#that i thought about changing jobs and becoming a paralegal

[fulmis]

For as long as you'd let me (Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You’ve worked in Nelson, Murdock, & Page for over a year as a paralegal. Despite being aware of his feelings for you Matt has never acted out on them, believing you deserve more to be happy. However, that soon changes when you start dating someone else.

Warnings: no use of y/n, reader uses she/her pronouns, angst with a happy ending, feelings of jealousy, mentions of crying, and mentions of blood/injuries (canon typical ones)

Notes: This is the first time I write Matt, and overall the first time I write a one-shot. It’s not proofread either, so please let me know of any mistakes (which I apologize for in advance). Also, this is vaguely inspired by Taylor Swift’s “The Way I Loved You”.

It started as a simple paralegal job. With Karen dividing her time between The Bulletin and Nelson, Murdock & Page, she reached out to you, and you quickly became a member of the group.

Mornings, afternoons, and late nights were spent working on cases. Plus your weekly visits to Josie’s meant that there wasn’t much time you spent without Karen, Foggy, and Matt. You couldn’t complain, you loved your job. Although what made it so much better was how the small group started to feel like your family.

That was why you had never bothered to pursue your small crush on Matt. Romance in the workplace was bound to ruin things. You didn't want to compromise everything you had achieved in the past few months. Yet every time you were alone with Matt your heart was unable to contain itself.

“I’m just saying, maybe he feels the same way you do.”

“I don’t know Karen…”, you let out a low chuckle to try to hide your embarrassment.

“I’m serious… I know he can be hard to read sometimes, but every time you’re around he seems… happy.” She gave you a hopeful smile, and you thought back to every single time you’d been around him. The feather-light brushes of his hand against yours as he reaches for the braille documents when you’re doing late-night research. Or maybe how he always offers to walk you home as you head out of Josie’s, his hold on your arm becoming arms intertwined as you grew more comfortable with each other.

It just never went past that. The familiar closeness never moved beyond flirty; it had just enough innocence to regard it as nothing more than friendly. Little did you know your crush wasn’t as unrequited as you thought.

Matt often thought about you. It started with the small things like how you’d hum quietly on your desk. The song coming from your lips was one he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He’d try to figure out the song every now and then, but it didn’t really matter because he just loved listening to your voice. Sometimes he realized he was humming it back as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop during patrol, your voice engraved on his mind.

On other days he would listen to you talking to yourself as you made coffee while pacing through the kitchenette. It brought warmth to his heart. You always brought him a fresh cup of coffee as soon as it finished brewing. The gesture never failed to bring a smile to his face, especially after you started bringing your own coffee to the office. The scent was rich and nutty, nothing compared to the cheap dirt Foggy used to steal from the financial office next door when they started the firm.

Matt couldn’t help it either every time you spent the night helping him work on a case, even long after Karen and Foggy wrapped up the day and headed home. He admired your resilience, and how determined you were to read things over and over just to find the smallest of details that could help them turn the case over.

He just didn’t know what to do.

This was an unfamiliar situation. Flirting wasn't new to him, but becoming nervous around someone, overthinking his every move? That was a whole thing on its own. Those signs pointed to serious feelings, not the casual flings he was used to. In the past, every now and then a one-night stand might happen, but he’d always tell Foggy the same at the end.

It didn’t work out.

After the whole Elektra ordeal, nobody ever stuck around for long, and he knew the reason why. The Devil inside of him always made him half a man, bound to split his time between the law and keeping Hell’s Kitchen safe. Even if you actually wanted him as Matt Murdock, there was no way you would love the darkness inside his heart.

Because nobody could genuinely love every part of him. He was a broken pile of glass, the pieces bloodied and ready to cut through the hands of anyone who chose to hold them. If his feelings were to be reciprocated he knew he would break your heart eventually, and you deserved so much more than pathetic excuses or missed dates.

She’ll leave you. She deserves better, and the minute she finds out she’ll be gone.

With every minute spent in your presence, the thought was only reaffirmed. There was an ever-constant tug of war between his heart and his fears, the latter always seemed to pull harder. Which is why he never got the courage to ask; because let’s be honest, who could ever want someone that was nothing more than a liability?

Months went by, and you lost all hope. Not even Foggy or Karen could get Matt to act out on his feelings, and you assumed he really only thought of you as a friend.

When you found yourselves at Josie’s on a random Friday, the night started just like any other, until you went to get the next round of drinks at the bar. A familiar voice called out your name. Your eyes landed on an old friend from college, and you yelped as he lifted you up and spun you around in the air.

Matt’s breath hitched in his chest, the blood ringing in his ears. You walked over together to the booth and he swore he had to fight the urge to puke when you introduced your friend to the group. After you sat down, his hand was on your knee as you recalled memories from college. Foggy and Karen couldn't help but exchange awkward looks. A feeling of rage and disgust boiled inside Matt’s chest while the tension crept around his shoulders. Yet the worst part came when he heard your genuine laugh, your skin growing flushed and your body relaxed.

Matt realized then that’s how it should be: easy. The days that followed only rubbed it further on his face. Your friend had accepted a job in the city, and he wasted no time asking you to catch up. The next Monday, you didn’t stay with Matt at the office as you usually did most nights. A different perfume was on your skin, a sweeter kind. The smell of carmine on your lips was unusual too. Worst of all, he couldn’t help but overhear you talking with Karen as you walked through the hall outside the office.

“You’re going on a date?”

“It’s not really a date, we’re just having dinner”

“That lipstick sure screams date,” Karen’s laugh was quickly joined by yours.

“I promise you it’s not, we just haven’t seen each other in a while…”

The bouquet of peonies that was delivered the next day seemed to say otherwise. The soft citrusy sweetness reached Matt as soon as the delivery man entered the building. Foggy’s voice resounded on the walls as he walked to the door. “Whoa… That is definitely something…”

Karen joined in a nanosecond, her eyes wide in mock surprise as she gasped “Are you sure it wasn’t a date?”

You quickly brushed them off, but Matt felt the temperature of your cheeks rise. He wanted to be upset really upset, but all he felt was sadness. The truth was that if he had his way, he would want you to have everything in the world, even if it meant that someone else gave it to you. His feelings could remain buried forever, so they could pave way for your happiness to bloom.

“Man, you sure you’re okay? You seem down lately…”

“Don’t worry about it, Foggy.”

Matt kept his distance from then on. Why be petty when you had finally found the man of your dreams? He couldn’t offer you that stability anyways. Romantic getaways upstate, fancy dinners uptown, long walks, and picnics on Central Park, he heard it all as you dished to Karen; a true fairytale.

Which is why he didn’t expect to find you crying in the office on a Saturday night. He had gone to retrieve some files, but after a pretty tough night of patrol on Friday he had preferred to wait until the next night. The only sound coming from the room was from a single light bulb and your quiet sobs.

He opened the door slowly and listened to the rushed sound of you quickly wiping your tears. “Hi, sorry, I didn’t think you would come in today…” you said to play it off. The taste of salt in the air made his heart ache, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah… it’s no big deal…” your voice came out broken and defeated, despite your best attempts to even it. Your eyes found Matt’s face, and you rushed to his side the moment you saw his split lip and the butterfly bandages on his eyebrow. “My God, Matt, what happened to you?” Your hands were soon to find his cheek and he did his best not to jump against your touch.

“I asked you first...”

When you didn’t reply he chose to continue, “I fell while taking out the trash, but... why were you crying?”

Your hand left his face and fell to your side in defeat. After a deep breath you gathered the courage to speak up, “It didn’t work out… um we, we broke up… I just… I couldn’t do it anymore…”

Matt felt speechless, his mind tried to find words to comfort you, but it was interrupted when he heard you sob again. “I really tried Matt,” your hands found your face; your best attempt to comfort yourself was a failure when the tears piled in your eyes. Matt’s heart broke in pieces hearing you like this. He lifted his arms to hold you; however, they were unable to reach their destination when he froze to your next words. “I really tried, Matt... but he wasn’t you”

The sentence hit Matt like a punch to the face. Between your sobs, the words felt like a fever dream. He couldn’t hold you fast enough, and as soon as his arms touched you, you sank into his chest. Your heartbeat was fast against his, and he felt he couldn't hold you tightly enough. Matt did his best to stifle his own emotions, despite the tears forming in his eyes, “Oh, sweetheart…”

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t… shouldn't dump this all on you… I wanted to believe I could bury everything I felt for you... I... I know you don’t feel the same way, but… I just… I’m sorry…”

That’s what finally tipped him. In all his years Matt had never felt this stupid before. In his best attempt to spare your feelings he had you crying here in his arms. He only let go of you to take your face in his hands, his lips hesitant but powerless against the weight on his chest. They pressed softly against yours and quickly pulled back an inch in case that wasn’t what you wanted, but you gently returned the gesture.

With your face in his hands, he proceeded to kiss the tears on your cheeks, “I should be the one to apologize. I thought I was doing you a favor denying my feelings, but I’ve wished for nothing more than to be by your side… for as long as you’d let me…”

A smile broke from your lips as you reached once again to kiss him, slow and soft while the last hitched breaths left your lungs. His lips were warm against yours, and the faintest taste of copper rolled through your tongue from the cut on Matt’s bottom lip.

Matt knew right then and there that it didn’t matter if he never felt he deserved you, he would never go back to being without you. The Devil could be dealt with later, as long as it meant he could have you in arms. He promised himself he’d spend every single day to come owning it up to you if it meant he could have your heart in exchange.

_______________________________

Thank you so much for reading, all feedback is widely appreciated! (:

#matt murdock x fem!reader #matt murdock fanfiction #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock #daredevil x reader #daredevil fanfiction

[remiratboi]

Hello Friends :)

So apparently I’m a monsterfucking blog now 🤷🏼

I’ve been super absent, and this post doesn’t change that. Im still not here actually.

Im writing this fluffy smutty lil monsterfucking piece to try to work on sharing my writing as my dream is to be a novelist but im terrified of being published. Or… you know… writing. Anyway 😅 so I’m practicing by sharing this here. I’ll be posting in chapters, but again, I’m not present on here rn other than these chapters.

The TW covers the entire thing but all things are not necessarily in every chapter. This is a fantasy, consent is required, read at your own risk.

Oh also (sorry we are almost there) I’m making up my own rules about creatures/nonhumanraces and shit here ok? Anything’s possible.

Cernis Sulxan - He/Him - AMAB

Ellory Broadmoore - He/They - AFAB (post top surgery and testosterone)

TW - Anxiety, OCD, OCPD, Autism, Minor Hoarding (like hoarding but it’s all paper no dangerous hoarding), some body image issues more related to gender dysphoria but also very vaguely ED related. Lots of dark sex stuff. Borderline noncon, but kinda cnc. Forced heats kinda, monster fucking, anal, masturbation, choking, incubus, dragon dick, size kink, bdsm, overstim, denial, edging, toys, public sex, impact play, probably more, I dno yet. But lots of dark sex so

Chapter One - Cernis

Cernis Sulxan was a simple man, who lead a simple life. He had founded his law firm in his late 20s, and now at 36, it was thriving. He handled non criminal cases. Menial things about property, and debt. Boring cases with hours and hours of research and paperwork. He loved it.

Some Dragonborn love treasure. Ok most Dragonborn love treasure. And he guessed, in a way, he did too. Only his “treasure” didn’t look the same as other Dragonborn hoards. His treasure was information. He collected records and documents like others collected jewels and coins. His office, and his home although he’d never admit it, were both piled high with boxes full of meaningless papers. He knew they were meaningless. But he loved every, single, one.

His problem was, though, that after almost 10 years, he had collected quite the hoard. The other two lawyers in his firm, as well as their paralegals, interns, and even the receptionist had all complained to him that the space had become suffocating.

He sat in his office and stewed while watching the pretty, heart faced man directing a number of their employees around the office. Sulxan Legal Offices had a stylish modern look, with walls made of glass and furniture of a pale, tan wood. Little pops of color accented the space wherever they could, crammed between stacks of papers, and bankers boxes with even more.

Cernis hadn’t wanted to hire the peppy, frustratingly positive man and his team, but the other partners had threatened to leave the practice if he didn’t do something about the papers. So, there Cernis was, hunched over his desk, hulking like a gargoyle, giving the evil eye to a practical stranger just doing their job. He growled at himself and tried to focus on his work.

About one minute passed before Cernis was staring at the man again. Ellory Broadmoore, of Broadmoore Designs, a local organization and workplace efficiency firm, was directing his staff to move boxes to and from various locations. Cernis thought it looked like a whole lot of nothing for a job that didn’t even, really, need doing. He tapped his long fingers on his desk, the sharp claws making tiny scratches on top of hundreds of other tiny scratches that already covered the desktop.

Cernis flushed and quickly dropped his gaze as Ellory turned to look at him through the glass. The man walked up and, politely, knocked on the door to Cernis’ office.

Cernis panicked for a moment and stared at the man through the glass. Finally he managed to nod slightly, Ellory thankfully understanding this was a sign to enter.

“Sorry to bother you Sir,” Ellory started. Cernis’ nose twitched slightly at the use of “Sir” from such a pretty, innocent looking man. He tried to focus on what they were saying. “I’ve had a chance to really look into your situation here,” they continued. Ellory entered the room while speaking, and gently shut the door behind himself. “I think it’s really a lot more manageable than what was portrayed to me in my consultation with your partners.” The man walked forward and sunk gracefully into one of the two chairs opposite Cernis at his desk.

“I think it’s likely they felt overwhelmed by the current circumstances, but I’m confident in my ability to make this workspace more accessible, while keeping it true to the lived in feel you seem to be drawn to.” The man spoke smoothly, but in a confident knowledgeable way, not in the prim, self-righteous way Cernis had expected. He still didn’t like them though.

“I think” Cernis replied, a hint of mockery slipping out, “that the office is fine the way it is.” He folded his arms on his wide chest and leaned back. ���And I also think, all this about ‘energies’ and ‘feelings’ is complete bullshit. If I hadn’t been threatened, you wouldn’t be here.” Cernis smiled inwardly, self satisfied with his little outburst.

Until, that is, Ellory burst out laughing. A beautiful, peeling bell sound, rolling over and around itself. Like a bubbling brook made of chimes. Cernis’ heart thudded hard in his chest. He was shocked. Both by his immediate reaction to the man’s laughter, but also that he felt anything at all.

Cernis was well past his prime. The years when an Incubus is mature and fertile. The time when their innate drive to breed becomes overwhelming, and all encompassing. He was many years past that foolishness, and he was content with his solitary life. He had no desire for romance, or partnership. He wasn’t sure if that was normal for an Incubus, but it had always been how he was.

Then again, he was only a half Incubus. Half sex demon, half Dragonborn. Luckily his Dragonborn genetics from his mother had been much stronger than the Incubus genetics from his long absent, deadbeat father. He had never known his father, and his mother had never known another Incubus. In fact, they were relatively rare in this realm. So Cernis had always struggled to find any literature or information on them. He had the basics, but as his heart thudded in his chest now, he wondered if maybe he had it wrong.

No.

He thought firmly to himself.

I’m just over stressed, and this stupid man surprised me. That’s all it is.

Ellory recovered himself while Cernis had his private crisis. Wiping a tear from their eye, or at least pretending to, Ellory replied “Ah, Mr. Sulxan, I’m sorry for laughing. You just looked so precious with your big crossed arms and angry glare.” Cernis growled lowly, but the man seemed to either not notice, or not care.

Ellory clasped their hands in front of them. A wide smile was on their face. “If you’d like to end our contract early, by all means, I can just charge a consulting fee and the few hours of labour from today. I really think I can help you, but if you’re not ready to take this step, I understand. No hard feelings.” Ellory shrugged and looked expectantly at Cernis.

The large Dragonborn man narrowed his eyes at Ellory in a very reptilian way. “That’s it? I can just end this?” Cernis queried.

“Of course!” Ellory exclaimed. They turned to motion to their workers in the rest of the office still moving boxes around. “You say the word and they stop what they are doing.” He turns back to Cernis, a sly smile on their face. “I’m not the one who threatened you. I don’t think you’re the kind of man I’d want on my bad side.” The pretty man winked at Cernis and his heart thudded hard once again.

“Stop flirting with me.” Cernis sputtered out, eyes still narrowed and squinting. The other man smiled widely in response, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“No,” Cernis responded after a long pause, and finally relaxed his face back to normal, “don’t stop.” He sighed. “Yet, at least.” Cernis couldn’t believe he was hearing his own words as he spoke. Two parts of him warred within. His desire to keep his hoard the way it was, and the desire to keep this man around. Ellory’s grin widened and Cernis glared at them. “Go away, and do” Cernis waggled his long fingers at the other workers “whatever it is you’re doing.”

Ellory nodded respectfully and stood up. He walked to the door of the little office and went to open it. “W-wait.” Cernis said, standing up behind his desk. Ellory turned to look back at the large Dragonborn, their eyes wide and curious. This time Cernis felt something other than his nose, or heart pulse. His head swam slightly. He didn’t know what was happening. He felt, almost intoxicated.

“Uh…” he ran a hand over his head and down the back of his neck, trying to think of something to say. “Sorry, uh, for being rude earlier. I just…” he trailed off.

“Don’t believe in feelings.” Ellory finished, matter of factually. “That’s ok, we will be working with eachother a lot over the next while. Hopefully I can convince you to believe.” Ellory winked again, a smirk on their lips as they opened the door and stepped out. They shut the door softly behind them, not looking at Cernis again.

Chapter 2! vvv

#ftm cnc #ftm nsft #ftm sex #ftm switch #bd/sm slave #cnc free use #t4t nblnb #ftm ns/fw #monsterfucking nsft #monster kink #monster x human #monster smut #monster fucker #monster boyfriend #teratophillia #dragon fucker #cnc k!nk #rough cnc #terat0philliac #terato #monster lover #monster romance #monster k!nk #queer bd/sm #queer nsft #ftm sub #ftm bottom #t4t mlm #trans mlm #mlnb nsft

[missywritesfor7]

🌙Moon’s Light | JJK🌙

Synopsis: Luna is a young paralegal trying to maintain her new found independence and enjoy life. Too bad her job sucks and her boss is the worst. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she encounters a vampire named Jungkook who changes her life in more ways than one.

Jungkook is a shield and protector of the vampire kingdom of Korealis. He’s trained his entire life to block out any and all distractions and focus solely on becoming the strongest. While investigating a potential threat to the kingdom, he encounters Luna who turns out to be more than he could have ever imagined. It becomes his job to protect her, but he can’t tell if what he’s feeling is his devotion to the job or perhaps something deeper.

Secrets are uncovered. Lives are on the line. Hearts are tested.

Pairing: Vampire!Jungkook x Fem!OC

Warnings: Violence, character death, eventual smut, tragedy, some angst, strong language, MINORS DNI

Previous chapter | Next chapter | Masterlist

|| Ch. 22: Tease ||

Luna remained in bed a little longer until she felt she was ok to try standing. Jungkook helped her to the kitchen so she could eat something and properly introduce herself to his mom, Sunyoung, who insisted that it was ok for Luna to call her by name. Jungkook put together a plate of food for Luna and got her a drink as well. His mom mentioned how he’s never been so hospitable with anyone before. That turned into her and Luna teasing Jungkook.

Things were going well until Jungkook got a frantic call from Jin. The rest of the guys came back from looking into Park Hyungwon more. While they were feeling optimistic about the information they found, that quickly turned to worry when they walked into the sparring room and saw the mess that was left behind. No one knew where Jungkook and Luna were so they were worried something bad had happened. They’re glad they’re both ok, but are now worried that they may not be able to keep everything a secret much longer.

Jungkook’s dad spoke with the King who began questioning Jin about Luna and why she’s been around so much. Jin tried his best to not give too much information, but he wasn’t able to hide that Jungkook has taken a liking to Luna. The King doesn’t mind so long as it doesn’t interfere with work. The guys have all dated here and there and it’s never been a problem with the King. But Jungkook dating has always been a problem for Minseok.

Jungkook let Jin know that they’re at his mom’s house and will be for awhile. Jin allows him to remain with Luna for now, however he wants him present when they get ready to take down Park Hyungwon. Keeping Luna with Jungkook’s mom will allow him to fight with his brothers again instead of being left behind and feeling like he’s being punished.

Jungkook’s mom leaves the two of them to themselves while she goes out to run some errands. In the meantime Jungkook takes Luna to the backyard where he shows her the small swing set his mom never got rid of.

“You didn’t tell me this was here,” Luna says excitedly taking a seat on the swing. “Why does she still have this if you guys are much older now?”

“She said she wanted to keep it for her future grandchildren,” he chuckles standing behind her and pushing her lightly.

“Did you plan on giving her some?” She jokes.

“I can’t even date without it turning into a war,” he says sarcastically. “I haven’t even thought about kids.”

“What about your brother? Does he want kids?”

“No. That’s the crazy thing. If my dad gave a shit enough to see what we wanted he’d know that Junghyun doesn’t even want kids. He doesn’t want to start his own family or anything. He just wants to be left alone,” he laughs pushing Luna a little higher. “Hyung likes to do his own thing, kind of like me, but dad is always up his ass about starting a family the way he’s up mine about training.”

“But your brother is a shield too, right? Why doesn’t he have to train as much?”

“He does, but his training is geared more towards finding someone to start a family with. It’s the dumbest thing,” he scoffs. “My dad looks for someone suitable and sets them up on a date. It’s like something out of a drama. The best part though is that hyung is only taking advantage. Dad pays for everything and hyung gets a free night out, a free meal, and if he’s lucky he’ll get laid too. Then he’ll come back and say things didn’t work out.”

“Your brother is actually a genius,” Luna laughs. “Will I ever meet him?”

“Sure, if he’s ever around,” he shrugs.

“Why isn’t he around?”

“He moved in with Yoongi’s brother. He got fed up one day and said he didn’t want to live in the palace anymore with my dad constantly up his ass. My dad tried to stop him but in the end he couldn’t. He only finally accepted it because he’s staying with a Min not far from the palace. He still hates it though. I’m sure hyung messed with his mind a bit, but he won’t admit it.”

“Messed with his mind how?”

“Hyung can get into people’s heads and get them to agree to whatever he wants them to. He doesn’t do it much, and never admits when he does, but I’m sure that’s how he got away with moving out.”

“Wow, he can really get into people’s heads like that?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says slowing the swing. “It gives me an idea.” He leans down and wraps his arms around her.

“What kind of idea?” She slowly puts her hand on his.

“What do you think?” He smirks.

An image flashes in Luna’s head. The same image as before. The image of her moaning at each one of his thrusts inside her. The image that’s making her wet right now. Then she’s suddenly hit with the reality that they’re at his mom’s house, she’s still weak, and what does that have to do with anything they were talking about?

“Kookie!” She says hitting his hand. “We’re at your mom’s house!”

“What?” He asks twisting the swing to make her face him. “What are you thinking?”

“Oh,” she says remembering her visions are supposed to be a secret. “Um nothing. What were you thinking about?”

“The same thing you’re thinking about,” he teases.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything,” she lies breaking eye contact.

“Oh really?” He takes her hand again and gives her another glimpse into his mind. “You look like you have something on your mind.”

He lifts her chin forcing her to look at him. She doesn’t know what to say that won’t get her caught, but she knows she needs to tell him anyway. Before she can muster the courage to do so, he leans in and sears the heat of his lips against hers.

“Tell me what you see,” he whispers.

“Jungkook…”

“Did you see something good?”

“I…”

“Don’t lie to me, baby. I know you can’t stop thinking about me.” He takes her hand again and gives her another vision of their shared pleasure.

“Are you…”

“Showing you what you want to see?”

“Are you doing this on purpose?” She asks pulling her hand away.

“Just until you stop keeping secrets from me,” he says raising his brow.

“So you know?”

“Were you not going to tell me?”

“I was, I just…wasn’t sure how.”

“Easy,” he says pulling her to her feet and cupping her face in his hands. “You just say ‘I’ve been creeping on you like a sneaky little spy’ and that’s it.”

“Well that’s not exactly what I was doing.”

“Then what were you doing that you couldn’t tell me about from the start?”

“Nothing, I didn’t really know what was happening at first. I thought what I was seeing was just a dream, but then it kept happening.”

“When did it start?”

“When I was in my coma.”

“When you told me you only saw darkness?”

“Yes. I know I lied. I’m sorry. I was trying to make sense of it all first. You can’t hold it against me forever,” she pouts.

“Yes I can,” he smirks. “I feel like I have to get even now.” He taps the bite mark on her neck that’s still quite painful.

“Ow you fucking asshole!” She yells hitting him.

“You lie to me and I’m the asshole?”

“Yes.”

“Such a baby,” he laughs.

“Ugh! Fuck you!” She says hitting him again.

“You can’t hide your feelings from me, LuLu,” he chuckles holding her tightly with her arms pinned to her side.

“My feelings for you are just pure distaste,” she groans through her teeth trying to escape his hold.

“After everything we’ve been through together? That hurts, LuLu,” he says sarcastically.

He lets her go and takes a step back looking at her with a smirk. She tries hitting him again but she finds herself unable to move. It’s like she’s been put on ice, completely frozen and unsure of what’s wrong with her body.

“What the fuck? Why can’t I move?!” She shouts.

“You don’t have to yell,” he laughs. “You’ll disturb the neighbors.”

“What did you do to me??”

“Calm down,” he says getting an inch in front of her face. “You’re not the only one with secret abilities.”

“You sneaky little shit!”

“I’m a sneaky little shit? How many of my memories have you snuck your way into?”

“Ok ok I get it. I’m sorry. You got your revenge, now release me from whatever curse you put on me!” She yells trying to break herself free.

“Not until you tell me how much you’ve seen.”

She says nothing and continues struggling to make her body move with what little strength she has left. Jungkook watches her a moment before putting his arms back around her.

“Calm down, hot head,” he says. “You’re going to kill yourself if you blast off your power again. You’re still very fragile and weak.”

“I’m not a hot head, you’re just a dick!”

“Seriously, LuLu, why are you always so angry? Your power is incredible, but when you keep getting mad all the time it’s only going to keep hurting you. You need to meditate or something and get that shit under control. You’re like a ticking time bomb.”

“Just let me go,” she growls.

“You can start by saying please.”

“I will end you!”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” he says releasing his hold on her. “I’ll let you go now because I don’t want you hurting yourself again.”

“I wouldnt be so angry if you’d stop provoking me,” she says hitting his chest.

“Stop being so easy to provoke. I mean it. I’m surprised you didn’t kill my dad the way you killed that goon before you fell into a coma. Every time you get mad like that you’re putting your life in danger.”

“Teach me how to control it then, mister master demon thing.”

“Get your strength first,” he says poking her shoulder. “Then I’ll show you how to be a civilized member of society.”

“How did I get stuck dealing with you?” She huffs grabbing his wrist to stop him from poking her. He gives her another glimpse of their steamy moment and she hits his chest again. “Stop that!”

“Tell me you don’t like it and I won’t do it again,” he smirks.

“You-I-grrr,” she stutters.

“Admit it,” he says picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. “You can’t get enough of me.”

“Shut up,” she huffs leaning in to give him a kiss. “I don’t like you at all.” She kisses him again.

“Is that why you can’t keep your lips off of me?” He smiles.

“Don’t be so full of yourself, bunny boy.”

She gives him another kiss lingering on his lips to keep him from making another smug comment, but also to savor the taste of his lips. She doesn’t know why she hates giving him the satisfaction of knowing she enjoys every little thing about him. Maybe it’s because he’ll never stop teasing her. Perhaps it’s so she won’t have to watch him puff out his chest and give her that shit eating grin when he knows he has her wrapped around his finger, no matter how much she tries to fight it.

She loves how tight he holds her. The way he’s effortlessly holding her around his waist while his hands grip her thighs makes her kiss him even harder. His tongue taking a tour of her mouth fills her with endless butterflies. She feels like she’s flying, though it’s only the feeling of him carrying her back into the house and laying her down on the bed. His body pressed against hers warms her like a thick blanket while his hands traveling all over her body gives her chills. The feeling of fire and ice sends a small moan through her throat that’s instantly swallowed by him as he continues the battle his tongue is having with hers.

Jungkook’s body is overwhelmed with the suffocating arousal he’s getting from her. She tastes so sweet, so intoxicating, and so fucking satisfying. He can’t help but grind his hips into her creating a dangerous friction that he can hardly stand any longer.

“Tokki!” The sound of Sunyoung’s voice comes ringing through the house as she returns from running her errands. Her return startles Luna and Jungkook sending him right into his bunny form.

“Really?” Luna whispers disappointed and slightly amused.

Jungkook looks up at her then runs out of the room to see what his mom wants. He nearly forgot where they were and cursed everything for their moment being interrupted. He only changed form to hide the tent he had forming in his pants. That’s not a conversation he wants to have with his mom. Not now or ever.

“What are you hiding for now?” His mom says as he greets her in the kitchen. “I need help with the groceries.”

Luna steps into the kitchen to see tiny furry Jungkook looking up at his mom. She figures the least she can do is help out however she can since his mom is nice enough to let her stay there.

“I’ll help you,” Luna says getting ready to step outside to the car to get the rest of the groceries.

Jungkook quickly transforms back and stops Luna in her tracks.

“No you won’t,” he says turning her by her shoulders and walking her to the couch in the living room. “I’ll get the groceries. You sit here and don’t do anything that’s going to take too much energy.”

“Dealing with you already takes too much energy,” she jokes.

“Then don’t do anything else,” he chuckles making his way outside.

Luna sits by as Jungkook helps his mom put the groceries away. She’s thankful his mom is nice enough to let her stay there when they’d never met before. That’s when it hit her. The night he left her after she woke up from her coma and Jungkook returned the next morning. She remembers the memory she saw when she was trying to get him to tell her how much time she had left to live. The woman in the memory was his mom. He was talking to his mom about her. She only saw the part where he was talking about her not having long to live, but she wonders what else he said to his mom about her. He was upset when he left that night so she wonders if he came here to vent his frustrations. However, his mom seems very warm and welcoming, more than she’d expect someone to be towards someone who upset her son.

Luna’s mind is swirling with possibilities. What does his mom know about her? Does she know that she was human up until a few days ago? Does she know about Jungkook’s feelings for her? His dad was enraged when he saw that she was a convert, would his mom be upset about it as well? She remains lost in thought until Jungkook joins her on the couch.

“Do you want bulgogi for dinner?” He asks happily.

“Yeah,” Luna says smiling back at his enthusiasm. “Sounds good.”

“What’s wrong?” He asks noticing the slight difference in her tone.

“Nothing. Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“You seem like you have something on your mind.”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how things got to this point. It’s just crazy I guess. It all happened so fast. I haven’t been able to fully process everything.”

“Are you having regrets?” He asks with a worried look.

“No. I mean there wasn’t much else I could do so I don’t regret anything. I’m just trying to adjust to this new reality and this new life.”

“Well you know you have me if you ever need anything.”

“Thanks,” she smiles holding his hand. “You’re a pain in the ass, but a sweet one.”

“What kind of compliment is that?” He laughs.

“One that will keep your ego from getting too big,” she jokes.

“My ego doesn’t get big,” he huffs.

“I told you not to lie in my house!” His mom shouts from the kitchen.

“Really mom?” He pouts.

“As I was saying,” Luna laughs.

“You say nothing else,” he says rolling his eyes.

“Aww did I upset baby Koo?” She teases squeezing his cheeks.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Very much so,” she laughs.

He pouts some more until his phone rings pulling him away from Luna’s teasing. He steps outside for a few minutes then returns with a worried look on his face. He first goes into the kitchen to talk to his mom, then returns to Luna in the living room.

“Looks like it’s just going to be you and mom for dinner tonight,” he says.

“Why? What happened?” Luna asks.

“Choi tried to escape.”

“What? Really??” Luna asks jumping to her feet.

“You have dinner and I’ll be back when we have everything under control.” He sits her back down on the couch and hits her with a hard kiss. “Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing,” he smiles giving her another quick kiss and turning to leave.

Of course she knows that he knows what he’s doing. Yet for some reason she still can’t seem to shake the worry. She only hopes that he comes back in one piece.

#bts #bts au #bts fanfic #bts fic #jeon jungkook #bts smut #jungkook au #jungkook fanfic #jungkook smut #jungkook x oc #jungkook fic #jungkook x original character #Jungkook #angst #moons light #eventual smut #strangers to lovers #cross posted on wattpad #cross posted on ao3 #vampire bts #vampire au

[freshthoughts2020]

THE THREE WORDS I'D SAY TO MY 18 YEAR OLD SELF

THE THREE WORDS I'D SAY TO MY 18 YEAR OLD SELF'

February 5, 2024

I saw a meme today that posed the question, what would you say to your 18 year old self using only three words. I always love these type of hypotheticals.

I believe I made mostly great life choices thus far but like everyone you think about how you could’ve did somethings differently. I love how things panned out but if I really had the choice to affect something I would put me on my current path sooner.

So what’s the three words I would say to myself? I would say “Become a Lawyer”. If you know anything about my back story, you know I didn’t give a clown’s nose about becoming a lawyer. It was more logical for someone like my brother or my mother to become one. My brother because, my Grandma would always tell him, “Jay you like to argue so much you need to become a lawyer” (wait until she find we spend 90% of our time avoiding arguing lol).

I would say my mother because she worked years as a paralegal so if she ever decided to go that route it would make sense. But me? No it made zero sense. Nothing about my life said I would be a lawyer, I was a nerdy kid that loved the creative arts (and obviously still do). My grades wasn’t top of the top.

Honestly I was the average student. My art skills weren’t praised, my grades weren’t praised, the only thing that stood out for me was my personal style and my sense of humor. I was “average” on paper but never did I look at myself as “average” I knew I was extraordinary from the beginning lol.

I would choose those three words because my 18 year old self would’ve been smart enough to know that don’t mean stop the arts but it would’ve gave me a north star much sooner. I made the decision to go to law school in 2015, when I was in a corner financially and was lost career wise. 2015, I was one year removed from undergrad, with no job in my field in sight. I was thinking I cannot be a struggling artist I have to make something happen and then reinvest my earnings into my arts.

So I thought I know I’ll become a lawyer, it then took me two years just to get into law school! Graduating in 2020, it took me until 2023 to become licensed! So that’s 8 years spent to gain the illustrious title of “attorney”.

If I was able to tell my 18 year old self “become a lawyer” my 18 year old self would’ve streamlined his life to make himself get into school any means necessary. Those three words would change so much, here’s how I imagined it would’ve played out. I still would’ve attended UAPB, but with those three words from Future me in my head, my major would’ve reflected law instead of marketing. I would’ve focused on gaining internships and working in a firm during school, which would’ve saved me from the agony of being a broke college student lol.

Knowing my infatuation with New York, I would’ve applied to every New York school possible. Also, I would’ve attended school immediately after undergrad, no breaks. I would’ve probably treated law school the same way I did in this timeline but having more knowledge about school in the alternate timeline, I would’ve had a bar prep program from the beginning lol. ( I never used one to get licensed but definitely would’ve did it in this scenario).

After passing the bar, would’ve been in New York licensed earlier, solving financial woes way quicker and enjoying success at an earlier age. With all that said I’m glad it did not happen that way. God made sure things happened exactly as they should. The endless L’s I took gave me much character growth and it makes me a better person everyday. These questions are fun because it make you think of endless possibilities but that is also the problem. Don’t get caught up in the “what ifs” and “what could’ve beens”, we’re in the now and God blessed us with the gift to be present. Make today count and avoid future regret at all costs, I know I will! #StayFocused

Follow me on twitter.com/onlyonejaevonn

visit gettothecorner.com

#THE THREE WORDS I'D SAY TO MY 18 YEAR OLD SELF #life logs #life lessons #jaevonn harris #lawyer #law school #gettothecorner.com #bar

[canaryatlaw]

alright, I know I've been MIA for a bit but I'm going to make a post tonight because today wasn't great and I want to vent. basically, I get to work and my boss asked if we could set up a time to check in on a few cases, and I immediately knew this was bad news, particularly in regards to this one case that I've been working on tirelessly since June, way more than I have any other cases at the moment. but there was somewhat of a misunderstanding at the court date on Monday about what we were asking for when, so now she wants the case assigned to a different lawyer. And like, my boss said she went through all or messages and she thought I did a really great job with everything and she wouldn't change any of it, but I do still feel pretty upset about it because I spent so much of my time going back and forth with the other party on this and like, sat through a pointless mediation session that was in the middle of bumfuck (and by that I mean a suburb, but still a hike from where I love) so for something this insignificant to blow up everything is just really frustrating. but like, the case was becoming a pain and I was actively trying to steer it in a different direction, so at least I won't have to deal with that anymore. There was then some misunderstanding a while back when a client didn't want to work with our paralegal because of her "accent," so I re-assigned the case to another employee and relayed what happened, and apparently (I say apparently because I don't have a super clear memory of what was said) said something like "yeah, that's happened before" meaning clients will randomly have an issue with the person working with them and ask for a new person, but the other employee thought I meant that people hadn't wanted to work with our paralegal anymore because of her accent before, so it turned into a bit of a big deal but I chatted with both of them today and apologized for anything being unclear or misconstrued, and they're both super chill, so I don't expect any further issues there. Just a truly weird experience. And yeah, that's all the exciting stuff, the rest of the day was fine. I'm gonna go to bed now because I'm pretty tired. Goodnight friends. Happy Saturday.

#daily journal #October 2022

[coolnerdyandalone]

on FIMQ deleting her content and COVID-19 (and a gratuitous larry fic rec)

@freddiesmyqueen first of all queen i hope you’re doing ok although i know some shit must have gone down for you to delete/private list all your videos and i hope you know that the larry community supports you always. Also your talent is TRULY unmatched in the world of video editing - no one makes edits quite like you and that’s why your loss impacts the community so profoundly. 

secondly, i know at least i was hoping to turn to rewatching all of FIMQ’s videos while i’m being quarantined due to the coronavirus. and i’m willing to bet that i’m not the only one. this is a scary time and for people like me who feel profoundly alone right now, the only way for me to calm my nerves and fears is by reverting to the content and community that helped me feel not so alone when i was in middle and high school. For me, that looks like watching FIMQ videos and reading my favorite larry fanfics (which i will also link below).  because of this i thought it might be helpful to repost some links that were posted by @bluemoonlarryandkaylor for a signal boost (if my teeny-tiny account can be called a signal boost). 

link to a google drive with FIMQ videos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ONwfLOd_IYvAL5OUDqDb_LLgQsDpd9il

link to an acct with some FIMQ re-uploads: https://www.youtube.com/user/Joana3961/videos

link to FIMQ vids with spanish subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIouodFhArMkQhOHxv2t2NgxTwl6KvXAT

and now if you want to look at some good old fashioned larry fics that are my ABSOLUTE faves and could 100% be actual novels/movies, keep reading:

And Then A Bit** by @infinitelymint aka the best fanfic ever written (basically larry fakes a relationship for publicity with each other and it could be cannon if you really wanted to hope upon hopes): https://archiveofourown.org/works/1415272/chapters/2972746 (159k)

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts.

(aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

Escapade** by @haydolce aka the Jack McQueen fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4034197/chapters/9071932 (146k)

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

California Sold** by @isthatyoularry​ : https://archiveofourown.org/works/5157680/chapters/11877494 (123k)

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

Bring Your Body Baby (I Could Bring You Fame) by @theboyfriendstagram : https://archiveofourown.org/works/4263903/chapters/9652944 (84k)

Eighteen year old Harry Styles just graduated high school and landed a summer job as a waterboy for his favorite football team. His job description is simple: be ready to hand water and towels to players if needed. That didn’t seem to include Louis Tomlinson though, a twenty-three year old, recently transferred Paris Saint-German player, who seems to like making Harry’s job much more difficult than it has to be.

OR  

A self-indulgent AU that takes place over the summer of 2015. 18 year old Harry hates pining after people he can't have, and 23 year old footballer Louis loves flirting with people even though it never means anything.

Pull Me Under** by @zarah5 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/870766/chapters/1672104 (140k)

AU. As the first British footballer to come out at the prime of his career, it helps that Louis Tomlinson is in a long-term, committed relationship. Even if that relationship is fake. (Featuring Niall as Louis' favourite teammate, Liam as Louis' agent, and Zayn as Liam's boyfriend, who just happens to be good friends with one Harry Styles.) 

You You You** by @isthatyoularry : https://archiveofourown.org/works/846690/chapters/1617212 (137k)

“Infamous boybander leaves club together with unknown,” read the headline. Underneath were pictures of a boy with dark curls, green eyes and very tight pants. They both studied the article for a moment, reading it through quickly. “Is that…?” Louis frowned. That guy almost looked exactly like... "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" "Louis," Niall said, looking absolutely fucked over. "You just fucked the most wanted guy on earth. You just fucked Harry Styles of One Direction."

Or, the one where Harry and Louis meet at a club and Louis takes Harry home, only for him to realize that the boy who just made him breakfast half naked is Harry Styles from One Direction.

Like an Endless Summer by @horsegirlharry : https://archiveofourown.org/works/11365494/chapters/25442085 (87k)

“You just wanna go fawn over Styles as soon as possible,” Zayn grumbles.

“I do not. Plus, he probably got ugly this year. Eighteen is an awkward time...I bet he’s got acne and one of those terrible fuckboy haircuts all the hipsters are getting these days, with the shaved sides? Just watch, the first year we’re gonna get any time together is gonna be the first year I don’t have a stupid crush on him.”

---

Or, Louis is a riding instructor at a summer camp, and Harry is a fellow counselor who he’s been successfully managing his crush on for the last two summers. That is, until Harry shows up this year leveled up and lethal, and all Louis’s formerly perfected veneer of nonchalance melts like a popsicle in the sun.

Three French Hems by @100percentsassy and @gloriaandrews : https://archiveofourown.org/works/3064493 (20k)

In which Louis is a designer at Burberry and Harry spends December wearing Lanvin… and Lanvin… and Lanvin.

The Dead of July aka the Marvel Fic by @whimsicule  : https://archiveofourown.org/works/3594570/chapters/7928520 (117k)

Being an Avenger means continuing to be Captain America and smiling and being honorable for the public and Harry does his best. But it doesn’t give him time to figure out who he is supposed to be once he takes off his uniform and puts the shield to the side. Just being Harry had always involved Louis, and Harry fears he doesn’t know how to exist without him.

or: Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.

Gods & Monsters by  @mizzwilde : https://archiveofourown.org/works/2090982/chapters/4550871 (201k)

The instructions were simple: seduce and destroy Harry Styles. Not once did they discuss the option of Louis actually falling in love. So, naturally, that's exactly what he did.

Love is a Rebellious Bird aka LIARB aka the orchestra fic aka dont hum bolero by @100percentsassy and @gloriaandrews : https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162438/chapters/2362331 (135k)

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

Don't hum Bolero.

My English Love Affair** by @isthatyoularry​ : https://archiveofourown.org/works/1873962 (19k)

The thing about sleeping with a member of a famous indie band is that the inevitability of having a song written about you is most likely a hundred percent. The second thing is that in the end, nobody's supposed to find out it's about you.

The one where Harry writes a song about his English love affair and Louis sleeps with someone in White Eskimo and all he gets is a stupid song written about him.

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can’t Lose by @haydolce : https://archiveofourown.org/works/5799241/chapters/13366498 (113k)

American Uni AU. Harry Styles is a frat boy football star from the wealthy Styles Family athletic dynasty. A celebrity among football fans, he knows how to play, he knows how to party, and he knows how to fuck (all of which is well known among his legion of admirers).

Louis Tomlinson is a student and an athlete, but his similarities to Harry end there. Intelligent, focused, independent, and completely uninterested in Harry’s charms, Louis is an anomaly in a world ruled by football.

A bet about the pair, who might be more similar than they originally thought, brings them together. Shakespeare, ballet, Disney, football, library chats, running, accidental spooning, Daredevil and Domino’s Pizza all blend into one big friendship Frappucino, but who will win in the end?

Wild and Unruly aka the Cowboy fic by @100percentsassy and @gloriaandrews : https://archiveofourown.org/works/2723093/chapters/6099611 (124k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

For As Long As I Can Remember (It’s Been December)** by @greenfeelings​ : https://archiveofourown.org/works/15051122/chapters/34892210 (128k)

After recovering from a severe accident that causes Harry to lose his memory of three years, he moves to London to start his life over as a star chef. Little does he know that when he falls in love with Louis at first sight, it’s not the first time they meet.

Featuring an unintentional game of hot and cold, Harry chasing memories that won’t come back, Louis burying himself in work to try and forget what he can’t forget, Liam being torn between two of his best friends, Zayn as a moral compass and Niall saving the day with good music and brutal honesty.

the boys of fall** aka the american football fic by @godgavemelou​ : https://archiveofourown.org/works/5443037 (21k)

“And everyone, this is Harry Styles. He’s going to be our starting quarterback this year.”

Louis looks at him, the tall and lanky Harry Styles, and takes it all in. He’s got hair to his shoulders that curls at the ends, tattoos all down his arms, and a bright smile on his face as the team cheers him on. He’s lean and fit, and absolutely beautiful, and Louis hates him to the core.

OR an american football au where the boys play for the university of tennessee, and harry and louis quite hate each other.

** indicates that the fic is a log-in required fic, but if you want the pdf i can send it to you

#FIMQ #freddieismyqueen #freddiesmyqueen #larry #Larry Stylinson #larry proof #LARRY IS REAL #Larry theory #covid2019 #covid_19 #coronavirus #quarantine #loneliness #alone #not alone #community #larry community #larry videos #larry fic #larry fanfiction #larry fanfic rec #larry fic rec #fic rec

[brattyfics]

Drabble request. Miguel Galindo, fluff #9. Please!

9. “Are we on a date right now?”

This is probably nothing like you were expecting but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the request.

Looking back on it, you supposed you had been dating Miguel for a while without realizing it.

You were new to Santo Padre, working as an associate lawyer at one of the firms downtown. You heard whispers about the infamous Miguel Galindo all around town, but had never seen him in person. Many of the lawyers at your firm were on his retainer, helping to manage his legitimate businesses. When he needed an additional lawyer, he employed your mentor, Mrs. Jones.

As an associate, it was your job to do grunt work-- boring contract negotiations, settling small claims in court, and whatever else was asked of you. That sometimes meant organizing files, drafting documents, doing research, or even just taking notes. You worked with Jones closely on a lot of cases, but she kept you and everyone else far away from Miguel Galindo. You all scheduled your days around him, taking ‘lunch’ breaks at odd hours when he stopped by for a visit. His name definitely preceded him.

The day you finally met him he wore a stunning, white, three-piece suit. Several beefy bodyguards flanked his sides with guns on their hips. You had forgotten your purse in your haste to get out of the office, so you were still around when he arrived. His expression was neutral enough, but the bodyguards were tense.

“Oh.” Your mouth fell open, taking him in. “Hi. I’m sorry, I left this behind.” You lifted your purse for him to see. He didn’t smile or frown, but he did scan the length of your body with his eyes.

Mrs. Jones stepped out of her office, having seen the interaction through the glass walls. “She was just leaving.” She said with a tight smile on her face. You nodded your agreeance, stepping from behind your own desk to leave.

Your heart thudded in your chest. Miguel and his men clogged the pathway to the door, effectively trapping you in. You remembered all the things people in town said about Miguel doubling as a cartel leader. You thought it was baseless gossip, but with the display before you, you no longer had any doubts about the validity of that claim.

He stood in the center blocking your direct path to the exit, but you decided you’d rather take your chances going around all of them than to pass him. He watched your eyes flicker between his men, himself, and the door, carefully plotting every step. He seemed amused when he gestured for you to come towards him.

You were suspicious of his intentions but did as he wanted. He held your gaze with an intense one of his own, head turning to watch you even as you passed him.

When you made it outside, you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. Now you understood why Jones cleared out the office for his visits. He had an overpowering aura, one that told you not to fuck up or there would be serious consequences. You barely touched your lunch that day, too wound up to eat.

A month later, Jones began clearing the office out again, stopping you before you could make it out. “I need you to stick around.” Her tone left no room for argument, ushering you back towards the conference room. “I want you to take notes. Nothing more, nothing less. Got it?” You nodded, it wasn’t out of the norm for you to sit in on her meetings.

Miguel joined you minutes later, wearing an equally stunning grey suit. Sans the security guard with the two braids, they all waited outside, lined up like a small army. Besides basic greetings, he didn’t speak much to you. You did what you were paid to, listening to the two of them talk and noting what seemed of importance. They talked numbers the entire time, analyzing the cost vs benefit of purchasing a new chain of businesses. The whole thing was pretty boring and standard. You only looked up when you felt his gaze on you.

“What do you think?” He sat back in the chair, leaving the floor open for you to speak. To your left, Jones sat with a shocked look on her face. You eyed Jones for approval before speaking. She nodded. You answered him, citing the reasons for your opinion. He appeared pleased at the end, a friendly smile on his face. “Let’s do that.”

After that day, you always sat in on the meetings, working more as a second advisor rather than a note-taker. You noticed he seemed fond of you. He would smile when you spoke, laugh sometimes when you said something funny, but you figured he was just being nice. During meetings, he was always watching you. Sometimes he stared at your face too long after you said something he was impressed by or eyed our body as you got up to use the restroom, but you didn’t dwell on it. He was a man after all. Perhaps your biggest clue should have been the pastries and flowers he brought in for the ‘office’. He never directly said they were for you, but he took mental notes of which pastries and flowers you liked and made sure there was more than enough the next time. Overall you thought he was nice, but didn’t imagine he was interested in you.

Your relationship changed the day Jones got sick and had to miss work. She left you to ‘manage’ some of the paralegals and legal assistants. Everybody had something they could be working on for a case, and pretty much managed themselves. You made it through most of the day without incident until Miguel called. He wanted to come in for a consult late in the afternoon. You let him know Jones was out for the day, but he insisted.

He arrived around seven PM after everyone else had left for the day. Like normal, he used you as a sounding board slash accountant. A leak had sprung and flooded in one of his buildings. He contemplated fixing it, getting rid of it, and even tearing the old building down and building a new one. Throughout the whole meeting, you found yourself wondering what he was doing. He didn’t need you for basic advice like that, he was more than capable. His visits had become more frequent in the last few months and you wondered why. He was a busy man, surely he had better things to do with his time.

“Are you hungry?”

“Huh?” You tuned back into what he was saying.

“Are you hungry?”

“Oh no.” You answered politely, waving him off.

“Come on. It is dinner time.” The words were innocent enough but the tone behind them was dangerous. You felt like he could talk you into anything with that voice. A devil in disguise.

“Sure.”

Just like that, he was gesturing for his men to enter the room. You decided on what to eat and he sent two of his men off to pick it up. In the meantime, you kept working, but alarm bells were going off in your head. You felt like you were crossing a line, but when the food arrived, your stomach grumbled, and you pushed those thoughts out of your head. Jones didn’t have to know.

The two of you enjoyed your food, smiling and joking in between bites. You saw a softer, more relaxed side of him than you ever thought you would. He had slipped off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. You tried to resist, but your eyes kept focusing on the veins of his arms, licking your lips. You just hoped you didn’t appear as thirsty as you felt.

“This is my favorite.” He gestured to his plate.

“I’ve never had it.” You shrugged, taking a sip of your drink.

You froze when he offered it to you, fork a few inches from your face. The act was so intimate, something between boyfriend and girlfriend, you couldn’t ignore the signs anymore.

“Are we on a date right now?”

Despite how nervous he felt, he maintained a neutral expression, as cool as ever. “If you didn’t look so disgusted, I’d say we are.” He broke, showing a bit of his true emotion when he dropped the fork on the plate with a dark chuckle.

Shit. He was the last person you wanted to offend. “I’m not disgusted.” You corrected, but couldn’t look at him. “I’m just confused--surprised, I don’t know.” You stood from the stable, pacing. “I’m a work, you’re a client.” His eyes tracked your movements. “I thought you believed in me, trusted my advice. I didn’t think you were throwing me bones to get in my pants!” You tried not to show how hysterical you felt, hands moving to tuck your hair behind your ears.

He stopped you with a raised hand. “I do believe in you. You’re brilliant.” His tone was pleading, he wanted you to believe him. “Trust me if this was just about sex, there are easier routes.” You took it all in as he spoke. He seemed genuine. “I don’t mix business with pleasure either, but there’s something between us. You’re smart, beautiful, business-minded. I couldn’t help but be charmed.” He was definitely the charmer out of the two of you.

“So we’re dating?” You checked, hating the way the words felt coming from your mouth.

“We’re dating.”

#miguel galindo x black!reader #miguel galindo #mayans mc

[loxxxlay]

Can we get the rest of the ball destroying story?

This is a very long and probably anticlimactic story about how I destroyed an attorney's metaphorical balls by not letting him get away with being a toxic pile of shit. I hope you enjoy.

So, the first thing you need to know is that my old boss (whom I will call M) is a real fucking asshole. 1, he voted for trump; 2, he's a creep; 3, most obnoxiously, he treated his previous lead paralegal like a freaking wife.... or actually worse than a wife really... like an object. like a trophy wife. When the lead paralegal left, he basically treated her like she was divorcing him, as if she was an object of his possession. And he was like "you'll NEVER have it better than you have here, and i'll never let you come back." (Funny story: i am one of 5 paralegals there who put in their 2 week notice during June, and they were so panicked that they called this exact former lead paralegal and asked her to come back. -_-)

Okay so anyway, let's cut the story back to about 2 months ago. I have been M's lead paralegal for about 8 months now since the previous one left, and I'm hating it. I'm actively job hunting because M is becoming toxic to me the same way he was to the last paralegal. I needed references, so I asked another attorney who also worked there to be my reference. We will call him T. So T is my favorite attorney. T is the first person I came out to as having a girlfriend at the firm, and he never once betrayed me. He is everything that M is not. He gives positive feedback like he gives out candy, but he's also honest and real in a way that not a lot of ppl are.

So anyway I secretly ask him to be a reference on my resume, and T is like "sure! but well funnily enough, I'm actually leaving the firm in 2 weeks. I can't ethically recruit people while I'm here, so I'm going to end this conversation here, but.... wink wink, nudge nudge, call me in 2 weeks." So I'm like COOL COOL. And we don't speak of it again.

So 2 weeks pass, I continue job hunting, T leaves the firm. He calls me literally the next day, and he immediately is like "I wanna hire you" and I'm like "okay cool, I wanna be hired." So boom I got a new job. Ethically. (I'm serious though, T is a very ethical guy and he did nothing wrong.) So anyway, T is okay with me waiting until my NYU program in June is over, so my start date is July 1. 1 month from then. T also asks me very politely not to tell M where I'm going because it would sour their "friendship" (a.k.a. the attorney world in utah is a small world and he doesn't want M to get his feelings hurt). And I want to be clear, T did not pressure me at all - he asked for a favor, and I decided to do it for him, because I care about him, that's it. If at any point it became a burden for me, I would have changed my mind, and T would have understood.

So, I wait a week until I'm in New York to tell M i'm leaving him. I come up with a brilliant excuse for why I don't want to tell him where I'm going - "I have a few offers and I don't want to talk about it while I'm still deciding" (which wasn't even really a lie). So I call my boss and I tell him I'm putting in my two weeks. And he treats me like he always treats people - he interrogates me. Except this time, he's shocked and upset, so he SUPER interrogates me. It's super inappropriate questions like "why are you quitting???" and "is it because of money???" and "this is SUCH bad timing" - but it's frustrating because he's an attorney and he knows how to dress up these rude questions with politeness. In a way that if I call him out on it, I'll be the one who looks inappropriate. :( It sucked. But luckily I had spent 3 days researching how to approach this, and.... I gave him nothing. He was desperate for fuel to try to convince me to stay or guilt-trip me into working overtime, and I just didn't give him any because I was prepared, and also.... I'm good at this. My mom says I've been good at this since I was 3-years-old lol.

Anyway so unfortunately during the conversation, he asked the question "Where are you going?" and I immediately gave him my excuse. And I expected that to be done and over with. Idk why I thought it'd be that easy... He immediately started trying to guess where I was going. And at what point, he said "are you going to work for T????" and..... honestly guys... I panicked. I lied. I said, "uh, no." flat out lmao. Like, I was just so shocked that he was asking me in the first place. :( But weirdly, he believed me and that was that (or maybe he filed away the lie for later use as you'll see). I also want to make it clear here that I, at first, wasn't telling M where I was going because T had asked me to... but at this point, with how nosy and inappropriate M was asking, I didn't want to tell M anymore either. It wasn't for T that I was hiding it; it was for me. Like, no M, I don't want you to have any personal details. You're being 150% more of a creep than usual which is impressive considering.

Anyway so I never tell anyone where I'm going except 2 ppl whom I trust on my last day (and yes, one of them betrayed me, which kinda sucks D:). I told T that I had lied to M, and T was like "it's okay, if he finds out, I'll have ur back" and also... I told T I go by Echo instead of my legal name/dead name, so I'm fine with the lie because M will probably never find out anyway. and T was delighted and super supportive of my enby identity. ^_^ It's cute because he never called me by name, but now all of his texts and statements deliberately start out with my name as if to remind me that he supports it lol.

Anyway so flash forward to my new day at the job. It's going great. I love it there. And then I check my phone and I see this fucking text:

M: "I hear you work for T now. I wish you the best, but I specifically remember asking you if that's where you would be working, and you said no."

Like.... what the actual fuck? He never texts me, and also I've been gone from his firm for like a day.. max... have some chill, lmfao. like. At first, I was REALLY upset. Not in a "i feel bad for lying" kind of way. I couldn't care less about that. More in a "i feel like i'm being stalked, one of two close friends betrayed me, and also what the fuck, why are you texting me this??" #yikes. But then that night, I was talking to my dad about it. And I became super amused? Like. What is he going for here? What does he want me to say? What response does he hope that I'll give that will make him feel better? Does he want me to call him crying and begging for forgiveness and for my job back? Like? I genuinely sincerely want to know what the fuck he was expecting me to say. I want to understand what was going through his head lol.

And of course, because I am a passive aggressive bitch, I immediately catch on to the fact that he is Butthurt (shocking, I know). His feelings are hurt. An object of his, his very own lead paralegal, lied to him outright and he didn't see it coming! How dare she! He wants to make me feel hurt like he feels hurt, and he's a lawyer, he knows how to interrogate people and manipulate people and get them to suck his dick, idk. So he should be able to use those skills to make me feel bad for lying. He wants to one-up me. But see, what he didn't realize is that....

1, I don't feel guilty for lying to him... at all... like, it took me a couple hours to realize this, but the only negative emotion it made me feel was discomfort and fear. not guilt. the same way i feel when a strange man asks me for a hug, and i feel like refusing would look "rude." Like, there's nothing guilty about that. So yeah. His goal is to expose my guilt to make himself feel better, but... my guilt doesn't exist, so good luck

2, um, like I said earlier, I've been a passive aggressive bitch since the day I was born, unlike this bitch who had to go to college to learn how to do it, and not only that - I'm better at it than him. lmfao. His pride is gonna take a hit.

so I toy with the idea of ignoring him because I know that will really fuck him up and make him constantly think about it and check his texts to see if I've responded. But then T tells me that it's probably better to not burn a bridge because again.... super small world here.

So anyway lol, my response ends up being pretty simple but painstakingly constructed:

"Thank you! :) It wasn't an option at the time - it was a new development after you and I had already talked. I wish you the best as well."

The "Thank you! :)" to seem like I am utterly oblivious to the hidden accusation and passive aggressiveness. The middle sentence to be like "uh, are you really accusing me of lying right now?" and the last sentence, my favorite, to shut down the conversation forever. Now, if he responds, he already lost. Because there's no way to continue this conversation without exposing the fact that his "I wish you the best" was completely insincere. I've stripped away his ability to respond fake-politely (which is his modus operandi), and I've forced the last word on him.

Also, even better... (and no one has any way of proving this, least of all him, but) that statement (the "it wasn't an option at the time - it was a new development after you and i had already talked") is completely a lie on my part, and he knows it. T offered me the job the Monday after he left. There's no way he doesn't know that. So not only did I show obliviousness and not only did I shut the conversation down, I outright stonecold lied a second time. And there's no way for him to call me out on it. Like what could he even do? Send me a screenshot of my hire date? Send me a screenshot of an email I sent to a coworker? If he tries that, he's already lost again because like ... obviously super immature... it would be so easy to crush him with niceness like "Wow, I can tell this has really bothered you!" hahahhaha. Sadly he's smart enough not to do that, but it must be infuriating to know I'm lying and not be able to accuse me.

As an attorney whose literal job it is to catch & expose people lying, he literally watched me flat out lie to his face. Twice. And I didn't feel bad about it. And there was nothing he could do about it either time. He went to law school for this shit, and he still can't out-passive-aggressive me, the classic bitch.

Anyway so T apparently he showed his wife M's message, and she was like "oh my god what an asshole!!!" which I must admit was extremely validating!! And then he showed his wife my message, and she made a shocked face and said "wow she's good." And I always thought T was kinda just flattering me to be nice when he complimented my use of words in defusing angry clients and conveying info about a sensitive subject... but apparently his wife thinks so too, so I guess he's been more serious than I thought. I feel so.... complimented.... it's weird.... but I"m very happy and squeeing.

It's been like almost 24 hours and M has yet to respond to me, and if he does, he's already lost. I'll eviscerate him.

So like I know this story is probably disappointing and might not seem like I shanked his balls, but ... take my word for it because if u knew what a chaotic insecure pathetic mess he was and how he desperately claws for control by trying to intimidate and upset all of his employees (and pretty much always succeeds), then you'd understand that he's NEVER encountered something like this before. Someone literally just not giving a shit what he thinks about them. And from what I know of him, I promise you that this has certainly fucked him up for a good long while. And that makes me happy :')

#lox replies #tismannyv14

[dinahperlman-sb]

I saw [DINAH PERLMAN] at a coffee shop in [MANHATTAN] today. I forgot how much [SHE] looks like [INBAR LAVI]. They are a [THIRTY-FOUR] year old [ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY] who’s been in NYC for [SIXTEEN YEARS (ON AND OFF)] now. Every time we run into each other, they are always [INTELLIGENT & PASSIONATE] but I’ve heard people say they can also be [SUSPICIOUS & CURT]. [FIND AN ISLAND BY BENEE] reminds me of them every time it comes on the radio. — [gabs, she/her, 24, est]

it’s gabs again! finally presenting u my sad baby bean dinah! she’s a fairly new character so she is open for any connections y’all might need! | @villagestart

tw: death, emotional abuse

about —

full name: dinah jane perlman age: 34 birthday: january 6th, 1987 sexual orientation: demisexual/heteroromantic gender: cis female pronouns: she/her

bio —

tw: death, emotional abuse

dinah was the only child of adam and davina perlman, born in rochester, new york. she grew up a happy girl, with a close bond to both of her parents, who were also happily married. as a small girl in a situation as privileged as the one she was in, she had no idea just how rare it was. she attended many classes and spent all of her free time doing activities with her parents, it was almost a childhood out of a fairytale.

DEATH TW. it was unfortunate, but very early in her life, the peaceful and loving world she’d been raised in would be ripped away from her in an instant. she was ten years old when the accident happened. it was a head-on collision, and according to many, dinah had been lucky to have survived the hit, especially with as little injuries as she did. whereas her parents hadn’t been so lucky, and had died either instantly or before reaching the hospital. 

she had only ever been close to her parents, she had never even met any extended family. so it was a surprise when her uncle, her father’s brother, stepped up and volunteered to take care of his brother’s only daughter, just as he had done with his company — as a way to honor his memory, he had said.

ABUSE TW. dinah moved into her uncle’s house in hermosa beach, california, soon after all formalities were over and done with. lifestyle wise, it wasn’t too bad of an adjustment, maybe just the warm winters were the ones that confused her the most. but everything else... it was a very chaotic change in dinah’s life. to begin, her new guardians, her uncle and aunt... they weren’t nearly as kind as her parents had been. they would put her down with every chance that appeared, only to then tell her it was for her own good. not to mention they were so dead set on keeping up this... perfect family façade with her uncle being the new ceo of the family company and whatnot, especially when she knew how they spoke of everyone involved behind their backs, how they acted with each other behind the scenes... all the yelling, the blaming. it made for a very confused young dinah, when it came to social interactions.

dinah’s only saving grace growing up in california was her cousin, natalie. the two were close in age, and she found solace in the girl. natalie reminded her a little bit of what her life had been like in upstate new york, she had this soft character that reminded her of her mother. despite going through the same stuff, natalie had always chosen to be kind and remain herself, so she wouldn’t become bitter like her parents had. so the girls were best friends, and in all formality, they were like sisters.

in high school, dinah had no problems making friends — but there was always something missing. she had learned how to treat people and have them like her from her new family, but she had never really been able to have a connection like the one she had with her parents in her early youth. until alexander came around. he was going through a whole new kind of shit that dinah couldn’t quite grasp, but she understood the motions of grieving and losing someone you love. they became close friends, and eventually, dinah’s first serious relationship.

despite her new family’s thoughts, she moved to new york city with alex with the premise of going to college. it wasn’t a complete lie, but it was also an excuse to leave that home and build something with her love, something that could become what she had had in her childhood, to her future children. it all seemed like it was falling into place: her degree in psychology and an engagement to the love of her life.

of course though, based on past experiences, dinah had some suspicion with how well her life was going. it usually ended up a preface to something terrible, something she had no control over. and well, her suspicions ended up being correct — while she attended law school, her previously perfect relationship with alex quickly deteriorated... until there was nothing else to do. and the engagement ended fairly quickly after she realized they had reached that point of no return. 

very much in her feelings about the failed engagement, dinah began refusing the love and care natalie would always offer. it came as something hypocritical to her, as she seemed to be so happy with her partner, that her parents seemed to love so very much. why couldn’t they have supported her, too? and why hadn’t natalie defended her?

DEATH TW. the woman decided to stay in new york despite the clusterfuck that it had become, dinah refused to make any appearances in california, she hadn’t even attended natalie’s baby’s birth. but she would soon regret her choices, as a year or so after the baby’s birth, dinah received the news that both the baby and nat had died in a car crash. of all things, a fucking car crash. part of her felt like she held some curse, and maybe that was why alexander had fallen out of love with her so quickly.

these kind of situations will harden up anyone. the woman placed her focus almost entirely on her work, doing some paralegal work in a number of offices, until reaching the district attorney’s office, recently getting the job as an assistant district attorney.

after natalie’s death, dinah actually came to learn that her relationship with her baby’s dad wasn’t as accepted with their family as she had first thought (which infuriated her. how could she not have known? they did the same to her!) and how little her uncle seemed to care. how he was mostly angry at the inconvenience. since then, there’s been some alarm bell ringing every time she has to be in contact with the man. she’s turning a blind eye to the suspicion, but she’s starting to think that her parents’ death was way too similar to natalie’s.

 headcanons —

dinah has tried to channel her negative energy since losing natalie into self-defense. she’s proficient in krav maga and kickboxing!

very recently though, she realized aggression wasn’t the best way for her to go about things (although self-defense has proven to be useful in the city and in the courtrooms), dinah found a healthier way for her to let out her energy: dancing. nothing fancy, she attends some classes and loves throwing it back on the weekends lmao

her apartment complex doesn’t allow pets, but she’s befriended a feral cat that she feeds and pets every so often. still needs a name for the cat.

#villageintro #i beg of u.... plots pls

[lucyvelasco]

have you seen lucy velasco? this thirty-four year old is an assistant district attorney who resides in brooklyn. she has been living in nyc for sixteen years (on and off), and is known to be intelligent and ambitious but can also be suspicious and callous, if you cross them.  people tend to associate them with soft cursing in spanish and designer reading glasses.

it’s me, gabs ( a g a i n ) KFJSDKFH idk what to say about this child other than she is a very sad, suspicious cinammon roll — come love her! i’m, as always, open for any plots and connections! give this a like if you’re interested and i’ll go slide into your dms <3

!!! tw: mention of infertility, robbery, death 

–– @codstarters​

about —

full name: lucía velasco neale age: 34 birthday: january 6th, 1987 sexual orientation: demisexual/biromantic gender: cis female general appearance: pic for reference pronouns: she/her

bio —

tw: mention of infertility, robbery, death

born in santa clara, cuba to an high school student who couldn’t handle the responsibility of motherhood, lucía lived in an orphanage for girls for a few years of her life, very early years. she doesn’t remember it much, if at all, but she has some pictures of herself as a baby with some of the nuns.

INFERTILITY TW. she was adopted by an affluent mexican family when she was two, after they struggled with infertility for most of their marriage. desperate for children, the couple outsourced. to their surprise, however, not too long after they adopted lucía, their own daughter, natalia, would be born.

lucía and natalia were as close as close could get: they had the same friends, the same activities, mostly the same interests... apart from being sisters, they were best friends. although they weren’t blood related, they were always treated as if they were.

they grew up in las lomas, a fancy neighborhood where fancy families raised their children, with one condition: there was a standard everyone had to meet, and it was nothing short of perfect. so of course, the velasco girls had to be the perfect children. and while it all seemed j.c. penney-catalogue perfect: an accomplished doctor for a father, a busy caterer for a mother, and two perfect girls... the pressure their parents placed on lucía and natalia created a barrier between the parents and the children that was never fully destroyed.

the difference was how the sisters dealt with it. natalia was always so sure, so full of self-love and adventure — she couldn’t care less of what her parents thought of her or her interests; whereas lucía, a bit more desperate for their validation, allowed the constant pressure to get to her and become a part of her.

ROBBERY TW. everything changed when the house staff was held at gunpoint during a robbery. thousands of mexican pesos worth of their belongings were taken, and althought no one was hurt, mr. velasco took it upon himself to never let anything like that happen again — he packed his family up and moved them to california. after all, his wife was an american citizen and the children too, by default, so they had no problem moving. their dad had the most trouble getting to stay with them, but sooner than later the family was all together, living in hermosa beach, ca.

always a smart girl, lucía, now known as lucy, got into high school a year ahead of where she was supposed to be, and she met alex warren along the way. they had a strong connection from the very beginning, and although her conservative parents didn’t necessarily approve of her choice, lucy and alex became a couple.

without many details shared with her parents, the girl moved to new york city with her boyfriend after graduating high school and went to college, no problem. she majored in psychology, eventually went to law school.

while in college, lucy and alex got engaged; she was beyond elated, but never knew how to share the news with her parents. nat was the first to know, and the two fantasized about the wedding arrangements for a while. she was so happy and thought alex was happy, too, it never crossed her mind that anything was wrong until after graduation, a few years passed and alex started becoming distant... so distant that there were days they simply wouldn’t talk to each other, some others they wouldn’t even see each other... and the engagement was broken. last she heard, he moved back to california, and while her heart yelled at her to follow him there — she didn’t, she stayed in the city to further continue her career to eventually achieve her goal of becoming a judge.

still heartbroken, lucy found her sister’s relationship with aristóteles pineda to be infuriating: both from her parents’ influential opinions and her own jealousy from her failing relationship. watching her sister being so in love with someone her family hated was familiar, but instead of supporting nat like she had done with her, she sided with her parents’ — to appease them, since they were surprisingly angry about her engagement not working out — and thus her relationship with her sister started to crumble.

DEATH TW. she kept her distance from pretty much everyone: she didn’t make any appearances back in california when her niece was born, and to this day, lucy regrets it with all her heart. she never really spoke to nat again: she was taken from them way too soon in a tragic car accident, that managed to only kill nat. aristóteles and the child survived.

broken with grief she just didn’t know how to process, she yet again joined her parents’ in their accusations towards the young man, blaming him for the death of their daughter. lucy even went out of her way to make sure she told him how much he was despised by the entire family, how she never wanted to hear of or see him again.

things like these will harden up anyone. lucy placed her focus entirely on her job, working in some legal firms as a paralegal until she made it to the d.a.’s office, scoring a job as an assistant d.a. but as years went by, she realized how nobody in her family seemed to talk about nat’s death, even though they all remained in california and the events would be painful, no matter how much time passed — right? but nobody did. 

with a heavy heart and a bruised ego, lucy has recently learned about ari’s whereabouts in the city, and has made it her new mission to apologize for how she treated him and reconnect with bella, her niece, as she is the only piece of her sister she will ever have left.

headcanons —

lucy has tried to channel her negative energy since losing her sister into self-defense. she’s proficient in krav maga and kickboxing!

afterwards, realizing aggression wasn’t the best way for her to go about things (although self-defense has proven to be useful in the city and in the courtrooms), lucy found a healthier way for her to let out her energy: dancing. nothing fancy, she attends zumba classes and loves throwing it back on the weekends lmao

her apartment complex doesn’t allow pets, but she’s befriended a feral cat that she feeds and pets every so often, she calls her bicha.

#codintro #infertility tw #robbery tw #death tw

[angelicdestieldemon]

Doppleganger (NSFW)

SHIP: Brian Kneef x Carmen (SVU)

Request: Carmen being in love with Barba but when he leaves she turns to Kneef

Carmen Noble had one rule: keep her personal and professional life separate. It wasn’t always easy, but she managed until she met Rafael Barba.

She had never been interested in her the lawyers she assisted, they were all the same – arrogant, self-important, thought themselves above the assistants, paralegal and interns. Rafael was different though. Her job at a law firm was becoming more and more uncomfortable, her boss’s lecherous looks down her blouses made her want to cover up; sometimes he would call her into his office just to remind himself she was at his beck and call. So, when a friend, Caroline, informed her of a personal assistant’s position with a lawyer in the DA’s office in Brooklyn she jumped at the chance to apply, anything was better than where she currently was.

She did her research though in advance, wanting to know what she was about to get herself in for. Rafael Barba was a first-generation Cuban American who came from the Bronx, got himself a full-ride scholarship to Harvard and then came back to the city working his way up to Brooklyn SVU. With a reputation of being arrogant, sarcastic and a pain in the ass, she almost didn’t apply, but Caroline did her best to reassure her.

“I’m not saying he’s not a dick, god knows he can be, he focuses on maintaining his status as the best prosecutor in the city with the highest conviction-rate. But unlike a lot of the guys here, he’s never tried it on with anyone in the office, if you don’t like him you can find someone else - once you’re in the building, it’s easier to transfer to someone else.”

So, she applied and when she got an interview, Caroline helped her prepare. He’s more attractive than the pictures online portray, his well-fitted suits and brightly coloured ties let her know he’s confident in his appearance. She tries not to smile when he hangs his suit jacket over the back of his chair and she sees matching suspenders that he somehow manages to pull off, Caroline had told her he wore them as well as a belt but the hadn’t believed her.

The interview goes rather well, he seems impressed with her CV and references, and even comments that she might be a little over-qualified for an assistant. Not once does he stare at her chest or enquire into her personal life other than subjects concerning the job.

“Why do you want to leave your current position?” He asks, looking directly at her.

She smiles politely and answers: “I’d like a new challenge; I’ve worked primarily in law firms, but I’d like to be involved on the prosecution side of the law for a change.”

He doesn’t even blink, “What’s the real reason?”

Carmen doesn’t know how to respond to that, having expected him to just accept the half answer and not really care about her reasons for changing jobs.

“Today is the first day in a long time that I’ve been able to wear a blouse that doesn’t button all the way up, every time I wear them to my current job my boss stares down them,” she answers more truthfully than she intended, there is something about Rafael that makes her feel like the truth is the best answer for him.

She sees a flash of anger in his eyes but other than that he doesn’t react.

“When can you start?”

Working for Rafael was as hard as Caroline had warned, he is very specific in the way he wants things done, and the order she should do them, his calendar is always full, and it takes a while for her to learn how to schedule his meetings to make his day easier. Meetings with Rita Calhoun are always in the morning as she likes to drag them into his lunch or arrive early to interrupt him eating. Buchanan is always at the end of the day leaving it the most likely meeting to get rescheduled. Everyone else fits somewhere in between.

A few weeks in she realises that if she doesn’t remind him to eat, he’d exist solely on coffee and pretzels, so she takes note of his regular orders from various takeaways and has it delivered when she can give him time to eat.

They work well together, he doesn’t leer or make suggestive comments, his arrogance is plain as day, but she can see a lot of it is a front to survive in the office. He avoids gossip and focuses on doing his job which she can appreciate, and he sends her home hours before he does, only letting her stay late if he really needs her there or she wants the overtime.

It doesn’t take long for the lines to blur though. Unlike all the people she has worked for before Rafael doesn’t show any interest in sleeping with her. If it was anyone else, she wouldn’t be complaining but she can see Rafael being a man she would break her rule for, but he doesn’t look at her like that or anyone for that matter. She knows almost nothing about his private life other than he is single but even then, she has no idea what he likes, he never goes on dates and she would know as he puts everything on his calendar including visits to his mum and grandmother.

When he moves to the Manhattan DA’s office, he takes her with him and gives her a bonus which she appreciates and then he meets Sonny, and everything changes. She can see the way he looks at the detective and she realises she never had a chance. It hurts more than she expected it to when he starts dating Sonny, but she’s also happy for him, he deserves someone who makes him smile like a love-sick idiot.

Even with the revelation of his sexuality she can’t stop the dreams she has at night, they started in Brooklyn, getting more explicit the longer they worked together and now it’s not even a possibility.

When he leaves the DA’s office after being cleared of a murder charge, she asks him where he’s going, he hugs her for the first time, and she feels guilty for enjoying the embrace but then he pulls away, kisses her cheek and wishes her luck in whatever she chooses to do now.

“Rafael!” She shouts after him, he turns. “Give me a call when you decide to come back, I don’t like the new guy.” He gives her a watery smile and walks away.

Carmen mopes for weeks after he’s gone to the point where Caroline appears at her apartment one night with a bottle of wine and ice cream.

“Ok, times up! You’re going to tell me what’s wrong, we’re going to get drunk and eat ice cream until you’re happy again,” she tells her, walking through the doorway before Carmen can stop her.

Carmen doesn’t have the will power or energy to resist and tells her everything.

“Oh honey… you need to get laid,” Carmen almost falls off the sofa at that.

“I tell you that I fell in love with my boss, he turns out to be gay and leaves and you’re only reaction is to tell me I need to have sex?” Even if she wasn’t drunk, she’s be confused by her friend’s logic.

“What you need is to get over him. I’ll bet my Christmas bonus that you haven’t had sex since before you became his assistant…” Caroline raises her eyebrows in challenge.

Carmen doesn’t grace her with a reply, instead taking a sip of wine straight from the bottle.

“I knew it, the only sex you’ve had is in your dreams, so on Friday you are going out and you’re getting laid.”

Carmen grabs the nearest pillow to groan into.

Friday comes fast than it should, and Carmen finds herself in a bar, with fairly decent music and a crowd closer to her own age if not older. It’s not as crude as the clubs’ Caroline wanted to drag her too, she was in no mood to have her eardrums battered by terrible music with nothing but a heavy bassline or have college kids trying to get into her pants with cheesy pick-up lines.

Carmen is taking a glance around the room when she spots him. She almost chokes on her drink at the sight of a man looking almost exactly like Rafael. She knows it’s not him, but the stranger looks so much like her old boss that she almost forgets it’s not him.

He has a thick dark beard, a few grey hairs here and there but not enough for him to look old just distinguished. He wears a suit well and from working with Rafael she knows it costs a lot of money. He catches her looking and she doesn’t glance away for a vital few seconds before dragging away her gaze to her drink, wondering if he’ll take the hint.

He does.

The stranger carries his drink over to her, taking the empty seat next to her, moving it closer in a bold move she would otherwise find off-putting, but his resemblance to Rafael gives him a little leeway, not that he knows it.

“Can I buy you a drink?” God, he even sounds like him.

Carmen mulls over the question, drinking the last of her red wine. The whole point of tonight was to get Rafael off her mind, would letting this stranger take her home help or hinder that objective she doesn’t know but she’s tempted to throw all caution to the wind and let him have his way with her.

He has an air of danger about him, nothing that would set alarm bells off but there’s definitely something about him that warns her he’s not as kind as Rafael but maybe that’s what she needs.

“Is that all you want, to buy me a drink?” She responds with her own question, trying her best to play this cool and not come across over eager, he’s around the same age as Rafael which makes him at roughly ten to fifteen years older than her.

He responds with a wicked grin, and she feels her stomach tingle with a warmth no other man has been able to ignite since she met Rafael.

“What I want is to see you writhing with pleasure in my bed,” he answers, and that flush of warmth becomes a fire, her underwear beginning to dampen.

She shouldn’t enjoy the filth he then whispers in her ear, laughing darkly when she grasps the wrist of his hand that’s gripping her upper thigh.

Everything after that it a bit of a blur, she learns his name is Brian and he is a lawyer from Chicago, just moved to his firms New York office. But she hardly cares, he’s everything she needs, his looks helping her fulfil her fantasies and his polar opposite personality helping her remember why she’s doing this, other than the effect his words have on her body.

He doesn’t bother with the unnecessary formalities other than to tell her that this isn’t the start of a beautiful relationship and that if she’s here it’s for sex and nothing else, that it ends when she leaves the apartment.

After that he pushes her down on the bed, taking off his suit jacket, leaving him in an expensive white shirt before he locks their mouths in a kiss that’s so dirty and hot, she almost climaxes then and there. Every move he makes is dominating but when she pushes back, he yields until she hands back the control.

He removes her dress and bra but leaves her underwear on, his fingers toying with the material as he lavishes attention on her breasts, he sucks on the skin of the valley between her breasts, his eyes meeting hers as he sucks and nips harder and harder, when she doesn’t stop him, he works on a mark, soothing the sting with his tongue before leaving another mark just above the hem of her panties.

The minute his mouth touches her bare centre she stops thinking, her mind completely overcome with the pleasure his tongue and fingers are invoking.  He works her to her breaking point again and again until she’s trying to grind down on his face in frustration.

“Now, now, be a good girl for daddy, you don’t come until I say so,” he grins darkly at her frustration.

Carmen has never wanted to call a man daddy in bed, anyone who has attempted it with her ended up making her laugh until the mood was killed but with Brian, she doesn’t laugh, if anything she almost comes at the word, much to her dismay Brian notices.

“Do you like that? Do you want to be daddy’s good girl?” If it wasn’t for his thumb still circling her swollen clit, she would leave but she can’t help the voice in her head crying out to be wanted by this man and if he wants her to call him daddy, she can’t bring herself to object.

“Please daddy, I’ll be good.” If she wasn’t so turned on, she’d cringe but she secretly enjoys the effect it has on him, his eyes flutter and his tongue pokes out to taste her on his lips.

He strips her of her panties and rids himself of his clothing until they’re both completely bare of any boundaries and she can see his intimidating length, he’s thick and long and she worries about being able to walk home.

“Don’t worry baby, daddy’s going to take care of you, I’ll make you scream for all the right reasons.”

Brian pushes her legs wide open holding them up by locking them around his elbows. The initial stretch burns a little, but he takes it slow and stimulates her clit until all she can feel is the pleasurable sensation of being completely filled. After that, he’s rough in his thrusts, adjusting her for his own pleasure, his length drags along her sweet spot almost every time and every time he changes position she almost screams at the new stimulation.

They end up with her back to his chest, kneeling on the bed, her legs spread as far open as they can go, one of his hands locked around her waist and other gripping her neck but not squeezing.

“That’s it, tighten that sweet little pussy up for me, I want to feel every pulse of your walls as they clench around my cock,” his words are filthy in all the right ways, every one sending a pulse through her core until finally her coil snaps.

Her whole body tightens as pleasure rocks her down on to him, she feels herself clench down on his length until she can feel every vein on his cock as he comes, releasing his grip around her waist to grab her hips and drive himself through his orgasm milking every wrought of pleasure out of her body before pulling out.

Carmen is still shaking when he returns from the bathroom, she doesn’t expect him to care, but he brings her some water and sugary sweets. Pulling her into his arms and sitting her in his lap he whispers soothing words and strokes his hands softly up her back and down her arms until the tremors stop.

“Rougher than you’re used to?” His voice returns to normal, no longer talking to her like a spooked animal or child.

She nods her head, moving to get off his lap, feeling embarrassment at what happened.

“Stay. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” His grip tightens around her and she curses the feeling of warmth in the pit of her stomach already trying to ignite again, this side of him is closer to Rafael, the caring attitude.

“You told me no feelings, just sex,” she counters, wondering where that side of him went.

“No offence sweetheart, this isn’t feelings, this is aftercare. This isn’t nearly as rough as I’m used to but if this is the hardest you’ve been fucked then you’re going to need a chance to calm back down again. If you still want to leave in half an hour that’s fine but you need to sort your head out first,” Carmen nods reluctantly, leaning back into him again.

She’d heard of aftercare before, but she always thought it was for really rough sex or ‘scenes’. But she understands what he means, her partners have always been gentle which she always thought was nice, but none of anything she experienced compared to what just happened. Her whole body felt like it exploded, the pleasure her invoked made her scream, going back to before didn’t seem all that appealing.

She remembers what he said earlier though: this ends when you leave the apartment. Her immediate thought makes her shiver, and his hand continues in the soothing motions on her skin.

“You said this ends when I leave your apartment,” she begins, looking up at him, his eyebrow quirking up in either amusement or intrigue.

“I’m not back to work until Monday…” he responds to her un-sked question.

Is this what she wants? To spend her weekend writhing in pleasure with a man who looks like the man she was in love with for years. She already knows the answer, even if it’s not the smartest decision she’ll make, she’ll take what she can get.

#brian kneef #carmen svu #Raul Esparza #Raúl Esparza #the good fight

[missywritesfor7]

🌙Moon’s Light | JJK🌙

Synopsis: Luna is a young paralegal trying to maintain her new found independence and enjoy life. Too bad her job sucks and her boss is the worst. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she encounters a vampire named Jungkook who changes her life in more ways than one.

Jungkook is a shield and protector of the vampire kingdom of Korealis. He’s trained his entire life to block out any and all distractions and focus solely on becoming the strongest. While investigating a potential threat to the kingdom, he encounters Luna who turns out to be more than he could have ever imagined. It becomes his job to protect her, but he can’t tell if what he’s feeling is his devotion to the job or perhaps something deeper.

Secrets are uncovered. Lives are on the line. Hearts are tested.

Pairing: Vampire!Jungkook x Fem!OC

Warnings: Violence, character death, eventual smut, tragedy, some angst, strong language, MINORS DNI

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|| Ch. 8: Gag ||

Everywhere in the kingdom is dark. Daytime in Korealis is more like dawn on earth, while nighttime is even darker than that. This area that Luna’s portal takes Jungkook and Namjoon to is a different type of darkness. There’s a stillness in the air as if there isn’t a single soul for miles. Still, Namjoon and Jungkook push forward bravely preparing for anything to happen.

Namjoon equipped the portal location with a device used to monitor all portals. It’s how they know when portals are having issues or need some sort of maintenance. It will not only let them know if there’s an issue and they need to go back, but it also serves as a guide back to that location in case they get lost.

Jungkook feels like they were spit out at the edge of the world, although it’s more like the edge of a remote island. The beach, however, is covered in black rocks that look rather sharp. Definitely not a place for vacationers. In the distance is nothing but trees. They decide to head into the woods and see where it leads. After walking for a little they begin to hear voices. They stop to listen trying to find out who it may be.

“Did you know Choi found a new portal?” One male voice says.

“I thought he lost it?” Another voice asks.

“He said he could get it back then everyone could use it, which is good since the main portal is falling apart.”

Namjoon and Jungkook continue listening to the conversation. They learn that word has spread fast about Luna’s portal and she’s being sought after so they can use her to travel between worlds. They also find out that there is one other portal somewhere here that’s being used by SV to travel discreetly without the powers that be finding out. It’s also mentioned that there are many new converts and “it’s only a matter of time” before they’re able to all band together and overtake the throne. Namjoon and Jungkook decide they’ve heard enough and step out of the shadows to approach the two guys.

“Who are you?” One guy asks taking a combative stance.

“We got a little lost and washed up ashore,” Namjoon lies. “Can you tell us how to get back to Korealis?”

“How the hell did you end up here?” The second shorter guy asks.

“Not sure,” Jungkook shrugs. “What is this place?”

“A place you’ll never be able to leave,” the taller guy snarks.

“Why is that?”

“Because if you’re not Saakhan then you’ve already seen too much. This isn’t a place you just stumble upon.”

“Well, we did.”

“You couldn’t have because this place is only accessible by portal.”

“How? Where are we?”

“Your final resting place.”

“For fucks sake,” Namjoon sighs. He musters his energy to tap into his ability which is being able to control nature and the elements. He unleashes flashes of lightning from his hands and uses it to pin the guy’s arms to his side. “We really don’t have a lot of time, so tell us where we are or this will be your final resting place.”

“Oh really? You think your lightning will scare me into telling the venom secrets to some random fools who trespassed in here?”

“I’ll be nice and give you one more chance to tell us what this place is and where we are.”

“You dont scare me,” he growls through his teeth trying to hide the pain of Namjoon’s lightning coursing through his body.

“Fine,” Namjoon says releasing his lightning then instantly hitting him with a powerful volt to the chest killing him instantly. The guy’s body disintegrates and turns to ash right at their feet.

The shorter guy looks in shock and horror as Namjoon turns his direction. He’s trembling and Namjoon knows he has this guy where he wants him.

“Now I’ll ask you,” Namjoon says. “What is this place?”

“I-it’s the S-Saakhan headquarters,” the guy stutters.

“The entire island? Where are we? And how did you get here?”

“I-I-I don’t know. I got here through a portal and they told me I can’t leave.”

“Who?!”

“I don’t know, the guy who converted me! He told me I had to do what he said and that I’m part of some revolution. I don’t know what any of this means!”

“You’re full of shit!” Namjoon yells binding the guys arms with lightning. “Where is the portal they brought you through?”

“I-it’s on the other side of the island!”

“Take us there!”

On shaky legs with his arms still bound, the guy begins guiding Namjoon and Jungkook to the location of the portal.

Meanwhile, back in Jungkook’s room, Luna is lounging in the bed with Jimin and Taehyung on either side of her. Hoseok went out for more blood while Yoongi continues to monitor her vitals from his computer on the other side of the room.

“You’re doing good drinking the blood steadily,” Jimin says.

“You think so?” Luna asks taking another sip from her third bottle. “It tasted super weird at first, but now I think I’m just used to it.”

“You should try the strawberry flavor,” Taehyung says.

“There’s flavors?”

“Yeah,” Jimin smiles. “You might like those better. A lot of new converts drink flavored blood to make the transition easier.” He looks to Taehyung, “tell Hobi hyung to get flavored blood.”

Taehyung pulls out his phone and begins typing out a message to Hoseok. Jimin turns his attention back to Luna.

“Your eyes are incredible,” Jimin says marveling at her one brown eye.

“Thanks?” Luna chuckles nervously. “Is it really rare for someone to be half human and half vampire?”

“Yeah,” Jimin smiles. “But I guess that just means you’re special.”

“Hyung will be back soon with flavored blood,” Taehyung says trying to put an end to Jimin’s attempt to flirt.

“Good,” Jimin says not taking his eyes off of Luna. “Is there anything else you need to feel comfortable?”

“No, I guess I’m as comfortable as I’m going to be.” Luna takes another sip of blood and finds herself trying to stifle a gag.

“You sure?” He asks noticing the slight discomfort on her face.

“Yeah,” she nods. “I have to do this.”

It’s been 45 minutes since Jungkook and Namjoon disappeared in front of her face. Aside from the initial wave of goosebumps she felt when they went in, she hasn’t felt a thing. Now that she’s working on her third bottle of blood she’s grown numb to the taste, though it seems the more she thinks she’s used to it, the more she has to try controlling her gag reflex.

She remains there finishing off her bottle and chatting with Jimin and Taehyung. Yoongi doesn’t say much aside from getting on to the others for asking her too many questions or for being embarrassingly obvious in their flirting. A while later Hoseok returns with more blood, this time strawberry flavored.

“Tell me if you like this better,” Jimin says opening the bottle and handing it to Luna.

She takes a sip and after once again trying to calm her gag reflex, she nods. It certainly has a better taste than plain blood, but it’s still a bit weird to her.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Yoongi asks peering at her over the top of his laptop screen.

“Yes,” she nods. “It’s ok.”

She tries taking down more of the blood but she finds it to be increasingly difficult. Through sheer will power and determination she finishes the bottle. She knew this would be a challenge but she didn’t think it would be so exhausting when all she’s doing is drinking. Still, she grabs another bottle to continue the constant flow of blood to her body so she doesn’t end up letting the portal kill her and possibly Namjoon and Jungkook too.

She gets two sips into her next bottle of strawberry blood when she begins to feel weak suddenly. She thinks it’s just in her head until Yoongi begins asking her what’s wrong. Luna can’t get a word out before she leans across Jimin’s lap and over the edge of the bed and vomits all over the floor.

“They have to get out of there,” Yoongi says urgently. “Tae, find a bucket for her.”

“I’ll clean up,” Hoseok says quickly heading out with Taehyung.

Taehyung returns first just a second later giving Luna a bucket where she once again vomits. The only thing coming up is blood. That’s the only thing she’s had today, and every bit that she regurgitates is like deadly acid burning through her body.

Hoseok quickly returns with towels and a mop and begins cleaning the floor. Jimin takes a towel and wipes Luna’s mouth after every bout of vomit that comes up. When she is vomiting he holds her hair out of the way and rubs her back to try calming her. She’s in so much pain, tears are streaming down her face as she hopes and prays it all ends.

She feels weak and hardly able to see straight when Jungkook and Namjoon reappear in the room.

“What happened?” Namjoon asks concerned. “The portal started showing signs of instability.”

“She just started throwing up,” Jimin says wiping Luna’s mouth again.

“Are you ok?” Jungkook asks springing to Luna’s side and moving Jimin out of the way in the process.

“I thought I was doing ok,” Luna says through tears. “Then it all came up.”

“Her entire body has weakened,” Yoongi says tapping at his computer. “I think her human side reached its blood limit.”

Jungkook looks her over frantically then moves her hair that’s now drenched in sweat out of her face. He takes the towel from Jimin and wipes her mouth again.

“We won’t be able to go back in there,” Namjoon says looking at the computer over Yoongi’s shoulder. “There’s no way we can go back with her like this.”

“Did you guys find anything?” Jimin asks.

“Yeah, but we couldn’t go as far as we wanted because the portal readings started going crazy.”

Hoseok finishes cleaning the floor and steps out to find out if Jin is still in his meeting. They need him to come right away so he knows what’s going on. Namjoon and Yoongi are busy analyzing the readings on the computer, and Jungkook gets settled right next to Luna after sending Jimin and Taehyung to find her something that she can eat or drink.

Luna’s skin has gone pale and she’s so weak she can barely see. All she can do is sit there and cry through the pain coursing through her body. Jungkook places her bucket of blood vomit on the floor and scoots closer to her.

“Take a deep breath,” he says softly rubbing circles in her back.

“Everything hurts,” Luna says barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I tried, I really did.”

“It’s ok,” he reassures her.

“What’s going to happen to me?” She cries fearing the worst.

“Well,” Jungkook looks up at Namjoon and Yoongi searching their faces for an answer. “I’m not sure, but right now you should just rest.”

Shortly after, Jimin and Taehyung return with water and fruit for Luna. It isn’t long before Hoseok comes back with Jin looking understandably concerned. Everyone gathers around ready to hear what Namjoon and Jungkook discovered and discuss what happens next.

They explain what they overheard from the two guys in the woods. After the second guy led them to the main portal the Saakhan Venom use, Namjoon killed him with a volt of lightning when he tried to run. After making sure it wasn’t a trap, Jungkook went through the portal and learned that it leads to a back alley in the slums of the kingdom. He was able to pull the location on his phone and save it so he would be able to share it with the others.

Even better, is they were also able to close that portal. They’re not sure, but as far as they know, there’s no other portal in that location. As it stands, the only way anyone can get to the SV headquarters there, is through Luna.

Luna continues to sip on water and search for the strength to even speak. Everyone seems increasingly concerned knowing that she’s the only portal to that location. Mr. Choi already discovered it, and others already know. Considering how weak she is now no one is confident that she’d survive if anyone else tried traveling through her.

Jungkook volunteers to take care of Luna until she’s well again. Namjoon recruits the help of Jimin and Taehyung to keep watch on the alleyway where the portal is to see who tries going through it. The rest of the guys go their separate ways so that Luna can try to rest. Hoseok even takes the vomit bucket and lets them know that they can call him if they need anything.

“So,” Jungkook says handing her a small bushel of grapes from the basket of fruit Jimin and Taehyung brought back. “What do you normally eat when you don’t feel good?”

“Honestly? I’ve never felt like this before,” she says with little energy. “I’m not sure what would help this feeling.”

“I guess we can see how the fruit and water works and go from there.”

“How…how do you guys have fruit?” She asks popping a grape into her mouth.

“Should we not have fruit?” He chuckles.

“I don’t know. I mean, if all you guys do is drink blood, what do you need with fruit?”

“LuLuLuna, I really wish you would fully convert. Not just for the sake of your own life, but because I think human tv is a terrible influence and filled with false information.”

“I feel like it’s a legit question.”

“It’s not.”

“Then explain it, vampire boy.”

“You are sick and weak and threw up nearly every drop of blood you drank today, yet you talk to me like that when I offered to take care of you?”

“No one made you volunteer,” she jokes.

“Who else would have taken on the agonizing task of looking out for a sick human?”

“Jimin seemed like he was willing to take care of me. He was doing good while you were gone.”

“Look,” he groans rolling his eyes at the mention of Jimin taking care of her. “We have fruit, vegetables, and all kinds of other food just like humans do. Blood is for survival, food is for pleasure.”

“Does that mean you can make me some ramen?”

“No,” he says stone faced.

“Why not? You said you would take care of me until I’m feeling better.”

“It seems like you are feeling better since you’re being a pain in the ass as usual.”

“Everything in me hurts. If I don’t find a way to humor myself then I would just sit here crying nonstop. Is that what you want to deal with.”

“You could try shutting up and eating your fruit.”

“What if I took this fruit and choked you with it?” She asks throwing a grape at him.

“Good luck, weakling,” he smirks eating the grape and standing up. “Eat up, I’ll be back in a minute.”

“You’re just going to leave me here alone?”

“Yeah, you’re fine.”

“What if I die and you’re not here to save me?”

“Stop being dramatic.” He gives her a teasing grin then leaves the room.

Luna huffs then finishes off the bushel of grapes. Her stomach seems to appreciate her putting something in it other than blood, but she still feels weak and exhausted. This entire day has been long and draining and she hopes soon she can bounce back and go back home. She takes a sip of water and lays her head back on the pillow. It isn’t long before she falls right to sleep.

Tonight Jungkook finds himself on the roof again deep in thought. There’s something nagging at him in the back of his mind and he thought spending time in his usual thinking spot would help him figure out what it is. Unfortunately that’s not the case. He thought he would feel good about being able to close the portal the SVs have been using. Although they had to cut their adventure short he thought he would be happy with the information they found. Yet he still remains unsatisfied and unhappy.

He’s trying to think of what to do next. What can he do tomorrow to bring them closer to shutting SV down for good? What can he do to keep Luna safe? He remains on the roof well into the night lost in his mind.

#bts #bts au #bts fanfic #bts fic #bts smut #jeon jungkook #jungkook au #jungkook fanfic #jungkook smut #jungkook x oc #jungkook x original character #vampire au #vampire bts #strangers to lovers #eventual smut #angst #cross posted on wattpad #cross posted on ao3 #moons light

[fleckcmscott]

Watch What Happens - Chapter 1

Summary: Arthur, an aspiring comedian, has struggled to find normalcy and compassion his entire life. Y/N, a hard-working paralegal and transplant to Gotham, has just been put on a case for the Wayne Foundation. When they meet, unexpected sparks fly.

Chapter warning: Angst

Words: 2,004

Long A/N: This story was inspired by a few things: the beautiful character of Arthur Fleck; Todd Phillips asking (on a podcast) how Arthur's life might have changed if someone had put a hand on his shoulder; and reviews in which people asked some variation of the following question: "What would a put together woman like Sophie be doing with Arthur?" (That one really gets me - everyone deserves normalcy and happiness.)

"Watch What Happens" follows the timeline of the movie, with twists on some major events, and added ones.

It's been over 10 years since I've written prose that wasn't something technical or a screenplay, so I'm rusty. I popped out the 120 page draft of this story in four weeks, and am working through the second and third drafts. I'm both terrified and excited to share this with all of you!

Arthur took a long drag off his cigarette as he absorbed his counselor’s last question. The ticking clock on the wall, the fluorescent lights beating down on him, the uncomfortable closeness of the room - none were helping him come up with an answer. What did she want to hear? He seemed to get the same response no matter what he said. “Work is okay. I had a sign-spinning job this week.”

“Did you enjoy it?” Counselor Kane asked.

The memory of the beating he endured made him anxious. Stress built in his torso. His abdominal muscles twitched as he tensed. He already dreaded the fit he knew was coming. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to hold back. Laughter tore its way through his throat, piercing his own ears. Reaching across his chest, he attempted to stifle the guffaws. He’d been told before that changing positions was supposed to help. It didn’t seem to this time.

Eventually, each gale became quieter, transforming into coughing, then a few quiet chokes as he regained a semblance of control. Had he enjoyed being beaten up by a bunch of teenagers and yelled at by passersby? Not really. “It was fine.”

He watched as she made notes, studying the stacks of papers and files on her desk. He knew he wasn’t giving her a lot to work with this week. But he was exhausted. Starting counseling eight months earlier hadn’t been his idea. After being released from Arkham, he’d been mandated to go to therapy once a week. It was hard to be enthusiastic about it.  Most of the time he didn’t think it helped. He was still as isolated, as anonymous as before. The negative thoughts continued.

But he kept trying. 

After a few moments of silence, he asked a question of his own. “Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” He met her look for the first time this session.

A grim expression came across her face as she gave a nod. “It is certainly tense. People are upset. They’re struggling, looking for work. These are tough times.” She continued writing. “How about you? Have you been keeping up with your journal?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered meekly.

“Great. Did you bring it with you?”

He stiffened, lips puffing at his cigarette. A smile came across his face but didn’t reach his eyes. If he’d thought she wanted to read his journal, he would have left it at home. He’d assumed it would be private.

She didn’t seem impressed. “Arthur, last time I asked you to bring your journal with you for these appointments. Can I see it?”

He squeezed his hands together and ran them over his thighs, trying to convince them to stop bouncing. He was certain she wasn’t going to let this go. Might as well get this over with. A slight chuckle escaped him as he turned to reach into his jacket pocket.

“I’ve been using it as a - as a journal. But also a joke diary?” Reluctantly, he handed the folded, spiral notebook over. “Funny thoughts or observations.” He looked down, then, knowing what she’d find in there. “I think I told you I’m pursuing a career in stand-up comedy.”

She flipped through the tattered pages. “No you didn’t,” she said.

He paused. She didn’t remember that? “I think I did.” He noticed she hadn’t flinched once. Maybe the pornography he had pasted in there wasn’t so bad.  

Kane stopped and glanced at him before reading aloud. “’I just hope my death makes more sense than my life.’”

An eyebrow raised as he huffed, a corner of his mouth lifting. She’d wanted him to write how he felt, right? That about summed it up.

She seemed concerned, but merely closed the journal and gave it back to him. “How does it feel to have to come here? Does it help to have someone to talk to?”

Arthur furrowed his brow as he exhaled another cloud of smoke. “I think I felt better when I was locked up in the hospital,” he said.

“And have you thought more about why you were locked up?”

He did his best to recall, though his memory of that time was fragmented. White walls, a straitjacket, no shoelaces. He remembered a window in the door of the observation room and ramming his head into it. “Who knows…” he sighed. He watched as Kane started packing up his file. “I was wondering if you could ask the doctor to increase my medication.”

She took out a list and read it over. “Arthur, you’re on seven different medications.” She raised her shoulders slightly. “Surely they must be doing something.

His eyes softened, letting down his guard for a moment. “I just don’t want to feel so bad anymore.”

~~~~~

Arthur stood in line at the pharmacy, hand playing with the keys in his pocket. He browsed the nearby stand with office supplies. More pens would be good - he tended to go through ink quickly with all the scribbles in his journal - but he doubted he had enough change for both them and his co-pays. They’d have to be picked up later.

Once he was up, he stepped to the laminate counter. “Hi, my name’s Arthur Fleck. I have three prescriptions to pick-up?” He handed his Gothamcare card to the pharmacist, who gave it a glance. The medications were $2.50 each. After paying, he said a quick “Thank you.” The pharmacist turned his attention to the next person.

Arthur exited the pharmacy, starting the fifteen minute trek home. As he walked, he thought about what he would do that evening. His back was still sore from the kicks it’d received after being jumped. A hot shower would help soothe the aches, but he wasn’t sure when he could fit it in.

He was already arriving home later than usual because of work. The oven would have to be preheated, as he could prepare his mother’s nightly TV dinner. Watching “Live with Murray Franklin” was a must. And he wanted to work on his comedy routine. He knew he was getting close to having a really good set. The shower could wait until morning.

He trudged up the concrete stairs near his building. Every step became heavier as he ascended. Why should you be wary of stairs? They’re always up to something! When a new joke came to him like that, he always felt a little better. He’d have to repeat it to himself until he had a chance to write it down.

After entering his apartment complex, he shuffled to the mail room and checked the box labeled “P. Fleck.” It was as empty as the run-down lobby he stood in. He went into the rickety elevator and repeatedly pressed the button for the eighth floor.

As soon as he entered the one-bedroom apartment, his mother called to him. “Happy, did you check the mail before you came up?”

Wincing, he took off his jacket and hung it on the hook. “Yeah, mom. Nothing.” He entered the dimly illuminated galley kitchen and went to the freezer. The meal he grabbed was the first one he saw, and he started the oven. While it pre-heated, he examined his new prescription bottles. He popped one open and took a tablet. Then he finally got a chance to write down the joke he’d come up with.

When the meal was done he took it into his mother’s, Penny’s, softly lit bedroom. He’d made it nice and neat for her, on a tray with cutlery and a napkin. She was sitting up in the double-bed against the headboard, waiting. He set the tray down over her legs and carefully cut the meatloaf for her.

She watched his movements. “He must not be getting my letters,” she said.

This again. She’d been going on and on about the Waynes for years. Annoyingly, her fixation had become more intense over the past few months. “It’s Thomas Wayne, mom. He’s a busy man.”

Penny shook her head dismissively. “Please. I worked for that family for years. The least he could do is write back.”

Arthur pursed his lips and gave a curt nod. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss this tonight. “Here. Don’t get all worked up. Eat.” Before sitting on the chair next to the vanity, he handed her the fork and patted her cheek. “You need to eat,” he said.

He could see his mother pointing at him with her fork out of the corner of his eye. “You need to eat. Look at how skinny you are,” she said. He ignored her concern, smoothing his brown, mid-length hair back and releasing a breath.

When he turned to her, she appeared content. “He’ll make a great mayor,” she said confidently. “Everybody says so.”

He studied her before answering. “Oh yeah?” he said, his voice adopting a playful tone. “Everybody who? Who do you talk to?”

She motioned towards the TV. “Well, everybody on the news.” Her voice became adamant. “He’s the only one who can save this city. He owes it to us.”

Arthur looked at the floor, raising his eyebrows.

At the sound of a certain familiar theme emanating from the television, Penny patted the side of the bed. “Come sit. It’s starting.”

He smiled. “Yay, Murray.” Reaching behind him, he turned off the table lamp. He hurried to his usual spot, the left side of the bed, and took off his shoes. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, quickly becoming lost in the show. He’d been watching “Live! With Murray Franklin” for as long as he could remember. The colors of the curtain, every note the band played, the beats between Murray’s jokes - he knew it all.

The excited energy of the audience surrounded him. His lungs were filled with the studio air conditioning. It took all his strength not to jump with excitement as his idol entered the stage. He tried to settle for a standing ovation - it didn’t work. He couldn’t stop himself from shouting, “I love you, Murray!”

The house lights went up and Murray squinted into the crowd. Arthur looked around before realizing Murray was talking directly to him. He’d picked him out of the crowd. The spotlight was on him in a flash. Arthur introduced himself, stammering when he said he lived with his mother. When the audience laughed at him, Murray came to his defense. Of course he had - he knew what it was like to struggle.

At first, when Murray called him down to join him on stage, Arthur resisted. But as the audience demand grew stronger, he had no choice but to relent. A wide smile crossed his face as he descended the stairs to stand shoulder to shoulder with Murray. Murray’s hand was warm when he took Arthur’s and lifted his arm in a cheer.

“That was great, Arthur! I loved hearing what you had to say. You made my day.” Murray told him.

Arthur’s voice was quiet when he answered in disbelief. “Thanks, Murray.”

Murray gestured with his arm towards the studio. “You see all this? The lights, the show, the audience, all that stuff.” He held Arthur square in his gaze, hand on his shoulder. “I’d give it all up in a heartbeat to have a kid like you.”

A lump formed in Arthur’s throat. He couldn’t speak. Murray understood in an instant and pulled him in for a hug. Relief washed over Arthur as he relaxed into the embrace.

The warmth Arthur felt went away, and he found himself back in his shabby apartment. He looked over his shoulder to his mother, who was spooning mashed potatoes into her mouth. As much as he loved Penny, as much as he enjoyed watching Murray with her, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was all his life was going to be. When he thought of the likely answer, he closed his eyes, feeling emptier than ever.

 Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​ @clowndaddyfleck​

#arthur fleck x reader #arthur fleck fanfic #arthur fleck x ofc #arthur fleck #joker 2019 #arthur fleck x female reader #watchwhathappens

[teacupfulofstarshine]

magical girl au

FAIR WARNING: this au features sympathetic remus and sympathetic deceit (his name is dolos). the romantic ships are royality (roman/patton) and logan/dolos/remus/virgil. there will also be some cartoon violence mentioned here.

character profiles and brief background below the cut!

background info

- magical girls have an item that is the source of their magical powers and provides their transformation. this item is called an angelus

- they fight daemons, which are concentrated pockets of negative human energy that look like liquid shadows. sometimes, these daemons possess humans if the humans are particularly strong sources of negative emotions. our magical girl squad calls these humans “corrupteds”

- all of the magical girls are capable of purifying daemons and corrupteds, but the skill and success rate varies by magical girl. for this squad, the order from best to worst is logan, virgil and dolos (they’re tied), remus

- all magical girls have a weapon that they can summon and use, as well as a special magical power that’s unique to them. the weapons are unique to them as well

- generally speaking, it’s not good for humans to have prolonged contact with or proximity to daemons, because they can become corrupteds.

logan

- de facto leader of the magical girl squad

- his outfit consists of navy elbow-length gloves, elbow-length sleeves, and black knee-high boots without a heel. his dress is navy blue, and his skirt is the poofiest of all four of them. it has silver constellation patterns on it. there’s a large crescent moon on his chest.

- he also has a silver visor that replaces his glasses when he transforms

- logan’s angelus is a silver crescent-moon-shaped hairpin embedded with glittering gemstone stars

- his weapon is a bow that automatically loads itself with arrows made of pure energy when the string is drawn. he also has the ability to shift to different types of bows (longbow, standard bow, crossbow, etc.) depending on the situation

- logan’s ability is technically called “blind spot” and is related to his visor. when he looks at daemons or corrupteds, his visor pulls up an analysis screen of sorts that tells him where the biggest weaknesses are and who’s most effective in exploiting them. he can also communicate this information telepathically to his teammates.

- logan is done with life constantly. he does not understand his teammates. why are they Like This.

- his Real Life Everyday Job is “health sciences librarian” for the local college.

virgil

- he is tired, he is trying his best, let him sleeb

- his outfit consists of black gloves, a dark purple long-sleeve top with bell sleeves around the wrists, a flared, pleated black skirt that comes to just above his knees, thigh-high dark purple stockings, and small black heels. he has a purple ribbon tied around his waist with a bow behind his back

- virgil’s angelus is a purple hexagon that he wears as a bracelet charm around his wrist. it’s about the size of a wristwatch, so people think that’s what it is until they get a closer look

- his weapon is a pair of war fans. they’re dark purple, and they have blades along the edges. he can cut a bitch with them or block incoming attacks. one of his fans has a hole in the center. you know that scene at the end of mulan where the hun stabs his sword through her paper fan and she twists his sword out of his hands to disarm him? that’s the purpose of the hole

- virgil’s ability is technically called “shield maiden”. he can create shields that are composed of a shit ton of tessellating purple hexagons. (it kind of looks like a honeycomb.) he can also create larger hexagons that he can throw out into the air like free-floating staircases or platforms, as well as using one as a sort of hoverboard surfboard think. (if you’ve ever seen gwen use her powers in ben 10 omniverse, i think it was? it’s like that)

- he’s doing his best, please help him

- his Real Life Everyday Job is “IT helpdesk assistant director” for the same college logan works at 

dolos

- uses they/them or he/him pronouns depending on the day, but is usually okay with either pronoun set 

- their outfit is a sleeveless yellow top with ruffles around the shoulders that fades down into a deep golden-orange skirt that poofs around their thighs. (their skirt is less poofy than logan’s. they are very bitter about this.) they have thigh-high heeled boots, and an orange ribbon wrapped around their waist and tied in a bow in the back. they also have yellow gloves. 

- dolos’s angelus is a pin. it’s a gleaming spiral of topaz that looks kind of like a coiled snake or an optical illusion. he usually wears it pinned to the inside of his jacket. 

- their weapon is a long dagger with a ring on the hilt that’s attached to a long, yellow ribbon. they can throw the knife and swing it around on its ribbon like a yoyo or just use it as a regular knife and stab people with it. they can dual-wield, but generally speaking they use one knife, since their control is better with just one knife. (virgil DOES lord his dual-wielding abilities over dolos. he IS better than they are with two weapons at once and they ARE extremely jealous.) 

- his ability is technically called “web of lies” and it is the ability to summon serpentine yellow ribbons out of nowhere. he can weave them into nets, tie people up with them, use them as whips, etc. he controls them telepathically, but sometimes he makes hand gestures to confuse his opponents. (if you’ve seen puella magi madoka magica, think mami tomoe’s power, kind of.) 

- they are doing their best, please have mercy on them. 

- their Real Life Everyday Job is a paralegal for the DA’s office 

remus

- he’s a little bit insane, but he’s good at his job 

- his outfit consists of very flamboyant ball sleeves (like his canon outfit), a dark green top with a black sash and black ribbon around his waist that ties in a bow in the back, white gloves, a poofy green skirt, and thigh-high high-heeled black boots with green laces. (he also has Skirt Envy in regards to logan. he and dolos have frequent bitching sessions about this.) 

- remus’s angelus is a pendant that he wears around his neck. it’s a gleaming emerald shield-shaped pendant with intricate engravings in it that change every day. remus likes to use it as a rorschach test to see how his teammates are doing. they find this annoying, but they participate anyways. 

- his weapon is, to the surprise of no one, a morningstar, just like in canon. he likes to smack people with it. it brings him joy. 

- remus’s ability is technically called “rebound knockout” and if you’ve seen the rooster teeth series rwby, it’s kind of like yang’s power. when he takes hits, they hurt him, but after a few minutes he can absorb all that damage into himself and change it into energy. however much damage he takes, his resulting attack is twice as strong. unlike yang, however, remus also has the ability to absorb damage from his teammates, temporarily inflict it upon himself, and convert it into energy. the downside of this power is that once his transformation drops, he crashes. hard. dead to the world asleep. 

- remus is a wild card. only logan can control him and that doesn’t always work. he also knows how to fence, because he and roman took lessons as children 

- remus’s Real Life Everyday Job is a crime scene analyst 

thomas

- thomas is remus’s boss, technically. he’s the lead crime scene analyst. he is very tired. he knows the secrets of the magical girl squad and he wants to sleep. please, remus, for the love of god, stop destroying the city. 

roman

- roman works as a medical imaging technician for the city hospital. he often shows up to the magical girl squad fight scenes with a sword to try and help them out. he is a human, he should not be doing so. they cannot get this through his head. 

patton

- patton is the head pediatric nurse at the city hospital. he also oten shows up to the magical girl fight scenes, with a steel baseball bat. he generally looks for injured human bystanders and helps get them to safety/bandage them up. the magical girl squad still does not want him near their fight scenes, but he’s less of a hazard than roman. 

send me asks about this au!!! i have many thoughts :) 

#magical girl!au #starshinewrites #ts remus #ts deceit #royality #logan/virgil/remus/deceit

[jimlingss]

Jungle Park [7]

Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 7.5 OR Chapter 8

➜ Words: 7.3k

➜ Genres: Fluff, Light Humour (?), Slice of Life, Workplace Romance!AU

➜ Summary: The equation is simple. Hoseok needs to hire someone. You need a job. Except like any actual equation, it’s not fucking simple at all! Not when you have to add the fact that he was forced to hire someone he doesn’t want in his office, he has little respect for your job in general, and oh yeah...once upon a time you might have—*CENSORED*.

Marriage seems to be the ultimate goal for many. And she can’t blame those who want it. At least when she constantly faces the most beautiful side of love and matrimony, bouquets of red roses and yellow tulips, long trains of wedding dresses, the tulle of the veil, the glowing smile of both bride and groom radiating happiness.   Yes. Weddings were undoubtedly gorgeous.   “And here...a song dedicated to these love birds.” The band behind her is already beginning and all the guests clap. It’s a pretty easy gig when she can sprout all the cheesiest nonsense and bullshit she wants and they eat it from the palm of her hand. “May their love be everlasting as the stars.”   The woman with the sleek, long, black hair stands at the stage. She parts her lips and sings the first note, the melodic song filling the venue as the bride and groom begin their first dance. It’s another sickening love song of the most delusional lyrics, but she doesn’t care much. By the looks of people’s faces, they’re loving every second of it.   When the song ends and she belts the last note out, microphone pressed to her lips, the audience erupts into claps with melted expressions. “That was amazing. You have a really beautiful voice,” the best man says as he approaches and the band continues playing some background music, others joining the dance floor.   “Thanks.” She sets down the mic and climbs off the stage. “I’d like to say I try.”   He trails after her to the side. “And you’re friends with the bride…?”   “Oh no.” She uncaps a bottle of water and takes a sip, quenching her throat. “I’m just a hired wedding singer.”   “You’re a professional then?” He grins and it’s obvious he’s trying to flirt with her through praise. She’s flattered, but largely unaffected.   “One day, maybe I’ll be.” Her arm extends straight out and the best man shakes her hand with a firm grip. “My name is Jung Sowon.”   “Nice to meet you, Sowon. My name is Sejin.” He smiles and lets go, slipping his hands into his black, dress pants pockets. He kicks the grass once and glances up. “I don’t know if this is okay, but I was wondering if I could get your number. I’d love to hear your lovely voice again.”   “Well, I don’t know about my number, but I can give you a number.” She reaches inside her blazer pocket and pulls out a rectangular piece of white card stock and hands it to him.   Sejin takes the card and frowns, reading the top. “Jung and Park….?”   “That’s my brother’s law firm.” She beams brightly like a ball of sunshine. “He’s a divorce lawyer. Keep it. You might never know when it might come in handy.”   The man is mortified, jaw slack as the card is still held in his hands and he watches the woman saunter away. When the band is on break, she also hands out the business cards like they’re flyers. “Please check out this law firm. Jung Hoseok does matters of divorce. He’s a really good lawyer.”   She bows at the wedding guests and hand them the card as well. Their eyes are always wide, mouths dropping open. She even leaves them on people’s plates and on the tables like they’re wedding favours. “Hello, please take this. Jung Hoseok is a fantastic divorce lawyer.”   Hey...it’s free advertisement. Might as well.   As Sowon weaves between white round tables, a kid accidentally collides into her, face planting right into her legs. The little girl giggles and stares up, pretty hair decorated with a flower headband, pink dress wrinkled from running around — an angel on the outside and a parent’s nightmare on the inside. “Oops, sorry!”   The older woman squats down with a smile, meeting her eyes at the same level. “It’s okay. I actually have a present for you.”   She qurisk her head to the side, apples of her cheeks reddening from the cool breeze. “What is it?”   “This.” She hands her the rectangular card and the child’s brows knit together while her cute lips pout. “This is really important. Give it to your parents, okay? It might help them one day.”   “Okay!” She grins and goes running off.   The wedding singer eventually strolls over to the buffet line and grabs free plates of food without anyone really noticing. She sings a handful more songs afterwards, most being the same old cliché love songs. Things couldn’t get easier or better than this. And after the party’s over, she bids goodbye to the band and packs up her stuff.   At home, Sowon flops on the bed. Her body molds against the mattress, tired and aching bones she didn’t remember having ten years ago after running miles. She’s trying to muster energy to take a shower that’ll wash away the grime on her skin. But before she can launch herself on her feet again, her phone rings beside her head.   It rings and rings and her arm reaches over, grabbing the mobile device. She smiles while reading the caller ID and picks up without another second to spare. “Well, well, well, looks like my little brother finally decided to give his poor, older sister a call. How long has it been, brat?”   “Stop handing out my business card.”   “Oh.” Her tone raises up in pitch from excitement. “Did you get more clients already, Seok?”   “No!” Hoseok whines on the other line and she grins, practically able to hear his pout. “Angry calls are what I’m getting.”   “They’re angry now, but one day, they’ll call and ask for help. I guarantee it.”   “Stop.” He channels his firm voice despite knowing it’s futile. Much to Hoseok’s dismay, any time he’s shown his family his professional side, they cooed at him. Whenever he tried to command his sister, the next second he was being held in a choke hold, and threatening to sue did nothing but gain laughter from the maniac of a witch. Still, he likes to try. “I don’t like getting angry calls or voicemails or spam. Stop giving out my divorce business cards at weddings, you sick freak.”   “Can’t I just boast about you?” She rolls around in the covers of her bed. “I’m so proud of my hot shot baby brother who thinks he’s too good for everyone else.”   There’s a pause.   “I’m begging you.”   “We’ll see.”   //   At the rate he’s going, Hoseok wouldn’t be surprised if his head of hair will all turn gray by age thirty six. Maybe he’ll even start balding. It’s easy to misunderstand that he’s feeling this stressed since he’s constantly drowning in work. But that’s isn’t the case at all. Rather, Hoseok jumps into the ocean of work with open arms. He loves what he does and he thrives in the workplace. In his free time, he works and at work, he works twice as hard. He just loves the feeling of accomplishing his professional goals, of keeping busy, of being able to sleep at night knowing he didn't waste his time and that he did something useful for his future.   Rather, Hoseok’s losing all his hair because of the women in his life.   It would be nicer if they were romantical problems — if he had issues with his love life, significant others, potential lovers or partners. In that way, people would understand him and he’d be able to consult someone with more ease. But the women of his life include: his mother, his sister, the receptionists, Seulgi who’s a paralegal, Sunyi and Naul who are lawyers of his firm, and you.   And each and every one of these people are handfuls.   “In light of some recent issues in the office, I think it would be important to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace.”   You’re standing up stiffly in front of the conference room, conducting your first ever seminar. A slideshow runs behind you, remote in your right hand and thick binder held in your left arm. If it weren’t for the way Inyoung is smiling at you, appreciating your efforts to protect the people in the firm and going this far to address the issues, you would be slick with sweat right now.   Everyone is staring at you, their gazes pinpointed on your face. More importantly, Hoseok’s seat is the farthest, but his stare is the most intense. He looks at you as if you murdered his entire family and he’s seething and ready to enact revenge at your weakest moments. You know that it’s just his concentrated face, but it’s still intimidating and scary. But you never let him nor any of the uncertain thoughts in your head hinder your plans.   You clear your throat, deciding to start right away. For now, it seems like everyone’s relatively engaged. You don’t want to drone on and on and make them bored.   “What is sexual harassment?” You click the remote and the slideshow begins, going to the next slide where there’s some flashing text that draws people’s attention. “It’s any unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks, including any comments or inappropriate touching, in the workplace.”   The slide changes. For the most part it seems pretty straightforward, but you’re perfectly aware that the boundaries can become murky and it can become hard to tell what is or isn’t sexual harassment. “Let’s go over some examples…”   “Derogatory language would be seen as sexual harassment. Even something as suggestive notes or emails. Invading personal space, any unnecessary physical contacts, demanding hugs are also all examples. Another—” A hand shoots up in the cluster of employees and your mouth shuts. “Alright, we have questions already. Yes?”   Namjoon lowers his hand. “What if it’s consensual?” It’s a genuine inquiry. He’s not trying to give you a hard time. The paralegal’s face remains impassive and his head slightly tilts in curiosity.   “It’s still inappropriate for the workplace. We wouldn’t condone it. Everyone should remain professional in this environment.” You nod and he does too, satisfied with your answer. “Speaking of which, inappropriate staring is also considered—….yes, Taehyung?”   The caramel-haired lawyer smiles and explains, “Sometimes my mind goes on a trip and it looks like I’m staring when I’m not.”   “Uh...well, as long as you don’t have the intention, it should be fine. But try your best to not let that happen, okay?” You continue after the man flashes a thumbs up, “No one should be sharing inappropriate pictures either. Please don’t share nudes in the office.”   Seulgi looks over at Seokjin with a raised eyebrow and you don’t even want to know at this point. You click the remote, changing the slide again.“Sexual jokes are also looked down upon—”   Yoongi raises his hand this time and then he crosses his arms. “Does that include ‘that’s what she said?”   Sunyi rolls her eyes to the back of her skull and you can practically hear the storm of complaints she’ll make to you and the documents you’ll have to fill out. “....yes. Moving on, bragging about sexual endeavours is also improper behaviour. Everyone is here to work, not talk about their personal lives or what they did on the weekend.”   Suddenly, Lisa coughs loudly like she’s choking a chicken bone. The noisy interruption gathers the attention of the room and she eyes Taehyung in particular who remains oblivious, perhaps on purpose.   You continue quickly without prying or publicly humiliating anyone, “Basically if you’re wondering if an action is sexual harassment or not, just ask yourself ‘would I do this in front of my grandma?”   It’s easy enough to understand and you even gain a few amused smiles around the room. “It’s a good rule of thumb for a lot of things. Would you talk badly about someone in front of your grandma? Would you talk about your sex life in front of your grandma? Would you send nudes in front of your grandma? Would you make sexual remarks in front of your grandma? The answer is no, right?”   Your confidence boosts at the bubble of laughter that echoes throughout the group. “Our firm has a strict policy on sexual harassment. We take it very seriously in order to protect everyone and create a safe environment. If you ever feel unsafe, threatened, or uncomfortable, come talk to me, Jimin or Hoseok at any time. There will be absolutely no tolerance for this sort of thing.”   The slide changes again. “And just putting it out there, if there are any office romances, then you need to file with HR. All you need to do is fill out a form and sign. It’s just for the firm to be aware. We are legally obligated to protect every employee here from sexual harassment and hostile work environments.”   After a few more minutes of going over more details and getting the group to watch an old video you found on the internet that explains and reenacts different scenarios, you flicker the conference room lights back on and stand in front, preparing to close the seminar up. “Does anyone have any questions?”   “How about after work?” Jungkook’s voice is soft and shy, and you’re happy that he’s actively participating. “Do these rules apply?”   “....No,” you answer after thinking carefully. Jimin seems to have no problem with your answer, but you can’t exactly tell with Hoseok when he’s still half-staring, half-glaring at you. “You’re free to do whatever you want after work, but please be five hundred meters away from this firm. Don’t do anything on company property.”   Seokjin raises his hand and speaks without being called upon, “So we can’t get it on in this office?”   There’s a few disgusted looks that pass around, mostly from Dahyun and Inyoung who look like they’ve bitten into a sour lemon. On the other hand, Seulgi and Namjoon don’t look too unfazed with his particular inquiry. You can only sigh. “Under no circumstance should you ever engage in any sexual acts inside this office.”   Taehyung’s palm lifts, surprisingly timid. “What happens if you’ve already broken that rule?”   “Ew, gross!” Seulgi’s expression blanches and even Yoongi’s brow lifts, skeptical expression marring his blankness. Jimin scoffs with a laugh and Hoseok groans, rubbing his temples.   “You’re all a bunch of wild animals,” Naul waves him off and looks away.   “Look it wasn’t my fault!” Taehyung tries to defend, feeling like he was somehow put on trial and is at the stand in front of his accusatory colleagues. “I met her at a bar and we got wasted and I was being responsible by not driving! And the office was only a block away, so I decided why not!”   “Oh my god!” Sunyi is screeching and cups her hands over her ears like she can block out the monstrosities she’s hearing. “Oh my god, oh my god.”   “Why are you treating me all like this!” He laughs in disbelief. “I cleaned up the desk after and I personally bought that carpet cleaning solution and I scrubbed the carpets for like an hour—”   “Too much information, dude!” Namjoon interrupts with a loud voice. “We don’t want to know!”   “Oh my god!” Yoongi suddenly bolts up from his seat and turns to the fellow lawyer. His arm extends and his hand quivers as he points to Taehyung’s face, features marred with complete horror. “Is that why my office smelled like that for an entire week?!”   Sunyi bursts out in hysterical laughter. She has to physically grab her stomach as she leans over with giggles streaming infectiously out of her throat. The lawyer is no longer disturbed listening to Taehyung’s sexual endeavors in the office, instead savouring the look on Min Yoongi’s face. “Serves you right! Get a taste of that, Min.”   Suddenly, Taehyung turns to her.   He becomes serious, all traces of humour and mischief escaping from him. Then, her smile falls, and she slowly shakes her head. “No…” The disbelief quickly becomes fear. “No...no, you...didn’t….you...wouldn’t…”   “That stain on your couch—” His timbre is low and vibrates. “—it wasn’t ketchup.”   “Gross! Gross! I can’t believe you would do that in my office! That’s where I work and eat and—! Oh my god, I sleep on that couch sometimes, Taehyung! What’s wrong with you, freak?!”   “Serves you right,” Yoongi mocks her back in a whisper.   Taehyung leans back in his seat and scans the room with his sharp eyes. “You’re making such a big deal out of this like you haven’t done it yourselves when I know for a fact that you have!”   Dahyun looks away. Seulgi shifts uncomfortably. You don’t miss the way Sunyi glances at Yoongi for the shortest of seconds, the both of them gone quiet. But you get distracted when Lisa shouts, “We haven’t!”   “Liar.” He turns to the oldest lawyer on the team, the middle aged woman who is sipping on her beverage and watching the gong show go down. “Come on, Naul. I know you’ve brought your husband here more than twice.”   “I have a bedroom, thank you very much.”   “Jin?”   The man in question dodges. “My secrets will stay as secrets.”   “Okay, fine.” Taehyung holds his hands up like he’s defeated. “Deny all you want, but I bet the only people who haven’t actually done anything in this office is Y/N and like…”   Simultaneously, everyone turns around to the back of the room, looking at Hoseok.   The lawyer is unimpressed, one leg thrown over the other. He looks like a strict judge at a singing competition, hair swept over his brow in a comma motion and in a fitted suit like he’s ready to be broadcasted on national television, but also giving no fucks with what’s being presented before him. “This meeting is over. I hope you all paid attention and learned something, because I’m going to test you all on it.”   Jimin laughs when everyone becomes petrified and he steps in before mass hysteria can spread like wildfire. “He’s joking. There’s no test. But Hoseok’s right. This seminar has gotten a little off topic. It’s time to get back to work, but please take the topic of discussion seriously.”   He continues, doing a beautiful job of wrapping things up, “Any inappropriate behaviour in this firm will not be tolerated by Hoseok nor I. If you have any further questions or concerns, please come talk to Y/N, Hoseok, or me. It’s best to clarify any confusion, so that everyone is on the same page. With that being said, can we give a round of applause to Y/N for doing so well?”   People clap for you, the thundering applauses reverberating and you become sheepish under the attention. “It’s nothing, really. But thank you for listening to what I have to say.”   One by one, employees trickle out of the room. They’re chatting with each other, returning back to your desks and catching up on some work. On his way out, Taehyung grins at you. “That was fun, Y/N.”   You hold your sigh. “Well, I’m glad.”   “Thank you,” Inyoung murmurs as she walks past, modest smile still placed on her lips.   “No problem.”   Jungkook smiles and the rest of them also put in their few compliments and words of appreciation. Jimin is one of the last people and he actually stops. “Good job.”   “I was nervous,” you admit, remote off the laptop still in your sweaty hands.   “Couldn’t tell.” He grins, eyes crinkled into half moons. “It was your first time conducting a meeting, so don’t beat yourself over it. You’ll get better and better as time goes by. Plus, if it weren’t for you, I would have to conduct this seminar myself, so I’m once again thankful for your existence, Y/N.”   “It’s nothing.” Your eyes fall to your feet. “It’s my job.”   “And you’re good at it.”   But for some reason, you seek someone’s praise in particular. You’re thankful for everyone’s positive feedback and their encouraging remarks, but it never feels like quite enough. It’s like you thirst and ache to hear it from someone who is much tougher in nature, who is naturally a critic. Only when you hear from him will you truly be satisfied and you know you’re not being spoon-fed by stretched truths.   So, like the pathetic loser that you are, you hang around. You walk slowly to your laptop, closing the presentation, disconnecting the remote. And when you steal a peek at the corner of the room, Hoseok’s still seated, sending off a text message. It’s excruciating how desperate you are and the way you linger.   Jung Hoseok is the last to leave and when he notices you’re still here, his brow lifts, as if asking if you have something to say. “I’m sorry.” It’s the first thing that pops into your head and spills off your tongue without much warrant. “It got out of control towards the end there.”   “No, it happens. You don’t need to apologize.”   The both of you walk together, exiting and going down the hall. “You...got your car fixed?”   “I did,” the lawyer muses and glances at his watch like he’s late to something. “The battery got drained like I thought it did.”   “That’s good. It would suck if there was something wrong with the engine or the tires. Maintenance on cars can be really bothersome and expensive.”   Lame. It’s so lame how you’re ranting about car maintenance.   But you can’t help the disappointment that leaks into your voice and spills all over your face. You really liked having a friend to go home with. It made time go by faster. And you just hope that he can’t read the look on your face right now. You’re sure you’re not doing a very good job with hiding your emotions.   “Hey, Y/N.”   He looks away from his phone, from his watch, from the end of the hallway to your profile.   “Hmm?”   His voice is soft and gentle, a small smile that expands over his face. “You did well.”   One word from him is all it takes.   Like the idiot that you are, an even bigger smile overwhelms you. “Thanks.”   //   With the seminar complete and the staff handbook well on its way, you decide to take a longer lunch break, hanging out in the lobby of the building and chatting with the security guard. While you’re still working with developing friendships in the office, you’ve become good friends with the older guard. He reminds you of your late grandpa or when you were in elementary school and no one really wanted to hang out with you, so you became close to the class pet goldfish.   You’re standing near the front entrance, sipping on coffee as the guard drinks the cup you bought for him and he tells you about his weekend. He chats about how his son came over for barbecue and his wife made this pineapple pasta dish that was very delicious. And you’re about to respond when you hear a muffled—   “Y/N?”   There’s a woman on the other side of the glass windows, having stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk. She knocks once on the window to get your attention. Her hair is long and sleek, a midnight shade that matches the colour of her irises. Her eyes are wide like a deer in headlights, lashes standing straight up to the sky, sharp jaw dropped.   She stares at you. You stare at her.   And the girl bolts in her high heels towards the doors.   “Do you know her?” The guard asks just to be sure, hitching his thumb over his shoulder.   “Y-yeah….I do…” Your eyes are on the woman’s and you watch as she scrambles inside, taking wide strides towards you. You don’t even bid goodbye to the guard, taking steps to meet the female in the lobby. “Sowon?”   Without letting a squeak slip or another word spoken, her arms open all at once and she embraces your frame, squeezing you tight like a teddy bear. “Oh my god! I missed you so much. Huhuhghgh.” She makes weird sounds as she restrains you with her arms like she’s trying to pick you up, lug you around, giving you a good spin, but she’s not strong enough to.   You can’t help the laughter that bubbles up your throat. “I missed you too.”   The older girl parts away and scans you up and down several times. “How are you? You look great!”   “Thank you.” You’re a bit breathless, finding her presence and everything that’s happened in the span of two minutes overwhelming. “I’m good.”   “What…” She shakes her head like she can’t believe you’re actually here in front of her. “What are you doing here?”   “I work here now.”   “No. Really?”   “Really.”   //   The cafe is quaint in the middle of the afternoon on a workday. The sunlight washes through the glass into the room, painting the surroundings in warm hues. There’s not too many people around, few conversations from customers here and there, but the murmur of sounds are relaxing to your ears.   After already having two coffees for the day, you decide on a blueberry pastry and Sowon gets some kind of latte drink. She sits across from you, still looking at you in awe while you remain a bit uncomfortable under her constant gawking. “I never thought I would see you again.”   “That’s what I thought too.”   “I’m just surprised.” She gives you a soft smile. “And I’m glad that you’re here.”   There’s a slight pause and you fiddle with your fingers in your lap. “I heard Hoseok got into an accident.”   “Did he tell you about it?”   “Yeah.” You hesitate, aware that she’s watching you carefully and with mustered courage, you take a deep breath and sit straighter, looking her dead in the eyes. “I really, really like my job. I’m working as an HR manager in the firm. It’s really fun to help out and tend to all the issues inside the office. I’m enjoying it a lot…”   “And Hoseok’s okay with that?” She holds the cup in her hand, sipping while her eyes are still above the rim, eyeing you carefully.   “He’s the one who hired me,” you tell her. “We’re professional.”   Sowon hums with another smile and puts down her cup on the table. “Understood,” she sing-songs. “I’m just glad you’re doing well.”   “Thank you.” It’s a soft murmur, but with that out of the way, you adjust the attention onto the woman. “How are things going for you?”   “Pretty fantastic actually.”   “Are you still at that magazine writing job?”   “Oh, god no.” She takes a sigh of relief and you’re happy that she’s moved on since she dreaded the job back then. “I’m a wedding singer now.”   You’re pleasantly surprised. “Really?”   “Really. I love it.” There’s a bright grin that spreads into her cheeks, uncanny to her younger brother when he’s in a good mood. “I haven’t been better. Free and happy. And before you ask—” She leans over to whisper while the long strands of her hair cascade down and frame her face. “I dumped Yugyeom. Well, more like he dumped me because he was sleeping with my best friend and preferred her over me because I’m too...boring…” She shrugs. “But I was going to drop that hot potato anyway.”   “I….see...” Any sympathy isn’t necessary since Sowon seems nothing but sincerely happy about it, so you can only bob your head to show you’re listening.   “It’s so nice to see you again,” she muses and means it genuinely. “We should go out for dinner to catch up more. Better yet, you should come home. My parents miss you more than I do—”   “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” You look away unintentionally, nervousness grabbing hold to dictate all your actions. “I mean, isn’t visiting my boss’ parents during my free time a little weird?”   Sowon scoffs, leaning back and crossing her arms. “No. You’re practically my sister, aren’t you? That trumps whatever Hoseok is to you.” You laugh and she eases, glancing at the labels of her paper cup. “But if you have free time...if you feel comfortable...you should visit them. They’re getting old.”   “I’ll try.” You steal a glimpse at the screen of your phone, having felt it vibrate in your pocket.   “I’m keeping you from something, aren’t I?’   “No, not really.” It’s not like you have much to do today. If anything, you were ahead of your own set schedule, but… “I’ve just been gone from the office for a while.”   “If my brother is ever imposing on you or using his title of ‘boss’—” her fingers make air quotations. “—to bother you in any way, then just tell me and I’ll beat some sense into him.”   “Okay.” Your cheeks ache from smiling so widely.   “The kid thinks he’s such a hot shot now that he goes around bullying others without realizing.” A hopeless sigh spills from her lips. “Well, don’t let me hold you up. We should both get going.”   “Oh, aren’t you coming with me?”   “Nah. I was coming over to bother Hoseok, but I found something even better.” She smiles, indicating you. “So, I’m satisfied. I’ll probably head home.”   “Are you sure?”   “Yeha. He wouldn’t want to see me anyways. I know that kid.” She gets up and you both take your belongings, slowly leaving the warm cafe to the colder streets. “Don’t bother telling him I swung by either. Save him that stress.”   “Okay.” Outside of the door, you hug her one last time and she holds onto you, patting your back in steady beats with the palm of her hand.   “Promise me you’ll be okay,” she murmurs gently and you smile against her shoulder   “I’ll be fine.”   “Then don’t be a stranger.” She parts and gazes at you. “Keep in contact with me, alright, brat?”   “Yes.” You giggle, bidding her a final goodbye. Her backside eventually fades off down the street and you’re sorely reminded of her brother whom she resembles so strongly that it shakes you inside.   //   Lost friends. Lost memories. It’s been so long that things begin to resurface despite years of pushing them away. You didn’t realize you missed her so much until you saw her and you begin to ponder about your other friends, the people that you used to be so close to until the life that you were so fond of was ripped away from your grasps. But you’re too afraid to reach out again.   It’s dangerous to play the game of what if. What if things had been different back then. You wonder how much your life could’ve changed. Maybe you would have someone to go home to, maybe you wouldn’t have been so lonely, maybe you would be happier, maybe not.   You really shouldn’t dwell on things that aren’t part of reality. But the encounter with Hoseok’s older sister leaves you reeling and you don’t even realize where you are.   “Y/N?”   “Yes?” Your daydream is broken and you force yourself to focus on the receptionist sitting across the desk from you. “Sorry, I was thinking about something else, but go ahead.”   Dahyun glances behind her to the closed door and then clears her throat. “Does Hoseok hate me?”   Your eyebrow lifts. “Why would you say that?”   “He keeps glaring at me.” She points to both her eyes with her index and middle finger, whispering like he’s a monster who can hear behind solid walls. “Whenever I walk past or he walks past or I knock on his office, he has this glare.”   “No, that’s not it,” you try to explain with a laugh. “That’s what he looks like when he’s concentrated or being serious. Trust me, he doesn’t hate you. Hoseok doesn’t hate anybody. It would take a lot to make him actually mad.”   “Oh, okay.” Dahyun takes a sigh of relief. “I was worried he was upset with me.”   Not long, you get another guest inside your office.   “So last week, there was a file I was working on.” Sunyi is ranting again. For once, it’s not about Yoongi’s loud chewing or how she swears she can hear him trimming his toenails in his office and it’s absolutely disgusting. “And I asked Hoseok if a draft was necessary for the case. It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the basic gist. Anyways, he told me ‘no’, and then today he asks me why the draft wasn't done and that we need it! How ridiculous is that?!”   “Maybe he’s just busy,” you attempt to appease her and expand her empathy. “Things can get pretty hectic. He probably just forgot and got confused.”   “But he always blames others instead of himself. It’s so frustrating!”   “Well, being the boss is tough. There’s a lot for him to juggle. I’m sure this is a misunderstanding.”   “It’s not. He just never admits when he’s wrong.”   “Did he apologize to you?”   There’s a moment of silence. “Well, yeah, after I explained what happened.”   You smile at the lawyer. “He’s a partner of this firm along with Jimin. The both of them have a lot riding on their shoulders and they have to uphold the name of this place. They’re the leaders of this firm. It’s probably difficult to admit their mistakes as the bosses since it would damage their own pride and shake the foundation of this place.”   Sunyi shrugs, mumbling a mere ‘I guess’. But you know she’s thinking about what you’ve said.   There seems plenty of concerns and worries today since you get yet another person sitting in your office, across from your desk. Kim Seokjin is undeniably handsome no matter what he does, though right now you can agree he’s seen better days.   “He keeps micromanaging me! Every time I’m doing something, I feel him hovering over my shoulder and watching the screen of my computer like he’s trying to catch me do something wrong.” He groans, ranting and nagging, shaking his head and pounding his first on your desk, startling you to death. “Do you know how uncomfortable I feel on a daily basis?!”   “He’s probably just doing his rounds. It’s part of the job as boss….”   Your voice goes quiet at the way he looks at you. Seokjin’s arm falls to his side and his frown deepens. He leans over closer until half his body is pressed on the surface of your smooth desk. He looks at you like you’ve gone crazy. “Why are you defending him?”   “What?” You blink. “I’m not.”   “You are.” He tilts his head. “We usually always talk shit on Hoseok. Every. Day.”   You’re beginning to sweat. “Well, it’s not good to talk badly about our bosses.”   “Did he find out?” Jin’s eyes become wide.   “No, no!” You quickly reassure the legal assistant. “What we talk in here is confidential.”   “Then did you get in trouble?”   “No, nothing like that. I’m just….trying to approach it from a different angle….less talking trash...you know?”   “It’s strange,” he says, pouting slightly at how you don’t want to talk smack about Hoseok anymore. “No offence.”   You hum before pulling out your emergency drawer. “Would you like a cookie?”   Kim Seokjin grins, attention like a fish’s and successfully diverted. “Yes, please.”   //   Sometimes it feels more like you’re the complaint department or a counselor than an HR manager. You don’t mind since mediating and conflict resolution has always been your strongest skill set. But it’s difficult when you’re dealing with other people’s problems and no one helps you with yours. You even forget about your own issues. And yet, despite it going against your own mottos and what you were taught, it feels better to just bury those problems and forget them.   There’s nothing like having a problem and pretending it’s not there right in your face.   Ignoring is also part of your skill set.   The knocks on your door break you out of your trance and you lift your head, finding an older woman standing at your doorway. “Do you have a moment, Y/N?” She smiles and you stand.   “Of course! Please take a seat.”   Kye Naul is one of the lawyers of the firm and you’ve haven’t been able to get many interactions with her when the others occupy your time a lot more. You know a few things about her, like how she’s one of the oldest people in the office, probably ten to twenty years older than you, and her sons have grown up and moved out of the house. She’s also the person who’s practiced law for the longest in the firm and both Jimin and Hoseok respect her greatly.   She takes a seat across from the desk and you feel calm, reminded of your own mother’s presence. “I’m sorry. You were about to leave, weren’t you? It’s pretty close to five o’clock right now. I would've stopped by earlier, but I just finished billing five minutes ago.”   “Oh no, it’s completely fine.” You smile. “Trust me, I don’t have anything to do after this, so feel free. I’ll just be at home watching television anyways. What’s the matter?”   It isn’t a lie. Today is your off-day with your part-time job of taxi driving.   “This might be inappropriate and unprofessional,” she prefaces. “It has nothing to do with the firm or the office. It’s about my marriage.”   “It’s okay. Trust me, I’ve heard enough about people’s antics around here and what their odd hobbies are to be surprised or for it to be inappropriate.”   She nods and inhales deeply. “My husband is having a midlife crisis.”   “To put it shortly, we’re going through a rough patch because of it.” There’s a long pause. “He wants to buy a boat, move houses, hell, buy a house boat. He wanted to adopt a kid, a cat, a dog. He even tried convincing me to volunteer in a different continent for six months building mud houses for the elderly.”   She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Have you ever had someone drive you absolutely insane?”   “Yes.” You hold back a laugh, amused at hearing about her husband’s crisis. “I think everyone has at some point.”   “How did you end up tolerating them?”   “I don’t know,” you muse and a slight shrug follows. Someone specific comes to mind as you keep talking. “I guess I just cared so much that it didn’t matter to me if they were insane or completely crazy. I guess that makes me crazy too.”   She exhales another breath and nods. “Love makes people do stupid things.”   “Well…” You’re not sure where it comes from, but it stumbles from your tongue the moment you hear the four-letter word ‘love’. Immediately, you shake your head. “I’m not sure I would call it love.”   “Oh?” Naul’s brow lifts in curiosity. “Then what is it?”   “I don’t know. Definitely not love though.” You nod, so sure of yourself. This certain someone that you have in mind — you don’t love him. “It’s...a blindness.”   “A disease?” The lawyer clarifies, eyes narrowing even more as she carefully watches you.   “Sort of.” You can’t see it any other way. To be completely crazy for someone where you overlook flaws and have to sacrifice yourself. It’s blinding. It’s horrible. It’s painful. “I don’t think love should make you do stupid things. I don’t think that’s love.”   Yet, the older woman only appears more and more amused. “Why do you say that?”   “I can’t see how it’s love if you keep crawling back to someone and they keep hurting you over and over again. It’s just...a bad addiction at that point.” Your original stance in remaining unbiased is hurled out the window as you spill your truest beliefs out loud. The beliefs that formed over many long years from being jagged by someone you held...   “It’s stupid to keep running back to them.” You repeat it in your head several times.   “You’re right,” Naul says simply. “It isn’t love. Or at least, it isn’t just love.”   Her wise eyes are glimmery like they know too much. The lawyer leans closer to you like she’s about to tell a secret. “It’s a selfless love. It’s an unconditional love. That’s why we tolerate them and keep coming back, even when they make us angry to the point we want to throw a lamp across the room. That’s why we don’t kick them out of the house at night and make them sleep on the couch instead. It’s unconditional love.”   The lawyer continues, “Doing crazy things, things you thought you’d never do for anyone, allowing yourself to be vulnerable and accepting them back after getting hurt, that’s okay. It’s powerful to be that selfless. It’s still love, Y/N. It’s okay to feel this way. There’s no need to blame yourself and think it’s a bad addiction. God knows in a relationship patience, tolerance, compromise is required.”   She smiles and when she speaks, it’s less for herself and more for you. “Now, if only unconditional love went both ways, then love wouldn’t have to turn toxic, now, would it? If selfless love was always reciprocated, no one would ever have to hurt.”   “It’s harmful when it doesn’t go both ways and that’s when it needs to be stopped. If it does go both ways and you know that person would tolerate us too and wouldn’t mind being hurt….” She sighs softly. “Well, we just have to ask ourselves if the other person has unconditional love for us as well. Only then will we know that doing all these crazy things is worth it.”   You’re speechless, not sure how to respond. Naul simply gets up from her chair, much calmer than she was when she first walked into the room. She must’ve decided that this was enough to help her, but before she can leave the room or bid a goodnight, you stop her.   “Stay with him,” you say quickly while standing on your feet.   The door is already parted and she turns to look at you. It’s as if your memories are flashing before your eyes and you are actually trying to talk to your past self. It’s as if you are attempting to alter history that cannot be changed. It isn’t Naul who stands in front of you anymore, but someone much different. “Or at least don’t decide anything on your own. Talk to him properly.”   And the lawyer scoffs with a grin. “Of course I’m staying with him. He’s one of those people in my life that I’ll never be able to let go.”   That same evening, Naul comes home to an apartment where her two brain-celled husband is flipping through grocery flyers on the kitchen floor. When he looks up at her, he smiles and tells her that they both ought to take up fishing since it’s apparently beneficial to their health and a very relaxing hobby. For now, he’s given up the idea of building mud houses near the jungle. But he also tells her that he’s already pre-purchased two very expensive fishing rods and by the way he slightly cringes, she knows he’s afraid she’ll become upset.   But the woman simply sighs and leans down, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him silly. When he smiles against her lips, she parts and nods, finding fishing a great idea.   In the meanwhile, you’re still left dwelling on the conversation.   As you return to your empty home with nothing to do, you wonder how stupid you really are, how you keep crawling back, how you keep running for him, hanging onto every single of his words, how you can keep following him like some kind of loyal dog, even after being abandoned and kicked helplessly. More importantly, you wonder how you can never let go.   It isn’t love. Selfless love. Unconditional love. Any of that. You refuse to believe such a thing. You refuse to believe you harbor such feelings.   But — “You did well.” — one word from him is all it takes for everything you’ve known to crumble.

#bts fanfic #bts scenario #hoseok fluff #hoseok fanfic #jhope fanfic #BTS jung hoseok is the baby boy of the fam :'] #OC who is in a crisis after talking to someone hella woke

[linnlarsnhansn]

Julie Andem interview in Swedish newspaper

Svenska dagbladet - The skam creator about the secrets behind the success

Julie Andem’s teen drama Skam is celebrating success from China to Argentina. Now she’s telling SvD exclusively about the working method that laid the foundation for the world success.

Many describe their first meeting with Skam as a chock. What you thought would be an ordinary Norwegian tv show about a bunch of high schoolers was something different from everything you had seen before.

Maybe it can best be described with a feeling that it was real. Like a documentary filmed with a hidden camera on the young main characters’ school yard and parties, in their bedrooms, text conversations and deepest thoughts.

Before Skam there had been a common truth that tv shows about 16 year olds were not cool, cliche and not believable. So how had the script writer and director Julie Andem succeeded with creating something so real?

The question didn’t get an answer, because Julie Andem didn’t want to speak to the press. It was known the she had done thorough interviews with teenagers in preparation for the show and she seemed like a researcher rather than a typical narcissistic director. Since then Skam has become known all over the world, but Julie Andem still keeps herself quite secret. She has thus far said no to Skavlan and during the four years that has passes since Skam first aired in Norway she has only allowed herself to be interview by a few newspapers, including The New Yorker. When Svenska Dagbladet meets her it’s the first ever interview with Swedish media.

We have set up a meeting at the legendary Hotel Bristol in Oslo. I’m not really satisfied with the meeting point and had imagined that we would sit at a ”cool in an Oslo way” student café. Maybe close to Hartvig Nissen Videregående skole, where the show is set. This looks more like a fancy city hotel - beautiful, but characterasied by its audience. The guests could all be William’s grandparents, you can almost smell the wealth originating from the oil.

But it turns out to be a true Julie Andem spot. She has lived here, and not only a night, but during a long period of time. It was when the triple work with writing the script, directing and finishing cutting the episodes shut down everything that could be called everyday life. With working days from seven in the morning to one at night and also a water leakage in the apartment there was no more reasonable solution that checking in at a hotel.

The script that she partly wrote right here are now released as four books, one for each season. Julie Andem has not yet seen the Swedish version and wonders how Norwegian sociolect can be translated to other languages. But in Sweden we have already taken in the skam slang - the only thing that’s a bit tricky to translate is ”russebussen”.

[cut out passage where the writer talks about the russebuss and the Swedish equivalent]

”When I talk about Skam abroad, for example in South America where the show has become really big, I always get to a point where I have to explain ”russebuss”. It’s absurd to tell that 20-25 students rent or buy a bus, set it up with all the right equipment and drive around in it for a month, drunk. And the Norwegian society allows that, right before exams” Julie Andem notes and can’t help but laugh at it.

[cut out passage about the other versions of skam and what the writer thinks of the script books]

In the script there are comments directed to different people in the team, suggestions for at which parents you could film a scene and ideas for clothes. That much of herself Julie Andem has never shown before: it’s almost like you get to know her.

But on the other side of the table in the dining hall at Hotel Bristol where we are now eating a shrimp sandwich each she says straight aways that she wants to separate her public persona from her private live. Julie Andem can say that she has a brother, a sister and two bonus sisters, but doesn’t want to mention her parents. And when I ask her about her own time in high school she answers by telling about her russebuss.

”I was on a girls bus with 25 girls. We were very split when we were going to name the bus. The name is crucial, because it gives the identity for the whole bus. One half of us wanted to be called ”Red Hot Chilli Babes” and the other voted for ”The Amateurs”. Because we were very funny, but nobody took any responsibility and we had no control at all”.

You had no Vilde?

”No, there was no Vilde. Luckily it ended up being ” The Amatuers”. But the russebuss-culture has radically changed since I was russ 2001. Now it’s mental how much money they use.

Julie Andem grew up in the west part of Oslo, the fanciest part of the city. She describes her time in school as pretty boring. She didn’t go to Nissen, which is a highly respected high school, where the Norwegian princesses Astrid and Ragnhild has gone. Talking about royals, the crown princess Mette-Marit is a big fan of Skam and has gotten the scripts with a dedication from Julie Andem - and her son is seen on the show.

”I wanted to go to Nissen, but I didn’t have good enough grades, so I had to take the second best, Ullern Vidergående. It’s a typical west side school, which means there was quite a few Williams. Most of my friends wanted to work with economy or become lawyers or paralegals.

So Skam is your dream about how it would have been if you got in to Nissen?

”Haha, yes, you can see it like that.”

Who were you? Are you Noora?

”No, I’m all of them - and non of them. I see myself in all of them, even William, that Sweden hates.”

I firmly say that it’s not true that Sweden hates William, but Julie Andem says that the criticism against the character came from all the Scandinavian countries after the same episode, but it was a lot harsher in Sweden than I Norway and Denmark. And she knows the countries well, because she has had a Swedish boyfriend and lived in Denmark. After high school she moved to Jylland [part of Denmark] where she studied for a year at Den Skandinaviske Designhøjskole.

”It was amazing, because there I got lots of funny friends from Stockholm, Malmö and Copenhagen that I still have. It was like coming home when I realized that not everywhere in the world is like Oslo West. I had a friend that already then was vegan, a strong feminist and refused to shave her legs and armpits. And me, coming from the West side just thought ”WOW”” says Julie Andem and emphasis it with a mixture of fear and excitement.

So she is also a little bit of Noora?

”Yes, absolutely!”

Julie Andem was planning on becoming a graphic designer and continued to study at Westerdals Reklameskole in Oslo (now called Christiania Høyskole), ”It’s like Beckmans in Sweden”. There she studied to become an art director - and thus does not have any education for working on tv. But when Julie Andem got an internship at a tv production she started to write ”instead of just making posters”. 2008 she got a job at NRK’s children’s sector, that just had come up with the new concept ”Sara” - a video diary with a twelve year old girl.

”Everything was fiction, she was an actor and the script was written, but it was presented in a vlog format, like it was real. It wasn’t my idea and I got in as an assistant, but I also got to write the script. After that we created a concept called ”MIA”. Then there was ”Jenter” which went on for ten seasons, was a big success in the ages 10-12 and won an Emmy 2017. The show also had viewers  that were up to 15 years old and that’s why NRK asked if it was possible to make a similar concept for 16 year olds. That was how ”Skam” came about.

NRK used the method NABC (needs/approach/benefit/competition) that builds on finding a need in the target group and poof solve it with a tv show. That’s why Julie Andem had one question in her mind when she did her three our long deep interviews: What does a 16 year old need?

”The most clear thing was that those who are young now has been subjected to pressure from all directions in life. They need to preform in school, during after school activities, on social media and in relation to future careers - it’s pressure from 360 degrees.

More than when you were young? ”Yes, definitely. That’s why the question was if it’s possible to make a tv show that takes away some of that pressure. The conclusion was to give the viewers some Self-deprecating humor as a tool to ease the pressure by laughing at it. We also wanted to teach them to see how human communication mechanisms work. If you are 16 and your boyfriend breaks up it feels like everything about you is wrong, but maybe it has nothing to do with you. We wanted to teach young people to confront the fear and build confidence, to stand for something and not run for others.”

[passage about the nine original characters]

”I knew what I wanted with the nine, but as an example I didn’t know there would be a party in season 3. Eva was going to learn to become independent and put away the shame she was carrying, while Noora needs to learn to let people in.

It sounds like you are very logical when you write, almost like it’s mathematics?

”Yes”

Was that way of working something you had learnt or does it have to do with your personality?

”Both. It’s hard to tell exactly what it is, but I thought ”Jenter”, ”MIA” and ”Sara” were fun to work with because it was something new. We succeeded with getting close to the target group and the interaction between us an the viewers were extremely fascinating. I studied closely what works and doesn’t - and why. Why we would get bad feedback on this video, but not on that and what can we learn from that? That I have a strong fascination for that way of telling stories and has been doing it for almost ten years made me good at it. Many has asked how I could create such a big success despite it being my first tv production, but it didn’t happen over night. I have worked with this for a long time.”

[passage about how the skam concept works and how big it became in the different Scandinavian counties]

”I don’t think it’s healthy to be totally caught up in a tv show, at least not for a longer period of time. But I think those who does that has reasons for it.”

Where do you draw the line?

”Haha, it’s hard to know where it should be drawn. But it’s not all bad, because in the communities that has been created around Skam people have found friends for life. They take care of each other and that’s amazing. So it’s hard for me to dislike it and I also didn’t understand people would get sooo caught up in it.

When did you discover that? When did things start to happen?

It was probably most clear in season two when Noora is waiting for William to reply to an important text. I was told that people sat and refreshed the page again and again to se if William had replied and no one could work.”

In this unbearable wait the hashtag #williammåsvare was created and a phone company made a commercial that said that if William had used their company he would have replied by now. Then a food store said they had ”waiting fish cakes”. Julie Andem let Skam reply to that with Noora throwing tandrum at Eskild because he has eaten her fish cakes and she yells ”JEG TRENGER FISKEKAKER NÅ!”. The interaction with the audience was the foundation of the idea.

How close to filming did you write the script?

”At best two weeks in advance and at worse two hours before filming. I wrote and directed and was editing parallel with constantly having to come up with new scenes. It was at that point I checked in here” says Julie Andem and points vaguely towards the hotel, where we are trying to talk over a pianist that’s now holding a concert right by out table. The strict waiter doesn’t think a interview is a good enough reason to change tables.

But even if you didn’t have the script finished there must have been a main storyline?

Yes, but the storyline changed. It was like a ”it has to be like this, but I will know better after the third episode.”

How has the translating of Skam to other language gone? Did you interfere with the translated versions?

”No, but I have meet those who are making the shows and often talk to the Italian director. He is very dedicated and has a lot of questions. It has been enjoyable.”

The American version ”Skam Austin” you have directed yourself. How was that?

”Super fun, but very different. In Norway we were five on the team - sound, camera, two assistants and me. In Austin there were 50-70 people on set. If you want to get young amateurs to dare to be vulnerable you have to create a safe environment and that doesn’t work with so many adults there. My photographer and me worked a lot with creating a bubble and push everybody else as far away as possible.

Did you adapt the script to the American audience?

”You have seen a lot of high school shows, so I was looking for something that you hadn’t already seen. But there weren’t much to discover - it’s exactly like in all tv shows. The coolest guy at a high school in Texas plays American football, that’s just how it is. We have seen that football team hundreds of times, but we didn’t want to make something up that didn’t exist. It was still new because the themes were new to them.”

I try to direct the conversation towards how the attention around Skam has changed Julie Andem as a human being and first she says she hasn’t had time to think about it.

”But I’m a quite easily embarrassed person and I’ve had to work on that, because a lot of people get in touch with me. Complete strangers dump their whole life story on me and I’ve had to practice receiving it. I got a letter from a 70 years old Swedish man who wrote that season 3 had given him a new life and that he wished he had got to experience that in his youth. I feel thankful to have taken part of that story, but sometimes I have to shut it out. Many stories are so sad that they make me too touched, too upset.”

You are a little strict too, right? ”Yes, if I know what I want and why I’m very clear. I don’t know how much you know about producing drama, but we filmed two episodes in three days and then there’s not really much time to stop and think about what you feel. And I’m pretty strong-willed.”

Julie Andem talks about a scene in the first season where the girls are walking up a hill on their way for a party while ”Dick in the Air” by Peaches is playing.

”That scene becomes fantastic with the sexualizing song, but I was told that we had to remove it because of something with the copyright. It is rarely I show that kind of emotions at work, but I was so upset and angry that I sat by my desk and cried. Then I took the phone and called everybody I know that works with music. I found someone who said they knew Peaches’ manager and then somebody came and said ’We’ve found a solution’. Two years later I was at a club in LA where Peaches were going to sing. I said to somebody that I dig her, so afterwards I got to meet her and told her about the scene and that I used her song. She said: ’I have seen then scene and I love it’ and I screamed back ’I KNEW IT!’”

The music is really fundamental in Skam. Is it based on your own interest in music or did you get help?

I’ve never thought that I have such a big interest in music. Many of my friends have very specific taste in music and I’ve liked everything. But yes, it’s fundamental and often I have written in and listened to the music while writing the scenes.

Had you found out what 16 year olds today listens to?

”Yes, absolutely, but teens today have Spotify, so they listen to everything. I got references from so many music genres that I realized that you could use pretty much anything. But I was important that the song they dance to at a party was a hit at that moment.”

The values that exist in Skam, pro feminism and against racism and homophobia, is pretty Scandinavian. How have they worked in countries like France and Italy?

”I don’t know, but Skam has spread all over the world and has big groups of fans in Argentina, Brazil, Japan and China. Skam is growing in China as we speak” she says and looks pretty cheeky.

”It seems like there are more people in this world that has use of Scandinavian values.”

#julie andem #skam #svenska dagbladet #my translations #skam translations