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godsofmonster · 5 years ago

Text

Bangtan MC ≽ VI.

Reader x Bangtan- Motorcycle Club

Word Count- 7.1k

Warnings- sexual content, death, murder, guns, drugs, violence, betrayal, mentions of suicide, mentions of rape, etc.

For as long as I can remember back, I always wanted to be in a motorcycle club. Since I was six years old, the only thing on my mind was getting my hands on a Harley and a cut. I was a wolf, a wild cur, cut from the pack with bloodstained on my fur. Every wrong has marked a debt because a beaten dog never forgets.

The sun was gone, but its light reached for the last bit of sky it could find. The road was practically deserted, I passed a total of four cars on my ride to 18th street.

My father's motorcycle felt foreign under my touch, and as much as I wanted to make it mine, I couldn't find its compassion. At any minute, I felt it would flip on me, shutdown, or crash. I was riding with no helmet and prayed no police would pull me over. As much as I wanted to race down the road, I took the ride with ease. I could not act relentless, the world was not in my favor as of late.

Coming up on Charming street, I spotted an old Chevy Impala that was tinted dark. It wasn't black, but it appeared that way in the moonlight. The extravagant ride stood out like a sore thumb in a small town like this.

Once he spotted me, as well, he proceeded to turn on his engine. I parked on the opposite side of the road, and his headlights flashed on as mine went out. My eyes scouted the environment, peering over both shoulders, as I unmounted the bike. Even while knowing that this road would be vacant at night, my paranoia was louder than any voice of reason.

My feet paced quickly for the passenger seat. I pulled on the handle and almost had a slight heart attack to find that it was locked, I pulled it again, yanking it out of temporary distress. Upon closer observation, I noted his car was a deep moss color before finally hearing the click of the lock open.

"What the hell is this?" I questioned, while plopping into the seat, and swiftly shutting the door.

"What?" Romero asked, clueless.

"This," I gestured to the vehicle that encased us. He glanced about as if he could not see what I was suggesting. "This car- it's obnoxious!"

The seats were a custom leather, a soft cream color. Personal articles decorated the car’s interior space, novelty items, and religious emblems. "What? Are you infiltrating the cartel?"

Agent Romero stared at me with puzzled eyes, shortly before a chortle erupted from his lungs. He raised his hand at me as if to ask for a minute, while he allowed his giggles to run their course. However, I was not laughing.

"That’s racist,” He pointed out in the midst of his laughter. He leaned forth, stretching his hand to tenderly stroke the skin of his dashboard. "Don't hate the car,"

One would think that I would be more understanding given my choice of lifestyle. Except, for the fact, that my brain was screaming with anxiety and frustration.

"You couldn't pick something more... appropriate?" I said trying to push my emotions away. Romero shifted the gear into drive, and pulled out of the parking space.

"What? Like a police car?" He joked.

I don’t know if it was just by comparison, but Romero seemed to be in a rather good mood tonight. I, on the other hand, was a panicking mess in the seat beside him. There was little to no tolerance for joy on my side. Any trace of it registered into further panic and uncertainty. It was apparent in the way my leg bounced in place, and it was noticeable enough for it to catch his attention.

"Try to remain calm," He said in a tone of encouragement.

I was in no place to accept guidance. The last thing I wanted to hear was the cliche crap that everyone knew how to spill. We were here to do a job, one that risked my life in every possible way. I didn’t want his encouragement, I wanted his understanding. If he was going to use me to his advantage, he needs to know that I had the most to lose. My life was on the line, in more ways than one.

"Can you at least tell me where we are going?”

As much as I wanted to sit in silence, I had to fill him in on everything that had happened since our meeting this morning.

"Down Riverside road," I tried to reduce the coldness in my voice.

I rolled my head against the headrest, squeezing my eyes shut, and attempting to dismiss all of the tension and panic from my consciousness. It was seemingly coming from nowhere and yet, everything stressed me more.

My entire life, I only ever heard stories of things the club did. They always came from third, outside parties that were biased against them. I told myself a number of things to find reason in the terrible stories I heard.

Bangtan wasn't full of doctors or lawyers, they were blue-collar guys. The way we saw it, they were out there risking everything to protect our way of life. Everyone knew they cut some corners, sold a few things on the side, and asked for their money in violent ways. It was all to get a few extra bucks and perks. When you lived in a community like that, everything seemed normal, even crime. There were never any outsiders with a different perspective, never. It used to make me proud to have the kind of father I did.

Though, now I was the outsider with a new perspective.

I was terrified of what I might see, the corrupt and brutal choices that they could make. I was afraid that Bangtan really had turned into the gang Romero mentioned. Comparing a group of individuals I always admired to some of the foulest scum I’ve learned about would be earth-shattering.

"Do you mind filling me in?" He asked after I failed to, myself.

My eyes reopened, and found him focused on the road ahead. He held the steering wheel with a single arm at the twelve o'clock position. He was mostly a combination of darkness and a dim outline. The fake lights from inside the car did little to illuminate him.

"After our meeting, I ran into two of the club members," I began to explain, reliving the event like a movie in my mind. "We witnessed a deal go down, and they handled the situation as you would expect."

He wasn't looking in my direction but I could tell he was paying close attention to my words. Not only for information on the club but information on me.

"What were you doing?" Romero was concerned about my behavior in the field. He had a right to be, but it still bothered me.

"Babysitting some bimbo who was with us," I muttered annoyed at just the thought. I could have left it there but I knew I couldn't lie to him. "Until, I saw a PB member approaching them..."

He recognized the tone in my voice, and took his eyes off the road for a second to ask,

"What did you do?" He sounded like an angry parent, on the verge of lecturing.

"What was I supposed to do?” I attempted to remain calm. I thought he might see things from my point of view. “I had to interfere, or they could have been hurt."

"You shot him?" He asked in disbelief and quick anger.

"Not dead!" I clarified, defensively. "I!- I just injured him."

I could see his demeanor change, that good mood I suspected earlier was gone. His fist tightened around the steering wheel, veins popping and outlined by the faint lighting.

"Are you insane?" His voice was rough, bossy, and cold. "You're an unauthorized federal agent and you fired rounds, on the street, in the middle of the day?"

I found myself, once again, being lectured about the same event. I was criticized for saving lives and doing my job. Neither of them were in a place to talk down on me.

"I did what I had to do!" I yelled. "If it wasn't for that- we would have no idea that the PB was cooking meth in Blackburn. We wouldn't have the exact address and time Bangtan was planning their retaliation."

I reminded him of the facts, what actually mattered at this moment. "If you wanted a traditional agent, then you should have gotten one!"

Romero didn't say anything in response. He didn't know what to expect from me. I was raised with a set of beliefs that were different than his own, but that was exactly why he needed me.

I was here because of my connection and inside knowledge of the club. I knew how they thought and operated, I could speak their tongue. What I did today, established trust between me and them. One that I certainly needed, after learning about Yoongi's suspicions. If he could doubt me, so could have the rest of them. Bangtan didn’t believe in coincidences and they left no loose ends. I could no longer raise any more suspicions.

"Take the next left," I sighed, after taking a moment to notice our surroundings.

"Riverside road is still up ahead," He stated as if I didn't know.

"I know that," I said bitterly, wondering why he continued to question me. "This is another way there. If we go down that way, there is a chance we might run into the club."

That was the last thing we needed. The house was in a rural part of town, at the very edge of Blackburn by a lake. Not many people lived by that area, and with a car like this, we would be suspicious for sure.

The roads on this side of town were made of only dirt, they were bumpy and uneven. The night fell heavier, with the tension of the forest, it crept on a single side of the path. The lights beams were soft, we couldn't see more than three feet in front of us. Romero worried about the condition of his wheels and took the drive gently.

"That's got to be it," I muttered, staring out the window.

Romero drove the car slowly past a driveway that led to the house. It was small, red brick, and cabin-like. It was invisibly ordinary.

To common folks, there was nothing about this residence that raised eyebrows. To the trained eye, however, a small detail stood out instantly. "Look at that- industrial filters,"

They were large black tanks that were attacked to the side of the home. By the looks of them, they were cooking deadly amounts of meth.

"Any sign of life?" He asked as he was keeping his eye on the road in front of us.

"The lights are on, but the blinds are shut," I informed him. There was only a blue pick-up truck beside the house. No other vehicles in sight. "The club will be in a black Nissan NV200."

It wasn't long before some trees cut my line of sight from the property. I leaned back in my seat and looked at the surrounding area. "Turn into the field right here,"

The car bounced as we went off the trail. The left side of the house was blocked by a few oak trees and bushes. It wasn't dense enough to cover the house, but just enough to set the property boundaries. In the dark, it was the perfect place to hide behind. We were at least twenty yards from away.

"Now, we wait," Romero muttered to himself with a sigh.

He shut off the engine, the interior lights went dark, and we were hidden in the night.

"Do you have the papers?" I said, turning to look at him. The only light source came from the nearly full moon in the sky. It was pale on his tan skin.

"In the glove compartment," He instructed, keeping his eyes on the house.

I leaned over and popped open the chamber, where a stack of papers and a few CDs, was all I could feel with my hand. The contract was stapled together, but it was difficult to make out the small print in the dark.

"They agree with all your terms. None of the information you give us on the mc can be used against them in a court of law. However, any drug-related crime that may occur with the Camilo Cartel is still our jurisdiction."

I planned to stop that before it could happen. If it got that far, then I have already failed them.

"What are their conditions?" I asked, knowing very well that they would have a few.

"That you don't withhold any information," His voice was skeptical of that happening. He turned my way but looked back forward before I could do the same. "You also can't take part in any illegal activity, or report yourself as a D.E.A agent."

The D.E.A was very particular about their image, having someone like me on their team, had to be kept confidential. But I didn't care. I wasn't doing this for any kind of recognition on their part.

"I'll also be administrating you a drug test every week for the remainder of the investigation," When considering my past, it was no wonder why Romero and the higher-ups were cautious. “If any of these rules are broken, the deal goes out the door.”

I was an agent who was never meant to see the light of day in this job. I was a gamble, and they desperately needed the odds to go in their favor.

I was being observed on either side of this situation. My will had to be strong to voluntarily put myself in this position. Trusted by no one, and yet, needed by everyone- I was the help no one wanted to thank.

I grabbed the pen that was sticking out of the cup holder between us. Turning to the very last page, where at the bottom, was a line waiting for my signature.

When I scribbled my name onto that piece of paper, I felt as if I was sighing my own death certificate.

"(Y/n)..."

His voice had shifted into a low pitch, steady and cautious. I turned to see what had triggered this behavior. I followed his gaze, out his window, to the dirt road we had just stirred out of. There was a black van stalking down the path, with its lights shut off in the middle of the darkness.

"Oh shit," I whispered. Even from this far away, at night, I could make out Taehyung's familiar head through the passenger window. "What do we do?"

"Nothing." He was firm, eyes glued to the movement of the approaching vehicle. "Absolutely nothing,"

He looked back at me to ensure that what he spoke was understood thoroughly. "No matter what happens- we cannot interfere, (Y/n)."

That meant, even if someone got hurt.

"Okay," I responded.

Though, I worried that my emotions were still much out of my control. I wanted to do my job, but I was being asked to stand by and do nothing.

"They're passing the house," Romero stated.

It was getting more difficult to see through the thin patch of wilderness that protected us. The road, directly in front of the driveway was almost impossible to see. Especially, with such a dark vehicle and no headlights.

"They aren't going to park in the driveway," I thought as I spoke. "The van would be right in the line of the crossfire."

"But if they leave the driveway open, there is a chance for the PB to escape." He contradicted.

They must have known that, so why would they do it anyway? Were they that confidante that they could take them out?

Our eyes stared into the darkness of the driveway. The dirt leading up to the house was visible enough to see shapes and shadows the ground. We watched for any sudden movement on either part. I also tried to foresee the plan that Bangtan had in motion.

"Unless they want them to," I suggested.

"What are you talking about?" He wasn't very convinced. "This is supposed to be retaliation for the shooting at your house."

"But killing foot soldiers who run a small lab isn't much of a statement." I know the idea didn’t make any sense, and I didn't know what the right answer was but there was something we were missing. I was sure of it.

"A lab in Blackburn, (Y/n)." He sounded annoyed by my doubts. "That goes against their deal, of course, they are going to kill everyone in that building!"

Romero simply assumed that I was sugar-coating the events that were about to take place. That I didn't want to see Bangtan for the killers they were. But I knew that they were much more than that.

Brains before bullets.

That is what hung behind the table of their meeting room. They weren't some unorganized street gang. There was a reason they had made it so far in the arms dealing business.

I wasn't known for holding my tongue during an argument, however, we both were quick to do so.

There were four male figures quickly approaching the house. They were dressed from head to toe in black, shielding their face, and wearing ski masks. There was a large gap between where they stood and the red house.

"Where are the other three?" Romero asked as we continued to watch. I wasn't sure, but I thought I could make out shadows in the bushes at the front of the driveway.

Based solely on height and posture, I thought I could make out Jimin and Taehyung. The other two could have been Jungkook and Yoongi. Though, that didn't matter for long. The figure I deemed to be Taehyung, looked back to the bushes, where I had seen the shadows. He seemed to be making sure everything was set.

Then he nodded to the others beside him.

All four figures brought a KG9 below their chests. Their aim was the building right in front of them, and the night seemed so calm before they pulled the trigger.

Fully automatic weapons ripped through the silence, the flashes coming from their muzzles were like the Fourth of July.

Even this far, the sound surprised me. It illuminated the surrounding ground as if a lightning storm had formed on Earth's surface. The details of their black clothing were visible with every burst of light. I could make out each individual set of eyes glowing in the dark.

The windows into the house were pierced and shattered by the ammunition. The boys began to step back, slowly, keeping their fingers tight around the trigger. It didn't take long to hear the response of those who were inside.

The front door was kicked open, out came pouring about five or six PB members. All they had to buy them some time were a few FN-57s while they made a run for it. By that time, the four bodies were seeking cover behind a large stake severed tree trunks. The other three came out as their replacement, returning fire while the others reloaded.

The PB made it into their truck, two in the front, and three in the exposed back. All of them continued shooting except for the one in the driver's seat; his shadow was frantically attempting to get the engine started. The wheels screeched dirt into the air, almost as loud are the gunshots.

The truck shot down the driveway, threatening to run over anything in its path. Though the blasts remained, I couldn't see any indication of injured bodies.

"What the hell is this..." I heard Romero say as the scene unfolded right before our eyes.

All of the seven boys gathered in front of the house. Three of them ran into the open residence, while the rest stayed on the lookout.

"They aren't going after them," I stated. I felt relieved seeing that the dangerous part had passed. However, the question remained, what were they going to do now?

"This doesn't make any sense," Romero sounded irritated.

My eyes remained on the outside figures, taking note of the tall man with long legs. The others seemed to be working around him. Namjoon was the only one who ever stood that way, with so much authority.

The other three members came out of the house shortly. It appeared to have exchanged some words as they walked down the porch. They didn't appear to be worried about any other unwanted company. They felt safe enough, that they removed their masks.

Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook were the three that searched the house. They gathered around the rest of the guys in conversation.

"What the hell are they doing?" Romero asked me directly. He looked at me as if I had all the answers.

"I don't know, " I assured him.

In between the group, stood Hoseok, with a black box in the grip of his hand. We watched carefully as he handed the mysterious case to Jimin. Jungkook stood at his side and encouragingly patted his shoulder.

The group disbanded. Everyone began to make their way back down the driveway, their feet racing to the shelter behind the bushes.

Everyone, except for Jimin.

He, instead, returned into the house with the case in his hand. I thought about anything and everything in that house that could be valuable. Something that would be worth risking their lives to obtain. The only thing in there, that could be worth anything, was the methamphetamine they were manufacturing.

"They're taking the drugs," Romero reached the same conclusion I had. But why would they? Bangtan did not need it.

"They're going to sell it themselves," He told me. The tone of his voice was almost positive as if he was happy for me to see them in a bad light.

"No," I replied, even though it wasn't a question. "That can't be it,"

When I looked at Romero, he was watching me with aggravation, my constant denial of all his claims were frustrating him.

"(Y/n), look at them!" He raised his tone. "They didn't break into a drug lab to leave empty-handed!"

His words fell on deaf ears, there was nothing he could say to change my mind. I knew, in my gut, that it wasn't the case, but I couldn't escape the dreadful feeling beside it.

"If you can't start to see them for what they are- we're going to have some serious-"

"Wait-" Just then, the idea clicked in my head. My heart began to race, like a drum line marching in my chest. The dread in my stomach was replaced with pure terror. His racing figure was running out the front door. I gasped,

"Jimin!"

It was as if daylight had emitted from the house. It was as blinding as the sun and powerful as a volcano. The explosion trembled the atmosphere, the ground rumbled and shook the vehicle. Romero's arm reached over me, instinctively, shielding me from any threatening shock-waves.

The house was set ablaze. It was an empty shell of stone, consumed by smoke and fire. There was so much smoke that it was difficult to see any details on the ground. It was a sight straight from the underworld.

After the initial fright, a new one consumed me entirely.

"Oh my god, Jimin..."

I re-assembled in my seat and directly lunged for the door. My hand wrapped around the handle and it clicked open.

"(Y/n)!"

Romero surged forward, grasping for the base of the window, and slamming the door shut. "You can't."

"B-but he-" I stuttered with panic.

"He made it out of the house, (Y/n)." He tried to soothe me, spoke to me calmly and reassuringly.

"What the fuck is he thinking?!" My head spun with a muddle of fright and anger. "Why wouldn't he use a remote detonator?! Is he insane?!"

I yelled as if Romero would care about their well-being. He watched me panic and fear for the safety of Jimin. I continued to search for movement through the cloud of dust and smoke.

"Maybe... there was no time?" He suggested, trying to figure it out for profiling purposes. "This was just decided today."

I understood that they felt the need to act fast, but that didn't mean they had to act recklessly. Putting Jimin's life in danger like that was idiotic. The worst part was that it was probably his idea in the first place. I could imagine him declare that he had it perfectly under control.

"Look," Romero called.

A strong wind had come toward the property, blowing the smoke toward the back of the home, and leaving the front clear for sight. I made out Taehyung's form running toward the house, where, getting up from the floor was Jimin.

I sighed a deep relief in my chest that was almost overwhelming. Taehyung ran up to Jimin, placing his hands on his shoulders and checking on him. Once Jimin reassured him that he was alright, Taehyung assisted in getting away from the burning building as fast as possible.

"Goddamn idiot..." I cursed him for scaring me. I never wanted to so badly hurt, and embrace, someone in the same breath.

After that, the events that followed were rather simple. Bangtan gathered themselves and left the property as soon as Jimin was on his feet. Even in that rush of violence, it was nothing compared to what they could have done. All they left behind was a single drop of the rage that fueled them. That was the warning they were leaving for the PB.

Agent Romero and I didn't speak much on our return to 18th and Charming street. There was tension inside of the vehicle that made the silence appear like the best selection.

I assumed we were both left with a confusing haze in the back of our heads. Nothing of what we expected had happened tonight. His knowledge of a field agent didn't assist him in this investigation. Neither did my connection with the members of the club. We were left to re-think everything we thought we knew.

"How did you know?" He asked out of the blue. We were merely two blocks away from my drop-off point.

My gaze turned away from the deserted stores that drifted away, as we passed them by. His exterior appeared unbothered as if he had continued our streak of silence.

"Know what?" His question was unclear.

He remained expressionless and without any new movement. I almost questioned if he said anything at all, but he was only hesitating.

"How did you know Bangtan wouldn't kill them?" He asked more specifically. He asked as if I had some kind of psychic vision into the future.

"I- I don't know," I replied, honestly. I could have explained it as some kind of outlaw intuition. "It just didn't feel like they would..."

I knew that wasn't helpful, nor something he wanted to hear. His distrust in me came from the connection I held with the club. Especially now, I've been home after so long. But it was the truth, they weren't as thoughtless as outsiders thought.

It was easy for Romero to group Bangtan with every other organization he's dealt with before. That would be his downfall, though. Bangtan was different.

"Why would they wear masks- if they planned on killing everyone?"

Romero turned his head at my rhetorical question. That detail was the only thing I took notice of. However, I wasn't sure when I precisely figured it out.

"So, why didn't they kill them?" He asked, actually looking for my opinion this time. "Why would they let everyone go and just blow up the place?"

That was the question we needed to figure out. I understood that it wasn't the typical response for a gang. Especially for Bangtan, who were capable of doing much more damage.

"If they covered their identities, then it means they don't want the PB to know it was them," I stated the obvious. Romero nodded his head and agreed.

"Who else could they blame it on?" He continued the train of thought.

"The Camilo Cartel is the only significant group that is fighting against the PB," I mentioned, as they were the only ones that mattered. Was Bangtan trying to put the blame on them?

"Blowing up a lab and letting people escape in the process, isn't part of the cartel’s MO," Romero pointed out. "They are more 'cut off your limbs' type of organization."

The visual idea gave me chills. "Do you think the club would know that?"

"I don't know, maybe it could have slipped their mind," I thought to myself, recalling back to their brilliant idea of manually detonating the bomb from the inside, instead of having an outside detonator.

When time had passed after my words, I figured he didn't need any more convincing of my observation. We continued our silent drive.

The street was exactly as we had left it hours ago. No cars in sight and the only light came from the street lamps that lined the sidewalk. His car came to a gentle stop and lazily pulled into the curb.

"I apologize about before," He said before I made a move to the door. I watched him sigh in the seat. "I just thought that you-"

"I know," He didn't have to explain himself. It was easy to see that his trust in me was delicate. "You aren't the first person to question everything I do."

I didn't mean for my exit to sound so dramatic, but there was nothing else he could say. I knew how to function under the opposition of those around me, it wouldn't stop me from doing what I had to do.

I let the passenger door shut behind me. A cool breeze ran up my arms as I stepped onto the empty road. My father's Dyna sat, waiting for me, exactly where I had left it.

The streetlight above illuminated the bike, like a sentence from God, its metallic structure reflected the luminosity. I mounted the machine, its seat feeling cold under my weight.

"Hey," Romero had rolled down his window. His face was almost canceled by the shadow that his roof cast. I met his black eyes.

"Next time, I'll listen to your judgment," He spoke with a bit of shame in his voice. "You did good work today... thank you."

I rode off feeling satisfied that night.

The night had gone by quickly once I returned to the House of Cards. I arrived at the crowded bar but was vacant of any comforting life. There wasn't much left for me to do than to sleep for the night, in hopes, of being a different person in the morning.

It didn't take long for daybreak to come by the sheer curtains of the two windows. The light illuminated my face, making my body stir within the sea of bed-sheets. I had forgotten the benefits of getting a good night's rest.

I also underestimated the blessings of a warm hot shower. All the past tension and worries of the past few days were stripped away with the heat. After the events of yesterday, I was expecting today to be more on the ordinary side. I was praying for it.

It was early in the morning, and the bar wouldn't be open until noon. Which meant I had until then to be alone and collect my settling thoughts. There were so many blurred lines I could not see the edges to, where I stood in certain situations. My job, the club, my worries, the doubts; they all seemed to merge into one. An unhealthy mixture of morals that contradict one another, they fought for the steering wheel that was my life.

When I stepped out of the room, feeling rejuvenated, I thought I would walk into a peaceful, empty space. However, I was met with a quite disturbing sight, instead.

"Mornin, sweetheart."

Jaeeun was seated at the edge of the bar. She wore a pair of reading glasses, resting low on the bridge of her nose, and a stack of papers in her hands. Even the terms of endearment that came from her mouth seemed to be demeaning.

What had I done to deserve such misfortune?

"Morning," I replied shortly after the shock, walking toward the back of the bar, where the coffee machine had become enticing.

There was a freshly brewed pot already made, the black liquid was threatening hot, and a third of the way full. I found a few empty mugs right beside the machine and poured a cup tentatively.

"There's some food there," She spoke directly behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and spotted the plastic bag not far beside her on the bar. The bag held no identifying writing, simply a 'thank you' printed in red. I was wary of accepting food from Jaeeun. I could not see her missing out on a chance to poison me. My suspicious eye was no secret. "Namjoon brought it,"

She rolled her eyes at me as if she would actually bother, but I was sure she would. The possibility of her lying crossed my mind. However, my stomach was rumbling for anything, even if it was poison. I would die happily for whatever smelled that good.

I took a seat two stools from her, using a napkin as a coaster, and digging into the bag. It was a standard breakfast platter, barely at that point between warm and room temperature. My mouth watered at the sight.

While I stuffed food down my throat, Jaeeun remained silent and inspected her documents, and my mind began to wonder.

"Namjoon's here?" I tried to remain casual as if Namjoon wasn't one of the topics raging through my mind. Jaeeun saw right through me, of course.

"He was," Her eyes remained glued on the paper. "He mentioned I would find you here,"

The bitter tone in her voice was a clear indication that she was not pleased with my new living arrangement. Hell, if it were up to her, I wouldn't be living at all.

"I'm not staying here for free," I felt the need to explain myself.

"Believe me, I don't want to know how you'll be repaying him." She said suggestively.

Heat rose to my face immediately, as I had trouble swallowing my food at her words. I imagined, in her head, I was doing all I could do to be close to Namjoon. Though it was not completely wrong, it was not for the reason she thought.

"It's not like that," I muttered, embarrassed that the words embarrassed me in the first place. "I'm going to be helping him with the bar."

The scoff from her lips seemed unconvinced by my statement. She simply thought I was lusting to ruin her life. Explaining that it was not all about her would be a mission impossible. Her narcissistic behavior would not allow her to believe anything else, even if it was the truth.

"What are you even still doing here?" She spat, finally blessing me with her piercing eyes. "Do you really have nothing to go back to?"

One would think I would have grown accustomed to Jaeeun’s spiteful words. But there was always something about her that just struck a nerve. It was a never-ending argument with her, and I had even lost my appetite.

"You know, you seem to be spending a lot of energy worrying about my life." I wished I was as composed as her, but my anger was rising to the surface, and she loved to see it.

"I don't care about your life," Jaeeun smirked and removed her glasses, making sure nothing would distort the resentment emanating from her eyes. "Just the people you dare to touch."

She settled her feet on the floor underneath, her leather heel boots clicking on the tile surface. Her body followed in walking toward me, wanting me to squirm in my seat, with each step. She granted herself the open seat beside me, giving our conversation the attention I didn't want.

"Namjoon has enough going on," She warned me. "He just lost a father for the second time."

She pulled out a single cigarette from behind her ear, holding it between her fingers and looked at me like I was nothing. "He already inherited his responsibilities- he doesn't need his burden too."

Sometimes I underestimated just how terrible she could be. Her lips painted dark stained the foot of the cigarette. A lighter flickered a heat source for her to enjoy her taunting with an extra kick.

I swallowed my temper and dared to remind her,

"I'm not the one looking for him."

She continued to hold her poker face as if she already knew. Her porcelain cheeks hollowed in with a smooth drag, nicotine was like oxygen for her lungs.

"His head is twisted, he doesn't know what he wants." She justified him, smoke escaping passed her lips, unworried.

"And you do?" I asked her to see the absurdity that I did. "You can't dictate his life forever, Jaeeun."

I was gravely mistaken. Jaeeun believed, wholeheartedly, that she could. Namjoon might not have known but his mother's influence was always there. In her eyes that was not about to change. My very doubt meant challenging her.

"I’m his mother, and until I am dead and cold, I'm going to do anything I have to do to protect him." Her voice went from taunting to threatening. The words practically hissed out of her mouth, then I remembered what Jimin told me.

"I must really scare you, huh?"

I found a smile sneaking onto my lips at the thought. Jaeeun was much less frightening when she let her emotions seep through, it reminded me that she was human as well.

"You're a greedy whore," Her black eyes leaned in, her poisonous tongue whispered like an empty threat. "And bad shit happens to greedy whores."

Her aggressiveness only confirmed my suspicions.

She flicked her young cigarette into my mug of coffee, tainting the drink with its ash, before rising from her spot. While watching her walk back to her stack of papers, I realized I was not left with the same drained feeling that our conversations had in the past.

In the stillness of our talk, I began to see us for what we truly were, just two little girls fighting for the attention of a man. Even with her age, it never stopped being that, and I was going down the same path.

In a normal relationship, two people entrust each other to respect the love that they share. That meant listening, understanding, and being faithful. That, however, was not the deal when it came to an mc like Bangtan. Women were objects to share, possessions to show off, comfort to lean on when times got hard. If you were able to marry one of them, you got the title of old lady, which just meant you belonged to one specific member. But even as with an old lady, their picking of women did not stop, if anything, it increased. Groupies that hung around the club wanted nothing more than to get that title. The security that a relationship was supposed to give you was nonexistent.

Jaeeun had been the president's old lady, that came with a lot of respect and constant threats. It was a fight for your place, or someone might take it, which is why she was so defensive. I don't think she was ready to give that up just yet.

"How did you handle it?" I was curious about how someone could live like this for so many years. If I had never left, I probably wouldn't have noticed. "This life is intoxicating- it kills you from the inside out while giving you the best high of your life."

Jaeeun didn't respond aggressively to the question. In fact, it appeared to cause a deep stage of nostalgia, taking her back to the struggles that this life brought her. True wisdom conceived by the most painful teacher- experience.

"There are only two ways an old lady makes it in this life," She answered quietly. When her eyes locked with mine, I found a different kind of hate within them. "You tell her nothing or you tell her everything."

I imagined neither option was comfortable to live with. But I knew that if you loved the man, then you learned to love the life. Then there was no truth you couldn't handle.

"You have no idea what it takes- what it will cost you to be his old lady."

Jaeeun looked at me with pity, with actual pity from a place of true understanding.

"Old ladies can make or break a club, (Y/n)." She shook her head. When she spoke, it was no longer an attempt to scare me away. For the first time, I felt that she was being sincere, even if it isn't what I wanted to hear. "You'll ruin him."

"You don't know that," But neither did I.

I had always been so disinterested in love. This way of life dissolved any chance for trust. The choices seemed to be, live as a fool or be doomed to die alone. Jaeeun had made her choice a long time ago.

"I know that you need someone to tell you the truth," She once again approached me. This time, as if she wanted to comfort me from her own words. "Namjoon and you, together, are a recipe for disaster."

The silence that followed had never been so tormenting, the notion of not even knowing why was alarming. Why? Why when I wasn't even supposed to care? Namjoon represented everything I hated about this life; the secrets, the lies, the sexism, the violence. He was forbidden, just like my rightful place in the club.

Why did I only want what I could not have?

Then, like the sick joke that was my life, the doors to the bar opened, and his presence came into the room. I didn’t have to even turn around to know, for certain, that it was him. I only ever felt this way when he was around.

"You should get out while you have the chance, sweetheart." Jaeeun whispered as she walked past me.

In a tunnel-like hearing, I could make out Namjoon and her greeting each other. She informed him that she was on her way out. The words they spoke faded in and out as I realized Jaeeun was giving me no time to contemplate. She would be leaving us alone, forcing me to make a decision right here, right now.

The doors closed, and I could feel it was just the two of us now.

Masterlist ≽

#Bangtan MC #bts x reader #got7 #bts #bts fanfic #bangtan scenarios #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #kim taehyung #park jimin #jeon jungkook #Jung HoSeok #min yoongi #bts angst #bts fluff #bts smut

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arsmara · 6 years ago

Text

Captive Prince model AU

Damen flinched at the loudness of his steps. He slowed his paced a little bit but he knew it couldn’t really be helped since this particular corridor in all its majestic arches and tinted windows seemed to be as deserted as the previous one he came through.

Damen didn’t know if this precise quietness in the whole campus was a constant state of the University of Vere or if it was merely a consequence of everyone already being gone to save the seats for the tournament that was about to take place in about an hour. He didn’t mind the silence, to be honest. The building was quite the sight to see, so being on your own and lost was not really an issue as much as a risk of finding yourself overwhelmed in its extravagance and detail with the turn of every corner.

The only problem was he couldn’t remember the way to the locker room and there was no soul around to ask.

He had been walking for the better part of the last hour and the daylight had already dimmed to a bright orange hue all around him.

Damen could vaguely recall Nikandros telling him to go across the first courtyard and past the fountain (“Wait, an actual fountain?” “Yes, Damen, a fountain with colored fishes. Pay attention”) and take the north corridor, so he had walked with no luck through not less than four courtyards with different sets of ostentatious gardens and although there were definitely people there frolicking about in the private sections, that was the kind of scene he’d dared not interrupt. Not even in desperate need for indications, as he was.

Veretians, he thought when a barely concealed giggle followed by a moany ‘ow’ rose from behind a neatly trimmed flowery bush. For all the fuss on nudity, Veretians were really a case in study on disregard for privacy when dealing with their perversions.

When finally spotting the exuberant fountain (hidden between a thick clump of blue hydrangeas) Damen found himself before two doors that he assumed divided men and women’s room. With a relieved sigh and after readjusting the heavy bag on his shoulder he opened the door in the left.

He suddenly found himself in a very illuminated space with tall windows that reached the ceiling in the entirety of the wall across from the door. The atmosphere was warm and thick with the smell of something chemical in nature, acidic and strong, that Damen could not identify but weirdly reminded him of the lemony cleaning products to scrub bathroom floors. Looking around he saw that there were no chairs or benches but a wide circle of easels each with a wooden stool placed behind.

And then, inevitably, his attention was dragged to the very center of this arrangement. There was a pale and luminous effigy of some sort, human sized and with white feathered wings, sitting on a makeshift dais right in front of him.

‘Alright, this is…definitely…not the locker room.’

Damen blinked into the scene so as to command the view to rearrange into something logical. A pale fraction of skin was visible in between feathers and creases of white fabric that wrapped around its slender body and pooled around it on the dais. Even partially covered by the wings one could see the strands of fair blond hair in the nape of a very human head.

Of all the things he would have expected to find when crossing a doorway in a foreign building in a foreign land, this was the farthest from it.

Then the creature turned his head slightly to the side and Damen saw that it was, actually, a man. A beautiful blonde half-naked winged man sitting in a pose that seemed elegant and tiresome at the same time. A halo of sunlight burned through the edges of his head and feathers making it seem as he had a glow coming from within. A true celestial vision right out of an akielon myth.

Or one of his weirdest sexual fantasies.

“You’re letting the draft in.” The blonde spoke without lifting his eyes from the phone in his hand and with a hint of annoyance in his voice of someone who has repeated this too many times before.

Damen was actually letting the draft in, though. He had been holding the door handle this whole time frozen in the entrance for the whole minutes that it took him to make sense of the scene. Damen rushed to shut the door and the loud sound echoed in the vastness of the room. He soon realized that he should have stepped outside before doing so but he quickly brushed the thought away. It was too late for that.

“Sorry.” said Damen in veretian. He had been in Vere for the whole day and the language came naturally to him at this point. “I-- got lost.”

The other man turned to properly look at him for the first time. He had striking blue eyes that scanned him from head to toe only to stop at his chest. Damen felt like he might have been doing something to his heart because it skipped a beat in the process. He wondered how all of this could be so unusual but so enticing at the same time.

“I’m afraid you are way off route, sweetheart.”

Damen looked down to realize that the focus of his attention was at the insignia on his jersey.

He offered a slight smile “I know; I came to represent my university in the sport summit.”

“Did you now.”

“Yes, I’m looking for the locker room.”

The blonde stared at him for some more seconds before turning back to his phone “Next door.”

“Thank you,” it seemed like the polite thing to say instead of ‘what the fuck are you supposed to be’ as he so fervently wished to ask.

Who was Damen after all, to question veretian worshipping practices. Or whatever this was.

“Do you need instructions to leave the room too?”

With a start Damen saw that the blonde was again staring sideways at him with those grave blue eyes edged in displeasure at his presence. “I – thanks. I know my way out.”

“¿Do I have to escort you out then?”

In spite of the provocation, he felt the corner of his mouth rise. “I would very much like that, but I’m afraid your wings might not make it through the door.” He saw the slight shift in the blonde’s gaze and Damen savored the pinch of satisfaction to notice he did not expect an actual response, “they’re quite large.”

The man tilted his head like a cat assessing a confusing behavior in his prey.

“But you did make it through.”

Damen couldn’t help but laugh at that. The veretian was spikey, he wasn’t expecting that. He wasn’t expecting any of this, really.

“Feeling better now that you took that off your chest?” said Damen drunk in the thrill of the rare moment. He knew that his size could be striking outside of Akielos. It was even in Akielos at times.

A smirk appeared in that pale face and he felt a shiver run down his spine, “It’s always a pleasure to welcome our rival brothers from Akielos,” the blonde continued, “especially since you all always seem to be on edge in matters of patriotic honor to my outmost enjoyment.”

Veretians and Akielons weren’t enemies and they hadn’t been for centuries, but there was always a natural rivalry that rose whenever the nations crossed each other paths in any scale. Never going beyond teasing but often shifting into subtle statements of one’s superiority over the other in matters of politics, sports and arts. Anatomy was also a favorite topic, apparently.

This seemed like the usual friendly banter, although it was common knowledge that Veretians seemed to enjoy disguising their true intentions under flourish and sweet voices.

Some poisons are inconspicuous, he reminded himself.

“I’d say you don’t know enough Akielons to back your remarks” said Damen.

After a moment the blonde spoke. “You’d be right.”

He felt, strangely, slightly pleased by this notion.

“Although you could still prove me right” The blonde continued with a defiance set in his stare “I haven’t even yet pointed out your barbaric tradition of stripping naked to fight on the dirt like animals trying to assert dominance.” he then faked a surprised look “Oh, is that what you came to do?”

“Wrestling, yes.” Damen felt his grin widen in wit. “And let’s not pretend that you had the cultural equivalent back then, only it ended in rape.”

The blonde glared at him “Someone has done his homework I see.”

“Someone is a political science major.” And had studied veretian language and culture for three semesters.

“Really? I was just wondering what your major was. That wasn’t my first option though.”

“What was it?”

“Barbarian.”

The barbed words of the veretian did nothing but encourage him to fight back, to keep the mood weird and spicy and see where it would take them. He held his tongue, however, as he now was noticing what he had overlooked in his initial shock. In a quick glimpse he noticed the canvases on the easels. There were splotches of colors starting to become shapes and some strokes giving volume to a close impression of the winged figure. Many shades of white, yellow and red. Blue for the sky behind, peeking in the background.

And for his eyes.

Ah. Everything was finally falling into place.

He had approached the easels in a seemingly unconscious impulse to study the paintings better, and when he raised his eyes he saw the man had followed his movement with a quiet tension locked in his jaw and frown. Damen felt a rush of regret at his own boldness. He should have asked before getting closer when they were alone in a room and he was still a stranger. He cleared his throat to casually ease back into conversation.

“So, are you a model?”

A pale eyebrow raised in his direction. “Do you think I’d wear wings and an open dress for personal choice?”

“Well,” Damen openly studied the attire, earning a scorn of the guy himself in return, “that is actually a chiton, a traditional Akielon attire,” he smiled as he stepped a little closer, “and I wouldn’t dare judge you on choosing to wear it.”

“Is it?” His lips curved in a cold smirk, he seemed to be holding an insult somewhere in there.

“Yes.” Damen shrugged, and then his mouth quirked helplessly. “It suits you.”

The blonde rolled his eyes. “Spare me the compliments, I’m not able to kick your ass from this position.”

Damen felt his smile widen. “Even if you could move, you probably couldn’t beat me,” and added “I’m really good at wrestling.”

The model huffed a humorless laugh.

“I guess we’ll never know.”

‘I guess you could know if you wanted to’ Damen didn’t say. He wasn’t supposed to flirt with Veretians, he knew. He almost could hear Nikandros scolding him. And Kastor. And his father…

A sudden realization caught his eye as he looked around one more time. “Why would there be paintings and model but no artists present?”

“We're on a 20-minute break,” the model said, “but technically there is an artist present now,” he turned his blue gaze back to him. "I also attend this class.”

"Oh? And how do you manage to paint yourself while modelling at the same time?"

He stopped himself from answering right away, visibly hesitating as he likely realized that he was interacting with a stranger on private matters.

"We," he finally pointed at the easels around him "all have to model for this class." A frustrated look. "It’s my turn today.” He let his displeasure show in every word.

A startling sound erupted from the door behind him. Someone was trying to push it open quite unsuccessfully. Damen arched an eyebrow to the other man in the room and he just gave a look that seemed to say do as you please and went back to scroll through his phone. ‘alright’ thought Damen as he went to open the door and a dark haired man entered the room with two steamy paper cups in his hands and walked past Damen to sit on one of the stools beside the model.

The winged man groaned a protest. “Lazar, could you please not let the door open while I’m in this state of nudity?”

“Vannes is coming behind me,” said the man as he handed him one of the cups and with a mischievous grin and a bow added, “Your highness.”

“Thank you,” said the blonde without acknowledging the mocking title. “Vannes, close the door.”

Damen turn around and saw a woman standing in the doorway staring intensely at him to then stop at the blonde man.

“My my, Laurent has a visitor,” she declared with a hint of provocation in her charming tone.

Laurent.

Damen couldn’t stop the rush of triumphant satisfaction from showing in his face at this new piece of information, but he could feel the curious gaze of the newcomers piercing him still, so he smiled and said, “I was just passing to admire Veretian aesthetics.”

“I see. Did you find something pleasing to the eye?” she asked, ignoring the poorly concealed scowl in her direction.

“He was just entertaining me while you left me to rot here.” intervened Laurent in a calmed tone.

“Quit being a bitter old man, you’re gonna wrinkle” said Lazar.

“Grampa Laurent” added the woman sipping from her own cup.

“Do you realize” retorted Laurent “that I have the power to ruin your work just by slightly shifting my leg to the side” he smirked at the pure horror that showed in both their faces. “Yeah, I thought so.”

Damen very deliberately did not entertained the thought of his legs parting underneath the cloth.

“You’re really playing your cast iron bitch card today.” Said Lazar with a cold grin.

“What I’m doing,” Laurent retorted, “is merely trying to protect my remaining dignity.”

“I say you must be hallucinating as to believe you still have some dignity left.”

“I say that’s probably because I’ve inhaled all the turpentine in the air.”

“It is quite heavy to breath in here.” Damen noticed.

“Oh no, that’s just the sexual tension in the room.” Lazar said in a low voice to Damen.

Laurent pretended not to hear.

“Is your friend gonna join us the rest of the session?” asked the woman, eyeing at Damen’s full body while producing a case from her bag where she seemingly kept her brushes.

“He was leaving for the sport summit to celebrate the new alliance between us and the university of Akielos.” He stopped talking just to add. “And he’s not my friend.”

“Really?” asked Vannes with renewed interest. “Tell me, are there Akielon women among your team?”

“A few, yeah. Although it’s mostly men.”

Vannes and Lazar exchanged a look.

“Are you really considering dropping the session to go check on some sweaty muscles.” Asked Laurent.

“Laurent,” Lazar said “It’s Akielon sweaty muscles. In the nude.”

Damen blinked in amusement at that. “We don’t really compete in the nude anymore, you know.” At least not since a couple centuries ago.

“Anyway” added Vannes, “consider this a better alternative to an anatomy class.”

“We’re doing it in the name of art and beauty.” Said Lazar already heading to the door. “Tell Berenger we’re failing the class for a good cause.”

“I’m not telling him anything on your behalf.”

Damen saw them leave and then they were alone in the room again.

They stared for an awkward instant until Laurent broke the silence, “So?” Why are you still here, he didn’t have to articulate.

The truth was, Damen didn’t even know why he hadn’t left yet.

He wasn’t going to tell him that, of course.

“It seems you’re to remain here for a while longer.”

“Well, it seems like you are doing exactly the same thing still.”

Damen looked at his position on the dais. “You are not allowed to move at all?”

“Nothing escapes you, does it.”

“Do you need anything?” asked Damen. “Before I go, I mean.”

Laurent closed his mouth suddenly taken aback by the offer, like kindness was the last thing he would expect from Damen. He narrowed his eyes as trying to read into his real intentions.

Damen shrugged. “Fine.”

“Wait.”

Damen froze in place having already turned away. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch in an attempted smile but he knew better than to aggravate Laurent any more. Judging by all the words exchanged today, he seemed to be on edge by his situation.

He heard Laurent give a long-suffering sigh. “Would you plug my phone?” He held his phone up as to illustrate the request.

Damen was beaming to comply but he held back just enough to look as pleased as he felt but not as much as to rush into his proximity. He reached for the phone and the accidental brush of fingertips with each other brought a sudden spike in his heartbeat.

“Where’s the charger?” he asked.

Laurent pointed at one of the bags hanging on the nearest wall. “Outer pocket on the left side.”

Damen plugged his phone and when he did, the screen lighted up for a short moment. The picture displayed was a painting of a very green landscape with a brown horse looming in the background. The brush strokes where rough and noticeable in certain areas but it held a lot of detail in others. It was eerie and delicate and probably it was Laurent’s work. It felt very intimate to see it, it probably was rude to do so. Damen looked away.

Laurent cleared his throat.

“Thank you.”

Damen raised both eyebrows at him. “What, are you so humbled by me plugging your phone that you decide to yield now?”

Laurent gave a soft chuckle and Damen thought he would never recover from the ecstasy of it.

“I think we are both running out of time to continue our tête-à-tête.” Laurent smile seemed honest now.

Damen conceded with a nod.

“I should really go now. My team can’t hold up without me” And Nikandros most likely must be wishing a slow painful death upon him right now.

“Aren’t you confident.”

“I know it.”

“So you think you’ll do well?” Laurent added with a hint of amusement.

Damen let his determination show in his expression. After all, he knew the extent of his capabilities.

“I intend to win.” Todays was only a friendly match, the real competition came on Thursday, but Damen meant it all the same. He always aimed for victory.

Laurent’s gaze fell on him. “That is,” he said with a defying undertone “if you ever leave.”

Damen smiled “Goodbye, Laurent.” He made the word roll in his tongue with a touch of heavy accent that made the blonde blush slightly, or so he wanted to believe.

He made his way out without looking back, feeling a warm hint of euphoria in his chest that he blamed on the anticipation of the tournament instead of the brief encounter with the amusing scene in the art studio. The darkness outside the bright room suddenly felt too unappealing compared to the scrutiny of the pair of blue eyes left behind.

It almost made him forget once again where he was supposed to be right now.

This was already becoming ridiculous.

Laurent stretched his limbs to let the blood reach every corner of his aching body. Curse Lazar for suggesting the costume.

Of course, if he hadn’t wear anything he could have taken a break with the rest of them, and he blatantly refused to pose nude. But such an attire required not only to not cover himself for warmness sake in between sessions (blame the blasted feathers and their proneness to fall away), it also made it impossible to move at all, for if a dressed model broke the pose all the creases and exact placement of the folds could never be replicated again and the image would be compromised for the artists. It was, utterly, a deadly trap.

At least he got to keep his underwear on. Small victories, he thought.

The numbness of his legs after spending the last two and half hours sitting in the same position had luckily dimmed away as he discarded the wings and finally made his way to the locker room to get dressed.

It was dark outside and the campus was quiet now that the tournament had finished.

He wondered if the Akielon won. Then he stopped himself from thinking in the Akielon.

Laurent walked to his locker and opened it. He considered taking a shower for a moment, but it was late enough to risk losing the train. He could relax later, at home.

He let the fabric fall around him –the chiton, he thought with a bitter grin –, and shivered in the cold air on his skin. He then proceeded to look for his clothes inside.

A rush of fast paced steps cut through the silence and the sound of someone storming into the locker room set his senses on alert, tension locking into his limbs, ready to act.

Laurent waited for a second, assessing the possibilities, before he peaked from behind the locker row to see who it was.

“Oh” a familiar voice. “Hi, again.”

Of course it was him. Laurent rolled his eyes at his own bad luck.

He noticed Laurent standing in just his underwear and quickly averted his gaze with a sudden blush darkening his cheeks.

“Sorry, I um…” he then pointed forward and disappeared through the adjacent locker row.

“You seem to really be angling for eloquence, I see.”

He heard the man snort softly in reply. Laurent was silently grateful for his tact to not step into Laurent’s space when he was, impossibly, in a more exposed state of dressing that the previous one they'd encountered each other.

Or where he had encountered Laurent, more precisely.

“I came to retrieve something; I’ll be leaving right away.”

Laurent ignored him to continue working himself into his clothes. It felt amazing to have pants on after so many hours of just the nothing. He was focused in getting inside his oversized grey jumper that had been Auguste’s before, when he heard the other man clear his throat as looking for an opening in conversation.

"Yes?"

“Are you heading home?”

“I am.”

“Alone?”

Laurent stopped in his track. He went round the lockers to face the Akielon properly.

“Why?”

The man frowned slightly at this, “It’s late.”

“The train station is nearby.” Laurent shrugged.

The Akielon smiled reassuringly and showed a pair of car keys, “I had left my keys on top of the lockers.” He explained, and then, “I can take you.”

Laurent stared intently at him. He was positive the man, either moved by his noble Akielon code of honor or just his own kindness held no ill intentions beyond the offering. He showed an openness that was hard to ignore once you managed to look past all of that body (and honestly, there was a lot of it). That didn’t meant Laurent had to easily go with it.

“I’m perfectly capable of going on my own.”

“I don’t doubt it. But I didn’t expect to find you again here and now I did, I won’t be able to rest easy knowing that I left you to go on your own at the risk of getting mugged or kidnapped.”

Laurent fought down a chuckle.

“Have you ever listened to yourself talk? I don’t know you, you could be a terrible driver and doom me to a very tragic accidental death or you could be a criminal, for all I know, luring me into your car to get your way with me.”

Something passed over the Akielon’s face then. For all his determination and air of leadership displayed before he now looked truly defeated by the mere thought of him hurting Laurent. Or maybe the thought of Laurent distrusting him.

“I would never touch you without your consent.”

Laurent deliberately brushed away the thought of the possible scenario in which he actually consented.

“Yes well, that isn’t happening tonight or ever.” Laurent grabbed his bag to walk out. It was late alright. “It’s not personal, it’s just a matter of common sense. I don’t even know your name.”

The Akielon’s eyes widened a fraction at this notion. Of course he had not realized.

“I’m Damianos,” he then added with a smile, “but my friends call me Damen.”

“Damianos” he tilted his head in acknowledgement. Not that it would matter, he still wasn’t going to go with him and this would likely be the last he’d see of Laurent.

He let the moment stretch as he checked on the time in his wrist watch. And when he turned for the door Damen interrupted once again his attempt to escape the overwhelming presence of him.

“What if,” he spoke slowly as to not scare Laurent any further. Not that Laurent was actually scared of him in the first place, “You drive us there.”

Laurent blinked into the picture of Damen purposely handling the keys to him in an act of foolish misplaced trust.

He truly would get himself killed at some point in his life.

“And you can hold on to my wallet and passport the whole time.”

Laurent gazed back into the Akielons honest expression. He didn’t know if the sudden interest he felt was towards the idea of him openly putting so much trust in Laurent or just the fact that he seemed to have the whole control of the situation; he knew that if he just told him to fuck off he’d leave him alone and yet –

He was actually starting to see the appeal in getting home earlier than expected.

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perspective-series · 6 years ago

Text

Rooftop Perspective (6)

By: @arc852 and @hiddendreamer67

Warnings: Fear, and mention of being drunk

(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters!)

Virgil flinched as the giant’s hand came in contact with his head and...was-was the giant petting him? This was getting weird. “Um, yeah, cool. So uh, are you...going to let me go?” Virgil asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

“Hmm?” Logan almost didn’t catch the human’s question. “Oh, yes, my apologies. To qualm your fears, I can assure you I plan on returning you to town before the sun rises. However...” Logan shifted positions so that he was sitting cross-legged. “It has been an awfully long time since I’ve been able to have an intelligent conversation, so I do request you stay for a little while longer.”

“Uhh…” Virgil swallowed the lump in his throat. Did he even really have a choice in this matter? “I-I guess...I mean, as long as you are letting me go.” That was really all he cared about. He didn’t want to be kept or...anything else.

“You have my word.” Logan raised his unoccupied hand in the signal of the Giant’s oath. Once this was done, Logan opened up his hand so that the human could sit more freely.

Virgil was glad to be free of the grip, though now he found himself sitting on an open palm, 50 feet in the air. He made sure to keep his eyes off the ground. “So uh...what do ya wanna talk about?” Virgil asked, feeling a little awkward. He supposed that was better than fear though...but only just.

“Perhaps introductions are in order, first.” Although Logan wasn’t quite sure, it had after all been a very long time since Logan met someone new. “You may address me as Logan.”

“Oh, uh, cool.” Virgil winced at his own words, before quickly moving past them. “I’m Virgil.”

“Excellent.” Logan looked pleased that this first step of conversing was successful. “And what kind of human are you, Virgil?”

Well, that was kind of a loaded question, wasn’t it? How should he answer? “I’m going to college, in town. Um...I’m studying graphic design? I’m known around town as the local emo, so that’s something.” Virgil shrugged, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets.

“What is an...emo?” Logan squinted, unfamiliar with the term.

“Oh, uh,” Virgil rubbed the back of his head. “It just kind of means that I’m a bit...darker, than most humans. And that I like a certain type of music.” Virgil looked at Logan and took a deep breath.

“Uh, what about you? What kind of, uh...giant are you?” Virgil asked, hoping it wouldn’t be offensive.

“What kind of giant am I?” Logan looked bewildered by the question. “Well, I...suppose I’m an average kind of giant. Although often I don’t get along with the others.”

Virgil blinked. “I don’t really know any other giants to go off of...unless you count the rumors. But you already said those were false, right?”

“No, there are no man-eating giants.” Logan confirmed. “There is another giant in these woods, but he’s far too extravagant for my taste. He stays in his territory and I stay in mine, it’s safest that way.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “Wait, there’s another giant.” Virgil was starting to have a sneaking suspicion that he knew where Patton was. “He isn’t...uh, bad or anything, is he?” Don’t panic, Virgil.

“The terms ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are arguably meaningless.” Logan answered, before realizing that perhaps wasn’t the best answer to give a human. “Ah, well, what I mean to say is...your friend is probably fine.”

“Probably?” That did not give Virgil any kind of comfort.

“What I mean to say is your friend is definitely alive.” Logan spoke hastily, noticing the human’s anxiety. Though ‘definitely’ was not a word properly applied to this situation, Logan used it in an attempt to calm Virgil. After all, there was a high probability that Roman possessed enough common sense to not fatally harm a human, though why he had taken one in the first place was still unclear.

“You’re...sure? Maybe I should go and look for him…” Virgil said, shifting his position on Logan’s hand.

“No, I’m not sure that would be wise.” Logan shook his head. “His abode is still 10 miles to the east. You’d be lucky to make it there by sunrise, if you made it there at all. Humans often get turned around in these woods, and often the only humans foolish enough to come out here at all are those who have been drinking.”

“O-Oh.” Virgil bit his lip. “Do you think...the other giant will let him go?” He just wanted to make sure Patton was safe. It was all he could think about now.

“Oh most certainly.” Logan affirmed. “At the very least because I will make him do so. Giants are supposed to try to keep a low profile, which means limited contact with humanity, so Roman’s behavior tonight is quite...odd.”

“Okay, that’s good at least.” He still thought maybe he should go home at the very least. Maybe...Patton would be there? It was a small hope but he didn’t really have other options. “Maybe...it’s time I headed home, then?” Virgil asked, nervously looking at Logan to see if he was telling the truth about letting him go.

“...Oh.” Logan looked up, spotting the moon through the trees. He sighed, noticing that it was getting quite late. “I...suppose it has gotten quite late.” The giant got to his feet, heading in the direction of the human settlement.

Virgil yelped as the giant stood to his full height. The human caught a glance at the ground below and he quickly looked away. They were up high.

But at least Logan was taking him home.

“Could you describe to me where you live?” Logan asked, still a ways into the woods.

“I live in an apartment complex near the edge of the forest.” Virgil described. “It has a few buildings like it around it too.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out there.” Logan seemed to know what Virgil was talking about. “Well, actually it’s been a while since I’ve been near the city at all. I used to love going out there, watching it all. You humans are so fascinating, did you know that? But unfortunately, now Roman’s taken a liking to watching and, well...we certainly can’t risk us both going out there. One at a time is dangerous enough as it is.”

“O-Oh.” Virgil didn’t know what to think about that. It was weird and crazy enough that giants existed at all. But to know that they had been watching them? He shivered. “Why do you live out here...are there more of you than just, uh, Roman?” Virgil decided to ask, getting away from the whole ‘being watched’ thing.

“Not here, no.” Logan answered. “It’s not exactly easy to hide several of us at once. Just the two of us is already a risk.”

“I’m actually surprised no one has ever seen you guys before. Well, I mean, not really.” Virgil said, thinking about all the drunks that Logan said came through.

“It’s difficult to maintain our secret.” Logan admitted. “It’s necessary for our safety, but it can get quite...boring. The trees aren’t exactly good company, and it’s hard to stay entertained by the same foliage and rock formations when you know there’s a human town mere miles away dedicated solely to the pursuit of knowledge.” Logan sighed wistfully, clearly jealous.

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be kind of, ah, rough, huh?” Virgil couldn’t begin to imagine that lone existence. He himself was an introvert sure, but the thought of being isolated like that? Virgil didn’t think even he could do that.

“Indeed.” Logan shook his head slightly. “Sorry, I don’t mean to burden you with my troubles.”

“No, no, it’s fine dude. I get it. Sometimes you just...need someone to talk to.” Virgil thought back to Patton with a smile. His best friend was a great listener. He was lucky to have them.

“Hmm.” Logan seemed surprised by the suggestion. “I had never considered that.” Of course, there weren’t many options available to Logan for such an activity.

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shakingshore · 7 years ago

Note

Giac x Fanny, “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”

hiding behind

31. “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”

from this prompt list

roughly 2.4k words, a bit of angst with a happy ending <3

Giacomo felt the needle prick at his leg, then again in thesame place, before the tailor by his feet scolded him to stand still. Heexaggerated, of course, not even breathing until the man made an annoyed huff.

“At this rate, I won’t get anything done, sir.”

“I think it’s fine,” Giac replied impatiently. The balldidn’t start until the late evening, but Giacomo felt the nerves crawling uphis spine. And there was a small window of time for him to sneak away withRocco to attend without his parents finding out. Not like they cared where hewent, anyway.

But there was one rule they strictly enforced: do notinteract with the Price family. Ever. As in, if his parents knew where he wasgoing tonight, they would disown him for good.

Fanny told him about the feud once, that their ancestorshave fought for decades over money. On her side, one of his great greatgrandfathers stole a share of land and a flock of sheep from her great greatgrandfather. His father told him that the Prices were lying, thievingscavengers. Less plausible in his mind, granting that his father was anuntruthful bastard himself.

“I think I believe you more,” he had said to her.

She only shrugged. “It wouldn’t matter.”

He kissed her for the first time that day.

A letter arrived a week after that, telling him that shecould never see him again. Warning that her father was growing suspicious. Herfather, a high-ranking general that earned their status of near royalty, whowould have his head if he knew what they were doing.

It ended in a goodbye.

That was months ago, and in his heartbreak, he hadn’t seen orspoken to her since. Time passed in a flurry of drunken nights, gambled money,and whoring women. He was surprised his parents had noticed his stranger-than-normalbehavior and advised that he got his act together before they relinquished hishold on the money they spoiled him with.

He would have told him where they could put their money ifit wasn’t for Rocco. His closest friend wasn’t blind to what he and his belovedwere up to but had warned him of the dangers of losing his status, which gavehim the security he needed. He was safe. He could be happy if he ever tried.

The half-empty bottle of rum in his hand told him otherwise.

He woke up that next morning in his bed, arms sore andstomach queasy. Rocco was the only person at his side.

“You were in a brawl. With an entire pub.”

“Did I win?”

Rocco gave him a good-natured smile. “There’s word at thisside of town. A ball.”

“Do I even need to ask who is hosting?” Giac said, rollingover for the water at his bedside table.

“It is a masquerade.”

The gears turned in his head.

“They wouldn’t even know,” Rocco continued.

“She wouldn’t want to see me.” God, he sounded more thanhopeless. Convinced that Fanny was done with their hidden affair, theirsituation riskier than either were comfortable with. He didn’t want to push hertoo far.

How much farther could they be?

“Her family trusts me, despite my connection with you.” Everyoneknew he and Rocco were an inseparable duo. But Rocco was a great businessman,trustworthy enough to keep everything confidential.

Everything financially knowledgeable, at least. Gossip wasbound to spread, one way or another.

“She cares for you deeply.”

Giacomo squeezed his eyes shut, keeping his heart from soaringtoo high before it came crashing back down. He was clever, sure, unquestionablyso. So why was this such a hard decision for him to make?

So much was dependent on the road he paved at this moment.Teetering on a tightrope that would have him falling harder than he would like,in either direction. He had to be sure.

The masquerade would give him a chance. The thought of Fannygave him enough courage to risk everything.

The rush of adrenaline made him shoot up from his bed, hisromantic side blaming the dizziness on the hope in his heart.

Days of planning and groveling and hoping led him to the westside of the manor, half hidden by low hanging trees and the expansive garden. Roccomet him there, handing him a deep red mask that concealed half of his face. Theywalked around the street to a carriage and fled to a house he never dared to benear.

He and Fanny always met in the middle, a small town in betweentheir cities that their families would never dare to be seen in.

He had suggested it once, running away. They could start anew life, even in that little town. Locals were already vaguely familiar withthem, their true identities the only mystery. She refused adamantly. Shecouldn’t do that to her family, nor to him. He praised her compassionate heartand never spoke of it again.

They were in stasis, she unwilling to go as far to betrayher family name and he not reasoning with her. Giacomo only wished for herhappiness, but now he was afraid that without compromise he could never givethat to her.

This was his one chance to pour his heart out to her, he wasconvinced.

The carriage pulled up to an enormous house with largewindows pouring with light, men and women in extravagant costumes more to showoff than to rise to the occasion.

“Maybe we should go around back,” Giacomo suggested, losing hiscourage.

Rocco shoved him forward. “Nonsense. We’re already here.”

They clambered out of the carriage, Giac’s nerves making himstumble. “Just try not to attract so much attention,” his friend added as anafterthought.

Giacomo put his mask on, smirking at the man in front of him.“You’re asking the impossible of me, Rocco.”

They bounded up the steps behind a woman in a very largeskirt, straying away from the center of the room where everyone was dancing in agreat routine. He stood tall to look over the heads of the dancers, hoping tospot one woman out of the sea of people. An impossible task, really, even if hethought he would recognize her anywhere. Her kind eyes and ever genuine smile,the graceful way she moved, he could see her in his mind’s eye and it onlystrengthened the need to see her in person.

Someone tapped on his arm, and his head whipped around insurprise. Her face partly hidden by the white and gold mask, a meek smileappearing when their eyes met.

“Would you like to dance?” Fanny asked.

He swept her to the dance floor as soon as the words lefther mouth, the joy that he’s been deprived of for months flooding back into hisbody. She squealed when he spun her around, it was like a breath of fresh air.

“I missed you,” he said as he pulled Fanny to him. Her handon his shoulder trailed up to his neck, thumb stroking at the nape in awordless apology. He was desperate to hear her voice again. “Did you miss me,too?”

“I asked for a masquerade for a reason,” she giggled. Hersmile dropped a fraction. “I’ve been kept at home more often, ever since myfather confronted me about sneaking away. This party was a consolation, Isuppose.”

He edged them towards the door of the ballroom as theirdance slowed. He knew her relationship with her father was a sensitive topic, andFanny dropped her eyes to the floor to hide from him.

“You have me now,” Giac told her, lifting her chin. “How didyou find me, anyway?”

She looked at him like he grew another head. “My family maynot know you, but I only know one man with a fashion sense like this.”

He looked down at his red silk shirt and dark trousers.“This is all the rage in Italy, Miss Price.”

“I would never have guessed.”

“You would only like to see what’s under them,” he winked,feigning hurt when she lightly smacked him on the chest. She looked away andtook a step away from him, making Giac realize how close they actually were. Hefollowed her gaze to a man and woman who were staring at them as well.

By the scrutinizing look on the man’s face, he would guesshe was her father. Rocco’s impeccable timing stole the attention from thegeneral, however, giving them a little more time before either he or Fanny feltthe need to run from each other.

Giacomo wasn’t sure if it was fear or bravery that struckhim in that moment, but Fanny deserved to know how strongly he felt no matterhis consequence. Now was his chance. “We shouldn’t be afraid anymore.”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears, not knowing what to say.“Giacomo…”

He held both of her hands in his, fully aware of the people startingto wonder. Quite the spectacle, Frances Price being wooed by a mysteriousstranger. She knew nearly everything about him, from his childhood toembarrassing moments to sexual conquests, and accepted him wholeheartedly. Hetrusted her to his very core, and they found new strengths in each other. Theywere in danger of falling from the start.

Giac smiled, knowing that it would lift the tension from hershoulders. His hand followed the path from her chin to her bottom lip, pausingthere before following the line of her jaw. The collective gasp behind her madehim chuckle. “I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you.”

Her choked back laughter was like music to his ears.

“So, what do we do?” she inquired, a bit breathless.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.”

He reached out to take off her mask and removed his as well.Her eyes widened, even if she looked a little relieved to his face without anyobstruction.

“Alright, because I’m about to do something utterly stupid.”Before she could ask what it was, he looped his arm through hers and led themright in front of her parents. He held out his hand for her father, whostraightened defensively as they approached.

“Hello, General Price. Giacomo Casanova, at your service.”

His brow arched. “Excuse me?”

“See, I am an associate of my friend Rocco here. Only herefor business.” They turned to Rocco as if to confirm his statement, and henodded in response.

“Business, is that what your family calls thievery?” hermother jabbed at him, and then directed a question to her daughter. “Frances,is this why you’ve been sneaking away?”

Fanny’s lip twitched, a sure sign of her quiet irritation. “Actually,yes.”

He gaped, not knowing where she was going with this. “What?”

“What?” her parents said at the same time.

“I’ve been meeting with him to discuss a negotiation betweenour families.”

She had a confident edge in her voice and nudged an elbow athis side, pressing for him to continue. He didn’t have much of a plan otherthan asking her parents for their permission to court her, a blind faith in hisability to convince them of his good intentions despite his family name. Not avery good plan, mind, but at least that way she wouldn’t be in trouble forbeing courted without their knowledge. He would just be a bloke who fanciedtheir daughter, which he already was.

“That’s right,” he stuttered, thinking on the spot. “Theconflict between Price and Casanova is an old one, as we all know, so old thatwe don’t even know why. Would it not be socially beneficial to end it soonerthan later?”

Rocco stepped in just then as well. “General Price, it wouldbe advisable to consider this new compromise. The Casanova family has severalconnections that reach across the continent.”

Madame Price mulled it over, her husband stoic as heconsidered this suggestion. Fanny and Rocco were right. Other than two familiescompeting, a stronger bond would ensure financial security and reputation.

“How do you plan on ending this, then?” her father said,taking him from his thoughts. Giacomo took a deep breath.

“Well, I was considering a merger.”

“A merger, as in marriage?”

Fanny squeezed his arm. When he looked at her she didn’tmeet his eyes, but he could tell she was not averse to the idea. A proposalwouldn’t work here and now, though.

“Well, it’s a possibility.”

“I do not have a high opinion of you, Sir Casanova. As ofyet.” He only nodded in understanding. “Does your family know about this?”

“Nope!” Giac answered cheerfully. “Truthfully, it will takea lot of convincing. But I was raised on the importance of debate and persuasion,how hard can it be?”

He’s already had the majority of responsibility with his family’s finances anyway, his parents more concerned with the social aspect than anything else. The Price family was in good standing, and their feud has brought more gossip than it has done any good, really. If they would just let him explain, he would have their reluctant approval at the very least. He was very clever. If only he put any of that intelligence into something other than moping over what he thought was a lost cause.

“You think highly of yourself,” General Price observed.

“Yes, I do. It is high time I clean up my act, so to speak.And I think that first step is extending an olive branch to you.”

“You are very different than I imagined you to be.”

“One’s true soul is never how you imagine it, I suppose.”

The general turned to Fanny. “Frances, do you agree withthis idea?”

She looked shocked that he included her in this decision. Shegazed up at him, a beautiful expression lighting up her face. Giac couldn’thelp but respond to it in kind. She was a guiding light in this situation, always motivating him to be good enough for her.

“I think… it’ll take time,” she said slowly, considering thegenerations of resentment between their families. It was all in the past, andthere was no need to be so closed off from each other any longer. The vision ofspending the rest of his life with her became more vivid and clear. “But itwill be worth it.”

#this is the longest one shot ive ever written #i hope u like it!!#im nervous about the typos that are inevitably in here #giac x fanny #my little fic #teninch #does this fic even make any sense honestly #gingergallifreyan #i was asked a thing

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imaginetonyandbucky · 8 years ago

Text

Dream a Little Dream of Me - Ch3/4

The days after the ‘incident’ are a blur for me. Loki, Thor’s extravagant brother, decided it’s prime time for some seasonal mischief on Earth and throws an evil overlords’ party in New York for the Avengers to deal with.

Thor said Loki was adopted but damn…someone needs to find the guy some hobby. Only a demi-god bored out of his mind would bring all sorts of funky alien creatures to the middle of Manhattan for an afternoon playdate.

All. Week. Long.

Contrary to Steve’s wishes, I joined the fight the second day, after a gigantic alien bug smashed through the common floor’s windows and disrupted my relaxing round of Smash bros. Thought it was appropriate to join the Hulk and do some smashin’ of my own.

By the end of the week, I didn’t even mind Steve’s disapproving pout when he called the assemble and I just automatically went to suit up as well.

And today is no different.

“You know, I’m starting to suspect your little brother might actually hate you,” Clint says with all the subtle sarcasm he could come up with, glaring at Thor.

“He indeed appears to be in a foul mood! But we shall prevail against these…sluggy…glistening armored fish abominations just like we have prevailed in the past!” Thor booms and doesn’t fail to grab both of Clint’s shoulders in a deathly grip of brotherhood.

“Let’s try apprehending Loki this time, before he slips back into Asgard. Again,” Steve sighs from the front seat of the quinjet.

Me and Clint drop down first to take the high-ground while the quinjet touches down on the coast and the Avengers pour out to deal with the…sluggy armored fish abominations hands on.

“Alrighty, here we go. Wanna bet who gets more of those little slimy critters?”

“I refuse to be the Gimli to your Legolas,” I roll my eyes and assemble the Stark-designed sniper rifle with precision and speed that’s partly my own, partly the Soldier’s.

“A-ha! So Cap did give you his bucket list of movies you gotta catch up with! Or more like…Bucky-list, amirite?” he snickers, already sending arrows left and right.

Sometimes I wonder if this guy is seriously an adult.

(Read-more ahead!)

“Shut up and shoot. You’ll need the extra shots if you wanna beat me.”

“And here I thought you don’t wanna be the gruff dwarf to my lean, Elfish awesomeness! I wouldn’t be so cocky if I were you.”

“Bullets are faster than arrows,” I point out and take aim at the first fishy beast. When I pull the trigger, the bullet goes straight through its toothy jaw, body going limp and onto the ground.

“We’ll see about that!” he takes the challenge and intensifies his shooting.

It only takes a minute for us to realize we might have a problem. Unless we hit the funky creatures in their weak, unarmored spots of skin, the arrows – and the bullets – ricochet off their armor.

Asgardians and their damn magic.

“Well, so much for this,” I discard the rifle and wire down the building to join the fray up close. Let’s see how resistant the critters are to a metal fist.

“Aw, maaaan,” I hear Clint sputter through the radio and spot him descending down here as well. He might be the master of long-range fights, but he sure doesn’t shy away from some close combat – if necessary.

And this time it is necessary.

Steve and Thor successfully smash the magic-enhanced creatures with their superior shield and hammer combo and Natasha has already switched from deadly bullets to deadly daggers. Sam is flying all around the place, usually just setting up the kills for the others and making sure the perimeter is clear and that’s it. Since Steve ordered both Bruce and Tony to take a day off, we kinda lack the raw smashing power and the devastating Iron Man repulsors.

Or…not?

I watch not three, but five of the armored beasts explode in what is unmistakably repulsor fire and glance up just in time to spot the flash of gold and crimson. Something about a fully weaponized flying suit of armor is just so damn cool…so who can blame me for observing it throughout the past few battles. Very closely. Purely out of curiosity and…tactical reasons. Yeah, all about tactics.

Speaking of which, there’s a disapproving Captain America about to have a fit in the comms in three, two, one…

“Iron Man! I told you to stay in the Tower for this one!”

Here we go.

“Oh. Did you? I could swear you said play in the shower…which I did and now I’ve come to play here. So rude not to invite me to a party like this, Capsicle!”

“As much as I would argue about the party bit – again – we could actually use an extra hand here, couldn’t we?” Natasha saves us from Steve’s imminent lecture for now and everyone resumes their fighting efforts.

Loki is nowhere to be found this time, which is bad news. He’s either getting bored of this himself, or he’s on the lookout for more weird aliens to send our way tomorrow.

Twenty minutes later, the coast is clear. Kinda. It’s full of dead, slimy fishy bodies that are already starting to smell worse than before.

“Alright, let’s check the perimeter, make sure we’ve got them all. Someone is going to have to deal with all these,” Steve commands and looks around the graveyard of a battlefield.

“I’ve called it in. Fury should be here with the clean-up crew any minute. He likes sushi so this should be right up his alley,” Tony chuckles and lifts off. “See ya back in the shower. I mean Tower.”

I don’t even have to turn around to know that deep sigh of utter desperation comes from our mighty leader. He orders us back to the quinjet and within minutes we are back in the Avengers Tower, safe and sound.

Safe from the aliens at least. The fury on Steve’s face as he spots the disobedient engineer at the bar with Bruce could only be rivaled by the fury on Fury’s face when he sees the mess we’ve left in there for him to clean up.

“What were you thinking?!”

“Hm? Oh, I was thinking we could skip shawarma and go for double Shirley Temple’s all around. Or a Roy Rogers for you if you fancy something alcoholic, it’s past five so we can do that without Bruce calling the AA. Here, have one,” Tony hands the drink with an over-the-top umbrella to the rapidly advancing Captain, not expecting what happens next.

To be fair, nobody really expects Steve to slap that cocktail out of Tony’s hand with enough force to cause an audible smack and all but lift him off the bar stool, hand twisted into his shirt’s collar.

“I gave you a direct order! You don’t listen to me and my lectures and that’s fine, but this was a mission, Tony! You’ve been barely keeping yourself on your feet this entire week! You’re either gonna get yourself killed on the field or worse, someone else! I don’t want to see you anywhere near a battle until you’ve rested, eaten and gotten your act together!”

“Yeah? Then how about you back the fuck off, Rogers!” he spits into Steve’s face, all traces of amusement – fake, but still amusement – gone from his features.

I remember that look all too well from one week ago, when I’ve taken one too many steps towards the already panicked man. Back then I’ve written it off as circumstantial. But apparently he’s actually got enough reasons to flinch away from imposing supersoldiers.

And I’ve seen just about enough evidence.

“I will, when you - ” Steve starts, but to his own shock doesn’t get to continue.

I have found that a metal fist pushing against one’s neck usually has that effect on people. I have also found that trying to execute said move against a friendly in the presence of one Natasha Romanov usually ended up with me dodging a rain of daggers and snapping out of whatever rage-filled Soldier episode I’d be under at the time.

But this rage is all me and judging by the lack of daggers, Natasha must be thinking the same.

Steve stumbles back, the hand he’s been holding Tony with a second ago flies to my metal one still pushing him backwards, until I decide we’re far enough.

“Bucks, let me go, I’m just - ”

“I don’t care.”

“Buck - ”

“I. Don’t. Care,” I repeat with all the intimidation I can without really snapping into the Winter Soldier right here and there.

He stares at me, the anger dissipating in an instant. For the first time since I can remember, he’s not looking at me with concern, pity or disappointment. Just surprise, confusion…and little tiny bit of fear.

It should probably alarm me, but there’s no excuse for Steve’s behavior. Giving him a little taste of his own medicine might just work.

“Go cool off. Now,” I command, releasing him from my firm, but harmless grip.

Steve hangs on the spot for a moment, his widened eyes searching my face for…I’m not sure what. He probably doesn’t find it in the end and backs away and out of the room without a word.

I don’t know what I’d do if he didn’t. Or I don’t want to really think about it.

“Wow. Did you just send the Captain to his room to think about what he’s done like the naughty little kid he is?” Clint whistles and walks up to me, hand already up, expecting a high-five. He abruptly stops few feet away though, glancing at something behind me. “Right…well, I need a shower.”

“Splendid idea! Let’s go converse about today’s battle underneath the falling sprinkle!” Thor decides and goes ahead first.

“For real,” Sam nods when he sniffs at Clint, nose scrunched up.

“You’re not exactly smelling of roses yourself,” Clint retaliates and both bird men head for the elevator, fiercely glaring at each other the whole way.

I risk turning around, fearing whatever it was that stopped even Clint in his tracks, but there’s nothing to see, really. Tony has sat back on the stool, looking down at his fidgeting fingers with that scary, closed off expression.

Bruce’s expression is anything but closed off – his rage is carefully hidden behind his eyes and to anyone else, he looks just as calm as ever. Until you realize that angered spark is next to last thing one would see before he turns all green.

He gives me a tiny smile and a nod, his left hand resting on Tony’s forearm in a simple, comforting gesture.

I return the nod and dodging Natasha’s own searching squint, I leave the room as well. I’ll make sure Steve gets his shit together and Bruce will make sure Tony’s okay. Sounds fair enough.

Just gotta ignore that painful sting that stabbed at my chest as soon as I’ve seen the two sciencebros together. Haven’t felt that one in…decades.

And it freaks me the hell out.

“Sergeant Barnes? Sergeant?”

I stir from my usual limbo to the gentle sound of JARVIS’s purposefully lowered, but urgent voice. “Wh’t?” I slur, running a hand over my eyes, clearing my vision a little bit.

Did I fall asleep? I was reading this weird book about sparkling vampires and…oh wait. Yeah. That might be the reason why I fell asleep. Natasha did mention I shouldn’t read it past midnight unless I really wanted to sleep.

“If I could possibly bother you with a…request,” JARVIS continues in the same, uncertain but adamant tone that he only ever uses when something serious is going on that he can’t do anything about. A mission…or Tony.

“S’mthin’ wrong?” I discard the large book and stretch in the chair.

“Possibly…do not be alarmed, please. It is nothing life threatening I assure you, but…your assistance would be much appreciated. By me, that is.”

So it is Tony. JARVIS always speaks in twisting riddles when his creator is concerned. Sometimes I don’t understand this dynamic they’ve got going. I suppose something in his code is preventing him from being straightforward about these matters – so he’s forced to improvise.

“What is it, JARVIS?”

“Sir has – how do I put it. He deemed it necessary to use last resort means in order to sleep tonight.”

Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all. “Last resort? Where is he? What kinda la - ”

“He is drinking by the penthouse piano, Sergeant. Not excessively, yet, but he had only just begun.”

“Oh. I’m not sure how I can help you with that.”

“I would usually request Colonel Rhodes’s presence in such cases, but he is too far to make it here soon enough. I…would prefer if Sir was not alone.”

And that right there is why everybody likes JARVIS. Because JARVIS likes everyone. He’s proven on many occasions before he’d go through great lengths to make everybody’s life here the best experience possible. Even my own.

But let’s just say this pursuit of his intensifies a thousand fold when it comes to Tony. And I can’t argue with that at all.

“What’cha want me to do?”

“Just keep him company.”

“I can do that,” I nod and get up, walking straight to the opening elevator. It’s a simple enough request, but... “Wouldn’t Bruce be a better choice though?”

“I believe given the current circumstances, Sir would appreciate you more than Dr. Banner,” JARVIS replies without hesitation, the raw honesty in his statement making me pause in my tracks for a second.

“Why?” I ask in a mere whisper, hand resting against the wall of the now moving elevator. Next to Colonel Rhodes, Bruce is Tony’s best friend when it comes to the Avengers. And me...I’m pretty much just a stranger.

“Because you understand,” he answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I let that sink in, while the elevator stops and opens on the floor I can’t say I’ve ever been on before. I often go to the roof, which is right above the penthouse, but the penthouse itself has always been taboo for me. Actually most of the Avengers.

It’s Tony’s sanctuary, much like the workshop. That makes it two places in the Tower I haven’t been in.

Or just one, now that I take a cautious step inside the spacious room. The lights are dimmed, but it isn’t hard to spot the engineer. He’s right where JARVIS said he would be – by the black concert piano next to the bar. One hand holding onto a bottle of brandy, the other ghosting over the black and white keys in some random melody.

It feels like I’m invading his privacy…technically, I am. Hopefully JARVIS was right or I might have to dodge a furiously hauled bottle of liquor.

Before I can decide how to best announce myself without startling him, his hand stills over the keyboard and the other extends toward me. It’s shaky and makes the golden liquid slosh in the bottle in wild audible waves.

“On second thoughts,” he looks at me with somewhat unfocused eyes, “why waste this expensive beauty on someone that can’t even get drunk.” The hand moves back to rest the bottle on Tony’s thigh and he squints at me. “Can you get drunk?”

Now that I think about it, I guess I can’t. If Steve can’t, then chances are it’s the same for me. I don’t remember HYDRA ever experimenting with this particular fact and the Soldier definitely didn’t go on any post-mission beers either.

“S’pose not,” I shrug, observing the surprisingly very sober man. He appears a bit hazy, but that could just be the exhaustion from however many hours he hasn’t slept for this time. “And I’m more of a beer guy anyway.”

He perks up at that, the squint disappearing. “Really? Where did you get your hands on a beer during the Great Depression?”

I chuckle and deeming it safe enough I walk slowly to the piano. “New York wasn’t all that big on prohibition you know? And by the time I could drink, prohibition was all but over anyway.”

Tony looks up in thought and nods. “Ah yeah…forgot,” he adds in a whisper and focuses back on the keys, not playing anything, just touching them curiously.

“There was this warehouse…I don’t really remember what it was called. I used to go there with a couple other fellas on the weekends to earn some money. Heavy liftin’ and stuff. Wasn’t much, but the manager always invited us for a pint after the shift. He was Irish I think...taught us all sorts of drinkin’ songs. And games.”

I smile at the memory. It’s so rare for me to recall something with enough detail to make a story out of it, but somehow all the drunken Saturdays just got back to me now.

I glance at Tony and catch him staring at me with a smile of his own.

“Drinking games? Now that’s more like it, Sergeant. And you said you wouldn’t know what to do when you can’t sleep,” he grins and puts the bottle up on the shiny surface of the piano, nudging it closer to me.

“S’not gonna work,” I poke the bottle and sigh. Can’t say I haven’t thought about it. But a drunken haze is a little too close to the dreamless abyss so yeah, I’d rather avoid that.

“Sucks.”

“How’s it workin’ for you?”

“Like magic! Can’t remember shit in the morning.”

“You don’t look very happy about it though,” I point out, leaning gently against the luxurious wooden instrument.

The grin slips away as his eyes travel down to the keys. “Isn’t exactly the best way to…how did your bestie put it? Rest and get my shit together? That. Contrary to everyone’s belief, I really would prefer the usual way.”

“Yeah…sorry about him, by the way. That was way out of line. What he did.”

“Thought he was supposed to fight the bullies, not be one of them,” he scoffs, playing a deep, dramatic accord.

Just as I imagined, he’s not really angry with Steve about what happened. He’s just quietly resigned about it.

And that’s just wrong.

I can be mad at my best friend for the both of us – and I am – but Tony should at least make it clear that leader or not, worried or not, Steve’s behavior was unacceptable. And if he wouldn’t listen, then he should explain what’s really going on underneath all the pretense of irresponsibility and recklessness.

Then again, same could be said for me. Even JARVIS suggested it. Just tell them the truth. Some things really are easier said than done.

I understand though. And only now I realize that I might be one of few that really do. We have the same kinda problem, with the added irony of wishing we could swap places.

To dream and not to dream.

I don’t really wanna deal with the others…explaining this to them, not even Steve. Especially not him. But Tony understands just as much as I do and I can’t say that I mind. Not at all. It’s…nice to know there’s someone in here that I don’t have to hide under a mask from. Someone that goes out of his way to make things easier for me – and I will sure as hell do the same.

“You’re right. I told him as much so…he tries somethin’ like this again, I’ll deck him in the face hard enough he flies all the way back to Brooklyn.”

He looks at me, eyes wide and mouth forming an astonished ‘o’. “Sergeant Barnes! That’s your best friend you’re talking about!” he maintains the scolding expression for a second before breaking into a laugh. “I’d pay to see that actually,” he adds in a whisper.

“You won’t have to, if he ever decides to be an asshole again.”

He yawns, eyeing the bottle still discarded on the piano.

“You play?” I opt to change the subject – and divert his attention away from the brandy again.

He shakes his head, glaring at the keyboard. “I guess. Mom used to…she was good at it, too. She thought me how to play, but hey. Playing the piano isn’t really the trademark Stark forte. Didn’t get to practice much…so now I’m just abusing this poor thing with my lack of skill whenever I feel like waking up the neighbors with broken as fuck Chopin.”

“Can’t be the judge of that. Never heard your broken as fuck Chopin,” I shrug and consider it a win when Tony laughs in response and waves at the nearby chair, the bottle all but forgotten.

“Grab a front row seat then, Sarge!” he offers.

I walk over to the chair and take it, but before moving it closer to the piano and sitting down, something needs to be done with this. “You can just call me Bucky, you know?”

“I will if you will,” he turns around a little to look at me, hands folded.

“You want me to call you Bucky?”

“Don’t be cute,” he conjures up an angry pout. “Besides…Bucky’s like a name for a dog. What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I was thinking five of my schoolmates were James’ so…Buchanan…Barnes...they thought Bucky was clever.”

“For a dog,” he repeats but has troubles keeping a smile from cracking his façade.

“Call me James then!” I flail and roll my eyes, trying not to indulge him too much.

“I already have a James friend,” he points out and looks thoughtful.

“You never call him James though.”

“Because it’s lame,” he mumbles and something sparkles in his hazy eyes, clearing them instantly. “For him I mean…James…sounds so old-fashioned. Might just be perfect for you,” he smirks and shuffles with the chair to a side a bit to make space for me.

“Dunno if I should be offended or not.”

“Definitely not. You will however be offended by this,” he points at the keyboard and starts playing something classical.

I suppose it’s the Chopin, but I’d never be able to tell anyway. It’s quick and melodic and…nice. So I just put the chair next to him, watching, listening.

By morning we’d moved to the couch to continue the random banter and eventually fall asleep.

And the dreamless slumber came again, only this time it didn’t feel all wrong, for whatever reason.

#prompts #winteriron #tony stark #bucky barnes #tony x bucky #lantia #steve is acting up #lil' protective bucky #piano!Tony

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battypastel · 8 years ago

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Perfect Date

@twinksilver, here’s your gift! :) I hope you like it!! + Word count: 3544 + Characters: APH France and APH England + Ship: FrUK Here’s the link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12328088/1/Perfect-Date Also posted under the Keep Reading tab.

“Oh, amour! You simply shouldn’t have!”, the Frenchman delighted, the bright lights from the Christmas tree colouring his face, beautifully. Puffing his chest some, wearing a proud smile, Arthur responded with a smooth, “Well, my darling, nothing is too god for you.” And just as Francis was leaning in to give him a proper thank you kiss on the cheek… Arthur woke up. The Englishman was actually rather quick to get up. He was definitely excited. Arthur had been planning this night for weeks and he felt like he had a full proof plan. Pick up his date, take him to the fine restaurant that he’d booked reservations at when he’d planned this night, escort him on a nice walk through the park, and have a lovely Christmas evening with his darling Francis. They’d only recently started dating and it felt like Francis was doing all of the wooing. It’s not that the Englishman felt emasculated by the romantic Frenchman, but Arthur wanted his chance to prove that he could be just as charming and romantic as the other. During the last date to a carnival, sure he had a good time, but he insisted that he handle the next date. He remembered it like it was yesterday: amused with his lover’s enthusiasm, Francis agreed. “Of course, mon cher”, he began with a lifted brow, “I’d love to see what you have planned.” It was genuine. Francis truly wanted to let himself be romanced by the English gentleman, and while Arthur didn’t show his delight on the outside, Francis could easily see through his boyfriend’s tough exterior. He knew that he was beaming on the inside. The Englishman checked the weather for the third time in the past hour. Sunny skies. Snow to be expected late in the night. Sure, it was a bit cloudy, but all of his weather sources said otherwise, so it was fine. *** Finally the time came! Arthur was dressed in his finest Winter date wear, A lovely light brown sweater that tapered into the slightest V-neck shape. His red scarf peeked from the opening of the V-neck and covered his white turtleneck shirt. And his pants were a simple dark denim. Formal, yet casual. The only thing that refused to work with him was his stubborn hair. Oh well, can’t have it all. When the time came, he hopped in his car and headed off to meet Francis. Of course, since Francis was visiting, he’d be taking Francis home with him so the remainder of his vacation could be cheap and they could maximize their time together. It only made sense!

Soon enough, he was pulled in front of the hotel. He gave Francis a phone call as he pulled up to the large hotel doors and soon enough, Francis emerged from the luxurious building with his large suitcase. Arthur was caught off guard by just how beautiful his date was. He was sporting an unbuttoned wine coloured windbreaker with a white plaid scarf lining the sides. Beneath that was an obvious navy turtleneck shirt and a pair of khakis. The short gust of wind made the Frenchman pull his windbreaker closed and button the bottom two buttons. That’s when he spotted Arthur in his car. The blonde waved before trotting over with his suitcase, he curls blown to the sides of his face as he moved against the pressure of the breeze. Arthur returned the wave, smiling a little. Thankfully, he unlocked his doors just before the Frenchman arrived. First, Francis opened the back doors to put his suitcase away. “Bonjour, lapin!”, “Don’t speak your silly language around me”, he responded lightly- Francis knew he was poking fun though. Francis settled in the passenger seat and the two met for a brief pre-date kiss on the lips. “Hello, my darling. Are you ready to start our evening?”, “But of course.” And so, the two caught up and exchanged pleasantries on their way to the fancy restaurant. Once the pulled up, Francis’ eyes grew slightly, “Oh, here? Pulling out all the stops are we?”, he grinned back at his lover. “Nothing is too good for you”, Arthur responded with a wink, and continued with: “And don’t you dare open your door.” Francis chuckled, “My, what a gentleman~”, he cooed. Arthur got out, opened Francis’ door for him, once he got out, the Englishman locked the car, then they walked in hand in hand.

This restaurant was one of the finest places in all of London. Expensive, atmospheric, and beautiful. Arthur put down a little cash ahead when he had reserved so that they could sit in front of the grand fireplace and he was quite proud of himself for reserving such a space. Arthur walked to the podium and was greeted by an older gentleman, “Reservation?”, “Yes. Under the name Kirkland. For six-thirty.” Francis let go of his boyfriend’s hand, caught p in memories from the first time they had come here. He’d completely tuned out as he admired the fine curtains and new paintings. The man flipped pages in the book at the desk. “Ah yes. Kirkland… A window seat perhaps?” Arthur blinked, his brows furrowing some at the mere suggestion, “What?”, he kept his voice controlled, though, “No. We’re in front of the fireplace.”, “Yes, well…”, the man cleared his throat, “I’m sorry to say, Mr. Kirkland, but we’ve double booked”, he didn’t sound sorry, “All seats around the fireplace are booked, including the one you wanted, I’m afraid.” That made him mad.

Glancing back at his lover to make sure he wasn’t listening, he stepped closer to the podium, whispering in an angry, but hushed tone, “Listen, you. I paid extra for that spot. I wanted that fireplace seat!” Something about the aggression in Arthur’s voice seemed to work on the man. He wasn’t threatening to pummel him in the street, but the man knew that this irritated customer could put paychecks at risk if he dared to call management… And this green eyed man seemed just like the type of person to do that. The man took a gentle, but slightly urgent tone: “You can have the meal for free, but I simply can’t give you a seat that someone else has already taken.” Arthur slumped some, defeated. Sure, he could throw a fit, but it would ruin his, and his lover’s date. “Fine. What do you have left…?” A sigh left the Englishman, soft as it was it grabbed the attention of his date. A free meal would be fine, certainly, the seat couldn’t be that bad. The man grabbed two menus and started off into the dining area, “Right this way…” He led the two to a far seat- just across from the seat that Arthur had expected to have. Francis settled in front of the window and Arthur in the chair across from him. “Here are your menus, gentlemen…”, the older man said before handing out the two menus. “Your waiter will be here in a moment to get your drink orders.” Francis knew that something was up by the way that Arthur was steadily collecting himself. He decided to pay attention to subtleties for the remainder of the evening. “You’ve picked a lovely place, mon cher”, he began sweetly. That alone caused a lot of his stress to go away- for now at least. The way the light hit Francis from behind, making the edges of his sun kissed skin look completely white. It made him look like an angel. “Yes, well. Only the best”, he stammered, slightly. You’d think after dating him for so long that his breath wouldn’t be absolutely taken so easily. That wasn’t the case. “Oh, Monsieur Kirkland, you’re too kind~”, Francis always flirted like it was the first date. And while Arthur knew that not every time that they saw each other had to be extravagant, Francis was worth it.

After a few moments the waiter came and got their drink orders before leaving to fetch the drinks and tend to other tables. The two knew that he would be back soon and decided to actually look at the menu. After a short, but fast look through, both men knew what they wanted. They were discussing it as the waiter approached. Francis was watching him from his peripheral. “Okay, so are you ordering, or me?”, “I will. What did you want”, they were talking fast “The Filet.” About that time, the waiter was upon them and interrupted. “Have you two settled on a meal?” he questioned while setting their drinks down, “Yes”, Arthur responded. The waiter took out his notepad to record the orders. Arthur had a surprise for his lover, though. After ordering their meals, he continued on: “Also, for an appetizer we’d like the fondue. And would you bring us two glasses of your finest wine?” Francis was impressed. They didn’t have to pay and Arthur was clearly going to jab at them in any way he could. The worst part was, now that it was established without any rules, none could be established, now. The waiter nodded, “Yes, sir.” And he was off. “My, you’re baring no expenses”, Francis pointed out. Just as Arthur was forgetting how much he initially didn’t want this seat for them, the crowd behind them at the Englishman’s much coveted fireplace began to get loud. Apparently, they had quite a bit to drink. It reminded him that his perfect date night wasn’t going perfect. He turned a bit to look at them. Francis could easily tell that it was bothering Arthur. “Amour-“, Francis began, “Don’t worry, they’ll likely be escorted out. This is the sort of place that doesn’t tolerate such behavior.” He knew Francis was right, but it still bothered him. Mostly because that seat was wasted. There was no way they could take it, even if the couple there were escorted out. “Yes, I know, but…” His ideal spot would be empty and ever teasing him. “But nothing. It’s fine!”, The Frenchman soothed, consoling his boyfriend, “Hrm-“, he huffed a little. Truly, he didn’t feel any better, but he was going to stifle it for his date’s sake. Besides, he still had dinner and the upcoming walk, and even better; the quiet evening. “Yes, you’re right. Although I hate to admit it”, he teased the Frenchman, earning a grin from the other. Arthur was incredibly relieved that Francis believed him. From that point, things seemed to get better. Conversation became a nice distraction along with thoughts of the near future. The food came and their dinner was peaceful. Francis’ joy was a good distraction for the Englishman. After all, his date was just happy to be there and his joy was contagious. He was only reminded of the loud couple when they were escorted away. And about that time, their appetizer was brought- great timing, honestly. Everything was going brilliantly, the conversation picked up and the entrees were brought out. Arthur wasn’t bothered by the empty table as much as he thought he would be- he was having too good of a time. When the meal was almost done, though… Their conversation was interrupted by the rumble of thunder.

Instantly, Arthur’s smile dropped. His attention was brought to the window. Francis paused, turning to follow his gaze. “Oh! Look, it’s starting to rain”, the Frenchman mused. Francis was indifferent, but Arthur? The rain’s presence truly upset him and it was obvious on the Englishman’s face. When Francis turned, his blue eyes widened; Arthur looked absolutely disheartened just from the rain! “Is everything okay?” Arthur visibly sunk when he registered the question, “Yes, it’s fine, don’t worry”, the Englishman managed to get out. Francis knew better. He aimed to get it out of him. “Did you want to head back to your place, amour?”, Francis asked in a soft, gentle voice, “I’m full.” Truth was, He’d noticed Arthur’s odd behavior from the start. “Just… Let me check something”, the Englishman took his phone out, checking the weather radar… … Nothing but rain for the remainder of the night. But the current weather still read only cloudy. He was so frustrated. A long sigh left him, “… Yeah. I’m not hungry anymore, either.” Noticing the two men not looking too happy, the fearful waiter moved back to the two men, “Can I get you anything else?”, “No”, Arthur responded, “We were just leaving.”

*** The two had gotten wet from the downpour while running to Arthur’s car. Thankfully, the locks were electric, so before they were even three feet to the car doors, the Englishman had unlocked his vehicle for them. He had an umbrella, but it had been in the boot of the car since Arthur didn’t expect any rain that day. The car ride was quiet at first, neither of the men talking, but for two entirely different reasons. Arthur was upset that his day had been ruined, and Francis was concerned for his lover. The only thing that made any sound at all was the hum of the engine and some pop song playing softly on the radio. Francis finally decided to speak, “Arthur…?”, “Hm?”, “What about the rain made your mood drop so suddenly?”, the question was genuine and sprinkled with concern. “It always rains here. Why should today be any different?” Thankfully, they weren’t hitting too many red lights. And Arthur’s house was a short trip away. Arthur decided to be somewhat honest, but he didn’t want to tell him everything yet, “Well. I expected the skies to be clear.” The letdown was still very fresh, and he was feeling particularly emotional at this moment. He needed a few minutes. “I had other plans today, and I specifically chose a day that it wasn’t supposed to rain. Or at least rain as much.”, “Plans?”, “Yes.” Arthur clearly didn’t want to elaborate, but Francis wanted answers. “Would you like to talk about it?”, “Not really.” Francis was determined to get it out of him. But perhaps not now, the Englishman seemed as though he wasn’t ready or willing to give answers. He opted to change the subject, “Did you have any plans for us when we got home?”, he questioned, curiosity dancing in his voice. “Something at home?”, Arthur perked up a bit, “I do, actually!”, “Do tell, amour.” Francis’ cool gaze was on his boyfriend, who’d perked up at the mention. “Well, I figured we’d decorate my tree and enjoy some hot cider together.” “Magnifique!”, Francis chirped. Afterwards, he had planned to watch the snow with Francis, but there was no harm in parting the blinds and listening to the peaceful rainfall in his lover’s arms. There was still tonight! Once they got home, Francis shed his windbreaker and scarf and Arthur removed his own scarf, the discarded clothes hanging nicely in the entry way. Shoes were removed and two pairs of house shoes were taken to protect the lovebirds’ feet from the cold hardwood floors. “I’ll put the cider on then?”, Before Arthur could even say yes, Francis was in his kitchen, “You know where everything is?”, Arthur called, a faint smile touching his lips, “Yes, and if I need anything, I’ll call you.” Arthur busied himself by opening the blinds to the glass sliding door so that the rain could be seen and cast a nice light into the room. Paired with that he turned on his ceiling lights. He recently put in some recessed lighting similar to the situation at Francis’ house. He liked how stylish it looked, and it made the room brighter and bigger. “I like what you’ve done with the place”, Francis commented, playfully from the open bar section where he could see into the den. “Why that you, I came up with the idea myself”, Arthur playfully jabbed back, earning a laugh from Francis. “I’ll be right back, keep the cider coming.”

Then he treaded back to his storage room where he kept various decorations. He’d moved his ornament and light box close to the door in anticipation, early in the month in anticipation for this night. The box was fairly light, and an easy push to its destination. Francis stepped out from the kitchen and joined Arthur in the den. “The apples have to boil a bit. Let’s work on the tree.” Arthur could tell that he was excited to do this. How could he say no? “Alright, let’s put the lights on first”, he picked up a box, “These are brand new. They’ll work just fine”, “Let’s test it for good measure…~”, the Frenchman plucked the box out of his hands and pulled the light strand out. Seeking the nearest outlet, he plugged them in. “They all work!”, “Okay, okay, you get on that side, and I’ll be on this side…” They started stringing the branches when Francis piped up again, “Arthur, let’s not plug it in until the tree is complete.” He was like an excited child. Arthur grinned, “Your wish is my command, dear.” They had a fun time stringing the tree. When they got to the tinsel, Francis would continuously catch his English lover with it, pull him close and kiss him, but he’d also try to tickle his cheeks with the shiny silver decoration. It was a lot of fun. By the time that they got to the beaded layer, Francis had to go tend to the cider “Keep going, amour! I’ll be right back!” A soft laugh left Arthur, he was right. Despite being in an ideal situation to finish decorating a tree faster, they were giggling and goofing off. If Arthur didn’t get the string of beads on quick enough, they would be there all night.

So he took the beads and draped them over and through the branches to create a wavy effect. Once Francis was back, he was taking out ornaments and setting them out on the table. He didn’t have many, so it didn’t take too terribly long. By the time they were done, the rich smell of cinnamon and apples wafted through the air, mingling with the fresh pine and the subtle mint smell from the air freshener. It smelled like Winter should smell for the both of them, but what made it feel like Christmas morning already was the presence of each other. It was getting dark and the storm hadn’t let up, but the flashes of lightening wasn’t too bad. As Francis put it: it was a lightshow to celebrate them being together. So what if they missed the walk? This was perfect.

“Ready?”, Arthur questioned, holding up the plug, “Ready”, Francis responded, holding up his phone to capture the memory with his camera. “One. Two… Three.” He plugged it it and just as the tree lit up, the power went out. All of the lights in the house were off, the heater was out, and the icing on the cake for the date was ruined. Instead of taking a snapshot, Francis turned on his flashlight. “Hah. This is one for the books, isn’t it, lapin??”, Francis’ smile instantly left when he saw Arthur’s face, though. His lover was silently on the verge of tears! “Arthur! Oh, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” He reached out, caressing his soft, slightly chubby cheek. “Don’t cry-“, “And why not?? Everything I’ve planned… Nothing has followed through!” Francis took his hand and guided him to sit on the loveseat. “Here. Have a seat. Why would you say that…?” Francis settled next to him and sat his phone away. He pulled Arthur’s legs into his lap and held him close to comfort him while he spoke. “First… We were going out to that restaurant, and I booked the fireplace seat. They double booked and I lost our seat”, “But we had a lovely seat. The way the sky coloured your skin was magnifique. And we still got to eat at the restaurant you wanted, non?”, “Yes, well… I had planned for a walk afterwards through the park, but the downpour put a stop to that plan…”, “Running through the rain to your car was exciting. We can walk another time.” “But the power-“ The two’s vision had somewhat adjusted to the light, and they could see each other face to face in the dim light only provided by the window. Francis cupped his cheeks and spoke gently, “Arthur, as far as I’m concerned, this has been a successful date.” That shocked him. Francis continued on. “We ate at a nice restaurant, sprinted through the rain, and warmed up in your car before spending time together decorating your tree. A date isn’t about being precise. I do not care for schedules or what may be considered a perfect date. Not when I’m with my perfect person…”, he soothed, softly. Arthur smiled. “That’s better. You know what we have until the electric company fixes the power?”, “What’s that?”, “Hot cider and good company.” Francis stood to fetch them each a cup, taking his phone with him to work as a flashlight. Arthur thought quietly to himself with only the steps and clatters in the kitchen from his loving boyfriend accompanied by the sound of the rain hitting the roof, that this was a wonderful, successful night after all.

#fruknewyears2017 #fruk #APH England #APH France #fanfic

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jameshpuff · 6 years ago

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Venus enters Pisces (26/3/2019-19/4/2019) Gemini & Sagittarius

Gemini/Sagittarius Sun (Square Venus)

Sun square Venus transit gives the extra push needed to spice up your love life. There may be an underlying tension inside that forces you out of your comfort zone so that you make more of an effort to have some fun, or find pleasure through meeting friends or interacting with loved ones.

There is a need for love and affection like the other Sun to Venus transits, but with the square you have to make the effort by first giving the love. Things will only turn ugly if you use people to satisfy you need for pleasure, or if you spend too much money on things for short-term enjoyment. The need to express Venus energy can also be positively channeled through art and craft.

Gemini/Sagittarius Moon (Square Venus)

Transiting Moon square Venus increases your need for pleasure through love and affection. You should feel sociable, romantic, sensual and sentimental. However, sometimes you can be careless, moody or self-indulgent. If your love life were to suffer you would then feel sad and lonely.

You will probably find it hard to get motivated for any difficult or challenging tasks such as going to work. A much better option is to seek pleasure through friendship or activities that bring you joy.

A healthy relationship may undergo some slightly uncomfortable moments, This can easily be remedied by making an extra effort to please your lover and compromise to maintain harmony.

Unsatisfying relationships may suffer from disloyalty or other forms or disrespect. Trying to satisfy your need for intimacy with a stranger would cause problems because of your carelessness and low standards.

A new romance now would be challenging but not impossible. There would be a number of tests to pass in order to be sure of mutual love, respect and loyalty.

When seeking pleasure be mindful of a tendency to overdo things. Self indulgence, greed and laziness would not make you look so beautiful. Avoid impulse buying and leave your credit card at home.

Gemini/Sagittarius Mercury (Square Venus)

Mercury square Venus transit can make you feel uncomfortable or awkward in social situations. Carelessness with your words and a tendency to be opinionated could lead to disagreements or embarrassment. Conflict is unlikely but this is probably a time for listening more than talking.

Tension in your love life is possible as differences in your ideas or plans become more obvious. Discovering you like different things need not cause arguments if use some tact and try to compromise. But avoid giving too much ground because you might agree to something just to keep the peace and regret it later.

When in the company of others be mindful to remember you manners because your social skills may be lacking. This is not be best time for shopping as you are likely to buy things you do not need. Self restraint is needed with money as well as sweet food and whatever else you have a weak spot for.

Gemini/Sagittarius Venus (Square Venus)

Venus square Venus transit Although this influence is subtle, you might notice an imbalance in your relationships. Someone is giving more or feeling more than the other. Differences in personal style, tastes, and ways of expressing affection may emerge or become glaringly apparent. Compromise requires some effort. Touchiness could be coming from you or from those close to you, and you might be feeling underappreciated. There could be a feeling of uncertainty about your financial or romantic prospects. Your natural, instinctive approach to socializing and expressing your affections is not received well for the time being.

Gemini/Sagittarius Mars (Square Venus)

Mars Square Venus transit increases your sex drive but can cause relationship difficulties if there is already some underlying sexual or competitive tension. However, in a healthy relationship where both partners have equally strong egos, this transit can bring a period of more exhilarating sexual activity.

If single, your increased sexual desire is matched by a more attractive aura. However, if dating you should take care not to lower your standards or put yourself at risk because of your impatient lust. Affairs are now more likely but not necessarily of a lasting nature.

So in a good relationship your love is expressed through sex. But in a difficult relationship it is more likely that hate will be expressed due to a buildup of sexual frustration. This is probably not the best time to work out the underlying causes of relationship tension because the need for sexual satisfaction is so primal it overrides all else.

Venus square Mars transit is associated with anger, a lack of self control and impulsiveness. So if you are already an impatient or aggressive person, try not to lose your temper if you face rejection. Compromise will help avoid hostility, but a tendency to agree to anything just to get your way could lead to loss and regret.

There are other ways to safely express your frustrations. Physical tension can be released in productive ways like through sport, exercise or masturbation. You could also channel this energy into creative work like sculpture or dance.

Gemini/Sagittarius Jupiter (Square Venus)

Transiting Venus square Jupiter is ideal for having fun but not so good for working hard. You should be feeling happy, optimistic, generous and very sociable. Problems will arise if you need to attend to more serious matters in which a responsible or conservative attitude is needed.

This is generally a good time for socializing and making new friends. Care must be taken, however, not to lower your standards if dating as this could lead to wrong choices or embarrassing situations. You may be more inclined to have an affair at this time and that would eventually backfire leading to stress in a marriage.

Dieters may have difficulty avoiding gluttony at this time. A tendency toward greed, excess and extravagance also poses problems for drinkers and drug users. Moderation is required but that is difficult to come by when you are in such a jovial mood.

One more area of concern is you finances, as Venus rules money and Jupiter rules wealth. There will be a tendency to overspend on luxury items, fashion, cosmetic, holidays and entertainment, anything that you can actually do without if money is tight.

Gemini/Sagittarius Saturn (Square Venus)

Saturn Square Venus transit can add stress to intimate relationships due to negative feelings, distance or other relationships problems. Most of these hindrances will stem from your own fears or criticisms, but you may face the same from others.

Basically, you are not so fun to be around for this day or so. To maintain harmony in relationships, it would be better to spend some time alone, but don’t ignore the affections and love of others either. Putting in the extra effort will reduce the risk of relationship dramas.

It is common under this influence to feel lonely and depressed, totally normal for human life. It will pass quickly and then you can get back to a harmonious and peaceful existence. Money can also be tight with this transit so avoid a tendency toward wasting money and other resources.

Although motivation may be lacking and you would prefer to be lazy, this transit may require hard work to maintain your present relationship, career or other valued part of life. This is no time to be ignoring your responsibilities, especially for loved ones. Although you will be feeling low and in need of love, someone close to you may lean on your for support and would be greatly disappointed if you let them down.

Sagittarius Uranus (Square Venus)

Uranus square Venus transit can challenge the stability of love relationships through unexpected urges or events. An increased need for freedom and excitement can test your patience with a love one or lead to wandering eyes. If you have been feeling smothered, confined or bored, then you may lash out in anger or through some other destructive behavior.

A healthy relationship will face no major drama, especially with an open-minded partner. Experimentation in the bedroom would satisfy your need to increased stimulation. The more demanding or conservative you partner, then the more likely you are to stir up trouble or have an affair.

I you try to resist the urge for change and excitement, and bottle this spontaneous energy up, then it is likely that you partner will express this energy through some unexpected and sudden action. Entertainment, amusement and novelties will suffice if you are not the daring type.

Singles may be attracted to exciting or eccentric people. Those who seem like a risk or are from a different cultural or ethnic background. New romance is possible but it would more likely be a brief relationship unless other longer term transits indicated otherwise.

Care needs to be taken when shopping, as you are more likely to impulse buy and spend too much and unnecessary items.

Sagittarius Neptune (Square Venus)

Neptune square Venus transit can lead to feelings of insecurity about yourself and how you look. It is possible that you will feel that others are looking at you oddly or think you are strange in some way. It is important to realize that any such impressions are distorted and do not match reality. A poor self-image at this time can lead to relationship difficulties. You can also experience disappointment in your love life by forming a distorted image of someone else. There is a tendency to over-idealize romantic interests at this time, ignoring the obvious faults which are plain for others to see.

Both situations leaves you susceptible to major disappointment, being taken advantage of or being someone’s doormat, or even their sex slave. This is very easy to deal with if you are in a healthy relationship due to mutual understanding and trust. A relationships on rocky grounds would be more problematic, and matters of trust may become an issue. Starting an affair at this time would prove difficult to hide.

Although your heightened need for tenderness and affection may lead to a new relationship at this time, you must stay conscious of the confusing Neptunian influence. It would be wiser to wait until after this transit before committing yourself or being too trusting of another person.

Poor self-esteem and lack of self-discipline make this a bad time for sticking to diets or for partying. You will be more susceptible to the depressive influence of alcohol and more susceptible to poisoning in general. Addiction is more likely if you were to dabble in drugs. Regular users should beware of overdose, infection, or being ripped off by dealers.

Sagittarius Pluto (Square Venus)

Transiting Venus square Pluto can have a profound effect on your love life. Power and control issues may arise in existing relationships. Simmering tension may come to the surface as some manipulative behavior like jealousy or possessiveness. At the root of such behaviors would be a deeply buried fear or insecurity about not feeling loved or valued. Of course, it may be you who is subject to such behaviors from a partner.

Threats and ultimatums are possible if either partner feels smothered or controlled. An unhealthy relationship may breakdown which would be very painful or dramatic. A well based relationship will withstand the intensity of this transit. In this case, there would still be some kind of transformation undertaken within the relationships dynamics.

New love is possible now and it could seem like instant attraction. However, you must also realize that such an infatuation may lead to an abusive or even violent attachment.

Gemini/Sagittarius Rising (Square Venus)

Be aware that you are far more sensitive than usual, which can complicate partnerships, romantic relationships, and/or dealings with women in general. Guard against impulsive spending. You’re more inclined to buy items on emotional whims rather than based on clear thinking. If circumstances call for an aggressive or forthright approach, you are more inclined to shy away or to fumble. In fact, you may be procrastinating with your work now, preferring to enjoy or simply pamper yourself.

Gemini/Sagittarius Midheaven (Square Venus)

You may find some of your values at odds with your own best interests. You may not appreciate tradition or someone older in authority.

You enjoy playing the role of hostess or host, displaying your good taste, affection, and appreciation for the finer things. Lightness, humor, and good times shared is the focus for you now. Go to the extra trouble to decorate, embellish, bring out your best china, and show people a good time. Opportunities to come together for a celebration, while not entirely trouble free, will be beneficial overall.

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numberoneproperty2018 · 7 years ago

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80+ Ways to Make Money by Investing Your Spare Income (Or your Savings!)

Overview

A lot of people in the world listen to the word “investment,” and they feel already out of place. Most regular folks think that investments are just something reserved for rich people and business enthusiasts.

The truth is that everyone is an investor at some point in their lives. Wherever we buy a toy with a collector mindset, pay for education, or buy a house to live we are making investments to better our quality of life.

The list includes complex endeavors as well as simpler ones. All of them have a single defining trait in common: you need to risk some money on your behalf to make them work, so we’ll offer a brief explanation of each one and how to approach them.

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1. Getting Into Real Estate by Becoming a Landlord

If you have savings over $500,000, you can play in the big leagues of real estate, either directly or indirectly. You can contact one of the many real estate projects being developed around the world and place your investment in a unit to become a landlord and secure a monthly return as you rent it to someone else.

While this has proven to be a steady way to get your money back, it takes a lot of time, and it all depends on outside factors such as the demand for the property offered in the market. It can also be affected by the type of contract you set with your tenant.

This secure investment earnings in the long run, but it can become quite taxing on you as you probably will still have to attend your business or your job. You can share the utilities with a real estate agency that will give you a paycheck each month after taking their share for administering your property.

Also read: Top 10 tips for getting into good school in Singapore

2. Becoming a Real Estate Broker

If you are low on cash and your budget goes from $1,000 to $10,000 you can still get in the game by doing some deep research about the state of the market on geographical zones of your interest.

Many people make money from real estate by flipping contracts and working as brokers for deals that are practically looking for each other to happen: families looking to lease or sell a property, business owners looking to buy a new locale.

Such are the examples of the people needing these services, and you can make it happen by educating yourself with the tools to identify these distressed sellers and the buyers that are ready with cash on hand to make these deals go through.

As you can expect there are thousands of entrepreneurs offering webinars and products to make a broker out of you, but the best way to test your mettle is by using this information as a referential standpoint and make things happen by yourself.

3. Investing Into House Flipping

House flipping is one the oldest business endeavors in the book when it comes to real estate deals. You can make it work in neighborhoods that are experiencing an increasing demand and are poised to become the target of gentrification to turn a quick profit. You will need some money since it requires for you to buy property at low prices and fix it to look really good just to sell it at a premium to whoever comes buying.

The deal can be closed with a new owner or a developer looking to clear out the location. Either way, you still get to win money if you are able to back up the work done on the property. While house flipping is not exactly ethical, there is no law forbidding it, and it drives up the cost of the property and the lot where is built.

You many also like: TOP Projects in Singapore

4. Manage Real Estate Properties Using Technology

The greatest thing about technology is that it has evolved the way we approach real estate as a business opportunity, and to earn some money with a house on a good location, there is always an option to offering it using one of the multiple apps managing properties as lodging options for travelers. The most popular choice, of course, is airing, but there are options out there that can work as well.

If you are in the early stages of recovering your investment, this might not be the best course of action. In this case, the best approach is to enter the trade market managed by thousands of agencies online and strike a deal for a better property by offering yours as collateral, if the deal is done at your pace, you can secure some extra money by increasing the price based on the work you did on the property in the first place.

5. Dealing with Real Estate Notes

One of the last options to get in this business works mostly by proxy since you can act as a capital partner and you won’t need to deal with property or with tenants in any sort of way. We are talking of course about dealing with Real Estate Notes, and it works with such simplicity that it’s almost beautiful to watch: A body of investors crowd funds resources from third parties to buy real estate properties on a project or zone that is poised to have a great deal of demand.

These investors manage the properties at their convenience while offering safe returns to the third parties (such as you) in an agreed timespan. This is one of the riskiest options on the list and one of the most criticized on big cities where gentrification is an ongoing issue. It’s also very easy to pull a scam on this one, so the best approach to it is by using certified agencies with a verifiable reputation that goes beyond mere internet reviews.

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6. Getting Associated With Real Estate Investment Trusts – REIT’s

REIT’s are companies that own, manage or operate real estate properties that generate some sort of income such as residencies projects with commercial areas, office buildings, lodging-proposed structures, malls, private medical facilities, and warehouses.

While in the past these partnerships where nearly-closed business opportunities, they are very publicized these days by many agencies offering options to purchase shares on open exchange initiatives or by opening investment spots on mutual funds that offer secure returns according to the stages of completion of the development.

As you can probably imagine, buying out the REIT participation of someone else from an already established project is way less risky than getting involved in a new project, but it also needs a great deal of study to understand why someone would sell a share of something that is reporting a steady source of income.

Also Read: Ultimate Guide to Buying Malaysia Property

7. Invest Some Money on the Stock Market

Historically speaking the stock market is the easiest way to make money in the world. It’s also one of the easiest ways to lose everything if you make the wrong move. There is no basic science behind the stock market since every single player that has earned money playing the field with a different approach, but it’s also preposterous to suggest that blind luck guides the behavior of the market on any given day.

There is a basic set of rules and indications that investors follow depending on the size of their investment and how quickly they need to get their returns. One of the easiest ways to get your money back is by studying and targeting stocks that have a good track record of paying out good dividends. You just need to check their performance during specific dates, and their history of dividend payouts at the end of the year to get started.

8. Get Involved With Preferred Stock

While dividend stock has proved to be very profitable, even with the huge risk factor involved, there are safer ways to trade stock from specific companies that offer preferred options for investment.

Usually offered as a way to get back on their feet after a heavy blow or a big transaction, established companies offer preferred stock to keep their presence in the market strong and steady.

These stocks work very much in the same way as bond payments since they are secure ways to get returns. The only downside of these papers is that they are not offered very often, and you need big money to be able to bid on them.

9. Place Money on Mutual Funds

Mutual Funds are one of the easiest ways to make money while securing the capital you put down an initial payment on any given investment. While this option is very safe on your end, the interests’ rate is not really big if you are looking for something that reports big earnings in the short run.

The yearly return rates are also very low since the cash is in a stationary state or being used to face-front collateral by a third party. While this sounds shady, it’s actually pretty legal. You can even use agencies, brokers, and banks that need the capital to get involved in their own business endeavors.

10. Get Involved With the Forex Market

The Forex Market is one of the greatest assets of the business world since it’s a way to make high-leverage investments very simple for people who don’t have the knowledge to trade in the open market. The easiest approach is to contact an agency and place an investment on the most common assets dealt in the Forex market (usually currency, stock, bonds or commodities).

The agency will handle their investment using your money and pay a return based on how well they do. The best advantage about Forex investment is that they are usually done very quickly and if you are lucky enough you’ll have a big return.

The established Forex companies are always full of information and detailed interfaces to make your investment as safe as possible, but the mechanics behind their work are still based on basic rules of supply and demand, and as such you could still face loses since you won’t actually own any asset, you are just financing an investment.

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11. Manage a Social Trading Account

Taking a cue from social networks, this initiative took the best elements of online social interaction and Forex trading and merged into a very functional algorithm. Social trading is a way to take advantage of the behavioral pattern of established Forex investors and set up your investment account to make the same financial moves they do to win your own money.

While if often viewed as something risky by many, and regarded as “lazy investment” by some, it actually makes a lot of sense if an established player sets shop in one of the many platforms offering these services. You’ll be able to win as much money as you are willing to invest by following the track record of someone who has the expertise you lack.

You Many also like: TOP Projects in Singapore

12. Open a High-Interest Savings Account

Making money with a high-interest account is not as risky as most of the options offered in the list, but it pays good dividends if you have saved a lot of money over the years. While some financial institutions offer no limit to the amount of money, you need to open an account most of them ask for at least a $10,000 deposit to earn a nominal amount of interest.

The only thing you need to do is keep your money in place in the bank and increase the amount of your savings by making periodical deposits. To make sure you are working with a good bank look at their interest rates, if they pay anything over 1.5% and charge no fees, you are working with someone looking for your best interests. Be wary of checking their reputation though, as well as their alliances with regulatory agencies to look for any red flags.

13. Certificate Of Deposit

This products it’s also known as “fixed-term investment,” and it’s one of the dullest financial vehicles you can get that poses no risks to your money. Of course, dull means “safe” and it will suit you if that’s what you are looking for.

The instrument works in very simple fashion: You give your money to the bank for a negotiated amount of time while according an interest rate with them.

The bank will hold the money for the agreed time while paying an interest rate that will not vary, no matter the conditions of the market at the set date of the end of the agreement. Some financial institutions offer to pay the interest in advance, while others pay them at the end of the term.

14. Get Some Insurance

Insurance weighs on the conscience of everyone who wishes to protect their assets, but also on those who want to ensure the financial stability of their loved ones should anything happen to them.

Many people disregard insurance as an investment, but the fact is that you are using money to cover your back in case that something bad happens to you, either to cover for medical expenses that are unaccounted for in your budget or to grant a specific amount of money to your family in the case of your death.

Insurance money is also the biggest lifesaver when it comes to dealing with tax agencies since the payment is made by these companies are cleared of charges to the beneficiary.

15. Start a Peer-To-Peer Lending Service

If you have a good chunk of cash resting on your accounts and you are pretty organized, you can try your luck at setting up a lending agency. Beware though: lending money to unknown people is not the same as lending money to friends or family.

You need to screen the money and work out deals to get your money back with the interest rate entitled to it to break even and make the loan profitable for you. A quick analysis of this market will let you know that you’ll face a lot of competition in a field that is already packed.

Trying to set up your loan operation at a disadvantage by offering better conditions to release the money will make you a target of the kind of people who usually have a lot of problems to pay back loans. So the best approach is to work with a smart strategy to collect and offer short amounts of money at fixed interest rates to get more earnings.

16. Trade Commodities

Another market that was exclusive to just a few powerful investors in the past now is common ground for people who have an interest in them. There are quite a number of commodities in the open market to put your money on.

While the most popular ones are still gold, silver, oil and a wide catalog of minerals, there are openings to buy valuables such as livestock, spices, fabrics and other goods that receive the benefits of the many treaties that give them tax exemptions at the borders.

All it takes to get involved in the dynamics of commodities is to get informed on the one that holds your interest, and being money-ready with capital to be placed as down payment when it’s needed.

17. Trade Cryptocurrencies

You probably have heard the term by now. Names like Bit coin, Ethereal, Lite coin, Dash are the new face of money. They are fully digital currencies that answer to no authority and no central bank in the world. Crypto currencies are freely traded under basic rules of demand and supply, and there is more than one way to learn about their benefits and disadvantages.

While crypts are not exactly the most stable form of investment, they have been evolving to offer more security to their users, and the financial world has been adapting to their presence by embracing the technology behind them. Feared by some, acknowledged by many, the truth is that digital currencies are here to stay and they are a good form of investment as any.

18. Become a Business Broker

Not to be confused with our second piece of advice on the list. There is a huge difference between being a real estate broker and a business broker. As a business broker, you will get a broader view of every single opportunity that comes your way, and you’ll be able to connect the dots to lead to a service provider to meet with a paying customer requiring their services.

This business endeavor requires full commitment on your behalf since you will need to learn a lot about the general estate of the field you are interested in. You also need to build some charisma for those moments when you need to engage face-to-face with your customers. Business brokers usually get paid very well when they make any deal happen, but they need to be prepared to have a good success rate.

19. Start a Themed Blog

A themed blog is actually quite easy to handle if you are working on a topic related to something you are passionate about. Sure, there are already quite a few blogs out there online, and depending on your topic of choice you’ll be facing a few competitors in your field, but this is what makes things interesting, since your unique take may be the one that spins the theme into something new.

If your approach to blogging is as a mere business opportunity, you’ll probably need to invest in a writing service to provide content for you. If you center your site on reviews and you drive a great deal of traffic, you’re very likely to get sponsorship from a major retailer or from a business looking to get their products promoted on your site.

20. Invest Some Money in Domain Flipping

This is maybe one of the easiest ways to make money online, as well as one of the oldest ones. Domain flipping merely consists of buying a website domain related to a popular keyword or popular search used on engines such as Google and holding on to it to sell it to the highest bidder.

While buying domains that are closely tied with big brands these days is nearly impossible, you can still capitalize on this trend by taking a close look at the niche or business market you are interested in.

A quick analysis of the metrics related to the targeted keywords will let you know what the best course of action is. When you register the domain, make sure to use the extension “.com” to make it an easy sell.

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21. Make an Investment by Flipping a Whole Website

While buying domains can guarantee you a great deal of revenue if you sell the domain for the right price, you can get more money by flipping a whole website. The investment may prove taxing since you will probably have to make an offer to the original owner of the site and hire a creative team to improve the existing content to something that generates more traffic and revenues. While this business model can be a little slow, it can report tremendous earnings if you do a good job with the rebranding process.

There are certain cases where flipping a website brings more business, ad revenue, and sponsorship to a larger operation. Such is the case of websites like CBR.com and Comicbook.com both fan sites used to run by individuals who were paid a fair share for their websites to be re-brandished around pop culture news. There are also very bad moves that can leave a hole in the wallet of the investor, such as the final price paid for Myspace by NewsCorp who bought it from Tom Anderson for $580 million back on 2005 And Later Sold It to Justin Timberlake On 2012 for $35 Million.

22. Set up A Software Reselling Operation

As far as business strategies go, nothing is easier than setting up shop as a reseller of software. The main expense you’ll make is getting stock on a product that has a certain demand. The product you choose is a matter of personal preference in accordance with your perceptions of a certain share of the market or the data you gather about the business possibilities in that market.

You will have to possibility to decide how you want to work: as a wholesaler or a larger distribution chain, or by selling the finished product to paying customers. The main advantage of working as a reseller is that you don’t have to deal with the multiple issues that distributors have to face such as labeling, branding or answering for warranties. Any customer dealing with resellers receives a damaged product, and they have to file a complaint to the manufacturer directly.

23. Sell a Course Based On Your Knowledge

Do you consider yourself experienced in a certain area of your profession? Are you a certified professional on something that is very specific to a business niche? If you answered “yes” to at least one of those questions, you have half the job done already on the path to monetizing your experience. While many people choose to teach, this might not be the best course of action or the one that will offer more revenue for your knowledge.

Task

The best approach is to invest some money into crafting a crash-course, a webinar, a master class or even a seminary. There are many tools out there teaching you how to do it as well as a number of consultants that can take your expertise and turn it into a gold mine. With the right marketing strategy, you’ll have people paying for your course and improving your income.

24. Sell Stock Photography

If you have a good eye for visuals that tell a story, you can make some money by selling pictures on stock photo sites. While you may have the ideas, you probably lack the expertise or the hardware to take these photos.

You can invest a little money to hire a photographer or a creative agency to shape your ideas, and hire the right models and take these pictures by the bulk and offer them for sale on these websites.

The returns of the investment can be a bit slow if the pictures are not good, but if you manage to bring forward your vision with striking quality, you’ll get your money back in no time on top of added revenue.

25. Start an Ecommerce Retail Shop

Picture for a moment how much money you think Amazon makes on a single day, or rather do a simple Google search and see the numbers for yourself. It’s no wonder so many people want a piece of that action by replicating their model. Amazon was one of the first ecommerce web shops that were successful beyond the wildest dreams of their original developers.

Their business model is really not that complicated: they buy a good stock of goods, they set them up in a number of warehouses, and they promote their business to get customers to buy said well through their website.

Of course, you may not have Amazon’s monetary resources or logistics, but you have the initiative and the advantage that offers the distribution system of your location, which is the main advantage you might have over them. Give this one a shot by starting out local and see where it takes you from there.

26. Write Content for Websites

As the title implies, you can make some money by writing ghost pieces or articles online, the main investment here is on hardware since you’ll probably need a laptop or a desktop to handle your assignments.

Depending on your writing skills, you’ll be able to charge specific rates for your work. Published authors can charge as much as $100 to $250 for a basic 500-word article, a native English speaker with mid-level writing skills can get $20 to $30 for a written piece.

Writers with no experience with the language or very poor grammatical skills can make up to $5 an article since their work is usually handled by the bulk and heavily edited by agencies or creative on their own.

27. Invest In Collectibles and Antiques

One of the very few things that many shows like “Pawn Stars” or “Storage Wars” depict correctly is the fact that collectibles are very valuable and the people involved in that kind of market are always looking for bargain prices on items they can sell later for a premium.

While these shows make it seem that the market is cluttered with overbearing investors and people willing to go to certain extremes to get their hands on these pieces, these are mostly theatrics staged for the sake of their shows.

The real collectible market is driven by people who are perpetually hunting down items to trade or sell on multiple platforms (such as eBay). More than once they happen to score that item that will bring the dough home.

If you wish to get involved in this world, you’ll need to invest in knowledge above everything else: books, guides, webinars, anything that gives you expertise on the share of the market you want to be involved with. Don’t buy the hype of these shows though: you need to rely on your own expertise because you can’t call an expert every time you need one.

28. Become a YouTube

The approach to become an internet personality has changed for some time now. YouTube is still the preferred platform to upload original content and monetize it, but after the website was bought by Google on 2006 they have tightened the leash as more content creators hop on the platform expecting to become the next PewDiePie (the most proficient YouTuber of all time that ranks at least an average of $4 million each year just by uploading videos of himself playing Video Games).

Now to get in the radar of the monetization algorithms set by the company most YouTubers need to make some serious investment in software, hardware, revision and editing of the content offered in their channel, being well-documented with the info related to their topic, and a disposition to embrace critics with professionalism. Last but not least, they need to look the part for the market they are trying to penetrate.

This is very different than the old approach where you just needed a webcam and a little imagination to become a web sensation, but the cold hard truth is that internet personalities now rank on par with celebrities and have near the same level of influence than most of them.

29. Become an Online Motor-Piece Store

The greatest thing about setting up an online operation is the wide array of business niches you can center your business on. Selling car parts is good business if you have the cash flow to keep a big operation.

But if you are starting out the main way to get noticed is to specialize on a single brand or a specific car models, if you focus on customizing parts you won’t be facing much competition at all.

This only requires for you to set up storing space and a stock of product as well as a clear and cut policy detailing the coverage of warranties on your end.

30. Set up Your Own Apparel Store

If you are a designer with a lot of great ideas for clothes you can set shop on your own by investing some money in setting shop. These days you don’t need to have a physical store unless you are an established brand. You just need your designs, a little knowledge about fabrics, contract the services of a manufacturer, and invest in the design of your own website.

Your approach could go either way, and it will prove good business if you know how to handle yourself and market your brand using the right strategy. You can aim for a wide reach by going with a low-priced clothing line that will report earnings on sales by the bulk, or you can go for name recognition by offering your designs exclusively on your website by selling them by the unit.

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31. Become a Social Media Specialist

One of the most notorious trends on this very list is the need to invest some money contracting the services of creative teams or creative agencies. These are usually tasked to handle the social media strategies to position a business on the web by using social networks and creating a landing website where a customer can engage with the brand.

You can become an expert on these tools too by investing some money on proper formative courses that will give you the means to understand how these marketing strategies work. While you can get the additional experience on your own by trial and error, you’ll be able to offer your services as a social media specialist for a fee after being more experienced.

32. Start a Cleaning Service

If you are wondering how this option landed the list pay close attention: A cleaning service pays very good money if you are willing to offer your services after working hours to offices and certain business outlets. The investment you need to make goes on par with the quality of the service you are looking to provide, as well as your targeted customer base. You’ll need, cleaning supplies, transportation, and employees to cover the shifts.

The task itself doesn’t sound really glamorous, but if your service proves to be reliable, efficient and trustworthy, good feedback and word of mouth will land you more business. As always you can help your start-up by setting up a webpage where customers can come along to contact you and leave feedback about the quality of the services provided.

33. Offer a House-Painting Business

House painting is one of the easiest trades to learn in the contractor business. It all comes down to the prep work you need to do on the surface that needs to be painted. That’s where most of the tricky parts are (and is also how most amateurs botch a job).

Is a good thing that there are many video tutorials out there that teach you how to prepare certain surfaces as well as the products you need for the job the right way.

The initial investment to set up a business operation like this should be on ladders, drop cloths, rollers, plastic covers, brushes, caulking, sandpaper by the bulk, a water pressure washer to clean surfaces, and jumpsuits for your employees. Paint is dealt separately with the customer after they decide to work with you.

34. Become a Professional Organizer

This is neither a drill nor a joke. A lot of people are very messy, and that’s a fact. They can’t get organized even if their life depended on it. A quick glance at their homes is all you need to realize how much help they need to get their act together.

If you are the type of person that likes to have everything tidy, properly arranged and well-presented this is the right line of work for you. The best part is that it doesn’t require much of an investment other than publicizing your services on social networks or websites where services of this kind are contracted such as Craigslist.

To make this line of business work you just need to have organizational skills and put them into practice within a short time span. While the process is akin to a cleanup, your job is to arrange the personal effects of your customers, not get rid of their stuff.

35. Set-Up A Bike Rental Business

This is a great initiative for young people. If you managed to save some money for the summer and don’t feel like spending it all on meager stuff, you could start a simple business operation by renting bikes. You need to put down some money to get some bicycles, a bike rack and some sort of sing if you are going to partner up with a location such as a gas station or a mini-market.

You will probably have to cut them into your earnings, but look at the bright side: you wouldn’t have a business in the first place without their help. If you are providing the service on your location, your ad strategy using social media will be very cheap.

The bikes themselves don’t need to be brand new, as long as they are functioning well. You can have them checked by your local supplier and put down a little more money to have some maintenance done on them to refresh their look.

36. Become an Interiors Designer

Interior designing is the fine art of decorating a household or an office space with a very distinctive style to make it stand out from the rest. The work requires a good eye for color combination and accessorizing as well as a good measure of good taste. The field is very competitive, especially because many designers have an academic background.

You can place yourself above most competitors by investing in some sort of crash course or certification, and by using design software to present proposed combinations and color schemes to your potential customers. Being tech savvy will give them some assurance that you know what you are talking about and it will make the overall experience more rewarding for you and your clients.

37. Organize a Virtual Assistant Service

Many businesses are working, and they need someone to cover certain services for them while they focus on their main tasks. If you have some experience with logistics, and organizational skills, this is the best line of work for you.

You basically need to make an investment on laptops, a powerful internet connection and train a couple of people to work in task-management to set up a full-time service of virtual assistants that will undertake all the assignments asked by the main employer during a specific time period.

Since the work is handled remotely, you need to keep communication channels open at all moments to ask questions if it’s needed and to receive feedback on your performance. Attention to detail is the key to handle this kind of job.

38. Become an Online Influencer

An Influencer is a person with good knowledge of social media platforms and how to handle them to get the attention of an audience to a specific piece of content. Influencers have an established level of credibility that has earned them the following of many people willing to listen to everything they have to say about a topic, person or product.

As the name implies they are able to “influence” their base audience and anyone outside, of it to consume a product or pay attention to a trend. Becoming an influencer requires hard work and some degree of education on the use of social networks as well as some charisma, the main investment these people make is rather on time than money since they need to refine their online persona and the way to approach their audience using the right engagement techniques.

39. Start a Local Catering Service

Providing meals by the bulk is always good business if you are willing to learn about your surroundings and the needs of your targeted customer base. There are seasonal events at every location that require catering services, and you just need to pay attention to the needs of your community and the things people on it like to eat.

Local fairs a good launching point. Funeral services and event planners are also good to associate with. Your main investment for a catering initiative is silverware, pans and all the cooking implements you need as well as the special trays needed to keep the food warm as you serve it. Transportation is also necessary since you need to be on time for each event and handle the logistics of setting up the servings before the people request their meals.

40. Sell Homemade Ornaments

If you happen to have any sort of crafting skills and experience with designs you can create a small line of ornaments to sell them. The main investment you’ll be making on a startup like this is on the implements you’ll need to bring your creations to life. The good news is that there are many online retailers ready to sell whatever you need to create your personal crafts, from beads to buttons or knitting threads.

After you have a stash of implements, you can create a sample of everything you think is marketable. Before making a blind leap to emptiness and come out disappointed you should check with a consultant to have objective feedback on your product and how to market it. You can also get information about where you should offer them as well as the bylines to handle an order if you are planning to set up shop online.

41. Start a Local Website

This business idea is ideal for small towns and communities with internet access. You can set up a local website when you keep informed the local townsfolk of everything that is going on in the community. The main investment will be buying out the domain that identifies your location and designing a website with an easy interface, accessible to everyone and easy to handle.

You can sell ad space to local businesses to get some revenue by traffic, or you can have these same businesses pay a small fee to announce special events such as sales or season clearances. With the decline of printed media, not many towns have a local paper anymore, and this is a great chance to fill that gap.

42. Create a Membership Website

You probably have the possibility to have access to a service that needs constant attention such as tutoring or consulting. Maybe you are able to generate a type of content that caters to your passions or hobbies. To provide these services or sell your content you can create a membership website to deal exclusively with the people that are willing to pay for a service that only you can offer.

This business model is not exactly new, and it’s often used by way too many generators of adult content, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t work with your personal brand.

As you can probably imagine by now, the main investment you’ll make will be focused on generating quality content on the subject or topic of your business niche. You also need to put down some money for a creative agency to design your marketing strategy and a website that is inviting enough with previews and teasers to turn your leads into paying customers.

43. Be a POP Material Wholesaler

The POP material is still widely used by many businesses to promote their services or their brands. The challenge faced by many small and medium businesses is that they need to outsource these services and buy stock material to print them out with their company logo. Your role is to cover the demand for these promotional materials by becoming a wholesaler and accommodate the orders of these businesses.

The main issue faced by most of these small-scale operators is that they can’t bring themselves to buy large orders for these materials due to the size of their budgets. You can enter the picture and handle their order by offering them a fixed price that makes up for any loses you might experience by cutting down a full shipment of POP material. It’s a win-win scenario where you are both covered.

44. Become a Career Counselor

In the past, many people held a steady job position for many years, usually until retirement age. These days where a multitude of disciplines have appeared and a new skill set is demanded every day a lot of people decides to shift their focus to something new at every moment. The access to information is slowly creating an array of professionals capable of handling multiple disciplines.

Sometimes these skills are widely different from each other, and that’s where a Career counselor comes into play. If you wish to undertake this role, you need to invest in knowledge to specialize in a specific business niche or in multiple training disciplines to be able to help people wishing to change their professional path.

45. Become an Import/Exports Expert

One of the many challenges faced by almost every startup dealing with imported goods is that they simply don’t know how to do it. The same thing happens when a brand is ready to expand their operations beyond the borders, and they don’t have the slightest idea about logistics to make it happen. You can train yourself to become an expert in both fields and offer your services as an independent consultant for any business requiring advice on these matters.

Since these businesses have to deal directly with Customs Services, bureaucracy can take a toll on their efforts and wash them away. This eventually becomes a missed opportunity for these brands. But with the right guidance, they can overcome these obstacles to make these procedures work. You’ll need to become knowledgeable about laws, regulations, fees, and taxes collected during these procedures. If you manage to make the process as smooth as possible for these companies, you’ll get a huge payout in the end.

46. Offer Your Services as a Computer Specialist

You know what is the main complaint that almost every computer owner has about their equipment? That most of them can’t get decent customer support from the companies that manufactured their hardware. If you happen to have experience with computers, you know that most of them work more or less in the same way.

You can become more knowledgeable about certain models or about software programs. That right there is where you’ll make your investment. After you are able to handle all the information about a certain operational system, or about the hardware of certain brands, you can offer your services as a computer specialist to fix any issue on-site or by remote assistance.

47. Manage a Personal Shopping Service

While this might sound excessive, the hard fact is that many professionals or people with workloads that take up to 18 hours a day simply don’t have time to buy groceries or shop around on the internet for goods and services. The great twist about this is that most of these people have the disposable income to call for a shopping service to handle their weekly stock for them.

While this is a groundbreaking notion of service, it requires dedication and attention to detail. Most customers are used to specific brands for their products, and you could face negative reviews if your team of shoppers is not up to the task. To set up a service like this you just need to hire talent with the patience to follow instructions and make the best use of their time to cover as much ground as they can on the shortest amount of time.

48. Become a Life Coach

If you want to narrow down the definition of what a life coach does is basically a person who is given the power to tell someone else how to live their lives and how to manage their decisions. While this might sound overly simplistic, it’s actually quite complex, and it needs some level of instruction and certification to make you able to understand the thought process of the people requiring your services.

You can build your skills to become a life coach by doing some heavy reading on the subject and maybe be investing in a program on your own to develop your personal approach. This works great as a complementary activity to round up more revenue since the working schedule can occupy very little tikes frames in the same fashion as a therapist appointment does.

50. Set a Local Landscape Service

If you live in the suburbs chances are most of your neighbors have a lot of green spaces in their home, same as you. This is a business opportunity right there. While most of them relegate this job to their kids for a fare, you can up the ante and offer a professional class service by investing on the right tools and gathering some knowledge on your own about outdoors and landscapes.

You can start by offering a basic grass cutter trim using a lawnmower. If you live in a seasonal location, you can offer a diverse catalog of services to your customers as you expand your operation. As you gain more experience you’ll be able to weed out a field, plant some flowers, fertilize a terrain. If you put down a little more money investing in equipment, you can even offer to plow the snow from their front doors during winter.

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51. Set up A Cloud Hosting Service

One of the most valuable things in the modern world is storage space for data on the internet. What is commonly known as cloud storage is the mere act of placing our personal information and back up files on a storage service within a server that is not physically located where we are. This gives people the chance to access their data from any smart device as long as they have an internet connection.

Setting up a hosting Cloud Service requires some serious investment. The first thing you need to do is buy a number of servers with enough storage space. Since everyone needs to start small, we recommend you to offer your services within a radius of 10 miles from your main location. If you succeed and get a quick return, you can expand by offering data storage to other parts of your state.

52. Open a Coffee Shop

Coffee shops are still one of the most favored locations by various demographics to gather with friends. They are as popular as bars on some states, and they generate a good amount of revenue. While Starbucks has taken the limelight for some years now, many people like to try out new flavors and new roasting techniques for coffee beans. Given that many independent stores have their own recipes to serve coffee, they are still quite popular.

To set up a coffee shop you need to settle on the level of commitment you’ll have with the locale as well as the size of your budget. If you have enough money and you just wish to cash in on the trend, you can always buy a franchise and hire a management team to handle it for you. But if you want something with a personal touch, you’ll need that money to make your place as unique as it can be.

53. Create an Arbitration Service

In far latitudes of the world, there used to be a figure of authority in small communities called a “peace judge.” These people took the opposing sides of a conflict and made them reach an agreement to resolve their differences by negotiating with them. In first world nations, many legal problems can be steeled outside of a courthouse. But when a conflict escalates both parties can agree to call for outside arbitration to solve the legal problem before it reaches a judge to save a load of money on both ends.

Working in an arbitration service requires an investment on knowledge about legal procedures. The best arbitrators are experienced lawyers themselves, but that doesn’t mean that someone with basic knowledge can’t handle a negotiation by using their smarts, wits, and negotiation skills. After all the laws tend to be very flexible and open to interpretation to best favor the conflicting parties.

54. Start a Bookkeeping Services

According to the US Federal Reserve, at least 51% of small business owners in America don’t have the slightest idea on how to keep accounting books or legible financial records. If you happen to have skills related to accounting or if you simply happen to be familiar with the process of keeping clean business records you can offer your services as a bookkeeper to the local businesses of your community for a fee.

You can schedule your visits every two weeks to keep their records clean, pay whatever bills need to be paid and send out the pending invoices that need to be collected from debtors. The main investment you will need is transportation to get where you are needed and time to spare while crunching numbers.

55. Manage a Human Resources Services

No small business has an HR department if they don’t have at least 50 workers on the payroll. The main choice of many business owners is to outsource this service to handle the talent as they have a need for it. To create a Human resources service in this day and age, you don’t even need an office. Investing in a laptop and a number of tools to evaluate assets are more than enough.

You will need, however, to build partnerships with sanitary services or therapists if you need your talent to pass medical checks. This is usually done in compliance with laws dealing with a business that demand constant handling of food ingredients or intense public interaction with customers, to make sure they have the right conditions to work in your business.

56. Build a Business Operation Using Affiliate Marketing

If you have a website or a blog with a great deal of traffic you can place strategic links on them tied to keywords or images to set an affiliate marketing service that benefits both parties based on previous agreements. In the past affiliate marketing was the leading sales strategy set by most websites.

Amazon was considered the leading affiliate marketer, and by sheer projection and persistence, they have managed to retain the top spot for a long time. The problem with AM these days is that it has fallen from grace to more modern sale techniques that drive more conversions.

It’s still worth a shot though since many sales sites offer to pay commissions as high as 70% of the total cost of the promoted product on your website.

57. Publish an EBook

Since platform like Amazon and their kindle made it possible for people to self-publish their books on eBook format, everyone is doing it looking to score the next big hit. While editorial houses still exist most of them stick to their publication bylines by demanding certain levels of quality on the product they’ll release under their imprint.

While many authors offer different takes on subjects that have been treated over quite a few times, this must not discourage you, as you don’t know if you have the next top-selling masterpiece on your hands.

Even if you score a moderate success with your publication is very likely that your creation will be dissected by analysts and copied by people trying to replicate your formula. Be sure to copyright and trademark your content if you wish to embrace this business strategy.

58. Start a Moving Service

Moving around belongings is a good business initiative even if you don’t have the full capital to set up an operation on your own. The best approach to this business initiative is to rent the trucks you’ll need to provide each service and include the costs on the final quote you’ll offer to your potential customers as “additional expenses” or “operative costs.”

The second part of the investment is the packaging materials you’ll actually need to store the belongings of your clients properly as well as the manpower to do the job properly. As you increase your customer base and work locally, you’ll get a quick return to your investment, and you’ll be able to expand to other areas and buy your own trucks.

59. Become a Liquidator

Yes, it sounds threatening, but it’s an actual job description that requires a huge capital investment on your behalf. The working scheme is really simple: when a business declares bankruptcy, it must liquidate their assets to pay any pending debts that need to be covered. A liquidator is hired to come along and buy every unsecured asset available on the cheap, to sell it for a guaranteed return at the lowest possible cost.

The liquidator gets his money back out of the sale, charges a commission for the services provided and the rest of the money is put in the hands of the financial institution requesting payment. The work system of liquidators is tied to a number of law regulations, but his job is to make money where there is very little to be obtained and to do it with efficiency.

60. Build a Leasing Service

If you are wondering right now what you can lease, the answer is quite simple: anything you want. In many parts of the world, it has become a big business to lease a number of assets for specific periods of time. The automotive industry has been leasing their cars instead of selling them for quite some time now.

The real estate industry has been doing it for the longest time now. The business model has migrated to other assets such as musical instruments, boats, planes, and bikes. In short, every single thing that is exposed to become obsolete by the passing of time or by the continuous updates offered by its own manufacturing industry.

61. Start a SaaS service

Software as a Service is currently in high demand by a number of established companies and startups. The number of services offered is very diverse, and the initial investment comes down to the type of operation or service you are willing to offer. Your first move is to create a website where customers can contact you or hire your services. The landing page in question should have every piece of information available about your services.

If you need examples of successful SaaS operation, just take a look at every cloud service available on the market, or funnel service, or VPN. Just make sure you do the right research and the proper investment to offer top quality service. There are two ways to profit from with this initiative: one is to compete against an established player, the other is to lend your platform to other players needing backup or sell them the operation to make a mint out of it.

62. Build a Drop Shipping Platform

Drop shipping sounds quite easy when you do first-hand research about it: you can set shop as a seller of products by the bulk or as an online retailer without actually buying inventory. Your work is done backstage, by coordinating operations and working as the middleman between a supplier or wholesaler and a final customer by offering their products on your website.

As far as investment goes, you need a lot of money to create a drop shipping business. A computer with high-powered internet access is essential. You need to do a lot of research and have great organizational skills to manage each deal with your suppliers. Is safe to say that the greatest investment you’ll make in the end is time.

63. Create a Self-Service Laundry Service

If you take into account the fact that real estate space in big cities is one of the most expensive assets ever, and a lot of people rely on laundry services to keep their clothes clean, is easy to see a business opportunity in here. Sadly it requires a sound investment in a good location and high-powered, durable washing machines to begin with.

After some time you’ll be able to collect slow but steady returns if you have done your study properly and set up your laundry service in a prime location. Remember that you’ll also need to make your services attractive to the customer: offer them cleaning products for a small fee, add some dryers to let them get their clothes dried, offer seating spaces and magazines.

64. ome Vending Machines

If you happen to have businesses locations near home that have high traffic of walking people at rush hours, you can strike a deal with them to win some money out of their strategic locations: offer to set up vending machines on their locales and share some of the profits with them. This is actually quite easy to set up and is easy to handle since you need to make periodical restocks to the machines and monthly checkups to keep them working properly.

While it doesn’t sound like much, making an investment in this field can add a lot of profits as you increase the volume of locations and vending machines. Offering a good diversity of snacks is also a way to get the attention of your customers. You can always start out with one and keep compounding those returns to expand your operation!

65. Rent Storage Space

Creating a storage business operation can be a little tricky, but it’s totally doable on a budget. It all comes down to the resources you have available and how much money you can actually spend. If you own a terrain lot, you’ll need to get the proper permits and build the storage units in accordance to the type of service you are willing to offer. The more money you pour on it, the more you will be able to charge for top quality storage services.

Temperature-controlled storage spaces are very popular these days. Operations that showcase a great deal of security and technology dedicated to the care of the stored goods are also very sought after. If your budget allows for that kind of service, a good marketing strategy and favoring word of the mouth feedback will do the rest of the job to get you noticed.

66. Create a Cryptocurrency ATM Service

Digital currencies are still considered one of the hottest assets out there, and they certainly are used very often by short-term investors to generate quick profits. You can partake as a middleman in these transactions by setting up an ATM operation. There are quite a number of popular services already out there, such as AirTM who works more like a broker by connecting two persons looking to trade cryptocurrencies for fiat money.

If you happen to have the capital to offer the service by yourself, you can get greater control over the revenue generated out of each transaction. If you work using the AirTM formula, you still get to win some money, but just based on commissions by handling the assets of both parties and making contact with each one. In the end, you’ll generate revenue by volume of operations. Neither one of these are bad models, but as you can see, they do have their pros and cons.

67. Create a Video Service

This subject is closely related to the topic touched previously (about becoming a Youtuber). Sometimes the people looking to venture into this type of startup have little extra money to expand. They usually hire video editors to handle their content for them. Established players also do so when they become more popular.

You can also offer your services to people wishing to record a special moment such as weddings, graduations or anniversaries; you’ll likely work with a photographer, so you can go one step further and associate with one to bring more profits to the table and offer a wide option of services. The main investment both will need to make is on video equipment as well as lenses cameras and software to handle it.

68. Become a Professional Reviewer

This one it’s actually hard to believe, but a lot of entrepreneurs and retailers out there are more than willing to pay good money to have their products reviewed. While many of them take the professional approach and can handle the criticism, a lot of them pay for a good review about whatever they are selling.

To set shop as a reviewer, you need to hire writing talent unless you are willing to do it yourself. You can contact these companies and offer your services and work under a referrals system that will grant you profits for each visitor that engages the brand using your review as a leading spot to the landing page.

69. Become a reseller of Technology

Most people out is under the impression that everyone is always looking to work with the latest technological release and that’s just plain wrong. A lot of folks out there are very knowledgeable about their tech and the items they are willing to work with. Unfortunately, most of these devices get discontinued time or get updated. These particular users are willing to pay good money to get served with the specific model of product they need before embracing an updated item.

Plenty of devices can be traded in this niche: Blu-Ray players without smart connections and USB ports are a very sought-after commodity by people who just want to play their digital files on a big screen. Smartphones with certain capabilities plug capabilities are preferred to the ones that rely so heavily on the internet to work every single function. MP3 Players such as classic iPods are considered collector pieces as well as preferred means to manage music by many people out there. You can make a killing by selling these devices if you can get a grip on this type of market.

70. Invest in Foreign Government Treasury Bills

A good number of nations are open to offering treasury bills to keep their economy dynamic and goring. Singapore is one of them since they are currently rated a triple-A nation with a solid economy that is set to grow and expand even more.

They are currently offering treasury bills to whoever wants to invest in them that are payable after 1 year at a rate of 1.32%. While the percentage does sound a bit low, if you invest over $100,000 you’ll get a nice chunk of change after the wait time lapses (about $1300) the more you invest, the more you profit of these bills with no feasible risks in the future.

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71. Invest in Foreign Government Bonds

Saving Bonds is a tool offered by countries to allow external investors to safe keep money into the economy flow of a nation. Keeping in line with our recurring case, Singapore offers one of the most solids Saving Bonds offered in the market.

The product is launched once a year, and it allows investors to collect dividends each month with diverse interest rates, depending on the ongoing performance of the economy of the nation issuing them.

As investors choose to let, the saving bond sits they will be able to collect monthly returns on them. The last monthly interest rate measured at these bonds specifically reported profits of 2.28% with a tendency to stability since many people are leaving the bond to sit tight for the time being.

73. Invest on a Saving Plan

A lot of banks and insurance companies are able to offer savings plans to people looking forward to financial security after retiring. Many of these companies offer alternatives for investment opportunities that will yield secured returns according to them. While most of these companies offered reputed services, the best approach you can take is by doing some homework on these initiatives and be aware of the dealings done backstage.

Many of these plans require financial discipline that not everyone is able to have, they will demand a fixed payment each month for a number of years and the money will be locked with the purpose of moving it around to generate earnings. If you fail a payment or request money in advance, the final result of your investment will be lacking.

74. Learn a Trade

While we have touched upon the subject of education is a great investment, we haven’t aimed the advice properly. Learning a trade might be one of the best pieces of advice offered to every young person out there. Even if you are an adult, it might not be so bad for you to handle some tools in this day and age.

This particular era is filled with people looking to win money by avoiding getting their hands dirty. Learning a trade means that you will be capacitated to fix things, and you can do so for a price according to your skill set the way you handle your craft. Plumbing, electricity and handyman capabilities are some of the most sought-after services in big cities. You can make a mint out o them.

75. Get involved into initial Public Offering

Every time a big name brand announces that “is going public” means that they are offering shares of stock to let the common people, as well as investors with deep pockets, partake in the ownership of their companies.

When the companies get listed in the public market, the investors will be able to track down the behavior of their stock on as it performs on the open market. At the moment there some established names that are the ever-present kings of the stock market either because they are able to keep their stability or because their prices soar even with meaningless announcements.

Getting involved in these activities requires an investment of a certain level to make a mark. Even so, knowledgeable people can turn a mere investment of $1,000 into millions if they know what they are doing and how to play the market.

76. Become a Developer Mobile Apps

This might be surprising but some of the most profitable apps in the world where created by design, meaning that a creative mind though about them and every single one of their functions. Most of the times these creative don’t have a single idea about how to generate the proper code to create their apps and keep them running.

This is where the investment part comes in. Coding an app is not exactly cheap, but the programmer will generate your app as you want it to function. If you strike out gold and your app becomes popular, the profits will be collected immediately. Make sure you work with a creative team that helps you expand your horizon beyond your initial offering to keep your app fresh.

77. Buy Participation on a Franchise

If you are not exactly business savvy, you can always earn additional money by buying out a franchise. Most of these brands have established business models that will help you generate income as soon as you set up shop. Handling a franchise is quite demanding since the franchisor usually ha very specific request to make a proper representative of the brand out of you.

To get a franchise up and running you need money to secure participation. There are some sure-fire hits such as McDonalds and KFC. But we recommend you to start out with a local brand related to your hometown, something popular and easy to recognize. Aside of money for the participation, you’ll need to extra cash to pay off the staff that will attend to your customers.

78. Create a Service to Lease Furniture

Maybe this idea is the one that sounds way too out there, but hear us out: for many businesses is actually cheaper to lease their furniture instead of buying it. If you are asking why the reasons are behind the basic rules of setting up shop for entrepreneurs: A company that buys a lot of furniture and falls under is stuck with it, and it will need to liquidate these assets, making the process more complicated and expensive.

On the other side, if the startup is successful, the company can keep leasing their furniture to keep maintenance costs low and simply request a change of style at their liking. Your main investment will be on getting specific types of furniture and storage space to keep it at hand. You’ll also need all sorts of storing supplies to keep them well-conserved.

79. Create a 3D-Printing Service

A lot of companies and private persons need to craft out a prototype or create special tooling or mold for thousands of projects around the world. Not every company has the budget to hire a full-time designer to craft prototypes. The best course of actions for them is to hire a third party to do the job for them, but this can also get quite expensive depending on the tools used by the hired help.

3D design and printing have finally achieved massification, and it’s out there for anyone willing to embrace it. Many companies prefer to hire creative teams behind agencies to handle their prototype for them and get the job done. The process has proven to be efficient and cost-effective. The investment you need to do to set-up this type of operation is mainly on the hardware used to manage the process and the people with the knowledge on how to handle it.

80. Become a Translator

If you know more than one language, you can easily get to work as a translator. If you handle the basic behind the orthography of a foreign language, you can actually make a killing at it since you can handle two fronts of the business: By handling in-person communications and by translating texts or documents in writing.

The main investment in this field is time since you need the practice to handle your thought patterns in your mother language and the foreign one. You will also need a computer to keep open channels of communication with your clients, but also to handle written work. Once you get adjusted to it, you might want to spend money on a learning course to try and manage a third language to earn more money.

There is no preset amount of money to make the best investment. In the world of finances, there are two types of assets: the ones that offer returns in the short run, and the ones that require some patience on behalf of the investor to be able to claim some earnings.

While is not our place to make a decision for you about the type of assets you should invest in, we can offer some guidance about what are the best lines of business to pursue, as well as the ones that offer the best returns according to the amount of money you place.

If you are asking yourself right now how can you get investment money to get involved in this world in the first place, the answer is not really complicated, but it certainly depends on your lifestyle, your financial choices, and your social background.

If you are the type of person that works hard for every dollar you have in your savings accounts, this guide is for you. If you are not quite there, read up, we can help you out.

By now, we probably have your attention, and you certainly are interested in the topic enough to learn a few things. Let’s begin with a few definitions, so you get familiar with investments and the slang sounding this field.

After we are done with this, we’ll begin our brief instruction about the best types of investments you can make to multiply your hard earned money and make the most out of your savings (or that special bonus that is deposited on your bank account that you don’t dare spend on frivolous things).

Basics of Investment

The less complex way to explain what’s an investment is to define it as the act of committing a specific amount of money to a business endeavor with the sole expectation of getting a multiplied return in the form of profits. Is a way to take the hard earned money you collect after long hours of work and make it work on your behalf?

If you are asking right now what you could call “investment money” take a deep look at your finances: every cent that you can spare after covering your basic needs is money you can use to put it on an investment. Everyone is able to invest at some point in their life, but it all comes down to your discipline to save money and how you handle it.

Investment Vehicles

We’ll call investment vehicles to every single field where you can place your money and make a profit on it. Globalization and multiculturalism, as well as technology, have opened the doors to a nearly infinite number of investment vehicles, making them accessible to everyone no matter the size of their money placement.

There are traditional vehicles such as real estate, stocks, bonds, papers, mutual funds. There are also modern vehicles such as cryptocurrencies, hedge funds, REIT’s, private equities, mutual funds and ETF funds that are accessible for people willing to invest but with not enough financial power behind them. The most classic vehicle of all is setting your own entrepreneurship. This is one of the riskiest and more demanding vehicles on the list, but also one of the most satisfying.

Compounding

After winning money for the first time, many investors feel fulfilled, but an old adagio in the world of finances states that “to win money you have to spend money.” Hitting it big for the first time could be a lucky shot, but if you manage to conduct yourself right, by listening to the right advice and making the right moves, you’ll soon find yourself compounding your earnings.

This act is nothing more than taking the money you won from that lucky shot and investing it again in smarter fashion. This is how most newcomers to the field of investments make their bones and learn the pulse of the market they are interested in. It’s not the easiest road to travel since it calls for time and money, but it certainly is the one that gives you more experience.

Risk and Returns

As you gain experience in investments, these words will acquire a whole new meaning for you. Every business demanding an investment has a “risk” factor associated with the way developers manage the project. Nearly every new business out there these days asks for upfront financing while offering a series of advantages to early investors; this is what we call “returns.” Knowledge is the most important thing you’ll need to handle risk.

A good investor will always check the background of whoever comes their way offering a business proposal no matter how small the investment seems to be. It’s common knowledge in the finances world that every business endeavor offering high returns has some of the highest risk factors ever and there is also a good chance that it is a scam. If it’s too good to be true, you shouldn’t trust it.

Diversification

The last element of this basic glossary is something that is not for everyone but is a path that can be embraced if your interests lie on multiple fields of the financial world. As the word implies “diversification” is a way to expand your horizons in the business world by undertaking the challenge to risk your money on different investment vehicles.

Diversification also gives you an opening to cover your back and diminish your risk exposure on a single field. By using the right strategies to manage your investments, you should be able to cover the losses generated on a single field of your diverse portfolio with the earnings of another. Almost every multinational in the world have expanded by using this approach, so there is no reason for you to do it on a smaller scale.

Now with knowledge on our side, we can talk about the best assets and business initiatives where you can place an investment to secure the best returns.

Closing Thoughts

When it comes to making money, there are no such things as bad ideas. Every single initiative that you are able to come up with deserves consideration and analysis. It’s important to keep your ideas grounded in reality by sharing them with the right people. That way you can get help to shape your efforts or aim them in the right direction. As you can see from the list of options we just offered through this list, becoming an entrepreneur doesn’t have a preset budget, and you can turn almost anything into a trade with a little imagination and some money to set up your operation. Getting discouraged is not an option. When you check the background of some of the most recently successful entrepreneurs every single one of them will coincide in telling you that persistence is the key to success. Check by yourself what Elon Musk did when the banking system didn’t work in a way that suited him. Learn what Steve Jobs did when he became fed up with the size of Walkmans and personal CD players. Research what Jeff Bezos did when retail stores wouldn’t offer him the products he needed. All you need is some imagination and to put a lot of hard work into making your idea stick. Even if you don’t succeed, no one will be able to say you didn’t try.

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retailtechnologytrends · 7 years ago

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The Robots Are Coming To Corporate Finance

When you mention robots, most people think of Star Wars or those car-manufacturing assembly lines where giant, agile machines move heavy parts, make spot welds or secure bolt-on chassis. Robots have developed to the point where robotic process automation (RPA) is now coming to the world of corporate finance.

In finance, we’ve automated by implementing general ledger and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, as well as spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel. Yet many corporate financial processes are still stuck in the 20th century. Corporate finance teams spend about 80%of their time manually gathering, verifying and consolidating data, leaving only about 20% for higher-level tasks like analysis and decision making.

RPA will unleash a new wave of digital transformation in corporate finance. Instead of programming software to perform certain tasks automatically, RPA uses artificial intelligence (AI) to train and teach software robots to process transactions, monitor compliance and audit processes automatically. Machine learning, a form of AI, takes finance automation even further -- by building systems that have the ability to automatically learn and improve based upon new data and experience -- without being specifically programmed to do so.

According to a recent survey by Grant Thornton (paywall), corporate finance executives are embracing these new forms of finance automation, ranking AI and advanced analytics among their highest-priority planned investments, while many have already begun their digital transformations.

In the area of transaction processing, CFOs can use forms of RPA to optimize their accounts-payable and accounts-receivable processes. How a corporation collects from customers influences both cash flow and customer satisfaction. A CFO’s company may already do that well, but AI augments such expertise so that the company can collect as expeditiously as possible while maintaining good customer relations.

At the same time, a customer may make a duplicate payment, combine multiple invoices into one payment or pay the wrong amount. Manually correcting the errors in the general ledger system can take an enormous amount of time to sift through invoices, find the source of the errors or track down the customer to get the problem resolved. AI and machine learning could support finance teams by automatically tracking down the relevant information, finding the source of a GL problem and suggesting which payments to match to which invoices.

AI can also mitigate financial risks by stopping erroneous payments to vendors in near real time. For example, enterprises with $500 million in annual payments could be leaking anywhere between $500,000 and $2.5 million in cash from errors, fraud and misuse. Today, large organizations rely on manual sample audits of invoices and payments to mitigate risks. However, these sample audits encompass only a small fraction of transactions, thus finding little in the way of errors or waste in the process. However, AI can expand the scope of compliance monitoring and analysis, saving millions and preventing duplicate and fraudulent payments while stemming the tide of cash leakage.

AI spots microtrends and uncovers problems that humans often overlook. It augments what humans do and enhances their effectiveness, speed and efficiency. It’s similar to the revolution we’ve seen in manufacturing robots because the combination of automation and artificial intelligence in accounting is faster and more reliable than humans alone.

However, RPA doesn’t just automate operations -- it allows you to redesign and improve processes and even help educate humans about better ways to work more efficiently and make spending decisions.

For example, say you have an account executive who travels to New York City. It’s December -- the most expensive time of the year to visit New York -- and your executive spends $500 a night for her hotel room. That’s what you’d expect to pay for a hotel around Christmas. The AI-based system wouldn’t flag that trip as an anomaly.

But say your AE travels to New York a few months later, when hotel rates are typically lower, and again pays $500 a night. Armed with data from millions of expense reports, an AI system would know that this rate is extravagant for a trip to New York in March, flagging the transaction and informing her that the going rate for a quality hotel in Manhattan should be lower. The result is that in the future, the executive makes a better decision about where to stay and how much to spend. In this way, artificial intelligence steps in with the guidance an account executive needs to do her job faster and more efficiently, reducing risks and saving her company money.

In this way, AI can help teach employees to see patterns they’re not aware of and to understand the implications of their behaviors and transactions, so they make better financial decisions in the future.

Helping CFOs Get The Job Done

Company executives, too, can use AI to identify opportunities to improve company policies and procedures and to make better financial decisions. Forms of AI such as voice-enabled digital assistants like Siri and Alexa are now widely used by consumers. These devices are likely to find their way into corporate boardrooms and executive suites -- or even cubicles -- in the future. For example, CFOs could use digital assistants to access data analytics systems and instantly answer questions on the fly to drive strategy and decision making in a corporate board meeting and beyond. Just as software robots get smarter over time, AI technologies could also end up helping humans make more informed decisions and even get smarter, too.

AI isn’t a moon shot for your company. Thanks to increased computing power and improved machine learning algorithms, AI is becoming a reality for corporate finance teams, moving beyond “Do I need to take this risk?” to the point where the greatest risk is in not adopting AI -- because your competitors already have or soon will.

This article was originally published on Forbes

#Robots #RPA #Robotics #Technology #FinTech #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #forbes #Future of Tech

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movietvtechgeeks · 8 years ago

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/lady-gaga-postpones-tour-blac-chyna-ready-rap/

Lady Gaga postpones tour and Blac Chyna ready to rap

Just days after canceling her scheduled performance at Rock in Rio, singer Lady Gaga announced that she will be postponing the European leg of her Joanne World Tour. On Sunday night, Gaga wrote a lengthy post on her Instagram page, in which she told fans that she would be unable to fulfill her European tour commitments at this time. The “Perfect Illusion” songstress explained, “I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles. Searching for years to get to the bottom of them. It is complicated and difficult to explain, and we are trying to figure it out. As I get stronger and when I feel ready, I will tell my story in more depth and plan to take this on strongly so I can not only raise awareness, but also expand research for others who suffer as I do, so I can help make a difference. I use the word "suffer" not for pity, or attention, and have been disappointed to see people online suggest that I'm being dramatic, making this up, or playing the victim to get out of touring. If you knew me, you would know this couldn't be further from the truth. I'm a fighter. I use the word suffer not only because trauma and chronic pain have changed my life, but because they are keeping me from living a normal life. They are also keeping me from what I love the most in the world: performing for my fans. I am looking forward to touring again soon, but I have to be with my doctors right now so I can be strong and perform for you all for the next 60 years or more. I love you so much.” Lady Gaga, Instagram post: In her recent documentary special for Netflix (Gaga: Give Foot Two), Gaga opened up about her struggle with severe, chronic pain. It was revealed that the beauty has been dealing with fibromyalgia, which involves the increase of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain. Feel better Gaga! Rob Kardashian has agreed to pay $20,000 a month in child support, ending a vicious custody battle with his former fiancée, Blac Chyna. As part of the agreement, Chyna dropped her domestic violence allegations against the reality TV star. The pair had announced their engagement and pregnancy in May 2016, then split a month later. A month after the baby was born in November, Kardashian wrote in an Instagram post that Chyna had taken the baby and left his home. The subsequent battle over custody included Kardashian posting “revenge porn” on social media of Chyna, posts that have since been deleted. She accused him of cyberbullying, and was granted a temporary restraining order against him. According to the agreement, the two will share custody of Dream and Kardashian will pay $20,000 a month for child support. Blac Chyna is putting her relationship with Rob Kardashian behind her and focusing on a rap career, sources tell us. “She’s met with four labels . . . [is] collaborating with very big artists, and there’s going to be big news coming soon,” an insider confirmed. “Yes, she is trying to rap and no, [it’s] horrible,” the cynical music source sniffed. “All the majors are listening, and, sadly, she will likely get a deal. If she lands it, somebody will be stupid enough to give her a seven-figure advance.” We’re told the former exotic dancer has already turned down a deal with a major label. “She wants the music to be right,” a source close to her told media outlets. In an all-new exclusive interview with Allure magazine, reality star Kim Kardashian talked candidly about the aftermath of when she was held at gunpoint while being robbed by a group of thieves in her Paris hotel room. Although Kim recounted what happened on her family’s reality show last season, the star went on to spill even more details to Allure about how she reacted and recovered from the scary situation. Kim told the publication that post-robbery, her daughter North West gave her a special present to keep her “safe” for if, and when, she returned to Paris. The star revealed, “[North] gave me a little plastic treasure box, and she put her little jewels in it – like fake little plastic jewels – and she was like, ‘Mommy, this will keep you safe when you go to Paris.’ To have something really sweet like that is more important to me than all the jewelry.” Later on in the interview, Kim explained that she and her husband Kanye West have decided to abstain from extravagant gifting. The makeup mogul said, "We don't do gifts. [Kanye and I] talk about it all the time, about not getting too much and trying to be as grounded and well-rounded as possible. I don't like presents anymore. We just did absolutely nothing [for our anniversary]. We spent two days in Santa Barbara, and we slept. You know what? I think we went to IHOP. That's what we did." You can read more of Kim’s interview in the October issue of Allure magazine. While Kevin Hart’s private life is spinning out of control due to a $10 million extortion scandal, his ex-wife, Torrei Hart, has plenty to say about the demise of their marriage. When Inside Edition asked what caused their eight-year union to end, Torrei, 39, flat-out said, “Lies and infidelity.” There’s always been a timeline issue. Torrei and Kevin married in 2003 and divorced in 2011, but Kevin’s new wife, Eniko Parrish, who is also pregnant with his third child, claims they have been together for eight years, which puts the start of their relationship in the middle of his first marriage. Kevin, 38, has openly admitted, in his stand-up routines, to cheating on Torrei. “Yes, people, I cheated. Am I ashamed of it? No, no I’m not,” he infamously said during “Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain.” “Do I wish I could take it back? No, no I don’t.” Kevin’s behavior has caused current drama in his life. A woman threatened to leak sexually suggestive video of Hart with a stripper named Montia Sabbag in exchange for $10 million. On Sunday, the unidentified woman said she wanted to “expose” the star as a cheating liar. Sabbag denies having anything to do with the video. Hart jumped to Instagram to apologize for his behavior. “I made a bad error in judgment … Sending so many apologies to my wife and kids,” he said. “I gotta do better and I will. I’m not perfect, and I never claimed to be … I love you all.” When asked if she thinks Kevin would cheat again, Torrei said, “I don’t know. I can’t say yes, I can’t say no. All I can say is if it happened to me, it could happen to anyone.” One-time pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne has beaten superstar Beyonce at something, but she may not be totally happy with her victory - she's been named the most dangerous celebrity on the internet. Cybersecurity firm McAfee said Tuesday that Lavigne, whose last album came out in 2013, was the most likely celebrity to land users on websites that carry viruses or malware. Searches for Lavigne have a 14.5 percent chance of landing on a web page with the potential for online threats, a number that increases to 22 percent if users type her name and search for free MP3s. Bruno Mars was second in his debut on the list, followed closely behind by Carly Rae Jepsen. Zayn Malik (No. 4), Celine Dion (No. 5), Calvin Harris (No. 6), Justin Bieber (No. 7), Sean "Diddy" Combs (No. 8), Katy Perry (No. 9) and Beyonce (No. 10) rounded out the top 10 list. It's a dubious step up for Lavigne, who was ranked No. 2 in 2013. Lavigne, whose hits include "Sk8er Boi," ''Complicated" and "I'm With You," has been out of the spotlight for several years as she battles Lyme disease. McAfee had a few suggestions for why Lavigne scored so high on the 11th annual list: Interest after the artist said she's working on a new album, a feature story on her by E! Online and an internet conspiracy that she has been replaced by an impostor. Lavigne is the first female musician to take the No. 1 spot and replaced Amy Schumer, named the most dangerous celebrity on the internet in 2016. In 2015, it was Dutch trance DJ van Buuren. The survey is meant to highlight the danger of clicking on suspicious links. McAfee urges internet users to consider risks associated with searching for downloadable content. The company used its own site ratings to compile the celebrity list and used searches on Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Conservative commentator Jedediah Bila has announced her departure from ABC's "The View." Bila made the announcement on Monday's program, saying she was leaving to work on a new book and had "a lot of opportunities" to consider. Bila served as the chat panel's resident conservative. Co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar both sent Bila off with kind remarks even though they noted that their opinions are often on the other side of the political spectrum. ABC has not announced a replacement for Bila, who joined the show last year. Bila was a contributor to Fox News before joining "The View." Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire that heavily damaged Neko Case's 225-year-old Vermont home. Barnet firefighters were called to the indie musician's home at about 9:30 p.m. Monday. The Caledonian Record reported the fire could be seen from miles away. Case wasn't at the home when the fire happened. The caretaker helped get three dogs out of the house. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. The musician has been nominated for three Grammy awards as a solo artist, and she's also a member of the indie rock band The New Pornographers. The home was featured in a 2012 article in Country Living. Actor and artist Donald Glover has a lot to be proud of these days. Not only has he received notable praise for his music, in which he performs under the stage name Childish Gambino, he has also been commended for his work on the small screen. On Sunday, the 33-year-old former Community star attended the 2017 Emmy Awards, which were hosted at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Donald showed up to the event with his brother Stephen, as well as his Atlanta co-stars Lakeith Stanfield and Brian Tyree Henry. As you may know, Donald’s current TV show Atlanta has proven to be a huge hit amongst audience members and critics alike. This adoration translated to a slew of Emmy nominations this year, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Donald Glover), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Donald Glover), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Atlanta), and Outstanding Comedy Series (Atlanta). Donald ended up winning for both Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, which makes him the first black director to ever win an Emmy in this particular category. Atlanta is set to return for season 2 sometime in 2018. Nick Jonas is showing support for his former Disney pal, Selena Gomez. As we recently reported, Selena Gomez revealed that she got a kidney transplant a couple of months ago. The young starlet bravely took to her social media page to share the very personal story of her operation with her fans and followers. On Sunday (September 17th), Nick did an interview with the hosts over at SiriusXM’s Hits 1 radio show. During this, the “Find You” singer addressed Selena’s recent announcement. The star gushed, “I didn’t [know]. I was just as surprised as everyone else when I woke up and saw her Instagram, but wow. That’s just incredible, and the strength she’s shown through all of that is inspiring.” Nick went on to add, “I’m pumped for her. I’m happy to see she’s doing well, it seems, and she was able to get the surgery and her friend helping her is a beautiful thing. So it’s all amazing.” As you may or may not remember, Nick and Selena had a short fling back in their Disney days. In fact, Selena starred in Nick’s former band’s (Jonas Brothers) music video for their 2008 hit song “Burning Up.” However, their relationship did not last long, as they were reportedly only together for a few short months around the time that the song and music video were released. In addition to launching her cosmetics line and her latest collaboration with Puma, singer Rihanna has been busy raising some serious funds for a good cause. Over the weekend, Rihanna, along with countless other celebrities, who were in attendance, came together for the 5th annual Diamond Ball. The Diamond Ball is an event founded by Rihanna that raises money for the Clara Lionel Foundation, which aims to provide money for global education, health, and emergency response programs. The guest list was star-studded. In addition, there were several big-name performers, including DJ Calvin Harris and rapper Kendrick Lamar. Comedian Dave Chappelle hosted the event, which took place at Cipriani in New York City. During the night, Rihanna got on stage to thank her guests for coming and helping her fundraise for such a worthy cause. The star told the crowd, “Together, we are funding groundbreaking and effective global education, health, and emergency response programs. We are investing in the future and helping to improve the quality of life for young people and their families around the globe.” According to numerous media outlets, Rihanna raised over $5 million at this year’s Diamond Ball. Last week, singer Selena Gomez revealed that she underwent a kidney transplant at the beginning of this past summer. In addition to receiving ample support from her fan base, Selena’s celebrity peers have also been reaching out to the young star and offering their support. While talking with tabloid publication US Weekly at a private event this week, Selena’s former Disney co-star Demi Lovato praised Selena and her decision to share such a personal story. Demi gushed, “I think that [Selena] is a very strong woman. I’m very happy and proud of her.” Almost immediately after Selena shared the story of her operation, fellow singer Lady Gaga also offered words of encouragement to the young star. On Friday (September 15th), Gaga posted a loving tweet addressed to Selena, which read, “Prayers [and] love to [Selena Gomez]. You are a warrior princess. What an inspiration.” Lady Gaga, Twitter post: https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/908831020446883841 Unfortunately, Gaga is facing some health problems of her own. On Thursday (September 14th), the “Born this Way” singer announced that she had to cancel her scheduled performance at Rock in Rio due to “severe pain.” On Instagram she posted a picture of an IV in her arm, with a caption that explained, “Brazil, I’m devastated that I’m not well enough to come to Rock in Rio. I would do anything [for you] but I have to take care of my body right now. I ask for your grace and understanding, and I promise that I will come back and perform for you soon. I’m so sorry, and I love you so much.” Lady Gaga, Instagram post: Shortly after posting to her Instagram, Gaga further elaborated on her health situation. On Twitter, she posted, “I was taken to the hospital – it’s not simply hip pain or wear [and] tear from sour. I’m in severe pain. I’m in good hands [with] the very best doctors.” Lady Gaga, Twitter post: https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/908405525452345350 Well wishes to both Selena and Gaga!

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#Blac Chyna #Donald Glover #Featured #Kevin Hart #Kim Kardashian #Lady Gaga #Nick Jonas #Rihanna #Selena Gomez

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