doesn't realize charlie's ALSO pining and has had yes-homo-heart-eyes for meyer since they were kids. but meyer doesn't know this yet, so he just Assumes charlie would be bored by it.]

so meyer is like "okay fine i will debate you, random doughboy, and i will destroy your argument" and he and jimmy definitely debate and meyer definitely wins, but he also enjoys the conversation, so like. they talk more, whenever they run into each other and meyer's not working a shift at the mechanic's garage he does legit and not-legit work at, etc, and eventually meyer's like "oh i have plans" when charlie's like "hey let's hang out" one night

and charlie's like "................what plans. you never have plans. all you do is study and strip cars for parts and hang out with me and benny. what plans."

and meyer's like "my plans are in fact studying, just not alone for once, it's a revolutionary concept, i know"

and charlie's like "oh. okay. with who."

and meyer's like "just a guy i met on columbia's campus"

and charlie's like "WHAT FUCKING GUY >:[" but only in his head because meyer's good at hiding when he's ticked off from most people but not from charlie and charlie can tell he's getting Annoyed, so he leaves it

and so it goes, for like a month? a few months? an indeterminate length of time, during which charlie at some point is like "hey let me come hang out with you and sell the drugs" but he sells no drugs, instead he Assesses jimmy when they run into him and meYER HAS? INSIDE JOKES??? WITH THIS RANDOM DUDE???????? SURE THEY'RE ABOUT HEMINGWAY, WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT IS, BUT FUCKING STILL. HOW DARE.

jimmy and charlie Immediately Do Not Get Along, Obviously, and it doesn't help that charlie has deeply sublimated Anxieties wrt, like. MANY things about being bi, as well as specifically about having a crush on meyer, but jimmy in particular inflames his insecurities about being a high school dropout and not being smart enough for meyer, who's definitely gonna Do Things and Be Someone because he is so smart [nevermind that meyer doesn't wanna do things, not legal things, because the system is fucked and he's already making plenty enough to do more than survive with their illegal shit, and also he knows charlie's smart in not-school ways]

so charlie is on the offensive which means meyer's on the defensive for basically the first time since they beat each other up and called a cease-fire, and jimmy's just like "i have no idea what's going on here but meyer are we gonna talk shit about fitzgerald's tiny dick or not" and meyer's like "YES LET'S i'll see you later charlie" and charlie's like >:[ externally but ;_; internally

and i dunno how long things are kind of tense and weird, but charlie's upset meyer's hanging out with someone else, meyer's upset charlie's getting nasty about one of the ONLY TIMES EVER someone outside their friend group has wanted to talk to/hang out with him more, and at some point they have A Fight in which charlie probably says something like "so, what, do you wanna fuck him or what" as meyer's getting ready to leave for another goddamn ~*study date*~

and meyer

who has zero intention of fucking jimmy, but who has watched charlie cope with the crush meyer doesn't know about yet by fucking his way through the list of girls their age in the neighborhood and probably one or two of the guys, and therefore absolutely cannot be convinced that charlie has ANY say about where meyer chooses to put his dick

Is Not Happy

he is, in fact, Big Mad

which means he goes ice cold and there is a very tiny voice in the back of charlie's head, which sounds alarmingly like benny, screaming "OHHH YOU DONE DONE IT NOW" but before he can do anything about it meyer's like "in what world is that any of your business"

and charlie, with what is in his head unassailable logic, goes "of fucking course it's my business, meyer"

and meyer, who is getting icier by the second, is like "please, explain this in a way that WON'T result in me ripping your face off with my fingernails"

and charlie, not that he's wrong, is like "he's not good enough for you meyer"

and meyer is somewhere very deep down kind of touched but mostly still angry and is like "once again, explain to me how this is your business at all"

and because charlie has a deeply flawed brain-to-mouth filter at the best of times, much less when he's distressed by the thought of meyer getting railed by someone who is not him, he is like "it's my business because i don't want you to kiss anyone but me okay"

and meyer, who fully BSODs with that comment and whose autopilot mode is labeled "bitch," is like "well i didn't want you to fuck every broad between hester and 12th for the last five years, and yet here we are"

and charlie's like "wut"

and meyer's like "wut"

and after like two minutes of silence in which they both process what just got said, charlie's like "i'm gonna kiss you now. please don't punch me."

and meyer's like "no promises" because he's still in BSOD'ed bitch mode

and then they make out

and seven miles away in one of columbia's study rooms jimmy is like "huh meyer's never been late before, that's kinda weird"

[he's late because charlie's got him pressed into his ratty-ass sofa and charlie's bottom lip between his teeth]

#benjaminshargreeves #asks #boardwalk empire #this pans out we live wherever we want #and jimmy's there too i guess #LISTEN I JUST #i realize i'm a one trick pony but oh well #long post

[ghosst-writer]

Back to School Tips

So, school starts back for me tomorrow! I’m going to be a sophomore in college. These are the tips that I’ve learned over the last year of college that may help incoming freshmen! This is mostly for the first week, and I’ll make an updated/later guide for the semester at some point :)

1. Check over your class syllabus!

I can’t stress this enough. Looking over your class syllabus (either printing off a copy of it if you’re professor has it online or keeping the copy that you will most likely be given on the first day of school) is super important. Your syllabus will be like your agenda for the year. Make sure to mark important dates from the syllabus in some sort of reminder (I put reminders on my phone). Though, do know that the professor may change dates so make sure to pay attention to any amendments made to the syllabus.

2. School supplies!

On your first day of class, you may not have all of your supplies, and that’s okay. All of my classes run through blackboard, and almost all of them aren’t even open yet (which means I can’t see what books I need). What I suggest for the first day of school is to at least have a folder for each class for your syllabus/handouts, and either paper or a notebook for each class to write down important information. Also, bring a pencil and maybe some pens?

3. Welcome Back Week!

Most colleges have a welcome back week. This means free food/prizes. Take advantage of those! I usually grab some snacks and stuff which can last me about two weeks before I have to get more. Speaking of snacks...

4. Snacks/Water!

This isn’t like high school. Most campuses have some sort of cafeteria/cafe/student union where you can buy snacks but those snacks are usually pretty pricey so be careful! I suggest bring a 16-20oz water bottle with a lid and straw, or a thermos that you can fill with water before school and fill as you need it. Also, pack plenty of snacks. I usually pack lunch/snacks/breakfast since I have an early morning class and last semester I wouldn't leave school until around 9pm due to my night class. Vending machines are also good places for snacks but be careful because they tend to be junkier food that may make you feel run down in the long run. Scout out the best ones.

5. Medication!

I’m chronically ill/have chronic pain. This may not apply to everyone, but I have a med baggie where I bring the different medications that I need (usually pain medication/congestion meds/etc). Make sure to pack your essential meds. They do tend to sell some medications in the student union/campus store but they are usually very expensive so it’s cheaper to bring from home.

6. Classes!

It’s important to go to your classes, especially in the first week. I understand mental/physical health issues that may make it hard, but during the first week usually, the professor will give you the syllabus, tell you what they expect, and tell you the attendance policy of the class. Also, make sure to know your professor’s emails, check any online class, check your school’s online portion (my school has all of our classes on a forum called blackboard where the professors can post updates, online assignments, and discussion boards, as well as show us our grades). Also, I suggest walking your class schedule before classes begin if you’re able to, just so that you know the schedule and feel a lot more confident/find the best areas.

7. Friends!

Try to make a friend or two in each class, especially ones where you don’t know anybody. It may be hard to try to talk to people, but they can usually help if you miss a class and need notes/want to start a study group!

Okay, those are my tips for starting college! They may not help everyone, as people have different needs, but this should be a basic guide.

#studyblr #college tips #college #college freshman #school #school tips #pastel.txt

[atlfics]

Carsick- All Time Low Fanfiction

Jack’s driving makes Alex carsick. Word Count: 2235

More notes at the end. 

“Jack, for the love of everything good in this world, please don’t drive like shit,” Rian said as Jack, Zack, Alex and himself all walked over to his car.

“I haven’t even driven at all yet dude, why are you assuming things?” Jack defensively replied.

The boys were currently in between tours and decided to drive to the college of some high school friends for the weekend. They were set to stay in a hotel close to the campus, since it would be easier than staying in the small dorms with friends. Going to parties and a football game was on their agenda, and they couldn’t have been more excited for it all. They were all glad that they found a job that didn’t require a college education, but they did like the party atmosphere on college campuses.

The school was right under four hours away from Baltimore, so they all agreed to drive for an hour each. The first two hours had passed, and Rian and Alex had done their share of the drive, and they’d stopped at a burger place on the way as an early dinner.

“Well Jack, you weren’t the greatest driver when we were in high school,” Alex pointed out.

“Hey, we were kids then, I’m an adult now. I know how to drive, and I know how to do it well,” Jack countered.

“You’re only twenty now, dude, you’re not that much older,” Alex replied.

“Hey, I bet your driving has definitely improved over these last two years. You know, the two years we’ve spent on the road, not having to drive basically at all,” Zack sarcastically added, making Rian, Alex and himself laugh.

“You guys can all fuck off now. Rian give me the key,” Jack requested. Rian handed Jack the keys with an apprehensive look on his face, then Jack unlocked the doors. Zack sat up front with Jack, leaving Rian and Alex in the backseat.

“Okay, let’s do this!” Jack exclaimed, turning on the car. He started to back up, not realizing how sensitive the pedal was, making the car back up very fast. Jack quickly slammed on the breaks, making the car jerk to a stop.

“Oh yeah, driver of the year,” Alex muttered.

“That was just an unlucky start, you guys need to quit worrying. Besides, it’s Rian’s sensitive ass pedal that made that happen in the first place,” Jack defended.

“Yeah, blame the car, not the one controlling it,” Zack said.

“Jack, if you wreck my car, I’ll kill you,” Rian added in a serious tone.

“You guys are annoying as shit. Can we just drop this so we can leave here, get to the hotel, then go to the fun and cool college party with Tony?” Jack requested.

“Fine, just be careful. We promise to let up on you some,” Alex agreed. With that, Jack carefully got them out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

At first, Jack’s driving wasn’t too bad. He mostly stayed at the speed limit and drove very cautiously. Eventually, he saw that there were no cars for a while, so he sped up, making the other three grab onto the safety handles above them in fear. Soon after, Jack saw more cars coming up, and pressed on the breaks hard. They ended up in a bit of a traffic gridlock, making Jack jerk the car quite a bit as he switched back and forth between lanes.

Rian and Zack felt nervous because of Jack’s driving, but were overall okay, unlike Alex. He’d gotten carsick fairly often as a kid, but it mostly went away when he got older. Unfortunately, it was starting to come back now because of Jack’s driving. He started to take some deep breaths, hoping that he could just calm himself down, and everything would be fine. Not much later, they got out of the traffic jam, and Jack started driving fast again. The next stretch of the road was very mountainous, making them go up and down constantly, which left Alex feeling worse. He shifted around in his seat some, and put an arm around his stomach, which Rian quickly picked up on.

“Hey, are you alright, Alex?” Rian asked.

“I feel a bit carsick, but I’ll be alright, no need to worry,” Alex replied.

“Okay, but say something if you start to feel worse,” Rian instructed. Alex just nodded as he leaned his head against the window. Jack decided that he wanted to get out of all of the mountains and get back to the flat roads so he sped up some, but soon after had to slow down and merge quickly to avoid getting into an accident. He ended up merging a lot in a short time, making Alex feel much worse. Alex squeezed his eyes shut, tightening the grip around his stomach.

“Jack, could you not cut and weave so much? I’m starting to feel really sick,” Alex requested, making everyone turn to look at him. When Jack saw his best friend, he gave a sympathetic look.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry dude, I-“ Jack started.

“Dude, watch out!” Zack exclaimed, pointing to a car that Jack was getting dangerously close to. Jack jerked the car again, barely missing the car in front of them. The big jerk made the pain in Alex’s stomach unbearable, and he quickly put a hand to his mouth.

“Are you going to get sick, Alex?” Rian asked, urgency in his voice. Alex just nodded in reply. He hunched over and held his stomach, then put his head in his lap.

“There’s a rest stop five miles up. If Jack doesn’t drive like a dick until we get there, do you think you can hold it?” Zack asked, pointing to a sign on the side of the highway.

“Think so,” Alex choked out, still hunched over. Rian scooted next to Alex and put his arm around him, hoping to give him some comfort. At this point, just being in a moving car is making Alex’s stomach churn painfully.

By the time they got to the rest stop, Alex had done everything he could to hold off on getting sick. As soon as Jack put the car in park, Alex got up and ran into the rest stop, one hand on his stomach and the other on his mouth. He was relieved that there wasn’t anyone else in the rest room, as he went in the handicapped stall and locked the door behind him. As soon as he sat on the floor, he started to get sick. Back in the car, the others didn’t know how to react.

“Jack, we told you to drive safely, and you didn’t. Look what you did,” Rian said in an aggravated tone.

“Hey, it’s not my fault that Alex has the weakest stomach ever. I mean, you guys are fine,” Jack defended.

“I actually feel a bit queasy, but nowhere near as bad as Alex. Not your best driving, dude,” Zack replied.

“You should go in there and help him,” Rian suggested.

“Why me?” Jack asked.

“Well, first off, this is your fault. Second, he likes to be with you when he’s sick. Remember when he got the flu a few weeks ago on tour? He never wanted to leave your side,” Rian explained.

“I guess that’s true. I’ll be back with Alex in a few,” Jack said as he got out of the car. He walked into the rest stop and could hear Alex getting sick from outside of the bathroom.

Even though he’d been all defensive about it everything the car, he did feel really bad that Alex had gotten so sick due to his driving. Maybe partly due to the big burger he’d had for lunch, but mostly the poor driving. He walked into the bathroom and waited until Alex stopped before knocking on the door.

“Alex, are you okay?” Jack asked.

“Oh yeah, I’m great,” Alex sarcastically replied.

“Do you think you can let me in? I want to help you,” Jack requested. Alex slowly unlocked the door, and Jack pushed it open. Alex was sitting in the corner; his face was pale and showed how much pain he was in. His arm was still wrapped around his stomach, and he looked quite weak. Jack sat down next to Alex and put a hand to his back.

“I’m sorry that my driving caused this, I feel really bad,” Jack said in a guilty voice.

“Honestly, I’m not too surprised. This isn’t the first time your driving has made me a bit carsick,” Alex said, trying to laugh some. After a bit of silence, Alex leaned forward to get sick again. Jack rubbed Alex’s back until he finally stopped and leaned against Jack.

“Do you think you’re done now?” Jack asked.

“I guess so,” Alex replied. With that, Jack helped Alex up, then took him to rinse out his mouth. After, Jack took Alex back to the car, and saw that Rian was now in the driver’s seat. The two of them got into the backseat, then Alex scooted into the middle seat to lean his head on Jack’s shoulder.

“Are you alright now, man?” Zack asked his friend.

“I think so,” Alex replied.

“I’ll try to drive better than Jack, not like that will be hard to do,” Rian said, as Jack rolled his eyes. Rian started up the car and got them back onto the highway.

As predicted, Rian’s driving was much better than Jack’s had been, but Alex still felt nauseous from being in the car. He held onto his stomach, hoping the pain would start to go away now that he’d gotten sick. Eventually, he realized that it was getting worse, making him whimper some.

“Dude, you’re whining. Are you okay?” Jack asked, sounding as concerned as Rian had earlier.

“Nope, going to be sick again,” Alex replied, sitting up.

“Can you wait until we get to another exit?” Zack asked.

“No, definitely can’t. Pull over now, please?” Alex requested. Rian quickly pulled onto the shoulder of the road, and Alex scrambled out of the car. He walked a bit farther from the highway and started to get sick again. Jack followed Alex and rubbed his back like he’d done at the rest stop.

After a couple of minutes, Alex stopped throwing up. He gagged some but knew that there was nothing else left to come up at that point.

“Are you going to get sick again?” Jack asked his friend.

“I don’t think I can. I don’t have anything else left to throw up, but my stomach still kills, which is why I keep gagging,” Alex explained.

“Hey, I just remembered, I have some children’s anti-nausea tablets in my bag, I’ll get you one,” Jack offered. Alex just nodded and got back into the car. Jack grabbed the medicine from his bag in the trunk, then handed it to Alex as he got back in the car. Alex thanked Jack, then took it.

“Children’s tablets?” Rian skeptically asked.

“I don’t like swallowing pills,” Jack replied.

“Alex, we’re about an hour away from the hotel right now. Do you think that you can handle that?” Rian asked.

“I’m going to have to, aren’t I? I don’t think I can throw up anymore, and the medicine should help some,” Alex replied.

“Well, I guess we should keep going, then,” Zack replied. Rian restarted the car, then merged back onto the interstate. The medicine definitely did help Alex some, but his stomach felt off for the rest of the car ride. From there to the hotel, Alex kept his eyes closed, and his head resting on Jack’s shoulder.

When they got to the hotel, they quickly checked in, then took their bags to their room, which had two queen sized beds and a big TV in it.

“Now that we’re out of the car, how’re you feeling?” Jack asked as the four of them sat down on their beds.

“We’re supposed to be at that party in about an hour,” Zack added.

“Honestly, I still feel pretty bad. I haven’t been this carsick in years. I think I’m going to skip the party tonight; drinking wouldn’t be a good idea for me right now. You guys go have fun,” Alex said, getting under the covers of his bed.

“No, we can stay here,” Rian replied.

“Wait, what? Why would you do that? You don’t have to give up a fun night because of me,” Alex replied.

“Alex, we came up here so we could all have a good time together. It’d be pretty shitty of us to leave you for a kick ass party while you’re here, all alone and feeling like shit. We’re staying here with you,” Jack stated, as the three of them put on sweats, and got into bed.

“Wow, you guys are the best. Thank you,” Alex replied.

“Of course, buddy,” Zack replied.

“I really appreciate this, but you’ve really got to fix your driving, Jack,” Alex said, making them all laugh. The four of them spent their Friday night in their hotel room, relaxing and watching movies with Alex, who felt better as the night went on.

The next day, they were able to go to the football game and a party like they’d hoped, and the weekend turned to to be one of the best they’d ever had.

A/N: Hey guys! This was another request, and I hope you all liked it!! I absolutely love to write requests, so please don’t hesitate to send one in, I’d be more than happy to do it! I have a couple Halloween stories I’ll put up later in the week, so get excited for those! Lots of love, Liv.

#Alex Gaskarth #Jack Barakat #Rian Dawson #Zack Merrick #ATL #atl sickfic #atlsickfic #all time low #sickfic

[scouthearted]

hi there, I saw a post you made under the job corps tag, and had a question. I was just wondering what it’s like living there on campus, what the dorms are like, the food, if there are any activities/field trips, and what weekends are like. i’m most likely gonna join job corps and might live on campus. thank you for reading :)

Hey! Thanks for asking! I’m going to start with a disclaimer that one, every center is different, two, it’s been close to exactly four years since I graduated, and three, I’m also asking input from two of my brothers (we ALL went to job corps at different centers! so we have a pretty wide range of experiences)! Oh, and for those who may just see this in the tag, my goal is to be as unbiased as possible because there’s so much hate for this program and it’s not all true… but neither are all the promises a recruiter makes, y’know?

So one thing that is commonly said about Job Corps, at least at the center I was at and the center one of my brothers is as, is that it’s a mixture of high school, college, the military, and prison. Living on campus is odd… if you’re a minor, you may find you have a lot more freedom than before, but if you’re an adult you have a lot less. Since the JC system serves people ages 16-24, they treat everyone like they’re 17 years and 364 days old or so… old enough to take care of things yourself but not an adult yet. This is important because it dictates literally everything about center life (we call them centers instead of campuses a lot of the time) and it can make or break you. If you’re over eighteen and can’t get over the lack of freedom, it’ll ruin you. If you can swallow your pride, you can actually have a great time. It’s like going to boarding school, really (confirmed with friends of mine who have in fact gone to boarding school and who I’ve shared experiences with). 

Almost everything varies from center to center, dorm life included. If you can, find out who’s in charge of your center. I went to a Forest Service Job Corps, and that’s one of the “bad” kinds, along with Department of Labor centers. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in a contracted center. The difference in dorms is the amount of people and how nice they are. My center’s dorms were 28 people to a “bay,” or a hall with five rooms, and four bays in a building. The biggest room could house eight, the smallest four. The beds were metal and most were bunk beds, and the floor was tile. Cinderblock walls, metal lockers for storing our things. It was almost prisonlike in the rooms, but we had a comfy common area with rugs and couches and could drag our blankets out and make it pretty okay. At my brother’s contracted center, the largest rooms house four people and many only house two. I’ve seen pictures of normal beds with wooden frames, dressers, and carpets. So really, it depends on the experience, but it’s always what you make of it!

You probably won’t spend a lot of time in the dorm besides sleeping. All centers have some form of recreation available on campus for students. Mine had a video game room, a movie room, a large gymnasium, workout room, and sports fields, arts and crafts building, and a pool hall… one of my brothers goes to a center with a computer lab and a library as well. Some centers have a thing that students often call “mandatory fun” where you MUST participate in recreational activities for so many hours a month, so be aware of that. Luckily, clubs often spring up. I was involved in writing club and tabletop roleplaying game club. One of my brothers is currently on his center’s safety patrol, and the other is in his center’s military club. As you can see, there’s a wide variety of clubs, and at least at my center, forming more is easy provided there’s interest. I promise you that if you want to get involved, there’s always something to do. 

There are definitely trips. If your center is In The Middle of Nowhere (mine was), people will literally go wild to get off campus. We had Walmart trips every Thursday and the bus was always packed… you had to get in line to sign up early or you’d miss it. Same with field trips (ours did those every Saturday). They’re free trips and excuses to get off center and have some fun! In my time at JC, I went to movies, laser tag, horseback riding, tours of a nearby national park… all sorts of things. Certain clubs and activities (such as student government, fire team, or safety patrol) also offer opportunities to get off center. As SGA president, I often got pulled out of class. Job Corps centers sometimes have biannual leadership conferences that’s basically a week of camp for people in SGA, so I got to travel from Kentucky to Virginia and spend a week learning leadership skills in the outdoors, even! That said, sometimes they really are no fun. See if your center has a schedule of what’s coming up, and when sign ups come, sign up QUICK. Also, here’s a hint… Walmart trips aren’t always worth it. Your center probably has a thriving black market of students who are willing to sell you basically anything you need or want. Note that this is super not allowed, but everyone does it anyway. Hell, I was student president and I sold candy on the DL. Just don’t wave it in the faces of any authority figures.

Weekends vary. Often, they function as normal free time (see above with recreation, trips, etc). Once you’ve been on center long enough (it’s either four or six weeks I think, at least at the center I was at) you can take Weekend Pass (given you’re over 18 or have parental permission), which means you get to leave center for the weekend. It’s a popular option for those who have the money and means. In the middle of nowhere, taking pass is hard, but if you’re in an urban center it’s a great way to take a day trip alone. For the most part, people at my center under 21 used pass to go see parents. The ones over 21 got a hotel and got super drunk. If you’re going on pass with friends, be careful and safe. Legal trouble can get you booted from the program.

Now for the food. Much as dorms are different depending on who runs the center, food’s different depending on that and what trades are offered. If your center has a culinary program? You’re likely going to eat real well. If not, it goes again to who runs the center. At my Forest Service center, the food was like higher quality school lunches, so if you can stomach that, you were fine. For my contracted center brother, he has really nice meals all the time. My brother at a DoL center says the food is basically “high class MREs.” If you’re not feeling the food, use some of your allowance to stock up on ramen, instant rice dinners, or anything like that, or turn to the black market, or your school store. Note that while meals are free, though, those options cost money.

Last thing (unless you have more questions in which case TOTALLY feel free to ask) isn’t something you asked, but is nice to know… you’ll get an allowance of $25 every two weeks that raises to $35 biweekly after a certain point (6 months??). There’s more ways to make money, though. Some centers pay for students to do extra kitchen duty over whatever the center requires. SGA often pays, as it counts as a job. Some centers will allow students to do work-study, or to get part time jobs after classes conclude. There’s also that black market (and as wifi is government based and therefore lots of things are blocked or monitored, getting a wifi hotspot and selling time on it can make BANK. But you didn’t hear that from me). 

Anyway, I hope that helped. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. Good luck!

#job corps #jc #jccc #jcccc #asks for tabby #Anonymous #job corp

[lastsonlost]

In today’s world, we know that Misandry is treated as a joke, whereas Misogyny is taken very seriously. In fact, Time magazine declared that Misandry is just a joke and us men are just being whinny when we point it out. Yet, when we men even disagree with a woman, or spread our legs on a bus, we are misogynist shitlords.

Last month, this idea of Misandry became apparent. “How To Destroy A Man Now” was released on Amazon. That goes into what the title says, destroying men.

“How to Destroy A Man Now” was born from the #metoo movement, which started with the allegations of Harvey Weinstein’s many, many years of repeated abuse of women, allegations that were well-known in Hollywood (not that actresses didn’t use it to their advantages). Not long after its inception, it became a way to shame all men, from the suggestion that men can’t use it to Minnie Driver getting angry with Matt Damon who said that we shouldn’t treat all forms of sexual harassment the same way. Then came the False Accusations and so many women coming forward to state they were raped, including Monica Lewinsky stating she was raped by President Bill Clinton all those years ago, despite her always saying it was consensual, even as far back as four years ago. #metoo has proven to be quite opportunistic for women to get into the limelight.

“How To Destroy A Man Now” is divided into two sections: destroying a man online and destroy a man in the workplace. Both make use of three elements to accomplish this: Allegations, Media, and Authorities.

Allegation

This section suggests that you start with an accusation, but rather than report this to anyone of authority, you instead set up to make it look like it could be true. Now if the book differentiated between only doing this to those actually guilty and doing it to the innocent, I could understand to a degree, but the book makes no distinction between those who committed a crime against women and those that women simply want to destroy with false accusations.

With online allegations, this involves going to fan submitted news sites to post a story about someone, or a website that will post anything about anyone and will take it down if the target pays money (which is technically extortion.) The purpose of this is so when you do a Google search of someone’s name, the first page is filled with your accusation, most likely sexual harassment or rape accusations.

With workplace allegations, it’s about spreading rumors amongst other coworkers, telling them that a man has committed something against you, and getting everyone to turn on said man, whether it is true or not. Doing so in the workplace is suggested as a good way to silence a man for disagreeing with a woman, and to steal any promotion he may have.

Media

For destroying men online, technically internet news sites are media. However, this recommendation was to go to more established media to report on it. The media can say just about anything they want if they use the right words, such as allegation, and they won’t be held to any consequence for basically suggestion that an allegation may be true.

The allegation comes from all the work you’ve done to make accusations on various website to show up on google search results. And the Internet and News Media never lies, so it must be true. The kicker here is, whether people actually believe it or not, no one wants to be associated with those who could even possibly have done it. Like college campuses, the court of public opinion is based on the 50.0000001% “preponderance” of evidence suggesting they might have done it.

For the workplace, it’s briefly touched upon, but really skipped over, as there is no use of media when it comes to the workplace, unless said company has been made aware of an allegation and failed to address it. Then you can shame the company for creating hostile work environment.

Authority

With the internet and the media saying something is “true,” now you can go to the authorities and report the “crime,” as the police must take notice that it is being reported on. Rather than going to the police first, this book recommends painting them as guilty before anyone of authority steps in. I believe this would also taint a possible jury pool if the internet and new media reports them as guilty. Even if the police don’t arrest or the courts don’t convict, a person is forever tainted as ‘possibly guilty.’

With the workplace, having spread rumors about someone, now is the suggested time to go to HR. HR wants what’s best for the company, which primarily means not getting sued by an employee, especially a female one complaining of sexual harassment or feeling unsafe in a work environment. While the guy in question may not get fired, they will be spoken to by those of authority in the company, and told to change their behavior in order to keep their job. The book gives the example a man who disagrees with a woman’s idea. The company’s response to the situation is that the man is discouraged from doing that. This man is now forever tainted as someone who hates women in the workplace, even if they’ve never done anything but the be the best worker.

Conclusion

Is this book a Poe?

Possible. However, I’m inclined to think that this book is for real. Even if it’s not, I’m amazed that Amazon has it on their site. While there is a lot of immoral content (such as doxxing, self-victimization, spreading rumors), there are some illegal recommendations included that could result in jail time for anyone who acts on them and is subsequently caught (at least, if you were a man. A woman is likely to get a slap on the hand.) This book doesn’t deny what it is, a means to destroy men’s life and have no remorse for your actions.

When I saw this book, I felt very strongly that it shouldn’t be on the market. If it was for just immoral recommendations, I would know that is covered by the First Amendment, as it does not protect against hurt feelings. But illegal suggestions? First Amendment doesn’t cover that, especially False Accusations.

I contemplated on how to get Amazon to take this off the market, and then I got an idea of what I personally could do. Tit for tat! I published my own book (in accidental celebration of International Women’s Day, as that is when it was published) titled, “How to Destroy A (Wo)Man Now“, keeping the DAMN acronym.

In this book, I discuss ways to destroy a woman emotionally. I do not include anything illegal, as that is a line I won’t cross (though cheating is technically illegal in some first world countries, but rarely enforced,) and I state in the book that you shouldn’t do anything illegal, as the law works against men.

As stated at the end of the book, I strongly recommend that no one use these methods, and doing so would make you a bad person. I explain my reasons for making this book: I want to put pressure on Amazon to take it (and hopefully the original book) down. It is my hope that as my book becomes more popular, Feminists and SJW’s will pressure Amazon to take it down, as it is blatant misogyny.

What Amazon does from there is anyone’s guess. Hopefully both books come down. I don’t want my book on the market, and I definitely don’t want the other on the market. Quite possibly, Amazon will remove my book but not the other. This will look bad for Amazon, because then the question becomes, why does a misogynist book get taken down and not a misandrist book?

The only way this can happen is if my book becomes popular enough that it is featured on their front page and sent out in emails as a recommendation for people to read. This will draw attention from many that this is a blight on Amazon’s store and should be taken down, which will result in Amazon taking action. So I encourage you to pick up a copy and encourage other’s to do so as well, so we can encourage Amazon to take action of these two books.

Anything I say study their playbook, memorize their tactics and build a defense.

#Amazon

[academy13]

Was thinking about Architecture in Oz today and that led to me thinking about what Shiz University must be like cause like... Oz is a pretty diverse place, so one, they likely just build accommodations into buildings for Animals and such, NBD because these folks have just always been here, it’s not an issue. Hire any Ozian architect and they’ll just automatically include this stuff because you always make sure there’s plenty of space for like... a Horse and your average Ozian to walk down a hallway or whatever. Basically, shit’s designed for everyone pretty readily, the only people it stands out to are Dorothy and the Wizard because they’re not from Oz.

And then thinking about Shiz made me think about the students of the school... I mean no matter the era, its still a college/university, there’s just casually some random stuff just HAPPENING on campus, or people are just existing, and a weird thing that nobody wants to acknowledge. Statues everywhere, particularly on old campuses, a random hodgepodge of buildings from wildly different eras, the one person who isn’t walking but riding a bike or something, you just saw like five random flyers for the same thing that happened two weeks ago. Hell given the era, if you set Wicked roughly into the same era in which the original Oz stories were written, you’ve got a rivalry going on between two different graduating classes (like class of 21 vs class of 22 or something) and the school has to sort it out by having them make a hillside letter (I highly suggest looking this up, that’s how many hillside letters came to be. If you’re in Arizona, you probably know of ‘A’ Mountain, of which ASU and U of A both have their own. Its a distinctly American thing, and American West at that. Most of these letters are in the West, and one of the really notable ones is BYU’s Y, which is actually the third hillside letter ever constructed. And the Hollywood sign is a variation on this... interesting stuff I’m telling ya). 

I swear you can just play around so much with Oz because there’s just a lot to toy with because its kind of our world, but not really. Who knows what kind of bents they have to things like clothes or buildings that we don’t or can’t do, but they can cause MAGIC.