#Vonnie is great too

[mikewheelerfan2022]

I can already tell that Carmen is my favorite, I love her

[eikonshiva]

okayy, wifi is back -

I was chatting with a friend and ... our conversation made me really want to write more about Jill's role as a political hostage. The fear and confusion when it first happened.

They way she was treated. I'd like to write out her initial feelings on Clive and Joshua. If she disliked them at first - or was at least afraid of them. (maybe more so clive ...Joshua was a little younger so -- )

if she resented them -- if she tried to run away. things like that.

I'd LOVE plots like this if ...anyone is interested

[loganlermanstanaccount]

Just to kiss me (part 1)

Finnick Odair x reader

(AO3 mirror)

Part 2, The Hunger Games masterlist

summary: You meet Finnick at a gala. He’s not what you expect.

warnings: none. Capitol!reader (this is not mindless hedonism, important to the plot), smoking (don't smoke kids, it's bad for you), reader is a year younger than Finnick, who is 21 here. 

a/n: wanted to see how many times I could break u guys into little tiny pieces. Part 1 to this series <3

required reading:

Wc: 2.3k

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

Depollute me, pretty baby,

Suck the rot right out of my bloodstream,

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

Under the chandeliers of the Great Hall, Finnick Odair is the sun.

Glittering as he waltzes between crowds of people; he is the centre of all attention. The flash of a smile there, a soft chuckle here, and it's enough to have the room hanging onto every word. He is honeysuckle and saccharine; stunning in his gilded suit; and it is all you can do to not stare.

You linger by the desserts table, in search of something edible. Piles of sickly sweet, oddly coloured food and yet none look like they wouldn't stab your throat on the way in. An ironic statement considering the company. Panem's most beautiful and wealthy all in one room; daggers behind their backs and expensive smiles. But you knew how it looked: the child of a senator refusing to make nice with the locals at her first gala. Half a dozen political players, actors, and the like had clawed over themselves to make a good impression with your mother - her vice-like grip around your arm. And every single one disappointed by the bumbling proctor she had thrown in her stead. You, dressed in a beautiful gown -  the latest in Cinna's collection - mimicking human interaction. None had the decency to even pretend to be interested. 

Growing tired of awkward, stumbling conversation, you had resorted to hiding; in the corner of the hall, with the half-eaten cakes, where the workers came to gossip. Conversation with twice as much substance than the rest of the room. That's when you see him. 

Finnick arrives late - of course he does - at  a lull in the night. From your vantage point, you see it all: elbows and whispers and manicured fingers dissecting his every move. When he shakes hands with a famous actress, the room erupts with: 'I wonder if they're dating? He's much too good for her…'. When he claps a hand on the back of a senator, good naturedly, they wonder: 'His ex? Have they made peace since the nasty breakup?'. 

He was an enigma, and to say you weren't intrigued was wrong. You were not strong enough to resist the media frenzy surrounding Finnick Odair, Victor of the 65th annual games: handsome with his cropped sandy hair, high cheekbones and boyish vigor, despite it all. 7 years ago, he had captured the nation with his beauty, and grace. 7 years ago, you had watched not much younger than him, queasy at the sight. Your disdain for the games had started with him, you had to admit begrudgingly: how could someone so beautiful be forced into doing such ugly things? At fourteen? And how could the nation watch in awe? 

You are brought back into the room by a sharp elbow at the ribs. A friend of yours; expectantly folds her arms in front of you. 

"You're staring." she says, with a toothy grin. "You said you were immune, and now you're staring…"

You roll your eyes at Vonnie, quick to stuff a prickly treat into your mouth. Quickly, you flash pink tongue at her. "He's so shiny it's practically blinding. Hard to ignore."

She tries not to laugh, reserved when a group of socialites walk past. As soon as they leave, she splutters, "They seem to be ignoring you quite easily…"

Yeah, no shit. The older girl taps her fingers on the table, nervously, like she had something to say. She's dressed in an explosion of fabric: pink and purple and patterned, with a dusting of gold. Her hair is similarly styled, haphazard but regal. On you, you know it would look a mess; but on her, she looks like the models on the cover of Panem Weekly - leggy and striking and beautiful. You sigh into more desserts. They melt almost immediately; a trace of sugar and daydreams on your tongue. 

"....do you think your mother would introduce us?" 

Your eyes grow wide. "No… no…Vonnie, I will not make a fool of myself in front of Finnick Odair-" 

"...but she would introduce us? Right? Right?" 

Opening your mouth in protest, she's too quick for you; hooking her arm into yours and leading (dragging) you into the crowd. She flashes her stunning smile every now and then, throwing polite greetings like grenades with complete accuracy. You're at your mother's feet in no time at all. 

A tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes. That's all she affords you before throwing you to the wolves. "-ah. Just the person I was looking for. Tell Minister Tragus about that outreach program you've been working on…" 

An expectant beat passes, and then another. And another. Vonnie cuts in. "W-well we've been swamped in paperwork as of late trying to get it off the ground! But, Senator, your daughter has been absolutely amazing, never a day off, and poring over the legislature for a gap in the system. She reminds me of you, in that way," she looks at you warmly, and you squeeze her arm with thanks. "-oh, my name is Vonnie Dulaire, Professor-"

"Professor Dulaire's daughter. Or at least, one of them." your mother finishes dryly. She looks around seemingly preoccupied, looking for someone. Not 50m from where you all stand, she catches the eye of a man, who waves. "If you'll excuse me," She bows out, with a nod. 

Hot on her heels, You and Vonnie follow. She stops momentarily, squinting accusingly at you. "You want something."

You stop to protest, but Vonnie interrupts. "Not want per se, but, uh, we were w-wondering if you had met Finnick… Mr Odair! And if you could… introduce us?" A quick nod behind her, and you try to back her up. 

Her face is contorted, with a slight twitch at her eyebrow that tells you she's pissed, and you would get an earful when you got home. That smile again. The one she reserves for the cameras, that doesn't quite meet her eyes. She's tight-lipped and leads you towards the man that waved to her not long ago. 

He's plump and jovial, with a handlebar mustache that curls up to the apples of his cheeks. Introducing himself as Finnick's manager, he stretches out a hand. You take it, and it's clammy with sweat. Vonnie is more outwardly enthusiastic, chattering about Finnick's most recent interview, and complimenting his style. She's good at making people feel at ease; conversation flowing like Panem’s finest ambrosia. 

Your mother is curt when she steps away. She grabs your arm, squeezing cruelly. Imperceptibly, she breathes, "This is your chance to make a good impression. How many times must I tell you, this is a part of the job: you go the events, you suck up, you make appearances. Vonnie, the ditz, for God's sake is showing you up!" She pauses to take a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. From behind her flute, she continues.

"Everything I have done is for you. So you are not chained to a life with a husband you don't love and dithering children pawing at your skirt 24/7. Politics or no, you must play the game, my love-"

"I need some air." Your voice crackles. You don't look her in the eye as you walk away.

~~~

Away from the swirling lights, music and bustle, the night air is cool on your skin. You're on a balcony, tucked away from the gala, leaning over the edge with a small packed pipe in hand. It's the one thing about the ballgown you were grateful for; it's size made it easy to hide things in the tulle or the waistband. In your case, a beat up old pipe and lighter. You take a drag; and float on the moonlight that streams in. 

20 minutes go by and you're still not ready to go back in. 

The double doors open, to a man dressed in gold with his head in his hands. He slumps over the crowned railing and breathes in and out; erratic and shallow. Gentle sobs, barely audible. From this angle, he can't see you in the shadow by the balcony's side, but you can see him. Finnick Odair; in the gloom of the night. Not a god, not the sun. Just a man. 

The realisation of who he is makes you jump, and your lighter falls with a clatter. The man looks around just as startled. You fall to your knees, patting around for your lighter in the dark. Finnick does the same, crouching at your feet to help you find it. Ah! There, by your pooling dress, a gaudy thing of gold and pearl. He hands it you, your fingers brush and… you're embarrassed. When he stands up, he motions for you to grab his arm; ever the gentleman. 

Finnick gives you that smile; stunning and mischievous; but there's something about it that makes your heart sink. You'd know it from anywhere: the stony sheen of rehearsal, of strain - his body language completely different from a few seconds before. He stands straighter, with purpose, but it rings hollow. His eyes are still stinging from crying. His smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

Wordlessly, you offer him a pull from your pipe. He cracks slightly, smile falling, and nods. He's shaking, you notice, as he brings his plump lips to the tip of the pipe, and takes a slow drag. Almost immediately, he doubles over coughing, a palm steady on the railing. 

"D-don't… cough… laugh...coughcough…!".

"Is this your first time?" You can't help but giggle. 

"No…. Y-yes." He's laughing too now. A genuine, belly-filled laugh. 

"Look at what I do." You model a proper pull, breathing in with your chest, holding the smoke there and expelling. You tap at your breastbone. "You should feel it here. Now you try."

You hand it over, and he tries again. This time he only splutters. Not perfect, but better than last time. "You'll get the hang of it."  

In the silence that follows, he does, taking careful drags as you pass the pipe around. It's nice to have some quiet after the overstimulation of the gala. You feel like a teenager again; sneaking out to smoke with Vonnie, but with less of the mindless chatter. When you finish, you expect him to leave. After all, it's what you'd do. Leave and refuse to acknowledge the 5 minutes of peace on the balcony. To draw a line between himself and the random girl he's met by chance. 

But he doesn't. For some reason, he lingers, stealing a glance at you momentarily. Finally, he chews his lip and asks. 

"Why are you out here?" 

"Didn't realise you had a claim to this balcony. Have you marked your territory here or…?" You respond without missing a beat, purposefully staring down at the garden below. 

"You know that's not what I meant. I haven't seen you before, and here you are-" He chuckles. "-on my balcony."

"How do you know?" You meet his eyes; firm, resolute. 

"Hmm?" 

"How do you know you haven't met me before? Maybe I bumped into you on the ballroom floor, or at the buffet?" 

"I remember everyone at these things. It's always the same. Trust me, if we'd met, I would remember you."

"There's always a million people here…"

"And I remember them all." He breathes, a little wistfully. You didn't realise someone so young could even be wistful. 

"That must suck. Every nosy reporter and suck-up? Every politician and creepy little shit-stirrer?" Oh. She's funny, he thinks. And not funny in the tight-lipped, fill-the-silence-with-small-talk way. Unabashedly, genuinely, funny. 

"Yes. Every creepy little shit-stirrer." He repeats. Your words taste different in his tongue. Good different. "Thought I'd already met all the spoilt little rich girls, though." 

You feign shock, and clutch the necklace at your chest. "You wound me, you really do."

Conversation is effortless with him, lazy in the haze of moonlight that wraps around you both. Shamefully, you didn't think he would be all that smart; too beautiful to have a use for sharp wit and humor. Perhaps the talk shows and television were rotting your brain; he was wonderfully perceptive and you almost struggled to keep up with his pace. Almost. 

And so you talked. About anything and everything. What he had for breakfast, the newest music, the weather, the hidden intricacies of capitol life. All the while, tiptoeing around the reality of the situation: that he was the Finnick Odair, perhaps the most sought after man in all of Panem. That he came here to cry on a balcony - clearly, running away from something. To be fair to the man, you wouldn't think it; he was humble and gracious, laughing with a serf like you easily. Fleetingly, you forget yourself, only reminded when the willowy light cut his face just so; handsome, beautiful; and you were blinded by the sun. 

You talk until your throat aches and your legs are sore. Behind you, the gala winds down. Again, Finnick seems reluctant to leave, to break the spell you are both under. A normal conversation. A weight off his shoulders; if only for a moment. A natural lull in conversation, and you're skittish, suddenly aware of the time.

"I should go." You say softly. 

"I should too, suppose." He looks a little sad, resigned to a small smile. 

"Good luck." You nod and walk towards the door. He stops you, clasping a hand in yours. You're looking at each other, and all you can feel is his palm in yours. It's a little rougher than expected, and warm, dwarfing yours. The feeling tethers you to him. 

"Good luck." He nods, squeezing your hand. He is doe-eyed and gorgeous in the widowed light. Stepping closer, he opens the door. Finnick Odair lets go and clicks down the hallway, leaving you with a pain in your chest and that feeling on your palm. He flexes his hand as he walks away. 

He doesn't look back.

_

_

_

[trumpets0ng]

242- “Changes”

Beginning / Previously /Next

((Boredum - Tyler the Creator))

For easier reading, please see transcript below the cut:

D: Mind if we steal your girl for a bit?

O: So long as you get her back before the countdown.

W: Do I get a say? *everyone laughs* What’s up?

P: Girl talk in the bathroom!

W: *giggles* What are we 12? Why’s there security up here?

P: Some new exhibit is going up. We were hoping it would be complete for tonight, but no dice. So, the director is “walling it off” for tonight.

D: Sooo… I just told Penny; it’s official. I put in my notice at the clinic…

W: What?! Are you kidding me?!

P: Right?

D: I know, I know…

W: When was this? Wait— when’s your last day?

D: *chuckles* Last Friday and I’m done end of this month.

W: You’re serious!

D: Watcher! You’re worse than Penny!

P: Whatever. *they laugh*

W: Where are you interviewing?

D: I’m not. At least, not yet. Between wedding planning, moving, Dirk selling the San My penthouse—

P&W: What?!

D: *rolls eyes* I know, I know… but that’s my point. There’s too much on my plate right now.

W: What about your wedding planner?

D: *sigh* Yeah… my cousin Vonnie. She’s a good event planner, but this is the biggest thing she’s ever done and it makes me nervous. It shouldn’t, but it does.

P: But she’s been doing it for a while, no?

D: 5 years. But never on this level. I mean we don’t have star-studded events back home. It’s the sticks!

W: Clearly you trust her, or you wouldn’t have hired her.

D: I do… I do. She found the venue, and the caterer. Izzy and Matteo helped her really early on to get her ducks in a row and licensed, so this can be more than a side hustle in the future. They gave her a crash course on NDA’s and purchasing things under her LLC, to protect our privacy. Dirk and I want to keep this paparazzi and press free as possible.

W: That’s fair.

P: But what about afterward? I’m sure she could use the press if this is going to be more than a side hustle.

D: Of course. I just haven’t figured that part out yet.

P: I can make a few calls if you want. I have a friend at MunaLuchi Brides.

W: And I can ask Aunt Gloria for recs.

D: That’d be great, actually. Thank you.

P: We should head back out there before they send a search party. *they laugh*

[lumiiiscorner]

positivity for @fire-branded from anonymous

I wish to send some love for Vonny ( @fire-branded )! One of the kindest people around here and a dear friend! Sometimes they can't see it, but they're such a great person overall, they ask too much of themselves and I just hope they can slow down and remember that they're only human, but also, such a great human that is appreciated by many of us. I love you, Vonny! Here's some positivity for you. Please take it easy on yourself. You're doing amazing! You don't need to be the fastest, or reply every single day, or even accomplish greatness at every second. Simply by being here, having fun, and being yourself, you've given so much good to us. Thank you, hope so much happiness comes your way! 😊

[the-zapped-part-timer]

Penn Zerothon Day 1

North Pole Down🎄

My Ramblings: Hey, this all looks familiar! Anyways, I like sword gag. Obviously guys it was in a couch, open your minds. It's also interesting to see Sashi not having wings like in the Pilot, I guess now we can infer what happened because we know she has them the next time they're in the Knight World.

I like to smash bits of the Pilot in this episode in my head, with the Boone being exception of course... and also the other stuff going in Zap One.

Ok, the zapping. They still do come out of a static background, but the Pilot's just looks so different.

Get the banging intro we all love and the iconic title cards!

Zooming on the family picture doesn't hurt at all. Nope, not all. It's interesting to show no snow on Christmas Eve, but that can happen in a lot of places, I really like that decision. Sashi beating the fake reindeer making look like snow? Gold.

But I've got to say, starting with a holiday episode is... unusual. I personally wouldn't have, but I'm not saying it had to be Zap One. It's just that not everyone likes holiday or Christmas episodes. I'm also upset we never got a Halloween episode.

I wonder why we didn't see the MUHU used in the Pilot, perhaps it wasn't a thing? I doubt it. I enjoy Brock and Vonnie every time they're on screen, funny and such great parents, even from afar! Like that they left a record video. Poor Penn, just wants see his parents so bad on Christmas, they're first Christmas apart. Also for a quick second we see that the MUHU charging deck thingy is broken. I wonder why? Genuinely, why? Was it The Chinchilla?

Our first introduction to Aunt Rise and Uncle Chuck (and of course The Chinchilla). I don't mind them, not my favorites. But don't mind. They're quirky.

I love the Trio so much! Boone and Sashi trying to cheer up Penn is so sweet.

First time we see Old Man Middleburg.

Not even having to exchange words to show how much Rippen hates Penn and Larry's over the topness.

Phyllis is queen. She's slaying in that candy cane costume. And she's already being supportive with Penn. You need a prom date? Phyllis has got you. MUHU broken beyond repair? She tried.

I would have a mental breakdown if I tried avoiding Christmas like the plague only to be zapped into Santa of all people! Like what are the odds? It's like the universe knows or something.

I just realized we never got a "check the specs" in the Pilot! Dang. Also, you can hear bells when her specs are displaying the mission.

Penn helping Boone calm down is sweet. Also, the "Okay, I'm gonna pet you now, but not in a weird way." Line will never not be funny, so many quotable lines in this show. I'm like a parrot.

Also, was the head in a box a reference to the movie Seven? If so, it's a very interesting pick for a reference for a kids' show.

Did they get Adam Levine for his screaming? I think that's a possibility.

Mr. Snowman...

I do like the rogue gingerbread men, but I wonder if Rippen being Krampus was at least considered. It always bugged me when I first watched this. Goat Rippen would have been too much for anyone to handle, I suppose.

The candy and Christmas weaponry is fun and creative. Larry cannibalizing himself is very Larry. I, too, would have a nibble on at least one of my fingers.

I like that Mr. Snowman just assumed the MUHU was broken. He doesn't know a damn thing about it and yet already being manipulative. I like that Penn is allowed to be a bit selfish. It makes sense, most of the time, it's because of his parents. He desperately wants them back or at least able to see and talk to them. Love me some good character flaws!

Surprise! The snowman with an ominous voice was bad! Although, it is surprising that Rippen decided to team up with anyone. I guess he probably sees Mr. Snowman as easy to take out, it's not that hard as we see later on. (Snow) Man literally took his whole heart out and almost died for a bit.

The face Penn makes when he says the whole ruining Christmas for eternity is gonna bother him for awhile is great. So many great faces on this show.

The first song of the show! Also forgot the Pilot didn't have a song... good. I don't wanna hear that Boone sing. He's not an angel like ours. I used don't not like his singing, but it grew on me. Pretty good song. Everyone is good at singing. I like that the breakout fails, like you really thought a candy cane would work as a key? Jokes land so much better than the Pilot (sorry I keep bringing that up).

So there's just one gingerbread woman? Like a smurfette? Also, Rippen, my goodness! One (gingerbread) woman and already be acting up. It's just a tiny bit but still funny, I like the idea that he can't keep it in his pants sometimes. He's gotta come off as suave to anyone watching.

Also weird that gingerbread people just eat steak and mashed potatoes... not very Christmas-like, guys, and woman.

"You've looked cooler." Sashi delivers that in such a way that it can be such a low blow to whoever she's saying it to (Penn).

Would've loved to see a drama class. That would've been a Boone episode, a Boone-isode!

Creative way to escape, using Santa lore. I wonder what it felt like to be tube-shaped for a few seconds. I'm sure that would feel good on my back until I cry from pain.

First instance of Arnold Schwarzenegger voice Boone.

"Man, that guy can talk." Sashi, that man is your principal. Your lucky he ain't evil.

Yep, he's a snowman... what was he gonna do? Snowball them? Man them- nevermind.

AAHHH! Rippen jumpscare! Oh no- is his bowtie made of anything? Like licorice or something? Or is it just a bowtie?

I'll never find it funny that in some Santa media set in modern times, they're still making older toys like made out of wood and stuff. Anyways, love the fight between Penn and Rippen using the toys as weapons. Very fun and creative.

I love it when Rippen tries to use Penn's interest against him, the MUHU in this case. But no, Penn is better than that.

Did Rippen feel anything when he broke or does it not hurt? Either way, falling down at that velocity must have been terrifying. First instance of Larry eating Rippen... yep, not the first!

Also, the first use of the Wilhelm Scream! They love that scream.

He made a hard choice, but thankfully, it paid off in two ways. Completing the mission and getting your MUHU fixed by Santa because of it. What was that one quote? "A true act of goodwill always sparks another." (Whoever gets that, have a cookie)

Also like that it implies Santa doesn't like gingerbread, perhaps because gingerbread people work for him?

An all around good Christmas episode, usually my least favorite kind.

~The Characters~

Penn Zero: This Penn and Pilot Penn while similar, feel very different in delivery.

Like I said already, I like Penn feeding into his self-interest. We always understand why he does and acts like he does, he's a good person with flaws. Flaws that are so human.

Boone Wiseman: Oh Boone, I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I can't believe we almost didn't have this you! So much more funnier and nicer. Our lovable buffoon. Even going out to make skateboard sleds for his friends! And a failed roller-skate skis that he actually never made, but it's the thought that counts.

He's funny but still takes some seriousness with his job. Especially at the end.

Sashi Kobayashi: Violent as ever! But cares deeply about Penn's troubles. I also enjoyed when she just conked Larry and that elf in the head.

Rippen: Not a whole lot to say for him in this episode. He was funny and growly as usual. It's still interesting that he teamed up with someone as we'll see in Number One Number Two. Yes, I know, I'm Still Super. But that's different as we'll also see

Larry: He really doesn't have much to do besides eating himself. Which, good for him, he makes a good point, they'll never be that delicious again.

Dimension(s): I like the look of the mountaintop north pole base, which is a very cool take on Santa's workshop. It's more like a military base than anything.

Forms: Reindeer Boone is the best, sorry. He's adorable, I like his physicality. Everyone else did good, but they'll never be Reindeer Boone.

[amber-lucca44]

Artists of the Month (April 2024) 💖

1. Garbage

This month I remembered how much I love this band, and ended up loving them a little bit more lol 😭💖💖

Listened to their first two albums, and replayed the hell out of "Queer" and "Blood For Poppies", among others 🥹💖💕💕

2. Taylor Swift

Been a while since she last made it here 😗💕

Of course, listened (and loved 😭) The Tortured Poets Department. After this, I'm convinced YT Music was being biased as hell cause she kept showing up as most played for like the rest of the month lol. But I did listen to some more of her songs too besides the album, so yeah sure played her music a lot ig. 😅♥️

3. Beyoncé

YEEEEEHAWWWWW 🤠🏇🏾

Just kidding but I did enjoy Cowboy Carter a lot lol. 😂♥️

Also, played some of her classic songs a lot, like "Irreplaceable" and "Single Ladies", but most of all "Formation". Fuck that song really gets me going 😭💅🏾💖💖

4. All Time Low

I wasn't aware of the shitty allegations against them until very recently, so don't judge me for including them here 😭😐💔

But yeah so, I listened to their latest album Tell Me I'm Alive, which wasn't bad ngl. Andddd, kept listening to a lot of songs from the Party Scene era, as well as "Weightless" (fuck I love that one 😭)

5. Asking Alexandria

Yeahhh this one is just good old Vonnie listening to the same stuff she's always listened to. 😂💖

I did listen to The Black again (Denis was a great vocalist too y'all 😭), but mostly just replayed a bunch of their classic metalcore bangers ♥️♥️♥️

[reneesbooks]

lacuna daily snippet day 5

chapter 9, the city guard, examines keelan's spiral after he is banished from the castle. he ends up getting a job as the captain of the city guard since the old one was promoted to the royal guard (wonder why...) here's him drinking with vonnie about it.

"There's a great pub down the street from my flat,” Vonnie says, clapping his shoulder. “Let me buy you a drink?”

Keelan holds in a long sigh. “Fine.”

So he finds himself seated at the bar, a glass of something that smells lethal sitting on the counter in front of him. Vonnie is already laughing, joking with the bartender and an identical glass. He takes a hesitant sip and gags, his throat burning.

“Oh,” Vonnie says, observing his plight. “Annie, sweetheart, I think my friend here needs something a little more dilute.” She winks at the bartender. “He doesn't have my constitution.”

Annie replaces the glass of poison with one of strong red wine. Vonnie chugs his abandoned glass and asks for another.

“I'll be honest, O'Leyne, I wasn't sure what to expect when I found out you wanted the captain job.” She tips her head at him as he lifts his wine to his lips and drinks. “There's a lot of stories out there about you.”

“And you want to know if they're true?”

“A little, yeah.” She shrugs. “I wanted to be a bard when I was younger and I still like songs. Lots of them about you.”

“I didn't kill the Immortal Thieves of Cág.” He squints at the bottom of his glass. “At least, not on purpose.”

“Refill, love.” Vonnie smiles at Annie. “Bring the bottle. The captain here sounds like he's going to need it.” She turns back to Keelan. “But you did kill them?”

“I killed twelve men who had burned my village down.” Keelan rubs his eyes. “I don't think they were anything more than men. Evil men, but still men.” He takes a large gulp of wine. “They smelled the same as all the other bodies.”

“Gross,” Vonnie says flatly. “They say you walked three months straight, never stopped.”

“Not true. I slept in barns and had to do odd jobs for food, and sometimes farmers would give me a lift.”

She hums, tapping the bottom of her glass on the counter. “There's a rumor about you and the queen.”

He flinches and quickly swallows the rest of his drink. He should have known—everyone would be gossiping about his banishment, his betrayal, his eye. It was inevitable that somebody would ask. He reaches up to set his fingers on the bandages hidden by the patch. “I'll bet there are a lot of rumors about me and the queen.”

His voice comes out sharp and Vonnie raises her hands defensively. “Don't kill me for being curious, O'Leyne. It's an old rumor, anyway. Years back they said you bought a ring in South Town and married the crown princess in secret.”

Keelan almost laughs. “No. It's not true.” He presses his hand flat to his face. “It was a gift for her birthday. She stopped wearing it years ago.”

He thinks of her voice after Leo's ball—if I could, I'd...it wouldn't have to be like this. The way she'd spun the ring on her finger as she made hard decisions during the witch trials. The way her fingers had touched the empty space where it should have been as she banished him.

“Are you in love with her?”

Keelan pours himself another glass of wine. “What would it matter if I was?”

“People are afraid of you,” Vonnie says, so seriously that Keelan turns to look at her. “You've gained a reputation for severe brutality on the queen's orders. I've heard stories about that, too.” Her gaze flicks to the left side of his face. “I find myself wondering why you would do all of that for her so unflinchingly.”

Keelan looks away. “I was a devoted soldier,” he says bitterly. He quiets. “I suppose I still am.”

“She made you take out your own eye.”

“No,” Keelan says, pressing his fingers into his cheek just below the empty socket. “No, I chose to do that.” He presses harder, until the wound aches and burns. “What good is devotion if it doesn't destroy you?”

Vonnie slams back her drink. “You're a fucking bummer, O'Leyne.”

lacuna taglist: @serenanymph @lyssa-ink @oh-no-another-idea @lena-rambles @ashen-crest @tragicbackstoryenjoyer @serpentarii @allianaavelinjackson

[sukipershipper]

More Mac headcanons plz!!!

Read the first one and I’m super curious to hear what more you may have!

If not that’s totally okay! You could always just pick one you haven’t done a headcanon post on yet! Either way I’m content tbh <3 <3

Oooh I'll see what I can churn out for ya Anon!

Little Mac Headcanons (Part 2: Return of the headcanoning)

Macky has a lot of nicknames given to him from the WVBA, but his favourites are: Macky-boy, Boyo, Mac and Cheese and Shortstack. Most are given by Aran.

Any chance he can get to play a little trick on someone, in or out of the WVBA, he will do it.

He always gets assistance from Aran for whatever mischief they plan

Avid learner of the WVBA's history, which is both a blessing and a curse.

He defo has collectibles of the boxers in his room at Giovanni's. Posters, figurines, memorabilia, newspaper articles, etc.

When he first started, he and Don did NOT get on at all. Don hated the idea of a younger opponent coming in to take his title while Mac just didn't like his rotten attitude towards the other members of the Major Circuit at the time

Now he is very much treated like a brother by Don.

He wore braces at one point. Giovanni has the pictures of it somewhere.

He loves visiting Giovanni's joint for a bit of food or to just chill. It's a great spot for friends to gather and he loves the atmosphere of it

I forget if I mentioned this already but he has a black lab puppy named Rookie, who he looks after and is the 'semi-official' pet of the WVBA

He, Dean and Birdie often go out at night to do a bit of tagging and graffiti on the walls. It's usually murals of the guys or just some names and words, but it's always a great way for the three to just get out and hang

He doesn't have a love interest and he doesn't really plan on having one. A few passing fancies here and there (including both Nola and Daisy and sometimes Vonnie) but it's nothing that sticks too long

[ducknotinarow]

[87 RaphDon]

Don sighed out, fiddling with his fingers as he looked towards Raph. They'd been going on about Casey, which wasn't anything new, but what was new, was the fact Donatello wasn't annoyed by it. If anything, he was almost...jealous? No, that wasn't quite the word, but it's the best Don had. After a moment, he speaks up, tries to join in with the romantic words Raph was giving,

"Y-yeah, Yvonne's real great."

Why did it sound so awkward when he said it? Because he really did mean it! He thought she was great, and so many other things, but Donatello just couldn't say it - not like how Raph can do it. In fact, that's why he was here,

"Raphael, how do you do it?" Don asks, "How can you sit and say all this stuff about Casey, sometimes even in front of them, without feeling like an idiot?" He specifies, "I try and do that with Vonnie but I just sorta, you know, get tongue tied I guess?"

| Muse interaction

Raphael, made his way into Donatello's lab for well no real reason really, just to hang out with his brother. Still not the biggest fan of their inventions but well hey if Donatello could bother to ask for help when ones was stolen? Then Raphael could work on acting interested in what they did. Or in the least be aware of it when something went wrong. But also cause well Raph just liked hanging around Donnie, ya think the spent would let anything of note to be absorbed in his head. Letting Don tell him about his current project well at least the one that had their focus and he had the material for it to get it. Until Don seemed to run into a snag on a part that seemed to be just a bit too small.

Raphael sitting beside his brother idly tipping back in the chair he was resting in letting his brother work well they would mutter something here and there about what he was doing. Sometimes Raph answered seriously, mostly he just being Raph and cracking some sarcastic comments. It was all playful of course, till Don seemed to grow frustrated. Raphael turning to look at them to see it was because of their current struggle. He hears some mumbling about how it just won't fit because it's to small. "Things to say in the bedroom that will make me both happy and sad at the same time." Raph comments wide smile on his beak as he.

Letting his chair fall forward so he could get a better look him self taking the rotor from Don's hold as he just looks it over. "Ya know? I bet Case could help getting one of these things for you?" Raph offers to his brother as he looks at frame Donatello was trying to get it to fit into just a moment ago. "he works with engines and what not so bet if I ask he wouldn't mind keeping an eye out for a better fit?" Raph adds in so Don wouldn't have to run off to the dump in a mad search for what he needs. Raphael set it down and used his commutator to take a photo of the piece. Send it to Casey along with a text asking for what he said he would for Donatello. Smiling as he idly tosses in some sappy thank you Casey's way. He knew Casey never texted back less it was important.

"I know he'll do it, he'll do anything I ask" Raph slightly brags with a faint dreamy smile one his face as he sets his phone back down. "Guy can't help himself sometimes I don't even gotta ask he just goes 'oh this is for Raphael' nothing but a sap. It's adorable. He's adorable." Raphael soon goes on another tangent about his boyfriend. "He's such a dork I make a comment about something I like and he just remembers it and asks if it's something I wanna do or see and sure maybe I do but it's not really why I brought it up. Next thing I know big guys over here telling me were gonna go. So, asking for this? yeah he'll make it a mission to find." He chuckles a little not because he found it funny he really did love that about Casey. "Dork likely gonna bring in a few just to make sure he got the right size in the end. Nothing but big doe eyes when he comes here handing them to me." Okay well no one else would see said doe eyes seeing as Casey's make seemed to be basically glued to the mans face. But Raphael knew for sure they would have doe eyes aimed at him. There is a faint blush touching his face as he rests his cheek in the palm of his hand.

"He's amazing like that though, if its for me I really think he do anything. Why? apparently my smile is enough payment for him." HE blushes a bit more he suddenly gruffs and holds his hands out into the air as if he was grabbing something "Ugggh idiot why can't you be here so I can grab that gorgeous face and smoosh your cheeks in for being so damn cute and perfect!" Raphael complains now. "I wanna pull him in and kiss him all over for being so great, cause I want tell him how damn lucky I am for having this guy so willing to take time out to do one small thing for me if he can. No if I know he will why? I dunno somehow I got this amazing dude hooked on me. That if its for me he might do literally anything cause he just wanna do it for me!" Slightly sound like he was complaining he wasn't he was just in a fit of aggression only Casey caused. A cute aggression. "He'll then be all 'is this right jellybean?' al soft and shyly cause guys gotta be more adorable to kill me! and it'll be the right thing and i'll know that damn smile is behind his mask and he so rude for not letting me see it. So i'll just hold his hands and smile at him happily wagging my tail cause Casey's here now and i'm just so damn happy." Raphael continues on hes not even sure what he's saying now. Turning to look at Donatello who been dealing with this whole speech just then.

"I love that man." Raphael ends his statement on. Feeling a bit bad he went off about his boyfriend when he was meant to be hanging out with his twin. Course thinking about it, Von tended to help him with his projects. "Hey, no Von today? So used to her being left by herself well your busy or hanging by your side I didn't even notice she wasn't here." Raph comments on. Soon fixing them with a look, as he leans over to better look at his twin. "Soooo, how that all going though? I mean you two seem to be getting along just fine right?"

"Y-yeah, Yvonne's real great."

"mm well yeah but what else?" Raph pushes a little, Don and him didn't often talk much about it but didn't mean Raph wasn't invested in knowing about Don's own relationship her. "I mean she seems like a great gal. When i'm not near killing her with my cooking but ya know the other stuff? I mean you know I think Casey's amazing and takes my breath away the moment I think about him. Which is a lot I surprised I ever breath." He jokes

"Raphael, how do you do it?"

"Do what?" He can catch the seriousness in the question as he gives his attenuation his brother now.

"How can you sit and say all this stuff about Casey, sometimes even in front of them, without feeling like an idiot?"

Raphael doesn't even change his expression like normally would or toss in a sarcastic thanks over his brother outright calling him an idiot in the moment. Hard to deny something when he had just been doing it after all, but he knows despite the insult Donatello is asking for a reason.

"I try and do that with Vonnie but I just sorta, you know, get tongue tied I guess?"

"Oh I feel like an idiot every time actually." Raphael confesses but he smiles when he dose so. "Ya really think I don't know how I can be?" He adds in even. He sees where his poor brother is coming from now why they seemed a tad to awkward about talking about Von when he was asked. "Nah sometimes when i'm flapping my beak i'm just thinking, jeeze Raphael do you ever shut up? You been going on about Casey for hours even Casey would says that's too much, which he dose more cause I think I embarrass him just a little bit. With how I go on and can be overwhelming for that guy. I don't think he hates it though." Nah if he did Raph's sure Casey would have mentioned that by now.

"Honestly? I annoy myself sometimes, I used to make fun of folks for doing what I do after all. Thing is though? It's cause Casey gives me a confidence I didn't know I needed." Raphael admits "Yeah I know, I'm already pretty cocky and such and don't ever hold back what I think well ever." He shrugs uncaring for all of that. "I ain't like you Donnie, I didn't really care about love and such maybe cause I didn't know I didn't like girls at the time I dunno. What I do know? is I'm so lucky Donnie. I say it all the time because I'm in disbelief on the fact I even have Casey in life ya know? I mean I thought he was good looking and liked him when he met and well things went off from there. I just had my mind set on the guy. Never dreamt he well feel the same." Raphael offers.

"Casey's truly a great guy to me, he's so good towards me too. For a first well everything I got lucky there right? So how can't i just be in such disbelief this amazing, kind, loving, gentle giant of guy loves me? I mean really loves me too. Casey's always so gentle with me Don." Raphael's face falls just a moment "In ways I didn't know I needed either but he is." Smile returns "So I find my self just kid of going off about how amazing he is because, well I want him to know that I really do appreciate and love that about him. Casey aint much of a talker himself ya see" which may be obvious, "And I think sometimes the guy worries about that so I sort just kept doing it more and more. I'm an idiot and well I don't mind being an idiot for Casey I guess is why I can do it?" He ponders a little "Yeah actually say that is why. I can't do too much else but I can do that. Maybe ya don't gotta blab on about Von like I do Casey though." Soon he turns back to his twin.

"Just cause werd twins don't mean were the same right? I run my mouth all the time cause I don't think. But you think, you think about her lots right? I bet you think about all the stuff she tells you she likes and whatever too?" That just made sense for Raphael when it came to his brother after all. "Think about the books she likes and whatever right? Maybe ya don't need to say it is my point." Raph ends his explanation on. "But cause your you, i bet you over think that uh?" He soon playfully flicked Donatello's forhead smirking a little after wards. "Maybe just work on showing it." Soon he nudges thier shoulder.

"Instead of leaveing her to deal with the rest of us in the living room that is." He has to just throw a tease in over that as well, of course. "That's what Case dose." Raphael says beaming "dose all kinds of things that tell me how he feels. And honestly? Means the world to me Don." He chuckles a bit "which may also be way I never shut up about him?"

[phoenixfiiire]

1, 2, 14

MUNDAY

14 was answered here.

1 was answered here.

2... what. The question confuses me.

Um I think, if I'm understanding it correctly, I prefer Long Notes? I hate making new starters. I prefer time skips and things shifting organically in one thread.

That being said, I understand ditching threads entirely if they no longer fit.

A good example is the initial starter I wrote for Vonny, where Joshua discovered Elwin was alive. It was great except we ended up shitposting far too much on tumblr and suddenly they had entered into this antagonistic 'you're alive but at what cost' type vibe that like... did the starter happen? Yes. Did it make sense to continue writing off of it? No.

I suppose in that case I am up for making a new thread/starter...

I'm a mess is the tl;dr.

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2024/06/27/5-dreadful-picks/

5 Dreadful picks

In the darkness of the offseason, with training camp almost a month away, let’s take a nightmare walk down memory lane. This is my take on the Packers worst 1st round draft picks since 1980. It’s good fodder for debate, and many fans might offer many counter arguments.

My criteria: • Was the player a true bust, or just not great? • How many good or great players did the Packers pass on to take him? • Did his selection set the franchise back long-term?

Many players were just ok or drafted so late in the 1st it’s hard to judge. Others were victims of great players drafted around them. Others were simply busts.

5- DE Vonnie Holliday 1998

Drafted 19th overall in 1998, Vonnie Holliday was not a bust. In fact, he had a respectable 15-year NFL career. He was a decent starting defensive end in Green Bay but was never great. Two picks later the Minnesota Vikings selected Randy Moss. A few picks after that, Pittsburgh drafted Alan Faneca. It’s not often that 2-Hall of Famers go so late in the 1st round.

The next season Ron Wolf drafted 3-defensive backs mainly to deal with Moss. More importantly, is there any doubt Green Bay would have won another Super Bowl with Brett Favre and Randy Moss in his prime?

4-DT Justin Harrell 2007

The 16th overall pick in 2007, Harrell was Ted Thompson’s worst top pick ever. Harrell brought a special combination of being injury prone and not very good. Darrelle Revis and Greg Olson went later in the 1st.

3-DE Jamal Reynolds 2001

Reynolds was too small and lacked talent. Somehow, then GM Mike Sherman thought Reynolds was worthy of the 10th overall pick. Reynolds is the definition of bust. Additionally, the Packers passed on Reggie Wayne and Steve Hutchinson who went on to be Hall of Famers, as well as Deuce McCallister and Ryan Pickett. To find a worse Packer drafter than Mike Sherman, you’d have to go all the way back to Bart Starr.

2-OT Tony Mandarich 1989

ORG XMIT: MPID5441969 Tony Mandarich, Historical, 9/8/91

Many would rank Mandarich the worst ever Packer draft pick. Not me. The hype machine around Mandarich was made “bigger than life” by a pre-draft SI cover story. Taken 2nd overall in 1989, some experts thought he should have gone first, ahead of Troy Aikman. Were the experts ever more wrong? At the time, those experts said the athletic freak was a generational left tackle. It turns out his hype was built on steroids. It’s bad when you’re a bust, which he was. It’s so much worse when Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders and Steve Atwater are taken after you. Still, I can’t blame the Packers for taking the guy pretty much every NFL team would have taken.

1-QB Rich Campbell 1981

Back when coaches spoke a more freely, offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker said Campbell didn’t have an NFL arm during his rookie camp. Campbell quickly proved him correct. The Campbell pick sealed the Packers into QB purgatory through most of the 1980’s.

According to Packer’s historian Cliff Christl, player personnel director Dick Corrick pleaded with then GM Bart Starr, to take Ronnie Lott.  Would the 49ers 80’s success and the Packers perennial losing have flipped had the Packers taken Lott? We’ll never know.

Honorable mention, taking Alphonso Carreker over Boomer Esiason and Keith Millard in 1984, taking Brent Fulwood ahead of Jerome Brown and Rod Woodson in 1987, taking Kevin King (albeit in the 2nd round) over TJ Watt or Ryan Ramczyk in 2017.

Next up the 5 greatest Packer #1 draft picks since 1980.

[balyena-lu]

Trade for yanderechips [TH]

Apple fiddled the edges of her red sweater, her constant fiddling with it caused the ends to look worn. She looked around the cafe, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and the general lack of people in it. She looked at her barely sipped frappe, the condensation on the glass slowly sliding down it’s side.

She discovered this cafe because Erin told her about it while they were looking for cafe’s that served good (and cheap) coffee. Now she’s here because Vontanious asked her out. Well, she wasn’t sure if it was him per se, but she got asked via a text message from who she assumed was him. The text message was similar to how he would speak in real life when they interacted. Maybe it was wishful thinking that his socially awkward gestures meant that he liked her.

Maybe it was the chemicals in her brain telling her that to make her feel better. Regardless, she decided to put on a brave face and accept the offer of a not a date-date with who she hoped was him and not a creepy person she didn’t know.

The sound of the cafe’s doorbell and the cheery welcome by the staff indicated a new person on who just entered the cafe. Apple whirled her head around towards the sound and lo-and-behold it was him. 

Unconsciously, Apple let out a sigh of relief. Her mind glad that it wasn’t a stranger and her cheeks flushed as red as the fruit she was named as when she realized that she was happy. ‘This can’t be me right?’ She was flustered that she became happy at the thought of Vontanious, her enemy not being a total asshole and standing her up.

Deciding to see what her nemesis would do, she waited.

And waited.

Annoyed, Apple looked back again to where he was and just stared at him. He had his arms hidden by a long sleeve gray sweater. ‘How come I didn’t notice him hiding his tentacle-arms?’ She pondered. Deciding that he wasn’t going to come to her, she decided to go to him. Her brain rationalizing it as taking pity on the guy who clearly was standing around waiting for her.

As her mind came to that conclusion, she blushed again. ‘Really? That was enough to make her blush’ She inwardly screeched, irritated that by merely being in his presence she began to act like a teenager with her first-ever crush.

She stood up, slowly but with purpose approached him. “Hey Vonny?” Inwardly Apple cringed, ‘Why did I call him Vonny?’ But whether he thought it weird she called him using a nickname, she couldn’t quite gleam it from his face. “Hello Apple.” He said warmly, a pinkish hue on his cheeks. “I apologize if I made you wait for too quite a while. I had an issue with my… projects.” 

Apple shook her head, she told him that it was fine, she didn’t wait long. ‘Liar.’

“Why don’t we sit down? I got a seat and it’s kind of awkward to just stand here right?” He shuffled his feet, looking down and nodded in agreement. Apple noted that he still kept his hidden tentacle hands to the sides, not moving or using it for anything at all really.

He took a seat across from her, the atmosphere was a bit tense as none of them were talking. She could hear some people whispering but she wasn’t really sure as to what they were saying.

“So, um… how was your day?” He tentatively asked. It was unlike Vontanious to feel small in presence. She was used to him gesticulating how powerful his inventions are or how his plans were infallible. (Hint: They were not.) To see him this withdrawn was strange and unnerving.

“I’m fine, my therapy has been going great, Bitin tells me that she’s happy for me but I know she worries and sometimes I feel like I’m not doing the best I can for her.” She didn’t mean for those words to spill but they did and she couldn’t take it back.

As though moved by her bitter words, Vontanious slowly reached out, his long sleeves revealing a hint of his green tentacles. With an uncharacteristically soft smile, he replied.

“It’s hard to feel secure in life when you don’t feel secure in your own body.” A flash of regret, bitterness, and hate entered Vontanious eyes as he spoke, a quick glance towards his own hands. Apple would have missed it if it wasn’t for the fact that she was looking at him.

It occurred to Apple then that maybe, perhaps Vontanious was just as lonely as she was in life. Maybe this was a chance to find a friend in him, her supposed enemy?

“You know.” She mused, gathering the attention of Vontanious, who got snapped out of his inner thoughts. “You’re quite adorable when you smile Vonny, you should do that more often. I like seeing it.”

At her unexpectedly bold comment, Vontanious flushed a deep red, let go of her hand. He raised both of his hands towards his face, muttering.

“Apple, you’re a devious darling when you want to be, aren’t you?”

As she laughed the atmosphere became a little lighter, their topics straying towards more light-hearted and oftentimes funny conversations. As Apple and Vontanious talked, she came to a quiet understanding that even villains can fall in love too.

[cantarellangel]

[ "We never thought of ourselves as "Fairies," Vonnie, nor did we dream there had ever been such people as that, tribal Fairy people with Gay customs. Recently I have been looking at pictures of you, my Von, and remembering how your ears stuck out. You wore your hair in such a way as to accentuate this feature and never to hide it. I believe you were as proud of your stuck-out ears as you were of your distinguished-looking salt-and-pepper hair. I am remembering how bright your eyes and smile were, what a lively, animated person you were. And how very short you kept your hair; how often you wore Levis and a turquoise inlaid cowboy belt even though it singled you out from other women so dis- tinctly, and in such a butchy manner. You did this even while you scaled the professional ladder in your occupation. You could have been a conventionally handsome woman; instead, you chose to be handsome and at the same time clearly a dike, clearly a jester who kept conventional social situations slightly off-balance.

I am remembering how animatedly you handled your physical being. You talked with your hands and arms and with the rich up and down of your voice. I remember the gurgle of your laugh, as though a brook tumbled out of your mouth. I really took you for granted; I suppose we all do that with our first love. I idolized and adored you, and then I just took your special qual- ities for granted. After all, you were "mine" during those first years. Since then I've not met anyone with the lively spirit you had, especially when you talked about ideas. You loved ideas the way people love flowers or babies or new electronic devices. You loved to talk for hours about the nature of ideas the way some peo- ple talk about cars or politics or their careers. You believed that teachers could teach students in public schools pure ideas and that the students would love it. You were a very intellectual Fairy, Von, and I think too far ahead of your time, weren't you? The pictures of you remind me of your great spirit, and how very funny you were in your way of talking, never cutting or cruel, never biting as I sometimes am. I don't remember a deliberately cruel or vindictive thing from you; you appeared baffled by those qualities in others. I remember you being witty and fun-loving the way we imagine a Fairy person ought to be." ]

judy grahn, from another mother tongue: gay words, gay worlds, 1984

[haircoveredwriter]

Some thoughts after watching 11x06 "On the Inside". I'll put it beneath a break because there's more than I thought to my mindless rambling.

Okay so they're going with a straight horror movie intro but skipping the usual 'we're having such a good time out here in the woods...wait, something it out here too'

Both LR and KC do a really good terrified for their lives

Also have to say Virgil really seems to have stepped up since we met him because dude can actually take out walkers now. Good job, sir. Never stop learning.

More of Leah walking around amoungst a group of people and having no real reason to be there or contribute anything to the scene. 🙄

Damn, Hondo! Stop pulling at Frost's nails! I can't rip half mine off at work without feeling like Hershel when Rick chopped his leg. Fingers and toes always make thigs worse.

Chokeholds are illegal, Daryl. Someone needs to have him watch his own earlier seasons.

The conversation beneath the conversation between Daryl and Frost is spot on and super interesting.

Daryl's like 'look...I'm going to have to chop your finger off but it's for a good reason. Gonna save your life and who knows, maybe one of these weirdos has a Govenor closet somewhere and they'll let you take it home with you.'

Plus him taking off the vest was WAY more entralling than it needed to be, but I'm a woman with eyes so don't judge me. 👀😍(Enthralling? yup, that's what we'll go with)

It's a definite sign Daryl's not all team Reapers because he's basically taking off/hiding who he really is to fit in with his crazy ex-girlfriend's new posse.

Though my science schooling is giving how little blood there is from the amputation the side eye. Guess Frost just willed his blood some place else.

Am I crazy or is the music playing while Daryl torutres Frost the same that was playing in 10x07 while Carol tortured the Whisperer? Coincedence??🤔

Evil Monopoly man seems like he enjoys playing games with his people.

If Connie looking in the mirror is not me everyday I wake-up😏

GUYS! There were medical scissors in the medicine cabinet. You know what this means??? Queen Beth is gonna rise from the dead and save Vonnie all while less half a brain. LOL.

whoever belongs to that eye in the hole needs to get checked for jaundice.

Ofc the pencil breaks when Connie TRULY needs it. Fate really has it in for her, screwing her over with one of her most trusted friends.

These Reapers have no idea do they about how to sneak up on a building without being seen. Maybe they need it to be night before their powers activate. Funny Leah is in charge when she's the least believable one there.

Daryl pretending to be a cat hiding behind a plant with that mailbox...no one can see you my friend. You're good.

Carver and Leah remind me of the evil version of Caryl and Daryl.

They obviously have something going on and/or had a thing in Daryl's abscence. All those "Always" remarks sound an awful lot like The Princess Bride's "As you wish".

Yup, Carver is uber jealous of Daryl. Leaver is setting sail ya'll.🚢

Carol strolling in to find Kelly stuck in the mud with her casual "need some help" is perfection. I actually lol'd.

AT is also SUCH and underrated and underutilized actress on this show, I need more Kelly on my screen because she needs to be protected like the sweet cinnamon role she is.

WTH is with this episode, they really out here trying to start a bunch of new ships or something? I'm down for Vonnie.

He's so into you, Connie. Who else is gonna keep talking to you knowing you can't hear them but needing to vocalize how much more important they see you to themselves.

Oh, come on...he's said her name in this ep more times than anyone has in the last season. He's trying to rival Daryl for saying Carol's name in s10.

So in case you're keeping track...we now have Vonnie and Leaver riding the crazy shipping seas.📃

Great... more posturing about who cares about Leah more.🤮 Carver you aren't getting it; Daryl's been phoning it in since Day 1, he's not a threat just wait it out and he'll audios up out of here to go find his fire queen back home.

Leah's even telling Daryl "stop pissing of my secret boyfriend okay?"

Note to everyone: a dancing phone line is the sign to run to the basement and not a sign of an overeager squirrel running across the line for his acorns.

So the jaundice family watched The Ring too many times and think this is how all the cool kids act in horror flicks. All they keep saying is 'hungry'; Connie, Virgil, someone get them a Mars bar and it'll be done.

A+ fight put up by Virgil. He's been taking some classes during the lockdowns to better himself.

The Reapers are HORRIBLE military folk. How do ya'll not see Maggie & co leaving when you have people on the perimeter for the sole purpose of finding runners?! Do not hire them. 1 star on Yelp.

Yup I'm all over Vonnie. That "together" stuff was by far the shippiest thing we've seen all season.

And their reunion hug through the walll .... guuurl.

walker guts trick again: the express version

why do I feel like they could do a mini spin off of just a little war going on between the walkers and those jaundice mo-fos? Then one of the walkers falls for a crawler girl but her family thinks he's from the wrong side of the yellow house and don't like how he thinks he's better because he's taller than all of them.

Kelly found Connie! So happy this storyline ended with the 2 people the arc was truly about; the 2 sisters finding each otherafter years of the show hating siblings.

Now can we finish with Carol's self-hatred stuff and let her heal? We know Daryl is gonna be finished with his "gotta save 'em all" issues soon so it would be fantastic if they could finally be on the same baggage free playing field. Just a thought Kang.

Overall I thought it was a good episode. Only a few things I would nitpick ie. limited Carol, cheesy music during some of the haunted house bits, and the reapers need to go back to basic training and learn some stuff and thangs.

Ofc the spoilers beforehand were blown way out of proportion though I'm not surprised. I didn't go in expecting to see what was foretold and thankfully the spirit Gods prevailed again in defeating the overreaction we go through EVERY episode.

[joon-ipersgirl]

O9 - “the illicit initiation”

genre: mafia!au, angst, fluff, slow burn, mystery-thriller

pairing: namjoon x reader (f)

word count: 6.1k

warnings: cursing, mentions of murder, mentions of guns

summary: charismatic. beautiful. fearless without question. the ambitious team of seven young men in charge of spiral, downtown district’s hottest new club, go above and beyond to provide 100% satisfaction to their clients.

after an eventful night out, you have no choice but to join the team for property damages greater than your intern salary. challenging a series of events that can no longer be left to coincidence, secrets threaten to burst at the seams as your professional and private life collide, and another - more sinister - debt is added to your total.

how far are you willing to go to pay back your pound of flesh? remember, nothing is ever as it seems...

a/n: literally six months later... wow guys, i’m back. kind of lmao. writing has been a struggle but i’ve been making slow strides with a lot of wips. thank you all for your patience. while i kind of hated the ending of this part, a lot of my editors were super excited about this because things felt like they were coming full circle. so, i hope it leaves you all with the same excitement. also, shoutout to @ggukkieland​ for her sweet comments and motivating me to finish writing this part. as always, i hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcomed. let me know what you think!

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

“You dumb bitch,” Amaya groans as she trudges toward the kitchen, fuzzy blanket wrapped over her head and shoulders.

“I know, I know, but what else was I supposed to do?” you exclaim as you follow behind her.

“Actually close the fucking door,” she huffs as she turns on the Keurig and sifts through the mason jar filled with the little pods for her favorite flavor: vanilla sweet cream.

“And get caught? Aya, you know that wasn’t an option,” you whine and sit down at the rickety table, the wooden chair cold in the early Saturday morning. “Plus everyone –“

“- was watching you. Yes, I remember you mentioning it last night. What I’m curious about is that Santiago man. What was with all the questions? Have you seen him before?” Amaya asks as she sits across from you. Steam threatens to fog up her glasses as she blows on her cup of coffee.

“No. I would have –“

“- remembered seeing him before. Yeah, you said that too,” she interjects.

“Are you ever going to let me finish a sentence?” you asks with a chuckle.

“Nope. Not when you woke me up at” – she squints at the microwave clock – “5:37am after you already kept me until in the wee hours of the morning with your story,” she replies.

“But it was a good story, no?”

“Shut up, Y/N.”

At 7:30am, you’re promptly huddled in Amaya’s Volkswagen Beetle with Spiral as your destination. Basically an heirloom, Vonnie as you called her, needed all the time you could give her to make it to Spiral before anyone else.

“Just like the old days, huh Amaya?” you joke, but she isn’t not in the mood.

“Let’s just go over the plan one more time, okay?” you nod as she turns sharply onto Fifth Street, Vonnie’s axels nearly screaming at the sudden movement.

“You’re going to pick the lock to the main entrance. Then, you’re going to close the door you so foolishly left open – Ah! I don’t want to hear it, Y/N!” she says, holding up one finger like any scolding mother. “Then, we’re going to break into Suga’s office, so I can attempt to erase the camera footage and loop it to look like we were never there all without anyone walking in on us?”

“When you say it like that, it doesn’t sound like that great of a plan,” you say sheepishly.

“That’s because it isn’t, dummy,” Amaya replies with a roll of her eyes. “Where should I park?”

“Two blocks away should be fine. And you’re the dummy that’s going along with it!” you exclaim while tugging on your gloves.

Amaya shrugs. “True. Hopefully we don’t get arrested again. We’re too old for juvie and though I love a good jumpsuit, orange is not my color.”

Pulling into the parking lot of one of the local pharmacies, one of the only places that was open at this ungodly hour, you start your journey on foot. Amaya was right. You couldn’t afford to get arrested but you also couldn’t afford to leave that door open and being the good friend that she was, she wouldn’t let you do it alone.

The outside of Spiral looks just the same as it did when there isn’t a line: cold and desolate. You cross the large street and make your way over to the entrance. Tugging your hats lower and adjusting your face masks in the cool February morning breeze, you fish the bent-out-of-shape paper clips from the pocket of your bomber jacket and insert it into the lock.

“Keep watch,” you whisper to Amaya as you get to work.

She shields you as you do your best to make it quick. A few jiggles and disgruntled huffs later, a resounding click! echoes into the silence and you pull open the door. “After you m’lady,” and Amaya curtseys as she passes through.

“Don’t forget to lock it!” she calls as she descends the stairs. “Wouldn’t want to be like Luca!” You chuckle as you follow her, unzipping your jacket and securing the paper clips as you did so. “Fuck is it warm in here – holy shit! This place is so cool, Y/N! Why have you not taken me here?!” Amaya exclaims as she takes in the décor.

Though the club had only closed a few hours ago, it seemed as though the boys had wasted no time to clean up. The dance floor is spotless and the bottles behind the bar wiped down so clean, they nearly glisten in the low light. In the early hours of the day, it’s much easier to see the large windows covered by black light curtains located across from the balcony. Spiral seemed to be at peace, a much different vibe than what was sure to come later tonight once all of her usual patrons arrived.

“And this is the bar where you met Jin? Wow, iconic,” she says dreamily as she leans against it. “Oh my gosh and this must be the stairwell that leads to Suga’s office!” She drapes herself across it dramatically, head resting on the railing, as she swooned at the thought. “Oh my hero! Save me from the big, bad – but sexy – Moon!” she mocks.

You roll your eyes. “Is my life that entertaining to you, Amaya?” you ask.

“Oh, 100%,” she replies while straightening up, “especially when your days consist of theorems and equations that would make Einstein cry. Anyway, where’s the door?”

“That way,” you say, jerking your head in its direction.

“Is it always this dark down here?” she asks from behind you.

“For the most part. The strobe lights do make a difference now that I think about it,” you reply, flashlight at the ready.

Amaya snorts. “Maybe you should strobe your flashlight. We might find it faster. Ow!” she hisses, holding her shin. “You’re actually a child!”

“And you’re being annoying. Strobe your flashlight? Are you kidding me?”

“No, not really. How did you even find it in the first place?” she asks as she straightened.

You shrug. “I kicked the wall? There’s a button or something here.”

Amaya hums in response before dropping to her hands and knees. “You’re so fucking lucky I love you. I don’t even want to know what’s been on this floor,” she grumbles. Running her hands against the wall, she periodically presses against it hoping to find the button or the gap. You follow closely behind while glancing back the way you came; it wouldn’t do you any good to get caught now.

“Did you find it?”

Amaya shakes her head. “What if they closed it?”

“Then we’re fucked,” you sigh, pushing your hands roughly through your hair.

“Well, it was nice knowing you babe,” Amaya chuckles.

“Shut up,” you laugh and shove her into the wall. Click. You both pause and look at each other. Amaya turns slowly, staring at the wall.

“You heard that right?” You nod.

Placing her hands against the wall, she runs her fingers over the surface quickly. “Holy shit!” she exhales as she curls her fingers around the secret door. Sliding it open, she steps inside. “You can see through the wall. Holy fuck, Y/N. What is this place?”

Nothing about the space seems to have changed within the past twelve hours. The same steel-grey concrete floor stretches ahead with black walls surrounding you. Low white light bulbs hang from the ceiling in a neat row, leading whoever entered to the same closed door you had seen before.

“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure it out myself.”

“Is that another door?” Amaya yells and before you can stop her, she’s already jogging to the other side.

“Don’t touch it, Aya!” you hiss, checking the hallway again using the two-way glass to make sure no one is coming.

“What? You think it’ll set off some alarm or something? Actually” – she squints at the lock before taking a picture with her phone – “seems like some fancy electronic keypad, definitely locked and would probably set off their internal system. I wonder what’s on the other side.”

“Probably a bunch of dead bodies,” you joke, though the thought seriously crossed your mind. There were too many strange things happening at Spiral to rule out the possibility. “Why does this hallway even exist?” you ask, looking between the two entrances. Or exits.

“You think that guy escaped this way?” Amaya asks, reading your mind.

“How? He’d come in with the loud-mouthed tycoon, guns blazing. I doubt he’d be able to figure out- what? A six-digit passcode? - in his state,” you reason.

“If you’re desperate enough, you can get out of anywhere.” You had to agree. “We should probably get out of here though. You said you don’t remember their schedule for today?”

You shake your head. “I overheard something about a delivery at 10am and it’s” – you check your phone – “8:37. How long do you think it’ll take you to hack into the system?” you ask as you both exit the secret hallway.

“Based on that lock, hopefully no more than an hour. Not like we have any more time. Unless you can somehow make it outside to distract them while I finish the job. Hacking isn’t as easy as they make it seem in the movies, Y/N,” Amaya responds as she closes the door gently.

“Looks like your big brain will have to suffice,” you say with a grin. Amaya punches your arm, but your grin doesn’t falter.

Taking the spiral staircase, you ascend to the second floor. On your impromptu tour, Amaya points out some of the areas of Spiral, recognizing them from your stories and teasing you about them, reenacting some lines you had said in dramatic fashion. This was the foundation of your friendship: laughing about the dumb shit you had no business doing and cleaning up any mistakes as you went along. You had more than your fair share of secrets between you to take to your graves, but it wasn’t your past transgressions that kept you together. No, Amaya was your family.

“Third floor, right? Why’d they move Suga’s office? I feel like he too would hate walking up these many stairs,” Amaya huffs as you head up the narrow steps.

“I don’t know, but I liked the first one more. This one doesn’t seem like his style –“

“Ooof! Hey! Why’d you stop?” Amaya asks as she peers around your body. She gasps.

At the other end of the hallway, right in front of Suga’s office, are two guards. Tall, broad shouldered, and guns holstered on their hips. Your eyes widen at the sight and you immediately start to backtrack when they spot you. Shit.

“Go! Go! Go!” you yell and start pushing her down the stairs.

“Who the fuck are they?!” Amaya shouts as she nearly trips on the last step but regains her footing.

“I don’t know but they have fucking guns!” you heave as you ran across the metal balcony, your heavy boots falling into the same rhythmic pattern as the guards gain on you two. Ignoring their protests to stop, you rush down the spiral stairs, narrowly missing serious injury as you arrive on the lower level. Your lungs burn.

Sensing your fatigue, Amaya drags you across the room. She had never been one to leave you behind and today was no different. The air feels suffocating as you wrench open the first door leading to outside. Unfortunately, you’re too slow. You feel the tight grip of a hand on your shoulder, its force tearing your hand from Amaya’s as he pulls you back.

“No!” she screams and falters on the step.

“No, no, no! Keep going!” you yell as you slip out of your jacket, dropping harshly at the base of the stairs. Amaya is still frozen as you try to scramble forward but the guard has returned with a vengeance, yanking your leg before you can make any serious ground. Screaming, you twist and begin frantically kicking at his forearm, trying to get free. Amaya’s pause is long enough for your second pursuer to rush past you.

Just as she’s fighting to unlock the door, it opens, and she falls at the feet of Min.

“Woah! What’s going on here?” he asks, surprised.

“Intruders, sir,” the second guard replies as Min shuts and locks the door behind him, cutting off your exit. Defeated, you watch as Amaya shrinks between the two men, tears falling from her eyes in frustration.

“Intruders? Maybe this one,” Min says as he squats before Amaya. His gloved hand tilts her face towards him as he looks at her, no doubt wondering if he’s seen her before. He gently removes her face mask. As you slowly began to calm down, aware that you would not be leaving any time soon, you notice that Min is dressed almost the same as Amaya and yourself thought it was a more expensive version.

His boots are heavy but there’s no doubt in your mind that they make no noise when he walks. Dressed in black, his cargo pants look durable. The black turtleneck is sleek and fitting to his frame even under his leather jacket. His hair is disheveled though, not in its usual poised state and you wonder what had frustrated him so much that he’d ruined his well-put-together image.

“I know her, though. Y/N, what are you doing here?” He asks confused as he pulls both himself and Amaya to their feet. He hands her over to the second guard whose grip is so firm, she winces.

“None of your business. Get off me,” you growl to the first guard still holding your leg. You kick at his arm again, but he won’t budge. He looks bored as he stares down at you, no doubt waiting for further instructions.

“What the – Jimin? What is going on?” Jin groans as he lowers his gun.

“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out,” he replies with a shrug.

On his second assessment of the situation, he finally notices you. “Y/N?! Aish. What are you going – You know what? It doesn’t even matter. I told you to mind your fucking business but of course you don’t listen.” Addressing his goons, he orders for them to bring the two of you upstairs.

“Let go of me,” Amaya snaps. “I can walk by myself.”

After receiving approval from Min, the guard releases and she immediately rushes to you. Double-checking you’re okay, you squeeze her hand to reassure her that you’d be fine. You’d make sure of it.

Sandwiched between the two guards with Jin leading in front and Min bringing up the rear, you make your way to the third floor again. You hold Amaya close to you, determined to protect her from anything these fuckers may try. Jin knocks sharply on the door to Suga’s office and after a beat, you all enter.

Again, not much had changed since the last time you’d been there. While the space does feel much smaller with so many people in attendance, the same large desk sits nearly in the middle of the room. The bookshelves still line the walls, books threatening to fall off from lack of room. Tae whistles when he catches sight of you. “Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in. Are you two supposed to be Batman and Robin? What’s with the mask, Y/N?”

He’s sitting in the same chair you had sat in when you first gave Suga your proposition. The rest of them are scattered around the room: Honcho leaning against one of the overstuffed bookcases, Jeon next to him with his trusty iPad tucked under his arm, and Moon and Suga flanking the oversized chair behind the mahogany desk. To your astonishment, Santiago occupies the space comfortably.

Before you can stop yourself, you say as you remove your mask, “Aren’t you tired of letting people sit in your seat, Suga?” He scowls, and Santiago chuckles.

“I must say, this is a surprise. I don’t think we were expecting this meeting for another few weeks,” he says casually. “To what do we owe this pleasure, Miss Y/L/N?” You say nothing though you tighten your grip on Amaya’s hand as you stare at him. The grin he returns is unsettling. “It must have been something very important if you had to return so soon and bring a friend.” Santiago turns his chair to Amaya’s direction. “What’s your name, sweetheart? You don’t need to be shy.”

“It’s none of your fucking business,” you bark and stand slightly in front of her.

“Y/N,” Moon chide. You ignore him as you glare at Santiago.

“It’s fine, Namjoon. She’s only protecting her friend. Though I’m not sure what from if you two weren’t doing anything wrong. Why is she here, Y/N? And on the third floor of all places? She doesn’t seem like the type to just wander off. You know trespassing –“

“She wasn’t trespassing, she was –“

“Doing what exactly? What brings you both here so early in the morning that you couldn’t call to be let into the building? Breaking and entering is also a serious offense, Y/N,” Santiago replies.

“Second-degree felony,” Min calls out. We all look at him incredulously. “What? You should always know your laws.”

“I wanted to see the club and pestered her until she brought me,” Amaya answers. “We didn’t think anyone would still be here, so we thought it’d be okay to just stop in. I’d heard so much about the place and was curious,” she finishes with a shrug. You’re hoping they bought her act of nonchalance.

“Ah, and what have you heard exactly?” Santiago inquires.

“Just how exciting the place is, how everyone who’s anyone wants to come here even after -” 

“After our little incident?” Santiago fills in. Amaya nods. “Yes, Y/N would know all about that wouldn’t she? I heard that you had a few questions about that for Seokjin as well.”

“Who?” you ask, brows furrowed. Santiago points behind you to where Jin stands, arms crossed and annoyed. 

“My apologies. I forget that you haven’t learned all of their names yet. You will though. Would you like some answers to your questions, Y/N? I’m sure you and your friend must be very curious about what happened to that young man that you shot,” Santiago replies nonchalantly. 

“I- I don’t think that’s actually necessary. Look, bringing her here was wrong and I shouldn’t have picked the lock –“

“You picked it?! I thought I’d fixed that!” Jeon cries out.

“- but if you could just let me take –“

“Oh Miss Y/L/N, you won’t be leaving any time soon. We still have to work out the terms of your contract for repayment,” Santiago interrupts.

“I thought that was done? Suga and I agreed that I’d work here for the equivalent time that it would cost for me to pay back the damages –“ you try to explain before Tae’s sharp laugh stops you.

“No one’s told her?” he chuckles again.

“Told me what?” you ask, confused. You look at each of them for any sort of answer but all you receive are guarded faces.

“While it is very hard to place a price on a life, there are just some debts that need to be collected in order to finish the job,” Santiago replies cryptically.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about –“

“No one expects you to, Y/N,” Moon sighs. “Not right now at least. You’ll learn though.”

“Will she though?” Honcho huffs. “You expect us to be able to embark wisdom on someone who thinks she knows everything? She’ll get herself killed first. Worse, one of us.”

“Well, if you all do your jobs correctly, we won’t have to worry about that now will we, Hoseok?” You watch in amazement as Honcho - or Hoseok - bites his tongue. It was becoming much clearer who was the real boss of the establishment. “Now, Amaya is it? Why don’t you head on home? I’ll have Taehyung walk you downstairs. Y/N and I have a few things to discuss before she can join you,” Santiago orders.

Amaya opens her mouth to protest but you hush her. “It’s okay, Aya. I’ll be back in a few hours. Promise,” you whisper as you hold her small face in your hands. Her eyes are watery but she blinks the tears away and squares her shoulders. 

“If she isn’t back by 3pm, everything you have hidden under any secure interface and firewall will hit the Internet and every local, national, and international office from coast to coast and sea to sea. Anything happens to her - anything at all - you’ll answer to me. Got it?” Though her voice wavers just a bit, the fire behind her eyes burns bright as she stares each and every man down, Santiago included. 

Santiago smiles as he places his hand over his heart and says, “You have my word, Amaya. Y/N is an asset I plan on taking very good care of. As long as she cooperates.”

Sniffling, she nods and turns sharply away from you. “I’m making lamb tonight. And scalloped potatoes. And brownies. Don’t be late.” With that, she calls for “Tae-whoever” to escort as she heads to the door. 

“Ooh, I like her. Can we keep her too?” Tae asks as he stands from his seat. 

“No,” you snap. “She stays out of it. All of it.” He shrugs as he walks away, calling after Amaya about saving him some leftovers. 

“Now that we have that sorted, Y/N, please have a seat and let me formally welcome you to the team. I know you must have a lot of questions, so let me answer some of them for you. While I am a very understanding man, I don’t appreciate people fucking with my money and someone has been doing a lot of that as of late. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to figure out who exactly it is. Given the high praise from our members here and seeing you in action last night, I’ve officially decided to ramp up our… recruitment efforts and include you as our newest addition,” Santiago explains. 

“So you want me to help you do what exactly? Find the person who’s been stealing your money? How do you know it’s not one of these guys?” you ask, confused. 

“A very good question. I’ve done extensive research on the boys - you can never be too careful - and they’ve come back clean. There seems to be a rat in my organization. One who’s best friends with a mole,” he murmurs.

“Why should I care about your infestation problem? Sounds like a personal problem to me.”

“Well my dear, you don’t really have a choice. Considering you took out one of my leads, it’s now your job to fix it.”

“Took out - what are you talking about?” you ask again. 

“You guys still haven’t told her?” Taehyung sighs, exasperated as he reentersthe room. “It’s not that big of a deal guys. Just rip the stupid bandaid off already.”

“Tae, you can’t just tell someone that they killed -”

“Excuse me?! I haven’t done any such thing!” you shout. 

“Kid, calm down,” Suga tries but you stand up, cutting him off. 

“Oh fuck no. I’m not going to stand here while you guys accuse me of murder! Jin” - you turn to face him - “you went in there. You saw he was alive, squirming and what not. I did not kill anyone!”

Jin only sighs. “This is why I told you to keep your head down and not go poking it in places it didn’t need to be, Y/N. He was already going into hemorrhagic shock by the time I reached him. Once I transported him where the police wouldn’t find him, he was gone,” he finishes with a shrug.  

“But- I wasn’t - I didn’t -” you stumble back. 

Quickly, Moon crosses the short distance to stand in front of you. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay, Y/N. I know it’s a lot but you need to stay calm and just listen, okay?” He eases you gently into the chair as tears fill your eyes. “That was some fucking delivery, Jin.”

“Look, better to get her adjusted now. She’s going to see worse shit, Namjoon. She’s going to do worse shit than accidentally shoot someone and they die, especially with us training her,” Honcho grumbles.

“How can you just say shit like that?! You - you guys are murderers!” you wail and push Moon away from you. 

You’d killed someone. Though he was more than likely going to kill you, you thought you’d done enough to save him. Your heart is pounding as you remember that eventful evening: the shattered glass, the pounding bass, the blood. There was so much of it. Of course he would have died. Any other conclusion was just wishful thinking on your part. 

Santiago heaves a deep sigh as he stands from his seat. Brushing Moon aside, he takes your hand and pats it gently. “Y/N, sweetheart. I need you to keep it together. I know this is a lot, but I also know you’re very good at processing information very quickly in that pretty little head of yours. You’ve seen worse than this, remember? You may have repressed the memories but they’re still there. Think of this as another stepping stone to get you where you want to be in life. Once you do this for me, so many doors will open. Not only for you, but Amaya as well -”

“I don’t want any of you anywhere near her!” you spit and snatch your hand away. Santiago sighs again.

“Do as you’re told and there won’t be any issues. I’m a very nice man, Y/N. I think of these boys as my sons. In fact, I treat everyone in my organization with the utmost respect because they’re like family to me. Eventually, you’ll come around.” The sudden beeping of his watch startles you as he stands up. “It seems I have another meeting to attend. While I do wish this one had gone a little smoother, I know the next one will be under more amicable circumstances.

 Seokjin, I expect the copies of those shipment invoices on my desk bright and early on Monday morning. Yoongi, I need the spreadsheets of both product sales by the end of the month. Hoseok, please send your progress report for the Almadi case to Yuta for final review. Jimin, don’t forget that visual confirmation from your assignment last night. Taehyung, I’ll be sending Rua to you on Wednesday for her follow up. Namjoon will give the details of Y/N’s first assignment. In fact, you should probably take her home; she seems to respond well to you,” Santiago comments causally. “And Jungkook, for the love of God, put a stronger lock on that front door. I’ll be in touch.”

He doesn’t wait for their responses as his two bodyguards turn and follow closely behind him, the office door closing with a soft click, and the last of your freedom disappearing with them. 

The air conditioning of the car left the leather seats of the Suburban cool against your skin even in all your layers. You’re unsure as to why Moon - Namjoon? - had chosen such a large vehicle to transport you back but you keep your thoughts to yourself. You’re still reeling at the fact you’d actually killed someone. There was one less person in the world because of you. Your stomach churns as Namjoon makes a sharp left onto the Interstate. 

“I think this is the quietest you’ve been since I first met you,” he says with a soft chuckle. He sighs when you don’t respond. “Y/N, it wasn’t your fault he died. It was honestly self-defense and-“

“Who was your first person?” you ask, cutting him off. 

“What?”

“Your first person. Who was the first person you killed?”

You watch as Namjoon tightens his grip on the steering wheel, knuckles nearly turning white. He swallows hard before he speaks again. 

“I - I don’t know his name,” he finally says. “It wasn’t soon after I met Santiago when it happened. I guess you could say ‘wrong place at the wrong time’. A series of unfortunate events if you will.”

“What happened?”

“He tried to hurt my brother.”

“Brother?” you repeat.  

Namjoon nods. “Taehyung. And Jin, but this instance had to do with the younger one.”

“Wow, Santiago wasn’t kidding when he said it was a family affair,” you mutter. Namjoon’s laugh fills the space, warming the car differently than the early afternoon sun. 

“Yeah, I guess you could say so,” he chuckles. “I didn’t want it to be that way, but here we are. Can’t go back now. Either way, there’s another club on the other side of downtown: Peaches & Irish Cream. I used to hang out there a lot a few years back - try and relieve some stress with a few drinks, loud music, a little gambling. Maybe too much gambling, actually.

I’d say it was for a good reason, but Taehyung didn’t agree. He still doesn’t -“

“What was the reason?”

Namjoon sighs again. “Tae was in medical school. You know how it is. Big bank means big loans if you don’t come from a family with money, and we certainly didn’t. I wanted to help so I started to gamble. I was pretty good at it too, could figure out most of the people’s tells, until people started getting mad that some snot-nosed kid would hustle them out of a couple thousand dollars each night. 

When Taehyung found out how I was supplementing his education, he was pissed. Told me I was putting myself at unnecessary risk but -“

“He’s family,” you add, and Namjoon wholeheartedly agrees.

“I told him I’d stop, but of course I didn’t. He found me at the club one night and tried to drag me out but it was with one of the big spenders - a high roller as I like to call them - and he wasn’t done playing because I was down bad, real bad. When Taehyung insisted the game was over and took me outside, the guy sent one of his men after us and you know what they say: ‘the rest is history’,” he finishes. 

“Is that how you met Santiago?” you ask. 

“Yeah. He’d heard about my skills, had actually been there that night and took me in afterwards. He paid off that debt, but -“

“-now you’re indebted to him.”

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” he tries to reason. 

“Moon, you kill people,” you deadpan. 

“When you say it like that, it’s bad. But not all of us kill people all the time. Most of that’s done by Jimin. We work with our strengths,” he explains. 

“Wait, Min?! No way!” you exclaim. 

“That’s exactly why he’s our main assassin. No one would expect it. He does a really good job. You’ll learn a lot with him,” Namjoon says as he exits the freeway. 

“So Jimin is the killer? What does everyone else do?”

“Well, Jeon - Jungkook - he’s pretty obvious. He’s our tech guy. Anything that needs hacking into, he’s our guy.” You nod as that made sense; that little iPad he carried around seemed like his own personal oxygen tank. “Tae, with his medical expertise, is our in-house doctor as well as creating any poisons we may need. Suga - Yoongi - is our operations guy. He handles a lot of our private deals with me and is the figurehead of Spiral. He enjoys that a lot more,” Namjoon chuckles.

“So, those weren’t his offices?”

“No, they were mine.”

“I was going to say, they didn’t seem to be his style. Wait, why are you telling me all of this? Aren’t you afraid that -”

“-you’ll go to the police?” Namjoon shrugs as he pulls over in front of your apartment building. One hand hanging off the steering wheel, he turns and says, “You’d be putting yourself and Amaya in a lot of unnecessary danger if you did. Plus, how many of them would believe you? If they don’t work for Santiago, they work for someone else. This is much bigger than it seems, Y/N.”

You pause as you consider his words. He’s most likely right. Spiral and Santiago were probably only the tip of the Underworld iceberg and who knew what lurked in its deeper depths. It was hard to believe that somebody like Namjoon could hurt anyone but thinking about what he said about protecting family, you know it wouldn’t take much to turn even the holiest of saints into a killer. 

“And where exactly do I fit into all this? What’s my role?” you ask gently.

“We’ll get to that, don’t worry. I think you need some time to process everything so you can be at your best when you get your first assignment and start training. Here,” - he slips your phone out of your hands - “here’s my number. Whenever it gets overwhelming or you just need someone to talk to, give me a call, okay? I promise Y/N, we’re not as bad as we seem. It’ll take some getting used to, but you’re a part of the family now and -”

“- Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind?” you joke.

“Something like that,” Namjoon chuckles. “Seriously though Y/N, call any time you need to. I mean it,” he repeats, lightly squeezing your hand as he gives you back your device. 

“Okay, Namjoon.” His brown eyes are kind as he smiles at the use of his name and you can’t help but return it. “Thanks for the ride,” you say as you ease out of the passenger seat. 

“Anytime. Oh! Hey, if Amaya isn’t too mad at us, you think she’d be willing to bake us some brownies? Taehyung said I should ask just in case,” he calls out sheepishly. 

Laughing, you head to the entrance of the building. “I’ll see what I can do!” you yell back.

With a honk and a last wave, Namjoon pulls away and heads only the gods knew where. You bite your lip as you stare at the new contact in your phone. The information you’d just learned should have unsettled you; everything you had thought to be true had been a lie. You’d been working with murderers and assassins for weeks. You were a murderer. But, sitting in the car with Namjoon had felt oddly comforting  - as if he hadn’t just told you about how he killed a man. 

You shake your head as you enter the creaking elevator. You’re clearly in a state of shock and need to lay down because there was no way you were justifying his actions as he got ready to initiate you into some very illicit activities all because he knew just what to say to calm you down.  

The smell of brownies greets you once the doors open to the third floor and you sigh at the familiarity of it. While you didn’t know what troubles would plague you in the coming weeks from this new development, you know you still have your one constant. Well, two as you enter the apartment to a purring Rosalia. 

“Oh good, you’re back!” Amaya calls out as she pokes her head around the wall. “Brownies are nearly done. Come sit.”

Shrugging off your jacket and kicking off your shoes, you enter the kitchen just as Amaya sets a steaming plate down for you on the table. You smile at her tenderly, knowing better than to comment on her puffy eyes, as she sits across from you with her own food trying to act normal. Reaching across the table, you lace your fingers through her own and whisper, “Thank you.” She doesn’t look at you, only nods as she took her first mouthful. 

“You don’t have to tell me everything - I know you want to keep me safe or whatever - but I’m here and willing to help. No questions asked, whatever you need, Y/N,” Amaya says softly after a few minutes of quiet eating.

“Okay,” you agree but know you could never bring yourself to do so. 

As you sit there together, Santiago’s silent threat lingers in your head. Do as you’re told and there won’t be any issues. Whatever it was - whatever they needed you to do - it would get done. As long as Amaya was alright, you’d play your part but the minute her safety was jeopardized, you’d kill whoever you needed to keep her safe. She’s your family - your only family - and you won’t let them take her away from you. Not when you could do something about it this time. 

You smile to yourself as Amaya reminds you once again to “wash your fucking plate”. Thinking about it, maybe you and Namjoon aren’t so different after all.

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

joon-ipersgirl, 2021