#My definition of ‘early’ tomorrow (now today) is apparently really skewed
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2. Enslaved
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Sector -300 +145 outskirts, +28 Rotations and 2 Deci-rotations since invasion start - ~253ly from Ka’Lagrath space, aboard the Slaver ship Mutiny
We had five new prisoners today. Unlike the other eighty-some individuals enslaved aboard this ship, including myself, these creatures were not acquired (as the Ka’Lagrath like to say) through one of their numerous “protection contracts.” Instead, they had been onboard an exploration vessel belonging to a civilization the Ka’Lagrath were supposedly at war with. The Mutiny had been redirected from my species’ homeworld to rendezvous with the Ka’Lagrath warship responsible for successfully “acquiring” these new prisoners.
As the new prisoners were transferred the same hold cell as I, I overhead the warship’s guard warning the Mutiny’s guards to be careful of these new prisoners, as they were supposedly very much against this whole enslavement thing, and would do anything in their power to escape. I was somewhat excited about this news, as I doubted the Ka’Lagrath would be willing to kill, or even gravely harm such rare and therefore “valuable” prisoners - which would make an escape attempt much easier.
My hope was that these new arrivals would be kind enough to break out all of the other prisoners, myself included, were they to be successful. Furthermore, as the Ka’Lagrath were unsure of their exact biology, any attempts at subduing them with gas would be extremely limited in scope. However, these hopes were quickly dashed, as the new arrivals did little but sit in silent unease.
The prisoners were certainly interesting in appearance, they were bipedal and had 2 slender appendages that appeared to be for grabbing/manipulating objects - in this regard they were extremely similar to their Ka’Lagrath captors - however, unlike the Ka’Lagrath, they had long ‘fur’ on their heads, and their skin was something of a tan-ish red color - although this was somewhat obscured by how bright they appeared in infrared.
Curious about them, I attempted to strike up a conversation with them. As I was a (now former) diplomat, I figured there was a good chance we shared at least one language in common. Unfortunately, of the 15 languages I knew, we shared none in common.
It’s worth noting at this point that our species, the Myilrs, are occasionally born with what one might call psychic powers. These powers are both very versatile - allowing communication across species in the absence of a shared language - and very limited - as only very, very few individuals outside the Mailrs were actually compatible. I was fortunate enough to be born with these powers, however, given that the Ka’Lagrath had a keen interest in these powers, were I to be found out, I would likely to be killed and dissected.
Were I to do this, I’d need to be careful. If I extended the range too far, and a compatible Ka’Lagrath guard was within that range, I’d be found out. If they happened to install any anti-psychic countermeasures, I’d get a splitting headache, once again giving me away. Of course, there was also a possibility that none of the five individuals were compatible, their species was completely unknown to me, so it wasn’t as if I knew how compatible their species was on average.
After mulling over it for around a third of a deci-rotation, I made up my mind. Closing my eyes I began to concentrate…
Can you hear me? I asked. The reply was immediate.
What? Who are you? Responded one of the individuals. Their “voice” (if you could call it that) was somewhat high-pitched, it sounded similar to the natural register of we Myilrs, but far higher than any of the Ka’Lagrath. At around the same time, one of the individuals - the smallest of the five - let out a stifled yelp of (what I presumed to be) surprise.
I am the individual sitting across from you, the one currently looking in your direction. I responded. The individual did not respond for a moment.
How are you doing this? Earlier I think you tried speaking to us, but we couldn’t understand. But now you’re… speaking(?) English. They responded.
Does your civilization, - the… English, is it? - have stories of those who can read minds? This is something like that.
The individual shook their head from side to side. No, we call ourselves (people). English is one of our (unknown word). And yes, we do have such stories.
Given the nature of how this power worked, I was reading the intended meaning behind their thoughts. This meant that there would be words (or meanings, rather) that I could not understand.
Well, I guess that’s not important right now. I’m assuming you can still hear me… So, what exactly is it you need? The individual asked.
From what I overheard, you individuals were apparently dangerous enough that the ships’ guards were warned about you trying to escape. Yet from what I see, you are just sitting in silence. Why?
That’s what they were saying? The individual cocked their head. I suppose I can’t blame them after (farmer(?)) bit one of them…
Bit? As in used their mouth to attack? I was under the impression only non-sapient creatures attacked in such ways.
Anyway, we are planning to escape. It’ll just take a few (unknown word, time related?) The individual continued. I’m (Young flower(?)), by the way.
Young flower? I asked
What? The individual responded. I mean, I suppose it originally meant something like that. They continued.
Based on the individual’s reaction, I guessed that what they had just told me was their name. Unfortunately, as most names had meanings, I usually only “heard” the meaning of the name when told via this power. To hopefully combat this, I decided to spend some time actually conversing with the out loud as well as internally to hopefully learn more about them.
Over the course of 2 Deci-rotations, I conversed with the individual known as “Hanako” along with her crew mates. I slowly began to learn their language (of which, they apparently had several), and as a result I now knew more about them.
They called themselves “Humans”, and they were part of an alliance composed of 2 different species. Similar to the Myilrs and Ka’Lagrath, their species was composed of two primary sexes, and numerous genders (whilst Ka’Lagrath also had more than 2 genders, this information was largely repressed). Their homeworld was around a G class Star, and as a result, they couldn’t see into the infrared or Ultraviolet spectrums.
Hanako - the human I had been conversing with - was in command of an exploration vessel. They had been exploring the outermost edges of Human space when their ship was attacked and they were captured. Humans were apparently also rather social creatures, as Hanako seemed to enjoy my company, and her crew mates also seemed to enjoy my presence (as I could not communicate with them directly, this was a bit harder to tell).
I had asked on numerous occasions about if they were planning to escape or not, to which they said they were. However, when I asked how, they couldn’t quite figure out how to describe it. They had assured me they would escape, but strangely it appeared as if they didn’t know how they would.
3 Deci-rotations after the humans first arrived, the Mutiny was stopped to refuel in an uncontrolled star system. In addition, five Ka’Lagrath cruisers had also rendezvoused with the tanker in order to take on fuel. It was during this refueling stop when I began to hear a distinct rumbling sound similar to that of air entering or escaping a room.
There were no vents in this holding cell, nor was the door open or any other way for air to enter or escape, and the air felt perfectly calm. Yet despite that, the ‘flowing air’ sound continued, slowly growing louder and clearer. After several minutes, the sound was impossible to ignore. It was loud enough to drown out conversation, and it made it hard to think clearly. Almost everyone in the cell, including the sole Ka’Lagrath guard, showed signs of anxiety on their faces or fidgeted nervously. I silently wondered if the ship hasn’t sprung a leak, and we were mere moments away from an explosive decompression.
The humans, on the other hand, were dead calm. Worried about their complete lack of concern, I went over to Hanako.
“Why calm?” I managed after struggling for a moment.
A look of confusion crossed Hanako’s face for a moment, she then bared her teeth (in a gesture I was assured was a sign of joy/happiness, rather than an intimidation attempt) before saying “you’ll see!”
Her words thoroughly confused me. What would I see? I didn’t think it was possible to see sound, were humans perhaps capable of seeing sound? Was she referring to the fact the ship was visibly shaking from the noise? I didn’t understand in the slightest.
I turned towards the window - the direction in which the sound seemed to be coming from - and tried to focus. I didn’t understand what was happening at all, I had so many questions that-
My train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a singular large THUD. The vacuum of space itself seemed to shudder as a massive object streaked in from near-luminal speeds before coming to an abrupt stop in less than a second. The aforementioned ‘flowing wind’ sound noticeably decreased in volume, and was partially replaced by a ‘winding down’ noise, a split second later, two more loud THUDs accompanied two more massive objects emerging from out of nowhere at similar speeds and stopping in a similar amount of time. The ‘flowing air’ sound finally came to an end as fifteen or so smaller objects emerged from out of nowhere in a similar fashion.
Despite being separated by the vacuum of space, I could clearly hear the objects. Each one groaned and creaked for several long seconds as they remained motionless. It was then that I recognized the sound. These sounds are almost identical to the noises heard when a ship is traveling through rift-space, and then the sounds heard after emerging from rift-space, as the drives powered down.
This made no sense. Eighteen or so objects - evidently ships of some kind, has just emerged from rift-space right in front of my very eyes. The Mutiny was around 500 light seconds from the system’s primary star - no ship in existence could possibly drop out of rift-space at any location other than near the system’s center of mass. And yet, these ships seemed to have done just that.
The ships’ design was completely unknown to me. Unlike the smooth a bulbous designs of Ka’Lagrath ships, these vessels were very blocky in nature. The center most ship had a long, flat deck behind a vaguely conical bridge. Either side of the primary body were two massive “wings” pointed at a slight angle “downwards”, and 2 strut-like protrusions at an angle extending out from a central tower-like structure on the bottom. Finally, on one side of the primary deck, there was another tower which appeared to be a bridge of some-sort.
Either side of the center most ship were two vaguely trapezoid in shape, with 4 large railgun double-barreled turrets on each wing (2 above and 2 below), totaling 8 turrets (although it seemed as if there were more behind the forward facing turrets). Above what looked like an embedded bridge was an enormous triple-barreled railgun turret, and there was another directly below in on the bottom of the ship. I had never seen such large railguns before - these were definitely far larger than the 23cm railguns commonplace on Ka’Lagrath vessels. Finally, both ships had an insane amount of secondary railgun turrets dotted along their hulls.
The smaller ships were less impressive, but still formidable. They were a boxy shape with a single large ‘humps’ above their center. On either side of the bridge of the ships sat dual barreled railgun turrets, and the hump contained 4 large openings that were likely for a weapon of some kind.
All in all, the eighteen ships sat in ominous silence for long seconds. The Ka’Lagrath fleet reacted instantly, all five cruisers began turning to engage the enemy fleet. Turrets rotated and hatches opened as the cruisers began to prepare for battle. The mysterious fleet, did not wait idly by, instead, around a hundred or so small craft began to emerge from the ‘back’ of the center most ship before charging at the Ka’Lagrath fleet. Following behind the small craft were the fifteen or so smaller vessels that had emerged from rift-space a moment ago. The front most ship rotated its turrets and loosed 4 rounds towards one of the Ka’Lagrath cruisers. Hell began to break loose as the Ka’Lagrath and the mysterious ship began exchanging fire.
The Mutiny was rocked by numerous impacts as the small crafts dove at it, releasing some sort of payload before darting away to attack a different target. These ships moved as if they were flying through an atmosphere, rather than the vacuum of space, which was extremely odd. Although, nothing about this situation was normal so far.
Bafflingly, as the rounds hit their target, there would occasionally be an explosion following it. This meant that, for whatever reason, these ships used explosives rounds rather than simple metal slugs. What’s more, the rounds likely contained an oxidizer as well in order to facilitate the explosion.
One of the smaller ships charged at a Ka’Lagrath vessel and four slow (compared to the railgun rounds) projectiles were deployed from the hump on the ship’s back. Noticing the lack of speed from the projectiles, the Ka’Lagrath cruiser attempted to dodge - the projectiles turned to match its course. The cruiser tried everything it could to make the projectiles miss, but it was ultimately futile. All four of the projectiles hit their mark, and the Ka’Lagrath cruiser was torn in half by an enormous explosion.
It was at around this point when I noticed that the eight forward-facing turrets on one of the two larger ships began to rotate, each pair of turrets seeming to track a different target. Each pair eventually locked onto their target and slowly tracked it for long seconds.
Then, massive plumes of fire and smoke were expelled from each barrel in sequence as the massive guns fired. They were using not railguns, but ancient explosive-propelled shells shot from a cannon. All hell broke loose, as the remaining four Cruisers all but disintegrated in massive explosions. All the ships that had been attacking a moment ago suddenly began falling back as the spine-mounted turret on one of the large ships slowly began to rotate.
Fear. That’s the only emotion I felt as I stared down the three massive barrels on the central turret. The Mutiny, the ship I was currently on, was its next target. Time stood still as the turret coldly tracked the Mutiny as it attempted to flee. Then, three massive plumes of fire and smoke exploded out of the barrels as I braced myself for impact.
The Mutiny shook with such intensity that it felt as if it were being torn apart. The ship screeched and screamed in agony as fire enveloped the hallways. The power died but the emergency light were of little use compared to the flames currently licking the door to the hallway. Somehow, we had survived. The ship was completely dead, but it would take time before the air supplies ran out.
The central turret began rotating back to its neutral position as several ships that looked something like a needle with a cone-like top were deployed from the center most ship and began speeding this way. The ships charged at the Mutiny, seemingly determined to ram the thing. I was sure they were intending to slice through the Mutiny’s hull, damning those of us still alive to boil or freeze to death in the vacuum of space. But at the last second, retro-rockets fired on each of the pin-shaped craft followed shortly thereafter by the intense screeching of metal penetrating metal. I was knocked off my feet as each of the pin-shaped craft slammed into the Mutiny’s hull. One of the ships had come to a rest no more than 20 meters away from the cell we currently occupied.
The fires in the hallway had died down, and any Ka’Lagrath guards who had survived the impacts were scrambling throughout the darkened hallways. Sparks flew from the points of contact of the closest ship accompanied by the electric sounds of welding. After a moment, the sparks and noise died down only to be immediately followed by the sounds of metal being torn through by an immense force. Then once more there was pure silence.
*pop pop, pop pop*
Four distinct popping noises were shortly followed by barely audible Ka’Lagrath screams. There were other voices too, they were somewhat muffled and mechanical in nature meaning I could not decipher them.
*BOOM*
*pop pop pop, pop, pop*
The distinct sound of an explosion followed by more of the previous popping sounds. Looking into the hallway I saw several Ka’Lagrath guards running towards the source of the noise. I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it seemed they were rather panicked. A group of around ten guard were running down the hall when-
*THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK*
A much heavier “thunking” sound began ringing out, as hundreds of orange trails whizzed by tearing the Ka’Lagrath guards to shreds. The residual “tings” of many objects hitting the floor was audible after that terrifying machine stopped firing.
A few seconds later I saw a creature in thick armor wearing a helmet with a black visor peer through the door and into the room.
“Over here!” I heard them shout in the Human’s tongue. Several more individuals rushed over to the door as Hanako spoke up.
“Get away from the [unknown word]”, I didn’t need to know what the last word was to understand that I needed to get out of the way, and fast. I scrambled away from the door as the (presumably human) individuals fiddled with the door. An eerie silence fell over the room, as every individual was herded to the corner furthest from the door. The silence was occasionally broken by rapid pops and the occasional boom. It was right when I was about to speak up when-
BOOM
The door was blown off its mount as it flew across the room, impacting the wall opposite of it. The armoured individuals stormed the room, the smoke from the recent explosion twisting around their figures as they emerged from the smoking entrance. One of the armoured individuals spotted the humans and immediately ran over to them.
I could not decipher most of their conversation, but what started as the armoured individual checking on the humans in concern quickly turned into something resembling an argument. I would need to ask Hanako about it when I got the chance. After the (what I assumed to be an) argument went on for far too long, the armoured individual gave off an air of exasperation before dejectedly speaking into some device.
After another few moments, the armoured individual began speaking to Hanako, and she relayed that we were supposed to follow a few of the armoured individuals back to their ship. At the time I was still greatly confused, but by doing this my fate would be irreversibly changed as I got involved in a conflict that would change the course of history…
Hey Y’all, long time no see. It’s been two or so months since I last updated this series, as explained in this post I’ve been very busy, but going forward I’ll be trying to update this series every other Monday or so (and failing that, the 3rd Monday of every month). That aside I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it ended up being quite a bit longer than I initially expected which is part of why it took so long.
I’m currently undecided about whether the next entry I write will be an intermission, or a full-blown chapter. The contents wouldn’t differ much, if at all. So far the actual chapters have been from an alien perspective, rather than a human/familiar one. But I’m not sure if it’s worth keeping this up “naming scheme” going forward. I still like the idea of alternating, but the issue is that of “are the entries labeled ‘1, intermission, 2, intermission…’ or just ‘1, 2, 3, 4…’” if any of you have strong opinions on this, please let me know.
Once again I hope you enjoyed, and I’ll (hopefully) see y’all in 2 weeks or so!
~Rad
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#writing#humans are deathworlders#humans are space orcs#humans are space australians#reddit refugee#sci fi writing#hfy#humanity fuck yeah#Tumblr has changed since I was here last#they did something to Tumblr live it would seem#when writing that last tag it suggested the tag ‘They did surgery on a grape’#is that tag still even active? that meme is ancient#writers on tumblr#scifiseries#hope that last tag fits#My definition of ‘early’ tomorrow (now today) is apparently really skewed
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Who are you most nervous about introducing potential significant others to?
Ooooh moving forward, probably Angela hahahaha I have no idea how I’d break it to her if ever I do start seeing somebody again. She’s well aware of all the shit that I let slide so she might get intense with the scrutineering.
What is the most exciting thing about your life right now?
Just the fact that I feel on top of the world these days. My days of being depressed and picking at my insecurities seem to be far behind me and the change has looked to be apparent coming from friends who’ve told me I seem happier, louder these days.
What was the most important non-academic thing you learned in high school?
To not be scared to fight harder for the things you believe in or what make up your identity, coming from having to hide a same-sex relationship during that period. That feeling of being constricted and having to hide to stay on some conservative seniors’ good graces really pissed me off so high school was really crucial in letting me discover just how much I’d be willing to fight and test the waters to be able to live as me.
Have you ever had a job that deeply affected your personal life? How so and do you still work there?
Hmm no, not really. If anything my job is one of the things that helped make me a lot livelier and happier.
Do you have a “one who got away”?
It felt that way at the start when my view was still skewed, but it didn’t take long until I realized she was not a loss at all.
If you were in a superhero movie, would you be the hero or the villain?
Hero.
If you found a mouse in your house, would you be frightened?
Mice or rats are the literal worst fucking thing I could see in my house. I definitely see myself making a big deal out of it lmao, especially rats.
Have you ever tried to perform magic tricks?
Nobody ever taught me, so no.
Can you do more with a yo-yo than just "go up and down"?
Nah, which kinda makes me feel ashamed because considering it was a Filipino who invented the modern yo-yo, I feel like it should be my responsibility to know a few tricks LOL.
What is one form of technology that you wouldn't be able to live without?
Instant messenger.
Did you get an allowance, growing up? Why or why not?
Starting high school. Before that I was living in our family’s duplex, so my grandma could make packed meals for all of us – not to mention the fact that my parents were also still on their way to establishing themselves at their respective workplaces so we weren’t all that well-off yet.
When we moved into our own place, we started with my mom making our meals but eventually it just proved to be time-consuming and a lot of work considering she also had a job to go to. With that and the fact that both my parents at that point already got a couple of promotions, we switched to allowance.
Would you rather go to a water park or an amusement park? Why?
Amusement parks though I would only probably head to the safer rides and food stalls with all the deep-fried offerings haha. I cannot handle more intense rides. On the other hand, water parks have always sounded nasty to me.
What is one instrument you wouldn't mind learning how to play?
Piano.
What's the longest amount of time you've had to wait in line for something?
The stupid LTO, because you can never count on government agencies to be efficient. Technically my whole time in there took a couple of stages, but all in all I spent eight hours there.
What is something that you would like to learn more about?
Korean. I just graduated from my Basic Korean 1 class but I already have plans to enroll in the following course, since I seemed to do well and I want to keep the momentum going.
What is something that one of your family member collects?
Mom has a large collection of chef-themed figurines and other sorts of trinkets like a chef timer, shot glasses, etc - but mostly the figurines - that she has displayed in a glass case. I should keep that in mind for when I start Christmas shopping, actually...she hasn’t updated that collection in a long time. Thanks for the idea!
Have you ever moved to a new school before? If so, how did it feel?
No, not in the middle of the same period since I went to the same school from kinder to high school for 14 years. I only “moved” when I started college. Like I’ve said in previous surveys, it felt freeing to finally not under be the hands of an environment ran by...well, Catholics. It was a culture shock to see rallies everywhere, to find out I could wear short shorts or even go to school naked if I wanted to, and to see boys in my class (I went to an all-girls), but it was all the good kind of shock.
Have you ever legitimately forgotten to do homework?
Always, because I never wrote them down.
Do you enjoy autumn leaves or spring flowers more? Why?
I experience neither season.
Depending on where you live, why might a day of school get canceled?
Typhoon.
If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?
Melanie Hamilton from Gone with the World.
What are some common places that people tour when they come to your city?
I rarely see foreigners here since my area isn’t particularly known for tourism; most go to the island provinces like Cebu, Aklan, Palawan, etc. If I had to recommend spots here, I’d tell them to go for Pinto and maybe the rooftop bars that offer a view of Manila’s skyline.
What's one food that you did not enjoy as a child, but do as an adult?
Chicken curry, which I used to dread.
Would you rather have a mermaid tail, a fairy's wings or a unicorn's horn?
I guess the wings just because I feel like it’s the only practical one.
What is an animal that you'd like to have as a pet but it's not allowed?
I don’t think that way about animals I can’t keep as pets anyway.
What are some things that you do to make the world a better place?
I always clean up at restaurants (my mom doesn’t understand why I do it because “the servers are here for a reason, Robyn”) but I always see the relief on their faces when they see I’ve stacked up the plates and cups so I don’t see a reason to stop doing it. I keep the door open for people who happen to enter/exit a building the same time as me, share dog adoption posts, don’t make a fuss about or towards a shop staff who messes up...things like that. I hope it’s able to help, even if just in a small way.
Has the last person you had sex with ever had sex with someone besides you?
I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has already.
What’s your favorite store at your mall?
We have several malls within the vicinity but I like frequenting NCAT.
Have you ever done a workout DVD?
No but my mom is fond of those.
Who usually takes out the trash in your family?
Either of my parents.
What song are you currently obsessed with?
My Universe is soooooo good. It’s Coldplay’s classic sound but they somehow managed to perfectly blend in BTS’ style as well, so I love how it turned out.
When you go fishing, do you make someone else get the fish off the hook?
I've never gone fishing.
Do you take any prescription meds?
Nope.
What happens if you don’t take them?
Who was the last person you dreamt about?
My dad.
Do you prefer your tea sweetened or unsweetened?
Sweetened, though I don’t usually actively look for iced tea. I’d have it if it was served, but I don’t typically order it for myself.
How often do you honk your horn?
As long as I am annoyed, which gives my mom a mini heart attack every time because she insists I just let people have their way to avoid getting into fights. Sometimes when she’s driving and someone’s being stupid on the road I lurch forward to do the honking for her and it pisses her off soooooooooo much but it also gets the job done so *shrug*
Do you have any children? If so, names and ages?
I don’t.
Have your parents ever witnessed you doing something inappropriate? What?
TMI but I almost got caught doing the m-word once but my reflexes were at lightning speed that day so when my door opened I was able to fix myself up and appear as though nothing was happening lol. My mom also saw a hickey on me once but I was able to veer the conversation away when she started inquiring.
Did you get babysat a lot as a kid?
No, I did the babysitting.
If you were the principal of a school, what would you do differently?
Actually deal with teachers who mistreat or make issues towards their students. I had several teachers I know didn’t like me but I could never do anything about it because there was no way in hell the school was going to take my side.
Are you doing anything fun tomorrow?
Continued from yesterday. If I took this question yesterday to refer to today I would’ve answered yes because we actually have a really fun PR stunt scheduled for execution today, wherein we get to sponsor someone’s whole wedding from food to flowers to the host and fillm crew :D :D But tomorrow is just Monday so the real answer to this is no.
What is something you'd like to receive as a housewarming gift?
I dunno the usual housewarming gifts, but I would appreciate anything practical, or anything that you’ll need at the least expected times, like batteries or even like Sticky Tack.
How old were you when you first experienced the effects of puberty?
Oooh I was an early bird – I was 9 when I could first tell my first period was on its way; it came a month after I turned 10.
What is your least favorite holiday, and why?
I don’t dislike any holiday because they all mean a day off work lol.
What were some outdoor games you played as a child?
We usually played piko (hopscotch), our local version of freeze tag that we dubbed “Ice ice water” for whatever reason, and a garter game that we call 10-20. Dodgeball was a favorite during recess and lunch, too.
Did you accompany your parents on "Take Your Child to Work" Day?
That’s not observed here, but my mom did use to take me and my siblings to her first workplace.
Are cemeteries peaceful to you, or do they freak you out?
They’re actually more interesting to me than anything else. I like learning about the different lives of many different people, even if I only technically know them by their birthday and date of death. Sometimes the inscriptions would be more detailed and tell more about their life, sometimes I’d come across babies who only lived a few days...and it’s just interesting to have those glimpses into life.
Which ancient civilization would you be interested in learning more about?
Filipino, because Western colonization destroyed proof of most of it.
Do you have better long-term memory or short-term memory?
Long.
What was the last situation that made you cry? Describe.
I cried this morning. Nothing bad or heavy, I just found myself thinking again about my mental state last year.
Which forest animal would you be most afraid to encounter?
Anything that wouldn’t hesitate to tear my limbs apart.
Do you believe in anything supernatural? (ie: spirits, etc)
No.
Has anyone close to you ever gone to war?
No. The closest link I have to the military, other than my dead great-grandfather, is Angela’s uncle who’s like a general or like a colonel or something, idk titles.
Have you ever experienced altitude sickness?
Yeah, occasionally. Pressure in the ear is a bigger nuisance to me, though.
Is there anything, any event, you wish you could remember more clearly?
The last time I saw my grandfather. My only clear memory of him that day was stepping out of the house to leave (my mom and I were visiting) and him sending me off with the message to always be kind and good. If I had known I would never see him again, I never would’ve left.
Have you ever rubbed anyone’s feet?
Hmm no, not that I can recall.
If you had to get advice from someone of the opposite sex, who would you go to?
I’d go to Hans for certain advice, but not for every single situation. He’s the only person that comes to mind.
What was the last new food/drink that you tried?
So last Wednesday I finally got to try this Instagram-based doughnut shop that I’ve been eyeing since August and it turned out to be even MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTEDDDDDD. Like yeah their photos were always mouthwatering but I didn’t expect it to taste as good as it looks, since most pretty food I’ve encountered usually end up just tasting meh. Anywho, I got two orders of their sampler box and they served me their specialty bacon doughnut, signature brown butter, and a bunch of their chocolate and peanut butter variants and I loved every single fucking thing.
Have you had a good day today or was yesterday better?
Oh it’s hard to tell, it’s only 9:05 AM. Both days might be uneventful, though.
Have you ever played Sudoku?
I don’t actually get how to play it hahaha. I feel like I’m too stupid for sudoku.
Do you ever take surveys for money?
I tried it last year when applying for jobs was still a bitch for me, but the thing is most of those surveys look for employed participants so there was rarely ever a survey that fit me anyway.
Do you like Barbie or Bratz better?
Bratz.
Do you prefer purple or green grapes?
I don’t like grapes.
Who was the last person that made you laugh?
Idk, probs one of the boys since I was watching videos of them earlier today.
Where does your best friend live?
A nearby city.
Who did you last confide in?
Angela.
Does your car have an alarm?
Sure.
Where was your mom born?
Somewhere in Metro Manila.
What can always make you feel better no matter what?
My dogs.
What is something you’ll never eat again? Why?
I don’t think there is anything. I feel like I’m always bound to retry things and that I would be open to doing so, even fruits. One thing I’m firm about never drinking again, though, is coconut water. Get that SHIT away from me.
What is currently happening that is scaring you?
I’m not feeling scared these days.
Have you ever found a stranger’s note somewhere? If so, what did it say?
Probably. But nothing sticks out.
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Damned Royalty (Chapter 2)
Return to Chapter 1.
Return to Table of Contents.
Return to Desperado Series.
Return to Jimin Fanfictions.
Return to Masterlist.
Chapter 2
“You don’t have to do this, Y/N,” your father turned to you after the door shut behind the Park’s. “I can make up a story for why you’re not available. Perhaps we can send you abroad for a while…”
“No, no, no. Don’t be silly. I want to take on this job,” you didn’t realize it until you said it – but you really did want the project.
“They’re not good people, sweetie. I didn’t like the way that boy was looking at you either. I’ll call Stanford tomorrow and make up an excuse.”
“Stop, Dad. I can handle myself. And I can handle this account. And like Jimin said, we’re going to be working together in the future anyways – I’d like us to get off on the right foot.”
“I’d rather you not get off on any foot. I’m so sorry for bringing this down upon you.”
“Please, don’t blame yourself. We aren’t doing anything illegal for them anyway – it’s just business. Let’s treat it like any other.”
“Still. If anything comes up or you are uncomfortable in any way, you tell me as soon as possible. Otherwise, you have my full support. Pick whoever you need for your team – even if they’re occupied, I want you to have the best behind you when dealing with the Park’s.”
“Thank-you,” you leaned up on your tiptoes and gave your father a peck on the cheek. “I won’t let you down, I promise. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go research strip clubs and restaurants.” Your father’s mouth fell open, but before he could say anything, you skipped out of his office and headed back down the hall towards yours.
Later that afternoon, you found yourself on the patio of a chic cocktail lounge, surrounded by your friends, your boyfriend and a litter of drinks all here to celebrate your first account and the end of the Friday workday. After a few rounds, you were starting to feel really good, and a little loose lipped as you began revealing the events of the day.
“You mean, Park’s as in Stanford? Jimin?” your friend, Kijung, awed.
“Yes,” you nodded as you took another sip of your martini. “You’ve heard of them, then?”
“Of-fucking-course I’ve heard of them. They do business with my uncle.”
“Well, apparently they do business with me now.”
“This is insane, Y/N,” said your boyfriend, Jinhyun. “I don’t like you around those types of people.”
“Your mother deals with those types of people, Jinhyun, why shouldn’t I?” you fired back.
“Because, you’re my girl,” he cuddled up next to you. “I don’t want my girl to be in any danger.” He was trying to be cute, but between him and your father this afternoon, you were becoming irritated of everyone trying to shelter and coddle you. It’s probably why your father liked Jinhyun so much. Plus, he came from old-wealth, he was Ivy League educated and enroute to taking over his mothers business when she finally retired. Your match couldn’t get any better for either families. “You don’t know what these people can be like.”
His last remark cut you like a knife. So, that’s what this was about. He thought you were too naïve and too incompetent. Liquid courage behind you, you snapped. “You just don’t think I can handle it!”
Jinhyun’s face dropped. You rarely, if ever, became cross with him.
“No, babe, that’s not it. I think you can handle anything you put your mind to,” he patted your head.
Ugh. Now he’s patronizing me, you grimaced internally. However, you really weren’t in the mood for a fight. Especially not in front of a crowd, nor on an evening when you were flying high. So, instead, you let if go, softened your eyes and smiled back. “Thank-you.”
“But… while we’re on the topic… I mean… have you ever even been to a strip club before?” he continued. You obviously let him off the hook too easily.
“Well… no… but what’s that got to do with it? I’m not running the place.”
“I just think you would benefit from having someone experienced in your corner. Someone who knows what the difference is between a Brass Monkey and an Iron X.” The table erupted into a fit of laughter, Jinhyun’s boisterous voice leading the decibels. It was almost obnoxious sounding to your ears given your current state of annoyance. But they were right. Restaurants you knew, but strip clubs you didn’t. You looked down to your half-full drink and bit your tongue. Perhaps tonight was the night to change that.
“Fine,” you said as you grabbed your drink in your fist and downed the rest of the liquor in a few short gulps. “Let’s go to a strip club then,” you smacked the glass back down on the table and stood up. Jinhyun and a few others chuckled, but when Jinhyun met your glare, he saw that you weren’t laughing.
“Wait… you’re serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. Let’s go. I know just the place.”
“Well…” Jinhyun brought his drink to his lips and skewed his face. “Let’s go then.”
A cab ride and a few bucks later, you arrived in Guri and pulled up to the curb beside a neon sign that read ‘The Red Palace.’ Your friends giggled their way out of the cab and Jinhyun threw his arm around you as you strutted towards the door.
You weren’t particularly surprised by the club. The hall leading to the coat check was long, dark with walls painted red and black. You could hear the bass pumping through the corridor that led to the main area. When you passed the velvet curtain and into the lounge, you were greeted by half naked women and the fully drunk men that ogled them from their seats. Jinhyun guided you to a table near the front of the stage, wanting to be sure you got the full experience. He was having a bit too much fun trying to introduce his girlfriend to the big bad world for which he seemed to think he was somehow apart of.
An hour in, your party was well beyond the two-drink-minimum. Jinhyun and some of your other friends, as they often did when they were drunk, started flashing around their black cards and soon you found yourself in a VIP booth on the balcony with several full bottles of liquor and mix, as well several dancers clearly looking to make some cash. One dancer cozied herself up next to you and began chatting your ear off – she was nice, but she was clearly hoping to sell you a lap dance. She laughed a little too hard at your terrible jokes for her to not be. Overall, however, as awkward a place you found the club to be, you were having a remarkably good time. You almost forgot that you had come here for the sake of work.
Your eyes scanned the room – at the stage, the booths, the tables, the bar – until a door across from you swung open and a set of black suits strutted through it and onto the balcony. Your heart skipped a beat. You recognized the men immediately – they were the security the Park’s had with them early this morning. You stretched your neck, trying to peer behind them, looking for… him… and there he was. Tall, lean with that mop of honey-blonde hair visible under the club lights. Jimin was here.
You weren’t the only one to notice him. Several of the dancers crowding your table took notice of him as well, including the one you were speaking to.
“That’s my boss,” she said to you, noticing your gaze as Jimin took a seat at an adjacent booth. “He’s handsome, isn’t he.”
“Yeah,” you replied haphazardly. “I met him this morning, actually.”
“Really?” she replied. You nodded and took another sip of your drink.
“Do you know him well?”
“Hmm,” she took a sip of her drink. “I know enough about him I suppose.”
“I hear a lot of rumours about him,” your gaze drifted back to Jimin. He was now joined by two beautiful women sitting comfortably under each of his arms. They were too covered up to be strippers, but not covered up enough to not be strippers either. “Are any of them true?”
“What have you heard?”
“That he’s dangerous.”
“He can be,” she nodded. “He is a gangster after all.”
“I heard he likes to tie up and torture those who cross him.”
“I can’t say I’ve seen that for myself.”
“So, it’s not true?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that,” she smirked knowingly.
You looked back towards Jimin. He had loosened his tie and now had a beer in is hand as he watched the room. It didn’t seem as if he had noticed you yet. Should you go say hello? Would it be weird if you didn’t? Perhaps this was a terrible idea and you should just leave. However, as if summoned by your thoughts, Jimin’s gaze snapped over to meet yours staring at him, and your eyes locked.
“Is that him, babe?” you were startled by Jinhyun leaning over your shoulder to shout drunkenly into your ear.
“Yes,” you shouted back and nodded.
“Why don’t we go say hi?”
“No, it’s all good.” Honestly, you didn’t want or need Jinhyun – especially in this state – accompanying you to meet your client. You turned your gaze back towards Jimin. He was still watching you – even though this time he had a woman nibbling on his ear – he watched you just the way he had back in the meeting. You raised your glass and gave him a nod. It was the least you could do at the moment.
“He definitely likes his women,” you scoffed back to your new stripper friend. She smiled.
“Women… I don’t know about that. But he definitely likes his sex.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“Well… let’s just say his kink doesn’t only include tying up people who cross him in the boardroom,” she winked.
“Oh? Ohhhhh!” it took you a moment to understand her meaning. She laughed as she watched the information click.
“You’re just so cute,” she awed at you. You scrunched your nose. “What? You don’t like that I think you’re cute?”
“It’s just like the umpteenth time someone has described me like that today. I’m starting to think I need to make some changes in my life.”
“Well… why not start now? Get a little crazy,” she cocked her eyebrow at you. “What do you say?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Give me a bill,” she stuck out her hand. For a moment you were offended, thinking you had been played for cash – which, granted you kinda were – but, still intrigued (and perhaps feeling a little guilty you had taken up so much of her time) you reached into your purse and pulled out a crisp $100 bill. “Now, follow me,” she said as she grabbed your hand.
You slid from the booth and followed her downstairs. You ignored the stunned gazes of your boyfriend, of your friends, of Jimin as you strode passed them. Whatever was happening, your plan was already working. Soon, you found yourself standing on the stage in the middle of the room, with the dancer next to you.
“Lie down,” she whispered sensually in your ear as she wound her hands around your waist, putting on a show for the establishment’s patrons.
“On the floor?” you asked out the side of your mouth – a thousand infectious diseases running through your mind.
“Yes,” she took your face in your hands, and brought her lips close to yours as if she was going to kiss you. She then gave a kick to your ankle and your knee buckled slightly. It was enough for her to invade your space and guide you slowly onto the stage floor. Then, suddenly, she was on top of you, straddling your hips, brushing her hair back sexily with her hands, her face mimicking a state of arousal. She then reached down and stuck the $100 into your mouth. Once again, a thousand infectious diseases ran through your mind, but you were stuck now. You heard a cheer coming from above. You looked up to the balcony where you could see your friends practically falling over the railing as they watched you, hooted and cheered you on.
The dancer began to slither her way up and down your body, rolling her waist, her hips, her neck as she used you as a replacement for a pole. The cheers became louder as the patrons sitting around the stage began to get into the show as well. You were beginning to enjoy yourself, enjoy the attention, and – you weren’t going to lie – you were kind of turned on by the whole situation.
“C’mon, darling, help me put on a show,” she said to you. “Sell the story.”
Your heartbeat hard at the idea. You looked back up to the balcony, unsure of what to do. You scanned the faces of Jinhyun and your friends, and the salacious grins they had for you. What would they do right now? Then you looked past them, and you locked on that pair of eyes still on you. Jimin. He was still watching you. He had leaned forward in his seat so he could peer down at you. His gaze, again, was so intense – like he was hungry and in need. He was watching the show. He was enjoying the show. And something inside of you wanted to put on a show for him.
In an instant, without thinking, you threaded your hands through your hair, closed your eyes and arched your back off the floor – the way you did when sex felt really, really good. Your toes curled, and your body pulled taunt, and you let out a little moan.
“That’s it,” said the dancer. She braided her fingers between yours then pinned your hands above your head as she began gyrating over you even more. “It’s just like having sex.”
She stoked her hands down your arms, your sides and across your belly. It was so erotic, you couldn’t imagine Jinhyun ever treating you so well. Then, after a few more minutes of this debauchery, she leaned her face down to yours again, and with her teeth, pulled the bill slowly from your lips.
When the show was over, she pulled you up from the stage and made you take a bow to the crowd. Adrenaline and excitement coursing through your veins, you practically ran off the stage and made your way back upstairs towards the booth.
When you reached the top of the stairs, you were greeted by a woman. It was the woman who had been canoodling with Jimin in his booth.
“He wants to see you,” was all she said before she turned on her heels and walked off. Stunned for a minute, you didn’t follow her right away, but soon, without thinking, your feet began to move.
What does he want? Your limbs began to tremble at the possibilities. Would he be upset that you were here? Would he scold you for being unprofessional in the middle of his establishment?
When you arrived at the booth, you found it empty, save for Jimin seated comfortably in it. You smiled meekly at him and bowed.
“Have a seat,” he replied cooly, gesturing to the space beside him. You obeyed, slipping yourself into the booth. He watched you as you did. You could once again feel his hot gaze burning into your head.
“It’s nice to see you again,” you smiled at him.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Well…” you began, but you weren’t entirely sure of the answer. “Research. I don’t know much about strip clubs. Now that’s we’ll be working together, I thought it’d be smart to get a taste of your world.”
“And, how is that world looking, princess?” You were a bit taken aback by the nickname. Princess? Was that what he thought of you. The princess to a business conglomerate and nothing more, the way the others saw you.
“You don’t like that I call you that?” if pried, able to see how you cringed.
“I’m just realizing that I have a reputation.”
“And what reputation is that?” he reached across your body to grab a bottle of vermouth. You froze stiff. For a moment, he was in your space – just for a moment - but you could have sworn that for that moment his body heat was warming your skin. He then began to pour the clear liquid into a martini glass. He swirled it around the glass then with a flick of his wrist discarded the alcohol over his shoulder and onto the floor. He then reached for a bottle of gin and poured its contents into the glass. To top it off, he picked up a piece of lemon, spritzing its juices into the glass. When he was done, he handed the martini to you.
“An aviation martini,” you smiled at him. “Very classy.” You took a sip and did your best not to choke on the pure liquor.
Jimin turned his body to face yours and placed his arm across the back. He was only inches from you now, and it set your senses ablaze. “What is this reputation that you have.”
“I guess that I’m too much of a good girl,” you made air quotes with your fingers. “That I’m only as good as my fathers name.”
“I assure you, I think that you are far more than just your fathers name.” There was something about the way he said it, or perhaps the way his eyes raked your body as he said it, that sent shivers down your spine. Not in fear, however… something else. “But are you?”
“Am I what?”
“A good girl?”
You looked back at him. He was stoic, and he watched you intently as he waited for your answer. He wasn’t, but he felt as if he was still in your space. Your eyes flitted down to his lips, then back up to that strong stare of his.
“I think I am,” you whispered.
“Is that a problem?” You felt his fingers suddenly against your cheek as he pulled a flyaway strand off your face and tucked it behind your ear. Your breath began to shorten and your heart began to pound. There was just something about him.
“I… I guess I just don’t want to be anymore.”
“Good,” he whispered back, and you felt a flutter deep in your gut. What was happening? Where you… flirting? Flirting with another man? A dangerous man? In front of your boyfriend? This couldn’t be happening.
“Jimin.”
“Yes, princess.”
“What’s a brass monkey?”
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