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samasmith23 · 1 year

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Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon — (Part 1)

Neon Genesis Evangelion, “Episode 1: ANGEL ATTACK”

Well it's time to officially start this marathon of the entire Evangelion anime franchise, beginning with Episode 1 of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, "ANGEL ATTACK"!

Just as a quick heads up, there will be SPOILERS for the entire franchise all throughout these blog posts! This your only warning, so if you have not watched the series yet, go ahead and do so right now! You can watch the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series + movies on Netflix, while the Rebuild Teatrology is available on Amazon Prime.

Also, for a reminder of how I plan on watching the series throughout this marathon, check out my prologue post here:

And with all that out of the way, "Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon"... LAUNCH!!!

First of all, words can not even begin to describe how legendary & phenomenal this series' opening credits theme is! Seriously, no matter how many times I watch this series, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" will forever remain one of the greatest anime openings in history!

Not only is the song itself, "The Cruel Angel's Thesis" (残酷な天使のテーゼ, Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze) by Yoko Takahashi, Toshiyuki Ōmori, Hidetoshi Satō & Neko Oikawa, an incredibly unique J-Pop theme, but the accompanying visuals convey so much symbolism and important plot & character information that it would be impossilbe to discuss all of it within a short span of time!

I will state, however, that I'm personally fond of the visuals of Shinji staring out into the distance as silhouettes of Rei & Asuka float across the blue skies (emphasizing Shinji's loneliness and longing for human connection, as well as his internalized issues with women), as well as the proceeding visual of Misato glancing upward into the twilight sky as Shinji judges her from afar (highlighting the overt parallels between the two characters, as well as Misato's struggles to embrace the role of a surrogate-mother figure for Shinji).

However, I will provide a link to the video, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis Explained - What's in an OP," by anime YouTuber Geoff Thew from channel Mother's Basement, who does a far better job at analyzing the themes than I possibly ever could!

Moving on past the opening credits, it’s still hard to believe that Evangelion takes place in the year 2015. In-universe, the near-apocalypse known as Second Impact occurred 15-years earlier in at the dawn of the new millennium. In the real world we’re now in 2023, and the predicted total apocalypse known as Third Impact still hasn’t occurred yet.

2016 on the other hand… woof! Now that was certainly the year for an apocalypse since that was the year Donald Trump was unfortunately elected the President of the United States (geez... it still hurts to say those words...)! I guess Hideaki Anno and the staff at Studio's Gainax's predictions for the date of the end of the world were just one year off...

Actually, maybe that explains it all! Maybe we actually all died in Third Impact, and we’re all living inside a false dream reality where Trump managed to seize control over the White House for 4-years as a result! And we’re unfortunately still living in that nightmarish vision of Human Instrumentality considering the existence of bullcrap like Ron DeSantis’ outright fascist policies in Florida (God forbid he become president in 2024) and the Supreme Court rolling back the clock on civil rights by unconstitutionally undoing Roe V. Wade and openly threatening to go after gay marriage next.

That’s gotta be it! Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and every conservative Justice on the Supreme Court somehow discovered SEELE’s plans for Third Impact, and hijacked their Human Instrumentality Project to create the Hellscape that we’re all currently living in!

Getting back on track though, I love how these opening establishing shots not only establish the this series' post-apocalyptic setting through the half-submerged ruins of an old Japanese city, but also build-up tension for the reveal of this series' iconic monsters!

While the inital shots of the mysterious creature largely obscure its full apperance from the viewer, Anno & crew effectively convey the scale of this approaching threat through both its shadow beneath the water as well as extreme close-up shots its masked-face rapidly swiming past the sunken buildings.

So although the audience is still unsure of what exactly this monstrosity is, we already understand that its incredibly large and otherwordly through what little we see of its physical features!

The tension is further hightened through the quick-shots of dozens United Nations military tanks and their missile-armed cannons aiming directly towards the submerged ruins where the creature is approaching from, as well as audio of an emergency broadcast ordering the population of a nearby costal city to evacuate and take shelter.

Right off the bat, Anno demonstrates his talents as an animation director!

It is during this opening sequence that we get our official introduction to series' main protagonist, Shinji Ikari, and his future commanding officer/surrogate-mother figure, Misato Katsuragi!

I love how the first on-screen apperances we get of both Shinji & Misato are not through direct in-person interaction, but rather through photographs possessed by each other. With Shinji we're given an ID-badge photograph possed by an off-screen Misato driving her car, and with Misato the first apperance of her face is through a signed photograph in Shinji's possession as he's unable to get reception at a payphone!

This introduction scene for Shinji does a phenomenal job at conveying one of character's core defining attributes: namely his sense of isolation and aimlessness!

Not only is Shinji completely alone in the middle of the evacuated city-streets, but he quickly surrenders to a self-defeatist mentality when he's unable to get reception on the line, grunting to himself, "It's no use. This is dumb. I shouldn't have come here."

Although Shinji's frustration in this context is relatable even if the viewer doesn't also suffer from depression like he does! I mean, I too would personally be frustrated and confused if I was asked to wait to be picked up in an unfamiliar setting by a person whom I knew nothing about outside of a picture of herself that she mailed to me.

Speaking of which... lol! Misato’s inappropriately suggestive postcard (and in particular the “Check this out!” text & arrow pointing to her cleavage) NEVER fails to get a laugh out of me! But aside from functioning as a joke, this postcard is also important in establishing the fact that sexuality is a major element of Misato's characterization!

Also, since I'm still fairly early into the plot of the pilot episode, I want to take a brief aside to discuss some personal observervations I've made between the specific media I'm watching the series on:

So here’s a weird feature for the "Perfect Collection 0:1" DVD. None of the other original DVD releases by ADV Films have this, but in their first disc for whatever reason they removed all the kanji on objects like Shinji's ID badge or Misato's picture shown above, and instead added these weird overhanging white English text replacements where the kanji used to be that look very obviously superimposed… thank goodness ADV scrapped this weird design choice that for all the future DVD releases and instead just kept the original kanji and included subtitled translations for the text.

Conversely, over on the Blu-Ray side of things, the HD remasters for these episodes look FREAKING phenomenal! The animation and color palate on the GKids "Collector's Edition" boxset is incredibly clear and vibrant, whereas the image quality of old DVD copies could be quite muted and blurry by contrast. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this Blu-Ray version utilizes the copies of the episodes from the old out-of-print “Platinum” DVD collection ADV released a while back (my DVDs are from the "Perfect Collection" first edition). Although I've also heard that the versions of the episodes on the American Blu-Ray release are the HD remasters that were originally exclusive to Japan before Netflix acquired the International licensing rights back in 2019 after the original series + movies were stuck in copyright Hell for over a decade after ADV Films (the original owners of the TV license in America) went out of business and Manga Entertaimnet's license for Death & Rebirth & The End of Evangelion expired.

Also, this remastering of EVA on the Blu-Ray makes a few minor soundtrack rearrangements during certain scenes. But most importantly it removes the notorious "Gainax Jitter," wherein the screen would frequently shake due to all of Gainax's anime during the 90s being produced on outdated softwares. Watching NGE on my original DVDs honestly made me feel dizzy sometimes due to that annoying jitter effect. So thank goodness that the "Gainax Jitter" is completely absent on the Blu-Ray version!

Returning to the episode proper though...

I love the sudden and mysterious appearance of Quantum-Rei off in the distance as Shinji is waiting in the phone booth for Misato to pick him up, and how instantly and just as mysteriously she disappears! Considering that Quantum-Rei also similarly appears before Shinji during the final scene of The End of Evangelion, this feels like an incredibly unique bookending device for the original series + movies, with Rei's entrance and disappearance in Shinji's life marking both the beginning and the end of his long tumultuous journey over the course of the narrative!

And here we see the first appearance of the mysterious beings attacking the Earth following the Second Impact, referred to within the series as Angels! And this bad boy here is classified as the 3rd Angel, Sachiel! When conceiving Evangelion, Anno & Studio Gainax wanted to distinguish the series from other giant-mecha/kaju anime which were airing at the time, and therefore decided to base the EVA's lore and mythos off of religious symbols and iconography lifted directly from Christianity, Judaism, and especially Kabbalhaism (i.e. Jewish mysticism) since said-faiths were uncommon in Japan, while also including references to Buddhism and Shintoism.

Concerning the etemology and translation of the Angels, most of my information about this comes from the Evangelion Fandom Wiki, but basically while both the ADV and Netflix dubs refer to these kaju as "Angels," in the original Japanese they were referred to as "使徒, shito" which roughly translates to "Apostles." However, the word "Angel" in this context is also derived for the other Japanese word used to refer to these creatures in the series, "天使 tenshi," which also translates to "sky messenger." So the term "Angel" still makes sense in-universe considering that the Angels are framed as to be destructive descendants, or "messengers," of the god-like being known as Adam, who was meant to be the original progenitor of life on Earth.

Returning to Sachiel specifically, according to Wikipedia this Angel's name is a reference to a being of the same name from "kabbalistic and Christian angelology. Sachiel (Ge'ez ሳቁኤል) [refers to] an archangel of the order of cherubim… the name 'Sachiel' originally occurs in the late 1500s grimoire called The Heptameron.”

Misato certainly knows how to make a badass entrance!

I always loved the animation during the sequence where Sachiel smashes one of the missiles with his bare fists!

Dang! This fight between the U.N. airforces and Sachiel is not only incredibly exciting in its own right (aided by composer Shiro Sagisu's phenomenal soundtrack, "Angel Attack"), but it also further communicates the threat-level that the Angel's represent, since all conventional human weaponry proves to be completely ineffective against its defenses!

Speaking of said defenses, the second-in-command of the mysterious NERV organization that's working alongside the U.N., Kōzō Fuyutsuki, refers to the Angel being protected by an "A.T. Field" (or "Absolute Terror Field").

These signature energy shields serve as a reoccuring thematic motif throughout the entire series since they're representative of the impenetrable walls that both protect the Angels from exterior damage and prevent humans from truly understanding each other.

So the name "Absolute Terror Field" possesses a double meaning from both a literal and metaphorical perspective! I love it!

Also, this angel’s weird gill flaps that are present while it’s regenerating after having this unvierse's equivalent of a nuclear bomb dropped onto it are so eerily uncanny, and further serve to hi-light just how truly alien this creature is despite it being referred to as an "Angel."

Also also, it makes sense that while the N² Mines in EVA generate nuclear-level explosions, they lack the subsequent radiation fallout considering Japan's own traumatic real-life history with the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki during World War II.

The fact that not even this world’s equivalent of a nuclear explosion is capable of killing an Angel is such an effective way of convincing both the U.N. and the viewers that NERV possesses the only means of truly destroying these eldritch threats to humanity’s survival!

Dang! Exactly just how strong are Misato & Shinji! The fact that both of them were able to push the former's capsized-car back to its proper position simply by leaning against it hard is quite the impressive feat! I mean, I know Misato drives an old beat-up sports car (literally held together by duck-tape; lol!) which is much lighter in weight compared to a SUV or truck, but still!

So why exactly did Misato steal all those batteries for her beat-up old car? Wait... I guess I just answered my own question there... lol!

The developing dynamic between Shinji & Misato during their car-ride to NERV HQ is already incredibly fascinating witness! Despite being a seasoned veteran military officer, Shinji quickly realizes just how immature and quick-tempered she can actually be.

Not only is Shinji unafraid to scold Misato for her borderline illegal car-battery shennanigans, but when she childishly mocks him for being too uptight (voice actress Allison Keith's delievery of Misato's playful teasing is absolutely hilarious) and Shinji calls out her immaturity, Misato aggresively responds by jerking her car back-&-forth!

Geez! Shinji and his father Gendo Ikari (the leading commander of NERV) haven’t even encountered each other yet, and already we’re seeing just how cold and detached Gendo’s attitude towards his estranged son truly is. As soon as Gendo decides to activate Evangelion Unit-01 and Professor Fuyutsuki accurately points out that they don’t have a pilot, Gendo simply replies, “Not any more. Another spare is being delivered.”

He essentially views his own son as just a backup program. And this gets even more revealing when you remember that Rei was originally the one who was supposed to pilot Unit-01 instead of Shinji!

Even Gendo's letter suddenly requesting Shinji’s presence after abandoning him a decade earlier only states, “COME! -Gendo Ikari.”

Man did I forget how much I absolutely hate Gendo’s guts! There's a reason why this scumbag is almost universally regarded as one of, it not the, absolute WORST fathers in all of anime!

On a more positive note, however, stairlift-like automobile conveyor-belt that Misato & Shinji utilize to travel underground to NERV Headquarters is honestly really cool! I wonder if we'll ever see futuristic technology like that IRL someday?

Ooff. Shinji's line, "What am I saying? Of course he wouldn't have sent me a letter unless he needed me for something," when asking if he'll be working for Gendo's secret agency effectively illustrates Shinji's internalized sense of self-loathing. Due to having been coldly abandoned by his father when he was only 4-years-old following the death of his mother, Shinji has suffered from severe depression and lack of self-esteem. Only finding value in his existence if he can be of use to others.

This correlates with a commonly misunderstood yet central element of Shinji's characterization that's been unfortunately subject to bad-faith criticisms on the Internet. Despite Evangelion's immense popularity and influential status within anime communities, several individuals have actively dismissed the entire series simply because they found Shinji's character to be overly whiny and annoying.

Except... Shinji is both clearly suffering from depression derrived from a childhood of isolation and paretnal neglect. To reduce Shinji's feelings of self-loathing and existential dread to simple whining is honestly insulting to other people who suffer from depression IRL (such as series' creator Hideaki Anno, who modeled Shinji as an authorial stand-in to discuss his own personal experiences with depression...), since depression is a LEGITIMATE mental illness rather than simple whining...

Also, Misato makes an interesting comment in response to Shinji's dismissive attitude towards his father: "Hmm... sounds like you don't get along with your dad. Ah, you sound just like me."

Dang! The reveal of NERV's underground headquarters directly beneath the city of Tokyo-3, the hollowed-out spherical cavern known as the "GeoFront" (which possesses upside down-skyscrapers attatched to the ceiling as well as a forested surface with a lake next to the large pyramid building functioning as NERV HQ itself), is still FREAKING epic & gorgeous!

NGE is already leaing heavily into hard science-fiction with such creative environments! Even though the idea of a gigantic hollowed-out cavern beneath a major metrpolitan city retro-fitted into a heavily armed military fortress/bunker would be completely implausible IRL, it makes for such an aesthetically unique location!

I can totally relate to Misato's feelings of confusion while navigating NERV's complex network moving walkway bridges! It definitely seems like an easy place to get lost in!

Lol! The way Ritsuko Akagi suggestively bumps into Misato on the elevator while still wearing her bathing-suit (she just finished scubba diving into the robot holding pen submerged in a weird red liquid substance)! While this was probably not the animator's intention, this still feels like some deliberate queer-coding! And this is the first interaction we see between the two characters!

Hey, I can totally see Ritsuko as being a closeted lesbian! She’d definitely be in a much healthier relationship with either Misato or Maya than the one she’s currently in with FREAKING Gendo. Like, NOT only is Gendo twice Ritsuko's age, but the bastard also previously slept with her late mother, Naoko Akagi! Gross!

Wait, time out! Fuyutsuki just said that this is Shinji & Gendo’s first meeting in 3 years, but I thought it was 10 years considering that Gendo abandoned Shinji shortly after his mother died when he was still 4-years-old?! Did I miss something?!

And here it is! The moment of truth! The official reveal of the giant robots that this series is well-renowned for: the titular Evangelions (with specific model Ritsuko & Misato are showing Shinji is known as "EVA Unit-01")!

So here's some interesting trivia regarding the EVA's that Ritsuko alluded to with her description about the "0-9 System" designed to control the mecha's activation! The physical designs of the Evangelions were directly inspired by demonic ogre-like creatures from traditional Japanese folklore known as "oni" (which "0-9" is a pun for BTW!). According to series' mecha-designer, Ikuto Yamashita:

"'So why did Evangelion wind up with that shape?' … The director instructed me to make, 'the image of [an oni].' A giant just barely under the control of mankind. I get the feeling I've seen that correlation before … The image I had for the design concept was the fairy tale, Gulliver's Travels. Enormous Power Restrained. … What I came up with was a giant that looks like a relief on a wall. … I happily discarded the efficiency and feeling of giant size that you can guess at by sight alone. … after the designs were handed in, it caused a stir — even among the staff, positive and negative opinions were flying. And from here on out, I imagine it will cause a stir among comic readers and animation viewers."

In addition to the activation system being named after a mythological "Japanese devil," we recieve more clues that there's far more to the EVA's beneath their metalic exteriors, as Ritsuko also describes Unit-01 as a "synthetic lifeform" (or even more suspiciously, "synthetic human," in the subtitled version)!

While it’s not stated in this episode, it will later be revealed that the EVA’s are not only cybernetic beings whose flesh was cloned from the Angel’s original Seed of Life, Adam (or in Unit-01’s case, humanity’s Seed of Life, Lilith), hence why they’re capable of killing the Angels, but that they also literally possess human souls inside of them. Those souls being the dead mothers of the pilots (who’s ability to synchronize with the EVAs is strongest at age 14 due to hormonal changes & all that jazz…).

It's also during the unveiling of EVA Unit-01 that Shinji is offically reunited with his father Gendo, who once again is as cold and distant from his son from both a figurative & literal sense!

Honestly, the visual symbolism of Gendo standing high above Shinji when they first reunite is an incredibly effective method of communicating both the distance between the two in their relationship, as well as the massive inferiority complex Shinji feels because of his abusive father.

Such masterful direction and visual storytelling on Anno's part!

And of course, the moment father & son are finally reunited after years apart, Gendo further demonstrates what a complete & unempathetic douchebag he is by immediately orders that Shinji pilot the EVA Unit-01 to fight the approaching Angel in hand-to-hand combat!

Again... looking back, it feels incredibly unfair that people have repeatedly accused Shinji of being whiny simply because he refusing to get in the robot as soon as Gendo & Ritsuko insist him to do so during Sachiel’s attack. Except, can you really blame Shinji here?

I mean… his father coldly abandoned him after his mom died when he was only a toddler, and now as a 14-year-old his dad suddenly calls him out of the blue to demand that he pilots a giant robot he’s neither seen nor heard of before (and possesses ZERO training experience), to fight a giant alien monstrosity he personally nearly just got killed by! That’s not Shinji whiny, that’s him being realistic!

Honestly, the whole "Get in the damn robot Shinji!" argument has always annoyed the absolute heck out of me! It was easily the epitome of early-to-late 2000s bad internet media criticism!

Also, criticisms like, "But Shinji's refusal to pilot is selfish because the fate of the entire human race is at stake," don't exactly hold water either since that can be easily explained away by Shinji lacking trust in his own abilities due to his depression and low self-esteem!

Also also, yeah it is technically a selfish descision on Shinji's part, but that's an INTENTIONAL character flaw on Anno's part, rather than being indicative of "bad writing"...

Seriously... so many people on the Internet have and still lack any media literacy skills... uuuggghhh!!!

I FREAKING love this exchange between Shinji & Misato after they realize that the Angel is directly above NERV HQ, with her sternly telling Shinji to "Get inside" the EVA before calmly asking him, "Why Shinji? Exactly why did you come here?"

It was at this specific moment in Episode 1 where it officially dawned on me during this rewatch just how incredibly efficient the NGE's pilot episode is at subtly establishing numerous elements that would help define the dynamic between Misato & Shinji throughout the rest of the series!

In addition to Misato earlier comparing Shinji to herself when he mentioned that he doesn’t get along with his father, she also compares Shinj’s more standoffish mannerisms to Gendo during the elevator ride with Ritsuko. This not only symbolizes Gendo's role as an older version of Shinji, but it also lays the groundwork for Misato’s own Elektra Complex in the sense that always views the men in her life through the lens of her strained relationship with her dead father.

And here in the present scene, we witness the struggle between surrogate parental-figure and commanding-officer that heavily defines Misato's relationship with Shinji. Despite pragmatically pivoting to Gendo & Ritsuko's point of view that Shinji needs to get in the EVA (which she intially understandably argued against...) to prevent Sachiel from destroying mankind, Misato simultaneously displays the motherly aspects of her personality by trying to positively uplift Shinji.

She confidently encouraging Shinji to find the answers to his questions of exactly why he came to NERV at Gendo’s request, ultimately telling him that he "mustn't run away."

As much as I love this scene though, one weird difference I noticed between the versions of it on my DVD & Blu-Ray copies respectively is that the timing of the soundtrack, "I, Shinji."

In the original ADV Films "Perfect Collection" DVD, the score continues to play after Sachiel's cross-shaped explosions begin targeting Toyko-3, and Misato gives her advice, whereas it stops after the explosions in the GKids "Collector's Edition" Blu-Ray version.

I honestly can't tell which version I prefer more, but considering the fact that the score on the original Japanese audio track more closely aligns with the Blu-Ray's English audio track, I'm guessing ADV didn't properly align the soundtrack during the intiall dubbing process (but later fixed it for their HD "Platinum Collection" DVD re-release I'm guessing...).

Le gasp! A “Sound Only” on Gendo’s monitor when he instructs Fuyutsuki to wake-up Rei to pilot Unit-01 in Shinji's place! EPIC FORESHADOWING!

So... why exactly was merchandise of the injured bandaged-up Rei Ayanami so insanely popular? I honestly just don’t see the appeal…

Another clever usage of foreshadowing here! Not only of Unit 01 going berserk in the very next episode, but also of the EVA’s true nature in that it houses the soul of Shinji's dead mother, Yui Ikari, considering how quickly it moves into to protect Shinji from the falling debris, plus Gendo’s unsurprised smirk there!

Joy! Shinji's first ever utterance of the iconic, "I musn't run away! I mustn't run away! I musn't run away," line as he glances at Rei's blood on his hands before finally deciding to pilot the EVA!

This reoccurring motif is such an important element of Shinji's character throughout the series, and Spike Spencer delivers this famous line pitch perfect! He totally sells Shinji's sense of anxiety and struggles to suppress his fear in the heat of the moment!

Also, even though I've rewatched this episode and the entire series countless times, I still find myself going back-&-forth on what exactly motivated Shinji to "not run away" here!

Was it purely for altrustic reasons after he saw how unfit for combat Rei was due to her critical condition? Did he feel legitimate sympathy for Rei despite meeting her for the first time? And if so, did he recognize her from the Quantum-Rei vision at the start of the episode? Was Shinji taking Misato's earlier words of encouragement to heart? Or did Shinji finally decide to pilot the EVA purely out of either a self-centered desire to prove his own worth, or out of guilt and not wanting Rei's death on his conscious?

Questions like these are a major element of why I adore EVA's writing so much! Despite being extremely vague open-ended with no one single universal interpretation, the series' characters are so humanized and complex that it actively engages the audience to speculate and analyze their underlying motivations!

It's why even as a long-time fan of the series, I still keep finding new & fascinating elements I didn't notice on my previous viewings!

And so begins the iconic launch preparation for EVA Unit-01, beginning with the insertion of the pilot's control vessel known as an "Entry-Plug" into the mecha's body!

Also, considering that EVA is famous for its usage of Freudian psychoanalytic and psychosexual symbolism (alongside all the religious imagery), as well as the fact that Shinji's character arc is analogous to the Oedipus Complex and the soul of his dead mother is inside of EVA Unit-01, the fact that Shinji's is placed inside a suggestively-shaped Entry-Plug that's then directly inserted into a hole on the back of the EVA's neck, I can’t help but be reminded of an old quote from Mystery Science Theater 3000...

Yeah, expect me to reference that MST3K quote a lot throughout this marathon…

Yeesh! I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying of a feeling that must be to intially feel like you're drowning as the capsuel is filled with Liquid LCL! Even though that mysterious fluid is breathable for humans, having your lungs completely filled with a foreign substance has got to be uncomfortable!

I don't blame Shinji at all for feeling incredibly nauseous before his lungs adjust!

Also, Misato's a bit overly harsh with her comment, "Stop complaining! You're a boy you know!" (This will be another reoccuring motif in Misato's interactions with Shinji BTW...)

Also also, the first appearance of LCL, or as it's been commonly referred to by EVA fans for the past two-and-a-half decades: "Tang!"

Those who have already watched The End of Evangelion know exactly what I'm talking about!

And so the episode ends with an exciting conclusion to the launch sequence as EVA Unit-01 is slowly released from its holding pen and all safe guards are switched off before the giant mech is launched up a tunnel network exiting the GeoFront and onto the now deserted-streets of a nightime Tokyo-3, exiting the hatch directly in front of Sachiel, teasing a deadly kaju battle between the two!

What a phenomenal way to close the series' pilot and pique the viewer's interest for the next episode!

So that was NGE, "Episode 1: ANGEL ATTACK," and it’s still really darn great! I’m honestly incredibly impressed with just how much subtle characterization and thematic elements are set up for later developments throughout the rest of the show within this 24-minute pilot episode! It honestly surprises me whenever I hear people argue that the tone of EVA drastically changed as the series progresses considering how even from the very start Hideaki Anno was laying the ground work for all the complex developments which defined the later half of NGE as well as EofE!

Also, hearing “Fly Me To The Moon” in the end credits of the DVD is simultaneously incredibly nostalgic and sad considering all future releases completely scrapped it! Seriously, screw Netflix and that copyright bullcrap! “Fly Me To The Moon” is an important part of the series darn it, so just pay the extra cash to keep it in! And heck, just buy the rights to the original dub instead of spending all that extra time to create an inferior half-assed new dub from scratch. The original dub has its flaws, but it still has heart and passion put into it!

Sorry about the tangent! I’m just still bitter and confused by Netflix’s choices when it comes to EVA.

Anyway, onto the second episode!

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merakiui · 3 years

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Half-Off Love

yandere!scaramouche x (gender neutral) reader art credit - kentasha1236 on twt cw: yandere, nsfw, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, gold-digging, implied yandere!childe note - thank you so much for 600 followers! o(≧∇≦o) I’ll work hard!

It’s strange. There’s no other adjective to describe the situation you’ve found yourself in.

The ring slides itself onto your steady finger and it’s a miracle your discomfort doesn’t show. Your eyes struggle to meet his, but when they do you’re searching for a reason—for a meaning behind such a generous gift. You’ve witnessed this scene plenty of times before, having scoffed at the couples who decide to take their relationship to the next level. Whether it be in Mondstadt or Liyue, you’ve watched your fair share of angelic proposals. Although this is far from a proposal—at least, you hope it’s not a proposal. You’d feel powerless to decline if Scaramouche put you in such a position, and you’re almost certain he’s aware of this.

But the main thing—you now realize—that’s holding him back is your status and his relationship with you. It’s nothing special, just mere physical attraction rather than the emotional hindrances that come with real, heart-racing love. There’s nothing wholesome in the way you regard one another; it’s just sex.

“Do you like it? I made sure to find only the highest quality gemstone for you.”

And yet when he performs this caring charade, it doesn’t feel like loveless copulation.

Ew, you think, plastering a smile to your face. Since when was Scaramouche so concerned with materialistic signs of affection? He’s far from loving; he’s just pent-up, frustrated from his rigorous job as a Harbinger and so he decides to use you as a means of coping. He almost sounds like Childe with his ineffective flirting methods. You’ve received your fair share of spoils from him as well, and you’ve done everything you could to cull that relationship before it grew out of hand. But now you’re stuck with the lesser side of the coin: another troublesome Fatui Harbinger.

If you didn’t know any better, you might think to chase after Signora or Dottore next. Maybe you’ll aim for the Tsaritsa Herself if you’re especially daring. After all, your life has been nothing but deceit and faux pleasures; there’s little value to a liar’s life. If the Archons wish for your swift end, you’re positive it’ll be a result of your insatiable greed.

“It’s lovely. The color matches my eyes.”

It doesn’t, but you lie about it anyways. And he looks pleased to hear your approval.

“Then perhaps I should get you a bracelet as well? Or would you prefer something with a little more use, such as a pocket watch?”

Why don’t you just lock me up with a collar instead? you think bitterly, already keen on pawning the ring off once the initial luster fades. Since you’re so eager to buy these things for me in hopes that I’ll return. It’s annoying.

“This is more than enough. I don’t want you to spend a fortune on me.” There’s a sweet lilt in your voice as your hand cups his cheek, and he leans into your warm touch, starved of the affection like a stray mutt. ”I only need you per our agreement. You do remember what that is, right?”

He’d be caught dead bending to the desires of someone so insignificant, but he just can’t stay away. Not when your every word is intoxicating poison he’ll readily ingest.

“I’m aware." There’s a sigh in his tone as he pulls away, almost as if he wants to simply sit there and indulge in playful conversation. As if he actually wants to familiarize himself with the real you. But that emotion doesn’t last for long and an irritated expression crawls onto his handsome face as he silently recalls something.

You’re slipping your silks off with grace, curiously tracking his movements. “You look upset. Was it because of what I said?”

“Of course not. You could never upset me.”

Until you get bored of me.

When you cast your robes aside, reaching for Scaramouche’s elaborate outfit, you murmur, “Let me guess. It was that traveler again, wasn’t it? I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on them.” A whimper leaks into your voice and you fix him with a pout. “I’m sad you’d think of others when I’m right here. Aren’t I the only one you need?”

It’s ironic how quickly that line hooks him, dragging him up from the murkiest depths of love that has skewed into obsession. When you tried it out on Childe, he wasn’t so easily swayed. You find their differences to be invigorating. If the arrangement with Childe was still ongoing, you might’ve considered a threesome, if only to wring more glittering treasures out of the both of them. Mora and jewelry galore, it all goes towards your stockpiled savings. And it’s times like these when you’re lucky to have avoided economic business with the Fatui. Being free of Fatui debt has its perks, a bright miracle in your dark relationships. That’s one less tether to Scaramouche and one less reason to cling to him after you’ve had enough.

He smirks at your forced envy, easily pushing you backwards onto the plush mattress once he’s fully undressed. For a brief moment, he pictures your pliant body sprawled across an office desk while he pounds into you from behind, putting on a lewd show for his leering underlings. There’s something arousing about your secret relationship that has strange ideas formulating within his head. He entertains a simple scheme, one in which he’d shed light on your connection; however, the other side of him wants to keep your existence for himself, where no one will disturb the two of you in your pleasurable endeavors.

Perhaps you would truly belong to him if he were to expose you for the fraud you really are. Oh, the joy of trapping an unsuspecting rat in a corner, with no way out but into his open arms. You’ll hardly have any semblance of a choice, but he knows you’ll choose the option that guarantees another chance at life.

Scaramouche thinks about that as he revels in soft, tantalizing foreplay. He knows you aren’t as dedicated to this relationship as he is and he’s almost certain you’ve got others waiting for you in different parts of Teyvat. He’s just another plaything you’ve picked up for the fun of it. And in these moments where you surrender to his touch, your back arching with avaricious thoughts, you seem to forget about the power he truly wields. The thought that he could suffocate you in this very bed with his love alone should have you taking precautions to cover your vulnerability, but you only have your eyes set on one thing—not exactly minding the outcome so long as it’s monetarily favorable.

And if playing into your covetous hands ensures your weekly arrival, he’ll gladly empty his pockets of spare change.

You don’t like this new side of him. Lately he’s been treating this as if the two of you are lovers: slow, sensual thrusts accompanied with the sweetest of promises. You’ve never really minded the filth he’d moan in your ear and now you wish he’d resort to that instead. Loveless words spoken through the veil of lust—that’s what you want to hear.

He envelops you like a smothering fog, fitting himself snugly inside of your tight hole in an embrace that’s oh so familiar. You aren’t used to such gentle treatment and as he kisses along your collarbone you feel yourself going under, having fallen victim to a Harbinger who is normally so cold-hearted. Perhaps he’s more sensitive than you originally thought. Months ago, you wouldn’t have imagined your relationship would grow into something so uncertain, where emotionless love becomes packaged and bogged down with so much feeling.

His lips ghost over yours and there’s a slight pause in his actions. You turn your head to the side, denying his choking affection before it can drag you further into a spiraling abyss of regret. Annoyance swells in his hazy gaze, but he uses your new position to his advantage.

“It’s cute,” he says in a hushed voice, breath tickling your ear, “how you seem to rid yourself of my gifts as soon as they fall into your hands. I wonder where they’ve gone. Into the harbor? Traded off for food and shelter? Do tell me.”

When his grip on your hip tightens to a threatening degree, you resign yourself, opting to hold your tongue as his pace remains brutally slow. Rather than speaking out of line, you raise your hand to his face, and he clasps your wrist in a forceful hold.

The look in his eyes is far from loving—it’s that same obsessed expression Childe wore. And even if he still searches for you for reasons other than sex, you’re aware there’s no luck where Scaramouche is concerned. You can run from Childe because he’ll allow it—because he adores the chase—but Scaramouche hardly finds delight in a game of cat and mouse. You should’ve expected this. After all, he is just as conniving as the rest, always inventing new ways to track down and eradicate that peculiar traveler. Of course he would know about how you handle his presents when he isn’t looking because there’s no denying the stern gazes that would pierce through your backside whenever you went to the market.

"I’d never throw them out like that...” you mumble through another soft moan, hoping he’ll just pick up the pace and be done with you. “Your gifts are priceless.”

And yet the price for your own love is so hefty. If he weren’t Fatui, it might be enough to throw him into lifelong debt.

“Is that so? You seem to put a price on them whenever you visit the marketplace.” His fingers grip your chin, forcing you into an inescapable eye contact. “If you enjoy putting prices on items that you claim are priceless, you won’t mind if I collect a refund for your dishonesty.”

“A...refund?”

Your lustful thoughts evaporate once you realize his pace has become horribly slow, his dick stilling and creating an itch of barely noticeable ecstasy. You wiggle your hips to increase the friction, wanting to get yourself off before his words can sour the mood. Though it’s already spoiled when you recognize the carnal victory shining in his twisted smirk. Your unfortunate fate was sealed the moment you welcomed his company with foolish openness, and you’ve been indebted ever since he decided to spoil you with lavish foods and accessories.

For love that is far from cheap, interest must be paid and your very being makes for the perfect bargain.

It’s weird when he kisses you on your lips rather than on the parts of your body that are normally obscured with delicate cloth. And it’s even weirder when that metaphorical collar binds your throat in a vice. It’s more harrowing than any sort of debt you might’ve garnered and it’s just as inconvenient as his boyish adoration.

Scaramouche doesn’t have to purchase your flimsy, half-off love when it’s already prepackaged and ready for the taking.

“You heard me. A refund is hardly enough punishment for a lying brat, but it will have to suffice for now.”

For now.

Spurred on by his own insinuating threats, he seeks to bruise your very insides with thrusts that are filled with physical vexation rather than the emotional ministrations from before. And since you’re so accustomed to him, your greedy hole eagerly welcomes him.

#yandere genshin impact #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact x reader #genshin impact scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #genshin impact fanfic #genshin impact scaramouche x reader #scaramouche #genshin impact lemon #scaramouche lemon #yandere scaramouche #yandere scaramouche x reader #yandere genshin impact scaramouche #n/sfw #i'd like to write a part two #please enable me orz

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circus4apsycho8 · 3 years

Text

debacle rewritten. | chapter i

Pairing: Gaster x Reader

Summary: Things changed when you were the first Special Agent to ever be partnered with a monster. History was made the day you shook hands with W.D. Gaster, the reclusive Royal Scientist of King Asgore. Despite his coarse exterior, the two of you grow to be a good team.

When a national threat emerges, you two are the first to be assigned to its investigation. It's a complex mystery - foreign to you in that it involves the use of magic to thwart evidence analysis. With your partner by your side, the two of you learn to navigate this new territory together.

Warnings: This fic will eventually contain large amounts of blood and gore. PTSD will be mentioned. Explicit language. Eventual smut.

A/N: Hello all! I just want to quickly establish a few things.

So, I got the opportunity to actually visit an FBI field office over the summer, and that's the inspiration for this story. I'd like to point out that the field office here and people on this branch are all fictional. I did my best to keep everything modern and realistic, but that will probably slip in some areas for the sake of the story.

Secondly, no political comments, please. I hear enough of it IRL and don't want it leaking here.

I think that's about all for now. I hope you enjoy! (Sorry the intro is so long, it's the last time it'll be this long!)

...

This is it.

A lengthy sigh escapes your lips as you straighten the cuffs of your suit for what must be the millionth time today. Nervousness bubbles within your stomach as you fiddle with your hands. The only noise present is the ticking of the clock mounted on the wall behind you. The chair you’re seated in fails to aid in your relaxation as your eyes flit about the office, eagerly awaiting the arrival of someone. Anyone at this rate. You aren’t sure how much longer you can just sit here.

A few moments pass before your anxiety grows too great for you to remain sitting. You stand, rubbing your face as you take a moment to breathe. Panicking won’t help anything. You have to give yourself credit, too – out of all your coworkers, your boss selected you to be the first human ever to be partnered with a monster for a federally-assigned task. This is a historic moment marking the unification of human and monsterkind alike ever since they escaped the Undergroud. As a result, you’re here – about to be partnered with one of King Asgore’s most trusted scientists.

Why me?

Your thoughts are interrupted when you hear the door swinging open with a slight creak. You immediately turn to see who has joined you.

There stands your boss, Special Agent in Charge Warner Boothe. He’s a man in his thirties with hair done up more neatly than normal. You swallow, ceasing your fidgeting as you face him.

“Hey,” he greets, a taut smile on his face. You can tell he’s nervous too, which simultaneously comforts and scares you.

“Hi,” you reply. “Is it time?”

“Just about. I came here a bit early because I wanted to talk to you.” He steps inside, closing the door gently. He adjusts his tie as he faces you. “Look, I’m not going to lie. There are a lot of people out there. Paparazzi, reporters, news cast, security…it’s a lot. More than what we’ve dealt with in the past. It’s intimidating as hell, but you’re going to be great. Just be yourself.”

You grasp your forehead, sucking in a deep breath. “I’m…I’m about to be on national news. That thought alone is scarier than any job I’ve worked before.”

How are things going to change after this?

Warner chuckles, patting your shoulder. “In the time that I’ve known you, you’ve navigated even the most complex of challenges with a level mind and clear conscious. That’s part of the reason I chose you for this. You’re going to be fine. It’s just a matter of believing that yourself.”

You exhale shakily, nodding. Yeah. They’re just people who want to see what’s going on. And yeah, they may be broadcasting it for the whole nation to see…but hey. It’s a historic day, and you’re here for it firsthand.

“Okay. Thank you. I think I’m ready now.”

Warner smiles. “Good. I’ll show you where you’ll be waiting until I give the cue, which will just be me announcing your name towards the end of my spiel.”

“Noted.”

With that, you follow him out of the waiting room. The place is relatively empty, which makes sense considering the event today. King Asgore is here, along with Queen Toriel. They would be making a speech alongside your boss, presenting you and your new partner.

Eventually, you make it to the hallway leading outside to the patio, where you hear muffled voices. The door has been propped open by a weight. You step to the side, nodding at Warner as he smiles and exits.

You close your eyes for a moment, trying to gather yourself. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. You repeat that over and over as you stare at the carpeted floor and dim hall. Pictures of previous Special Agents in Charge line the wall, and a lounging sofa has been pushed against the wall you’re leaning against. You can’t bring yourself to sit again, though. You’re far too jittery now.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are ready to start,” comes a familiar voice. You recognize it as King Asgore’s.

You hear Warner’s voice come on next: “I agree. First of all, allow us to officially welcome everyone to the Ebott Field Office. Today is a landmark event that will further aid in the advancement of human and monster unification.”

“We have decided it is time we merge our resources, manpower, and intelligence in order to create a safer nation,” Asgore adds.

“And in doing so, we are creating a partnership. A very special partnership, at that – the first official monster-human team.”

“The formation of this team signifies the Federal Bureau of Investigaton’s alliance with monsterkind.”

“And it is now I introduce the Special Agent selected for this opportunity…” Warner says your name, which almost makes you lightheaded for some reason. Even so, you narrow your stare before taking a deep breath and stepping outside.

It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the sun’s brightness, but soon you see both Warner and Asgore smiling at you kindly. Asgore is dressed in golden armor, donning his massive trident. Despite his large stature, you can see the kindness embedded within his stare.

The crowd applauds, so you smile and do your best to relax as you step towards the center, where two podiums stand side-by-side. You wait behind it with your hands folded in front of you, noting that there is a pen on top of both podiums.

“And it is now I introduce the Royal Scientist selected for this opportunity… Mister W.D. Gaster.”

The audience applauds again as a tall skeleton walks out. He’s much more graceful than you are, and by the looks of it, way prettier.

He’s dressed in a white, long-sleeved button up covered by a pinstriped waistcoat colored black and grey. He dons a pair of matching black trousers and tie to complete the look. Two scars run in opposite vertical directions from his…eye sockets? In any case, there’s a pair of white pinpoints there too. And they seem to be focused on you.

Gaster stops when he’s directly in front of his podium, remaining silent as your superiors continue their speech.

“With the signing of the agreement, we mark the first partnership between the FBI and monsterkind,” Warner says as another Special Agent hands him the agreement. He signs one line before handing it to Asgore, who signs another line. He proceeds to give it to Gaster to sign. You watch as he signs his name with a few elegant flicks of his wrist before sliding the paper to your podium.

On this day:

September 5th, 20XX

An alliance was established between the FBI and King Asgore.

Signed,

Warner Boothe

Asgore Dreemurr

W.D. Gaster

And there, you sign your name, heart racing as you watch the ink form your name. Wow. This…this really is huge. You will yourself not to shake as you set the paper down, turning to Gaster with a determined stare.

Your mind seems to be on autopilot as you slowly raise your arm, offering your hand. He studies your gaze for a moment before smiling smally and encasing your hand in his, firmly shaking it.

That small gesture elicits a cheer and a round of applause from everyone around you. You smile, picking up the paper before handing it to Warner and looking out at the crowd one last time before you’re escorted back inside.

I think this is where I’m meant to be.

#undertale #undertale x reader #reader insert #gaster x reader #series

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thebrightsessions · 4 years

Photo

Entertainment Spotlight: Ian McQuown

Ian is an LA based actor and producer known for the YouTube comedy group, Extremely Decent, as well as a voice actor in the popular audio dramas: The Bright Sessions, The AM Archives, StarTripper!! & Deck The Halls! His credits inclue American Housewife, Trial & Error, Better Things, and For All Mankind. Ian took the time to answer some questions for us. Check it out:

You’ve worked on multiple podcasts -- what drew you to the medium?

Well, to be honest, Lauren drew me to it because TBS was my first narrative podcast. We met at a Rocky Horror Picture Show show. Anna Lore is our mutual friend and I think Anna is just talented as all get out, so anything she’s involved I want to be in. And, I don’t know, it was just one of those lucky breaks you get where a door opens and takes you to all these cool places you never anticipated.

On podcasting though, I really appreciate how much more possible it is to tell engaging stories without the boundaries of having to afford a set and a camera and insurance and etc etc etc. Like, I grew up with Star Wars, The Matrix, Cowboy Bebop— so when I imagine the stories I like, I’m usually picturing other worlds, space ships, people with super powers and those types of stories used to have a lot higher barrier to entry to make than they do now, which is just awesome.

If you could give a character from The Bright Sessions a spinoff series, who would you choose and what would the series be called?

I mean, no surprises here, but I’d love to see Damien’s early years. And I’d be super clever and call it something like... Damien: The Early Years. I'm dying for that content a little bit actually: Damien, before he became such a bad guy. Maybe a love story that doesn’t work out and leaves him really scarred? Villains so bad they created a villain instead of a victim— that moment where we see the two roads Damien has to choose between and it totally shreds us when he makes the choice we all know he’s going to make, I mean, come ON you can see that, right? It’d be like the Star Wars prequels but without all the youngling killing and “NOOOOOOOO”’s and I want it.

Can you share a fun story or anecdote from the making of The Bright Sessions?

Haha, ok well it’s not really anything of note BUT: I remember Lauren had this area rug in her room, which as you probably know is where we would record, and it was this really nice, I think, red sort of floral rug that took up pretty much all the floor space because it was covering up the older apartment rug-floor underneath it. And it was, as I said, really cool, except it wasn’t a rug on a wood floor, right? It was a rug on a rug so it was a bit taller than the people who designed the room had planned for— the result of which was that you’d walk in and the room had this really awesome little vibe with this cute rug, and it was all very cozy, unless you looked directly behind you at the corner where the door had just spent ages scraping the surface of it, catching the corner, tearing little pieces out. And I may be getting apocryphal at this point, but I feel like by the time I had started coming around Lauren had straight up duct taped it to the floor, which really didn’t help the problem. And, I don’t know—again it’s not really anything momentous—but I just remember giving Lauren a particular amount of shit about it one day and us all having a really good laugh. And I really love that— there are jobs where you show up, keep your head down, do your work and leave, but then there are jobs like The Bright Sessions where you all get to become friends, and even if you don’t see each other for a while you sort of just get to pick up where you left off. And then those jobs turn into other jobs and you get to keep hanging out with your friends and peers and just making stuff you like— I’m a big fan of that.

If your life was a choose your own adventure, what decisions would viewers have to make on an average day?

OKAY, you wake up...

Water your garden before it gets to be 110 today, you cannot skip this step. You may however:

A) Stay out in the garden for longer if you get inspired and check if the tomatoes and peppers are ripe for picking.

Great! Now let’s make breakfast:

A) Make eggs, toast, fried tomatoes, and hash browns?

B) Make (A) But also with Bacon?

C) Make a smoothie?

D) There’s no time today, run to Whole Foods and get their incredibly priced $6 Egg, Bacon Cheese Breakfast burrito.

Awesome! You’ve eaten and now you can think. What work do you have to do?

A) Prep your audition, dummy! It’s due this afternoon, go fix your hair.

B) You have a zoom meeting with actor friends at 11 to play around with some new material, put on a hat.

C) There is nothing you have to work on so stare at your computer and wonder if there’s new project you could be working on. Try to find that project, leave your hair as it.

Wow! You really had a great (insert previous choice here), let’s get you a coffee and take a TV break. What should we watch?!

A) That new show you haven’t seen yet because you need to watch everything so you know how to work on it should you get an audition for it.

B) Harley Quinn (your favorite new cartoon).

C) Teenage Bounty Hunters.

D) Farscape.

E) Nope, you just got an audition for tomorrow, everything is off the table, start working on it (Level Complete).

Lunch Time!!!

A) Turkey sandwich with pickles from the garden?

B) Trader Joe’s Margherita Pizza with basil and peppers from the garden?

C) Are we going to start another loaf of sourdough you basic mf?

D) Yes we probably are, but also (A) and (B).

Cool! I’ve eaten lunch. Now what?

A) You haven’t finished that work from this morning. Riiiight.

B)…More Harley Quinn…?

C) Let’s make pasta from scratch!

D) Let’s make ribs! From…ribs!

F) You just got an audition for tomorrow, everything is off the table, start working on it. (Level Complete).

Bangarang! You probably chose to start cooking dinner immediately after eating lunch. You ate it (and it rocked), what now?

A) You just got an audition for tomorrow, everything is off the table, start working on it. (Level Complete)

B) DnD with squad.

C) Go on a run, dude— you’re getting a Jaba chin….

D) Bring on the chin! Let’s watch TV until 2am! Here are your options:

A) Harley Quinn (your new favorite cartoon)

B) Teenage Bounty Hunters

C) Farscape

D) Put The Office on in the background and clean your house.

Level Complete.

As you can see I’m a very food-focused person. Also, I’m going to be real, that is truly what most of my days look like and I’m low-key a little mortified that ’taking a shower’ wasn’t a game option...

Can you share your favorite piece of Bright Sessions / AM Archives fan art?

I love all the fan art that people make for my characters but this one from Franartz has always been really special to me. It’s so GQ, I just love it — and some of my favorite early AG moments are with Damien, who looks a little like he stepped out of a Gorrilaz album here— big fan. I’m a little obsessed with fan art actually, I save everything I come across— there’s a freckled red-headed series of Owen by TheFigureInTheCorner that makes me really happy. Seeing that my work has inspired someone else to make something of their own is really what’s up, you know? It makes me think about all the art and entertainment that has touched me over the years and I get a lot of joy from being a part of that cycle.

Thanks for taking the time, Ian! Give I Can Die When I'm Done a relisten right here.

#entertainment spotlight #the bright sessions #the am archives #Ian mcquown

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beomeli · 3 years

Text

That Invisible || C.BG

Warning: none

Genre: angst, wingwoman, unrequited love, heartbreak

Non-idol!Beomgyu x fem!Reader

~Requested~

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

A quiet sigh escaped your lips. Your delicate finger slightly tapping on the wooden table impatiently. Listening intently to the loud chatting inside the warm and cozy café. The once warm coffee was now cold, the cup half empty.

Suddenly, the bell rang indicating that someone opened the door. You turned your head towards it, seeing a panting Beomgyu. His eyes scanning the entire café before seeing you, a small smile forming on his lips along with concerning eyes. quickly he made his way towards the table, taking a seat across from you.

"I am so, so sorry!" He said as he continued panting, it was obvious he was stressed. Even his red cheeks indicated it.

"Seriously, again?" You said, visibly upset by his action. You had waited for almost an hour, contemplated on leaving multiple times, but you knew you couldn't.

"I woke up late and the bus driver was so slow due to the weather-" he kept going on a long rant about his misfortunate morning.

"Next time just, give me a call.. okay?" You said, trying to calm him down. You knew he was sincerely sorry, Beomgyu has always been a very sensitive and sincere person. But the annoyance was still there, knowing that he could commit the worst crime possible, and you'll still love him.

He let out a loud sigh,

"It won't happen again, I promise" his soft, warm hand was now on top of yours, giving you a reassuring and familiar touch. His long fingers stroking yours.

You looked up at him and gave him a nod, along with a sweet smile.

"Okay.." was all that needed to be said.

——

Exiting the café, the two of you made your way towards your school. First period was around 30 minutes away and the walk at hand was about 20 minutes. Which gave you time to talk even more.

"Oh no, I forgot about Mr. Lim's assignment!" Beomgyu suddenly blurted out, you scoffed at his forgetful manner.

"Why are you acting like this has never happened before? You always forget assignments!" You said teasingly as you lightly pushed his shoulder.

"Ah shut up." he shot back, along with a chuckle. His smile was sweet, showing of those cute faint dimples of his. You couldn't help but stare at him, Giving him a big smile back. He was always making your heart flutter, especially when you were all alone. But it was just a mere crush, nothing that would be noticed, or answered. You knew him from the back of your hand, and you knew he never saw anything more than a friend in you. All his past relationships, crushes and girl talk proved it. And all you could do was pretend, neglecting the fact that you had strong feelings for him, and supporting him even though it tore you open. It made you mad and hurt on the inside. But you couldn't be mad at him, he was all too sweet and loving for you to be mad. You were only mad at yourself for being so stupid and idiotic. Falling for someone you had zero chance with is the definition of stupidity, and still you fell into that pit.

"Sure sure..." was all you could say as you looked into the pavement, crossing your arms.

It was quiet for a bit, comfortable silence. Since it was still considered late morning, cars and people were walking around, either to their jobs, maybe they had lunch time. But still it felt like there was only you two alone. All you could hear was your own soft heartbeat, along with his quiet hums. It was this aura that you always felt around Beomgyu. His warm and soft smiles along with his sweet demeanor. You wished to stay like this forever.

But the feeling got cut short when he started a sentence you most definitely didn't want to hear.

"By the way, you know this girl I've been talking about right?" With those words, the whole world became a loud mess, and the comfortable aura that you had created quickly turned to uneasiness. you knew that this conversation was bound to happen.

He had mentioned her before, saying how beautiful and nice she was. And when you realized who it actually was, your world fell even more. The girl he was talking about was your friend. well, kind of. And to his credit he was right. She wasn't the stereotypical mean girl, but the total opposite. Being very friendly and sincere. And as much as you hated to admit it, she perfectly reflected Beomgyu’s type. You wished you had the priveledge of hating her, wished that she was mean and unworthy. But she wasn't. She was your friend, and she was perfect for him, everything you weren't. Of course this didn't mean you exactly supported her in this situation. but you knew that you had to support Beomgyu. That's what true best friends are for.

“Yeah, what about her..?”

You pretended to sound interested, but you knew what was coming, you’d had this conversation too often.

“Aah.. this is a bit embarrassing..”

He scratched the back of his head a bit, looking down at the pavement, he was evidently embarrassed.

“Come one, what is it?”

“I know I ask you this all the time, so don’t get angry at me!”

Here it comes,

“Could you maybe help me out? You know, to get together with her?”

There you had it, at this point you weren’t even surprised. You were used to that phrase. Expecting it almost every time a conversation erupted.

“I mean I really like her so..” he trailed off, slightly swaying back and forward, anticipating your response.

You sighed, you did this towards yourself. And now you knew that there wasn’t anything to help you out if this situation.

“Sure! I’ll help you two get together..” your tone fell as each words passed, your eyes averting towards the ground, trying to avoid anymore eye contact. Beomgyu on the other hand, didn’t notice the sudden shift in behavior. His happiness occupying his mind too much.

“Thank you so much Y/N! You’re the best!” He jumped in excitement before giving you a tight hug of appreciation. His arms softly curling around your waist and his strength lifting you up lightly above the ground. If this was any other hug, you would gladly embrace yourself in his touch and gladly lean onto him. But this wasn’t like any other hug, not after you just had the worst conversation there is.

You knew that being a people-pleaser would lead to situations like these. And sadly, these situations came all too often. It seemed like Beomgyu loved finding new girls that he seemed to be “so in love with..” and then date them for a couple of months before moving on. Almost asking for help every single time. You were tired of the same pattern repeating itself everytime, and even though you were used to his begging for help, it never got easier to handle it. You've tried moving in multiple times, first boyfriends, then small dating and even hook-ups. Everything trying to fill your desires, but it never worked,

All you had in your mind was Beomgyu.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Miss Y/L/N, I want to talk to you please." Mr Lim said as he leaned over his table slightly, signaling for you to come up to him. You watched as all the students left the classroom, before you took your books and walked towards his table.

"Yes Mr Lim.." you said, slightly shaking in your voice. You knew this was bad news, the look in his eyes said it all.

"Recently, things hasn't gone so well for you, you flunked your two past tests." He started, before placing your two latest tests onto the table. Both being marked with a big red F. It was almost cringeworthy seeing the heartbreaking results.

"You've always been our top student, what is the reasoning behind this?" He asked, his tone a bit harsh.

You thought for a moment, trying to find your words. In reality, work had been a real pain. And it didn't help that your mentality was at breaking point thanks to Beomgyu. He has been wandering your mind endlessly due to all the help you’d given him.

"I've just had a lot going on recently." You answered, knowing that the answer at hand was far from what he wanted to hear. He let out a dissatisfied sigh before leaning back against his chair.

"Well this isn't acceptable.." he looked at the papers once more before crossing his arms, it was obvious he was thinking about what to say next. And your heart quickened, fearing the worst.

"You’ll have to do better in the next test! Or else your grade will drop dramatically which I assume you would be very displeased with.”

“Study well for the next test, You may leave." Quickly you nodded before exiting the classroom in a panicked state. You were a bit relieved that he let you off the hook, but still disappointed about the fact that your grades had been dropping dramatically. You cursed yourself once more.

You tried easing of your mind as you made your way towards your locker. Students were chatting, laughing and walking around. Suddenly you felt a soft touch on you back, you turned around and there he was. The reason for your downfall.

"Hey!" As soon as you heard his voice and saw that beautiful smile you couldn't help but smile back.

"What did Mr Lim say?" He asked, leaning against the lockers next to yours. Quickly you opened your locker, taking out your books for the next class.

"To be honest, I don't know how to tell you this.." you were obviously embarrassed about your dropping grades, you've always, as Mr Lim said, been in top of your class. And these news would be the start of endless and endless teasing from not only Beomgyu, but everyone.

"Come on... tell me, tell me!" He begged as he leaned closer to you. Playfully you pushed him back giving off an sarcastic eye roll. He let out a small chuckle before continuing to bother you.

“It’s nothing.” You turned to your locker, digging out the book for your next class. As a thought came to your mind. You glanced back at Beomgyu who was still leaning onto the locker, a small pout on his lips as he was visibly dissatisfied with your answer. You hesitated a bit, but decided to go with the decision.

“Actually.. could you maybe help me study a bit?” He turned his head quickly towards you, a bit surprised by the sudden question for help.

“To the physics tests you mean?”

“Yep..” you shrugged a bit, trying to sound confident.

He hesitated a bit, not really knowing that to say. You figured he was surprised that the supposed A-student suddenly needed his help. Sure, he wasn’t doing bad at school, you just did better.

He lightly and slowly nodded his head.

“Well.. I guess I could, Friday?”

“That would be great!” You gave him a appreciated smile, which he gladly reciprocated.

“Alright, that’s settled then.”

You were happy, you’d actually get to spend more time with Beomgyu, all the while you got your homework and studying done. It was perfect. You’d look forward to Fridays more than usual.

"Alright then, well I got to go, I'll text you later!" Was all he said before he jokingly pushed your shoulder and walked off towards his classroom. A small sigh escaped your lips, and you found yourself watching Beomgyu walking away. Like many times before.

However, your smile faltered when you noticed that you weren’t the only one eyeing him. A couple of lockers away, stood the girl that Beomgyu had fallen for. Watching him walk away intently and having the same loving gaze as you. Not even hiding the smile plastered on her face as she saw his figure disappear. Clenching her books harder around her chest as if she was holding her breath, like the tiniest sound would alert him and make him turn to look at her. You’d found yourself in that situation many times before, The only difference was that, he chose to appreciate her love. Not yours.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Before you knew it, questions and approval was all you heard from Beomgyu. Him constantly asking what to say and how to charm his lover. It was weird, you’d helped him so many times before, so why couldn’t he remember the former suggestions you’d given him. It was like his mind went on a total reset each time. He wasn’t dumb... for the most part. So why did you always have to be his wingwoman? it was exhausting. It felt like your entire friendship was built up due to his love concerns, even though that wasn’t entirely true. You knew he viewed you as a good friend. But your anxiety and sadness didn’t come to an end. It felt like an endless loop. And even though you wanted to get out, even though you knew this was unhealthy and absolutely tearing you apart. You couldn’t pull yourself to leave Beomgyu. He was your precious best friend, and you loved him so much. How could you just leave him? That would hurt you more. You just couldn’t.

You were at least excited over the studying sessions he’d promised. You appreciated his help. And you were mostly excited over spending more time with him.

You sat in the library, waiting for Beomgyu to arrive anytime soon. For the 10th time that minute, you checked your phone. The time was at '08:54' so you were a bit earlier than the planned time. This was of course nothing you held against since you needed more time to prepare for his arrival.

The clocked kept ticking, eventually hitting 9:15. You figured that maybe he was just running late again, you’ve been so used to that situation. Although something in the back of your head said that it might’ve been a different case this time. But you couldn’t leave, like many times before in the cafe. You never could pull yourself to leave. You always had hope for him to arrive. ‘just 10 more minutes.’ You always thought.

After about 30 minutes more you decided to take a leave. Class was about to start and you couldn’t just sit there to wait for him. He obviously wasn’t coming. You were disappointed to say the least. But what could you really do? Quickly you whipped up your phone one last time, when suddenly a text message from Beomgyu was finally received. You smiled as a small droplet of hope was evident. He was just running late, right? Well as soon as you read his message, disappointment overcame once again.

'Hey Y/N, ik it's pretty late but I'm going to have to cancel. I forgot to tell you that I planned to have breakfast with Suejin today! I'm sorry hope you haven't waited for too long, I promise I'll make it up to you!'

Your expectations were shattered, his promise was broken. And you were sad and angry at him for being so ignorant towards you. Why make a promise if you can’t keep it? You always helped him out when he needed it, but he couldn’t do the same. You felt so pathetic standing there alone and waiting for someone that never even intended to come. It was humiliating.

A part of you knew something like this would happen. You knew he didn’t prioritize you like you did to him. You were just a friend. Sure he cared about you to a certain extent, but never like he did to those girls. He knew that no matter what he did, you’d never leave him. Always fall into the same pattern of being used. You were angry to say the least, both at him, but mostly yourself. Because it was true, you would always go back to him no matter what he did. You knew that there was no end to it. You’d gotten so many signs to just leave him, to search for new friends. Every time you think ‘this is the day’.., the same thing always happen. You see those beautiful eyes and smile and you just fall right back.

This is pathetic.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Flopping onto your bed with a tired sigh, you turned towards the clock.

"It's almost midnight, dammit.." you said to yourself as you turned your head back towards the ceiling.

Your boss had decided that today was a good day for you to overwork, and overwork you did. Supposedly, some rich costumers at the fancy bar you were working at was dining and being chatty, which led to you staying there 2 hours longer than usual, having to serve them and handling the bar. This eventually led to you missing the train, having to walk home a 1 hour walk. Finally arriving home at around 11:30 PM, which in hindsight wasn't that bad, but still you wanted to catch up on homework due to Mr. Lim's threatening talk earlier. Figuring that doing your homework no longer were and option, you tiredly moped towards your shower and thus you're now laying on your bed absolutely exhausted.

Fortunately for today though, it was a Saturday. Meaning that tomorrow you didn't have to worry about not getting enough sleep. You smiled at yourself as you laid comfortably in your warm and soft bed.

"I wonder if Beomgyu is already asleep.." you whispered to yourself, your mind wandering off. Imagining Beomgyu sleeping peacefully in his big, fancy bed. Him being all calm and cute. Probably wearing a pajamas and snuggling with a pillow like he always does.

You chuckled a bit to yourself as that image came to your head. After all this time, he still came to your mind, and you couldn’t help but have a sweet imagery of him even though he hurt you repeatedly. you’re still so awestruck by him, what did it have to take to just forget about him for once.

Your mind was brought back to reality when your phone suddenly started ringing, you checked the name on the screen.

“I guess he’s still awake..” you shrugged before answering,

“Hi” his voice sounded a bit tired, a hint of grogginess, like he’s being trying to sleep but couldn’t.

“Hey..”

“Were you sleeping?” He hesitated on his words, like he knew you were angry at him, but you didn’t dismiss him too quickly.

“Nope, I just got home from work.”

“Okay good, so I actually called to apologize.” You lifted an eyebrow at that, which you knew he wasn’t able to see.

“Oh, why?”

He paused for a bit, trying to find the right words.

“Well.. I felt really bad for leading you on with the studying and bailing on you like that. I knew you needed my help and I promised..” he sounded so genuine and precious. Your heart melted.

“So, I’m sorry for what I did.. I understand if you’re mad at me, but I get it. I just wanted to at least apologize.”

“It’s fine, I’m not mad at you or anything.. I was disappointed sure, but it’s whatever.” You couldn’t be mad at him, it was pathetic to say the least. You felt stupid, but you just loved him too much. It was actually ridiculous, that much you knew.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.. it’s okay. Don’t worry.” You softened your tone, trying to sound genuine, which made him sigh in relief.

“Thank you.. You’re so sweet, you know that..” that was surprisingly flattering, Beomgyu has given you compliments before but, you still became surprised at his sudden sweet words. You couldn’t hold yourself from smiling at his words.

It was quiet for a bit, and slight shuffling could be heard from his end, but soon enough he spoke up again.

“So.. I have to tell you something.” He started, sounding very excited over what to say next.

“Sure, what is it?” You answered, smiling over the phone.

“Okay so.. Suejin actually broke up with me.” Your eyes widened at that, they broke up already? That was the shortest relationship Beomgyu has ever had, maybe he had finally realized... that..

“What? Oh- I’m so sorry.” Obviously you really weren’t sorry, instead you were happy that the conversation was through the phone because you knew you couldn’t hide the smile plastered on your face. But he didn’t need to know that.

“Well, it’s okay because the same day I got a message from Soo-ah and she asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with her!” Your smile faltered as soon as he said those words. What did you expect? That he’d confess? You felt embarrassed for even thinking that.

“Oh...” you couldn’t even hide your disappointment anymore, and you were sure that Beomgyu noticed. But he didn’t care.

Instead he continued,

“So, I told her yes! I was actually a bit sad over Suejin but Soo-ah is so much more pretty and funnier!” You could hear him chuckle a bit over the phone, you on the other hand held in your tears.

“Yeah, you’re totally right.” You tried sounding enthusiastic and happy for him, but as each words passed it ended in a flat tone and a quiet sigh.

“Since we’re going to the movies, do you have any tips on what i should wear and how to make a move?” As said, you never felt surprised anymore when he asked for your help. You had just accepted that that’s all you’re good for. You were nothing but his wingwoman.

As you looked down onto your phone, a droplet lightly hit the screen. Giving off a small sound of impact. Before you knew it, one more hit the phone again. And then one more. You felt your cheeks heat up as tears continuously fell down. Forming a streak that wouldn’t end anytime soon. Tiny sobbing escaped your lips as you tried holding yourself back, you didn’t want him to hear.

You were so disappointed at yourself for falling into the same cycle again. But you knew that leaving Beomgyu was not an option, you loved him too much. Whether you liked it or not. In the end, you just had to accept that your feelings for him would never get reciprocated, that his oblivious matter would stay the same. You were just a friend to him, nothing more, nothing less.

You were just that invisible.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

A/N:

Hellooo! Em here, hope you liked this ff haha. God I write sooo much angst and unrequited love this is embarrassing :,)

I actually rewrote this like 3 times, since it’s my first request I figured that I would try to make it reach the person in questions expectations. I hope I did haha.

Also I were suppose to post Yeonjun first but I finished this one quicker.

Sorry for taking so long, senior year is harder than I thought.

I’ll see you later, bye🥰

This work belongs to @Beomeli on tumblr. Please do not trace or copy my work ©

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whosscruffylooking · 3 years

Text

The Purest Things- Repeating History

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Brief mentions of murder and alcohol. Canon typical violence.

A/N: this takes place during season 3 episode 11, birthright. i had a lot of fun studying this episode and making it my own. i have changed certain dialogue and who says what for the sake of the story. please enjoy!

The Purest Things Masterlist

(my gif! please credit if you use.)

january 2008

Syd Moore said, “Disregard for the past will never do us any good. Without it we cannot know truly who we are.”

+++++

Your alarm is often hushed before it even has an opportunity to set off nowadays because you usually wake up before it even has the chance.

4:25 A.M.

You groan and toss your pillow over your face. Maybe, just maybe, you can will yourself to sleep for a little longer. As if someone heard your pleas for slumber, your phone starts buzzing on your bedside table. Of course, it is unnecessary for you even to read the messages. There is a case.

+++++

"Last night in Fredericksburg, a 20-year-old woman, Molly McCarthy, was abducted," J.J. begins, "She's the third to go missing in the last 6 weeks. All disappeared from public places. No one's seen them since until now. A couple days ago, body parts with cigarette burns were recovered from a national park that was once the site of the battle of Chancellorsville."

"Were they able to make an I.D.?" you and Hotch ask simultaneously. Your eyes meet, but he breaks the contact abruptly. Flustered and insecure, you bury your focus deep into the file in front of you. The group discusses the case for a couple of minutes, but you are so concentrated on the papers that you hardly absorb any information they've shared.

There is something familiar about this case to you. Suddenly, realization strikes.

Rejoining the discussions, you say, "I remember reading about a case like this in Spotsylvania county. Similar markings on the bone. It was the winter of 1980, also in Fredericksburg. There were 5 women aged 16 to 24. They were buried in pieces."

"Same markings. Same civil war battlefield," J.J. responds in agreement.

The team agrees that this could be the works of the same killer. There are aspects of the more recent killings that would be impossible to copycat since those details had never been released to the public. But, if this is the same unsub, what's he been doing for the past 27 years?

+++++

Hotch focuses on the road while you watch out the window of the passenger seat. Occasionally, you sneak the odd peek at him. His stoicism is alluring, and you find yourself drawn to this demeanor like a moth to a flame. Piecing together the tiny glimpses you've collected thus far as if working on a mental puzzle, you scrutinize his attributes. His eyes bare the beginnings of crow's feet. Only his sideburns tease the speckling of salt and pepper undertones. His lips turn downwards at the corners, no doubt from years of scowling at unsubs.

Reid speaks up from behind you both and breaks your train of thought. Probably for the better, there's no reason why you should examine your unit chief so intently.

"It's funny--he always dumps the bodies in this battlefield, no matter what the risk."

"It's a respected landmark. He's flaunting," Aaron reckons.

"It makes him feel important," you say in agreement.

Once you have arrived at the crime scene, you follow Agent Hotchner closely. Reid trails ahead, most likely trying to keep up with his own train of thought.

"How does someone not see or hear them?" You ask the sheriff.

He turns to you with a defeated expression, "It was dark. He had the advantage. Molly's boyfriend was the last person to see her. He said she was alone for a minute, maybe less."

Hotch surveys the surroundings, "He's patient and works fast."

"He's perfected his M.O.," Reid states while looking around.

You cross your arms as a wave of unease gets the best of you as you envision the moments leading to Molly's attack.

"If our unsub's pushing 60, he's gotta be strong enough to carry her a long way without her struggling," you bring out.

Hotch looks to you with a concerned squint. You shake your head, signaling to him that it's nothing you can't get under control. He nods in response. The sheriff agrees to point out the various entrances to the park.

"I'll catch up with you," your Unit Chief states. He motions for you to step aside with him, and you comply.

"You know, ever since my wife and I had our son, I dread receiving cases involving children," he discloses to you.

Tears well up in your eyes, "I can't even imagine, but sir, why are you telling me this?"

"This job will inevitably strike close to home on some cases more than others. It's okay for you to feel overwhelmed by it all every once and a while," he assures you.

"You never lose it, though."

He sighs heavily, "Maybe I should have."

Shortly before you joined the BAU, Hotch's wife Haley left with their son Jack. You never ask questions or stick your nose where it doesn't belong. It isn't your place, and you can't blame him for not wanting to bring his family struggles to work. He deals with enough broken families on the job as it is. Mixing his own personal life into the field would only make it more challenging to prioritize. Despite all this, you cannot help but wonder what exactly led to his and his wife's separation. You hope that they can find their way back to each other. The crimes you investigate do not need to claim the Hotchner's as victims as well.

+++++

"I'll let you talk to Chrissy Wilkenson," Hotch directs you towards the kitchen. You wipe your sweaty palms against the fabric of your pants and make your way into the kitchen, Hotch following closely behind you.

"Mrs. Wilkenson," you say gently, "My name is Y/F/N. I have just a few questions about your husband. Where does Charlie usually go when he's stressed?"

"The barn," she stutters. You can tell she's anxious and afraid for the well-being of her family.

"Anywhere else, Chrissy?"

Hotch is called into the other room, and you continue questioning Chrissy. She's becoming overwhelmed, so you guide her to the dining room.

"I know this is difficult, Chrissy."

"Did the father of my child really do that to those poor women?" She cradles her baby bump.

Your heart breaks for her, and you choose to remain silent. Sometimes saying nothing speaks louder than words.

Footsteps bound throughout the house, and Hotch appears in the doorway, "The sheriff will stay here with Mrs. Wilkenson. We need you with us."

Standing up from your chair, you place your hand atop Chrissy's, "History doesn't have to repeat itself." It is almost as if she could tell you were reading her thoughts. The endless whispers that cloud her mind making her feel like she's left with only one choice, but there's always another option. That is all you are trying to remind her of.

+++++

As you and your team trek through the forest, you see a clearing.

"Hotch, this way," you beckon him to pursue your course.

Suddenly, a gunshot rings out, and you stop in your tracks. You make eye contact with Hotch and mirror each other's actions, dashing towards the opening in the trees. Your heart pounds in rhythm with your footsteps colliding against the ground. It is clear to you from your exchange with Chrissy at the house that the origin of the gunshot will shock everyone but yourself. As you reach the clearing and rush down the hill, your speculation is validated.

Chrissy Wilkenson is standing over the body of her husband, the unsub. A traumatized young man haunted by his father's past and plagued by the idea that children are trapped in the endless cycles created by their parents.

I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Jesus. Now is not the time for that.

The newly widowed woman claims self-defense, yet the cops handcuff her anyways. Inside, you feel conflicted while watching her get into the back of the squad car.

Hotch appears by your side but remains silent. Again, sometimes silence speaks louder than words. You bit your lip, attempting to hide the fact that it is trembling.

"What did you say to her as you were leaving the dining room?"

"I told her that history does not have to repeat itself. I wanted her to know that even when it feels like you are backed into a corner, there is always another way out. Sometimes people don't know where to look for their out thought," you quiver.

He lightly touches your arm and gives you a reassuring tilt of the head, "Just know that you did everything you could. We will never do this job perfectly. Doing the right thing usually costs more than it pays. You did your part. I'm not a saint, and I am far from a hero, but I have integrity and honor, and I do this job to the best of my ability."

"If you can leave a case with a clear conscience," he continues, "you know you did the best you could. Any other thought process will eat away at you slowly but surely, and ultimately, it will result in the demise of your career and destruction of yourself."

+++++

After a seemingly neverending day, you all arrive back at Quantico.

"I could really go for a drink, guys. What do you say? Newbie's buying," you wave your wallet around frivolously.

"I could go for 5 drinks!" Prentiss exclaims.

"Count me in," Morgan winks at you. He never fails to make you blush.

Reid hesitates and you pout your bottom lip, "Please Reid! How could you not want a repeat of Dolly Parton night last month?"

Hotch comes down the stairs, "Dolly Parton night? Do I want to know?"

You and Derek snicker to each other as Spencer attempts to diffuse his own embarassment.

"9 to 5 is an iconic female anthem that certainly has a rather bewitching affect on a man when mixed with alcohol."

"You only drank Diet Coke that night," you roll your eyes at him.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Hotch forcing his way through the small group formed around the desks.

Making your way over to him, you invite him to join, "Want a beer?" You second guess yourself, but it seems as though his rather stern expression softens ever so slightly when he pivots on his heels to look at you.

"I would like that," he answers softly.

He immediately returns to his original path and hovers near the glass doors. You casually make your way over to him, joined by Dave and Emily. A man barges in through the glass doors announcing Aaron's name.

"Agent Hotchner?"

"Yes," the subject in question breaths out almost defeatedly.

The yellow package he holds in his hands is all too familiar and instantly churns your stomach into knots. You gnaw at your bottom lip, drawing a metallic taste that causes you to cringe.

"What is it?" Emily speaks up.

There's no question as to what it is. Oh Hotch. I’m so sorry.

Hotch's eyes trace the package from corner to corner in disbelief, "Haley's filing for divorce. I've been served."

When he eventually takes his eyes off of the lettering, his eyes meet yours. They lock onto you and it is in that moment that you feel as though you have been given the key to unlock his soul. His eyes are so unusual at this moment; they are more vulnerable than you have ever seen. The stoic man is gone, and instead, it is the eyes of one who is in tremendous pain. You had mistaken his bloodshot eyes for physical fatigue on the plane, but now you see that it is emotional exhaustion as well.

If only you knew how badly I want to hug you and tell you that you won't be swallowed up by this darkness. There's a long road ahead, but you have so many people here who love you and are here to support you through this. You aren't alone. Trust me, I know.

In some way, you pray that he can read into your soul and see the pain you feel for him. Once more, your shared silence proves to speak for itself.

At last, he breaks eye contact with you and finally releases the breath that you had been holding in. Dave grabs onto your arm, seeing the clear impact Hotch's news has on you, no doubt having also noticed Hotch's immediate response in looking at you.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can join you tonight," he excuses himself and escapes to the seclusion of his office.

Maybe history does have a way of repeating itself.

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funkwhistle · 3 years

Text

Bruises

Pairing: Dutch Van Der Linde x fem!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, a little bit of dubious content later

Prompt: 3.3k - Reader and Dutch being a secret thing in camp and at Clemens Point reader removes more clothes/changes and reveals these almighty hickeys and finger shaped bruises covering their body. - from @dragonwolf121 -

(Image is mine - don’t reupload without credit)

The hot summer rain had let up for a few minutes this morning, but it was back with vengeance by noon, drumming heavily on the tents and turning the usually dry grass in camp into muddy swathes. Cain loved these, of course, rolling in them and shaking mud on everything whenever he could. Miss Grimshaw had let you off any jobs which required you to leave the little shelter provided by the girls' wagon. Occasionally, someone left camp for some reason, and returned a few hours later looking dishevelled and like a drowned rat; even though the rain was warm, the air was cooling rapidly.

You were sitting cutting vegetables for the stew next to Tilly, watching as the rain created ripples on the lake. On the other side of camp, Arthur and Dutch were huddled, whispering, in the opening to the latter's tent, although it mostly involved pointing at the rain and scowling. As you were watching them, Dutch caught your eye and you could see the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face as he looked at you, turning back to the conversation before Arthur caught what he was looking at.

Just his look alone made you forget what you'd been doing, your heart dancing happily in your chest at the fact he was happy to see you. Chancing another glance, you could tell he wasn't as absorbed in the conversation as before, his eyes kept flitting to yours over Arthur's shoulder and he kept shifting awkwardly. You hoped he was thinking of what you were; how the pair of you had spent the majority of the last night.

You sighed as he moved, placing languid, open-mouthed kisses on your jawline. His hands held the top of your thighs, digging bruises into your skin as you straddled his lap on the bed, head tilted to the side to give him better access to your neck. The pair of you had been at this for a while, enjoying the comfort of the other's arms, and the soft kisses you placed on each other. Dutch, however, clearly had other ideas as he rolled his hips into yours, making you let out another breathy sigh, aware that all that was separating you from the rest of camp was four thin canvas walls.

“I've missed this,” he hummed, attacking your neck again with kisses which made your eyes flutter closed. He'd been away on a job with the Sheriff for a few days, and tonight was the first night the pair of you could reunite without suspicion. You couldn't remember how you'd lived at camp before seeing him, these illicit nighttime visits brought a thrill to your comparatively mundane life.

Much to your disappointment, however, he pulled away from you, allowing the both of you to catch a breath and look at the other's face; the pupils in his dark eyes were blown wide, and his usually well-pomaded hair was ruffled as a result of your roaming hands. You loved to see him like this, the usually powerful gang leader covered in smudged lipstick and eyes full of lust for you. Just thinking this made you smile, and you kissed him again, making him groan a little as you rolled your hips.

“Hello? Are you in there?” Tilly was waving her hand in front of your face, shaking you back into the present and making you realise you'd been staring into the distance, vegetables long forgotten in front of you. “What were you thinking about?” she asked, moving to sit beside you again, she was sewing Karen's dress which had a fresh tear in.

“Obviously it was something saucy, she's gone all red!” Mary-Beth laughed, throwing a cloth at you. You knew she loved the romance books, her nose always buried in one, driving Miss Grimshaw mad and making the rest of camp laugh. Shaking your head dismissively at Mary-Beth, you laughed their comments off, repressing the memory in favour of chopping tonight's stew vegetables.

The remainder of the afternoon passed without interest, the rain stopped as the evening drew in, allowing you to leave the wagon and walk around camp to stretch your legs. You'd walked to the edge of camp, sitting on a damp branch to look out over the lake when you heard footsteps behind you. Knowing you were outside camp now, you hand found the knife in your boot, wrapping your fingers around the familiar handle as the footsteps neared. Heart pounding, you spun around to point the knife at the oncoming stranger.

“Well, that's one way to greet me,” Dutch chuckled lightly, grabbing your hand and redirecting the knife away from his face as he walked to sit beside you on the log. You tucked the blade back into your boot, shuffling so he could sit comfortably, slightly embarrassed at your reaction to him approaching.

“You know someone could see us,” you objected, although you wished nothing more than for the pair of you to sit together for a little longer.

“Nobody dares to follow me out of camp aside from Hosea, and he's drinking again,” Dutch smiled a little as he said this, placing his hand on your knee, making your heart leap to your throat. Glancing behind you, you leaned so your head was on his shoulder, you felt him pressing a kiss onto the top of your head as you sighed in bliss, this was where you were happy.

You sat there for a while, enjoying listening to his breathing, and how his hands moved over your knee; both of you looking out over Flat Iron Lake, seeing birds on the island fight over some food, and, occasionally, a silver glimpse of a fish in the water. It was relaxing, and it took your mind off the worries of camp, or of the next job the man beside you was plotting.

This tranquillity didn't last long, however, and Dutch's hand kept riding higher and higher up your thigh, making your mind race into all manner of possible situations. Before you could say anything to him, he'd turned to look expectantly at you, indicating his lap. Happily, you straddled his lap, all previous inhibitions disregarded in anticipation to feel his lips on yours again. Even though he'd kissed you last night, you felt as though he was a drug you couldn't yet quit. And you didn't have to wait long, as he crashed his lips onto yours without hesitation.

Compared to the romantic, gentle kisses you'd exchanged last night, these were harsh and full of need from both of you - you'd been hiding this relationship since Blackwater. Quickly, the kisses moved from your lips to your jaw, to your neck. Then the kisses turned into gentle bites and licks, sure to leave their mark on tomorrow's skin. His hands found your thighs again, like last night, ensuring you couldn't move away from him as he continued his loving attack on your neck.

“We can't do this here,” you said, realising where this was headed and twisting away so you could look at him. “Someone could come and see us,” He nodded, placing a quick kiss upon your lips; while neither of you were happy with this decision, you moved from his lap, his hands still touching any part of you he could as you sat back down next to him.

“Come see me again tonight,” he said quietly, taking in his handiwork over your neck.

“I'll be late, I think Karen suspects something, she asked where I was last night,”

“I don't mind,” Dutch murmured, pressing a final kiss onto your cheek before he stood up, offering you a hand up as well. “I'll see you later my dear,” You smiled a little at his last statement, watching him disappear back through the trees to camp while you stood, thinking about him.

You pulled your coat up in order to hide the bruises forming on your neck, deciding to change as soon as you reached camp into something high-necked, praying nobody would speak to you as you did.

Fortunately, your prayers were answered, most of the camp was gathered around the campfire, making it easy for you to go to the wagon and change. Although as you snuck through camp, you could swear you had the attention of a Mr Van Der Linde who was very much enjoying your reaction. You could feel his smirk from across camp as you reemerged from changing, knowing he'd make a sarcastic remark about it tonight, before adding to the collection on your neck.

The night progressed, and you sat with the other girls, laughing over Sean's drunken singing and Uncle threatening to flash him if he doesn't shut up. You'd managed to drink a few beers, and everything was tinted with the blissfulness of feeling tipsy, somehow the awful jokes Bill told were funnier, and Lenny's dancing seemed almost professional. It wasn't until Miss Grimshaw came and told you all off for being up late did you go to bed, giggling over something trivial with Mary-Beth.

You removed the extra layers you'd been wearing, the darkness covering the bruises on your neck as you all settled onto the roll mats; praying the rain did not return overnight, the damp ground could be felt through your mat, but you were consoled by the fact you'd be nestled in Dutch's bed soon enough.

Fortunately, alcohol let the others get to sleep fast, Karen was soon snoring loudly, and you wiggled into a sitting position, so you could pull your coat around you and sneak to his tent. Javier and Micah were still sitting by the fire, so you made an effort to remain in the shadows, knowing if they realised where you were going you'd be subjected to endless teasing.

“Psst-” you hissed, fiddling fruitlessly with the catch on Dutch's tent, until you felt his fingers over yours, undoing it with ease and letting you into the warmth. The small wood burner was blazing, and some of his wet clothes were hung up to dry in front of it. You were endlessly jealous of this, your dresses had to dry at the whim of nature, praying it would remain sunny enough for them to dry before another rainfall. Dutch noticed you shiver a little at the temperature change, indicating for you to sit by the fire until you were warmer.

“Are you alright my dear?” he settled down beside you, wrapping you in his warm arms, sitting behind you on the pallet floor.

“I'm alright, just tired of the rain,”

He opened the book carefully in front of you, looking over your shoulder to read, his large hands engulfing the small book, rings shining in the light from the fire as he started to read.

“Me too,” Dutch replied, and after a little deliberation, he shifted from you, picking up something you couldn't see before moving back to wrap his arms around your waist.

“Can I read to you?” you nodded, noticing the book he had clasped in his hands, a well-worn copy you'd seen him read regularly, always seeming to be completely absorbed in it. You could feel him smile, knowing he loved nothing more than to speak about what he was reading with anyone who stood still long enough.

“The human race has travelled a long way, since those remote ages when men fashioned their rude implements…” you were only half listening to him, watching how the flames licked up the logs on the fire and revelled in the comfort of his arms. If you could sit here, blissfully warm in the arms of this man you could die in peace.

“…of flint and lived on the precarious spoils of hunting, leaving to their children for their only heritage…” Leaning your head, you rested it on his chest, letting it rise and fall in time with his breathing.

“…a shelter beneath the rocks, some poor utensils—and Nature, vast, unknown, and terrific, with whom they had to fight for their wretched existence.” Dutch paused for a moment, glancing down at you now, curled up with your head on his chest. As much as you were enjoying listening to him read, you were exhausted, wanting nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep here.

“Come on my dear,” Carefully, Dutch moved from behind you, scooping you up and transferring you from the warm spot on the fire to the comparatively soft bed. His hands carefully pulled you dress you'd neglected to remove earlier, his movements soft, as though you could be broken if he pulled too hard. You laughed a little as he fumbled with one of the clasps on your boot, and you leant down to undo it with ease, making him huff a little.

Once you were rid of your outerwear, you lay down, pulling some of the furs over you as you watched Dutch remove the many layers of shirts and expensive vests in exchange for a red union shirt. While he was undressing, he would carefully hang his clothes on a singular hanger, ensuring they would not get a crease in. Anything he could not hang, such as his treasured pocket watch and pipe, would sit on one of the crates beside the bed.

Dutch crawled under the covers with you, pulling you close so he could nestle his face in the crook of your neck, your back pressed to his chest. His breaths ghosted over the kisses he'd placed earlier, you could feel his eyelashes fluttering on your neck, sending shivers down your back. You shuffled to get comfortable, finding your eyes were beginning to drift shut. Quietly, behind you, Dutch's breathing was deeper, occasionally letting out a quiet snore as you drifted to sleep.

Morning light pierced its way into the tent, and you found yourself being shaken awake by Dutch. Not wanting to get up, you buried your face further into the bed, knowing you had to leave soon or you'd be caught out. Camp was stirring, Pearson could be heard tending to the fire and clanking bowls together for some breakfast; soon enough the other girls would be up, and then you'd have no reason for your absence.

“Come on dear,” Dutch was handing you clothes which you pulled on haphazardly, not caring if you looked presentable in them. He did your boots up as you pulled on your thick coat, you could say you'd been on a walk. As he stood up, he placed a kiss on your lips, pulling you to him before holding the opening to the tent, allowing you to leave. Quickly, you snuck out the tent, hurrying to the wagon, praying the others had not woken up yet and you could sneak into bed unnoticed - usually you wouldn't have stayed so long with Dutch, leaving in the early hours of the morning instead of at breakfast time.

Your prayers were not answered however, Karen was sat, propped against the wheel of the wagon, plaiting some grass. The other girls were still fast asleep, but you knew you'd have to lie to her. As you approached, she looked up, cocking an eyebrow at your dishevelled appearance and overnight disappearance.

“I went for a walk?” you whispered, careful not to wake anyone as you neared Karen, but she shook her head, before indicating you to follow her to the water's edge. You didn't have much choice in the matter, so you followed, thanking god that the ground was dry enough to walk on now.

“Where were you, if someone found out- they think there's a rat already-” Karen hissed, as you both looked out over the lake, glad for your warm coat as the cool morning breeze swept off the lake.

“Do you want my coat?” you offered, pulling it off your shoulders and handing it to her, which she accepted, pulling it around her. You stood there in silence for a little while, you could tell Karen was thinking, trying to put the pieces together. Before either of you could speak, you heard Micah yelling behind you,

“I just went for a walk, as I said,”

“I heard you leave last night, that's one long walk,” you threw her a glare at this, she'd caught you out, you didn't have an excuse for this. Karen looked pleased with herself, although she was shivering with cold - she was still wearing just a thin slip dress.

“Come on! Breakfast ain't gonna make itself is it ladies?” you could hear his footsteps approaching, ready to say something about Karen or you again. Both of you turned at the same time, watching as he sauntered down towards you; however, his approach was halted when he caught a glimpse of you. Not knowing what he was looking at, you checked your hair and dress, sure you didn't look amazing, but you weren't flashing anyone.

“Well, what have we here?” Micah ignored his favourite target, Karen, in favour of approaching you, almost standing on your toes he was so close. You could smell the stench of last night's alcohol on his breath, and his moustache had the remnants of last night's stew on it still, something you'd never wished to discover. His fingers ghosted over your neck before you realized what had caught his interest; the dress you were wearing was low cut, exposing the purpling bruises over your neck from yesterday.

“Who gave you these sweetheart?” he asked, his voice dripping in false sweetness, his hands roaming from the edge of your neck to the top of your dress. “Didn't realise you were quite this much of a whore?” you whispered this last word, his spit hitting the side of your face. Your heart was pounding, wanting nothing more than to smack the smirk off his face, but knowing if you did so he was stronger than you were.

Over his shoulder, Karen was averting her eyes, glad not to be the target of his merciless comments. By now, Micah was hissing about how much you charged in your ear, and you took a step back from him, feeling the water flood into your boots in an attempt to get away from him.

“Mister Bell,” a very familiar voice called loudly across camp, shocking the both of you and making him step back from you rapidly. Dutch was standing at the opening of his tent, his face dark with thunder at Micah, anger etched in every line. This was the first time you'd seen Micah listen to something someone said, as he backed away from you, not without a parting comment,

“Well, I guess we know who the lucky guy is then?” You swore under your breath at him, pulling at your dress as he walked away, towards Dutch's tent. Breathing deeply, your heart rate slowed, now that Micah was far from you and you could move from the water, feeling your boots squelch with each step they made. After Dutch's yelling, the whole camp was up, most of them unequivocally staring at you on the shoreline. You could feel your face heating up, knowing they could all see the bruises as well.

Karen offered your coat back to you, and you pulled it on, hiding your neck from inquisitive eyes as you both returned to the main camp. As you passed people, there were hushed whispers, rumours about where the bruises came from. Your face was hot, so you hid behind the wagon, changing into a high necked dress and attempting to silence the tears of shame that ran down your face.

A/N: This is the longest single chapter I’ve written (it’s not much at 3.3k, but I like shorter ones?), and this took a while. Also sorry about the Micah slander at the end, I’m writing a Micah fluff in some sort of redemption for that XD.

(ik I did not tag this as fem!reader at the start - it's been changed!)

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weareallstoriesintheend · 3 years

Text

Protector (OC!Knight of Ren Reader x Kylo Ren)

You are Keless, a Knight of Ren, charged with the position of being Kylo Rens right hand. His Protector. After the events in the forests of Ilum you and your Commander are called to see Supreme Leader Snoke.

Word Count: 2,014

Warnings: Violence; set in The Last Jedi

The image of your master on his knees brought bile to your throat. The other Knights had been told to leave as you’d made your ascent to the throne room but you? You were still here on the orders of Supreme Leader Snoke. Your berating had already happened so now you stood by and waited; Snoke had laid into you about your failings in the forest on Ilum and you had no choice but to stand, head bowed, and take his words. The Praetorian Guard were a menacing frame to your disgrace, your breath came thick and fast as you tried to contain your words. Despite your innate wish to talk back you knew better in this particular moment. Also… it wasn’t like you didn’t, in some way, agree with his anger. It was your job to serve Kylo Ren, your job to stand by his side as his protector and you’d let your duty slip. The result of that was a gaping lightsaber wound that split his body and had almost killed him. You never wanted to revisit the sickly panic you felt finding him, lying in white snow that was slowly turning red. That scavenger had somehow got a hold of your master mind, body and soul and she’d used that power to hurt him. Your blood boiled with the need to find her, hurt her and make her pay for almost making you lose the one thing that meant the most to you in the galaxy. The second you’d got Kylo into the medical bay you had gathered the other Knights and pre-emptively concocted the plan you instinctively knew the Commander would want - find the girl.

Kylo Ren was your home, your duty and, despite dealing with his frequent rage, he was a friend. All of the Knights protected Kylo of course but since you had joined the First Order Supreme Leader Snoke had appointed you personally to stand by his side - his right hand. Snoke had also made it clear that this was the only reason you, a resistance runaway, were still alive. You had failed and it made your heart heavy in your chest.

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

Kylo knelt in front of Snoke, face littered with deep cuts and scrapes. The covered scar severed his face angrily – the dark bruises under his eyes stood out against pale skin making you long for him to feel better. Your force connection to your master was palpable but because of this his pain was all you had felt since it had happened, you could barely sleep with the ache that had made its home deep in your chest. You tried not to focus on his eyes, sad pleading and confused. You raised your own eyes to the ceiling knowing how he would flinch at you seeing him this way. But Snoke would not let you leave, almost like he wanted to embarrass Kylo in front of you. You stood at the back of the room, shuffling on your feet, holding the Commanders helmet in your slightly unsteady hands. In any other circumstance your demeanour would be steely and your nerves calm but when it came to your master nothing was ever so easy. He had been asked to remove the mask by Snoke and he had thrust it behind him, into your waiting hands, without as much as a look in your direction. You could feel pain rolling off him in waves, a tinge of guilt but underneath all of it you could sense his fear. Kylo knelt before his master like a child at prayer, hurt circled around him as Snoke criticized him in raised, hateful tones.

You had zoned out, trying not to focus on the cruel words dripping out of Snokes mouth but you jolted into action as Snoke struck Kylo with a burst of energy. You stepped forward, weapon raised, body thrumming with anger towards the Supreme Leader. How did Kylo not see what he was doing to him? Kylo just took every beating from the Supreme Leader as if he deserved it. As Snoke turned his back to you both you rushed forward to help Kylo from the ground but he shrugged you away grunting quietly as he pulled himself up to his feet.

Your contempt towards Snoke was well known in the Order; you disagreed with what he had done to Kylo with every fibre of your being. Kylo was strong and capable and you made it clear to him you did not think that was due to any credit given to Snoke. More and more your protectiveness toward your master was overtaking your duty to the Supreme Leader and it was becoming a problem. Your skin was prickling with fire, like every sinew in your muscles was begging you to move – to protect him. But you stood your ground not wanting to interfere knowing how irate Kylo would be if you pushed his humiliation too far.

“You’re just a child in a mask” Snoke seethed. Something inside you had to snap, “Enough!” you shouted, stepping forward once more into place beside Kylo. His eyes shifted to you beside him but he did not speak, he knew better than to speak in front of Snoke without being spoken too first. You on the other hand were done – you knew this would come back to you. You knew Snoke would make you pay for your insolence but right now the pain on your friends face was enough to make you want to drive your weapon through Snokes heart and watch the blood bubble and pour over your hands. Kylo could sense your rising anger and he turned to you with a still face but eyes that portrayed a strict warning. You grabbed him by the arm and spoke quietly now “Commander, we should go. You are required on the bridge”

Kylo bowed to Snoke and you did the same, as Kylo turned back to the elevator you raised your eyes to Snoke. His contorted face was seething pure anger at your outspoken nature and you returned a similar look, one of utter disgust lip curled over your teeth. Your voice was low so only Snoke would hear you, “You underestimate him Supreme Leader. The Commander will do everything you have asked and more. And be assured, it will be no thanks to you”

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

“Sir?” you spoke hesitantly into the uncomfortable quiet of the elevator as the doors slid closed behind you. He startled a little, deep in thought, but you lowered your eyes so he wouldn’t think you had seen. The elevator wasn’t moving, no floor had been chosen, but you decided to give him time. Silently he thanked you for that. Kylo sunk onto one knee like his body had given out, back arched forward and elbow resting on his thigh. His breathing was laboured and sweat sat in a thin layer on his face.

“Sir we have to go to the bridge, I’ve heard word that we’ve found the rebel ships” you said quietly, reaching forward and pressing the elevator button.

He didn’t respond, his body trembling with a shudder that would make his bones rattle. “Kylo, you have to let me help you. If nothing more than because it is my job to do so. I know I failed you on Ilum but you have to let me back in” you pleaded; bending down to put yourself eye level with him. You knew what plagued his mind but you couldn’t see far enough to ease his turmoil “Sir please, let me in”

“I can’t!” He shouted back, his voice breaking at the end, unshed tears creating a gloss over his eyes.

He had reached his limit, he can’t do it anymore.

“Kylo, get up!” you barked this order as you pushed yourself to your feet. Frustration at his inability to listen to you boiling over in your heightened panicked state; this was a rare occurrence so his eyes scorched into you, as curious as they were angry, as he struggled to his feet. He snatched his helmet from your grasp. Since you two were alone you didn’t worry so much how this may seem, a Knight of Ren shouting orders at her master.

“It’s your mother, she’s here! We have to do something” Kylo let out an explosion of rage, slamming his helmet repeatedly into the wall of the elevator. Anger burst out of him like currents of electricity, you did not flinch but you stood well back from the sparks. You knew better than to get in his way when he was in this sort of mood. Snoke had pushed him too far; you didn’t see this ending well. When he had stopped you moved an inch closer to him, cautiously watching the way he shook from head to toe. Your heart ached in your chest for him and you knew he could feel it. “I know what the plan is Sir. But y-you can’t. She’s…” he raised his hand to silence your stuttering. You knew the plan was to lay siege to the rebel ships, which would mean his mother Leia would be killed – possibly by Kylos own hand. Snoke was right about one thing, killing his father had split Kylo to the bone; you had no idea what killing Leia would do to him too. Tears bristled in your eyes and you blinked them back. You weren’t like the other Knights, they had a grow colder in their years but walking beside Kylo had only built your empathy for the broken man who’s care was your sole reason for staying alive. You knew this made you the least trusted Knight, not seen as strong or capable like the rest, your weakness was your compassion. But you knew your kindness to your master made you trusted by him. And to you that’s all that mattered.

“Let me help you Master, please” you begged, reaching out to place a hand on his arm; a gesture of warmth. He didn’t flinch or shrug you away; he paused in your sign of kindness for a split second – more than you had ever seen him do before. But then his face turned to stone. He growled your name “Keless enough!”

The elevator doors opened suddenly and two first order officers stood nervously waiting. Their eyes glanced from the two of you to the shattered mask on the floor. Kylo turned to you, eyes dark “Prepare my ship” You nodded in compliance and watched as he stormed off towards the hanger. Your stomach filled with dread but you pulled together your most threatening face and the officers dashed past you, avoiding your eyes. He couldn’t kill his mother, the effort would destroy him. You prayed to whoever could hear you that by the time he sat in his ship his mind would be changed. “Please” you silently begged “Let Kylo find the compassion I know he has. Let him use it in this moment. Change his mind”

You followed in his footsteps, calling to technicians in the hanger to prepare the Commanders ship as you stepped in to oversee them. Kylo shouted an order towards an engineer and they immediately disagreed “C-Commander Ren, sir, I don’t think that’s possible” He threw them a simple look that made them physically cower and you smiled to yourself. As he stalked off you took his place, not quite as menacing physically but with words enough to get them moving “Are you really going to argue with the best pilot in the Order?” “N-no ma’am” they stuttered and scuttled off to complete the request.

Your eyes searched for him across the hanger and you saw him staring out the large glass window, back turned to the room but you knew his eyes were wide with fear in a moment when no one could see him. As a nervous officer approached him his anxious shoulders dropped and he pulled himself up to full height to address them.

“It’ll be alright sir” you reached out through the force to him “I promise”

#Kylo Ren #kylo ren fic #kylo ren x reader #kylo x reader #star wars #star wars fic #sw fic #knights of ren #female oc #kylo ren x oc

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everlarkficexchange · 3 years

Text

On the Hunt

Author: @hutchhitched

Prompt 39: Katniss has been bumping into the same stranger (Peeta) for months. When they get stuck in an unfortunate situation together, she decides to be the first to say hello. [submitted by @eiramrelyat / @taylerwrites]

Ratings/Warnings: T

The first time Katniss sees him, he takes her breath away. It’s from afar. He probably doesn’t even catch a glimpse of her, but her whole world tilts off its axis.

She’s not sure why he stands out to her. There’s nothing particularly unique about him. He’s not short or tall or big or small. He’s not drop-dead gorgeous or ugly like a troll. He doesn’t move like an athlete or sparkle with the magic of a performer. He appears normal in every sense of the word, but that doesn’t mean she can’t see how special he really is. At least she thinks he might be—if she had a chance to actually speak to him.

That doesn’t happen, though. She’s too far away when she sees him picking up a loaf of bread, and she can’t seem to move once he’s left her line of sight. She stays frozen in the freezer section (the irony!) for several minutes. Hopefully, everyone else thinks she’s considering her options in breakfast burritos, but she’s actually involved in an out of body experience that follows the young man from the back of the store to the registers, out the door, and into the parking lot where he must load his groceries into his car and drive away. His life is no different, but hers will never be the same.

It has to be because she’s lonely. It’s been a very long time since she’s been in a relationship. In fact, it’s been so long since she’s kissed a man, she kind of wonders if she’s forgotten how to do it. Katniss has never been that popular, but she’s enjoyed her fair share of attention. She tries really hard not to spiral out in the freezer section, but Christ on a cracker! Something about that specimen of manhood has made her question her life’s choices. Why hasn’t she run into him before now? Clearly, she’s been living wrong.

Except, she hasn’t. She’s done absolutely everything she knows to do to be a good person. She supports her little sister and sends money to her mother who needs every speck of help she can get. She has a best friend who’s been by her side since they both lost their fathers when they were barely teenagers. She helps out at a shelter and donates money to the food bank because she knows way too well how hunger can impact a person’s life. In other words, there’s no reason her weekly grocery trip should result in an upheaval to her world. It’s simply not fair, and she plans to file a complaint to who it is that runs fate and destiny. She has a bone to pick.

Somehow, she finds everything on her list and heads to the front of the store. When she gets there, she unloads her groceries and watches as the cashier scans each item. Digging into her wallet, she’s stunned to find she only has a twenty and the total keeps rising. Mortified, she watches as the number climbs to $34.15.

“I don’t have… I mean, can you take off the…”

Trying to figure out what she can live without until her next paycheck, she surveys the food and toiletries. Almost in tears, she stammers for a few seconds before the cashier speaks.

“Don’t worry. Another patron paid it forward. He left a twenty and asked that I use it if anyone needed help. Looks like you could use some.”

“I— I couldn’t. It’s not right.”

“The guy seemed pretty adamant that I only offer it to someone who could use a break. It seems like that could be you today.”

Katniss nodded slowly. “Do you have any idea who it is? I’d like to thank them.”

The cashier shook her head. “Young guy. Stocky, medium height, ashy blonde hair, blue eyes. Very polite. Named Peter, I think. Something like that.”

It’s got to be him. The description’s too similar to be a coincidence. It seems the guy that froze her in place with his looks is as kind and compassionate as he is special. Now, he’s even more intimidating.

She nods her thanks and takes the change and her purchases. The five in her pocket gives her a little joy, but the feeling of not having money still bothers her. Maybe it’s time to get a credit card. She’s been warned off them for so long that she never applied for one, but now, it might be something she should do. Maybe. It makes her nervous to think she could get in financial trouble with it. She’s been poor her entire life. It might be too tempting to resist.

When she makes it back to her apartment, her attempt to unpack her groceries is interrupted frequently by long pauses in which she fantasizes about finding the guy who’s rocked her world and given her daydreams about all the ways she needs to thank him (appropriately and not so much) for the rest of her life. It’s not unrealistic at all. Totally doable, she decides. After all, how hard can it be to find him again? They live in the same town.

****

The answer to that question is that it’s very hard. Difficult isn’t even the word to describe the problem she has in trying to find the Boy With the Bread, which is what she calls him even though he’s definitely an adult. The person she saw from afar was all man if the stretch of his shirt across broad shoulders was any indication. Still, the alliteration makes her smile, so she continues to refer to him as such.

It shouldn’t take so long, but it does. Months pass, and she wonders if she’s made it all up and imagined the creature that changed her life. She keeps her eyes open in public, scans the local news and social media sites, and seriously considers setting up an online dating site just to see if he’s looking for someone. She’s getting desperate, but then fate smiles on her again.

She’s sitting in a coffee shop, something she hardly ever does, when he walks in the door. She doesn’t normally have time for such a mundane, normal activity that other people her age seem to enjoy all the time. She’s usually working during the day, and she has no desire to consume copious amounts of caffeine after 5 pm when she gets off work. Today, though, she has time. She’s taken a half day to run errands and go to the dentist, and she needs the jolt the espresso will give her to survive her reduced shift.

He ducks through the doorway just as she’s taken a sip of her hot beverage, and she almost chokes on the liquid. He shakes the umbrella he’s holding just outside the door and shoves a riot of blonde curls off his forehead that have shrunken up and frizzed from the rain. It’s adorable.

He’s wearing an emerald Henley and faded jeans that hug all the right places. The sight of him freezes her in place, but that doesn’t stop her from tracking him as moves past her. She’s close enough to see his eyes are blue before he marches across the café and approaches a man sitting alone in the corner. They clasp hands and grin at each other, and the vision in green heads to the counter to order.

She’s dumbfounded. Here he is again after so long, and she can’t think of a single thing to say to him or how in the world to actually approach him without making her look absolutely insane. She racks her brain trying to think of an intelligent topic, but she’s jolted from that when the barista walks to the end of the bar and calls a name.

“Peeta! Chai Latte.”

That’s his name, she realizes, and it’s like the sun’s broken through thick, heavy clouds. It’s just unusual enough to fit him and still feel familiar. He smiles at the woman behind the bar and takes the cup from her. He ordered chai, and she files that information away for future reference. He might not like coffee, which seems important.

She’s pondering a trip to the bathroom just so she has an excuse to pass by him when she suddenly understands that he’s leaving. He and his friend are talking as they walk to the door, and she catches the sound of his voice.

“—we can change that, the numbers will—”

His words are swallowed by the rush of traffic outside, but that silky tone she hardly had a chance to listen to has already taken up residence in the part of her brain that creates unrealistic fantasies. She daydreams for longer than she should. In fact, it’s only the vibration of her phone against the table that reminds her she has to get to her job. What a chance encounter, but now she has a name to go with that face.

****

She’s tried to find him again. She’s googled and returned to the coffee shop when she’s had a spare minute or two. She’s asked around and continues to check dating sites. Nothing. She’s found absolutely nothing. Without a last name, she has very little idea how to find out anything else. Frustrated, she goes about her daily life with a weight on her shoulders that shouldn’t be there. He’s a stranger she’s glimpsed only a couple of times.

Frustrated and full of pent-up energy, she joins a gym. There’s nothing quite like working up a good sweat to ease tension and kickstart her brain, so she spends her free time running the track, lifting, and participating in every hot yoga class the establishment offers. After a month, she’s leaner and stronger than ever, but she hasn’t managed to come up with any ideas that might help her find the guy she desperately wants to thank for saving her when she wasn’t sure how she’d eat for a week.

She’s two laps into her normal ten when she glances down from the elevated track and spots a pickup game of three on three basketball on the far court. Three blonde men face off against three with dark hair, one of whom looks remarkably like her best friend Gale Hawthorne, who she hasn’t seen since he left town for a job almost a year ago. As she jogs closer to the court, she realizes it is him teamed up with his brothers. The blonde men look like siblings, too, but she doesn’t spare them much of a glance. She’s got more laps to go, and she doesn’t want to draw any attention to herself. Gale didn’t bother to tell her that he’s in town, and she’s a little miffed by that.

It’s another three passes by the court before it hits her that the blonde men look familiar. She puts on a burst of speed to get back to where she can see the men closeup and almost trips over her own feet when she spies him. It’s the guy. THE guy. The cashier had said Peter, and the barista had called him Peeta. She stops in her tracks and grabs the railing when someone bumps into her from behind.

“Watch it!” he yells as the jogger passes her. “You’re not supposed to stop on the track!”

She dismisses him with a wave and sprints to the nearest stairwell. If she can just catch them… She bounds down the stairs, three at a time, and bursts into a bustling walkway. She dodges and shoves her way free and streaks around the corner to find—

“Catnip! What are you doing here?”

“Gale!” Sweat drips down her forehead and stings her eyes. Cringing, she swipes her hand across her face and tries not to cry. “Where are—? I thought you were playing basketball.”

He throws her a bewildered look and nods like she’s lost it a little. “We were.”

“You’re done?”

“Yeah? We’d been at it for a while. Are you… Have you been watching me?”

Katniss rolls her eyes, although that’s not really very fair. She had noticed him. It’s not like that’s not the case. “Who were you playing with? I saw Vic and Rory, but the blonde guys… Who, er, who were they?”

The expression on his face would be priceless if she weren’t so desperate to find out the information. He looks like he’s swallowed something very, very distasteful, and she tries hard not to snort with laughter.

“Why?”

She takes in his narrowed eyes and realizes she’s going to have to lie to get what she wants. Part of the reason they haven’t been as close since he left town is due to his sudden confessions of feelings toward her. She’d let him down easy, but things have been strained since then. There’s no need to rub that in his face when all she wants is to find out about Peeta. With a straight face and innocent eyes, she explains, “I think one of them door dinged my car a couple of weeks ago. The gym won’t give out membership information, but if you know who they are… Well, I’d be really grateful, Gale.”

He falls for it when she bats her eyelashes at him. She should feel terrible, but all’s fair in love and basketball. Of all people, Gale should want her to be happy, no matter if that means she’s interested in someone else or not. She’s no damsel in distress, unless she can’t pay for her groceries or something. However, her simpering works, and that’s really what she needs.

“Mellark is the last name. They all have bread names. It’s weird.”

She rolls the name around in her head for a bit. Peeta Mellark. It’s a nice solid name, and now she has more information to help her figure out how to find him. Almost giddy with victory, she stretches up on her tiptoes and kisses Gale’s cheek in gratitude. Backing away before he can reciprocate, she hears him as the distance widens between them.

“Do you want to grab dinner sometime? Maybe?”

“Sorry, Gale! Got to go. Really good to see you!”

With that, she turns her back and slips down the hall to the women’s locker room. She doesn’t bother to shower before grabbing her bag and heading to her car. She’s barely closed the door before she’s on her phone and typing in the name Peeta Mellark. She has a thank you to deliver.

****

Surprisingly, it’s not much easier to find him now that she knows his full name. She unveils a lot of information about his family, but not him. Apparently, they own a few local bakeries that she tries out and loves. Still, Peeta’s family is not the same thing as Peeta, who is remarkably absent from social media and with no online presence. She’s willing to admit, she got cocky, and now she can’t figure out how to recover from it.

“Where the hell is he?” she mutters as she comes up empty. Again.

Frustrated, she runs over all the data she’s gathered about him. He’s kind, compassionate, and thoughtful; all of those qualities were on display at the grocery store. He drinks tea and has a very good-looking friend who he talks to about numbers; that she learned at the coffee shop. He’s athletic and has two brothers he likes well enough to exercise with them; that information, and his last name, came from the gym. It should be enough to go on. It’s not.

She’s at home on her couch and paying bills when it suddenly hits her that she may never see this guy again. Peeta Mellark seems to be a figment of her imagination for all the good it’s done to try to find him. That and the small number in her bank account are both so unpleasant that she decides she’s going to have to break down and do something she’s been avoiding and delaying for a very long time. She’s going to have to open a line of credit. She’ll only use it for emergencies, but she can’t rely on the kindness of strangers to bail her out the next time she doesn’t have money for groceries, let alone car maintenance or an unforeseen medical crisis. It’s been months since Peeta saved her, but the humiliation of not being able to take care of herself still hasn’t faded. Before she can change her mind, she grabs her purse and heads to the bank. The time is now.

“Can I help you?” A bubbly blonde teller named Delly asks, and Katniss takes a deep breath to fortify herself.

“I’d like to open a line of credit. Can I talk to someone about that?”

“Sure!” she practically squeals. “Let me just call someone to help you.”

She’s led down the hallway and past a few desks to a small office. Once ushered inside, she sits and raises her eyes to view the person across from her.

“Oh…”

The man before her is stunning—green eyes, bronze hair, a swimmer’s build. It’s the guy’s—Peeta’s—friend, the one he was with at the coffee shop.

“Ms. Everdeen. I’m Finnick Odair. Want some sugar?” he asks and nudges a candy bowl toward her.

“No, I’m fi—.”

“Hey, Finn. Can you— Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were with a customer.”

She jerks at the sound of his voice. Peeta Mellark is standing in the doorway, and her heart is in her throat. She has a sudden flashback of the coffee shop, when the two of them walked past her discussing numbers… Now, it all makes sense. They work at a bank together. Of course they do. Peeta turns to leave, and she calls out.

“Wait! Stay with me.”

She claps her hands over her mouth and wills herself not to blush, but it’s no use. She’s just asked a perfect stranger to stay with her, and her invitation sounds much more intimate than she means it to. He must think she’s insane. Maybe she actually is. She pushes down a sudden urge to flee the situation and escape to the safety of her apartment.

This is out of her wheelhouse. Shy, introverted, and intensely private, Katniss worries the end of her braid and bites her lip. Every instinct she has tells her to run, but the temptation of him before her is too great. Rising, she crosses to him and holds out her hand.

“Hi. My name is Katniss. You saved my life once, and I’ve been on the hunt to find you for months. Thank you.”

Peeta and his friend exchange looks, and she fights the urge to shrivel back into herself. Finally, he looks directly at her and takes her palm in his. With a smile so disarming she nearly faints, he answers.

“Peeta Mellark. It’s nice to meet you.”

The touch of his hand on hers melts her insides. She dreads when she finally has to let go, but maybe she won’t have to. With a shy smile, she cocks out her hip and looks up at him through long lashes. Her flirting may be a disaster, but it’s all she’s got.

“It’s so nice to meet you, too.”

The flicker in his eyes makes her knees weak. An hour later, she’s left the bank with a line of credit, a phone number, and a dinner date. The hunt is finally over.

#hutchhitched #eiramrelyat #prompt 39 #Springtime Edition 2021 #submission

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twh-news · 3 years

Text

'Loki' Full Season 1 Review: The Most Frustrating Thing Is How Incomplete the Story Feels

Editor's note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 1 finale of Loki, "For All Time. Always."

[TWH-NEWS note: Tom is NOT confirmed to be on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness even though the article so claims. Marvel hasn't confirmed it.]

The Loki season finale is perhaps one of the most vexing episodes of television I have seen in quite some time. The Disney+ sci-fi drama, tracking the events following Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) escape from the pre-established timeline, was never confirmed to be an ongoing show versus a limited series, with rumors of a second season on the horizon from the beginning, so the biggest twist delivered by "For All Time. Always." ended up being confirmation of a Season 2 with a post-credits title card.

However, while there were other key reveals made during the episode, those reveals left behind plenty of story to explore in future seasons. Too much story. There's a difference between a few dangling plot threads and a mess of string, and the staggering number of questions left unresolved by "For All Time. Always." crosses a line when it comes to completion — especially given the fact that there's no clear sense of when the show might return, and the real story being told is much bigger than the fate of one mischievous scamp.

In general, every episode of this show was beautifully made, with immense credit going to director Kate Herron, head writer Michael Waldron, and the creative team. The cast of known all-stars like Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, blended with new all-stars like Sophia Di Martino and Wunmi Mosaku, did a remarkable job of grounding even the most fantastical moments in raw humanity, and the writing popped with verve and wit. Also, Loki does come full circle on what was its original raison d'etre — the redemption of a character who literally was plucked out of the timeline at his worst, having attacked Manhattan with an alien force so destructive that the Earth needed a whole damn team of superheroes to stop him. On this score, the show was wildly successful, breaking down Loki's sense of grandeur and purpose in the first episode and then slowly but surely rebuilding him into a man capable of evolving beyond his past. Loki did more to examine a single character's psychology and motivations than we've ever seen in the context of the MCU, and all of the progress and growth made by the character, as a result, feels truly earned.

However, if Loki's redemption was the only thing this show had been about, it would have been a very boring show, and Loki was far from boring. The official theme of the series was "What makes a Loki a Loki?" but the real issues being raised were far more existential; in so many ways, this was a show about faith and free will, an undercurrent that deserves more exploration and frankly appreciation, especially after the questions and themes left dangling by the last episode.

This element proved to be key to so much of the show's construction, especially when it comes to the TVA, which basically functions as a religious order — its devotees slavishly sacrificing their lives to the cause of protecting the Sacred Timeline. It's not subtle, especially when the dark side of it is revealed, those devotees learning that their service happened against their will. "We can't take away people's free will, can't you see that?" Mobius pleads with Ravonna in their final scene together, before she walks away in something resembling agreement with him, telling him that she's going in search of free will herself.

Loki Season 1, by the end, becomes a show not just about a crisis of faith, but about an apocalypse. Every time a story about apocalypses comes up, I find it impossible to forget that the Greek word from which the term originates actually means "revelation." That's why the part of the Bible about the world ending is called the Book of Revelations, but beyond that, the definition serves as a reminder of why endings can matter. Endings are beginnings, in some ways. A painful breakup reveals the flaws in what might have seemed like a loving relationship. Extreme climate change is a revelation regarding humanity's callous attitude towards its impact on the environment. For the characters of Loki — perhaps the entire MCU — the apocalypse they're facing following the destruction of the Sacred Timeline also means the revelation of what lives they left behind.

Certainly there's a ton of room for speculation as to what lies ahead for these characters, but the fact is that the next chapter of Loki's journey won't even be told on Disney+, as Hiddleston is reportedly in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and there's no telling when we might return to resolve the events of the Season 1 finale. Cliffhangers are one thing; anyone who grew up watching '90s TV learned the hard way how to handle the dramatic season endings of The X-Files or Star Trek: The Next Generation. But Loki didn't dangle its characters off a cliff — it pushed them off the edge, leaving them suspended in mid-air for who knows how long.

Back in the days of The X-Files you at least knew that whatever jaw-dropping cliffhanger the season finale had just delivered would be addressed by the season premiere in just a few months. (Maybe as many as six months, depending on the baseball season.) That's a sense of certainty that Loki fans do not have the luxury of enjoying; based on where the conversations around a second season currently stand, it could be a while before the contracts are even signed. Conservatively, at this point, it feels unlikely that we'll get a second season of Loki until near the end of 2022, and given that the first season took over two years from its announcement to now to actually debut, 2023 doesn't feel like too much of a stretch. Maybe Owen Wilson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw get to make cameos in Doctor Strange 2 as well? Nothing is possible and everything is possible. We just have to wait for the answer, and in the meantime stew in dissatisfaction.

"Only one person gets free will. The one in charge," Ravonna tells Mobius — implicitly referring to He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Who, speaking of, is now dead, Sylvie having completed her one primary quest to revenge herself upon the ones who took her life away. That, combined with the Wizard of Oz parallels, makes this a show that's fascinating to parse (Sylvie literally killed God!), but frustratingly incomplete in its themes. Literally as the episode officially ended on the visage of Kang enshrined as the ruler of the TVA, I said out loud "Well, there's going to be a Season 2," and I suppose that thanks are owed to Marvel and Disney+ for not leaving that element in suspence for more than two minutes and two seconds.

But if I have a religion, it's my belief in the power of storytelling, how the myths we create for ourselves and others can shape lives and hopefully make them better. One tenet of that is the idea that great stories deserve some sense of completion. So, the first season of Loki committed a pretty grievous sin.

#There's no confirmation on Tom being in the next Doctor Strange film!!!#loki #loki series #review #article #collider #loki spoilers #spoilers #loki series spoilers

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professorsnape394 · 3 years

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The Potions Master’s Apprentice

Chapter Eleven: A Pining Professor

A/N: This is the eleventh part to my fanfiction ‘The Potions Master’s Apprentice (Severus Snape x OC)’. Chapters 1-16 can be found already uploaded on Wattpad under the same name. Feel free to leave requests in my inbox for anything Snape related you want me to write. Leave a comment below if you wish to be added to my tag list.

Pairing: Severus Snape x OC (Dumbledore’s Granddaughter)

Summary: A talented young witch is employed as an apprentice professor at Hogwarts, but who will she be working under? Severus Snape is not best pleased with his new responsibility of taking on an apprentice, however she is relentless to create a friendship between them. Will she be successful? Or might the friendship just go a little two far? With the eyes of her grandfather constantly watching over them, an attempt at a relationship might not be in the cards for Aria Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

Word Count: 1913

Warnings: n/a

Credits to Gif Creator

"Very well done, Miss Granger." Aria commended as the young Hermione Granger brandished her perfectly completed potion to the class. "Now, who's next?" The professor questioned looking around the room for another student to choose. Her eyes quickly landed on an awkward looking fourth year Gryffindor boy. "How about you, Mr. Longbottom. Care to show us your final potion?"

The boy looked around nervously, attempting to straighten out his disheveled robes, hoping someone would save him from this inevitable embarrassment.

"Erm... I... I don't think I've done it right, Professor Dumbledore." Neville shot a quick, terrified glance in the direction of Severus Snape, who was, as usual hunched over his desk, paying little attention to the classroom full of students.

"Don't look so worried, Neville." Aria replied softly, beckoning the boy to test out his shrinking solution. "Professor Snape and I are not here to judge your abilities, but to guide you in the right direction, allowing you to flourish to your highest potential."

Professor Snape let out a low grunt, looking up from his desk for a brief second, unimpressed by the encouraging words of his apprentice.

Neville Longbottom took a step up to the front of the classroom, a small vial of his potion shaking slightly in his hand. Aria snatched a spare quill from the Potion Masters desk and laid it down in front of Neville waiting to see the results of his concoction. The acid green liquid dripped down onto the feathers, small droplets of the potion pooling together, quickly drowning the quill. The students stood around in silence, waiting for the quill to shrink down into practically nothing. However, instead of shrinking, the potion began to bubble and fizz. Within seconds the bubbles turned into a rabid foaming substance. After a few moments of watching the foam expand, it disappeared completely, the feathers of the quill melting away with it.

Almost as if the whole class had been holding their breath, a large number of students exhaled simultaneously. Neville's face dropped, disheartened by his efforts. "Not to worry, Longbottom, we'll walk you through it one more time, and show you what went wrong."

"I don't think so, Miss Dumbledore." Professor Snape piped up, appearing at the side of the young woman. "Mr. Longbottom, I want you to write an essay at least 1500 words detailing exactly what went wrong, and how you will re-mediate your efforts in the future. I want this on my desk by tomorrow morning." His sudden appearance dulled the mood Aria had worked to built within the class, instantaneously.

"Yes Sir." The boy retorted, cowering away back to the crowd of students.

Aria stared at the Professor, stunned at his interference. The pair had come to an agreement where Severus took on the theoretical aspect of the job, teaching the students his methods, while Aria took on the practical aspect, helping the students as they brewed. Severus often stayed quiet during her teaching time, taking nothing to do with the students after he taught them the correct brewing process. He trusted her to lead them in the right direction, after all. However, today Snape was persistent in making himself known, he felt the need to remind them all of his intimidating, dominant presence, determined to scare the students, into obedience.

"Class dismissed." Snape ordered, the children fleeing from the room before the words had even completely left his mouth.

Just as fast as the room had cleared, Severus made a move to gather the papers from his desk, appearing to be getting ready to leave the classroom, something he never usually done until it was time for the great feast.

"Where are you going?" Aria questioned, closing the gap between herself and the Potions Master, stopping him from wandering off without an explanation.

"To my office to mark the remainder of these essays... in peace." He stated, his tone full of venom. Again, Aria was taken aback by the way the man spoke to her. He had gradually been warming up to her these past few weeks and it had been a long time since he spoke to her with such anger. Considering how the previous evening had panned out, it bothered Aria that he had become so frosty again so quickly, they had made so much progress since their first meeting. And for what? For Severus to just immediately go back to his old ways. Aria wasn't about to let that happen anytime soon.

"What's your problem, Severus?" Aria snapped, getting in between the door and her mentor. "You've been acting like a dick all day. We finally had a nice evening together, both of us doing our own thing, it was nice! But then you ran out suddenly and without reason. And now you're acting even worse than you did before. Did I do something to piss you off? Please tell me!" She ranted, desperate for an answer.

"I'm not quite sure what you think went on last night, but whatever it is, I advise you get it out of your head immediately." He snapped, gradually nearing the exit.

"What are you talking about?" Aria questioned, sincerely confused. "Nothing did happen last night Severus and I'm not acting like it did. What's going on with you, is there something wrong?"

"Don't patronise me, Miss Dumbeldore, I don't need your pity." He seethed, clutching his stack of papers tightly to his chest. "I want to make it abundantly clear to you that we are to maintain a strictly professional relationship from here on out. We are not friends. And we never will be."

Seeing the enraged look grow on his face, Aria gave in, not willing to argue with her mentor any longer. Stepping away from the door, she allowed Severus to take his leave. The whole conversation had thoroughly confused her, she had thought last night had been nice for the both of them but clearly she was wrong and it just wasn't worth aggravating Severus even more.

From the moment Severus left Aria's room to the minute she walked through his classroom door the next morning Severus had not stopped thinking about the woman he tried so hard to despise. He had not slept, therefore he was even more unpleasant than usual. He was irritable with his coworkers, terrifying to his students, and just flat out mean to Aria. Although his body could not deny that he was attracted to her, a night of constant angry thoughts aimed at himself, quickly formed into a hatred for the woman in a desperate attempt to hide the embarrassment he was feeling not so deep down.

Determined to distance himself from his apprentice, he 'gave her the night off', if you could phrase it that way. Severus shut himself in his office, banning her from joining him while he marked as she so often did. Distracting himself from thoughts of her seemed to be working for him, and in no less than a few hours he was feeling back to his usual self. No thoughts of Aria entering his mind, whether it be thoughts of anger, lust or... Well, lets just say Aria was successfully no longer on his mind.

That was, of course, until a familiar rumble was heard from his stomach and he knew he could not avoid the great feast, though he so wanted to.

Seeing the young woman walk into the Great Hall amongst a crowd of students sent an instant pang into Severus' gut. It was then he knew that no matter how hard he tried to get this woman off his mind and no matter how 'temporarily' successful he was at doing so, there was no way he was ever going to escape how he felt. He could pick her out amongst a crowded room, and the beating of his heart became instantly deafening. This was not an attraction he saw himself being able to easily escape from.

Taking her regular seat at the table in between Severus and Minerva, the two woman got to chatting immediately. Aria kept herself turned away from the potions master, knowing he would not be in the mood to have any type of interaction with her. Snape found himself hurt that Aria kept her back to him, he hated the fact she wasn't trying harder to break him from the mood he had got himself into. Though if she had tried he would not be willing to be broken out of it quite yet.

As the whole hall began to fill with chatter and laughter Severus found himself the only miserable man in the place. He sat through the meal in silence, not talking to anyone, and no one speaking to him. It was on this rare occasion he found himself lonely in the situation he had created to protect himself from emotions exactly like this.

As the feast came to an end Professor Snape was ready to flee from the room, uninterested in anything else it had to offer him.

That was, until, a plump little owl found its way over to Aria Dumbledore and a gasp of glee escaped the two women beside him. His interest piqued, Severus settled back into his chair, focusing in on the conversation of his colleagues.

"Who's it from?" Minerva queried, her eyes having already scanned the contents of the letter.

"Oh it's just some guy I met at the Three Broomsticks. Pretty much saved me from being touched up by an old creep." The witch replied, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"And he's asked you on a date?" Mcgonagall questioned further.

"No not at all." Aria scoffed. "Its just a few drinks see." She said passing over the parchment to the older woman.

"Sounds like a date to me." Professor McGonagall grinned.

"Its not a date!" Aria screeched in return, though Severus noted a hint of excitement in her voice.

The Potions Master felt his face burn with jealousy, a fiery hot ball growing inside him just waiting to burst out his chest. He hated the thought of seeing Aria out with another man, though he knew he could not be with her either. He was jealous for sure, but there was no way he would ever be willing to commit to her. Not that she could ever feel the same about him, if he did. He did not want her himself, but he also did not want anyone else to have her.

It was then the memory of another letter crossed his mind. Someone else already did have her. According to the letter he came across in her quarters she was in a relationship. And now, as much as she wanted to deny it, this new letter stated she would be going on a date with someone else.

Despite how sweet and innocent this young witch may seem, Severus Snape was beginning to build a picture of who she really was. It was clear to him now that from the moment she arrived at Hogwarts she had been playing him, just like he assumed she was playing these other men. 'She flirts and charms her way into getting everything she wants. Snape thought to himself. After all, she young and extremely attractive. What exactly is stopping her from taking advantage of everyone who falls for her. Well not me.' The thought continued. 'I'm wont be taken advantage of anymore.'

And with that Severus stormed from the room, his opinion of his apprentice having changed completely.

Taglist:

@ayamenimthiriel @lizlil

#severus snape #severus snape fanfiction #severus snape one shot #severus snape imagine #severus snape x reader #Severus Snape smut #severus snape fluff #severus x reader #severus x oc #severus x y/n #alan rickman #Harry Potter #harry potter and the goblet of fire #harry potter fanfiction #dumbledore #dumbledores granddaughter #potions master #potions masters apprentice

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notebooknebula · 3 years

Video

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Listen to our Podcast:

https://realestateinvestingdeals.mypodcastworld.com/11198/become-a-7-figure-real-estate-investor-with-nick-perry-and-jay-conner-the-private-money-authority

Become A 7-Figure Real Estate Investor with Nick Perry and Jay Conner

Jay Conner (02:10):

I don’t know about the rest of you, but today he’s down in Miami, on the beach. Anyway, this company is the largest nationwide wholesaling company in the United States, and it is based out of Austin, Texas. Now my guest also owns a fleet of semi-trucks, multiple e-commerce businesses, and he also invests in multiple companies and commercial real estate. Now he also owns this mastermind, the 7-Figure Cartel Mastermind. I can’t wait to hear about that. And that gets people quickly through the hurdles to become and enjoy a multiple 7-figure real estate investing company. Now he grew up in Northern Virginia, spent the first five years of his career in personal training before moving to Austin, Texas, where he now lives and moved to Austin with no job network, very little money. And as soon as he got to Austin in pursuit of new opportunities, he decided he was going to do whatever it took to be a successful real estate investor.

Jay Conner (03:12):

Well, it did not come to him easy and as it does for most of us. It took him 11 months before he got his first deal and he didn’t give up. He worked 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, got a 6-figure sales job at Indeed.com, while at the same time, he was building his real estate investing business. He devoted all of his sales commissions and time outside of the 9 to 5 to building his real estate business until he was able to go full time. So as soon as he went full time, he quickly scaled his real estate company to where it is now and did all that in less than 3 years. And today he has 8 different streams of income and is working on creating more. With that, let me welcome to the show here, my friend, Nick Perry. Hello, Nick. Welcome to the show.

Nick Perry (04:04):

Jay, what an intro man. That was incredible, but I’m honored and excited to be with you guys right now. So looking forward to learning it from you and, hopefully, being able to give it a lot of value to the audience as well.

Jay Conner (04:15):

Absolutely. Nick. So it looks like you’re relaxing down there in Miami.

Nick Perry (04:22):

I am. I actually just moved into a new house here in Miami Beach. So I’m getting my office set up, the interior designer’s coming back and forth. So I’m hanging out on the couch, working from the couch today.

Jay Conner (04:33):

Awesome. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Well, I appreciate you taking time out to join me and the audience here on the show. So are you ready? You got your seatbelt on?

Nick Perry (04:43):

Let’s go.

Jay Conner (04:45):

All right. What got you into real estate?

Nick Perry (04:49):

My entire life, coming from a kind of middle-class family, everybody that I surrounded myself with was your W-2 employees. They work 9 to 5, just like the majority of the world. And when I was a personal trainer, most of my clients were really, really well off. They were business owners, they were in sales. And those were the guys that were taking nice vacations, they were driving fancy cars, they had freedom and all the things that I wanted in life. And so rather than going with the flock to continue on a 9 to 5 path, I realized that in order to be financially free, I better go out and build a company or get into some high-ticket sales because that’s what everybody who actually had money was doing. So I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but real estate ended up turning out to be that vehicle. And it’s been incredible, as you know, it’s the best decision I ever made in my life.

Jay Conner (05:47):

So you mentioned the word “freedom.” What’s your definition of freedom?

Nick Perry (05:50):

Well, I mean, I’m sitting here right now in Miami Beach. I live two blocks from the ocean. I’ve got the freedom to be able to go where I want when I want, be with the family when I want, so yeah. If I was working at a 9 to 5 job, you just can’t do that kind of thing. So that is also freedom just to be able to go into new ventures and explore different areas of life. That’s really what it’s all about for me. So yeah, I’ve been able to create that for myself and it’s been a heck of a ride.

Jay Conner (06:26):

So, what year did you start?

Nick Perry (06:29):

I landed in Austin, Texas, like you said, without really anything. I had like $5,000 in my name and I just started learning and taking action and I just didn’t give up. And now here we are 7 years later.

Jay Conner (06:45):

Yeah. So what were some of your early struggles?

Nick Perry (06:51):

Early struggles? Obviously, everybody’s got a learning curve, but in 2014, I was doing a lot of direct mail. I wasn’t getting a lot of results either. I would handwrite the cards myself because I didn’t have enough money to pay for a fulfillment house. And I had to get good at sales, too. When I moved down to Austin, it was a much different place than Northern Virginia where I grew up. So, I had to adapt my sales style. You can’t talk so fast down in Texas like you can up in Northern Virginia. So I had to slow down a little bit, and really, the biggest thing was I was getting too much information. I think this is what happens to a lot of investors, as I’m watching YouTube video after YouTube video, trying to absorb as much as I can. And I really didn’t start getting traction until I hired my first mentor and just plugged directly into him. So I started working with Sean Terry, a great guy, in the very beginning, and I would visit with him every quarter and he would tell me exactly what I needed to do and I’d come back the next quarter. And I did that for a couple of years and that really got me going. So hiring a good mentor early was critical for my success. I was fumbling around trying to watch YouTube videos for the first 11 months.

Jay Conner (08:17):

Right. I got you. So yeah, getting a mentor, getting a really, really good coach up front was very important for you. So you’ve got one of the largest, if not the largest, wholesaling company in the US. What does your company look like?

Nick Perry (08:51):

Basically, what does it look like physically? It’s an inside sales office, right? So we’ve got 11 employees and inside of it, we’ve got 5 in Acquisitions. We’ve got 3 in Dispositions, we’ve got my seat as CEO. Then we’ve got a couple support admins and then myself. So we’re not huge, but we’ve been doing it long enough that all of our people are just A players.

Jay Conner (09:23):

So, how many deals are you doing these days in your organization?

Nick Perry (09:28):

So, when we’re in the office, we’re getting anywhere from 3 to 5 contracts every single day. So between 40 to 60 closed and funded deals every month.

Jay Conner (09:39):

Gotcha. And how many different markets are you in?

Nick Perry (09:43):

So the unique thing about my company is we market the entire United States. So I don’t have a specific market or pockets or different markets. I literally blanket the entire US.

Jay Conner (09:59):

Got you. So about five contracts a day. Day in and day out. Let’s make sure everybody understands what we mean when we say “wholesaling.” Different people have different definitions of wholesaling. So what’s your definition of wholesaling? How does that work?

Nick Perry (10:14):

Yeah, wholesaling is, you’re going and you’re contracting a property. Wholesaling, you could literally wholesale any item, but we’ll just use real estate for the example. So you negotiate with a motivated seller to get a property under contract for a certain amount that you can turn around and give it to an investor for a higher amount. So easy numbers, you’ve got a $100,000 property. It’s worth a hundred grand. You get the seller to agree to let you have that property and put it under contract for $65,000. And then you turn around and you find a fix-and-flipper or an investor that wants to buy that property. And they’ll buy it for $75,000. Well, when you get a contract with both parties and turn them into the title company, the title company will give you a $10,000 check or however much the difference is.

Jay Conner (11:03):

Right. So would you say wholesaling in your company is sort of synonymous with assigning or collecting assignment fees?

Nick Perry (11:11):

Correct? Yeah, so we collect a lot of assignment fees, but we’re not just a one-trick pony either. We do “subject to” deals. I hold a lot of rentals in my portfolio, as well. We do novations. So we’re always looking for different exit strategies to monetize more deals.

Jay Conner (11:32):

Right? Explain to everybody what a novation is. What’s a novation deal?

Nick Perry (11:36):

So a novation deal is basically if you have a seller who wants close to retail, their house is in pretty good shape, right? You can go ahead and contract that property. Say they want thousands. We’ll use the $100,000 example again. You got a house that’s a hundred and the seller doesn’t want to take a dime less than 90. Well, you put that property under contract with a novation agreement at 90,000, and that novation agreement will allow you to actually list that property at full retail. Sometimes there’s minor repairs that you do as part of the novation agreement. You may go in and do some carpet or paint or landscaping, but you’re not doing any heavy remodels. These are properties that are in fairly good condition and you can put them and list them and get full retail from a conventional buyer at the end.

Jay Conner (12:27):

Right. What would you say is different about your organization, say from some of your other friends that have real estate investing companies, or say, from some of your other competitors?

Nick Perry (12:41):

Well, being nationwide is completely different than being in a select handful of markets because we don’t have boots on the ground. That would be really impossible, as well. So in order for us to be successful, we have to literally do everything over the phone from acquisitions to dispositions, to coordinating the showings. Literally, everything from A to Z is done remotely from our office in Austin, Texas. So that’s something that’s different than a lot of people, is we’re not having any boots on the ground or anything like that. And then, additionally, my people, that’s the biggest key to my success is the caliber of candidates that we’ve attracted into our organization. I think bar none, I’ll put my team up against anybody’s team that I’ve got a great group of guys.

Jay Conner (14:02):

Give us a 30,000 foot view of how you run a totally virtual remote operation, no boots on the ground. Like what are the key components that you have to have in place for that to work?

Nick Perry (14:27):

So, we do a ton of inbound marketing pretty much through PPC. So we do all online marketing. We don’t do any telecommunications. So a lead will come in and we’re talking to them very similar to the way that most people are talking to these sellers, but when we negotiate, we negotiate over the phone. So we’re going through the property condition. We’re evaluating the property right there on our computers in Austin, and based on the comparables and the condition that the seller describes, we’ll go ahead and contract that property via DocuSign, like electronic signature. And once we have that electronic signature, then the next step is to actually get real photos on file. And that way we can actually start to market that property. So we’ll have the seller take photos for us, or we’ll hire a local handyman or a realtor to go get photos for us on our behalf.

Nick Perry (15:22):

And then from there, once we’ve got our photos, we’ve got our contract and we know how to get access into that property, then we can start locating interested parties who actually want to buy that property. So we’ll go out, we’ll find the buyer, we’ll have them usually put a deposit down before they even go out to the property, once their deposit is in and they’ve agreed to purchase it based on the inspection, we’ll give them one walkthrough after they put their deposit down. Then from there, they’ll do their walkthrough and we’ll use a local title company, or we have national title companies that we use that’ll facilitate the closing with all parties and you send the wire right into our bank account.

Jay Conner (16:08):

So a little more specifically, how do you get really close on estimating repairs?

Nick Perry (16:17):

It’s an art. So one thing that we do is we have a detailed property description and then pictures tell a thousand words, right? So yeah, sellers don’t always know the exact condition of their property, or they try to hide things, you know? But once you have a detailed Rolodex of photos to look at, that’s going to get you really close. Also, after we send somebody in there, if they find out that there’s additional repairs that are needed, we’re going to disclose that to the seller and all parties and make sure that it’s a win-win for everybody involved. We want the investor to get a great deal, solve the seller’s problems. So, nothing’s really getting past us.

Jay Conner (17:08):

You say the majority of your buyers are other real estate investors that are taking the deal down and you’re planning on an assignment fee from them?

Nick Perry (17:21):

Yeah. And unless it’s a novation agreement or sometimes, we’ll just list the properties on the MLS on behalf of the seller. And in those cases, it’s a conventional buyer, but the majority of our clients are all real estate investors like yourself. And you guys that are watching the show that are fixing-and-flipping property, or you’re a buy-and-hold investor looking for additional cash flow properties. Those are our end clients at the end of the day.

Jay Conner (17:51):

You’ve got someone that’s starting out and they want to be in wholesaling. One of the first things they need to do, I suppose, is build a buyers list, right? So what are some of your tips and secrets and strategies on how you quickly build a buyers list of other real estate investors to market wholesale deals today?

Nick Perry (18:15):

Well, yeah, that was one of my biggest challenges going nationwide. I had leads coming in from everywhere, but I didn’t have buyers everywhere. And so one thing that was really helpful to me was you’re going to these masterminds and things like that because I got to know so many other investors from different markets. I was either able to barter, trade, or buy a ton of different buyers lists. So I quickly built up a large buyer’s list just from that. And then, additionally, Facebook is a great tool. There’s tons of real estate investment, Facebook groups, all over where there’s active investors looking for deals. So that and a lot of these small towns, we just reach out to the realtors there because those realtors know everybody, right? They know the doctor that wants to buy a couple of rental properties a month. They know the big fix-and-flipper that’s doing 40 homes a year. So you just get resourceful, roll your sleeves up, and talk to people.

Jay Conner (19:18):

You can’t be picking up the telephone, can you?

Nick Perry (19:22):

Now, we are big on that. I’m big on being on the phones. We don’t do a lot of texting or emailing. My guys, it’s old school, pick up the phone, and make contact and have a conversation.

Jay Conner (19:37):

Yeah, there you go. I love it. We’re in a crazy market nationwide, pretty much every market. There’s no inventory to speak of in the multiple listing service. I hear a lot of my real estate investing friends say it’s the most challenging time that they’ve ever had, finding the off-market deals. And so we gotta be consistently marketing. So first of all, would you agree with that statement that it’s more challenging to find deals today, say than a couple of years ago?

Nick Perry (20:13):

I don’t know. I mean, I’m making more money than I’ve ever made in my career right now. So I think it just comes down to being smart with the way that you’re marketing because if you’re doing telecommunications, which is cold-calling, ringless voicemail, texting sellers, that’s an uphill battle. You’re beating on their door, knocking on their door, asking to give them a cash offer and everybody else is doing that. So one thing that was critical for me was to get really good at online marketing. All I do is pay-per-click advertising. I don’t do any other form of marketing. It’s been that way for a long time just because it’s a completely different approach when somebody’s reaching out to you, asking you for help versus you reaching out and trying to help somebody.

Jay Conner (21:06):

Absolutely. I was gonna say, it’s a whole different conversation when they’re raising their hand looking for you versus you raising your hand and you looking for them. It’s a different, whole conversation when somebody is clicking on your ad and saying, “Hey, please contact me,” versus you’re coming into somebody’s newsfeed or a Facebook ad or anything like that. I love it. So that’s interesting. You’re the only person I’ve talked to that only has one marketing channel. So that’s fantastic. I would think your sales guys, your acquisitions guys have a lot happier day than some other wholesalers.

Nick Perry (21:54):

Big time. If I were to give them cold calling leads or texting leads, they’d probably quit because I mean, it’s a completely different vibe. We get our conversions and it’s 1 out of every 10 to 15 leads is a contract. So they’re having to do much less outbound dials to get deals.

Jay Conner (22:16):

Right. What’s your average cost of a deal these days? What’s your conversion cost? How much money do you have to spend in marketing to get a contract?

Nick Perry (22:31):

I know it fluctuates between $800 and $1200. So our cost per contract’s really low because I’ve been working on PPC for so long. I’ve got my cost per lead really low at this point, which obviously plays a huge part in the cost per contract and profitability and all of that.

Jay Conner (22:49):

That’s fantastic. Do you use virtual assistants in your business?

Nick Perry (22:55):

We do. We have some virtual assistants that help out on the disposition side. We have some a couple of full-time virtual assistants that help follow up within our internal database, but the majority of my staff is all in-house right there in Austin, Texas. And they’re 5 days a week, Monday through Friday just going after it.

Jay Conner (23:21):

What kind of CRM or tools or systems do you have in place that your business really couldn’t live without?

Nick Perry (23:31):

We’ve customized our Podio to do everything that we needed to do. So that’s been phenomenal. If you’re using Podio, find a good developer to help customize it to the way that you like to do business. And then additionally Zillow, we comp using Zillow and we comp using PropStream. So those are really helpful. And then on the selling side of the properties, we use a software called InvestorLift, which is really helpful. It’ll show you all the LLCs of the people that are flipping property there in the area and give you their contact information. So InvestorLift has been a powerful tool for finding those investors across the country.

Jay Conner (24:18):

Interesting. So you’ve got quite a few years of experience right now. My next question, you would probably be able to answer this in more than one way, so I’ll just let you pick one. What’s one of the most important lessons you’ve learned since being in real estate investing?

Nick Perry (24:35):

Oh man. There’s so many. If I had to boil it down to one though, I don’t want to give you a cliché answer, like, “Don’t give up” or anything like that, but in terms of real estate investing is, “It’s going to be okay.” So here’s what I tell a lot of my students, too. It comes down to your team, and let me elaborate on that. “A” Players are the only thing that work in this business. If you have an A Player and B Player, here’s what happens. You got the B Player that ends up getting half of the leads, and that deal that your A Player would have closed and made $70,000 on, your B Player is going to fumble on that and it’s not going to become a deal. So you end up having a lot of lost revenue. So you look at that and you take that scenario and you extract it out over a week, a month, a quarter a year, you could, you could be potentially losing your multiple 7-figures if you don’t have the best talent. So I think people want to try to settle for inexperienced people, people that aren’t A Talent because they don’t think they can afford them and things like that. But I’m telling you, good talent is really the key to my success.

Jay Conner (26:01):

And what are your favorite ways to find that talent?

Nick Perry (26:06):

So I worked at Indeed before coming into real estate. So I know a lot of the tricks on how to get a ton of candidate flow there. And then we’ve come up with a proprietary way of just being able to quickly funnel through people and get near the best people that rise to the top on Indeed. So, Indeed, by far is number one and then referrals, as well. We’ve had a lot of great people come through who work with me just through referrals.

Jay Conner (26:36):

Gotcha. Super! Well, Nick, I tell you what, you have got the experience and you are one impressive human being. What is a final thought or thoughts that you would like to share with the audience?

Nick Perry (26:50):

Yeah, final thoughts. The biggest thing is if you’re already in the business, what tends to happen a lot of times is you plateau, you end up getting stuck. I got stuck in what I call “wholesaling purgatory” for 3 or 4 years where I couldn’t get past 5 to 8 deals a month. And what I did was now that we do 40, 50, 60 deals a month, the biggest difference was 1. Your team, 2. Your marketing, and then 3.) Also being nationwide. So I literally downloaded everything I know into video format and then created a mastermind behind it, as well, where I work with already experienced real estate investors that are looking to get from maybe a handful of deals a month to 7+ figures, multiple 7-figures a year. That’s what I’m really good at is helping people that are already successful in getting them quickly through those growth pains in this business because I already went through it. So that’s my new passion now is working with other investors I get to help. That’s really rewarding to me. And that’s been my new passion since I don’t do much in the day-to-day of my wholesaling operation anymore. I just get out of those guys’ way and let them close deals.

Jay Conner (28:11):

Yeah, man, and I’ve gotten the same passion and that is making a difference in other real estate investors’ lives. So let’s give everybody your website because we got some viewers and most of the people that are going to be listening to us will actually be listening to the podcast. So that website is www.7FigureCartel.com. Did I get that right, Nick?

Nick Perry (28:49):

You got it. Or you can just reach out to me on Instagram. It’s just my name, Nick Perry and then REI like real estate investments. So just Nick Perry REI, or you can go to the website, but yeah, happy to connect and help you guys any way I can.

#Jay Conner #Private Money Lender #Real Estate Business #Real Estate #Real Estate Investing #Real Estate Investor #Real Estate Profit #The Private Money Authority #Flip Your House

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jubilantwriter · 3 years

Text

It All Began with a Big Crash

(AO3)

Summary: It's the one year anniversary of Boyfriend and Girlfriend's growing relationship, and Boyfriend absolutely, totally, DID NOT forget that today is that special day. And yet, that one single DID NOT FORGETTing leads to a domino effect, resulting in quite possibly one of the best nights of their lives.

After all, what's the point of a performance if no one's having fun during it?

Word Count: 7154

(A/N: Happy 1st Anniversary of Friday Night Funkin’! I literally wrote and edited this all in one day. Got home at midnight, started writing, and then I posted it at 10 am, took a nap, went to work, AND NOW I’M HERE ON TUMBLR :D Anyway, FNF has been a big comfort for me these past months, so it’s only fitting that I put myself through hell to get this little bit out. I hope you all enjoy!)

\\\\

Now, Boyfriend isn't a forgetful man. This thought crosses his mind as he stands up abruptly after paying for his lunch and racing for the door.

"Be-!"

"Eep!"

CRASH .

But sometimes things... slip from his mind, and while he's not one prone to panic, THIS is something worth panicking over.

"-EP. SHIT. SORRY!"

"My dishes!" A blonde server kneels on the ground, surrounded by the clumsy carnage created by Boyfriend inadvertently crashing into her on his rush out. She glares accusingly at him as the boy jogs in place. "Again, really?!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He waves his hands in front of him before looking over his shoulder. "I'll pay for the dishes and shit uh, later!" He dashes out the door as she calls out behind him.

"That's what you said LAST time!"

Well, last time he was dirt poor, but now that he's pretty famous around town, he's actually got the moolah to pay for damages! So yeah, next time!

...Is what he meant to tell her, but he's already busting into the conveniently placed flower shop, panting as he looks around wildly for help. The florist in question glances at him completely unbothered by his entrance.

"Forgot an important date again?" she quips, staring back down at her phone as she drapes herself over the counter.

"BAP!" he says defensively, because he DIDN'T forget! It just... slipped his mind a little. In his defense, he'd gotten so used to being with Girlfriend that it felt ... normal! Like they've been together for YEARS and being with her just felt so right, and every day was the greatest day of his life because he had her by his side. So yeah, maybe the days slipped past him in a blissful sort of way, like when he gets super focused on his music or some arbitrary task, and the hours slip by and suddenly it's the next morning! It's kind of like that, but with a girl who makes him smile and laugh and forget that life is supposed to be difficult and hard, and not fun and invigorating. And to think they've only been together for a year...

...A year.

...Wait.

Shit.

SHIT.

He's doing it again!

He bustles over and slaps a fifty on the counter. "Bop!" he announces in a rush, tapping his fingers impatiently as the florist holds it up to the light.

With a low whistle, she puts it back on the table. "Wow, you're really going all out this time, huh?" Before Boyfriend can respond to her sarcasm, the florist calls out to her partner in the back. "Flower! Miku's lil bro is back at it again, dropping a fifty and hoping for the best."

"Again?" A husky voice makes its way over as a familiar bush of thick hair pops out from beyond the doorway. "Boyfriend, you should know by now that apology bouquets are at least a hundred."

"Ba- skida- AUGH! It's not an apology bouquet!" He stomps his foot, irritated to break out the English but knowing full well it’s a matter that needs clear communication. So not really a waste of words, just a waste of energy on two ladies who will give him shit regardless of the noise he makes.

"Oh yeah? What's the occasion?" The taller florist - Lily, hilariously enough - leans forward with a smirk as Flower keeps her deadpan stare.

"It's for my anniversary!" He crosses his arms and harrumphs as Lily whistles again.

"Damn, and you didn't invite us to the wedding? Harsh."

"No, not that-! Ugh, you know what I mean."

"Do we?" Lily and Flower exchange a look before Lily's smirk widens. "I dunno, you don't give us the dirt anymore. Remember when you'd come in here all the time, red in the face trying to get apology bouquets for that one boy? What's his name-"

"Pico," he answers, a bit flustered as the memories rush through his mind before shaking his head, "and he liked them all, by the way! But this isn't about him-"

"No, it's about your new girl, right?" Flower cuts in, leaning against the doorway with a bored expression. "What's her favorite color? It's not green, is it?"

"It's red, and please can you make it quick? I dunno when she wants us to meet up, so...!" He flashes them two thumbs up and is about to bounce, but Lily grabs the collar of his shirt with a chuckle.

"Not so fast, dumbass." She pulls him back to the counter as he whines pathetically. "You really think a fifty is enough for an anniversary bouquet?"

Oh no. He starts to sweat, feeling his wallet tremble in fear. They're doing it again. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean, Flower?" Lily turns back to the shorter florist as the other makes a thoughtful hum.

"One hundred, at least."

"Yeah, at least one hundo." Lily holds her hand out. "C'mon, cough it up, shorty."

This is beyond unreal, but at the same time, it is completely expected from people who teased him relentlessly since he was a kid. "If it wasn't for Miku, you guys wouldn't even be here!"

"We're only here because of convenience, please." Lily snorts as the boy continues to struggle. "So you aiming for an apology bouquet or an anniversary bouquet?"

"Just cut me a deal, please? For old time's sake?" He clasps his hands together and bats his eyelashes. "I'm still that cute little kid who used to pretend to be like Miku! Who could forget good ol' Mikuo?"

"One hundred." Flower cuts off the potential reminiscing and steps up to the counter. "Or it's an apology bouquet."

Grumbling miserably, Boyfriend digs around in his pocket and manages to snag something. He pulls out his hand and counts out four quarters. Quietly, he puts it on top of the fifty.

Flower and Lily both look at it silently.

"...Well," Flower begins, slowly taking the money, "I did say one hundred."

Roll with it roll with it roll with it-

"Yeah, and uh, four twenty-fives makes one hundred, right?"

"What, are we speaking French now?" Lily asks with a sneer.

"No," Boyfriend begins, blinking slowly, "pretty sure we're speaking English."

"Oh my god." She slaps her hand over Flower's. "We are not doing this."

"I gave you one hundred," he argues, sweating miserably as he turns up the confidence.

"He did give us one hundred," Flower agrees.

"You are not giving this to him. You know he didn't even plan this! He's too stupid to pull a slick move like that!"

Boyfriend just smiles and gives them a double thumbs up.

"It's not like anyone else is gonna be coming in to give us another job." Flower hums and stows the money in the register, much to Lily's chagrin. "And besides, if I get bored making it, I'll just take a nap."

"Flower-!" Before Lily can protest even more, Flower disappears into the backroom, no doubt to either work on the bouquet or take that nap. Lily turns back to Boyfriend and glares, jabbing a finger against his chest. "Be back here in a few hours. You're taking whatever the hell she makes for you, stingy little bitch."

"That's all I have on my person!"

"We accept credit and debit."

"I have bills to pay."

"You're such a little-!" Lily makes a strangling gesture with her hands before grabbing and shaking him. "You better give this girl a helluva anniversary."

"I'm trying!" He backs up and shoots the tall florist finger guns before vacating the premises. Okay, one thing down. Next: chocolates. Easy-peasy. What place sells heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and other cutesy, anniversary items?

Boyfriend makes a beeline for the local grocery store and spends only a total of thirty minutes there, making the proud purchase of a box of chocolates, a little teddy bear holding a heart, and even a balloon that says, "I Love You". Score! Damn, he's doing great so far. And it was such a quick purchase! Maybe Miku's friends could learn a thing or two about making quick sales instead of harassing him over every little thing.

What's next, what's next...

A place for dinner, right! Girlfriend loves the local bar. Great food, a nice atmosphere, open mic nights, a server who's familiar with them...

A server that he crashed into and made her drop all those dishes to the floor... like that other time he did it to her and held up the service for a sizable amount of time...

He gulps. Hm. She's probably still mad at him too. But uh, huh. He's not sure what to do. Maybe, maybe...

He takes out his phone and dials a familiar number. It rings only twice before a gruff, annoyed voice answers on the other side.

"I'm busy, the fuck you want?"

Without missing a beat, he gets on his metaphorical hands and knees. "Pico, can I ask a favor, please please pretty please?"

"Wow, English. Must be desperate." There's a loud crash on his end before Pico's voice yells at a pair of playful, young laughter. "Hey- hey! Watch it!"

"Pico, so uh, could you-?"

"Hey- give me that!" More raucous laughter fills the line as Pico sighs. "Sorry, Bee, don't think I can help ya today. I was supposed to just watch these two kids 'til Lila came back, but then I got a call from a pal who needs help at her joint and- Skid, Jesus fucking Christ -" There's some shuffling and a grunt as a playful squeal rings a little too close to the phone. Pico continues as though nothing happened on his end. "-and so basically I'm double booked for the night."

"Oh, okay." He tries not to let the disappointment seep into his voice, but another sigh from Pico suggests that he heard it regardless.

"Look, I'm real sorry, wish I could help, but a line's formin' and I can only do so much." Pico grunts and a soft thump is heard. Two voices chatter away distantly in the background, but Boyfriend focuses solely on Pico. "Why? What happened?"

"Well, today's me and Girlfriend's anniversary, and I wanted to take her out but-"

"Can't figure out a place to take her? C'mon man, you- Jesus, you two, slow down, I'm comin'- you already know one."

"Yeah, the bar but-"

"What, ya worried about 'bout lines or somethin'? I know it's busy and shit, but I'm sure Serv will get ya guys' a table easy. It's just you two, you'll be fine."

"Okay, but-"

"Oh my GOD, what the HELL is THAT?!"

A faint, childish voice answers Pico's horrified question as Boyfriend listens in. "That's Moloch!"

"...MOLOCH?"

A roar sounds from Pico's side of the phone call. The voice - uh, Skid, was it? - laughs excitedly. "Yeah! He's our friend!"

"He lives in Skid's attic!"

A demonic voice nearly blows out Boyfriend's eardrums. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"...Does your MOM know about this?!"

"Sorta! She thinks he's a rat."

"Hey hey HEY, back OFF-! Sorry, Bee, I'll call ya later!"

The last thing he hears is another roar before the line hangs up. Pico will probably be fine - he's handled worse after all, and even Boyfriend's faced off a demon or two! Maybe three, if that Lemon Man those two kids were friends with counted as well. Man, demons are just everywhere, huh?

...Speaking of demons. There’s one demon he really should be focusing on. Like getting their dinner date set up at her favorite bar in town. Even though he’s probably on that bar’s shitlist for knocking over their number one employee again .

But Girlfriend really does love going to that bar, and if it's for her... Fuck it, he'll suck it up and take whatever Server-chan's got against him. He'll just challenge her to a quick rap battle, win, and THEN they can have a nice dinner! Yeah, that's what he'll do. Lily's words replay in his mind as he walks off to his apartment to change into something nicer.

"You better give this girl a helluva anniversary."

Fuck yeah he will.

"Damn, after all these years, you still can't tie a tie." Lily frets over his outfit as she helps him tidy up a bit. A colorful ribbon now decorates the box of chocolates, tying it together with the teddy bear with the balloon also tied around its wrist. He grabs the tied together present after she rolls his sleeves up to his elbow.

"Bouquet?" he asks hopefully as Lily dusts off his shoulders for the hundredth time.

She huffs and shakes her head, blowing a stray hair out of her face. "You're lucky Flower didn't take a nap halfway through. It's her best work so far! All for the low, low cost of $51, tax not included."

"There's tax?!" He almost falls over, but Lily grabs him by the collar of his dress shirt.

"Chill out, we'll charge it to Miku's account."

"Oh, thanks." He swats away her hands when she tries to tuck in the other half of his shirt. "Fuck off, it's part of my style!"

"What, being sloppy?"

"The ladies love it."

"Your lady deserves better."

"But I'm the best there is!"

"Oh, God," Lily groans as her expression falls into despair. "Egotism really does run in the family."

"Enough about the family ego," Flower pipes up, her hands full with a large, beautiful bouquet. "These flowers need to be appreciated."

"Holy shit." Boyfriend takes the entire bouquet, admiring the reds, pinks, and whites. There's a smattering of small, lavender flowers here and there, making the other colors pop. "Roses!" he points out, the only flower he recognizes.

"Yup, and there's also lilies, alstroemeria, and-"

"Don't waste your breath," Lily cuts in, covering Flower's mouth before she can list them all out. "He won't remember any of the names."

A disappointed sigh escapes Flower, so he gives her the biggest grin he can muster. "Yo, I still think it's hella bomb to look at. I really think she'll love it!"

Flower perks up a bit, a small smile forming on her usually stoic face. "...Cool."

"Alright, get outta here." Lily shoves him back to the door with a grin. "You got a hot date, yeah? Go give her the night of her life!"

"Yeah!" He waves to the pair before leaving. "Gonna have a great night at the bar!"

Lily's smile falters as Flower's smile immediately disappears. "...The what?"

"See ya!"

"Wait, Boyfriend! You're taking her out to the fucking BAR?!"

He doesn't have the time to turn back and answer Lily, so he goes along his merry way, bouquet clutched tightly against his chest with the bear. Hopefully the incident from earlier today has been swept away. He really doesn't want to have a rap battle with Server-chan, but if he has to...

"Boyfriend!" A sweet, melodic voice pulls him from his thoughts as he looks over to see his beautiful, wonderful Girlfriend. Her iconic look now sports a sleek, black jacket reminiscent of her mother's own jacket. It looks stunning on her, and a soft, longing "beep" escapes him as she giggles and kisses his cheek. "Hey, hun. Happy anniversary!"

"Happy anniversary!" He holds out his gifts for her to take, and he delights in her unabashed joy as she takes them.

"Oh! This teddy bear is so cute, and these flowers are lovely!" Another giggle escapes her as she points at the bouquet. "Roses!"

"That's what I said!" They both share a laugh before her smile settles into something soft and relaxed.

"Now I wish I got you something too..." Girlfriend pouts a bit, but he kisses it away with a grin.

"Hey, don't sweat it! Lemme spoil you for the night instead." He offers her his arm, and she happily loops hers with his. They walk into the bar together and are met with a familiar face standing behind a podium. Despite being the hostess, Cassette Girl keeps her iconic cap on as she notices them and greets them with a lazy smile.

"Wooow," she drawls out, giving Boyfriend a knowing grin. "Back again so soon? And after that huge fuss you made."

"Fuss?" Girlfriend gives Boyfriend a curious look.

"Uhh, beep bah."

"Didn't tell her about your mishap, huh?" Cassette Girl raises an eyebrow and shakes her head. "Well, if you wanted to know, Serv got it figured out. Called in a favor last minute, and luckily he was nice enough to help out."

"Sorry about that," he says sheepishly, and Cassette Girl merely shrugs.

"It's whatever. Not the first time you messed her up real good. And besides, you're not even the first person to make her crash and burn for a hot minute."

"Is this still about the fuss you guys are talking about?" Girlfriend looks between the two as Cassette Girl chuckles.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. Lemme take ya to your seats. Bar or nah?"

"Nah, it's our anniversary date today!"

"And you guys are spending it here?” She pauses for a second in thought before shaking her head. “Alright." Cassette Girl takes it in stride and seats them near the miniature stage.

"Oh, is it open mic night tonight?" Girlfriend sits down, already excited for the night as Cassette Girl chuckles and hands them the menus.

"Nah, originally we had a band booked tonight, but their back-up vocalist got injured, so they called it off last minute. It's gonna be a quiet night instead."

"Aww." The pout on Girlfriend's face lasts only a second before her smile returns. "Oh well! Sometimes quiet is nice too."

"Right you are. Anyway, your waiter will be with you guys in just a sec, so take your time. We're not too busy tonight, so feel free to cause more havoc." She flashes a grin before walking back to her station.

Girlfriend waves goodbye and turns back to Boyfriend with a smile. "Cassey is so nice! I wish we could talk to her more."

"Maybe we'll catch her on the street one of these days." He cracks open the menu, perusing the contents before deciding on getting his usual.

"Maybe! Should I try something new tonight?"

"Wouldn't hurt."

"But I don't know what to get..."

"Maybe we can ask the waiter?" He looks around for their supposed waiter, but all he sees is an unimpressed Pico standing at their table. "Oh! Pico! You're dressed like a waiter!"

True to his observations, Pico is dressed similarly to Server-chan; a black long sleeved shirt replaces his usual green sweater, and a pair of black slacks replaces his usual beige cargo pants. The only splash of color on his outfit is the bright orange apron that all servers seem to wear as per uniform, and it absolutely clashes with Pico's own bright, red hair.

"That's because I am the waiter, dumbass." The bite from his remark is lost from the tired slump of his shoulders, and the ginger begins to resemble Server-chan with each passing second. "At least for tonight. She called me in for a favor, and I agreed to help."

The conversation from earlier today pings in Boyfriend's memory. "Is this what you meant when you said you were double booked?"

"Yeah. Told me some blue-haired douchebag steamrolled her on his way out, and she ended up breaking a whole buncha dishes. She went out to go replace the whole set, so I'm coverin' for the rest of her shift while she takes care of it. Now that I think about it," Pico fixes him with a stern, knowing glare as Boyfriend shrinks under his sharp eyes, "I kinda already know about a certain blue-haired douchebag."

"I'll pay her back, I promise."

"You fuckin' better." Pico looks over to Girlfriend and offers her a tired grin when she waves cheerfully. "Hey, Red, he treatin' ya well tonight?"

"Yup! He got me chocolates, a bear, a balloon, AND a bouquet!"

"Really spoilin' ya there."

"Only the best for Gigi, right?" He nudges Pico playfully, the earlier irritation already melting away from his expression as he rolls his eyes and ruffles Boyfriend's hair.

"Yeah yeah. Ya guys ready to order?"

Pico takes their orders and departs quickly, the couple watching him disappear somewhere in the bar as their collective thoughts gather on one thing only.

"Mm, Pico should wear uniforms more often, huh?"

"It definitely looks flattering on him." They both hum before taking sips from the water Pico had set down earlier while taking their orders. With no ginger to distract them, Girlfriend's attention centers back on Boyfriend as she smiles. "Thanks for taking me out here for dinner! I know it's not easy for us to go out on dates since my parents still hover, so I'm really happy that we went out like you planned!"

"Oh yeah, totally." His easy grin hides the absolute panic he had for the entire half of his day when he realized he had nothing planned. "I wish I could treat you out for something better, but nothing else is really happening around this time of year-"

"Except for Spooky Month!" Two voices pipe up out of nowhere as the costumed duo surprise the couple.

"Oh, goodness, hello!" She laughs as Skid and, uh, Pump? Stand by their table looking curious. "How have you two been?"

"Okay! Mr. Pico has been babysitting us since Mom's been busy with her work stuff." Skid bounces on his heels as Pump looks up more calmly. "We wanted to introduce him to Moloch, but..."

"He didn't like him too much. He said Moloch is more scary than spooky." Pump sticks his tongue out and laughs. "Silly Mr. Pico! He does not understand that Moloch is our friend!"

"Moloch?" Girlfriend hums as bobs her head in thought. "That name sounds familiar. There was a demon that went missing months ago by that name..."

"Oh, weird!"

"Moloch came to us months ago too! But now he stays in Skid's attic."

"It's like a sleepover every day!"

"That sounds like fun!" She giggles as the kids bounce around her.

Boyfriend watches with a smile before remembering that “double booked” thing that Pico mentioned earlier. Were these the kids he was watching when Boyfriend called…? "So why are you guys here? If Pico is supposed to be babysitting you guys, but is working here instead..." Boyfriend wonders how Pico manages to balance so many jobs at once. He himself can barely handle the one!

"Mr. Pico said that he didn't trust Moloch and wanted us to stay somewhere safer."

"Which is weird, because Moloch is our friend! But it made him happier, so we came here with him."

"It's boring here, so Pump and I have been teaching lots of people how to spooky dance!"

"Oh?" Girlfriend indulges them and smiles as they crowd closer to her. "Can you show me too?"

"You don't know the spooky dance?"

"We should show her!"

"It goes like this!" The pair of children do a little dance for her, and a happy laugh escapes her as she watches. Boyfriend leans back and enjoys her happiness as the kids continue to chat with her.

"That looks like fun!"

"You can do it too!" Skid tugs on her hands, and it's enough to get her to stand up. "Just hold out your hands like this-"

"-and then you move like this!" The two of them demonstrate one more time before looking at Girlfriend expectantly. It takes her a few times, but the kids are surprisingly patient and more than happy to show her as many times as she requests until she gets it right. The sight of her having so much fun melts his heart, and he sighs as he watches her enjoy herself.

"Damn, look at you, meltin' into the table."

Boyfriend nearly slams his face against the table, making Pico guffaw as he puts their meals on the table. "Dude!"

"What? Just spittin' facts. Hey!" Pico's hands come to rest on his hips as he glares at the kids. Both Girlfriend and Boyfriend exchange a look, hiding their amused grins behind their hands as Pico takes on his caretaking role. "Skid, Pump, what did I say 'bout botherin' the customers?"

"Uhh..." The two kids freeze in place, looking at each other before looking at Pico. "Don't?"

"And what are you two doin'?"

"Bothering your friends!" Pump grins as Skid nods in agreement. "They are not customers, right?"

A puff of a laugh escapes Girlfriend as Boyfriend nudges Pico. "Yeah dude, we're your friends, not customers. We should get a de-"

A glare is enough to silence Boyfriend, but Girlfriend's composure quickly falls apart as a fit of giggles escapes her. Pico ignores her as he focuses his attention on his two charges. "They're still customers."

"But it's boring here!"

"Yeah, it's too quiet. You said there'd be music!"

"But there's no music, except for the soft elevator music."

"But that's boring too."

Both boys pout as Pico sighs and massages his temples. "Look, I didn't know the band would cancel today. After I'm done here, we can do something fun , okay?"

"Like getting candy?"

"Yeah, like gettin' candy." The two kids cheer and run off somewhere before Pico can stop them. "Hey-!"

"Damn, Pico, I didn't think you'd be good with kids." Boyfriend snickers as he eats a fry, watching as Pico sighs for the umpteenth time.

"You call that bein' good with kids?"

"It's better than I'd ever expect outta you."

"Rude little bitch." Pico snatches a few fries and chomps on them, ignoring Boyfriend's protests.

"When do you get off, Pico?" Girlfriend spins her fork around in her pasta before feeding the first bite to Boyfriend, keeping her eyes on Pico as the ginger hums thoughtfully.

"Technically nine, but I gotta watch the kids 'til ten. That's when Lila comes back from her shit."

"Do you wanna come over for movie night?" She looks over to Boyfriend who nods in agreement. Pico laughs and shakes his head.

"Ain't this supposed to be ya guys' anniversary date? Why the hell am I bein' invited?"

"'Cause it's more fun when you join us!" Boyfriend pipes up, making his eyes go wide with hope, knowing how much of a sucker Pico is for his puppy dog eyes. Like he predicts, Pico grumbles and looks away, a slight blush to his cheeks as he tries to regain his composure.

"Touchin', but nah. It's y'all's day. It's not my place to interrupt."

"You wouldn't be-!" A ringtone goes off in the middle of her sentence. Girlfriend pauses, taking her phone out as her smile vanishes. "Oh, just a minute." She leaves the table quickly as she answers her phone with a faint, "Hi, Daddy..."

"Hm." They watch her go outside before Pico turns back to Boyfriend. "I hope you have somethin' really good planned for tonight."

"Well, I don't have anything planned, per se-"

"Oh for fuck's sake-"

"But! Movie night is gonna be a thing! Or, was." Boyfriend frowns, not liking how it was her dad who called her. Knowing him, he could be asking her to come home earlier than planned, ruining their romantic movie night. "I was gonna play it by ear, y'know, in case something like that happens."

"Fair." Pico crosses his arms and fixes Boyfriend with a stare. "So how are you gonna save this night then?"

"Dunno yet." Boyfriend bites his lip and scratches at the table. "Like I said, I don't have much planned, so like..." His eyes wander over to the stage. A keyboard is the only instrument present on the stage alongside the stereos. He blinks slowly at the sight of it, a hum low in his throat.

"What? Ya suddenly got an idea?" Pico follows his gaze and whistles low. "Gonna sing a love song?"

"What? No." A pause. "Maybe. I dunno."

"You dunno?"

"I don't really have a song lined up." But it would be perfect. She loves it when he sings. Or raps. Or does anything really. And she did seem a little disappointed when she found out that there wasn't going to be a show tonight...

"You're a rapper," Pico supplies easily. "Just freestyle."

"But I don't have any beats." Which is true, unless he gets some help. His eyes wander up to meet Pico's gaze. "...Can I ask a favor?"

"Shoot."

"You still beatbox?"

And Pico smirks. "Only if ya got a plan."

Boyfriend looks around the bar, his eyes landing on the Spooky Boys and Cassette Girl. Music flows behind his eyes as he maps out the beats and flows on the spot. Fingers tap out the rhythm he wants to follow, and Pico taps his foot in tandem. "I think," he says, watching as Girlfriend comes back into the bar with a gloomy look on her face, "I've got a plan."

Pico leans forward, and Boyfriend quickly whispers it to him before shooing the ginger away. When Girlfriend takes her seat, Boyfriend takes it upon himself to buy some time for Pico as he keeps Girlfriend's attention on him.

"Something up?"

"Oh, it's just Daddy." Her frown deepens, and Boyfriend can feel his heart drop from the sight. She shouldn't be unhappy on their anniversary - of course her dad would ruin things for her. "He wants me to come home early, says he doesn't want me to stay over too late since he doesn't trust you to keep your hands to yourself."

"Tch. Your old man needs to lay off." From the corner of his eye, he sees Cassette Girl wander to some backroom, only to reappear with a few more coworkers as one of them takes over her position by the podium. Pico follows her next, helping her set up a couple of mics as she tests out the keyboard. The noises catch the attention of the patrons, including Girlfriend as she turns in interest at the ruckus.

"What's going on? Oh, is there a show happening after all?" A small smile forms on her lips as she watches the prep. "I wonder who they managed to get!"

"Yeah, I wonder." Boyfriend lets her watch them for a second longer before taking her attention again. "So how long can you stay out?"

"Mmm, at most, maybe an hour? Daddy's imps will come and pick me up, regardless of where I am." She puffs her cheeks out, which would normally be cute if she wasn't so distressed. "Mommy was okay with me spending the night! But Daddy won't even let me stay before midnight, so that ruins movie night..."

"Hey, don't worry about it. We can always have movie night whenever." He reaches over and takes her hand, giving it a firm, comforting squeeze.

"But today was supposed to be our day." She frowns again, holding onto his hand as she sighs softly. "We were supposed to have a nice night doing whatever we wanted. And now that's going to be ruined because my dad is being... himself again."

Random beats start playing. It takes them both by surprise as they turn around to see Pico messing with... some kind of pad? Is that a launchpad? Cassette Girl shakes her head and points to some buttons before Pico nods and- ah. So he didn't steal it from someone. Clearly, it was Cassette Girl's own device.

"What are they doing?" Girlfriend watches with more interest as the two kids clamber onto the stage, Pico talking to them softly as they nod along to whatever he's saying excitedly. He wags his finger like a metronome, and the boys both follow its movement before nodding furiously as he grins and pats the tops of their heads. As Pico looks up from the boys, he meets Boyfriend's gaze and gives a small nod before standing up.

"They're getting a show ready for you." Boyfriend grins when Girlfriend looks over to him bewildered.

"What do you mean, for me?"

"Heeeellloooo, everyone!" Cassette Girl speaks into the microphone with her familiar drawl, getting the patrons to quiet down as they watch with rapt attention. "Now, as you know, our booked gig for tonight ended up cancelling, but at the very last minute, we managed to snag another performer instead! You may be familiar with his bright blue hair and obnoxious voice," a rumble of laughter rolls through the crowd, but he takes it all in stride as he waits for the intro to end, "but he's gotten pretty famous throughout these parts for his amazing freestyle rap! Dedicated to his lovely Girlfriend of one year, we have Mr. Boyfriend, here to perform for one night only!"

"Boyfriend?!" Girlfriend's eyes widen in excitement as he stands from his seat, grinning confidently as he winks to her. It's not often he gets to perform for the sake of performing, so he wants to make this the best performance she's ever seen.

"You better give this girl a helluva anniversary."

As if he wasn't.

He takes the offered microphone from Cassette Girl as she takes her place behind the keyboard.

"Heya, folks!" He waves out to the crowd as the people who recognize him from his many rap battles cheer him on. Girlfriend cheers from the crowd, for once enjoying the show as just a normal person, instead of being in the thick of it. "Like Cassey said, this show is dedicated to my Girlfriend. I started this whole career for her, and if it weren't for her, I never would have found this flow in my life. I love her more than any song can convey, so I hope a show's worth of songs can get the message along. Now are you ready to get funkin' lit?!"

The crowd erupts into cheers as Girlfriend stands and cheers the loudest, her smile wide and bright as she pumps her fist in the air. They wait for the crowd to calm down before Pico starts his beatboxing. The beat begins slow, the notes sounding familiar as recognition settles on Girlfriend's features.

"Yo," he begins, holding the microphone close to his lips as he gets into the beat, "it's the remix." Pico's beatboxing continues before Cassette Girl joins in with her keyboard. The beat plays from the launchpad as the beatboxing ends, and that's his cue to start rapping.

"Don't look complacent, wearin' those rags, you ain't adjacent. Lookie, I'm fly, and you look basic. Look in her eyes, and I feel like takin' it for the win." He meets Girlfriend's gaze with a grin as he waves his hand back and forth, pumping the crowd up as he continues to rap.

"Her dad be evil, no twin. Skin purp' like the Sprite, sippin'. He open his yap and you wouldn't believe it's the sound of an angel when he spittin'." At Pico's cue, Skid and Pump join in with a chant of, "Go man go! Go man go!" They keep it up as Boyfriend continues to rap, the energy high and exciting as he performs for fun.

"Even though he look like a demon, hold my blue nuts as I battle for the takin'. Of this girl, I just wanna hold her hand. Look in our DM's and it's like candy land." Boyfriend kneels on the stage and gestures for Girlfriend to come closer. Without missing a beat, Girlfriend makes her way over, her head bobbing in time to the rhythm as she smiles blissfully.

"Yo, I really can't bust when her evil ass dad tryna make my ass be grass. So I got one shot, learned to spit real hot, and it might just go like this." As he takes her hand, he pulls her onto the stage and the Spooky Boys go quiet for his next lines.

"I don't mean no disrespect, but there's something about her I can't let go. Baby, you know that I love you, even though my balls are blue." The joke gets a giggle from Girlfriend, and it takes all his willpower not to stop rapping just to kiss her right there.

"I want to spend my life with her, even if her dad is evil or some shit. Now spit it like this: we gettin' freaky on a Friday night, chyeah!" The crowd goes wild as he scoops Girlfriend up in one arm, cradling her against his body as he continues to rap. Her arms wrap around his neck as she leans against him, warm and happy in his embrace.

As she should be.

The Spooky Boys return with the chant, pumping the crowd up some more as they cheer loudly with the rap.

"I just want to hold her tight, chyeah! Her hair, her eyes, her thighs, yeah. If I die, it'll all be worth it. Just to get a chance to show she's worth it!" He sways with the beat, watching as the crowd gets into the performance. Besides him, Cassette Girl is grinning, nodding her head to the beat as she plays the mellow tunes on her keyboard. Pico meanwhile focuses his attention alternating between beatboxing and playing the right beats on the launchpad, all while paying attention to the song and directing when the boys start and end their chant. Despite the amount of tasks on his shoulders, he holds himself high and proud, enjoying himself with a smile as he moves with the beat. Even the kids are enjoying themselves, bouncing on the spot and watching Pico intently for his cues. A part of Boyfriend wonders if they're even paying attention to the lyrics or if they're too engrossed in the beats and sounds coming from the keyboard and launchpad to even care.

Not that it matters.

All that matters is that they're all having fun . He looks out into the crowd and sees smile upon smile as they're all enjoying themselves to the music. This. This is what performing is all about. The energy, the enjoyment, everyone losing themselves to the music and forgetting their woes and worries for even just a minute-

That's what makes it all so worth it.

He raps the chorus one last time before letting the beat peter out, Pico ending the song with his beatboxing increasing in tempo before ending it abruptly. The crowd continues their cheers as Boyfriend yells into his microphone.

"You guys ready for more?!"

There's no doubt in his mind that he will absolutely be banned from the bar after this show, just with how rowdy the crowd is getting. But it's all worth it in the end as he nods to his friends to play whatever beat that comes to mind. He'll come up with the lyrics on the fly, all of them dedicated to Girlfriend as he sets her down and holds her tight to his side as they sway together.

He doesn't know how long they go for. All the hype and excitement pushes him to continue, and when he looks over to see if Pico or Cassette Girl or even the boys look just a little tired, he's surprised to see them too excited to even consider taking a break. The night is filled with raps filled with jokes and love as the clock finally strikes ten.

Time to end the show.

"Alriiiight, everyone!" Cassette Girl takes the microphone back from Boyfriend, panting slightly as she gestures to the crowd that grew during the performance. "Unfortunately, that's it for this show! Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed your meals, and please, come back again when we host another gig or open mic!" The crowd applauds as they all bow. Cassette Girl pats his shoulder with a grin and turns back to help Pico clean up. Girlfriend clings to his side, giggling and burying her face against his neck.

"Ohhh, that was so much fun!" Her giddiness makes him laugh as he hugs her tight, covering her face in kisses as he breathes for the first time since the performance began.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Are you kidding?!" She laughs and picks him up, twirling them together in a circle before cuddling him midair. "That was the most fun I've had in ages!"

"I'm glad," he admits, relief washing over him that their night was a success after all. "Sucks we didn't finish our dinners though."

"I can get boxes for them." Pico shows up next to them, both kids curled up in his arms as they cling to him. "Or, uh, I can get Cass to get 'em for ya."

"Aww, are they tired?" Girlfriend sets Boyfriend down to take a look at the kids. "They did a really good job tonight!" Skid lifts his head up, a tired but bright smile on his face as he giggles.

"That was fun! I wanna do it again, Mr. Pico!"

"I'll think about it. Remember what we promised before the show?"

"No repeating the bad words around mom," both boys respond, although Pump's words are muffled against Pico's shirt. He chuckles and nods towards the couple.

"I gotta get these kids home. You guys get some rest too."

"We will." Boyfriend stretches, feeling worn out from the show.

"See ya."

"Bye, Pico!" Girlfriend waves as Pico walks off, the two kids waving from Pico's arms. "He really is good with kids, even if he won't admit it."

"He's always been protective of them." They both hum, the thought sobering them a bit as they watch the ginger disappear in the crowd. "We should visit him later and make sure he's okay too."

"Sounds like a plan." Girlfriend smiles and takes his hand, swinging their arms between them. A waitress comes by quickly, helping them pack their barely eaten dinners and shooing them out of the bar. As they leave, Boyfriend passes by Server-chan, her expression still looking exhausted as their eyes meet. But despite this, she smiles when she sees him, and he hopes she had fun too during his show.

He and Girlfriend walk for about five minutes before a limo pulls up beside them. She sighs and turns to hug him tight, her face buried in his shoulder before she kisses him softly.

"Thanks for the lovely night," she whispers, soft and tender as the warmth from her cheek seeps through his shirt. "It really was the best night of my life."

"I'm glad then," he whispers back, pressing a kiss to her temple. "'Cause I'm gonna make sure I make every night the best night of your life from now on."

She giggles, pulling herself away reluctantly before climbing into the limo. He watches as it drives away into the night, leaving him alone.

The night air is cold and brisk, but he finds himself warm regardless. A smile wide and bright on his face as he stuffs his hands into his pockets, a tune coming out in the form of a whistle as he walks home.

What a night to remember.

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