#*says im logging off and not commenting further* *immediately comments further*

[schumigrace]

so sorry about the anon hate; i feel like it happens whenever slight criticism/not overwhelmingly positive opinions are aired. it's happened to me with various other drivers, too :/

but anyway! i have two fairly expansive points for you! and some extra bits of discussion, too :) <3

a) the "lando paydriver" thing seems to have originated from a singular article written by a quasi-"journalist" fan on a fan-based journalism site, with no real evidence and, probably more importantly, hasn't ever been corroborated by any of the actually trustworthy, legitimate f1 publications. it's also been propagated by those who don't particularly like him who've just seen that his father is wealthy and have made assumptions.

he talked his dad's wealth in a quite measured way on a podcast a year or two ago; he essentially had his dad's backing through the junior series (rather than academy or just sponsor funding) which let him be more flexible with what, where and how he was competing (mainly being able to nope out of the general vicinity of helmut marko), but he set a boundary with his dad that f2 would be the last thing he paid for.

lando won the autosport brdc award, which was affiliated with mclaren at the time, which lead him down the path of simulator tests and eventually signing as a junior with them, which lead to the simulator, test and reserve driver roles he had in 2017-2018. which lead to him signing for his debut f1 season in september 2018, when he was still 2nd in the f2 championship.

the paydriver moniker is a strange one nevertheless; as you say we've seen a good number of actual paydrivers and sort-of paydrivers and even not-even-really paydrivers prove themselves to the point where there is no point or even merit to bring up how they got into the sport in the first place. and so at the end of the day... if you had the money, why wouldn't you?! i know i would lmao

b) i don't think i can ever begrudge lando for what can be interpreted as only ever talking about mental health when it pertains to himself. precisely because it does pertain to himself; lando opening up about the doubt, the anxiety and his mental health being at its worst in his rookie year is incredibly brave, and quite frankly inspiring to me. i know it lodged in the back of my mind when i eventually had to stop bottling everything up and talk to my family and eventually go to therapy/counselling for my anxiety. he might not always be the most eloquent about it but it will always be a point of admiration for me.

for everything else i feel that's just up to a lot of interpretation; i think he does genuinely struggle when it comes to packaging his non-driving related press into a way that is understandable or even palatable to those who aren't fans of him, and sometimes he doesn't always hit the mark; he's by far not the most eloquent driver on the grid.

there are nuances to everyone in the paddock, and i think we sometimes forget just how much scrutiny all these guys are under and how much the quotes used in articles can sometimes really miss a lot from the context of tone, be cherry picked or twisted. and even after all of that, lando arguably gives over more of himself to public scrutiny than anyone else with all his streaming and other social media activities.

and, i almost always hate this reasoning but it does have to be said, we forget how young he was coming into f1, just freshly turned 19. and already with a big social media following even then; the maturing you'd go through over 5 years would be very strange and not always linear. it's a weird one.

overall while i do hold lando quite close to my heart (as you could probably tell) he can be marmite-y to those who don't "get" him. and that should be okay, too.

and anyway f1 is just a game of picking your favourite fallable tax dodgers! people often take anything and everything much too far to heart for these 20+ "some guys".

hope you have a lovely day/night anywho, and apologies for the long message :)) <33

hey nonnie. thanks for this! I really appreciate your take on this (and thanks for being so respectful about it!)

I should clarify, I also admire lando discussing his own mental health. The issues I have come from his apparent reluctance to speak out when it comes to the abuse other drivers face, again - I'm only basing this off of what I've seen, and I've personally never seen him go to the defence of anyone else. It only makes me uncomfortable because as an ambassador of a mental health charity I'd just, idk, expect more ? I guess. But like you say, they are at the end of the day just "some guys", and we probably shouldn't expect a lot from any of them.

Anyway. I don't really have much else to add to this, I think you've made some good points

[cemetery-sunset]

Hat Thief pt. 2 - Micah Bell x Morgan!Reader

Summary: After Reader stole Micah's hat playfully, Arthur catches her wearing it and is not happy.

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings / Tags: morgan!reader, she/her pronouns, fighting

A/N: i said this would be just a oneshot and look at us now, im not even mad about it. divider from: @saradika-graphics

After she ran away from Micah’s shouts, she went around the big, white house to the other side of the camp. She saw Mary-Beth, Tilly and Karen sitting at their wagon, working on their sewing and washing. 

“Hey, ladies!” Her smile was nearly splitting her face as she tipped her hat to her friends. They immediately took notice. 

“Honey…” Mary-Beth started, trying to approach the subject respectfully. 

“Where’s your hat?” Tilly cut her off.

“Oh, it’s just inside, why?” She turned and gestured to the big house. 

“No reason…” Mary-Beth tried to play it cool, glancing at her friends. They all had matching looks of concern donning their faces. 

“Why the hell is you wearin’ Mr. Bell’s hat?” Karen rudely asked, spitting venom on the man’s name. She always said it like that, everyone did. Nobody ever called him his name kindly, or with respect. It was always venomous… and he was always venomous in return, it was a never ending cycle. 

“I stole it from him.” She smiled, slightly laughing as she said it. She made it a point to be over dramatic and pose with it. 

“I think it looks good on me, right?” The trio sat stunned, looking up at their friend. 

“If your daddy sees you in that-” Mary-Beth tried to remain civil. 

“What the hell is Arthur gonna say?!” Karen got all too worried and loud. 

“You gotta give that back.” Tilly kept her head and only spoke logically. 

“Why would you even take his hat anyway?” Tilly added as Mary-Beth looked around their friend, trying to scope out if Arthur was anywhere in sight. He was not. 

“Well, I just…” The thief trailed off, her face flushing as she failed to find the words to admit her intentions. 

“I thought it would be funny to mess with him!” She shook her head and tried to keep up a cool facade. 

“There are plenty of ways to mess with Mr. Bell that don’t require givin’ your father a heart attack OR spreading rumours ‘round camp….” Karen said, glancing at Tilly and Mary-Beth for a moment before focusing on her friend. 

“You… do know what it means to wear a man’s hat, don’t you?” Karen asked, not wanting to embarrass or scare off her friend. 

“Karen Jones! I would not- I mean I don’t- That’s improper!” The thief flushed bright red. The truth was that she did know what it meant, she knew it all too well. Her intentions were only to flirt with Micah and mess with him a little… she didn’t plan this far, after her moment with Micah.

The girl all erupted in a chorus of laughing and comments in disbelief. They tried to ask her more questions, but the thief was too embarrassed at being caught. 

“You can’t like Micah, honey, he’s horrible!” Mary-Beth said, trying to comfort her. 

“I don’t like him!” The thief tried to retaliate, but got cut off. 

“Then why’d you take the hat?” Tilly asked. 

“And more importantly, why is you still wearin’ it?” Karen nearly laughed. 

The thief’s face could not possibly get any more red. She threw up her hands, and pushed the hat further onto her head. 

“That’s IT! I’m done with y’all! I don’t like him!” She stormed off like a child being caught red handed. 

“This isn’t going to be good. I hope she gets rid of that thing ‘fore Arthur gets back.” Mary-Beth said, worried about the possible chaos. 

As the thief was walking, she reached up and touched the brim of the large, off-white hat. The feeling of the hat, the texture of it felt nice on her hands. It felt different than her hat, it was nice. She didn’t realise a small smile was on her face until she reached the main campfire in front of the big house. 

The thief sat down on the log by the fire, just enjoying the sight. Nobody else was around the fire, there was just Reverend on his bedroll, but he was passed out. The thief just gazed into the fire, and sat back, crossing her legs and humming a tune, enjoying the peace and quiet. 

She heard someone walking around, she didn’t care enough to look up and see who it was. She failed to see Micah come around the side of the house, coming closer to the fire before redirecting to sit at the main table. Micah gave up on chasing his thief, he knew that she was just playing, there was no harm. For once, he was content to just let her have it. 

Pearson was busy chopping food and preparing dinner. Uncle came stumbling to the fire before plopping himself down in a seat and starting to ramble to nobody in particular. The thief watched Kieran walk around and tend to the horses. 

It was nice to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. 

As she was watching Kieran brush The Count, she saw her father come riding down the long pathway with John and Charles right behind him. She smiled and waved, but didn’t bother to get up from the log. Micah didn’t look up at all, he was too enraptured by his own thoughts as he watched the knife in his hands slide against a piece of wood. 

“Hey, Pa!” The thief said cheerfully, before greeting his two companions. 

“Get anythin’ good?” Arthur vaguely gestured to Charles as the man held up a string of fish. 

“Got some nice bass, mostly.” Her father responded, distracted from his own tiredness. The trio tied up their horses and walked further down the entry’s path. 

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up to see his only daughter wearing the hat of the man he hated the most. The thief herself had her eyes closing and her head leaning back, enjoying the last licks of sunlight on her face. 

“Darlin’.” He spoke, his voice cold. The thief’s head jumped up and looked at her father, knowing something was wrong just by that tone, but not realising what it was. Before she could even ask what was wrong, he cut her off. 

“Why the hell are you wearing that hat?” John and Charles looked at each other before Charles put the fish down on Pearson’s table, focusing his attention back onto his best friend. 

The thief jumped out of her seat, immediately standing rigid. She looked up and went to step over the log and take the hat off of her head. At that point, Micah’s attention was captured. He stood up and tried to defend himself. 

“Hold on now, Morgan. I didn’t do nothing-” 

“Pa! It’s not what you’re thinking! I was just messin’- I mean- I stole it! He didn’t give it to me, or nothing!” She tried to comfort her father, but his vision turned red. 

“Micah, you sonuvabitch!” Arthur moved so quickly, he grabbed Micah by the collar and swung at his face, clocking him hard on his nose. 

“You bastard! You touch my fuckin’ daughter?!” Arthur screamed in his face. 

“No! Wait- Pa!” The thief tried to reason with her father, but it was no use. Arthur pushed the man away and swung at him again. This time he missed, but Micah retaliated with the knife in his hand, trying to scare Arthur away. Micah kept trying to shout that he didn’t do anything, but everybody’s shouts were lost in the hustle. 

As Arthur and Micah fought, Charles and John jumped forward to try and pull them apart. The thief held onto the hat over her chest and could do nothing but watch. 

Each man got a few good licks in before they were pulled apart. Micah’s bottom lip was busted and bleeding. Arthur had a new cut on his arm from Micah’s knife. 

They kept shouting at each other even as they were separated. 

“You’re so stupid, Morgan! I didn’t do nothing! Your girl stole my hat!” 

“If you ever touch her, I will make sure it’s the last thing you ever do, Micah! Keep your dirty paws away from my daughter!” 

The thief could only stand there in shock, completely frozen at the scene in front of her. This was all her fault. Her father got hurt because of her…. Micah got hurt because of her.  

Charles had his hands on Arthur’s shoulders and steered him away from the area, instead pushing him to the doors of the house. Arthur thrashed out of Charles’ arms, only to grab his daughter. He grabbed her arm and ripped Micah’s hat out of her hands, throwing it to the ground.

John pushed Micah away, toward the side of the house, cursing him off. Micah grumbled and stormed away, cursing off everyone that looked at him. 

“What the hell did you do?!” John’s voice was less cold, like her fathers, and more genuinely concerned.

“You’re lucky I didn’t just kill him!” Arthur struggled to control his volume as he, his daughter and Charles walked up the stairs to the Morgans’ room. 

“I know- I mean, I didn’t mean for this to happen-!” She tried to explain herself before her father cut her off. 

When they got to their room, Arthur pushed his daughter to sit down on his bed. He, and Charles, towered over her. Charles remained silent as his friend scolded her, his arms crossed over his broad chest. 

“Okay. Let me just try to wrap my head around this…” Arthur rubbed his hand over his face, with a hand on his hip. 

“You… you…” Arthur struggled to find the words, not wanting to say something embarrassing or weird about his own daughter.

As much as she wanted to just sit there, her head hanging in embarrassment, she knew she had to explain. 

“I was just bored, Pa…” She started, looking up at her father. 

“I thought it would be funny to steal his hat. We didn’t…… He didn’t do nothing, I promise.” Arthur took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, his only child, his pride and joy. 

“Can you just promise me one thing, darlin’?.... Never go near him again. Keep your distance. Do not involve yourself with Micah. He ain’t a good man, hun…” The thief looked disappointed, yet covered it up by smiling at her father. 

“Of course, I know he’s trouble, Pa…” She stood up and held Arthur’s hands. His voice softened. 

“I’m just worried about you, sweetpea. You know that.” She smiled and hugged her father, acknowledging his anxieties. 

“I know, Pa…. I got to go clean my guns ‘fore our job tomorrow.” She smiled sweetly and said her goodbyes to her father. 

As she was walking down the stairs and out the doors, she heard her father’s voice yell once more. 

“If I ever catch him touchin’ you, I’ll kill him!!” The thief winced at the warning as she snuck out the front doors. 

[words-for-holland]

Quarantine Series: Movie Night

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: A glimpse of what Movie Night is like for Tom & Y/N

A/N: I’ve been missing our fave couple from Quarantine Series 😩 and Fluff in general lol.

Check the Rest: Burnt Out | A New Look | Secret Cuts & Kisses | Breaking Friendships |The Birthday Week | Silence is Golden?|

Many may not know this, but at the start of Y/N & Tom’s relationship they made a couple of promises. To always be honest with each other, communicate as much as they can, and tell each other “I love you” everyday. But there was one promise they loved the most, Movie Nights every Wednesday...no exceptions! Of course, this was just a promise they made to each other at the start of Quarantine. Nonethless, it’s a Wednesday Night and the show must go on...literally.

Y/N’s alarm went off at 6 P.M., alerting her it was time to drop all her work. As she started logging off and rearranging her notes, she felt a pair of strong hands placed gently on her shoulders. “It’s Wednesday Night.” Her boyfriend whispered in her ear with a smile of excitement plastered on his face. “You know what that means.”

Y/N placed her small hands on his as she turned to give his a quick kiss. “Movie Nights with a side of cuddles?” She answered, sighing deeply in comfort. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

“Darling, I’ve waited all week.” Tom fired back, chuckling lightly. He helped her out of her seat, as he led her to the living room. “So, I’ll grab the snacks and you pick out the movie?”

Y/N looked at him, cocking her eyebrow in suspicion. “Babe, you know how long it takes for me to find a movie to watch.” It’s true. If there was one thing Y/N was well known for, it was for her indecisiveness. For Y/N, picking a movie wasn’t the kind where you could pick the first one off the self or what was in the Top 10. It had to be a movie that set the mood, had adventure, had nostalgia, with a hint of darkness and entertainment.

“I know, and I’m hoping by the time I get all the food and stuff ready, you’d find a movie by then.” Tom explained, kissing away her suspicion. “Plus I already did ask you to marry me. Im out of the surprises at the moment.”

Y/N smiled at his comment, looking at her ring and thinking about that day. “True. Im just saying it’s gonna be awhile.”

“Well, hopefully you find one within the hour.” Tom kisses the top of Y/N’s head one more time before he leaves for the kitchen. As Y/N sets up Netflix on the screen and starts her search, Harrison, Harry and Tuwaine make their way into the living room. Their faces dropping when they see Y/N, picking out a movie.

“Well lads, we picked the wrong week for Movie Night.” Harrison joked around. “Damn, I thought Tom was picking out the movie.”

“Hey! I know I take forever but I dont take THAT long.” Y/N argues as she stucks her tongue out playfully.

“Y/N, I could probably finish our movie script by the time you find one.” Harry joins in as he sits down on his usual seat at the far left corner.

“Yeah mate and I can probably do my laundry too and finish Call of Duty by the time shes done.” Tuwaine laughs, as he takes his seat.

“Look Y/N, I’ll make a bet with you. If you can find a movie in the next ten minutes I’ll give you 20 quid. How much is that in American dollars” Harrison says, with no sign of bluff.

“I think $20” Tuwaine says, when he comes to the realization of what Harrison was offering. “Oi, wait! You’re gonna give this girl 20 quid if she just picks a lousy movie?!”

“Relax you div. He knows Y/N wont just pick any movie thats why he’s betting a good chunk.” Harry says as he watches Y/N scroll through the same page for a movie.

Y/N looks back at the boys, as she smirks slightly. “Okay fine. Start the clock.”

The moment they started the timer, Y/N immediately yells, “Done! We’re watching Series of Unfortunate Events.”

Harry and Tuwain groan in unision as they look at Harrison. “Mate, now you gotta pay her 20 quid.” Tuwain whispers to him.

“Yeah, but at least you’re not waiting for another 8 hours before she picks one.” Harrison whispers back to which Tuwaine nods in agreement.

“A clever div, you are.” Tuwaine responds.

Tom enters the living room with freshley popped popcorn, Crunch bars, and Oreos. It was their usual every week and both swore they couldn’t finish Movie Night without it. “Oh cmon! I thought you’d guys wouldn’t join this week.” Tom groaned as he sees his best mates all hogging the couch with Y/N.

“Sorry mate, but Y/N picked a classic, so we’re staying....and I lost 20 quid for this.” Harrison mumbled as he sunk further into the couch.

Tom rolls his eyes as he walks past the filled couch only to stop at Y/N. He quickly scoops her up bridal style, as she squeaks at the sudden moment. Soon after, he drops her off on to the next couch, and wraps his strong arms around her tummy. Intaking her cocoa butter scent, which smelled like chocolate, he nuzzles his head into her neck. “Not the Movie Night I imagined, but as long as I get to cuddle you...it’s just as perfect.” He confesses as they watch the screen.

“Hmm...it’s always perfect with you.” Y/N mumbles as she struggles to open her eyes. It was a habit of hers to fall asleep when watching the movies she picked. Not because they were boring, but because of how comforting they were. The mood of the film, the dark atmosphere with only the television lighting up the room, Tom holding her and leaving soft kisses...how could she not?

“It’s okay darling, if you want to sleep. I got you.” He whispers, smiling into her hair. Y/N tilts her head back to look at Tom. “I know you do. I love you.” She whispers back, as Tom leans into to peck her small lips. Within minutes, Y/N falls fast asleep and so do the other boys. Tom looks around and smiles, thinking of how incredible it is to genuinely feel like he’s home. He shuts off the television once the movie ends, and places a blanket on the boys so they keep warm. For Y/N, he gently carries her off to their bedroom as he tucks both of them in, falling back asleep after yet another successful Movie Night.

Taglist:

@hollanddolanfangirl @parkerspillow

[xbellaxcarolinax]

Forging A Heart (Ivar the Boneless) 6- Trapped

Pairings: Ivar x Artemis (OFC)

Word Count: 2175

Warnings: Ivar being mean

AN: Thank you all for the love ☺️

5- Replaceable

...

Helga's normally nimble fingers struggled to work intricate braids into Artemis's hair. The girl sat sulking at the older woman's feet, watching the dancing flames of the hearth in a trance like state, her mind voided of all thought.

Helga and Floki had a humble home. It was by no means as extravagant as the home of the Prince's or the Queen, but something about it put her in a calmer state. Perhaps it was Helga's motherly warmth, or the soft furs arranged across the floor, comfortably tickling her palms.

Or perhaps it was the view of the sea, and how close to an escape there was.

Artemis snorts to herself. Impossible.

"Really child, you have wild hair," Helga interrupts her thoughts with a tug of her hair. She uses her fingers to separate the knots before tightening the braid, making Artemis howl in pain.

Helga insisted on these hairstyles. Why? She thought them more pleasing to the eye. That was enough to make Artemis scoff. She clearly didn't care about her hair. What slave would?

Another knot was separated followed by another whine of pain.

"Keep still!"

"That hurts!" Helga clicks her tongue, swatting away at the girls probing hands.

One could say they had formed a relationship, as bizzare as it was. Helga was renowned for her nurturing soul, and after the death of her daughter Angraboda, she wanted so much to give that affection to another. No one could ever replace her late daughter, but she had grown a fondness for Artemis, even if the girl fought against it.

After a few moments of bickering, Artemis finally relents, letting Helga continue to finish her braiding.

"There," The older woman tells her, "You now look like a proper Viking woman," She spoke with pride, examining her work.

"I'm no Viking," Artemis mutters, renouncing the idea. She felt she was slowly losing herself.

"Well, you're close enough to it now. You look lovely," Helga ignores the bitterness in the girl's voice, moving to reach for a well polished copper plate. She holds it in front of her so that she may inspect the braids properly.

Artemis blinks, her eyes following the blurred lines of her reflection on the tinted copper. It had been so long since she'd seen herself, she almost didn't recognize her own face. At first glance she noticed her cheekbones were much more prominent than usual. She brings a hand to her face and touches her oddly pale skin. There was a darkness under her eyes, revealing her many sleepless nights. The only beauty she could see was her hair, pulled to the side in little neat braids right above her ear. It was the neatest her hair had been in such a long time.

"How do you like them?" Helga asks, a smile stretching over her lips.

"They're...nice," Artemis replies sadly, turning away from the copper plate, "Thank you." Helga nods, standing to go and tend to the dying fire.

"I'm surprised Ivar allows you to come visit," Helga comments, adding a log into the flames, "Ivar can be quite...unpredictable."

"He doesn't know I come here," The girl mutters her reply, knowing she'd be remprimanded, "The Prince is an absent master." Helga slowly turns to face her, bringing a hand to her hip as she makes a noise of disapproval.

"You're looking for a scolding. Edda doesn't look for you?"

"If she can't find me, she can't bother me. She doesn't like me very much either,"

"And you wonder why?" Helga questions. Artemis looks away from her stern look, not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes. Instead she stands and stretches her aching bones from another sleepless night plagued by the usual thoughts, except now they included Ivar.

"Artemis, why haven't you understood your place here?" Helga began with a great sigh, "You are a slave. I may show you favor, but it doesn't mean the rest will. Busy yourself, show yourself to be dutiful, and perhaps you may gain favor, perhaps even Ivar's favor,"

The fair haired woman steps to her small kitchen table, putting aside a piece of bread and cheese in a cloth. She offers it to the girl, now standing by the fire.

"Here," Helga urges, grabbing her hand and placing the bundle of food in her palm.

"What's this?" Artemis eyes the bundle.

"For you. You're getting thinner giving what little you get fed to the monks."

"How do you know about that?" She questions her, brows arched in genuine confusion.

"Because I've seen you, silly girl," It was usually in the early mornings when Artemis scurried off, handing out the little food she could acquire to the monks, often seen building the fortifications around Kattegat that Queen Lagertha had implemented. She did what she could, and in return they added her name to their prayers in the hopes that God would listen.

"I don't deserve your help, Helga," She tells the older woman, a sadness lacing her words. It was moments like this in which Artemis knew she should be kinder to Helga. She thanked God for sparing her a kind woman among the heathens.

"Nonsense," The older woman replies with her usual smile. Artemis's eyes glossed over, but before she could express words of gratitude, the door rattled open revealing Floki and her crippled master.

Ivar and Artemis immediately lock eyes, a silent battle between his angry seas and her dark endless pools. He was ready to bark at her, his lips already molding into a disapproving frown, but Floki interrupts him with a loud sigh, removing his belt of tools and tossing it to the side.

"Helga, dear wife, what have I told you about bringing this girl under our roof?" He seemed tired saying it, as if they've argued about such a topic many times before. He glares at Artemis before walking over to the small table, sitting on the chair with a grunt while Helga poured him a cup of ale.

"She only came to visit me, Floki, do not be so horrid," She defends, being mindful of Ivar the entire time. It was as if she were pleading with her eyes for him not to hurt the girl.

"So Helga," Ivar begins, "It seems my slave enjoys your company. I hope she isn't a burden to you," He glances at Artemis from over the cup of ale that was offered to him. He eyes her braids but does nothing more.

"She is no trouble, Ivar. She's a kind girl," Ivar snorts unbecomingly at this, looking towards Floki who snorted as well.

"There is nothing kind about Christian's, Helga. They hate us, and wish to destroy us,"

"He lies," Artemis quietly counters, her fingers curling into fists. There was an eerie silence after that as all eyes snapped at her.

"What?" Floki seethes, his tone malicious. Artemis remains quiet after that, mentally scolding herself for speaking in the first place.

"Don't be shy," Floki taunts, his fingers gripping his cup tight, "Speak. Up." Artemis swallows hard, her heart thumping in her chest rapidly.

"It is your people who wish to destory...and it is your people who hate, and kill," In her fear she whispers clumsily, but the malice in her voice could be detected. She makes her point quite clear. Floki's eyes were icy, the black khol around the rims giving them a deadly look. Helga steps forward, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder in a form of comfort.

"Mind your words, or it is not just Ivar who will hurt you," Helga whispers, glancing over at her husband who gulped down his drink quickly, turning to look down towards Ivar.

"Control your slave, Ivar, she has quite the mouth on her,"

"I'm coming to realize that," Ivar huffs with a roll of his eyes. He sets the cup down, dragging himself to the door, "I apologize on her behalf, Floki, she is simple minded. I will see she is dealt with. Let's go slave, there is much work to do," Artemis relunctantly steps away from Helga's comforting touch, turning to look at her with sad eyes before following her master out the door.

...

Ivar barges into his chambers just as Artemis illuminated the last of the candles. She jumps in fright, nearly dropping the flame. It seemed everyone intended to sneak up on her.

"Did you think your disrespect would go unpunished?" He spits out. She looks down at him, his expression souring by the second. She blew the match out quickly, placing her hands behind her back, remaining silent.

"Now is when you choose to keep your mouth shut?" He sucks his teeth, "Bring it in," Ivar moves aside, letting two male thralls bring in a crate. Artemis stares at the object, giving it a hard look before coming to the realization that it was same the crate from the monestary.

Ivar forces the thralls out as soon as they settled the box on the floor, dragging a stool and climbing up to sit on it.

"Move the lid," He commanded her, drumming his fingers over his knee in habit. She hesitates at first until finally approaching it slowly. The wood was decaying and it's original color was tarnished, dark and muddy from travel. She did as ordered, pushing the lid enough to see the emptiness on the inside.

"Good," Ivar smiles darkly, "Now get inside," Artemis shoots him a look of confusion.

"Do you not understand?" He mockingly feigns confusion, using a hand to point to the box, "Get. In." She gives him one last glance, listening to how he stressed the syllables before obeying, gathering her skirts clumsily in her hands and stumbling inside.

"Look at that, she's obedient," Ivar mutters with a roll of his eyes. He motions for her to sit down before continuing,"Is this crate familiar to you?" He smiles again, but this time, it was in genuine amusement. He treated everything as a game.

Artemis glares, but she nods, not wanting to upset him further. Sitting im there was as uncomfortable as the first time, her knees already scrapping painfully against the tough wood.

"I know how fond you are of being in boxes," Ivar chuckles, suddenly slamming the lid with a force that startled her. She let's out a shriek, searching for Ivar's face through the cracks in the wood. She starts to bang on the sides of the wood in a panic.

"Relax," She hears him say, "This is your punishment. I'm sure you'll be fine in there for the night. Learn your lesson," He smacks the crate a few times as if to solidify his words, a satisfied smirk gracing his lips.

Her limbs were already tensing in their awkward position. She had only been hiding for a few minutes before Bjorn found her, how was she to endure an entire night?

She whimpers, tucking her knees under her chin and shutting her eyes tightly. It was a strange punishment, but it was nothing compared to a beating or lashing that slaves from other households endure.

It was quiet for a few moments until Ivar decided to speak.

"Floki has been a friend of the family for as long a I can remember, and has been a father to me when my own father wasn't." He explains, "Don't get it in your head that you can disrespect him so easily as you do others. If he were to kill you for your insolence, I wouldn't stop him."

Artemis bites the inside of her cheek to keep from making any noise. She processes his words carefully. Floki was clearly held in high regards. He was crazy, anyone could see that, but he had a faithfulness to his gods that was unmatched. Ivar seemed to have an admiration for the older man.

"This is the last time I will reprimand you as a child. The next time will be much worse, believe me," She could hear the amusement dripping in his tone, and she was almost certain he was smiling. Still, she says nothing, choosing to remain quiet in the darkness of her prison.

What he did next was unexpected.

Ivar swung an axe into the lid in one swift motion, its point driving in deep and almost grazing the top of her head. Artemis let's out a shriek, trying her best to move away from the blade in the tiny space provided to her.

"Do we have an understanding?" His voice was stern, all hints of amusement gone.

She struggles to control her breathing, her heart threatening to beat right out her chest. She lays her head against the wood on the opposite side, tightly closing her eyes before speaking.

"Yes, Prince Ivar."

"Excellent," He yanks the axe from the lid with ease, leaving a gap in its wake. He peeks through the splintering gash in the wood, offering her a stupid grin when their eyes meet with the help of the candlelight.

"We'll see how brave you are in the morning. Have a goodnight slave."

...

@heavenly1927

[movedvalkyriesryde]

Place Your Bets 8/?

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: Money is on the line and the months are counting down so who will win in the bet to when Bucky and Y/N finally get together? And will they figure out what’s exactly going on

Warnings: Swears?, a lot of hi-jinks and fluff

A/N: Sooooo this was meant to be the last part but I’ve had a change of heart and im extending it for another part hehe

Word Count: 2,400ish

Masterlist

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A plan was set in place, it consisted of several parts but overall it would mean the end of this long bet.  It would be difficult, I’m not going to lie to you it took some serious planning by Bucky and Y/N to figure out what exactly was going to be done. Their timing had to be perfect, what they said had to be precise and they couldn’t give away any hint of what they were doing. Easy enough for two highly trained agents. 

Part One - Infiltration

Y/N wandered down the hallway of the compound, she was on the prowl but no one would be able to tell from her walk or the casual demeanor she expressed. At the end of the hall her prey turned the corner and began walking towards her. Part one was in motion. 

“Steve!” she called out and jogged ahead before turning and walking side by side with her prey, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Steve slowed his pace and raised an eyebrow, he was none the wiser. 

“Is everything okay?”

“I overheard you and Sam earlier,” she lowered her voice as she spoke, careful as to make sure no one else would be able to hear as Steve came to a stop, a deer caught in the headlights. “I know about the bet you have.”

“You’re not mad?” Steve felt as though he was walking on ice, Bucky had let loose at the news of the bet and he wasn’t sure how Y/N would react. 

“I’m slightly annoyed yes,” she breathed out a laugh and looked from side to side before stepping closer to her prey, “but I can forgive you, for a price,” she smirked.

“And what would that price be?” he breathed out a small laugh and smiled at his unknown predator. 

“I want in,” she stated, “I plan on talking to Bucky about all this and I have a feeling it’ll go smoothly,” she shrugged her shoulders before continuing, Steve quirked his eyebrows again, his curiosity was growing, she had him on the end of her line and was reeling him in. “If it does, I want 50%.”

“You’re sure you two will get together? How?” He crossed his arms, she felt the tug of the reel as he fought back. 

“Let’s just say some things were said last night, which I know you know about by the way, that have lead me to believe that everything will work out,” the smile on her face was growing and Steve pondered her comment for a moment. Bucky hadn’t told him anything about confessing his feelings to her, but he’d left a lot of details out. Slowly Steve started to nod his head.

“Alright,” he stuck his hand out, “you’ve got a deal.” 

That’s a hook line and sinker folks. 

Part Two - Redemption 

Bucky knocked twice on the door before he opened it and stepped in, not bothering waiting for the okay. It had been two and half hours since Y/N completed part one, it was his turn now. It was mid-afternoon at this point, everyone had settled after lunch into their own activities, Steve was sat in his room drawing the view from his desk when he heard Bucky walk in. The two offered each other small hello’s before Bucky took a seat next to him. 

“I’ve been thinking about this whole bet thing,” Bucky spoke after some time, Steve hummed in response, not bothering to look up. “I think I deserve some of your winnings since you bet on my love life.” His voice was nonchalant, like it wasn’t a big deal, but the words had been written down and practiced a half a dozen times earlier in the day.

“No winnings yet, Sam decided drunk sex doesn’t count,” Steve looked up from his notebook and watched Bucky lean back further into the chair, “I can call it off if you want,” he offered. Bucky shook his head slightly. 

“What if I got you the win, then you can share some with me?” again his tone was casual, a conversation between two friends, “anything to stop Sam from bragging,” he laughed.

“Do you have a plan or were you just going to wing it,” Steve laughed, “because up until this point you’ve been winging it and it hasn’t exactly worked.”

“Hey! I have my ways, my charm, good looks, it’ll win any girl over,” Bucky winked and flicked his hair over his shoulder dramatically getting a laugh from Steve. “I have a plan actually.”

“Oh? And what’s that? Get drunk and kiss her? Seems to be your only move at the moment.” Steve enjoyed this banter he had with Bucky, the mood was light and he was able to joke and poke fun without any worry of the consequences.

“Right mate do you want to win or not?” Bucky leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Sorry, continue.”

“I’m gonna go talk to her, ask her on a proper date,” the mood shifted slightly as Bucky bit his lip and watched for Steve’s reaction. 

“It’s about time,” he laughed, “bet or not I want you to be happy Buck.”

“But you’ll still give me a cut right?” Bucky smirked as Steve continued to laugh.

“Hows 50%?” The men shook hands and both leaned back in their chairs. ‘Done deal’ they’d agreed. Steve went back to drawing and Bucky sat quickly, relaxed and watching the trees sway in the small breeze outside. 

After a few minutes of peace Bucky spoke again.

“You know I was going to ask for 30 right?”

“You can have 30% if you want” 

“No it’s okay,” Bucky rushed out, waving his hand in front of him, “we shook on 50%.”

Part Three A - Testing the Waters

Now, the pair knew that Steve and Sam were in on this bet. But a bet that had been going on this long meant that surely the others must know right? So they thought, why not have some fun, see what reactions they can get, if any. 

In a compound where the team lived with each other and were constantly communicating it made this part of the plan possibly the easiest. Once again the two’s skills came in handy, they knew what to say yes but they also knew how to keep a close eye on their targets, how to get into the computer system and find out the information before anyone was the wiser. Tony doesn't get individual’s log activities until Monday morning. They had ample time. 

So when Bucky text Y/N to give her the all clear she set in motion part three; testing the waters. While Bucky stayed with Steve, as they often did and as to not raise suspicion, Y/N had already situated herself in the lounge where Vision, Wanda and Clint were lounging. She’d been there for almost an hour, the conversation between the group dropped at moments but it was calm, relaxing. Y/N was waiting, she was waiting for the perfect timing, an in and when Wanda spoke, she had it.

“Hey, do you want to watch that bird cartoon you were telling me about tonight?” Wanda turned to Y/N who was occupied by her phone. 

“Tuca and Bertie? I can’t I’m going out tonight” she replied looking up from her phone briefly but not long enough to hold eye contact. 

“Where are you heading?” Asked Clint, always one to support his team’s interests outside of missions. 

“Birthday celebration with a few friends from high school, nothing to exciting, just drinks” Y/N shrugged her shoulders and smiled at the group.

“Gonna bring home any one night stands?” Clint teased.

“Or should I keep my phone on loud just in case you need to be picked up from some guy’s apartment at some ungodly hour,” Wanda laughed out. 

You should know that Y/N’s sudden plans had sparked an interest in both Clint and Wanda. The two immediately began their own plan, let’s call it Bleed Them Dry, because they were trying to get all the information they could.

“It’s not like that,” Y/N laughed with them a small blush started rising on her cheeks, “if you must know, one of my friends is bringing some guy she wants me to meet.”

“Who is this mystery man?” Wanda leaned forward in her seat, she thought, before the news of last night, that Y/N had given up on Bucky. But with the information she had been given from Steve and Sam, she was confused as to why Y/N would be agreeing on a blind set up. 

“I have no idea, someone she works with,” Y/N sighed before turning to Wanda, “don’t worry I’ll sneak a photo and send you his name as soon as I meet him.” 

“I’d also like to know,” Clint raised his hand with a smile which was returned by Y/N.

“Of course arrow boy,” she stood from her seat and made a move to exit the room, “if you'll excuse me, I have a blind set up to get ready for.”

Part Three B - Testing the Waters...Still

It was Bucky’s turn now. Y/N had let him know her part had gone smoothly, the seed had been planted is what she’d told him. It was nearing 6pm now, dinner was being prepared in the kitchen by whoever’s turn it was to cook. But Bucky was walking in the opposite direction as he moved towards Tony’s lab casually.

“Hey Stark, Banner” Bucky greeted the men with a nod which was quickly returned. He walked over to Tony’s station and stood on the opposite side of the table as Bruce went back to his work, but kept a watchful eye on the interaction. 

“How can I help Tinman?” Tony sunk into the stool next to him and looked up at Bucky who shifted from foot to foot.

“I was wondering if I could borrow that camouflage bracelet thing you made?” He scratched the back of his neck as Tony raised his eyebrows to ask why, “got a date.”

Bruce and Tony shared a quick look as Tony turned to get the bracelet he had made for Bucky that would conceal his metal arm, making it appear to be flesh and handed it to Bucky. 

“Who’s the lucky lady? Finally asked Y/N out?” Tony smiled, he was hoping Steve would win. 

“No,” Bucky breathed out a laugh and shook his head, his eyes held down at the bracelet in his hands, “I wish but no, girl I met in a bar last week.” 

“How does Y/N feel about that?” Bruce spoke up from his bench, the two turned their attention towards him.

“I don’t think she knows,” Bucky pulled out his phone and opened it, “Sam text me saying she’s got some blind date set up thing tonight anyway,” he sighed again, putting his phone away and looking at Bruce, “doesn’t seem like she’s interested, suppose I should move on I guess.”

Bruce and Tony both nodded their heads, they wished him good luck on his date and watched him walk out. Bucky was thankful for the text from Sam, they’d made sure Clint was there when he found out about Y/N’s plans for the night, they knew Sam would be the first person he went to and Sam would eventually tell Bucky. 

The scientists turned to each other.

“They did sleep together didn’t they?” Tony asked.

“That’s what Steve said,” Bruce shrugged.

“Oh,” Tony let out, “so they’re both just dumbasses then.” He shook his head and pulled out his phone.

“Are you telling the others,” Bruce asked, Tony just answered with a look, of course I am, he answered.

Part Four - Answers

There’s a reason all of this happened at certain times. Not only did they need enough time for word to get around, but they needed Steve to be out of the compound and away from his phone. That’s why Bucky had insisted it had to be today, because with no training in the morning he knew that Steve would go for an hour’s run before dinner and Steve never took his phone, always leaving it on his nightstand, he ran around the compound, if something went wrong, he would hear it. That’s how Bucky and Y/N were able to sneak into Steve’s room after Bucky had come back from visiting Tony. 

Y/N was waiting at the door when he arrived, she asked how it went, he showed her the bracelet in response. She asked him if he was really going to wear it, he said only if there’s a crowd. She said they’ll have to make sure to stay away from crowds then with a smirk. This girl was driving Bucky insane. 

It was nearing 6:30pm now, they had about twenty minutes to get in and out before risking Steve finding them and so as soon as they got to work Bucky went straight to his computer and opened up his messages. It wasn’t hard to find what the were looking for, in capital letters the group chat was constantly being updated with new messages, it was called (you’ll never guess) PLACE YOUR BETS.

Bucky moved his hand so the mouse hovered over the chat, he wanted to know what they were talking about, he knew they were talking about him, about his love life, and he wanted the details. He wanted to know what they knew, if they knew something he didn’t. He needed to know.

“Wait,” Y/N placed her hand over Bucky’s wrist stopping him from clicking onto the chat, “you can’t click on it.”

“Why not?” He looked at her, eyes wide like a child being caught doing something he shouldn’t.

“If you click on it you’ll mark it as read, if they see that Steve has read it they’ll wonder why since he’s supposed to be running right now,” she spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, to her it was, it hadn’t even crossed Bucky’s mind. 

“Okay well, now we know that everyone is in on it,” her hand was still on his wrist as he looked at it, she noticed him staring and quickly pulled it away and straightened up. 

“Ready for the final part?” Y/N asked with a smile as they walked out of Steve’s room, ready to go their separate ways until later that night.

“Ready as ever doll,” Bucky winked at her before turning on his heel and walking towards his room. He had a date to get ready for.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

and a big thank you for reading! Let me know what you think and requests are open!

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine

Taglist (open): @little-brown-foxx @ibookishqueen @jacelynenursalim @buckyos @marcelaverzani @winters-history @happywobble @allonszassbutt @wiplop @pantamemes @emotionallysalty @jsmith509 @acf2510 @ashleyhearto @starklokison @annimalq @cautiouscalum @gabyer0309  @rorynne @tuliptx @redmachetecrossbow27 @sleepingspacedragon @cielphantomhixe @coffee-and-stardust @abswritesfandoms

[hunterbahamut]

Today is a new story! This story is a one shot that I’m calling ”Journey Home”. This takes place at the same time as the events of the story ‘Rift’, showing what Gene, Nix and Tero are up to.

This is a one shot story, but it’s also a bit of a long one. This story was a long time coming and actually proved to be difficult for me to get right. However, I do hope that the time spent has paid off and I hope you all enjoy!

--

"It's actually not uncommon for us to split up like this."  Nix said, talking to Gene as they sat in the shuttle's cockpit.  "Whenever Wart finds smaller jobs like this these, splitting up allows us to be more quicker and more efficient in getting them done."

"It also gives us a break from Phineas and his stupidity and crass behavior."  Tero remarked, letting out a gruff grumble at that.

Gene nodded is head as he listened, "It definitely makes sense, and we get the added bonus of extra money too."  He said, "But I gotta admit, it feels a little weird."

"I don't see why." Tero said, "You haven't been with us as a full team for a while."

Gene sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "That isn't exactly our fault, but what I mean is that I've been with Lan during all those times.  Not being with her now is just...weird for me."

"I understand that." Nix said, looking over towards him, "And honestly I'm not sure why Wart hasn't teamed us up all together as much; there have been some jobs were we could have used the extra help."

"I'm sure he has his reasons."  Tero said.

"I guess."  Gene said.  It was still an uneasy feeling; this was perhaps the first time he wasn't with Lan on a mission like this since they first arrived.

"Try not to worry too much."  Nix said, trying to reassure him.  "These smaller missions go pretty quickly.  And there is far less friction between certain teammates."  She said, giving a side glance at Tero, who just huffed at the comment.

Gene nodded his head, "I'll try.  This does seem like a pretty simple job at least. Helping a group find a missing person, yeah?"

Nix nodded, "Yeah, though I admit it's odd that they haven't given us much information.  Going in blind like this worries me a little."

"I doubt there is any cause for concern."  Tero commented, "You know we've taken missions like this before.  They'll just give the details in person."

"I suppose, but I'm nervous too. " Gene said, "I mean, I'm sure we're not gonna do anything illegal, right?"

Nix was quiet for a moment, "No, we do try to stay away from that." She said, "But...we have gotten very close to crossing that line on more than one occasion."

Gene twitched his ears; he was surprised to hear that. It reminded him of something and it left him quiet for a moment. "Well, I don't have much room to talk or judge, I have done similar things in the past too."

Nix raised a brow, "Really?  I don't think I would have guessed that, you strike me as being too honest."

He laughed a little at that and nodded, "Yeah, but it's wasn't anything horrible.  I've mostly lifted some things from people that I felt deserved to be knocked down a peg or two, and help those who really needed it.  Kinda like Robin Hood."

Tero just snorted at that. "Petty theft.  I suppose there are worse things."

"I think Wart would explode if there was any worse."  Gene said, laughing a bit.  "But that was just about it, and I haven't done anything like that in a long while."

Nix nodded at that before there was a beeping from the shuttle's piloting console.  She took the controls and they headed down to Union, landing down at one of the docking stations before the three headed out.

Nix checked over the details again on her datapad. "The address isn't too far from here, and it seems to be rather secluded."  

Tero sniffed at the air and looked around, "Don't exactly like how close we seem to be to Underside."

"Underside?"  Gene asked, looking back at him.

"Union's underbelly."  Nix said, her voice lowering a bit, "Something that many don't know or like to acknowledge is that Union has a bit of a criminal underworld, known as Underside."  She looked around, "All kinds of people, gangs and such are connected to it.  You remember Tink?"

"The purple boom-happy guy? How could I forget?"

"That's him."  Nix nodded, sharing in that sentiment,  "We're pretty sure he has some kind of connection there as well.  It's something we like to try and be cautious of if we ever have to deal with it."

Gene nodded slowly, "Right, I get you."  He huffed, "Good to keep our guard up."

The group continued on until they reached a rundown looking building.  It seemed like an old apartment complex; the old architecture was looking rather dirty and the front was covered in old torn posters and more graffiti covering the sides along the alleyways.

"This is the place?"  Gene gave the building a quick look, rubbing his chin.  "I’m starting to get this feeling I know why they've kept so quiet with us."

"And would that a good thing or bad thing?" Tero asked.

"I'll have to let you know."  Gene looked at the two, "What do we do if this ends up turning bad?"

"You mean what happens if we don't accept the job?"  Nix frowned, "With any luck, they will be sensible and we'll just leave.  Otherwise..."

Gene sighed and nodded, "Right then, definitely gonna keep my guard up."

Tero rolled his eyes, but otherwise remained quiet.

They gave the area a quick look before heading down a side ally where they found the entrance along with a buzzer next to the door.  Nix pressed the button once and waited.  Then twice. 

"No response?"  Gene looked around, "I don't like this."

"You're being paranoid over nothing." Tero grumbled. "There has yet to be any cause for concern."

"Maybe, but then again, this does feel suspicious." Nix grabbed hold of the door and pulled on it to see if it was unlocked, surprising bother herself and the others when it actually opened for them.

Gene perked an eyebrow, "Should we consider this an open invitation?"

Nix slowly nodded, "We should investigate.  I just hope that Tero's right and we really are just being paranoid."

"I hope so too."  Gene moved to stand by the door and Nix slowly opened it, both of them walking in cautiously.  Tero just rolled his eyes and waited for them before stepping in after them.

The place seemed run-down, but still livable.  There was a hum of electricity coming from ahead of them, but otherwise everything else was quiet.  The entrance lead into a small hall with two doors on either side, and the only light came from the room ahead of them.

Gene and Nix looked at each other, wondering the same thing before Nix called out, "Is anyone here?"

They didn't get any response.  The two slowly walked further in, looking into the side rooms before entering the main room.

"Oh no..."

Tero raised a brow and he followed after the two. "What is it?" He asked before he got a good look himself.

The room had been set up with multiple computer terminals on tables, which explained the humming sound, but what caught their attention was the numerous blast marks along the walls, and the three bodies that laid at different ends of the room.  Two Narth and one Needlix, each one having a weapon nearby them.

"What the hell? What did we walk in to?"  Gene asked, the first to break the silence.

"Nothing that ended well for these three." Tero said, sounding rather impassive as he walked over to one of the Narth, activating his scanner to look him over.

"I hate to say it, but I think someone got here before we did." Nix said grimly, looking at the scene.

"You would be right."  Tero said, "I'm scanning for traces of what might of happened, and I'm picking up a very familiar energy signature."

"You mean you know who did this?"  Gene asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Given the blaster marks on the bodies and the residue around them, I think I do."  Tero turned to the other, "This is Razor's handiwork."

"Razor?" Nix looked even more concerned now. "Are you sure?"

"I'm 98 percent sure, his weapons have a unique signature that's very difficult to mistake.  I would say that these three had little time to react, they may have gotten shots off before they were killed, but it did them little good."

Gene looked at them, "So who's this Razor guy?"

"A Glimneon mercenary." Nix explained, "Glimneons are easy to identify; usually very colorful and they have these large antenna that have glowing parts.  Razor is a gunman and merc that we've run into a few times before, and usually when he's under Ezskar's employ."

"Oh great, so the pink terror might be involved in this?"  

"It's a possibility."  Nix said, "But we can't guess as to why without knowing more about what was going on here and why we were called in."

Gene rubbed his head, "So what now?  I mean,  I figure we should inform the authorities, assuming they don't already."

"We should,"  Nix said, "but I think we should take a look around and see if we can learn more.  If these guys were up to something and Razor was somehow involved, I want to know what that was."

--

The Glimneon grumbled as he chomped down on a glowstick as he turned his comm-unit on, dialing the all-to-familiar contact with some annoyance.  After a brief moment, the image of the pink mutant appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Razor!"  Ezskar said with a slick grin.  "I assume you have good news to report."

"Eh, yeah and no." Razor said, leaning up against the wall in the alley.  "He wasn't there with 'em, but they weres sayin' that they might've found 'im."

"Good!"  Ezskar grin widened, "So they're going to get him now then?"

"Nah, can't do that on account of them bein' dead."

Ezskar's grin immediately dropped.  "What?!  What happened?" He asked, his voice suddenly lowering to a low growl.

"They didn't wanna cough up the info when I asked, and they tried t' pull guns on me, so I responded in kind."

Ezskar let out a low grumble, "Hmph, fine.  Were you able to get any information off of their logs?"

"Didn' have a whole lotta time t' check." Razor said, "Someone showed up jus' as I was startin', so I made a hasty exit."

There was the sound of something getting smashed or knocked over, which only made Razor roll his eyes.  "Then what are you going to do about it?!"  Ezskar demanded.

"Oy, cool yer jets, will ya?" Razor said, "I downloaded some of the info before I skedaddled.  Didn' check it fully, but I saw where they was at last.  I can start lookin' round there; dun think this guy's gonna be hard to spot."

"Hmph!"  Ezskar grumbled before he nodded, "Fine, that will do.  Just keep me informed of your progress.  And keep your eyes out for Team Prototype!  I do not want them to interfere in this!"

"How ya know they're gonna be here at all?"

"They will be." Ezskar said, "Just make sure they do not interfere!  Get him and bring him back to me!"  He grumbled out, "If I can't have him, then no one will!"

"A'right then. " Razor snorted and closed the commlink.  "I can do that."

--

"I see very little point in doing this."  Tero said, tapping his foot impatiently as he watched the two working at one of the computer terminals.

"These guys died for someone."  Gene said, "If this Razor guy came by and gunned them down, then whoever they're looking for could also be in trouble."

Tero crossed his arms. "So?"

"I think I found something." Nix said, enlarging one of the computer screens, "This looks like a list of locations on Union where they were searching.  It looks like they may have had a lead in a section of Underside, not too far from here."

"So wait," Gene said, "if they knew where this person was, why call us in?"

"No idea, but this is only a lead, not anything concrete."  Nix said, "We also don't know the details about what was supposed to happen.  If they are in Underside, then for all we know they could be in trouble. "

"And so we let someone else deal with this."  Tero interrupted, "This isn't our job anymore."

"Are you seriously suggesting we back out now?" Gene asked, looking over to the smaller polartix with a look of frustrated shock.  "Someone could be in danger!"

Nix interjected, "And if Ezskar is involved, then this is something that the local authority won't be able to handle."

Tero snorted, "We don't know the who, what, where or why, and we don't even know if Ezskar is actually involved.  We came for a job, and our clients are now dead.  Out part in this is over."

Gene was about to speak up, but Nix stood up, "We're going to investigate further." She said in a commanding tone, "We don't know if Ezskar is involved or not, but I don't want to take that chance, especially if another's life is in danger.  Besides, do you think we'll hear the end of it when Wart finds out we ditched without finding some way of finishing this mission?"

Tero snorted and turned away. "Fine."  He wouldn't admit it, but she did have a point on that last part.

Gene grinned, "Great!  So where are we off to?"

"It's a nearby place called 'Lucky Strike's Tavern'." Nix said as they started to make a hasty exit.  "I know where that is; we can head there after we leave an anonymous tip to the law enforcers about this."

--

The areas referred to as 'Underside' was the opposite to most of the rest of Union.  Many of the buildings were much smaller and in rougher shape compared to what what was normal for the rest of the planet.  It had a much darker feel to it, and the denizens were a lot more 'rough and tumble' than average people.  There were tons of rumors about the place about how there were black markets, gangs, and all sorts of notorious things hidden away. This was rather familiar to the group, even to Gene.  Not only was Tink's workshop not far away, but the tavern in question was a place Nix had been to before because of Volrex, so they were more familiar with this than some might have liked.

"The tavern isn't too far from here." Nix said as they walked along the smaller streets.  "It should be a good first stop to ask for information.  

"Sounds good."  Gene said, "Hopefully someone will have something we can use."

The tavern in question was one of the larger buildings, the front lit up with a simple neon-tube sign, and a small gathering near the entrance just minding their own business.  However, as the team approached, they could hear some kind of commotion inside: there was the sound of yells and grunts, along with breaking glass and the crashing of furniture.

"Sounds like they're having fun in there."  Gene said.

Nix frowned, "Sounds like it, I hope that won't involve us."  She turned to Tero, "We'll go and check it out.  Just in case, you better-"

"Stay back here, of course."  Tero said, "I don't want to be here in the first place, I'm not going to get caught up in some bar brawl."

Nix nodded at that before she and Gene headed for the tavern.

The commotion was getting louder as the two got closer and stuff started to fly out ; a few bottles at first but was soon followed by a chair, and then one of the patrons.  The two moved off to the side as they reached the entrance and took a look inside. As expected, some of the patrons inside were in a scuffle, with the staff doing little to help. However, it looked like there was a group going after someone much larger, and as they were knocked around, the two got a good look at who it was.

Nix gasped out.  "That's a polartix!"

Gene perked his ears, "And they're rarely seen off their own homeworld."  He said, recalling the information, "Think that's our missing person?"

Nix nodded, "I don't have a doubt."  She started to think, "We need to make absolutely sure, but we need to get him out of there first."

Gene looked back inside, "Well, looks like we don't need to worry about that."

The brawlers tried to gang up and pile onto the polartix, but they were all lifted up at once by the larger creature and tossed aside while the polartix let out a hearty laugh.  By now, more of the staff started to clear out the rabble-rousers, tossing them out.

"Alright, get them out of here!"  One of the bartenders shouted out, "I want them all out, and that goes double for you there, fuzzball!"

"Ha!  Fine, fine."  The polartix let out a laugh before he gathered up a bag and stomped out of the tavern.

Nix and Gene stood back and watched as the large polartix came sauntering out, watching him for a moment.  "My goodness, he looks so young." Nix observed.

"He's that big and he's still young?"  Gene twitched his ears, "He looks like he would give that Trask guy a run for his money."

The two hurried to catch up to the polartix.  "Excuse me."  Nix called out, "Can we talk to you for a moment?"

The polartix stopped and turned, his eyes going wide as he caught sight of the white hybrid, a grin appearing on his face for a moment before he let out a laugh. "Ha!  You must forgive me, for a moment there I thought you were one of my brethren!"

"Don't worry, I get that a lot."  Gene replied, laughing a bit.  "Sorry to bug ya, it's just that we don't see many actual Polartix around here."

He laughed at that, "Now that is something I get a lot too!  But I have heard it is unusual for my kin to be seen off the homeworld."

Nix nodded, "That's why we wanted to ask you; what brings you all the way over here?"

The polartix let out a small laugh, "Well, I'm trying to find my way back home!  I have heard this is the center of the, uhm, what did they call it?  the Alliance? I think?  I'm hoping that I can find someone here who can take me there!"

That seemed to surprise both Nix and Gene, "You don't know about the Alliance?"  Nix asked.

He huffed, "Well, I know of it. I just...I don't know much about it.  I have been somewhat on the outside."

Nix was starting to understand as she put the pieces together.

--

Tero was starting to get impatient.  

He had moved to a less crowded corner with arms crossed, tapping his foot.  "How long does it take?" He grumbled to himself. He finally was fed up and he stepped back out into the open, looking towards the tavern and spotting his teammates.  "What are those two doing-?"  He asked, stepping towards them before he stopped suddenly in his tracks, catching sight of who they were talking to, a deep scowl crossing his face. "You cannot be serious."

With some heavy hesitation, he continued to approach, starting to hear their conversation.

"Well before we start bombarding you with questions, I'm Gene and this is my friend Nix."  The white hybrid said, introducing themselves, "What's your name?"

"Rauha!"  The polartix said, sounding incredibly proud of that.

"It's good to meet you. " Nix said, "We do have a third, but I should warn you-"

"Well speak of the devil."  Gene spoke up as soon as he spotted Tero.

Nix tried to say something again, but Rauha turned, spotting Tero and immediately had a huge grin on his face.  "COUSIN!"  He almost yelled out and he went right for him.

Tero tensed up, but he stood his ground, holding his arms up at him to stop him before he got too close. "Don't you dare."  He said in an almost threatening tone.

The larger polartix reached him and clapped his hands onto Tero's shoulders; it wasn't a hug like he was expecting, but the action was still very unsettling for him. "I'm so happy to see you!"  Rauha said, smiling wide.  "I have met so few others on my way home!"

Tero was tense. "Let go."  He said, his voice unsettlingly calm and deadpan.

Nix and Gene were right behind him; Gene himself was trying hard not to grin and laugh, though Nix was a bit more worried. "Uhm, this is Tero." She started to say, but as she tried to explain, Rauha spoke up, cutting her off.

"Tero!"  He said, still grinning wide.  "I am so glad to meetcha!  You're the first I've seen in a very long time!"

One of Tero's ears twitched and he gave a glaring glance to both Nix and Gene.  "Get him off."

"Listen, Rauha...there are some things we really need to ask you."  Nix tried her best to ease the polatrix off of Tero.  "Did you know that there have been others possibly looking for you?"

The polartix twitched and he looked over at her, his grin slowly fading and he gave her a bit of a suspicious look. "Aye, there have been many who have been looking for me.  Both for good n' bad."

"I was afraid of that..."  Nix said, letting out a heavy sigh,  "This isn't an easy thing to ask, but how long have you been away from Wintera?"

Rauha shifted a bit at that question, looking troubled yet he steeled himself a bit.  "I have not seen my home in many years.  I was lost since I was a small pup."

Gene looked confused, "What?  But how did that happen?"

"Poachers."  Tero replied with a deadpan tone.

"Wait, what?!"  Gene was shocked.  "How is that even a thing?!  I thought they were a part of the Alliance?"

"They are." Nix said, "It's just there are some who don't see Polartix like that.  There are still plenty who see them as too primitive or savage and would rather try and.."  Her voice trailed off.  "I'm sorry Rauha..."

The polartix was quiet and he pounded a fist to his chest.  "There were many who came after me, but many who tried to help me as well.  It is how I came to this Union afterall."  He looked at the group, "But what of you?  Are you here to help me?"

"I think that was what we were hired to do."  Nix said, "We were asked to help out by another group, but we weren't given a lot of information so we had to come looking for you."

"No."  Tero just said firmly.

Gene looked over at him, "What do you mean 'no'?"

Tero let out a small growl. "Just that.  No, we're not helping him.  This is not our business or our concern anymore.  In case you've forgotten, we weren't hired by anyone on account of them being dead now.  This is no longer any of our concern."

"Tero-" Nix started to speak up but he interrupted her. "No!"  He said, "We found out what was going on, but there isn't any reason for us to do more than this!  This is not our concern, and there is no way Wart will want us wasting time trying to help some lost child."

"How can you be so heartless?"  Gene snapped at him, "Fine, so we do this on our own, there's no reason to help this guy get back home!  If you don't want to be involved, then fine!"  He looked over to Nix, "Right?  We got this covered now."

"Do you mean it?"  Rauha asked.

Tero snorted, "This is just stupid..."

Nix was quiet at first, but before she could say anything, there suddenly was a loud bang as a blast of dirt came flying up near the group.

"What the hell was that?!"  Gene shouted out, looking around as another shot came crashing near them again.  The crowd around them all started to panic and started to run around.

"Sniper!"  Nix yelled out, looking around, "They're above us somewhere, but I don't see where!"

There was another shot near them, making Rauha growl out in irritation.  "Coward!"  He bellowed out, "Come out and face me yourself!"

"Get down!"  Tero snapped at him, "You idiot, you're going to get yourself shot!"

Gene reacted quickly, moving in front of the group and slamming his hand down to the ground, throwing it back up and summoning up a wall of ice to provide them some cover as another blast crashed against it.  "We're too exposed here, we need a way out!"

Nix nodded and looked around, "The main road will be covered by the sniper."  She looked around and pointed towards a alleyway between two buildings.  "Over there!  That will give us better cover!"

"Right!  Get ready to run!"  Gene pulled his arm back and punched the ice, causing the wall to explode into a cloud of ice and mist, obscuring them and giving them cover to rush for the alley.  The sniper fired off several more shots wildly at them as they ran, but they were able to run inside without too much trouble. As soon as they all ran inside, Gene turned around, creating another large ice wall to cover the opening and closing them off from any more sniper fire.

"This leads to a dead end!"  Tero said, getting a good look to where they were.  "We're stuck!"

"For now." Gene said, "But we're safer here until-"  He paused when he heard a few more shots hitting the ice wall. "-until we figure out what to do next, or until the enforcers get here."

"-If- they get here."

"Why not just find this 'sniper' person and deal with him ourselves?" Rauha said, looking quite eager to fight.

Nix shook her head, "No way, that sniper will get a clear shot at us if we try and leave now, and we don't know where he is exactly."

"He didn't hit us before."  The polartix said.

"We had a crowd around us."  Nix said, "If he got the crowd to move, then we would have been sitting ducks." She started to look around the alleyway. "We might be in luck though...if I remember right there might be a secret way out of here through some hidden tunnels."

"Smugglers tunnels?"  Gene asked, nodding his head.  "Sounds good, let's find it and get out of here!"

Nix nodded, "You two sit tight, we'll look around for the entrance."

Tero huffed out, "How long will that ice trick of yours even last?"

"Oh you don't need to worry, it would take ages for it to melt, and it should give us enough cover from 'Mister Trigger-Happy'."

Rauha let out a growling huff before he seemed to plop down to sit.  "I would rather go out and face him head on, but, you seem to know how to handle this better than I."  He grumbled, "I will follow you."

Nix nodded, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here and on your way back home."

--

The needlix on the roof grumbled quietly to himself, looking down his scope at the ice wall that was now in his way of his target.  "Friggen frak and smeg.   Had a clear shot and I blew it, but I didn't know they had some weird looking Aqualine with them there." He grumbled, "If the other muckers knew about this, I'd get booted from the team."

He adjusted his sights; he knew it would be a while before any law enforcement would arrive, and there was no way that ice was going to last, not with a few good blasts to it.

He suddenly felt something though, pressing up against the back of his head.  "Oy, yer takin' shots at my target there.  Dun appreciate that much."

"Oh crap..."  The needlix grumbled a little to himself; of all the times not to pay attention to his surroundings.  "Look pal, the I had sights on him first."  He shifted a little, moving his rifle to the side to get a look at the person behind him, suddenly tensing up when he saw the orange figure.  "Wait...I know you!  You're Razor!"

"Yeah, that's me."  He said, "And you're shootin' at my target."  He kept his pistol right up against the sniper's head.  "I've already dealt with enough people like you today, so, how about you kindly drop it, before I drop you, huh?"

The sniper grumbled and cursed his luck.  Then again, maybe his earlier misses saved his hide.  "Alright...alright."  He said finally, lowering his rifle down, "I know about you and your reputation; no way am I stupid enough to try and tussle with you.  You want the polar dog, then fine.  Good luck getting him along with his new friends."

Razor actually smirked at that. "Ya might be the first smart one I've met in a while."  He said, pulling his pistol away.  "Ain't your concern now no more, I'll deal with the lot of them."  He motioned for him to get up with his pistol. "But now, how 'bout you make like a shepherd and get the flock out of here, hm?"

The needlix sighed, "Yeah, sure.  Don't need to tell me twice!"

--

Nix and were searching through the alleyway, moving all sort of debris around hoping to find the way into one of the secret tunnels. "So how did you find out about these?" Gene asked as he tossed some boxes aside,  "Back from here I come from, these are usually closely guarded secrets."

Nix nodded, "They are here too.  To keep it simple, I found out about these during one of our earlier missions.  I was pretending to be a pirate captain to this one gang we were trying to take down."

Gene let out a small laugh, "You as a pirate captain?  That must have been interesting to see."  He paused for a moment, looking back to the two polartix up the alleyway.  "I know I shouldn't ask, but what's up with Tero?  I know that he's not really a fan of the polartix, but he seems to be a lot nastier to Rauha."

Nix let out a soft sigh as she paused for a moment, "Tero doesn't have the greatest love or appreciation for the Polartix, sharing some of the same ideas that some others have about them."

"Being savages and uneducated and all that?"

Nix nodded, "Though I don't think that's the only thing.  Tero can be very...blunt and straightforward with certain things."

"Blunt feels like an understatement."  Gene remarked, "I mean...yeah I get that this isn't really a job but we really can't just leave the guy hanging."  He sighed, "I can't help but wonder if Tero has a heart at all."

"Well I think he does." Nix said, "Sometimes things are just more black and white to him."

Gene nodded his head, "Yeah...sorry about that.  He's a teammate after all, not really nice to talk about him like that."

"I agree, but...believe me I do understand."  Nix sighed, "C'mon, let's pick up the pace."

--

Tero grumbled quietly as he sat there, watching the others searching around in the trash for their exit.  He was just so exasperated with this whole situation, and sitting next to the other polartx only added to the whole thing.  "This is infuriating.."

Rauha looked down at him when he heard him and he chuckled.  "As frustrated as I am, cousin?"

Tero grumbled at that.  "Don't call me that."  He said, "I'm frustrated with all of this, and with you."  

The larger polartix tilted his head as he looked at the smaller.  "You confuse me, cousin."  He said; calling him that again with the same sincerity as before.  "I have not met many others, but they didn't behave quite the same way as you."

Tero crossed his arms across his chest.  "That's because I'm not a polartix, not the same as you or the others."  He said, his tone still tinged with frustration. "I am an bio-organoid more like the Gorm."

Rauha looked at Tero with some confusion.  "I...do not understand.  I have met some Gorm, but I did not know that they are different?"

"Of course not..."  Tero grumbled quietly.  He never liked doing "demonstrations" for things like this, but it would move things along much faster.  One of the ports on his back opened out and he extended out one of his extra arms so Rauha could see.  "Cybernetics."

"Aah, I see."  Rauha rubbed his head, "I admit I am somewhat ignorant to some of these things, but I am trying."  He grinned wide, "But it is still amazing!  You may seem different, but you are Polartix deep down!"  He gave him a firm pat on the back, grinning as he almost knocked the doctor over.

"Hmph..."  Tero grumbled out, letting out a small snort as he managed to keep himself upright.  "What about you?" He asked, shifting the focus of the conversation, "You have said you have encountered other Polartix, why haven't any of them taken you back to Wintera?"

Rauha's happy demeanor started to slump at that question, his smile fading as he let out a loud sigh.  "I have not met many." He said, "And those I have met have either had other challenges or...have passed."  He lowered his head down, "The very first I had met had died to ensure I would escape from the first planet I was on after being taken."

Tero twitched his ears, simply observing the larger as he spoke.  "That does explain a few things.  So others have helped you make it this far?"

"Some tried their best. Some paid a heavy price for it."  Rauha sighed, "I do my best to honor each of their sacrifices as best I can.  It is one reason why I learned this language as best I can.  And why I try to get back home."

Tero didn't say it out loud, but part of him was actually impressed.  Many Polartix he had met in the past just never bothered with some things that he felt were not only easy, but essential, like learn how to speak Unity. Rauha here...he was frustrating, but he had been through a lot, and he seemed much more galaxy-conscious than most.

Before either of them could say anymore, there was the sound of a heavy blast against the ice at the alley's opening, causing everyone to look back in surprise. "What the heck was that?"  Gene shouted out just as there was another blast.  Cracks started to form in the ice as steam started to rise from the other side.

"Someone's trying to get through!" Nix said, "It can't be the sniper!"

"I think we know who could be!"  Tero growled out, "Have you found this exit yet?"

"We're nearly there!"  Nix said, she and Gene scrambling moving and shifting the rest of the items and debris.

Rauha was on his feet, looking at the cracking ice with a growl.  "Then let them come!  I'll face them and give them a real fight!"

"Don't be stupid!" Tero said and he grabbed his arm, "You're very close to getting off of here, don't risk it for a pointless fight!"

The Polartix hesitated and looked back at the smaller, seeming a bit surprised, but he seemed to nod slowly.  "You are right...very well."

"We found it!"  Nix yelled over at the others as she and Gene pushed away the last of the junk, revealing a metal door that lead into a a tunnel.  "Over here, hurry!"

The two polartix ran over to them just as there was another blast against the ice wall, causing it to shatter and sending shards flying.  An all too-familiar form could be seen in the rising steam and vapor stepping through.

"It's Razor!" Nix said, "We gotta go!  Hurry!" Rauha looked like he was itching for a fight, but he did climb into the tunnel; a cramped fit for him.  Tero followed after him before Gene and Nix hopped in and moved, slamming the door closed.

Razor charged towards them, aiming his rifle at them, but the door slammed in the way before he could get a good aim.  He grumbled, grabbing hold of the door thoug he yanked it back when he felt the severe cold coming off of it.  "Aaargh, that damn elementilist again."  He looked back down the alleyway, hearing the on-coming sirens. "A'right, gonna have t' make this quick.  Least I know where y'all are goin'."

--

Traveling through the tunnel was not easy due to Rauha's size, but thankfully with Nix's guidance, they managed to get out of the tunnel and into the spaceport.

"Alright!"  Gene let out a small cheer, "Glad to be out of that one!"

The Polartix nodded his head, starting to grin again.  "It's amazing...this has been interesting but I owe you all a great debt!"

"We have a ship close by here."  Nix said, making sure he door was closed before they started to head into the port.  "We can get you up to our station, then we can make arrangements to get you straight to Wintera from there."

Gene smiled at Rauha. "We're almost in the clear, and you're almost home!"

"The only place he's goin' is with me!"

The group were caught by surprise when they heard the voice and they turned around, spotting Razor on a level above them with both of his pistols drawn.

"What?!" Gene flicked his tail back, "How the hell did you get here so fast?!"

Razor let out a laugh. "Yer not the only ones dat use them tunnels.  Easy t' figure out where y'all were goin'."  He aimed his pistols at the group.  "Now, give the fuzzball up. He's comin' with me."

Rauha growled out, but Gene stepped in front of him. "Not on your life!"  He growled out, holding his ground.

Razor laughed again, "Ain't my life you gotta be worried 'bout."

"You don't really think you can get away with this out in the open, do you?" Nix yelled out at him. "As soon as anyone catches you on the security cams-"

"Oi,"  Razor huffed out, starting to sound irritated, "I ain't dumb, Miss.  Ain't no one gonna catch sight of this, and this can be over a lot faster if ya jus' hand him over."

Now the Polartix shouted up at him, "You will not get me without a fight!"

Gene didn't waste any time; Nix was giving them a slight distraction, so he had an idea of what to do.  While Razor was talking, he had formed a hunk of ice and snow in his hand and he waited for just the right moment.  Just as Rauha offered out his challenge, he chucked it right at the Glimneon.

Razor reacted with lightning reflexes, quickly turning and firing off a blast from his pistol at the incoming attack, but as soon as it did, it exploded into a huge cloud of ice and steam, creating some cover.  "Oi!"

"Go!" Nix yelled out and the others turned and started to rush, Gene pushing the eager Rauha forward and heading to the platform their shuttle was at.

Razor started to fire through the cloud, taking a few pot shots before he was forced to move down from his vantage point.  "Why you-!"  He started to fire at them, trying to cut them off before they could reach the platform, causing the team to stop and take cover behind some of the spaceport's equipment.

"This guy doesn't let up!"  Gene huffed out, "Man, really wishing we had some more artillery to throw back!"

Nix huffed out, nodding a little as her feathers shifted color.  "We're just going to have to do what we can."  He turned to the other two.  "We'll do our best to provide cover, as soon as you can, get to the shuttle!"

Rauha was itching for a fight, but he nodded his head.

"Just don't get yourselves shot!"  Tero told them.

"Always the plan, man!"  Gene replied back before he hoped out from over and threw out a shard of ice, causing it to crash and shatter in front of the gunman and forcing him into cover as well. Nix hopped out next and she threw several fire blasts out at him; neither she or Gene were great with long range combat like this, but they did whatever the could to providing as much cover fire as possible.

"Fire n' ice."  Razor just let out a grumble, moving around behind his own cover to try and take whatever shots he could at the two.

Tero watched the skirmish taking place, letting out a huff as he tried to time it before he turned to the larger.  "Alright, get going!  Right to the shuttle!"

The two started to rush for the shuttle; though Rauha was moving faster since he got to all fours to run. Nix looked back, catching sight of them and shouted out to Gene, "They're starting to move! Fall back!"

The two elementailsts started to move back, still sending attacks out to try and keep the gunman down.   Razor wasn't having any of it though. He growled out and waited before he ducked and rolled out, fire off his pistols at the retreating group.  He spotted Tero moving the slowest and started to train in on him, several of the blasts starting to get rather close to him.

"COUSIN!" Rauha stopped and turned back, rushing over to Tero and lifting him off the ground.

"What are you doing?!"  Tero snapped at him, looking rather flustered now being carried.

"Got to move faster than that!"   Rauha shouted out and made a break for the shuttle.  Nix and Gene stopped their attacks and just ran for it now as well.

They were getting away, but Razor wasn't going to stand for that. He remembered what Ezskar had said, "This gonna end, one way or another!"   He wasn't going to pull his punches this time. He rushed forward, taking aim and fired at the fleeing group.  Some of the shots still struck the ground, but just as the four reached the the shuttle's port, he landed a couple blasts against the largest of the targets.

Rauha let out a howl of pain, falling forward and collapsing right at the shuttle, causing Tero to fall as well.   "NO!"  Gene and Nix hurried over to them, grabbing hold of the larger Polartix and pulled him inside, getting the doors closed.

"Hang on!  We're gonna get you outta here!"  Gene and Nix ran for the shuttle's cockpit, starting the engines up and headed off into the sky, leaving the gunman alone on the platform.

Tero was beside Rauha , starting to look him over.  "Dammit..."  He said, activating his scanner and grabbing what first aid they had on hand to help.

Rauha groaned, laying on the floor as his breathing started to get pick up. "So...hnnngh...this is how...how it will end..."

"Quiet, it's not over yet."  Tero said as he got the supplies out. He started to work on patching him up, but he knew that it wasn't going to be enough.  "Just hold on until we get you back on our station."

"I...I don't know if I can, cousin..."   Rauha let out a small laugh, "I've...been fighting so much now."

"And keep on fighting."  Tero said, "This is the last one you have to face. Once we're back on the station, I can treat you properly."

Rauha nodded and he closed his eyes, "You...you are quite amazing, cousin."

Tero twitched an ear, quiet for a moment as he focused.

Rauha continued, "You have a unique wisdom I have...I have only seen in a few...and a healer..." He coughed out a bit, struggling to take in a breath for a moment.  "I knew...deep down...you are one with us..."

"Stop and save your strength now."  Tero said, "You'll be back to Wintera soon. You'll make it back home."

He nodded his head as his breathing started to get more ragged. "Home..." he said, his voice starting to waver. "I can feel it..."

Tero paused. "What?"

"I can feel it, c-cousin...the chill."   Rauha smiled, "That chill...I'm...going home."

--

Arrangements were made with the Polartix and Union to have a ship at the station so they could take Rauha back to Wintera with the others.

Things were very quiet on the station; even Wart didn't seem to have much to say to the three after they were able to give their reports.  The boss was obviously disappointed that the job they were supposed to take care of ended up not working out, but the Polartix were willing to offer the team a small reward for returning their lost kin.

The three left Wart's office in silence before Gene shook his head, his ears drooping down. "I feel awful..."

Nix looked to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Don't be hard on yourself, we did what we could."

Gene sighed, "Just don't like the idea that his journey had to end like this.  We tried to get him back home."

"In the end, that is what we accomplished."  Tero said, his tone sounding as neutral as it always did.

Gene looked over to him, "How about you?  How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Tero said,

Gene twitched an ear. "Fine?"

"I am disappointed we lacked what I needed to aid him," Tero added, "but it is as Nix said; we did what we could do.  None of us expected for things to turn out as they did."

Gene was quiet, but Nix spoke up. "Are you sure?  Do you want or need anything?"

"I will be fine."  While he didn't show it, Tero did feel a little strange, yet he had no idea why.  He had faced situations like this before, so why did this one feel so different?  He shrugged it off for now and started to head down the hall, "I will be in my lab."

Gene and Nix watched him as he headed down the corridor before the white hybrid let out a heavy sigh.  "Good grief..."

"Are you going to be okay?"  Nix asked him.

"Yeah, I will. It's just gonna be hard to shake." Gene rubbed his head, "Tero though...I seriously thought he was going to chew us out or blame all of this on us."

Nix didn't want to admit it, but she was expecting the same thing.  He as the only one that spoke out against this idea.

"Ya know, I said this before even though I wasn't completely serious, but I felt like it was so hard  to tell if Tero had a heart or not."  

Nix frowned, "I remember, and that is still a little harsh."

"Yeah, I know it is."  Gene said as he looked back down the hall after Tero,  "But now though?  Now, I feel like I have a pretty good idea now."

[singulari-taee]

The Danger in Duality | 05

COLLEGE! AU  |  ASSASSIN! AU  |  ANGST  | SMUT  | COMEDY |  8.5k

BTS X Reader

“You and your seven squad members must take on the struggles of being world-class assassins while also living as full-time college students.”

    The sunlight was painful when your eyes finally adjusted. You groaned, stretching out onto the empty spot next to you. There was a moment of confusion in your morning haze as your brain caught up to the night before.

    Oh, right. He had been there last night. In a last ditch effort to calm your nerves, you let him sleep up there with you. Yoongi, your smart-mouthed squad member, of all people.

    Everything looked as if usually did--nothing out of place, the blanket from the floor neatly folded on your dresser. It made you wonder if he was ever there in the first place. Your hand went to your waist, left with the ghost traces of his touch. The whole thing was so strange, you thought. In all your years of knowing him, you never took him for a cuddler. But for some reason, you weren’t completely put off by it. And that’s what worried you the most.

     Whipping your covers off, you began your daily routine as you got ready for classes. You went to wash the dishes that you had left on the table the night before. Though to your surprise, they were already clean in the dish rack.

    Your eyebrows knitted together. Luna must have washed them when she got in, you figured. Shit, you couldn’t keep up with the piling debt of favors you owed her anymore. You sighed, turning on your heels as you left the apartment.

________________________

      Classes passed slowly. It was the usual--everyone played on their phones, took naps mid-lecture, and asked dumb questions that could have been answered if they had just done the fucking reading.This only added to the painful Thursday lull.

     You trekked across campus towards the boys’ apartment, a kind of solace when the day came to an end. You began to run down your mental to-do list. Begin research for your history project, send a couple emails, sharpen your knives, do your calculus homework, update your kill log, and maybe even go to the gym since you hadn’t had a mission in 2 weeks. You’d try to get some of the boys to come if you could--Jungkook would go for sure, that kid practically lived in the gym.

     Crossing the street, a familiar frame walked toward you. The petite girl waved almost frantically with a wide smile.

   “Hey!” you expected her to walk past, but she parked in front of you on the sidewalk, “How’s it going?”

     You shifted feet awkwardly, looking past her at the apartment building that was just so close. “Okay I guess. Just glad to be done with classes...you?”

      “Not so good,” Luna sighed, “I went to the library to print something for a class but all the machines were broken. I have to turn in my assignment in an hour or I’m screwed.”

     “Damn, that sucks.”

   She turned over her shoulder, “Oh, don’t your friends live there?” she asked, pointing to the building behind her.

    “Yeah, I was just headed over there now actually.”

     “Do you think they have a printer I could use? It would only be like 2 seconds!”

   In the back of your mind, you saw the loud machine that sat unused in the corner of their living room, collecting dust over the months.

    “If they don’t it’s okay I guess, but I just really need one. This assignment is worth like 10% of my grade and if I don’t get it in then my average is dead and I already know I won’t be able to bring it up if the midterm is anything like the last exam and….”

     You watched her ramble on, stressing. As you came to your conclusion, you already knew the boys would kill you for it later.

    “Yeah I think they do,” you said slowly, “Come on, I’ll bring you.”

   She launched into a string of ‘thank yous’, and you immediately pulled your phone from your pocket and typed in the groupchat.

----------------------- You: HIDE EVERYTHING!!

Namjoon: ???

Hoseok: What?

You: IM COMING OVER IN 2 MINS WITH LUNA HIDE EVERYTHING

Seokjin: WHY

Taehyung: omg

Jimin: wtf???

Seokjin: _____ we have 3 assault rifles, a machete, and a dozen poison darts on the kitchen table WHAT are we supposed to do with them??

You: IDK HURRY AND FIGURE IT OUT ALMOST THERE SORRY

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

       Luna had been speaking the entire time you typed. You caught some words, responding with grunts in between as you climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor. You nodded and gave what little reactions you could to draw out the walk in feigned interest, but the distance to the door only shortened. Your feet dragged along the floor, still covered in wet footprints from the rain of the night before. In no time you were in front of the wooden barrier, and you begrudgingly brought up your fist to give 3 slow knocks.

      When the door opened, Namjoon stood in the doorway. A tight smile was spread across his face as glanced over you and Luna. You knew he was trying to hide his heavy breathing.

      You looked past him into the living room, where the others were casually splayed across the sofas.

     Too casually. The place was never this quiet. Or clean.

     “Hi,” he said as he opened the door to let you both walk in, “I’m Namjoon.”

     “Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Luna.” she said as she reached out to shake his hand. She waved at the boys, “I’ve only heard about you but I’m glad to finally meet you guys!”

    “Same to you,” Hoseok said, sparing a glance up from his laptop to smile.

     “Luna was wondering if she could use your printer for an assignment,” you said.

    “It’ll be really fast then I’ll be out of your hair,” she said.

     “Yeah sure, it’s over here,” Namjoon said and walked her over.

     You made your way over to a free spot on the sofa, the entire way feeling eyes digging into your face. When you finally gave in to look at them, you turned to see several stares, mixed with all of the confusion and annoyance you were expecting.

  ‘What.The. Fuck?!’ Jimin mouthed.

   You shrugged, “Sorry!”

     Seokjin was making a scene with his body, arms flailing as he wordlessly screamed at you.

     “You’re lifesavers, you have no idea,” Luna said as she turned around.

     Seokjin froze, arms awkwardly placed above his head. He beamed, his smile as bright as it was fake, “I’m glad we could help.”

      The printer loudly spit out the papers, and Luna placed them in her backpack, “I really hate to do this, but can I use your bathroom before I go?”

     There was a pause around the room.

     “Uh yeah sure, you can use Seokjin’s. It’s back here,” Namjoon said, leading her down the hall. His was definitely the best option. His room was always the cleanest, and free of weapons.

      Namjoon walked back into the living room, and everyone listened intently for the sound of the bathroom door closing. You could already feel the energy building, and you knew all of that pent up pressure would explode soon enough. When the light sound of the door came, everyone turned to you and erupted in heated whispers.

     “_____, seriously?!” Hoseok spat.

     “Your roommate?!” Jimin said.

     “We had to stuff everything in the couch and in the pantries!” Jungkook said, “I almost stuck myself with a dart trying to rush!”

     You held your hands up, “HEY! I said I was sorry! I couldn’t just let her fail her assignment.”

    “I mean, you could have,” Jimin said.

     Yoongi snorted. He was sitting on the opposite end of the sofa, shaking his head. He hadn’t said anything since you had walked in, an out of character move to say the least. He’d be the first person you’d expect to dig into you over something like this, clawing into you with some backhanded comment that was bound to make you both go back and forth until someone intervened. But no, he was silent.

      The evening news had began, the anchor’s drawl calling everyone’s attention. Watching local news as a group had always been a good way to keep your eyes out for potential crimes and missions you’d need to take care of later.

      The screen flashed with red letters reading ‘Breaking News’, as a mugshot of a young man appeared in the far corner. He was in terrible shape, face bruised and scratched, eyes tired and bloodshot. He seemed strangely familiar, the face triggering something in your memories that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Then it registered.

      “Wait...Jimin isn’t that your frat brother?” Seokjin asked.

     “Whoa, that is him,” Taehyung said, scooting closer to the edge of the sofa.

     “This man, Lee Haneul, walked into to the city police station this morning and reported himself for drug possession and possession with the intent to distribute. Lee carried many substances with him, including cocaine, several methamphetamines, and rohypnol, a common date rape drug.”  The anchor said.

     They showed a clip of Haneul in handcuffs being escorted to a police car, head down and out of it.

      “Police say that it was a very strange situation,” the reporter said, ”When the suspect was searched further, they were horrified to find that one of the man’s testicles had been severed. He did not state how it had occurred, saying that he could not recall. Investigators believe that it could be an effect of the drugs. The suspect is pleading guilty to all charges, and if prosecuted could face up to 20 years in prison.”

     The room turned to Jimin, who was suddenly interested in his fingernails.

    “You didn’t...” you said.

     “Jimin…” Taehyung began.

    “My God,” Namjoon sighed. 

    “Wow,” Hoseok said.

     He shrugged, “I told you I would handle it.”

     You stared open-mouthed at the boy, “You really cut one of his balls off?”

    “Yeah, why only one?” Jungkook asked.

    You could all hear the the sink run in the bathroom, and soon after the door opening.

   Luna walked into the living room and grabbed her backpack, “Thanks so much for everything, I couldn’t have done it without you--”

    Suddenly a kitchen cabinet flew open. Two pistols tumbled out as they clattered loudly onto the floor. Luna turned to the sound and you jumped up immediately.

      “Luna!” you were next to her in a second, bringing an arm around her shoulders,

     “You know it's no big deal, we’re all happy we could help you out!” you quickly guided her to the front door. You pulled it open and you walked her out.

     “You’re really the best, _____. Anyways, thanks again! It was nice meeting you all!” She called over her shoulder as you watched her walk down the stairs and out of sight.

     You closed the door, back against it as you took a deep breath.

   “She seems nice enough,”  said Hoseok.

   “I don’t know, I still get psycho vibes,” Jimin said.

     “Rich coming from the guy that just cut another man's balls off,” you said.

    “Correction, it was just one ball,” he said, “And he shouldn’t have been such a shitty person. I’m just handing out karma”

    “What are you going to do if he tells that you were the one who did it?” Taehyung asked.

    “After the night we had, believe me, he won’t say a thing.”

     As a member of the squad, none of you were supposed to use your abilities to take justice into your own hands outside of your given assignments. There was only an explicit rule about killing off the clock, and technically Jimin didn’t break that. Though torture was never banned, it was expected that you all would use your own moral compass and self control to make your own decisions. Jimin had gotten Haneul to turn himself in by his own means, effectively getting another dangerous criminal off the street. Technically, by The Academy’s standards, Jimin didn’t do anything wrong.

     “Let’s hope so. The last thing we need right now is for The Academy to get us out of some more shit,” Namjoon said, “After that gun incident they’re not too happy with us right now.”

     Everyone eventually went to find the weapons they had hidden around the apartment. Namjoon went to retrieve the AK-12 he had jammed under the kitchen sink, Jungkook pulled the poison darts from the couch cushions, Yoongi slid out the machete he had camouflaged under the wood of the fireplace. Everyone was working to get things back to normal, save for Hoseok. He was in the corner of the room, focus trained on his computer screen as he scribbled notes into one of his notebooks. You remembered him mentioning something about some big group project for his midterms coming up, and it seemed to be the bane of his existence lately. (“I have one request. When I die, I’d like for everyone in my group to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time.” he had said.)

    “I think that’s everything,” Seokjin said to the pile of weapons stacked on the coffee table.

    “No,” Jungkook began, “I put 12 darts in the couch and I can only find 11.”

    “It’s in there somewhere. Just don’t sit on the cushions too hard.”

    “Hey! They’re giving away free cheese fries at that fried chicken place on the corner today,” Taehyung announced as he pointed to an ad on his phone, “The deal is over at 8.”

    The place was a hole in the wall probably as old as the city itself, but the fries were so good you’d do shameful things to get them for free on any other day.

    It was now 7:40.

     “You’re shitting me! Why are we still standing here, let’s go,” you said.

    “The line is probably around the building,” Hoseok said, “I’m swamped with work and I have to meet with my group later. If its too busy then I can’t go.”

   “You need to eat though, right?”

    “They do have good fries…” he said to himself.

    Contemplation crossed Hoseok’s face before he gave in. Seconds later everyone was putting on their jackets and practically running out the door.

     Though the line wasn’t long, the inside of the restaurant was chaotic. Voices and clattering plates were the main soundtrack, the place filled with rambunctious college students and overwhelmed waiters.

    The group rushed to the only empty booth in the place. A frenzied waitress came over a few minutes later. She was quick in taking your orders, seeming to try her best to be hospitable but obviously overwhelmed by the buzzing around her.

     “Is your fried chicken batter made with onion powder?” Namjoon asked the waitress.

       There was a collective eye roll. It was a given that Namjoon would have some question about the food whenever you went out to eat. It would happen every time, without fail. It could be a place that you’ve all been to a dozen times, and he would still come up with something new to satisfy some newfound curiosity. (Are your Arnold Palmers more lemonade or sweet tea? How long do you grill your steaks for them to be considered well done? What’s the third most popular thing on the menu?)

    “Here we go again,” Jungkook muttered.

    “Is he serious?” Seokjin asked you.

     The girl seemed to snap out of her frenzied state. You could practically see her rewinding the question in her head, “Um, I’m not really sure but I can ask the kitchen.”

   “It's fine, we’ll all just have an order chicken and cheese fries for everyone. Thank you!” you said.

    She left the table how most waiters do when you all eat together, fast and confused.

    You turned to him. From his wide eyes and lanky armed shrug he clearly didn’t understand.

    “What? I read an article last night talking about the dangers of onion toxicity and wanted to be sure.”

     “You’re sitting in a restaurant with a C level sanitation rating and you’re worried about onion toxicity?” Yoongi asked.

    “Honestly, you could probably catch tetanus from just the forks in this place,” you said.

    “True, but the food is so good if I saw a hair in my fries I’d just mark it off as extra seasoning and keep eating,” Hoseok said, still writing in the notebook he had brought with him.

     None of you could say he was too wrong. It was just that good.

    “Fine whatever, enjoy your high blood pressure and onion-induced anemia,” Namjoon muttered.

     There was a collective ding! around the table. It was a familiar sound, one that made your heart rate speed up just the slightest out of habit. Your phones only made it when you were all being contacted by one entity in particular.

     You all immediately fished in your pockets with silent urgency. A long red message popped up on your screens.

_______

MISSION #43: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Mob Hideout uncovered.  

“The Menaces” :  Mob with drug smuggling focus. Crimes include murder, theft, arson, and drug distribution. Most influential with males ages 17+. Responsible for 15% of civilian murder deaths in last 3 months. The Menaces will be looking for new recruitments tonight within a group of interested young males at the top of the hour.

In-Location Scouts will need to be on site compiling information while acting as patrons of the casino. The “Recruitment” Plants will need to act as an interested candidates for the Mob and momentarily infiltrate. Security Surveillance will need to keep a watch for odd activity and notify those inside immediately.

Roles:

In-Location Scouts: Namjoon, Yoongi, _______, Jimin, Jungkook

“Recruitment” Plants: Hoseok, Taehyung

Security Surveillance: Seokjin

Location: Grand Castle Casino.

Recruitment in abandoned parking garage in south east wing.

Private rooms in south west wing serves as a brothel for high rollers, servers in casino also work there as prostitutes.

Find main target names, photos, and location coordinates below.

______

      You all met eyes for a brief moment before scrambling out of the booth and bolting for the door.

   “Everyone meet back at the apartment in 20!” Namjoon said.

    The group turned to run home, but Hoseok’s hands shot up.

   “Wait, wait, wait!” Hoseok said, “I can’t go.”

   “What?!” Namjoon asked.

    “I have this midterm group project remember? I have to meet with my group in half an hour and if I’m not there I know we’ll all fail.”

    “So you’re ditching the mission for a project?!” Jimin said, in disbelief, “Just text them and say something came up!”

   “You’re one of the biggest roles in this mission, we need you!” Taehyung said.

   “It’s due tomorrow and we’re not even close to being done! My grade is already shit, I need this. This mission came out of nowhere what do you want me to do?!” Hoseok said.

   “Come!” Jimin said.

   “Whatever, we’ll figure it out later, lets just go!” Namjoon said.

    You were at your apartment in record time. You slung open your bedroom door, digging through your closet and throwing random clothes on the bed. It was rare that you all got surprise missions like this. But when you did, everyone took it even more seriously than the others. The Academy wasn’t one to send you out unprepared, so if they said a mission needed to be completed immediately, it was urgent.

    That’s why it was irksome that Hoseok bailed. Even though it wasn’t planned, and you knew he had been working on this project for a while, no one had ever just decided to not come on a mission before. It was unheard of, and you couldn’t even imagine what The Academy would say if they ever found out.

     You threw on a black cocktail dress, hiking it up to slide two small combat knives into the hidden bands on your thigh. You had packed on more muscle since last time you wore it so it was more fitting than you remembered it to be, but you didn’t have time to be picky.

   You rushed to the boys’ place, running up at the same time as Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin, who were all panting as they carried their weapon cases. The oldest boys come bolting down the stairs.

    The squad jogged over to the parking lot towards the van. Seokjin usually parked in the same place every day, so it was to your surprise when the spot was empty. From the look on his face, he was just as surprised as you.

   “The van is gone,” he whispered, head whipping as he scanned the lot.

“What do you mean the van is gone?!” Jungkook asked.

     “The van is gone! It was here earlier today, and now it’s not!” he barked, “Somebody stole my van!”

    “You sure you didn’t just forget where you parked?” Taehyung asked.

   “I park in the same place every goddamn day! All my monitors, locators, mics-- everything was in there! How am I supposed to do my job?!” Seokjin grabbed fistfuls of his hair, beside himself.

    “We don’t have the time for this! We’ll find the van later Seokjin, we have a mission right now,” Namjoon snapped, “Okay, the casino is near downtown, right? So, the best option for us would be.... to take the train.”

   “The train,” Jimin said, flatly. It was less of a question and more of a ‘are you serious?’ statement.

   “Any other bright ideas, then? Our main mode of transportation is god knows where right now, I don’t see any other alternatives, Jimin,” he said, “The station is 2 blocks from campus, 5 from here. We can make it if we run.”

    If Namjoon of all people was saying you should run, you knew this was literally the only option you had.

    “Look, he’s right. We don’t have the choice to be picky. Let’s just go,” you huffed.

    You all shared a look, then picked up your feet to run to the station. The looks you all got were nothing compared to the night of the frat party. You passed groups of your peers, turning to look back twice at the group of 7 careening down the sidewalk.

   You all rushed to the ticket office.

   “Is there a train going to downtown now? When does it leave? How long will it take to get there?” Namjoon asked the teller. He was breathing hard, questions barely distinguishable.

    The woman looked him over with a roll of her eyes, unbothered despite his antsiness, “Yes there is a train, it’s scheduled to leave in 2 minutes, and it should be there in 20-”

   Namjoon all but threw a bill at the teller, “7 tickets please!”

    She huffed and slowly pulled some from her drawer, seeming to drag just to annoy you. Namjoon snatched them from her hands and you ran, following him.

    The train was seconds from pulling off from the platform when you jumped on.

   The space was crowded with the evening rush, and you all barely had space to move in the packed car. The civilians looked you all over. You could admit, it was a strange site, a group of twenty-something year olds dressed like they were all going to completely different places. You were lucky that your weapon cases looked like briefcases or else you’d all the in trouble.

    “Fuck are they looking at?” Jungkook muttered, adjusting the mask over his mouth.

   “Jin, if it makes you feel any better--” Taehyung began.

    “It won’t. Don’t talk to me,” Seokjin snapped, arms crossed. He radiated pure rage and annoyance, a dangerous cocktail even for him.   

     A woman in front of you took a step back to make room for more bodies, causing you to back away in the already limited space. Your back collided with another figure, and you turned to see Yoongi. He was squished, flat against the door of the train. You were pressed against him, butt to his crotch with no room for movement. You cleared your throat.

    “Sorry, I can’t move.”

    He grunted.

    Even through the many biting smells in the train, you picked up the familiar smell of his cologne.

    The train made a sharp turn in the tunnel, making you bump even further into your squad member.

   “Shit,” you mutter, almost losing your balance. You stepped onto his shoes on accident. He looked down at the floor to see your bare feet, your heels in your hand.

      You were good at a lot of things, but running in 5-inch heels wasn’t one of them. The last thing you needed was to twist an ankle on the way to a mission, you figured, so you ran the way-- shoe-less. Of course, not your first or desired choice, but you’d touched worse in your life--much worse. The frigid floors beneath your feet made you hyper aware of the filth that surrounded you in the train car.

    Yoongi stuck his legs out, the toes of his shoes wedging under your heel to separate you from the floor.

    “Yoongi, what-- I’m good, I’m not gonna stand on your feet.”

    “Just do it. This is my good deed for the day and I’m offering,” he said, “But if you give me foot fungus, it’s your ass.”

      You sighed, stepping onto his shoes. You grabbed the rail for support as the train continued to move.

     “God, why’re you so heavy?” he complained.

    You put even more pressure on his feet. He stifled a groan.

    The roar of the train fell to silence as it came to a halt. The doors opened, and bodies poured from the car. Your squad members gathered and hurried through the doors of the station into the downtown nightlife. The casino was across the street, a marvel of flashing lights.

      “Okay,” Namjoon said, “A few things didn’t go as planned but it’s fine. We’re fine. We just need to make some changes. Jin will you be okay?”

     “Since I don’t have any of my stuff my job will be hard...really hard...but not impossible. There has to be a security room with cameras in the place that I can work with. I just need to find it.”

     “I’ll go with you to look for it,” Jungkook said.

    “We know Hoseok was supposed to be here but we’ll have to work with what we’ve got for that role. That leaves us with...Tae,” Namjoon said.

     “I can do it,” Taehyung declared.

    “Are you sure? There was supposed to be two recruitment plants for a reason, one of us can take Hoseok’s place--”

    “They chose me for a reason too. I’ve got it. Trust me.”

      Namjoon nodded, “Okay. Everyone have their roles? Weapons? Earpieces? Alright,” he put his hand in the middle, and the others did the same, “Make it clean. Make it quick.”

     There was an echo of the phrase, and then you broke apart. You crossed the street and split into your separate groups. Your group squatted by some nearby bushes, taking the weapons you needed from the cases before sliding the big box deep into the brush.

    After walking the perimeter of the building, you found a side entrance, protected  by a single security guard. You came up behind the man, putting a chloroform napkin over his face. The man sank to the ground, and Jimin and Yoongi carried him into the shadows. Yoongi snagged the keys from his waistband and lead you all inside.

      The inside was filled with drunken chatter and the whir of games. People all over giving up wads of money for a night they were sure to regret later.

     “I don’t like the feeling of this place,” you said. Past the smiling faces and flashiness, there was an underlying unease, “2 o’clock. Two guards on the upper level.”

      The boys spared a glance up, seeing the two men in black suits standing above you all, surveying the floor below.

     “They don’t look like regular security,” Namjoon said, “They’re Mob affiliates for sure.”

    “There's more in that far left corner,” Yoongi nodded.

    “Shit they’re everywhere,” Jimin said. It seemed like every few feet there was another man wearing the same black suit, face a little too serious for the environment.

    “Jungkook, Seokjin, how are you guys looking?” Namjoon asked the earpiece.

     “Still haven't found anything yet, we just got inside,” Jungkook whispered, “Seokjin is terrified though, you should see him over here.”

     “I’m not scared, okay? Being inside is just...different,” Seokjin said.

     “Tae, what about you?” Namjoon asked.

     “I’m on my way to the hideout, I should be there in a few,” he replied in a low voice.

     Jimin put his arm around your shoulder, “You look like a snack, and I’ve got the munchies.”

     You made a face, “That was probably the ugliest thing you’ve ever said to me. And that's saying something.”

    “But I’m not lying! Hey, Yoongi, doesn’t she look like a snack?”

     Yoongi glanced at you, “She looks like leftovers.”

    “And you look like scraps.”

     “But even leftovers still get ate,” Jimin said, “He’s just jealous of what we have, love. Don’t listen to him,” he whispered.

    “I never do,” you said and elbowed Jimin in the stomach.

      You scanned the room and felt like you were being watched. You looked and caught Yoongi’s stare. He was looking you over, eyes glued to your body when he finally made it up to your face. Your eyes met, and he looked away, suddenly engrossed in a conversation with Namjoon.

    Your eyebrows knit together. The hell was that? you wondered

     A server walked by, a sway in her hips as she carried a tray of drinks.

     Jimin let out a low whistle, eyes glued to her retreating figure. He had a lightbulb moment.

    “I’ll go talk to her and get into the brothel...for information.”

   “The Academy said the brothel was for high rollers only, and you haven’t spent a dime here,” Namjoon said.

   He rolled his eyes, “Please. Watch this.”

     He followed after the server, who was now standing at the bar. He placed a hand on her back, leaning against the counter with a bright smile.

        “You’ve gotta give it to him, he’s got a lot of confidence,” Yoongi said as the three of you watched.

      “I mean this is his thing,” you said.

    Jimin said something and smirked, never breaking his gaze as he looked at her under his long lashes. The woman laughed, and even from where you stood you knew she was blushing.

    “Okay, say he does get in. How long do you think it’ll take before she takes him back there?” Namjoon asked.

    “10 minutes,” Yoongi said.

    “Give him a little credit,” you said, “I think 5.”

    As soon as the words left your mouth, she grabbed his hand and lead him away from the bar.

    He looked over his shoulder and winked.

    “He’s good,” you mused. If you had to say anything about Jimin, it was that he was great at his job.

    He walked with the server through a few back doors of the casino. The server typed a code into a padlock, grip still tight on his hand. It opened to a long hallway with many numbered doors, red lights coating the entire space with an alluring energy.

     “While I wish I could have you to myself tonight, I’m off the clock,” she pouted, looking up at him with a lust he was all too familiar with, “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

    They walked down the hall, their footsteps echoing off the walls. They stopped in front of one door labeled  ‘#4’. She tapped on the barrier, and it opened to a young woman in white lingerie. Her hair was messy, falling to her waist and adding emphasis to her curves. She eyed Jimin momentarily, a smile slowly spreading.

   “I see you brought me a good one,” she said.

    “You better thank me later,” the server said before turning to leave, giving Jimin’s hand a final squeeze and blowing a kiss.

   Jimin walked into the room. It was small, nothing else but a bed. The room was also covered in a red light, adding to the lure and temptation.

   She started to fiddle with his buttons, “Lets take some of this off, yeah?”

    “Jimin, a reminder that this is a mission and we can all hear you. Please don’t actually fuck her.” you said.

    “Please,” Seokjin echoed.

   He put his hands over hers, stopping her, “This looks really nice on you.” He said about her lacy ensemble. His hands lightly went from the tops of her arms down to her hips, “It would look good off too, I’m sure.”

    “Why don’t you find out?” she began sliding off her strap and he pulled her closer.

   “Later. I actually had something else in mind,” he said. He caught her eyes, holding them. A moment of confusion crossed her face. He quirked a brow at her, his seductive nature only enhanced by the light in the room. Just like that he saw her resolve waiver.

    “Oh...okay…” she said.

    He sat on the edge of the bed, and she followed.

    “White really suits you,” Jimin remarked, looking her over. She had been ogled by other men all night, but his gaze was different. It was loaded, more intense. She rarely talked much to the others, going straight to business, but he was different. It was refreshing. He was like a flame, dangerous yet so beautiful you couldn’t look away.

    “Thank you,” she replied, pulled into his gaze.

   “This place is really something. I thought it was just a regular casino, I didn’t know they had beautiful women like you here too. Must be my lucky day.”

    He didn’t have trouble reading her. Given her attitude, he knew she couldn’t have been in the business for too long. She had to be new. This would be easy, he thought. He would barely have to touch her.

      She laughed, running a hand through her hair. She was never nervous around clients, but around this man? She felt like she was losing control of herself, “This place is anything but regular.”

    “Really?” he asked, “Tell me more.”

    “Oh...I probably shouldn’t have said that. Nevermind.”

     “No,” he put a hand on her thigh, thumb tracing light circles, “Tell me...I want to know.”

      She made the mistake of looking at him again, and she was trapped in his eyes.

    “I mean, there’s just a lot that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t know about. But I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

    “Oh?” he brushed her hair behind her ear and leaned in closer, her heart rate steadily increasing. He placed a hand on her head, angling it so her neck was exposed to him. Her breathing grew shallow, and she was hyper aware of the hand still on her thigh. Her eyes closed, reveling in the touch of the gorgeous man. “Not even for me?”

     “I...I…” she breathed.

   “I just have a few questions, baby.” His breath tickled her throat, and his fingers creeped up her leg.

   “I just want to be touched,” she begged, “Please just touch me.”

   “How about this? I ask you a question, and for every one you answer you get to take something off for me? Deal?”

    Her eyes fluttered open, and she nodded, “Okay...what do you want to know?”

  “First...why is there a brothel at a casino?”

    She fidgeted, “We just make money for...them.”

    “The Menaces?” Jimin asked.

   She nodded, “The Casino too...it's a cover. What we make here and what’s made out there just goes back to them.”

    “Good. Take that off,” Jimin said, nodding to her garters. She slid them off her legs.

     “I heard that they’re recruiting boys tonight, do you know anything about that?”

    “Not much, only that those poor boys have it way worse than us. Its harder for them to leave. I’m not around them that much, but from what I’ve seen they beat the living shit out of the new recruits. I guess to see if they’re built for this. They just recruit young guys because they’re easier to use,” she said, words flying from her mouth.

    Yeah, this would be really easy.

    “Bra,” he demanded.

     Her fingers couldn’t undo the clasp fast enough. She took it off and threw it onto the floor, hungry.

    “I know the guys in the suits out there are all Menace guards. Is there anyone else that I should keep an eye on?”

    “Everyone that works here is Mob affiliated. The servers, bartenders, and dealers. Even the cleaning crew. “

   “Good. Panties.” 

    She lifted her hips and slipped them off into the pile by her feet.

     She was completely naked now. Jimin looked her over and smiled, leaning in again. She closed her eyes, breathing uneven as he neared the shell of her ear. He was so close, she just needed him to touch her, she had never wanted anything more.

  She felt something drop into her lap.

    “Thanks, babe.”

   She looked down to see a thick roll of cash, held together by rubber bands.

   By the time she tried to register what happened, he was already out the door.

____________________

    Past the large room of games, the rest of the first floor was oddly quiet. It was a maze of sterile white halls and unmarked doors that made the two squad members uneasy.

    Seokjin walked in front of Jungkook, tiptoeing anxiously.

    Jungkook slapped a hand on his shoulder, and the oldest yelped. Jungkook stifled a laugh.

     “I told you to stop doing that! You’re not funny!” Seokjin said through clenched teeth.

     “I couldn’t help it,” Jungkook whispered, “Having fun inside with the big kids?”

    “Fun’s not the word,” he replied, “I still can’t believe someone had the nerve to take my van. Who steals vans?! I was parked next to a Mercedes!”

   “Maybe they’re gonna sell it for parts or something.”

   “I swear if they-”

    There were footsteps approaching, and the two of them paused to hide behind a nearby wall. Three men walked past, talking into walkie-talkies.

    “We just left the security room, everything looks good,” one said.

    “Great. The recruits are filing in now. We’ll start in 5,” replied a staticky voice.

     When the hall was clear, the two walked on. The men were leaving the direction they were approaching, so the security room had to be close.

     “Here, take this,” Jungkook reached a gun over to Seokjin who eyed the weapon hesitantly, “I’m here to protect you, but you should have something too.”

    The oldest took the weapon gingerly in his hands. Sure he knew how to use it, he had been to basic training just like everyone else. But there was a reason why he was behind a computer all the time while the others handled the hands on work. It just wasn’t his thing.

    They rounded a corner to see five men standing in front of a single door.

    The men looked at them, guns drawn “The hell are you doing back here?!”

    Jungkook turned to Seokjin, “Stay behind me.”

    The youngest pulled a gun from his holster and fired, bullet landing in the middle of one men’s forehead as he slumped to the ground. The men paused in shock before spraying the hall with bullets. Jungkook ducked, shooting a gun out of another man’s hand and then hitting him straight through the heart.

     Seokjin stood open mouthed, frenzied as he tried to keep up with Jungkook who was quickly making it closer to the door. Another man ran up to Seokjin ready to shoot when Jungkook kicked the gun out of his hand and then roundhouse kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold. He shot him too, he couldn’t be too sure.

     A man came out of the room, horrified at the scene before him. He pulled out his gun, and Jungkook disarmed him before he could pull the trigger, grabbing him by the hair and slamming him against his knee with a hard crack. The last two ran up to him, and Jungkook pushed them both against the wall, one piled against the other. He placed the end of his pistol against one of their foreheads, and fired, the single bullet piercing both of their skulls and covering the wall in red.

    Jungkook turned to look at Seokjin, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, dumbfounded

   “See? Piece of cake,” Jungkook stepped over the bodies and opened the door. There was a wall covered with screens, focused on patrons, entrances, game tables and parking lots.

    Seokjin took a seat before the screens, “Alright, we found the security room,” he told the earpiece.

   “Good, do you see Taehyung?” Namjoon asked.

     There was one fuzzy screen that showed a dark parking garage, a group of young men walking in a line as they were brought in by large Mob bosses. He could see their squad member at the end of the line, head down and in character.

    “Got him.”

______________________

    The musty garage was lit with a few flickering lights, the smell shooting to the back of Taehyung’s nose as soon as he walked in. A few muscled men had given him a “pat down” earlier, which just consisted of them hitting him harder than necessary to see how he’d react, but he kept a straight face.

    He followed the line of boys into the space until they were told to stop. They stood before a group of large men, each holding some sort of weapon at their hip. They appraised the boys, each breathing heavy with a tinge of fear in their darting eyes.

     A man stepped forward, tattoos covering every inch of exposed skin. He was one of the leaders, Taehyung noted, along with the others in the room. They were all in the photos The Academy had sent earlier. His targets were all mere feet away.

    “So you wanna be a Menace, huh?” he asked, getting silence, “I SAID DO YOU WANNA BE A MENACE?”

   The boys jumped, muttering answers with eyes down.

    He walked towards a boy, “Why do you wanna be here?”

   “I-I don’t know--” he was interrupted when the man landed a punch in his gut, making him curl up and fall to his knees.

   “Wrong answer.”

    He made his way to the next boy. The man and the others began making fun of him, giving his face a few slaps as they pointed at his clothes in an ugly display of power. They went from boy to boy, pointing out flaws, slapping them around, and reveling in their weakness.

   He finally made it to Taehyung who was looking straight ahead, refusing to make eye-contact.

   “I remember you from the pat down. Not gonna lie kid that was impressive,” he remarked. He shoved Taehyung’s shoulder, but his feet stayed glued to the ground.

    The man looked back at his friends, “Shit, look at him! He might not look like it but he’s sturdy.”

   “Say kid, what are you good at?” another man asked.

    Taehyung shrugged, “Whatever you need me to be good at.”

    He laughed, “He’s got spunk too? I like him.”

     The one with the tattoos nodded, “Okay. I think we can get started with the initiation.”

   A Mob boss tossed a machete over and he plucked it from the air easily.

   “Do you know how to use this?” he asked.

   Taehyung eyed the weapon, unsure of where this was going, “Yeah.”

    “Great. Grab one of them why don’t you?” he said. One of the men yanked a boy from the line into the middle of the parking lot. He was scrawny, clothes hanging from his small frame. His expression was stoic, but Taehyung could tell he was terrified. He couldn’t be any older than 14. Someone handed him a machete as well.

    The man pushed the weapon into Taehyung’s grip, “Prove yourselves. You two will go at it, and the last one standing gets in. Simple enough.”

   Taehyung’s heart dropped, “You want me to kill him?”

   “Exactly.”

    “What? Are you crazy? No.”

    A voice rang through his earpiece.

   “Tae, hold it together. Keep character,” you said.

   “No?” The tattooed man repeated.

    “Tae, just play along for a bit,” Namjoon said.

    “He’s just a kid,” he said through his teeth.

   “You’re not going to do it? Whoaaa look at Mr.Tough Guy getting soft!”

    The man closest to the boy came and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

    “Stop!” Taehyung screamed.

     “Who are you yelling at, boy?” The tattooed man said as he took a step closer to Taehyung’s face. His breath reeked of cigarettes.

    Past him, he could see the other men slap and kick the boy, who was already in a ball on the floor.

    “This is how initiation works, you gotta earn your place here. Just know that if you don’t do it, then somebody will,” he said,  “And don’t think if you refuse you can just walk outta here either, kid. If you don’t do it, then...let’s just say you’re gonna get a little more acquainted with this machete than you thought.”

     Taehyung stared daggers through the man, blood boiling. The screams of the boy echoed around the garage. The other recruits looked away, wishing they could be anywhere else.

     “I’ll give you till the count of three!” the man shouted, “One...Two….Three…”

___________________

    You had settled at the bar.

     “I haven’t seen any of the main targets here yet,” Yoongi said, “Where the hell could they be. Seokjin, you see anything?”

    “Yeah they’re all in the garage with Taehyung and the other recruits,” Seokjin replied.

    You all could hear vague conversation through Taehyung’s earpiece, but were in the dark as to what was happening.

    “Does everything look okay with him?” you asked, taking a sip of your drink.

    “Yeah so far. These mob bosses are huge, though. Like, could probably destroy Jungkook in an arm wrestling match huge.”

    “How dare you?” Jungkook said. You could practically see the glare, “You can’t talk you can’t even bench 150! Even  ______’s roommate could probably snap your arm off.”

    “I never said she couldn’t. Now give me some space! There’s like 5 other chairs in here, why are you breathing down my neck?! Ugh, I can’t wait to get my van back.”

   “Namjoon you’re usually good at reading people. What do you think about Luna?” you asked, turning to your leader.

    He sighed, “Off of first impressions alone? Maybe not crazy...but she is a little odd. I see what you mean now about her being nice.”

    “Right! So nice! Too nice! She offers to do my laundry, makes me breakfast, and now washes my dishes. I forgot to put away the ones I used for dinner last night and I saw them in the dish rack this morning.”    

    “That was me,” Yoongi said.

    “You?” Yoongi wasn’t one to pick up after other people. He would just tell you off about how dirty you were until you decided to do something about it.

    He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, somebody had to clean up after you since you obviously can’t.”   

    Or so you thought.

    “I really should have pushed you out into the storm last night. I’m really regretting it now.”

    “I would have loved to see you try.”

    “You know what, I can’t wait to lay in my bed tonight without your loud ass snores keeping me up.”

    Yoongi’s looked like he had a retort on the tip of his tongue but stopped himself. His expression softened.

    He shifted in his seat, “I don’t snore.”

    “Oh that’s where you were last night. I knew I didn’t hear you come in,” Namjoon said, half-listening, half-surveying the room.

    The bartender had come back with the bill. You reached out to take it, and a large hand trapped yours, going for it at the same time. Yoongi’s eyes went from the tab to you. His hand didn’t move.

    “I’ve...got it,” you said, sliding your hand away and placing a 10 down.

    Yoongi brought his hand back and cleared his throat.

    You did the same. Why was he acting so weird? Why were you acting so weird?

    You zeroed back in on Taehyung, hearing bits of his conversation.

    “You want me to kill him?” he asked, “What? Are you crazy? No.”

    “Shit,” Yoongi said.

    “Tae, hold it together. Keep character,” you said in a low voice as more guards passed you.

    “Tae, just play along for a bit,” Namjoon said.

    “He’s just a kid,” Taehyung said.

    “They’re making him kill a kid?” Yoongi whispered to himself, disgusted.

    “We’ve got all the information we need here, we’ve gotta do something, I don’t know how much longer he can hold up by himself--” Namjoon began.

    Taehyung screamed, “Stop!”

    “This doesn’t look good, you guys. You should head over there now,” Seokjin said.

    “Tae, hold up a little longer! Try to distract them or something! We’ll be there in a bit,” Namjoon said. It came out loud, and a guard that was passing stopped in his tracks. He looked you all over, scrutinizing Namjoon who was seemingly talking to nothing.

    “Excuse me, sir,” the guard walked up to him.

    Namjoon broke out running, bolting away from the bar and leaving you both behind. The guard ran after him. Two more guards that were near eyeballed you and Yoongi as they walked towards you. You were still frozen at the bar.

    “We running?” you whispered.

   “Yup,” Yoongi said.

     You both darted away, hearing the footfalls of the men on your trails. You weaved through the slot machines and opened a side door. It lead to another random hallway. Yoongi pulled open a broom closet, and you both stuffed yourselves inside. You could hear the men run past the door, screaming at the other about which way you both had gone.

     Their footsteps retreated, and you became aware of how little space you truly had in the tight closet. You stood against one wall and Yoongi faced you with his back against the opposite side. His arms were placed at either side of your head to keep his balance in the narrow space, caging you in. The closet was dark, the only illumination coming from the crack under the door, but you could still see a sliver of his face.

      You were both breathing hard, trying to quiet yourselves as you heard more people walk past. His chest rose and fell with every labored pant. He looked down, meeting your stare. There was something there that you had never seen before. An interest. A fascination. Dare you say desire?

     It seemed to happen in slow motion. He ducked down, craning his head closer and closer to yours until your faces were just inches apart. You didn’t understand. All you had to do was put your hand up and push him back, but you didn’t.

     His eyes searched yours for a moment as he closed the distance between your lips.

    A voice suddenly snapped you back.

    “Guys, Tae needs backup! You better get in there now!” Seokjin screamed.

    You separated, and Yoongi jolted back to the opposite end of the closet. You opened the door, avoiding his eyes as you both hurried to the garage.

Previous Next

[prophecydungeon]

on leaving comments on AO3, on replying to comments on AO3, and on.... something super very strange that happened to me a little bit ago.

(i will get the things that don’t require a content warning out of the way first, then i’ll warn for uh. the super very strange thing that happened. feel free to stop reading there!)

i saw a post floating around a while ago to the effect of, like, we all know that receiving comments on works feels great, but it’s also important to reply to comments because it feels really disheartening as a reader to be leaving comments on something as it updates and yet.... never get anything back from the author. 

of course, on one hand, we all know that people get swamped, or just plain forget, or something gets super lost in a high-traffic work -- and i am super incredibly guilty of not replying to comments on uhhh a number of things i have on AO3. mostly because there are certain Things that have such a high volume of comments i just. can’t. but i started really, really trying to reply to comments lately, and it feels super good. it feels great to thank people for enjoying something i’ve written! and it feels good to know i’ve made a tiny thread of something nice between a stranger and me. and on the flip side, it feels great to get a comment replied to by an author, even if it’s just a quick “thanks!”

and in the past year or so i found myself reading a lot of wips, and unpopular opinion and all but i really enjoy reading wips. and a part of that is that it’s really... satisfying, i guess? to leave comments for a person on each chapter, to tell them how excited i am and what i liked and all that jazz. it just Feels Good Man to comment on fic.

and so. people who follow me on AO3 are uh. Aware(tm) probably that im publishing a multi-chapter thing right now and i’m. sorry for bringing this content upon you in the year of our lord 2017 lmao but anyways -- not counting S11 au since that doesn’t count, this is the first multi-chapter thing i’ve published in chapters for so long (since 2012 i think, which like. wow) and getting comments as i go has been so unbelievably encouraging and it feels so good. i’ve gotten a large number of comments this past chapter especially, and i’m hoping i see some of these people back for the next one so that i can thank them again for reading.

though on that note -- content warning for homophobia, harrassment

after i published the first chapter of this thing, i got an email notif from AO3 for what would be my first comment. to say that i was shocked that i received some bona fide fucking straight up Homophobia, capital aytch, would be an understatement. this person used the f-slur and told me to go Take an Action and called me a number of other choice words, etc. and it was.... really unsettling, mostly because i was faced with my privilege. i’m very, very lucky to not encounter this kind of behavior or attitude in my fandom spaces, at all. if there’s homophobia in the spaces i interact with, it’s the underhanded TERF/REG bullshit like transphobia, aphobia, biphobia, and not... this. i almost forgot that this attitude existed Out There, because i’m so used to the internet -- i.e., the people and spaces i interact with regularly and even semi-regularly -- being, well, chill. and that being my norm is a privileged position to be in.

i’ve got pretty thick skin when it comes to this kind of thing and it didn’t really bother me that someone said these things to me, but it fucking. really bothered me that someone reading my work, tagged with fluff and happy ending and unambiguously positive, would see something this fucking vile upon scrolling down. i deleted the comment immediately and set the work to moderated comments + comments only from users who are logged in. all i could think at the time was just like, god, i really hope that someone with less thick skin than me didn’t have to read that.

though what really got me :T about this is that i’m following another wip fic in this same tag that also went from standard comment settings to moderated comments between the first chapter and the second, and i’d bet money that author also got something like this in their comments, which is. upsetting. 

and to bring this back around to replying to comments, i was thinking about that “authors should reply to comments” post because the aforementioned wip fic is one that i’ve not gotten any comment replies from, and i’ve been feeling discouraged from commenting further on chapters (though, it should be noted, this was even before i got the gross comment and realized why this author might be moderating comments).

and, when i posted the second chapter of my fic, with moderated comments, i got.... i think two comments from people in the span of a week? which, shit, for a tag this relatively dead on AO3, that was a huge surprise for me, but i still wondered whether just seeing the “comments on this work are moderated” is something that keeps people away from commenting. 

on saturday i posted another chapter, and this time i changed the comments settings off of moderated, but still requiring users to log in (the gross commenter had no account), and since saturday i’ve gotten SIX fucking comments. i have no idea if there’s any correlation or if i just posted something at the right time or what but uh, color me fucking shocked.

in any case, it’s kind of funny to think about what kind of role comments play in fic/fandom culture and all, and how much a site’s settings can make someone feel more or less welcome to leave comments, and how much an author’s responses or lack thereof can make someone feel more or less welcome to leave comments. i think i was gonna go somewhere More with this but i’m about ready to draw some more and then conk out. if u lasted this long ty for reading

[autochthonousone]

Those Who Wander - Fathers

(( Apologies to @the-worst-mercenaries for being so slow to get these logs up! I’m so sorry! ))

Barengar Armsbreaker was leaning back, propped up on his hands with his large weapon lodged deep into the earth not far from the brush that was to his left. The Ala Mhigan's gaze was fixated upon the churning mass of water that lay before him. There was a element to the way that the seas shifted that seemed to lull the mercenary as his gaze became distant. Not far to his right there was a small pouch of traveling rations and a flask.

Shana Deftarm: "Armsbreaker?" Shana cocked her head, changing direction as she walked through the small settlement. She'd been out, stretching her legs and walking the roads of Thanalan to pass the time when she'd stumbled across the man. "Glad to see you found your way back down," she added with a chuckle, her hand drifting up to the still-healing wound she'd had since their first shared job. She stopped beside him, but remained standing and glanced down to see if there anything else holding his attention.

Barengar Armsbreaker blinked as he so abruptly heard his name uttered out loud, had the voice not been immediately familiar he would have already been tensing and preparing to ward away from malcontent that had issue with him. However, as Shana wandered over to stand near, his gaze slowly shifted to look up at the woman. For all that could be determined, the mercenary had simply be staring out at nothing. A low grunt echoed within his chest as he quietly dipped his head toward Shana, "Deftarm." he grumbled.

Barengar Armsbreaker: "Supposin' I managed not ta wind up fallin' from deck on th' return flight, aye."

Shana Deftarm: "Its easier to stay aboard when you're not being shot at, to be sure." Shana replied with a chuckle, glancing a moment at the water. "Glad you made it back in one piece." She looked down again, hands still set on her waist as they usually were; she seemed more alert and less exhausted at the very least. "Don't suppose you'd mind much company?"

Barengar Armsbreaker snorted at her comment before slowly allowing his gaze to fall back down toward the water. His lips pressed into a thin line, looking as those he was considering something. A slow breath would fill his lungs before he bobbed in his head in her direction, though eyes remained upon the waters. "Yer free ta do as ya see fit." he grunted quietly, pausing briefly before adding, "Looks like ya kept in one piece as well."

Shana Deftarm: "I stayed another night," Shana murmured, dropping to the ground beside him. "The clouds were calming. If it wasn't for the Ishgardians I probably would have stayed longer," she chuckled, shaking her head. "But it was time to come back down. The ride back was much less eventful."

Barengar Armsbreaker hummed thoughtfully at her words, bobbing his head from one side to the next, "Supposin' there's somethin' ta those clouds." he murmured quietly, just barely loud enough that Shana would be able to hear it without too much strain. The man's left shoulder shifted slightly, redistributing weight over to right arm. "An' wha' brings ya out this way?" he asked, his eyes drifting away from the waters once more to look back to Shana.

Shana Deftarm shifted until she was comfortable, leaning forward on her knee and watching the waves while Barengar spoke. She glanced at him, watching as his, what she was beginning to assume, bad shoulder flexed again. "Felt like a walk was all. This time of night there's no one on the roads. Makes it easier to... stay in your own thoughts without thinking too much about anything." She motioned to her head, her hand making a small circle to illustrate her point.

Barengar Armsbreaker bobbed his head up and down gently in a vague nod, a rumble reverberating in his chest as a gesture of understanding. "Knowin' a thing're two 'bout that." he replied in a low tone before letting his gaze drop away again, "Ain't much fer noise." His gloved fingers drummed along the dry vegetation upon which he sat, "Ain't usually anythin' but trouble."

Shana Deftarm smiled, but it seemed... dimmer. "That it is," she said after a moment. "Even when you know better." She let out a sigh, the puff of air blowing the hair from her eyes. She turned to watch the man out of the corner of her eye, letting the silence build up around them. She didn't mind it much, turning after a while to watch the rolling waves.

Barengar Armsbreaker seemed to be drawn out by the shifting of the waves the longer that the silence went on. His expression grew ever more pensive as the minutes passed by; his gaze more distant. With that distance, however, came an accompanying appearance of peace. A sense of ease and comfort that was not usual fare for the mercenary's conduct or behavior.

Shana Deftarm: "The ocean's your Sea of Clouds?" Shana asked, glancing between him and the water. She didn't seem to want to disturb the aura of calm that had settled over him, or was that reflection? It was interesting to watch all the same; she had her own far-away look as she observed him. Without warning a grin cracked her face, and she couldn't help but shake her head and look down at the ground.

Barengar Armsbreaker tipped his head back ever-so-slightly, eyes flickering to the evening sky for the briefest of moments before descending back down until they rested upon Shana once more; lips pressed into a thin line. "Somethin' like that." he murmured quietly as his head tilted to the side slightly, noting her subtle grin. He looked bewildered as to what had brought it on.

Shana Deftarm chuckled, aware that she was probably looking crazier by the minute, but unable to stop herself. "You reminded me of Adun," she clarified between chuckles. "When we first began living together I never did master meditation. He tried to help me find my center, or whatever it was--" Shana waved a hand, the grin widening by the moment. "I finally just started tossing little things at him. Pebbles. Sticks." She shrugged, the chuckling fit finally fading away. "He never reacted. Probably to prove a point that it could be done and I was just being stubborn."

Barengar Armsbreaker simply continued to look at her, head still resting at a tilt, for several more moments before lifting suddenly sprang back into him. A grunt escaped his chest before his head tipped toward her in something of a noncommittal gesture, "Ain't knowin' a thing 'bout meditatin'. Jus' knowin' that bein' calm'n quiet's 'elpful fr'm time ta time." His eyes did a quick sweep of the ground surrounding the woman, taking note of potential pebbles and suspicious sticks.

Shana Deftarm kept grinning, but it eased back into a more eased, content smile. "Its easier if I'm walking, or at least moving. Swinging the lance," she continued with a shrug. "Some people have to sit still. I never did acquire the skill."

Barengar Armsbreaker pushes himself up into a more upright position and freeing his arms of the burden of supporting him. That freedom is first exercised by taking the opportunity to roll his left shoulder in every which direction before moving his eyes to meet Shana's once more, "Yer the type ta clear yer head through sparrin' then." It was more of a statement than a question. For the mercenary it seemed that it was a foregone conclusion.

Shana Deftarm nodded in agreement. "That's one of the ways, yeah." She cleared her throat, watching his shoulder before flicking her eyes up to meet his. "No room for anything else when you're fighting. Just what's important." She took the opportunity to get a better look at the tattoo on his face, never paying it much mind before. But now that she saw his fascination with the sea it made her all the more curious.

Barengar Armsbreaker grunted in agreement to her statement, he wasn't going to argue there. The tattoo of the shark wrapped neatly along the natural curve of his jawline, its tail hooking just beneath it while it's maw was poised to clamp down around his eye. The man could tell that something had caught the woman's attention before slowly turning the left side of his face a bit further so that the view was less obstructed. "S'a grey reef shark." his deep voice rumbled, "m'Da's name."

Shana Deftarm: "You must have had alot of respect for him to mark your face up." Shana said, turning away quickly after being caught staring. She frowned a moment, eyes firmly on the ground before they were dragged up to watch the ocean. She sighed, leaning forward and returning to Barengar with a slightly less amiable cast to her eyes though her voice never changed. "If its grey, why's the tattoo blue?"

Barengar Armsbreaker seemed confused by the change in demeanor that was readily apparent in Shana, his brow furrowing as she attempted to discern what it was that had soured her mood. He lifted his left shoulder in a single shrug, "S'the ink that was made 'vailable ta me, suppose." he grunted, "An' I'm supposin' that I do. Ain't 'yperbole ta say I wouldn't be 'ere talkin' ta ya if it weren't fer 'im."

Shana Deftarm: "How... fortunate for you," Shana ground out after a moment, letting the words sink in. If she seemed annoyed before she was going full tilt into aggravated, pulling her armored knees up and leaning her head against them, rubbing the sides of her head in that awkward position. "... I did not care much for mine." She was biting the inside of a cheek, glaring at her knees like they'd offended her.

Barengar Armsbreaker blinked just as sudden realization flickered across his features and then was gone in an instant. He behavior seemed to make a bit more sense to him now, though it would seem her contempt for her father rather great for even the mention to shift her mood so dramatically. He grunted once, his head bobbing to the side, "Ain't any time ta be wasted on 'im then. Tha's 'ow I'm feelin' when it come ta plucks."

Barengar Armsbreaker: "Ya weed 'em out and cut 'em off."

Shana Deftarm: "There's something," Shana was scowling, her brows bunched together and pulling on her scar. "Something about him, I don't know why it won't--" she sighed, exasperated and shrugging. "Like a stain that won't wash out." She rubbed at her eyes, shaking her head like that would help dislodge the thought before pushing herself up to stand.

Barengar Armsbreaker narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Shana as she struggled to grapple with her contempt for a father that Barengar couldn't even say was alive or not. A deep, grumble echoed within his chest as he lingered on his own thoughts, "Ain't any pluck I know tha's worth dwellin' on. Ain't anythin' ta be done 'bout what's already done. All that ya've got is what ya do movin' forward." He lifted his chin slightly, meeting Shana's gaze firmly, "Yer seemin' stronger than lettin' some witherin' gnat weigh on ya when 'e ain't even 'ere."

Shana Deftarm: "I wish I was," Shana grumbled, folding her arms. "Twenty years and the hint of his name is just.... red across my eyes." She rubbed the back of her neck, a long, drawn out sigh escaping her. "... Part of me wonders if its because there was no closure. I'd be better off pretending he was nothing to me. I wish there was something redeeming about the man, but there can't be." She smiled at Baregnar for a moment, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was stuck in her head it seemed, and there --

Shana Deftarm -- was little to be done about it. "I think I should finish that walk, make the noise go away. I still liked talkin' to you all the same, atleast. Just... I need to move or I'll break something."

Barengar Armsbreaker remained silent as she explained herself and silent still as she declared her intention to make her exit and continue her evening walk. The mercenary, for his part, simply gazed upon her thoughtfully. It wasn't until she was on her feet and prepared to make her way off did he so much as make a sound. A stiff grunt emitted from the man as his low voice rumbled, "Figure it was good talkin' with ya too."

[gethealthy18-blog]

8 Basic Steps To Help Protect Yourself From Cyber-Stalkers

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/8-basic-steps-to-help-protect-yourself-from-cyber-stalkers/

8 Basic Steps To Help Protect Yourself From Cyber-Stalkers

Saumya Gaur March 14, 2019

Before the Internet became what it is today, an all-pervading force, the term “troll” existed in old Swedish and Nordic folklore. But this is the 21st Century, where technology gives us marvels and horrors in equal measure, and one of those horrors is cyberstalking which often snowballs into cyberbullying.

When we use the term cyberstalking, we don’t want to devalue it by using it in the context it is usually used in. So when your parents often pay unwanted attention to your social media updates, annoying though it can be, it doesn’t qualify as cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is when someone, tracks your every online activity by various means such as emails, IMs, comments on your posts and pictures, with the intention to harass you.

This is very different from you checking out your crush’s Instagram. You might just be there to get a peek at his new look, but a cyber-stalker would go a step further by keeping a tab of when the picture was taken and where it was taken. It is like a 24*7 surveillance, which digs deep into those facets of your life, which you are not even sharing with the world. We have compiled a primer, to help you keep this private life shielded from those prying eyes. So just give it a read and be cyber-safe!

1. Always Log Out

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While most of us are very vigilant with our phones, personal laptops are a different story. We often leave them unattended as we attend to phone calls or go for meetings. If you have to leave your laptop unattended for a few minutes, be sure to log out of all apps and social media profiles. Also, use a screensaver with a password.

2. Always Switch On Your Privacy Settings

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The social profiles that you choose to make public contain your entire bio-data. You can’t leave it out for the world to see and have access to, if you wish to be safe. To avoid doing that, switch on the privacy settings on your social media profiles. This will ensure that your personal information is known only to your trusted inner circle.

3. Use A Software To Prevent Spyware From Becoming Installed On Your Computer

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Install a protective software on your computer that will protect it against invasive viruses and phishing attempts. Not only do these software act as a bulwark against hacking attempts, but they also act as a deterrent for cyber-stalkers.

4. Turn Off Your Metadata In The Images And Pictures You Post Online

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In general terms, metadata is that data that gives you access to even more information. When we say metadata in pictures, it’s the information such as where the picture is taken, the location, the timing and the social media profiles of those who are there with you in the photograph.

To prevent this from happening, switch off features like geo-tagging and tagging while posting pictures online.

5. Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi

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Unless and until you have to, you should avoid using public Wi-Fi. Using public Wi-Fi makes your device vulnerable and puts you at considerable risk, especially when you surf websites that are not secure. If you have to, do use a public Wi-Fi connection but log out of it after use and click on the option of forgetting it.

6. Don’t Overshare On Social Media

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The urge to share on media is pretty uncontrollable, especially when you want to tell the world how happening your life is. But we would like to advise you to exercise caution in this regard. Do you remember when the popular social media icon, Kim Kardashian became a victim to an incident of armed robbery? Well, the robbers knew when Kim would be vulnerable, precisely because she would extensively document her life in great detail on her social media.

Therefore, pay attention to what you’re sharing on your social media and give as little information as possible.

7. Manage Your Passwords Well

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This goes without saying, but we will still reiterate this for the greater good. Do not base your passwords on the birthdates, and names of your loved ones. These can be easily guessed. Try to make them as random as possible and also, change them frequently. Also, avoid using the same password for all your accounts.

8. Do Not Make Your Travel Itineraries/Calendars Public

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Try to refrain from making your calendars and travel itineraries public. If you get an e-vite for an event on a social media website, and you publicly acknowledge your presence there, it lets your stalker know your whereabouts. Instead of doing that you can mail the host individually to confirm your presence there. This would be much safer.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you log in to your social media profile. Remember, your safety is in your hands. And if you do notice any suspicious activity on your online accounts, take immediate action by reporting it.

If you know of any other tips that can act as a deterrent for cyber-stalkers, share them with us in the comments section.

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Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/trending/how-to-protect-yourself-from-cyber-stalkers/

[shewhisper-blog]

071818 (part one, long)

hey, update time. suppose there's a lot to cover.

ill start firstly with why it's been so long since an entry. guess i thought i was getting better, didnt need somewhere to vent/log and keep track of this stuff, but thats not the case. i guess the thoughts of suicide had mostly subsided, and i was on an uphill. i think things are still generally okay, but im just not as good as i thought i was. its okay though, since ill try coming back here again.

---

social life update, no good news. the closest to good news would be just that im talking to sam a bit more?

a few weeks back, a rapper by the name of XXXTENTACION was killed, and the news spread all over the internet. i didnt follow the guy, but i knew he was someone important to many people, and said "rest in peace" on my profile. comments surfaced. apparently he had a history of violence and abuse. i deleted the comments to avoid further drama, since that wasn't the point. but liz had said a certain something on it so i confronted her about it.

she immediately attacked me in our pms because of her view on the guy. it got to a point where some awful things got said, like: (not exact words, but very close)

[on the topic of me saying x tried to change, forgive]

liz : *** doesnt think lightly/forgive people who are abusive

me : and? what about my past with **** and ** ***?

liz : so?

i asked why im excluded despite having valid reason and history for my feelings, and she ignored me.

///

liz : whatever, he's dead now. he'll be forgotten.

me : wait i can't believe you just said that

liz : (ignores me, continues)

me : liz i cant believe you just said that

liz : (partially ignores, continues)

i tried to get her to realize what she had said and take it back, because she should know how serious the topic of death is for me. i tried to explain that many people might've hated x, but people still loved x too. but she insisted that either way, because of his history, he'd be forgotten. she wouldn't take it back.

i had no way of getting through to her. everything I said got brushed off. i blocked her, everywhere. and cancelled all plans i had that night.

all i could think was "whoever viewed me as a villian with what happened between josh and i, what if their views spread after i die? am i more forgettable? would i be forgotten no matter who was on my side before?". i wouldn't have a side anymore. id be gone.

even all the times that i tried to think of my suicide and how to leave things on a good note when i leave, it made me think that it doesn't matter who i say i love or how much, theyd forget it if one person though otherwise. and i would really be nothing more than some awful memory to those i loved.

it was the first time liz has ever been the cause of an attack. thoughts of self harm were constant, and vivid images of my own death were always playing in my mind.

the stupidest shit happens when you let your emotions take over. and when i realized that the next day, i wanted to talk to her face to face and really sort it out. i needed to know if thats what she thought. it wasn't about X anymore, it hardly was in the first place. it was about her view.

i went and bought a ring, waited for about twenty minutes outside of her work, and apologized on one knee. i thought i maybe took it too far by blocking her, but explained that i didn't have any other way of getting through to her.

we sat in the car, and i tried to talk with her about it. and she barely listened. i tried calmly, firmly, quoted her words, gave her time to talk. explained it wasn't even about X. after all that she was still fighting me, barely listening to me talk. and so one last time, after she was about as calm as she could get, i asked her just for a yes or no, if that was what she really thought. and no matter her answer, i wouldnt hate her. i just needed to know.

i had to egg her on constantly to get even somewhat of an answer. she hid her response, muffled it, joked about it, on and on. half assing it. after another ten minutes of it I got really close, sat right under her face and said "I need an actual answer. with your words."

i looked right at her, and barely with a whisper did she give me her answer. she didn't even look me in the eye until after. even though i explained and showed how important it was that tell me this. that she "loses on argument" or "backs down"..

after all that, i got one word spoken barely at a whisper, and she didn't even look me in the eyes. I can only think she only said it because i wanted her to, not because it was her answer.

after that, i just let it go, and said thank you as if i was satisfied. i know she is going through a tough time, and shes emotional and moody and whatever else. but i sat there for a whole hour for her to not even really hear me.

the trust i had with her is broken. the number of people i am truly safe with is now just three.

((continued in next post))

[alanajacksontx]

Google Posts: Growing under the radar

Google Plus has risen from the dead! No we’re only joking, that’s highly unlikely.

Google have now rolled out their Posts function for small businesses with a Google My Business account.

No idea what Posts are? You’d be forgiven for being confused, managing your business information on Google calls for some deciphering of the difference between Google My Business and Google+, which can lead to some serious head scratching.

Hence why we are taking the time to explore what Google Posts are and what they mean for small businesses (and celebrities, big businesses and Twitter).

Google has also refrained from making a big song and dance of Posts – so the amount of information out there is particularly limited on this occasion. To add to the confusion, the term ‘Google Posts’ or ‘Posts on Google’ is not actually the official name given to this feature, as per some of the Google search algorithm updates, Posts has been named as such by the wider community.

The term Google Posts was presumably born out of the language used by Google when describing the feature, e.g ‘post with Google’.

Let’s start from the beginning: What are Google Posts?

Originally tested during the 2016 US elections, Posts offered candidates the ability to submit updates that would appear directly in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and Google Maps.

These posts were also categorized with dropdowns, further helping users to access critical information. In 2016, selected businesses and individuals, including musicians, were used to trial Posts. Apparently these test results were good enough for a wider roll out in 2017.

The posts appear as cards in the SERPs with various calls to action including ‘more’ and social sharing to Facebook, Twitter and Google.

The big G state that:

“Posting on Google is a new way to share relevant, fresh content with the people who are searching for you. Use image, videos and even animated GIFs to engage your audience, and ad inline links to drive traffic to specific content. This enhanced format allows searchers to hear directly from the primary source – you – and complements existing results from across the web.”

How to use Google Posts

First things first, if you’re based in London like us, Google haven’t fully rolled posts out to everyone so you have to join the waiting list. In our opinion it is definitely worth registering.

Once you have been approved, the format appears to be reasonably simple. Simply log on to your GMB account, select ‘Create a Post’ and follow the options.

Image credit: Google. (Very telling that Google are using mobile screenshots, reinforcing their mobile first approach)

You can use Google Posts in a variety of formats including events (with dates and times), image based, video, animated GIFs and text based posts.

Google say that each post will be removed after 7 days, after the date for an event has expired “to ensure that posts are timely”

Impact on SEO

Click-Through Rate

In a case study last year on Search Engine Watch, Rebecca Sentance noticed that Google Posts were appearing for search terms such as ‘engagement rings Buffalo’, i.e non branded search terms. This was particularly exciting, however upon investigation it would appear that Google has now backtracked on this decision to have Posts.

Probably a good thing – it would be a safe bet that the underbelly of the SEO world would look to spam Posts should they appear for transactional terms. Regardless, as discussed in a previous blog post, SEO is more than just onsite, content and links.

Great SEO also takes into account the whole user flow, including improving click-through rates from results pages, which Posts should contribute to.

We will have to wait for a wider roll out to see the real effect that Google Posts will have on CTR. However, it does not take a huge leap of faith to bet that, if used properly, Posts will draw the eye and add to credibility and subsequently improve CTR.

The fact that you can incorporate autoplay GIFs into Posts that appear in search adds another dimension to your appearance in the SERPs. We believe that early adopters could gain a critical edge over competition in the SERPs, especially for those in 2nd, 3rd or 4th place who could differentiate their listing from those above them.

Finally, let’s face it, Google has an assumed level of authority with most internet users. That’s what makes them so profitable – people trust Google’s search results. They may not trust them as a brand, but that’s slightly different.

Accompanying your Google Posts is a nice blue tick next to your name, giving your brand a boost in terms of social verification. Google has endorsed you. If that doesn’t have an effect, then we can all forget about the influence of status in all walks of life.

Mobile vs desktop

This is where there is a big difference for Posts. The long and short of it is that Posts are almost immediately viewable when scrolling on mobile (just under the maps result) whereas for branded search on desktop they are on the right hand side Knowledge Graph, below all of your other GMB information.

Desktop:

Mobile:

With Google’s push towards mobile-first indexing and AMP, Posts take a prominent position in the SERPs on mobile. Does this dictate that they will be considered a ranking factor? Not necessarily. However, expect businesses to receive higher levels of engagement and CTR from mobile when compared with desktop, especially for branded searches.

On the other hand, this advantage could be neutralized for non branded searches where the Post carousel is appearing directly beneath the search result, rather than under the business’ GMB profile.

How do Google Posts influence your ranking?

Considering the almost stealthy roll-out of Posts, we do not expect Google to comment on whether Posts will be taken into account as a ranking factor in search. For the moment, therefore, we would recommend concentrating on utilizing them as a feature to improve CTR, and therefore traffic, to content.

Posts are certainly not a social network in the traditional sense, when compared with the major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Furthermore, we only need look at the ambiguous information out there on how social media may or may not affect ranking ability to guess that Google will not be commenting on the influence of Posts on SERPs for some time – if ever.

Are posts a spin off of Google Authors?

Posts appear to be somewhat of a spin off of the now defunct Google Authorship experiment, but with more functionality, i.e. the ability to advertise events in Posts. Much like Google Authorship, Posts will provide almost instantly indexable content and another dimension to search results.

Businesses will be able to drive traffic through search results to specific pieces of content or key calls to action from Posts, adding further options for users compared with the more standard main search link or associated sitelinks.

Top stories and Twitter carousel

Again, we will need to see this roll out fully to see the impact on search results, but it is an interesting conundrum for Google. Currently big brands will tend to have Google’s ‘Top Stories’ and a Twitter carousel appear in search results. Add Posts to this equation and it raises interesting questions. Which takes priority? Content published directly to their GMB page, or Twitter/news outlets?

One would imagine that Google would look after their own interests, but their recent record €2.4 billion fine by the EU for essentially providing biased Google shopping results may influence their decisions on this matter.

Posts do seem to compete more directly with the Twitter carousel due to their time-sensitive nature, which is not exactly great news for the already presumably very sweaty and sleep deprived team at Twitter. Especially considering the language used on Google’s page explaining Posts: “Your Presence on Google, Fresher than Ever”.

Moving forward

We are actually quite excited about the potential of Posts. It adds another dimension to our role as SEOs, and we can see early adopters using it to significantly boost content marketing efforts.

Interestingly – and a topic which has been briefly touched upon by Search Engine Watch – the way in which businesses utilize Posts could be a substantial influencing factor on their effectiveness. Businesses will have to be conscious of whether they use it to promote new products, events, provide key information (e.g guides), or a blend of content.

First impressions count, even before the user has clicked on your search result. Subsequently, early adopters should look to define their strategy for Posts quickly rather than being an early adopter for the sake of it.

from IM Tips And Tricks https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/07/20/google-posts-growing-under-the-radar/ from Rising Phoenix SEO https://risingphxseo.tumblr.com/post/163214392990