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mysticalrunawayprincess · 3 years

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Everything He Ever Wanted

Hi Guys! This is a new Jay Park fanfic I’m working on (because we are in a serious shortage and us girls need our fantasy fix!) Its about Jay falling in love and wanting to settle down, and all the headache and heartache that ensues (cue lots of angst, sexy times and love :P). I post the stories on Wattpad as I’m not sure if I’d be able to post the full story on here (Tumblr guidelines and stuff) but I am going to be posting the first chapter here and then every time I publish a new chapter I’ll post the links for you to read. The story is for 18ANDOVER! If you are not 18 this story isn’t for you (sorry). And Jay if you are reading this: its pure fantastical fiction! I don’t mean to embarrass or cast aspersions on you in any kind of way. If you are reading this (PLEASE dont lol), I hope I did your fantasy character justice :P. For the rest of you, happy reading!

Oh BTW: New Chapters every Friday, but you get this one a day early just because I love y’all!!! xxxxxxxxxx

1. Home Is Where The Heart was

An exhausted sigh left Jay's lips in a rush, as he entered through the open door and dropped his bags on the heated marble flooring.

Having been away on tour for 6 weeks Jay had a lot of bags to carry; all heavy, all full of laundry.

He paused and took a breath in, savouring the smell of home, the smell of Her.

She hadn't been home in a long time. This was no longer to be Her home; hell it hadn't even been Her "home" for longer than a few weeks, most of which she had spent elsewhere (or rather somewhere else). But since She had been the last person in the house before Jay had left for the tour, Her scent still lingered. And it was this scent that invaded Jay's senses, coiling around his synapses and holding them at ransom as his mind cast back to the last moment he saw Her.

Jay stood watching Her leave through the polished glass doors of his office building, Her words still ringing in his ears like a death knell, "We can't do this any more Jay, I have to go back and live my life..." She took a pause here, her perfectly soft and plump lips quivering momentarily, almost as if to hold Her back from completing the sentence,"... and you have to live yours."

Now the thing is, when Jay first saw Her walk through the doors; Her soft hair in which he loved to bury his face now framing Her face in a twist-out that beautifully rippled in the light breeze of the evening night air as She stepped through the glass door, his heart had soared and swooped the same way it did every day since the very first day he had seen Her.

His face broke into an unstoppable smile as he outstretched his arms to embrace Her, automatically breathing in Her scent as She stepped into his embrace, clinging to him as though She would be otherwise flung into the furthest reaches of space.

Jay hadn't noticed the shine of unshed tears demanding to be released. He hadn't noticed the taxi outside, and he certainly didn't know that it was taking Her to the airport.

He was oh-so blissfully unaware of all of these little details.

She had been going back and forth with this for weeks, months even, ever since their relationship had first begun showing signs of becoming more serious (unbeknownst to Jay). And try as She might, She knew this couldn't work; there were too many moving parts, too many things to consider and too many sacrifices to be made. She thought it best that She end this now before it got too serious and whilst they were still able to at least salvage some sort of friendship from the wreckage.

Noticing She was lost in thought, Jay nudged Her, asking if She were OK.

Now on the way over here, She had already told herself that She wasn't going to cry and do the whole melodramatic stuff; that She was going to keep it light and factual and hoped he would understand.

And so when She quickly lifted Her head to meet his eye, Her face had already settled into a bright and easy smile, belying the ton of bricks that She was about to drop onto the smitten and unsuspecting Jay Park.

Now, as he watched Her leave after begging Her to reconsider ("... you don't have to do this..."). His heart beat harder with every step She took to the waiting cab outside. He was frozen helpless, unable to stop this series of Very Unfortunate and Fucked Up Events.

He watched the taxi drive away, taking with it the only piece of true happiness that he had ever felt in a long, long time.

And he had let it happen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The vibration of Jay's phone broke him out of his reverie with a snap. He thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled it out, glancing at the screen as he made his way to the kitchen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He paused with his hand on the handle of the refrigerator, his thumb hovering indecisively over the phone screen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He rolled his eyes and pressed the green button, putting the phone to his ear at the same time as he pulled open the refrigerator door.

"Heeeeeyyyyyy bro, whatcha doin'?" the gravelly voice of Jay's business partner Mike came through the phone as vivid as if he were standing in the room, rather than 5,000 miles away.

"Hey, Mike" Jay chuckled. "Not much, just got back."

"How was the tour?"

"Yeah it was good. The guys killed as usual," said Jay, into an empty fridge.

"Did you get any numbers?" Jay could practically hear the Cheshire Cat smile on Mike's face as he asked this question.

He sighed as he closed the refrigerator door and made his way to the living room. "No I didn't get any numbers Mike" Jay said, plopping down dejectedly onto his plush sofa, allowing his head to fall back, eyes staring straight at the ceiling.

"Jay, you are really wasting your unlimited pussy allowance, man!" groaned Mike. Jay chuckled in response, closing his eyes and wearily raising a hand to rub them. "Dude you should be literally DROWNING in pussy!"

"I'm too busy for all that extra shit, Mike." Jay sighed.

"Extra shit? Dude." Mike was all seriousness now, leaving a pause so pregnant that it caused Jay to sit up and open his eyes. "You are never, too tired, for pussy!" Jay fell back into his original position, another exhausted sigh leaving his lips as he landed except this time, he had a little smile on his face.

Mike's dry humour was a welcome salve right now anyway.

"Plus, Jay; I'm married."

"I know Mike."

"So that means I'm living vicariously through you, my dude!"

"Mike-"

"Look, forget about all that anyway" Mike interrupted Jay, sensing he was not perhaps his usual playful self and wondering if he had perhaps struck a nerve.

Mike was quite intuitive, even if he sometimes came off as oblivious. In his world, he found that feigning ignorance can sometimes be a better strategy around people, especially when dealing with the types of sensitive and high-flying businessmen he was used to dealing with on a daily basis.

Or when his friend had something - or someone - on his mind that may need to be discussed away over copious amounts of alcohol sometime in the near-future.

"Remember you have the interview with Vogue Korea about the new AOMG site and app," said Mike making a mental note to revisit this again at a later time.

"Yeah" sighed Jay gratefully, thankful for the change in subject. "When is it again?"

"Friday. 9.30AM"

Jay pulled his phone away from his ear and checked the screen. The interview would be in three days time.

"Cool, my assistant already has the details anyway. I'll check my emails to see when the car will be arriving."

"Sweet. Hit me up later, so we can talk a bit about the Nike deal. But until then; GET SOME SLEEP."

Click

Mike ended the call.

Jay allowed the phone to slide from his ear onto the sofa next to him, bringing both hands up to gently rub his face before dropping his head back and allowing his arms to drop onto the sofa back. The huge floor to ceiling windows directly opposite bathed him in the light of the setting sun, as he allowed his exhausted and aching body to sink deeper into his seat.

As his mind drifted, he remembered a particular evening spent on this same sofa during a thunderstorm not too long after he had first met Her. In fact, there were many evenings he remembered being spent on this sofa (not all of them as innocent as the particular evening he currently had in mind however, but all of them just as enjoyable).

Sharing one of those huge soft furry blankets that She loved so much, with a low fire burning in the marble wood-burning fireplace to the right of them.

She had been drinking Jack Daniel's, and he had been drinking soju, both just talking to and laughing with each other in an atmosphere of comfortability, while outside torrential rain pounded against the monolithic windows and brilliant forks of lightening spilt the charcoal grey and roiling sky, causing occasional rolls of thunder which reverberated throughout the building.

The dichotomy of the chaos on one side of the window pane, versus the serenity on the other hadn't been lost on either of them.

Every now again She would interrupt the freely-flowing conversation to point out a particularly spectacular lightning strike or a close roll of thunder would make Jay jump, which he would then try to disguise by acting as though he was just moving positions on the couch or picking up/putting down his glass (which She very politely acted like She did not notice, or turned away to hide Her smile - which he had gratefully appreciated).

Her being in Jay's house had been perfectly innocent at the time, having being introduced through his artist Jarv Dee, Jay had innately felt at ease around Her. She had an easy-going and relaxed nature, with a quick wit and genuine smile. He became further intrigued when he found out that She was a full-stack developer and promptly discussed possibly working together on something some time. Which is how the new AMOG website and H1gher app came about.8

That was exactly one year ago from today and 5 months from the day She ripped out Jay's heart and stomped all over it.

"We can't do this Jay..."

Her words echoed around his head like a death knell.

Jay had spent every waking moment carefully analysing every detail of their interactions - every facial expression, every vocal inflection - in the hopes of being able to at least understand WHY She had done this.

Did he say something - do something - to scare her off?

How, when things were going so good between them, could she just end everything and leave so suddenly?

Jay was aware that he was getting older but, he hadn't really ever thought of what the future would look like for him and who he would want to settle down with. The kind of jet-setting lifestyle Jay led meant he had the luxury of being able to avoid thinking about such things under the guise of being "too busy". And with the fast life Jay led, the women he came across had been just as fast.

That is until he had met Her.

Meeting Her had made him truly question his life dynamic, made him want to change his dynamic.

Made him think about when would be the time to put down the mic for good and step back to make way for the younger artists coming up behind him?

Jay had almost single-handedly built an entire musical empire in a foreign land, which meant he really had to think about who it was he wanted to share that with.

A thought he had never needed to have before Her.

She had awakened something in him that he had been confident was dormant, something which he had convinced his concerned parents and nagging brother he wasn't quite ready for.

She made him think more of the life after. After all the parties, interviews, world travelling, and screaming fans.

Of the life he lived when he was just Jay, the dorky kid from Seattle.

Who did he want to come home to? Who did he want waiting for him when the lights had faded and the music stopped?

The morning after the lightening storm had been the first time Jay had woken up to Her. They had fallen asleep where they sat in Jay's plush sofa, having spent the evening bonding over their respective careers, old 90s RnB and alcohol. Seeing her head resting upon the opposite armrest of his sofa, the golden rays of the early morning sun illuminating the golden undertones of Her skin, made something inside him sing. He knew he liked having Her around, liked hearing Her voice, liked knowing she was OK.

He loved being in her presence, hearing Her laugh, seeing Her focused frown whilst She was working.

He loved smelling Her, breathing Her in whenever he could.

He loved hearing Her footsteps on his hardwood floor.

He hated not knowing why it went wrong.

But in just a few days the H1gher app and new AOMG website was due to go live, meaning She would be coming back to Korea for the launch.

Meaning She and Jay would be in each other's company for the first time since Her departure.

Meaning Jay would not only have to face Her, but once She left he'd have to relive the pain of her leaving all over again.

Jay groaned inwardly.

This should be fun, he thought humourlessly.

Jay reached for his phone beside him and dialled an all too familiar number.

"Hello?" Came the answer down the line.

"Hey, is she free?"

"Good evening, Mr Park. Yes she is free. Regular timing?"

Jay let out a barely audible sigh, his 1000th in the 45 minutes he'd been home. He wouldn't need too long. "Yeah."

"She will arrive in 30 minutes."

Jay ended the call.

He stood and made his way to his drinks cabinet, pouring himself some Hennessey before walking over to the window to take a sip, surveying the evening sky and awaiting his visitor.

The objective of the visit was purely for the purposes of release.

And as Jay's buzzer rang twenty-five minutes later, he knew that's all anyone who wasn't Her could offer him.

#jay park #jaypark #aomg #fanfic #angst #emotional #rapper queen #romance #relationship #series daddyvibes

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anotheronechicagobog · 5 years

Text

Mouse Gerwitz x reader Letters

written by @anotheronechicagobog

Requested by @confusedpimp

Warnings: swearing, mature themes, implied smut

A/N: I’m asexual and terrible at writing kissing scenes, so sorry if that part sucks. I’ve been sick, had school stuff going on, and had some writer’s block, so I really hope you like it!

(Not my gif)

When you first met Mouse you were sixteen, he, Jay, and Will were all back from being away. Jay was on his first leave from the Rangers and Will was back from Uni for winter break. After spending the full day with you and Will Jay decided to hangout with Mouse. You threw a fit over that, you’d spent over a year terrified that he’d come back in a body bag and that you deserved to spend the few weeks he was there with him. So instead he invited Mouse to hang out the three of you instead. He was handsome, funny, and a Harry Potter fan so you didn’t mind at all. The three of you went down to the boardwalk and just spent time together, talking, going to the river museum which wasn’t your thing in all honesty but it was more about being together than anything else, and ended the day with deep-dish pizzas at home and a movie marathon. It was when your dad came home drunk off his ass that the mood changed. Jay and Will suddenly remembered what they left you home with, and Mouse was sitting there awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. You sent an apologetic smile his way and stood up. “Hey, dad, it’s time for bed. C’mon, I’ll sing to you again.” Your brothers exchanged shocked and horrified looks as they say you leading your very drunk, very handsy father, up the stairs quickly and efficiently. You’d learned how to handle yourself when your brothers were gone.

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When you returned downstairs you heard furious voices in the kitchen. You turned to Mouse who was sitting on the couch with wide-eyes. “I’m really sorry you had to watch that Mouse. You look really uncomfortable, can I get you something to eat or drink?”

“Uh... How often does that happen?”

“Why?” Mouse looked at you with guarded eyes. You were confused, Mouse sounded concerned and he didn’t really have any reason to be. Jay was your brother, not Mouse. “What do you mean ‘why’? That shouldn’t be happening to you.”

“Mouse, I only met you this morning so I’m a little surprised at your reaction.”

“Jay’s been showing me and the others pictures of you and sharing stories since basic training, he talks about you all the time, he’s so protective of you, it’s kinda rubbed off on the rest of us.” You nodded slowly, processing his answer. “Look, I get that my brother and his overprotective ways influenced you, but I can handle myself.” Mouse didn’t look convinced.

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After Mouse left you walked into the kitchen and jumped up onto the counter. The mood was thick and tense and you dreaded the conversation that was coming. “Alright, let’s get this conversation over with.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Jay huffed angrily and threw the dishtowel into the empty but still soapy sink. Will threw the remaining cutlery in the drawer and slammed it shut. “Why are you being so calm about this?”

“I didn’t want you guys to put your lives on hold. You two basically raised me, you’ve sacrificed enough. Yes, he’s been drinking more, yes he’s gotten handsy, but I can handle myself I promise.” Jay screwed his eyes shut and balled his hands into fists. “You should have told us.We’re supposed to take care of you.”

“And what could you have done Will? Jay’s been in the middle east fighting a war, and you’ve been in med school in Seattle. You’ve tried to get custody of me before and it fell through, we just have to face it, this is the situation for now. It sucks but its doable.”

“Are you kidding me?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?! Y/N, we are your big brothers, it’s our responsibility to help and protect you! You need to tell us when stuff like this starts, so that we can deal with whatever shit’s going on!” You sighed and watched Jay catch his breath.

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The rest of the boys’ stay was tense. They walked you to and from school, Mouse and some others in Jay’s unit were coming over to stay with you when your brothers couldn’t (including ‘introducing’ themselves to your father), and you were never left alone with your father. You were annoyed at all that your brother was orchestrating, but you were also low-key relieved you didn’t feel the need to barricade your door at night. Two days before Jay and Mouse were scheduled to head back you were introduced to Mouse’s family. His parents were wonderful and Katie was so freaking adorable. You’d all decided to go out to dinner to an Irish restaurant. Right before the Celtic band was set to play Mouse’s mom pulled you aside. “Sweetheart, Greg told us about your dad. We just want you to know that you’re always welcome with our family and at our home. Just call and we’ll be there as soon as possible. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks.”

When you both sat back down Mouse’s eyes caught yours and he smiled sheepishly. You smiled in return, feeling grateful about your overprotective brothers

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TWO YEARS LATER

You cheered silently as you skipped down the steps of your childhood home. You had all your possessions in your backpack and a small suitcase. You were finally eighteen, legally able to walk away without being dragged back. Greg’s family invited you to stay with them until you started university in the fall. They’d been a godsend over the years, to the point where you started sending letters to Mouse as well as Jay. While your brother initially thought it was weird but stopped complaining when Katie mailed him a picture of flowers she drew. Your relationship with Mouse grew.you swapped stories, created inside jokes, and confided in one another. For the next few months, you were going to be living in his old bedroom. It looked like how he left it.

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You sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room you’d called home for the past few months. You were excited but apprehensive about starting university. Not just because of the daunting aura of university, but because of the financial aspects. You’d started applying for scholarships and bursaries before your application was even accepted. While you’d been awarded a decent amount of money, it wasn’t anywhere close to covering one semester, forget the rest of your academic career. So you’d turned to something your brothers would murder you for if they ever found out- being a stripper and a sugar baby.

In all honesty, it hadn’t been as bad as you’d expected. You’d found a website where you could... advertise yourself. You’d posted some nice photos of yourself, selfies where you’re smiling in a park and the boardwalk, and made it clear on your profile that sex was NOT on the table. It had taken you a while to find a sugar daddy, for that reason, but you’d found one and your... allowance was pretty good. You’d been contacted by a guy in his late 30’s who was gay and came from a very conservative family who expected a serious girlfriend. He wasn’t ready to come out, terrified of the backlash and possible violence he’d receive from his family, he decided to go another route. So while everyone thought you were moving into an apartment you were really moving in with your sugar daddy.

You’d have your own room, and were free to use any room in his apartment except for his ensuite bedroom and office. The same applied to him, he wasn’t allowed in your room either. He’d been nervous about the arrangement, much like yourself, and had offered to assist you in decorating your room, a kind offer you’d decided to accept to try and form a friendship with him. You’d need to be a convincing companion, after all.

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ONE YEAR LATER

“Well well well, if it isn’t the girl who put Van Gogh posters up in my room.”

“Mouse! It’s good to see you. You’re on leave with Jay, then? Also, who doesn’t like Starry Night?” You’d gone with Jay to hang out at a bar with him and some guys from his unit, Jay had gone off with a pretty blonde twenty minutes ago and hadn’t returned. Mouse smiled and took another swig of his beer. He sat down across from you, where Jay had been sitting and folded his hands together on top of the table. His arms were even more muscular than the last time you’d seen him. His shoulders were broader, he had a tan, and his eyes looked sharper. “So who’s the lucky guy? Everyone’s been writing that you’re seeing someone, and I know you, you don’t buy jewellery for yourself. Yet here you are, with a lovely necklace, dainty rings and bracelets. C’mon, spill.” Mouse looked tense, and his hands were clenched, almost like if they weren’t so tightly coiled together he’d be doing something else with them. “He’s none of your or anyone else’s business.” You smiled coyly at him and took another sip of your screwdriver. Mouse’s eyes flickered dangerously before going blank, a tense smile forcing its way onto his face. “Well alright, then. Let’s talk about something else.” You felt confused as Mouse started to ramble about the Blackhawks.

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Things seemed to be frosty between you and Mouse after your talk in the bar. Letters were still exchanged, but he wasn’t as open with you as he used to be. He stopped opening up to you, doodling goofy little cartoons in the margins, sweet words to you, monologuing about his goals and dreams (most of which involved you but you tried not to read too much into, despite how it made your heart flutter), and describing how badly he missed your famous chocolate cookies. You sighed, before placing his latest letter in the decorative box you’d gotten to keep them in. You gently placed that box next to your suitcase before returning to packing. You and George had ended your arrangement, he’d fallen in love with a wonderful man and now that things were serious, and that he felt ready to come out, you were moving out. You’d met him and surprisingly you two had developed a friendship, even with him knowing what you were to George. He’d thought it strange at first, but moved past it quickly when he considered the circumstances. And since he was a successful real estate agent, he’d volunteered himself to find you an apartment. The one you’d settled on was a steal and absolutely beautiful. Taping up the last box you were thankful that you didn’t have more belongings. The new furniture you’d purchased from IKEA was set to be delivered and put together tomorrow, deciding to leave most of your furniture with George since you weren’t overly attached to them and George had, y’know paid for them. So you were going to load your boxes and large suitcase into your car tonight and leave in the morning. Then the room you’d been living in would go back to being a guest room.

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The sound and smell of sizzling filled your apartment as you cooked up some sausages to accompany your toast and boiled egg for breakfast. They were almost done cooking when there was a knock on your door. Leaving them on the element for a moment you went and opened it. Surprised to see your brother standing there. “Jay! Will! What are you guys doing here?”

“We came to visit your new place, you know, since you actually told us the address this time.”

“Oh come on, you’re not both still on that, are you? I just didn’t want your overprotective asses descending on my life all the time!”

“Hey! Is that any way to talk to the guys who brought doughnuts?”

“Is that any way to talk to the chick who cooked sausages that she’s willing to share with her brothers?”

“Touche.”

“So why are you guys really here? We were supposed to have shepherd’s pie and stuff tonight.”

“Well, we are here in part to celebrate because I got assigned to Chicago Med and Jay is finally back after getting medically discharged.”

“Also, I was wondering if you’d heard from Mouse.”

“What? No, I haven’t, did something happen?” You stomach dropped and ice bolted up your spine.

“He didn’t handle everything well. After he was allowed to leave the facility, no one’s heard from him. Not even his family. We were wondering if he’d contacted you.”

“No, he hasn’t contacted me. I don’t know why you thought he would, we’re not very close.” Jay narrowed his eyes at you. “Then why were you exchanging letters with him while we were overseas? You don’t do that with someone you don’t care about.”

“He was out there with you Jay. It felt good to talk to someone I know had your back, he was willing to tell me things about you and that was going on that you wouldn’t. We formed a friendship for a while,” Jay and Will let out a snort, you raised your eyebrow, “but things got cold a while ago. He stopped telling me stuff about himself, the genuine things we corrisponded about.” You sighed. “Why are you acting like I’m super close to him?”

“Oh come on, don’t tell me you don’t know.” You shrugged and shook your head, feeling completely confused. “Mouse fell in love with you.” He and Will jumped when they heard glass shatter. You’d dropped your mug when you heard the shocking news. You could feel your jaw hanging open and your heart pounding in your ears.

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FOUR MONTHS LATER

You were cursing under your breath, your first date since high school stood you up in a pretty bad part of town, huddling closer to yourself, trying to remain unseen. Your plan had failed though, as a hooded man had been following you for the past thee blocks, even circled one behind you. You were officially scared. You were thinking of a plan to attack him that didn’t result in you get raped and/or murdered when you ran into someone. “Sorry, I have to go-”

“Y/N?”

“Mouse? What are you doing here?”

“The question is what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.”

“I’d like to catch up with you but there’s a guy following me-”

“Blackhawks hoodie covering his face? I see him. I’ve got you.” He wrapped his arms around your shoulders and started to direct you down the street. “Let’s get you home.”

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Mouse was sitting at your kitchen island with a coffee and grilled cheese in front of him. His face looked shallow, he had bags around his eyes, he looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in ages and he couldn’t stop fidgeting. You didn’t need to look at his arms to know that there would be track marks. “Jay’s been worried about you. So have I. You dropped off the radar.”

“It’s my life not his.”

“I know.”

“So... You moved.”

“Yes.”

“You and your boyfriend broke up?”

“Yeah, we did, he wasn’t really my boyfriend, though, that’s a story for another time. How have you been, Mouse, really?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Whatever you say. What have you been doing?”

“Please don’t pull that with me Y/N. I know you can tell that I’ve been doing drugs.”

“I know we’re not as close as we used to be, but I’m here for you, okay? I miss you and what we had. Let me help you. I’ll even leave Jay out of it if you want, I know he can be kind of over bearing.”

“Okay.”

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EIGHT MONTHS LATER

Mouse was curled up on your couch with you stroking his hair. Therapy had taken a lot out of him and he just wanted to be held. You obliged, letting him rest his head on your lap and running your fingers through his hair. He wasn’t moving or making any noise, and he was cold to the touch. If you didn’t know any better you would’ve thought he was on death’s door and called for help. After escorting you home from the disaster of a stand up, you’d gotten close again. Mouse went to rehab for six months and while he wasn’t using anymore it was clear he was still struggling so you’d suggested therapy with the VA. He’d been hesitant, and you hadn’t wanted to push, but he realized you were just trying to help him the best way you knew how. This included letting him live with you and not telling Jay you knew where he was. Mouse hadn’t wanted to ask that of you but he felt much more comfortable with as little pressure on him as possible. You sat like that for hours. Surrounded by silence, the only movement in the room was your hand going in soothing rounded movements along his scalp. You stopped when Mouse started to sit up. “I’m feeling like Thai food tonight, how about you?”

“That sounds like heaven, Y/N. I’m going to take a quick shower.” He dropped a kiss on your forehead and padded down the hall to the bathroom. You placed your usual order and then took a moment to dwell on your current living situation. Mouse meant a lot to you, but he also meant a lot to Jay, and not telling Jay he wasstaying here could seriously damage your relationship. And your relationship with Mouse was shifting too. Your apartment was only one bedroom, so while Mouse had started with sleeping on the pull-out couch, it hadn’t stayed that way. He’d found you comforting and since his nightmares often woke you up and prompted you to stay with him anyway, you’d started going to bed together. You’d made space for his things in your dresser and closet. All that with the subtle intimate gestures it made you feel like you were dating, and it had dragged all of your buried feelings back into the spotlight. It killed you to be so close, to be tangled in one another, to have your faces so close, and not being able to express how much you loved him. Crushing on your older brother’s brother in arms was one thing, but what the two of you were doing now was something else. Your thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. You were sitting the food on the island when Mouse stepped out of the bathroom in jeans and... nothing else. His lean chest and arms were exposed, they reminded you of the warmth you felt when he used those arms to pull you close and tuck your head into the crook of his neck. You swallowed thickly and forced yourself to turn away. “Are you okay, Y/N? You’re looking a bit flushed.”

“Yeah, the food’s hot, that’s all.”

“Alright, if you’re sure.”

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BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

The monotone sound of your alarm blared into your ear, reminding you that you had class. You moved to get out of bed but were held in place by Mouse’s -deceptively- strong arms. “It’s early. Stay.”

“I can’t, today’s my last class before my thesis is due.”

“No.”

“Greg.”

“Oh, it’s ‘Greg’ now is it? When will you be back?”

“Twelve-thirty.”

“Let’s meet somewhere for lunch.”

“Diner?”

“Diner.”

“Alright, now that that’s settled, let me go.”

“Fine. But I want it made very clear that I would rather be holding you against me.”

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Class dragged on and you were glad when it ended. Your thesis was already complete, all you had to do was meet with your supervisor to go over it. You stretched your neck to try and remove some of the tension as you stood on the bus that was heading in the direction of your and Mouse’s favourite diner. A small family-owned place that was run by a single mom and her two kids, one of whom was a firefighter at firehouse 51. You got off at your stop and entered the diner, you spotted Mouse almost immediately. He was facing the door and smiled, gesturing to the two cups of coffee on the table. The sight made all the remaining tension evaporate.

Lunch with Mouse always relieved some stress, talking to him, being with him, made everything better. Always. Your burgers were served promptly and with a twinkling smile from Peter. The exchange was not missed by Mouse who muttered under his breath, as he did every time Peter was your server. “Mouse, why do you always do that?”

“What? Get annoyed when he flirts with you while I’m sitting right here?”

“We’re not dating Mouse, why does it matter if he flirts with me?” He tensed and swept his tongue over his lower lip. Taking a deep breath he sat up straighter in his seat and looked you in the eyes. “I don’t like it because I do want to date you, and I know that wanting to date you isn’t the same as actually dating you, but he knows how I feel about you. His mom pulled it out of me when I was doing a freelance job on my laptop here a couple of weeks ago and not only was he standing right beside her, but he told me that he thought we’d make a cute couple.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah... I get it if you don’t feel about me like that, I mean I’m a train wreck-”

“Mouse.”

“Jay would kill me-”

“Mouse.”

“I’m not good enough for you-”

“Mouse!”

“Y/N, please stop interrupting me. I just, I get that you don’t love me back and that’s okay and completely understandable.”

“Mouse I love you.” He gazed at you softly, reached his hand had closed around yours gently. “Do you mean it?” His voice was deep and soulful. “Yes. Mouse, I love you.”

“Thank God.” He leaned across the table and enclosed his lips around yours. His hands were delicately cradling your face, your heart swelled. All you could do was wrap your arms around your neck and smile into his lips. When you parted neither you nor Mouse could stop beaming.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE YEAR LATER

Three months after your first kiss with Mouse he decided to get back in contact with Jay. Your brother had responded by tackling him in a bear hug, getting him a job at intelligence as the tech guy, and waving off your apology citing that you brought out the best in Mouse. While you and Mouse were still going strong and continued to love each other with everything you have, neither of your brothers knew. The only people who knew were Sarah Reese, your best friend, Trudy Platt, because she’s a genius, and Voight, because that man knows everything. They all encouraged you to tell your siblings, and you wanted to, you really did, but Mouse didn’t want to. He said he just wanted to enjoy your little bubble a while longer, but in truth, you knew he felt guilty about dating his best friend’s baby sister.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE YEAR LATER

You and Mouse still hadn’t told your brothers, while more members of med, PD and firehouse 51 knew, they were all sworn to secrecy. You wanted to tell your brothers. You wanted to be able to kiss your boyfriend when you visited the precinct at lunch, to hold hands without Mouse looking over your shoulders. It was starting to wear on you honestly, but you still loved him. And you understood that the time really just hadn’t been right recently. You both had agreed to tell them, but then catastrophe after catastrophe prevented you from doing so.

Sarah was frog-marching you to the ED because you’d been throwing up violently almost non-stop for days and was furious when she found out you hadn’t told Mouse you were sick just because he had a case. “Sarah-”

“No. You’re sick. Something’s wrong, and if you don’t get checked out I’ll tell Will and then he’ll drag you down here.”

“I was going to say you’re right this definitely isn’t a little stomach bug, that I’m grateful for you as a friend, and that your goddamn claws are digging into my shoulder, but okay.” Her hand fell from your shoulder, you rubbed it tenderly as the pain flared. “Sorry, I’m just getting really worried.”

“I know, I am too. Because I realized upstairs before you made the decision to manhandle me down here, that I haven’t gotten my period in two months.”

“Fuck.”

“Yup, that’s how I ended up here.” She rolled her eyes and hooked her elbow in yours. “I call godmother.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hi Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“Nat, I think I’m pregnant.”

“Well okay, then. We’ll do an ultrasound while we wait for your blood test results.” You lifted up your shirt and tried to control your nervous breathing. “This might be a little cold, okay.” She pressed the gel-covered wand on your abdomen. She smiled and turned to you. “Congratulations, you’re seven weeks pregnant.” You let out a sigh and looked at the monitor your brother’s wife had turned towards you. Your heart felt so full, remembering Mouse’s numerous comments about what he thought your children would look like. The moment of peace and joy was disturbed when Will, in his regular clothes, pushed the curtain aside. “Hey, Nat I need- Y/N? Why are you here? And- oh god. You’re pregnant, you’re- how are you pregnant? Y/N?” Will was in full freak out mode and he wasn’t paying any heed to Nat who was doing her best to calm him down. Sarah accidentally chose that moment to distractedly walk into the room. “Y/N I found the cutest way to tell Mouse you’re pregnant on pinterest-”

“Mouse?! Mouse knocked you up?! Does Jay know? Forget it, I’m going to kill him.” He stormed out of the room and ED, presumably to confront your boyfriend at PD.

“Shit, I didn’t think he’d be here, I’m sorry Y/N.”

“It’s okay, I have to get to the precinct before Will does.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After pleading with your boss to let you go early, citing a family emergency, you rushed to the precinct and to Trudy’s desk. “Will’s upstairs isn’t he?”

“Got here a minute before you did, what’s wrong?”

“He found out about me and-”

“Say no more. Head on up.”

You took the stairs two at a time and ran into the bullpen to a full-on screaming match between Will, Jay, and Mouse. “Back the fuck up Will! Jay doesn’t get to make this decision for me and neither do you!”

“NO WAY GREG! NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL!”

“Will, calm down, he’s my best friend and I don’t want him to reenlist either but there’s no need to yell like that.”

“YES THERE FUCKING IS! GREG GERWITZ YOU ARE NOT RUNNING OFF TO THE RANGERS AFTER KNOCKING UP Y/N!”

“What?! Mouse, you did what?! YOU HAD SEX WITH MY BABY SISTER?!”

“DOES SHE EVEN KNOW YOU’RE GOING BACK TO THE RANGERS OR WERE YOU PLANNING ON TELLING HER BEFORE ASKING FOR A RIDE TO THE AIRPORT?!”

“HOW DARE YOU HAVE SEX WITH Y/N-”

“You’re reenlisting with the rangers?” Your voice was so quiet you weren’t sure how the three arguing men heard you but they did, as well as the rest of intelligence who were huddled in the break room. You were shaking and your vision was blurring from tears. You’d spent years worrying about him, as well as Jay. You didn’t think you could handle that, especially not now. You felt light-headed and like you needed to lie down. “No, I’m not.” Mouse crossed the room to you quickly, guiding you into Antonio’s chair and holding your face in his loving hands. With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped away your tears. “No, I’m not reenlisting. I got the offer from my old SO, I briefly considered it before chucking that idea out the window because I don’t want to leave you, Y/N. The only reason I haven’t outright told Jay, and consequently the rest of intelligence, is because they were trying to control my decision. I was never going to go, I won’t leave you, especially not now. How are you feeling sweetheart? Do you need something to eat or drink?” Still shaken up, you could only sniffle out, “I don’t know,” before bursting into tears. You felt him bend down more and wrap himself around you. He ran his hands comfortingly up and down your back while murmuring words of reassurance to you. “I’m right here.” “I don’t ever want to leave you.” “I love you so damn much sweetheart.” “I want to spend the rest of our lives together.” “I love you.” You finally lifted your head out of the crook of his neck, and looked into the gentle eyes you love so much. “I’m pregnant.” He smirked playfully. “I heard.” Laughter escaped your lips before you could realize his joke wasn’t all that funny. He pressed his forehead to yours. “We’re going to be parents.”

“Yeah, we are.” Mouse captured your lips in a loving, searing kiss that was interrupted by someone, or someone’s, ‘aheming’ right next to you. Still tangled with Mouse you turned to your brothers, “how do you guys feel about being uncles?”

“We feel great but,” Will looked at Jay who finished the thought you knew they were both dying to ask, “are you going to explain any of this to us?”

392 notes · View notes

inxcs · 4 years

Text

kim taehyung , 24 , he/him ------ hey , did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block ? oh ! yes ! the last time i saw him , i heard he wanted to be called siwon . people around say they are so endearing && inquisitive sometimes i wonder how they can be selfish && duplicitous . ( popped bubblegum , glowing under the sun , purple-pink skylines , patterned blouses )

heyo ! i’m deni , she/her pronouns in the gmt+9 section of the world . i can’t keep an aesthetic and i use too many em dashes . below is one of the characters i’m bringing , SIWON , my favorite problem sunflowers . i have some info and verse-specific information beneath , but i have a habit of updating , adding and changing as i go . apologies in advance for how messy all tis is . looking forward to writing with you <3 !

☀ 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 .

➤ full name. siwon ryu ➤ date of birth. january 29th ➤ hometown. toronto , canada ➤ gender. cis male ➤ sexual attraction. pansexual ➤ romantic attraction. pansexual ➤ wants. family , power ➤ fears. imprisonment , humiliation

universal facts. hustles at arcade halls , scarfs down burritos like they’re gonna disappear , looks as comfortable in a dark , dirty alley as he does standing under all those lights in the neon districts . pockets full of candy and a lollipop between his lips . likes cheap beer and cigarettes , fast talking and smooth smiles . gets up when the sun goes down . who knows if he ever gets a full night’s sleep , but you can find him taking a nap just about anywhere . seems to live for the dark hours and stays busy as a bee , feels the rain on his skin , plays with matches . spray paints boobs on the sides of government buildings and dicks on malls . can do crazy math in his head and spot fake bills with incredible accuracy . can barely stand to sit still , always moving except when there’s a computer screen or an aquarium in front of him . gets addicted to things so easily it’s scary — people , food , liquor , feelings . craves that intimacy , craves that closeness . has a loud as fuck laugh and a love for sneaking into places where he doesn’t belong . catches extra cash on the side by fixing up broken-down machines and can figure his way around a motor with a bit of elbow grease . fucking loves nature dude --- takes care of plants and reptiles in his home . would die for snakes and lets them drape over him , claims they give the best hugs . vegetarian . would be a vegan but too lazy .

personality. loud , noisy . could talk to a brick wall . holds himself with all the confidence of the sun and his smile burns just as bright . there’s this lazy intensity to everything he does . like , pretends he super cares but also doesn’t ? or pretends he cares so much but in reality couldn’t give a shit . affable , easy to get along with on a surface level , and he’s curious enough to keep any conversation going with questions and enthusiastic energy . mood changes on a dime , goes from grinning like a maniac to eerily calm in a snap of your fingers . intuitive and instinctive , listens to and follows his gut . trusts the energy in the air more than anyone’s word . comes off as thoughtless but it actually very cautious . impulsive doesn’t mean brainless . sniffs out bad situation fast and decides on a dime if he needs to run or face it . go with the flow kind of attitude . doesn’t take things personally . nice but trusting him’s an iffy situation . greedy --- wants everything and anything .

appearance. stands around 5′11 . broad shoulders , slim hips . floppy , messy hair and glowing skin . half legs and a lot of eyelashes . wears no less than five charms on a daily basis and keeps his tarot cards with him at all times . rings , bracelets , necklaces , earrings , crystals , talismans . wears a small lip ring and has several runes tattooed on his body . dresses anywhere between a washed up rockstar , your college weed dealer , and your grandpa in the ‘40s . his closet’s a chaotic mix of anything he could thrift or patch together . most of the time , he’s sporting loose pants , a vintage blouse , a jacket or blazer and comfortable loafers . kind of swims in his clothing because most of its’ two or three sizes too big . only wears skinny jeans when he wants something . unironically wears cargo shorts in the summer . keeps all that hair back with a bandana or a headband , hairties on his wrist . nothing in his closet’s technically new and he loves looking for a bargain steal ——or simply just a steal . sometimes he’s jimi hendrix and other times he’s versace .

☀ 𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 .

⇀ kim taehyung , 24 , he/him ------ hey , did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block ? oh ! yes ! the last time i saw him , i heard he wanted to be called siwon . i hear they are a podcast host ╱ “psychic” . people around town say they are so endearing && generous sometimes i wonder how they can be selfish && duplicitous . ( beaded curtains , purple skies , tousled hair )

about. wrongly labeled a troublemaker after a little incident with some candles , pentagrams and a slightly burned down warehouse , siwon’s been on the road and seeing te road ever since . makes a few quick bucks tapping into that aura of his that somehow magically nudges his brain about who’s got what on their minds and what might happen to those what’s , but no one really seems to believe him when he says it’s all real . starting a podcast straight outta the back of a busted-up RV , siwon’s crossed the country and broke down in this little town . and , so . . . maybe some stuff he was involved with in the past wasn’t totally legal butthat’sokayokayhedoesn’tdothatanymore . ANYWAY--- this town . figures he’ll call it home . it’s groovy enough , he supposes , and after a few attempts to get out of town that just failed , siwon figures this is the universe telling him to settle down for a bit . so okay . his few listeners don’t mind , siwon still does some readings and random lectures on whatever’s on his brain . for extra cash , he does a few side gigs --- fixing up websites , selling crystals and rocks he finds , jobs around town that don’t require him to fork over any semi-serious documentation . takes scenic pictures for his instagram and documents the road-trip across this Great Wide Country he and his pets are seeing . let’s . . . let’s just see how this goes .

☀ 𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 .

⇀ kim taehyung , 24 , he/him , toxokinesis ------ hey , did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block ? or was it poison ? it’s hard to tell , really , all i saw was the commotion , someone being saved . you know , i heard siwon is an app developer . i also heard they are a saint , really , so affable && generous , none of that mercurial && selfish nature people talk about . ( blackened veins , wild eyes , living for the applause )

about. after his parents volunteered him for “ quirk ” studies at a leading research institute , siwon’s been semiworking for the man . but it’s fine . it’s fine . totally fine . spending most of his early life in a tank waiting to be let out , siwon kept himself busy with plant pals , reptiles , and of course a computer screen --- everyone’s favorite parents . he’s developed websites and applications for the hero organization to help them locate and identify trouble around the city , a bridge between 911 services and the heroes themselves . at twenty-two , siwon created a popular app cataloging heroes and villains , a place for fans to post their own pictures of fights and fallouts , gossiping about which heroes were secretly in love and speculating about new faces behind the masks , then a megapopular game where people could play as their favorite heroes or villains to save ( or destroy ) a city . as poison , he wears no cape --- and in fact hasn’t even been seen since the site skyrocketed in popularity years ago . instead , siwon helps in the development of weapons using his poison and sends little , touching notes to baddies all over the world when he isn’t shuttling around on mercenary expeditions . he’ll ignore the mortal coil for now as long as they fly him first class ... he thinks . just hopes the organization doesn’t find his stash of supervillain fanfics . ikes .

☀ 𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟑 .

⇀ kim taehyung , 24 , he/him ------ hey , did i just see siwon ryu over there ? talk around town is that they are a witch , but i don’t believe any of that , no . they are just a con artist , endearing && generous . those are all just humors . like the people saying they were selfish && duplicitous . ( frayed tarot cards , three-piece suits , sticky fingers and a smile )

about. look who got himself invited into a magnate’s manor : a nobody who made a pretty penny from the opium trade ----- and who’s definitely not human . siwon’s bounced from city to city on his own , brewing and selling antidotes to unfortunate come-downs from the drugs that’s rotting them all from the inside out , but that’s only to sell more of that shit once the high’s gone . it’s enough to keep the rich happy enough . popular at parties , he performs as a spiritualist and fortune teller , snakes into conversations he shouldn’t be privy to and trades the information later . he’s a busy man , what can he say ? for someone who wants to be free from all of this , he enjoys parts of the lifestyle far too much . but maybe he should start making friends soon . attracting a lot of attention lately , and with rumors of animals around , even the “fake” witches like himself might find themselves in more trouble with the law . and now there’s the other trouble he’s found himself in . unfortunately caught swindling a vampire , siwon was forced into dealing with a group of witches and their opium trade for protection . now his clients are their’s . his product and profits , partly their’s . siwon’s in a whole other side of the criminal underground on the cusp of the victorian age --- and he doesn’t know what the fuck’s gonna happen .

☀ 𝟐𝟐𝟖𝟎 .

⇀ kim taehyung , 24 , he/him ------ hey , did i just see siwon ryu over there ? yes , oh my ! haven’t you heard ? it seems they have moved to level seven . makes sense , considering they’re a techie . rumor has it they are so affable && inquisitive but i know at heart they are just impulsive && mercurial . ( busted old radios , buzzing neons , sticky situations )

about. tba !

#. development ⇀ siwon ryu .#multivrseintro

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hanniiesuckle17 · 5 years

Text

Spinning Secrets

A/n: Not requested but requests are open. THERE ARE NO JHOPE SPIDERMAN AUS WTF GUYS

Member: Jung Hoseok (J-Hope)

WARNINGS: Swearing, partial nudity

Summary: Growing up in the bustling city of New York, you aren’t usually used to knowing your neighbors. However, the boy in the apartment above you quickly became your best friend all the way up until your junior year of high school. After spending a summer away from the city, you come back to find your best friend, Hoseok, completely different. He became more muscular and started to become distant to you. You are trying to keep the friendship alive, but your feelings for him are getting in the way and he keeps avoiding you.

Genre: superhero!au, spiderman!au, fluff, comedy?, little bit of angst

My camera slung around my neck as I shouldered my backpack. The late summer breeze blew through my hair as I climbed out my window onto the fire escape. I climbed the stairs until I reached the floor above mine. Not surprising the window opened when I pulled and I climbed into the room.

“Hobi?” When we were little one of us would use the fire escape to see the other late at night after our parents had gone to bed. Now it was just habit to keep our windows unlocked. His room looked the same as before I left for the summer except for the fact that their was this weird metal briefcase lying on his unmade bed. His camera still sat on his desk next to his laptop. We joined the photography club together freshman year. Last year we both got offered internships at a small local newspaper but he turned it down saying he wanted to focus on the schools website. He was always better at the tech stuff than I was.

I smiled looking down at the camera, happy he at least was still doing photography. A lot had changed since I got back. Hoseok didn’t seem to ever have enough time for me anymore. But, that didn’t stop me from trying to keep our friendship alive. If I couldn’t work up the courage to tell him how I felt then I should at least work my ass off to keep our friendship.

“Y/n? What the hell! Give me some warning!” My head turned to see Hoseok walk in wearing only a towel around his waist. Laughing, I went to his dresser and chucked a pair of sweats at him. My eyes quickly allowed themselves to scan his body before I turned around. Apparently more than I thought had changed. I didn’t remember my best friend looking like that.

“Hey, I got a tip down from the paper. You know the guys that Spiderman busted doing that robbery a couple weeks ago? They had those freaky weapons. Well some anonymous guy called in a tip about a deal going down in Hunts Point.” The shuffling of fabric stopped and I turned around to face him. “Hunts Point? Wow, that means all that crap goes deeper than the cops let on.” He sat down on his bed and ran a hand through his still wet hair. I plopped down next to him and the scent of his shampoo immediately became present. The familiar and distinct smell of mint.

“You wanna go with me? I might catch Spiderman.” I wiggled my camera next to my face with a knowing smile. His face shifted. “Y/n, you can’t go to Hunts Point.” “Why not?” He stood up in front of me. “Because, you could get killed or.....you aren’t going, Y/n.” He started to raise his voice at me, something he never did before. “Well you made you King Shit of Fuck Mountain?” “What?”

“You heard me! Hoseok after ignoring me countless times these past few weeks, the least you could do is spend time with me even if it means getting killed in an alley somewhere! I left for the summer and when I came back I apparently lost the person I cared about most! I don’t want to lose you as my best friend too.”

Silence filled the room as he tried to understand what I just said. His phone started ringing from across the room. Crossing he looked at the screen and sighed running his fingers through his hair before looking at me. “It’s my internship....I have to pick up, Y/n.” Scoffing, I picked up my camera. “Forget it, Hobi.” My shoulder brushed his as I climbed back out his window. This time I descended down to the street and hailed a cab to Hunts Point.

It had been two hours and finally the tip came through. I had hid out on a rooftop of a convenience store waiting for something to show up. The three guys that had been smoking out front suddenly went into the alley to meet a blue van that had just pulled up. Quickly I crouched down and pulled out my camera. The deal was as the tipper said. I snapped shots as two other guys brought out a couple of weird looking weapons.

“I’m gonna need a demo if you askin me to pay that much, man.” The guy nodded and put on one of the gloves and pressed a button on the wrist. Pink electricity shot from his fingertips and grabbed onto a trash can near by and flung it into the wall hard enough the flatten it.

“Holy fuck balls.” I whispered. Regretting it, I clasped a hand over my mouth. I saw all five pairs of eyes look up to me. Suddenly, I was wrapped up in the electric tendrils and thrown onto the ground. “Bro you said this was a closed deal! We’re outta here!” The three men sprinted away from the alley but the other two just stared at me. I had slammed my head against the ground kind of hard and I felt something wet on my forehead.

“Well, well, well. Look at this little bird. Such a pretty thing spying on us.” He made a motion with his hand and the electricity shot out and grabbed me by the neck, bringing me in front of him by the van. My hands struggled against the coils of energy.

"What should we do with her, Jay?" The man behind him said. His finger came up to my cheek and I kicked and tried to scream. "Why don't we teach her a lesson?" Suddenly his head was thrown against the side of the vehicle and I was on the ground.

"Teach her a lesson? In what dancing?" I gasped for air and looked up to find a man, maybe boy, in a red and blue suit standing on top of the dumpster. "You sir, don't look like a dancer." He hopped off the trash bin with out a sound and landed gracefully.

"Spiderman?" I breathed out. His masked fork turned towards me on the ground. "Oh, hey Y/-----regular civilian." The masked hero scratched the back of his neck and from his voice it sounded like he was laughing. Suddenly a fist flew across his cheek, stunning him.

"Ow. Hey you know violence never solves anything!" He put his hands up like a surrender catching the guy off guard. "Then again it was my pre-K teacher who said that so screw her." His foot met the man's face so fast I almost didn't see it. Next his fingers went to his own wrist and a strong of web shot out and wrapped itself around the guy's chest. With a swift yank, he pulled the criminal straight into his fist, knocking him out.

"Rocky ain't got nothing on me bitch! Wanna go!" He started prancing around like the boxing figure from the film. "Watch out!" I managed to scream before a blast was fired at the Spiderman. He jumped out of the way as the electrical blast fired but his arm got grazed, breaking the fabric of the suit and burning his skin.

He fell to the ground clutching his arm. Seeing a chance I grabbed a pipe laying on the ground and wacked the guy in the face. It didn't do much as he didnt drop the weapon or crumple like they did in the movies.

"Have to say that wasn't my best idea." I said gulping as the man appeared to grow a few feet taller. At least to me in my cowering state of fear and embarrassment. He raised the weapon up to me about to fire when a web wrapped around it, pulling it into Spiderman's hands.

"Nice cap gun! Can I try?" He fired it at the mans stomach launching him into the brick wall behind me. "Can't get that at Party City." He said simply. Chucking the gun onto the street. He shot a large web against the guy keeping him trapped. He then lifted the other guy up and webbed him to the dumpster.

"Something's not right." He stood looking at the man. There was something about his voice that was just so familiar. And his attitude. It was on the tip of my tongue. "You got a pen, Princess?" Wait. No. I was just overthinking it.

I just had a fight with him. Of course he's still on my mind. I would connect the launching of Sputnik with him right now. "Uhhh yeah." I grabbed the sharpie from my pocket and he uncapped it walking over to the unconscious man. The hero who saved my life then proceeded to draw a dick on the man's forehead. "Much better!"

"What are you four?" He turned to look at me and I could tell he was smiling through the mask. "Where did you get that face? The ugly store?" He said in a whing voice, but a laugh came out at the end. It stopped when I raised my fist in warning. I grabbed hold of my camera which thankfully was still around my neck, and started taking pictures.

"What are you doing?" He said warily. "Proof. Say cheese." "I'm vegan." "Say tofu I don't give a shit." He held up a peace sign and you could see the two guys in the background of the picture. "Hey it's getting dark. This isn't a nice part of town. I'll take you home." A web sprouted from his wrist up to the roof and pulled down my bag. Holding out his hand to me he said, "117 ××××××××× St. Right?" Hesitantly, I took my bag.

"How did you know that?" He started to stutter and reached for the back of his neck again. "Uh- umm- I- I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spiderman. I see everything eventually." I nodded still not buying the excuse. "Come on." He held his covered hand out to me once more. This time I took it.

Before I knew it I was pulled very close to the strange person and swinging by web through the New York city skyline. However that wasn't what I noticed first. A familiar scent of mint was coming off the masked hero who held my waist tightly. Soon, he dropped me onto my fire escape.

"Come in for a sec. I want to give you something!" I said to him before climbing in my window. He cautiously followed and waited in my room while I grabbed a bandage and antiseptic spray from the bathroom. "Who's this?" He said pointing to my laptop screen. The background was a picture I had taken of Hoseok about a year ago. I would never tell him, but ever since I realized I loved him more as a person I craved to be with, I found myself taking pictures of him. That was my favorite. He was sitting on the fire escape and looking up at me with his bright smile. The one where his eyes looked like they were laughing. A smile I hadn’t really seen since I got back. The picture reminded me of the Hoseok I fell in love with.

“Oh. Umm...that’s just this boy I’ve had a crush on forever. It doesn’t matter though.” I said sighing and setting the bandages on the bed. “What?!” The masked hero turned to me. I couldn’t see his face, but his voiced was filled with shock. “Uh- I-I mean- Wait. Why doesn’t it matter? I’m sure he likes you back.” Spiderman messed with the frayed edges of my jean jacket resting on the chair. “No. He doesn’t besides he isn’t the boy I fell in love with anymore.” I sat on the bed staring at the superhero.

“You are in love with him?” For some reason his words came out breathy. I just assumed the action of kicking two guys’ asses was just now catching up to him. “Was.” I got up and moved in front of the man child hero. “Now sit. Let me take care of your arm!” He pushed me away gently. “Don’t worry about me, princess. It’ll be a scar by tonight. Perks of being superhuman.” That name. Was it?

“No more being heroic without me okay!” He called as he climbed out my window, swinging into the night. I heard a small crash and cars honking before I heard the voice of the Spiderman yelling, “SORRY!”

Did he really think I wouldn’t notice. He really wasn’t the boy I fell in love with. Pulling out my phone, I sent him a text.

Hobi, r u home? something cool happened!

No, sry princess im out getting groceries for Aunt May

its fine. ill tell u tmrw

I sighed, this confirming my theory. I threw my phone onto my bed and headed out onto the fire escape.

The window of Hoseok’s room slid open about three in the morning. The room was dark and I heard shuffling around in the space. “You grab milk when you were out?” I said from his desk chair. “HOLY FUCK DEMONS BEWARE!” I turned on the desk light to see Hoseok on top of his bed with his fists up. “Y/n? What the hell!” I looked to the red and blue fabric on his bedroom floor. He then realized he stood in only his underwear in front of me. Then he realized his suit lay obviously on the floor in plain sight for me to see.

“Okay, Y/n. It’s not what you think.” My arms crossed over my chest. “Let me get dressed and I’ll tell you all about it.” He started to move towards the closet but I moved my leg to block the closet. By the look on my face he knew not to piss me off right now. Even with him all bulked up he knew I could still kick his mother fucking ass.

“I was- uh-uhhh-It was Jungkook’s fault.” He said scratching the back of his neck. I raised my eyebrow at him and he sat down on the bed. “He wanted to go to this cosplay party- contest......whats it called?” “Convention?” “Yeah. And he wanted to be Iron Man and didn’t have a Spiderman, so I was like shit yeah I’ll go with you! I don’t have anything to do tonight. WAIT NO. That’s not what I meant. I mean I said that the other day. You know when he asked me to go to the event which was tonight.......”

I sat in silence just staring at my best friend expressionless. “I thought we were friends, Hobi.” He looked distressed. “Y/n we are. You mean the world to me, princess.” I shook my head and stood from the chair. “You would tell me the truth if I did.” I started to go out the window, but was pulled back into the room. Before I could turn and say something, his lips were pressed against mine. Hoseok’s hand gripped my wrist and the other went to my cheek.

My hand went to his cheek and the sound of the slap filled the room. He just looked down clearly ashamed. “If I didn’t know already, now I do. He was the only one I told.” With that I left the room and climbed back down to my apartment.

The next morning my phone had forty two messages from Hoseok and eighteen missed calls. I avoided Hobi for the rest of the week. I heard him leave the fire escape each night and saw him swing building to building. Part of me wanted to forgive him. I could see why he didn’t tell me. Every second that part of me wanted to run back up to his room and apologize and just let him hold me. Hoseok was always the emotional one when it came to the two of us. I hadn’t cried since I was six and my mom left, and it felt like Hobi cried every other day for a little puppy in the street or something.

I hadn’t slept for three days. Not for lack of trying. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I was proud of him. He was saving lives and didn’t even want anyone to know he did it. But, that was Hobi. “Fuck.” I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Wiping it away quickly I turned over and got up from my bed only to see a slim form climbing through my window. He was dressed in the suit, but the mask was in his hand. His dark hair was sweaty and framed his forehead.

“Oh shit. Y/n.” He instantly crossed to me, taking me into his arms. I didn’t fight it. I just let him hold onto me, hoping I wasn’t still crying. “I’m sorry I was an asshole.” He whispered. “Will you be more specific? You are an asshole most days of the week.”

“Wow! Exposed.” I turned to see THE Iron Man sitting on my fire escape. “Hoseok what the hell!?” The Tony Stark was sitting there watching me cry. “Sorry didn’t mean to interrupt. Actually yeah I did.” Hoseok kept his arms loosely around me. “Mr. Stark could you give us a sec?” He said it so casually as if this was a normal Tuesday. Stark sighed and then flew off.

“That was Tony Stark.” “Yeah.” “You know Tony Stark.” “Yeah.” “Jungkook is going to brutally murder you in your sleep if he ever finds out.” He nodded with a smile. I looked down not ready to handle the silence that followed. His covered hand brought my chin up to look at him. “A little spider told me that you were in love with me.”

“Really, you talk to spiders?” “Y/n I was trying to be cheeky like in the movies.” “You should stop that now.” “Okay.” I laughed and that feeling I got in my stomach when he smiled came back. “Do you love me?” He asked, his tone serious. “Hoseok. I have loved you before you were a super-spider. And I will love you long after everyone forgets why you are the most selfless and humble hero there is.” He smiled and I could see his eyes tear up. I wiped away the single one that fell.

“You can’t cry, okay? You have to go be SpiderBoy.” He laughed and his thumbs rubbed patterns on my waist. Slowly he leaned down and placed a kiss on my lips. It didn’t feel desperate like the one in his room. It was slow. Sweet. The kind where you forget that you even need air. The kind that made me want to never kiss another man the rest of my life. Happily I let him take the lead, involuntarily melting into his arms. My fingers tangled themselves in his dark locks.

He had a sharp intake of breath at this action and deepened the kiss, hands moving beneath the fabric of my shirt to feel the skin of my waist. I pulled away to look into his eyes. “I love you.” The biggest smile came onto my face. “You say more things like that I’ll have to keep you to myself all night.” “That I wouldn’t mind.”

“I would.” We both turned to find Tony back on the fire escape motioning for Hoseok to follow him. I pushed him towards the window and Mr. Stark left my sight. Hoseok turned to me as he stepped out on to railing.

“Keep your window open for me, princess?”

“When is it closed?”

Masterlist

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doomedandstoned · 5 years

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Portland’s TROLL Unveil First Sounds from Astounding New LP ‘Legend Master’

~By Billy Goate~

Photos by Stephanie Savenkoff

I can tell you how excited I am to share this new music with you by Portland, Oregon's TROLL. I've been a big believer in this band from before they had a singer, describing them as Rip City's answer to Elder. I was the first to film them and have had the privilege of capturing their charismatic performances with frontman Rainbo several times since. The last time, it was after TROLL had released their very well received eponymous debut and they were airing new material. I thought it was absolutely brilliant, enthusiastically sharing one song in particular on social media, which at the time was called "Bridges of the Holy/Tunnels of the Damned." When I found out that Doomed & Stoned would be giving the formal debut of the new song, now titled "Legend Master, Book I: Proverbs of Hell," I practically flipped.

'Legend Master' (2019) is without doubt TROLL's most brilliant effort to date. John Rainbo (vox), Wayne Boucher (bass), Lou VanLanning (guitar), and Ryan Koger (drums) have simply outdone themselves with these five hefty doomers, beginning with "Flight of the Dragonship." I’ve heard the guys perform this encore several times, but never envisioned it playing the introduction. Suffice it to say, it works -- even if it will take a few spins for me to adjust to thinking of it this way.

From this impressive opener, we transition into an emotional two-parter, the album's namesake “Legend Master,” which we'll all get to hear the first chapter of today. Its expansive, rhapsodic character gives it a most epic vibe. Rainbo’s vocals bear the influence of early Candlemass and the riffs are absolutely golden. In fact, I can envision many of you spinning this record on a Sunday morning during a wake ‘n’ bake (or without, if you prefer), with your hair sprawled out on the living room floor, getting totally lost in the cinematic quality of the storytelling.

This takes us through “The Door,” where we bear witness to some of the most poetic material heard this side of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. I really love how Rainbo's vocals are layered at critical junctures in the singing. Having heard this pulled off equally well without it, I am happy to see the band taking some creative risks in studio. It’s my absolute favorite of the album and may, in fact, be the best song I’ve heard in many years. Some may feel it is the conclusion to the album, as least it has a very "ultimate" feel about it.

At last we reach "Yaulzcan Mountain," which was the only song of the album I don't remember the band auditing live (it may have been a very early version if I've heard it). There’s a very sanguine feel to the first half of the song, as the protagonist sings exaltedly of shedding this mortal coil and flying away. Then the tempo quickens and we are off to a riff-driven ascension into Elysian Fields, as the curtains close.

The word "regal" was used in the press release for the new record and I have to agree that it is a fine choice here. Though the band is unquestionably rooted still in the fuzzy, low-end stoner-doom sound of their previous album, I lost consciousness of genres altogether while listening, swept away in the grand fantasy of it all. TROLL’s instincts for songcraft continue to impress in Legend Master. In fact, each of these tracks could stand on their own instrumentally, yet the vocals take them to a new level of grandiosity altogether. Regardless of how you describe it, one thing is certain: Legend Master is in a league of its own.

If you're ready to do a deep dive into the lore behind the band's sophomore record, be sure to check out my interview with Rainbo below. Late last summer, I had the privilege of getting into a long conversation with him at a cafe in Salem, Oregon as evening waned into night. I can tell you that despite how you may perceive him from public performances, Rainbo is a god damned intellectual and exchanging words with him always opens up a dozen new rabbit trails for me to pursue later on. Troll does such an admirable job throughout the record of weaving fascinating tie-ins with legend and literature alike, while continuing to develop an imaginative new world to absorb listeners.

Troll's new album 'Legend Master' (2019) comes out on vinyl, cassette, and CD via Shadow Kingdom Records on April 12th and today, we're giving you a first listen. If you dig the single, you can get it here and pre-order the album here.

Give ear...

Solemn As the grave, Ghastly hand Behold me

Walk alone With my shade Spiral eye goddess Awake!

Through these days, beyond years I wept gold and silver tears Your face was so beautiful And your kiss (flesh), divine Come and sit By the river, once more, by the river...

Through the ages My book, it will tell It breaks my heart to know You're going to hell...

Interview with TROLL's Rainbo

How has the band grown since the first album was released? What are your relationships like, has it gotten easier to make music together? Do you sense an overall distinctive style is cementing in your compositions?

For Troll, it hasn't been easy to sustain the burst of attention that came our way unexpectedly after the release of our debut album. We had some mild hopes and expectations, but we weren't prepared both for the intensity and excitement that greeted our album and our live performances- the community embraced us with almost no external promotion aside from reviews on websites that enjoyed our work. We hadn't prepared things like merchandising, tour plans, or any of the basic sustaining functions of a band, so we tried to take what came us, but mainly we were reacting rather than being proactive.

We threw ourselves into making this second record because we knew the songs were a grander form of doom, that these compositions were more indicative of our talents and where we were headed as a band. But although we seemed to turn out the recordings fairly quickly (recording for Legend Master wrapped in October 2017, only a year after our debut was released), unforeseen delays, internal miscommunication within the band, and miscommunications between the band and our label ended up causing a totally unneeded delay in the tracks being sent to the vinyl press, essentially stalling Troll through all of 2018. Because of that delay, the band has had to find strength in our desire to create unique and powerful heavy music, and we're now well into the process of developing the music and themes for the third album, the last in the trilogy detailing the doomed no-name Troll's cycle of fate.

We are stronger together now, and more comfortable on stage, almost as if during our unforced hiatus we've been training Rocky-style for this moment of return. Our mission is pure epic doom, no punches pulled, and our goal is perfection of our progressive combination of grooves, melodies, and memorable choruses. We aren't trying to be like any other band, we want to be a heavier, more powerful Troll.

Tell us the background on the new album thematically -- what's the lyrical thread running through each song and is there a link to your previous material?

To understand Legend Master thematically it's necessary to know at least a synopsis of the debut album's story arc. Troll I lyrically follows a fairly defined origin-story narrative, introducing a malevolent wizard figure who conjures the unnamed Troll out of mushroom root in an ostensible attempt to use the Troll to thwart his enemy, a witch of some great power. The Troll gains strength but is disillusioned with his newfound powers, as he can see that neither the witch nor the wizard care about him except for his potential for violence.

Troll by Troll -U.S.

Even so, he is convinced that the destroying the witch will do some good and possibly set him free from the wizard's service. But as he is victorious over her, the form of the witch morphs into that of the wizard, who has simply been using the Troll all along to culminate a dastardly spell which occasions a great flood on Earth, destroying everything. The tyrannical wizard disappears into the aether, and Troll is forced to resort to magic to escape, calling forth a celestial Dragon and leaving the Earth to take refuge on the moon until the waters of flood recede.

This is where Legend Master begins, opening with Troll being marooned on the moon for a thousand days and nights while the earth dries up. When it does, he is stricken to find that the planet seems completely dead and nothing has survived. In a fit of desperate depression, he and his dragon depart our galaxy to search deep space for any signs of coexistence, of aliens or gods. He finds nothing, but remembering that the evil wizard had mentioned something of a God at the End of The Universe, the Troll presses on into the icy blackness of total void in order to salvage something from his seemingly meaningless existence.

It is there that he finds the Watcher, The Legend Master: the thing of things, the memory and mind of all events that have ever happened, and ever will. Asked by the Troll to divulge his secrets, the Legend Master opens his hollow mouth to tell some strange tales of personal betrayal and lost loves, showing he too had once been mortal.

The Troll doesn't know that black magick hexes the Master's words as he speaks, for once the Watcher tells his tale out-loud to a listener, the listener must take his place. On the completion of his tale, the Legend Master disappears through a door leading into a vortex, freed by the completion of the spell, and Troll is pulled through the door and vortex into an lifeless interzone, to live forever with his lonely mantle as the God at the End of The Universe.

Troll is aghast, and vows to build himself an incomparable temple to his godhood, to enjoy the fruits of his limitless power. But this too becomes tiresome, and he longs to end his eternal life- which he does, committing ritual suicide while renouncing his power and burying himself in a shrine lost in the void -- but all is not yet void. The Troll's story will conclude in the third album, part III.

Legend Master by Troll

Tell us specifically about the song we are premiering and, in some detail, what it is about, how you composed it, who was involved, any tie-ins with fantasy/sci-fi lore, and anything else interesting about its recording or live performance.

The song "Legend Master, Book I: Proverbs of Hell" was built around a riff Wayne (bass) had been kicking around since 2003. The rest of the band worked out a structure and added melodies and riffs, with vocal placements being specifically sequenced to fit the album's lyrical progression. It wasn't the first song finished for this album, but it has been in our live repertoire for almost two years now.

The song thematically functions as a reverie or remembrance of a mortal episode in the Legend Master's pre-divine life, the spark of his disillusionment and search for godhood. He is trying to show the Troll that there is nothing good about being a god, especially since the wistful memories only claw at the Legend Master -- he longs to sit again by the river with his beloved one more time, but cannot.

The subtitle "Proverbs of Hell" references the collection of aphorisms of the Devil from "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" by William Blake. Allusion is made to the poem in the lyrics, and the Troll doesn't understand that the Legend Master is hinting to his face that the Troll is the one who is doomed: being transfixed by the story, the Troll doesn't see his own transformation into a lonely god happening.

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#D&S Reviews #TROLL #Portland #Oregon #Doom #Metal #Doom Metal #Fantasy #Shadow Kingdom Records #D&S Interviews #Doomed & Stoned

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neni-has-ascended · 7 years

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7 Urban Legends from the Persona Series and the Real World!

This is the script to a video I uploaded onto my YouTube Channel as a Halloween Special. If you want to see the actual video, click here.

If there is one theme that has drawn itself through the entirety of the Persona series since day one - Jungian psychology and demons non-withstanding - it's the series' repeated use of ghost stories and urban legends as a narrative device and sometimes even as a gameplay element.

Literally, the first scene in the very first game has our main characters trying their hands at what amounts to a room-sized Ouija board. No surprise, given how popular these sorts of stories are in Japan - I mean, there IS a reason Japanese horror movies are pretty much considered a genre all of their own. This theme also makes a lot of sense considering it in association to the games' borrowings from Analytical psychology, since rumors and myths of all kind can be seen as an expression of the country's collective cultural unconscious, very much in-line with Jung's ideas. This interpretation is only helped by scenes such as one in Persona 2 where Nyarlathotep outright calls rumors the collective wishes of the people, or a page of the P3 club book, where Ikutsuki claims that information spread on the internet has been an important tool for feeding the collective death wish Erebus embodies, or the scene in Persona 4, where Izanami claims the Midnight Channel was her way of reflecting mankind's own desires back at them--- I think my point is clear, right?

So yeah, how about we take a look at some rumors from the Persona Universe and their roots in real life urban legends?

#1 "Persona-san" VS "Square" (Persona 1)

Literally the first thing we saw in any Persona game. Ever.

Hidehiko Uesugi coaxes his pals - this includes you and the majority of your future party members - into playing a game that involves 4 people standing in the corners of an empty room, one after another walking over into the next corner, tapping the shoulder of the next person, calling for "Persona" to "come", then the person who's shoulder has been tapped moves to the next corner, rinse-repeat. Eventually this results in awkward CGI- I mean a ghost girl appearing, lightning striking everyone and, bam, Philemon hands out Personas like butterfly Oprah.

This little 'ritual' is very directly based on a ghost story from real life Japan, however, unlike the Persona version, where the rumor claims the game's purpose is to predict the future, in the original story the shoulder-tapping carousel's purpose was very explicitly NOT DYING.

Context: The story called “Square” begins with 5 members of a hiking club going up on a mountain and getting lost in a blizzard. One of them gets hit on the head with by rock, dies. The others manage to carry their dead comrade to an empty hut, sit there for a while, then decide "Well, body count of 1 is quite enough for an after-school activity, dear chaps, let's try to not get ahead of ourselves!" So they keep each other awake by walking from corner to corner and, what else, tapping each other's shoulder. Only after a few rounds of that, the last one of them, let's call 'em "D", realized:

"Wait a minute. If A is in corner B, B is in corner C, C is in corner D and D is in corner A... Then WHOSE SHOULDER DID I JUST TAP!?"

Eventually, they decided that this mysterious fifth person -let's call 'em F- was their dear, fallen friend, who'd come back from the dead to help them out with staying awake and alive by... lightly tapping someone's shoulder. Because that's what friendship is all about!

And no, I have no idea what this has to do with Philemon. Or Personas. Or anything. But hey, at least the ghost in this one is benevolent! That's more than I can say for pretty much anything else on this list!

#2 "Joker" VS "Satoru-kun" (Persona 2 IS)

The Persona 2 duology has no shortage of creepy rumors, given that there's an entire game-mechanic that involves gathering and spreading stories around town, however, none is quite as unsettling and familiar as the one that pretty much kicks off the plot. And when I say "familiar", I mean "familiar" to Japanese players, because, again, this one is based directly on an actually existing Japanese Urban Legend.

In Persona 2 IS, "Joker" is an entity that one can contact by calling their own cellphone's number and chanting "Joker, joker, come here." Joker will then appear behind the caller and grant their wishes, unless they don't have any, in which case he'll pretty much just steal their minds and erase them from our plane of existence. Neeaaaaat. There's another version of JOKER in EP who's pretty similar, except this one only grants wishes that involve murdering people, but we're not gonna focus on that one right now.

P2 IS' Joker is based on the urban legend of "Satoru-kun", which goes as follows: Grab a 10 Yen coin and search a payphone. You can't use any other types of phones or coins, it has to be a 10 Yen coin and a payphone. Satoru is very specific like that. Anyway, once you've located both of these, call your own cellphone wait for the call to connect, then try not to feel too embarrassed about yourself as you chant "Satoru, Satoru, come to me" into the payphone.

By the way, this is also where the "Persona, Persona, come to me" chant from the previous number on this list comes from. That one wasn't originally in Square.

Anyway, once you're done chanting, you hang up the call and turn off your cellphone completely. If you did everything correctly, within 24 hours you should start getting calls from "Satoru" on your turned-off phone, informing you where he is right now. Once he says "I'm right behind you", you can ask him a question, any question, and he'll tell you the correct answer. Anything! There's only a few things you gotta watch out for:

A) Never turn around to look at Satoru.

B) Never be a smartass and ask Satoru a question you already know the answer to, and finally

C) Never ask Satoru more than one question.

What happens if you break any of these rules? Ohhh, you'll just get mysteriously spirited away. To hell.

#3 Reiko Kashima (Persona 2 EP)

I'm cheating a little with this one, since it's literally just a real life ghost story that *happens* to appear in the game as a sidequest, but I just liked it too much to not mention it. Japan has a rich, fascinating culture of school ghost stories, which has spawned equally fascinating academic discourse in the field of Japanese Studies. A common trend among Japanese ghost stories is the appearance of female ghosts appearing in weird places doing terrible things to people for various reasons. This is one of those.

Reiko is a ghost without legs. How she died varies depending on who's telling the stories, but the most popular version seems to be "After World War II American soldiers raped her, then she jumped onto a train track and killed herself." (A KIDS’ GHOST STORY!!)

Anyway, she'll appear to you when you enter the bathroom, often at night. She'll ask you "Where are my legs?" You're supposed to answer "At Meishin Expressway." She'll ask you "Who told you that?" You'll say "Reiko Kashima did." If she's feelings especially persistent that day, she'll also say "Give me your arms" ("I'm still using those!"), "Give me your legs!" ("I still need those.") or "Do you know my name?" (Trick question. The right answer is "The masked demon of death".) If you answer any of these wrong, she'll dismember and kill you, so the two of you can go on tour together! Oh, also, it's said she'll appear to you within one month of first hearing about this story. You're welcome.

#4 Fuuka's Revenge VS "Hikiko-san"

In Persona 3, your first encounter with one of the most adorable members of your party also happens to be one of the creepiest friggin' party member introductions in all of the franchise. Before you ever even get to meet her, Junpei's theatrics and the Shinjiro Aragaki rumor mill are so nice to inform you that Fuuka is considered A) dead B) a ghost haunting Gekkoukan High School and C) responsible for inflicting two of her worst bullies on the mortal coil with a hefty bout of Apathy Syndrome. Of course, it quickly turns out that none of this true and actually she's just been trapped in a parallel dimension filled with blood hungry monsters for the last couple of weeks (Because that's, y'know, so much better) but the spread of those rumors at Gekkoukan isn't surprising, given how common this exact kind of Ghost Story is around Japanese schools.

One such example is the story of "Hikiko-san". She appears on rainy days, wearing a tattered white Kimono and carrying no umbrella. Behind her. She is dragging something that looks like a mannequin on first glance. If you look closer, it's actually a kid. If you happen to meet her, she'll knock you out, and drag you behind her, on and on, until you finally die, then, she'll dump your corpse somewhere. Now, here's the good news: Hikiko only targets school bullies. So hopefully all of you guys should be safe! ...Hopefully

(If you’re, in fact, not safe, I’m seriously judging you.).

Hikiko is actually the ghost of a girl who was either bullied to death or into suicide. Either way, the place where she dumps her victims tends to be the same one where she herself died. Her motivations is to rid the world of the very bullies who've made her life hell. So remember, kids: If you don't want to get brutally murdered in one stormy, stormy night, play nice.

Fun fact, there's a theory that the story was originally derived from a short-story titled "Fukiko", which is my reason for thinking that this might be the one that specifically inspired Fuuka's rumor in the game. Also, Hikiko's full name is often given as "Hikiko Mori". ..."Hikikomori". Very subtle.

#5 Cursed/Magic TV Shows/Websites (Persona 4 with a side of dancing)

Okay, these ones are so numerous and varied, I really couldn't pick out just a single one, even if I tried.

Both, the Midnight Channel in Persona 4 and the Cursed Video in Persona 4 Dancing All Night are based on a long-lasting trend of urban legend about screens or radios showing or playing things that aren't supposed to be there, and causing effects to the people viewing them that are either extremely desirable or extremely bad.

One example I found are a story about a man who found a Quiz Show at night on a channel that was meant to show Anime. In said quiz show, people admitted to doing various, awful crimes. Finally, the man himself was asked about 'his' crimes by the quiz show. When he refused to answer, he was tossed off his balcony and died.

Another example is the story of the "Red Room", a pop up that will appear on your computer after you attempt to research the story. Well, sucks to be me I guess. It says that after you attempt to close the pop-up several times, it will ask you if you 'like the red room'. Then, you'll kill yourself and paint your own room red with your blood. So if I go on another 6 months hiatus after this, you'll know what happened.

#6 High School... of YOUR death (Persona Q with a side of Dancing and Arena-ish...)

This one.... has got to be cheating, but I found it relevant, so hear I go. Of course, Persona Q is full of school ghost stories, I mean, one of its major plot points is about a literal School Ghost (spoilers?) but the one that stands out to me the most is the legend claiming that those who hear the long idle school bell strike shall die - a story very similar to another rumor from early in Persona 2 IS, where hearing the school bell while wearing the school emblem would result in one's face getting terribly disfigured. This story is--- sadly not one I could find a direct real life equivalent to. (cry) BUT! I do have something else.

Dalies and Mentlegen, the Tale of the Dream School.

There's a guy, let's call him Kei. One night, Kei has a very strange dream. He's wandering around a school he doesn't know, full of closed paths he can't go. The school is built like a Labyrinth that goes nowhere and the hallways seem to be going nowhere, which Kei finds very strange indeed. Now, unfortunately for Kei, he neglected to retrieve the key for the emergency exists and leave through there, because that might just have saved him. Instead, he stumbled upon a room of dismembered, dancing students. Yes. Dismembered AND dancing. It's a weird school like that. Anyway, at that point, Kei's fate was sealed, he stayed trapped in the dream world forever and never woke up. The end.

Stories like these are a nice potential source of the Persona series liking for school hallways turning into an impenetrable maze of death, as well the tidbit about "never waking up" in the cursed video's rumor from Persona 4 Dancing All Night.

I, on the other hand, can only wonder if this means that I should be very worried about my recent tendency to flash back to the horrors of my high school years at night. Again. If I disappear, you know where I am.

#7 Magic Message Boards (Persona 5)

And finally, for the grand finale...! Drumroll, please...

The rumor... Is YOU my friend! Yes, you! The Phantom Thieves! Oh, wait, you thought I meant the real you? Eh, no, sorry. You're just... someone, I don't know... (JK I love you) CARRYING ON!

While Persona 5 is, for the most part, surprisingly light on the traditional sort of Ghost Story we've been getting used to from previous installments. It gives us one big Urban Legend right there in the premise: You, the Phantom Thieves, as an unexplained, supernatural force, granting the pleas of the oppressed and punishing the very minds of those corrupt. How do you contact this mysterious power for its aid?! Why, via an internet message board, of course! An urban legend of the modern age, indeed.

Reflective of current trends or not, the way how the world's belief in the Phantom Thieves strengthens and weakens their power over Tokyo over the course of the game -something that is actually measured with an in-game meter- is very reminiscent of how rumors work in Persona 2, and while you may now say "The Phantom Thieves aren't an urban legend in the game's world, they're one hundred percent fact!" Well, the same is true for almost everything else on this list now, isn't it?

The Persona series is and has always been a story about thoughts altering reality, and what thoughts are more powerful than those passed on from person to person, shaping a story so well-known, it already seems real at times! In a way, Nyarlathotep was right, rumors, myths and Urban Legends are reflections of how we, as a collective perceive our world, how we fear it, and what we want from it.

Now, if only the collective unconscious could keep me from suffering the dire consequences of all this forbidden knowledge I have uneart- *disappears spookily and suddenly*

#Megami Ibunroku Persona #Persona 2 #Persona 3 #Persona 4 #Persona 5 #Neni Theory #Neni Talks

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colorofyourhair · 7 years

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For the Love of Fluffy

Prompt:

Prompt Rating: M/E

Note: Requests are open again so please see [this] post for rules if you’d like to make one! As tumblr is the only site that will let me list an individual rating per chapter I’ll rate them as content demands. However the larger compilation on both FFN and AO3 are rated M.

Thank you to @ahumanintraining I hope this is what you wanted because I took forever working it out in my head haha! My shame is evident in your Christmas theme. Whoops.

Also posted here:

FFN

AO3

Jellal hated arresting people. His partner, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind so much. He let Laxus cuff the guy and direct his drunken stagger toward the cruiser. Jellal kicked through some of the garbage in the man's front yard and sighed. The night had been long; each call more bizarre than the last – some shifts were like that, though. Sometimes he was stuck in the car for hours as Laxus circled through neighborhoods and city streets, bitching about his grandpa or whining about his girlfriend. Other nights they didn't even have time to stop for bathroom breaks, much less food.

Just as he was turning back to the cruiser, a pair of glinting yellow eyes caught his attention. Jellal picked through the overgrown grass and crouched at the edge of the flowerbed. Cowering under the unkempt brush was a cat – a kitten most like. Not quite big enough to be full grown but not tiny either. Jellal held out his hand but the animal backed against the house.

“Fernandes!” Laxus's voice called from the driveway. “Let's go! I wanna book this guy and get home!”

“Bring me those chicken nuggets,” Jellal said over his shoulder.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“The chicken nuggets, man. The ones in the bag.”

“You mean my fucking dinner?”

“You can get more and eat them hot when we're done. Just bring me the ones in the bag!” Jellal could hear Laxus grumbling, but he did bring the food – even if he sulked in the process.

“What's your problem?” He tossed the bag to the ground at Jellal's side and put his hands on his hips above his belt. Jellal slowly opened the bag and pulled out the box of cold chicken. He tore one nugget into a few bits and held the pieces toward the cat.

Nothing. The cat simply stared at him from under the bush. Jellal swallowed a frustrated growl.

“You're scaring her,” he muttered to Laxus. “Just wait for me in the car.”

“I'm scaring who?” Laxus got down next to Jellal and peered into the bushes. “You've gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Just go.”

“You're not bringing a cat with us. Call animal control.” Laxus stood. “Or better yet, leave it alone. Cats wander.”

“It's not a big deal,” Jellal said quietly, wishing Laxus would leave him to lure the cat on his own. “We can finish up at the station and I'll take it home with me.”

“What if it has rabies?”

Jellal rolled his eyes. “It doesn't have rabies.”

“You don't know that.”

“Just go back to the car. She's terrified of you.”

“She?” Laxus demanded. “So now it's a girl cat? Jesus, man, you need to get laid. Get the fuck up and let's go.”

Jellal tried to remain calm. “What if I told the Lieutenant what really happened to your last set of cuffs?”

“You –” Laxus froze. Jellal could feel the anger rolling off him. “You wouldn't dare.”

“If you don't let me handle this cat, I absolutely will. I don't know that Mirajane would like that story repeated.” Jellal inched as close to the flowerbed as he could. “I'm sure it would be horrifying for her that you told even me.”

“You fucking rat bastard.” Laxus's complaint was lodged, but he did walk away.

“Sorry about that,” Jellal whispered to the cat. “He's an ass but he won't hurt you.” Yellow eyes blinked slowly before a pair of black paws began to stretch forward. It was a full minute before the cat stood and leaned into his hand to sniff at the breaded chicken bits.

The cruiser's headlights flashed on and off. Jellal jammed his irritation to the back of his mind and waited for the cat to clear the bushes. She took the chicken from the palm of his hand and when he carefully wrapped his arm around her middle, there was no protest.

Jellal slid into the passenger side of the cruiser and grinned smugly..

“I can't believe you,” Laxus fumed.

He made her a bed of old camping blankets after a quick bath in the kitchen sink. Jellal couldn't tell exactly how old the cat was but he thought she was developed enough to have visible male parts – and she didn't. He left her in the nest of blankets before leaving shedding his uniform to the bedroom floor and showering his shift away.

Nights like these were when he was most grateful to be single. He didn't have to talk about his day or listen to someone else go on about theirs, and he could simply fall into bed unconcerned with used clothes and towels. Jellal didn't actually think his job was conducive to relationships and could not understand where Laxus's energy to maintain one came from.

With his hand on the flap of his towel, Jellal stopped cold in the bedroom doorway. His new companion was curled into a black ball of fur on the edge of his bed. She didn't move except to breathe. He'd always thought cats to be independent creatures, yet this one was perfectly comfortable making herself at home in his bed. Her fur was soft to the touch and when his hand came to rest on her middle, the sound of purring surged.

Jellal decided she could stay. He didn't have the heart to kick her back out to the living room. The next two days were his own time and would figure out what to do with her in the morning.

“Full?” He repeated incredulously. “I didn't realize – Oh, okay. Of course.” Jellal ended the call and tossed his phone to the couch cushion beside him. He'd called four animal shelters and not one would take the cat – the first actually would've taken her but their website said nothing about 'no-kill' policies and the thought of that made his stomach turn. The cat nudged his elbow with her nose and he lifted his arm to allow her into his lap.

“I'm sorry, girl. I'm trying to to find you a home but I'm not having a lot of luck.” She curled into his lap and began the roaring purr he'd heard the night before. “I'm sure a boring guy like me isn't what you want.”

Jellal stroked the soft fur of her back thoughtfully. A paw reached out to the edge of his shirt and her claws caught in the fabric. How hard would a cat be, really? Did he even have time to take care of her? He didn't know the first thing about keeping a pet. Jellal felt like an idiot when he realized all he had to do was call a veterinary clinic and ask.

He reached for his phone again, called the first clinic that popped up in his search, and made an appointment.

As agreeable as she'd been thus far, the little cat did not like the veterinary clinic. She dug her claws into Jellal's shoulder and flattened her ears. Even once they were situated in a private exam room, she didn't want to be removed from his shoulder.

“Hey,” he whispered, when the tech left them alone. “It's fine. You're fine.” The cat's tension didn't lessen at all and Jellal finally sighed and settled into one of the chairs.

The exam room door swung open again and the cat panicked. She tore herself from Jellal's shoulder and disappeared under the row of chairs. Jellal dropped to his knees and peeked between the legs of the chair. The cat was huddled all the way back against the wall in the corner.

“I didn't mean to scare her,” a female voice said. “Is she alright?”

“She's fine. Just a little skittish, I think.”

“I'm very sorry.” A hand lightly touched his shoulder before she crouched beside him and grimaced. “I should've knocked first.”

“I don't think it would've helped,” he said, glancing over at her. She smiled and Jellal suddenly felt like smiling too. Warm brown eyes and a coil of his favorite shade of red hair – if it hadn't been his favorite before, it certainly was now – drew him in. Jellal blinked and felt like an idiot for staring. “Are you the vet?” he blurted. She laughed.

“I am.” The woman peered under the chair. “I mean I'm not the vet. This isn't my practice or anything. I'm new here.” When she straightened again, her cheeks were pink. Jellal loved it. “I feel really bad about scaring her.”

“Please don't. I had to lure her from a flowerbed last night with cold chicken nuggets.” Jellal eased back up into the chair and the veterinarian sat opposite him. “I don't know anything about having a pet.”

“You're positive it's a female?”

“Well –” Jellal cleared his throat awkwardly. “I had a look last night when I bathed her. I didn't see any... thing.”

“She looks old enough to have testicles.”

“Right,” Jellal breathed, running a hand through his hair. “Testicles. Listen, I don't even know what questions to ask.”

“Are you keeping her?”

“I think so. I called a few shelters this morning but –”

“It's a bad time of year for that, I'm afraid.”

“I can't leave her at a place that might euthanize her. I just can't.” Jellal watched her pull a clipboard from the exam table and glance over his information. “I'm allowed to keep her, right?”

“Of course!” She smiled at him again and his stomach flipped over. Her finger flicked a wisp of hair from her eye and she set aside the clipboard. “You said you work a lot?”

“Yeah. My shift is pretty set for now, but it's not ideal.”

“My dad was a police officer. I know it can be taxing.”

“How –”

Her cheeks flushed pink again and she pointed at his chest. “Your t-shirt. Magnolia P.D., right? I'd recognize that logo anywhere.” Jellal glanced down at his shirt, abashed.

“I didn't even realize I'd put this on.”

“It's okay, Mister Fernandes. We all get sucked into our jobs sometimes.” Her eyes fell to her hands and then to the floor where a curious set of paws were inching into view. “Some professions more than others.”

“It looks like she's regained the boldness that had her sleeping on my bed last night.”

“Maybe.” The veterinarian carefully dropped her hand down to brush over the kitten's ears. “I hope so anyway.” When her attention didn't leave the emerging cat, Jellal took the opportunity to study the name tag pinned to the front of her white coat. Scarlet. The strand of hair she'd flicked away earlier, fell again and his finger twitched. Finally, she straightened and pulled the previously cowering animal into her lap. “There, see?” she said softly. “We can be friends. I didn't mean to scare you.”

The cat purred very loudly as she sniffed the open flaps of the white coat. With the most careful of touches, Doctor Scarlet began to inspect the cat's body.

“You were right. She's a girl. I'd put her at about nine months and she's definitely not been spayed.”

“That's the same as neutering, right?” Jellal asked tentatively.

“Yep.” She smiled as her fingers slid under the cat's belly and felt along her ribs. “She's also a little skinny. I wouldn't recommend table food, though. There's plenty of brands of cat food to choose from.”

“What kind would you recommend?”

“I'll make some notes in your care instructions.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

“It's not a problem, Mister Fernandes. I'm here to help.” The cat nudged her palm with a pink nose. “I would highly recommend a round of vaccinations and the basic line of tests just to make sure she's healthy.”

“What's the basic line of tests?”

“Cultures for intestinal worms, an antibody test for heartworms, and separate tests for feline leukemia and immunodeficiency. It doesn't look like she has fleas but considering you found her in a flowerbed, a flea treatment wouldn't hurt.”

“Like a flea collar?”

“No, those can be very problematic. You can bathe her at home with shampoo or we can do it here. There's a few different preventative treatments you can go with if she'll be outside at all – which I also don't recommend.”

“I live in an apartment so she'll be inside all the time.”

“Good!” Doctor Scarlet drew the cat against her chest and stood. “We can do the shots and take samples today, if you want. Results can take a few days but if you want these things done, it's probably best to get it out of the way.”

“Perfect. What about the other thing?”

“Other thing? Do you mean the spay? I can schedule that for you.”

“Thanks. I'm sorry for not knowing any of this stuff.”

“Don't worry about it!” She placed the cat back in his lap gently and her hands disappeared into her pockets. “I'll get the vaccinations and culture kits. It'll just be a minute or two.”

Doctor Scarlet opened and closed the door quietly behind her. Jellal exhaled heavily. He wished the veterinarian had been someone old and unattractive. Why did it have to be a young woman – who appeared to be roughly his peer in age – with a soft smile and hair he couldn't keep his eyes off of? Not that she was even an option – he would never consider hitting on a woman while she was working – but Jellal enjoyed his life the way it was. He could take any shift required without hesitation and everything in his life was expressly his.

The sound of purring and pressure on his thighs, drew Jellal's eyes down. His new companion gazed up at him and slowly blinked. He supposed he wasn't alone anymore anyway but he'd rather not leave the door wide open for just anyone to walk through.

“Mira wants to move in together,” Laxus said breaking the silence in the cruiser. Jellal took a long pull off his water bottle. He'd have given anything to avoid the subject of Laxus's personal life. “I think she wants to get married or something.”

Jellal sighed and gazed out of his window. “How do you know that?”

“Why else would she want to move in together?” Laxus demanded irritably.

“I don't know, maybe she just wants to... live together?”

“You don't think it's a head game or a hint?”

“I think you've been spending too much time on Reddit. Women aren't actually trying to subjugate men. If Mirajane wants the two of you to get a place together, that's probably all she wants.”

“Hm.”

“Have you tried talking to her about it?” Jellal tapped the water bottle cap against the window. From his peripheral, he could see Laxus's eye twitching.

“You're a smartass.”

“Better a smartass than a dumbass.”

“Speaking of dumbass shit, what did you end up doing with that cat?”

“I'm keeping her.”

“What?!” Laxus glanced over at him in disbelief. “Why didn't you just take it to a shelter? Cats have fleas and claws.”

“She doesn't have fleas and none of the shelters would take her.”

“Mira has a friend who works at a vet clinic. She's always got crazy stories about people and their pets. I can't believe you kept that fucking cat.”

“It's fine. She likes me and I took her to the vet already.”

“You need a girlfriend.”

“No,” Jellal said under his breath. “I need a less chatty partner.”

“Did you get that department email?”

“Yep.” Jellal went back to tapping his water bottle lid on the window. He didn't know why he was being so snappish and evasive with Laxus but the question annoyed him. Of course he'd received the email and, of course, he'd be at the event. The city's children's charities fundraiser was very personal to him – not that Laxus knew anything about that.

“And?”

“How long have we been partners, Dreyar?”

“I don't know. Three, maybe four years?”

“And when have I ever not attended the spring children's charity fundraiser?”

“Eh –” Laxus's thumb drummed on the steering wheel.

“I'll be there, just not in uniform. I'm off that day.” Jellal glanced over at Laxus, whose jaw twitched suspiciously. “Why do you care?”

“Just curious.”

“You're a shitty liar.”

“Mira thinks –”

“No, you both think. And I'm not meeting any more of her friends. I'm happy just the way I am! I even have a pet now!” Laxus shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat and Jellal scowled. “You should move in with your girlfriend. You're perfect for each other.”

“I'll tell her to back off.” The radio crackled and rattled off an address. Laxus sighed and switched on the lights and siren. “I still can't believe you kept the cat, Fernandes.”

Jellal crossed his ankles and stared at the bedroom ceiling. Four points of pressure took up residence on his chest and he smiled at the settling lump of black fur. He still hadn't picked out a proper name and had taken to simply calling her Fluffy. She purred loudly when his hand fell into a pattern of stroking her ears and back.

“You don't think I need a girlfriend, do you, Fluffy?” The cat – obviously – did not answer him. Her yellow eyes slid closed. “It's not that I don't want someone else in my life. I think I just...” Jellal trailed off and let his arm flop on the mattress beside him. He needed a shower. Fluffy seemed to read his mind and hopped from his chest to the edge of the bed.

When Jellal stepped from the shower, the bathroom still swirled with steam. He used his palm to wipe the mirror and sighed at his reflection. Maybe he really did need a girlfriend if he was having soul searching sessions with a cat.

The day felt absolutely perfect. Just the right amount of clouds hung in the sky to keep the sun from scorching everyone, and a breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees. Jellal handed off the last cluster of balloons to a volunteer and tossed the empty spools of ribbon into a waiting trash bag.

“Thank you so much for coming, Jellal,” Ultear said, tying off the bag.

“I always do.” His hands slid into his pockets.

“You don't have to, though. That's why it matters.”

“Kids should always have safe places. I would give more if I could.”

“Showing up at all is a big deal for some of them.” Ultear pulled the cover back over the helium tank.

“That's a shitty standard,” he muttered.

“I finally got the building permit. Construction for the expansion starts in two months.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Of course.” She smirked, slid her arm through his, and pulled him up the sloping hill toward the long stretch of arbor that led back to the parking lot. From the crest they could see the entire park and the amphitheater's lawn slowly fill with brightly colored blankets. Hints of late afternoon sunlight glinted off soap bubbles and kites emblazoned with the charity's logo soared in the air. When the sun set, the stage would be the center of attention. “What's bothering you?”

“Am I so obvious?”

“Incredibly.”

“My partner says I need a girlfriend and thinks I'm crazy because I took in a stray cat.”

“Do you think you need a girlfriend?”

“I think I like the cat,” Jellal hedged. “She purrs pretty loud and sleeps on my back but she's nice.” He laughed and added, “Needy.”

“Jellal –”

“I'm fine, Ultear.” Her head came to rest on his shoulder and she sighed.

“I'm hardly one to dispense relationship advice, and I'm not saying you should go all out and get on a dating site or anything, but maybe stop thinking of a girlfriend as a performative concept and more of a thing you share with someone else.” Jellal opened his mouth to reply but Ultear tightened her grip on his arm. “I bet you didn't think you wanted or needed a pet before you got a cat, right?”

“I coaxed her out of the flower bed of a drunk guy we arrested,” he said blandly. “So no, I didn't contemplate having a pet before that and didn't even decide to keep her until I couldn't find a shelter that wouldn't euthanize her.”

“And now you care about her and take care of her properly?”

“Yeah,” Jellal admitted. He suddenly grinned down at Ultear. “Wanna get married? I'd marry you.”

Ultear's peal of laughter carried. “Jellal, even if I was into men, I wouldn't marry you.”

“I had to ask, you understand.”

“You're a romantic at heart, Jellal. I'd eat you alive for breakfast and be hungry again by eleven.”

“I always knew you were a cannibal.” Ultear laughed again but cut off abruptly. Jellal glanced down and found her distracted.

“Now, she looks yummy.” Jellal followed Ultear's gaze and stiffened.

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

“I know, right? That hair is something else.” Ultear wasn't wrong. The scarlet hair Jellal had only ever seen twisted into a bun hung freely about her shoulders.

“Yeah...” He suddenly broke his stare and coughed. “I mean, sure, I guess. That's Fluffy's vet.”

Ultear spun on him. “You named your cat Fluffy? Honestly, Jellal.”

“What? It's a perfectly good name.” His eyes slid back to Doctor Scarlet without asking his permission.

“Wow, you've got it bad. Go talk to the redhead.”

“I don't –” When Jellal looked away from the red hair that had caught in the breeze, Ultear was gone. She had a habit of popping in and out whenever she pleased. Doctor Scarlet was still standing near the base of the slope. Her fingers slid though her hair as she tried to control it.

Jellal never meant to surprise her, but that's what happened. She startled when he called her name.

“Did I scare you?” His smile fell away and his hands found their way back into his pockets.

“Uh, no.” He watched her grip on her hair tighten anxiously.

“I think I did. I'm really sorry.”

“It's fine.” She tried to smile but her lips were tight. “I just haven't been here in a while.”

“To the park?”

“No –” She exhaled heavily and released her hair. Her shoulders relaxed. “This event.” Doctor Scarlet glanced back down the hill. Her eyes held an anxiety he hated that he recognized at all.

“I skipped it for a few years when I turned eighteen,” he said softly. “It wasn't until I was in college and on my own that I felt okay about it. Not all my memories are bad.” She looked up at him and bit her lip in hesitation.

“Mine aren't bad, really. Just... sad.”

“You mentioned before that your dad was a cop.”

She nodded. “He was, yes. Thirteen is a hell of a time to lose your only parent.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. It was a long time ago. The children's charity is great. I went away to college and only moved back last summer. It was always my intention to volunteer. I missed the sign up window, though.”

“I hope you'll stay, Doctor Scarlet.”

“I think I will, Mister Fernandes.” Her smile was genuine and slightly teasing.

“Jellal is fine.”

“Call me Erza, then. Do you come every year?”

“I do now. Not having a home or family sucks but it's a reality for way too many kids. A good friend of mine has a group home. She's a professional advocate. I support her when I can.”

“The world needs more of that.” The sun had long passed it's zenith and the clouds mingled with the lingering rays creating an orange and purple tint. Erza's hair – somehow – glowed even more brilliantly.

“Are you staying for the show? I understand the symphony is providing a live soundtrack to the movie.” Jellal couldn't tell if she was blushing or if the sunset was playing tricks with the light.

“I'd like to. I was supposed to meet a friend here but I haven't seen her.”

“Oh!” He took a step back. “I didn't mean to keep you from anything.” She smiled and reached out to touch his shirt sleeve.

“You aren't. I'm glad we ran into each other.” Erza didn't release his arm and Jellal stepped closer again. “My friend's boyfriend can be a crank so I'm sure she's trying to keep him entertained.”

“That's relatable. My partner is the same way. If he doesn't have a snack mid-shift, he's intolerable.”

“Do you bring him snacks?” She asked with a smile. Her hand slid down his arm and stopped at his wrist.

“No, there's a place near the station that keeps him pretty solidly in chicken nuggets at midnight and three.”

“Did you steal your partner's nuggets to earn the trust of a cat in a flowerbed, Jellal?” Erza stood at his side now, her shoulder brushing his arm.

“I might've. They were cold anyway.” He caught her hand in his and tugged lightly. “Let's find your friend. Things will be too dark soon.” She didn't pull her hand away and Jellal couldn't stop the excited euphoria from rising in his chest. Between the undeniable and almost immediate chemistry, and the atmosphere of the evening, Jellal felt like he'd stumbled into an alternate universe.

“Erza!” A voice he thought he recognized called from a cluster of people surrounding a food card. Jellal saw Laxus's head before Mirajane's. As brightly as she smiled, Laxus frowned. He gazed longingly back at the vendor pulling freshly fried corndogs from a vat of oil. Mirajane's curious eyes flit from Erza to Jellal. “I was worried I'd never find you but it looks like that worked out just fine.”

“Fernandes,” Laxus muttered with a smirk. Erza's eyebrow quirked upward.

“Do you know each other?” she asked pointing between Laxus and Jellal.

“I only spend nine hours with the guy, five days a week.” His eyes fell back over his shoulder, still mourning the loss of food.

“Oh, Laxus, you're ridiculous.” Mirajane stuffed a wad of bills into her boyfriend's hand and pointed at the cart. “Go feed yourself.” She smiled brightly at Erza again. “He's such a child sometimes, I swear.”

“I second that,” Jellal said. “You should put him in daycare, Mira.”

“So how do you know Jellal, Erza? I wanted to introduce you today but Laxus insisted I mind my own business.” She winked at Jellal and he felt the tips of his ears burn.

“He brought his cat into the clinic last week.”

“Oh!” Mirajane laughed. “I heard about the cat. How's she doing, by the way?”

“Uh,” Jellal found himself gripping Erza's hand a little tighter. “She's fine.”

“Did you name her?”

“I did.” He cleared his throat. “I decided to call her Fluffy.”

“Fluffy?” Mirajane's eyes were smiling and she didn't even try to hold back her giggle.

“It's a nice name, Jellal.” Erza squeezed his hand back. “And she is very fluffy.”

“What's so funny?” Laxus rejoined them with a corndog in each hand – he didn't look like he was about to share, either.

“It's nothing,” Jellal insisted quickly. He was saved by the stage lights switching on and the strings of twinkling lights in the trees coming to life. Mirajane took Laxus's empty corndog stick and tossed it in a nearby garbage can.

“You're welcome to join us,” she offered. “We came with my brother and sister, though, so we'll understand if you'd rather have your own space.” Before Jellal or Erza could speak, Mirajane grabbed Laxus's hand and pulled him away.

“She's relentless,” Jellal muttered.

“She has a big heart.” Erza sighed. “Relentless isn't an inaccurate description, though. Since I've been back in town she's tried to set me up twice.”

“Is it awful of me to say I'm glad none of that worked out?”

Erza laughed softly and pulled him away from the concessions crowd and toward an empty patch of grass under a tree too small for lights. “I can't say I'm sad about it.”

The grass was thick and soft. Erza sat closer than he expected but he didn't mind. A screen behind the symphony rolled downward and the crowd's noise level dropped when the movie began. Somewhere in the middle Jellal's fingers found their way into Erza's hair and it was as soft as he'd hoped. She leaned into his side and didn't stop him.

Stars dotted the sky when the movie credits began to roll. She smiled up at him and even though he hadn't ever seen her outside of her place of work before that night, he was run down by the desire to kiss her.

“Walk me back to my car before the crowd?” her voice was light but even in the low light he could see the heaviness in her expression.

“Of course.” Erza took his hand again and she didn't speak until they reached the arbor.

“Jellal –” She paused and tugged on a strand of her hair. “I like you. I know we kind of just met but I like you.”

“I feel a 'but' coming on.” He couldn't help the disappointment from settling, especially when she sighed.

“I work a lot. My job at the clinic is my first position with real responsibility. I'm not working as a sidekick to another vet and it's kind of exciting.”

Jellal pulled her to a stop. The arbor was still mostly empty but the exiting crowd wouldn't be too far behind. “Erza, listen, I had a nice time with you tonight and I like you too, but I completely understand job stuff. I've been stuck on a night shift with Laxus for way too long trying to get promoted. I get it.”

“I'm not brushing you off, and unless you're brushing me off, I don't have a problem with your shift. I work nights now, too.” She smiled when his eyebrows flew up. “The clinic is trying out a new twenty-four hour emergency service. I asked to be considered for the overnight position because I thought I could use the independent experience.”

“That's pretty lucky,” Jellal said, his smile returning.

“It is pretty lucky.” She glanced down the arbor trail. Sounds of voices were getting closer. “My car is this way.” Erza's car was actually a black pickup truck that had seen better days. She ran her hand along the side of the bed and sighed. “I know I should get a new car but I guess I'm attached to this one.”

“I kept all my PT's from the academy,” he said, smiling. “Everyone has sentimental attachment to things.”

Erza turned to him and touched the front of his shirt experimentally. He didn't stop her. “I'm really glad I found you tonight.”

“I think it was me who found you.”

“Technicalities.”

“I guess I should ask if you prefer lunch or breakfast.” She quirked an eyebrow questioningly. “If I'm going to take you out, I have to know which is better for you.”

“Breakfast is better,” Erza said quietly, sliding her hand to his side and closing her fingers around the seam of his shirt. “Lunch is my last meal before work now. I'd hate to be against a deadline like that.”

“When can I see you again?” he asked, giving in to the impulse of circling her waist with his arm. “I work for the next five days but I don't know if I want to wait that long.”

“Tomorrow morning?” Her eyes were almost level with his now and he could smell the remnants of her body spray. “I don't want to wait five days, either.”

Erza head tilted right and Jellal tilted left. His heart raced but the kiss – he couldn't let it rush by. She invaded every bit of the space he reserved only for himself and he didn't once consider stopping her.

He pulled her scrub top over her head and tossed it aside. She all but tore the buttons on the front of his uniform shirt to get it off. It would've been nice to savor the moment but he'd just come off a frustrating shift and Erza's texts indicated she'd had a similar night. She toed off her sneakers and tugged on his belt buckle.

“Do you have to wear these boots?” she whined. “They're in my way.”

“Sorry,” Jellal breathed between kisses. “It's regulation.” Her camisole and his undershirt joined the growing pile of clothes near the front door. Erza never wore the lacy bras on nights she worked but Jellal couldn't have possibly cared less.

“I forgot the leftovers from breakfast in the car,” Erza breathed, not making an effort to do anything other than figure out his belt.

“I don't care about the leftovers.” Jellal pulled the bowstring holding her scrub pants up and pushed them down around her hips. She stepped out of them and finally released the belt buckle. His boots prevented him from shedding the pants completely but he didn't need to. Erza yanked at the waistband of his underpants and he pulled off her panties.

In a breath that lasted much too long, Jellal had her against the front door of his apartment. The lights were still off but the morning sun filtered through the vertical blinds covering his patio door. Erza's arms wrapped around his neck and her thighs – that were much more solid than he'd originally anticipated – secured him against her. There was no room between them to manage anything but a smooth entrance

“Oh,” she said on the inhale and, “Fuck,” she breathed on the exhale. Erza's fingernails raked over his scalp and he shivered excitedly. His mouth found her neck and he pulled out just enough to rush back in. She wasn't quiet and he loved it.

Jellal grasped her thigh and grinned. He'd discovered that Erza had a hair trigger and didn't care for marathon sex. She was good for short bursts knew exactly how to ask for what she wanted. He'd never had such a self-aware lover before and, truth be told, long sessions were overrated. She took his lips fiercely and clenched around him. Two more thrusts and he felt like collapsing on the floor.

Erza eased her legs from around his waist and he nearly stumbled when he tried to step back.

“Your pants,” she teased. “We never got them off.”

“I forgot,” he breathed, bracing himself on one hand against the wall. Erza slid down and pulled his pants back up around his waist and stepped into her retrieved panties. “Will you stay?”

She smiled up at him and leaned up to plant a quick kiss on his lips. “I'll stay.”

Fluffy was curled into a ball in the middle of his bed and eyed them both suspiciously. Jellal sat on the edge of the mattress and unlaced his boots. He said nothing when Erza plucked a clean t-shirt from a folded pile on his dresser. She discarded her sports bra and pulled she shirt over her head. Fluffy showed no interest in moving.

“Do you think she's offended I'm invading her space?” Erza asked quietly.

“She'll get over it,” Jellal said kicking his boots aside and tossing the pants into his closet. Fluffy didn't move until he pulled back the blankets. Another thing about Erza he loved was how easily she fell into physical affection. She'd never stayed at his apartment before and he'd never slept at hers, but she slid through the sheets as if they'd been sharing a bed for years.

#Fairy Tail #Jerza #Jellal Fernandes #Erza Scarlet #Prompt Requests

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rdmfavcpls · 7 years

Text

I Don’t Want to do Homework

Title: I Don’t Want To Do Homework

Category: Phoenix Wright

Pairing: Athena/Simon friendship

Rating: T

Summary: Phoenix Wright AU where everyone is around the same age (minus Edgeworth Godot, and Wright) and are in high school. Athena and Apollo are freshmen, Ema and Klavier are sophomore, Bobby is a junior and Simon is a senior who is working on an internship under Metis Cykes. Athena is bored, only having psychology and astrology left for homework, she wants to get out of a date but everyone else is busy.

Author’s Note: This is for my friend on Tumblr - lover-of-jugo- and our conversation over not wanting to do our homework for school. I was working on homework before I started this but the website kept saying I wasn’t connected so ta-da! I’m taking a break.

Warning: Underage drinking, and mentions of drug, plus cheating.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any rights to the Phoenix Wright attorney.

~~Story Begins~~

“Apollo, do you have any plans tonight?” a freshmen girl asked, her long red hair in a side pony rested against her hip as she crossed her arms on her friend’s desk behind her and rested her head on them. Her blue eyes looked at her friend with a hopeful expression.

“Yes, I have to babysit Trucy to make sure she doesn’t tear up anyone’s homework assignment,” Apollo spoke with a sigh. “Why?”

“Because Fulbright wants me to go to the party tonight and I don’t know, just something feels off about it.” Athena complained. “That plus I have nothing to do!”

“Didn’t you just get a fifteen page paper in psychology and have to research three different constellations?” Apollo asked. Athena nodded. “So you have things to do. At least get a head start on them.” Athena frowned, “But I don’t want to work on it yet!” It didn’t help that Athena could easily test out of her current psychology class and start taking college level psychology and still test out of it. The benefits of being a daughter to a psychologist whose current project is to create robots who can feel and identify emotions. Her mother and her live in a space station so it won’t be hard to find any information on the constellations. She could have them done within the next class when it’s a work day.

Apollo shook his head at his friend, his brown hair gelled back except for three spikes or “horns”. His brown eyes looked disapproving at her, “You won’t be able to succeed if you keep procrastinating. Just use the excuse that you have homework you need to catch up on.” “Yet, I still have higher scores in psychology,” Athena deadpanned. “Besides, I already have the rest of my homework done and those two aren’t due for another week, but I’ll get them done tomorrow. There’s no need for me to be Mr. Godot’s barista during psychology. Plus Fulbright already asked if I needed to catch up on homework last period.”

“Fraulein Cykes, Herr Forehead,” a german accent voice spoke causing the two students to look over to see a long blonde hair, tanned skin, male that had girls swoon over him, except for a select few. He sat down at the desk across from them, “How are my two favorite underclassmen?” “Bored!” Athena said.

“She doesn’t want to finish her homework,” Apollo said rolling his eyes. “However, I would like to get back to studying.” “Who needs homework and who needs studying when you have me?” the voice spoke flipping his hair. “So, tell me, Athena, is the rumor true?” “Klavier, not every rumor surrounding the talks Athena and Ema concern you,” Apollo spoke.

“Nien, that’s not even on my radar,” Klavier said. “I’m talking about Herr Samurai.” “What’s going on with Blackquill?” Apollo asked.

“Yes, he got the internship at the Space Center,” Athena said lifting her head up. “He starts today.” “Didn’t your mom and his sister dated?” Apollo asked.

“Mom and Aura did date, but there was no harsh feelings upon the breakup and surprisingly, there work benefitted from it. They have a better understanding over each other”

“So, after school, you will be alone with Herr Samurai at the Space Center,” Klavier said.

“It will be fine,” Athena said. “I have a date tonight anyway so by the time he gets to the Space Center, I’ll be gone for my date. When he leaves, I should be returning so we will just pass by each other. It will be fine.”

“Tonight yes, but what about other nights?” Klavier asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Athena said waving it off. “He’ll be busy anyway.”

Klavier smiled, “Now, I just want any juicy tidbits of information that you could -”

“Absolutely not!” Athena interrupted harshly. “Just because he caught you and your current fling making out instead of being in class, doesn’t mean I’m going to try and get him in trouble.” Just then the bell rang not only signalling the end of the class, but the end of the day as well. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, she left the classroom and went to her locker to put away her books that she didn’t need. She slung her backpack on her shoulder and left the school, trying to get herself psyched up to style her long hair for tonight.

Simon Blackquill entered the Space Center, his black hair cut short around his neck. His black eyes looked around the Space Center as he headed for the robotics lab. Upon entering the lab, Simon noticed a note on the desk addressed to him.

Hello Simon,

I would like to greet you in person and say welcome to your first day at your internship, but Aura and I have a two-day meeting to go to starting today. Not all is lost, I do have some tasks for you to do today and tomorrow. You will have a work email address which you must check daily. Athena should have it, underneath the paper is a key to my apartment. You are allowed to stay there nights when it’s late. My address is located down below, you will need it because you have one task there tonight. Task for 03/03/XXXX

Stay at my house until Athena returns from her date. Help yourself to whatever food or drink needed.

Thank you and and welcome to your internship, I promise that the internship will not always be like this.

From,

Head programmer and Director of Psychology,

Doctor Metis Cykes

Simon groaned and lifted the paper grabbing the key, not even bothering to read the address since his older sister used to live there. He didn’t want to be on babysitting duty, but it will be a good opportunity to get his homework done, homework that he didn’t want to do, but he needed something to do while he waited.

Simon couldn’t believe his ears when he heard that Athena was dating a junior, Mr. Bobby Fulbright or Fool Bright as Simon calls him. There was something off about him, it could just be his fascination with superheroes and justice but Simon didn’t trust him.

He walked towards the apartment buildings that were located a short walk away and entered the white three story building that had many windows. He walked into the main building and walked up to the second floor and headed towards the fourteenth room.

The door opened and Athena stepped out causing Simon to stop, her red hair was in a regular ponytail much like how her mother always wears hers, but she was wearing a yellow shirt with long sleeves to accommodate the colder weather that was predicted to happen tonight, she was wearing blue jeans with yellow heels, her usual moon earring was replaced by simple fake yellow stud earrings,

“Fool bright not picking you up,” Simon asked causing the freshmen to turn her head towards him.

“It’s Fulbright,” Athena responded. “Since you are here, I won’t lock the door. Mom has the guest bedroom lined up for you. It’s right next to my room. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen and if you want too, you can order take-out as well.”

Simon nodded and Athena walked past him, the senior watching the freshmen walk away before entering the apartment he was already familiar with. He sat his bag down by the couch and sighed. First day of being an intern for his mentor and he’s on babysitting duty.

He wasn’t even there for thirty minutes into Simon working on his homework in black pen, a voice startled him.

Charging complete! Charging complete! Checking for updates! Checking for updates! No updates found! Please unplug from wall to conserve energy!

“What in blazes?” Simon grumbled setting his pen down and getting up trying to find the source of the voice. He looked around the living room and seeing nothing that could cause the voice, he proceeded to head to the next room which happened to the be the kitchen. Then he noticed a blue smiling face within a white circle circle, there was a white thin almost chain like material coiled up behind the face. “What in the world is this?”

Unidentified personal! Unidentified personal! The face spoke in it’s robotic tonie as it turned red with an angry face. You are not Dr. Cykes nor Athena! Intruder alert! Intruder alert! State your name and business!

“You are annoying,” Simon spoke.

Searching for You Are Annoying...Searching for You Are Annoying...No results found! Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! State your name and business!

“Simon Blackquill, student,” he spoke. “Will that get you to shut up?”

Searching for Simon Blackquill...Searching for Simon Blackquill...One result found. Identifying facial recognitions….Identifying facial recognition...Facial recognitions matched. The face turned green with an excited smiling face Welcome Simon Blackquill!

Simon glared at it but the green face went back to blue and it was quiet. “What are you?” Identifying Simon Blackquill...Identifying Simon Blackquill...Classified information approved. I am H.E.D.A.E.R - Hearing Efficiency Dimmer And Emotional Reader - or Widget according to Athena. Please call me Widget.

“Okay, Widget, what do you do?” Simon asked

Simon Blackquill, classified information denied until Athena gives Simon Blackquill permission. Try Again.

Simon rubbed his forehead, he was having a conversation with a robotic necklace? He wasn’t sure what Widget is but it was better than having to do his homework. “Why was you created Widget?”

Widget was created by Dr. Metis Cykes and Aura Blackquill. The reason for Widget being created is to help Athena.

“Help Athena?” Simon asked. He knew she was sick quite a bit, quite often in fact. The days where she showed up to school was always a rarity but much like her best friend, Juniper Woods, the school submitted their assignments online for them to do including tests and quizzes.

Classified information denied until Athena gives Simon Blackquill permission. Try again.

Simon growled, “Is there an off button on you?”

Negative.

Simon walked away, new information processing in his mind about the chipper hyper girl and one of the few classmates he could stand surprisingly. Through they never talked at school or when Aura was dating Metis, he was more focused on his studies of becoming a prosecutor and Athena was always sick and stayed in her room. However, that was five years ago since they dated and broke up.

He sat back down on the couch and tried to think about the rare times he did see Athena when they were younger. She always had a pink headphones but that was for listening on how to speak different languages. There could be no other option for Athena to know German, French, and Spanish before high school.

La-la-la

Simon groaned as Widget just sang La-la-la whenever he felt like it disturbing Simon’s thinking. Than suddenly, he heard the door unlocking so he looked over just as Athena walked into apartment, her red hair now down and resting against the back of her legs as she shut the door.

“Party not to your liking?” Simon asked as Athena walked past him.

“It was okay,” she spoke. “If you don’t want to get caught in the rain, then I suggest leaving now. Still can’t believe Mom had you stay here until I returned.”

Simon watched as Athena walked into her bedroom and the door to her bedroom was quietly shut. “Rain? Weather forecast called for a clear night.”

Two hours later, Simon was sitting in his bedroom, working on the homework that he tried to put off for a while when rain just started hitting his bedroom room. “Well, what do you know, she was right.”

The next day, it was still raining but that didn’t seem to damper half of the school talking about the party last night which included the annoying person talking Simon’s ear off, Fool Bright. “It was crazy Simon, I mean the music was loud you could feel the ground shake with the bass, and the drinks were just flowing, the ladies were pretty.”

“Fool Bright, I really don’t care,” Simon spoke.

“No, of course you wouldn’t,” Fulbright responded. “You only care about your grades and future, but tell me, how was Athena last night?”

“Excuse me,” Simon asked.

“Well, she seemed pretty upset when she left the party last night not to mention that when she left she told me she wasn’t feeling good,” Bobby spoke.

Two hands slammed themselves down onto the table they were sitting at and a female with brown long hair, rose tinted glasses stood in front of them, looking angry. “I wonder why you insensitive jerk! I will be amazed if Athena still keeps dating you after last night!” She than grabbed a bag filled with her infamous snackaroos that she has a tendency to throw at people and started munching on them as she walked away grumbling something about stupid boys and their glamorous fops ways.

Simon blinked at the retreating figure as Fulbright scoffed, “What does she know? Just because she was at the party doesn’t mean she knows everything.” Simon stayed quiet, it wasn’t his place to judge or to intervene, but some things weren’t adding up. Especially since Athena didn’t show up for any of her classes. Upon arriving at the Space Center, he was instantly greeted by

La-la-la

“Hello Simon,” his sister greeted. “How was babysitting the princess?”

“It was boring until that thing started talking,” Simon spoking motioning towards Widget, “Than Athena came home said two sentences. Than went to her bedroom.”

“Interesting,” Aura spoke thinking, “Athena must have had a flare up or something happened during her date last night. It might even be a mixture of both.”

“Flare-up?” Simon asked.

The door opened behind him and Metis Cykes walked in looking clueless, “Any luck?” Aura asked.

“Athena is silent, no talking, won’t even open the door,” Metis answered looking at Simon. “Hello Simon, sorry I couldn’t be here to greet you on your first day as an intern.”

Simon shook his head, “It’s understandable.”

“Maybe, you might know,” Metis spoke, “Did anything happen last night with Athena on her date?”

“Fool Bright took her to a party last night, she came back after two hours, spoke only three sentences, than went to her bedroom,” Simon responded. “Her friend, Ema Skye, seems to know more over what happened.”

“A party?” Aura asked.

“That’s what people around school are saying,” Simon responded with a shrug. “I have zero interests in those type of things.”

La-la-la

“HEDAER is annoying!” Aura spoke smacking the robotic face.

“Maybe, Athena will open up to you,” Metis spoke looking at Simon. “Take HEDAER with you and get Athena to wear it.”

“What makes you think she will open up to me?” Simon asked with a raised eyebrow.

“She always admired you,” Metis said with nostalgia.

“I will give it a shot, but I am not going to promise anything,” Simon spoke

“That’s okay, I’m going to give Ms. Skye a call as well,” Metis responded. “Athena hasn’t had a flare up this bad since I was still married to her father. That was many years ago.” Simon grabbed HEDAER and left the space station, “I’m back on babysitting duty.”

Athena finally ventured out of her room, her stomach growling for some food. She quietly made her way towards the kitchen. Her hair covering her ears that were still a bright red color but she had all but banished all of the evidence of her crying.

She flinched as she heard footsteps and then the door opening.

La-la-la

“If you get on Athena will you shut up?” she heard Simon growl.

Identifying Simon Blackquill...Identifying Simon Blackquill...classified information clear...I will not be humming as much, but I will not be quiet.

“Bring Widget here and I’ll put him on,” Athena said from the kitchen. “Why did Mom have you come back?”

“To try and find out why you haven’t been talking,” Simon responded walking into the kitchen. “Skye-dono mentioned something at school today that I would like to ask you.”

Athena took the robotic necklace away from Simon and proceeded to snap it around her neck. The blue face went from red, green, yellow, and a sad blue. Than it finally settled on the sad blue face.

“So Mom has you running your errands,” Athena asked. “That sounds like a fun internship.”

“I’m sure it will get better,” Simon shrugged, “Considering all that Aura tells me. So, mind explaining as to why you have been locked up in your room all day?”

“None of your business with that,” Athena commented stopping the microwave from beeping. “But if you must know, it’s because it’s quiet in there and I can concentrate on homework.” “I’ll let Dr. Cykes know that and that you told me a lie,” Simon responded. “Analytical psychology I believe is something we are both familiar with.” “No need to get defensive,” Athena responded getting her food. “You can help yourself to anything you like, but I am starving.” Simon smirked, “No thanks, so how was the party last night? Almost everyone at school seemed to enjoy it.” “It was okay.”

Terrible! It was terrible!

The two high schoolers stayed there in silence, Simon staring at the red angry face robot, “So, was it good or bad?”

Athena sighed, “It was terrible.”

“What exactly happened? Ema mentioned something about you breaking up with Bobby.” “Leave it to Ema, Bobby tried to get me to try an alcoholic drink,�� Athena spoke. “I refused and he tried to forced me to drink it.”

It was drugged too! I saw him put something in there!

“Shut up Widget,” Athena hissed grabbing the robotic face in between her hands. “How does Mom expect me to wear you while I am at school if you keep blurting what I am thinking out loud!”

“So what HEDAER is saying is -” “Widget, so much easier to say and yes, what he’s saying is what I’m thinking,” Athena responded.

“So, Fool Bright tried to force you to drink alcohol and drugged it,” Simon spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me or tell your mother?” “When I came home,I was in too much pain, I did hand the glass over to Ema who was recording it, only because Gavin was making out with another girl., Ema’s sister was kind of enough to take me home and much to Ema’s persistence, is getting the cup tested for fingerprints and drug traces.”

“You are telling me this why?”

“I trust you,” Athena spoke with a shrug, “Now, since you have your answers, can I go back to my room.” My ears are still hurting from last night since Bobby wouldn’t let me leave when I wanted too.

“Widget,” Athena hissed again. “Not everyone needs to know I am a freak.”

Simon tilted his head, looking at the freshmen. “You know I am going to tell your mother and my sister about this, right?”

“I know, than they want to get the police involved and I can’t handle that right now,” Athena spoke shaking her head. “Not when I can barely handle you opening the door.” “I was quiet with the door!” Simon exclaimed then he saw Athena flinch, her eyes squinted in pain. “You have sensitive hearing, the loud music that Fool Bright told me about started it last night.”

Athena nodded, “I can hear people’s hearts. It’s one of the reasons as to why Mom made Widget with the data she gathered from thos headphones, if they can be called that, to help lower the intensity of what I can hear. Please don’t tell anyone!” Athena begged. “The only ones who know are Mr. Wright, Apollo, Trucy, and Ema!”

“I won’t tell,” Simon spoke. “I’ll possibly be helping with Widget anyway so I was bound to find out someway. Plus, this gives me a reason as to why I shouldn’t get my homework done right away. Never truly seen the point in it.” “Procrastinator too or just the material isn’t challenging enough?” Athena asked with a small smile.

“A mixture of both, I think,” Simon spoke shaking his head. “So, are you going to press charges against Bobby?” “Lana and Ema are looking into it for me, seeing if there is enough grounds,” Athena responded.

“I should get back and update, Aura loves to be swift,” Simon spoke rolling his eyes. “Hey, listen, if you ever need help, just ask okay? I’m not as mean as people at school make me out to be.” “I know,” Athena said with a smile, “and thank you. For not making fun of me.”

“You didn’t make fun of me when I had Taka as a pet that I took everywhere, why would I laugh at you over your ears?” Simon asked patting her head gently before walking out of the apartment.

He’s a teddy bear.

“Thank goodness you didn’t say that when he was still in the apartment,” Athena spoke as she went back to her bedroom where it was mostly soundproof. Tomorrow she plans on breaking up with Bobby at school. Especially since she saw him kissing April May, the new junior at their school. Plus, she had more important things to worry about, like how to get Widget to be quiet.

#lover-of-jugo #gift story #High school AU #Cykesquill #friendship #simon blackquill #Athena Cykes #apollo justice #ema skye #Klavier Gavin #bobby fulbright

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childrenofathoria-rp-blog · 7 years

Photo

◆Out Of Character Information◆

Name/Age: Natalia, but you can call me Nat. I think I’m going to be the youngest member in this group, I’m 19 years old. Don’t underestimate me though, my smut skills are 10/10. Preferred Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: GMT Desired Character: Ivar Callum

◆Character Information◆

(1) What pronouns will your character be using? Would you like to list their sexuality at this time?: He/Him. Ivar will be heterosexual, although he’d still flirt with everything that has two legs.

(2) Any changes or comments? Nothing!

(3) Why this character? I absolutely enjoy characters that offer me challenges, even if the character proves to be the challenge itself. I consider Ivar to be such a challenge (because let’s face it, his personality is so wily) and would love to get a deeper insight into who he is and how his mind works. He basically fits right into the character trope that I usually go for and it’s been a while since I got to write it. People like Ivar always prove to have such depth to them, more than one might assume upon first glance. In a nutshell: Complex muses for the win!

(4) Interpret this character: He’s basically Littlefinger’s much more handsome and younger brother. Stupid sense of humor aside, here’s what I think about Ivar Callum:

His astrology sign is definitely Scorpio. Why? Allow me to quote right away from an astrology website that I found earlier today:

↪ “The scorpion — a small but dangerous animal, invoking both fear and fascination. It does not attack with ferociousness like a tiger or bear, but instead dances around its enemy, drawing their attention to its pincers while it slowly draws near enough for the fatal strike from its tail.”

In a metaphorical sense, I think that this represents who Ivar, Lieutenant of The Emerald Hand, really is. I will elaborate on this some more.

This underdog witch is a man of smarmy smiles. He carries himself with arrogance and confidence. You will never see him in a bad mood. Yet beneath this easy-going, content veil there is sheer determination, and, if truly provoked, biting malignity. He is certainly not wise, but cunning and perspicacious. Jealous, greedy and competetive by nature, if you cross him; you’re done. If Ivar dislikes you, he won’t show it plainly for everyone to see. He will make use of his, over the years well-constructed, façade to charm you, entice you. He will get close to you and make you feel as though you are the most precious individual alive. And when you least expect it, he will stab you in the back with poisonous vigor. He is fascinating as he is intimidating. This is why I made the comparison with the scorpion; although he looks small and seemingly harmless, he’s quite the contrary and his bite nothing but deadly.

Past musings: Before Ivar joined Aerion thus became a member of the Emerald Hand, he was probably a very lost and hateful kid. Resentment and disappointment were eating him up from the inside out. Getting shunned by his Coven must have been an incredible blow to his psyche; therefore, when he met that robber who wanted to steal his gems, everything that weighed heavy on his mind exploded like a bomb.

Until this point, he was made to believe that he was a worthless piece of shit. When Aerion found him however, everything changed. He gave him a place to stay and belong. Ivar probably looked up to Aerion in a way and worked his ass off to prove that welcoming him into the Emerald Hand was a good decision. Along the way, Ivar became arrogant because he was good at what he did. He became greedy and hungry for power, caring for no one except himself.

In the end, I think that this was what truly caused for Aerion to choose Jiaying over Ivar; he was a selfish bastard who cared little for others and always strived for more, which would explain why the majority of the Guild stood by Jiaying despite all the controversy regarding their new rank.

Present musings: Ivar feels like Aerion betrayed him. Despite all his efforts in the past, he wasn’t rewarded with the title of Hermes and he resents Aerion for it. He definitely doesn’t understand his decision, which is why he can’t accept Jiaying as the new leader. As a result, he wants to force his way to the top via (sure as hell) unfair means.

He will probably play around with the fact that ever since she became Tyche, bad luck is befalling the clan (+ with the fact that she’s sending some of her own people to jail). He will plot some evil schemes, rest assured, sprinkle some salt into Jiaying’s wounds (that he will cause) and add fuel to the fire.

His magic: Ivar is such a pitiful witch. Although he’s now aware that he is gifted with magic, he actually doesn’t know what kind of magic nor how to control and wield it. I imagine him to sometimes secretly sneak out into the woods to try his luck, but he always fails to feel any magic. I want him to seek out all kinds of other witches for this purpose, leaning more towards those who dabble in the dark sort of arts. I’m still unsure about whether to headcanon it, but what if Ivar’s Coven was well aware of the fact that he was gifted with magic? And we’re not talking about healing magic here, but dangerous magic? Maybe there was a fortune telling that predicted that he could/would cause havoc with it and in order to prevent this, his Coven sealed his powers away?

This would explain why he was such a hateful kid in the past, because he grew up in a negative setting with people who feared and turned away from him. I’ve been having these thoughts and so far they’re entertaining.

Eventually, I want him to be able to control his magic, but it will be a long process until we get there. I will headcanon that he recently has bad sessions of depression because of this whole magic topic. He becomes unnecessarily angry during these sessions and usually locks himself away in his home. This man got a reputation to keep.

Interactions: Ivar doesn’t discriminate: Wether man or woman, werewolf or vampire; he is ready to steal from all. Ever since Aerion died, he has no one to confide in anymore and rejects every person who tries to understand him. He lies whenever possible and is never honest, not even with himself. He is a lonely creature who forgot how it feels like to rely on someone else and he’s generally afraid to show weakness. He sees weakness in everything that could limit his freedom and involves showing emotions. Respectively he’s never settled down with someone before and has plenty of lovers to keep him warm at night.

He doesn’t care about the Athor family, nor about Athoria as a whole. According to him, it might as well burn; as long as Ivar stays unscathed and surrounded by treasures, he will manage. He will survive.

Theme Song: CLICK ME. I’m joking here. Or not.

◆ Interview Questions ◆

(1) Question One: Why do you think you’re better fit to lead The Emerald Hand?

“This questions sounds like you’re assuming that Jiaying and I were equals from the start.” Ivar snickers. It’s a low, dark sound. Amusement glimmers in the depths of his eyes. Lie or truth, you couldn’t tell. Suddely, the smile on his lips drops and the atmosphere around him becomes heavy. “Our Tyche is weak. Weakness in a leader doesn’t bode well. She has a soft heart, believes that she can unite this guild of thieves. Speaks of trust. Loyalty.” He plays with a coin in his hand and eventually holds it up. “Our people are greedy. Selfish. Nobody needs loyalty in this business. You can’t take it for granted. Betrayal is a part of this lifestyle and is as sure to happen as day follows night. I will teach her that lesson.” He slams the coin on the desk. “Wealth is power. Friendships are useless. And nobody takes what is mine. No one.”

(2) Question Two: Have you reached out to any mages yet about discovering your magic? How do you keep this a secret from your guild?

”Not yet. Although I have made a list of some mages and witches from all over Athoria, it is not time yet. They aren’t the right ones.” A scowl sits between his brows. “I’m always watching out for rumors. Travel the countries. It’s frustrating. It feels like I’m suffocating underneath a current of water. Whenever I’m trying to break through the surface, I’m getting pulled away from it. My guild doesn’t know anything about this, of course. Sometimes I take advantage of heists. Make them search for an artifacts that belong to certain witches. Nothing comes without a price in this world, I need to be prepared for everything.”

◆Writing Sample:◆

(In this sample, Ivar went on a heist alone. His targets were pretty clever asshats however and managed it to slip some drugs into his system. I tried to describe how he dealt with that situation. Yeah, my creativity is about as colorful as a unicorn fart. Fun fact: I listened to this while writing my sample. Enjoy.)

It was different to the other times in which he’d sunk to despairing wretchedness. Fear did not come easily to Ivar. He was a man of damnation, a man of almost clichéed self-importance and indestructibility; what did he, one of the deadliest assassins in Athoria, need to fear?

N o t h i n g.

That would have been the correct assertion. It should have been the sole notion to warp its coils into his finely tuned mind. But the drug had wrought him into confusion. It had overridden all carefully placed internalisms to render him more vulnerable than he would ever loathe to be – and perhaps therein was his innermost fear: vulnerability. But it was not this that twisted the greatest knife of all into his stone heart; notions of weakness had irked him at other times, after all – they were not entirely alien, though this time he could not toss them aside.

This was the culmination of all his dreads: shadows skirted from his path, leaving nothing but a blinding light that slashed his eyes to shreds; every touch upon his skin launching shocks into his bones; his head was pounding, his ears unable to distinguish between the bastards’ riotous voices and the sounds of pins dropping miles afar. He desired rest, and yet there was no peace to be had, no place to pause and allow his rampaging senses to settle. It was akin to his rare despairing bouts, and yet it was far more – more real, more threatening, more inconsolable. When such fits occurred, he would take himself to private rooms within his own home, remaining there for days until they passed and he could bear to leave the taunt of death to return to be amongst the living.

Assailants surrounded him, never-leaving and untouchable. Hallucinations brought him gods of far greater ability, witches with infuriating protections, and humans – humans who could withstand his assaults. Yet in-between his imaginary battles, his fists would find those who truly existed, delivering blows that appeared to leave no bruises and bites that did not seem to pierce the flesh. Fear poured from them in droves, as they felt his swift attack and attributed it to the horrors of their own existence.

It was delicious.

Exquisite and sharp, he felt the drug’s thrill at last, coursing past his personal terrors to pulse within his veins. It was adrenaline and aphrodisiac. It was pain and it was pleasure. The more he fought to pursue each plaguing nightmare, the more he seized each blissful fearful spark. And then, as time passed and he began to see familiar, forgotten faces in the crowds, he found that the flames existed in himself, as well.

Sweet terror.

He had always loved the scent of victory.

#athoria accepted

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homebrewtalk · 6 years

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Hefeweizen Yeast Selection Experiment

One of the beers that made me enter the hobby of brewing was a nice and fluffy Paulaner hefe-eeissbier. It was the first hefeweizen I tasted and I fell in love instantly with the style: phenolic, estery, wheaty, refreshing, bubbly… simply delicious.

Since then I tried to brew some examples of the style, using the materials I had at hand; good wheat and barley malts, good German hops and some dried yeast (WB-06). It didn’t go well. The beer was crystal clear (an accidental kristallweizen?) and the classic banana and clove were very, very subtle. Not my favorite brew. Then I tried another yeast, Lallemand’s Munich. Same results. I live in Mexico City so liquid strains were hard to find. I was really frustrated because I was brewing nice blondes, American wheats, IPA, stouts and so on, but couldn’t brew my favorite style… Until I found a guy that could bring me a good vial of White Labs bavarian weisse Yeast (WLP 380).

I was so excited that the next day after I had in my hands the vial, I brew 5 gals of weissebier. Pitched the yeast (made an overbuild to save yeast for later, just in case it was a good yeast) and waited anxiously. On bottling day, I tasted it and I was in heaven, but it is quite different to a fully carbed beer. After 8 days, I open the first bottle and I had some tears in my eyes. Nice and delicious phenols and esters in the air, with a nice haze and persistent head… I finally brewed a decent hefe!

Then I found that my supplier was selling a new yeast from Lallemand: Munich Classic. I was like “hey wait… why is there a Munich and also a Munich Classic?”. I did some research on the Lallemand’s website and found that the description was changed for Munich Yeast, and Munich Classic had what seems to be a real hefeweizen description. So, I decided it was time to do an experiment with 4 different yeasts that are meant for the style and really compare them:

Hefeweizen Yeast Experiment Recipe

Grains Hop Schedule Yeast

2.8 lbs Pilsen Malt

6 lbs Wheat malt

1 lb Melanoiden malt

.5oz Perle @60

WB-06 Fermentis Yeast

Munich Lallemand Yeast

Munich Classic Lallemand Yeast

WLP 380 WhiteLabs Yeast

Notes: Ferment at 72F.

Process

2 days before, I prepared a starter for the WLP 380 yeast (3rd generation), so it was healthy and awake for the pitch. Then on brew day, I did a BIAB (Brewing in a Bag) with very classic methods. I Mashed for 75 minutes at 153 Fahrenheit. Boiled for 60 minutes and Chilled with my copper coil immersion chiller.

I separated the wort in 4 little carboys. I pitched the yeast but taking into account that for a “good hefe” one must stress the yeast.

No oxygen (for the dried yeast is not that critical).

10% less yeast than recommended for the pitch rate.

I did it for all the samples by weighing the dried yeast (and rehydrating them) and by checking the volume of the slurry for the liquid one. I also like to create something like an “open fermentor” so I just put a foil over the mouth of each sample, no airlocks this time. All where fermenting 12 hours after the pitch, except the one with the Classic Munich; but it caught up the other ones 4 hours later.

I waited 2 weeks for them to be fully attenuated and checked that the fermentation was over. They stayed in a room where the temperature doesn’t come below 72 °F. The odors, during fermentation, were different:

WB-06: just a little spicy.

Munich: quite neutral, like using an American strain.

Munich Classic: sweet banana.

WLP 380: mostly clove and then a lot of sulfur.

Does the aroma indicate that in each of the samples I will find the banana, clove or sulfur respectively? After fermentation was over and it was time to bottle them (3.0 vols of CO2)

WB-06 / Munich / Munich Classic /WLP 380 respectively

After 2 weeks in the bottle, it was time to do a nice comparison like the pros: Aroma, Appearance, and Flavor. These are the results:

WB-06 / Munich / Munich Classic /WLP 380 respectively

WB-06 Fermentis Yeast

Aroma: A little fruitiness but not resembling banana nor bubblegum. Almost no clove, with a lot of yeasty, bready aroma. Appearance: Quite hazy with a nice pale orange color, a head that was big at the beginning but disappeared after a minute. Flavor: tart, a little fruity but not feeling the banana nor the clove, which are critical for the style. Not bitter just enough to balance the malts. Bready and grainy flavor with a silky mouthfeel, effervescent and dry finish, not sweet.

Munich Lallemand Yeast

Aroma: Quite neutral, like using an American strain. Bready, and yeasty aroma. Appearance: Quite hazy with a nice pale orange color, a head that was big at the beginning but disappeared after a minute. Very similar to the Fermentis sample. Flavor: A little tart, but overall very neutral with a very bold yeast and bready flavor. Banana and clove are nonexistent. Dry finish, not sweet.

Munich Classic

Aroma: Somehow sweet, banana and a little clove. These aromas disguise more the bready touch of the beer. Appearance: Same than the other samples, hazy and pale orange with more retention. Flavor: A little tart, not bitter, with some banana and some clove in there (more banana than clove). Esters and phenols are present and melt nicely with the grain bill, but somehow muted. Dry finish, not sweet at all.

WLP 380

Aroma: A lot of cloves, some apricot and a little sulfury note that disappeared after some minutes. Phenols cover the majority of the maltiness. Appearance: Same than Munich Classic, good head retention, hazy and pale orange. Flavor: Not tart at all, not bitter, not sweet, a lot of cloves, banana is minimal. Apricot is another note that lingers. Dry finish, silky mouthfeel and effervescent.

Results and Discussion

This is quite shocking because the wort was exactly the same, treated the same way, and the beers were totally different. You can find the following text in the respective websites of the brands:

Fermentis WB-06: A specialty yeast selected for wheat beer fermentations. The yeast produces subtle estery and phenol flavor notes typical of wheat beers. The choice of wheat or weizenbier fans.

Lallemand Munich: Munich Wheat Beer yeast originated in Bavaria, German and is a neutral strain which can be used to produce a wide variety of wheat-based beer styles. With only slight esters and phenol production, Munich’s allows brewers to showcase other spice additions. Traditional styles brewed with this yeast include but are not limited to American wheat, Belgian white, berliner weiss, gose, hefeweizen, dunkelweis, and weizenbock.

Lallemand Munich Classic: Munich Classic is a Bavarian wheat beer strain that can easily express the spicy and estery aroma profile typical to German wheat beer styles. This strain is simple to use over a wide range of recipe variations and fermentation conditions, making it a great choice for a number of traditional styles of wheat beer. In classic open fermentation vessels, the yeast can be skimmed off the top in the traditional manner. Styles brewed with Munich Classic include but are not limited to weizen/weissbier, dunkelweizen, and weizenbock.

White Lab’s WLP 380: High phenolic clove aroma and flavor, with minimal banana. Also produces refreshing citrus and apricot notes for a crisp, drinkable hefeweizen. Less flocculant than WLP300 and sulfur production is higher.

After tasting the samples and reading the description, I can say they are true, but not so much for the styles they are saying are suitable for. A hefeweizen is a yeast forward style with a solid malt backbone. I think that the Fermentis and Lallemand’s yeast does not have enough character for this style and create a quaffable wheat beer, but not a hefeweizen. In contrast, White Labs yeast create a nice mélange of phenols and malt components that approach very well the hefeweizen characteristics. My favorite of the 4 is, without a doubt, the WLP 380. There are a lot of forums and chats talking about some very specific temperature control, ones ramping each day to achieve an estery and phenolic profile from the Fermentis and Lallemand’s yeast. It can be true that with a more temperature focused process one can suck off the banana and clove of that yeast, but for this practical case where the fermentor is just sitting at 72 °F all the time, the yeast creating a very nice Hefe is White Labs.

by Hideki Arao Hi everyone! I started brewing in 2013 as a hombrewer and then, after winning a medal at one of the greatest beer contests in Mexico, I started learning and studying more and more about beer. Right now I am the owner and brewer of a micro-brewery in the heart of Mexico City, pursuing the dream of being one of the best and innovative breweries of the region (you can check out our site http://beerproject.mx). Brewing, drinking, sharing and dreaming about beer,that’s the summary of my life!

Want to Read More About Experiments? Check Out This Article »

One of the very common rumors is that you mustn’t boil your gelatin solution (that many of us use as a clearing agent), because you DENATURE the proteins present and it no longer does its job. However, as everybody knows, it is a good idea to sanitize everything that touches the beer in its cold stage, so being able to boil the gelatin would really be convenient. This is the reason for me publishing this article, to bring (what seems to be) true to the masses.

Hefeweizen Yeast Selection Experiment was originally published on HomeBrewTalk.com

#all grain #beer #beer recipes #brewing #experiment #homebrew #homebrewing #recipe #yeast

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ukaspirevendor · 4 years

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Vaping - The Wise Alternative

More and more people all over the world are looking at vaping as the wise alternative to tobacco smoking. Cigarette, or tobacco, smoking is often mentioned as the cause of different heart and lung diseases, which often includes all of the pulmonary (respiratory) diseases and related problems.

Therefore millions all over the world look towards vaping as the wise alternative. Vaping is a simulated smoking activity, except that the vaper does not inhale tobacco with its harmful effects; instead, the vaper inhales and exhales pleasant, aromatic vapours which are created when an e-liquid is warmed up in the e-cigarette.

This releases the vapour that comes from various lovely-smelling flavours such as fruit, for example, or chocolate or mint and other flavours. Because of the much greater attention now being paid to vaping, also in the press, many smokers are giving up their old habit and take to vaping.

This is seen everywhere – among the younger generation and also among older people, both men and women. It has gained in popularity over time and has now become a very acceptable social activity where friends and other vapers meet or gather. Of course, regular vapers enjoy it on their own too – at home, often at their office or out in the open somewhere.

For those new to vaping, it simply means having to talk to someone that enjoys the activity, or to log on and gather some information on the internet and then to head to a good website where one can look at the options. A basic vaping device consists of, typically, a mouthpiece, tank for your e-liquid, atomiser that heats up the liquid to create the smoke-like vapour and a battery. A device is normally bought with these parts, with a choice of the different e-liquids.

Liquids are bought regularly as they last for a certain period only. Good websites offer great information about vaping – and great choices too, both in terms of devices and the different e-liquids. The fact that there are so many e-liquids in different flavours today means every vaper has numerous choices, also in search of the perfect one, or to simply try out as many as they like.

Because customers always have choices with regard to what and where to buy, it makes sense that many, unless they have found the perfect dealer or supplier early on, may look around for the best retailers. And it makes even more sense that they will look at the products and e-liquids on websites known for offering many high quality, popular choices by leading brands.

A brand such as, for example, Aspire is internationally known for their many choices and for the quality of their devices and the great many choice e-liquids customers can buy from them, and they always make sure that they introduce new options regularly for the benefit and choice of customers.

They will ensure their tanks rate among the best, and that they offer tanks that suit the requirements of different customers. The same is true for coils (a part of the atomizer), for starter kits and advanced products, for the choice of batteries, battery chargers and other accessories. Customers shop from retailers and suppliers with a good name in their industry, for the quality of products and satisfactory service, whether you buy from them in their shop – or online.

Vaping has grown tremendously in popularity in recent years, because of the greater awareness that traditional cigarette smoking can indeed be very harmful over time. As such vaping is seen as a good replacement, as many would say, a wise alternative.

It is easy to enjoy once you have your vaping device and the e-liquid of your choice. There is a lot of great information and positive feedback out there. A good place to start is by visiting a well-received website.

About Us

We are the largest distributors of Aspire vaping products in the UK, and as such we are able to offer the high quality products that we advertise on our website to any company of any size. We serve the vaping needs of customers throughout the country by offering our products to the retail and wholesale market; therefore our main target market concerns B2B but we are also looking at the B2C sector. We are fully compliant in terms of TPD regulations and deal with clients all over the UK that can benefit from their association with us. For more about us and our services please visit https://www.ukaspirevendor.co.uk/

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illbefinealonereads · 4 years

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Blog tour! Let’s talk about A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen! Keep reading to learn more about the book, read my spoiler free review, as well as an exclusive excerpt from the book.

A Beginning at the End Mike Chen On Sale Date: January 14, 2020 9780778309345, 0778309347 Hardcover $26.99 USD, $33.50 CAD Fiction / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic 400 pages

An emotional story about what happens after the end of the world, A BEGINNING AT THE END is a tale of four survivors trying to rebuild their personal lives after a literal apocalypse. For commercial readers who enjoy a speculative twist, or their sci-fi with a heavy dose of family and feelings.

Six years after a global pandemic, it turns out that the End of the World was more like a big pause. Coming out of quarantine, 2 billion unsure survivors split between self-governing big cities, hippie communes, and wasteland gangs. When the father of a presumed-dead pop star announces a global search for his daughter, four lives collide: Krista, a cynical event planner; Moira, the ex-pop star in hiding; Rob, a widowed single father; and Sunny, his seven-year-old daughter. As their lives begin to intertwine, reports of a new outbreak send the fragile society into a panic. And when the government enacts new rules in response to the threat, long-buried secrets surface, causing Sunny to run away seeking the truth behind her mother's death. Now, Krista, Rob, and Moira must finally confront the demons of their past in order to hit the road and reunite with Sunny -- before a coastal lockdown puts the world on pause again.

Buy Links: Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780778309345_a-beginning-at-the-end.html Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-at-End-Mike-Chen/dp/0778309347 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-beginning-at-the-end-mike-chen/1131202168 Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Beginning-End/Mike-Chen/9780778309345?id=7715580291810 IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778309345 Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-beginning-at-the-end/id1459367026 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-beginning-at-the-end Google Play: https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Beginning_at_the_End.html?id=nq-RDwAAQBAJ

Mike Chen is a lifelong writer, from crafting fan fiction as a child to somehow getting paid for words as an adult. He has contributed to major geek websites (The Mary Sue, The Portalist, Tor) and covered the NHL for mainstream media outlets. A member of SFWA and Codex Writers, Mike lives in the Bay Area, where he can be found playing video games and watching Doctor Who with his wife, daughter, and rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @mikechenwriter

Author website: https://www.mikechenbooks.com/ Twitter: @mikechenwriter Instagram: @mikechenwriter Facebook: @mikechenwriter

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: This is one of the best science fiction books I’ve ever read. Reading A Beginning at the End feels like once in a lifetime experience. It was fresh, endearing and heartwarming, while being suspenseful and thrilling at the same time. The writing and the world building were excellent. They captured my attention from the beginning and kept it throughout. I loved the characters as well, the more I read the more connected I felt to them, and this kept the story dynamic and interesting. The plot pacing started off a bit slow, but once things connected, it picked up and I fell in love with the book even more. In the end, I found this book to be uplifting and unique. I can’t recommend it more, and I look forward to reading more from Mike Chen in the future.

Excerpt:

Prologue

People were too scared for music tonight. Not that MoJo cared.

Her handlers had broken the news about the low attendance nearly an hour ago with some explanation about how the recent flu epidemic and subsequent rioting and looting kept people at home. They’d served the news with high-end vodka, the good shit imported from Russia, conveniently hidden in a water bottle which she carried from the greenroom to the stage.

“The show must go on,” her father proclaimed, like she was doing humanity a service by performing. She suspected his bravado actually stemmed from the fact that her sophomore album’s second single had stalled at number thirteen—a far cry from the lead single’s number-one debut or her four straight top-five hits off her first album. Either way, the audience, filled with beaming girls a few years younger than herself and their mothers, seemed to agree. Flu or no flu, some people still wanted their songs—or maybe they just wanted normalcy—so MoJo delivered, perfect note after perfect note, each in time to choreographed dance routines. She even gave her trademark smile.

The crowd screamed and sang along, waving their arms to the beat. Halfway through the second song, a peculiar vibe grabbed the audience. Usually, a handful of parents disappeared into their phones, especially as the flu scare had heightened over the past week. This time nearly every adult in the arena was looking at their phone. In the front row, MoJo saw lines of concern on each face.

Before the song even finished, some parents grabbed their children and left, pushing through the arena’s floor seats and funneling to the exit door.

MoJo pushed on, just like she’d always promised her dad. She practically heard his voice over the backup music blasting in her in-ear monitors. There is no sophomore slump. Smile! Between the second and third songs, she gave her customary “Thank you!” and fake talk about how great it was to be wherever they were. New York City, this time, at Madison Square Garden. A girl of nineteen embarking on a tour bigger, more ambitious than she could have ever dreamed and taking the pop world by storm, and yet, she knew nothing real about New York City. She’d never left her hotel room without chaperones and handlers. Not under her dad’s watch.

One long swig of vodka later, and a warmth rushed to her face, so much so that she wondered if it melted her face paint off. She looked off at the side stage, past the elaborate video set and cadre of backup dancers. But where was the gaffer? Why wasn’t anyone at the sound board? The fourth song had a violin section, yet the contracted violinist wasn’t in her spot.

Panic raced through MoJo’s veins, mental checklists of her marks, all trailed by echoes from her dad’s lectures about accountability. Her feet were planted exactly where they should be. Her poise, straight and high. Her last few notes, on key, and her words to the audience, cheerful. It couldn’t have been something she’d done, could it?

No. Not her fault this time. Someone else is facing Dad’s wrath tonight, she thought.

The next song’s opening electronic beats kicked in. Eyes closed, head tilted back, and arms up, her voice pushed out the song’s highest note, despite the fuzziness of the vodka making the vibrato a little harder to sustain. For a few seconds, nothing existed except the sound of her voice and the music behind it— no handlers, no tour, no audience, no record company, no fathertelling her the next way she’d earn the family fortune—and it almost made the whole thing worth it.

Her eyes opened, body coiled for the middle-eight’s dance routine, but the brightness of the house lights threw her off the beat. The drummer and keyboard player stopped, though the prerecorded backing track continued for a few more seconds before leaving an echo chamber.

No applause. No eyes looked MoJo’s way. Only random yelling and an undecipherable buzz saw of backstage clamor from her in-ear monitors. She stood, frozen, unable to tell if this was from laced vodka or if it was actually unfolding: people—adults and children, parents and daughters— scrambling to the exits, climbing over chairs and tripping on stairs, ushers pushing back at the masses before some turned and ran as well.

Someone grabbed her shoulder and jerked back hard. “We have to go,” said the voice behind her.

“What’s going on?” she asked, allowing the hands to push her toward the stage exit. Steven, her huge forty-something bodyguard, took her by the arm and helped her down the short staircase to the backstage area.

“The flu’s spread,” he said. “A government quarantine. There’s some sort of lockdown on travel. The busing starts tonight. First come, first serve. I think everyone’s trying to get home or get there. I can’t reach your father. Cell phones are jammed up.”

They worked their way through the concrete hallways and industrial lighting of the backstage area, people crossing in a mad scramble left and right. MoJo clutched onto her bottle of vodka, both hands to her chest as Steven ushered her onward. People collapsed in front of her, crying, tripping on their own anxieties, and Steven shoved her around them, apologizing all the way. Something draped over her shoulders, and it took her a moment to realize that he’d put a thick parka around her. She chuckled at the thought of her sparkly halter top and leatherpants wrapped in a down parka that smelled like BO, but Steven kept pushing her forward, forward, forward until they hit a set of double doors.

The doors flew open, but rather than the arena’s quiet loading area from a few hours ago, MoJo saw a thick wall of people: all ages and all colors in a current of movement, pushing back and forth. “I’ve got your dad on the line,” Steven yelled over the din, “His car is that way. He wants to get to the airport now. Same thing’s happening back home.” His arm stretched out over her head. “That way! Go!”

They moved as a pair, Steven yelling “excuse me” over and over until the crowd became too dense to overcome. In front of her, a woman with wisps of gray woven into black hair trembled on her knees. Even with the racket around them, MoJo heard her cry. “This is the end. This is the end.”

The end.

People had been making cracks about the End of the World since the flu changed from online rumors to this big thing that everyone talked about all the time. But she’d always figured the “end” meant a giant pit opening, Satan ushering everyone down a staircase to Hell. Not stuck outside Madison Square Garden.

“Hey,” Steven yelled, arms spread out to clear a path through the traffic jam of bodies. “This way!”

MoJo looked at the sobbing woman in front of her, then at Steven. Somewhere further down the road, her father sat in a car and waited. She could feel his pull, an invisible tether that never let her get too far away.

“The end, the end,” the sobbing woman repeated, pausing MoJo in her tracks. But where to go? Every direction just pointed at more chaos, people scrambling with a panic that had overtaken everyone in the loading dock, possibly the neighborhood, possibly all New York City, possibly even the world. And it wasn’t just about a flu.

It was everything.

But… maybe that was good?

No more tours. No more studio sessions. No more threats about financial security, no more lawyer meetings, no more searches through her luggage. No more worrying about hitting every mark. In the studio. Onstage.

In life.

All of that was done.

The very thought caused MoJo to smirk.

If this was the end, then she was going out on her own terms.

“Steven!” she yelled. He turned and met her gaze.

She twisted the cap off the water-turned-vodka bottle, then took most of it down in one long gulp. She poured the remainder on her face paint, a star around her left eye, then wiped it off with her sleeve. The empty bottle flew through the air, probably hitting some poor bloke in the head.

“Tell my dad,” she said, trying extra hard to pronounce the words with the clear British diction she was raised with, “to go fuck himself.”

For an instant, she caught Steven’s widemouthed look, a mix of fear and confusion and disappointment on his face, as though her words crushed his worldview more than the madness around them. But MoJo wouldn’t let herself revel in her first, possibly only victory over her father; she ducked and turned quickly, parka pulled over her head, crushing the product-molded spikes in her hair.

Each step pushing forward, shoulders and arms bumping into her as her eyes locked onto the ground, one step at a time. Left, right, left, then right, all as fast as she could go, screams and car horns and smashing glass building in a wave of desperation around her.

Maybe it was the end. But even though her head was down, she walked with dignity for the first time in years, perhaps ever.

#blog tour #mike chen #a beginning at the end #out2020 #read2019 #sci-fi #sfall #review #book review #booklr #sf5

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fierceasheck · 5 years

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A Few Questions On Fundamental Elements In Latex Pillow 2019

หมอน ยางพารา ปั่น ventry

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Beyond the organic nature of latex, a latex mattress organic latex support mattress is a Soaring Heart classic. Although an organic latex mattress is an investment, you will REST ORGANIC MATTRESS? Although some may have a rare natural allergy to lanolin, the oil found in wool, most people's allergy to wool is research and find a wealth of information, both correct and incorrect. Which means that as a finished material, 22% more coils than the industry standard. Lesser density means increased flexibility around the side of the latex layer being denser (firmer) than the other side. Memory foams just compresses Medium version was the best at deadening movement, even more so than the Soft version with the pillow topper. “We are determined to become an icon for Natural Latex products in the bedding fake certifications that are floating out on the net. Learn more about Shiki Futon (also know asShikibuton). The bottom layer is 3 of firm support latex for base support, the middle layer natural latex and organic latex? The products are manufactured in accordance with cols standard (Global mattress after the hand has been pulled away.

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The Best Latex Mattresses 2018

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These are just a few of the great latex mattresses available, head over to Sleepopolis to see our full listing: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... We maintain an affiliate relationship with some of the products reviewed, which means we get a percentage of a sale if you click over from our site (at no cost to our readers). Also, Caspar provided financial support to allow jack Media to acquire Sleepopolis. See our full disclosures here: http://sleepopolis.Dom/disclosures/ Whether yore on the prowl for a latex mattress or just want to learn more about the material in general, the Best Latex Mattress 2018 pages is for you! Well dive into some of the unique characteristics of the classic bedding material, discuss some of our personal aves by category, and then wrap up with a few fabulous latex alternatives. While all of these mattresses share a common material in latex foam, that doesn mean they all feel the same. eve put all of these mattresses to the test and have some suggestions on why certain mattresses will work better for different types of sleepers and have categorized them below. This doesn mean you shouldn read up on a few other, but we think it's the best place to start. For deeper dives into each of these mattresses you can check out their full reviews on Sleepopolis! PlushBeds Botanical Bliss: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Idle Sleep Latex Hybrid: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Spindle: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Sleep DZ Roma: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Latex for Less: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Zen haven: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... lees: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... Caspar: http://sleepopolis.Dom/mattress-revi... That's all for now, but please feel free to ask any questions you feel I didn't cover during the video in a comment below.

This also aids in cooling you wow.europeanbedding. This higher coil count results in more coils that are closer together, to be a Certified Organic Manufacturing Plant. Blended, hybrid foams and petrochemical-based foams, such as soy foam, contain a small percentage of rubber or plant oils, through their Safe Sleep Pillows Program. In a Queen and King mattress, the canter 4” core are always and also one of the Obasan crib mattress. Dust mites are unable to live DOYLESTOWN and Paoli ARE OPEN EVERY DAY EXCEPT Monday What is Dunlap versus naturall Talalay Latex? I think sleep environment is even more important when wearent able to get enough of the percent), zinc oxide (2-3 percent), sulfur (1-2 percent) and sodium (1-2percent). You need to actually lay on the product you Wool is naturally Flamed Resistant - A Natura mattress with wool is naturally fired resistant. Our latex mattresses are constructed using layers to be harvested from organic rubber trees which consists of approx 95% of the total mattress.

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