#bbs noose au
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chapter 2
April 21st
In the little over two weeks he's been here, Jaren noticed quite a few peculiar things about the people he's met.
For a start, everyone seems to be split in terms of being referred to by nickname or legal name. There are people like Scotty, Marcel and Tyler who don't mind their real names being used, and those like David and Brock who are cool with being called Nogla or Moo from time to time. But there are some, like himself, who'd rather go strictly by nickname. Those of which include McNasty, Soup as well as Grizzy and Puffer from the next town over. Jaren is glad though, that no one seems to question it. Everyone is aware that the people who find themselves a regular at The Noose aren't exactly free from a troubled past. Everyone has their story, and no one is obligated to justify their preferences.
And just as well, because Jaren doesn't think he even wants to know why his newfound friends are the way that they are. From the first impressions he got from some of them, it was probably best he remained unaware of whatever made them as such.
"How about I drop you off at Matt's? He probably has everything you'll need, and at this time of day I expect his guys are there too," Marcel said. It was barely 4pm, he could spare some time to drive Jaren before heading off to his evening shift.
Jaren recalled meeting Matt the first few days after his arrival. He'd been sitting with John one late afternoon going on about the increase in expenses they both seemed to suddenly suffer from. The man, Jaren learned, owns a 24/7 convenience store a few streets down from John's Noose. He hadn't had the chance to see it, but from his first impression of Matt himself, he was quite curious to how a man like him could own a glorified 7-11.
When he stepped in, he was definitely surprised, however slightly, at the stark difference between the exterior and interior of the place. It's what was expected of a corner store- windows that were covered with newspaper clippings, adverts and posters, all plastered on and faded with time. The sign stretching overhead should be lit, but the words 'EVERYTHING YOU NEED 24/7' were still readable. The door showed signs of what used to be vulgar graffiti all over, that of which had long been scrubbed off. Safe to say, Jaren did not expect a clean, brightly lit, concrete-floored, white-walled, proper store. Neither had he expected the keyboard right in the middle of the store being played by a customer who was singing to the cashier who was also singing back.
"My friend, I just want to be your friend!" The one on the keys sang out.
"I have so many friends, everybody that comes to the store is my friend!" The cashier replied, also in song.
"My friend, maybe I could be special and be your only friend!"
(It was at this point where he saw Matt leaning against a shelf trying to hide his laughter.)
"My friend, no, please just buy a SLURPEE!" That last note was strong and Jaren was almost impressed.
Clearly not wanting to be outdone, the key player laid his reply heavy with spice, "My friend, can I get it for ten percent off?"
The man behind the counter was unfazed, his own voice still strong. "My friend, no you CAN'T."
Jaren could not hold himself back from whatever the back-and-forth situation in front of him was, and he cleared his throat to get the attention of the other three men.
"I'm just gonna buy a pretzel somewhere else, if I'm interrupting you guys?"
Immediately the Matt got even more hysterical and the two others turned bright red at being caught.
Between gasps of laughter, Matt managed to speak a coherent enough sentence. "Fellas, this is Smitty! The kid Evan was talking about." Matt controlled himself enough to walk over to Jaren and clap an arm around his shoulders.
Jaren raised a hand in an awkward wave, the confidence he had earlier dissipating. As he was being introduced, he let his eyes study the new faces.
"Smitty, meet McNasty. He's tall and dumb, but in a cute way."
McNasty was indeed tall, a big red hoodie hid his figure but Jaren could tell the man was at least a little fit. His hair was messy, in a just-got-out-of-bed fashion, but he wore it well. His features were hard yet his eyes held hints of mischief. Jaren could admit that he wasn't that bad looking.
"And this is Eric, but we call him Dooo. Why? Because he has shit stains on his mattress and he's a low-iq virgin."
Eric on the other hand, was short and really really pale. In fact, Jaren could clearly see the veins under the skin of his hands as they rested on the keyboard. He wore a fitting shirt that showed bony shoulders, and grey shorts that fell right above even bonier knees. He smiled easily at Jaren, even after Matt's words about him.
"And since you already know about me-"
Matt looked no different from when Jaren first met him at John's. Black skinny jeans underneath a large sweatshirt, silver chain around his neck and rings adorning his fingers. His face bright as ever, with a charming smile that eased Jaren.
"-Let me welcome you to my little hole in the wall."
But to Jaren, first impressions make no sense because no one ever gets ready in the morning with the expectations of meeting someone new. People usually find themselves under-dressed and having to scramble to look good in front of a new face. What was unusual was being over-dressed for such circumstances.
"John, I swear to everything unholy that if your AC is down, I will murder you personally."
Now, Jaren knows dramatics. He knows exaggerations. But whatever he just heard from whoever just walked in? Even he admits that it was a little over the top. Not saying he blamed the man in the stylish fur-lined leather jacket, but really, what idiot wears such a thing on an April afternoon? It may not be that hot, but it was definitely humid and Jaren himself was sweating even looking at the man.
The man who slid into the booth Jaren currently occupied with a bright smile on his red face.
"Hi! Smitty, right?" And wow is that Irish accent a surprise.
"Yes, and you're the walking sauna?" Jaren had his eyebrow raised.
"Haha, very funny. Evan mentioned your brilliant sarcasm," the stranger paused for a moment to peel off his jacket. "The name's Brian, and I was aiming to impress the newbie with my cool-ness."
"No offense, Brian. But nothing about you screams cool right now," John interrupted, bringing a serving of sorbet for the Irishmen. "You're just being excessive."
Brian snorted at the younger's remark, focusing back on Jaren. In the next few minutes, Jaren learned that Brian was just about to leave for Ireland with his boyfriend, and wanted to stop by to introduce himself first. He was supposed to wait for said boyfriend anyways, if only he could hurry his lazy ass.
"I swear, it's like he doesn't even want to come with!" Brain told him.
Jaren chuckled softly to be polite, not entirely comfortable with someone he just met pouring out their relationship issues onto him.
"I think I'll just go wait for Craig at the airport, don't wanna risk anything. See ya, Smitty!"
And as quickly as he came, Brian left, sorbet in one hand, ridiculous jacket in the other. Jaren sat there slightly dazed, still processing the events of the previous fifteen minutes. He managed to collect himself after a while, filing away the thought of Brian in his mind, acutely aware of the steadily growing number of people in his life he has to keep track of.
Just how many people in this fucking town does Evan know?
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Author Interview
I was tagged by the lovely @ianandmickeygallavich1
(Throwing a read more in here because this bitch got LONG!)
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
I have 136 works across 45 fandoms, just to give you an idea of what a shameless fandom hopping multishipper I actually am.
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
My total WC is 676,938.
3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
By a Thread, By a String, By a Rope
The Magnificent Seven (2016), WIP, Kudos: 987
Matinee
Suits, 5125 words, Kudos: 947
Careful Application of External Pressure
Grimm, WIP, Kudos: 876
This Night Ain’t for the Holy Man
The Magnificent Seven (2016), 5578 words, Kudos: 875
Catch It Like a Butterfly
Leverage, 1497 words, Kudos: 658
4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I try really hard to respond to every comment, but sometimes they pile up and the anxiety of seeing the number gets to me and I just mark them all read and start over with a clean slate. So, apologies if I skipped you. I promise it was nothing personal, just me trying to practice some fumbling self-care.
5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
Probably Curtain Call, which is a Roy Harper-centric DCU fic exploring his feelings in the aftermath of the 2015 Red Hood/Arsenal run.
6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
Pretty much all my fic have happy endings, so I’m not sure which one is the happiest. I feel like that’s a subjective question, haha.
7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?
I do write crossovers! I love crossovers and crack fic premises and wild “okay but just go with me here” scenarios, haha. They’re the most fun to figure out, imo. The craziest one I’ve ever written is probably the Shameless-meets-Ducktales crossover I did for Tumblr Jukebox a little while back, though the one I picked up as a pinch hit for the Crossworks Fandom Exchange just last month, crossing over Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Dragon Age: Inquisition is definitely a contender for that spot.
8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
I received a couple of snide comments on a Matt/Foggy Daredevil fic I did under a different name back when I was in college, but that’s about it.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
I do! I don’t think I’m particularly bad at it, though I do find it very difficult. I’m not sure what the “what kind” question is asking, exactly, but I actually do a smut writing challenge called Monday, Slutty Monday that includes a list of kinks I’m willing to write. You can give it a gander here, if you’re curious.
10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
No, though I have had someone ask if they could use the concept of the lover’s noose from By a Thread, By a String, By a Rope for their original works. I said no, largely because it’s a concept I intend to use in my own original works, though I welcome transformative, not-for-profit works to remix or reimagine or play in any of my sandboxes.
11. Have you ever had a fic translated?
I have! I was lucky enough to have Doomed to Play, a Magnificent Seven werewolf/vampire AU, translated into Russian several years back!
12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I have not! I am extremely interested, though, as I’m a huge fan of old-school, forum-style roleplaying and I really, really love collaborating on projects, so if you’re interested, please feel free to reach out to me and ask! I can’t promise anything, because I’m lucky enough to live a very full and busy life, but who knows!
13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?
I am not really sure that I have an all-time favorite ship. I have a few oldies but goodies that I revisit pretty regularly, including Harry/Draco, which was baby’s first ship, and Fraser/Kowalski of Due South fame, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a true OTP.
14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
God, so many of them, haha. I’m terrible about finishing WIPs because I have a very short attention span, but I’m not fully willing to write any of them off because I do periodically poke at the GDocs for a lot of them, even if they haven’t been updated in years. The only one I truly don’t foresee finishing is So Let Us Not Be Lonesome, which is a Magnificent Seven ghost/medium AU, and the only reason I don’t foresee finishing it is because I hope to one day revisit it as an original work.
15. What are your writing strengths?
I’m pretty routinely cheered in comments for writing true-to-character dialogue, really lush sensory descriptions, and tempting food descriptions, so I’ll go with those.
16. What are your writing weaknesses?
I tend to overwrite and I really fucking love adverbs, haha. I was a big reader of doorstopper fantasy in my youth, which tend to be really, really purple in their prose, so I lean in that direction. I have a lot of betas whose opinions I trust tell me I go too purple quite often, but I love my descriptive language so I’m not sure it’s a weakness I’ll ever overcome. Let’s call it a stylistic choice, for now, haha.
17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I do it all the time, and I really enjoy it in other folks’ fic, so long as the dialogue is something that a non-speaker can still understand from context. I think I probably wasn’t great with that when I first started writing Spanish-speaking characters into my fic, but I like to think I’ve gotten a better handle on it since then.
18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?
I think it was honestly Ronin Warriors, an anime that used be on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block way back in the day. I had a lengthy and involved Mary Sue self-insert fic that got be like, a few hundred pages long, though it never saw the light of day.
19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?
The two currently at the top of my list are Ted Lasso and 9-1-1, though I can hardly watch a piece of media these days without seeing something in it I want to explore that the creators didn’t have the time or inclination to explore, or that didn’t fit their narrative.
20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?
Oh, this is so hard! I honestly don’t know. I don’t tend to go back and re-read my own fic too terribly often, so I’m really not sure, but I will say that one of the ones I think is underrated is The Lady and the Knife, which is a Luther/BBC Sherlock fic that came about because I got tired of Sherlock stans claiming his behavior should be forgiven because he was a high-functioning sociopath and thought it would be fun to see what happened if he ever crossed paths with someone who was actually a high-functioning sociopath and not just a dick. (Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the early BBC Sherlock and some of the fic is chefkissingfingers.gif, I just really hate it when people require their characters to be morally upright at all times. Let them be villains! Let them be dicks! Don’t apologize for finding that interesting!)
I am tagging @thesummoningdark, @blahblahblahclintnickiscanon, @townhulls, @ksansart @rubinecorvus @persipneiwrites @irolltwenties and anyone else who feels like participating! I have a lot of mutuals who write fic and I’m really bad at remembering everyone’s various handles, so please, if you want to participate but I didn’t tag you, go ahead and do it and @ my ass anyway!
Luh ya bbs.
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chapter 4
February 14th
"Watch your step, it gets a little slippery here."
"Fuck, you don't say!"
"Keep your voice down, someone'll hear us!"
The moon lit the night plenty, carving out shadows onto the earth. Two shadows of which followed their owners down the pier. They danced with each other, the humans they were attached to running right up the edge, laughter filling the air around them. The moon smiled brightly down at Evan and Anthony, happy to provide her services. The two boys laid back with their feet dangling, eyes up at the sky. Their shadows continued their play, stretching behind them as far as the moonlight would allow.
"What time is it anyways?"
Evan's phone lit up, screen showing that it was just past 5am. "We've got a while till sunrise."
"Still don't see why we couldn't just show up a little later, at least I would've had time to sleep."
Evan rolled his eyes at Anthony's comment. He wanted to be the first ones here, and he wanted peace and quiet. Here, at this time, all he could hear was the person beside him and that was all he needed.
Either the universe is fucking with him or he's still dreaming because there was no way this is happening to him right now.
Evan is standing at the side of the road and he's late. For his graduation ceremony. Because he's an idiot who can't remember to set alarms. And his phone is dead too so he can't call for a taxi to take him to school. Buses are out of the question because even if he could catch one, there's no way he'd make it in time. Essentially, he's fucked.
"Yo kid! You need a ride to school?"
Now isn't that something you hear everyday,
"I got a couple friends in the same gowns as you, but unlike you they are already at the ceremony." Evan stared at the car that had come to a stop right in front of him. A head was poked out and it was looking right at him. "I'm headed there myself so if you don't wanna be any later than I'm sure you are, I suggest you take my offer."
"RIght, yeah. Sure why not?" Evan swears if this turns out to be another curse sent by the universe, he will throw hands. Fucking give him a proper blessing already.
Evan climbs into the car, graduation gown sticking to his back with sweat. He really hopes this stranger is for real.
"Any chance your name might be Fong?"
Okay how the fuck does this guy know that.
"Chill, dude. I'm not some weird stalker guy out to get you. I'm close with Brian. He's mentioned you a couple times."
Fucking of course. It's not like their neighborhood is that big anyways. Crime rate isn't that high and no one's heard of a kidnapping since the 80's. And this guy doesn't seem to be all that older than Evan either. Damn it he just needs to get to his bloody graduation.
Evan's phone rings as the stranger starts to drive. Coincidentally, it was Brian calling.
"You've got about 8 minutes before they call your name Evan and if you don't get your ass here in time I swear to fuck-" Honestly, Evan zoned out the rest after he heard the time he has left.
Apparently Mister Pick Up Children Off The Side Of The Road Just Because They Go To The Same School As His Friend (Evan's aware of the length of the name) has somehow found the invitation Evan had left for him to join the conversation. Evan doesn't remember leaving said invitation, but he assumes Mister Pick Up Children Off The Side Of The Road Just Because They Go To The Same School As His Friend must have found it somewhere because there was no way he would involve himself in a conversation that had no connections to him other than the fact that he has relations to the person on the other side of Evan's phone.
Except that was very much the case and it was annoying Evan more than he would like to admit. And he's definitely not admitting anything because he would very much like to be driven to his school safely and on time.
Which is what Mister Pick Up- fucking hell- the dude driving is promising Brian? The fuck did he miss?
"Don't worry Bri, I'll break every speed limit there is to get him there on time."
"T'anks Anthony! I'll see you both soon!"
So Anthony is his name. Somehow Evan did not expect that at all. Neither did he expect the man to grab his phone out of his hands to end the call.
"Nice to meet you by the way," Anthony smiled, pushing the phone back into Evan's hands.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too."
One of Anthony's favourite memories of them was from a couple months ago. It was just Evan and him, with nothing but a few drinks to keep them company.
"Would you? Leave, I mean."
"I don't know. Maybe for a while, a few years," Evan replied.
"Maybe find someone to bring home, huh?"
Evan smiled up at him, and Anthony could have sworn he was staring at a miracle.
"I already found you."
And there goes his soul, off to heaven. He can't take his eyes off the person beside him. They've known each other for at least a year now and the feelings he has for Evan just kept growing and growing all this time. And you can't blame Anthony. If he had to describe Evan, he would use the words 'warm, strong, and determined'. Which, yes, his words may be a cliche but it's true.
Anthony believes that Evan truly is one of the best people he knows. And maybe it's the alcohol in his system. Or maybe it's how Evan has been looking at him but he suddenly wants nothing more than to show Evan how much he means to him. Just to hold his face as he leans closer and-
"Anthony?"
The other's voice startled Anthony from his thoughts. Evan looked nervous.
"Can- can I?" He wasn't sure what Evan was asking but he nodded anyway.
And then there's a pair of lips on his and wowokayholyshit-
Anthony kisses back lightly, and they stay connected until the need for oxygen becomes crucial. Anthony stares at Evan, breathless again just by the sight of him. Hair slightly tousled, flushed cheeks, wide eyes and- oh.
"You're drunk," Anthony says.
"I'm completely sober."
And that's all the warning Anthony gets before Evan is on him again.
Now the two of them are at the pier, looking up at the slowly brightening sky. It's beautiful. Here, in this moment, both of them are free from everyone else. They get to enjoy each other's company in solace and in peace. The moon slowly fades as her companion rises for the day. The sun peeks over the horizon to greet her and they share the sky for a few minutes before the moon leaves.
Anthony and Evan watch the sun stretch high, giving warmth to everything she touches. They're content to lay there while the rest of the world wakes, relishing the time they have before their responsibilities call them back to reality. For now though, they have each other. and that's all they'll need.
#the noose#bbs noose au#noose au#ave remembers how to write#my favourite bit about this is ehow sassy evan is in his flashback#had so much fun writing that#also yes rarepair my beloved <3#just you wait for the angst >:)
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chapter 3
And there it was. The one true explanation behind everything.
John's not human.
Or maybe he is. Maybe he's a wizard. Maybe he's a scientist checking on his experiment on mankind in a simulation. Or maybe he's a mystical being that can manipulate the existence of time. Or maybe he just has really good reflexes. That must be it right? The most rational, logical reasoning behind what he just witnessed. Unless there's another reason altogether. Like maybe John somehow already knew, in which case the theory of him being some time-travelling dude who wants to rewrite his future comes back into play. Maybe it's some Marty McFly bullshit-
Or maybe Tyler is just in his head again. And he's thinking too much about something that probably no one else overthinks about. Tyler really should be taking his medication on time.
It's not unusual for him to get like this- stuck in his mind with fantasies and unrealites. His doctors say it's a symptom of his ADHD, his psychiatrist says it's a product of his trauma and his friends say it's annoying but they're funny like that so Tyler doesn't really pay them any mind.
Tyler thinks- well Tyler's done enough thinking.
Yet his mind decided otherwise because now Nogla is in his mind. Did he just walk in? Oh, he's talking to John now. And John's pointing him to where Tyler's sitting. Did they agree to meet but Tyler somehow forgot? That seems likely but he wouldn't forget if he planned something with Nogla. He should do something, maybe greet the tall man- and damn is he tall. Like really tall. Maybe because Tyler is sitting down and Nogla is standing but still. Or it could be because of those striped pants. Tyler knows he read somewhere that vertical stripes on clothes makes the person wearing them look taller. Tyler thinks John mentioned it too, everyone knows the guy likes fashion as much as he likes this shop. Oh right, this shop. The one he's in currently. The one that Nogla is also in. The one that both of them are in and Tyler is seated and Nogla is walking towards him and- why does he have that look on him?
Tyler thinks he should stop thinking thoughts because the irishman is sitting down beside him. And he's saying something. Tyler should listen actually-
"-told me you were just sitting here starin' at him. He thinks you might'a been in shock"
It's like his eyes were a camera and his brain finally managed to trigger the focus function. He locked onto Nogla's worried gaze and that brings him back down to the present.
David was still in his home clothes, having rushed over as soon as he hung up the call from John.
"Nogla come quick. It's Tyler."
From what John explained, there was a freak accident with one of the fancy coffee machines with those little flavour pods and something shot out from the machine and almost hit a customer from behind. John thinks whatever happened must have really scared Tyler because he hasn't stopped staring between John and the coffee machine for the past few minutes
And now David is worried because he knows Tyler is aware that he's beside him. But David doesn't think that Tyler actually /sees/ him. He's up in the skies again, and David doesn't know how to bring him back down.
He decides eventually to just start speaking, hoping his voice is enough to drag his friend out of whatever headspace he's in. And- thank fuck- it works. The man in question blinked once, twice. If the circumstances were different, David thinks he might have found it comical how he can see Tyler's eyes go from looking through him, to looking at him. If David wasn't watching so intensely, he would have missed how Tyler's irises shone different shades of blue as they readjusted with the movement of his pupils.
"There he is! God, Tyler, me and John were worried," David sighed.
The softest apology came in reply, but all David did shook his head. It's the number one unwritten rule they have with each other and with the rest of their friends- never apologise for something you can't control.
David pulled off one of his beaded bracelets and handed it to Tyler. "So you wanna tell me what happened?"
The other fiddled with the borrowed accessory for a few moments, rolling it in his palms. An inhale ended his silence, and David watched Tyler carefully while he talked.
"It was just a 'BOOM!' out of nowhere, followed by like glass breaking and next thing I knew John was suddenly behind this one dude with like his hand holding something right behind the guy's head. I don't think he even knew he was about to get headshot by a freakin' coffee maker thing."
David hummed thoughtfully, motioning for Tyler to carry on. The latter was still fiddling with his bracelet, but he moved on to another set of repetitive motions, now going through the whole thing rolling each individual bead between his thumb and index finger.
"Anyways, that wasn't the problem. Sure the sound spooked me a little but what really bothered me was how John was just /there/ in time to catch the tiny thing that the coffee maker shot out. It was like he already knew it was gonna fly at the dude. John didn't even look all that alarmed too. Like he knew it was gonna happen."
Now at this, David raised his eyebrows a little. This wasn't the first time Tyler voiced such ideas to him. Stuff like John knowing when things were about to go wrong before they even happened. Sure, it's a little weird, but David will never say that to Tyler.
"So I sat there trying to figure out how the hell would John be able to do that. And I came up with a few theories too! First one is…"
At least he's okay, David thought. He'd rather Tyler be verbal and excited than silent and scared. David would happily listen to his best friend's tangents any day of the week. Hell, every day of the week, if he could. As long as Tyler is happy, he is too.
#the noose#bbs noose au#noose au#ave remembers how to write#sorry for the late update#but i am out of the hospital#recovering well from that medical emergency#and currently finishing up chapter 4#i hope you like the format of this chapter#made tyler's bit as accurate as i could as someone with adhd#also yes noose hc is that he uses nogla's bead bracelets as stim toys#bc he doesnt like wearing them himself but he likes how they feel inhis palms'#texture things yaknow#ddw my beloved <3
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chapter 1
"Wake up."
"Come on, wake up for me."
"Jare-please, you have to-"
"Wake up, damn it!"
Holy fuck. His chest immediately squeezes itself and his heart almost succeeds in breaking through his ribs with how hard its beating and his arms instinctively come up to shield his head and his whole body tenses and curls up and he flinches without meaning to as he realises that that is a person standing over him- he's standing over him and-
"Woah, relax, Smit. It's just me, see?"
Evan steps back, hands raised, watching his friend worriedly. Jaren peeks through his eyelids at the sound of the other's voice. He squints at Evan for a few seconds before it hits him and he lowers his arms and lets his body slump back into the mattress he was laying in. "Shit, dude. Could've killed a guy with that heart attack of a wake up call."
Evan relaxed himself and mumbled an apology which was promptly brushed off. They've had the conversation many times before, apologies weren't required.
The younger listened in his sleep-dazed state as the other canadian went off on a tangent, of which Jaren only caught the words "ice-cream" and "introductions". He wasn't sure why but allowed his bleary eyed self to be dragged from his room and out the front door.
April 5th
It was comforting, the silence that fell over the streets, save for the soft buzz that came with a sleeping neighborhood. They were not the only ones wandering about but they probably were the only ones with somewhere to be at such a late hour. Said hour which was not forgotten by Evan, seeing as his present company has elected to complain about it over the past few minutes.
"Evaaannn, it's two in the fucking morning," Jaren whined, "where on earth are you taking me at this ungodly hour?"
The older chuckled at his friend's dramatics, ignoring the complaints while he led them around a corner. The pair walked on underneath the dim light of the overhead lamp posts for a few more minutes, exaggerated huffs and sighs from Jaren following behind them.
Their next turn seemed to have brought them on the right street at last, and Evan's pace slowed ever so slightly. They stopped in front of a little shop, Evan walking right in while his companion hesitated for a moment in favour of giving it a once-over. Compared to the others that held empty darkness within, this one glowed with dimmed fluorescent lights spilling from its windows and onto the street. Stated clear on the windows and on a sign hanging overhead, bold letters spelled out the supposed name of it.
"The Noose," he read softly. "If it wasn't for how clean the place looked, I'd think he's brought me to a hot spot for dealers."
HIs muttering ceased as he pushed in the door and stepped inside. First thing he noticed was how much warmer it was, and how the warmth seemed to soothe the tension in his back. Second thing he noticed was how the interior seemed to be much more spacious than he expected with how small it looked from the outside. Typical diner-style booths in neat rows stretched from the middle, where a counter sat with, of course, padded bar stools that lined the front. One of which was occupied by his friend who was watching him fondly.
Jaren walked himself to a stool beside the man, making sure to bump into him forcefully as he sat down. "Stop staring at me, idiot," he mumbled as his eyes trailed along the drawings that filled the chalkboard-like material lining the walls. He eventually brought his gaze back down to squint at a smirking Evan. "Well? Was I wrong for bringing you here?"
Jaren rolled his eyes. "Fact is, you still woke me up at ass o'clock in the morning to bring me to whatever the hell this is-"
"Welcome!"
The unexpected greeting suprised Jaren enough for him to painfully fall off his seat. On the floor, he glared up at Evan who was failing to hide his laughter behind his hands. A face leaned over the counter and smiled down at him.
"Hi, sorry about that," at least the stranger had the decency to sound regretful, "Do you need help?"
Jaren shook his head, face flushed with embarrassment. He brushed himself off and sat himself safely back on his stool. He took in the stranger in front of him, lean, with a dark green apron over a plain sweater, soft brown hair perfectly framing a pale face. Green-blue orbs had a warmth and sparkle that could put anyone in a trance if they stared too long. The sheepish grin erased any contempt Jaren could have had from being shocked so suddenly.
Evan clasped his hands together as his laughter finally stopped. "Alright! Smitty, meet John."
Jaren stuck his hand out.
"John, meet the milkbag."
John glady reached over the counter and shook it. "So. Smitty, huh?" he questioned.
Jaren ignored the tingling in his hand as he leaned away from the counter. "Yup. Smit, Smitty, Milkbag, whatever works."
"Not uncommon for names to be... sensitive information here." John nodded solemnly and Evan took reins on the conversation. He introduced John as the owner of The Noose, a cafe/ ice-cream parlour/ local hangout for degenerates. ("By degenerates I mean our friend group, who you'll meet soon enough. Really nothing that bad about the youth in this town." )
Meanwhile, John busied himself behind the counter, disappearing out back for a moment before returning with servings of ice-cream. Three paper cups were laid out in front of them, tiramisu for Evan, regular chocolate for John himself and a raspberry ripple for Jaren. The latter of which looked confusingly down and his serving.
"Raspberry's my favourite," he said blankly.
John paused and tried not to cringe at himself. "Uh, is it?" he laughed awkwardly, "I just assumed, haha. Think of it as a trick of the trade." God, John hoped he bought that. He watched the other's reaction for a moment, silently cursing his slip up. He let out the breath he was holding when the younger shrugged and scooped up a bite.
Evan, oblivious to the interaction beside him, kept his talking about anything he deemed was important for Jaren to know. "...Speaking of the guys, you've got to meet them soon. They've heard enough about you from me, I think we'll all get along fine."
Back to wearing his cool and confident demeanour, John chuckled softly. He urged Evan to eat his ice-cream while he told Jaren more about himself.
He spoke of how he came to open The Noose, the idea pulled from his past experiences as a young teen who desperately needed a place to escape from everything. "The name is fitting for a place that's main purpose is to be something to turn to when you want everything to just stop."
John explained the peculiar operating hours of his small establishment. 5pm to 11am, the peak hours for his target customers.
The longer the three of them carried the conversation, the more Jaren felt as though he's known John for forever. There was something odd about all this, because he knew that the feeling was not just from how easily the other could match his energy, but from something entirely different. He decided to ignore it for the moment, focusing instead on keeping the good first impression.
Only when Jaren started yawning did they realise the time. John cleared the counter as the other two got up to leave.
"I'll expect to see you two later, right? It was nice to meet you, Smitty."
"Nice to meet you John."
#ave remembers how to write#the noose#noose au#bbs noose au#more chapters coming soon dw#plsplspls tell me this is better than the original chapter#bc i think it really is#anyways#banana bus squad#bbs#kryozgaming#bbs kryoz#smii7y
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unedited chapter 4? thoughts?
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chapter 3 of the noose should be up in the next few days!
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on account of me having writers block, we shall be going another week without an update :)
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"I came here fully expecting to leave with so many regrets but meeting you wasn't supposed to be one of them."
#just a lil#yaknow#a little one liner#just to hint at the angst#ave remembers how to write#rtza#bbs noose au#noose au#the noose
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medical emergency came up, will be postponing the noose chapter 3 update for a few days
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Sneak peek of chapter 3 because I feel bad about the late update
Or maybe he is. Maybe he's a wizard. Maybe he's a scientist to check on his experiment on mankind in a simulation. Or maybe he's a mystical being that can manipulate the existence of time. Or maybe-
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Ah well, fuck.
John wipes a sweaty palm across his face, pointedly ignoring how hard it's shaking. He inhales and exhales slowly, just as he was taught. He can quite literally hear his heart pounding in his chest, but hey, at least it's still beating right?
He ends his breathing exercises with a soft sigh. He's not that bothered really, it had been a while since a nightmare woke him up but it was nothing a quick drink couldn't fix.
He rummages through his cupboards till he finds the bottle he was looking for. Sniffing it to make sure, he opens it and gulps down a mouthful. He set it down on his bedside table before crawling back under his blankets. He made that sleeping draught himself, he knows it'll keep him under for at least a few more hours.
His hands don't stop shaking.
#noose au#bbs noose au#the noose#ave remembers how to write#chapter 3 is a mess rn#makes absolutely no sense from a readers pov.#so im slowly gonna start revealing what the actual plot is#expect shorter chapters#but more frequent updates#👀
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Noose spoilers <3
Safe to say, Jaren did not expect a clean, brightly lit, concrete-floored, white-walled proper store. Neither had he expected the keyboard right in the middle of the store being played by a customer who was singing to the cashier who was also singing back.
#ave remembers how to write#the noose#noose au#bbs noose au#:))#7-11 the musical ft. Matt's store#and two other idiots
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AVE I AM SHAKING YOU!!!!!!!!
THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE (REWRITTEN) NOOSE IS JUST
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT HOW I FEEL INTO WORDS /POS
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA <3
so glad you liked it!!! this version of the noose is gonna be so much better and I actually can't wait. Chapters 2 and 3 coming soon too!
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noose spoilers cs why not
John paused and tried not to cringe at himself. "Uh, is it?" he laughed awkwardly, "I just assumed, haha. Think of it as a trick of the trade." God, John hoped he bought that. He watched the other's reaction for a moment, silently cursing his slip up.
#the noose#noose au#bbs noose au#i have too many tags for this shit i cant even remember#ave remembers how to write
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The Noose (2021)
This is part of an unedited chapter
March 8th
Hands shaking, he dials the number he knows by heart. He tries to slow his breathing as it rings. This was it. He’s had enough. A minute of conversation and the call ends. He wipes away tears that escaped his eyelids. He’s had enough.
March 13th
“Yeah, all my books are in boxes…Cool… I’ll start bringing them out now… yeah, thanks again… see you in a bit.” His back aches but he ignores it. Two large boxes of every book that once were the occupants of the bookshelf in his room. He takes his time bringing them to the driveway, knowing his friend won’t be arriving for another ten minutes. He couldn’t leave them behind, the stories these pages held has been his saving grace ever since he could read. Leaving them behind would be a crime against his younger self.
A short wait later and a black pickup pulls up. He sees the familiar face behind the wheel and he can’t stop the smile blooming on his face. Wasting no time, he hoisted the first box into the back and helped his friend with the other. Quick words were exchanged before the truck sped off. He wipes his hands on his jeans, heart racing with the thought of what he’s doing.
March 28th
The house is dead silent. Jaren rests on his hands on the bathroom sink, his eyes pointedly avoiding the mirror in front of him. He goes through the events of the past two weeks in his mind. His whole gaming setup has been packed and shipped away. The posters on his walls have been taken down. Everything he deems of value to him has been put into boxes and sent away. Most of his shoes are in a bag, ready to be taken the next day. His other clothes still need to be packed, and he needs to get all his important documents in order too. Fucking hell, he’s really doing this, isnt he? Wonder what mom will think…
April 1st
He just needs the papers and he’s out. All he needs are the papers. He creeps through the house, careful not to wake the man in the living room. He steps inside the master bedroom and he tries to keep his mind focused. He rifles through the closets, looking for the box that had his birth certificate and his passport. He grabs what he needs and puts everything back. He leaves the bedroom quietly, and stuffs the last of his things into his bag by the door. He debates just leaving, but he hesitates. He groans at himself before turning and going back to the living room. He looks at the man on the couch and he questions why he’s even making the effort to say goodbye.
His father lies on the couch, passed out from another night of heavy drinking. No, he doesn’t deserve a goodbye. Jaren shakes away any guilt he feels. He should just go. He grabs his bag, puts his shoes on and leaves for a new life.
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