#But they don't start at the top of the ticket and third parties who only work at that level are tax scams at best

[maeamian]

For the love of god, do not let anyone convince you that Jill Stein is a serious person or serious candidate.

[boroughshq]

Welcome to the community bulletin board! Here are some events happening around the Boroughs this month:

August 8: Puppy Olympics @ Bark Park, Manhattan

August 10: Clearance Sale @ Antiques, Queens

August 11: Silent Auction @ Haze Gallery, Brooklyn

August 12: Jaymie & Teddy's Birthday Extravaganza @ Glow, Brooklyn

August 13: 90s Night @ Songbirds and Sangria, Staten Island

August 16: Singles Mixer @ Puzzles, Manhattan

August 18: 10 Things I Hate About You @ Prospect Park, Brooklyn

August 20: Bobblehead Night @ Yankee Stadium, the Bronx

August 23: Angel's Night @ The Tool Shed, Staten Island

August 24: Devil's Night @ The She Shed, The Bronx

August 29: 10 Year Anniversary @ Casa De Tacos, Queens

August 8: Puppy Olympics @ Bark Park, Manhattan

The event of the season is finally here for the members of Bark: Puppy Olympics! Members are welcome to bring their furry friends to participate in a series of obstacles meant to replicate various Olympic sports. While only the top ranking dogs in their "sports" will take home a medal, every dog who participates will get to enjoy delicious, dog-friendly peanut-butter muffins that'd make even the Olympic Muffin Man jealous!

August 10: Clearance Day @ Antiques, Queens

As new pieces are put on the shelves, a large array of older antiques have been significantly marked down, and only for the day! Now's the time to drop by and buy that silverware set or vinyl you've been eyeing before it's gone!

August 11: Silent Auction @ Haze Gallery, Brooklyn

The dilettante's of New York's elite are sure to make an appearance at Haze's Annual Silent Auction. The collection of Autumn-inspired pieces were created by New York's finest artists for New York's finest clients, with every piece expected to be sold by the night's end.

August 12: Jaymie & Teddy's Birthday Extravaganza @ Glow, Brooklyn

Come and celebrate the Warren way! The twins are turning 30 for the third year in a row and they've bought out GLOW for the occasion! Starting in the late hours on Jaymie's birthday and sliding straight through midnight to the seedy morning hours of Teddy's, they've decided that they want to have a Mamma Mia! themed party. Come out and celebrate with free drinks, an all-night ABBA karaoke room, and projected screenings of both films! The Warren twins are aging up in their classic, overindulgent way, so don't be afraid to get dressed up as your favorite character and have a great time! All are welcome.

August 13: 90s Night @ Songbirds and Sangria, Staten Island

It's 90's night at Songbirds and Sangrias! If it's not from the decade, it's not allowed to be sung! And don't forget the raffle - order one of the few specialty cocktails for the night to enter into the raffle to win a nostalgic trinket from the 90s!

August 16: Singles Mixer @ Puzzles, Manhattan

What better way to make a connection then over the no-pressure environment of board games and beer? 21+ singles are invited to enjoy refreshing drinks and get a chance to meet their potential match at this ticketed event!

August 18: 10 Things I Hate About You @ Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Bring a blanket and a friend and come watch a feature film under the stars! Tonight's feature is the rom com classic, 10 Things I Hate About You. The Lawn opens at 6, and the movie starts at 8!

August 20: Bobblehead Night @ Yankee Stadium, the Bronx

The first 18,000 guests to enter for the Yankee's home game against the Guardians will be gifted a special Joe DiMaggio bobblehead. Go Yankees!

August 23: Angel's Night @ The Tool Shed, Staten Island

It's Angels Night at The Tool Shed! Guests are invited to don their most angelic attire and engage in a fun night of drinking and mingling.

August 24: Devil's Night @ The She Shed, The Bronx

Where there are Angels, there must be Devils - at least that's how The Tool Shed's sister bar sees it. Guests are invited to don their most wicked attired and engage in a fun night of drinking and mingling.

August 29: 10 Year Anniversary @ Casa De Tacos, Queens

In celebration of 10 years of successful business, Casa de Tacos will be running a specialty deal for their anniversary - order 10 tacos (pastor, chorizo, carnitas, or pollo) for only $10! Business is expected to be booming, so make sure to come early if you want to secure a plate!

[sofiadragon]

I use this sewing kit.

I inherited this gently used sewing set from my great-gran. She wasn't very crafty, so it didn't see much use until it reached my hands. The set has held up well, though it is clear that some bits have gone.

This is interesting to me because it is an advertisement. This was free, not purchased, for attending some event. I don't know a lot about the history of it aside from "it came from Southern or Central New Jersey" and what is written on it.

It shows how the party has moved, how the values have changed over time. Now big Republican donors are citing the way party funds were (mis)used over the last few years to explain why they aren't donating. Lavish election-night parties for people who lost. Unspecified fees in the millions per state. Vague categories where there used to be line items... and they used to be so down to earth and about the little guy. I look at them now and see them only helping millionaires.

It's just so practical. A tool, a useful (if sexist) gift given to active political women.

Looking at the rest of my blog it might shock people to know I started out Republican. I hated the nanny state, and bluer areas of my home state seemed to have more troubles. Why, Atlantic City had that cheapskate Trump who failed to pay good hard working construction contractors for the work they did on his hotels and those corrupt liberals from up near NYC let him get away with bankrupting working class folks.

They left me behind as they shifted the goal posts. I don't want to ban all guns, I just want them registered like cars because too many people are getting killed by them. The same way I want commercial vehicles driven by people with CDLs I want people carrying in public to have had additional training. Do what you like in your own home, but your freedom stops at the bridge of my nose. That's not removing my rights as a law abiding citizen, that's gatekeeping supply from those who aren't so law abiding. Adding more guns to schools to fix the problem of people shooting up schools missed the entire point, and voting to defund mental health programs makes the current Republican stance on gun control hypocritical as well as too lax.

It was one part libertarian and one part practicality. Like this sewing kit, I want people to have the tools and if they don't use them that's their fault. Democrats wanted to tear down so much and rebuild it to fix systemic inequality, but lots of people would be hurt if it was done all at once and are we going to compensate them? Then as I approached voting age the Republicans started advocating, not for measured responses to problems and slow change over time, but to bring things back to how they were when this sewing kit was made. I was never an Evangelical Christian or a millionare and as the party moved to cater more and more to the former in word and the latter in deed I got left behind.

I don't want my politicians to have punishing sexuality -related sins as a top ten priority. When it was plank number 597 on the platform I ignored it, because when it came time to write laws I knew they would ignore it. That libertarian foundation I had said that what happenes between consenting adults is between them and whatever God they have, and I expect the same courtesy for everything I do in my home that doesn't affect anybody outside it.

But that's not even the main reason I flipped. I'm a history nut, born and raised by a family of Daughters of the American Revolution, Veterans, and teachers, with a pagan/Christian fliwer child turned finacial planner for a mom and a draft-doging conscientious objector nerd for a father. The family voted red down ticket and third-party up ticket through my childhood. When George Bush Jr started talking about Iraq, my father and I looked at each other and called BS. We knew, because we knew our history, that Saddam Hussein and the terrorists who attacked us would rather rip out each other's entrails than work together. We were being lied to.

And they kept lying. Sure, fine, all politicians lie, but historically they promise the moon and deliver a glow in the dark sticker. They say A is their top priority and then mostly work on B and C - and that's lies but it's an acceptable sort of lie. Expected. Less a bold faced falsehood and more a confrontation between ideas and reality. Recall what I said about the anti-gay political adjenda for my home state politicians? Yeah, priority number 597 was only brought up to drive certain people to the polls, but nobody was going to do anything about it on either side of the aisle back then.

There was no way Afghanistan radicals and Iraq were working together. Hussein had been killing them to keep them out of his country for years before 9/11. History nerds knew. Immigrant families from the Middle East knew. Most Americans just believed, because why make a lie so huge? We thought that the truth would out, Bush would look like a nincompoop out to avenge daddy, and we would course correct.

Obama was actually pretty good, too. The ACA wasn't a Medicare buy-in like the poorer parts of my family would have liked to have, and my eyes and teeth are somehow not parts of my body still according to medical insurance, but at least my uterus finally was! The filibusters were out of line - that silent version has to go - and the Republican led Congress passed the fewest number of bill in the history of the institution, to the point of not being able to keep their own lights on, to coddle the racist demographic.

While I was personally shedding the racist framing I grew up with, the Republican party was pulling on extra layers of hate. They didn't talk about their ideas anymore, just all what they didn't want. No this, no that, and when Obama shrugged and started writing executive orders just to keep the wheel turning they hated that too.

Then, Republicans went full ugly. They blocked a Supreme Court nomination, not on the merits of the nominee, but only on the basis of the president's skin color. Just sat on their hands and refused to do their job for the best part of a year. The constitution says they should have a hearing and talk about the merits, they just didn't.

You know how fast anybody would be fired for not handling a project like that in any other context? Just don't make any fries at a fast food job. Just don't file your quarterly reports at an office job. Just don't conduct any interviews for a new CFO as a CEO. This was a major obligation and they just dropped it. Like the constitution was just a suggestion. As if the second election of Obama wasn't legitimate.

And I was out. I was in a different state then, but the people I voted into state and federal office supported this nonsense. I would have liked several people other than Clinton on the ticket- I thought Trump was too old then and wanted someone younger and more willing to call a spade a spade. Clinton was too savvy, too deep into the delicate political dance to be rude about the lies. Trump also lied "bigly" and constantly. Pence was a floorboard - bland and easily stepped on.

I don't see them getting my vote back, even downticket. Biden has salvaged our international relations - I consider the president's primary job to be running the State Department and filling our embassies with competent patriots. Bush and Trump were both international laughing stocks, and in the vein of Republicans not doing anything Trump seemed to have forgotten that appointing people to a lot of necessary positions was his job. Whatever you want to say about Obama's or Biden's relation to the Ukraine, at least they didn't leave an empty chair in the embassy.

I used this sewing kit today. It's a tool, a needful thing that wants use and facilitates productivity. It gets a job done. I think it is ironic.

Republicans, for most of my voting life, have been the party of doing nothing. Filibusters instead of arguing your case. Blocking nominations and then not filling empty posts. Doing less and less of the essential parts of governing the country, while digging more and more into our privacy. It is Republicans who want to know what my genitals look like, who I sleep with, and all the bloody details of my multiple miscarriages. They want to restrict what books I am allowed to read in my local library. They want to pass nanny state laws so restrictive to "protect" the children from seeing two men holding hands that the mention of adultery gets anything with the ten commandments in it banned from all school district funded libraries. Actually, Republicans are really into nanny state laws lately. It's the only thing I hear them talking about on a national stage. Infrastructure? Nope, that's a Democratic issue now because all the big projects are woke green stuff like hydroelectric gravity batteries for wind farms and mass transit.

Democrats want to make it illegal to be a dick for racist or queerphobic reasons. I think we have laws for that already, but there is no harm in clarifying that you should believe people when they introduce themselves as a woman or man and not harm them because you think their genitals might not look 'right' according to your personal standards. We had to clarify that black people and women were also to be treated with respect and decency, so let's make it clear that you don't have the right to assault someone. Democrats want Universal Healthcare, and I'd be happy with a medicare/aid buy-in where I can pay extra taxes voluntarily to get coverage, but I wouldn't be upset if they took it to the next step. Like Bernie said, ask for a whole loaf and negotiate for half. Biden would like to get Putin out of office, and I'm all for that. Our foreign relations are awesome right now. We're trying to claw back component manufacturing for national security reasons because we can't have the military dependent on circuit boards and component parts that are all imported.

What I care about that both sides ignore?

Nationalize the rails (and make it stick this time, codify that under interstate commerce the way we did highways.) It's getting to be a national security issue that freight shipping is so gas-dependant so we need to build nuclear power and modern electrified rail systems.

Right to Repair needs national attention too. There is no reason my phone is constructed in such a way that a handy person like myself can't safely replace the battery.

Recycling in the USA is a joke that stopped being funny around Y2K. Why are we shipping our Recycling overseas? Garbage collection and processing is one of those things I expect my taxes to pay for - stop requiring Recycling plants to pull a profit. That's idiotic hyper- capitalistic nonsense; trash collection does not need to be profitable to be a public good.

Make police academy training require/include a 2 year college degree based on law, history, and conflict resolution/psychology. Many other countries have 4 year programs and we're over here clowning like this is an easy job you can learn by doing after less than 6 months of training in much of the USA. Some state police programs are already at this standard, others need to catch up.

And closer to home? One school district per county in every state. Period. Let the kids mix, let the funding comingle. A more level playing field is beneficial to society as a whole, everyone deserves access to the tools. In fact, bring a lot of small town home rule shenanigans up to the county level. More daylight there to catch corruption and embezzlement because more people show up to watch or stream county meetings than do the same for small town boards. Again, some states already have this on lock, but boy do some others need work. Finally, if you won't forgive loans then let people lose them if they go bankrupt. You tried, you failed, let's cut that dead weight loose so you can try again. It hurts the economy to have so much student loan debt on people who never got a high value 4 year degree - which is where a lot of the people struggling with the loans are. Sometimes random shit happens through no fault of your own, and you bail out into a working class job to avoid something worse. That's where a lot of the old SL debt is sitting, so just let people drop the debt if they fail that hard the way they can for everything else.

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

Best Of Me || K.TH ||

Pairing: Kim Taehyung X Reader

Genre: Fluff, tiny bit of Angst, Spy au!

Summary: You've hated Taehyung for as long as you can remembered. But what happens when you're both get teamed up for a mission and Taehyung turns out to not be as bad ad you've expected?

Wordcount: 3.2K ( this was suplosed to be a drabble from like 500- 1k word drabble but it got out of hand oops.)

" You have to be kidding me!" -Your first reaction as you heard the news.

The man across from you smirks.

"C'mon Y/N. You're lucky, not everyone has the luck to get a piece of me."  - Taehyung

You couldn't believe you were assigned as Taehyung's date for this mission.

Yes, this mission was important, but you didn't want to be doing this with him.

" It's only for one mission Y/N. And I have already decided." Namjoon looks at you from beside Taehyung.

" You know that I have something against him, why are you putting us in a team?" You ask him.

" You both may hate each other, but your fighting styles complement each other. And this mission is important. The maknae line of the inner circle is going, and that includes the both of you." Namjoon explains as if it's obvious.

And so you simply huff and walk away while excusing yourself.

Tough it sounds as if you're part of a gang, you're actually part of one if the national spy organisations, Bighit to be exact.

You and Taehyung have been in this organisation since forever, and you've always had a thing against each other.

It started with him beating you on a test, and since then you always had this competition going on.

You had never worked together.

Until two weeks from now.

Taehyung was feeling the opposite of you.

He liked how competitive you were in trying to beat him, but he too tough you could make a good team.

He was excited to work with you, and hoped that you two could maybe become friends. Or maybe more...?

He blushed as the last tough crossed his mind and smiled up at the ceiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Jungkook, his roommate asks as he just came out of the shower.

Taehyung just shakes his head, simply answering him with a 'nothing'.

You go shopping with a few of your frirnds next week.

You don't know what the mission is about yet, but you do know that it's formal, so you use the excuse to go shopping for a dress.

" I ship it." Your best friend states as you told her everything.

" No-"

"Yes, you two look great together. You're just too stubborn to admit it." She says as you roll your eyes.

Your best friend knows you're a spy, in fact she kind of knows everything about you.

" Well what are you waiting for, let's go to that fancy store." She smiles as you both go to the store to try dresses on.

Taehyung happened to be in that same mall too, with his friends Jungkook and Jimin.

He was about to get a suit.

So did Jimin and Jungkook who were also assigned to the mission.

He and the boys walked by the shop you and your best friend were at, when Jimin spotted you.

And Taehyung saw you with a dress on and realized,

You were actually pretty.

Especially when you showed off your curves a bit.

Meanwhile you were complaining about your dress to your best friend.

" Are you serious? I think I might explode with how tight this is." You tell her.

" Fine, try something else on." She huffs at you and you smile back at her.

When you hear the bell of the store, you and your friend both turn to see Taehyung and his boys.

And you just hoped that he would pretend to not know you.

But then he really goes-

" Hi, that's my date and I wondered if you could get us something that matches?" He smiles at the saleslady.

And she smiles and turns to you.

You smile awkwardly and wave to Taehyung trough gritted teeth.

Because you cannot pretend to not know him, considering the fact that you never know when there's other spies around.

" Ah, I see. So this is your date?" The saleslady smiles at you.

And you can see she's excited to put you in something that will match with him.

When she asks you two if any of you prefer a color, you smirk at Taehyung and tell her a soft pink would be nice.

However much to your dissapointment Taehyung smiles at the saleslady too and really goes-

" I don't mind, just whatever color she would like." He winks at you at the end.

And you're so suprised by this that you just blink.

You turn to your best friend for support, and to make it worse, she too winks at you.

Before she does the absolute worse.

" The boys and I have a few errands to run, so we'll meet you two later." She smiles before taking Jimin and Jungkook with her.

You don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

You can't believe she really abandons you like this.

The saleslady is so happy that she ends up showing you and Taehyung a bunch of dresses.

And you realize that this will feel more like you're trying on wedding dresses or something.

You get a certain feeling on the tough of getting married to him, and you don't really know if that's disgust or something more passionate.

You think some of the dresses are very nice, but Taehyung doesn't, and you end up fitting a few of the ones he and you agree on.

The first few dresses you try are a no for you.

The third dress is a no from him.

But the fourth dress, takes both of your breath away.

It's a baby pink dress with lace on the top and it kind of sprinkels into a soft flowy skirt.

You end up picking that one before helping Taehyung pick out his suit.

You end up being a bit more picky about his suit fitting, just because.

He ends up only fitting two suits.

One white one, and altough he did look good in it, he disagrees.

Because, " It's not matchy enough with her dress." He really said.

And the saleslady finds it so cute that she abandons you two for a moment.

You and Tae are both shook because of her sudden dissapearance.

But a moment later she comes back with a white suit jacket which had the same lace design on one part of the jacket.

The lace was coincidentally also a light pink.

He tries it on, and this one looks even better on him.

He ends up picking that one.

When you look at the saleslady with a quistioning look, she kind of just smiles sadly and suddenly drops a tear.

And then she tells you two.

" They were supposed to be for my daughter and her prom date, I designed them myself. But they passed away in an accident before they could see them." She said.

And you and Taehyung switch glances.

Because even tough the moment feels magical, you two were still faking the relationship.

You open your mouth to stutter something out, but Taehyung beats you to it.

" Are you sure you want to give this to us?" He asks.

She nods.

" Yes, in fact I'm proud to give them to you two." She smiles almost motherly.

You two decide to both pay half of the prices.

And the lady smiles as you two leave, even waving you off.

Taehyung takes you hand and pulls you a tiny bit closer as you walk away from the store as you two leave to search for your friends.

And suprisingly, you don't mind it.

And therefore don't stop him.

The next time you two see each other is when there's a meeting about the mission.

Namjoon is happy that you two seemed to have stopped arguing, and catches Taehyung sneak a few peeks at you.

He tells you what the mission is, and it's less easy as what you had hoped for.

You hoped that you would stop some kind of deal or something.

But no.

The mansion the party is at has a lot of rooms, and the people there often use them to hook up.

Your part of the mission is to have a man by the name of Michael in one specific room, and to knock him out.

Taehyung's job is to protect you for when things go south without being spotted.

You two will stay in a hotel for three  days.

Starting the day before the party, to act as if you're from America.

Jimin and Jungkook both have different missions, tough at the same party.

After that meeting, you realize Taehyung had started working out more.

You realize it because he's almost always in the gym as you are.

And he's gotten bit bulkier, which you accidentally realize on your way to your seat in the plane.

You were originally seated next to Jungkook, but he had swapped tickets with Taehyung because

" It'd be better if we act as couples now already." - His words.

If you were still the same person as before the shopping trip, you would have hated you life now, or had threatened Jungkook.

But you don't, because ever since that shopping trip, Taehyung has started looking at you with a different look in his eyes.

You do too, but you don't realize it.

Your best friend did when you found her by the food court later in the shopping trip, and hasn't stopped teasing you ever since.

Anyway, you realized Taehyung had really bulked up, because some guy almost knocked you over in the small space between the seats in the plane.

And you fall straight into Taehyung, who doesn't budge and catches you.

Literally, he doesn't move a centimeter.

He smiles at you between his arms.

And he really goes:

" It appears you have fallen for me." He bites his lip.

You just smack him on his side, where one of your arms is awkwardly stuck.

And realize he's toned there too.

You try to ignore it

" Don't flatter yourself." You mumble as you wringle yourself out of his grip.

He just winks at you and sits down in his seat.

The plane ride goes without a problem

You do fall asleep though, your head falling on Taehyung's shoulder.

He was watching a movie while you were falling asleep.

But once he feels your weight on his shoulder, and turns to see you asleep, he decides to join you.

And so he makes himself comfortable, grabs you hand and joins you in your slumber.

When you wake up you've almost landed.

And when you try to lift your head you realize you can't.

When you see Taehyung's hair in front of your eyes, and smell his cologne, you realize it's him.

You don't mind it, and realize right then and there, that you might like him.

Especially when you see your two hands intertwined and like the feeling of it being gently held by him.

You wake him up five minutes later, and strangely enough, he listens.

You were suprised he did, because you've heard from Jungkook, who's also his roommate, that Taehyung's often hard to wake up.

When you get off the plane and grab your bags, it's already midnight.

And by the time you're finally in the hotel room, it's three in the morning.

And you're roommates with Taehyung, but you don't really give a damn at this tine of the night.

So you just get changed into your sleepwear and brush your teeth before lying down on the bed.

Taehyung joins you after doing his nightly routine and smiles at you.

" You look cute like this." He mutters to you,  pecking your forehead.

You just grumble in response, and before you can say think of the meaning behind his actions he turns off the light  and wishes you a goodnight.

The next day is full of training and acting casual.

The day after is the day of the mission.

And you're a little nervous, but so is everyone else.

When you wake up, the first thing you see is Taehyung shirtless.

And you blush and act like you're asleep again.

" I know you're awake." Taehyung tells you after a few moments and you keep quiet.

" Stop acting, you can't be this pink because of a dream." Taehyung tells you, and you can practically hear his smirk.

And so you groan and get up.

When you open your eyes again, Taehyung's still not wearing a shirt.

He sees you glancing at his chest and to your suprise he just smirks at you and goes

" Like what you see? Well don't worry, I'm all yours girlfriend."

You don't know if you should take him serious or not.

Until 2 in the afternoon you train together.

Afterwards you each shower before going to grab dinner.

Jungkook and the others are down in the restaurant while you and Tae are in the mood for takeout.

So you get some from a nearby Mackey D's.

And eat together in the hotel room.

It's comfortable and feels kind of domestic.

You both watch a movie while eating.

Princess and the frog to be precise. ( it's your favorite.)

And you're once again so far pulled into the movie, you don't see Taehyung stealing glances and smiling softly at you.

Until he suddenly stands up from a side chair and walks over to you once he's done eating and lifts your legs, who were thrown comfortably on the couch, on his lap.

He moves your empty food boxes on the table too and simply holds your hand and smiles at you before letting your interwined hands rest in your lap.

You look at him for a moment and he takes that as a negative reaction.

But when he tries to pull his hand away from yours, you hold onto him.

" So what are we now exactly?" You ask, because you know he won't break the comfortable silence.

" Well, I don't know. But I would like to tey dating after tonight."

He tells you softly as he just stares shyly at your still intertwined hands.

You realize that this was probably the first time you've seen him so shy.

" I'd like that." You blush while telling him.

You both smile and stare at each other for a moment before returning to watching the movie.

And by the time the movie's done, it's time to get ready.

And you dissapear in the bathroom to do your makeup, your dress is also hanging there so you'll change in there and Taehyung will get changed in the main part of the hotelroom.

You decide on a soft natural look as the dress is popping enough.

When you're done you put your hair in a fancy bun with a fancy little necklace like thing around it.

When you put your dress on, you get stuck on a certain part of th dress' zipper.

You realize you'll need Tae to help you with it.

And so you knock on the bathroom door and ask him if he's done.

He tells you he is, and when you open the door he really isn't yet.

He's still working on a few buttons of his shirt, but looks up from his blouse when he hears the door open.

" Can you zip me up? It seems like it's stuck." You ask him.

He smiles at you and nods as you turn around.

And after messing with it, he zips it all the way.

He steps back as you turn around and smiles brightly at you.

" You look beautiful." He smiles as he bites his lip and looks you up and down.

You blush and thank him.

" Aren't you supposed to do your blouse?" You wink at him as he stops drooling over you.

" Right."

And then you watch him struggle with his tie once he's all buttoned up.

For like five minutes.

You decide to help him out once he starts thinking about tying the tie in a bowtie and considering to go like that.

" Thanks. Where'd you learn to do this?" He asks as he watches you tie it.

" My brother's stubborn, so I used to do it for him." You shrugg and he nods.

Afterwards you both go down to the lobby of the hotel and meet the others there.

Everyone looks beautiful and together you move to the garage where you have three cars standing.

One for you and Tae, another for Jimin and his 'date' and another for Jungkook, who's going as bachelor.

You're all tense, because this is an important mission and none of you want to mess this up.

"Well, we'll see each other around." Jungkook mutters before moving to the Mercedes.

You arrive way to fast for your liking, and Taehyung parks the Peugeot Onyx before jogging over to your side of the car and helping you out, being a true gentleman.

" Are you ready?" He asks you as you both stand in front of the mansion.

You take a deep breath before nodding and walking up the stairs with him.

The first bit of the night goes easy for both of you.

It's really just staying close to each other and letting Taehyung do most of the talking.

But then the suspect arrives and you force yourself to relax under his disgusting stare.

And greet him with a forced smile as he greets you while checking you out with no shame.

You feel Taehyung tighten his grip on you.

And you glance at him to try and get him to calm down.

Getting the man in the spot you want him too is easier than both of you have realized.

Because he's more stupid than anyone you've ever met as you manage to lead him on with just a wink and nodding in the direction of the stairs as you 'excuse yourself to go to the bathroom'.

Taehyung gets the clue and excuses himself 'to get some drinks'.

On the way to the room ( second in the right hallway on the second floor),the man tries to push you up against the wall more than once.

Luckily you manage to slip from his grip by simple touches like running your fingers over his jaw.

And once you step in the room, the man follows, but is soon knocked out by Taehyung who was standing behind the door.

And you huff because,

" We could have asked him questions before sending him off you know."

But he simply scoffs in return.

" We can do that later, I don't like the way he was looking you up earlier."

And that was an answer you didn't expect.

However before you could react, both Jungkook and Jimin run into the room.

" We'll explain later, for now we have to go!" Jimin tells the both of you.

And you and Taehyung share glances before following after Jimin, his date and Jungkook, leaving the suspect behind.

Jimin doesn't explain anything until all of you are in Jungkook's hotelroom.

However, the words that leave his mouth are beyond what both you and Taehyung could have ever expected.

Because, " Bighit is taken over by JYP. Namjoon and Jin made it out, but I believe that we're the last hope currently standing."

And none of you know what to do.

-

Btw this was the dress I had in mind and the way her hair was styled:

[btssunnyboy]

Partners In Crime - Jeon Jungkook Part 1

You had a vendetta, and this was your chance. You were gonna prove yourself, but now you got another person to worry about.

Word Count - 3,131

Warning - Undercover Agent! AU, profanity and mentions of drinking.

Masterlist

Also I’m back after a few months break I’m so sorry, but hopefully I’ll be back with a lot more updates!!!

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"I absolutely refuse! I'm more then qualified to handle this mission on my own."

The words slipped pasted your lips quicker then you intended. Venom laced through every word, as you stared stared at your higher up. His eyes threatened to roll back in his head ; agitation clearly visible through his stressed state. He released a heavy breath, while pinching the bridge of his nose. His hands form together into bone crushingly tight fist.

"L/n! Work with me! You need a partner for this assignment and he's the perfect coverup!" Mr. Jones ushered out as his eyes glanced cautiously at the clock. The small ticks that erupted from the small machine filling the tense silence that was floating in the air. His leg shook wildly in return in made the floorboards squeak underneath the shaky weight.

"I've been working Jackson Wang's case for over six months! His banquet is my shot to prove I'm worthy of my spot on this team!" You bellowed, comic stream bursting from your ears. Your face was red from embarrassment, disappointment and most importantly anger. Pure, boiling, hot anger seeping through every crevice of your body. This was chance to prove that you weren't a rookie anymore! This was a chance to live up to what you father used to be on this force.

"You've shown your worth more then enough times to be about of my department, but this is a mission that requires back up. It's too dangerous even for you." Mr. Jones sighed once more when he noticed your posture. Stick straight back, with clenched hands and jaw. You were passed the state of furious, and he knew hell was about to rain down. "Can I at least tell you his name."

"Of course it's a guy."

"His name is Jeon Jungkook. He's one of the top residents we have, and he's moving up through the ranks remarkably well." The sickly sweet comment rolled off of his tongue with such ease. It disgusted you down to your core. You didn't need a partner to handle Jackson Wang. You've dealt with his accomplices, and you sure as hell can take a guy like him on. "Now would you please stop making a big scene."

On one hand Mr. Jones had a point. Your reaction was starting to take the form of a five year old who just got told no to a brand new toy. You were overreacting, but with a good reason to back it up. This was your main chance ; you didn't want to be shadowed by some partner who would take all the credit. This was your shot, and you desperately needed it. Your worth in this department now rests on the hands of someone called Jeon Jungkook.

Before you mouth could open to add more snarky comment chief's door swung open. I'm walked a man who was almost your age, but maybe a bit older. His big doe eyes held so much innocence ; you almost pity the man who decided to work in a job like this. A job that requires you to be deceiving in every way, a job that tests your limits, and a job that puts your life in danger every time you walk out those doors. Being undercover has it's downfalls, and it may corrupt a sweet guy like him.

"This is your partner. Jeon Jungkook meet L/n Y/n."

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I've actually heard so much about you!" He beamed while staring softly at you. His hand was extended, and your whole body was hesitant to even shake his hand. He noticed the delay, and awkwardly pulled his hand away, and rubbed the nape of his neck. "It's gonna be an honor working with you."

You stayed silent through the entire exchange. The way his smile dropped ever so slightly, but the gleam never left his eyes. His stare was now directed towards the chief. Desperately trying to get the train moving along, and bolt as fast as he could out those glass doors. The chief gave a sudden scoff, before he started making his point clear.

"Jeon I'm sorry for this unprofessional like matter coming from one of our finest, but you two need to work together." The message was supposed to be loud and clear. Both of you were supposed to understand that this mission is going to take every once of willpower from the both of you. "This is his case file, learn it, live it, and then catch it."

Sharp nods left the both of you, as you reached for your file. Flipping through what felt like miles of charges against him. Things been drug charges, third degree battery, and many, many more. This just goes to prove that money will get your dumbass out of any situation. This man has ruined lives, and here he is still allowed to roam the streets without a care in the fucking world.

"Jesus Christ how can this guy live with himself?" Jungkook mumbled while pulling his chair out. His eyes scanned each charge, and loudly showed his disapproval. His scoff filled the small room, as if practically reverberated throughout. "What do you think about all of this?"

His question lingered in the air, as a response was settled onto your tongue. It was searing in your mouth, begging to have the cool air hit it and diminish the intensity of it. Instead you stayed silent. Letting your eyes linger on the file, even though you knew everything about this man. His motives, his relationship, his goddamn childhood. You knew it all, and a personal vendetta was pushing you towards getting this bastard in jail. Him and his stupid connections ruined your life, and you're never going to forget that.

"I know this isn't exactly your idea type of mission, but I'm just here to help." Jungkook softly said as he pulled his chair to the front of your desk. His famous doe eyes staring so softly into yours. They had a gleam that looked like a whole universe was settled underneath his cornea. His smile was still on his face, as if you silence wasn't affecting him at all. He didn't seem to care, as he continued on this conversation. "We still need to think of a plan to catch him."

He wasn't wrong. This whole mission still needed to be planned out step by step. And all you've got so far is the fact he's in town for the week, and once he leaves this area your team's jurisdiction will be useful no more. It has to be you, and your partner who take him down. The mere thought of him leaving made your hands clench in anger once more. Your knuckles going white from the harsh grip, and you could already fill your nails tearing the skin of your palms. His eyes glanced down at your hands, and he took it as his sign to leave.

"You don't have to go." Your voice was so soft he almost didn't hear it. This was a drastic change from your demeanor back in the chief's office. You tightly shut your eyes, and wished you'd just kept your mouth shut. He was just about to leave, and you could've been alone to make a plan layout. This could've be done all by yourself, but something made you want him. Something made it hard to see him go. "Like you said we need a plan."

"Y-yeah! A plan if were gonna catch him we need to make sure that he's caught in the act. I figured the only reason why he's never be truly admitted to jail is that he's never been see doing these things. Someone else always manages to take the fault." Jungkook stammered, as he pulled out his laptop. His eyes scanning every detail of the records he's looking at. Different people each lined up with charge that some how correspond with Jackson Wang's charges. They go down for him, and he just leaves them there. What a sicko.

You nodded your head in understanding. He would get charged and then everything would be dropped. Only for another man to take the place, and as they said coincidental at the time. This plan needs two brains working together, a different perspective is exactly what this mission needs. Yet you still can't bring yourself to accept that. It was stupid sitting here in a mood just because you have to have a partner

"We have less then a week to catch up so Jeon Jungkook. What's our first move." You sighed as you leaned back in your seat. A curt nod came from him as he typed away on his computer, original doe soft eyes were pressed in harsh glares. His min was set on finding an answer, and it looked like he was set on finding one fast.

"His banquet, like we've mentioned before is our only shot there's no other way. The only problem is that we need an invitation." Jungkook grumbled as he slammed his laptop shut. He knew this was a big opportunity, and now he can't do anything about it.

"I've got that covered, before Bailey's incident she's was assigned this case and already acquired two tickets. Now this is our last shot bring him back home. Do I make myself clear?"  The chief spoke loudly. Making sure this was getting through both of your heads.

"Crystal."

"You're both two of the youngest on this team, make this count. And be careful, Jackson Wang is many things, but he's not a fool. One slip up and this whole operation goes down."

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"So we have to look like a couple at this party." Jungkook sighed as he fixed the blazer that settled onto his broad shoulders. The sleek looking material complimented his body in an extraordinary way. He was actually looking the part of a wealthy business man, and that's exactly the cover up that was needed. "We still have a few days, maybe we should actually go on a date."

Your eyebrows shot up in a questionable look. Your head tilted to the side as well. The emerald dress in your hands suddenly worth a lot more attention then the dashing man in front of you. It felt stupid to get to know him considering after this mission you planned on never talking to him again. Hell you planned on staying quiet throughout the whole night at the banquet. Get in, get him and get the hell out. It wasn't supposed to be a bonding experience.

"Come on, I'm not that bad." He commented again, as he shrugged off the sleek material. He somehow looked even better without that jacket. His white button down shirt cling to his biceps, making him even more appealing. That same smile he always wore still graced his face. Almost like it was the only permanent expression he had. "I mean I'd like to get to know you considering we're gonna be on the same team after this."

You dreaded it when he spoke that sentence. You truly didn't mind him it's just, getting close to someone in this business has its consequences. Consequences that take every ounce of happiness in you, and rip it to shreds. You've gone through them enough to know just how terrible they actually are. You didn't want to experience that pain again, and Jungkook sure wasn't worth going through that guy wrenching pain once more. But you never know what could happen in the span of a week. Once more you stayed locked onto the target of the silky emerald dress in front of you.

"I just wanna make sure you're okay with being around me. If we have to look like a couple we're gonna have to be touching in some way to make it more believable. Maybe just tell me some lies, or say I love you. It's gonna be fake anyways."

The way he spoke so nonchalantly physically hurt your heart. It was so stupid to let those few words effect you in such a big way. You were gonna ditch him so you had no right to upset about this.

"Let's get take-out and go to my place tonight. This better be worth my night."

"Of course it's gonna be."

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It was a silent ride to your little apartment. The cars passing by providing only little bit of noise in the long car ride. You could tell he was itching to start a conversation based on the way his hand kept twitching. His eyes would shoot from the road back to your sleepy form. He just wanted to get to know you, and he's usually a talk active person. But he's scared he's gonna mess up things if he even speaks a word. He's worried that if he breathes the wrong way you're gonna complain even more. 

"Up here at the left." You said in a groggy tone, and rubbed the sleep from your eyes. A small yawn passing through once again. You honestly don't know if you're awake enough to even make it to your apartment door. But there is a hot takeout box in your lap, and it’s been a long day. Besides Lucy was definitely awake, and she’s always happy too see you. Well most of the time she is. Your keys wiggled in the lock as you tried to open the door. The sound of keys slapping against the concrete woke you up only slightly.

“Here let me do it.” He spoke softly as he took the keys from your weak grip. His hands softly guiding the takeout from yours. “If you want to reschedule it’s fine.”

“No it’s fine, when need this bonding experience anyways. Besides I think Lucy has already taken a liking to you.” You laughed lightly as the calico cat immediately rubbed her head against his jean clad legs. A soft purr erupting from her. The freaking cat loves him, but hisses at anyone else. “Well hello there.”

That little heifer has the audacity to love up on him, and completely ignore you. You’re the one who fills her green bowl, gives her half the food on your plate. And she goes to the stranger that smells like mint and chocolate.

“I swear she’s usually in a mood.” You commented, as you tossed your coat on the back of the couch. As Jungkook sat down she immediately made her nest on his lap. Like you said before, that little heifer. “Okay now lets start talking.”

“Okay, what’s your favorite tv show.” He softly said as he shoveled the noodles in his mouth. His eyes never leaving yours once more, as if he truly wanted to know. He’s actually taking this hang out session seriously.

“I’ve really been getting into body of proof recently, that was reason why I wanted to be a medical examiner at the start of my career.” You smiled at the memory. Your mom done everything in her power to put you on the right track. She was always worried you’d get chocked up dealing with dead bodies like that, but she was more worried you’d get caught in between a murderer and a victim. Like your new job was any better.

“Why didn’t you continue with that?” His question was innocent as all get outs. But it still hurt to even think about the reason why you dropped it from your worries all together.

“That a personal question for another time.” You sighed as you wiped the corners of your mouth. Your eyes staying down casted towards the hardwood floors. When you noticed how Lucy’s food bowl was empty you took that as your chance to leave. Slowly searching through your kitchen cabinets looking for favorite chicken meal.

“Oh, okay. I didn’t realize, that it was like that.”

“You couldn’t have know, it’s fine how about we move onto the next topic.”

He sucked in air through his teeth as he raked his mind for another topic. The air was tense, and that was the last thing he wanted. He cleared his throat, as he lightly stroked Lucy’s head. She dug her head further into his hand ; trying to appreciate the warmth that he was giving her.

“Look I’m sorry I keep making everything so difficult. I’m not trying too it’s just in this job I’m scared to open up. It’s gotten me in some trouble, and that almost took me out.” You confessed as you popped open the cat food. Hearing her small paws tapping against the hardwood floors once more. You wiped your hands off on your jeans, and turned to face him fully. His head was tilted in the way yours does, and his eyes held that curious gleam once more.

“I understand that to an extent, but we’re just talking right now nothing bad is gonna happen.” He smiled as he pushed himself up off the couch. Leaning down with a huff he sat beside of you and watched at Lucy lapped up the food that was left in her plate. As soon as she was done she moved towards the man behind her. She happily rubbed her small head underneath his chin.

“Lucy seems pretty content with you, maybe that’s a good sign.” You half smiled as you twirled her soft tail around you index finger. Successfully gaining her attention, as your little baby licked at the tips of your fingers. “How about we put in a random movie, and go from there.”

He smiled widely as he rushed towards the small component underneath the tv. His eyes gleaming happily as he traced the spine of each dvd. Before his eyes settled onto the marvel section. His hands grasped the dozens of DVD’s and sprawled the across the floor. Ranging from Captain American to the one and only Endgame. A small chuckled passed through his lips as he held up one of the Iron Man disc.

“We can bond over one of my favorite movies.”

“I’ll get drinks.” You smiled as you raced towards your cabinets once. Pulling out the wine from the back corner. The beautiful blue bottle shinning underneath the soft lights of your kitchen. Pulling out two wine glasses you jumped onto the couch beside of him.

“I’m ready whenever you are.” He tipped his glass towards you with a suggestive smile. His eyes lingering towards the alcohol in your hands.

“Okay then let’s play the infamous twenty-one questions.” You spoke as you poured the wine and let it flow into the glasses. Watching as the foam started to settle. Taking a sip, and letting the cool liquid soothe you throat. “What made you want to go undercover.”

“Let’s get ready for a story.”

[asofterfan]

Winter Winds

Chapter 1: Hot Mess

Previous ~ Next

Summary: Six years later...

Warnings: alcoholism, transphobia, enbyphobia, nbphobia, self esteem issues

No matter what ringtone they chose for their alarm, Remy would always hate it within two days.

Blindly reaching out to turn off the tortuous chimes that indicated it was time to wake the fuck up, Remy sighed heavily. Sitting up, they were faced with the familiar pounding in their skull. The glass next to their mattress was empty, so either they’d have to get up to get water, or not get water. They flopped back onto the mattress.

But within a few minutes their second alarm was chiming, drawing out a long groan as they slapped at their phone again. Fine. Time to get up apparently.

Remy sat up and stretched, scratching at the leftover body glitter on their shoulder from the night before. As they stood they gently kicked a few empty bottles out of their way.

The apartment looked different, but in reality it hadn’t changed much in the past six years. The same mattress sat in the same corner, the same old crate as a side table, the same thrift store rug and old loveseat. They never bothered to get a dresser when their suitcase worked just fine, and there were a few boxes that they had never bothered to fully unpack. Their life was layered on top in the form of posters and ticket stubs and Christmas lights and trash shoved into corners. Sketchbooks lay piled in a corner, and dirty clothes were shoved into a laundry bag, ready for whenever they worked up the motivation to go to the laundromat.

Opening a cabinet in the kitchen, Remy grabbed one of three glasses they owned, filling it with tap water and chugging it. Leaning against the kitchen counter, they fiddled with the ends of their hair. It was mid-back, the pink underside slightly faded. They’d have to re-dye it soon. The ends were dry, and split, but Remy was confident they were hot enough that no one paid attention to their neglected hair.

A third alarm started ringing from their phone. What a bitch. Groaning, Remy stalked over to their bed, snatching their phone and silencing the alarm, quickly going through and turning off all the upcoming alarms as well. They awake enough, they didn’t need an alarm every five minutes today.

Quickly swiping through their phone, Remy hit shuffle on itunes, turning the volume all the way up before tossing it on the couch. The mirror above the bathroom sink showed them the smudged remains of their makeup from the night before. Sighing, they got to work washing it off, nodding their head to the beat of the music.

Once that was finished, they halfheartedly brushed their hair before throwing it into a ponytail, and brushed their teeth. Picking up the mouthwash, they found it was empty, groaning in frustration as they remembered using the last of it the morning before. Rubbing at their eyes, still tired, Remy wandered back into the kitchen, only to return to the bathroom a moment later with a bottle of vodka. Same thing, right? Taking a swig straight from the bottle, Remy swished it around in their mouth, grimacing before spitting it into the sink. Good enough.

Remy was pretty sure they didn’t own any clothing that didn’t have holes in it, or was too small, or both, but there were still a few shirts in the ‘clean’ pile so at least they didn’t have to worry about laundry just yet. Cass once told them their style was “homeless punk”, which like…. Rude, but not inaccurate.

Pulling on their tattered boots, held together by duck tape and spite, Remy finally turned off their music. Their leather jacket was hanging next to the door, and as they slipped it on they made sure they had all the essentials- wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses, headphones, and pronoun necklace with the charm flipped to “THEY/THEM”.

Checking the time, they knew they’d have to skip their Starbucks run if they wanted to be on time to work. Luckily, Remy didn’t give a fuck about being on time.

Caffeine before capitalism, bitches.

~

“What is UP motherfuckers I am so tired.”

“You’re also late,” a tall woman, only slightly shorter than Remy, with light blue hair crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at them.

“Oh come on, Ali,” A petite brunette piped in from where she was disinfecting her station, “You say that like he’s not late everyday!”

“They’re not late everyday, Cass” Remy insisted, tapping at their necklace as they sauntered over to their own station beside the shorter woman’s, “Some days I’m not scheduled,” they winked.

“Sleeeeeeeep,” Ali sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and drawing the artist’s attention again. “I get that being late is like, your trademark, but what kind of boss would I be if I just kept letting you get away with it?”

“A great one,” Remy replied without hesitation. Putting their stuff down, Remy took a long sip of coffee before continuing, “Ali, I know you’ve been stressed since you officially took over for Rachel-”

“Rest in peace,” Cass interrupted solemnly.

“Stop telling people I’m dead!” Huffing indignantly, a heavily pregnant woman appeared in the lobby, carrying a box full of beat up sketchbooks.

“Rache!” Remy exclaimed, “Tell Ali I can do whatever I want!”

“You most certainly can NOT,” Rachel asserted, moving to brace the box on her hip as she stared down her former employees, “Remy, try to bring your asshole level down to maybe 75 percent. Ali, somehow Remy has managed to keep a good string of clientele and positive reviews. Pick your battles. Cass, stop sending my wife ‘your condolences’.”

“Fiiiiiiine.”

“If you say so.”

“Killjoy.”

Rachel shook her head fondly, “Don’t destroy my shop, bitches. I’ll be back eventually.” With that, she headed to her car, leaving the others grumbling behind her. The day continued, each going about their own business, working on designs for upcoming clients, answering emails about appointments. Remy’s phone buzzed beside them, but they ignored it.

About two hours later, a man looking to be in his mid thirties with a few tattoos on his arms already came in without an appointment.

“You guys take walk ins?” He asked gruffly.

“Yeah, what were you looking to get?”

Remy sighed from their station. Brett and Rafa weren’t scheduled to come in for another hour, and Cass was in the middle of a tattoo, which meant the walk in was definitely going to be Remy’s problem.

Sure enough, Ali called them over, “Remy, I got a client for you.”

Plastering on their best customer service smile, Remy sauntered over, “Excellent, what do I have the honor of immortalizing today?”

Dear God, the man was unironically getting a Fight Club quote tattooed on his forearm. Remy almost quit then and there. Ali glared, shaking her head minutely from behind the man, her eyes promising pain if Remy was anything less than cordial. Killjoy.

Gritting their teeth, Remy smiled, “Alright, come take a look at some fonts and I’ll get you set up.”

Remy wasn’t sure if the barely legible cursive font the man chose made the quote better or worse. They decided not to dwell on it. It didn’t take long to print the transfer and get their station set up, adjusting the seat in the center for a right forearm tattoo session. The client was mostly silent as Remy lightly shaved his forearm and wiped the disinfectant over it. Once the transfer the placed, the man nodded, offering a gruff “looks good”.

“Sweet, just hold tight for one more sec, hon.”

Swiveling their stool to face the steel table beside them, Remy got to work setting up their ink, along with paper towels and bottles of water and disinfectant; gauze set to the side for when they were finished.

As they worked, the man looked Remy up and down, “So, what are you?” he asked bluntly.

It hadn’t been loud before, but an uncomfortable silence seemed to settle on the whole shop, Ali glancing over from the front desk in disbelief. But Remy was unfazed. They looked up from their equipment and raised an eyebrow, “I'm a tattoo artist, duh.”

The man rolled his eyes condescendingly, “I mean, are you a man or a woman?”

Clenching their teeth, Remy took a deep breath, “Depends on the day, but today the answer is no,” they tapped on their necklace, the purple charm with a clear “THEY/THEM” on it.

“But what are you really?”

There was a pause, the tension thick as even Cass paused her work to look over incredulously. Remy wasn’t known for their patience though. They sent the man a cold smile, leaning forward to get just a little too close, “I'm the person who's about to spend the next hour injecting ink under your skin. Really.”

Stuttering, the man’s face turned a shade of red, from anger or embarrassment Remy couldn't tell, “Are you threatening me??”

“Of course not,” Remy purred, “That would be unprofessional. But maybe you should be quiet now. So I don't… lose focus.” They buzzed the tattoo gun on and off menacingly. Some of the blood drained from the man’s face. He still looked angry, like he had a lot he wanted to say very loudly right now. But he bit the words back and nodded shortly, Remy grinning wider.

“Good boy,” the man flinched as Remy placed a hand gently on his arm, situating themselves to begin working, “Now, let’s get this party started, shall we?” There is no response. Just the buzz of the tattoo gun as Remy did their job, even when they didn’t want to.

~~

“Well,” Cass drawled as the door closed behind Remy’s client, “he’s not gonna be leaving any shining reviews.”

“Worth it~,” Remy sang cheerily. Hey, they did the tattoo and they did it well. It was the man’s own fault he got a side of attitude and malice with his tattoo.

Cass rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the design she was working on in her sketchbook. But Ali frowned, coming to stand by the opening to Remy’s cubical. She spoke softly, her words just for Remy, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he’d be a dick.”

“That’s life, hon,” Remy smirked. Ali didn’t know anyone else who could sound so cheery and so cold at the same time, “Assholes look like everyone else. They don’t wear signs. That’s why it’s best to just assume everyone is terrible until proven otherwise.”

“Well that’s a depressing way to live.”

Remy shrugged, “It’s worked well enough for me.”

Ali isn’t sure she actually believes that, but Remy turns their back to her, continuing to break down their station, everything about them communicating that the conversation was over.

There was a buzz from Remy’s phone. They ignored it.

~~

“Remy, tell Logan he’s overreacting!”

“FALSEHOOD!”

“You’re not helping your case there, sexy specs.”

Remy turned away from their computer, resting their chin on their hand as they took in the two bickering teenagers who had just arrived.

Virgil cut off Logan’s argument, still glaring at him even as he spoke to Remy, “Look, let me explain, Logan’s all in a huff just cause-”

“Nope,” Remy interrupted, holding a hand up with an expressionless gaze, “Don’t wanna hear it. I do not need unnecessary details in order to know with absolute certainty that you,” he pointed at Logan, “are overreacting-”

“HAH!”

“-and you,” Virgil’s victory was short lived as Remy’s finger shifted to point at him, “are underreacting.”

Virgil gasped indignantly as Logan started an angry “how DARE you-” rant. Remy sipped their tea and slowly swiveled their chair around until the teens were left arguing with their back. After a few minutes, Ali finally intervened and at least got them to argue more quietly until they finally let whateverthefuck they were going on about go and finally turned their attention back to Remy.

“Any new projects?” Virgil questioned as Logan draped himself across the tattoo chair in the center of Remy’s cubicle.

Remy hummed, “Not really. But I have a few consultations coming up, so maybe soon,” they tapped away at their computer, answering emails to confirm appointments and give price estimates.

Groaning, Virgil pouted, “So nothing for me?”

“Not today, gurl.”

“Uuuuuuuuugh…” he flopped dramatically on top of Logan, “now what?”

“I dunno,” Remy turned to raise an eyebrow at the pile of punks on his chair, “you’re teenage troublemakers. Go make trouble. Somewhere. Else.”

“Meh,” Logan replied, “We’ll just do homework here. We haven’t seen you in like a week.”

“Lucky you,” Remy replied without missing a beat.

“Remy nooooo,” Brett glanced up from the front desk, wide puppy eyes staring at the taller artist.

Cass’ voice was heard from the other side of the divider, “Aw great, now you’ve gone and summoned one of Brett’s positivity rants!”

“Why does no one follow the shop guidelines?” Brett asked, lip trembling as he held up the framed sign that lived on the front desk and pointed to item number four: “No Self Deprecation Allowed”

“It’s cute you think I follow rules.”

Remy continued going through their email, occasionally making notes in their calendar or sketchbook, ignoring Brett’s lecture or the giggling high schoolers behind them.

Things quieted down eventually, with the punks doing some homework assignments while the artists did their work. Remy waved casually when Logan and Virgil finally departed. Rafa emerged from the staff break room, sipping a soda and smiling as the door shut behind the high schoolers.

“Damn. Those kids really like you, Rems,” he commented fondly.

But Remy only shrugged, sipping their tea nonchalantly, “I was in the right place at the right time and they imprinted on me like baby ducklings.”

“Punklings,” Cass’ giggled from her station.

Remy snorted, but turned back to Rafa, “If you had been working that day then they’d be your ‘best friends’.”

Rafa exchanged a look with Brett before shaking his head sadly, “Eh. Agree to disagree.”

~~

Despite Remy constantly being late, they also had a tendency of staying late as well. Once they got caught up in a project they were loath to leave until it was finished. Plus, if they stayed late enough they could go straight from work to one of their favorite clubs.

As the artists finished closing up the shop, Remy sighed as their phone buzzed again. Reluctantly, they pulled the device from their pocket to glance at the messages. There were two missed calls and a text.

PopPicani: Hey kiddo! Sorry I keep missing you. You want to come over for dinner tomorrow? It’s been way too long! <3

“We’re grabbing some drinks from The Dubliner, you wanna come?”

Remy blinked in surprise as they were pulled from their thoughts. They weren’t sure why the group still asked. Every time their coworkers went out they invited Remy, and every time Remy answered the same way.

“Nah, I’m doing my own thing,” They adjusted their bag on their shoulder as they exited the building, raising a hand in farewell, “See you tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget, you have a consultation appointment in the morning!” Ali called after them, “10:30am! Don’t make them wait!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Remy responded nonchalantly, tapping away at their phone.

Sleepyhead: Sorry, been super busy lately. Maybe another time though. :) 

Pocketing the device, Remy pulled their sunglasses over their eyes, making their way into the nightlife. Alone as usual.

Just the way they liked it.

[moneyintrend]

Making money with Apps - Earn from everywhere

Every week, we already spend hours on our phones. With its weekly screen usage stats, Apple has made us acutely aware of this. Why not make some money with those hours?

There are plenty of money-making applications available for both Apple and Android users these days. Taking surveys, playing games, watching movies, investing, and even buying are all ways to make money.

The 10 Most Profitable Apps

We've tried a lot of applications, so trust us when we say we've tried a lot of them. We weeded out the duds and put up a list of our top-rated money-making applications.

1. InboxDollars: Earn Money by Watching Videos

Most of us are familiar with InboxDollars, but did you realize it pays you to watch videos? There's a lot to watch on the site, including cuisine, entertainment, news, and wellness programs. InboxDollars will credit your account with a little amount of money each time you watch one.(Are you new to InboxDollars? Here's our beginner's guide.)

Pros: You earn cash with InboxDollars, so you don't have to worry about trading points. It also has more opportunities to make money, such as surveys, scratch-off games, and internet searches.

Cons: To pay out, you must earn $30, which is a bit expensive when compared to the other sites on our list. A $3 transaction fee will also be charged.

Payment is made via check, which is mailed to you. Get a $5 incentive just for joining up and watching your first video, according to a pro tip. Available for Android (4.3 stars) and iOS (4.3 stars) (rated 4.4 stars).

2. Lucktastic: Free Scratch-offs to Win Big

If you're sitting on the sofa looking through your phone, download the Lucktastic app to play free scratch-off tickets for a chance to win $1 to $10,000 instantly.

Pros: You may download and use Lucktastic for free. You have nothing to lose if you have some spare time.

Cons: According to user feedback, winning money is an uncommon occurrence. However, we spoke with a single father who had won $5,000.

Earn a minimum of $2 and then cash out for an immediate gift card. If you spend $10 or more, you can request a check in the mail. Keep a charger on hand to keep your phone charged. Available on Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.2 stars) (rated 3.2 stars).

3. Get Free Prepaid Visa and MasterCards with Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards, a free app, will convert your receipts into gift cards. It works with a variety of companies to reward you with points for each supermarket receipt you post. Then you may swap them for Visa and MasterCard prepaid cards.

To earn prepaid Visa or MasterCards, just download the app and establish an account, then upload photographs of your supermarket receipts.

Pros: There's no need to scan barcodes or look for deals; all you have to do is email Fetch a snapshot of your receipt, and it'll take care of the rest. It may also be used with any grocery receipt.

Cons: Cashing out requires a minimum of 3,000 points, however offers range from 250 to 3,000 points, so hitting the minimum should be simple. We've seen offers for 2,000 points with the purchase of a Suave female hair product and 2,000 points with the purchase of a Blue Moon 12-pack.

When you achieve your minimum, you may cash out for prepaid Visa and MasterCard cards or gift cards to participating shops.

Pro tip: Use Fetch as soon as possible following your shopping trips, as your receipts must be within the previous 14 days. Plus, when you download the app, enter the code PENNY to get 2,000 points instantly when you scan your first receipt – you'll be well on your way to your first gift card in no time. Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.3 stars) versions are both available (4.8 stars).

4. Ibotta: Make Money While Shopping

You may get cash back on a variety of transactions using the Ibotta app, including groceries, Uber trips, and Amazon purchases. Simply take a picture of your receipt or use the app to shop.

Pros: Ibotta is a fantastic method to save money on goods you currently buy, both in stores and online. You'll occasionally come across gratis offerings in the mix as well. We spoke with Nancy Frost, who received $432 in cash back over the course of a year.

Cons: Be wary of purchasing goods you don't actually need only to earn money back. It's alluring.

Payment method: Once you've reached $20, you may cash out by PayPal or Venmo, or choose a gift card to a major shop such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, or Walmart.

Pro tip: Get a $20 sign-up bonus by downloading Ibotta from The Penny Hoarder and redeeming your first 10 offers within 14 days. Available for Android (4.5 stars) and iOS (4.5 stars) (rated 4.7 stars).

5. Nielsen Consumer Panel: Earn Money for What You Keep in Your Fridge

Nielsen is a market research firm that you're undoubtedly acquainted with. It's always kept tabs on TV ratings, but now it wants a look inside your refrigerator. Scanning the barcodes on your shopping goods earns you points in the Nielsen Consumer Panel app.

Pros: Becoming a member of this market research panel is quite straightforward. Scanning the barcodes of things you've purchased is as simple as downloading the app and scanning the barcodes of the items you've purchased. To get points, share your data with Nielsen.

Cons: You won't get paid in cash or gift cards; instead, you'll get rewards.

Method of payment: Earn points that may be redeemed for items such as toys, gadgets, or household equipment.

If you don't want to use the app, you can request a portable scanner instead. Available for Android (with a 3.7-star rating) and iOS (with a 3.5-star rating) (rated 4.4 stars).

6. Acorns: Invest Your Change (and Receive a $5 Bonus)

Investing is a fantastic method to make money over time. If you're just getting started, the Acorns app is a good place to start. It allows you to invest tiny sums of money.

Pros: With Acorns, you can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want. Its round-up function rounds up each transaction and invests your digital change automatically. In less than two years, the software helped Jeremy Kolodziej amass more than $2,000 in investments.

Cons: Acorns charges $1 per month for accounts with less than $1 million in balance. It's a shame it's not free, but consider this: for the price of one month of Netflix, you can receive a year of investing.

Withdrawals are not subject to any limitations or fees. You may withdraw money as often as you like, but investing is preferable in the long run.

Pro tip: If you join up for Acorns through The Penny Hoarder, you'll receive a $5 bonus, effectively giving you five months of free service. Available on Android (4.4 stars) and iOS (4.4 stars) (rated 4.7 stars).

7. MyPoints: Tell Us What You Think

MyPoints is a website that connects consumers to market research survey opportunities. It has been in existence since 1996.

You may earn gift cards by completing polls and filling out surveys using MyPoints. You'll get a $5 prize after completing your first five surveys.

Pros: You get points even if you don't qualify for a survey. It's also a simple gateway with a variety of methods to gain points, such as participating in polls and viewing movies.

Cons: Because MyPoints links you to surveys on third-party consumer marketing sites, you'll frequently leave the site's portal. Users say they have a hard time qualifying for surveys. (I didn't qualify for any of the five tests I took recently.)

Gift cards to major shops such as Amazon, Old Navy, and Starbucks are accepted as payment. Tip: After qualifying for and completing your first five surveys, you'll receive a $5 bonus. Android version is available (rated 3.5 stars).

8. Rover: Earn Money Playing With Dogs

You may opt to provide a number of services on Rover, such as dog walking, overnight boarding at your or their house, and daycare. According to Rover, sitters may earn up to $450 per month.

Pros: Is there anything more enjoyable than spending time with dogs? However, take it seriously. Rover allows you to establish your own hours and pricing. Choose the services you'd want to offer as well.

Cons: To build a solid reputation on Rover, you may need to decrease your hourly prices at first until you break into your city's market and start receiving favorable reviews.

You establish your own rates as a payment option. (A little percentage is kept by Rover as a service charge.) Payment can be made straight to your bank account. The money may take up to 72 hours to transfer.

Pro tip: Because boarding is the most popular service on the app, offering it might help you land more bookings. Available on Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.2 stars) (rated 4.9 stars).

9. Foap: Make Money With Your iPhone Camera

Do you have a smartphone that takes decent photos? Foap is a website where you may sell your photographs. List your photographs in the app's marketplace, and if someone buys the photo's license, you'll get 50% of the sale. If it sells for $10, for example, you'll make $5 every time.

Pros: Today's phones have amazing cameras, making it easy to snap high-quality photographs. The effort is done after you capture the ideal image and post it to Foap. All you have to do now is wait for a sale.

Cons: You can't be sure your photographs will sell. Also, don't expect to make a lot of money; this is simply a fun side project.

Payment method: You'll get 50% of the sale and may pay out using PayPal. Add relevant tags to your photographs as a pro suggestion. It will assist users in finding your photographs, much like it does on Twitter or Instagram. Available for Android (with a 3.8-star rating) and iOS (with a 3.8-star rating) (rated 4.5 stars).

10. Sell Your Old Stuff on Letgo

Why keep old items that you haven't looked at in over a year? Try using an online marketplace like Letgo to sell them to others in your region. It takes a lot of the effort out of selling anything online, and it's completely free to use.

Pros: Letgo allows you to sell almost anything. In less than 30 seconds, you may snap a photo and upload your item using our simple software. Another significant benefit? Letgo doesn't take a cut of the sale, so anything you make is all yours.

Cons: There's no assurance that your products will sell. Your goods may sell like hotcakes in record time...or they may sit in your closet collecting dust for a long. However, many internet markets have this danger, so brace yourself and wait.

Payment method: Letgo is only an online marketplace where you may list your things for sale, not a place where you can complete the transaction. What are its recommendations? Meet in a public area and only transfer money once the buyer has seen the goods.

Take cash or utilize a secure payment option like PayPal as a backup plan. Don't accept a "certified check" - according to Letgo, this is a typical fraud. It's also not a good idea to ship things. Available for Android (4.5 stars) and iOS (4.5 stars) (rated 4.4 stars).

[howtobeaconartist]

I haven't seen anything about this yet, so hopefully you awesome folks can point me in the right direction. I was wondering what advice you have on traveling with your booth set ups? Does anyone do out of state or international cons that involves flying? If so, how does the shipping/baggage process work for that? If you don't fly do you use something like a u-haul? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Thank you. Oh! Happy Friday. :)

Nattosoup:

I fly Southwest.  Two free large sized checked bags, one backpack, one carryon.  Heavy con setup stuff goes in my huge checked rolling bags, books go in my backpack (make sure you are there EARLY, books always seem to set TSA into ‘must flip through every single book’ mode.

I modify my setup when possible to exclude or limit those stupid metal grids.  I have a spare couple sets in Louisiana, I have a spare set in San Francisco.  I borrow grid sets from friends in the area if possible.

I watch Slick Deals for deals on SouthWest- sometimes they have the Get Away rate, which helps me save money on tickets.

I do not do out of state craft fairs, or shows that would require I provide a table or tent at this time.

Sometimes I will order my books from CreateSpace and have them delivered to my convention address, to save on the cost of transporting books.  I ONLY do this if I know I can sell the books at the show.

I have media mailed mini comics to hotels and convention sites.

Pack knowing TSA is going to be rough with your luggage- they’re going to mispack it, they’re going to drop it.  I own small sterilite bins that I blue tape shut- important con stuff and breakables go in there.

I carry my convention cash in a hidden pocket of my backpack.  Its far less than $10k, which is what I believe you have to declare if you’re flying out of country.

I do not drive to cons more than 4 hours away- I hit a sign in rural West Virginia avoiding a deer at 3 in the morning after a long con.

10. I own a VW Jetta with a folding backseat, which has been a huge help now that I’ve started doing craft fairs.  Bonus: It takes diesel, so it gets great gas mileage and diesel tends to stay at the same price.

Kiriska:

I don’t own a car and sadly, Washington state is a bit out of the way from many of my regular shows, so I fly a lot. Here are some flying-specific tips:

If you’re in the US, enroll in TSA Preheck. It’s like $85 for 5 years and totally worth it to get in shorter security lines, especially if you fly through major (and more congested) airports frequently. It saves you lots of time and gives you a little more flexibility as far as arriving at the airport early.

If you’re comfortable with credit cards, get one that allows you to redeem points for general travel-related expenses. I personally prefer this over airline-specific cards because I have no airline loyalty and always gun for the lowest flight cost, though if you do have a preferred airline, an airline-specific card may be preferable, especially if it gives you free checked bags, ‘cause those add up fast.

I usually pack all of my heaviest things in my carry-on suitcase and my backpack because they don’t weigh those. (Checked bags have a 50 lb limit on most airlines.) I then check the carry-on at the gate, which they’ll almost always allow you to do for free due to carry-in space constraints and full flights. However: this does mean that you have to be able to lift your very heavy carry-on suitcase onto an x-ray conveyor belt and/or carry a very heavy backpack through security and to your gate -- this might be fine if you’re physically capable, but it’s probably better to just pay to check heavy things if you’re not. I’m pretty sure I’ve exacerbated some of my back problems by saving money this way, so take this advice with a heavy grain of salt lol.

Consider how important certain display things are to you, especially if they’re heavy or bulky. Metal grids are heavy. Photostands are bulky. PVC isn’t as pretty as either of these, but they’re light and can be cut to size for luggage. Still, sometimes it’s worth it to spend a little more for a nicer display -- there are photostands you can fly with, though I also know some people who just buy a new photostand every con, ship it to the hotel/convention center, then sell it or give it away to a local vendor at the end of the show.

I avoid shipping things as much as possible. I don’t like the hassle of having to deal with it on top of figuring out flights/hotel/etc, and I don’t like depending on more third parties than I have to. But I also don’t normally sell books, which are some of the heaviest things to bring to cons.

Further reading: #travel, #convention travel, #flying.

[mysticscanlations]

Is there any way to sign up to read Unlucky Mansion in Korean (raws, essentially) without having to pay? Is it actual money or points that we have to collect in order to browse through new chapters? (I definitely don't mind waiting for English translations, I just like to look ahead sometimes to see what's coming, especially for Unlucky Mansion, can't get enough of it.)

(UPDATED 10/16/17: I don’t know if it’s temporary, but Comico seems to let you make an account without having to go through that email confirmation thing! You simply get the 4th image that I have down below before you get the Terms and Conditions box, which is the 10th image down below, and then the account seems to be made! Seize the opportunity while you can LOL)

(UPDATED 7/19/17: Comico changed its registration process so this should help those who have been stuck and confused on the old walkthrough! ^^;;)

You need to have an account in order to use the free reading passes, like I am. For Unlucky Mansion, they give users a free reading ticket every 2 days. That Summer provides a free ticket every 3 days.

Go to their home page and you’ll see a screen like this.

The thing I circled in the upper right corner is what you need to click. It’s the Login button. 

Once you do, you’ll get a little pop-up window like this.

First time users trying to make an account need to click where I directed the arrows to! If you have an account, simply log in like usual.

Below is the window that’ll show up afterwards.

This is a simple captcha that Comico is now enforcing, just input it like usual and click Confirm. That will lead you to this pop-up. (NOTE: The last two checkboxes are optional, those two are in regards to third-party information (so they can like show you ads suited for you) and to share your location. You don’t need to select these if you don’t want to.)

Once you filled in your information, click on the red box at the bottom to move forward with registration. 

(NOTE: I’ve been getting people say that once they click the red box, it just takes them back to the log in screen. If it does that, simply log in using the email/password you just registered with and log in. Remember, you’ll have to log in twice (the second time it’s going to ask you to re-login with a captcha). Once you click Log In, it should take you to the email confirmation window below.)

It should look like this.

This is the usual confirming the email bit, so just click the red box to receive the email. Then you get this. (NOTE: DO NOT close this pop-up, just minimize it and go check your email. I think this pop-up will reset itself on its own once you confirm your email.)

So once you go check your email, you should receive something from PAYCO. Here’s what the email should look like.

Once you click that, it’ll lead you to a mostly blank screen that looks like this.

So now your email is confirmed. Go check that pop-up window and it should now look like this.

Agree to their Terms and Conditions and this is the next pop-up. Again, those last two checkboxes are optional.

Check what you want and then click Agree. You’ll be redirected to the home screen asking you to log in for real this time.

Click on the button I circled in green to go log in. You’ll get this pop-up.

Make sure that’s the right email, and click Confirm. That’ll lead you to one last pop-up.

Making your nickname should be the final step for registration ^^. Once you register the nickname, you’ll go back to the homepage and this usually pops up every time you log in.

NOTE: As of now, Comico seems to make you log in twice to make sure you’re a safe user. When you first try to login, it’ll say “Login failed” and this time give you a captcha as well. You just need to put in your log in information once and more and fill out the captcha correctly, and you should be able to log in with no problem! ^^

I usually ignore this and click Later since usually when there are extra free reading tickets being offered for an event, it’ll pop up and let you know anyways when you click on a certain story and it is part of the event giveaway (more on this below).

Now you can log in! Now at this point, some people get stuck since the site only lets you search for titles in Korean. This is the easy way to bypass that. Here’s the link to the Unlucky Mansion page. (And here’s the link for That Summer). See that star in the upper right corner?

For you all, it’ll look like a gray star, but I already bookmarked it so it’s gold. All you have to do is click on it and that automatically adds it to your library. This way, all you have to do is click on “My Library” on the homepage after you log in and all your bookmarked comics will be there for easy access! I circled the My Library tab below.

So now you can access the raw releases for Unlucky Mansion! Now the problem is how to unlock the locked chapters. Right now, the chapters are free to read for everyone up until chapter 15. Chapter 16 and onwards requires payment or a free reading ticket. 

You can see how many free tickets you have at the top of the comic page. 

Unfortunately, these reading passes don’t stack (exception being when you get more during gift giveaways), and they also expire after a certain time once you unlock a chapter. Once you do use the pass, that red bar will start ticking down for the length of 2 days until you get another free ticket.

Okay, so if you have a free ticket, here’s how to use it. Let’s say I wanna read chapter 29! If you click on it, that chapter gets checkmarked and a small tab thing will open at the bottom of the screen, like this. 

Once you click that red button, it’ll unlock the chapter! That bottom tab thing will disappear and the page will probably refresh. But now, that chapter should be unlocked for free reading! It’ll also show the time limit you have until that chapter locks again (from what I know, it’s until the timer ticks down for you to get another ticket).

“But Mystic, how do these event giveaways work?”

GOOD QUESTION. To be honest, this is just luck on my part depending on when I’m online since I never know when they’ll be giving extra tickets for That Summer or Unlucky Mansion. BUT I WAS LUCKY and saw that today, they’re doing a gift event for That Summer! Here’s what it looks like when you go on the That Summer page.

Since I already used my one ticket yesterday in order to translate today’s chapter, you can see the timer ticking down on the right. But LO AND BEHOLD, there’s a gift option where the arrows are pointing! Usually, that red box will not be there until a giveaway is happening so keep an eye out! If you click on the box, you’ll get this window.

God bless America, free tickets. Confirm and claim your prize.

And now I have 3 more free reading tickets! Remember, these gift tickets have an expiration date and will disappear if you don’t use them soon. I’m not sure how long the tickets last, but best to just use them (if needed) as soon as possible ^^ If I don’t use these and the timer tickets down, I think that I’ll have 4 tickets total. But after that, I don’t think the timer will resume until you use at least one? Or maybe it’s all of them T___T Just keep in mind that these tickets don’t stack. You gotta use them to start the countdown for another one.

I hope this helped! If you have another question, just shoot me another message and I’ll do what I can to walk you through it!

[sufficientlylargen]

#If the green party were serious you'd see them down ballot#Not just running top of ticket people every four years#There's ways out of this two party mess#But they don't start at the top of the ticket and third parties who only work at that level are tax scams at best#And their lack of city council and state house seats kinda tells ya where the Greens are#Just mostly flashing back to a kid who sincerely told me they had belief in that party#And I get it and wish it were worthwhile to have such a thing#But alas#Somehow DSA is a more serious political organization than the Green party and I do not mean that kindly to either one (tags via @maeamian)

For the love of god, do not let anyone convince you that Jill Stein is a serious person or serious candidate.