#i got a bunch of photos because i had little evidence i existed before age like thirteen | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

selfproducingfanfictionauthor · 3 years

Text

the worlds collide - i: an old face

Summary: Who are you? Now that the new world has collided with the remnants of the old?

Pairing: BTS x reader (slight Got7/Jackson x reader)

Warnings: Referenced violence, covert sexism, zombies Notes: I knoooow I should be working on lessons to build and looking back at you but this idea just won’t let go. I originally wrote it for my 30 minute challenge but it got out of hand. So here it is, a zombie au! Not sure how long it’ll be yet but we’ll see! UNEDITED. Word Count: 3.2k

At the center of the end of the world, humanity was stripped to what it only needs to exist - strength, camaraderie, and grit.

With the undead nipping at your heels day and night, the only thought that remained were thoughts of where the nearest exist is, how to store food, how much farther for the next stronghold, and how long will that stronghold last. To survive, you stripped away everything unnecessary from your former life. All the bashfulness, the shame, and coated yourself with an armor as thick as the new callouses on your fingers - you still remember the first time you’ve went topless around Namjoon, and neither of you flinched.

Frankly, you’ve forgotten how to be anything else but this brought you to your new role in the new world. You’re no longer a girl, or a woman - you’re a survivor.

And with your old life etched in the sinew of your muscles, of your arms and your legs, you became a valuable member of the group. Along with Jungkook and Hoseok, you carry the front, bashing heads of zombies left and right, clearing the way to a new possible food source and haven.

It was a tiring existence, the type of tired that can’t be washed away by sleep. If that’s what you can call those pockets of peace you have when you’ve finally trusted them to watch your back.

It took long for you to finally drop your guard around these boys that you now call your family. Understandable, given that men didn’t really have a great track record for women to trust them even prior to the apocalypse. But you’ve met them in a tight circumstance, that had them trusting you before you even bothered to try.

(It was Jimin who first reached out, somehow unchanged by the cruelty of the new world. Always soft, always yearning.)

The seven of them had been friends before shit went down, and you were just a lucky one to be part of their orbit.

You remind yourself of this now that the new world has began.

This is the longest you’ve stayed in one place since two years ago, and it’s starting to feel like a place everyone could plant their roots in. The town’s largely untouched by the apocalypse, its strategic location in the mountains and quick response had them building trenches and walls, to keep the hoard from closing in.

It’s an extra precaution thoughtfully made by a self-sustaining community. For once, isolation brought forth more benefits than mishaps. They’ve barely lost people, largely untouched by the terrors of the world outside theirs. Innocent. Their lives went on. No nightmares, nothing.

The first time one of the pleasantly-dressed girls approached you with what could’ve been friendship, you flinched.

The boys were taken to it so easily, perhaps being as weary as you are didn’t make them jaded as it has made you.

Namjoon was swept away by the village committee, his brains and leadership evident with how he led you to safety. Jin and Jimin’s apprenticed under the village doctor, Yoongi’s turned to farming along with Taehyung, while Hoseok and Jungkook’s muscles are put to test building houses at the craft shop.

Everybody’s found a place except you, because while this town’s been untouched in all the good ways, it’s also been untouched in a sense that it kept to all the antiquated ways of the old world.

And, you hate how much you resent it in your deepest of hearts.

It’s as if they thought that putting you in a dress will wash away all the blood in your hands, as if you didn’t shed as much as all the boys did if not more. You’ve been turned away from all the things you could do, and are now being forced into things they want you to.

It’s suffocating, being torn with the desire to put your foot down and the fear of being perceived as ungrateful.

“They don’t understand, do they?”

You blink out of your thoughts and turn to a familiar face making himself comfortable beside you.

Jaebeom’s pushed away the unfinished basket to the side and pulled up one of his long legs to rest his elbow on.

By his side is his gun, locked and loaded, always ready even after months of quiet. You didn’t even hear him come in, but instead of being unsettled, you’re a slightest bit relieved to know that at least someone hasn’t gotten rusty.

The scar on his eyebrow stands out underneath the moonlight, and on the porch of your little house way’s away from the center of the town, you two make a fine pair of outsiders.

“No, they don’t.”

Even in times of peace, loss is inevitable.

Namjoon mulls over this as he looks at the list of names up for the next supply run. Two names have been crossed, and two funerals were attended last week. One had a body, another didn’t.

Old man Jungho died of a heart attack after his son died outside, and along with the grief, Namjoon could feel the pressure placed on his shoulders by a community unused to “unnatural” losses.

He’s developed a cycling procedure that makes it slightly fair to everyone who volunteered. Marked with blue ink are the ones who were in the previous run, those in black are the ones who are up for the next one.

With the latter list down by two, Namjoon turns to a different corner of his notebook to see your name. Until now, he’s had every excuse not to put you out there but now…

“Fuck,” Namjoon sighs and rubs his face with his hands. He doesn’t know why you’ll want to do this again. He’s tried asking you but somehow, you’ve grown farther and farther away.

When he tried to find you in the village garden with Yoongi, suddenly you’re out getting water. When Seokjin did your monthly checkup, you’re as impenetrable as the walls, when Hoseok tried to approach you with improvements for your home, you brush him away saying you’ve dealt with it with Jaebeom.

Jaebeom.

Whom you’ve only met a month in after you’ve settled into town. Who somehow’s been rumored to visit your house after dark, when the boys you’ve spent two years with haven’t even gotten the chance to step into your home.

Namjoon lets out a shaky breath. You’ve been so unreachable it’s made him cry out of frustration when the nights are dark and the seven of them feel your absence the most in their own quaint home.

They miss you, so much. Even Yoongi who’s as taciturn as they come has tried reaching out to you, working endlessly hard in his own little garden at the back of their house to produce strawberries that you love so much.

“Who’s on the list?”

Hoseok steps in the kitchen and jolts Namjoon out of his longing. He’s wearing his “fight” pants and boots, his gun taken out of the secret cellar and empty go bag slung on his shoulders.

Namjoon pushes his notebook towards him and watches as his friend’s face grow dark at the sight of your name.

“No.”

Namjoon sighs at the conviction in his friend’s voice. It draws in Jungkook from the living room, wearing the same pants and same tension in his shoulders every run.

It’s different when it was just the seven of them, now, they have to lead a bunch of unseasoned people outside the walls just so they don’t go in blind when - not if - shit hits the fan. The loss of the Youngho weighs heavily on Jungkook. They were of the same age, but not the same life experience and ultimately, that was what killed him.

“No, what?”

Jungkook takes in the tension of the room and glances down at the open notebook. “Oh.”

He mouths your name silently, treasuring each syllable. How long since he’s called you? How long since you two talked? Back outside, he liked to believe you and him had a special bond born in the midst of danger and trivial common hobbies from the old world.

He still has that photo card of an old gaming character you two loved.

“I can’t play favorites.” Namjoon states, teetering between duty and keeping you safe inside the walls. If you knew, you’d probably hate him for this, but you don’t.

“You can - you have!” Hoseok slams his hands on the table, the sound echoing inside their house. Everything falls silent followed by footsteps from the second floor. “What makes it different now?”

“The difference is the fact that we lost someone!” Namjoon bellows, his anger and stress rolling off him like waves but Hoseok doesn’t stand down. He knows its selfish, but the only thing that has him going now that you’ve pulled away is the knowledge that you’re safe.

“We always lose someone—“

“It’s not just us anymore, you know that, Hobi.”

Hoseok bites his cheek at Namjoon’s use of his nickname and he could feel the rest watching him like a hawk. All at once the fight goes out of him. It’s true. In exchange for safety, the get a community - for better or worse.

A hand lands on his shoulder and he turns to Taehyung, who in turn offers a strained smile. “At least, she has two of you to keep an eye on her out there. Like old times.”

Hoseok never thought he’d feel nostalgic about the times they’re elbow-deep in zombie gut but — “Yeah, like old times.”

Except, it isn’t like the old times.

Jungkook’s always been an awkward guy around girls, especially pre-apocalypse. He was all long limbs and Bambi eyes, not quite steadfast on what he was as a man and easily shaken by every attractive girl’s attention.

And although he’s grown a bit, confident in his looks and skills in this new world, he still hasn’t mastered the art of rejecting someone.

(He’s never had to, not when it was you.)

And so, he’s stuck at the last meeting with his back against the wall and one of the town’s remaining daughters - Hyerin- crowding his space as opposed to being beside you across the room.

He doesn’t even know that Hyerin signed up for the run, especially with how he’s told her that it’s dangerous and that she hasn’t had the proper training to go out there. It rankles him all sorts of wrong when she said that her father said that “it isn’t as dangerous as they made it out to be” as if they’re lying about the dangers they’ve faced.

And sure, they’ve cleared out a large space around the town of zombies but things can always go wrong, and if there’s anything Jungkook has learned is that things have a habit of luring you to a false sense of security before fucking everything up.

Hoseok’s giving the briefing to their small group of ten, and he could see his friend’s eyes linger a second too long whenever it passes you. You with your hair pulled back and back straight, it almost brings him back.

But then you smile at something Jaebeom says and Jungkook feels his chest tightening on cue. You haven’t smiled nor even looked at him since the start of this briefing. What had he done wrong? What have they done wrong that drove you away?

“We might encounter people on this run, and I want you to remember - people are more dangerous than zombies.” Hoseok reminds the group, “They can think, they can plot - and are much harder to predict. We’ll need someone to bring up the front before we flank the space—“

Before Jungkook could raise his hand, yours shoot up along with Jaebeom’s.

“I’ll do it.”

From the back, Jungkook could clearly hear the murmurs of the men in the group. Someone, someone stupidly brave enough speaks up, “I think you should let the men handle this, darling.”

Jungkook sees you put your hand on Jaebeom’s arm before turning to where the voice is. It’s one of the older folks, large and burly with eyes alight with mockery.

You smile sickly sweet, “Oh? I’m not the one who puked on the side of the road during the last run, am I?”

The man sputters and laughter erupts around him, his friends who were equal parts terrified at the sight of a half-torso crawling towards them last month. It’s easy to laugh when it’s not your ass on the line.

Before he gets another word in, you remind him, Hoseok, Jungkook and everyone in the room how dangerous you were on the outside. And how dangerous you still are here.

“And for the record, could you stomach killing a man when you can’t even finish off a zombie? I can,” you pause the silence being answer enough, “So, no, I’m not leaving this to the men.”

“Antagonizing them isn’t earning you any points.”

Keeping your eyes on the road helps you steady your nerves. Outside, you could see the remains of pushed over cars as your caravan makes its way away from the forest and down the mountain.

According to the last team’s run’s intel, there were traces of people loitering down the town proper and so Namjoon’s sent a team before you get caught unawares.

Hoseok coughs, “Y/N. Are you listening?”

“I didn’t know there were points to earn.”

One line, and its scathing but, Hoseok thinks, at least you’re talking to him. He was afraid he’s forgotten your voice.

He may have abused his power a bit to split you up from Jaebeom but it still makes sense, given that you two have worked together longer outside. You with your speed and him with his agility, you make a pretty good team.

And with your pretty face, people tend to underestimate you until its too late.

Hoseok pauses and mulls over your statement. Adjustment is hard, he knows, pandering to people who don’t know how hard it is on the outside but it’s needed. He doesn’t understand where your dislike of it comes from, so much so you’ve decided to ostracize yourself not only from the people in town but also from them.

(He’s a man. Of course he doesn’t understand. Old or new world, men can only touch the surface of what damage the world has done to women.)

“Y/N, it’s just so we could live with them peacefully. No trouble.”

You finally turn to him and he shivers from the coolness in your eyes. “When have I caused them any trouble? I help out, don’t I? I’m a functioning member of the community - is it required to be all chummy with them?”

Framed like that, Hoseok doesn’t have any answer but a semblance of the truth lying in a question, “Why don’t you talk to us anymore?”

Outside, the caravan reaches its destination and people pour out of the old trucks.

“Is there anything to talk about?”

Of course, of course there is, Hoseok wanted to say. But job calls, and when the sight of tracks greet your group, everything goes back to the back burner.

By the looks of it, there were at least four people about. All with large feet which most likely mean they were males.

Hoseok made a executive decision and sent back all of the group except you, Jaebeom and Jungkook. Given the situation, your group had too many people for this run turned reconnaisance and moving that many people will slow down any retreat you might need to do.

So he sent them back up with a message to Namjoon about the situation. He’ll get a lashing later but he’s sure the guys will understand. A small group is more manageable, but a group with established trust and dynamics (at least with the three of you) is more than ideal.

Your tracking leads the team to one of the larger convenient grocery stores in town. It’s long been looted and cleaned out, but somehow, one of the older craftsmen in the village figured out how to run the generator. Now, it’s store room is being used to hold and freeze any meat and fish you can’t afford to salt. How long you’ll have it running with the generator, who knows?

At what previously was an aisle for chips and snacks, you and Hoseok tread lightly, guns cocked and hands steady, your ears straining to hear any off-beat step as you get deeper into the store. Somewhere across the room, you know that Jungkook and Jaebeom are doing the same, closing off the larger exit.

It’s four on four, the odds may not be on your favor if it comes down to it but it’s not on theirs entirely either -whoever they are.

The morning light filters through the broken glass windows and reflects on your gun as you step forward to the large space at the end of the aisle. At the corner of your eye, you see Jungkook, -free of that girl hanging off his arm- tilt his head towards the large freezer ahead of you.

Behind him, Jaebeom moves to the right, taking position for a surprise attack while you three continue to advance. The freezer’s door is slightly ajar and you could almost make out the conversation and the shadows moving about inside. There’s unfettered laughter and guffaws, pulling you into a false sense of familiarity.

That laugh…

You were so in your head that your next step crushes a stray glass and echoes in the store. For a moment, it rings in the air, suspended like Hoseok freezing to look at you, before suddenly everything just- drops.

Out the door, someone tackles you to the ground, grabbing your gun and tossing it under the shelves. Your head bounces against the tiles and it steals your breath in pain but without missing a beat, you drive the heel of your palm to the man’s chin, hard enough to unbalance him off your waist.

The man rolls to the side and tries to grab your foot before you break free and kicks it to his face. With satisfaction, you hear him grunt in pain before grabbing at you again.

To the side, you see Hoseok trying to reach you, his gun similarly tossed away by the paler and taller man clutching his shoulder, slumped against a turned over cart. You’re ears are ringing, and you might’ve hit your head but vaguely you could hear someone punching someone at the other side of the aisle.

Everything happens so fast - and ends so quickly.

Your vision clears up as a cock of a gun rings clear, pausing everyone’s movements.

In front of you is a face you’d never thought you’d see again. He’s darker, with what seems to be a permanent five o’clock shadow on his jaw, but his eyes light up at the sight of you and a smile stretches on his lips, his hands up but uncaring of Jaebeom’s gun against his head.

“Y/N, long time no see.”

You gasp, frozen on the floor. “Jackson.”

End Notes: Hearts are appreciated but comments are gold. Let me know what you think and if you want to be included in a tag list!

86 notes · View notes

gingersimasnaps · 4 years

Text

True Colors (Vera Stone/Hamish Duke)

Title: True colors Word count: 4601 Summary: Vera Stone needs to paint her living room. Hamish Duke is ready to help. fluff&smut; OOC Vera; AU - law office

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

„Mr. Duke, don’t you really have better things to do than watching me?“ CEO of Blue Rose Law Office Vera Stone was standing with her back turned to him, reading through some documents she pulled out of a shelf.

Hamish blinked. Was he really that obvious, or did she just… know? Because that was exactly what she was doing. She knew things. She knew that Angus, complete idiot from analytic department, smoked a cigarette on the toilets at the opposite end of the building, even though no smoking was rule number one in the office. She knew who hacked his colleague Nicole’s phone and sent photos of her and her girlfriend to almost everyone, though the evidence didn’t exist, and police IT specialists came empty handed. She knew when some employee wanted to call in sick, hours before the employee even thought about this idea.

„Hmmm… Actually no, I don’t think so,“ answered Hamish. Vera turned to him with rigid expression on her face, but when he smirked, she just rolled her eyes. If it was someone else, she would probably just wipe them out of the face of the Earth. It was more than obvious she had a soft spot for Hamish.

Blue Rose Law Office was well known across the whole city of Belgrave. For its quality too, of course, but mainly for the fact it was almost hermetically closed for ordinary people. Unless you were a spoiled descendant of some high-ranking snob, you didn't have a chance to get into the Blue Rose. But about a year and a half ago, it was discovered that CEO Edward Coventry, who was also high seated in the city council, was tunneling Blue Rose for his own enrichment. He had been doing so systematically and successfully for several years, with the help of influential clients who owed him for saving them from justice. After the truth came out, he was removed from management. No one was too surprised when he ran away. It has been speculated that he‘s been hiding on his private island Vade Maecum in the southern Caribbean.

Vera was selected to be the new head of the office. It was a logical step. Surprisingly, as the newest member of the Gnostic council (seriously, this company was so snobbish, that their managing board was named Gnostic, and even people had their rankings – Hamish was currently a Magistratus, which was pretty high for a newcomer), she exposed Coventry's unfair practices and helped to break his entire plan. Her promotion was the reward. And simply because she was Vera Stone, she drastically changed established practices. She hired a whole bunch of young, relatively ordinary people to join the company. Some left after a shorter or longer time, but otherwise it turned out that Vera really knew where to reach - most of the new staff had proven to be very capable and useful to the office. Everyone got an assigned person, something like a tutor. Hamish had no idea how he ended up under the leadership of Vera Stone herself, but although his friends from the office either teased him mercilessly about that or pitied him, he was happy with the outcome. He had always been able to appreciate a strong person in leadership. And Vera was definitely such a person.

They’d been working together for a little over a year, during which time they built a working relationship based on trust in each other's decisions, on the fact that they both excelled in something different and complemented each other perfectly, on the long nights they spent over documents and contracts… And also on the tension that was between them. Not hostile, definitely not. He had once thought it came from Vera's reluctance, or perhaps outright inability to trust anyone, but now, for some time now, he had been sure that what was literally sparkling the air between them was a mutual attraction that the two were trying to fiercely suppress. But it was precisely these moments - when Hamish made some cheeky remark and she didn‘t kill him for it - that proved that they may not be as strong as they seem at first glance.

"Okay," Vera sighed, snapping the file closed and putting it back in its place. "I think we should call it a night. It's late, and I have work tomorrow. "

"Here?" Hamish asked, and dug his heels on the ground to pull his body into a slightly more upright position. He sat in a comfortable office chair, and during the evening he had made himself even more comfortable by sliding down.

"No," the blackhaired woman replied, walking back in her awfully high heels to the table where she sat on her own chair. "I need to paint the living room. I have a day off tomorrow for the first time in ages, so it‘s the right time. "

"Paint? Will you paint — like by yourself? ”Hamish said this before he could stop himself, and this time Vera really gave him a hard look.

"There's something surprising about that, Mr. Duke? ”

"Of course not," Hamish replied. "I was just wondering if you wouldn‘t want to… help."

And here it was again. He really meant it as just an offer of help, but for some reason it sounded like he was offering her help with something completely different. Vera looked at him.

"Hm," she said, resting her chin on her index finger, "it's true that I could probably appreciate a… man's hand." He didn‘t believe she wasn't flirting with him now. He leaned in a little.

"So what time?" God, it really sounded like they were arranging some secret rendezvous at a hotel.

"Eight o‘clock," Vera replied. "Sharp." She got up, picked up her purse, and headed for the door.

"Are you going to spend the night in my office?" She asked him as she had her coat draped over her arm, and Hamish still showed no signs of getting up.

"Not today," he told her, as if he intended to any other night. She rolled her eyes at him again and let him pass so she could lock her office. Together they went to the underground garages. There was silence on the elevator ride, and Hamish wondered what she was thinking about.

"Good night, Grand Magus," he told her as she unlocked her car and was about to get in it. The Grand Magus was a nickname given to her by one of the newcomers. Hamish would bet anything it was his friend Randall. Of course, the nickname reached her, but probably no one had dared to use it right in front of her yet.

Vera narrowed her eyes and gave him a slightly ironic smile. "I hope you haven't forgotten what I said. Sharp. ”She got into her luxury SUV and started the car. Hamish smiled and opened the door to his car. Vera was already leaving when he took off. He noticed that she was watching him in the rearview mirror. The prospect of painting had never been more interesting, he thought, and he also drove home to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's work.

The next morning, at exactly eight o'clock, he rang the bell at Vera's house. When she opened the door for him, he was quite surprised. He only knew her as the leading person of the office in her ‚CEO's uniform‘, which included a dress or nice costume, and high heels. But now she stood before him barefoot, in leggings and a plain white T-shirt, her hair tied in a messy knot.

"Did you swallow your tongue along with your breakfast?" Vera asked, pulling him out of his contemplation of her outfit.

"No," he replied. "But when someone needs to start painting at eight in the morning, even if they have the whole day off, they have to count with the fact that not everyone is a morning bird." Vera rolled her eyes at him again – that was slowly becoming their sign - and let him go inside. Hamish took off his shoes and coat and handed her a box. She looked at him questioningly.

"Those are doughnuts. No tarantula is going out of it, ”he grinned, watching in astonishment as Vera shuddered with disgust.

"Don't talk about spiders in front of me. Never."

“Arachnophobia? I wouldn't tip you on that. ”He followed her into the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. "I wouldn't tip you on orange, either," he added when he saw the kitchen walls.

"It's apricot," she corrected him immediately. "Did you come to solve my phobias or paint?"

"Depends on the situation," Hamish replied nonchalantly. He went to the living area. Vera had already managed to cover the floor with plastic and move all the things that weren’t too heavy for her to be picked up by herself. Together with Hamish, they set out to push the heavy, massive furniture away from the walls to access them.

"Really, is such furniture necessary at all?" Hamish snorted. "If you don't want it to fall apart after five days of use, it is," Vera snapped, almost out of breath. Fortunately, they had the last chest of drawers left. Hamish went to her to take down the photos of her. There were two. In one was Vera with some young, redhead girl. They seemed to be related. He had probably never seen his boss laughing so cheerfully as in the picture.

"That's my niece," Vera said, suddenly appearing beside him. "Laura."

"I didn't know you have a niece."

"That’s pretty logical," she told him. "Theoretically, you shouldn’t be bothered with my personal life, especially considering that most employees think I don't even have any, but if you're already holding the photo…" she shrugged.

"Are you close?" Hamish asked. "And I don't think you don‘t have a personal life."

"Um, I suppose yes, we are. She lived here with me for a few years, but then she decided to attend Yale and moved there." Hamish decided not to ask why Laura didn't live with her parents.

"What is she studying?"

"Law." It was Vera who grinned now for a change, and Hamish chuckled.

"Runs in the family, apparently."

"Yeah, sort of."

He set the frame behind him in the prepared box, and took another, a little smaller, in his hand. "Is this Laura, too?" He asked another question, showing the photo to Vera. He saw her features stiffen.

"No. Katharine. My daughter, " she replied in a tone that made it clear she would not answer the next question about the baby in the picture, and snatched it from his hand. Hamish understood, of course, but that didn't mean it didn't ignite his curiosity. He didn't need to extract evidently painful memories from her. But he wanted to get to know Vera. Not CEO Stone, but Vera. The woman who painted the walls herself, had a niece studying law at Yale and who had just played a music CD from ABBA.

"Can we get started?" She threw a paint roller at him.

"Sure, Magus. What color? ”

"White first, to make the color brighter. Then red. "

"I didn't expect anything else." After half an hour of painting, he realized that Vera was humming in a low voice along with the CD. He stopped and listened. His parents insisted on a music education, so as a child he was attending piano classes. He had never felt any great love for it, but right now he wished he could play the piano along with her singing, which sounded very good. Voulez-vous song ended, and – of course - Does Your Mother Know came next. Hamish began to hum, too. As soon as Vera heard that, she raised her voice a little. You're not gonna win this one, the blonde thought, and also added to the volume. Before long, they both sang as if they were at a concert, while the original tape of ABBA was barely audible. When the song ended, the two laughed. More, Hamish thought again. More of this sweet laughter.

After the white paint dried, they dug their rollers into the red color, but halfway through the walls, Vera let out a huff.

"That looks awful," she said, expressing the thought Hamish had had in his head from the beginning.

"I agree," he nodded. "We need to repaint it white again."

"Are you sure?"

"It can't get any worse."

"Cheeky," she told him with a smirk. As it was almost 4PM, they decided to take a break, and eat the dougnuts-not-tarantulas he brought. Then they went to work again.

Taking advantage of Vera's good mood, Hamish decided to tease her. He grabbed a brush, dipped it in paint, crept up behind her, and ran it over her nose during her unguarded moment.

"HEY!" Vera shouted, turning sharply to see Hamish's perfectly satisfied expression. "You’re so gonna pay for this,“ she growled with a sly smile, turning her back on him.

"I want to see that," he replied, turning back to his part of wall. He was alert, but probably not enough. At one point he bent down to dip the roller in the paint - and at that moment Vera's hand, soaked in white paint they were using, landed on his black T-shirt.

He looked at her, and suddenly an immense desire to kiss the triumphant grin on her face seized him. But then something better occurred to him. He grabbed her in his arms, making her yelp in surprise, and in one smooth motion he pressed her against the freshly painted wall. „So who won?“ he said, face centimeters from hers. It looked like she would want to fight and get out of his grip, so he pushed his knee inbetween her legs, to hold her in place. Vera gasped.

„This is not a… game, Mr. Duke,“ she said under her breath.

„Oh yeah? I had a feeling we could be a little playful since it’s our free day.“ Hamish let go one of her hips, only to pull the rubber band out of her vantablack hair, to let them fall freely all over the white, wet wall. His palm brushed a few strands out of her face, and when he shifted a little, his knee rubbed against Vera’s leggins, close to her center. Vera almost closed her eyes and arched against him a little, and that was all he needed.

He kissed her so heatedly and passionately, that he earned another whimper from her. Vera wounded her arms around his neck and when he pulled his leg from between her legs and gripped her butt instead, she wrapped her legs around him. Hamish finally detached her from the wall and backed off to where he suspected the couch was. Vera took his bottom lip between her teeth. His strong hands on her ass were driving her mad. She was coming home aroused almost regularly since they started working together, and first thing she would do when she got back to her house was to touch herself. Hamish and his damned smile, kind eyes, and the oh so intoxicating smell… She always ended up imagining it was his hand carresing her down there. And now, it was going to be finally, finally, finally true.

The blonde guy eventually opted to lay her on the fluffy white rug, not the couch, not letting go of her lips for one second. Vera closed her eyes when those lips touched that sensitive spot on her neck for the first time, and a soft moan escaped her. She tangled her hand in his hair and arched her back again a little. When she opened her eyes again, Hamish’s t-shirt was gone, and she had no idea how he did it. She forgot about it though, as soon as his hands gripped the hem of her own t-shirt, and took it off, along with her sport bra.

"So beautiful," whispered Hamish, his breath hot against her skin, and it sent a wave of arousal all the way down to her already wet slit.

„Gosh,“ she panted, when Hamish took one of her nipples into his mouth, and began sucking on it. Hamish smiled at her cunningly, and gently bit the nipple. Vera felt small pain, immediately soothed out by his tongue, and if she ever experienced heaven, it was right now. She heard some sounds of pleasure, and realized it was her own voice. God, what was this man doing to her… He could be literally just casually standing somewhere, wearing his smile, and she would consider it a turn on. But the only thing standing now was his cock, which was visible through his pants. Vera wanted to reach down and palm his bulge, but right just as she was raising her hand, Hamish decided to lick her stomach all the way down, right to the waist of her leggins.

"Oh God!" Vera dug her nails into his shoulders, feeling everything inside her twist with desire. Hamish bit the skin on her belly, and then, very impatiently, just ripped her pants and panties away.

"I should probably require a compensation for this," Vera panted. Hamish’s face appeared abover hers.

"Shut up, Magus," he growled, and kissed her so deeply that her brain just stopped for a while. Her hands were working on their own, clawing his back and leaving long red marks on it, soothing it right after with tender palm caresses. His kiss didn’t last long, though, and before she even tried to make her brain work, she felt Hamish’s tongue circling her pussy, but not touching her where she wanted him the most.

When the almost painful pleasure became too much for her to bear and Vera was literally trembilng with desire, she was torn between loving him and wanting to kill him.

"Hamish, please, please, stop teasing me," she almost sobbed, and in the way his lips moved upward against her sensitive flesh, she understood this was what he wanted her to do the whole time. The tip of his tongue touched her clit and she jerked her hips to him. He was unbelievable. Unbelievably goo-

"Jesus fuck!" Vera cried out loud, when Hamish put his whole mouth on her pussy and his tongue began attacking her swollen clit. She was dripping wet, good God, he was making her wetter than she ever been in her whole life - and she had had some good sex before.

She held his head close to her center with her thighs, almost as if afraid he will pull back, and leave her alone with this unbearable desire. But Hamish had no intentions to do so. Her mound had the most intoxicating smell, and it felt like silk, hot silk, and tasting her was already his favorite thing to do.

Vera bucked her hips to him, being so painfully, breathtakingly close… And then Hamish slid two of his fingers into her, curled them slightly, and started fucking her, excrutiatingly slowly. When he sucked her whole clit into his mouth and thrusted his fingers‘ full length into her, it sent her over the edge. She cried out with pure exctasy, eyes closed, back arched, ankles crossed behind his back, wishing for this feeling to never end.

Hamish was kissing his way back up, and when he captured Vera’s mouth once again, she could taste herself in his honey-like kisses, and it felt better than any other thing she had ever tasted. He slipped one arm under her back and then spun them around abruptly. Vera let out a surprised yelp, because she was suddenly sitting on him, and Hamish had to steady her by holding her hips.

"Easy, lady," he smiled. Vera felt like she could fly, but he was still so hard against her right thigh, and she thought it would be fair to give him release too. Who cares about painting, after all.

She kneeled beside him and took his pants down. At first, she only caressed him through his boxers - Calvin Klein, apparently he had some style - but he tried to prey her hand off.

"You don't have to-"

She cut him off with a finger on his lips. "I want to. And you definitely don't want to open a dispute with your boss.” With that, she pulled his underwear down, and took him in her soft, warm hand. Hamish supressed a moan. This woman is really one of a kind, he thought, when her hand moved up and down on his cock. When she bent her head down and took him in her deliciously hot mouth, teasing the tip of him with her tongue, another moan worked its way out of him. Even the plain sight of her head between his legs was almost too much, and her mouth felt so good and right… It didn’t took her more than a few minutes to make him come. The last thing he did before his seed spurted was to pull her back. For some reason he didn’t feel comfortable by the image of Vera swallowing his sperm - she was too precious for such thing.

They both needed a while to steady their breaths. Two piles of their clothes laid around them and half red, half white walls were waiting for them, but the two couldn’t care less. Hamish was first to stand up, and he pulled Vera with him, only to take her into his arms again. Vera wrapped her legs around his waist again, but this time, she took his face in her hands, and kissed him. Her long hair blocked him the view, so after a few steps, he stubbed his toe and fell forward. Fortunately, it was her couch. Vera squeaked, when her back hit the pillows, and he fell face first on her chest. She started laughing.

"Oh my God, this is like D grade category movie," she said between giggles. Hamish couldn’t help himself, and joined her in the laughter. He kissed the vale between her breasts.

"I think we need a shower."

“Definitely. We don't want to be sticky, “ Vera nodded. "Come." She got up from the couch, took his hand, and led him upstairs, to her big bathroom with an enormous bathtub.

„Of course,“ Hamish muttered with amusement. "Wouldn't expect anything less."

"Well, I like my comfort," she shrugged, and bent over the rim of the tub to turn the water on. Hamish felt himself twitch again at the sight of her beautifully shaped ass. Again, he couldn't help himself. He let his fingers travel lightly along her spine and over her butt. Then he lifted her and put her into the tub.

"Impatient, are we?" Said Vera with the tiniest of smiles.

"You are the one who will be profitting from it," Hamish answered, and pushed her to the corner of the tub, where she could sit. She watched him, intrigued. The man kneeled in the water, and pulled her legs apart. Vera felt her breath quickening already, and when he attacked her mound with his tongue and fingers again, she literally saw stars. If she expected something from their… painting job today, it was quick sex, at most. But of course, this was Hamish Duke, the most extraordinary man she ever met in her whole life. She should've known it won’t be just fucking. Not now, not ever.

Soon, her moans and grunts and "there, yes, like that, yes," filled the bathroom. After a while, when she was already close, Hamish's mouth left her pussy, and she felt a flash of anger, but then he brought their foreheads together and instead of his tongue, he pressed his thumb against her clit - and it gifted her with another orgasm, way more bigger than the first one. He didn't stop, though, and another huge wave soon ripped through her.

Hamish was watching her as she was slowly coming from heights back to him, and wondered if he would ever get enough of this sight. His boss‘ cheeks were tinted from the arousal, blue eyes were staring nowhere, and her legs were slightly shaking. God, he wanted to be inside her so badly… He quickly pulled her down to him, as she was still supple, leaned her against hir chest, and soaped her body.

Vera let him to do to whatever he wanted to her. She felt like she was under some spell. Maybe he was some kind of a magic practitioner, because she never felt like this around any man. But again, Hamish was different than all the men she met. So when he rinsed the soap from her, pulled her out of the tub and wrapped her in a bathrobe, she found his face with her hands.

"I want you," she whispered, lips pressed against his ear. And Hamish, being Hamish, bowed a little. For some reason, it turned her on even more than she already was, because who wouldn’t be after three amazing orgasms? They went to her bedroom together.

This time, both of them wanted it to be slow. Hamish was covering her whole body with kisses, Vera was caressing his torso. "Now," she whispered after a few minutes, or maybe hours?, but he already knew. Slowly, tenderly, his slid his member into her wet, silky, hot entrance, stayed still for a while, and then they moved simultaneously. Like they were made for each other, no matter how much it sounded like a cliché.

Even though Vera had never believed in such staged movie bullshit, they found their release together. When her walls started clenching around him a little, Hamish took one of her insanely long legs, and put it on his shoulder, so he could go deeper. Vera threw her head back, and in the very moment when her fourth orgasm of the day hit her and she came with his name on her lips, she felt Hamish spill himself deep into her, whispering "Vera“ several times over.

Hamish slid out from her, fell on his back, and Vera laid her head on his shoulder. She was completely worn out and her core and thighs ached, but it was the most beautiful kind of pain.

“Am I good? Painter? ”Hamish asked, still little out of breath, and Vera couldn’t supress a giggle.

"The best," she answered, and placed a tiny kiss on his chin. "We both are. We should quit being advocates and start a painting company. "

"Speaking of being advocates, how am I supposed to work with you now? Not happening. "

"Well, I can always shift you to someone else."

Hamish dragged his nails down her arm. "Also not happening."

"Thought so," Vera smirked. "I have to clean up the mess downstairs," she sighed after a while.

“Let it be for now. I will come tomorrow to help, “offered Hamish. Vera propped herself on one elbow and stared at his face.

"What?" He asked, clearly confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

Vera slowly shook her head. "No. I just… Stay the night." She didn’t exactly believe herself, because she never let anyone stay with her, no matter if it was after fucking or not. But when Hamish’s smile grew wider, she knew she made the right choice.

"As you wish, Grand Magus,“ he said, laughed when she again rolled eyes on him, and sat up, but just to pull the blanket over them. Vera hesitated for a heartbeat, but then just decided to give up and snuggled against him. Hamish dropped a kiss on her hair and protectively put his arm around her stomach.

It was the first night in ages without a single nightmare for her.

#fanfiction #vera stone #hamish duke #vera/hamish #vermish #theorder #alternateuniverse #smut #fluff #OOC #I really don't know how to write a proper fanfic in English

23 notes · View notes

superfreakerz · 5 years

Text

TDDUP 29

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortality AU

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a mischievous grin, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 29

The Immortals

The car ride home was insufferable. Lucy could feel Gajeel's glare piercing the back of her head, Erza chose to sit in between her and Natsu- which she could only assume was to keep him away from her- and nobody had said a single word since the night before. Even the music that Gray so graciously played in hopes of lightening the mood did nothing to ease the tension. The negative aura was thick, and it felt like she was being suffocated with everyone's blatant stares.

All she had to do was show them the locket. Inside was proof that she wasn't just twenty years old. Still, part of her wondered if that was going to be good enough for them. Technically, she was still a mortal, and if Gajeel's dirty looks were enough to go off of, they had some pretty bad run-ins with mortals who knew of their secret.

A sigh slipped past Lucy's lips. All she wanted was to go on a ski trip with her friends. Couldn't she just have one day without some bad luck interfering with her plans?

Turning her head, she glanced past Erza to look at Natsu. As if feeling her stare, he turned towards her and gave her a show-stopping grin that somehow managed to chip away at her anxiety.

Her lips curled into a grin. At least there was one good thing that happened on the trip. The secrets that strained their relationship were now out in the open. She could finally be her true self around people. That is, being a girl who reincarnates. She didn't have to hold back on details, she didn't have to lie, and she didn't have to keep her lives straight anymore.

She was sure the same went for Natsu. Sure, he had a group of friends that shared his immortality, but he must've felt the same way about her. Now, he didn't have to lie to her about anything.

Everything felt so easy now.

Or at least it should have if it weren't for her overly skeptical friends.

Seriously, they were immortals for god's sake! Their bodies healed at abnormal rates and they never aged. Why was it so weird that she reincarnated? When they got to her apartment, she was going to make sure to rub it in their sorry faces and demand an apology. It was the least they could do after putting her through the wringer.

Reaching Lucy's apartment, the group stretched their legs outside. After being trapped in the silent car for the past four hours, they were relieved to finally be free of its confines.

"I'll go grab the locket and prove how ridiculous you guys are being," Lucy said, heading to the steps to her apartment when Gajeel blocked her path.

"Oi, remember our deal?" he asked, peering down at her. "We go together. Gotta make sure you ain't cheating."

"How in the world could I cheat? This isn't some contest, you know?"

"You could photoshop it or something!"

"How would I even have time to do that?"

"Doesn't matter! We're all comin' with you!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. Grabbing her suitcase out of the trunk, she rolled it behind her as she walked to her apartment, making sure to run over Gajeel's toes in the process.

"Fine. Come on then," she said. She couldn't deny that her feelings were hurt. After all they'd been through, they still couldn't trust her? The only thing that made her feel better was knowing that Natsu believed her, even without needing to see the proof that lied within her locket.

Waiting for everyone to finish putting their luggage aside, Lucy headed towards the bathroom. The group followed closely behind as if they were little ducklings trailing after their mother.

"The bathroom's small, so some of you might want to stand out in the hall," Lucy suggested.

"Nonsense," Erza replied. "We can all huddle together."

Lucy sighed as the whole group squeezed themselves into the bathroom with her. The seven huddled together, their elbows poking into each other while Lucy stood a foot away by the tub. Bending over, she swiftly threw open the drawer, slamming it into Gajeel's shin. The boy jumped away with a yelp.

"Oops," she said with a shrug.

Gajeel rubbed the sore spot, glaring at the blonde. "Didja really hafta do that?"

"You deserved it. In fact, if you ask me, all of you deserve it. Other than Natsu, of course."

Natsu grinned. "I've got your back, Luce! Now hurry up and show us what's in the locket! I've been dying to know for weeks!"

Lucy smiled at him. Grabbing the tampon box, she dumped it out into the drawer. Sure enough, the locket fell out with a thud.

"So that's where you hid it!" Natsu exclaimed. He tried to push everyone out of his way so he could get a closer look, but with how cramped the bathroom was, he was stuck in place. "Wait, but I checked there for other evidence and there wasn't anything in there!"

"Wait, you checked for evidence? When? And for what?"

"While you were visitin' your old man. I kinda thought that you were an immortal too, so I looked through all your stuff for any clues. I didn't find anything!"

"Oh. That's because the only hard proof that I keep with me is this locket," Lucy explained, dangling it in the air. "I don't have access to anything else."

Before she could say another word, Gajeel snatched the necklace out of her hand.

"How is this supposed to prove anything?" he asked, his crimson eyes piercing hers.

"Open it, idiot," Lucy answered, crossing her arms over her chest expectantly.

Everyone peered over Gajeel's shoulders, watching as he opened the locket to reveal a black-and-white picture of Lucy between an older couple.

"I don't get it," Gray said.

Lucy sighed, grabbing the necklace from Gajeel's hand and carefully removing the photo. Unfolding its edges, she handed it back to the boy. "Look at the date at the corner."

Natsu's eyes widened as he read the date. It was over sixty years ago.

"Ha! I toldja she wasn't lying!" he exclaimed, slapping Gajeel upside the head.

"This doesn't prove anything!" the other boy barked. "This coulda been photoshopped!"

"When would she have photoshopped it, dumbass?" Gray asked. Somehow during their time in the bathroom, he had ended up shirtless.

"Gray's right," Levy chimed in. "There would've been no reason for Lu-chan to photoshop a fake date onto it when she didn't know about us until yesterday."

Juvia shrugged. "Juvia believed her last night, so this doesn't change anything."

"You did?" Lucy asked, her mouth parting.

"Yes. Considering Juvia is an immortal, it isn't impossible for other kinds of beings to exist."

"Oh my god, yes! Thank you for saying that, Juvia! Seriously, the rest of you are all just a bunch of hypocrites!"

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, pushing past the others so that he could stand by Lucy. "You guys shoulda trusted her!"

Gajeel scoffed, crossing his arms over his burly chest. "I still don't believe it."

"Seriously?" Lucy asked with a groan. "You need more proof? Fine. Follow me." Slipping through the group, she led the way to the dining room where her laptop rested on the table. Opening up a searching browser, she started to type her name.

"I already looked you up," Gajeel said. "I didn't find anything that proves you reincarnate."

"That's because you were looking up the wrong name. My first name stays the same whenever I am reborn, but I am always born into a new family, so my last name changes. You looked up Lucy Heartfilia. The first name I went by was Lucy Ashley."

Pressing enter, the page was reloaded with multiple links. Most of them led to the social medias of other girls that went by the same name. Muttering incentives to herself, Lucy narrowed the search with details of her death and tried again. This time, a link to her obituary popped up. Clicking it, she was led to a page that showed some of her pictures, a brief description of her life, and an explanation of how she died. In the back of her head, she noted how strange it felt reading about her own death, but at the moment, she was too spiteful to care.

"Holy fuck," Gray breathed out, pulling a chair out next to Lucy.

"So it is true," Erza added, her eyes wide as she cupped her chin.

"That's what I've been telling you guys," Lucy said, standing from her seat so that she could face all of them with a glare. "But you didn't believe me."

"I apologize Lucy, but can you really blame us?"

"Yes! I can! I believed you guys about your immortality right away!"

"Yes, but you were shown the facts first. It was impossible to deny it when you saw Natsu's body healing on its own. For us, we didn't see any proof that you reincarnate. We never believed in reincarnation before. It was just awfully convenient timing to confess such a thing, so it was easier to believe that you would say whatever you had to so that you could still be with Natsu."

Lucy crossed her arms, her glare never wavering. "Okay, yes. I can agree with you on that. I did see the proof, and maybe I wouldn't have believed that you guys were immortal if I hadn't seen Natsu's body regenerating. But did you guys have to treat me like crap because of it?"

Erza glued her gaze to the floor with a frown. "No. And we shouldn't have treated you like that. I am truly sorry for what we said last night."

"I am too," Levy added, wringing her hands together. "We've been best friends for a long time, I shouldn't have dismissed you so quickly, especially when you've been nothing but kind to me. I was a bad friend."

"Same goes for me and Jellal," Gray said.

"Juvia should've stuck up for you," the other blue-headed girl chimed in. "Juvia believed you, but she was scared of saying something last night."

Lucy glanced towards Gajeel expectantly. Part of her expected him to be stubborn and refuse to apologize. Instead, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. What he did next was surprising.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," the boy said. "Look, there's nothin' I can say that's gonna change how I acted. Truth is, I've had some bad experiences with mortals who found out that I'm immortal- a lot of us have. I just wanna keep Levy safe. Guess I got a lil' carried away."

"A little?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm glad you guys are apologizing and all, but that doesn't change anything. You guys made me feel horrible last night, and I warned you before that I wasn't going to be so quick to forgive you."

"Yeah, I know. So let us make it up to you."

"How?" Lucy asked, arching a brow.

Gajeel's face was serious as answered, "We'll take you to Fairy Tail."

The widening gazes of everyone else in the group went unnoticed by Lucy as she threw her arms in the air.

"You think taking me out for some food and drinks is going to make it up to me?" she asked incredulously. "That's the dumbest-"

"Fairy Tail isn't just a pub. It's home of the immortals. Taking you there could get us in a lot of trouble."

"Gajeel!" Erza hissed.

The boy turned to face her with a shrug. "We were gonna take her to see Makarov anyways if she was tellin' the truth. Why not bring her to Fairy Tail? We can make it up to her by telling her everything. There's no better way of showin' her that we trust her now."

Lucy glanced at Natsu, who grinned back at her with a nod. She couldn't deny that her curiosity was more than piqued. She finally knew where they lived! She just couldn't believe that she'd been there a million times without knowing.

"I can get on board with that idea," Lucy said. She knew that it was a big risk to them, so she knew it was a big deal and that they were really trying to make it up to her. "If you take me there, I will agree to put all of this behind us."

Erza glanced at the others to make sure they were on board. Receiving a bunch of nods and shrugs, she turned back towards Lucy.

"Alright," the redhead stated. "We will take you there. Just keep in mind that there are other immortals who might be wary of you. They will all be surprised to see you."

"Wait, there's more of you?" Lucy asked, her mouth hanging open.

"Yes. Fairy Tail is an organization built to support immortals. The pub is a way to bring in money while the basement houses all of us."

"That's so cool!"

"I can't wait to show you to everybody!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "You gotta try Mira's cooking!"

Lucy arched a brow. She remembered that name. "Mira? Isn't that the friend who moved away?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot I sorta told you about her! Truth is, we aren't supposed to bring up anyone who lives in the basement, but it just kinda slipped out that one time. So then we had to tell you that she was our friend who moved away, but she's really living in the basement!"

"Wait, why is she living in the basement?"

"It's a long story," Levy said. "We'll tell you all about it when we get to Fairy Tail."

"Prepare to get groped," Gray added, leading the way to the door.

Lucy covered her breasts with her arms. "Groped!?"

"He means Cana," Natsu explained while she locked her door behind them. "She has a thing for big boobs. And yours are huge."

Growing red in the face, Lucy slapped the boy upside the head. "Natsu! You can't just say things like that!"

"Ow! But it's true!"

That got him another slap.

Arriving at Fairy Tail, Lucy's stomach was doing flips. Her fingers wiggled at her sides as she stepped inside the pub, antsy at meeting the rest of the immortals. Following the others behind the counter into an area that was restricted to the public, she watched them head down a flight of narrow steps. Not wanting to get lost, she trailed closely behind.

Each step made her stomach churn. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The steps led to what looked like a lobby. There were multiple sofas, tables and chairs, and even entertainment centers. There was also a bar, where a stunning woman was drying off glasses. Her hair was snow white and fell in waves, her eyes a brilliant shade of blue. She turned to greet them, but the words died in her throat the moment she laid eyes on Lucy. The glass in her hands dropped to the floor, shattering and catching the attention of everyone else around.

There was another girl slouched in one of the stools by the bar. Her hair was also wavy, but it was a relaxing shade of brown. She was clad in a pair of khakis and a bikini top, clutching a barrel to her chest. Her cheeks were dusted pink, clueing Lucy into what could possibly be in the barrel.

At one of the entertainment centers sat a man even larger and more muscular than Gajeel. His hair was blonde, and he had a scar running down one of his eyes. Over his ears were two large headphones with spikes protruding from the sides. Surrounding him was a man with long green hair, a scantily dressed woman with glasses, and a man wearing the strangest outfit Lucy had ever seen before.

All of them had their eyes on her, and it was clear that her presence was unexpected, if not unwelcomed.

"Erza," the blonde man called out, jumping to his feet. "Who is this?"

The redhead gnawed on her lower lip. Well, there was no use in lying. "This is Lucy."

"Wait, Lucy? As in the Lucy?" the silver-haired girl behind the bar asked. A shaky hand flew up to her mouth. "You guys brought a mortal into the basement?"

"What the hell are you guys thinking?" the brunette asked, setting aside her barrel as she glared at them.

"It's a long story," Erza answered. "We need to speak to Master. Is he in his office?"

The brunette nodded. "Good luck. Seems to me you've got a death wish."

Erza turned back to the group. "I will go let Master know that we need to speak to him. Wait here and do not move. Understood?"

Natsu flinched under the menacing stare she directed at him. "A-Aye!"

"Good. I will return shortly."

Lucy kept her eyes on the ground. Perhaps they should've given the others a heads-up that she was coming. Now, she felt unwelcomed. Not that she could really blame the others. She wouldn't be too happy either if some stranger just let themselves into her home.

"Oi, mortal," a voice called out. Lifting her gaze, Lucy saw the brunette waving her over. "C'mere. Have a drink."

"O-Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother," she replied, waving her hands in front of her face.

"Just have a drink already. I'm sure you've gotta feel awkward with all this."

Natsu nodded at her, gesturing for her to go mingle with the other immortals. Swallowing thickly, she took the empty seat beside the brunette while Natsu sat on the other side of her. At least he was there to keep her company.

"The name's Cana," the other girl said, pointing at herself. "Nice to meetcha, Lucy. We've heard a shit ton about you. Oi, Natsu, you're right! She does have ginormous knockers!"

"Toldja!" the boy replied. The two shared a high-five behind the blonde's back while she because a blushing mess.

"I-It's nice to meet you too," Lucy said. "So you are an immortal too?"

"Yep. Have been longer than most of these guys."

"Really? I didn't know that some of you could be immortals longer than others."

"Oh yeah. Immortality is way more of a complicated bitch than most people would think."

So many questions floated around in Lucy's mind. She had no idea how immortality worked. Were people born with it? Did it run in their genes? Was there any sort of limit to their immortality? Opening her mouth to ask one of her many questions, the girl was cut off as Erza entered the room.

"Master will see us now," she said.

"What did you tell him?" Jellal asked.

"I told him that there was someone here to see him. I did, however, leave out the fact that she is a mortal. I figured it would be best to explain it all together."

Lucy swallowed thickly. "I'm scared of meeting this Master person."

"Don't be," Natsu replied, nudging her gently in hopes of alleviating some of her anxiety. "Gramps is awesome! And you're a girl, so he'll definitely go easier on you. If anything, he'll just try to kill me for bringing you."

"Yes, because that definitely makes me feel better."

"Good! Let's go, Luce!"

Cana watched as Natsu dragged the mortal away by the wrist. The rest of the group followed behind them.

"You okay, Mira?" Cana asked, her gaze tearing away from the hallway where the others went in order to face the other girl. A frown immediately graced her face as she found tears welled in the blue orbs of her close friend.

Mira's shaky hand flew up to her chest, her eyes wide and glazed over with hot tears. Her breathing was heavy and ragged as she hyperventilated.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she breathed out, rubbing her neck. "I-I was just a little surprised, but I'm fine."

Cana frowned, but she didn't bother arguing with the other girl. All she knew was that there had better been a damn good reason why Natsu and the others brought a mortal into their safe haven.

Lucy was a fumbling mess by the time they reached the door to what she assumed was Master's office. Natsu's warm hand slid into hers, lacing their fingers together and giving her hand a gentle squeeze, silently telling her that it was going to be okay. She decided to take his word for it.

Following Erza and the others, Lucy's eyes immediately landed on the tiny, elderly man that sat at a desk that was taller than him. The top of his head was bald, but the sides sported patches of silver hair. He had a white goatee and a fluffy white coat. At the sight of her, he cocked his head to the side.

"Hello, my name is Makarov" the man greeted, jumping onto his desk so that he could stand at the same height as her. "I heard that someone wanted to see me. That must be you."

"Umm, yes," Lucy replied, shaking his hand.

"You must be an immortal. Let me get some paperwork started and we can get you all situated to join our family!"

"Oh- uhh- I'm actually not an immortal."

"Oh, you must be a government official affiliated with immortals."

"Actually, I'm just a friend of these guys. My name is Lucy."

Makarov halted his movements, the uncapped pen in his hand dropping onto the desk and tainting some of the documents.

"I'm sorry, come again? I don't believe I heard you right the first time. Pardon my bad hearing, it comes with the old age," he said, cupping his hand around his ear.

"Umm, Master, this is Lucy. Natsu's girlfriend and our friend from school," Erza explained.

The man whipped his head towards Erza. "What!? Erza! What are you thinking bringing an outsider here!? You know better than that! Oh no. The school will probably have to be shut down, along with Fairy Tail. We'll all have to relocate and who knows what will happen to-"

"Lucy's not just some outsider," Natsu interrupted. "She's different than the other mortals!"

"Natsu, I understand she's your girlfriend, but that doesn't mean you can bring her here!"

"No, not just that! Tell him, Lucy!"

Lucy swallowed thickly. Her gaze was pointed at the desk as she was too afraid to meet the gaze of the older man who- despite his kind smile- had an air of authority to him that frightened her.

"Umm, I uhh, I…" she started, the words dying in her throat due to her nerves.

"Spit it out, dear," Makarov said. "I have to know what made these brats think it was acceptable bringing you here."

"…The truth is, I reincarnate every time I die."

Makarov's eyes went wide, his jaw slack.

"I know it's hard to believe," Gajeel began, "but she's got proof! She has a picture of herself from sixty years ago, and there are obituaries written about her past lives!"

"It's true," Erza chimed in, hoping to calm the monster that resided in the older man. He was a usually kind man, but if angered enough, well… That wasn't something anyone wanted to see. "I've seen the proof myself."

"I see…" Makarov said, stroking his beard. "That is why you brought her here. To ask questions about her situation."

"Oh, no," Lucy replied, shaking her head. "I came to learn more about Natsu and the others."

Natsu cocked his head to the side as he took another step closer to Makarov. "Wait a sec. You aren't as surprised as I thought you'd be. Gramps, do you know something about reincarnation?"

Makarov's face was serious as he mulled over the question. With a sigh, he nodded. "Yes. I am familiar with some of the history of reincarnation."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides, her mouth trembling as she choked out, "W-Wait, what?"

She had gone there to learn about immortality, but there stood a man with the truth about herself. For lifetimes she had tried researching about reincarnation, only to come up with people's theories and misconceptions as to what it would be like. Hell, in her three lifetimes of searching, she had only found one other person in the world who shared her experience. And now she was finally going to learn about the curse that haunted her?

Natsu glanced over to Lucy. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she swayed. Looping an arm around her waist, he kept her steady.

Makarov's stare was serious as he asked, "Would you like to know more about reincarnation? The history is tied to immortality."

Natsu whipped his head towards Makarov. "It is? Then why haven't we heard about it before?"

The old man frowned, fiddling with his coat. "Lucy, please have a seat. I will do my best to explain." The girl nodded slowly, moving to sit in the chair that was in front of the desk. Only once she did, Makarov continued, "First, I shall start off by saying that I am a mortal, and everything that I tell you has happened long before I was born. In fact, it happened before all of us were born."

"Even longer than me?" Gray asked, having been the oldest immortal in the room.

"Yes. It was four hundred years ago. Reincarnation is much like immortality. Nobody can control it, and it isn't passed down through genes. It is much rarer than immortality, however. Long ago, there was an immortal- or I suppose I should say there is an immortal since he is still roaming the world somewhere. He is one of the oldest known immortals in the world. I have heard of him through Mavis herself."

"Who is Mavis?" Lucy asked.

"She is also one of the first to discover her immortality. She is also founder of Fairy Tail. She was around at the time it happened."

"It?" she repeated, cocking her head to the side. "What happened?"

Makarov's frown deepened. "A massacre. Around four hundred years ago, the first reincarnation was discovered. He is known as the Spirit King because of how many 'souls' he has had since he has died and been reborn numerous times. It was four hundred years ago when he was reborn for the first time. Immortals had already been around back then, and apparently he was familiar with one. His friend brought him to meet some other immortals, as it was such a strange finding. However…"

"What? What is it?"

"Among one of the immortals was a man named Acnologia. As you know, immortality isn't passed down through genes. It is completely arbitrary on who becomes an immortal. Acnologia had a daughter named Sonya. Because of his immortality, he was forced to watch his daughter grow up before his eyes and eventually die while he had to keep living without her. Because of this, he hated his immortality. All he wanted was to die so that he can be reunited with his daughter in the afterlife."

Makarov forced himself to meet Lucy's inquisitive gaze as he continued, "When he found out that there was a man who had his wish of dying and resented it, it set something off inside of him. He followed the Spirit King that night, sneaking up from behind him and killing him."

A gasp slipped past Lucy's lips, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "B-But it wasn't his fault that he can reincarnate!"

"I know. But in Acnologia's eyes, the Spirit King's existence was a great injustice. He gathered up some immortal followers with the same mindset and together they sought out those who could reincarnate. They massacred them all, searching for them everywhere across the globe and murdering them over and over again."

Tears ran down Lucy's cheeks as she imagined what it was like to constantly be reborn and murdered by such monsters. Not only were they cursed with reincarnation, they were also being hunted every life. Then it hit her.

"W-Wait…" Lucy began, her head spinning. "Immortals never die, which means…"

"Yes," Makarov said with a nod, his frown deepening. "They are all still alive, including Acnologia."

"B-But what if he finds out about me!" Lucy cried, glancing towards Natsu. Her breaths were staggered, her heart beating a mile per minute. "I-I don't want to be hunted down!"

Natsu smoothed a hand over her head, bringing the girl in for a hug as he tried to soothe her.

"Don't worry," he said, wiping away her tears. "I'm not gonna let that happen to you."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quiet her sobs.

"Natsu is right, you do not need to worry," Makarov said. "After the massacre, many of the immortals who were in on the killings were locked up. The immortals have a connection to high officials in the government thanks to Mavis. The officials are why organizations like Fairy Tail exist. They locked up most of the murderers. Acnologia and a few others did manage to escape, but the odds of him finding you are slim to none."

Lucy nodded slowly, but it didn't make her fear go away. Sure, maybe he wouldn't kill her in this lifetime, but what about the next one? Or the one after that? Acnologia was immortal and she reincarnated, he had all the time in the world to find her.

Natsu could feel Lucy shaking in his arms. Gently grabbing her face, he forced her to face him.

"I promise I'll protect you, Lucy," he said, his face serious. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Neither will we," Gray chimed in, ruffling the blonde's hair. "You're one of us now."

Lucy smiled at her friends, starting to regain some of her composure. "Thanks, guys."

"Lucy," Makarov started, "would you like to meet others like you?"

The girl whipped her head towards the man. "R-Really? You know more people like me?"

"Yes. Though, perhaps I shouldn't say meet. You've already met them before, actually. You all have."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked. "Who?"

"A handful of professors at Fairy Tail are reincarnations. Aquarius, Scorpio, and Capricorn, you've had them this quarter, correct? They all reincarnate."

"What!? How come you didn't tell us this!?"

"After the massacre, the existence of reincarnations was swept under the rug and kept a secret from later immortals in case they had the same mindset as Acnologia. When Mavis first stumbled upon Aquarius and found out the truth about her, she wanted to make sure that she had a place to turn to in the world. So, she invited her, along with other reincarnations, to teach at the University whenever they are at an old enough age to return."

Lucy gawked. Finally, everything was starting to make sense. Her talk with Aquarius, why Capricorn was so interested in her story about reincarnation, everything. They were like her.

"Wait, but how did they know about me?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I think they know that I reincarnate. How did they find out?"

"I am unsure. Perhaps you can ask Aquarius when the new term starts."

Lucy nodded. She would definitely have to do that. But for now, all she wanted was to sleep. After the rollercoaster of a day she had, she was left winded.

"I-I think I need to be alone for a little bit," she said. "I should go home."

"Feel free to come down to the basement any time," Makarov replied.

Thanking him for everything, Lucy followed the others back to the lobby. She noted that the other immortals were gone.

"I'll walk you home," Natsu said.

"Thanks," Lucy replied. Saying goodbye to her friends, she followed Natsu up the stairs and back to the pub. Stepping outside the grand doors of Fairy Tail, she turned back and admired the building. This whole time, it had been the home of her friends, and she never even knew it. It was also home to other immortals, who she planned on getting closer to.

Though, that could wait until tomorrow.

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #ftfanficton #nalu fanfiction #tddup #til death do us part #super writes

72 notes · View notes

youremypride · 5 years

Text

Veil of Brothers (M)

➤ seven brothers are being interrogated after being linked to a murder spree of a serial killer. not only are they suspects of the case, but within them lies an unforgiving secret that had started brewing an unexpected betrayal.

↳ character: bts x reader

↳ genre: smut, angst, murder! au, psychopath! au, serial killer! au

↳ warnings: homicide, mentions and use of drugs, mentions and use of alcohol, violence, character death, explicit languages, mature description

↳ word count: 7540 words

↳ a/n: this is my first bts fanfic, i’ve been holding off on writing stories about them but i just thought why not give it a go. i’m excited to share more stories with you in the future and i can’t wait to start writing on them soon!

“Are all of them here?” The detective, a tall middle-aged man, asked his partner, a woman in her late 20s. “Yes, sir. All five of them are in the waiting room.”

“And the victim’s lover?” She hands out a file from the bunch she was cradling. The detective grabs it, thanking her and began flipping through it.

“He’s in the interrogation room. The others will be ready when you are sir.” He nods, “Thank you, Ms. Jang.

The detective heads towards the interrogation room down the hall while his partner turns back, reaching the waiting room where the other suspects were seated. Once she was near the place, she could see all five boys through the glass window with different expressions, some bored and some worried.

She pulls open the glass door, all the boys sitting upright at the sight of her presence. She stood in the middle in front of the room, her eyes examining each and everyone of them. Two other police officers were on each side of the room, a safety precaution in case something happens.

“Evening, boys. My name’s Detective Jang. I’m sure all of you are wondering why you’re here. You’ve heard about the murder spree of the ‘little blond’ killer, haven’t you?”

The boys nodded, while one of them spoke up, “How’s that related to us? You must be fucking kidding me if you think we’re related to that cold-blooded, motherfucker.” The boy, Hoseok or known as his friends as J-Hope, snickered.

“Hoseok, language please.” The oldest, Seokjin reprimanded him. “Tsk, whatever.”

“You may or may not be related to the killer, but he recently had another victim added to his list, which makes a total of five now. You all are suspects because the recent victim is related to you.”

“And may I know, who is this person you speak of?” Namjoon wondered. Detective Jang moves to the side of the room and switch on the flat screen that was mounted on the wall.

“The victim, Mr. Jihan Kang. Further information will be release during your turn for interrogation.”

“Wait,” The boy in all black stood up, walking towards the screen. “That’s Yoongi hyung’s friend. That’s impossible. From the trend of the killer, his victims only seem to be girls. What has Jihan hyung have to do with ther killer?”

“That, we are not sure of and we’re still investigating on the matter. The clues left at the crime scene are all too similar from the previous cases. I suggest you all wait here before your turn comes up. If you need anything, Ms. Lee behind the counter outside the room will see to your needs. Watch after them, yeah?” She gestured the boys to the police officers before heading out.

YOONGI

The black-haired boy was sitting alone with his hands in his laps. The air surrounding the room was cold, but it wasn’t as cold as the news that was brought upon him a few hours ago. He couldn’t believe it. He wanted to but he just couldn’t. The thought of his lover killed by the hands of a psycho had brought him so much pain and anger. He wanted to avenge him, made sure the person who had hurt his lover will feel the same as he did.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door on his left opened, a detective stepping in and placing a file on the table as he took a seat. “Good evening, Mr. Min. My name’s Detective Ryu. I’m in charge of the recent murder case that’s happening right now. How are you feeling, Mr. Min? I’m sorry to hear what happened to your lover.”

Yoongi remained silent, his lips to heavy to move. “I know it might be difficult for you in your current situation but we need all the help we can get from you to solve this case before the killer makes his next move. Let’s start slow, yeah? How you’d know Jihan?”

Yoongi sighed, he wasn’t always like this. Being affected with hurt and pain was way out of his character. So why was he feeling this way towards someone he only had used for his own pleasure? “I got to know him...after...after I met him at the brothel, he used to work at a couple months back. I was just looking for fun and a nice hook-up after I got dumped by this guy I like. The moment I met him, something came over me as if...as if I was possessed by him. He was everything that the previous guy I like had, almost like an exact replica of him.”

“Did you two dated after that?” Detective Ryu questioned. It was likely that they did, but in the short frame of time that they knew each other, something was off about their relationship.

“I wouldn’t call in dating, per say. It was more of a...convenient for me. After a week of knowing him, I suggested he moved in with me. I paid him out of that brothel, and boy did he cost a lot of money. Said he was a favourite and a rare one indeed. Ever since then, he’s been my personal pleasure toy. Nothing more, nothing less.” The tone he was using sounded harsh, almost cold if you could ever feel it.

“Does anyone in your family or circle of friends know about your relationship? Have you ever told them before?” Yoongi smirked, before blowing a raspberry.

“You’ve read my files detective, you know who my parents are.” He looked into the detective’s eyes, almost glaring at him. “You’re the son of Min Incorporations, leading pioneer company of construction and engineering. Say’s here you’re the only heir to the company.”

“The one and only, and being the only heir means having to produce another heir to keep the family line going. I don’t think they would like it if they found out their son was keeping a lover in his penthouse while they’re busy finding a perfect girl to call her my fiancée so that I could fuck her tight little cunt and release all my cum in her, don’t you agree Detective Ryu?”

Detective Ryu understood where Yoongi was coming from. The Mins are a powerful stronghold with a long history of notable works. They became a household name all across South Korea and even overseas. Apart from their successes, the Mins are known to be strict with almost everything. He couldn’t imagine how Yoongi could breath being under his parents’ supervision.

“The only people who know about Jihan are my group of friends, but not to the extend of our relationship. They simply know him as my roommate...who happens to be living in a penthouse with me. They’ve met him a few times whenever I bring him to their parties or crap like that.”

“I see,” Detective Ryu exclaimed. “I never thought you would be living a wild life despite your family background, not that I’m concluding anything.”

“My parents allow me to do anything I want to as long as I don’t tarnish the family’s pristine name. But there’s always bribery to the media in case things starts to leak out because of my wild lifestyle.”

“You mentioned before, about Jihan being a convenient? Can you elaborate on that please?” Yoongi taps his fingers lightly on the metal table. The sound echoed in the room, bouncing it back and forth against the wall.

“Everything about him was...convenient.” Yoongi smiles softly, staring ahead into the table as if he could burn a hole in them. “His lips, his hands, his fingers, his cock. Everything. I love every sensation he gives me when we have sex. That sweet feeling of reaching your high as you thrust in him with your cock, filling him up to the brim. But...what he didn’t know was that whenever I was with him, I was never with him.”

He continued, “Every time I kiss him, I think about another man, imagining that I was kissing him instead of Jihan. When Jihan blows me, I think of him blowing me instead. Every moment I was with Jihan, was shared with the other man I was fantasying about. Jihan never existed whenever we had sex, like I said...he was convenient.”

“And may I know who this man is and his name?” Detective Ryu waits for Yoongi to answer.

“His name is Jimin. Park Jimin.”

NAMJOON

Three autopsy photos were placed in front of him, showing him parts of the decease’s body. He picked the middle one up carefully, inspecting every single detail in the photo. “What is this?” He watches as the woman in front of him points her finger towards the photos.

“This are all autopsy photos of victim #3, Kwon Mina, a university student. Apparently, she works part-time at the same café as you do. Have you spoken to her before?”

“I suppose I’ve never seen her before. I might have seen her name once but never work together in the same shift. I work the morning shift since my classes are in the afternoon and I don’t have school on certain days now that I’m a senior. How did she die?”

“The same like the others did.” She pointed to the photo showing the front of Mina’s neck slit opened and another with Mina’s body wrangled up with tire marks etched into her body. “Shit. That’s fucked up.” Namjoon blurted out, brushing his hair back.

The last photo on his right caught his eye. “What about this one? What are these items?”

“The same items are repeatedly place in all five crime scenes – a bouquet of marigold, a small teddy bear and a note – left by the killer beside his victims.” She takes out another set of photos, showing him the notes that had only one word written on them. When placed together, it formed a sentence – ‘the-truth-will-be-revealed’.

“Has any of your colleagues talked about Mina keeping secrets or mentioned anything about flowers?” Detective Ryu probe him. The evidence left behind were regular but with the victims, they were irregular. None of the items had any form of link with the victims. The note left behind simply meant that the killer was acting out of revenge of something or someone.

Namjoon grew rigid when he took a closer look at the teddy bear. Right away, he noticed that the bear had the same brand logo on the bottom of his left foot, except the bear he remembered in his head was splattered in blood, clutched in the arms of a girl. It was the exact same bear. He was aware if reveal the secret his friends had kept, he would be betraying them, not to mention putting himself and his music career in deep shit.

“Namjoon, Namjoon, can you hear me?” Detective Ryu snapped him out of his thoughts. “Did something trigger you?” She studied his face and she could tell he had grown tense in a few seconds after looking at the photo.

“No, no. My colleagues never mentioned anything regarding Mina before. Sorry for zoning out, it-it’s just that the teddy bear reminded me of someone, a friend I had back then. She loved it so much, she practically brought it everywhere with her in her backpack, said it was her good luck charm.”

“Had? Did you stop being friends with her?”

“No, she died. Three years ago.”

HOSEOK

“So, Mr. Jung. Tell me how you and victim #4 met. Surely you don’t call being with someone a hook-up when you’ve done her multiple times by now?” Hoseok glared at the detective.

“Ji-hye works at the underground club I frequent to perform at. At the time, she recently broke up with her jerk ass ex-boyfriend when she caught him stealing money from her. So, like the gentlemen I was, I offered her one night with me to forget about him.”

“You offered her sex as the option?”

“What can I say, a sad lonely cunt is always desperate for some huge cock to swallow it all up. Got that pretty cunt dripping non-stop for weeks.” He licks his bottom lips, gesturing his thumb to swipe away his saliva remains.

“So, you perform at the club at night, and you work as a...florist in the day? The duality in you amazes me, Hoseok.” Hoseok grins, shrugging his shoulders.

“The old lady needed a part-timer. Since I major in Agriculture in Plant Science, thought being close to nature would help without tiring myself under the hot sun. And I like being with flowers, Y/N said I look good with flowers, and it brought the floristry good business ever since I started working there.

“Y/N? Is she a friend?” Hoseok cursed. He wasn’t supposed to say her name. It was forbidden to even utter her name. He felt as if he had thrown himself under a bus. “Y-yeah,” He stuttered. “She enjoyed being there and made sure to remind me to get her some marigolds for her whenever there’s some left.”

“Marigold you say? Was it her favourite?”

“Y-yes. Why do you ask?” He was panicking, did he said something he wasn’t supposed to?

“The evidence left at the crime scenes. One of them was a bouquet of marigolds. This Y/N girl, Namjoon had mentioned that she died three years ago, what was the cause of her death?” Detective Ryu was leaning in the table closely.

“I-I’m not quite sure. We don’t talk about Y/N after her death. Even Jimin left the group and we hadn’t heard from him since.”

Detective Ryu raised a brow, “Jimin? Park Jimin? You know him too?”

“U-um, y-yeah. Jimin used to be in the group until he ghosted on us. We tried reaching him through his parents but failed. We were not allowed to see him or even speak to him. It’s almost as if he was avoiding us by using his parents.”

“Do you know who his parents are?” Detective Ryu questioned.

Hoseok nodded. “Of course, he’s the son of the Commissioner General of NPA, Park Jyung-ho and attorney owner of Park & Park, Park Nae-ra.”

“Park Jyung-ho? Senior Park Jyung-ho? Are you sure he even said that?” Ms. Jang asked her partner. He nodded, rubbing his chin between his finger and thumb. “Senior Park has a son, that I am sure of. But what I didn’t’ expect was that his son is involved with these boys before.”

“Namjoon and Hoseok mentioned there was a girl in their group and Jimin left after her death. They both also talked about the evidence somehow linking towards the girl. It probably has to be her.”

“Well, sir. What if we’re wrong? What suppose we should do? Senior Park would certainly forbid us to even interrogate his own son.” Ms. Jang suggested.

Detective Ryu puts his arm on his partner’s shoulder, “We interrogate his kid, whether he likes it or not. Oh, and Y/N. See what you can find on her, will you?” Ms. Jang nodded, “Certainly, sir.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, you two?” Yoongi cursed quietly towards Hoseok and Namjoon. “You just had to lose your cool, didn’t you? Why the fuck would you even mention Y/N’s name?!”

“Shut up, hyung. I panicked, alright?” Hoseok folded his arms. Namjoon was rubbing his face all over with his hands. “They’ll know.” He whispered into his palms.

“They won’t alright?! Unless you both don’t say anymore things about Y/N, we’re all dead.” He directed his threat to Seokjin, Taehyung and Jungkook, who were the only ones left to be interrogated.

“What do you want us to say, Yoongi? From what I see, they’re gonna pin it all on Jimin. They’ll think Jimin’s the one doing all this to avenge Y/N. Do you think Jimin knows about it?” Seokjin exclaimed coolly. He was nervous but he masked it so that the youngest won’t get affected by him. It was bad enough he had to carry the same burden as the other members because of what happened three years ago.

“I overheard the detectives talking about getting Jimin hyung to come down to the station. What if he leaks out the secret or maybe he’s the killer?” Jungkook’s expression paled.

“If Jimin was the killer, it would affect badly on his parents.” Taehyung quipped. “Knowing Jimin, his heart is too weak to even hurt a fly, much less a human.”

“If he leaks out the secret, he’ll be fucking stupid enough to bring himself into this mess. He’s linking himself with all the murders that’s going on.” Yoongi explained. “So, you guys better not mess this up, or else we’re all going to jail.”

SEOKJIN

“Mr. Kim, did you know Jihan well?” Seokjin shook his head. “I only knew about him when I came over to Yoongi’s one day and he was the one who answered the door. Told me he was his new roommate that was sharing the place with him which I find rather odd.”

“Odd? In what way, Mr. Kim?”

“Well, for starters. I’ve known Yoongi my whole life, and not once have I heard of him having a roommate. He doesn’t like to share his living space with anybody unless he’s throwing a party. After he and I graduated from uni, we went straight into assisting our fathers with the family business.

We hang out a couple times, called him to check up on him once a while and that’s it. My family’s business is base overseas so I travel a lot and I don’t have a lot of time to hang around with my friends. I don’t communicate much with Jihan but I had an idea of his relationship with Yoongi. We all did, Yoongi was oblivious about it.” Seokjin described, giving every information he knew of regarding the victim.

Detective Ryu pulled out a piece of paper – a test result – and slipped it towards him. Seokjin analysed the whole thing from top to bottom. It was a test result of the victim stated on the top left-hand corner. “What is this?” He raised, confused with all the numbers and percentages shown on the paper.

“That, Mr. Kim is a test result of Jihan Kang. You are tested positive for having DNA inside of the victim. Reports given by your friends said that you were out of town. Enlighten me, Mr. Kim. How is your DNA inside our victim on the same day you went overseas?” Detective Ryu implored.

Seokjin was speechless. How was he stupid enough to not see this through? He cursed himself for not using the condom he had wanted to in the first place. But then he remembered how good it was to be inside Jihan, all raw with skin touching each other. He didn’t want any of his friends to know he was secretly fucking his own best friend’s lover when he’s not around. To put it simply, he was captivated by his beauty, and the second he saw his pretty pink cock he didn’t waste my more time licking off the precum that was leaking out.

“I’m gay, isn’t that obvious? I have two dads unlike all my friends. I think I used to be straight, until I met him. I don’t think it was love, no. It was more of a...infatuation. I kept lusting over his body since that day and I needed to see him one last time before leaving the country for three months. I didn’t assume it was going to be the last time I see him.

“How did you find out he was dead?”

“Hours after I left the penthouse, Yoongi called...I could hear panic in his tone, his breathing was sharp almost as if he couldn’t breathe right. He said he found Jihan dead on the floor when he returned home from his trip.”

“Did he tell anyone else?” Detective Ryu wondered. “Only just our friends. Then, all of us were called in by the police. Can’t you imagine the look on my parents’ face? I’m surprised all our parents aren’t going into a state of chaos with the news.”

TAEHYUNG

“Has Mr. Kim Seokjin ever told you where he was before meeting you the day Mr. Kang was found dead?” Buzzing sound came around the room like static noises. Taehyung wasn’t enjoying his time. Four hours had passed since he arrived here and the boredom was getting to his head.

He scratched the back of his head, stifling a yawn with his hand, “Nope, he did look cheery that day, scary almost. He reeked of cum and sweat too, that’s for sure.”

“I see, do you know why anyone would target Mr. Kang if he was kept a secret from his parents and all of you?”

“No, not that I know of. Jihan hyung was a nice guy. He was too weak and fragile. That’s what happens when you spent a life in a brothel, they suck you dry out of your life.” Taehyung stared up the ceiling, whispering the last few of words, “He was like that too with her.”

“I’m sorry, who?” Detective Jang had heard his whispered words, picking up ‘her’ from the sentence. “You mentioned, ‘her’. Are you talking about Y/N?”

He snickered, “Y/N. The forbidden goddess, dead but haunting.”

“Mr. Park Jimin was mentioned a few times with her. Can you elaborate more about their relationship?”

“They were lovers. They were in a relationship years before I even became friends with Jimin. One could only handle so much fluff from those two, their hips attached with one another everywhere. Y/N’s death broke his heart and he left Seoul to return home to Busan, he said it reminded him too much of her and needed a new scenery. No one’s heard from him since.”

“Mr. Jung informed us that you all knew who his parents were, had he told you before?”

Taehyung hummed, “He mentioned it a long time ago, at his party a few years ago. He invited just his close friends for some drinks and pot. At that time, Jimin was going through a rough patch in his relationship with Y/N. They were arguing something about their future together and said Y/N wanted a break from him.

He blurted out how he was basically rebelling against his parents, disclosing the jobs of his parents. We freaked out, knowing we’re all in deep trouble if his father ever caught us. You gotta admit, he’s got balls for a commissioner general’s son.”

Detective Jang nodded in agreement, “Did they fix their relationship after that?”

“Yeah, they did. They planned to move to New Zealand after uni to start a family on their own. He was going to propose to her u-until...until that fateful day.”

“Well, aside from that we like to ask you a few more questions today. The first two victims of the killer, we tracked down and found out you had a relationship with the both of them. Victim #1 and #2, Lee Seokjinah and Yoo Lina.”

“They were my hook-ups. Stopped doing them a long time ago. Don’t get why he would kill them when they’re no longer of use for me.”

“You were using them?” Taehyung nodded. “Yeah, I was getting bored of the sex. All they ever wanted was vanilla, afraid to try out new things. But at least one good thing came out from them.”

“And what is that, Mr. Kim?”

“I took their virginity away. Ahh, only two more to reach a hundred.”

“I understand, we’ll conclude your interview here, Mr. Kim. Thank you for your help.”

“Have you found anything on Y/N?” Detective Ryu approach his researcher, Lim.

“We do, sir. Full name, S/N Y/N. Born XX-X-1995. Deceased on 29 Oct 2015. Cause of death, hit and run accident.” Lim read out the information on the screen.

“Hit and run? Give me full details of the case.” Lim nodded and started pressing the keys on the keypad swiftly. As the page loads, a detailed type out of the case appeared on the screen.

SECTION: COLD CASE

CASE #1095-HRA-2015

Status of Case: UNSOLVED

Name of Deceased: S/N Y/N

Date of Death: 29 October 2015

Age: 20

Cause of Death: Hit and Run accident

Deceased’s Belongings: A purse, phone, teddy bear and bouquet of marigold

Autopsy Report: Major trauma injury on the head and neck, broken ribs and arms. Both legs are crushed in the accident. Severed cuts and wounds on body. Tire marks on legs and abdomen.

Case Information: Victim was dead on scene. No evidence was found to track down the perpetrator. Payphone used to call for help had no new lead. No new evidence given. Case was dismissed.

“A cold case, and no evidence? Strange.”

“You think the boyfriend is taking revenge?

“Don’t think so, Lim. If he was the one doing this, he would have targeted the people they loved the most. All of the killer’s victims were just past relationships, acquaintances or had no link with the suspects.”

Just then, Detective Ryu stepped into the research room, “Sir, come quick. Park Jimin’s here.”

“What the hell, Jimin’s here?” Yoongi observed a group of black suit men enclosing around Jimin, who had a woman who’s older than him standing beside him on his right.

“He brought his mother along with him. Figures, he would get the best attorney in Seoul to back his ass up.” Hoseok snickered. “They must have found something on Y/N. You think he’s gonna confess to his crime, I knew that sly motherfucker’s trying to put this on us.”

“Chill, bro. Jungkook’s the only one left. He’s the reason we could either make or break. If what you say is true, I have a feeling he knew the truth about what happened that night.” There was fear in Namjoon’s eyes. Everyone could feel the temperature of the room turning chilly over Namjoon’s words.

“The police will never know about it. They couldn’t find shit about what happened to Y/N for years. We swore an oath to protect each other. If any of this gets out, all your careers are going down the drain and let’s not talk about how we’re gonna deal with our parents about this, you got that?” Yoongi warned.

JUNGKOOK

“Mr. Jeon, are you feeling alright? Do you need some water?” Detective Jang asked. Jungkook shook his head, “No, it’s fine. I’m just feeling cold, that’s all.”

“Okay, then. Shall we begin?”

“Yes.”

“We gathered information regarding Mr. Kang and something new has come to light in our interest.” Detective Jang informed which made Jungkook confused.

“The victims of the killer had targeted victims that you and your friends had little to no relationship with. And a new topic regarding Park Jimin and Y/N has been brought up. My colleagues and I believe that it’s related to the murders that’s been going on. So, Mr. Jeon. If my theory is right, and that somehow Mr. Park is the killer, surely, he must have a reason for it. He’s trying to avenge his girlfriend for something that happened years ago and I like to know what the reason is behind all this.”

Jungkook broke out in tears. The burden of keeping the secret for so long was affecting him mentally and physically. He didn’t care if he’s going to jail for getting himself involve in an immoral act. He knew he should have come clean years ago, but he was too afraid. He was young at the time and didn’t know what he should do. His hyungs were the one who warned him about telling the truth.

All of them were sons of respectable and reputational people. If word gets out, all their families will be tarnished and hated by the people for what their sons had done to a poor innocent girl. He was going to betray his hyungs by telling the truth.

“I-I don’t know. I want to know the reason too. Jimin hyung would never do that. Not in a million years. Whoever did that to Y/N noona years ago was horrible. Her parents committed suicide because of that. She was their only child, I would never understand the pain they had to carry knowing her killer got away. T-that...t-that asshole deserves to die and rot in hell.”

“So, you don’t know who her killer is?”

“I wish I knew. He’s a coward for hiding in the dark all these years. Y-Y/N noona deserved so much, and her life was taken away because of that coward. Y-Y/N noona deserved better.”

“I’m sorry, Jungkook. I didn’t know she meant that much to you.”

“She did, and Jimin hyung needs closure from it too.”

“Did you tell them or not?” Yoongi took quick strides towards Jungkook, pulling him away so he was circled around his hyungs. “No, I didn’t.” His words made Yoongi smile, hiding it from the police officers that was looking at them suspiciously.

“I heard Jimin hyung’s here. Where is he?” Jungkook stretched his neck around the area in search of him.

Taehyung responded, “He’s in the interrogation room with Detective Ryu. He’ll be out soon.”

As soon as Taehyung said that, a blonde sleek male came out of the interrogation room. Everyone turned their attention on him. He wasn’t handcuffed nor was the police holding him back. He was walking towards the exit coolly.

Yoongi stormed off, quickly reaching the said male before grabbing him violently. “It was you, wasn’t it? You fucking asshole, the fuck are you parading around freely?! You’re the killer, admit it, you fucker!” Yoongi growled before swinging a punch into Jimin’s face.

The rest of the group ran towards the scene, arms locking around Yoongi’s to prevent him from doing anything more reckless. “Let me go, fucking let me go!”

“How dare you punch my son, Yoongi? Jimin’s innocent, how could you accuse him from doing such things?” Jimin’s mother help her son up, brushing away the dirt on his clothes and checking for any injuries. His face had a red blush after the contact from Yoongi’s fist.

“Calm down, Yoongi! You’re gonna get us in trouble.” Seokjin warned him. The officers quickly ushered them back to the waiting room.

“What’s all the commotion about?” Detective Ryu barged into the room, surveying the entire situation.

The police officer explained to him what had happened, how Yoongi had started a fight and accused Jimin as the killer.

“Park Jimin is not the killer.”

The boys were appalled, “He’s not? How do you explain the teddy bears and the marigolds?”

“Park Jimin was threaten by the same person. He had received a box containing the same three things, except his note was longer and contained everything that explained the killer’s motive.”

“What is it then?”

“The killer was Y/N’s stalker. Y/N didn’t tell anyone about it because he was threatening to leak out her secret. She was pregnant, but it wasn’t Jimin’s. It was his. If Jimin found out, she would lose him and she didn’t want that. The autopsy report didn’t’ mentioned anything about a baby because she had a miscarriage a few weeks before the incident. That was why Jimin and Y/N had a break from each other. She was covering it up with lies about their future together so Jimin wouldn’t suspect anything.”

Detective Jang rushed towards the side of her partner. “Sir, we got a location. We found the guy.”

“Right, boys you’re free to go. My men will take you home or you can call up your parents to pick you up.”

“The fuck are we, twelve? I’m leaving, see ya later guys.” Hoseok was out of the station and the others followed suite.

Stepping off the last step of stairs, a tone went off from Hoseok’s front pocket. He shuffled his phone out to see a message on the screen – ‘still keeping secrets, eh? ;)’

His brows were knitted together, trying to figure out who would have sent it to him. The number was unknown so that was a bust. The other boys had noticed his expression and gathered around him.

“What’s wrong, hyung?” Jungkook directed his eyes where Hoseok’s were. His eyes widen upon reading the message, “Y-you got the message too?”

The older boy shot his head at Jungkook, frowning, “Too? You mean you were sent one?”

He slipped out his phone and unlock it, showing the message he had gotten earlier – ‘jungkookie, it ain’t that bad if only you reveal the truth, hiding behind their shadows will do you no good.’

“You got one and didn’t bother to tell us?” Hoseok was furious. Jungkook reasoned that he was afraid and didn’t know what to do at the spur of the moment. Another tone went off, popping up another message after the other on Hoseok’s phone – ‘come alone, 11PM. to the place where it all happened.’

“You shouldn’t go alone, Hoseok. We should come with you just in case.” Namjoon patted his shoulder.

“I don’t think that’s the case anymore.” Yoongi pipped up, showing his phone screen towards the other boys, “We’re all invited.”

All the boys had gotten the same message from the same unknown number. Their emotions were mixed with fear, confusion and curiosity. Yoongi had an idea it had to be Jimin’s doing, and it was the only logical explanation he could come up with. “I bet you he gave that bullshit about Y/N having a stalker by pinning it on some loser, I’m telling you, he must have figured it out to be threatening us.”

“If it’s Jimin, then we’ll just have to see what he wants from us.”

Namjoon had called up his personal driver and headed to the location they were asked at. Upon reaching the said place, a cold chill shivered down their spines. All the haunting memories of that unspoken event came back rushing to them like adrenaline.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Taehyung whispered under his breath.

“I second that.”

The poor dim lighted road was silent with no signs of anything living. The shops along the roads were dark with no one inside. It was almost a ghost town, as thick fog swirled the area. Standing in front of them was a small warehouse, old and abandoned. The area was used to hold parties and because of the location, students were free to smoke pot and use drugs freely without alerting the police.

Pushing open the big large doors, they were welcomed with darkness. There was no human presence, nothing. The only thing keeping the silence away was the sound of wind blowing against their ears once a while. The soles of their feet felt soft with every step they took, and they felt strings with objects stuck on them stringing from above blocking their path.

“What the fuck is this?!” Yoongi complained, swatting away the object that was hitting against him.

“Damn, it’s dark in here. I’m gonna find the power switch.” Jungkook suggested.

“I’m coming with you, not the best idea to split up but this place is giving me the creeps.” Seokjin and Taehyung tagged along, and the three disappeared into the darkness of the place.

“Jimin,” Yoongi shouted. “Come out, come out where ever you are.” Yoongi’s voice was laced with menace, taunting the ghostly place thinking someone would come out from the dark shadows.

“Park Jimin, come out you fucking coward. You have to do better than sending out threats if you think you can scare me.” Hoseok shouted. Minutes passed and there was no sign of Jimin or Jungkook and Seokjin. The others were starting to tense at the thought of something happening to them.

Suddenly the lights to the place turned on, giving out a warm tone to the place. It was bright enough for them to see around the area but it only covered just a small area they were standing at under the big light.

“The hell, flowers?” Hoseok pointed out to the floor, scattered flowers of marigold covered the entire area. He bends down and scooped them up, “And not just any flowers, they’re marigolds.”

“Take a look at this, does this not look fucked up to you?” Namjoon showed them what was stuck on the strings, they were polaroids, polaroids of you.

There were hundreds, thousands of them decorating the place. All of them were of you, smiling towards the camera, showing the peace sign or making funny faces. They were confused why would Jimin do such a thing, or was it his plan of making them guilty for killing an innocent soul?

Static sounds came on the PA system in the shape of a megaphone. “Greetings,” A voice spoke in the sound of a robot, as if to mask the identity of the person speaking. “Welcome back, you murderers.” The person sounded repulsive at their presence. “You all seem to live well, seeing it that you murdered a girl here. How could you even live with yourselves, hm?” The person chuckled.

“Well it’s a good thing she’s dead. Wouldn’t want to have a coward for a boyfriend now, would she?” Yoongi sneered, ridiculing towards the person behind the PA system. “Where the fuck is Seokjin hyung, Taehyung and Jungkook?!”

Another light turned on as it cast upon two bodies that was hanging near the railings, dangling in mid-air.

“Hyung! Taehyung!” Namjoon shouted. “What happened?” Both of them were all bloodied and bruised. They had blood dripping down their faces and clothes stained red. “Where’s Jungkook, hyung?!”

“I-I, I-I don’t know. We split up, Taehyung and Jungkook disappeared right when I was hit by something hard at the back.” He stuttered, panting out his words before spitting out blood from his mouth.

“Something had attacked us and I pushed Jungkook away for his safety. I couldn’t remember what happened after that. You have to help us, hyung. Jungkook may be in danger.” Taehyung pleaded.

“You can choose to save your friend on one condition or die with him and suffer the consequences.”

“What is the condition?” Yoongi stepped forward.

“If you choose to save him, all you have to confess to killing S/N Y/N.”

“And if we choose to die?”

“Your family with suffer the consequences of your failure to accept your responsibilities.”

“What do we do, hyung? Both the options have bad outcomes and not in our favour.” Hoseok protested. Yoongi smirked, “Relax, just follow my lead. He thinks he’s smart enough to outsmart us, well he’s wrong. Two can play that game.”

Yoongi turns back towards the PA system, “Fine, we pick to save Seokjin hyung. We’ll confess to murdering your precious Y/N.” Yoongi chuckled.

“What the fuck are you doing, hyung?!” He was taken hold in Namjoon’s arm, shaking him. He pushes him off, grabbing him by his collar. “Fuck, Namjoon. Don’t you see the place, the whole fucking area. Haven’t you notice anything, huh?”

Namjoon looked around, haven’t got a clue to what Yoongi was talking about. Yoongi sighed, “There’s no fucking cameras in the area, he doesn’t have evidence to use it against us. The only evidence was Seokjin hyung’s dash cam and we had it erased, remember? He has us confessing for nothing, Joonie!” He gave him a wicked smile in which the younger boy did the same in return.

“Fine, you win Jimin. I confess to killing precious Y/N. Are you happy now?” The others did the same.

“Thank you. I appreciate all of you for your cooperation. Any final words to say to me, my dear friends?”

“Yeah, fuck you Park Jimin. And fuck Y/N too.” Yoongi gives the finger and walking towards the exit where they came from.

They were only a few feet away before the entrance door automatically closed, sealing them shut inside the warehouse. Yoongi was startled, forcing the door to open as hard as he could. “What the fuck, man?! We held our end of the bargain!”

“I only told you to confess, I never said anything about letting you off, alive.” The man dragged his last word. “I would have if you weren’t so rude to me at the end. Say goodbye to your friends.”

Quick ticking sounds like an alarm clock went off above them before blowing Seokjin’s and Taehyung’s bodies into pieces, flying across everywhere and splattering it over the boys.

“WHAT THE FUCK BRO?! H-HOLY SHIT!” Hoseok cried, panicking as he wiped away the blood from his face. Namjoon had thrown up from the sight, and the smell of flesh on him wasn’t making him feel any better.

Yoongi stood frozen, stunned over what had happened right in front of his eyes. A loud chuckle came from above them. A man stood on the railing, wearing the same hoodie and shoes like one of their friends did. His face was covered with his hoodie, hiding his identity but Yoongi could tell who exactly the person was.

“TRAITOR! You fucking sly dog. You’re working with him, aren’t you?! You betrayed us?” Hoseok and Namjoon looked up, eyes shocked upon the identity of the man.

Jungkook took his hoodie off, revealing himself. “Betrayed you? How could you accuse me of such thing? It was unfortunate I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You only looped me into your shit because I overheard your conversation and afraid, I would utter a word to Jimin hyung. The only fucking coward here is all of you.”

Yoongi growled, “Did Jimin put you up to this?”

“Well,” Jungkook started off, “Jimin hyung had known the truth before I could even tell him. He found recorded footages of that night on my computer when I forgot to turn it off right after all of you left. Jimin hyung stayed the night, remember? I explained to him the whole story. After that, he left and didn’t contact us for years.

If you’re asking whether Jimin hyung is involved in this or not, I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. But on the bright side, at least now you know you don’t have to keep this secret from him anymore, right? Goodbye, hyungs!

A timer set off and a quick swoosh flew across the room. A wicked grin plastered across Jungkook’s face as he sets his eyes upon his hyungs. Blood started trickling down the sides of their mouth and a fine thin red line had appeared on their abdomen, before their upper half of the body slid off and fell to the floor with a huge thump.

A thin wire had cut across them, slicing them in half like a piece of meat. Jungkook sighed in awe at the scene in front of him, pleased with his masterpiece. “Better start sending those footages before the police comes. How stupid of Seokjin hyung. They used his car for his accident, got rid of the footages and the car as well but never thought about who had access to his dash cam. Should’ve remembered who installed it for him in the fist place.” He chuckled before whistling a tune to finish off his plan.

Police arrived at the scene, body bags in toll strolling the bodies of the boys out from the warehouse. They found Jungkook drugged and unconscious in the control room with another body of a man with a gun in his hand. Police had identified him as Y/N’s stalker, the one Jimin had told before.

Unknown by the police was Y/N’s stalker was just an alibi to cover up Jimin and Jungkook’s plan to kill off all their friends for hiding such secret from him all these years. Why Jungkook had chose to help Jimin instead of hiding from him like his hyungs did was unclear but nonetheless, Jimin was grateful for him as he needed the closure.

When Jungkook was interrogated by the police at the hospital, he fabricated the stories with layers of lies and emotions so much so that the police believed him as he used his doe like eyes to add a little bit of touch to it.

After the whole situation had ended and the truth was revealed, Jimin and Jungkook carried on with their lives normally as they did before everything happened. Jimin had helped cleared Jungkook’s name of any charges of involvement and offered him anything as gratitude of appreciation for what he had done for him. He occasionally offered Jungkook to tag along if he was visiting your grave to which he would accept, leaving you a fresh bouquet of marigold and placing them on your tombstone.

“Jimin hyung, has Y/N noona ever told you why she loved marigolds?” The younger boy wondered.

Jimin nodded, “She did,” he bent down to reach the same level as your tombstone, brushing his thumb against the carvings of your name. “She told me how marigolds are such pretty flowers but holds a sad meaning to it.”

“What meaning does it holds?”

“Pain and grief. She says it reminded her of people, people who show how happy they are on the outside but suffering from pain and grief on the inside. That’s why they say the happiest people hide away their pain and suffering from others with a mask, with a veil.”

#bts #seokjin #yoongi #hoseok #namjoon #jimin #taehyung #jungkook #bts fanfiction #bts oneshot #veil of brothers #bts x reader #x reader #smut #angst #murder!au #psychopath!au #serial killer!au #writings

264 notes · View notes

magicplanetanime · 5 years

Text

Let’s Watch HeartCatch Pretty Cure! Episode 6

I have had a VERY LONG and quite frustrating week, so as it rolls over into Saturday nothing gives me greater joy than being able to get back into the Precure groove. Let’s get started

Episode 6 Scoop! The Precures identities are revealed!?

Before we even get to the theme tune (what Nihon TV helpfully labels as the “Intro” segment of a Precure episode) we’re immediately reintroduced to an old character and introduced to a new one in a very short span of time. On the reintroduction front we have the androgynous school council president, who we learn here is also a martial artist.

Is there anything our boy can’t do?

More pertinently we’re introduced to Tada Kanae, a photographer and, as Erika puts it, “scoop-lover”, which is certainly....a turn of phrase.

After the OP, there’s a bit of in-class discussion about the Precures, the series’ first acknowledgement that yes, other people do remember that they exist. But mostly, we see what exactly Erika means by her oddly old-fashioned phrasing. Apparently the case is that this Tada girl likes to take pictures of people and....well, just kind of stick them up on a board for the world to see. I was sort of expecting the series to take a “school newspaper” angle here especially given the mention of Scoops (tm).

She also seems to enjoy taking pictures of people in embarrassing situations, which Erika (understandably) objects to.

This segues into Tada promising to get shots of the Precures, which Tsubomi hilariously responds to with a loud “EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?”, proving that regardless of whether or not they’re fictional, middle schoolers cannot keep secrets. (If you’re wondering how she plays this off, it’s by claiming to be really excited about the pictures. Yeah.)

Our girls regroup, and soon spot Tada asking around about the Precures. To the photographer girl’s frustration, all she gets is people (more specifically: characters-of-the-week from some previous episodes) saying that they dreamed about them or that they’ve heard rumors, something that she can’t exactly snap photos of.

I must say, even in the episode’s first third it’s pretty obvious that the moral is going to be about Tada’s habit of taking pictures of people screwing up. Which, while certainly not a bad message in the social media era (and that was surely a consideration, this show isn’t that old mind you) just seems a little....thin? Compared to the near-universal themes of the past couple episodes.

Another thing I’m noticing is at least in this earlier part of the episode the animation is rather janky, there’s some oddly-composed shots and lots of popsicle stick walk cycles.

Neither of these things are dealbreakers by any means but one does get the impression that this is a bit of a lower-rung episode of this series.

Well, I say that, but Tada, following a lead, soon makes her way to the botanical gardens. The ones that Tsubomi’s grandma, the former Cure Flower and--shudder--Coupe are based in. She spots the fairies not long after entering and then....this happens.

Yeah, remember this guy? Cuz I kinda completely forgot about him myself. This is by my count his first appearance in four episodes, and he shows up here only to briefly distract Tada long enough for the fairies to escape. They dive in Coupe’s fur, and granny successfully feigns ignorance, which gets her to leave. Flower then openly speculates about the state of her heart flower, setting up the second half of the episode.

Cut back to the Desert Apostle lair and we have Sasorina vowing that she will succeed where her two comrades failed and yadda yadda you know the drill by now.

We then get a midcard, with this comment from Nihon.TV, which I think is a Final Fantasy reference if my memory (memery?) is serving me correctly this chilly spring morning.

Anyway, we cut back to Tsubomi, who notices Tada walking over to Erika’s place and briefly assumes that she’s found out that they’re Precures. The truth is both more mundane and a good deal more Kids Show, though not quite in a bad way.

You see, it turns out that Tada is actually going to Erika’s house to seek the advice of an expert photographer, a man internationally renowned for his work, a man with blue hair!

Also he’s Erika’s dad, and boy, over the course of this sequence do you REALLY get a sense of where Erika gets a lot of her own personality quirks from, because this guy is a lot.

No really like a lot a lot.

No Tendou Maya?

In any case he talks with Tada about photography and ends up kind of accidentally insulting her photographs while trying to impart what is at its core a reasonable lesson (that photos should make both the viewer and the subject happy), and she leaves rather unhappy. We get this weirdly deep observation from Tsubomi

Honestly who isn’t these days, kid?

Tsubomi and Erika resolve to go cheer her up, but, before they can....well, six episodes in you can probably take a reasonable guess as to what happens.

Well ok, then Sasorina turns her into a Desertrian. This one camera themed and honestly, for just basically being a bunch of square shapes, this thing looks pretty goddamn creepy. Also it petrifies people by taking pictures of them, which is also kinda creepy.

I have somehow not mentioned it yet, but I do wanna point out that the choice of font that Nihon.TV gave to the Desertrians is pretty cool. No idea what it is, but it conveys the rambly aggressive nature of the creatures quite well.

The fight scene here deserves a breakdown, since it’s easily the highest point of the episode. Pretty early on, Marine gets petrified.

Somewhat hilariously, the action then almost completely stops so the fairies can whip out a new toy. It’s not exactly graceful and it really could’ve been integrated into the flow here a bit better, but, on the other hand I do feel that complaining about product placement in Precure is like complaining about it in Transformers.

Yes, a heart seed, those things they’ve been collecting from the people they’ve helped. They use a red one here, which I am pointing out but I probably didn’t really need to.

I would have a bigger problem with this powerup were it not for the fact that Blossom just randomly gaining Flash levels of super-speed is pretty goddamn cool. Look! She even gets a new tint to her outfit! I think the only way to improve that would be if they’d actually fully redesigned her costume for the powerup, but at that point you’re probably in prohibitively time-consuming territory.

I also want to make a nod to Sasorina’s absolutely great facial expressions throughout this fight.

In any case this all leads up to what is maybe my favorite thing that’s happened in the show so far. Observe.

What could I possibly say about this to make it any funnier than it already is? Butt Punch. She used her butt, but it was a punch. Why did she do that? Who knows! Butt Punch. You use your butt, but it’s a punch. I can’t compete with that.

Anyway before long the whole flower crucifixion thing happens again and I am seriously never going to get over how weird this piece of imagery is.

And Sasorina buzzes off, and the fansubbers translate whatever she says upon leaving....liberally, we’ll say.

The episode more or less ends here. There’s a bit of an epilogue where Tada, after being awoken by Tsubomi on the hillside, concludes that her photos really *do* need “more love”. As a thank you to Tsubomi, Tada gives her some photos of the class president, who it is at this point evident that she’s crushing on.

The episode ends with her resolving to continue her hunt for precure pics, and Erika teasing Tsubomi about the pictures she got.

I have to be honest, I am a bit mixed on this one. Tada has the core of a good character but I don’t quite care about her yet as much as I do the rest of the main cast (since I have a hunch she’ll be returning, though I’m not 100% sure). There’s also this episode’s moral which is just kind of....weird, I guess I’d say?

It’s not like photo privacy and consent aren’t real issues in the modern age--they definitely are--but it’s sort of a strange thing for a kids’ show to try to tackle, as it’s a pretty complex issue. And the conclusion reached, that Tada’s photos just need to be taken “with love”, is sort of a strange one in that it does not really say anything concrete. Maybe there’s a cultural barrier here or maybe I’m just misinterpreting the whole thing, but it struck kind of an odd chord. Between that and the janky animation in places this is low on my rankings of episodes of this show so far.

That said, the episode does definitely have its strong points too. Building up some continuity by bringing in old characters--even if only for a little bit--is a really good call (and it’s honestly something that the currently-airing Star Twinkle Precure should perhaps be doing a little more of, much as I do love that show also). And despite its abruptness I did end up liking the powerup that Blossom got here, and I really cannot ovestate how absolutely hilarious Butt Punch is. Juvenile, sure, it’s a kids’ show, but it’s also very basic, elemental comedy. You use your butt, but it’s a punch. Amazing.

I’m also quite curious about the fellow with the black hair and glasses. My guess at this point is, some connection to the student council president maybe? Who knows. I’d also love to see Tada developed a bit more as a character, as I said earlier, she’s got the core of a fun character in her, it just needs a bit more work.

So overall, while I did not like this episode as much as some prior ones, I did still quite like it. I find it hard to ever walk away from a Precure episode with negative feelings.

I’m gonna make this a one-episode post. I hope to get back more into the swing of things this coming week since I’ll have more time than this past week (which was incredibly busy and awful and involved a failed job interview and bluerrrrghhh but that’s not why you’re reading this blog). Until next time!

#precure #HeartCatch PreCure #pretty cure

1 note · View note

gigglesgigglinggiggles · 4 years

Text

Drama

THIS IS LONG SO BE PREPARED FOR A WILD RIDE

Like any good Leo, I have tea, and this time way too much tea. I used to have a tumblr account known as ConfessorProfessor, which was my real life blog of crazy drama, no secrets. So I am gonna revive that style a little here. My mother is an abusive narcissist and I left home at the tender age of 16. I absolutely despise her existence. I have been beaten, broken and damaged by this women, who like many mothers was supposed to love me, but in this case didn’t. She left me alone with my grandpa at one point of my life. He went to prison for pedophilia. Surprise real drama! Oh she also left her child to go to Japan for selfish and personal reasons, that will never make sense by the way. The first time on my grandpas money the second on secret money that no one knows where it came from. So fast forward from that incident and come to 2017 the year I got some money to go to Armeggedon which is the New Zealand form of comic con (except not as hyped up). I ask my mum for advice on saving on what little I was earning at the time. I wanted to save as much as I could, while learning how to deal with shopping urges. Why? because I use shopping as a stress reliever and self esteem booster. I shop to feel good a lot of the time. Anyway during this conversation multiple times I was offered money for the holiday, the first few times I said no, but then relented, it could hurt right? nope wrong. OH so WRONG I was. She tells me the only time I ever contact anyone is for money and that I am disowned because I unearthed a bunch of her lies and showed what I had found on my old tumblr. And who is but stalking it like an obsessed ex boyfriend from the movies? my mother of course. So I don’t talk to her, whatever emails she sends me or messages I read and delete. Fast forward to yesterday or rather the 12th of November 2019.

This is the start of drama. So my partner and I go to my Grandpas house. A lot of my stuff is still there at his. Yes the grandpa who is a convicted sex offender. I go over to get a picture of my cat who is 4 years younger than me, so you know 16-17 year old cat, she is pretty old and by the gods was she looking old (the last time I saw her was in June), I want to get a picture before she dies so I can get a clear photo for a tattoo artist. Was she there? No! Was my grandpa there? NO! Who answered the door? My birth giver. I ask where my cat is, and get a very blase “she’s passed away, she’s been dead since july” I am heart broken. No one called, no one text, no one emailed, nothing, not even my birthday email did I get a “you’re cat that you’ve had since childhood, is dead sorry”. I got silence.So I enter the house, the house that isn’t hers, and I can enter as I please because grandpa said I could. So I walk past her, a bit in shock but mostly just a lot of feelings. I go to see what I can take and how many trips I need to take for the stuff. She starts off with an “ I will give you a minute to sort your stuff out yeah” I reply yeah. “do you want a coffee?” “No thank you.” and then the demon appears from within the silence. She keeps asking why I refuse to talk to her, when I will stop being childish. This woman is someone who has tried killing me, and she asks why I won’t talk to her, she tries to play the victim. The actual fucking nerve. I start getting stuff, but don’t respond or when I do I just say “it’s not my problem that’s yours.” because it isn’t my problem I don’t need to tell her why, she already knows. She doesn’t like the fact that she is the one in the wrong. So she decides to have a hissy fit and lie to me about the fact that the house is hers. It isn’t but I didn’t know that then so I am like well “where is grandpa?” her reply “ I don’t fucking know and I don’t care.” well that’s not good either. So I just grab what i can at this stage because she isn’t being nice and she doesn’t care so why should I? I just wanted my childhood toy and she decides to push me with her body into the wall telling me to “get out of my house!” again not her house. Did I forget to mention she is a 47 year old adult female who doesn’t have a job, refuses to get one and lives off my grandfather like a parasite? No well now I have. That is right! she has NO MONEY! so how can she own a house with no money? So she chucks my bunny at my partner and we start to leave, and at the top of the steps that go down to the car, I figure fuck it, I will yell back, and then we leave. I cry my cat, my baby Patches has been dead, didn’t even get to say goodbye, wasn’t there to hold her as she passed, and no one told me. I finally get a call back from grandpa after several attempts at calling and emailing, and I find out that my birth giver has beaten him and he doesn’t want to go back, because of her abuse. A medical report, police and social workers are evidence of this. As usual she isn’t getting punished for anything. And now my partner has to go over to get my stuff and I can’t go over without police because of her behavior. I am so fucking done with her shit. I hope she gets trespassed, and learns the hard way, that she is the fucking asshole and outcast, she is the one in the wrong, and she deserves all the shittiness that is thrown in her face!

#family drama #narcicist #abuse #why aren't people in jail again?#cat died

0 notes

tyleroakley-obsessed · 5 years

Quote

In honor of spooky season, I thought I’d interview a Memphian who can speak to all things otherworldly. You may know Toby Sells as a journalist for the Memphis Flyer, but he’s also host to the hair-raising podcast Haint Blues and organizer for the Memphis Bigfoot Festival, which is tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 26th) at Memphis Made from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. We talked about the Fest, why the in heck there’s a Bigfoot event in Memphis, the story behind the stories of Haint Blues, and about the upcoming Crosstown Paranormal Expo, which is on Tuesday, Oct. 29th from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Here’s our Q&A. Holly: I want – no, need – to get some background info on this, but first I want people to get excited about tomorrow’s event: what can we expect at the 2019 Memphis Bigfoot Festival? Toby: Saturday will kick off at 2 p.m. with The Year in Bigfoot, an annual roundup of Bigfoot news stories and high-profile sightings from the previous 12 months. Local filmmaker Clint Till will show his short film, Big and Tall. It’s a fun story about a couple of kids who bond during their search for Bigfoot. A Q&A with the director will follow. We’ll have trivia and a Bigfoot costume and cosplay contest. The Bigfoot Fashion Show is simply a chance for everyone who comes to show off their Bigfoot shirts, hats, or (almost) anything else. I’ll announce each model and they’ll take a turn on our makeshift runway. Something new this year is an extra area to watch. I wanted to give the serious Bigfoot people (like me) a quieter place to hang out. So, we’ll have full programming on the back patio of Memphis Made. The main part of the taproom will still have plenty of Bigfoot fun but will be a bit rowdier, like, y’know a craft-beer taproom. Holly: Is it family-friendly? Toby: It is totally family friendly. I know there are a ton of little Bigfooters out there. So, I made sure that my programming was G or PG. It will (hopefully) be crowded. So, parents should think about that before they come. Holly: Sounds fun! But let’s back up at little. This is the third annual Bigfoot Fest in Memphis…Why Bigfoot? Toby: The first Memphis Bigfoot Festival was October 2017. That year was the 50th anniversary of the Patterson-Gimlin film (below) which remains the very best piece of Bigfoot evidence. There were a ton of Bigfoot festivals and 50th anniversary celebrations happening in the Pacific Northwest and I wanted to go. Instead, I thought, why not just have one here. I had no idea what that meant. My friends at Memphis Made looked at me a little sideways when I asked if I could do a Bigfoot festival there. But they agreed. I honestly thought (worried) that the festival would be me and, like, a four guys sitting around drinking beer. But when the first festival opened, Memphis Made was packed, at least 200-300 people. Holly: Does that mean there’s a Memphis “Bigfoot” community? Are there any other Bigfoot Fests in other cities? Toby: There are a ton of Bigfoot festivals and conferences around the country and a ton have been added in the last few years. This year was the first-ever (and huge) Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference in Pigeon Forge. There’s another new one called the Tennessee Bigfoot Conference on Friday in Kingsport. But I am proud to report that the Memphis Bigfoot Festival was the state’s very first Bigfoot festival. To my knowledge, the Bigfoot community here is a bit scattered, less organized than in big-time Bigfoot areas, like Washington state. There is a Mid-South Sasquatch group on Facebook and it’s pretty interesting. I knew there were other Bigfoot folks like me around here. So, I kinda hoped the festival would smoke them out and we could all sort of find each other. It worked and I have made several great friends at the festival. Toby Sells. Photo used with permission. Holly: What’s your connection to Bigfoot? Toby: As a kid, I stayed over with a friend and we watched The Legend of Boggy Creek. It’s a docu-drama about a Bigfoot in Fouke, Arkansas called (fittingly enough) the Fouke Monster. I didn’t know Bigfoots lived in the South. It terrified me. After the movie, my friend asked me to look outside at something with him. I was a kid. So, I went. He quickly shut the door behind me and locked me out there with nothing but the dark woods where — I was sure — Bigfoot lurked, watching me, waiting to tear me limb by limb. I don’t know why, but after that I fell into a Bigfoot rabbit hole. And I never came out. Holly: Some friend that guy was! It sounds like that milding traumatic experience was the beginning of your interest in the Southern supernatural, which your podcast explores even more. You’ve told tales about everything from Bigfoot (of course) to Mississippi aliens to NASCAR curses. How did you decide to create the Haint Blues podcast? Today: My show marries a bunch of stuff I love — podcasts, strange tales, research, writing, and the American South. I love shows like Lore and Unexplained and wanted a show like Haint Blues but couldn’t really find what I was looking for. So, I made one (and, again, had no idea what I was getting into). Haint blue is an array of blue paint colors. Many Southern porch ceilings (like mine) are painted in haint blue. Benjamin Moore even has a haint blue line of paints. But the tradition started with the enslaved Gullah Geechee people of the Sea Isles. They painted their porches haint blue to ward off evil spirits. (Ed. Note: He’s got an episode on this.) I launched the show in November 2018. Since then, I have posted 12 episodes, around six hours of programming. With each episode, I want to draw listeners into a quiet, Southern corner of the internet and tell them a tale. As I say on the show, the stories on Haint Blues are real. That is, the stories exist out there in newspapers, oral traditions, diaries and more even if you don’t believe in ghosts, Bigfoot, or UFOs. I research each episode with a journalist’s eye on detail and credibility. I write them and tell those stories to entertain but I also hope folks learn about Southern culture along the way. Holly: Told any Memphis tales on the podcast? Toby: Memphis gets many a mention on the show. One of the country’s first organized Bigfoot hunts left out of Memphis to search for a wild man in the woods around Crowley’s Ridge. Mary, the ghost girl at The Orpheum, gets a section in an upcoming episode. Memphis featured also in the story of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil. Holly: What’s your favorite tale you’ve told on Haint Blues? Toby: My favorite is the Pascagoula UFO abduction story. Two blue-collar fellows go fishing after work and are abducted by aliens. Their bodies are studied by the strange beings aboard a spaceship. Then, they’re plunked right back down on the bank of the Pascagoula River. The men go to the police, fearing a full-scale alien invasion is at hand. They’re largely laughed at but they never changed their story in decades of telling it. I like it because the men were regular, honest people with nothing to gain from such a story. There was some news on the story, too. Earlier this year more witnesses to events that night came forward. Also, the state of Mississippi erected a historical marker at the abduction site. (Ed. Note: This Mississippi tale is also one of my favorites. It’s in the 2nd episode.) Holly: Did you specifically choose to focus on Southern stories because of your amazing accent? Toby: Ha! And thank you. I’d never done any voice-over or narration work before the show. I knew the show needed to sound Southern, but not corn pone. So, I worked (and worried) for a long time early on to balance it. In the end, tough, I just went on there and talked like I talk, which is country as cornbread. So, if you got it, flaunt it. I’ll never be asked to voice a documentary on space exploration, but turns out I have the exact right tools for a show on Southern ghosts and monsters. The show is about the South because I love the South. I was afraid Southern paranormal may be too niche a topic for a regularly running show. Turns out, the more you look for weird stuff in the South, the more you find. Holly: Let’s talk about that Paranormal Expo. (Again, readers, it’s this Tuesday night at Crosstown taproom.) Toby: The Crosstown Paranormal Expo’s main draw is a chance to hear from some of the city’s best paranormal research groups — Historical Haunts, Memphis Ghost Hunters, and Memphis Empath Paranormal Society. They’ll do panel discussions and show some of their ghost-hinting gear and some of the evidence they’ve collected over the years. Spooky stuff. I’ll perform a live episode of Haint Blues and drink some of those amazing Crosstown Brewing beers. The Memphis Ghostbusters will also be there with ghost traps and proton packs at the ready, y’know, just in case anything ghosty goes down. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kevin L. Williams (@kevin_muley) on Oct 19, 2019 at 10:50am PDT Go There: Memphis Bigfoot Festival Memphis Made Taproom Saturday, Oct. 26 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (stay after for the Monster Mash dance party!) Free, all ages Crosstown Paranormal Expo Crosstown Brewing Taproom Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free, all ages Haint Blues Podcast – on Stitcher – on iTunes – on Twitter Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

https://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/10/toby-sells-talks-bigfoot-festival-paranormal-expo-and-the-spooky-haint-blues-podcast/

#I Love Memphis

0 notes

doomedandstoned · 6 years

Text

An Evening With Pallbearer

~Interview: Melissa Marie | Photos: Sally Townsend~

This year, PALLBEARER celebrates their 10th birthday and it's certainly been a hell of a decade-long ride for the Little Rock four. These days, if you ask them, the band is more apt to describe their sound simply as "heavy" than by other labels, but to us they'll always be a beloved doom metal original. The fact that they've risen to occupy the same festival bills as Slayer, Lamb of God, Black Label Society, and Testament is simply evidence to the strength of their compositions and the compelling power of their message.

As winter's days waned, Brett Campbell (guitars, main vocals), Devin Holt (guitars, backing vocals), Joseph Rowland (bass, backing vocals), and Mark Lierly (drums) made a tour stop in Indianapolis, fulfilling a string of US dates in support of 'Heartless' (2017 - Profound Lore Records) -- an album Doomed & Stoned was not content to review just once, but twice over. After the show (which we filmed and now post here for your enjoyment), Joseph, Devin, and Mark kicked up their feet and chatted it up with Melissa for a spell. (Editor)

youtube

Film by Melissa Marie

First off, I just want to congratulate you on kicking so much ass since you released your demo back in 2010 or so. This is great seeing you with Ruby The Hatchet. You guys must be feeling great about what you've done in the first few months of this year already.

Joseph: It's been great so far! We have a bunch of new material we've been working on. Obviously, we put out a new record last year. We had written and recorded that album the year before, so we have been ready to work on new stuff. Even though we're going to be out on tour a lot this year, everyone has been pretty hungry to work on new songs. Every time we work on new music, we learn new things and continue to grow together as musicians, so everyone is just excited to work on new material. We already have five new songs.

Your latest release, 'Heartless' (2017), is another rather conscientious album. There is a lot to be said for the musical attributes -- and, really, 'Heartless' sounds like the most comfortable I've heard this band -- but it greatly intrigues me on a lyrical level, too. The very first track, "I Saw The End," seems appropriate to explain the enduring life in 2017. Was 'Heartless' inspired by the political climate?

Joseph: Well, Brett wrote the lyrics.

Devin: But there was a literal political overhanging, right above our practice space. Everytime we would walk outside, there's a giant Donald Trump sign. So the entire time we're writing the record and we take a break, that's looming over us. Of course, I can't speak for Brett's lyrics. Maybe it subconsciously affected it or maybe it literally affected it, but I think there was kind of element in which we were aware that was there and things were changing and it was becoming a pretty negative environment at the time. I feel better now. Not that things are good, but people are persevering and fighting and there's good things going on. At the time, it was kind of hopeless. We were practicing seven or eight hours a day and then we would go outside.

Joseph: A hate sign, pretty much, and it's still there now. That sign didn't go away. And there's an element in the song, like whether or not Trump had won the world is still kind of fucked. It's hanging over everyone and is definitely hanging over us. Even though a lot of our lyrical content is dark, we want to be optimistic. So there's an element of, let's just hope for the best. We're all gonna die someday, let's live the best life we can.

Devin: I see no point in being a defeatist. That's the most easy, cop-out thing. Your not some kind of philosopher because you think things are shit and you're too lazy to do anything. There's nothing noble in that.

Heartless by Pallbearer

Did your fans respond to 'Heartless' in the way you thought they would? I'm sure gauging the online response is difficult because trolls do exist, but do you feel you got the response you expected?

Joseph: Trolls speak the loudest, so it's kind of hard to tell sometimes. So it's easy to look to much into that you. But we toured for a solid nine months last year, and so many people came up to us and talked about how much Heartless meant to them. So many people would say, "This is the best album you've done yet!" Or even if it wasn't their favorite, they still loved it. Just hearing fans say they love Sorrow and Extinction or Foundations, we rarely heard, "Well I love your old records, but I fucking hate Heartless."

Mark: Sometimes there's a little bit of that.

Joseph: (laughs) Our shows are bigger than ever. We're playing in bigger places and more people have been coming to the shows. It's clear it was a positive thing for enough people.

Devin: And an eclectic mixture too. People of all backgrounds. People of all ages and races and sexes and orientations. It's awesome.

Joseph: There's this perception even today, that online there's a group of people that don't like Heartless. I just feel it doesn't translate in real life. The real life situation has ended up being quite a bit different. All of us feel quite a bit strongly about the record. There wasn't that "Oh man, we messed up" moment. I think it's the best thing we've done. It helped us to grow as musicians, leaps and bounds. The new stuff we've been working on is a good sign of that. We're always looking to evolve, learn from what we've done before, maybe continue to add elements that we've utilized before or combine with new stuff we've learned recently. Lately, especially Devin and I, we've been on a mega jazz kick. It's affecting a lot of the new songwriting. It's always going to be this constant evolution.

Devin: We've learned to keep ourselves excited about music, because it can be so draining touring so much. Last year was nine months out of the year, we have loved ones and family that we miss. So you have to keep the carrot in front of yourself. So we do that by challenging ourselves and being creative. Yeah, let's try some jazz stuff. That keeps us smiling and motivated. Every night we're excited to play.

Joseph: We're constant music fans. Even if we weren't musicians and out there touring, music is something that would still consume all of our waking life. It's just a by-product of listening to and discovering awesome music.

Devin: We are an absolute testament to organic growth, I believe. When we formed this band, none of us were half the players we are now. And not that we're great, there's no ego involved, we just weren't as good when we started. We've played for years now and are constantly working hard to get better. It's been the most organic thing.

Joseph: Even as individual players, some of us were better than others but we didn't know what the fuck we were doing as a touring band. When we were starting out, all the other local Little Rock bands we looked up to didn't really tour - and if they did, it wasn't much. Those were our heros. We only saw them in a home context. So we didn't know anything about touring or what it meant to be a professional band. We learned a lot of hard lessons!

Devin: It's the absolute definition of what it means to be a DIY band. From nowhere without an idea of what to do to becoming us. And again, there's no ego or narcissism. It's just been so organic. We're all just so happy to be on the ride.

Joseph: We're still trying to figure out how to make all this work.

Mark: Hopefully, we'll continue to grow more comfortable and interesting to listen to.

Joseph: Being in a band is a weird thing because people overlook so many aspects that it's almost like being on a sports team. They don't think of everything that's on the business side. Every day we gotta figure out where we're gonna sleep. We gotta figure out where the most comfortable place where we'll be rested enough.

Devin: While being able to afford it.

Joseph: We gotta make sure we're on time to get a good sound check. Like for instance, today we had the meet and greet at Kuma's Corner Indianapolis, so we had to be here even earlier than we would normally need to. So there's all these logistics that go into it and I think 95% of the people out there just think that bands show up and play. We have a tour manager that goes with us on the road, but right now this is just a week long tour so we decided not to bring out the tour manager but she's usually with us on those longer tours and we pay her. There's so much that goes into getting up on stage and playing and doing what we love. We have to keep in mind a hundred and five other things.

Devin: Someone could be having a bad day. So you have to learn to keep your space but also have them involved but also be empathetic to what they might be experiencing. So you're a therapist, counselor, couch philosopher, whatever. You have the tread on these waves so everyone is still able to communicate at a level that everyone is comfortable and okay. Sometimes you just wake up and it's a hard day. You also remain thankful that people and came and paid to see you play, and you want to perform the best you can. It's just difficult sometimes. Everyone has bad days. You feel unattractive or any sort of issue. You feel like you look like shit -- or you do look like shit because you haven't showered in three days -- and people are taking pictures of you. We just want to perform authentically and be genuine. But some days you're sick, or you've got allergies or whatever. It's very difficult and I think a lot of people overlook that stuff. I see it. Every now and then I'll see a band that's struggling but it's so genuine and authentic, that's it's special. They'll remember that performance and you'll remember that performance and for totally different reasons.

How do you feel being referred to as a "doom" band? Of course doom is an umbrella term, but it's clear Pallbearer is more than that. I pick up on a lot of undertones that are closer to progressive rock than doom.

Joseph: That's absolutely where we started. When we started this band, our goal was to make music in that style.Very quickly, we wanted to do other stuff. We wanted to add our own sort of personal touch. Going back to what I was saying earlier, we love so many different kinds of music that it consumes our lives. There was something that felt a little disingenuous with sticking to one specific thing. We wanted to bring in other elements on top of that foundation that we had.

Mark: Foundation of Burden! (laughs)

Devin: So many bands just echo the old bands and that doesn't interest me at all.

Mark: That's my biggest beef with doom.

It's a very oversaturated scene, for sure.

Joseph: When we started out, there weren't all these local doom bands around. There weren't these Sleep/Electric Wizard imitater bands all over.

Devin: Black Wolf Goat Mountain. That's like every other fucking band.

Joseph: Well, that hadn't quite happened yet. And you know what, that's great. There's always going to be bands that are after that. If you're playing locally with your buddies, you wanna smoke weed and play sick riffs, that's great. That's not quite the same motivation we have. We are always looking to challenge ourselves. Maybe that's what those guys are doing too, it's just in a different state or realm. I don't want to downplay what those bands are trying to do. We just very quickly grew out of wanting to emulate these tone bands.

Devin: Like amp worship shit. I like amps too, but there's a thing where you're gonna sound like Black Sabbath or Sleep or Pentagram. You eliminate those things and there's only twelve bands left.

Joseph: If we're talking amp worship, I'll take Robin Trower's amp tone versus Electric Wizard's amp tone.

Devin: You're not gonna be better than those bands. Why rip off Sleep? Because it's not going to be as good. Ever. Fucking ever! You're never going to be as good, ever. And there's so many bands that do it. It's cool if you're jamming and shit, but if you're really trying to perform or be genuine about it, I don't understand the drive of sounding exactly like someone else.

Joseph: There's no band that we've ever been like, "Dudes, let's just make a song that sounds like this." There might be an idea that's one part of the song, that gives way to entirely new ideas. But never like, "Let's recreate Dopesmoker."

I really think Pallbearer is one of the key bands that helped the doom scene in really becoming so popularized in the world of metal.

Joseph: Without sounding like an ego maniac, I feel like it's a pretty easy conclusion to make. It's blown the fuck up. I don't really know of anyone else that's really quite on the same level. Windhand was out there.

Devin: Yeah, Cough, too.

Joseph: Windhand and Cough, both of those bands are at the forefront.

Devin: There are definitely bands doing it. None of us want to take any sort of sole credit. If there was a first wave the American style of doom that is real popular right now, then we were probably on that first wave.

'Sorrow and Extinction' (2012) -- definition of a masterpiece.

Devin: Thank you.

I see you will be out on a massive tour with death metal greats Obituary along with some thrashy bands like Skeletonwitch and Dust Bolt later in the year. Are you trying to reach out into new areas to find new fans? Do you think your EP with the Type O Negative and Black Sabbath covers helped push you into new territory?

Devin: We'll play a darker toned set. It'll be more condensed since we're doing direct support. It'll be a darker set, for sure.

Joseph: It's not a tour that I don't think any of us would seek out, but one of our goals is to find people out there that enjoy deep and heavy music, but haven't necessarily heard of us yet.

Devin: The worst metal fan in the world is the fucking ignorant bigot that just likes one type of metal. That's so stupid to me. It is the dumbest, funniest thing and I'll laugh at you all fucking day.

Preach!

Devin: A lot of people like Candlemass and Obituary and Metallica and Pentagram or whatever. It's all metal, people call it different things. So I'd love to play on a death metal tour. We'd rather do that than play with five other doom metal bands that all play mid-tempo shit. I love mixing the genres up.

Joseph: One of my absolute favorite bands that we've ever played with is Cianide.

Devin: They're so sick.

Joseph: A band that is completely and theoretically outside of our style of music, but they're so great. We talked to them after the show, they're fans of us and we're fans of them. It was fucking great.

Mixed bag shows rule. Like the last time you guys were here, that was a great show with Kayo Dot. I'm a big Maudlin of The Well fan. I personally really enjoyed that and it was my first time seeing you guys, as well.

Devin: Ninety-percent of my metal friends would say the same thing. Why not bring a band like Kayo Dot to a show? People that listen to metal oftentimes listen to other shit.

Joseph: There's nothing more boring than a show and every single band is exactly the same. Not just as a musician, but also as a music fan. I don't want to go to a show if it's the same goddamn thing for four hours. That is not stimulating, in any way. The Obituary show is something that our agent put together. He also works for Obituary, so he asked if we would be interested in doing it. "It's different, but yeah we're interested." When it's like this, our own tour with Ruby The Hatchet, we wanted to doing something that is memorable, stimulating. We want people to walk away excited about it. There's something for everyone out there, even if they don't like us. Maybe they'll enjoy the other bands.

Any future potential covers? Your Type O Negative cover fucking ruled.

Joseph: We're doing "Run Like Hell" (Pink Floyd) very soon, actually. We're recording that in April. We're always talking about new cover ideas.

When I had heard that you guys covered Type O Negative, I was not sure but then I listened to it and damn! Pete Steele's voice is so deep and I was not expecting that.

Joseph: Brett's voice is actually really deep.

Devin: He's got a lot of range. That wasn't manipulated in any way. That's just him.

Joseph: A number of people have said that they thought that was a sample of Peter Steele at the end of the song. And, no, there's no sample -- all Brett.

Devin: No autotune shit. We are very morally against that shit.

What's the most important personal lesson you've learned from being in Pallbearer?

Joseph: Don't play through four full stacks and expect it to sound good.

Devin: Stop believing that music theory can find you. It's not a prison, it's just a path.

I understand this is one of the last dates on the tour. What's next for Pallbearer?

Joseph: As I said earlier, we have some new material that we're working on. A lot of that will not all be on one record. We're doing a song for the Adult Swim Series that should be coming out in April. Then the Pink Floyd cover. We have a few other things happening. We'll be touring pretty consistently until September or so, then it's going to be writing time for the next record.

Thanks for chatting with Doomed & Stoned, guys, and best of luck with the road ahead!

Follow The Band.

Get Their Music.

See Pallbearer at Psycho Las Vegas

#D&S Interviews #Pallbearer #Little Rock #Arkansas #Doom #Metal #Doom Metal #Atmospheric Doom #Melissa Marie #Doomed & Stoned

0 notes