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jawritter · 4 years

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When The Lights Go Out

Part 3

Summary: Life hasn’t been your best friend lately, you lost your job, and are on the verge of losing your apartment. Who knew when you decided to join a Sugar Daddy app that your best friend suggested ina last ditch effort to save your apartment, and not end up on the street, your first and only client would turn your whole world upside down.

Pairing: Mobster!Dean Winchester x Virgin! Reader

Word Count: 2063

Series Warnings: Mob level violence, injured Dean, description of injury, creepy Godfather John Winchester, John is pretty much a double bag, escort services, virgin reader, lose of virginity and all the insecurities and fun stuff that come with it, age gap (23 year old reader; 40 year old Dean), angst, unrequited/requited love?, language, smut, unprotected smut.

Chapter Warnings: embarrassed reader, hint of insecurities, brief description of injury, language I’m sure, because it’s me people. Some angst, I think that’s it, this chapter is actually pretty mild.

A/N: Beta’d by @deanwanddamons! Thanks so much love!! Please don’t copy my work!! Feedback is golden! Hope you all enjoy this one!! It’s gonna be a little bit of a slow burn y’all, but just hang in there!

(This fic is based on this request: Could you do a Dean x reader where she is 23 and lives alone in her apartment, she gets fired and can loose her house, her friend tells her about a sugar daddy app, she makes a profile and Dean 40, contacts her, she is virgin and don’t offers sex, Dean is billionaire business man and needs a girl for his business parties,the reader is really shy, blushes a lot, they fall in love, he takes her to a trip and makes love to her on a private island, could it be a series?)

Want more? Check out my masterlist!!

***MASTERLIST***

***SERIES MASTERLIST***

To say that Dean had paid you very well for your date together last Friday night was an understatement. In fact, he’d paid you so well, that you were able to get caught up on all other bills that were due, and still have plenty of money left over.

It wasn’t about the money for you though, not really. It was about the fact that you had spent every moment, waking and sleeping, completely, and utterly infatuated with the green eye man that had hired you as his permanent escort.

I mean how could you not? He was literally the most attractive man you had ever laid eyes on, and even though this should have been strictly business, you were already developing quite the crush on the man.

Sure, working for this guy could literally get you killed, and you weren’t sure that John wouldn’t do it his damn self if he caught the two of you, and learned that you weren’t really Dean’s girlfriend, but you still couldn’t stop yourself from checking your DM’s, and hoping your phone would ring with that baritone voice on the other end that seemed to make you melt without even trying.

It was just getting dark. The sun was setting just behind the skyscrapers that made up the New York skyline, casting beautiful shades of pink, and gold over them, the light of autumn hanging in the air as the season ready themselves to change. It was your favorite time of day, so you found yourself sitting in your chair next to the window with a cup of hot coffee in your hand, and a throw blanket over your lap, just taking it all in.

Your mind drifted from Dean, to your future, to the upcoming event on Sunday that he’d yet to contact you about. That event you tried to not think about, just thinking about it made your anxiety spike to an all time high.

The last time you were in the same room with John Winchester, he’d ask you to prove your relationship with Dean. When you left the party, he’d made that crude comment about you making sure his son went to bed well satisfied. Only God knows what he might ask you to ‘prove’ in front of him concerning Dean, and that made your chest tighten uncomfortably.

Not that you didn’t want to have sex with Dean, I mean my God most women with a pulse, and some men, would give their left arm to have that opportunity. The problem with you resided with the fact that you had never had sex with anyone before.

Dean didn’t know that little fact about you, and you were terrified of what would happen when he found out.

You hoped your inexperience wouldn’t blow your cover, and you knew you had to tell Dean eventually, even though your contract with him stated that having sex with him wasn’t something you offered as part of the job.You knew that if you continued to play the part of ‘girlfriend’ to him, it was going to come up.

A loud knock on your door nearly made you jump out of your chair, and you made your way slowly to the door of your apartment.

Your only friend was away on business, and you didn’t know who else would possibly come calling. Your little ‘date’ with Dean had made you paranoid as to what might come after you, and you looked through the peephole in the door trembling as if a monster was going to be on the other side of it.

When you saw Dean, your heart leapt in your chest, and you ripped the door to your apartment open like a teenage girl, greeting her crush.

“Hi!” you said breathlessly, opening the door wider and allowing Dean to come in. His tall silhouette slipped past you, and into the apartment on bowed legs that made you weak in the knees.

“Hi, I hope I’m not intruding on your evening, coming over unannounced.”

Dean looked around your apartment as you closed and locked the door behind you, turning to face you as you crossed the floor to him.

“No, not at all, I was beginning to wonder if you had found someone else to escort you Sunday.” you said, looking down and playing with the hem of your sweater nervously.

“Not at all, I was busy with a job, and I’ve only just now got back to New York, or else I would have come to see you sooner.”

Motioning to the small couch in the center of the room, you both sat down, Dean, situating himself very close to you on the couch, closer than you expected.

“I know this might seem forward, and I know that I’ve asked more of you than a normal escort service would have ever offered, and by making you exclusive to me only I’ve kinda brought this to a whole new level that I’m sure you were not anticipating, but in order for Sunday to go off without a hitch, the two of us are going to have to look like an actual couple.”

Fear settled deep in your stomach, as his hand reached for yours.

“You’re trembling sweetheart. Are you afraid of me?” he asked, his thumb rubbing little circles on the back of your hand in an attempt to be calming.

“A..a little bit..” you admitted sheepishly, avoiding his gaze.

Sliding over closer to you, and throwing his arm around your shoulders, he settled the two of you in his hold. The smell of his cologne seemed to pull you in, and cloud your judgment, calming you instantly.

“You have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. I’m not gonna hurt you, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I’m a gentleman, pretty girl, and I’m not going to make you do anything you're not comfortable with if that’s what you're worried about.”

Taking a deep breath to steady your nerves, you look up to meet those green eyes that had been haunting you since the moment you met him. They were softer than you expected, and something radiating through them just said that he was telling you the truth, and it was okay to trust him.

“There’s something you need to know Dean.” you say, shame of your confession making you blush before you could even get it out, his fingers brush your hair off of your shoulder, playing with the loose strands at the base of your neck, bringing goosebumps to the surface of your skin.

“That you’re a virgin.” Dean said, stopping you in your tracks.Your eyes were as big as dinner plates as you try to hide the deepest blush you had ever experienced in your life. You covered your face with your hands.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of sweetheart. I figured as much the moment I kissed you in my dad’s hotel room, then there was also the no sex policy on your offer. Which I don’t have a problem with in the least, don’t get me wrong, but virgin or not makes no difference to me, or our arrangement. What I do need for you to do is to get comfortable with me touching you, because we need to look more natural Sunday than we did Friday night.”

You looked up to meet his gaze as his fingers lightly brushed the skin of your neck, pulling you closer to him. His warm body pressed against yours.

“Is that why you're here?” you asked him, and Dean nodded his head, his eyes searching yours for any sign of hesitation.

“The more time we casually spend together, the easier it will be for you to be around me, having me touch you, kiss you if need be, and it be believable.”

Relaxing a little into his hold, Dean brought his hand up to the side of your face, brushing his thumb over your cheek before lowering his lips to yours, brushing his lips over yours in a chaste kiss.

Even though it was brief, it still had shivers shooting down your spine.

Dean smiled cockly at your reaction, his fingers dancing little trails down your arm, and back up again.

“So you show up just to makeout with me? That’s not very professional is it Dean?”

Dean threw his head back in a whole body laugh that made you blush yet again, his lips coming back down on yours in a little deeper kiss, before breaking it suddenly.

“You could say that,” he said, still chuckling to himself, “what can I say, I’m a method actor.”

It was said as a joke, but for some reason it stung. Like the only reason he was here was to prepare you to give a worthy performance in front of his family.

Sitting up and away from him in order to clear your head, you grab your remote, and turn on your TV in effort to ignore him. Dean seemed unfazed.

“The dinner is tomorrow, I figured we could both get ready here at your apartment and leave together.” Dean said, kicking his feet up on your coffee table, grimacing as he did so, making your eyes travel him as if you could see whatever it was he was trying to hide.

“So, you're staying here all night?” you asked him. His face hardened a little before he switched off your TV, and looked at you more seriously than before. All joking and flirting disappearing from his features.

“I’m going to level with you, but I don’t want to scare you, so do you trust me?”

Nodding your head against your better judgement, you folded your legs under you, and turned to face him. Your heart pounded in your ears so loud you were sure he could hear it..

“I think my father has some of his goons following us. He doesn’t trust me, and in order to make this look real, I need to spend time with you like I would my actual girlfriend.”

Your eyes bulged almost out of their sockets, and Dean leaned forward with some effort, grabbing your hand in his before he continued to speak.

“I’m sorry, I feel terrible for ever getting you into this with me. I didn’t expect for them to actually like you, or for me to actually like you for that matter, but that’s a conversation for a later date. There are a lot of things you don’t understand, and I know that you don’t trust me, and you have every right to hate my guts, but I swore I’d protect you, and that’s what I intend to do. You didn’t ask for this, I pulled you into it.”

Dean took a deep breath, and his free hand traveled to his side, before he could stop himself. Your eyes drifted to there, and before you could stop yourself, you lifted his shirt looking at a deep purple bruise right over his ribs. The color drained from your face. You were in way over your head. Not only were you bound to the Son of the Godfather of the fucking Russian Mafia in New York City, but he was apparently injured, and sitting here on your couch.

“Dean? Did your dad do this to you because of me?” you ask him, fear evident in your voice.

Shaking his head Dean pulled you closer to him, wrapped his arms around you, and turned back on the TV, signalling this conversation was effectively over.

“No, that was a business deal where someone thought they could get over one me. That had nothing to do with us, or my father, just part of the job.” he said, giving you a peck on your lips before settling both of you into the couch.

You lay there quietly letting him trail his fingers over your arm and back, before long his breath became deep, and even. Looking up his features soften in sleep, and a light snore feel from his perfect lips.

You foolishly wondered if he was here because of your arrangement, or he just didn’t want to be alone. One thing for sure, this just kept getting deeper and deeper, and you wondered just how deep this rabbit hole was really gonna go before the walls started closing in.

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innittowinit · 3 years

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Run Rabbit Run (2/3)

Summary:

When Assassin Technoblade receives an offer he can't refuse, to kill the king, he starts to live a double life as a knight inside the castle walls.

Unexpected to him, he meets a pair of troublesome brothers, a skilled gardener and a father figure in the process, Can he go through with it this time?

AO3

Living in the castle was… different, if he were to put it lightly.

On normal days, Techno would wake up towards 11am, check to see if any potential clients had sent him a letter, and then carry out any assassinations that he still needed to do. Needless to say, jobs never normally needed him to infiltrate the royal workers, most of the time it was just a quick shot of a bow or a swift swing of a sword.

Working quickly and efficiently was what he was known for, in the underbelly of crime.

That being said, a lifetime of working as a criminal had never prepared him for the strict regime that came with being a knight. He had been led to a large dorm room filled with the other knights by Wilbur and Tommy on his first day here, that had been the first shock, he wasn’t used to not having any private space. The next shock had been waking up at 5am, he had to pull himself out of bed and put on his new iron armour, trying the whole while to remind himself that this was in fact worth it for the money he’d be receiving by the end of it.

He had been given a surprising amount of freedom, considering he was the new guy, he had half been expecting someone to follow him around and make sure that he wasn’t doing anything he shouldn’t be. Instead, he’d been given the loose order to just make rounds around the castle grounds and make sure everything was running smoothly. A small percentage of the guards had also been sent down to make their rounds in the main kingdom but he supposed it must be a fairly small area if they didn’t even need all their men down there.

Recently the sheer abundance of gold surrounding him was really affecting his concentration and self-control, naturally, his instincts were screaming at him to drop everything and grab something, anything, to keep for himself. Quite a few times, he had been tempted to ignore the mission and just give in to what he wanted but he knew that would be a sure fire way to ruin any trust he’d be able to build between the fellow workers and the king.

His so-called self control was really put to the test when he was called to stand guard when the King made Wilbur and Tommy try out some new golden additions to the uniform.

Of course though, the Knight uniform was Iron as always, all he needed to do was stand with the king as he judged the boys, trying out the new clothes. It was a little ironic that he had made the mistake of hiring the assassin to protect him from assassins.

“Techno, I don’t think I’ve really spoken to you as much as I should have” The King had sighed as the two waited for Wilbur and Tommy to finish getting changed. “You’re a real character, you know? No matter how hard I try I can’t read you”

“Sometimes, not reading people is for the better, Sir”

The heaviness of the statement rolled off Techno’s tongue easily, not realising how incriminating it really was. Luckily though, the King just laughed and nodded, one hand on his shoulder.

Techno didn’t want to think about how tempted he was to pull the gold rings right off his fingers.

“Done!”

Tommy grinned as he half ran, half jogged out of the changing room, spreading his arms wide, dramatically, and giving a big spin.

The changes to the uniform were minuscule, clearly only done to show wealth to any visitors over the fact that even the king’s chefs and butlers were clad in expensive materials.

“What D'ya think Techie?” With almost a rhythm to the words, Tommy walked towards Techno and stretched his arms out, bringing attention to the golden detailing at the bottom of his sleeves, as well as the thick pads that capped off his shoulders. The uniform really did look ridiculous.

“You’re a Piglin! I bet you love this stuff!”

“Tommy..” The king spoke in a warning tone, Techno didn’t quite understand why he was sticking up for him when stuff like this was so common. By now, he was used to being teased for being a Piglin, that’s just how life was for Mobs.

“What Phil?”

Pulling his hands back to his sides, Tommy rolled his eyes. Wilbur had also joined them, the golden detailing working much better against the black Butler uniform rather than the White Chef’s one.

“Phil he literally is a Piglin! I’m not even being mean!”

Techno couldn’t help but groan. Of course he thought he was in trouble for calling him a Piglin, of course people assumed that was a bad word. It was times like this when he was glad these are the kind of people he hurts with his work… but then again the person defending him was the person he was destined to kill.

Techno decided not to think about it.

What he did think about instead was how close he was going to have to get to the king to not be a suspect. Seriously, he had workers that were so casual with him that they would argue with him and call him by his first name, how long would he have to stay here?

“Toms.”

God the King had nicknames for them too? He was in for a lot of work.

“Look, it’s just not nice to assume he likes things and bring up what species he is as a justification.”

Tommy was clearly getting frustrated, judging by how Wilbur had said that they had been taken in as kids, he assumed the boy wasn’t really used to being told off for things.

“No! Just look! He’s fine with it! It was a joke man!”

And with that, Techno’s hoof was being grabbed and pulled up to touch the shoulder pad. What happened next was a blur, he remembered shoving Tommy away but he couldn't remember if he fell or just staggered back a bit. He noted that Wilbur had yelled something at him but he was more focused on getting the safe feeling that came with feeling the gold back. So, before he could think any better he had swiped the King’s crown straight off of his head and was cradling it close to his chest, like an animal protecting its food.

“Techno?”

The king’s voice had been gentle and non-judgmental as he carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

All he got as a response was a low grunt, his bared tusks far too prominent for him to even attempt talking right now.

“Techno, I want you to know that first of all you aren't in trouble, okay?”

With a little nod, Techno attempted to hand the crown back over, trying to salvage what he could of their opinions on him but just as he held it out towards the King his instincts took control again, complete fear and terror coursing through his veins as he imagined having to go back to having no gold to give him that safe feeling he was after.

“That’s alright, you can hold onto it for now, let’s just calm you down a bit bud”

Mind too foggy with anger and instincts, he didn’t even register it when Phi- the King moved him to sit on a bench with one arm around him lovingly. If he didn’t know any better he’d say this man was almost fatherly but he knew there must be a dark side to him if he had been offered so much to kill him.

“I’m very sorry about what happened, I don’t think Tommy really understood what he was doing, We’ll make sure that it won't happen ever again.”

Phil’s voice was kind, it understood that Techno wouldn’t want people teasing him about that kind of thing, it cared that Techno had been upset and wanted to fix that. The same kind voice softly instructed Techno on how to breathe in and out to slow down his pacing heartbeat, eventually helping him lower his tusks and loosen his grip on the crown.

“Ah jeez” Techno sighed, feigning a chuckle “This is humiliating, I’m sorry”

Despite the fact that he was calmer now and was able to think clearly and talk again, it was still very clear that he didn’t want to give up the crown as he twirled it in his hands, carefully tracing each gem as he did so.

Looking up, he could finally read the faces of the people that surrounded him, Phil looked like he was worried, Wilbur looked disappointed and Tommy looked as if he was about to crack under the guilt. This much attention made him feel almost sick, if he didn’t know better he would have leaned into Phil’s gentle touch by now, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little touch starved.

“Tommy.” Wilbur cleared his throat as he nudged his brother forwards, the younger of the two looking down at his boots in shame.

“Uh.. I didn’t think you were going to react like that, I’m really sorry. I know it doesn’t really mean much now but if I'm being honest I did think Piglins just..liked gold. I didn’t think you were going to...lose control or anything. I’m sorry, I do want to be friends with you but I’m scared I’ve biffed it” Techno couldn’t tell whether it was because Tommy was a human teenage boy or because he was just that remorseful but he could hear a slight waver in his voice as he spoke, as if he was holding back tears.

That was strange, nobody had cried over wanting his forgiveness before, or more like, nobody who he wasn’t about to kill had cried over wanting his forgiveness. It was nice to know he was cared for, even if it was misplaced.

“It’s.. fine. Just don’t do it again”

With that, Tommy nodded vigorously and walked swiftly back over to Wilbur, whispering something to him, leaving Techno with Phil- fuck, no, leaving Techno with the King and the crown.

“I meant it when I said you could hang on to it, just keep it safe and you can do whatever you like with it. Hold it, wear it, anything.”

Eyes wide, Techno looked over to Phil, looking for any trace of a joke. Normally, he’d be ridiculed for any aspects of his heritage showing, let alone having a full few minutes where he couldn’t control his actions, plus he really wasn’t used to being given gifts, normally he’d have to make due with the small chunks of gold he could make from his work but the idea of an entire crown was new to him, he was conflicted, naturally, he wasn’t sure if he needed to be on guard or if he was truly cared for.

“I’m serious. This was our fault, it really is embarrassing for us that we didn’t predict this and give you something you could hold on to. You poor thing, you were probably in a lot of pain trying to protect your image, right?”

Techno just sighed, rubbing his eyes. Because he was tired, he told himself, he wasn’t wiping away anything and he certainly didn’t care that the only person to ever treat him so nicely was the person he had to kill.

“Next time something is bothering you, don’t be afraid to speak up. We’re a family here and now that you’re a knight here you’re a part of that family”

Family.

Phil thought of them as a family.

Techno sighed and nodded, giving in and finally placing his head on Phil’s shoulder.

He supposed he’d just have to commit familicide.

#technoblade #wilbur soot #philza #tommyinnit #sbi #sleepy bois inc #fanfic #fanfiction

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galacticvampirisms · 5 years

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So @hkasof‘s amazing art inspired the start of this fic. I’ve still not reached the actual thing I set out to write about because I’m extra af and wanted to sketch in some backstory. And also include this little bit because it’s v meaningful to me.

I’m still gonna be writing a lot (but it’s all scattered. I literally laid down and instead of working on zine layouts spent an hour writing another 1500 words of this “ficlet” wtf). I don’t know. This art is inspiring. This pairing is inspiring. I’m drowning in inspiration and I can’t get up.

Also since Haley missed the time I just quietly reblogged it, hopefully @’ng will make sure it reaches your notes. I bolded the first sentence of the new stuff so you can find your place!

Matsuo wasn’t good with people. Even at Claw, he’d preferred to keep to himself. The other espers considered him odd because he liked being with his spirits more than people, but they didn’t get it.

While Sakurai wore his curse like a badge of honor, Matsuo preferred to keep his Tragic Backstory ™ under lock and key. After all, it wasn’t as though he would be very accepted if he did open up to the others. He was certain of this, even after a group of middle schoolers and their weird guardian destroyed the 7th Division headquarters.

Unfortunately, this meant Matsuo wasn’t really sure what to do with his life without Claw.

Retail? He dropped a vial containing a new pet and found himself fired for the amount of damage she had caused while he tried to coax her back into a better jar, much more cozy for her ballooning body. Not that the manager could see her of course. He just saw the destruction like a tornado after leaving Matsuo alone for twenty minutes.

Factory work? Much of the packaging was too monotonous or would strain his health after a couple weeks working odd, long shifts.

Finally, he chose to work as a regular psychic, specializing in exorcisms. It was hard. He had to be polite to customers, even when they abused or misgendered him or made fun of his style. And then he got the call, like nearly every other psychic in the region.

Asagiri mansion.

There had been so many people at the mansion, it was easy to hide from the loud and talkative Reigen and his strange student. Matsuo watched the rogue ghost wreck havoc of the legitimate and false espers alike, feeling a familiar warmth spread through his body. That ghost was powerful. He wanted it.

And… he got it. Mogami Keiji, a formerly powerful esper that had eaten so many evil spirits that even being exorcised hadn’t drained the spirit’s powers completely. Mogami was kept in a canister at first, the stickers imbued with Matsuo’s containing aura gradually layering on so thick it was impossible to see the original object.

Mogami’s negative energy kept corroding the layers, and sometimes Matsuo thought he could hear Mogami speak. Not like how the other spirits spoke to him, unintelligible to other people not so closely attuned to the dead. See, ghosts degraded after awhile, metamorphizing into animalistic beasts – beasts that Matsuo could understand and befriend (or control, if they were especially unhelpful). But Mogami wasn’t a beast.

No, he was something else.

“Pudding-chan, won’t you play nice today?” Matsuo spoke to the poison jar softly, picking it up to carry with him as he prepared for the day. He didn’t like leaving his more dangerous spirits unattended, and the weight of the jar was a comfort, grounding him in the moment. The stickers looked less absurd next to the mess of magnets that he collected on his fridge. “We’ve a couple of clients today looking for…” The emails were all on his phone, and he checked it, positive mood immediately dropping. “Oh, fantastic. They’re wanting an escort for a spirit walk. How exciting.”

The jar didn’t move or make any sign that the spirit inside was listening. Still, Matsuo continued on, by now quite used to talking aloud to ease the silence when one of his pets wasn’t out. “You think it’d be easy after dealing with all the low-ranking members of Claw at the base. It’s not. At least they left me alone. These are, ugh, young adults. They’re going to want to talk to me. Have potentially meaningful conversation.” Ignoring the fact that Matsuo himself could be considered a young adult. Under thirty-five at the very least. He set about making breakfast, sucking the spoon he used to scoop jam onto toast as a self-soothing measure. “The pay is barely worth it.”

Rent, bills, things he wasn’t used to after living at the 7th Division base. But now he had an apartment, a small one, but big enough for his books and pets and himself. And Mogami, Pudding-chan, the pet that steadily corroded the stickers keeping him contained. “Are you hungry Pudding-chan? Maybe we’ll find something for you while we’re out.” Mogami was a picky eater after all, and harder still to keep contained when giving him an evil spirit to devour.

It was a quiet existence, lonely in some ways, but Matsuo was alive. Living more respectably, in his own little apartment looking out over Seasoning City and avoiding trouble. All of Claw knew eventually what would happen, figured they’d be bulldozed by their former boss, the one who had given them their scars to begin with. But Matsuo maybe foolishly hoped that he’d be left well enough alone. Just live his life with his spirits like a person might with their cats.

As if.

He saw the television takeover like most people did, but unlike the social media chatter that thought it a joke, Matsuo panicked. Immediately, he gathered his most powerful spirits, Mogami included, leaving his apartment for what might be the last time.

But Seasoning City had been shut down. No one in, no one out. It was Suzuki’s plan to force his hometown to witness its destruction.

Honestly, what happened to Matsuo before running into Mob and Minegishi isn’t terribly important to this story. He hid, he protected himself from Claw lackeys hunting down espers, questioning how they were suddenly so powerful, and he managed to keep a lid on Mogami’s jar to the very end. Until he didn’t.

And we know what happened there.

Matsuo ran from the destruction, following Mogami’s trail to the edge of the city, where they were both still trapped by Claw’s intense barrier. “Pudding-chan! What happened? Why didn’t you destroy Minegishi?” The spirit seemed focused on the barrier, ignoring the esper below. “Pudding-chan… Pudding-chan!” There was a brief pause before Matsuo changed tactics. “Mogami-san?”

“Mm?” Mogami looked down at Matsuo, frowning. Well, frowning more. It had been much longer than his death since he had smiled properly. “Oh, it’s you. You’re the one who trapped me in a jar.”

“Well,” Matsuo started slowly, only a little put off by the negativity Mogami exuded. “I also fed you. And kept you from disappearing.”

“And talked incessantly about anything that popped into your head.”

Matsuo was only slightly offended by that. “Well, you weren’t exactly a conversationalist.”

Mogami looked at Matsuo for a moment longer. “I was in a jar.” He turned back to the barrier.

“Okay… you have a point. What are you doing anyway?”

“Trying to get out. That boy seems to be learning. I don’t need to be here.” The spirit pushed against the barrier, getting repelled immediately with a fierce red aura Matsuo recognized immediately. He reached out, pulling Mogami back. “Hey!” Mogami turned to the esper in anger, but the genuine concern wiped whatever the spirit was about to say from his mind.

“Don’t do that; it’ll exorcise you before you can get through.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because you’re my friend Mogami-san.”

There was silence then, marked only by the sound of air moving, maybe a bird or the distant sound of a TV. There is no true silence in the world anymore, especially not in cities, even cities that were under threat of destruction. But between esper and ghost, former(?) evil spirit and former evil organizational leader, there was a moment of the truest silence to be found. Matsuo released Mogami from his hold, but the spirit didn’t move.

“You realize you say that so casually to someone who has done many evil things,” Mogami finally said, breaking their moment. “Not everything I think I care to regret.”

“I’ve done evil things too… and I don’t think I can regret all of them either.”

Mogami floated closer. “The boy seemed to know you.”

Matsuo let him approach, unafraid. “He definitely knew you.”

“He… taught me that perhaps the world isn’t so dark as I once thought.”

Matsuo nodded in agreement. “His master showed me how to grow up.”

“Grow up? You still eat sugared cereal.” There was a comfortableness in Mogami’s voice now, as he floated to be just taller than Matsuo, though his feet were well off the ground. Matsuo shifted, folding his arms across his chest and trying to stand taller.

“And just what’s so wrong with that? Adults eat sugar all the time.”

“It’s just… cute.” Matsuo blushed and looked away, back towards where they had left. “What are you going to do Matsuo?”

“I don’t know. If anyone can beat Suzuki, it’s that boy. He and his master could probably talk sense into a rock if they chose.”

“No, I mean. Afterwards. Will you keep being a psychic for hire?”

Matsuo made a face. “It’s the only thing I’m good at. But what about you? What are you going to do?”

“…I don’t know. I don’t regret many of the things I did, but it’s pointless to continue the way I was with people like him out there.” Mogami turned to the barrier again. “Maybe I should be exorcised. It’s what he and you were originally told to do by that rich idiot.”

Matsuo reached out, grabbing Mogami again, this time physically, a hand holding onto the spirit’s jacket. “Wait. Why not stay with me?”

“You don’t know the things I’ve done,” Mogami repeated. “There’s no telling how I’ll act.”

“You don’t know what I’ve done either,” Matsuo argued, holding tighter though Mogami hadn’t moved. “But just because we’ve got our burdens to carry doesn’t mean we have to do it alone.”

Mogami’s empty sockets stared into Matsuo’s own determined gaze, shifting subtly to take in his scar, his hair, his clothes. Then back to his face before Mogami let out a sigh, sinking closer to the esper’s level. “This means the jar again?”

“No… no I think I trust you to stay out.”

“You just want to talk my ear off about your new sports rules.”

Matsuo laughed. “It would be nice if you talked back.” He started to walk, away from the barrier and the edge of the city, towards his, their apartment.

“I always talked back. Your jar just wouldn’t let you hear.” Mogami was following close beside Matsuo, equals in starting a new chapter in both their lives.

#mob psycho 100 #matsugami #matsuo #mogami keiji #let's just tag this out properly since it looks like it could end here #it won't but it could #god haley your art is so good #i stumbled into your art around the time i was playing with textures and it makes me feel validated to see something so cute be loved by so #many #lol that tag got long there

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svtmatokis · 5 years

Text

Jihoon Office AuP3

Happy Monday everyone! The latest Seventeen comeback has me literally rolling in feels and Jihoon is straight dominating this comeback (and my bias wrecker list) so I had a lot of inspiration to write this next chapter so I hope you enjoy!

This chapter will feature a special guest and our antagonist so look out for who it is ;)

Pairing: Eventual youxJihoon

Genre: Suggestive content not smut / Romance / Angst

Words: 3629

Part: 1 - 2 - 3

“Awfully comfortable aren’t we?”

The sound of Joshua’s voice woke Jihoon up from his slumber.

“What are you talking about?” he asked tiredly rubbed his eyes. It took him a few moments to realize that you were still sleeping on his chest. Those pain medications were definitely doing their job since you didn’t even flinch when Jihoon carried you into the guest bedroom and tucked you in.

Closing the door he turned to face Joshua who was sitting on the couch waiting for an answer.

“We settled in and started watching a movie.” Jihoon explained in a simple manner. “The pain came back and she took her prescriptions and they knocked her out.”

Joshua contemplated Jihoon’s words and seemed to accept his explanation sinceto he started talking to Jihoon about the work schedule.

“Cheol’s coming back in two days and Wonwoo and Jeonghan will finish the conference on their own. He said that Y/N has the week off but shouldn’t be alone.”

“That’s fine, I intend on working from home this week anyways.” Jihoon said automatically while looking at his personal calendar on his phone.

Joshua looked up at Jihoon from his own calendar in slight shock. Jihoon never missed a day at the office He wasn’t a big fan of working from home since he had a tendency to get calls from his assistants every hour or his assistant would go missing for the day since he wasn’t there.

“I don’t have anything urgent this week except to prepare for that client introduction meeting the week after so it’ll be a good time to reorganize my home office.” he continued.

“Are you sure?” Joshua asked. He had no problem with Jihoon working from home for the week since Seungcheol would be back in two days and was sure that he’d be at the office.

Jihoon nodded his head,”Plus, Y/N might need something and the doctor did say someone had to be watching over her. The office will be fine.” he said dismissively.

“Okay then sounds like a plan.” Joshua said and the two boys decided to order dinner just in case you woke up and Jihoon prepared your next set of prescriptions.

Joshua observed how Jihoon took the time to prepare everything for you and going as far as to put the porridge they bought for you in a pot so he could heat it up when you woke up. You didn’t eat much that morning so he was sure that you’d be hungry and he was right.

Joshua found it interesting that Jihoon attended to you in a way that he had never seen before. Jihoon was a person who wouldn’t do anything unless it gave him benefit. When you woke up, Jihoon put the porridge on the stove and prepared a tray for you so you could eat with them in the living room. Since when did Jihoon start caring about you so much?

He then thought back to first few days when you would go out for lunch together. Towards the end of each meal, you made sure to get take out and he assumed that you were buying dinner for yourself but found it odd that you did it every single day. It wasn’t till the one time he walked into Jihoon’s office to deliver a report that he saw him eating the very same meal you had bought during lunch.

He then confirmed his suspicions when he followed you your desk one day and saw you put the plastic bag on Jihoon’s desk. Joshua suspected that Jihoon knew that you were leaving the mystery lunches on his desk and this was a his way of repaying the favor. He also suspected that there was something more than meets the eye when it came to Jihoon’s feelings for you but he would continue to observe for now.

The first few days living with Jihoon had been slightly awkward but at the same time, the two of you fell into a routine that worked for you. Jihoon would work in his office for a few hours a day and then come out to the living room and join you in whatever you were doing.

You would play games, watch movies or debate over current events. Jihoon had managed to learn quite a lot about you in two days. It seemed that the more comfortable you were, the more open you would be and Jihoon was happy that he was someone that you felt that with.

The day Seungcheol came back, he was at Jihoon’s apartment right away and had to speak with you urgently.

Closing the door to the guest bedroom, you and Seungcheol sat on your bed.

“What did you find out?” you asked in a whisper. What you didn’t know was that Jihoon was on the other side of the door, trying to listen in the conversation. But Seungcheol,who knew Jihoon well responded.

“He doesn’t know that you’re back.”

You were confused, “But then the attack a few days ago…”

“Was a total fluke. The person was hired a long time ago and was determined to complete. The police said that you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Seungcheol leaned forward and touched your hand, “Don’t worry. My father sent some of his men to watch over your parents and I have men stationed around your apartment. It won’t be long till they find out you’re back.” he sighed but said no more. Jihoon probably had a lot of questions now and he was sure that he was going to have to answer to them. Surprisingly though, it never came. Jihoon had been busy preparing for a major client introductory meeting and planned on confronting Seungcheol after that. He knew that it would keep Seungcheol on his toes at the office. But he was worried about you. Despite acting like everything was okay, he could tell you were on edge about something but didn’t want to ask you about it till he spoke with Seungcheol.

A week later you were finally allowed to return to work and Seungcheol was watching you like a hawk. You knew that you were in potential danger and thanked the heavens that your parents were currently touring various States right now and were on a constant move. You contemplated staying with them in the States but you truly missed Korea and your friends here so ultimately, despite knowing the dangers you came back and took Seungcheol up on his offer that landed you in your current position.

You knew that Jihoon had his client introduction meeting today so you took extra time to get ready so you looked more professional and also to make a good impression on the client. You were still staying with him at his apartment and today he had left earlier so he could go to the office to prepare.

When you got in, you saw that his door was closed which meant he was probably with the client already so you made sure to tidy up your desk. You then started to catch up on the work you missed from the week you were away which was quite a bit. Thankfully Jihoon had gone through your list and labeled his priorities which made your organization much easier.

The click of the door brought you out of your work mode and you stood up when you saw Jihoon walk out holding the door open.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Min and please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions about the portfolio.” he said as the client’s walked out and instantly you could feel the blood drain from your face.

“Thank you Jihoon and you know it’s Yoongi. I’ve heard good things from Jungkook so I’ll be sure to review the portfolio thoroughly and we’ll set up another meeting soon.” the client said and stopped short as your eyes met. You could see a slight look of shock cross his features but he concealed it quickly with a smile.

“Of course.” Jihoon said with a bow before noticing you. “Oh Y/N, I thought you’d be in this afternoon.” he then turned to Yoongi whose eyes had not left you. “Yoongi, this is my assistant Y/N. Y/N, this is Min Yoongi. He’s a referral from a close friend of ours, Jungkook of Bangtan Corp.”

You eyed Yoongi warily as a smirk made it’s way to his lips, “Long time no see.” he said as Jihoon turned to look at you in shock. You could not believe he just said that. You were prepared deny that you knew him but the look in his eyes told you to do otherwise.

“I apologize, but do you two know each other?” Jihoon’s voice cut through your current staring contest.

Yoongi nodded his head, “Our families run in the same social circle and I’ve had the pleasure of of associating with Ms. Y/N on various occasions.” he licked his lips and you knew the look on his face. You suddenly had a temptation to make an excuse to leave but heard a chime from your cell phone signaling a text from Seungcheol.

SC -Good morning~

Y/N - He knows I’m back.

SC - …….WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU? I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN THE OFFICE TODAY?!

Y/N - I’m at my desk…

“Actually, if you don’t mind Jihoon. I would love to take Y/N out for coffee to catch up.” Yoongi requested turning to face Jihoon, “The last time we saw each other was at her engagement party to Choi Seungcheol years ago.”

Your face paled completely and you shot a look at Yoongi whose smirk seemed to deepen. You looked at Jihoon whose face held complete shock but he quickly masked it up.

“Of course, Y/N, please be back by eleven for the weekly briefing.” Jihoon said with a nod. He had a mission of his own. He needed to talk to Seungcheol.

“Perfect.” Yoongi said and motioned for you to join him.

“Are you sure Mr. Lee?” you asked. “ I did miss a week after all. I should be catching up.”

“No it’s okay.. Enjoy catching up with your old friend.” he said dismissively and walked down the hall towards the other managers offices.

Yoongi then once again turned to look at you with hunger in his eyes, “Shall we?” he asked offering his hand which you refused and made your way to the elevator.

After you pushed the button, you were pulled back as Yoongi whispered in your ear in a stern voice, “I would cooperate with me if I were you.” he sang as his arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer against him. You tried not to outwardly cringe as he nuzzled your neck lightly and chuckled. “This was almost too easy.”

As you exited the building, you weren’t aware certain guardian angels were watching over you and followed you to your new destination.

Meanwhile, Jihoon ran into Seungcheol as he was headed in the the opposite direction towards your office area and stopped him half way.

“Seungcheol, can we speak in myo office? It’s very important.”

“Not now JIhoon.” Seungcheol said as if brushing him off and continued on his path caushing Jihoon to chase him.

“No, I believe now would be an appropriate time.” Jihoon said sternly as Seungcheol replied.

“I have urgent matters to deal with right now, JIhoon.”

His heart dropped when he saw that your desk area was empty and turned to look at Jihoon.

“Where’s Y/N?” he asked in a voice of authority. The tone catching Jihoon off guard.

“She’s out with a client and will return at eleven. Now I believe we need to have a word.” Jihoon said again and Seungcheol shook his head.

“I need to find Y/N.” Seungcheol said and Jihoon almost yelled but managed to lower his voice.

“When were you going to tell us that you and Y/N were engaged?”

That stopped Seungcheol completely in his tracks and JIhoon motioned to his office. “Shall we?” and Seungcheol reluctantly agreed.

“What are you not telling us.” Jihoon demanded as he leaned against his desk while Seungcheol sat in his desk chair. “What is going on? You’ve been silent since Y/N was attacked and no ones talking about the police investigation and you know I heard your conversation in her bedroom when you came back from the conference.”

“How did you know Y/N and I were engaged?” Seungcheol asked.

“Are you guys?” Jihoon asked with a raised eyebrow and Seungcheol shook his head.

“Formally. We wanted to marry for love.” he said hoping the answer would satisfy him.

“So it was an arranged marriage.”Jihoon stated.

“Something along those lines.” Seungcheol said, “Which client did Y/N go out with?”

“A new client. Min Yoongi. He was referred to us from Jungkook... “ Jihoon said as Seungcheol suddenly got up and ran out of Jihoon’s office.

“Seungcheol?” he followed him as Seungcheol got to the elevator trying to keep his cool. He had one mission right now and it was to find you.

Seungcheol looked down at his phone and saw a text from Jeonghan with an attached photo of you and Yoongi sitting in a booth of one of the higher end coffee shops.

JH - Since when did Min Yoongi associate with those below him? He looks awfully comfortable with Y/N

SC - which cafe

JH - the one one where we take the clients we need to suck up to

SC - got it

Yoongi had placed your orders and ensured to order lunch to prolong his time with you. He could not believe his lucky stars. He had received a photo from a contact showing your arrival back in Seoul and set out to find you. Who knew it would be as easy as running into you at your place of employment as the assistant of a potential business advisor.

“Such a shame you’re wearing pants.” he whispered as his thumb ran circles on your thigh where his hand rested to hold you in place. “Have you...thought about the current offer?”

“My answer still stands.” you stated thanking the waiter who dropped off your drinks. “Why would it change otherwise?”

“Simple, I know that you and Seungcheol broke off your engagement” he said as he squeezed your thigh trying to get a reaction out of you before raising it higher.

“Min Yoongi.” you said in a stern voice and moved his hand away quickly and glared at him.

“Remember when I said to cooperate?” he asked in a low voice his hand going back to your thigh and squeezing it tighter. “You’re fair game now. Just because your mother managed to escape does not mean that you can too. Had she married my father-”

“You would not exist.” you said and moved further away from him but the hand that was on your thigh wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer to him. “Min Yoongi behave.”

“I am behaving. Why do you think I got the private booth?” his hand massaged the space between your pants and shirt. “Now, you know our families belong together. Your mother was supposed to marry my father but instead she ran away with that commoner-”

“That commoner is my father and they are very much in love thank you very much.” you snapped and tried to remove his arm from around you with no success.

“Yea and she lost her family fortune when she went into hiding.” he snickered. “You know that if you aren’t engaged by the end of the year, your grandfather is going to sign the contract that binds our families together.” he scoffed, “I still can’t believe that old man refuses to sign it until your twenty-fifth birthday.”

“And I have every intention of disabling that contract so don’t get your hopes up” you shot as Yoongi laughed.

“By what? Getting engaged to someone in the upper crust in six months? Oh please Y/N, everyone knew that your engagement to Cheol was fake and with my father doing whatever it takes to have our families together.” he reached into his pocket and took out a box.

“How about we spare everyone the headache and just make it official now?” the box opened to reveal a ring that that had a large heart diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.

“Are you crazy?” you snapped at him getting up this time and he glared at you.

“Sit-”

“I’m leaving.” you said grabbing your coat and he grabbed your arm. “I appreciate the coffee and lunch Mr. Min.”

“You are staying.” he said, “You don’t want your boss to lose a client do you?” He challenged and the comment made you shut up. You knew Jihoon had prepared long and hard for this proposal and you suddenly felt yourself sucking up your pride and listening.

Before Yoongi said anything more,a voice rang in your ears.

“Y/N?”

Turning around you were relieved to see Jeonghan and Joshua standing on the other side of the booth.

“Jeonghan, Joshua, what are you guys doing here?” you asked as Yoongi put on a polite smile.

“Brunch meeting.” the two answered simultaneously.

“Taking an early lunch? I didn’t think Jihoon would let you do that.” Jeonghan said as you gave them a tight smile.

“Sorry, where are your manners Y/N?” Yoongi’s voice cut in as he stood. “It’s a pleasure to see you again Jeonghan, Joshua. I hope you don’t mind, I had a meeting with Jihoon and ran into Y/N. We haven’t seen each other in a while so I offered to take her out for lunch to catch up.” he said he shook both their hands.

“Oh...that explains it” Jeonghan said with a nod of his head and noted how uncomfortable you looked, “Well, Y/N, I just got a text from Seungcheol stating that he needs you back at the office regarding as assignment. We’re headed there too so shall we go together?”

“Of course” you said automatically as Joshua met your eye and you knew that something was up, “I am so sorry Yoongi but we’ll have to finish catching up some other time. Once again, thank you for the coffee and lunch.” you said politely with a fake smile.

“Do you mind giving us five minutes to finish up?” Yoongi asked and much to your dismay, Jeonghan and Joshua nodded their heads.

“We’ll meet you outside Y/N” Joshua said as he and Jeonghan went back to their table to finish up.

Pulling you down next to him again, Yoongi nuzzled your neck as you struggled to get away, “Such a shame that our time got cut short.but I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. Consider my offer Y/N.”

“You know I never will because I-”

“You don't love me. I know I know...but your family holds such a large fortune that I’m sure I can find ways to make you love me.” he said with a wink standing up once he settled the bill.

He pulled you close and kissed the corner of your lips, “You can’t run Y/N...I know where you work.” and with that he was off once he saw something in the distance.

Turning around you saw Seungcheol and Jihoon running towards you and the moment Seungcheol wrapped his arms around you, your body relaxed.

“Are you okay?” he asked noticing the tenseness of your body.

“I’m fine...he’s just as persistent as ever…” you muttered looking in the direction Yoongi went in.

A throat cleared behind you two as Jeonghan, Joshua and Jihoon stood there looking at you expectantly and you let out a sigh knowing that it was time to answer a lot of questions.

Jihoon didn’t know how to feel at the moment. He had so many questions to ask and also saw when Yoongi pulled you to him for a kiss and for some odd reason, it made his blood boil on the inside and he had the urge to wipe away any trace of Yoongi’s hands that were on you but quickly shook that thought away. Why would he be feeling that emotion? It’s not he was into you...was he?

Thinking back to the first week you had met, he had to admit that he was somewhat attracted to you. You were smart and no doubt beautiful but you were also a hard worker too which he found amazing. He liked your sense of humor and how caring you were towards him and the others and he knew that seeing you with Yoongi made him upset.

‘Shit I like Y/N” Jihoon muttered to himself as he heard Joshua snicker beside him.

“About time you admitted it.” he smirked before tuning into the conversation Seungcheol and Jeonghan were having.

“I really think you need to explain things to us. We’ve waited since the night of Y/N’s attack and the two of you have stayed quiet this whole time.” Jeonghan said. “Now how does Y.N know Yoongi and why was he so comfortable around her? Isn’t Y/N from a commoners family?”

“It’s….a long story,,.” you said looking down.

“Let’s go back to my apartment. We have all day.” Jihoon said his tone held finality. He wanted answers and he was going to get them today. He wanted to know everything, the history between you and Yoongi, the story behind your engagement to Seungcheol and more importantly, why was Yoongi so dangerous that Seungcheol dropped everything to get to you?

~Anna

#jihoon #woozi #woozi imagine #seventeen imagine #jihoon imagine #kpop #jihoon seventeen #woozi scenario #kpop scenario #kpop imagie #svt imagine #kpop scenarios #lee jihoon #seventeen #seventeen scenario #svt #svt scenario

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thedarkbathtub · 6 years

Text

Spotlight | 9

[previous] -9- [next] | Masterlist

It was Shownu who drove her home again.

She hadn’t pushed back against the evenings revelations. With a simple shrug and a “Well, then!” she had settled back into gentle banter with Hyungwon and Jooheon. Sure she had questions, but now was neither the time, nor the place, to ask them. Now she was alone with Shownu, she started talking.

‘I’m not mad about it.’ She started quietly, looking down at her fingers as she spoke. ‘I guess on some level I knew that this was a possibility. There’s only one thing that I’m going to ask of you.’

‘Go on.’

‘If there’s any way my mum can be kept completely ignorant of this… if she can be kept safe… I don’t know what story you’re going to concoct for me, and I don’t much care, but my mum…’

‘We’re subsuming you into the clan, not your family. You’re about to become part of a new, established, family. The best way to keep her safe is to…’

‘Sever ties.’ Hiro finished. Though Hiro had been holding out for a alternative, this was the answer she had been expecting.

‘Yes.’ Shownu confirmed.

‘Completely… or can I at least… send her a painting ever so often, like a postcard!’

‘Does she live in the city?’

‘Not anymore. She moved away to be with my stepdad when I started Uni.’

‘We’ll try and make that work then.’

‘Thank you!’

‘No, thank you.’ Shownu said softly. ‘You’ve taken the news well. You’re making it easy for us. Don’t think it’s not appreciated.’

‘It’s not like there’s much for me to leave behind… Abby, my mum…’ she looked over to Shownu. ‘I get to bring my paints, right?’

‘We’re way ahead of you. Your apartments a little… empty.’ Hiro was surprised to see a light blush dusting Shownu’s cheeks. ‘We had to be prepared, in case you caused a scene.’ He said by way of explanation.

‘So we’re going there now because…’

‘You’ve got to hand over your keys, and I figured you might want to talk.’ Hiro couldn’t help but smile. Gun wielding mob man he might be, but Shownu was also a teddy bear. Her initial nickname had been apt. On top of that, Hiro was coming to see that Shownu was very astute when it came to reading people, and she appreciated it immensely.

‘Good call! So how did you get this by the Super?’

‘We rocked up as a removal crew. Boxed everything up as it was and took it home! Pretty simple between seven, especially as your possessions are 80% art related!’

‘And where does he think I’m going?’

‘We didn’t say, we were just the removal guys and, of course, we value our clients privacy.’

‘Says the man who may or may not have seen my entire collection of underwear today.’ Shownu’s blush darkened at this.

‘Your calmness never ceases to amaze me.’ He said.

‘I’m sure you’ll find it useful some time!’

‘No doubt.’

‘So what’s my story then?’

‘You’ve been hired by a recluse to restore his art collection. It’s pretty big, and it’s going to take you years, so he offered a live in arrangement on his estate. You’ll be able to come in and out for supplies, but the workload being what it is, this arrangement makes the most sense. Not to mention the astronomical fee.’

‘I got real lucky didn’t I!’

‘You sure did.’ Shownu pulled up beside the building and stopped the car, but kept the engine running.

‘Don’t take too long!’

‘I’ll be in and out! There’s definitely nothing left upstairs?’

‘Not even a bobby pin.’

Hiro was relieved to find the Super in his room, and engaged him in idle chatter for a few minutes, apologizing profusely for the lack of warning, and handing over her key. With a swift farewell and a wave, she headed back out to the car and slid quietly into the passenger seat. Shownu had moved away from the curb before she had finished buckling her seatbelt. She was amazed at herself for her current sate of serenity. She had rolled with the situation as if it were inevitable and usually she’d be waiting for the damn to break, but apart from the flash of panic she’d felt when Shownu had started explaining just what the deal was at dinner, she’d felt nothing but calm.

Granted, it wasn’t like she knew any of the boys well, and true, Kihyun was still acting like a little shit - something she doubted was going to change any time soon - but for the most part they had been decent to her and she actually found herself excited to spend more time with them, especially Hyungwon, who, if she was being totally honest, had most likely taken this spot the moment she’d branded him Sassy in the front seat. She was keen to learn more about Minhyuk too, the literal ball of sunshine who she had learnt today was the resident doctor as he berated her about her exorbitant coffee intake.

Jooheon was still a mystery to her. He flip-flopped between Charlie Chaplin and The Thinker in the blink of an eye, and Hiro would bet any money on him being a scary ass mofo when the shit hit the fan. She hoped she never had to witness it in person. Changkyun was a quiet man-child. She’d discovered today that he was science genius, and the go-to tech guy. He seemed to take after Shownu, preferring to sit back and observe, but had no problem getting stuck into a conversation should the topic interest him. Wonho, Hiro was pretty sure, was going to be the go-to cuddle man. For all his slimy displays of affection earlier, she had him pegged as fairly gentle. Much like Jooheon, when it came to it, she had no doubt that he’d have no trouble delivering what was needed, and she had no great desire to witness that either.

Hiro had to wonder how she’d fit in to the whole set-up. They must have something planned for her besides the safety of the group, clan, gang… no, family Shownu called them.

‘So what are you? Where do you align yourselves?’ She asked Shownu, breaking the comfortable silence they’d fallen into.

‘Sorry?’

‘Are you the mob? A gang? What’s the label.’

‘We are a family, but professionally refer to ourselves as The Clan.’ Shownu said. ‘The papers think we’re the mob - we’re not as flashy and in your face as the gangs. And in reality, we’re not actually either.’

‘So if you’re not the mob, and you’re not a gang, what the hell are you guys?’

‘We’re the mediators.’

‘Mediators? Aren’t they usually the good guys?’

‘I never said we weren’t the good guys.’

‘But the papers…’

‘Report what they want people to see, think and hear.’ Shownu said. ‘We are the last line of defense. We are the ones that stop the turf wars, drugs, prostitution to name a few, taking over the city. The police can only do so much. They’re stretched thin enough as it is. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. We’ve all lost so much, but we deal with it by doing out best to make sure others don’t suffer the way we have.’ Hiro sat in stunned silence. She had got a lot wrong.

‘I’m… I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. Just help us make a difference.’

‘Why?’ Hiro said with a sudden force that surprised even herself.

‘Why, what?’

‘Why are you making me join?’

‘Instinct.’

‘That’s all you’re going to give me?’

‘What more do you want?’

‘Knowledge is power…’

‘Touche! But are you sure you want to know right now.’

‘Might as well get it over and done with.’

‘Instinct, because I’m convinced, and the boys agree with me, that there was no way you were down the docks by accident on Halloween. Coincidences don’t happen. We’re also pretty convinced you didn’t serve the purpose you were intended for - your reactions are far too… unique. Nothing you did could have been predicted.’

‘Huh!’ Hiro said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She couldn’t deny that it was a good argument.

‘One last thing I’d like to know.’ Hiro asked.

‘Fire away.’

‘Did Kihyun really want me dead?’

‘Not exactly.’

‘What, he only wanted me mostly dead?

‘No. Rather, he’d prefer it that if anyone were dead, it would be you and not one of the boys. He’s fiercely protective of them. He’ll grow to be the same way with you, eventually.’ Hiro laughed out loud at that.

‘The man hates me…’

‘He doesn’t hate you. He just likes you less than everybody else.’

—————

‘That was quick!’ Jooheon hollered from a sofa when Shownu and Hiro entered through the front door. Hiro was able to properly take the space in this time; the massive open plane entrance-come living room more inviting than daunting, even if the walls were a little bare for her tastes. Everyone but Kihyun was lounging about, their suits in varying states of disarray, all obviously waiting for the pairs return.

‘We’ll give you a full tour tomorrow.’ Shownu said as he shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie. For now, the kitchen is over there,’ he indicated a set of double doors diagonally to the right of where they were standing. ‘The bedrooms are on the second and third floors, I’ll show you yours in a second, and through there,’ he indicated the other set of double doors to the left of the living room, ‘is your new studio.’

‘I have a studio?’ Hiro couldn’t keep the awe from her voice.

‘That room has been dead space for years.’ Jooheon said. ‘The lab and infirmary are in the basement, and the libraries that way.’ He jerked his thumb back over his shoulder. ‘No one wanted the office space, so it’s been sitting there unused.’

‘Can I…’ Hiro looked up at Shownu, completely thrown by this gift and equally unsure as to how to act now that this place was her home, too.

‘You’re not tired?’

'Not not that carrot’s been dangled!’ Shownu chuckled.

‘Then be my guest.’

Hiro didn’t hesitate. She threw her bag onto a random chair as she passed, and placed her hands on the doorknobs. Slowly, she turned them and pushed open the doors. Someone, who exactly she didn’t know, darted passed her and flicked on a light.

Whatever Hiro had been expecting, it wasn’t this! The room was huge, with gigantic windows, almost floor to ceiling bar the window seats, to her left. During the daytime, the natural light would be incredible. There were boxes and possession of hers she recognized littering the room, and it was a disorganized mess, but it was everything she had ever dreamed off. She sniffed, and lifted a hand to wipe away a stray tear.

‘Seriously… You’re going to cry over a room…’ Hyungwon said incredulously. ‘After everything that’s happened, you’re going to cry over a room!’

‘Yeah, well, it’s a really nice room!’ Hiro fired back, the shake in her voice noticeable.

‘Come on, let’s get you to bed!’ Shownu said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

‘Yay, I get a bed this time.’ Hiro clapped her hands together and, knowing she was finally going to get her first decent nights sleep in months, she allowed herself to be led away from her beautiful new studio.

[next]

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mordigen · 4 years

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I have been gone a very long time...

I don't even know if there is anyone still out there listening to my ramblings. But that is ok. The point is, I am rambling. And that is fine.

For anyone who is still listening, on whatever platform you have found me - If you haven't already seen the pattern, I disappear frequently. Perhaps you're familiar with it, perhaps you already know, but if you've missed the signs - I struggle with depression, and how it manifests for me is to just disappear. This is the longest I have ever disappeared. This has been a rough one.

No. I am not in danger. I'm not even sad. Depression, for me, has never been that. It is simply a Nothing. Inspiration leaves me. Want and will evaporate. I just want to be left alone, and be. I am tired, and have nothing to say, and want nothing to do. But, of course, there are things I *have* to do. Things I MUST do, and like the good warrior I am, of course - I do. But that takes so much energy, that once what I must do is done, there is even less of me left than where I began.

So I sit. And I sleep. And I watch the same million episodes of the same three shows that I've seen a million times before, because it is soothing. Because, somehow, they are still entertaining, and they are comforting and relaxing and I tell myself I'm just recouping - tomorrow I'll do something. But of course, tomorrow has a whole new list of *musts* and *have tos*. And the cycle continues.

The last post I made here, was not actually on this blog - but the Sister blog. The one I created solely for the dark and depressed rantings to be able to get it out and expell it from my being. It was my one and only post. And then I went dark. For four years. I was in a very bad place. It was hard for me to articulate, because I was still engulfed in it. I hadn't escaped yet.

About 5 years ago, I was in a car accident. A lady on her phone, speeding, not paying attention, ran a red light and hit me dead-on. She was going abput 60 in a 35. I was extremely lucky.

I was banged up pretty bad, I have chronic hip problems now because of it - but it could have been so much worse. I didn't even break a bone. I was extremely lucky. The car was unbelievable. My son could have been in the car, but I had -thankfully- just dropped him off at school. It would have hit directly where he would have been sitting. But, that didn't happen. I was extremely lucky - but it left me with some serious PTSD. I was terrified of the road. I was terrified of other drivers. It doesn't matter how safe you try to be when it's someone elses recklessness that takes you out. And there's not a damn thing you can do about that. I struggled real hard with that one - I still do.

I'm the one you're honking at for taking too long at the greenlight. I'm the one you're frustrated with for never seeming to know it's my turn at the 4-way. It's me. Because I no longer care about inconvenience- if 10 extra seconds means I know the other person is not blowing through the intersection, then I'll take it. You all can go before me at the stop sign, I'll wait. I don't mind. If it means I'm safe, then I'm fine with my commute taking an extra 10-15 min.

I had several months of physical therapy, and a year out of the workforce. But eventually, all things move on. Wounds heal. Bruises fade. Money runs out, and you have to get back to life, and the real world. And even though I thoroughly enjoyed my reprieve from the bump and grind - I was ready to get back. Or so I thought.

I'll be honest, I never even considered how PTSD would affect so many aspects of my life. I did not get help for it. After all, if I'm just hyper aware of my surrpundings, that's a good thing, isn't it? Of course it is!

Being aware of your surroundings is a good thing. But I was completely ignoring everything else that came with it. Hyper sensitivity. Paranoia. Trust issues. Control issues. Vulnerability. Fragility. Panic attacks. Let me tell you, starting a brand new job in the midst of this will certainly make you hyper aware of much more than just your surroundings.

I was not ready. Not only was I not ready, but I had no idea what I was walking into. And it crushed me, utterly and completely.

I was in a horrible, horrible abusive relationship, and it destroyed every ounce of my spirit. Extinguished it completely, not only did it trigger the worst depressive episode I have ever experienced, but my PTSD crippled me from recognizing it sooner, and then once I had, made it near impossible to actually act on.

I spent hours, upon hours crying. Not just simple little tears - sobbing. Heaving. Mental breaking point hysterics. It was toxic. It was manipulative. It was undermining. It was suffocating, and I could not get out. I stopped sleeping. I stopped eating. Then I ate everything all at once. My blood pressure skyrocketed, even had my DRs threaten to withhold certain medications that I needed - and wanted to put me on a ton more that I was adamantly against. They didn't understand - this wasn't an issue with my body. My body was reacting in exactly the way it was supposed to. It was the stress, it was the circumstance. I don't need to be on toxic, liver killing, kidney killing medications - I just needed to get out, then it would all be OK.

My phone would go off ....at dinner, at the grocery store, driving home - wherever, and I would have a panic attack. And it would go off all. The. Time. I would get upset in public, I couldn't control it.

Complete strangers would come up to me and try to help - offer to call the cops for me. Take me to a shelter. Give me a safe place to stay. They wouldn't want to leave me - gave my husband the most evil glares I've seen in real life. I had battered woman syndrome all over me. Only it wasn't him.

It was my job. My job was my abusive relationship. It. Was. Abuse. It was trauma. I was strongarmed into a position I didn't interview for, I wasn't hired for, and didn't want - but it just. Happened. And once I was in, there was too much going on to have the time to protest. And then I was stuck. I was given impossible tasks. Literally impossible. I should have recognized the red flag in the interview when he asked about getting things done - he had said he had problems with past hires because they would tell him "It can't be done" and he took issue with that because "nothing is impossible". And some more choice phrases in that conversation that I can't remember completely, but in that moment I couldn't comprehend that anything was impossible - as far as work goes. I had never been presented with a task that couldn't be resolved, in one way or another - even if it meant with help, or going a different route. So I had no qualms. In the clearview of hindsight, it should have been a warning. But these were, impossible. There is no other word for it - what they wanted, what they were asking for, could. Not. Be. Done. Short of kidnapping people off the street, holding them against their will, and forcing them at gunpoint, it could not be done.

And I was blamed for it. I was just incompetent, like the so many others that came before me. It wasn't their psychotic demands - it was me. And I quickly learned he was a legitimate, bonefide sociopath. I was berated. I was threatened, verbally and physically. I had bottles thrown at me. An office chair thrown at me. My "short comings" were broadcast across the entire office. Things I had absolutely no control over were my failings. Things I wasn't even *involved in*, were my failings. Things THEY DID, were my failings. I was actively, legitimately, sabotaged, and then mocked when I could not complete the task - and then again, broadcast across the entire office. People thought I was crazy. Thought I was weak. Thought I was incompetent to the point they actually believed the only reason I was ever hired was because I had fucked my way to get it - because I was, obviously, so unqualified. Nevermind the fact that there had been at least 7 others before me, with the exact. Same. Story.

You interviewed us. You vetted us. You hired us. Are we, coincidentally, ALL that incompetent? Or could it possibly be you? What's the common denominator here? But no - it was us. My entire life revolved around this job - from the time I woke up in the morning, the phone wouldn't stop. When I got to the office, I had a backlog of voicemails and emails that I could never get through in the day, which would just start again tomorrow - so I had an ever growing backlog that would never. Ever. Stop. When I left the office - HOURS after I had already supposed to have been gone - the phone would start immediately. And I would get reprimanded if I did not answer and respond immediately, even when I was driving - still not recovered from the car accident caused by a person ON THE PHONE in their car. Which they knew of - I laid all my cards on the table. They KNEW about my issues with driving, and what I was struggling with. They didn't care. They even started putting me on recruiting gigs where I'd have to drive hours a day, alone, in areas I was completely unfamiliar with. They scheduled me on days that went against my availability - without telling me - and then was reprimanded when clients would show up to a locked office after hours, and they'd call me wondering why I wasn't there. I can't work on Saturdays - But you're on the schedule - well who was going to tell me that? - well can you hurry up and get there - No. I can't work on Saturdays, you knew that.

I would go in to "unlock the doors" for other, lower level employees - under the premise that they were working instead - and then get trapped. My son left home alone for hours without knowing when I'd get back. There were days when I didn't get out of work in time to pick him up. They even threatened the cops and CPS for "abandonment". And they would make snide remarks about me "cutting out early" or being "lazy" to leave on time to pick him up - even though I was well past my hours. I was salary, mostly all of us were, so we did not have standard clocked hours daily to track - but I clocked them once, just to prove a point.

119. One Hundred Nineteen hours. IN ONE WEEK.

ONE. Week.

ONE.

And then when they discovered I was looking for another job - they fired me. Not only that, but gave me a horrendous, completely false, separation letter. A letter that prevented me from getting other jobs, for a good minute.

I was completely broken. My spirit was utterly gone. I spent days and days sobbing. Screaming. I have never felt so much rage and anger and helplessness in my entire life.

I, in all seriousness, actually contemplated homicide. Arson.

I think I could have won a temporary insanity plea.

Nothing I will ever write or say or tell will ever express accurately just how pure evil this company was, and how toxic and abusive and illegal and immoral everything about this place was.

So needless to say, I now had even more PTSD to deal with. I still wake up in cold sweats from nightmares about this place. I still have trauma, I still have not gotten closure - but I'm working on it. It sent me on such a mental breakdown, that crept out over years. Once the initial pain and anger subsided, I was left just numb and empty. I didn't write. I didn't draw. I didn't want to feel. I didn't want to be exhausted. I didn't want to be angry. I didn't want to cry. And so the depression took hold, and held on to me. And I let it, because being in this numb place where I could at least get by from day to day was far better than where I was before, and I took comfort in that. And then slowly contentment set it. And so I was happy - not ideally. But at least I could enjoy my time again. At least I could relax, and laugh, and spend time with my family and just -be- and that was OK.

But, finally, I started to confront these things. I started to work on them. I started talking to people for help - help heal up what others had done to me. And now, finally, after years of numbness - that itch has returned. The musings are stirring. The ~want~ is returning. I *want* to write something.... I *want* to draw something....

The picking up of olde projects is still too much right now. And starting new ones hasn't quite happened yet - new inspirations haven't quite jumped to mind or lept to life - but the stirring is there, which I haven't felt in a very long time.

So this is my first baby step. To at least tell my story of what happened, if I can't yet invent a new fantastical one.

Lets hope it doesn't take another four years for the next step.

#depression #mordigen #mordi #hiatus #storytelling #word therapy #mental health #abuse #trauma #toxic traits #toxic work culture #toxic workplace #toxic work environment

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frankmwilliams25 · 4 years

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What to Expect from a DUI Attorney

Getting arrested for a DUI case may not feel like a big thing once it happens to anyone. People tend to take traffic rules lightly many times, thinking that they can get away with petty crimes easily. Also, once drunk, a person can lose consciousness to drive appropriately and create unrepairable damages to people or property. The consequences of such mistakes are mostly far more damaging than a simple arrest and court hearing. A DUI can be of different degrees, and if convicted more than one time, a person can suffer more extensive sentences each time.

A DUI can be a nuisance to deal with once arrested for. After the arrest, you may be placed in jail for the time you aren’t bailed or presented before a preliminary hearing or trial. A trial is what takes place after you’re charged with a DUI or a preliminary hearing where the jury can decide whether the case is trial worthy or not depending on the evidence against you. DUI penalties can also vary from case to case, but most of them can include a fine, jail time, license eviction or suspension, community service, and more.

After you test negative for being under the influence, you’re taken by the police and brought to a cell. You may also be interrogated for your actions and go through more tests to confirm the doubt. However, to avoid these sessions, you have a right to an attorney but the law and can have a lawyer answer questions for you and make critical decisions while also informing you of the intensity of your crimes.

But just any or a family lawyer won’t do with a specific DUI case; you need an attorney who can support you through all complications with the best of their expertise. This is why you need to look at the guide below on DUI lawyers to hire the best for your case and get what you require in them:

Do You Need an Attorney?

A DUI attorney can be a big help in your case, especially if it’s a confirmed one and includes complications. If your charge is a confirmed DUI by field sobriety tests, you will need a lawyer to help you get through turning the case void. It would be best if you never went alone at gaining innocence for a crime you’re responsible for as a slight slip up can end your chances or create further complications. You may also not have the expertise of a good DUI lawyer to create strategic moves in the court and present defenses to eliminate or reduce your case charges.

But not all cases can be that intense when it comes to driving under the influence. You won’t have to look for an expensive DUI attorney for a crime you did not commit and was wrongfully convicted of; you will be proved not guilty due to insufficient proof in court anyway.

Why You Need to Hire a Lawyer

Legal representation is important for any person convicted of a crime as soon as they are arrested and fear the possibility of a sentence. After an arrest, you’re not only convicted for your crimes and fined for them, but your life could change entirely, and you can be seen as a bad influence in society. Your future can depend on how you’re evicted in the court trials and what judgment you receive. This can be one fairly fundamental reason for hiring a DUI lawyer for your case, and the rest are below:

Opinion

A lawyer’s opinion of your case can be the golden advice to save you from the dire setbacks a DUI can have. The laws around all offenses keep changing and evolving, making it challenging to keep up. For this reason, the best advice you can get is from your lawyer, who has complete knowledge of present and past laws and can advise the best outcome for a simple to a complicated case.

Help in Trial

Inexperience is never appreciated everywhere. The same can happen when you are to represent yourself in the court in front of a serious and committed jury and judge. These people strictly need answers and definite evidence to end a case with a ruling rapidly. As they have other more severe cases to deal with, the people of a court can try and get rid of you soon if they don’t see an attorney or sufficient information with you to fight with. This is why a lawyer is needed to help you get through a trial without complications and conclude the hearing by pleading not guilty.

After Judgement

You can never know what the outcomes of a not so simple DUI crime turn out to be and if you get to remove the charge entirely or not. Many times the penalty is only reduced to a minimum, and that can also include license eviction. Hiring a lawyer can be of help even after the case has ended with a conviction. They can work towards gathering information to reduce your sentence and help you through some education programs that advantage you acquire insurance and your driver’s license back quickly along with several other duties.

Qualities of a Good Lawyer

Even though you need an attorney urgently after being convicted of a DUI offense, anyone you land on will not ‘THE’ lawyer for your case. A good lawyer may or may not be located in a well-established office and have plenty of years of experience. There are some aspects that separate good lawyers from corrupt ones. And if you have just a little bit of experience in hiring a lawyer, you will know the difference.

A reliable lawyer should always be humble to talk to and communicate clearly. Moreover, the professional should also not demand extra charges from you. It can be the first sign of a corrupt lawyer when they start a session by asking for a deposit than an explanation for your case. An inexperienced lawyer may always end a claim too soon without throwing in several defenses and previously preparing for your case.

How to Hire the Best DUI Lawyer

Anybody charged with a crime that they did or did not commit would want salvation above anything else. And to attain it, they can do anything it takes than living a life of misery ahead. This includes hiring a proficient lawyer. Searching for a good lawyer should be one of your main headaches and objectives.

Since a lawyer can literally handle everything on your case by themselves and do the work for you while you get peace of mind, you cannot be without one. Here are a few things that you need to do in order to catch the best fish in the ocean of DUI lawyers and win your case easily:

Ask Around

Hiring a lawyer for the first time is a big responsibility and needs special care and measures to meet the right person. This is necessary for your unique case. Hence, make sure to hire a lawyer you can trust and one who has experience.

Choose sites that help you find reliable people and local directories for a well-known Los Angeles criminal attorney. You can also ask your friends and family for help since the DUI crime is a commonly committed and condemned crime, and someone you know may have gone through it to appoint the professional.

Questions

Right now, there would be several questions running your mind related to the charge implanted on you, its repercussions in the future, and how the current situation can be turned into a better one. You must also have questions related to the lawyer’s experience and ask about their proficiency in these cases with backup.

Once you step into a lawyer’s office, never hesitate to ask them the required questions all for your case. This may be the only chance you have not to let the criminal record stain your image, so make sure to make the most of it.

Costs

Determining and providing the lawyer fees can be a headache if not decided on the initial interview. These costs can come unwarned at you if not inquired about at the beginning of the case. Make the validation to ask your lawyer for all the costs upfront and leave none to be paid later. Informing you about the expenses is necessary for your lawyer at the start than revealing the price of trial or a pre-hearing after they have been announced.

Information

Communication with an ethical lawyer is the key to any fruitful criminal arrest elimination. When looking for a lawyer, it’s essential to find one who you can clique with and someone who reports all the crucial updates on your case to you. You will have to make the judgment yourself, see the lawyer’s attitude, and ask how they handle phone calls from clients and the quality of their response rate. There will be several instances where you will have to make crucial decisions with your lawyer, and he/she must be up to the task and communicate the terms well with you to make informed decisions.

Get Several Quotes

When getting a service for a task as crucial as evading a criminal conviction, it won’t be harmful to be extra careful and explore all your options. Whichever state you live in, you will find several lawyers working in DUI and all with different expertise and behaviors. For this reason, you can get several quotes from altered places to get a good enough price and meet the lawyer of your needs.

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write-this-way-please · 7 years

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Forgive or Forget III

Forgive or Forget III [Mutually putting forth and effort. Simon D & Christian]

◇ Forgive or Forget I ◇ Forgive or Forget II

You shuffled around with your paperwork on your desk, trying to gather the new contract for your last client of the day. On one end you liked being able to leave work early for a meeting, on the other end sometimes these new client meetings could last longer than your actual shift. But anything to solidify a new partnership.

Looking at your watch you groaned. If you could wrap up this meeting in about an hour then you’d have plenty of time to stop at the grocery store and pick up Kiseok’s favorites for dinner.

But something told you that this client was going to be a pain in the ass. He already had so many demands, one of which being that you had to meet him at his restaurant of choice.

Walking out of your building, you hailed a taxi and gave Kiseok another call just to check in, to your surprise he actually answered.

“Kiseok!” you grinned brightly. “I missed you”

“Missed you too.” You could hear him smiling on the other end. “What’s my Jagi up to?”

You groaned, rolling your eyes. “On my way to meet a new client”

“Don’t work too hard. And good luck, I hope you knock it out of the park.”

“Aww thanks” you smiled, cradling the phone against your ear. “You usually don’t pick up in the middle of the day. I was kinda expecting to either get Eunha or your voicemail.”

“Nah we just finished up a meeting ourselves as Dudart Cafe’ so I’m done for the day”

“Really!?”

“Yup” he chuckled. “Guys say hi” he held up his phone as you heard the chorus of hellos from the crew.

“Hey everyone.” you chimed. “I wish I knew you’d finish early today. I would have sent someone else on this meeting.”

“Don’t worry about it Jagi. I’ll go home and start on dinner for you. You just focus on getting that contract.”

“Kiseok...you don’t have to do that. I’ll have time to coo-”

“No.” he smiled “I’m a grown man I can cook for my lady. Besides how many times have you rushed home after a full day to cook for me huh? I got this. I gotta treat you sometimes ya know. All you gotta worry your pretty little head with is getting that contract”

“You’re gonna go grocery shopping all by yourself?” you quirked a brow. You know Kiseok was ok around the kitchen but when it came to picking out vegetables he was at a loss.

Clearing his throat he chuckled. “Ye-Um..I mean. Alright, you got me, I’m probably going to drag Eunha with me.”

“Leave that poor girl alone. She works way too hard for you.”

“I know, I know. Don’t worry I’ll give her a raise later”

“Good! She deserves it.”

“She does-Oh and this weekend, if you're free… you wanna go see my parents in Busan? They miss you. And my mom has been hounding me to get you to try her kimchi soup”

“Of course!”

“Alright, we’ll talk more about it tonight. I love you.”

“I love you too…”

“You’re my one and only ok?”

“I know” you smiled as he hung up and couldn’t help blushing to yourself. Someday’s were hard between you too. He might be distant, and busy, and feels completely detached from your life. And other days it was like this. He was warm and loving and caring. And it was like the first day you fell for him all over again. Maybe things really were looking up.

You walked into that restaurant with not only a new pep in your step, but the brightest smile. You were going to nail this contract and finally get to spend some time with Kiseok afterward. It was going to be a good day.

The hostess walked you to the VIP private dining area, where your client was waiting for you. “God he’s so extra..” you sighed following her.

Seeing a man sitting at the table in a suit you took a deep breath and put on a smile. “You must be Barom” you extend your hand to shake his when you finally got a good look at him. “Christian what the hell?” you laughed hitting his shoulder. “What is this?”

He stood up, pulling you into a hug. “You said that you were busy with work and couldn’t hang”

“So you pretended to be a client? With a fake name? You really are extra” You took a seat across from him.

“I’ll have you know that Barom is my Korean name. And I really was looking for an advisor.” he relaxed in his seat and slid you a glass of wine. “So Miss. Licensed CPA, you ready to be the financial and business adviser of DPR?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I mean. We’re growing more and more every day. Our manager is way out of his comfort zone with the logistics and technical terms so it’s about time to hire someone more experienced.”

“You’re gonna take a chance on me?”

“A chance? No. I know you can do this. You’re capable and I trust you.”

“You don’t even really know me...We hung out a few times but we’re not…”

“I think you either trust someone or you don’t. You get that vibe right away. And I trust you…” he reached his hand toward you. “Partner?”

“Partner” you laughed shaking his hand. Taking a sip of the wine you raised a brow. “So… Barom huh?”

“Oh hush. My mum is literally the only person that calls me that.”

“It’s cute. Really. You just look like Christian. You know. Like it suits you.”

He chuckled, tossing back the rest of his wine. “I get that.”

“You know you could have literally had the same meeting in my office in half the time right?”

“Yeah but then I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to take you to this restaurant”

“That’s not true.” you huffed.

“Is it?” he raised a brow and leaned forward. “You would have agreed to go to a restaurant for an early dinner with me? Just the two of us?”

He had a point. The last few days you did find yourself spending more time with him. He was just always available for whenever you wanted to go on little shopping adventures or hikes in the park. But he was right, you kept it very friendly. You only ever hung out during daylight, in public areas. At most you’d go to a cafe. Never a real restaurant. It was like you very clearly drew the boundaries and he respected that, he just also wanted to push it.

He couldn’t help but be intrigued with you. Even if he knew it wasn't mutual.

“Why’d you want to take me here so badly?”

“It’s my favorite restaurant…” he smiled and shrugged. “That probably sounds lame but...I kinda just wanted to share that with someone.”

“Anyone?” you smiled

“Nah..Just you.” he scratched his cheek trying to ignore how embarrassed he felt. He clapped and cleared his throat. “I already ordered. Just a little bit of everything”

“You didn’t need to do that…”

“I know I just wanted to…”

The two of you caught up on your day, even though it's literally only been a day since you’d seen him. The other day you’d helped him buy a new camera lens, and he’d helped you pick out some new decor for your house. The relationship you two had was strange.

You were willing to admit that.

But he felt like a friend. A true and genuine friend that you didn’t know that you needed in life. You had co-workers, and business associates, but all of your other friends were directly involved in Kiseok’s life. Hoody, Jay, Loco, Chacha, even his secretary Eunha. It was like they were all too involved.

But with Christian it was different. You two could just enjoy one another's company and talk about anything. Like there was never a pressure to force a conversation. At first, you thought it was just because he was a new person in your life and obviously you didn’t know anything about him, so conversation came easy. But you soon realized it was because that’s just who he was.

He was so easy going and had such an interesting perspective on life. It almost reminded you of how you and Kiseok used to be. That honeymoon phase where he spoiled you with attention and conversation. Now it was such a rarity.

You had to keep reminding yourself. Christian was just a friend. An attractive friend. But a friend. And the only reason he was appealing was that he was like a breath of fresh air. Like a vacation. But Kiseok was your home.

Christian called your name, pulling your attention from absently stirring your spoon in your food. “You don’t like it?” he could tell right away that it wasn’t the food that was on your mind, but he wanted to give you an out to not talk about the true object of your space out. He knew what it was, it was always the same thing. It was always him…

“No, it’s delicious Christian, thank you.” you put on such a bright smile, taking a heaping of the soup into your mouth. “I can see why you love this place so much.”

“Right tho! My favorite is the filet mignon. You gotta try it the chef cooks it so perfectly, the coloring is beautiful and then it marbles-”

“I can’t stay too long...Christian” you looked down. “Since the meeting is technically over...I can go home...right?” Kiseok was your home. And you needed to stick by him, and your little crush on Christian was detrimental to that relationship you loved so much. Kiseok was at home, cooking you dinner he was actually trying and you were out with another man and you knew it was more pleasure than business. “I…” you sighed. “I don’t think we should be hanging out like this”

“We’re friends.”

“Just friends?” you looked up at him.

“If that’s all you want to be...then that’s all we are.”

“I should go home…”

“Yes of course.” he stood up to walk you out. “As for the business deal...Just send the paperwork to my manager.”

“We didn’t discuss my rates” you joked looking at, trying to wear off any of the awkwardness.

“Name your price. I’ll be more than willing to pay.” Opening the door for you he cleared his throat. “Should I take you home…?”

“I think it’s best if...I go on ahead.” Your voice fell flat as the two of you got to the outside of the restaurant and saw just short of a monsoon storming down on the city. He chuckled. “I’ll get the car.”

And it wasn’t a statement you could very well refuse. Because all you really wanted to do was to get home to Kiseok.

The car ride was quiet and there was this unfamiliar air setting on the two of you. It was uncomfortable, and for the first time, you didn’t know how to talk to Christian. He checked his mirror before glancing at you. “Are you...afraid of me?” his voice was low. “Didya’ think I was going to jump you or something?”

“What no? I’m not afraid of you. I trust you.” you sighed, fiddling with your charm. “I don’t trust myself...I don’t want to hurt you.”

“How in the world were you going to hurt me?”

“I don’t want to lead you on.” you looked toward him. “I’m aware that I have a...strange relationship with Kiseok...it doesn’t look ideal..but it works. We always make it work and I admit...sometimes he hurts my feelings...but I don’t want to end up trying to get close to someone else because I’m lonely and just want attention...I don’t want to use you Christian.”

He groaned and hastily pulled over, turning toward you. “What if I don’t mind?”

“...What…?” you moved back.

“I don’t care if you hurt me…”

“I care… Christian you’re such a sweet guy… You always pick up the phone… you drop things to hang out with me...I...But I… I don’t want you to fall for me…”

He chuckled “You’re so cute… You’ve probably been stressing over that all by yourself..Look, I fell for you the moment I met you at that party. But I wasn’t going to pursue anything you didn’t want.” His hand brushed against yours, testing the waters as he gave you a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not going to lie… I want you to want me.” his smile fell a bit as he looked at your charm bracelet. “But...I want you to be happy more. And if you’re happy with me being just a completely platonic friend. Someone, you can just hang out with and talk to I’ll do that.”

“Why...why would you do that for me…?” your small hands gripped, into a small fist, you were almost aggravated by how understanding he was being. Why would anyone cause themselves heartbreak for you? How many times was he going to go out of his way just to make you feel better?

“Because I like you.” He smoothed down your hair, to calm the noticeable stress rising. “Now let’s get you home to Kiseok.”

You were happy that by the time he got you home, the rain was starting to let up. “Here, use my jacket” he draped it over your shoulders, to shield you from the rain. “Don’t want you to get sick.”

“Thank you Christian...for everything” you looked back at him, as you opened the car door.

“Don’t make it seem like a goodbye.” he gave you that dazzling smile. “I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

“Ok. Let me know that you got home safe. It’s dangerous driving in this weather.”

“I got it” he gave you a little wave as you scurried up your driveway, trying to avoid the rain as much as possible. Before you could start fishing for your keys the door swung open and Kiseok pulled you into his arms. “Kiseok..?”

He smiled kissing the top of your head. “You’re home”

“I-I’m home…” So why didn’t it feel it?

To Be Continued…

That ended up being a much longer updated that I had originally planned, but it would have felt weird to try and split it in two. So enjoy the long update :3 If you liked it let me know~

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bestrongfitness518-blog · 6 years

Text

From Fat to Fitter

In December of 2012 my husband walked out of our lives. To say life would never be the same was an understatement. The toll on me and my daughter would be felt for years to come. My daughter graduated from high school and went off to college and I was alone, completely alone (except for the dogs). I sat around feeling sorry for myself; literally wondering if I would survive. To say I wasn’t in the best shape back then would be a spot-on description. I was over weight and had some serious obstacles to overcome. I was a high school and college athlete but that was so many years ago I just couldn’t even see myself getting back to that shape. So, I decided I would give it my best shot. I started by doing Weight Watchers. I did that for about 6 weeks and decided I could do the “nutrition thing” on my own. Salads, fruits, vegetables, chicken and salmon became my life. Once I lost a ‘decent’ amount of weight I started going to the gym. Oh boy, walking through the door of that place was the most intimidating thing I ever had to do up until that moment in time. But, I did it again and again until I was addicted to it. Don’t get me wrong it took a few months to really get to the point where I actually loved the gym. I would walk on the treadmill for an hour and then leave. I never ventured into the “dark side” which is what I termed the free weights area. As time moved forward and I became more comfortable and lost even more weight I hired a personal trainer. She was pretty amazing and took me to a whole new level in my fitness endeavors. I was officially a gym rat. I loved learning new things, new moves, new equipment, new exercises and of course meeting new people. Oh my God then my trainer left on maternity leave! I wasn’t ready to be on my own yet. I was afraid I would slide backwards if she weren’t around to keep me motivated. I hired another trainer, a guy. He was INTENSE. He pushed me way past my limits and I became even more obsessed with working out. I was training with him 3 days a week and working out on my own at least three days a week if not four for a total of six or seven days. I honestly never wanted to be away from the gym or from exercise of some sort. I had so much energy by then that I literally couldn’t sit still when I was at home or at work. I needed to be moving around. My life revolved around the gym. Schedules were done at least a week in advance. I made sure that I was ALWAYS able to go the gym. To say I lost weight and became more fit...lets just say that is putting it mildly. I decided to start running. I signed up for my first 5K. I invited my daughter and my brother to witness something I NEVER thought I would be able to do - cross that finish line and cross it I did. I crossed, I cried and my daughter cried. My brother was amazed as well. We sent a picture to my brother who lived far away. He replied that he never would have known it was me if I walked right next to him. Compliment? Yes but I wanted more. So I kept on working out and running and became even stronger BUT it was then I realized I wanted to become a personal trainer. I NEEDED to help others who were in the same “boat” that I was. Those who were afraid to take that first step into a gym. Those who saw the “dark side” as a place that was for men only. Those who didn’t even know how to start a treadmill. I signed up, took my classes through ACE and became a Certified Personal Trainer. The more certifications I could get the better I felt. I was never a hard seller when it came to training. I would never walk up to someone and say “hey need a trainer”. I didn’t need to. My story spoke for itself. Many saw me at the beginning of my journey and then saw what I accomplished. I had more clients than I could handle as a part-time trainer. But something happened in that time I started helping others. I lost sight of my goals. It was time to get my life back on track again. My journey was far from over. I met someone who was doing an Ironman and although I would never be able to do a full Ironman I chose to do a North Face Endurance Run on Bear Mountain in NY. It was the hardest thing I have done. It tore my body apart. Remember, I am not a young kid. I started this fitness “kick” well into my 40s and while that may not seem old my body had already taken a beating for years before that. I had bi-lateral shoulder repairs, broken my back, broken my neck, had knee surgery and been through physical therapy for so many other injuries that my body was literally a lot older than its age! But that didn’t stop me. It took me MONTHS to recover from that NFE run. The weather the day of the race was BRUTAL. It had been raining for days and the course was flooded and slippery and muddy like you can’t even imagine. I may have taken forever to cross that line but what matters most to me...I CROSSED THE FREAKIN FINISH LINE. That was the day of my grand-niece Maeva’s birthday. I had already signed up to run and couldn’t back out now. So when I crossed the line I face timed my daughter and the rest of the family at the party. Everyone was so happy, proud and amazed that I did it. Amazed because they didn’t think I could? No, just amazed because they didn’t think they ever could! They all made me feel like a rockstar. So fast forward to more training and workouts and being a trainer for a while and the rest of my story starts again. I have signed up to run a half-Ironman or a 70.3 in June 2018. My goal is to just cross the finish line without puking, passing out or dying! I was originally going to do an Olympic Triathlon but after much internal debate I decided to go big or go home. So here I am now. I have never been on a bike so I signed up at The Revolution (myrevnow.com) and started spinning. I have been doing that for about 4 months now. I don’t know if it will help me with the bike part of the 70.3 but it is increasing my endurance and strengthening my legs. As January 1, 2018 rolls around I am six months away from my goal. And right now I am not sure I can do it. I am trying to get that person who ran that full Ironman to coach me but I am not sure if that is in the cards. If not I have a backup plan but I feel like that person knows me, can push me and reel me in when I need to be reeled in BECAUSE I can get pretty intense when I am training myself. I push way harder than I should and sometimes end up hurting. I should take recovery days but I don’t. I just push and push myself. I need that person to keep me in the game. I am not going to say focused because I am too focused. And that brings me to right here right now. I am hoping to blog the rest of my journey to 70.3 and across that finish line. And who knows maybe in 2019 I can do a full Ironman...double the 70.3 - but for now let’s just focus on the task at hand,

#halfironman #bestrongfitness518 #fitness #wellnesscoach #virtualtrainer #ridingdirty #quarterup #noexcuses #justkeepgoing #goals2018

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/anna-delvey-the-trial-of-new-yorks-fake-heiress/

Anna Delvey: The trial of New York's fake heiress

Image copyright BFA

Just how far can you get in the New York City socialite scene without a real fortune of your own?

Incredibly far, in the case of Anna Delvey – real name Anna Sorokin – who allegedly tricked the city’s elite into thinking she was a billionaire heiress. She reportedly hired a private jet, went to all the best parties, and threw cash at everyone she saw – a $100 (£78) tip if you carried her bag or were her Uber driver.

Yet, ultimately, her time at the top was short-lived. And it unravelled spectacularly.

In real life, Ms Sorokin had no multi-million-dollar trust fund. According to New York Magazine, her father is a former trucker, who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

After her credit cards began to fail – repeatedly – and she was kicked out of the luxury hotels she lived in, other people were left to pick up the extortionate bills, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Following a month-long trial, Ms Sorokin has now been found guilty of multiple offences, including stealing more than $200,000 – after racking up debts and fraudulently trying to secure major bank loans.

“As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade,” District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement announcing the conviction.

Ms Sorokin, who chose not to testify and pleaded not guilty, now faces up to 15 years in prison and will be sentenced on 9 May.

So how did this woman in her mid-20s allegedly cause financial chaos across a city, leaving people picking up her tabs in the US and beyond?

‘Faking it’

Anna Delvey came to New York City on a mission. At least that is what she told people.

She wanted to start an arts centre, with a chic Soho House ethos. She was considering calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation, according to New York Magazine, and she claimed to have lined up renowned artist Christo for the inauguration. For the venue, she had her eye on a six-floor space – 45,000 sq ft (4,200 sq m) – in Church Missions House, a prestigious, late 19th Century building, on the corner of Park Avenue and 22nd Street.

There is a certain lifestyle that goes with such bold claims – and she was living it.

Jered Threatin: The fake rock star

Fyre: the world’s biggest festival flop

Speaking at the trial’s opening, defence lawyer Todd Spodek said: “Anna had to fake it until she could make it.”

He told jurors that Ms Sorokin was “easily seduced by glamour and glitz” when she saw how wealth – or the illusion of wealth – opened doors.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Anna Sorokin (right), then known as Anna Delvey, at a fashion event at a New York hotel in 2014

According to court documents, Ms Sorokin represented herself as a German heiress with $60m in assets to try to get a loan of $20m for her foundation. She allegedly presented forged bank statements and would also deposit bad cheques, then withdraw the money before they bounced.

Prosecutors said that, while she never managed to secure millions, she did get a temporary $100,000 overdraft with City National Bank – based on forged proof of foreign assets – but she failed to repay it with a wire transfer, as promised.

Instead, they say, she went on a one-month shopping spree, spending $55,000 on “her upkeep at 11 Howard (a luxury hotel), high-end fashion purchases from Net-a-Porter and Forward by Elyse Walker, sessions with a personal trainer, Apple, and other personal expenses”.

Her lawyer said she never intended to commit a crime.

“In her world, this is what her social circle did,” he told the jury. “Everyone’s life was perfectly curated for social media. People were fake. People were phoney. And money was made on hype alone.”

How it unfolded

“Wannabe socialite busted for skipping out on pricey hotel bills”, read a July 2017 headline in the New York Post.

This was followed, in April 2018, by a confessional first-person piece in Vanity Fair by one of the magazine’s photojournalists, saying she had been hoodwinked by Ms Sorokin.

Rachel DeLoache Williams became a key witness in the trial. “I wish I had never met Anna,” she said in the courtroom during a tear-soaked testimony.

She said she had met her at Manhattan nightclub Happy Ending. She said Ms Sorokin held court with tales of her proposed arts foundation and then picked up the tab for a bottle of vodka.

They became friends. Ms Williams wrote in her article about being seduced by the apparent “glamorous, frictionless” lifestyle. She enjoyed going out for espresso martinis and fancy dinners. Anna usually paid, referring to her trust fund, and this culminated in her inviting Ms Williams on a trip to Morocco.

Ms Williams wrote: “Anna also invited her personal trainer, along with a friend of mine – a photographer – whom, at a dinner the week before our trip, Anna had asked to come as a documentarian, someone to capture video.”

Getty Images

Anna’s was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives.

The photo editor was a key witness in the trial. One of the counts of larceny was directly linked to her experiences.

She told how Ms Sorokin asked her to reserve a luxury, $7,000-per-night riad in Marrakesh, complete with three bedrooms, a private swimming pool and a dedicated butler.

She said it was always intended that Ms Sorokin would pay the bill, but when they came to check out, her credit cards did not work.

Put on the spot, Ms Williams ended up footing the bill for the entire trip, which, including extras, came to approximately $62,000 for a six-night stay. Sorokin was acquitted of the charge related to that bill.

The photojournalist said she was left in tears and suffering regular panic attacks, consumed by the stress of trying to retrieve the money.

“It was a magic trick,” she wrote at the conclusion of her story. “I’m embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Anna’s was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives.”

Though Ms Williams’ magazine article had had people talking, it was an an article in New York Magazine in May 2018, by journalist Jessica Pressler, that really blew the lid on the scandal. She interviewed various people who had come across Ms Sorokin, including a concierge, Neffatari “Neff” Davis, also in her mid-20s, who worked at the 11 Howard hotel.

Ms Davis said Ms Sorokin arrived at the newly opened Soho hotel like a whirlwind in April 2017, block-booking a deluxe room (around $400 a night). Gestures, such as allegedly paying a personal trainer $4,500 in a cash advance, gave the impression she was wallowing in money. She also spent an inordinate amount of time at the concierge desk, said Ms Davis.

“Usually tourists just come in and ask how to get to the Statue of Liberty,” Ms Davis later told New York art and fashion magazine Paper. “But then, you have this girl who’s draped in Rick Owens, huge Céline glasses, messy hair, European accent, hundreds of dollars of bills on her and she’s literally just giving it to me, for my time?” She said she was used to being a makeshift therapist for guests travelling on their own. “It’s really none of my business where the money comes from,” she said.

But somewhere along the line, 11 Howard had made an apparent error of judgement. Staff had not got a credit card on file for Ms Sorokin. A major dispute broke out, according to Ms Davis.

However – perhaps surprisingly – Ms Sorokin did eventually settle that debt. She used the money from the City Bank overdraft.

In court, her lawyer said that his client “believed that she would have the funds to pay every single person back”. This was the crux of her case.

But jurors were not convinced.

An age-old ruse in a modern world

Many people have said this whole story is so specific to New York’s young socialites; how some people move in circles where they don’t know their friends’ surnames or background; how what matters most is the night out, the connections, the name-drops, the moment.

Ms Sorokin’s lawyer was keen to play into this. “Any millennial will tell you, it is not uncommon to have delusions of grandeur,” he said in court.

But writer and psychologist Maria Konnikova, the author of The Confidence Game – a book about con artistry – believes the case is full of elements that are both timeless and universal. “People love to think they are idiosyncratic, but this has happened over and over and over again, everywhere. Anna Delvey fit the New York scene, but this could have happened in London and even in a small town, if certain things were adapted.”

“Claiming to have an aristocratic edge is something that has been done for hundreds of years,” she says. “In the past, people would take out newspaper adverts, or befriend gossip columnists, or get photographed with the right people to bolster their credibility.”

But social media has made it easier, she concedes. “The barrier of entry is so much lower. We accept so much at face value, and we put so much out there.” Theoretically you should be able to vet people better, she says, but people are not being savvy.

Ms Sorokin was an active Instagram user, building a profile that made her look like a mover on the arts scene.

An arts story

Eileen Kinsella has been covering the story from the courtroom for New York-based art market website, Artnet.

She says it has made the art world sit up because there are always concerns about being duped. “You often don’t know who is on the other side of a transaction, and people do buy things they can’t afford,” she says.

She also says the city has been on a particularly high alert since a 2012 exposé of one of its most-established galleries – Knoedler – was exposed for selling fake works, supposedly by the likes of Jason Pollock and Mark Rothko. “People went to incredible lengths to make things seem authentic. It had huge implications.”

One of her Artnet colleagues, critic Ben Davis, also wrote a piece analysing the art content of Ms Sorokin’s Instagram account, noting her use of familiar hashtags, and posting works from major events: Frieze, Art Basel, the Venice Biennale and the openings at Pace Gallery.

It was, he concluded, a “thin tissue of celebrity and scene-y artists”. However, he added that the envy generated by social media has become a kind of currency of its own, and she had managed to create “crisply curated fabulousness”.

The ongoing season of scammers

The New York Magazine story about Ms Sorokin’s ruse was almost instantly optioned by Netflix, and linked with producer Shonda Rimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal).

Ms Williams’ story is being adapted for HBO, with writer Lena Dunham working on the screenplay. Ms Williams has also signed a book deal with Simon and Schuster.

People have been captivated by the idea of Ms Sorokin’s apparent audacity, and yet also left with so many questions: Why? What was the end game? Where did she come from? How come no-one guessed sooner? (Some have said that her unkempt hair should have been a giveaway. People who live in hotels have time on their hands for daily blow-dries. In court, Ms Williams said there were, in hindsight, plenty of “red flags”.)

There were rumours that Jennifer Lawrence might take the title role in the adaptation, however, the Oscar winner was then signed up to play up another so-called “millennial scammer” – Elizabeth Holmes, the deep-voiced entrepreneur who fraudulently built up the Silicon Valley company, Theranos.

Ms Holmes’ story has become the subject of various documentaries and podcasts. As has that of Billy McFarland, who created the infamous and completely hollow Fyre Festival. Both characters have been the subject of hit documentaries.

Image copyright Patrick McMullan

Image caption Billy McFarland (R) with former Fyre Festival employee Andy King, who became a memorable character in the Netflix documentary

TV critic Scott Bryan, who co-hosts BBC Must Watch, says such documentaries have become huge hits because they explore social media stories in such depth.

“The documentary that followed then provided a great amount of context and insight into how it all spiralled out of control and viewers learnt so much more than what they did from the original news story, when they initially thought that they weren’t going to do so. When these documentaries are done well, they can be equally, if not more compelling, than when we heard the story first time round,” he says.

Theranos founder in $700m fraud charge

Celebrity parents and the bizarre ‘cheating’ scandal

In the case of Ms Sorokin, some already view her as a sort of antihero. They admire her for gaming a system that few people will ever have access to.

Last summer, T-shirts saying Free Anna Delvey became the ironic must-have for Brooklynites. New York Magazine – via its website The Cut – also also saw an opportunity to profit off the story it had made viral and added a range of slogan tees to its online shop: “Fake German Heiress”; “My other shirt will wire you $30,000”.

Marie Claire magazine also explored the outpouring of enthusiasm for the story. “No-one died as a result of her actions, she just made rich people look like idiots,” it said. However, it also recognised the story’s alleged victims, notably Ms Williams.

A trial as a fashion show

Anna Sorokin was held in New York’s notoriously tough Rikers Island jail ahead of her trial.

Image copyright AFP

Since her detention, she has not been Instagramming from the inside, according to jail officials. After her detention, one of her posts was tagged with a Rikers location (“Throwback Thursday to @LeCouCou_NYC”), but the authorities say someone else must be managing the account.

She appears, however, to still be curating her image. She reportedly told Ms Davis – who remains a friend – that she would prefer if Margot Robbie played her in the Netflix production.

And she also worked with a stylist, Anastasia Walker, to get her courtroom look during the trial.

She arrived in the court room on the first day dressed in stylish black glasses and a matching choker, and went on to parade a number of other designer outfits: Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham.

Ms Walker told Elle magazine the look was “mysterious chic“. It won plenty of headlines.

One day, the proceedings were delayed because of wardrobe troubles and Justice Diane Kiesel gave her a verbal dressing down. “This is unacceptable and inappropriate,” she said. “This is not a fashion show.”

Yet multiple media outlets pulled together galleries of her in-court fashion, and an Instagram account (@annadelveycourtlooks) has picked up a few thousand followers.

Ultimately her lawyer, Todd Spodek, was keen to paint this as New York story, referencing the Frank Sinatra song in his opening and closing statements.

“In a city that favours money and the appearance of money… they both created their own opportunities,” he said.

“She was creating a business that she believed would work and she was buying time,” he argued.

Anna Sorokin was a part of it. But not for long.

Guilty of multiple crimes

She was found guilty on Thursday of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny, and acquitted of one count of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny.

She also declined a plea deal, which could have resulted in a more lenient sentence if she agreed to return to Germany, where she lived after the age of 16, having been born in Russia.

She now faces deportation to Germany because she has overstayed her visa.

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4wordletter · 5 years

Text

i apologize in advance for any insensitivity that comes across in my response. it’s just that it’s 11pm on a saturday night and i’d really rather not be doing this. i want to kick back and chill out, but here we are

I wasn't trying to start an argument. and I wasn't trying to be aggressive or disrespectful; I was just frustrated. 2am on a friday after you had a long week wasn't a good time to try to have that conversation, and I'm sorry.

i accept your apology. no harm, no foul

but, ya know, a month or so ago you'd have been asking me to watch things, you always seemed to have the time to talk, and I see how different it's been. I can feel you pushing me away and it bothers me that I don't know why. or, didn't, anyway. guess now I do.

from the moment i sit down at my desk at work my screen is lighting up and bouncing all around with questions and requests from my colleagues. they want help with this thing, that thing, some other thing. when we first started talking it was pretty close to the christmas break. i had time, lots of it.

the beginning of january was relatively quiet at work as we use this period to do housekeeping tasks like making sure our infrastructure is up to date. fairly trivial, menial tasks - it’s fairly relaxed. this month we’re doing client work and lots of it. shell, bp, british telecom, rotella, pennzoil, quaker state, not to mention our new clients we’ve taken on.

we’ve hired a new staff member who is learning the ropes and that puts a great strain on me because 75% of my time is now spent helping her out. explaining things, re-explaining things. solving problems only for them to pop up the next day so i have to go over them again and again until they stick.

i don’t mind this work but it stresses me out - i don’t get to listen to music, i don’t get to watch tv shows in the background and most importantly i don’t get to do my own work. i have 2 project managers that i report to and then a CEO on top of that. we have tasks that are interdependent that need completed, so there are frequently coworkers who are waiting for me to finish a particular task before they can continue with theirs.

i have to consciously make time for my hobbies, for sleep, and for time to regain energy. talking to people all day every day drains me. i talk to lots of people at work every day and i have lots of friends on my phone i talk to. i have to make time for everyone.

despite all this, i make time to talk to you. i talk to you *every* day be it on tumblr, on whatsapp or on snapchat - sometimes all 3. i commit a substantial chunk of time every day to you and you alone - i hope it isn’t going unnoticed.

you did kind of hold that post over my head. you never said anything about it until it was another thing I did wrong that you could throw at me, and you wouldn't hear it when I tried to explain it.

this fragment is highly accusatory and disrespectful. in my version of events you kept sending me messages asking about “my feelings” and “why things are different” - you were hounding me last night and you can’t deny that. you were being really confrontational and you were swearing at me which is why i asked that you leave me alone for a while because i felt that you were crossing a boundary and interacting with me in an overly familiar way.

you don’t get to talk to me like that under any circumstances. if you’re my girlfriend/fiancee/wife, then sure, i will talk to you and get to the core of the issue so that we can ensure relational stability (and because i’d be so deeply in love with you that well, your pain is my pain). i can’t do that for someone i’m not in a relationship with, i’m sorry. i simply don’t have the capacity

as for the post, yeah, i did find it quite bizarre how you seem to be chasing me down and yet you’ll go and make a post about some beautiful man from your past that you’d never say no to. i don’t care all that much about it because i don’t want you to pursue me anyway, but you were being super aggressive about all these perceived reasons why things were “different” so i had to give you *something*

am i jealous? no. am i angry? no. am i judging you? no. i don’t care about it enough to do any of those things

this isn't some "I know I SAID this but I really MEANT something different" deal; I meant what I meant and I just didn't say it in a way that reflected that. I'd have had to explain my whole history, and why do that on a post that wasn't even... about that to begin with?

yes you’re completely right, let’s move on

I'm not trying to run you in circles. I'm not trying to be difficult. you've asked me if I'm mad at you so many times and I never once have been; it's like you anticipate me getting into a mood over the littlest things and wanting to start fights with you and that's just.. not me. at all.

part of my sense of humour is me poking fun at you. i’m super playful but i want to make sure i don’t cross any lines. i don’t know you that well so if i poke fun at you i might apologize for being potentially offensive lol. that’s it. i don’t anticipate anything, i just wanna keep it respectful

I don't know how to explain this to you. I literally just want to talk it out. I want to know what I've done wrong and how I can fix it so I can do better. I've been in the dark here; I can't read your mind. all I see is you distancing yourself.

i’m saying this with as much tact and sensitivity as i can: we are not in a relationship. there is nothing broken and nothing to fix and the language you’re using makes it sound like you’ve put a whole load of importance on top of my head when it doesn’t belong there. no one is saying you’ve done anything wrong or that you should better yourself. it’s concerning that you think that’s the case. if you’re trying to find out what tune i’m singing so that you can dance to it and win my love and affection, please don’t. i have no interest in changing you or anyone else and you shouldn’t ever feel like you have to better yourself for your friends or partners, that’s just a whole weird can of worms you wanna avoid altogether.

I didn't just -decide- to try to drag you into an argument because you didn't want to watch a dumb show. you not wanting to watch anything for weeks made me wonder if you even wanted to at all, and made me wonder why. what I did that changed things for you so much. and it's frustrating for me when I ask why and you try to avoid it entirely. so, like, that's that. if you want to talk about it, let me know whenever you're ready. if not, then.. I don't know.

i’ll be honest i’m pretty overwhelmed with all of this stuff. i’m really laid back and this is very weird for me. the fact of the matter is that we don’t know each other all that well but you seem to have adopted an attitude where you think you can talk to me as if we’ve been dating for years.

we don’t know each other’s birthdays or favourite colours. favourite movies or bands even. to talk to me the way you did last night isn’t acceptable. you have no monopoly on my time, nor do i on yours. i’ve told you i don’t want you to pursue me and try to fix me up or anything like that. i made that really clear i think

you have a place in my life because i’ve given it to you. it’s not a God-given right. i don’t want to be mean or hurt your feelings but if you’re gonna bring me down then i’m afraid our friendship won’t work out. last night you made me feel really awful for not wanting to load up my laptop at 2am and watch bob’s burgers with you. now, tonight, i’ve spent the best part of an hour writing out this post to you and i don’t feel that’s an effective use of the precious little free time i have.

i want to reiterate: i dedicate a huge portion of time to you on a daily basis and i don’t think you realize that. the other day you sent me at 20 minute voice clip. as much as i appreciate listening to them and hearing what you have to say, i still have to allocate time and mental energy to listen and listen properly. i have to figure out where i can slot it into my day *and* have the mental energy to listen.

2 weeks ago you made me feel bad for taking a day to myself. last night even in the early hours in the morning it wasn’t good enough that we were chatting on whatsapp. it seems as time goes by you’re putting me in some sort of chokehold and it makes me a little uncomfortable. i don’t want you to ever feel like you’re in a place where you have a right to receive my undivided attention, and therefore a right to kick up a fuss when you don’t receive it

i know that, most likely, i’ve come across as a jerk in this post. that’s the price i have to pay for not allowing you to walk all over me. i will not be shy and timid while you accuse me of this or that and swear at me or try to enforce a precedent that should only be present in a relationship

i’ve told you a million times, i think you’re lovely and you have a great personality. i like the music you make and your singing voice. i love talking to you and hearing what you have to say. i like hearing about your life and little details from your day to day. you don’t have to strangle me to keep me around: i like you and i’m not going anywhere - just so long as i can breathe. so let me breathe!!!!!

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