#Lawsuit looking expensive huh???

[cyarskj1899]

Boy, eat shit. Must know he’s going to lose in court.

If it’s one thing fuck boys gon do??? It’s link up and make a fuck boy brigade

Keep the apologies bozo. Like a bitch, you choose to malign Megan character and link with her enemies all because she wanted to renegotiate her contract.

. I hope Meg clears the fucking table and gets everything she deserves bc these niggas played on her name and in her face way too long.

[effy-writes]

Addict (Blitz x Reader)

(link above this is chapter’s)

5- Loo Loo Land: Best Frens 4 ever

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Can you lift your feet up please?" You leaned against the broom.

Loona rolled her eyes then lifted up her legs. You swept underneath her and then turned to get the other side of the room.

"Y/n! Come here!" Blitz sounded annoyed. You sat the broom down and dusted yourself off before entering Blitz's office.

"Yeah?"

Blitz put the phone on speaker, "Alright Stolas, she’s here."

Oh jeez.

"Why hello Y/n, haven't heard from you in a while. How come you're not picking up my texts?"

"Y/n lost her phone privileges, now what do you want?" Blitz said impatiently.

"Why did she lose her privileges?"

"Stolas, why the fuck did you call?" Blitz got closer to the phone.

You let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm taking my daughter to Loo Loo Land, and I was hoping you brave little Imps would accompany us!"

"We're assassins, not bodyguards, 'kay? Don't invite us to shit unless someone's gonna die."

"I'm a janitor." You groaned.

"Trust them on this one, she got hurt trying to run away from a woman with big tits and a shotgun."

"Because I'm a janitor!"

"Don't fight darlings. But i'll pay you-"

"Pay me what?" Blitz interrupted.

"Moneyyy-"

"Done!" Blitz happily slammed his phone down and grabbed out a megaphone.

"Blitz I don't know how to fight."

"I doubt he needs us but hey, money!" He started talking through the megaphone.

"M&M get in here! We're going to Loo Loo Land!"

Moxxie opened the door, "Loo Loo Land?"

Millie practically threw herself in the office, "Loo Loo Land!"

"Loo Loo Land!" Blitz harshly grabbed your shoulders and shook you.

~~

Everyone somehow managed to fit in Blitz's van. They all got out and stretched since it was so cramped in there.

Blitz walked over to Stolas, "Now, remember: this is work and work only. Me and my crew are not here to satisfy your perverted bird needs, alright?"

Octavia tried to get her dad's attention but Blitz interrupted her. "If you try fuckin' my little ass and make Y/n watch in that park, I swear to--"

"You are so cute when you are serious!"

Blitz huffed and watched you tap your foot up and down.

"Nervous?"

"What? No. Last time I joined you guys I got hurt."

"I told you I didn't mean to choke you until you passed out-"

"Not that you retar-... dumbass. I twisted my ankle and couldn't walk for two weeks."

"Oh right. Well try not to hurt your weak wittle ankles." He teased.

Millie was excitedly telling Moxxie about this place. She was jumping up and down and pointed at the things she remembers when she was a kid.

You smiled at Millie before turning your attention to Octavia and Loo Loo the mascot.

"This place reeks of insecure corporate shame." Octavia gagged.

Loo Loo turned to Blitz, "That chick's creepy, huh?"

"Eh, wait till her dad tries to diddle your holes, and then make you watch him diddle your best friend's hole."

You pinched the bridge of your nose out of annoyance. M&M was looking at some crazy expensive merch from this place.

"That much for a novelty cup that you use one time?"

"Cause it's Loo Loo Land!" Millie cheered.

"Listen to your hoe, Mox." Blitz took a swig from the novelty cup.

"When did you get that?" You pointed.

"When you weren't looking. How 'bout Y/n and I take the first watch while you two have a little fun." He winked.

Millie jumped up and down. "We gotta do my favorite ride!" She picked up Moxxie and started running to "The Lawsuit" roller coaster. You cringed at the sight before looking over at Blitz.

"Stop staring." He tossed the cup. "Now let's go protect this horny owl."

The two walked with Stolas and his daughter. Blitz had his gun ready while you were walking in front of the royal family.

Should've brought my broom. You laughed to yourself.

"It's quite thrilling to see you two on the job. Especially you Blitzy~"

"Why not Y/n?"

"Weapons turns me on." He whispered to Blitz, but you and Octavia could hear him.

Stolas gasped, "Look Via! You used to cry such tears of joy at this show!"

"Oh no." She panicked.

"Fizz is a robot?" You asked, with a confuse look on your face.

"Not exactly." Blitz scoffed.

You know nothing about the discord between Blitz and Fizz. You knew that Fizz got hurt real bad because of the news, but doesn't know the drama between the two.

"Oh Blitzy! I need my bodyguard please!"

Annoyed, Blitz shoots the imps that was trying to take him and he carried Stolas inside the tent. You were in front of Octavia to "protect" her since you have no idea on what you're doing.

Blitz groaned as he saw Robo Fizz enter onto the stage, but you were smiling ear to ear.

"Why do you look so eager?"

"I haven't seen him since...my addiction got bad." You whispered.

"That's not him, you do know that right? Did the meth make your brain smooth?"

"Shut the fuck up Blitz." You gritted through your teeth. "I know it's not him, but...he was like a brother to me." You frowned.

Blitz was going to bring it up again about your past addiction because he's upset and got hurt by you. He knows that you know this, but for some reason he wants to keep reminding you even though it hurts him to do so, but he doesn't know that he's indeed hurting you.

"Oh how delightful!" Stolas clapped at the end of the song.

Another imp tried to stab Stolas, but Blitz quickly shot him.

"Oh, my! What aim you have, Blitzy!" He flirted.

"Ugh! I can't do this anymore!" Octavia shouted before running away, Stolas followed her and kept calling her name.

You were feeling weird about this situationship although you agreed to partake in Blitz and Stolas' fucking, but it seems as if Stolas is liking Blitz more. You're actually fine by that, but you can't keep your head around it. You've been best friends with Blitz for the longest time and even grew up with each other. You left him for your own selfish desires, haven't called him/checked up on him since the days before the fire. Then 15 years later you're living with him, as well as having to fuck an owl prince.

You snapped back into reality whenever you saw Blitz shooting Robo Fizz.

"Oohoohoo! Someone's salty! Real or not, though, people lo-o-ove me! Does anybody love you... Blitzo?"

You looked at him, waiting on his answer.

"No. But, I'm really good with guns now. Dance, bitch!"

You knew that was going to be the answer. You huffed then abruptly got up and left the tent, dying to get your hands onto some stimulants.

A loud explosion was heard as you felt heat rising. You quickly turned your head. "Oh shit."

The fire spread to all corners of the park. "Blitz!" You shouted out of fear and not out of anger this time.

You saw Blitz and Robo Fizz fighting and relaxed a bit before shrugging. I'm sure he can handle this on his own.

You started walking towards the van to drive it a tad bit further away so it won't get caught on fire. Instead of leaving, you just stayed in his van, rummaging through the trash and looking in the dash board.

"Come on Blitz...you gotta have something."

You found a wadded up piece of paper in his dashboard before unfolding it and slouched in the drivers seat.

It was a poorly drawn drawing you gave to him whenever you first joined the circus. You drew Blitz on a tight rope that was holding you up with one hand. The words at the top was written in crayon and said "Best frens 4 ever!"

Tears welded in your eyes. "He still kept it?" The van doors abruptly opened.

"Drive!" Blitz yelled as he got in the passenger seat. Moxxie and Millie quickly jumped in the back and slammed the doors shut.

"Where's Stolas and Via?"

"Going to some store I said drive, bitch drive!"

You balled up the paper and stuffed it down your shirt, slamming on the gas to get out of this park.

Why did he keep it?

[yexiwuu]

230707 - 230708 yves fromm chat log translation

may contain inaccuracies pls credit @yexiwuu when reposting

full translation under the cut

2:57 PM KST

y/n

have a nice day

🫶

it's really hot today ㅜㅜ

be careful.ᐟ 

🍎 i'm listening to Ai loona singing to spicy, it's funny

wow

send it to me too

��ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ah there is a character limit, i see

okie

oh wow

this is my first time seeing ours

it's interestingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ah so my voice sounds like that

it's possible so it's more scary

🍎 unnie what are you up to

i'm going to cut my bangs soon

they've grown a lot

yibu who looks innocent without bangs

will return someday, too ㅎㅎ

huh the picture didn't send ..,

4:06 PM KST

˗ˋˏ wow ˎˊ˗ at the bathroom of the dentist's office

i was going to wear my necklace but i dropped into the sink so

thankfully, the female staff took apart the drain and rescued the necklace

but there was no pop up stopper in the sink

so as soon as it was taken apart, there were 2 batteries and ˗ˋˏ wow ˎˊ˗ so many different items

they all came out together

yves: thankfully, my necklacee unnie-yah: drain edition ❤️mom❤️: ㅡㅡ yves: ㅜㅜ ❤️mom❤️: hermes-fished-out-from-a-pit-hole

ㅠ ㅠ

cold sweat dripping down

it was gifted from a fanㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅠㅠㅠ🥺🥺

even then, my mom asked me if i was wearing pajamas

but if seen in person, it looks so cute

my clothes

i'm not talking about myself

i'm wearing it

with long jeans skirt though

i bought them yesterday

picture send

[pic 1]

please

it sent

i cut my hair

🍎 that shirt looks like the same shirt worn by the person who you uploaded on your story when the lawsuit victory article came out;;;

heok

i'm nicole kidman today

i cut my bangs with thinning shears so

if you see me in person, it looks cute

.ᐟ

but it seems that you all hate my clothesㅜ

cries cries

it's cute if you see them with my jean skirts thoughㅡ ㅡ

you think my style changed a lot?.ᐟ

i guess it changes bit by bit as i age

but i was always a vintage girl

i wasn't able to show it to you all until now

since i am going to show it a lot now, it is different from my stage side

so i do get why (it's different)

ㅎㅎ

also there are so many

clothes that i like so i guess it's more like that

if i'm told to wear a practice outfit then

yes it'll be completely different

you agree, right ㅋㅋㅋ

[pic 2]

it's my first time with a long jean skirt

fyi, it comes down to my ankles

i got this for a good deal yesterday so it's really nice

someone said that

my feet kind of look like danaka san

i just saw how i was standing like that

it was really windy so

i wanted to show my bangs but

that was the best i could do ㅎ ㅜ

it's kinda like the mmt yves pose

mmt yves is that photocard

it's called the banpo xi (반포자이) pc (t/n banpo xi is a super pricy apt complex in kr so calling a pc banpo xi means it's a super expensive pc..)

anyways it's funny...

does anyone have 반포자이 pc

i don't have it either

wow do you have a lot of them? (in quantity)

amazing

shouldn't the price have fallen down by now

yup i like carrying it (pcs) around

hehe

🍎 does sooyoung also get mad like my dad when watching soccer..?

yup i get mad a lot

aren't sports supposed to have that (type of) feel to it?.ᐟ

but when i watch while i'm eating

it gets difficult for me as i'm unable to multitask

11:19 PM KST

[pic 3]

go send right now

everyone, you did well today

🤭💚

i'm into yellowish green these days

anyways i guess it is that?

someone said that i cut my bangs while facing it away

[pic 4]

if i see it like this?

i like it.ᐟ

should i upload it as an insta (post) today.ᐟ

230708 12:30 AM KST

i uploaded it

i would like it if you guys get used to me changing the thumbnail of my ig post if i don't like it

whew ~

now the colors look complete

the soccer stadium field really stands out right

when it matches with the yellowish green then i feel at peace

1:17 AM KST

my bias amongst newjeans babies is

"hyeinie"

has risen to the throne

💗🧎‍♀️

from bias wrecker

to becoming my bias

originally my bias was hanni baby who is so pretty

ㅜㅜ

but when i look at hyein, i find myself saying "she's so fricking cute ㅜㅜ"

turning point was

hyein baby singing youth by oohyo sunbaenim

my heart was in pain while watching it

my current situation bias hyein baby bias wrecker hanni baby

they're really really like healing cutie babies..

🍎 i heard that tottenham has been trying to recruit a lot these days

suddenly tottenham

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

˗ˋˏ wow ˎˊ˗ 2% battery

2:57 PM KST

y/n

have a nice day

🍀

END

[pesterloglog]

Dave Strider, Rose Lalonde, Kanaya Maryam

Act 6, page 5400-5420

DAVE: (pshh psh bumBUM)

DAVE: (pshh psh bumBUM BUM psh)

DAVE: (yeah)

DAVE: (uh huh)

DAVE: (no wait)

DAVE: (more like...)

DAVE: (uh)

DAVE: (pshh psh chch bumBUM)

DAVE: (TCH)

DAVE: (pshh psh chch bumBUM BUM psh)

DAVE: (yeah thats right)

DAVE: (we are droppin it)

DAVE: (lets do this)

DAVE: (we are like)

DAVE: (in tha PROCESS)

DAVE: (right now)

DAVE: (droppin it like)

DAVE: (a thanksgiving turkey)

DAVE: (tripped over something and shit just got away from me)

DAVE: (my butterballs in freefall motherfuckers)

DAVE: (look out be GOD DAMN LOW)

DAVE: (yeah)

DAVE: (yeah)

DAVE: (droppin everything today)

DAVE: (making it rain)

DAVE: (precipitatin straight up mayhem)

DAVE: (HELLS of weather patterns closing in)

DAVE: (inanimate shit be slippin from my mitts)

DAVE: (my digits cant commit to a legitimate grip)

DAVE: (wait)

DAVE: (nah ima start over)

DAVE: (feel this flow out a lil more)

DAVE: (about how im droppin things today)

DAVE: (just left and right)

DAVE: (things of all shapes sizes and dubious metaphorical merit)

DAVE: (things aint even being held)

DAVE: (by chumps who cant be assed to show up)

DAVE: (droppin shit on yo BEHALF)

DAVE: (you name it)

DAVE: (ima let it go)

DAVE: (drop it like a frivolous lawsuit)

DAVE: (oh snap)

DAVE: (get out of my courtroom bitch)

DAVE: (WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY YO)

DAVE: (drop it like the most expensive fucking christmas ornament)

DAVE: (step on that glass with your bare ass feet)

DAVE: (christmas is RUINED motherfucker)

DAVE: (drop it like the mug in usual suspects)

DAVE: (kobayashi was your cup you dumb fuck)

DAVE: (lmao)

DAVE: (drop it like unemployment figures under the obama administrations bold economic policies)

DAVE: (drop it like cargo on a space getaway)

DAVE: (just)

DAVE: (jettison that motherfucker)

DAVE: (this rap is blasting off)

DAVE: (drop it like a bunch of firewood i just gathered)

DAVE: (gonna rub a couple muthafuckin sticks together)

DAVE: (just sittin here whippin up sick lyrical friction)

DAVE: (if you start smellin smoke you caught a whiff of my diction)

DAVE: (shits gettin warm but i wont stop til its hot)

DAVE: (warm just dont cut it when shits gettin dropped)

DAVE: (tell me how you feel)

DAVE: (about shit getting dropped)

DAVE: (how hot do you want it)

DAVE: (when i let go of the fire)

DAVE: (just say when)

DAVE: (what)

DAVE: (i cant hear you)

DAVE: (I SAID SAY WHEN MUTHAFUCKS SHIT IS BURNIN MY HANDS!)

DAVE: (eff it)

DAVE: (here we go)

DAVE: (just dropped that shit like a bad phone connection)

DAVE: (i put gravity in charge of its downward direction)

DAVE: (unfettered descents what it considers perfection)

DAVE: (shit thinks of the ground and it gets an erection)

DAVE: (best hope its carpet bound in its downward spiral)

DAVE: (cause linoleums frowned on, met with an eyeroll)

DAVE: (landin on grass is just the course that its par for)

DAVE: (but hardwood fuckin floors what its woods gettin hard for)

DAVE: (guess i should mention stead a motherfuckin hardons)

DAVE: (how my motherfuckin french could use a presidential pardon)

DAVE: (KICK IT BARACK)

DAVE: (heres where obamas rap solo comes in)

DAVE: (no but how dope would that be!)

DAVE: (oh fuck me that would own)

ROSE: SLUUUUUUUUUURRRRP.

DAVE: dammit

DAVE: rose dont drink so loud its messing up my raps

DAVE: i can actually hear your sips through my headphones

ROSE: Yea well,,

ROSE: I can her your rasps through your whipsers.

ROSE: *Whipspers...

ROSE: *Whip..

ROSE: ......

ROSE: Zers.

ROSE: ;)

ROSE: HIC!!!

DAVE: oh my god

DAVE: you are so fucking hammered

DAVE: how strong did you even make that stuff

ROSE: Iss,

ROSE: Prehhhhtay strong I geush?

ROSE: Whups. Guesh?

ROSE: *Guessss.

ROSE: Eheh.

DAVE: pretty strong

DAVE: rose you just bootlegged some fucking rubbing alcohol

ROSE: Pshf. ..

ROSE: Overaeact much?

ROSE: I'm yam completally in command of my faculities.

DAVE: faculity isnt a word check mate

DAVE: this kinda strikes me as a sort of misappropriation of alchemy

DAVE: like fucking with the mystical technology of creation to whip up some moonshine just seems

DAVE: i dunno man

DAVE: tell me you at least alchemized a bathtub first to stir this shit in

DAVE: at least that would be hilarious

ROSE: Iii,

ROSE: Omg, you're right, I messed a golden opportutiny for a puticularly humoroush approach to this endeavor... :(

DAVE: and where the FUCK is my applejuice rose

DAVE: gotta say

DAVE: you really let me down on the aj front

ROSE: I tried!!

ROSE: I tried making it...

ROSE: Is was HARD, Dave.

ROSE: (Sluuurp.)

DAVE: bullshit it was hard

DAVE: whats so hard about applejuice its like

DAVE: the most basic goddamn juice

DAVE: like the square one of juice

ROSE: Yes, tha's the POINT!

ROSE: Apples are stalartingly difficulf to reproduce.

ROSE: We take for granned our ability to take idealized intsances ofeven quie comlicated objects and conshure them from the void.

ROSE: But compalexity implies a heavilly recombinatife nature.. So.. so many things are synesthized from a series of mushh simpler ideas!

ROSE: To those ennities capable of, of conceshualization and absraction, an apple is as closed to being a noshushnally irredushible object as it gets....

ROSE: Ahem. *Notionally,

ROSE: **Irr, ed, ducible.

ROSE: Tell me, hoch shot, what ideas would you combide to make and apple?

DAVE: uh

ROSE: Exaaalley/.

ROSE: Thusis why apples are sush indivisible symbols, when it comes to thefield of ideas and their reducshunistHIC!!!!! reductionishtic essence from the perispective of humans in paticular.

ROSE: Both from a stantpoint of cultrulal and mytholurgical singificence,, and from a pratical one a swell, if you happen to fine yourself acshualy trying to ENGINEEEer one.

ROSE: Why do you thing, HIC!!! Why do you think Adam mand Eve were punished for biting in to one??

ROSE: They attemped to pentetrate an indivisible unit, uf fundamenetal knowledge. To consume the interior of a thought whish cantot be reduced any further.

ROSE: This knowleshe was for BIDDEN..! Hic. So humanity was forever bandished to live in sin, and, hass strive ever sinse to redeem isself from the hubrinse of this innallectual foily.

ROSE: Hahaha! , Foily.

ROSE: *FOLLY. :)

ROSE: Or what about, the tale of Isaac Newdon under the tree?? He was BONKED on the head by an apple.

ROSE: Not reallyan apple though... an atomic idea. An emlemental unit of inspripation itself, id clocked him right on then noggin.

ROSE: And this indivisible notion colliding with hish awareness, much like.. . a high speed partical fired to create a nuculear chain reacation, jarred from the void a more profund unnerstand, HIC, ing of the intrinsic nature of nothiness. Thatis,. Gravivitation.

ROSE: Of course thess stories are acutually bullshit. They didn't happen in realaity. But thef act that they'rare bullshit makes them more inshresting.

ROSE: Men have crefted many stories that are bullshit out of symbols risen from the abyss of coinsciousness withou necesharily knowing whath e fuck they were doing or saying, as they flounered around for some truth.

ROSE: Bust in spite of themseleves they would for howefer briefly cross through a ray of light regarless. Becuss of the sbymbols. Dave.. The symbols hol dall the power.

DAVE: well shit

DAVE: looks like i wandered into a really weird uncharted side of town tonight

DAVE: its called the drunk rose district

DAVE: and i am scared out of my fucking mind

ROSE: For a guay whos's supposedly, an I quote, "so cool,"

ROSE: You relly are almost comically up tight.

ROSE: Here, why don't you have some...

DAVE: no!

ROSE: What a prune.

ROSE: *Prude.

ROSE: Hic.

DAVE: i told you i dont want any of your experimental fucking spacewizard booze

DAVE: id rather not go blind

DAVE: then terezi will have to teach me to lick shit to see

DAVE: is that what you want do you want me licking everything in sight

DAVE: like oh hey mayor SLURP oh fuck youre not the mayor youre my goddamn sister

ROSE: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ;D

DAVE: oh my god

DAVE: you laughed way too hard at that it wasnt anywhere close to that funny

DAVE: i think youve had enough

ROSE: *Siiip.*

ROSE: Whaa?

DAVE: good lord

DAVE: i still dont know why you were so bent on making this liquor

DAVE: i thought you werent really that down with the drinkin

DAVE: you never liked it when your mom drank what happened to that

ROSE: Meh. .

ROSE: Sheh was a lonelay single mom.

ROSE: I forgafe her.

DAVE: ok so why

DAVE: why tonight do you just decide to get completely wasted before you

DAVE: like

DAVE: are you nervous about your date with kanaya is that it

ROSE: I's a date??

DAVE: uh

DAVE: yes

ROSE: Howww do yoi figure,

ROSE: It' sa date.

DAVE: rose

DAVE: you are wearing a friggin prom dress

DAVE: and nervously drinking your ass off

DAVE: while you are waiting for kanaya to arrive

DAVE: for a goddamn DATE

ROSE: Can't a girl jush look her best once an awhile?

DAVE: this is infuriating

DAVE: why do you even bother with this stupid charade

DAVE: you could be at like a drive in movie making out with each other

DAVE: all exchanging class rings while giving birth to each others fucking children

DAVE: and you would still be all coy like IS IT A DATE OR ISNT IT HMMMM WHO CAN REALLY SAY FOR SURE???

ROSE: Ok....

ROSE: Mebey,

ROSE: I took a liltle sip totake the edge off?

DAVE: yeah

DAVE: that turned out to be one hell of a sip

DAVE: maybe you should just reschedule

ROSE: NoooooHIC!

ROSE: *No :(

DAVE: just sleep it off there are more hot dates where that came from

ROSE: It's cool I'm, cool.

ROSE: Really!

DAVE: im just not sure youre gonna make the best impression like this

DAVE: come on lets just find you a suitably soft pile of objects to sleep in before she

DAVE: aw shit

ROSE: Mmm?

DAVE: shes here

ROSE: !!

KANAYA: Good Evening

ROSE: HIC!!!!!!!

DAVE: omfg i cant even deal

KANAYA: Oh

KANAYA: Hmm

ROSE: Whas is it?

KANAYA: Am I

KANAYA: Underdressed For The Occasion

ROSE: No!,

ROSE: You look sho great.

KANAYA: If Id Known You Wanted To Dress In More Elegant Attire I Would Have Happily Uh

KANAYA: Hmmm

ROSE: :)

KANAYA: Well

KANAYA: If Um

KANAYA: You Think Im Fine Like This Then Okay

DAVE: (rose i think you started drinking way too early)

DAVE: (i think you just like)

DAVE: (completely fucking forgot to tell kanaya you were dressing up)

ROSE: Yeah, I.. ..Ha ha, wow.

ROSE: Yo'ure prolaby right.

ROSE: I sarted soooo...

ROSE: Sooooooooooo,

ROSE: Whennid I start?

ROSE: What even time isit.

DAVE: (man youre gonna make her so uncomfortable all dolled up like that not to mention three sheets to the fucking wind)

DAVE: (this date is going to be so awkward)

ROSE: (Its'snottaDATE!!)

DAVE: (yeah sure)

KANAYA: Rose

KANAYA: Are You Feeling Alright

ROSE: Whay do you ask?

ROSE: Becouse if,

ROSE: You want to kno, I relay fell,

ROSE: Quiiiiiiie fabuloush!

KANAYA: Ah

KANAYA: It Seems You May Have Imbibed One Of Your Experimental Human Soporifics

ROSE: HIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

KANAYA: Whoah

KANAYA: Yes

KANAYA: Well Then

KANAYA: I Guess That Would Explain It

ROSE: Esplain what?

KANAYA: The Lethargy You Possibly Experienced When It Came To Completing Our Rendezvous In A Timely Manner

ROSE: Our,

ROSE: Wait..

ROSE: Waat.

KANAYA: I Was Waiting For You In The Common Area For A Couple Hours But You Did Not Show Up

KANAYA: So

KANAYA: I Came To Find You

DAVE: (SMH)

ROSE: Oh,

ROSE: Ohhhhhh.,

ROSE: Oh mey god.....

ROSE: I FORGOD ABOUT OUR DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROSE: hic :c

KANAYA: Our Date

KANAYA: Then

KANAYA: You Did Intend For The Plans We Made To Be A Date

KANAYA: Which Is To Say One That Was Romantically Oriented

DAVE: holy shit we got a room full of smooth operators here tonight

DAVE: yes kanaya it was going to be a romantically oriented date

ROSE: I'm so sorry aaaah..!

DAVE: but as you can see rose is hooched to the fucking max

DAVE: so i think youre better off going out another time

ROSE: No!

ROSE: I said I swas stilt up for it.

ROSE: I aready, HIC, fucked up, by loshing track of time.

ROSE: I'mnot going to blow it again!!

DAVE: ugh

DAVE: you seriously still wanna go through with this

KANAYA: Well

KANAYA: Im Still Amenable To An Evening Of

KANAYA: Whatever

ROSE: :D

KANAYA: But

KANAYA: Is There Some Reason Why You Would Advise Otherwise Dave

KANAYA: I Will Have To Plead Ignorance On The Subject Of Human Courtship And Its Customs When It Involves One Or More Intoxicated Participants

KANAYA: Is There A Problem

DAVE: a problem

DAVE: uh

DAVE: i dunno if youre cool with your date slurring words and making no damn sense about apples then

DAVE: i guess not???

KANAYA: ...

DAVE: why are you both looking at me

DAVE: stop that

ROSE: ;D

DAVE: no dont

DAVE: hey i am not your fucking life coach here

DAVE: if you want to go on a drunkdate what do i care

DAVE: man what do i even know about "human courtship" anyway

DAVE: not like i ever dated a fuckin human

DAVE: so i guess have at it

KANAYA: Alright

DAVE: awesome

DAVE: datenite with drunky it is

DAVE: go apeshit i guess

DAVE: uh so

DAVE: what should i do here

DAVE: you want me to pack up my raps and leave you alone or

ROSE: Ohn no, you don't have to do than...

ROSE: We can leaf you tou your slam poems in peace.

ROSE: Kayaya, why don't we go for a walk?

KANAYA: Yes

KANAYA: After You

KANAYA: If You Can Actually

KANAYA: Manage To

KANAYA: Whoa There!

KANAYA: Maintain Your Balance

KANAYA: Okay

KANAYA: Are You Good

KANAYA: Okay Good

KANAYA: Lets Go

KANAYA: Since Its Now Clear That Your Premeditated Designs On This Evening Exceeded My Own By A Wide Margin

KANAYA: Insofar As You Intended This To Be A Date With Fancy Clothes Whereas I Showed Up Looking Like Something The Lusus Dragged In

KANAYA: Maybe You Can Tell Me Now Exactly What You Had In Mind

KANAYA: I Mean

KANAYA: As Far As Specific Activities Are Concerned

ROSE: Noupe!

KANAYA: Noupe

KANAYA: I Mean Nope

KANAYA: Nope What

ROSE: I honessly had not drafted blueprins for the evening.

ROSE: Assine from.,

ROSE: Gettin prettied up, aaand,

ROSE: Actually, you know... being puncutual abou my commiment.

ROSE: Wohoops.

KANAYA: Its Really Okay Though

KANAYA: I Admit I Was Irked For A Moment But Then Realized It Was So Unlike You That Extenuating Circumstances Were Most Likely In Play

KANAYA: So I Went To Find You And Lo And Behold

KANAYA: Extenuation Was What I Found To Be Taking Place

ROSE: Omg.

ROSE: Kangaya,.

ROSE: I 'm.

ROSE: Soooo extenuated righ now.

ROSE: Hic.

ROSE: !

KANAYA: What

ROSE: Dish you hear something?

KANAYA: No Hear What

ROSE: Hum.

ROSE: Maybe yoush ould turn the lighst on...

KANAYA: That Better

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: Shhh!

ROSE: ..

ROSE: . .

ROSE: ...

ROSE: .,

ROSE: ,..

KANAYA: (what are we listening for)

ROSE: Erh, nothing I gues.

ROSE: Annyway.

ROSE: I just thouh that,

ROSE: Tonight...

ROSE: We could just walk a round for a while an talk.

ROSE: About relly anything. Like...

ROSE: Our worls, or, the fushure, or,

ROSE: How you'are going to save your speshies. :)

KANAYA: Yes That Sounds Nice

ROSE: Just have a casusal, spoptaneous evening. I don' .. hic, I don't ses why dates have to alayways be,

ROSE: A felderal fucking eschew. Dono't you agree?

ROSE: !!

ROSE: Kaynaya.

ROSE: Can you kep a secret?

KANAYA: Yes

ROSE: I learned somethin earlier today.

ROSE: It was trobuling.

ROSE: Something about,

ROSE: Teresi.

ROSE: Aand,

ROSE: ...

KANAYA: And What

ROSE: And Gamshee.

KANAYA: !!!

ROSE: See...

ROSE: I bumped into him earliar.

KANAYA: You Did

KANAYA: Where??

ROSE: No no please, pleeasse don't get angry, and. ..

ROSE: Go on another vengeful clown hunting espedition, I...

ROSE: This is the point, this is was troubling me abou this.

ROSE: I don't want anyone to fight!

KANAYA: Actually

KANAYA: Theres No Need To Worry About That

KANAYA: I Think Im Done Trying To Kill Him

ROSE: You are?

KANAYA: Yeah

KANAYA: He Has Achieved Victory Through The Gambit Of Cowards Default

KANAYA: Dont Get Me Wrong He Is Still Utterly Awful

KANAYA: But Sometimes You Just Have To Let A Thing Go

KANAYA: You Know

ROSE: Yeahhh,

KANAYA: What Were You Saying About Terezi And Gamzee

ROSE: Righ, well apparenly they..

ROSE: Are.

ROSE: An item?

ROSE: Blackways, I mean.

KANAYA: What

ROSE: The y'are spades dating. In theh shadowns... nobody knows. But me. An now,

ROSE: You.

KANAYA: Are You Serious

ROSE: Yesh!!

ROSE: And it's been troubling me, the more I thing about it.

ROSE: All lot.

KANAYA: Why

ROSE: Because it presends a prickly prolitical sishuation.

ROSE: Terezi's relationship with Karkant is already somewhat tenuous, with their... well from, what I've gathered, about their hishtory.

ROSE: And Dave! His involovment makes in even more complicated, and,

ROSE: I think, with Karkat being moirails to Gamzee, if he finds out Gamzee iss spades with Tetreezi, then...

ROSE: Correct me if I'm wrong but isin't that whole arrangemen getting into territory of social taboob?

ROSE: * Tabob. Escuse me.

KANAYA: That Could Be Very Awkward Yes

ROSE: Right!!

ROSE: I don't no if it's my ser powers or what, but, HIC, I can see it unfolting all too clearly.

ROSE: Karkast finds out about it and flies inno a rage. It ruins hish moirlallegelleninance... I mean his moiraHIC!.. It ruins his diamonds with Gamzee, who thefore becomes less stable.

ROSE: And he villifies Trepezi as well, and who knows how she reacs. Or what happens with Dave for that matter.

ROSE: Would Dave actually be aright wich Terezi dating a psychotic clown on th side, even if its is a releationship centered around only enmity? I kinof doubt it.

ROSE: He could side with Korkat on the matter.. Not even tos peak of where your alignment is on the subjech of Gamzeen.

ROSE: Which is, what I fear. I'm afraid that,

ROSE: This could create a schisasm in our group, that we could all be torn apart.

ROSE: And I don't wand that!!!!!

ROSE: I want us all to stay friends, and jus be... peaceful togehter. :(

KANAYA: Me Too

KANAYA: I Can See The Dilemma Here

KANAYA: Are You Actually Thinking About

KANAYA: Um

KANAYA: Doing Something About This

ROSE: I dun't know!!!

ROSE: Maybe I shouldn't intrefere with their kishmeshishit... kshimimishimesh.. Aw fuck.

ROSE: Their hate dating.

ROSE: Maybe it's..

ROSE: Just a wonderful thing for them. An I would beh hoorible to inerfere, with their..

ROSE: Beaufiful hate?

ROSE: The problem is, it's still soo alien to me. The idea of blapck romance.

ROSE: I try to understand, sometimes, like, more than inteclectually. I try to, put myself in the shoes of FEELING that an...

ROSE: It still dosn't make sense to me.

ROSE: I don't want to project my human valuesh on to an alien relationship I dispapprove of.

KANAYA: I Understand

KANAYA: But What Youre Describing Is

KANAYA: Hmm

KANAYA: Actually Im Hesitant To Even Mention It

ROSE: No, what!

KANAYA: This Is Probably Not A Good Idea

ROSE: Oh, puleashe. You KNOW you have to tall me now.

KANAYA: The Feelings You Are Having Are Actually Perfectly Normal Within The Framework Of Our Quadrant Based Romantic Tradition

KANAYA: I Dont Know If They Can Be Felt Naturally By Humans But The Way You Are Viewing Their Relationship Would Be Quite A Standard Response On Alternia

ROSE: Yeah??

KANAYA: Yes

KANAYA: It Is Sanctioned Within The Ashen Quadrant

KANAYA: Which Addresses Conciliatory Romantic Feelings Not Directed At A Single Person

KANAYA: But At Two People Who Are Presently In Such A Contentious Relationship

ROSE: Oh shitch... I forgot about that..

ROSE: You're right, :o

KANAYA: It Is Generally Not Regarded As One Of The More Emotionally Fulfilling Quadrants To Become Involved In

KANAYA: And Can Be Quite Laborious To Maintain

KANAYA: But It Served A Very Important Social Purpose For My People

KANAYA: Such As In Situations Very Similar To The One You Described

KANAYA: Where Two Parties Are Highly Drawn To Each Other Through Animosity

KANAYA: They May In Fact Be Perfect For Each Other In That Tumultuous Quadrant

KANAYA: But To Pursue The Relationship Would Be Chaos

KANAYA: Much Like The Scenario You Laid Out The Two Kismeses If Left Unchecked Would Devastate All Their Other Relationships

KANAYA: Those In Their Own Quadrants And Even Those In Other Peoples

KANAYA: So It Is The Job Of An Auspistice To Make Sure That Doesnt Happen

ROSE: Yes...

ROSE: .

ROSE: hic.

ROSE: .

ROSE: YES.....

ROSE: KANAYA THAT IS EXAGLY WHAT I NEED TO DO!!!

KANAYA: Oh No

KANAYA: Really

ROSE: Absoulutely.

ROSE: I haf never been so shure.. about, anything.

ROSE: Well maybe, almost anaything.. :), but yes.

KANAYA: I Dont Think I Would Advise It

KANAYA: Its Extremely Difficult And Can Often Feel Like A Thankless Undertaking

KANAYA: In Truth It Is Probably The Most Challenging Quadrant To Master

KANAYA: Trust Me

ROSE: I believe you.

ROSE: But I wants to know.

ROSE: Can you teach me?

KANAYA: I

KANAYA: ...

ROSE: There's so mouch I just don't understand.

ROSE: About your romanse, but,

ROSE: I'm soi curious.

ROSE: I try to understand the concept of either contentatious or plastonic relationships as something that...

ROSE: Can be parshed through the emotions assoliated with romance but,,

ROSE: It still doesn't realay compute to me.

KANAYA: I Really

KANAYA: Dont Know If I Would Be A Good Teacher

KANAYA: Of Auspisticism

KANAYA: I Honestly Was Not Very Good At It Myself

ROSE: Tha's fine..

ROSE: Forget aushpipshit...

ROSE: Auspishtishimish..

ROSE: Good damn.

ROSE: Forget specificulty that right now,.

ROSE: I want...

ROSE: You to teach me evvverrreeything!

KANAYA: Everything

ROSE: Yez.

KANAYA: That Is

KANAYA: A Lot Of Things

ROSE: I want you... to,

ROSE: Teash me ALL the quadrans.

ROSE: I want you toot,

ROSE: Tell me about your spabes,

ROSE: Your didamounds,

ROSE: I wank you to,

ROSE: Share wish me yur clumbs...

ROSE: And your hearst.

ROSE: I want..

ROSE: Yuouo....

[castle-dominion]

5x9 secret santa, I read a fic with an episode tag; actually I can't find it & I went through 22 of my fic history with ctrl f & a bunch of different searches to see if I could find it, but I could not & I've been searching for this for over half an hour

Ew christmas but this is actually nice, mostly bc I don't need to deal with All The Rest of the christmas BS. I like christmas when there is only a LITTLE bit

I thought that the kid would find the body Oh dang where did he come from!? Chubby little hands <3 tradition <3 No wrecking tradition? As long as you don't change it entirely

AND NOW SANTA IS DEAD!?!? Well not anymore

Holy crap ryan is soooo pretty KR: Santa, lying there dead. You gotta ask yourself, what kind of world do we live in? Oh yeah she does ride a motorcycle

Ryan looks pretty again Ah yes, family *gives the pen to esposito* *espt looks mad* Poor ryan neither of y'all visited your family during xmas? You two drink a six pack between the just two of you? & only one videogame all night?

Becks why would he be dressed as santa in an aircraft when getting shot? He here for Lanie? lmao these two LP: Javiiiiii!

HOLY CRAP SHUT THAT THING UP What would he do during the warmer months?

Airplane??

*vomits from all the xmas* But it's cute. Castle Reminds me of a friend's family, they do xmas Big. Class? Make magic ew SANT CLASS!??

Pipe? against clown rules

The what now? Oh yeah santas def have agents

Wow man looks hella different & maybe he did have some

KR: He made that much as a Santa? Maybe I should switch jobs, huh? JE: What, gain 200 pounds and have a bunch of rugrats sitting in your lap with dirty diapers?

clausible was not funny

Apart for five years but he still called you three years ago & now recently? Maybe he became a santa to escape some sort of trouble & needed to disappear

THAT'S the lawsuit he was involved in! btw I love how beckett has a specific mug she uses

*esposito walking by listening* Why did we include that clip? xmas shopping this late? Ah he was hanging around waiting to give her info

Airfield?

& also he was listening so we could have this convo JE: So. You pulled the Christmas shift. Again.

EW HOLY CRAP THAT BLOOD

So esposito has this info to give to beckett but why doesn't she have info to give to him? Her shoes can have heels, but they should NOT be that THIN. Also yay we get to see reichle's shoes! btw is this the same hangar or set as the one with montgomery & lockwood?

Math like my baby brother But the cab driver said he got Back In the cab?

Meeting the boyf's parents at xmas? Oh wait it is not on christmas for her nvm.

He brought a thingamajig! Probably a gift! Oh aww for her It really is a gift from her gates almost swearing XD tiny freakin sandwiches She LIED to him…

OK WHO IS DETECTIVE ELDIN? I NEED A FACE FOR THE NAME

Wow you figured it was monogrammed candy canes?

Ok but they all look similar

Santa had a clock in his apartment! Fillion could not get thru that line WHOSE office was it from? Robbery is already interviewing them

yeah hella expensive clock, also can u sell it? like,, are you able to find a buyer? hohohoed out of there XD RC: No, the clock was commissioned by a secret society to count down the end of days. A secret society of Santas, who are the guardians of times. Ho! Oh, that’s good.

Making nice coffee Castle COMMUNICATE with her xmas tree in the coffee! castle don't interrupt she WAS telling you what, you just interrupted her!

You should have just TOLD him! See? He understands even tho u lied to him!

pipe tobacco!!!

through the heart lmao

clipped that fight scene

Wiped it down but didn't get the blood out of the seat? that crap is worth 30 grande!?

For two grand you totally don't ask that's horrible that's sad... Also why is he in the interview room as a santa?

OOH RYAN'S OUTFIT. rly pretty, dark, ryan is usually wearing lighter stuff redemption <3

ngl we all thought those two were in a relationship he TOLD you? remember norm jessop? paper is heavy! Imagine carrying textbooks! That's why like bank robbers or whomever struggle to carry bags of cash, they are carrying what's like textbooks. Paper cash is not light!

his name is mr case?

The wife!??? I love this! Usually you move past the girlfriend after fifty pages or w/e the poker writers said, they just came BACK around to the wife

VG: Speaking of people having their homes stolen... KB: Is that your mother-in-law again, Sir? VG: Detective, if you happen to receive a report of a homicide tonight at my address, do me a favor. Ignore it. Don't make threats/jokes like that

LMAO WHO PUT MISTLETOE BY THE ELEVATOR? shake handsdfjksdjfhdfjh

NO NO NO THIS SCENE IT'S SO GOOD IT KICKS THE DICKENS OUT OF MY HEAR

KR: staring into space JE: Yo, what you still doing here? (he sits) Shouldn’t you be at home, stuffing your wife’s stocking? ((XD)) KR: KR: I don’t think I’m ready, Javi. JE: For what? Sex? KR, a smile still cracking through at that: No. For what sex leads to. We were putting up the tree the other day, and Jenny says to me, “just doesn’t feel like Christmas without kids”. She wants to try. JE: smiles/frowns in a nod KR: But I come to work. I watch the news every day. It seems like the world’s falling apart. How am I supposed to bring a kid into that? JE: The world’s always falling apart, bro. Since the beginning of time. But having kids? Making a family? That’s what keeps it together. So go home. Make a baby. You’re ready. KR: nods along. KR: Yeah. Thanks, bro. (he slaps him on the arm) Merry Christmas. JE: Yeah. Merry Christmas. He forces a smile. He’s still alone.

OK BUT WHAT IF CASTLE MADE HIS OWN PLANS AFTER THE BOTH OF YOU HAD OTHER PLANS *opens the door before she knocks* YO HEY KARPOWSKI IS STILL MENTIONED & STILL EXISTS ROMANTIC AF SDHFJKHDSFJSH

You know, I thought the first time I watched the episode that castle & esposito would end up spending xmas together so when I heard that knock I totally thought it was esposito What a nice reveal <3 Obv going to invite him in sdkfhasdjkfhjasdfhkasdjfh uwu this this this I didn't like it the first time I watched it but I enjoyed it this time around jdfsjdfhjkh

HEY I MADE THIS EPISODE IN TIME TOO!

[midnight-echoes]

Incorrect Quotes: Freedom Pals Edition

It's just the Freedom Pals from TFBW this time. Yes, I am including New Kid/Buttlord/Douchebag and Mint-Berry Crunch. ...Spoilers. I think.

Capt. Diabetes: *eating a cinnamon roll* Mosquito: Cannibalism. Capt. Diabetes: *confused chewing noises*

Mysterion: Bro, I had a dream we fucked. Prof. Chaos: Bro, relax it was just a dream. Mysterion: Huh, gay, I wouldn’t fuck you. Prof. Chaos: You wouldn��t? Mysterion: I mean, unless you want to-

The Coon: I printed up a bunch of fake safety inspection certificates. Go slap one on anything that looks like a lawsuit. Dr. Timothy: Coon, is that legal? The Coon: When the cops aren’t around, anything’s legal!

New Kid: I tried to write ‘I'm a functional adult’ but my phone changed it to ‘fictional adult’ and i feel like that’s more accurate.

Dr. Timothy: When I said bring me something back from the beach I meant like a conch shell! New Kid: *Struggling to hold a seagull* Fucking say that next time!

Mosquito: Here’s the cold medicine you asked for. Mosquito: *dumps 3 shopping bags of wine on the table* Call Girl: ...Thanks.

Mysterion: You're smiling. What happened? The Coon: What? Can't I smile just because I feel like it? Dr. Timothy: The New Kid tripped and fell down the stairs today.

The Coon: Where's Human Kite? Mysterion: Don't worry, I'll find him. Mysterion, shouting: Toolshed sucks! Human Kite, distantly: Toolshed is the best person ever! Mysterion: Found him.

Toolshed: Are we fighting or flirting? Human Kite: I'm pinning you against a wall with my hand around your neck- Toolshed: Your point?

Call Girl: I keep a picture of all of us in my wallet. Whenever I face difficulties, I take it out and stare at the picture. Freedom Pals: Awwww- Call Girl: And I tell myself "If I can deal with these idiots, then I can deal with anything." Freedom Pals: Oh.

Mint-Berry Crunch: Wait a minute, how did this happen? We're smarter than this! New Kid: Apparently, we're not.

Mint-Berry Crunch: It’s time to turn this into a real business. Prof. Chaos: What do you mean? Like, carry a briefcase, and wear a tie, and pay taxes? Mosquito: Wait, have you not been paying your taxes? New Kid: I handle our accounting.

New Kid: I dare you to kiss the next person who walks into this room. Mosquito: Screw that, I’m not kissing any of you. *Capt. Diabetes walks in* Mosquito: Fine, I’ll do it. Rules are rules you know.

Tupperware: I know we’re not exactly friends, but- Toolshed: What do you want? Tupperware: I've been stuck with Super Craig for 2 weeks and he's been drinking all the soy sauce. Tupperware: Help.

Call Girl: We've got to find a way to cut down our expenses. What can we live without? Prof. Chaos: The Coon, probably.

The Coon: Did you miss me while I was gone? FastPass: You were gone?

Toolshed: Look, I’m glad everyone’s on the same page. Toolshed: But it’s the last page in a book titled “we’re all going to die”. Human Kite: That’s not even clever.

Super Craig: Mosquito has no survival skills, his need to win has replaced him. Capt. Diabetes: That can't be true! Super Craig: Watch this. Super Craig: Hey Mosquito, race you to the bottom of the stairs! Mosquito: *Throws himself out a window*

Toolshed, hungover: Please tell me I'm imagining that I claimed I was king of the ducks. Tupperware: I would, but then I would be lying to the King of All Ducks.

Mosquito, when Tupperware walks in: Oh, hey, I'm just making pizza. Mosquito: *accidentally smacks FastPass in the face with the baking sheet*

Capt. Diabetes: I give up. I am so tired. Dr. Timothy: Get the emergency supply! Tupperware: *carries Mosquito and places him in front of Capt. Diabetes* Mosquito: *smiles* Capt. Diabetes: AND I AM BACK BABY, LET’S GOOO

*Super Craig and Wonder Tweek are in Paris* Super Craig: I'm...moved. I...I don't know what it is I'm feeling right now. I feel...destiny? Wonder Tweek: But... Super Craig: I don't know what it is. I feel like... I just never thought I'd see it with my own two eyes. And here it is. It's just there. It's right in front of me, and... Wonder Tweek: This is what you wanted to see? The bridge from Inception? Super Craig: Yeah. Wonder Tweek: But the Eiffel Tower is behind us, babe. Super Craig: Yeah, but this is the bridge FROM INCEPTION. Wonder Tweek: Okay, alright.

[smol-and-grumpy]

Legally Yours - Ch. 01 (Prologue)

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Dean Winchester tops the list of hottest entrepreneurs 2020 and yet, there’s still something he wants but can’t have because, in order to get that, he would have to settle down and get married. She agrees too quickly because she wants to secure a more comfortable life for her and her daughter. Will she be able to help Dean get what he wants without losing herself in the fake story they spin up to deceive his father and the world?

Chapter Warnings: None. Maybe the end will get your heart racing.

WC: 1796

Beta’d by: @deanwanddamons​ <3

Series Masterlist ~ SPN Masterlist

Buy me a coffee

Y/N’s sitting at her desk as she types an answer to the inquiry from a customer, when her friend Donna practically slams a glamour magazine over her keyboard. 

“Have you seen this?” The blond woman asks. 

“Jesus, Donna! I haven’t saved that document yet! God!” She picks the magazine up and tosses it to the side as she continues to finish the document on her screen. 

Donna’s still waiting, staring at her and she wonders if that woman has nothing else to do. Y/N’s sure Donna has plenty to do, they always have a lot of work and that’s why she gets home so late and sometimes, Liv would already be asleep. Sometimes, when she’s lucky, Liv was awake and she’d read her a bedtime story of princesses who are rescued by a heroic prince.

As soon as Y/N is finished, she turns around in her chair, to see her friend still staring at her instead of doing her own work. 

“What is it?” She asked with that added annoyed nuance to her tone of voice.

“Look!” Donna lifts her chin to point towards the magazine she slammed in front of Y/N just a moment before, “Have you seen it?”

Turning back around to her desk, she picks it up, “Donna, I’m not reading those mags, so no, I haven’t seen it. Why?”

Instead of answering her, Donna only grins. The grin that shows her dimples. The wicked one, “Page twenty-six,” 

With raised eyebrows and that little spark of curiosity which Donna had added to her interest, Y/N rifles through the pages until she reaches page twenty-six. 

There’s a picture of a man who stares right at her. He’s wearing a perfect suit. His one hand fakes the adjusting of his cufflink on his wrist. It’s a total male model pose. Well, he looks like one, so she can’t really say that anything’s out of the ordinary. 

At a second glance, though, she realizes that he looks familiar. His face is a little scruffy, but that makes him look edgier, makes him look more handsome. He’s smiling bright, showing his perfect white teeth. There are crinkles around his emerald eyes, seven on his right side, and she knows she shouldn’t even be counting them, so she ignores his left side. And she definitely can’t help but notice the freckles across his face. 

Oh, she thinks.

Oooohhhh.

“Is that..?” She asks with a frown that gets deeper between her eyebrows because she’s just not sure? She hasn’t seen the man that many times in real life. 

“Ya! Our fucking boss! The icy King!” Donna shouts, “Isn’t he dreamy? My god, I wanna eat him up! And he doesn’t look as icy and distant like he always does,”

“Donna!”

“What? Only telling the truth here! Read what the headline says!”

Her friend is right, though, Mr. Winchester’s normal aloof and cold persona isn’t captured in the picture. He’s known to be the icy King in the company. Instead, he looks kind of welcoming and warm. Y/N eyes go to the top of the page, and she can’t lie, it’s hard to concentrate on the writing when there’s a good looking man staring her down.

The headline is in all caps.

 DEAN WINCHESTER, HOTTEST ENTREPRENEUR 2020

 She frowns, as her eyes leave the magazine to look back at her friend, “That’s what you wanted to show me?” 

“Duh! There’s also a whole article about him being the center of attention everywhere he goes,”

“Well, that’s not really surprising, is it? Looking like that?”

“It also says that he has a fiancée.”

“That’s also not surprising,” Y/N shrugs, “I mean, seriously, look at him. Who wouldn’t want to marry that?” She didn't. At least not when they say that he’s cold-hearted. But again, she’s not the norm here because every female is gushing about him. 

She closes the magazine loudly, deciding that she shouldn’t waste more time. She wants to get home on time today. Liv went on a field trip with her school and she wants to hear her little girl telling her about how exciting it was. Y/N still has a lot of work to do and also a meeting with her supervisor later. The sleazebag.

“So, can I go back to work?” She turns to Donna, “I have a meeting with Raphael in about twenty minutes.”

“Ew,” Donna cringes her nose.

Y/N rolls her eyes, “Exactly,”

“Will you tell him off?”

“I already did,” She sighs, “Multiple times,”

“Why don’t you just go to HR?”

Donna knows what happens. What always happens when she has a meeting with Raphael. He’s always trying things with her. Accidentally brushes his hand against her breast or her ass. He once told her to sit in his lap as he was showing her the numbers of her performance. It wasn’t the first time he suggested it, and she doubts that it will be the last time either. He tried to kiss her more than once, but knowing that they are in an office environment, he didn’t dare to force her too much. He also offers to drive her home almost every week, and she’s slowly getting tired of it, not to mention creeped out.

At their last meeting, he made her hang up a picture frame in his office. His hand rested on her hips to supposedly support her, but they traveled further down until he kneaded her ass in his palms. She immediately got down from there, and left the room wordlessly. 

She knows another secret about Raphael, though. One she could use against him, but she just doesn’t know how just yet. Y/N knows and has got proof that he’s been skimming money. He takes it out of the customer’s account. Not a lot, a small sum that customers wouldn’t notice is missing, but in the end, it’s probably a whole lot when he does it to all the customers he’s supposed to look after. 

Again, she can’t really bring that up because she’s sure that he’ll spin it around and Raphael is good at that. With a push on the button of his keyboard, he could reverse everything and she knows that. 

“I can’t go to HR,” Y/N lowers her head and mumbles to her friend, “Because they won’t believe me,”

And that’s the truth too. The Head of HR is Duma, a woman who occasionally fucks Raphael. They have a friend with benefits thing going on, even if she’s married with children. Duma will never believe her because Y/N’s sure that Raphael can spin this perfectly to fit his narrative. 

Besides, what can she possibly tell? It’s her against him. It’s like a mouse against an elephant. She’s only an accountant and is replaceable, whereas Raphael is a member of the leadership team. And who will be let go? She doesn’t think it’s going to be him and she needs the job to survive. 

Y/N watches as Donna’s lips start to curl up, the white teeth of the woman are visible, as she drums her fingers annoyingly on her own desk.

With a frown, she asks her friend, “What?”

“I have an idea,” Donna says and pulls up her outlook calendar. 

She types in something, and then a calendar appears with a lot of colorful blocks. 

Oh no. She has quite the idea of who’s calendar it is even if she can’t read the name from where she’s sitting, which is too far away because she doesn’t want to give the impression that she’s not working. And it’s stupid that they can do that. They have quite an open calendar policy at the office. Everyone can send and block meetings for everyone, even for the icy King. 

“Donna, no!”

“Why, Donna, yes!” Her friend grins, “He has an open window right now. The meeting in the boardroom is in ten minutes. You should go tell him what you know. If someone can change anything, it’s him, right?”

Donna’s not wrong, she isn’t. But Mr. Winchester is what? At least four tiers above her if not five. Why should he care what a simple worker in his company is thinking? Why should he care what the hell she goes through every day while he earns enough profit to fuel his expensive and glamorous lifestyle?

“He wouldn’t believe me,” She shakes her head.

“You can tell him about the money skimming, I bet he won’t be happy to hear that.”

“Ugh,”

Donna stands up and walks over to her, braces her hands on the chair Y/N’s sitting on, “What’s the worst that could happen, huh?”

“That I get fired?”

“Meh,” Donna squeaked, “I doubt that. You’re doing a great job. Your records are great. And besides, if they do that, you can go and file a lawsuit against them. Besides, who knows, if you go to HR, Raphael will fire you before the icy King does.”

True, but still. 

“Now go get your ass up to the executive floor. Maybe take him a coffee, I heard he likes it black,”

“Oh, just like his heart?”

“Ya, maybe I wouldn’t tell him that?” Donna chuckles.

 *

 Y/N’s on her way to the elevators. She can’t believe that she’s really doing it. But Donna’s right. She can’t go on and live like that. It’s already hard to part from her child every morning and to get bullied at her job and being sexually harassed should not be the norm. She just fucking wants to earn enough money to keep her kid and herself above water.

God, she’s really doing it! 

Fuck.

There are six elevators lined up in the foyer. Three on each side. Only one goes up to the executive floor and also one is reserved for Mr. Winchester’s penthouse on the top floor. Everybody knows that. 

To get the elevator to run up to the executive floor, Y/N would need to have a card with a chip, which she doesn’t, and she feels stupid to have just realized it. And now she’s standing here, lost, with a hot black coffee in a lidless plastic cup that almost burns her fingers off.

Ugh. 

She’s so fucking stupid.

Well, she could still try, couldn’t she? She jumped over her own fear and has come this far. She definitely shouldn’t give up now. 

Her finger hovers over the buttons. Closing her eyes and exhaling loudly, she gives the button a push. Standing back, she waits, her heart is drumming loudly against her ribcage.

And she doesn’t even have to wait long because not even thirty seconds later, the elevator dings and opens up to reveal a man in a nice suit staring back at her.

It’s him.

Ch. 02

Please share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear your feedback.

[dilly-oh]

The Office War

    Kakashi had been stealing his pens again, Iruka was certain of it. His particular favorite was sitting right there out in the open on that bastard's desk, the orange one with the ugly troll cap that'd been a present from Naruto, as well as several others he'd bought at his own personal expense because the quality of pens the company provided for employees was a damn joke. Iruka had standards. 

    Those are my fucking pens, douche-bag, Iruka thought as he sat at his desk, seething with righteous fury. Get your own.

    He could see the smarmy asshole's hair poking up out of his cubicle, gray and spikey and in desperate need of brushing. As he watched, his computer chair tipped back and Kakashi came into view, lazy-eyed and tapping one of Iruka's own pens against his weird medical face-mask in thought.

    Just let it go, Iruka told himself before he could get truly riled up. He didn't need another talk with HR after the incident with Genma eating his lunches. That had gotten pretty out of hand - there had almost been a lawsuit involved. It's just a few pens, right? Nothing to start a fight over. It's not a big deal.

    And then Kakashi poked the pen under his mask and started chewing.

    That did it.

    Time to confront the bastard. With passive-aggressive guilt-tripping. 

    Iruka stood up from his cubicle and sauntered over as nonchalantly as possible.

    “Hey, Kakashi. What's up?” he greeted. Kakashi gave a distracted grunt in reply, eyes glued to his computer screen. “Sorry, can I borrow a pen?” Iruka went on, baring his teeth in challenge more than smiling. “Mine seem to be...missing.”

    “Uh-huh, yeah, sure,” Kakashi said, immediately handing him the one from his mouth, covered in teeth-marks and spit. Iruka recoiled in disgust.

    “Maybe...not that one. How about...that one?” He pointed to the orange one on his desk. Kakashi shrugged and handed it over. Iruka's eyes narrowed. Time to go in for the kill. “Wow. This pen is really nice. Where did you get it?”

    “Dunno.” Kakashi shrugged again. “Picked it up somewhere.”

    Okay, screw passive-aggressive. Time for full-on confrontational. 

    “Okay, cut the shit!”  Iruka burst out impatiently. “Those pens are mine! Give them back!” He reached over and quickly snatched them up, hugging them protectively to his chest. “And...” He paused, eyes raking over Kakashi's sloppy work station. “Is that my stapler?”

    “Oh, is it?” Kakashi said innocently. 

    “Yes it is!” Iruka snatched it away as well. “What else of mine do you have?”

    “Just some papers and binders and stuff. Oh, and I borrowed your pencil sharpener last week but it crapped out after sharpening my hundredth pencil-”

    “That was YOU?!”

    “I needed them for a seminar.” 

    “That thing cost like thirty bucks!”

    “I thought you wouldn't mind,” Kakashi said simply. 

    “Normally, no, I wouldn't, but YOU take things and KEEP them. That I mind. Plus you don't even have the common courtesy to ASK first.” Iruka turned away with a huff. “Don't touch my shit again.”

    And with that, he stomped back to his desk, arms full of his reclaimed supplies. 

    That'll teach him. 

---

    Apparently, it did not. 

    The next day, all of Iruka's paperclips were missing. He spotted them on Kakashi's desk, bent into abstract shapes. Mostly dicks. 

    That son of a bitch.

    This called for war. 

---

    After an entire weekend of planning, Iruka was ready. 

    On Monday, he took a screwdriver to Kakashi's computer chair, subtly loosening the screws at the base of the seat so it would break when tipped back at a lazy angle. He heard the crash from the break-room and almost choked on his granola bar laughing.

    On Tuesday, he drained half of Kakashi's pens of ink and rigged the other half to explode, splattering everywhere when used. All of Kakashi's reports that day were sent back and he had to stay an extra hour just to re-sign everything. 

    On Wednesday, he jammed the copy machine. Kakashi, the procrastinating prick, wasn't able to print out the dozen or so information pamphlets he needed five minutes before the important presentation. The meeting was rescheduled for the following day, much to everyone's irritation, most of all Kakashi's, who prided himself on his copying skills. 

    On Thursday, he stole every single staple in the office. Kakashi, who had finally managed to print the copies for the presentation, was forced to tape all of the papers together. The strange looks he got from the others as he passed them out was well worth the effort. 

    On Friday, he sabotaged Kakashi's coffee cup to spring a leak when he took a sip. Iruka heard him curse from across the room and looked up to see a satisfying amount of hot coffee had spilled all over Kakashi's shirt and face mask. Hissing in pain, he stood and stomped to the nearest bathroom. Iruka couldn't resist following the other man inside for a victory gloat. 

    “So...” Iruka said smugly, joining Kakashi at the sink where he was attempting to dab the stain away with wet paper-towels, “had enough?” 

    “Of what?” Kakashi asked distractedly. “Coffee?”

    “ME, you idiot! It was all me!” Iruka exploded. “Your chair, the copy machine, your coffee! All ME! Are you ready to admit defeat yet? Have you been thoroughly chastened?” 

    “Well, I'm mildly annoyed, if that counts,” Kakashi said, quirking an eyebrow. “I can't believe you went to all that trouble. You should put that effort into your work.” 

    “I should put more effort into my work?! You're the one sneaking naps in your cubicle!!” Iruka sputtered furiously, his face burning with rage, then cut off as Kakashi reached up and removed his mask and his face started burning for an entirely different reason. 

    Oh, shit. 

    Kakashi was hot. Kakashi was really hot. Kakashi was hot enough Iruka wanted to go to HR and lodge a complaint – He's too fucking hot. It's not fair. Fire his ass.

    This changes nothing, Iruka told himself as he broke into a sweat. He's still an asshole, he still deserved it all, the stupid son of a-

    “Damn. It's not coming out.” With an annoyed tsk, Kakashi smoothly removed his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and stripped it off, his shoulders and chest rolling obscenely with the motion. Iruka's mouth went dry.

    ...This may have backfired, he thought, eyes glued to the slope of Kakashi's back as he bent over the sink, scrubbing at the stain. 

    “I...have to go,” Iruka said blankly. 

    “Well you came to the right place,” Kakashi replied, focused on his work. 

    “No. I mean. Leave. I have to leave. Like right now.” Iruka slowly backed up, hit the wall, then slithered along it til he found the door, desperately snatching at the handle, his eyes still riveted by Kakashi's sculpted chest. 

    “You're leaving early?” Kakashi glanced up at him. “Aren't you out of earned time?”

    “Just take it out of my paycheck gotta go bye,” Iruka blurted before finally wrestling the door open and tumbling out into the hallway, shoving past a confused intern as he bolted towards the exit. 

---

    The sight of Kakashi shirtless haunted Iruka all weekend long.

    He considered calling in sick on Monday, but didn't because Kakashi was indeed correct – he had no more sick leave left after Naruto gave him food poisoning for his birthday by being cheap and trying to bake a cake. 

    Also, he wasn't a coward. 

    So, come Monday morning, he marched right back into the office at 8 A.M on the dot, rode the elevator with his head down, pointedly ignoring everyone while also on the lookout for a certain silver-haired individual, and walked straight to his desk.

    Which was covered in a stunning array of brand-new office supplies. Pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters, large and small paperclips, all sitting there still wrapped in plastic with that new-store smell. Iruka almost burst into tears at the sight.

    “Whose dick did you suck to get all those?” Izumo whispered, his voice thick with jealousy.

    “No-one's!” Iruka snapped at him as he sat down, mystified. He tentatively picked up a box of pens, delighted to see they came in a variety of colors. 

    “Do you like them?” Kakashi asked, leaning in over his shoulder. “I was gonna get flowers, but I figured you'd appreciate these more.”

    “Kakashi!” Iruka bolted up out of his chair like he'd been shocked. Which, frankly, he had been. “Wait. You did this?” He gaped at the other man in disbelief, then his stomach dropped like a weight. Oh, God, of course this wasn't real. It was too good to be true. The supplies were probably all fake, rigged to break or explode or-

    “It was the least I could do to apologize.” 

    “...Apologize?” Iruka blinked. “Why?”

    “Some kid came by looking for you on Friday, after you left,” Kakashi went on, scratching at his face mask in an almost nervous gesture. “Seemed real upset about an orange pen missing from your desk. Said it was a present from him. And, well...I connected the dots.” He nodded towards Iruka's desk, where Naruto's gag “Worst Big Brother Ever” mug sat in its place of honor beside his monitor. “I'm sorry. I didn't know that pen meant so much to you.” He dropped his gaze in shame. “I shouldn't have taken it. Or any of your other stuff, for that matter.” 

    “It...it's alright, Kakashi,” Iruka said quietly, looking at him in a whole new light. Perhaps he should reevaluate his opinion of the other man. Sure, he was a lazy, procrastinating jerk sometimes, but he seemed to have a good heart. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. “And...thank you for the supplies, they're very appreciated, but honestly, there was no need to trouble yourself-”

    “Want me to take my shirt off again?”

    And maybe he was just an asshole.

    Kakashi smirked down at him, and Iruka could imagine how, under the mask, it pulled at the stupid beauty mark on the side of his mouth.

    ...A really, really hot asshole.

    “...Yeah alright.”

(Written for @kakairu-fest Kakairu Month 2021, Day Six Prompt: Office AU)

[timextoxhajima]

Playlist Feels

*SHORT SERIES

Member: LEE JUYEON

Genre: angst, fluff, romance, chaebol feels cause i can totally see juyeon as a chaebol who’s self-sustaining idk

A/N: Here’s juyeon in something that looks like a suit/formal wear cause i couldn’t find a gif of him in a suit :”) m sed. i’m also very very very weak for settings that are of high-class and somewhat jazzy/sophisticated/expensive themes. throwing in romance just boosts the bonus points ;”)

Links to other parts:

~

Frustrated (light smut) 

Love Somebody (light smut)

Play With Fire (smut) 

you couldn’t help but to smile softly at the sound of your colleagues lowkey dissing the hell out of your boss. you’ve been working at this law firm for nearly half a year now, and nearly nobody working in the building has any clue how your boss looks like. 

there wasn’t a single photo of him in the building, and even if there was, the only person who knew how he looked like refused to disclose the information. 

“don’t you find it strange that mr lee sangyeon refuses to tell us how our boss even looks like? surely there’s some portrait of him hanging somewhere in the office,” you look at chanhee who was on the verge of spitting his food out in the midst of aggressively complaining. 

you laugh, using your tongue and cleaning the small bits of tomato and lettuce from your teeth, watching sunwoo grab a napkin. you expected him to wipe his mouth before going off on a diss, but he just crumples it in his hand and says whatever he wanted to say.

“i asked him before and he said that we’d gossip about him if we knew who he really was. all i know is that he hasn’t been in the building since his father gave him the law firm.”

“huh?” chanhee’s eyes were wide open and staring at sunwoo upon the new information. “don’t tell me... so he’s just a chaebol who thinks he doesn’t need to work just ‘cause his father owns the company? wha... this guy is really something else...”

you exchange glances with eric, who had been silent alongside you and listening to the conversation. 

“if you google the law firm and his father’s name, only his father’s name comes up,” sunwoo pulls up his phone, mouth still chewing on the last bit of his pasta.

“oh! what’s his name? are there any pictures of him?” chanhee leaned towards the younger, trying to take a look at the phone screen while sunwoo googles the name.

“ah, he’s only been referred to as the son of his father... no pictures of him...” 

chanhee bares his teeth in disappointment, pulling away and returning his attention to his food. 

“what’s the internet good for if we can’t even find the information we need...”

you chuckle, taking a sip from your coffee. 

the last six months you’ve been working here, you’ve been clearing every case with ease. you’ve worked with chanhee, sunwoo and with eric on the latest one, and you’ve won every case you needed to turn up in court for. 

but all those wins were at the expense of your sleep and alone time. 

there was nothing for you to worry about though, mr lee sangyeon has already given you feedback that you were doing well anyway.

but you couldn’t help but wonder: just who is your boss?

you, chanhee, eric and sunwoo entered the company in the same batch six months ago, and since then your boss has not once stepped into the building. what was strange was that nobody else has spoken about him. it almost seemed like every other employee under the law firm was either terrified to even speak of him, or that they were simply clueless. 

you’ve tried digging the information from the colleague sitting next to your cubicle: lee jaehyun. 

but never does he once budge. all he’s ever done when you ask about your phantom boss was shake his head and tell you not to ask anybody else about him. you’ve tried to ask if he was a scary boss or that he’s never even seen him before, but he shooed you away and told you to focus on your cases instead.

the week passes in a flash, with a new case you’ve been working on with chanhee that’s been holding the both of you back in office till late hours was killing you. if it wasn’t for mr lee sangyeon shutting off all the electricity in the office, you and chanhee would’ve probably spent the night there. 

“the both of you are allowed to report to office at 10 am tomorrow. you guys get two hours discount because i know this case is pretty tough. it’s your first business lawsuit, right?”

chanhee’s eyes were rolled back so far in his head that he looked drunk, so you take the initiative to respond by nodding with whatever energy you had left in you. 

“okay. good job for now. go home,” the manager taps on chanhee’s shoulders and jerks him a little. “go home or the both of you are fired!” 

chanhee shoots up at the word “fired”, only bowing in apology before the both of you gets chased out of the office. 

THE NEXT MORNING

“GOOOOOOD MOR--”

“shut the fuck up!” 

you turn your head sharply at sunwoo who hissed at you. he was seated near the entrance of the office, so he was the first person to hear you push open the doors like you were entering heaven.

“well, that’s not very kind of yo--”

“he’s fucking here, you dumbwit!” sunwoo has a finger pressed to his lips and a look of urgency cemented into his face. frankly, he looked like he was in pain. 

eric, who was sitting right next to him, looks at both you and chanhee and shakes his head gently. 

you look around the office, and you notice everybody’s heads were dipped into their laptops and case files. it was so quiet, it’ll be an understatement if you said you could hear a pin drop. 

“i’m sorry, who’s here?” you frown at sunwoo, frowning a little while you remember you didn’t bother wearing a brooch. it wasn’t compulsory, but mr lee sangyeon has mentioned before that it was an office tradition. you note that nobody else has the brooch on besides chanhee and lee jaehyun. 

“oh my god, you’re a fucki--”

“oh!” you hear your manager call out. you and chanhee react to the enthusiastic greeting, and you see your manager walking along the larger offices and around the cubicles where you worked. “the both of you are here! i was beginning to worry you were going to be late.”

mr lee sangyeon stops about two metres before you, hands in his pocket. you notice he has a brooch on his breast pocket, and you don’t remember him ever wearing it. 

“why don’t the two of you settle down for a bit, and around...” he looks at his watch. “ten thirty? meet me outside the CEO’s office.”

you hear chanhee hiccup at the instruction. though you were a lawyer yourself, you take longer than necessary to process the information.

“huh?” you blurt out. you notice sunwoo facepalming in the corner of your eye while your manager had the stiffest smile on his face. “the... the CEO?”

“yes, the CEO.”

you hear chanhee stammer a little bit. “uh... i... did we do anything wrong? are we getting fired? why are we going to the CEO’s of--”

“oh, no! none of that,” your manager bursts into laughter and waves his hand in your faces. “the CEO was just looking through the case files and he thinks this one is going to be tricky. he’s thinking of helping the both of you through it!”

your face doesn’t move, but your eyes turn to look at chanhee who was now standing right next to you.

the ceo hasn’t even been in the damn building since he got the law firm. who does he think he is, thinking of helping us ‘through it’?

“oh, don’t sweat it! he’s not as bad as people say, trust me.”

you force out a weak smile, noticing sunwoo giving you two thumbs-up without smiling. it was as if he was sending you off to your death.

“ohmygod we’re gonna get fired we’re gonna get fired ohmyjesus we’re going to get fired we’regonnagetfi--”

“shut your trap, would you?” you whisper harshly, punching chanhee lightly in his arm. the both of you were standing outside the CEO’s office, the digital clock in the corner of the space displaying 1027.

“mr lee already said we’re not getting fired, so stop freaking out on me!” you urge him to collect himself as you hear the door of your manager’s door click open.

“when you’re inside, just address him with ‘sir’ and mr lee if you’re talking to me, okay?” your manager grins widely at you. you absorb his demeanor, only now realising that he must’ve known that the ceo was going to come into office today. there was no other reason why he chose today to wear the brooch. 

“relax, and just hear him out carefully with whatever he says, okay? the both of you will be fine as long as i’m around.”

you frown to yourself, and you could almost hear chanhee get a whole asthma attack behind you.

‘you’ll be fine as long as i’m around’? is this guy a wolf or vampire or something?

your manager turns and knocks on the frosted glass, and you turn to notice a vague, dark shadow standing inside. 

“come in.”

your manager pushes the door open, and chanhee pushes you to enter the office first.

the first thing you notice was the scent of the space once you were inside. 

there was a light scent that reminded you of the mountains and trees whenever you went hiking. the scent of dew, pine trees and fresh air was the only thing you could smell. 

the next thing you noticed was how incredibly neat and large the office was. you’ve never stepped into this office before, and though mr lee sangyeon’s was right next to this office, it looked like it was easily double the size of his. 

“go easy on them,” your manager’s voice snapped you back to reality. you found yourself standing awkwardly behind the chairs that looked expensive on its own. “don’t scare my newbies, please.”

you hear your manager laugh. your eyes travel from the orientation of the room and it’s black and golden-brown colors to see the man that sent the entire office into complete silence since you’ve stepped in, and you nearly lost your grip on all the files you had in your arm. 

“why?” your boss laughs as he turns around from the shelf behind his desk, placing a file on the surface before looking at you and chanhee. “there’s no reason for them to be scared as long as they haven’t done anything wrong.”

you blink multiple times, forgetting that anybody might’ve thought you had something in your eye if they saw it. your boss looked even younger than your manager, and he wasn’t even in a suit.

he was in a blue blazer with silver buttons, with a button down top underneath and black pants with his hair waxed upwards. had you not known this man was your boss, you would’ve thought he was some random guy who broke into his office. you were expecting someone in his mid thirties or something, so seeing someone barely a few years older than you standing in the office labelled ‘CEO’ was difficult to swallow.

“choi chanhee, right?” he first looks at your friend, fingers mindlessly fiddling with each other behind the files he was holding in his hands. chanhee quickly bows. you observe carefully as his eyes travel from chanhee to you. 

“you... you’re the one who’s closed like, three cases in the six months you were here, right?” he tilts his head while he asks the question. you bow cautiously with your hand over your chest.

“i only let them take up this case because they both stood out to me the most,” your manager pulls out both chairs at the table, gesturing to the both of you to sit. the ceo smiles, turning and leaning his rear against the edge of the table. he looks out the window behind his desk and beside the shelf, watching the city pass by second by second. 

your manager gets the both of you settled in the seats like a parent, and you watch as chanhee tries his best to speak with his eyes. 

your manager shakes his head lightly, only to pat chanhee on his shoulder. 

“don’t you dare scare them!” your manager warns the ceo. he looks over his shoulder and nods without a smile. chanhee looks worriedly at your manager leaving the office, physically uneasy as the door shuts with a click. 

there was a heavy, awkward silence that hung in the air while both you and chanhee watch your ceo stare out of the window. you couldn’t even see his face because all you were looking at were the creases on his back. 

“the first rule i need you two to follow if we are to work together is professionalism,” his voice startles you, but he doesn’t turn around. “meaning that whatever obstacles that come by, we discuss it as a team. the company that filed for this lawsuit, objectively speaking, was in the wrong. it’s highly likely that we’ll lose as the defendant if we make one small mistake.”

you hear chanhee gulp, and if it was loud enough for you to hear, your ceo probably heard it too. 

he finally pushes himself off the desk and turns around, pulling out the chair so he was now sitting facing the both of you. 

his eyes were so focused, so serious, that you realise now why your manager hasn’t said anything about him to any of you newbies. 

he was intimidating and there was a look of sheer determination in him that would’ve scared the balls out of certain people. lee jaehyun was probably one of them. 

your manager must’ve told anybody who has already met him to keep quiet about his intimidating personality. 

but... where the hell has he been the last six months? and was he even qualified to be giving us this speech?

“the second thing i need the both of you to know is that this isn’t going to be an easy case. i’m going to need the both of you to commit to it right now, and if you can’t just be honest. i’m not going to fire you just because you’re worried about losing a difficult case in the first six months you’re working here.”

you purse your lips, confident that you were going to get through this, even if it meant losing. 

chanhee doesn’t agree though.

“actually,” you snap your head to glare at chanhee when he opens his mouth. your ceo leans back in his seat, his face a lack of emotion. “i can’t deny i’m worried that we’re going to lose the case. i agree that there’s a high chance that we might lose as the defense counsel so--”

“are you nuts?” you interrupt him with a low voice. as if your ceo isn’t going to hear it. “so what if we lose the case?”

“i’m sorry, i just--”

“no, it’s fine, i totally understand,” your ceo shakes his head and leans forward again, resting his arms on the surface of the desk and reaching for the case file. “i know how it feels like to lose a case, even when you know it’s difficult to win.”

you snap your head back to the man sitting opposite you with eyes made of steel, completely forgetting that he was your ceo. 

‘i know how it feels’?

“sangyeon hyung told me that you were exhausted yesterday after working on this case all day, so i’m giving you a chance to walk away and trust me and y/n with it.”

you return your attention to chanhee, your head chanting “no no no no no no please no”

but chanhee gives you an apologetic look. 

you sigh and resign to fate, wanting to bury your face in your palms, but the sound of your ceo clicking on a pen prevents you from doing so. 

“alright, i’ll get the details of the case fixed by the end of the day. before you clock out in the evening, do give it a check and inform me if your name is still on the case in the system.”

he scribbles something in the case file and gives chanhee a look that you couldn’t read. no smile, no nod, nothing. 

“if there’re no further questions then you may leave,” he directs the instruction at chanhee. you look at him with begging eyes, telling him not to ditch you alone with this man. 

you should’ve known chanhee was merciless at heart, and you were on the verge of cursing at him when you see him shoot you a cheeky smile when you watch him escape. 

your eyes remain glued to chanhee’s back as he exits the office, and the frosted glass door takes forever to close.

“anything about the glass door that’s so fascinating to you?” 

you turn your neck so fast at his question that you feel a nerve snap. you wince a little at the pain that shoots up your head, but you manage to collect yourself while he looks through the case file that chanhee left behind. 

“i know what you’re thinking,” he looks up at you through his lashes, and you’ve never seen the whites of someone’s eyes so... glaring. “but i’m very sure you don’t need to concern yourself with whatever those questions or thoughts are.”

he closes the case file and leans forward, so much that you felt the need to lean back into your seat. 

“all you need to know is that i’m here to help you with this case, despite the level of difficulty. and i want you to know that i have faith in you. that even if you lose, you would’ve fought a good fight.”

what in the world is he even talking about now?

he doesn’t give you time to let nonsensical thoughts run through your head. all he does was fumble around in his drawers for some blank paper and he furiously types on his computer.

you weren’t sure if you were just overwhelmed by all the questions that you couldn’t even form in your head, or that he just waltzed in here and took over a case that belonged to you and chanhee. either way, you were completely dumbfounded. 

he prints you a case file sheet, and before you could even read what was on it, he speaks again. 

“just follow that sheet and do whatever you need to do to find the information and details. after you’re done, you will submit it back to me and i’ll hand you the next sheet.”

what?

“i’m sorry, wha--”

“did i say you could ask questions?” he looks at you, writing stopped and the tip of the pen still on a piece of paper in the file. you unconsciously shoot him a dirty look at his response, but you don’t realise it yourself because he doesn’t bother giving you a reaction.

“you may return to your working space. have it done by tonight and get out of the office by 8pm. you will report to me tomorrow at 8am, and if you’re late, you’ll be removed from the case.”

8pm was earlier than the recommended end-of-work time.

you open your mouth to protest, not realising that your face has contorted into a mess of anger and completely disbelief. but he looks up at you again, and if his eyes could talk, you swore they said, shut up and get out.

you swallow your pride, sucking a deep breath so hard that you were sure he could hear it. you stand up, give a polite bow, and turn on your heels to leave his office. 

once the door clicks behind you and you make sure your manager was back in his office, you start mouthing long strings of vulgarities, trembling and shaking within your control. 

“motherfucker-- what the fuck--”

you return to your seat opposite chanhee’s, and sunwoo and eric rush over to you at the sight of your silent tantrum.

“what happened? is he as shitty as we predicted him to be?”

you huff and bury your face into your hands, careful not to let your fingers mess up your hair. 

“i should’ve dropped the damn case, ugh,” you groan, not wanting to engage in a gossip session with sunwoo and eric. chanhee shoos them away to let you work on whatever you were told to do, and you did just that. 

to your dismay, this cycle repeats itself for the next two weeks. 

nothing but filling up case file sheets like it was homework, and your boss never once has a conversation about it with you. you were starting to wonder if he was just feeding you worksheets to help him get through the case because there was nearly nothing else you could think of that he could’ve been working on on his own. 

you were more than happy to be working on this case, and though you were given more time to rest at home, you were losing time with your colleagues. on top of that, it’s not like you went to sleep the moment you got home. you worked on it until your eyes couldn’t bear to stay open, and it wasn’t difficult to notice because sunwoo made fun of your eyebags one week after you started filling up case file worksheets. 

you were ready to storm into his office in strong protest one morning, but your manager breaks the unfortunate news to you on a bright, sunny day.

“excuse me?” your mouth hung agape at the new information. “he wants me to what?”

sunwoo, eric and chanhee look up from their desks and watches as you painfully process the instructions. your manager doesn’t do anything besides continue the rest of the message relayed from your ceo.

“there’ll be a Porsche at the entrance of the building in about an hour’s time, so you should have all things case-related with you when you get into the car.”

you couldn’t believe your fucking ears.

not only was he feeding you worksheets, now you had to fix your work schedule around him?

you were huffing as you searched through his shelves for the case-related items, only to realise there was nothing left of it in his office. you couldn’t be bothered wondering where all the materials were, because everything the case needed had been filled up by you, and he’s probably stashed it somewhere waiting to claim the credit for himself. 

chanhee watches you as you gather every file and sheet of paper case-related from your work space, and you don’t bother finishing your coffee before offering it to chanhee. 

“call the fucking police if i don’t text you by dinner please,” you nearly snap at chanhee, filled with frustration and anger. he laughs at your demise, taking a sip from the coffee you barely drank as you drag yourself to leave the office. 

your suitcase was much heavier than usual with all the case files in it, so you were only grateful that the Porsche’s chauffeur was kind enough to help you get the door open. 

“sorry for needing you to get the door open,” you huff, slightly out of breath as the chauffeur returns to the driver’s seat. you pull the seatbelt over your chest and buckle it, patting down the creases of your pants and blazer. 

“oh, no it’s totally normal! we’ve been instructed to help whoever’s getting into the vehicles mr lee send anyway, regardless of the things they are carrying.”

“uh... mr lee? lee sang yeon?” 

“huh?” the driver looks at your through the rear mirror. his eyes light up once he processes your words and chuckles warmly. “oh, no. mr lee sangyeon is the manager of the law firm. i’m talking about mr lee juyeon, the ceo.”

so that’s his name.

“oh,” you mumble to yourself, looking out the window as the car drives away from the building. “lee juyeon... would’ve been more convincing if lee sangyeon was the one who gave those instructions.”

“did you say something?” 

“uh--” you stutter. 

shit. 

“i--”

“are you one of his lawyers who think that he’s mean and cold and unreasonable?” he smiles at you with a look of mischief in his eyes. 

isn’t he?

asshole.

you struggle to read his expression, because all you could think of was the fact that you were on his way to his home office just because he was ‘unable to be in the office today’.

“judging by your silence, i’m guessing you are one of those people.”

you look away, telling yourself to shut up before you say anything horrible and get yourself fired. 

the chauffeur must’ve picked up on your discomfort, and he doesn’t say anything else the rest of the drive. 

the drive was barely ten minutes compared to the near one hour it took you to travel from your apartment to the office. but what was more shocking to you was where this douchebag lived. 

the Porsche stops at a building in an area that you’ve never stepped foot in, for the sole reason that this was the most expensive building in the city. 

you should’ve expected it, but seeing it for yourself and being physically present made it all the more harder to believe it. 

you were so busy looking up at the building in awe from the inside of the car that you don’t notice the chauffeur get the door open, and someone else comes to get your suitcase for you. 

you now notice both the chauffeur and the man who took your suitcase for you had brooches of the same design but different colors on their blazers. 

you follow the man who took your suitcase into the lift lobby, the chandelier that hung way up above your head was the first thing that you took notice of. the walls and floor were black and gold, and everything else in the lift lobby was either silver or bronze. 

you would’ve totally thought this was a hotel if you didn’t know your ceo lived here. 

you stand in awkward silence as the lift ascends to the top floor, and it takes you a moment to realise that the top floor were all penthouses because the lift stops, and the man presses a button before the doors opens directly into someone’s living room. 

your eyes widen in wonder, and for a moment you believed you were in some sightseeing tower. beyond the living room was a whole glass wall that spanned the length of the living room, allowing you to take in the view of the city. 

there were two flights of stairs on both sides as you exit the lift, and you catch a glimpse of the extremely large television screen mounted onto the wall on the left, and the kitchen on the right. 

you could’ve spent the entire time just gawking at the orientation and the view, but the sound of shoes clacking against the marble floor steals your attention away. 

you turn, your footing now adjacent to the first steps of the stairs on both sides, only to see your boss walking down the steps with a phone held to his ear. 

the man who has your suitcase bows, earning a small nod and wave from your ceo. 

huh, the waving is new. 

the man lays your suitcase down by the table that was sitting on huge rug on the floor in the middle of the living room. you walk over, scanning the expensive looking three-set sofa that surrounded the table, the only empty side facing the television that looked more like a theatre screen up close. 

“i understand,” you watch as your ceo pats the man on his back and send him off, attention still on the conversation on the phone. “i look forward to meeting you next month, mr shin. always an honour working with you.”

you turn back, now looking at the table and the sofas, but your eyes naturally follow the light, and you begin walking to the glass window where the city passes by below your feet. cars were the size of ants and humans looked like specks of dust. 

“you know i just got my windows cleaned yesterday.”

you step back, quickly realising that you were so cooped up with staring at the world outside that you pressed your forehead and nose against the surface of the glass, leaving ugly marks on it. your hands fly up to your mouth, your eyes widening at the sight. 

your first instinct was to reach up with your arm and wipe it off, but your boss was suddenly next to you, his grip on your wrist stopping whatever you wanted to do. 

“it’s fine. leave it be, i’ll get someone to wipe it off later.”

he releases his hold on you and walks away. 

you wince quietly to yourself, mentally berating yourself for being so mindless and careless despite being in his (pent)house while he picks up your suitcase and takes out all the case files. 

“i need you to look through the 3rd and 7th piece over and tell me more about the company’s leases and financial bonds,” he looks through the file and leaves it open on the third sheet, laying it flat on the table. “give me a minute.”

you sit on the sofa, your heels making it difficult to walk on the rug. you watch as he takes two steps at a time up the stairs and disappears behind a wall that you assume was a hallway. 

you spent a whole day staring at each piece of worksheet, so you’ve basically memorised everything about the third and seventh sheet he needed you to look at. 

you wonder why he was wearing an all black fit in the comfort of his own home instead. 

within a minute he was rushing back down the stairs, and in his hand was a file you’ve never seen before. there were so many sheets in it that you wonder if it was just torn right out of a book.

but he lays it down next to yours, and everything in it was case-related with information that you’ve never seen before. 

he lets you look through the sheets in his file, and you can’t help to stare at him with utter confusion. he catches you watching him with a perplexed expression and allows you a few moments before everything clicks in your head.

“you’re a fucking lawyer.”

Part 2: Frustrated

[emospritelet]

Heatstroke - chapter 14

[AO3] - 2,072 words

x

Lacey kept her eyes fixed on the sign outside Mr Gold’s shop as she walked rapidly towards it, clutching the cardboard tray containing the coffees and muffins in a death grip. She shoved open the door before she could think too hard about it, the bell above jangling, and stepped into the cool darkness of the shop.

Mr Gold was not there, and for a moment she stood, uncertain, bouncing on her toes a little. Then the familiar, rhythmic tap of his cane sounded, and the curtain that separated the back room from the shop was pushed aside.

“May I help - ah.”

Gold paused as he recognised her, sinking back on his heels a little with a wary look on his face.

“Hey,” said Lacey.

He folded his hands over the top of the cane handle, raising his chin a little.

“Miss French,” he said neutrally.

He was wearing a dark blue shirt beneath the suit jacket and waistcoat, the silk gleaming softly in the light from the lamps. The tie was a gunmetal colour, matching the silvery streaks in the silk handkerchief tucked into his pocket. His eyes flicked up and down her so quickly she hardly noticed, but he didn’t lose that wary expression.

Taking a deep breath, and telling herself to get on with it, Lacey marched up to the counter and set down the cardboard tray, taking out the cup with the black coffee and holding it up to him.

“Here,” she said. “Black, no sugar, right?”

Gold’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“That’s your order,” she said patiently. “Ruby told me.”

“So?”

“So, I bought you a coffee,” she said. 

He gave her a very level look.

“Did you spit in it?”

“No.”

“Are you planning on throwing it over me?”

“What?” Lacey wrinkled her nose. “No! I - I just bought you a coffee, that’s all.”

“Oh,” said Gold, an air of puzzlement about him. “Why?”

Lacey hesitated.

“Because…” She trailed off lamely. “Uh - well, because I guess I owe you an apology.”

“Really?” Gold’s tone was very dry, and he shifted his feet a little, fingers opening and closing on the cane handle. “For which particular indignity?”

She sighed, letting one hip swing outward as she leaned on the counter. His eyes flicked up and down again.

“I’m sorry I called you a pervert, okay?” she said. “I know the underwear thing was Darcy’s fault.”

“Darcy?”

“My cat,” she explained, and his puzzled expression cleared.

“Ah,” he said. “Well, I did try to tell you that.”

“I know,” she said. “So I’m sorry, okay? And I’m sorry for throwing a drink over you.”

His mouth worked a little, and she could tell he was thinking of making a snide comment. At least he managed to keep silent, she supposed. 

“So - that’s the reason for the coffee,” she added. “And a muffin. Coffee and walnut with chocolate chunks. Smells pretty good.”

“Alright,” he said cautiously.

She waited, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Was there something else?”

Lacey sighed.

“Okay, I’m sorry for flashing your son,” she muttered. “Really, really didn’t intend to do that.”

Gold’s mouth quirked at that, his eyes gleaming.

“Well,” he said. “You certainly made an impression.”

“God...” Lacey closed her eyes, letting her head roll back. “I just wanted us to be even, that’s all.”

“Is it necessary to be nude for that to happen?”

She opened her eyes, looking at him. He definitely looked amused, a tiny smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

“You got any better suggestions?” she asked, and he shrugged.

“Maybe I could accept your apology and the coffee,” he suggested. “And we can call it even.”

“Okay.”

There was silence. Gold raised his eyebrow again.

“You appear to be waiting for something,” he said, gesturing towards her, and Lacey huffed in annoyance.

“This is the part where you apologise,” she explained, and his brows drew down.

“For what?”

“For flashing me!” she snapped. “For opening my shipment of sex toys!”

“Both of these unfortunate occurrences were entirely accidental.”

“For - for being a snarky bastard when you brought over the box!” she went on, and Gold rolled his eyes.

“If you want me to apologise for my use of sarcasm we’ll be here all day.”

“You threw a drink over me!” she protested, and he sighed.

“I did,” he acknowledged. “And given that you have professed some sort of - regret - for your insults, I offer you an apology of equal worth and sincerity.”

Lacey opened her mouth, closed it again, and wondered if he was making fun of her. She decided that she didn’t have the energy to argue about it.

“Fine,” she said. “Enjoy your coffee. I had Ruby make it as bitter as your personality.”

She snatched up the paper bag of muffins and her own coffee and turned on her heel.

“Ah - Miss French?”

Lacey rolled her eyes, swivelling on her toes to face him. Gold flicked a finger at her.

“I believe one of those muffins was mine.”

“You’re not gonna tell me you’re sweet enough?” she asked dryly, and he chuckled.

“I think we both know that’s not true.”

“Hmm.” She put down her coffee on the counter and reached into the paper bag, bringing out a muffin and holding it up. “Here you go. Sweet, tempting, and delicious. Your polar opposite in every way.”

Gold grinned, the gold tooth on his lower jaw glinting, and she set the muffin on the counter between them. He glanced down, and she watched as the tip of his tongue moistened his lower lip. He wasn’t quite meeting her eyes, and for a moment she thought he looked unsure of himself. 

“I’ll take these in the back room,” he said, and hesitated again. “Do you - want to sit down?”

Lacey eyed him for a moment. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, and she raised her chin, licking her lips just as he had done.

“Okay.”

He nodded, picking up the muffin.

“If you wouldn’t mind bringing the coffees,” he said, gesturing with the muffin. “Only one free hand, you see.”

He turned away, cane clicking on the floor, and Lacey set both coffees back in the cardboard tray, balancing her own muffin next to them and following him through to the back room. She glanced around, eyeing the shelves filled with stock, pawned items marked with labels, and what she presumed were antiques awaiting cleaning or repair. Gold put his muffin down on a workbench and gestured to a stool.

“Please,” he said. “Take a seat.”

Feeling awkward, Lacey sat down on the stool, setting the coffees on the bench next to her and offering him his. She pulled a chunk of muffin off, popping it into her mouth and watching Gold furtively as he lowered himself onto the stool opposite and rested his cane against the bench. He reached for the coffee, taking a sip, and Lacey realised she hadn’t been chewing the muffin at all. It sat in her mouth, a sweet ball of soft, coffee-scented cake, and she grabbed at her drink, chewing and swallowing before chasing it with a mouthful of coffee. The muffin was as good as it smelled, she decided, the chocolate chips rich and dark and an excellent accompaniment to the coffee.

“So,” said Gold. “Your cat’s name is Darcy.”

“Yeah,” said Lacey.

“As in Pride and Prejudice Darcy?”

“Well, he was a rescue,” she explained. “And when I went to the shelter, all the other kittens were playing and he was kind of standing at the side looking uncomfortable. He’s really great when you get to know him, though.”

“Oh, I know,” he said, setting down his coffee. “He’s been spending the evenings at my house. He likes chicken. And fish, when I have it.”

Lacey’s eyes widened.

“So it’s you that’s been feeding him!” she exclaimed. “He turns his nose up at the cat food I put out for him because he’s eating gourmet crap at your house?”

“I only gave him a few scraps.” Gold looked amused. “I can stop, if you like.”

Lacey huffed.

“He really stays with you?” she asked.

“Stretches himself out on the lounge floor and watches me read,” he said. “It’s actually nice to have a little company.”

“Huh,” she said. “Yeah, I hear you.”

There was silence. She sipped at her coffee, setting down the cup and taking another piece of muffin.

“What made you move to Storybrooke?” he asked, and she licked crumbs from her fingers.

“I needed a total change,” she said. “New York was great - expensive, but great - but it was kind of weighing me down. I grew up in a small town something like this. Maybe I was trying to get back to - I don’t know, a simpler life, maybe?”

“I suppose I can understand that.” He took another drink of coffee. “If it’s a quiet life you’re after, you could do a lot worse.”

He took a bite of muffin, making a noise of appreciation, and Lacey put her head to the side.

“What about you?” she asked. “I mean, with that accent, you definitely weren’t born here.”

“No, I grew up in Glasgow.”

“How d’you end up in Maine?”

Gold gave a somewhat secretive smile.

“Long story.”

“I’d like to hear it.”

He shrugged a little.

“Maybe some other time.”

Lacey realised she wasn’t going to get anything more out of him on that front. She took another drink.

“So,” she said. “Ruby says you have a grandson.”

“Yes, Henry.” His eyes softened a little. “He reminds me of Neal at his age. Bright, curious about everything. He’s a good boy.”

There was more silence, and she tried to think of something to say. Gold spared her the trouble, sucking crumbs from his fingers before glancing at her.

“I read your article with Miss West,” he said.

“Oh yeah?” She perked up a little. “What did you think?”

Gold pulled a face.

“It was more interesting in what it didn’t say,” he remarked, and Lacey deflated a little.

“Yeah, well…” she muttered. “Sidney doesn’t want a lawsuit, I guess. I had to trim out all the juicy stuff I couldn’t prove.”

“Hmm.” He looked amused at that. “Have you noticed that she’s not on good terms with the Mayor?”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” asked Lacey. “From the look on her face, she seems to really hate Regina, but I haven’t heard that they had a fight about anything.”

“I very much doubt Mayor Mills is aware of her - animosity,” he said. “You might want to look into her distant past.”

Lacey was intrigued.

“What’ll I find?”

Gold grinned, reaching for his muffin again.

“If I told you that,” he said. “It would take all the fun out of it, wouldn’t it?”

He tore off a piece of muffin, popping it into his mouth, and Lacey took a deep breath.

“Can I interview you?” she asked, in a rush, and his eyes widened.

“What?”

“For the paper,” she explained. “Sidney bet me I couldn’t get you to agree to an interview, so since we’re now best buddies, I thought I’d ask.”

Gold looked amused.

“It’ll take a lot more than a coffee and muffin to get on my good side, Miss French.”

“Oh yeah?” said Lacey. “What more do you want?”

His smile grew.

“I don’t know just yet.”

He took a drink of coffee, and she ate the last piece of her muffin.

“So, is that a no?”

Gold popped the last of his own muffin into his mouth, dusting crumbs from his hands and sitting back.

“For now,” he said. “Ours is a new and fragile peace, after all.”

“Very poetic.”

“I have my moments.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not planning on throwing any more drinks on you,” she said. “Promise not to flash me again and I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”

“Extend me the same courtesy and we’re agreed.” 

He was grinning, and she got the feeling he enjoyed being challenged.

“Fine,” she said loftily, and raised her cup. “Here’s to never seeing each other naked.”

Gold looked as though he was trying very hard not to laugh, but picked up his own cup.

“To propriety.”

They touched the cups together, and Lacey met his eyes, breath catching at the amused glint in them. Good job at not getting the hots for the guy, Lacey. Excellent work.

[labradoriteprince]

Locket (Crumb)

  Y’all be nice i haven’t written in like 3 years but this is just an intro to the au I am working on

“Okay Mr.Iwa, you're all good to go. Remember, physical therapy starts next Tuesday and you’ll be attending two days a week until your physical therapist decides you’ve come far enough to move down to once a week, then biweekly, and so on.” The doctor went down the checklist. 

Deidara nodded along, staring down at the black and silver replacement for his left arm. He had lost the appendage in an accident at work in which his coworker had dropped a pallet from the sky shelves. Not that it was actually Gaara’s fault. The pallet was old anyways and the bottom planks decided to give. Deidara was lucky enough that only his arm was irreparable. His chest and ribs had recovered with minimal scarring. He had gotten a permanent leave, along with worker’s compensation and a lawsuit on the company for the faulty and dangerous work setting.  

“Thank you” Deidara smiled as he got up. “See you next week, Dr.Senju.” He smiled as he headed out. He could already tell it was going to be weird trying to get used to his new arm.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Deidara stood outside the coffee shop, his nerves a little out of hand… Literally. Today was his first full day with his prosthetic arm. He had been without his left arm for almost a year, but he had to wait until he could actually invest in the device, given how expensive it was. He always came to this shop. And every Monday through Thursday the same red head was always working. A short, stoic man with bored brown eyes and… well, quite frankly, no visible personality. With a heavy sigh, Deidara headed through the door and into the line. They weren’t super busy today, given it was nine am on a Tuesday, but there was a lady ahead of him in line with her son holding tightly to her hand, ogling and drooling over the brownies and muffins.

The kid quickly let go of his mom’s hand, to run up and shove his hands up against the glass. The barista’s gaze moved to the kid, his lip curling the slightest bit at the greasy hand prints being dragged down the glass case. Oh boy, Deidara was definitely going to annoy him today. He was already having a morning. The blonde could tell.

Once the woman ordered and stepped aside, it was Deidara’s turn. He stepped up to the counter, looking over the menu to buy time, like he didn’t always order the same thing. 

“Are you not ordering the usual?” The  barista asked. Deidara looked over at him.

“No- I am, I just wasn’t sure” He assured the man. “Latte with four shots espresso.” He assured him.

“I know what you take.” The redhead turned around to the machines in the back. “I’ll make it. Last time Konan left out the extra shots.” Sasori grabbed the Styrofoam cup. Deidara noticed he had upsized the drink, a sweet gesture though it made him more nervous. 

Once the barista finished the drink, he held it out for Deidara to take. "Its on the house. Congratulations on your arm." 

Deidara smiled, carefully reaching for the cup. All was going well so far.. he just had to grip the cup. 

By now, Sasori could see where this was going, locked in eye contact with Deidara, almost daring him to-

The cup broke when Deidara went to grab it, spewing scalding hot coffee all over the counter and floor. The redhead's eyes narrowed. "Konan, can I get your help cleaning this up. I need to remake a drink. " he sighed, grumbling to himself as he turned around to remake Deidara's latte. 

"Sorry" The blonde apologized, embarrassed by the mess he had made. "I just wanted to practice grabbing things." He explained.

"Well, practice outside of my store." The redhead countered. 

"Sasori-" Konan shot her coworker a glare. So that was his name.

"Well, he made a mess." Sasori muttered. He came back to the counter, handing the blonde a new cup. "Use your right hand this time." 

“Yes sir, sorry again.” Deidara quickly apologized as he headed out of the cafe. Well, that was humiliating. He took a sip of coffee and scrunched up his nose. Oh that petty bitch, this was so much more than 4 espresso shots. He couldn’t be too upset. It was a free coffee, and he did just make a mess. 

He was just desperate to be back to his full potential again. The past year he’s just felt like a burden, not able to move his own furniture when he moved into his new apartment, or having to relearn how to drive, cook, and everything. For a while there, he had to have his old roommate help him put his hair up. Neji always did, though. Even though they both knew he had better things to do. 

Once Deidara got home, he sat his cup on the coffee table, before pulling out his phone. Sasori… hmm. That was an uncommon enough name. He should be able to find him. He logged onto Facebook, typing the redhead’s name into the search bar. It wasn’t long before he found the barista. Sasori Akasuna. The blonde clicked on his profile, scrolling through. He only had a handful of friends, including the coworker from earlier. Though, the only person who seemed to be tagging him in anything was a little old woman who, obviously, was newer to Facebook. Sasori’s entire timeline was full of outdated memes, posts about tagging loved ones, and random ‘I love my grandson’ posts, all of which were from this same woman, Chiyo Akasuna.

Huh, well, it was safe to assume Chiyo was his Grandmother. It was also probably safe to say they were close. Or at least seemed to be. Deidara scrolled all the way back to the top of the page, sending a friend request. He plopped his phone down on the coffee table as well, before looking at his arm. He slowly opened and closed his prosthetic hand, watching the fingers curl up, then open, then repeat. He smiled faintly, before laying back onto the couch. It wasn’t long before he closed his eyes and started to fall asleep. It was a good thing he hadn’t really drank his latte after discovering how bitter it was. Otherwise he’d be too awake to nap.  

Once the blonde did wake up, he picked up his phone to check the time. It was about a quarter to five and he’d been sleeping since almost eleven. “Way to go, Deidara. Way to waste a day” He lectured himself as he got up. He noticed he had a Facebook notification and opened it. It was a message. 

“How in the hell did you find me?

Why did you find me?”

How was Deidara supposed to respond? Lie? Yeah- lying is good. 

“You were in my suggested friends list.”

It was almost an immediate reply.

“Right, with no mutuals and no idea what my name was before now. 

This is almost obsessive. You come in everyday at the same time, 

Constantly you're in my shop to just kill time, and now coincidentally, “

“You’ve found my Facebook.”

Oh man, this was taking a bad turn, and fast. 

“No, look, really. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to see 

Who you were. Not in a creepy way, though. Really.” 

“Right

I’m blocking you.”

Oh shit. Deidara messed up. Now how was he supposed to show his face at the cafe? He groaned and tossed the phone down. 

Well... Fuck.

[miracul0us-multishipper]

Welcome to the Back (Part 11)

First Chapter  Previous Chapter  Next Chapter

Lila knew the situation was getting out of hand, even before she heard Ladybug reveal that they weren’t friends. At this point, she had already escaped the school and hidden outside, where she was in no danger to be seen by Sentiquill. 

“Stupid Ladybug!”, she muttered as she walked home, not bothering to check up on the others or return to school. Even after she saw the Miraculous Cure flash through the sky, her pace didn’t slow. She needed time to think of a fitting lie, and the fallout of today’s akuma would be enough to deal with tomorrow. Ugh, she hated Paris! You could never know what happened next, never plan ahead!

She groaned.

To be fair, the akuma attack was actually kind of convenient this time. It gave her a chance to check up on her looks at home, prepare for the meeting this afternoon. There was no second chance for the first impression, after all!

So when she entered the TV1 tower and flashed the employee ID she’d stolen from Mireille, she looked as professional as she could get.

René Bordeaux’s office was easy to find. His name was written on the door in bright, red letters and the voice that yelled into a phone on the other side was iconic. With a confident smile, she knocked on the door. The voice fell silent, then yelled into the phone once more before hanging up. Angry footsteps advanced and the door was flung open. 

“What is it?!”, a middle-aged man shouted. Lila scanned him quickly. Carefully styled, blond-dyed hair. There was a hint of grey in his roots, something he obviously meant to hide. Scared of aging probably.

His suit looked brand new, but was a little too short on the ankles, she noticed and drew her conclusions: He valued luxury and tried to intimidate with pricy clothes, but didn’t actually know a lot about fashion and likely bought whatever looked the most expensive. He had sideburns, for God’s sake. 60’s nostalgia? Probably wanted to go back to “the good old days” his dad had talked about wistfully when he was young. She wondered if he was right-wing. A Control freak, judging by the meticulously organized room behind him, and he was single given the lacking photos of a girlfriend on his desk. Or photos of anything other than himself in general. There was a wedding ring on his finger, even though Lila’s research had brought up his disastrous divorce of Evelyn Leanne, and that he hadn’t married since. His lack of reminders of Leanne in the office - reference to the photos - made her doubt he harbored any romantic sentiment for her. He was only bitter about being shunned, and about losing a perfect trophy family. Likely hadn’t accepted the divorce. 

All these deductions only took her seconds to complete, René Bordeaux was an open book.

Her smile widened. So much potential!

“Oh, my apologies.”, she said sweetly. “I was looking for René Bordeaux, but if he’s not here yet-“

“I’m René Bordeaux! Why do you think would I be in this office, otherwise?!”

She gasped in false shock.

“You? But you look so young!”

The man blinked, thrown off his rhythm. His anger deflated and his raised hand dropped to his side.

“I... I guess!”

He caught himself and crossed his arms.

“Well, you have a point. But I hear that a lot, young Lady, so what do you want?”

Perfect.

“I am Lila Rossi.”, she introduced herself. “I called you yesterday, about the Journalism Junior contest you produce. A great idea, by the way.”

“Ah, yes, of course. What was that about again?”

Time to get bolder.

“May I come inside?”, she crooned. “This shouldn’t be discussed so out in the open. Wouldn’t want the public to hear of it.”

Now she had his attention. Bordeaux had made his money as a populist and paparazzi, a reporter known for his scandalous articles. He’d lost his job after the lawsuits last year, but his new position as chief editor of TV1 didn’t mean he had lost his lurid hunger for sensations - especially if he was the first one to know.

He huffed, but stepped back to let her in. The view out of the window front was fantastic, but she wasn’t here to marvel at the city. So she came straight to the point.

“I am a great fan of you work!”, she lied. “Especially your article after the Leanne-Agreste Show Disaster. Your concern about your son’s well being was very inspiring for me. I wish I had a father like that.”

She was glad she didn’t have a father like that, but Bordeaux didn’t need to know that. His brows furrowed in confusion.

“Am I supposed to be flattered?”, he grumbled, but his chest visibly swoll with pride. “What does this have to do with the contest?”

Her shoulders dropped in concern. 

“Monsieur Bordeaux, I don’t know how to tell you this, but... See, Felix is in my class, and I am very concerned about him. I wanted to do my report on him, but what I found during my research worries me.”

He’s a control freak, she remembered, and he has no real sentiment towards his family. He only cares about reputations.

“He’s surrounding himself with all the wrong people, and when I - as the class representative - wanted to warn his mother, she brushed me off as if she didn’t care at all.”

Bordeaux tried to hide his interest, but there was a spark of hunger in his eyes. He was sensing a chance.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. See, our class is very... diverse.” 

If he leaned to right side of politics, the word would repulse him.

“There’s people like Felix, Adrien Agreste, the mayor’s daughter or me in our class, who are well educated and come from the right families. But there are also... less fortunate people. Like Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng for example, who has great influence over your son.”

He flinched at the foreign last name, just as expected. His face had turned sour.

“What are you saying?”

“I say, Felix needs you.”, she catered to his ego. “He has no father figure, no role model. His mother lets him do whatever he wants, not caring about his future or who might take advantage of him. He has an unhealthy amount of freedoms, and just this morning, he fell victim to Hawkmoth!”

Bordeaux’s hands twitched and his eyes widened.

“An akuma was after my heir?! Who was it? I need names!”

“Oh no, he was akumatized himself.”, she informed him smugly. He muttered something about bad publicity, then looked up again.

“What was the reason? His mother? He’s ridiculously devoted to her.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.”, she lied. “He was alone with Dupain-Cheng when it happened.”

She sighed, then put enough urgency in her voice to make even herself cringe.

“He really needs someone who knows what’s best for him, who can look out for him and will set him limits. He needs you!”

Bordeaux scoffed and paced through his office.

“Do you think I didn’t try to save this family?! Evelyn won’t let me near them anymore, and Felix would rather live like a pauper before going against her.”

Lila smiled.

“I know.”

Her schemes were finally going somewhere.

“But I might have a solution for you.”

-

When Adrien came to school the next day, he felt numb. There was no Plagg at his side, no ring on his finger, no sense of freedom in his chest as he walked up to the entrance. Everything felt hollow. How could everyone be this carefree when his entire world had been uprooted yesterday? Didn’t they feel the shift in the air, the tension in the room? Chat Noir had vanished, yet nobody seemed to mind.

“Dude, there you are!”, Nino greeted him from a bench at side, surrounded by his classmates. “We were worried sick about you, yesterday! Did you see the Akuma Attack? We were all working with Ladybug, it was so cool!”

Adrien flinched, before stomping over to them.

“Really?”, he asked, trying to suppress his fury. “That sounds awesome! I was busy looking for Chat Noir, in case you wanted to know! So he could get back to protecting Ladybug.”

If Nino noticed how passive-aggressive he sounded, he only shrugged.

“Man, didn’t you hear? It was all over the news last night.”

Adrien frowned in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Yeah!”, Alix chimed in. “Chat Noir is cancelled!”

His blood ran cold. Did they... did they know he had lost his ring?!

“Look at this.”, Alya demanded and showed him her phone, playing a video on the Ladyblog. “Nino filmed this, since I was taken out.”

His eyes widened when he recognized the scenery. It was filmed from under the stairs, but Sentiquill and Ladybug were perfectly clear to see. His Lady held the Akuma in place with her yo-yo, ordering Chat to help. Alya was snorting with anger when the hero refused, leaving Rose at Sentiquill’s mercy.

“Can you believe it?!”, she seethed when the camera panned to Ladybug’s pained face, who apologized for rejecting him before asking for his help again. “He made her beg! He let Rose be drained for ink, just so he could force her into his stupid power play! And her apology?”

She scoffed.

“I can’t believe he would ask that of her! As if she owed him anything for rejecting him!”

“Don’t forget the part where he almost killed Ladybug!”, Chloé spoke up. “If I ever see his ugly ass face again, I won’t need a Miraculous to rip him apart.”

“But,” Adrien stammered, “We don’t know the whole story! Maybe he had a valid reason to-“

Chloé laughed and pinched his cheek.

“Oh, silly Adrikins. I always forget how little experience you have with people.”

Kim nodded.

“Yeah, if you get rejected, no matter how, you gotta accept it. Doesn’t mean you gotta take any shit” - he glared at Chloé, who had the decency to look ashamed - “But you sure have no right to pressure her into anything. And demanding an apology for saying no?”

He clicked his tongue.

“That guy definitely wasn’t present for Mendeleiev‘s lesson on consent.”

“He abandoned Rose.”, Juleka murmured from the background, holding her unusually quiet girlfriend’s hand. “I’ll never forgive him for that.”

Adrien gulped.

“Well, Miraculous Ladybug always undoes every harm, right?”

“Cut it, Adrien!”, Alya snarled at him all of a sudden. Everyone fell silent. The reporter blinked, then leaned back a little to regain control of herself.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”, she mumbled, staring at nothing. “What it felt like. Just because Ladybug can cure everyone doesn’t mean she can undo what happened to us.”

Nino put his arm around her and she relaxed a little. When she looked at Adrien again, she was as composed as always.

“I’ve never been more terrified than yesterday.”, she stated firmly. “And it was even worse for Rose, judging by how much ink Sentiquill got out of her. Chat could have spared her that, but he chose not to. To him, each of us was less important than getting back at Ladybug. Just for not catering to his whims.”

She shook her head.

“If Ladybug doesn’t kick his ass, Rena Rouge will.”

“Uh, I literally said it first.”, Chloé complained. “Tell Fox girl to stand in line, Queen Bee is the one that’s going to kick that mangy cat into orbit!”

As the others broke out in a fight of who would have the best chance to beat up Chat Noir - Sabrina stood eerily still in the corner, saying something about a knife and Chat’s eyes - Adrien slipped out of the yard. It felt like the entire universe was against him! Everything came crashing down around him, no one took his side anymore-

“Adrien?”, a voice behind him asked and he turned around to see Lila. “Are you alright?”

He swallowed down his feelings.

“Yeah”, he croaked. “Just worried. Ladybug told everyone about you, classes are going to be... tense.”

He sighed. He might not be Chat Noir right now, but he was still Adrien Agreste, Bustier’s sunshine boy. He had to keep the peace as far as possible.

“You need to come clean.”, he suggested. “Apologize and tell them the truth about everything, then maybe, this will blow over soon.”

And maybe Marinette would be his friend again. This whole Lila-mess had only harmed them all, it was time to set things right.

Lila nodded.

“Of course, you are so right.”

She smiled weakly.

“I know I never told you this, but you are a great friend. Thank you for protecting me as long as you could. I really wish people would listen to you more, you’re so thoughtful!”

He looked up.

“You think so?”

She nodded, patting his shoulders.

“They can’t see it, but I do.”, she assured him. “You do so much for your friends. You prevent them from harming themselves, from destroying the harmonic atmosphere. They can be grateful to call you their friend.”

He blushed a bit, flattered. And relieved. Finally someone that appreciated all his hard work!

Lila sighed and walked towards the yard.

“I’m really sorry you’ll be dragged into this mess, Adrien.”

He stiffened. Wait, what?

“What do you mean?”

She stopped to look at him, surprised.

“Well, if I tell them the truth about everything, I’ll have to tell them you knew everything from the start. You and I know it was only for their own good that you didn’t expose me, but they... You’ll be pulled into this inevitably. Things will likely be horrible for you for a while, maybe you’ll even lose some friends. Nino, Alya, Chloé... I don’t think they’ll understand you were doing the right thing.”

His mind was running wild. No! He already had them badmouthing Chat Noir in front of him, he wouldn’t be able to bear it if they hated him as Adrien too!

“Lila, wait!”, he called when she moved to walk on. “Maybe... Maybe there’s another way. To keep everyone calm. We can think of something, I’ll help you!”

She smiled.

“You would do that for me? You’re so sweet.”

Her eyes glistened eagerly.

“I think I already have an idea.”

-

“How are you feeling?”, Felix asked her. They stood in front of the classroom, hesitating to go inside. But Marinette had enough of fearing confrontation. Chat, Adrien, Lila, all of them were people she didn’t want to run from anymore. It was time to walk her way and hope that her friends would have her back. But she was through with waiting for problems to resolve on their own. 

“Well enough.”, she replied. “And you?”

He shrugged.

“I don’t remember much of what happened, and I generally don’t care what others think of me. But...”

He sighed.

“I did hurt people. Not consciously, but it still happened because of me.”

Marinette couldn’t say anything against that, so she simply took his hand. Whether for his comfort or her own, she didn’t know.

“Come on.”, she said. “I’m sure they’ll understand, and... It’s not like Lila will be a problem anymore, at least! So let’s get this over with.”

With that, she opened the door and walked inside. Only to see Lila surrounded by their classmates.

“Marinette!”, she called. “Just in time. I was just telling everyone how Ladybug saved me again, yesterday.”

Marinette felt her eyes twitch.

“Ladybug- You- I-“, she pressed out, wanting to throttle her. How was it possible that she just sat here as if nothing happened?! Things were supposed to be different now!

Felix nudged her hand and she looked up to him. He nodded at the rest of the class with his chin, and her eyes followed his gesture. They weren’t hanging on her every word as she had feared. No, Chloé wasn’t even listening, filing her nails with an occasional roll of her eyes. Alya sat next to an angry Nino, arms crossed. Juleka’s eyes were shooting daggers at Lila.

All in all, the class looked suspicious. Not enthralled and excited, but almost annoyed. An improvement!

“Ya better hurry to give us a damn good explanation, girl!”, Alya growled. “Because I have Lb’s statement on video, and I won’t hesitate to post it online!”

Lila gave her a surprised glance.

“What are you talking about? Did I do something wrong?”

Nino glowered at her.

“That’s a damn bold question, Lie-la! Ladybug told us everything.”

His girlfriend raised her phone, playing Ladybug’s fight against Sentiquill. 

“But fine!”, Marinette heard her alter ego shout. “If it makes you happy!” Then she started to rant about Lila, who looked suspiciously calm.

“Well”, she shrugged when the sequence was over, “she really went all out, didn’t she?”

“What do you mean?”

Lila chuckled.

“I mean, just look at her face! So disdainful, so authentic! A great actress, really!”

Alya faltered a bit.

“Actress?”

“Of course!”, she laughed. “Ladybug was obviously trying to placate Sentiquill, as we all know Felix doesn’t like me since our little misunderstanding. A bummer it didn’t work, but I guess she isn’t perfect either.”

She sighed and straightened herself.

“Ladybug told me to flee, since the Akuma was after me specifically. I would have stayed with you otherwise, and helped to defend you against Sentiquill. But she knew if I was nearby, he’d go after me and then Ladybug would be distracted. She cares so much about me, her worry for my wellbeing would have interfered with her ability to think straight.”

Alya frowned. 

“How do we know this isn’t another lie? It’s your word against Ladybug’s, and you haven’t proven anything!”

Pondering, Lila tapped her finger against her chin.

“Hm, let’s see... Adrien! You saw us; you can be my witness, right?”

Everybody turned around and Marinette’s eyes widened. Adrien stood at the window, looking weary but determined. Surely he wouldn’t... He had covered for Lila before, true, but to lie on her behalf...

Her hopes sunk when he avoided eye contact with her.

“It’s true.”, he stated flatly. “I saw them talk after the battle. Ladybug...” He gulped. “Ladybug apologized for saying all these things, but it was only to protect her.”

“That’s not true!”, Marinette howled furiously. “What are you even saying, Adrien?!”

He looked away, pouting.

“Stop shouting at me. It’s the truth! I saw them when I was on my way... on my way-“

“-to accompany me to Jagged Stone!”, Lila finished for him, a smug look on her face. “I invited him along because he was so rattled after the akuma attack. To cheer him up! Jagged is the best when it comes to lighten the mood, right, Adrien?”

“Uh... yeah!”, the blond agreed hesitantly, obviously confused. “Totally! I, er, can confirm.”

Marinette’s eyes burned into his spineless figure, seething with rage. This had been his chance. For someone that preferred inactivity when it came to his friends, he was all too quick to stand up for a liar. 

“So... it was all true?”, Alya dared to hope. “You really are Ladybug’s friend, and you know Jagged Stone?”

“Don’t forget Prince Ali, but yes. I’d never lie to you, Alya!”, Lila reassured. “Everything I said is true.”

Felix took a step forward, opening his mouth to protest, but Marinette put her hand on his chest to stop him. 

“Don’t.”, she whispered, forcibly cooling down her anger to a simmering hatred. “They win this round.”

Everything Felix could say now would only further Lila’s victim role, and they had no proof right now. It would be a waste of time.

Felix clenched his teeth, but nodded. To their surprise, the others weren’t done yet.

“I don’t believe you.”, Juleka mumbled and Lila’s face fell. 

“What did you just say?”

“I said, I don’t believe you!”, the goth shouted, startling everyone. Rose was clutching her hand like a lifeline as her girlfriend looked up, tears in her eyes. “When Sentiquill went after Rose, Ladybug didn’t hesitate to do the logical thing and save me first, even if that meant making herself vulnerable. I know she cares about Rose, but when push came to shove, she was still able to think tactical. God knows I didn’t like her decision, but it was what saved both of us.”

Lila narrowed her eyes.

“Juleka, you sound like you wanted her to sacrifice Rose! Do you really care so little about-“

“Shut up!”, Rose cried out. Marinette wasn’t sure she had ever seen her this upset. “That’s not what she meant, and you know it!”

“Are you two calling me a liar?”

Juleka shot her a glare.

“I’m saying that I trust Ladybug. She’s able to do her job, no matter the circumstances and who might be at stake. She cares about all of us and doesn’t play favorites. If your word’s against hers, we know where we’ll stand.”

She nudged Rose, who nodded. Together they walked towards the door, but stopped when they passed Marinette and Felix.

“I don’t blame you for anything.”, Rose murmured to him so that only they could hear it. “I know what it feels like to be controlled like that. To be forced to hurt people you care about. We’re all used to it by now, you’re not alone.”

Then they walked out.

The class only recovered slowly. Many regarded Lila with distrust, most were unsure. Even Alya, who was only too desperate to believe Lila, had her doubts.

Felix gave her an encouraging smile.

“Looks like things are in motion.”

Marinette nodded, tearing her gaze from Adrien.

“I think it’s time to move on as well.”, she confessed. “To leave old burdens behind.”

She thought of Chat Noir.

“To make a clear cut.”

-

Marinette was busy this afternoon. 

Doing homework. 

Changing her computer’s background. 

Putting the finishing touch on the cravat she designed for Felix. 

Feeding Tikki a macaron she’d made for Adrien. 

Preparing an outline for her report. 

Ripping Adrien’s pictures off her wall. 

Playing video games with her parents. 

Taking the chest with her gifts for Adrien to Prince Ali’s charity for sick children. 

Calling Felix. 

Clearing her calendar of Adrien’s appointments. 

Crying a bit. 

Calling Felix again. 

Feeling better.

When it was evening, she finally ran out of things to do. And that meant, she had nothing to distract her from her own thoughts. That wouldn’t do.

“I’m going out for a walk!”, she told her parents as she bounced down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet.

“Be careful!”, her mother replied and waved. “And be back before dinner!”

“Don’t you want to take something to eat with you? Or a jacket? Or-“

“Tom.”

“Oh, right. Uh, have fun!”

Marinette chuckled at her parents difference. She’d always wanted to be in a relationship like theirs: one of mutual respect, but with room for silliness and fun. To have someone that was so different from her, but shared enough of her passions and values to match. A partnership of equals, that wouldn’t waver or fade when things got difficult. Someone who inspired her to grow. Someone who wasn’t afraid to learn from her as well.

She had thought that was Adrien. Part of her might even have considered Chat Noir - the yin yang symbolic hadn’t gone unnoticed by her. But her mother had explained her for what the Taijitu truly stood: not an eternal battle of opposites, but the harmonic completion of two contrasts, the ever changing nature of the world. Chat Noir wasn’t someone who completed her, and neither was Adrien. They had only brought her misery when they should have supported her.

She sighed as she walked through the park, the half moon rising above her. Black and white.

Her mother had often used the Taiji symbol to comfort her when she’d had one of her streaks of bad luck. It’s natural to have a hard time once in a while, she’d said. But see? The darkness recedes eventually and makes room for the light. It’s a circuit, and soon things will get better for you as well. Until then? Just search for the tiny white dot. The beacon in the darkness, it’s there!

Marinette leaned her head back, watching the darkening sky.

The light in her darkness? That was Felix. The only constant support she had these days. The one whose mere presence cheered her up, gave her the strength to keep going. It was so weird, now that she thought about it. He was so... harsh. Like a bright fire that could blind and burn mercilessly, but somehow drew her in like a moth to his flame. Like the sun, that could bring people’s worst flaws to daylight, or illuminate strengths she hadn’t even known she had. He had been both demanding and eager to give, from the very beginning. Forcing her to put her self-imposed limits aside and stand up for herself, but supporting her when he knew she needed it. In return, he had opened himself to her, learned to trust and bond with others. She’d never been more proud than when he had befriended Aurore, despite their rocky start. Or when he tried to dial his bluntness down around Marc, because he knew the boy was sensitive.

He had impressed her. Everything about him was challenging and inspiring and soothing at once. She’d never liked herself more than when she was around him. And when she wasn’t, she found herself thinking about him constantly. 

Even now, musing over their influence on each other brought a smile to her lips and lightened her steps until she all but floated through the park. Now that she thought about it, she liked the feeling a lot. More than a lot. If she didn’t know any better, she’d almost say she lo-

“Marinette”, Tikki called her from her purse. “I sense someone. Wayzz is nearby!”

She looked up, searching the park for the familiar hawaiian shirt. Indeed, it was the guardian himself that stood in front of the fountain, hands clasped in front of him. Curious, she walked up beside him.

“Good evening, Master Fu!”, she greeted. “Haven’t seen you in a while. How’s the stomach?”

The elder man gave her a sullen side glance. 

“I thought we had agreed to never talk of that again.”

She chuckled and followed his gaze to the fountain.

“Did we? I don’t recall!”

He didn’t smile, but his wrinkled forehead relaxed a bit. Weird. Usually, he was a lot more eager to joke around, given he had so little company to do that with.

“Is something the matter? You look upset.”

Fu sighed.

“Sharp as always. I am concerned for you, for Ladybug’s safety.”

Her face grew serious.

“That’s a concern I can understand.”, she muttered. “I nearly died yesterday. It was that close!”

Fu nodded.

“I saw.”

“Then why didn’t you do anything?”, she snapped, forgetting herself. “I needed help, and you could have given that to me!”

Her master lowered his head, eyes fixed on the water.

“Because I am weak.”, he admitted. “And a coward. And not the guardian you deserve.”

He looked so old when he rubbed his forehead, almost ancient.

“In my defense, if I had known the situation was this terrible, I would have taken the miracle box with me. Or at least the Turtle, Fox or Bee. Alas, I was only aware of Chat Noir’s miraculous turning dark, and thought that we would be enough to handle him. I didn’t expect the akuma.”

“Wait...”, she slowed him down. “Chat’s Miraculous was abused? Like... Like the butterfly is?”

Fu didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand to reveal what he held inside. A black ring, complete with a familiar green paw print.

“His miraculous!”, she whispered in awe, then turned towards the guardian. “What did you do?! When did you do that?”

“Immediately after you purified Sentiquill’s akuma.”, he stated wearily. “And that was already far too late. I should have taken it after Syren, Frozer maybe. I hope you can forgive me for that.”

She felt a pang in her chest that she had lost her partner of almost a year, but it was overshadowed by an euphoric sense of relieve. She hadn’t noticed how much Chat had troubled her until she didn’t have to worry about him anymore. No more fear to hurt his feelings, no more dancing around the truth to avoid upsetting him. No more tantrums and reckless sacrifices. No more pressure to feel something she just... didn’t.

“I want you to have it.”, Fu continued and raised his hands when she wanted to protest. “Not for yourself, of course! Marinette, I have chosen solitude as the safest way to protect the miraculous, and for a while, it worked. But times changed.”

He breathed out, his posture slouching in shame.

“Times changed, and I didn’t. Chat Noir is the proof that I am no longer fit to distribute powers like his. But you? You have proven time and again that your trust in others is well deserved, that your choices are wise.”

His voice was full of warmth and trust.

“You have to be the one to choose a new partner, Ladybug.”, he announced firmly. “Someone you can trust not to disappoint you. It’s about time you get a say in this, don’t you think?”

She stared at the ring, so caught up in an electrifying kind of awe that she couldn’t really process his words. This was the Miraculous of destruction, the other half to her powers. If she took it, she would hold more power in her hands than should be humanly possible. What if something happened to her? What if she lost it, what if Hawkmoth got his hands on it? As long as it had no wielder, it would remain in this state and show its true colors. Everyone would be able to recognize it!

“A-are you sure you want me to have this?”, she asked with a trembling voice. Master Fu smiled.

“I have made a lot of reckless decisions. This is not one of them.”

He held the ring out to her.

“I trust you, Marinette. And I know Ladybug will chose better than I did.”

Hesitantly, carefully as if it might burn her, she took the Miraculous from his hands. It was warm in her hands, as if it were alive.

“I won’t disappoint you.”, she promised Fu, her eyes blazing with determination. She wouldn’t take this lightly, wouldn’t fail him. This time, her Chat Noir would be a hero.

- - - 

Phew, done. I don't know much about Daoism, and only just started to research the philosophy behind yin and yang (or the Taijitu), but I really wanted Marinette to be more in touch with her heritage. Mama Cheng spilled her wisdom, and little Marinette sucked it up like a sponge.

[tiramisiyu]

Tears of Themis: Main Story 5-18 Translation

Translated parts: Chapter 5 – Sounds of Falling Snow (Part 1, 2, 3): 5-1 / 5-3 / 5-5 / 5-7 / 5-9 / 5-11 / 5-13 ♦️ ♦️  5-14 / 5-16 / 5-18 / 5-20 / 5-22 / 5-24 / 5-26 / 5-28 ♦️ ♦️ 5-29 / 5-31 / 5-33 / 5-35 / 5-37 / 5-39 / 5-40 / 5-42 / 5-43 Translation Masterlist: here

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MC: Looking at the police’s case file, Kong Moli’s car accident does indeed look like an accident.

On the road, I opened the iPad to check the case file materials that Xia Yan got.

MC: Kong Moli’s car rammed into the highway guardrails because the car brake pedals were too worn, resulting in loss of control of the car brakes…

MC: It sounds like it makes sense.

Xia Yan: On Kong Moli’s SUV, there was only one brake pedal that was too worn. The others were far from a degree that required replacements.

Xia Yan: Although the left and right brake pedals having different wear levels is a typical situation, if the difference is that large, it’s fairly rare.

Xia Yan: This can clearly be counted as a point of suspicion. For the remaining things, at least from what we can see from the case verdict report, there aren’t any flaws.

MC: Are we almost there yet? How long have we been driving?

I cleared away the iPad and suddenly felt a little dizzy and nauseated.

Xia Yan: I told you to not look earlier - do you feel uncomfortable now?

Xia Yan: There’s lemon water in the thermos. Drink a little, it’ll be a little better.

I had just picked up the thermos when Xia Yan slammed on the emergency brakes.

Good thing that the thermos was only half-full with water, or else my clothes would be completely covered in water. 

MC: Xia Yan, you… huh?

Right in front of the car, there was an old man who appeared from who-knows-where, slowly and leisurely walking on his walking stick and crossing the street.

He glanced at our car once, not having the slightest awareness that he was holding up normal traffic.

MC: This person is… Sun Heping?

Yesterday, when I was going through Kong Moli’s case file, I specifically paid attention to Sun Heping, which was why I could recognize him in a single look. 

Xia Yan: That’s him. Let’s get off and ask.

Rainbow River Village

MC: Hello, sir. May I ask if you are Mr. Sun Heping?

MC: I am a lawyer from Themis Law firm. This is my certificate.

Taking advantage of the bit of time when Xia Yan was stopping his car on the roadside, I helped Sun Heping across the road.

Sun Heping: Lawyer? This old man isn’t getting involved in a lawsuit.

MC: You’ve misunderstood. We haven’t come to find you for a litigation.

MC: I am the friend of reporter Kong Moli. Do you still remember her? I came because of her.

Sun Heping: …

Sun Heping: I don’t recognize any reporter. Don’t think you can dig up any news from me. 

Sun Heping: Since I haven’t received my pollution compensation for even a single day, don’t think that you will hear a single good word from me about them!

MC: Mr. Sun, please calm down…

MC: Who do you mean when you say “them”?

Sun Heping: What did you just say you were? A lawyer, right?

Sun Heping: Then “them” are the people who paid up to have you do the lawsuit!

Sun Heping: I’m all too familiar with your group of pettifoggers. Aren’t you all the type to speak for whoever hands over more money!

MC: (I didn’t even say anything, so why am I suffering through this barrage of scolding…)

Sun Heping shook off my hand, grabbed on his walking stick and walked forward two steps, as if dealing with me would be the same as dealing with something dirty.

MC: Mr. Sun, please listen to me. I’m investigating Kong Moli’s car accident, I’m not what you think…

Sun Heping: Hurry and leave. Leave Rainbow River Village - the village does not welcome you.

Having left these words, Sun Heping walked away angrily.

I wanted to go and block him, but I was pulled on by Xia Yan.

Xia Yan: This isn’t the place to talk. Sun Heping is also a tough person. Best not to force him.

Xia Yan: Let’s go look first for…

???: Are you both looking for Sun Heping?

MC: !!!

A middle-aged man appeared behind us. He suddenly stuck in his words into our discussion, startling me terribly.

MC: (Is this the Rainbow River Village head, Wang Han?)

Though Xia Yan and I have seen Wang Han’s picture in the case file, directly showing that we recognize him would likely arouse his wariness.

Xia Yan: Sir, you are…?

It was clear that Xia Yan had the same thought as me. With the Sun Heping lesson just now, pretending to be clueless for now was the best policy.

Wang Han: I’m the village head of Rainbow River Village, Wang Han.

Xia Yan: Hello, Village Head Wang, we are from Themis Law Firm.

Xia Yan: This is Lawyer [MC]. I am her assistant, Xia Yan.

Wang Han: So you were the leader of a law firm! It’s an honour to welcome you; what business brings you here to our little mountain?

MC: (Leader? Village Head Wang, your way of talking is kind of too…)

Wang Han: It couldn’t be that Old Man Sun has caused an issue?

Wang Han: Ah, he’s just got a terrible temper. He really isn’t a bad person - please be magnanimous and let him go.

Wang Han’s expression had “grief and lament” written all over it.

If not for their surnames being different, I’d even suspect that he was worrying for his own father.

MC: (It’s not that I haven’t seen people who would usher us into the location, but why does Wang Han make people feel so awkward…)

INVESTIGATION START

Watch

What is the electronic device that seems like a watch on his wrist?

> Health wristband

> Electronic watch

MC: (Is the black thing on Wang Han’s wrist… a health wristband?)

MC: (These few years, health wristbands have been very popular. Though it really can track health situations…)

MC: (But to an office worker, it can only give a clearer understanding of how bad one’s health is…)

Suddenly, the logo on Wang Han’s wristband caught my attention. 

MC: (This is… Heirson’s logo?)

MC: (Wang Han uses Heirson products?)

MC: (Heirson’s been continuously suspected for the Rainbow River pollution. As the village head, why would Wang Han use their products?)

MC: (Could it be that after Kong Moli’s lawsuit, Wang Han believed that the only source of the pollution was the paper mill?)

Belt buckle

MC: (The logo on his leather belt is… Pax Fashion?! And it’s from the high-end product line?!)

MC: (I remember this product line’s male accessories mostly have prices of around 5 digits.)

MC: (If this leather belt is real leather, then it’ll be even more expensive…)

MC: (Wasn’t it said that Rainbow River Village isn’t particularly wealthy? Why do the people in the village pay so much attention to dressing up?)

MC: (Village Head Wang, I’m suddenly forming doubts about your income levels…)

Tropical shirt

Wang Han’s body fat and fair complexion-

> Took proper care > Rarely participates in farming work

MC: (I remember that the materials said that Wang Han is 57 years old this year, but looking at his external appearance, he really doesn’t seem like an aged person.)

MC: (Even if he usually takes proper care, a typical farmer who does work in the fields wouldn’t have his kind of fair complexion…)

MC: (Plus, he’s a fat guy. The fat seems too much…)

MC: (Village Head Wang, I’m guessing that you haven’t worked in the fields for years…)

MC: (It couldn’t be that on typical days, you only busy yourself with attracting investments and banqueting?)

MC: (Wang Han doesn’t look too much like someone whose main job is farming. Plus, his attitude towards Heirson   is somewhat ambiguous.)

MC: (If we’re not confident, it would be good to converse with him to maintain everything.)

INSPECTION END

MC: Village Head, you’ve misunderstood. We came to find Sun Heping to understand the situation. 

MC: Do you know about the reporter Kong Moli who got into the car accident on the highway outside the village last year?

MC: We’re helping her clear up her inheritance, and we wanted to understand the exact situation of the accident that day.

Wang Han: So it was like this. Then, if the two of you aren’t opposed to it, you can come to my house to sit for a bit.

Wang Han: Old Man Sun’s house is far, and he wasn’t in the village that day. If you have any questions, you two can ask me.

MC: That would be great.

Looks like Wang Han had no doubts against my excuses.

Wang Han: My house is just in front. You two don’t need to drive - we can just walk over. 

Saying this, Wang Han walked in front on the road. 

When he passed my side, Xia Yan suddenly tugged my hand and pointed to the loop of keys hanging on Wang Han’s leather belt.

MC: ???

Seeing that I hadn’t reacted, Xia Yan just sent me a message.

“His car keys don’t have Pax Mechanical’s logo.”

“If he only has one car, then he changed cars.”

[inyournightmares97]

Ultimatum (Part 2)

Park Jinyoung is a master negotiator. He’s used to preying on people’s weaknesses and manipulating them to get his way. So he can’t understand you; a lawyer who sees the world in black and white, as either good or bad. Conflict is inevitable.

But if the two of you can just set aside your differences, perhaps you can perform miracles together.

Word Count: 3.6k+

Warnings: Angst, office!au, enemies to lovers!au. Some language.

Part 1: In Which You Win

Part 2: In Which He Wins

Part 3: In Which the Common Enemy Appears

Part 4: In Which You Work Together

Part 5: In Which Nobody Wins (coming soon)

Part 6: In Which Everybody Wins (coming soon) 

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

It was like taking candy from a child. 

Cruel, but easy. 

“Do you know what this is, Yugyeom?” Jinyoung asked with a handsome smile. He leaned against Yugyeom’s desk gracefully, his expensive suit making the wooden table look dull in comparison. Jinyoung held a small sheaf of papers in his hand. “I just received this from IT. I think you’ll find it makes for very interesting reading.”

Yugyeom didn’t look up. You had just left the office for a meeting and he really didn’t want to deal with Park Jinyoung in your absence. 

“Huh. Maybe put it down there and I’ll take a look at it when I have time,” Yugyeom muttered, trying to focus on the work he was supposed to be doing. He could feel Jinyoung’s dark eyes piercing into his skull. 

“Are you sure? I think you want to read it now.”

“Not really.”

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow. “I see. You’d like me to leave it here for your boss to find when she comes back? Because I’m sure she’d be fascinated to go through your internet browsing history. There are some real gems in here.”

Yugyeom recoiled. “What?”

“The more recent ones are a delight. Let me see. ‘How to ask a girl out’ and ‘is it okay to date an intern’ and pick-up lines in Japanese. Is Hana Japanese? How ignorant of me, I never bothered to ask her. Oh! But I see if we go a couple months back then you enjoyed one particularly late night at the office alone, hmm? On 17th October at 11pm? Sounds like a wild ride. Busty brunettes-”

Yugyeom leapt to his feet and snatched the sheaf of papers, crumpling them up instantly. His cheeks and ears turned a bright red and he looked around furtively. Luckily you had stepped out for a meeting and Youngjae, the only other member of the Legal department, had gone to the cafeteria. 

“Stop it. Please. Where did you even get that?” Yugyeom pleaded. 

“I have friends in IT, Yugyeom,” Jinyoung explained as Yugyeom desperately ripped up the papers and tossed them into the bin under his desk. “I also have more copies of that.”

“I suppose you mean Mark Tuan. He’s not supposed to be releasing employee data like that. It’s against company policy for IT to disclose personal data to employees from other departments who don’t have clearance,” Yugyeom ranted, his brown eyes looking panicked. “It’s a breach of confidential information. So you can’t use that evidence against me because you obtained it illegally and without clearance-”

Jinyoung chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest. “Yugyeom. You poor child. You don’t understand how the world works, do you? I don’t need clearance to accidentally send this information to the rest of the office. What’s the worst that could happen to me? A formal reprimand, maybe a warning. But you… you’re going to face a lot worse.”

Yugyeom swallowed nervously. “Like what?”

Jinyoung leaned closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Like Hana finding out about your taste for brunettes even before you’ve asked her on a date.”

“Fuck.”

“What do you think? Does this seem like a risk you want to be taking?”

Yugyeom clenched his fists with hatred. “What do you want?”

Jinyoung grinned despicably and rolled up his sleeves. 

“That’s more like it. Let’s have a negotiation, shall we? It’s what I do best, after all.”

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Yugyeom had been acting suspiciously silent all afternoon. 

“Are you okay?” you asked him with a kind smile. 

The young law graduate had only been working under you for a year, but his bright attitude and easy-going personality were the best things about him. Yugyeom could be clumsy and careless but he never lost his smile. Ever since you’d returned from your meeting, though, he had only been giving you one-word answers and avoiding your gaze. 

“Fine,” he muttered. 

“Are you sure? You’ve been pretty silent since I got back from my meeting.”

“Maybe something I ate at lunch didn’t agree with me,” he mumbled. Yugyeom’s face was white and you patted his back sympathetically. Poor kid. He’d been working hard with the big restructuring coming up soon. 

“I’m leaving early today since I have to go visit my Mom. You should go home too. And drink some soup,” you suggested as you packed up your belongings. “We’ve been overworking ourselves. Nobody seems to appreciate that we’re the only thing standing between this company and a massive lawsuit.” you complained. Jinyoung’s despicable face popped up in your mind. “How dare he call our job a mere formality. That arrogant bastard.”

Yugyeom hiccuped nervously. 

You smiled at him. “Here, drink some water. I’m guessing Park Jinyoung didn’t come by today?”

“W-what? No. Why? Did you see him?” 

“Of course not. I was at my meeting most of the day. I assumed he’d come down here and try to bother you about the term sheet again,” you replied. It wasn’t like Jinyoung to give up easily. “I’m surprised he hasn’t done anything yet. He only has two days until his deadline. He must have some plan?”

Yugyeom forced a smile. “Maybe you scared him.”

“Maybe,” you mused. “Anyway, I’m leaving. Go home, Yugyeom. Get some rest.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

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

“I need you to personally review the documents relating to the opening of our new office in Busan,” the CEO told you. “It’s important that nothing goes wrong during this restructuring. We need it to work in order to cut costs here at the Seoul office, but if we have legal problems then we could end up spending more than we save.”

You nodded, clutching the files to your chest. “Right. I understand, sir. We’ll take care of it.”

“I know I can count on you. Okay. That’s all for today, I have another meeting in a few minutes. Dismissed.”

You walked out of the CEOs office with a sigh, wondering how you had just been piled with more work than ever when you’d really wanted to take a few days off this week. Things were getting tougher. Your mind was preoccupied as you walked and you collided with a hard chest covered in an expensive suit. 

“Hello there,” Jinyoung’s deep voice greeted, sounding amused as he reached out to help you straighten up. You looked into his dark eyes. The man’s hands were soft and warm on your skin, unlike his personality.

You frowned at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a meeting with the CEO,” he informed you smugly. 

“About what?”

“None of your business. Run along and go pretend to be important elsewhere,” he told you airily. 

You narrowed your eyes at him. Something wasn’t right. Park Jinyoung shouldn’t be this happy. There was a sparkle in his dark eyes and even the way the corner of his lips was curved up suggested that he knew something you didn’t. 

Something smelled fishy. 

“How are you so calm? I don’t understand. Your client expects to be signing the agreement tomorrow and you haven’t even got a term sheet approved,” you reminded him. You’d checked with Hana and she had confirmed that Jinyoung would be meeting with the client tomorrow afternoon. What was he going to take to them? 

“You know what? I think I’ll manage.”

“Manage how?” you demanded. 

“There’s no fun in me telling you that, now is there?” Jinyoung asked. He coolly ran his fingers through his hair. “Keep your schedule vacant tomorrow. I imagine the entire office will be having a party to celebrate me securing the biggest deal of the year. It would be a shame if you missed it.”

“I can’t miss a party that won’t happen,” you snapped. 

“Sure, let’s see who wins this one. Spoiler alert: it’s me. It’s always me,” Jinyoung informed you with a pearly-white smile. He patted you on the head in a condescending manner that made your blood boil (how dare he: you were a fully grown woman!) and then calmly walked past you to enter the CEOs office. 

What was happening? 

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

At 8:34 pm on Tuesday night, Kim Yugyeom burst into tears and confessed everything. 

You weren't surprised, only angry. It was just like Park Jinyoung to prey on a person's weakness. He had no shame or remorse, possessed no sense of right and wrong. He didn't even have basic decency, how could you have expected better from him? 

“Hey, look. It’s going to be fine,” Youngjae tried to console Yugyeom gently, handing him a tissue to wipe his face. Most of the office had already left for the day but Yugyeom’s tears were still running like a waterfall. The poor boy was terrified.  

“I-it’s not fine. I’m going to be fired for having approved a term sheet that was clearly against company policy-” Yugyeom whimpered. 

“Nobody has to know!” Youngjae insisted. He turned and looked at you, expecting you to reassure Yugyeom. “Nobody has to know, right? Park Jinyoung won’t say anything because his ass is on the line. There’s no reason for senior management to read the agreement thoroughly. I’m sure the CEO will just sign it since it’s such a huge deal for our company. We’ll be fine for now. It’s a seven-year contract so really, it’ll be years before anyone begins to find any problems.”

You leaned back in your chair and sighed. “Do you guys know why the company doesn’t offer sub-licensing rights as a rule?”

Youngjae blinked. “I mean, yeah-”

“It’s because the software we’re licensing out is ours. If the client is allowed to license it to other people, or sub-license, then why would anyone come to us to buy it? We’d never make sales ourselves because the client would essentially be selling our product at a cheaper rate than us. We'd lose customers, literally. Sub-licensing puts our company at a disadvantage in the long run. But Park Jinyoung doesn’t care about the long run. He doesn’t even care whether this deal will benefit the company. He just wanted the personal glory of being the first guy in Sales to secure a ten million-dollar deal.” 

Yugyeom sniffled. “I’m sorry…”

You sighed and patted him on the back. You weren’t happy with Yugyeom, but the boy was already so miserable that it seemed heartless to scold him further. 

“Let’s call it a day, Yugyeom. We’re going to have to listen to Park Jinyoung gloating tomorrow, so we need our rest.”

“You’re not going to tell the CEO?” he asked hopefully. 

You bit your lip. Every part of you was screaming to go to the CEO now and tell him that Jinyoung’s contract grossly violated company policy, but it was too late. Yugyeom’s signature was already on the sheet. The poor boy would lose his job and you didn’t want to be directly responsible for that. You gave him a small smile. 

“I’m not going to tell. But the problem might get traced back to you someday, Yugyeom. I won’t lie. I’m not sure I can save you from that.”

“I-I know.”

“How about we all go get some pizza? Let’s invite Hana too. The poor girl can never join us when Jinyoung’s around,” you said brightly, in an attempt to dissipate the dull atmosphere. “Yugyeom, why don’t you go over to Sales and let her know?”

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

Park Jinyoung probably rehearsed that despicable smile of his. 

You could picture it in your mind; Jinyoung standing in front of his mirror at home and practicing his pearly-white smile, checking to see which angles were most flattering. Jinyoung’s smile was made for the cameras, which was convenient because a press conference was held on Wednesday afternoon to announce that the two companies had entered into an enormous deal. 

You watched in silent disgust as Jinyoung smiled handsomely for the cameras and shook hands with the senior management. 

“Looks like they’re organizing a party to celebrate the deal,” Jinyoung announced loudly to Jackson as he walked past your desk later that evening, proudly carrying the small gift that the client had given him as a thank you. He was addressing his co-worker, but his dark eyes twinkled in your direction. “There’ll be lots of free booze. We’re going to need a designated driver.”

Jackson laughed. “Don’t look at me! I intend to get sloshed!”

“Oh, I’m sure someone from Legal will volunteer,” Jinyoung replied airily. “I can think of a few teetotallers in that department.”

What a prick. Like hell you would be driving his drunken ass home. 

Park Jinyoung gave you a cheeky smile and hurried past. Even the sight of his shapely posterior was not enough to calm you down. How did the man wake up every morning and live with himself? He had no shame. 

You paused for a few moments to visualise his head puffing up to three times its present size and then exploding into a billion tiny pieces, one for every dollar he’d made off the deal. The prospect made you feel marginally better and you were able to get back to work. 

You’d get your revenge. 

Although maybe not quite yet. 

“Are you all coming to the party tonight?” Hana asked hopefully, when she stopped by the Legal area on her return journey from getting Jackson coffee. Her question was addressed to all three of you but her gaze was on Yugyeom. He had been miserable all morning. His shoulders were slumped as he shuffled through some documents half-heartedly. 

“Of course we’re coming,” you told her. 

Yugyeom blinked. “Actually-”

“We’re coming. We did some work on that deal too, we deserve to be there,” you replied. You gave Yugyeom a firm look. “You’re not going to avoid it. If nothing else, at least enjoy the free drinks. Why would you refuse when the company is paying?”

“Right…” Yugyeom mumbled. 

“Can I come with you guys?” Hana asked shyly. “I don’t really want to go with the rest of the Sales team. Mr. Park is being offered a promotion, and it’s all he can talk about. I’m getting kind of tired of congratulating him on it whenever he brings it up.”

You flinched. “A promotion? Jinyoung?”

“Well… it’s not a promotion exactly. But since he’s such a good negotiator, the CEO wants him to help the Finance team make pitches to potential investors for our company. I guess that’s a step up from Sales, right?” she asked. 

Holy shit. They're sending him to our investors now? That was no small matter. Being in charge of finding clients was one thing, but to let Jinyoung talk to the company’s investors was pretty much the highest recognition they could have given him.

No wonder he had looked so pleased. 

"Of course you can come with us," you told her kindly, trying not to let your bitterness show. "I'm sure you need a break from all that toxicity up in Sales. We'll meet you after work, I think the restaurant they booked is within walking distance from here."

"Thanks!" Hana said brightly. "I'll see you!"

None of you were in a mood to celebrate Park Jinyoung's 'contributions' to the company but you decided that you would go. Hopefully a couple of drinks and some time spent with Hana would cheer Yugyeom up. Park Jinyoung could only be in one place at a time, so it should be easy to avoid him, right? 

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

It wasn't. 

Park Jinyoung seemed to actively follow you around the party. Youngjae left to hang out with his friends in IT and after the first half hour, Yugyeom and Hana found a private spot on a couch to chat with their cocktails. They looked cozy and you didn't want to disturb them, so you just stuck to the walls and smiled at people politely.  

Maybe you needed more friends. 

Then again, you’d never been one for socializing at work. You worked well with your team, sure, but you didn’t know much about their personal lives. And you didn’t spend hours in the cafeteria chatting with people from other departments. You had a pleasant working relationship with most people but you didn’t have any friends in this company. 

Oh well. 

You’d rather be alone than manipulate people the way Jinyoung did. 

You were just beginning to wonder if you could make an excuse to go home when you spotted a familiar smirk in the crowd. Park Jinyoung made his way over to you, a glass of whisky in one hand. He looked incredibly attractive. He’d unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt and his suit jacket was missing. Jinyoung’s hair was messy, and his skin flushed from the alcohol. 

“Well,” he greeted you with a smirk. “You must be the only person in the room who hasn’t congratulated me tonight. Even Yugyeom did it, although he squeezed my hand a little harder than he should have. I think you’re rubbing off on him.”

You said nothing, merely glared. 

“Oooooh, the stink eye. How terrifying,” he replied sarcastically. “Fine, don’t congratulate me. Oh! But would you mind driving me and Jackson home tonight? Everyone’s getting drunk and we can’t seem to find a ride. You don’t drink much at these kind of parties, do you?”

You held a hand out to stop a passing waiter and took two shots of hard liquor from him, one in each hand. Without breaking eye contact with Jinyoung you drank both of them in a single gulp and then set them down on the counter. Your head spun; but Jinyoung’s jaw fell slack and that was enough for you. 

“Ah, I see. You are drinking then.”

“Surprising,” you replied with a sneer, “that the man who can negotiate a ten million-dollar deal is too cheap to just take a cab home.”

Jinyoung scoffed. “Cheap? Me?”

“Oh, am I wrong?”

“You are, as a matter of fact,” he replied. The corner of his lips turned up. “I’ll prove it to you. Let me buy you a drink right now. Choose anything you want from the bar. Not the free drinks they’re handing out for our party, but the expensive stuff on the menu.”

“I wouldn’t touch a drink you bought me with a ten-foot pole,” you snapped. 

Jinyoung put a hand on his chest, looking offended. “What? What kind of a man do you think I am?”

“The kind who blackmails an innocent kid with his internet search history into signing a contract that he could be fired for having approved. Do you not think about the consequences of your actions, Park Jinyoung? Do you just go about the world doing whatever you please for your own benefit?”

Jinyoung’s eyes narrowed. “Of course. Who else do my actions need to benefit?”

“Unbelievable.”

“What?” he demanded. “Nobody’s ever done anything for me. I’ve gotten everything in this world through my own hard work. You think I haven’t been stepped on or cheated? Go ahead. Worship your laws and your ethics and your fucking company policy all you want. Those things have never helped anyone. We’re all responsible for taking care of our own asses, and no rulebook can change that.”

“You’re selfish and disgusting.”

“I’m happy.”

“Are you really? How do you live with yourself? It’s lonely at the top, Park Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung scoffed. His eyes looked around the room proudly. “Lonely? This party is being celebrated for my achievements. I’ve been congratulated by every single person here. I’m getting a raise and I’m about to be promoted. Do I look lonely? You’re the one who doesn’t have any friends here. All you do is act like a teacher’s pet and preach your moral superiority. It’s annoying.”

You flinched. “What?”

“It’s true, isn’t it? Nobody likes a goody-two-shoes. This isn’t primary school. There are no prizes for following the rules. Grow up.”

“I cannot believe your nerve.”

“No, you just can’t believe that your stupid company policy was wrong and that I found a better way to handle things on my own.”

“On your own? You blackmailed a kid! He could lose his job! And why? To secure that precious ten million-dollar deal? That deal is going to hurt the company in the long run and you knew it from the start! Not a single person benefits from this entire manipulative mess except for you!” you snapped. 

Jinyoung blinked. “Then go tell on me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Go on, teacher’s pet. Be a tattletale. Go tell the CEO. I’ll lose my job. Yugyeom will lose his job. And your precious company will be saved from the big, bad sublicensing term. I dare you to do it,” he challenged you. 

Your fists clenched. For a moment, you pictured yourself punching Park Jinyoung in the face, or throwing a martini onto his expensive shirt. How dare he create a problem and challenge you to fix it? How dare he pretend that he was right after his childish and selfish behaviour? You stared at him in disgust. 

“I hate you,” you snapped. 

Jinyoung smirked. “Are you sure? Or do you maybe just hate yourself? Because you’re so proud of always following the company policy and being a stickler for the rules but you can’t even bring yourself to tell the truth. You can fool yourself that you’re better than me all you want. But you’re complicit in this whole deal.”

“Fuck you.”

He chuckled. “What?”

“Fuck. You, Park Jinyoung,” you hissed as you turned to leave. “I can’t even look at you.”

“Are you sure?” Jinyoung called after you with a delighted laugh, as you hurried away. If you stayed then you would surely hit him, and you didn’t want to do that. “Because there’s a rumour around work that you can’t stop looking at my butt!”

You turned back to stare at him in disbelief. What? 

Jinyoung simply grinned. His dark eyes were twinkling mischievously and he lifted the hand carrying his drink to show off his forearm below his rolled-up sleeves. Jinyoung’s dark hair fell into his eyes, and there was something extremely kissable about those plump lips of his as he mouthed the words that made your blood boil. 

I win.

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

[tearsofthemis]

Tears of Themis : Chapter 1 “Social Snobbery” Part 3

[Previous Part] | [Masterlist] | [Next Part]

▌ Location-Themis Law Firm’s Reception Area

(My arrival seemed to have made Lu HaiYang lose his will to fight. He hesitated and left without causing more trouble. After he left, Xue XinRan let out the sigh she had been holding and crumpled to the floor. I hurriedly called for Zuo Ran, and we helped her into the office.)

~~~

▌ Location-Break Room

MC: “Miss, how are you feeling? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Xue XinRan: “No, I’m alright, it’s just low blood sugar.”

(Zuo Ran set a mug down in front of Xue XinRan.)

Zuo Ran: “Hot chocolate, it’ll help if you’d have some.”

Xue XinRan: “Thank you. My name is Xue XinRan. I came today to hire a lawyer for QingPing Restaurant.”

MC:  “QingPing Restaurant? The private gourmet kitchen that has been trending recently for food poisoning cases, that QingPing Restaurant?”

Xue XinRan:  “The stuff they’ve been saying online is false! Grandpa Fang built our restaurant to commemorate his late wife, and we’ve always had a good reputation ever since we opened twenty-five years ago. The recent food poisoning reports, they should be an accident and nothing more...”

Zuo Ran:  “Miss. Xue, what kind of person is ‘Grandpa Fang’, and what is your relationship to him?”

Xue XinRan:  “Fang Yuan is Grandpa Fang’s full name, and he is the owner of the restaurant. He’s also my sponsor.”

MC:  “...Sponsor?”

Xue XinRan:  “That’s right. Grandpa Fang has always supported less fortunate students, and I am one of many. I would’ve never been able to attend Stellis University without Grandpa Fang’s support.”

Zuo Ran: “The purpose of your visit today, is it because there are already customers who have filed lawsuits against the restaurant?”

Xue XinRan:  “Yeah. Grandpa Fang had originally agreed to pay the settlement, but the customer suddenly raised the settlement by a staggering amount, and Grandpa had to refuse. The customers banded together to hire someone from Bader Law Firm, and they plan to sue Grandpa Fang.”

MC:  “It’s Bader Law Firm again…”

(Bader Law Firm is Stellis City’s largest law firm. Ever since their so-called ‘trump card’ lawyers lost a case to Zuo Ran, Bader has considered us to be their biggest competitor, and never misses a chance to bump heads. Honestly, no one at Thermis has taken it to heart, although it sure looks like the other party’s pride has been sorely wounded…)

Xue XinRan:  “Grandpa Fang was so upset by their actions, he almost had a heart attack. Thanks to Bader’s actions, Grandpa has lost his trust in lawyers and refuses to appear in court with one. But the trial starts next Wednesday, and if we don’t find a lawyer that will take our case, even if we were wronged, we won’t be able to prove it. We really… I… I’m not quite sure how we can go about this...”

MC:  “Don't worry Miss. Xue, let’s focus on carefully sorting out the situation; what happened before and after the incident. How about I lead with some questions; all you have to do is answer to the best of your ability.”

Xue XinRan:  “Alright.”

~~~ Interrogation Start! ~~~ [The interrogation section requires you to ask about certain topics until you receive the required about of clues (this chapter requires 3 clues). All others are extra information about the case.]

▌ [About the man at the reception area] 

MC:  “Who was the man you were arguing with at the firm’s reception area?”

Xue XinRan:  “His name is Luo HaiYang, and he’s MeiWeiKa’s sales manager.”

MC: “Are you referring to the ratings and reviews app, MeiWeiKa?”

Xue XinRan:  “Yes, that's right.”

MC:  “What is MeiWeiKa’s connection with this incident?”

Xue XinRan: “Originally, they weren’t involved. Eventually, Lu HaiYang caught wind of the rumors, and since then, he hasn’t stopped pestering Grandpa Fang, pitching the so-called benefits of employing MeiWeiKa’s PR services.”

[Flashback]

Lu HaiYang: “Look, old man. Your dishes are truly poisonous. If you went to court, you’d be sure to lose the battle. Even if the settlement has been paid, your restaurant’s reputation will tank. Believe me when I say this: if you buy MeiWeiKa’s PR services, we’ll be sure to get the customer complaints retracted and renew your tarnished reputation; two birds, one stone.”

[Flashback Ends]

MC:  “How would he be able to retract customer complaints? Also the company seems… I heard that their platform is about to go live soon, so they’ll be quite sensitive to public opinion during this time.”

Zuo Ran: “MeiWeiKa’s involvement in an upcoming lawsuit will bring risk to the app’s release. Lu HaiYang’s decision to pitch it to your restaurant, was it to satisfy his own intentions, or was it mediated by MeiWeiKa’s officials?”

Xue XinRan: “That… was never made clear to us. Their company has been shady since before, and it’s not the first time Lu HaiYang has come to harass Grandpa Fang with his pitches.”

MC:  “...This wasn’t the first time?”

▌ [More about the Incident]  (Receive ‘Incident Appraisal Report’)

MC: “When did this incident happen?”

Xue XinRan: “Two weeks ago, Friday afternoon.”

[Flashback]

Male Customer: “My wife and her colleagues dined here for lunch, and in the afternoon, she couldn’t stop throwing up and having the runs! It must have been caused by shoddy ingredients!”

Female Customer: “My son and daughter-in-law were the same this afternoon! What kind of private kitchen are you running! I ought to bet that you use rotting fish and dead seafood to make a quick buck!”

Other Male Customer: “I’ve kept the meal receipt and my hospital prognosis as proof. With the health department on their way, I’m sure they’ll secure evidence. I’d love to see how you’d try to talk your way out of it!”

Female Customer: “Right, right! That pot of fish and tofu soup there, don’t let them throw it out and try to hide the body… I mean, tamper with the evidence!”

[Flashback ends]

Xue XinRan: “That day… there were a total of six customers that had food poisoning symptoms. And they had all ordered the fish and tofu soup. The health department tested the water we use for cooking, which tested positive for pesticide contamination, and ruled poor restaurant management as the cause of the incident. Here’s the official written report.”

Zuo Ran: “Pesticides, huh…”

▌ [About past entanglements] (Receive ‘Promotion Refusal File’)

MC: “You mentioned that this isn’t the first time MeiWeiKa and Lu HaiYang have bothered Mr. Fang, can you elaborate further on it?”

Xu XinRan: “Lu HaiYang is responsible for the sales promotion of the area in which Grandpa Fang’s restaurant is located. In the past, in order to meet his own sales quota, he pressured Grandpa Fang to buy a VIP membership on the platform. The membership was overpriced and Grandpa Fang needed to build up savings in order to fund his charity, so he refused Lu HaiYang. Lu HaiYang thus failed to meet his quota and was fined by the company. Since then, he’s harbored hatred for Grandpa Fang, even going as far as to buy negative reviews for the restaurant on MeiWeiKa. Ever since the incident, I’ll bet he’s been bouncing off the rocks!”

Zuo Ran: “In short, there exists a conflict of interest between Lu HaiYang and Fang Yuan. The restaurant incident provides Lu HaiYang with an opportunity for profit.”

MC: “Does Lawyer Zuo suspect that Lu HaiYang might have a hand in the incident?”

Zuo Ran: “I’m just covering all the bases.”

▌ [About the affected customers] (Receive ‘Customers’ Medical Records’)

MC: “What’s the current condition of the affected customers?”

Xue XinRan: “Everyone has recovered. These are the medical records provided by the hospital. All six affected customers dined for lunch on the same day, and all experienced diarrhea and vomiting afterwards. Besides that, there aren’t any other symptoms. No one stayed in the hospital, either. Since it was almost the weekend, no one wanted to hinder their work. For that, they’re asking for a settlement of two hundred thousand per person, it’s ridiculous!”

Zuo Ran: “The settlement for food poisoning lawsuits are regulated legally, the judge won’t permit the plaintiffs to set the price themselves.”

Xue XinRan: “That’s a relief to hear.”

▌ [About other sponsees’ attitudes]

MC:  “You mentioned that Mr. Fang has sponsored many underprivileged students. How long has he been doing these charitable acts?”

Xue XinRan:  “I think he started it when Grandma Fang was still around, so it’s been about twenty years.”

MC:  “That means a lot of his sponsees are all living and working, each to their own?”

Xue Xin Ran: “Yup, there’s quite a few of them that are well established within Stellis City. They’re well off. Actually, I can be considered as a ‘past sponsee’, too. Last month, I received my offer of acceptance to Stellis University with a full scholarship. My plan was to work part-time in Stellis City for my living expenses. I shouldn’t always rely on Grandpa Fang’s generosity, can I.” MC: “Well said, Miss. Xue. I admire your integrity. Although Mr. Fang’s charity work isn’t related to the case, it can be used to prove that Mr. Fang is a good character and not a profiteer. The court may come to believe that this case is a one-off accident by Mr. Fang, helping reduce the settlement cost, and preserving the restaurant’s reputation. Miss. Xue, are you able to contact some of the students that Mr. Fang’s charity has helped?” Xue XinRan: ”Actually… after the incident happened, I’ve considered contacting some of Grandpa Fang’s past sponsees for help, but… Those who were kind said they’d agree to pitch in for the settlement cost, like repayment for Grandpa Fang’s support in the past, then there were some that followed along with the people online and accused him! They claimed that he’d gone senile, and that’s what caused the incident. They even accused me of collecting repayment and attempting to cash in his good karma. That was never my intention....”

Zuo Ran: “Avoidance is a common and natural way for some to stay away from trouble, there’s no point in forcing a confrontation.”

▌ [About the pesticides used in the restaurant]

Zuo Ran: “The restaurant’s pest control protocols, is it outsourced to professionals, or is it done in-house?”

Xue XinRan: “Grandpa Fang told me that he asked the restaurant runner to buy powdered pesticide on Monday of the same week as the incident.”

Zuo Ran: “The powdered pesticides on the market are generally harmless to humans. The ones that do have adverse effects are difficult to procure. If it’s the runner that accidentally bought the wrong pesticide and mixed the powder with the water source, the cause can be deemed as the worker’s negligence.”

MC: “If it’s the employee’s fault, Mr. Fang can claim compensation from his employee after the trial, which can reduce his personal losses.”

Xue XinRan: “Grandpa Fang said that he was the one who sprinkled the pesticide powder, and his poor eyesight is to blame for mistaking the water source. He wasn’t paying attention…” Zuo Ran: “He claims he wasn’t paying attention, but afterward is so sure that it was caused by his misoperation. That’s a logical fallacy...”

▌ [About employee]

MC: “The means of procuring harmful pesticides is suspicious in of itself. After the incident, did the employee do or say anything out of the ordinary?”

Xue XinRan: “Anything abnormal…?” Zuo Ran: “For example, making purchases that exceed their expected budget and living conditions, or giving off the impression that they have acquired wealth.”

Xue XinRan: “That… no, I don’t think so. Grandpa Fang’s restaurant isn’t big. He works as the head chef, and employs two others: a waiter, and a helper. After the incident, the two employees were afraid of implicating themselves, made excuses to quit, and found work elsewhere. They’re still obtaining their bread and butter working for others.”

~~~ End of investigation! ~~~

Xue XinRan: “I’ve only been in Stellis City for about a month or so, working part-time and taking care of Grandpa Fang on the side. In regards to the incident and the lawsuit, that’s as much as I know.”

Zuo Ran: “We’ve covered the general situation and will require a visit to the restaurant in order to collect evidence for the case. Before that, we will require that you sign an agency agreement. I do have to point out, Miss. Xue, you are not the owner or operator of the restaurant, and do not hold the right to appoint a lawyer to appear in court for this lawsuit.”

Xue XinRan: “I… didn't know that.”

MC: “I believe that Mr. Fang is only caught up in the heat of the moment. I’m willing to visit Mr. Fang and try to persuade him to agree to our help.”

Zuo Ran: “You want to pick up this case?”

MC: “That’s right, Lawyer Zuo. Mr. Fang has supported less fortunate students in his ongoing charity work and has without a doubt opened up doors for those that could not afford it at a time when others would not have given them a sliver of hope. Since he is going through a rough time, he deserves good people such as Miss. Xue to help him, as he has done for others. Moreover, civil and commercial law are my areas of expertise.”

Zuo Ran: “Alright, then this case will be assigned to you. Should you require any help or assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.”

MC: “Thank you, Lawyer Zuo!”

Xue XinRan: “Then…”

MC: “What’s wrong, Miss. Xue, do you have any other concerns? I might not have Lawyer Zuo’s elite qualifications, but…”

Xue XinRan: “No! That’s not what I meant, please do not misunderstand.”

(Xue XinRan pulled an envelope out of her canvas bag and pushed it in front of Lawyer Zuo and I. I opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of banknotes - about a thousand dollars. Everyone has been favoring electronic payment methods, yet Xue XinRan, she…)

Xue XinRan:

”These are the living expenses my parents gave me, and my earnings for this month… It’s all in there… Grandpa Fang’s savings have largely gone towards supporting students in need, and now, he has to prepare funds for the settlement as well. He’s not young and has heart complications, so he can’t be allowed to work as hard as he does. If it’s possible, I’m willing to work more shifts so I can pay the lawyer fees in installments. Although, I’m not sure if that’s acceptable here…”

(The envelope in my hand suddenly felt heavy. Zuo Ran took the envelope out of my hands and handed it back to Xue XinRan with both hands and a gentle smile, something that I rarely see.)

Zuo Ran: “There’s no need to worry. Themis Law Firm’s legal aid fund allows for the lawyer fees to be reduced, or even exempted, as long as you meet our requirements.”

Xue XinRan: “R-really?”

MC: “Lawyer Zuo is one of Themis’s long term partners, so you might as well even consider him as one of our bosses. Whatever he says is obviously true.”

Xue XinRan: “Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. Gauging from Grandpa Fang’s mood earlier, I’ve also hired a private investigator to look into this case. The PI has also refused payment and told me not to worry about the money. It seems like Stellis City is filled with warm-spirited people.”

(Just then, Zuo Ran’s cell phone started ringing. His expression soured as he checked the caller ID.)

Zuo Ran: “I apologize, I must attend to this call.”

(Zuo Ran bowed towards Xue XinRan, and left the break room in a hurry. Judging from the tight timeline of this case, I think I should start investigating immediately.)

MC: “Miss Xue, If the trial starts next Wednesday, we should go get a move on. Let’s head to the restaurant and pay a visit to Mr. Fang.”

Xue XinRan: “Sounds good. The restaurant is located in CBD, so it’s close by.”

(Zuo Ran was still in his office by the time Xue XinRan and I left the firm. I sent a quick text to let him know where we were headed.)

MC:  (Did Lawyer Zuo encounter something troubling? If so, I wish him all the best.)

~~~

▌ Location- Zuo Ran’s Office

(In the office, Zuo Ran was on the phone, and he was furious.)

Zuo Ran: “Solely based on one email correspondence, Master was determined to have betrayed NXX. I won’t accept this!”

Zuo Ran: “...”

Zuo Ran: “We three all have our own standpoints, and there’s no way to remain unbiased. That being the case, I will bring a fourth party into the investigation.”

Zuo Ran: “...”

Zuo Ran: “En, if there are any suitable candidates, I ask Mo Yi to conduct a psychological evaluation.”

-------

[Previous Part] | [Masterlist] | [Next Part]

-------

《CREDIT》 Translator: @humi-and-co Editor: @hallowsivy​ 《未定事件簿》Tears of Themis is a 2020 Chinese otome game by 米哈游Mihoyo. All original credits go to 米哈游Mihoyo. 

《 VOICE ACTORS 》 Xia Yan | Jin Xian: https://weibo.com/riceranger Zuo Ran | Zhao Lu: https://weibo.com/mzhaolu Lu HaiYang | Zhang Pei: https://weibo.com/u/1937059462 Xue XinRan | V17-Su Wan: https://weibo.com/u/2925530143

《OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS》 Official website: https://bbs.mihoyo.com/wd/ Official WeChat account:  未定事件簿 Mihoyo official website: https://wd.mihoyo.com/

[jess-rewatches-prodigalson]

Episode 9: Peid-a-Terre

Malcolm is bad at relationships. Also he needs a hug. And I don’t like Eve.

Here are my thoughts.

SPOILERS

1:25 - Malcolm holding the stuffed panda is upsetting and adorable. 

1:54 - Why does Gabrielle sound surprised here? Doesn’t she know that Malcolm is missing time? She’s know him since he was a kid. 

2:23 - hahaha Malcolm looks so confused when Gabrielle asks if he was aroused. 

3:30 - hahaha something about this music and Malcolm trying to flirt with people is freaking hilarious. 

4:25 - This scene. Ugh. First of all - look at how nervous Malcolm looks when he asks Eve out. How sweet is that?....also how much experience do you think Malcolm has dating? I’m really curious about when/if he dated as a teenager/college student and how that worked. SECONDLY, Eve. Ugh. I’ll be transparent. I don’t like her. Never have. BUT look at her reaction to Malcolm asking her out. She looks pleasantly surprised but almost in a “aww this guy is adorable but I’m so out of his league” kind of way? Is she actually attracted to him?!? Or just trying to get information from him? I can never quite tell. 

4:53 - Look at Malcolm’s face. He’s happy and shocked that she said yes. He genuinely looks so surprised that she said yes. Is his level of self-worth so low that he thinks no one would ever want to date him? The mere idea shatters my heart.

5:10 - You think Malcolm told Gil about Eve during this phone conversation? When the show cuts to the title screen? 

6:00 - I love this. Look how happy Malcolm is. He’s making jokes. Smiling. Ugh. He deserves to feel like this more often. 

6:49 - OMG. Hilarious but NOT appropriate Edrisa. hahaha Gil looks so exasperated. 

7:13 - Dani’s facial expression here is everything. Makes sense too. She probably loves JT like a brother. Hearing about your brother’s sex-life (even vague details) is nasty. Also. Loving that JT has been married for 7 years. That was a tidbit of information I didn’t know I wanted or needed. 

7:22 - I have so many questions about Edrisa’s life outside of work. Who is this woman? Where does one find cuddle parties?!? Also Gil, JT and Dani’s reactions to the cuddle party are everything. They’re just mildly surprised but they also have an air of “well, of course you did” about them.

7:41 - Another example of why Jessica needs some lady friends to talk to. She’s calling her son to vent about her personal problems. Don’t get me wrong - that’s not wrong necessarily but she clearly needs someone to talk to outside of her children. 

8:00 - That little comment is really interesting. What does Jessica tell people that Malcolm does when she isn’t forced to divulge his actual career? Or does she just not mention his career at all unless someone directly asks about it?

8:25 - Look at Gil here. He’s in total Dad mode. He wants Malcolm to talk to his mom. Listen to how soft his voice is and the concerned/desperate look that he gives Malcolm. It’s like wants to talk to his coparent about their kid’s trauma but he doesn’t want to be the one to break the news to Jessica. 

9:34 - This husband (David) immediately strikes me as weird. He’s almost too emotional at the scene. “Imagine if we had been here.” He’s overcompensating for something. And his wife - she looks scared. 

9:44 - How does Dani know that JT is good with kids?! I want a fic. Has JT had to interact with kids on other cases? Has a cop brought their kid into the precinct and JT hung out with the kid? I want details. The idea of JT with a kid is really cute and I feel robbed that we didn’t get to see him hang out with Molly during this episode.

10:10 - I love that Gil and Malcolm can have a completely silent conversation. Gil clearly understands that Malcolm is going to follow the wife and question her because she thinks that she’s acting suspicious. 

10:25 - Damn. Is this a rich person public washroom or an apartment washroom? 

11:08 - This club is cray cray. Seriously? Does this stuff really exist?!? I mean I’m sure it does? (FYI I’m a sexually repulsed asexual so all this sex stuff is genuinely mind boggling to me....and I’ve probably overshared.)

12:35 - Gonads?!? hahaha I love that Malcolm uses that term.

12:42 - hahaha JT. “I’m out”. I love how amused Malcolm looks here. It makes me wonder - is JT actually uncomfortable with this? JT says a lot of funny stuff around Malcolm. Is it because that’s just the way JT is? OR is it because JT is a good friend and wants Malcolm to smile and be happy more often? Even if it’s only for a few seconds?

13:03 - I love how blunt and clinical Edrisa is to all of this sex stuff. Gil’s reaction to her is perfect too. He’s clearly a little uncomfortable but he’s mostly just exasperated with Edrisa’s behaviour.

13:54 - This little conversation between Malcolm and JT is really great. Malcolm is clearly nervous about his date and nervous about asking JT for advice. We get to see a side of JT here that we really don’t get to see often. The articulate, kind, respectful man who has been happily married for 7 years. He gives Malcolm some genuinely good advice and you can see how much JT adores his wife when he talks about playing pool with her. It’s such a great Malcolm/JT bonding moment. 

14:55 - Huh. Did Malcolm pay the settlement personally? Was the lawsuit against the NYPD or Malcolm himself? I’m curious. I can see Malcolm feeling bad about it (even though it did save Nico’s life) and insisting on paying out of pocket. It’s kind of sweet (and creepy) that he’s keeping tabs on Nico. Look at Malcolm’s eyes in this scene. He’s looking a little manic and a lot desperate.

15:05 - ALSO JT’s surprised proclamation of pride for Nico is everything. I love this more personal side of JT that we see in this episode. It really makes his character a lot less 2D. 

16:06 - Are they drinking non-alcoholic beverages? JT definitely has a beer. Somehow I don’t think Gil would authorize drinking on the job, in the middle of a case. Also, why is Dani sitting with Gil as opposed to JT? It’s much more believable that Dani and JT are on a date than Gil and Dani (because - age).

16:43 - Gil looks soooo grossed out here. I don’t blame him. Listening to your kid talk about kinky sex is probably really awful. 

17:25 - Look at Malcolm’s face. He looks uncomfortable, a little scared even. He really doesn’t want to have sex with this lady. It makes me wonder if he’s someone who is only interested in having sex with a long-term partner - in which case I really wonder what his sex-life has been like. Also, look at the team. They are all clearly not excited about the prospect of listening to Malcolm have sex with this lady.

17:45 - Malcolm rolling his eyes at his phone conversation is cute. He’s comfortable enough with Dani and Gil to banter with them at his own expense. I wish he was that comfortable around more people.

18:45 - Look at Malcolm’s eyes. He’s scared. He’s doing his job but he’s definitely scared. Maybe not of this lady even - maybe he’s scared because this lady is reminding him that he might be expected to have sex with Eve and he’s not ready yet.

19:00 - Papa Gil is concerned. My heart is full.

19:45 - Again. I will ask. Where. Did. JT. Go? He was at the bar/restaurant place. He didn’t come to Bright’s place from the restaurant? Where did he go and what is he doing?!? 

19:50 - Gil and Malcolm share a look after she says “attempting to have consensual sex with another adult”. What does it mean? I can’t quite figure it out. It could mean that they’re frustrated with the way the conversation is going? It could also mean something else though? Something personal? Eh. I think I’m seeing what I want to see. It’s probably the first one. 

21:05 - Lust is easy. Love is dangerous. Huh. Is that some sort of message that the writers are trying to give us with regard to Malcolm and Eve? Or another couple on the show?

22:10 - It breaks my heart that Malcolm thinks that he’s not “Dad material”. He would be a great Dad because he knows what not to do. Also because he’s worked so hard to not be his father. And Gil has been a great role model for him. #GiveMalcolmKids

23:45 - Look at the way Malcolm looks at Molly. He looks sad. Concerned. Like he suspects that her life is about the change because he still thinks her father is guilty of something that will warrant jail time.

24:14 - Firstly, Jessica looks awesome in purple. But also, she’s a little too overbearing. Please let your adult son date alone. But I will give Jess credit here. She cares about Malcolm, she tries to comfort him after his hallucination. 

25:55 - This is kind of cute. Malcolm kind of made JT his personal safety net. Malcolm was freaked out about his date but he feel comfortable with JT so he crashed JT’s date to take some of the pressure off of him and Eve. Also can we all just take a moment to appreciate that JT looks more concerned with Malcolm’s nervous/manic behaviour than he does annoyed with Malcolm? 

26:04 - I instantly LOVE Tally. I love how forward and playful she is. I love how this conversation suggests that JT talks about Malcolm at home. hahaha I’d love to hear that dinner conversation. I wonder how he and Tally met?

27:02 - This is kind of sweet. The boys on one side of the table and the girls on the other. Look at how much fun JT seems to be having. He’s acting like Malcolm’s big brother. I love it. 

27:40 - Malcolm says “My Mother’s world” not “My world”. This suggests that Malcolm doesn’t consider himself to be rich. Or at least he doesn’t consider himself to be immersed in the world of aristocracy.

28:05 - Eve looks impressed with Malcolm here. Malcolm looks interested in what he’s profiling. Almost as though he hadn’t profiled her at all until he started doing it audibly. 

29:00 - I love JT’s quiet “Bright” here. He’s desperately trying to save Malcolm from himself and Tally looks so sad that she messed up Malcolm’s date. 

30:30 - Malcolm really does have an uncomfortable amount of knowledge about prescription drugs. I don’t think that was part of his FBI training or his college degree. Maybe because he’s been on so many different drugs? 

33:35 - Dang. Malcolm’s eyes look sad in this scene. 

36:20 - Have you noticed how desperate and sad Malcolm looks every time he talks to the case’s killer? He always ends the conversation telling time something along the lines of “you aren’t like this” almost like he’s convincing himself that they aren’t broken. That they aren’t killers. 

38:22 - I love these little pow-wows about Malcolm between Jessica and Gil. You can see how much they both adore Malcolm.

39:00 - Gil is such a sweet guy. Look at the way he comforts Jessica. The look on Jessica’s face when he put her hands on her shoulders. This is clearly the first time Gil has ever initiated physical contact with her. She’s surprised but not unhappy. Look at the way she clings to his hug. I’m telling you - this woman needs some more friends. Also - I’m totally shipping Jessica/Gil. This just fuels my soul.

40:06 - This is why I love Malcolm. Check out how mature he is. Apologizing sincerely to Eve. Also - another reason I had initial doubts about Eve. Why did she come to Malcolm’s place after that disaster of a date? Why did she have sex with him the same night? Why. Why. Why.  

42:22 - Ok. So Tom Payne’s torso is attractive. And that hallucination is terrifying. 

43:00 - Malcolm’s eyes after he wakes up holding the knife. He is ashamed. He is heartbroken. He is sad. He is resigned. He knows he just screwed things up. It confirms his belief that he doesn’t deserve to have a romantic relationship - he’s too dangerous. It breaks my heart. I really hope Malcolm called Gil after Eve left. Gil would be able to help him. 

As always, thanks for hanging out. Hope you’re all having a good day.