#Yamaha Music City

[ystk-archive]

capsule in Yamaha Music City No.301

[aro-ortega]

idk what kind of music milo likes exactly. but i do think she would like the warm bodies soundtrack and songs with the same vibes as those on there

[orshii]

Limitless (through the night)

Author: orshii

Pairing: biker! Choi San x female reader

Warnings: cursing, brief mention of death

Word count: 11,5 k

Summary: You have broken the rules, again. The punishment? You’re moving in with your father, sent back to your hometown which you had grown to be a stranger to. What happens when old affairs return in the form of Choi San? The only guy you wished to forever avoid, the guy who was a menace and always knew which buttons to push.

Will he put aside your differences and help you out when you get in trouble again?

A/N: Wow, I guess I'm here again...Ever since I saw these pictures of San, I'm obsessed with it, so a story kinda popped out of my mind lol. Like, I'll just never get over biker San pls, he drives me crazy, and I don't like it (lie). Anyways, thank you for my talented bestie @bvidzsoo for helping me a lot. I'm really a newbie to this whole writing and Tumblr world so, ly bestie hehet. Please, enjoy! I'mma be back soon, with a Hongjoong series too, lmao. Okay, byee, xoxo, orshii. (divider)

Moving to a new place could excite you due to all the new opportunities coming your way, alongside with new people, which may become your new friends.

In my case it wasn't like this. I was moving back to my hometown, which I have left almost ten years ago, leaving behind my father and all the people who I was once close with.

Now, I'm on my way back to my father, back to the house where we once were a happy family. My mother left my father, because it seemed like my father cheated on her. But the actual truth was that she just wanted to escape from this little town. She had no opportunities here, so she just blamed everything on him to have a reason to leave this shitty little town behind, alongside with me. I was only 10 years old, I did not understand back then what the hell was happening, so I just went with her. We moved to a bigger city, which was full with people. I never liked it, I hate crowds, I hate how the city is full with life.

After a while, my mother met someone and he was rich, so, we moved into a bigger house, which looked like a castle. I did not like it; I like simple things. I liked our old house, where the walls were cracked like a river spreading through the map. It was beautiful in its own way.

So why am I going back again to my hometown? I look to my left, where my mother is driving. She looked tired and mad; she was continuously frowning while she was driving. Maybe she was thinking about how she could bring a child like me into this world. Of course, I was the cause of going back to my hometown. It was my punishment.

 I'm going to be honest, lying isn’t something I do often. Since I was little, I adored motorcycles. They are so beautifully shaped and their sound is simply music to my ears. I love watching them through the TV, the bikers riding their fancy motorcycles and competing against each other, going in circles like Formula 1 cars on the circuits.

 My dad had owned an old Yamaha, it was beautiful. He noticed that I adored it, and so, he taught me everything about motorbikes; which part of the bike belongs where, he even taught me how to repair some broken parts. That was the moment I fell in love with motorbikes. I could not wait until I grew up and finally got my license. I had one purpose in life, and that was it.

And after a lot of patience, I finally got my license, but I had no motorbike. This became my next goal. To buy a bike. I succeeded doing that too, and I was proud of myself.

I looked back, where my beautiful matte black Yamaha R6 was tied safely onto the trailer. After I bought Toothless—I have named it that—I naturally joined a motorbike gang and slowly got into the world of racing. But these were illegal affairs, illegal races. You’d rarely get caught, so I didn’t worry about it. But one day I made a very bad mistake and I was left to face the cops. I was alone, the others—whom I considered my friends—left me there, letting me face the repercussions all on my own. As soon as my mother got me out of the police station and we got home, she started packing my things, saying 'You're moving in with your father.' My opinion did not matter, it was settled, and I just needed to obey. I did not care about anything at that point, so I just went with it without a word. Since that incident I did not want to make any friends, I did not trust people anymore, not even my mother. She betrayed me by sending me back to our hometown, treating me like I was a nobody to her. I never felt like I belonged anywhere, I am used of being passed around by others.

As soon as we drove through the streets of my hometown, little memories started resurfacing and I smiled. It was good to be back, to be honest, I have always loved this area. I never actually wanted to leave it behind, I just really had no choice but to do otherwise.

When we finally arrived to the house where we had once lived, a whirlwind of emotions hit me like a truck. My father stepped out from his car service, wiping his oily hands onto a used black cloth, which was once white. He looked tired and worried, mimicking the same expressions reflected on my mother’s face.

I stepped out from the car, looking around a little bit. Nothing has changed since I had last been here, and that was a long time ago. We never came back after the separation, my father used to visit us when he had the time, but it was rare, and our relationship went from having a happy father-daughter connection, to a shallow 'How's school? Good.' connection.

As I looked around, my parents were talking quietly just so I wouldn’t overhear them, but I knew they were talking about me. They were talking, and then suddenly my mother was moving, giving me a kiss on my cheek and saying 'Don't get into any trouble', leaving me there like I was an abandoned cat, handed back to the streets because it kept causing trouble. She chose the easier way, passing me into the hands of my father.

I pushed my bike into the garage and covered it with a blanket, I did not want Toothless to be dusty from all the dirt flying around the air. My dad showed me around the house acting as if I was there for the first time. I stepped inside my old room; everything was just how I had left it. The old drawing in which I had drawn our once happy family, and even my little pink shoes, which I had cried about leaving behind accidentally. Everything was the same, except me.

I got enrolled into the local University. I wanted to learn still as I had nothing to do; I needed to keep my mind busy. As I was headed to the new University on my bike, I felt anxiety crawling up through my body. I never liked new places, and besides, this was a little town, everyone knew everyone. And so, I was the new girl in town to them. The girl who came back after years of being gone. I don't really think anybody is actually aware of who am I. I had changed.

I arrived to the parking lot of the university, and cut the engine of Toothless. I sighed before I got off my bike, taking off my raven black helmet with red lines on it. My anxiety had finally crawled through my body, managing to reach my mind and thoughts, clouding them and keeping me locked in, not letting me go for even a second. My thoughts had always been my biggest enemy. Overthinking made me feel anxious about even the littlest things. It wasn’t good as this influenced my behavior, all the time. I tried to gather myself, not having noticed that somebody was watching me.

"Princess is back in town and has a little motorcycle, I see." I jumped at the sudden deep voice coming from behind me.

I turned around and saw a very familiar looking, handsome, guy in front of me, but I did not remember his name. He was smirking at me, his eyes sharp like a knife, glaring at me like he was a predator and I was his prey. He was wearing a black hoodie that hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, with black shorts that reached his knees, pairing with red Jordans.

"And who are you?" I asked frowning; I really did not know him, he looked familiar, but I could not place a name to his face.

He just tilted his head, looking at me sharper than before, "You don't remember me? I'm Choi San."

He was frowning his thick eyebrows, a little cut in his left eyebrow making his glare more intense.

Choi San, the mayor's son. Now I knew who he was, and I did not fucking like him. He was always the annoying rich kid from school, always stuck-up, acting all-mighty due to his family being rich. And he didn’t like me either anymore. At the beginning we were friends, but then shit started happening at home—my parents arguing constantly, not even noticing me anymore—and so, I closed myself off, not wanting to befriend anyone. I was just a child, my parents constantly arguing was a big enough trauma for me to stop caring about other things. So, I pushed San away, who, I assume, took it to heart since he started hating me and acting like a total jackass, not letting me live. It was like that until I left my hometown, leaving everyone behind.

"Oh, well then, I don't care." I said while grabbing my helmet from my bike and turning around to leave. I did not have the energy for this arrogant prick, he didn’t change at all, I could tell by his one little sentence.

He laughed, "Princess is mad, huh? Is that a Yamaha R1?"

He had asked while pointing at my bike, not letting me leave quite yet.

I sighed and turned around looking at him annoyed, "No, it's an R6."

My answer was short and snappy.

"That's from one of the newest series. I bet you begged on your knees your rich stepfather to buy it for you." He laughed sarcastically, and it sounded like an engine that needed an oil change. I sneered at the thought.

It hurt, it hurt because he didn’t know how many days I didn’t sleep because I had shift after shift, working my ass off. My stepfather and mother didn’t want to buy me a bike, actually they hated just the idea of it, but I didn’t care, so I took as many jobs as I could, and after three years of hard work, I finally get to buy this beauty. It had nothing to do with my stepfather. San was just being his old self, being an asshole, judging even though he did not know anything at all.

"Just fuck off, San." I snapped before walking towards the building. I was starting to get annoyed, but I didn’t let it show because I knew that was what he wanted out of this exchange. To piss me off, get on my nerves.

I finally stepped inside the building. I was a bit lost; I didn't know where I was supposed to go now.

"Let's race someday or are you scared, baby?" But San suddenly stopped next to me, looking at me arrogantly, not leaving me alone.

I laughed at the nickname, it was cringe, what the hell was he thinking? "I don't do shit like that."

I didn’t even spare him a glance.

"Then why do you have a motorbike?" San asked, looking at me like the police officer had when he was interrogating me.

"I obviously use it to go to church." I rolled my eyes as I started walking down the corridor. I got a lot of curious looks from the other students littered around in the hallways.

"I bet you raced in that big town of yours." San said, of course, following me.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks, and looked at him with deadly eyes, "Can't you just go and fucking annoy somebody else?"

"Princess is being mean for what? I just wanted to welcome you back in town." He said with a smirk on his lips.

"Oh, how humble" I said ironically, "Thank you for your kindness."

I smiled at him and saluted him before turning around. I did not have the energy for this egoistic guy.

I somehow found the director's office. He handed over my schedule and wished me good luck, and I was abandoned again in the empty corridor.

I was looking at my schedule, trying to figure out which classroom I needed to get in.

 "Hey, new girl, are you lost?" I heard a voice calling out to—me— I had assumed.

I looked up and I found myself standing in front of a tall, black-haired boy, with the kindest smile I had ever seen in my entire life. He was wearing bright colors, which highlighted his bright smiley face, he looked like a walking sunshine.

"Hi, yes, a little bit." I said while looking at my schedule confused.

"Let me see." He took the paper from my hands and looked at it humming, "Oh, you are in the same major as me. I'm headed to that class; I can show you the way."

He offered me up with a sweet smile.

"Oh my god, thank you, you saved me." I huffed the air out from my lungs.

"This way." He pointed out the direction with his finger, and we started to walk towards the classroom.

"By the way, I'm Yunho." He said, reaching his hand out towards me.

I smiled while shaking his hand, "Y/N, nice to meet you. How did you know I am the new girl?"

I had asked him curiously.

"Everyone knows, it's a little town, the rumors here spread like the plague." He shivered with a smile.

I chuckled, "Oh, I see. Too bad, I just wanted to remain unknown."

"Your dad is quite famous in town, did you know? So, I assume he told someone you are coming, and puff, the rumors are everywhere." He gave me a side glance as he smiled.

"Yeah, maybe." I said, thinking about the fact that my father has a car service, which, I assume, is the only one in town. Therefore, people meet up with him constantly, thinking more of it, it isn’t a surprise that people know who I am, in the end it, it is a little town. We arrived to the classroom, and headed in.

The day went by quickly. I was glad I met Yunho, he was a funny guy, and he led me around the University, making funny comments about some students. I really needed him in order to integrate into this new community, which I was once part of ten years ago. It was as if I had to relive the past, as if I was walking down the same path, I had done so ten years ago, a path which might have changed during my absence. It felt like I had to start everything from the very beginning.

  The days passed by quickly, and I just tried to avoid being in the spotlight as I found out everyone knew me, but I knew nobody, because who would remember the people they had met while being just a little kid? As I was randomly walking on the street, headed to get some groceries, random people would say hello and even ask how my mom was. I just quickly answered them, but I didn’t know who they were.  I didn’t like the attention, when all the eyes were on me, so I tried to lay low, live my life quietly.

Then one day, as I had gotten closer to Yunho, he somehow convinced me to attend a party held by some guy named Song Mingi. I wore casual clothes, meaning simple black ripped jeans paired with a black crop-top, and a leather jacket. I am a biker, so the leather jacket is a must, even when you have to leave your bike behind, as I had done now. I felt like drinking something. I hadn’t gotten drunken in a while, not that this was my purpose for the night.

Yunho came to pick me up with his navy-blue Nissan GT-R. The car was beautiful inside out. And that is when I found out that Yunho used to do street racing, held by some local racing company. That's another reason as to why we became friends so quickly, as we were interested in the same things.

  When we arrived to the house where the party was held at, it was already crowded. Luckily, there was the opportunity to stay outside, next to the pool, and so, I told Yunho I didn't really want to go into the crowd. He stayed with me, and to our luck, we found some alcohol outside too. There was a table next to the pool, and there were a whole bunch of alcoholic drinks on it, so, we took some tequila shots. As we were talking about some of Yunho's street races, I heard someone approaching us.

"Where did you leave your expensive bike, princess?" He clapped his hands together, reaching for a can of beer, opening it quickly with his thumb. He was wearing dark jeans, a white T-shirt, and on top a leather jacket. At least he knew the unsaid rule of the bikers. Leather jacket is a must, like I have said.

I looked at him with a glare, "I left it at church since I got drunk on the communion wine."

I said annoyed as it was my last wish to meet him tonight, “Just leave me alone, San.”

"Where's the fun in that?" He leaned close to my face, bending down to be at the same height as me, whispering it in my face.

"The fun must be where you brain is, which you seem to be lacking in." I pointed at his head.

He laughed loudly, "You'll see where is the fun when I beat you at the race."

He glared at me with his typical sharp gaze. It whispered danger. And I liked danger.

“I said I don’t race; do you have issues with your long-term memory now?” Despite meaning to be teasing and unabashed, my voice came out a little angry as I frowned.

“I saw the news about your little incident. You can’t be fooling everyone and telling them you nearly got arrested, princess.” He spread his arms, as he raised his voice, so everyone could hear it who was outside. I felt everyone’s eyes on us, coming closer, way too interested in hearing what the whole fiasco was about.

My blood had started boiling and I clenched my fists together, until my knuckles turned white. I was blinded by my sudden anger towards San, I just wanted to wipe that annoying, arrogant, smile off of his face. I stepped closer to him, my face inches away from his, as his back was facing the pool. He just needed a little encouragement for a swim, and so, I strongly pushed him towards the pool, and before he could fall in, I quickly whisked the beer out of his hand, and lifted it into the air.

“Have a good swimming, Choi San.” I placed the beer down on the table. That was my que to leave him there. I could feel his glare pointed at my back from the pool as he swum to the surface. I could feel his annoyance, that he felt embarrassed. I smirked to myself, Choi San, you have no idea whom you’re trying to annoy. Yunho came after me quickly and gave me a high-five for the move I had just pulled off.

  The next hours at the party were spent by drinking and dancing, as I went into the dancing crowd. I just wanted to disappear in the crowd and feel good. I tried to avoid San the whole night as I didn’t want to see his furious side, San, who got humiliated by me. It was funny, I had to smile the whole time as I remembered his face when I pushed him into the pool, amused by the whole ordeal. I also got to know the guy who threw the party as Yunho introduced us to each other. Mingi was a tiny bit shorter than Yunho, but you could barely notice. He had a buzz cut and rocked his blonde hair; his sharp nose completed his small eyes well. He wore a black T-shirt with some silver necklaces around his neck, and black ripped jeans. His nails were painted black with some rings on his fingers. I am not going to lie; he was hot as hell. And I also found out that he races alongside with Yunho. He owns a Toyota Supra, and that nearly made me faint when he told me about it, because it’s a rare car. He then proceeded to show it to me. It was so beautiful and unique due to its painting. It was kind of a papaya orange with some words on it painted on it, 'Fix on' and 'Youth'. I really liked it.

I had asked the boys about what kind of race San spoke about, and they said it’s an illegal motorbike race, which happen to be very rare here. I quickly tried to forget about it. I didn't want to cause trouble again; I had promised my mom and also myself to stay low, to be better. San was just provoking me; I wouldn’t fall into his trap.

  The next day at university as I was walking down the corridor, headed to the cafeteria, something immediately caught my eyes. It was a poster with a motorbike on it, of course it caught my eyes. I went closer to read it. It said that a motorbike competition was to be held, and the prize were some new parts to upgrade your motorcycle. This was the competition San was talking about, and it's going to be held tonight on the deserted streets of the city. I'm not going to lie; it piqued my interest. I miss speeding down the roads, the adrenaline coursing through my veins every time I race. And my bike is in urgent need of an upgrade, because these past days it felt like something was wrong with it, but I couldn’t figure out what it was exactly. For now, I'm going to let it go, but I still took the poster with me…just in case.

Evening came and I was in my room, I barely talked to my father all day, nothing unusual. Sometimes when I'm alone, and that happens a lot recently, I just start thinking about useless things that make me feel weak. I have never opened up to anyone before, I was never that kind of person, and besides, I always thought it's useless to open up to someone, because in the end they never truly care about me. And the fact that I was betrayed by my own "friends", it just confirms that I really should just stick to myself. I'm not going to say that it didn’t hurt when I saw my friends running away from the police, pushing me straight in front of them, telling me, "You are the new girl, handle it." Funny, I'm the new girl everywhere, I'm not going to belong anywhere, I am always going to be the new girl. They thought it was a nice joke, it wasn't; it ruined me. I started to think that the problem was me, that I deserved this, that I am not enough. As some time went by, I realized it wasn't my fault, but these thoughts still remained deep in my heart. And I will carry it with myself for a long time.

Here I am again, thinking about these things. These are those moments, when I need to clear my head. My solution for it is going out into the chilly air with my bike, cutting through the wind with the highest speed my bike can handle. The feeling of it being night, and I'm alone with Toothless, speeding through unknown streets, I feel like it's just me and my bike in this whole world. It’s like therapy for me. It just…understands me, just like the feeling you get while listening to music; sometimes you listen to a sad song, it makes you sad, it just describes your feelings, but if you are happy and you listen to that exact same song, it'll bring happy tears out of you.

  I was going around the city aimlessly, when suddenly I saw a bunch of bikers headed somewhere. That's when I realized they were going to the competition. My heart started to beat quickly. I started inhaling and exhaling slowly, just the thought of racing made my blood boil, my skin itch, awakening my body like nothing else.

And as I kept following after them, suddenly I realized I arrived to the location of the competition. It was really my subconscious taking over, driving me here. I slowed down a little. There were a lot of people around crowding the bikers, watching their unique motorcycles. Some background music accompanied the sound of the engines as it melted together, creating an intriguing melody. The atmosphere here were totally different compared to the one in the big city. Back there it was just serious faces, who hated each other. But here, I only saw smiles and laughs even between the racers as it seemed like everyone looked at each other friendly, not viewing the other as the enemy.

I stopped my bike, turning the engine off after having parked it. I noticed some curious eyes on me. I didn't know what to do now, I was totally alone. I didn’t know anyone, but I needed to fight my anxiety as I took my helmet off. My helmet always gave me safety, kept me unknown, and that's what I always wanted.

When I stepped next to my bike, someone immediately caught me into a hug. It was Yunho. He lifted me up in the air and smiled.

"Oh my God, you are here, Y/N!" He said excitedly, putting me down.

I laughed, "Yes, I am. I don't know how exactly, I was out for a ride, and then I found myself here."

I said placing my helmet down on my bike.

"I am so happy you are here." Yunho said, his smile never disappearing.

"Yeah, I can see that." I chuckled looking at his bright face.

"Will you sign up for the competition?" He asked me with curious eyes.

I sighed, "I'm here so—I guess?"

I lifted my hands into the air, shrugging.

"Yes!" Yunho fist bumped the air happily, making me chuckle.

He then led me to a person at which I needed to sign up for the competition. I didn't know who I was going to compete against, just until Choi San came to sign up as well. I had already finished signing up as I stood aside with Yunho, while he leaned towards me and quietly started to introduce each racer.

"Did you know that we are going to race against each other, princess?" San said, throwing a quick glance my way with his sharp eyes, signing the paper in front of him. I checked him out very quickly, hoping nobody would notice. He was wearing his typical leather jacket but with a black T-shirt underneath, and ripped jeans this time. His black hair fell into his eyes as he finished filling out the paper. Every woman very noticeably thirsted after him, and I wasn't an exception…he’s fucking hot. What a shame he has a shitty personality.

I rolled my eyes and ignored him, tuning to face Yunho, who was talking to some guy I didn't know. Did San really not understand that I didn’t want to talk to him?

"I want to race against her." I heard San's voice coming from behind me. I turned around to look at him annoyed.

"You can’t get rid of me so fast." He winked at me, that fucker.

"I will, on the track." I smiled at him sweetly, turning around again as I went back to my bike with Yunho, adrenaline slowly starting to course through my body. I had to win this, I had to wipe that confident smile off of San's face.

The race started, it was a drag racing, meaning three bikers were lined on the starting point, it was a shorter straight section, then as the lights turned green from red, you just needed to shift the gears up as perfectly as you could. The first who reaches the finish line wins. Speed mattered only here, and how detailed you are about the gearing.

A few bikers were already done with the race, and I watched them curiously. Slowly, it was our turn to race. People were loud and they cheered whenever their favorites won.

I rolled over to the starting point. One guy was already there and I found out that I'm going to race against San and a guy named Hongjoong, whose nickname was the Devil. I didn't know him, but Yunho said he is one of the most well-known bikers in the town. He had a Honda CBR. His bike was sick, it was bright red and the owner sitting on it with his red helmet really looked like the Devil himself, I get why they call him that.

As I rolled next to him, I glanced towards my right as he was there. He looked at me and bowed his head, I did the same. It was a sign of respect. I liked the guy already.

San arrived to my left side with his Suzuki GSX, painted also with a very dark red, reminding me of blood, mixed with some black. These guys weren't playing, their bikes were absolute monsters. I could almost hide with Toothless, but my bike was almost on the same level as theirs, so I saw hope in winning this.

When the announcer spoke, saying our names and a few things about our motorbikes, I slowly started to focus on the task at hand. I did not hear anything else, just my fast-beating heart. I fixed my eyes ahead, breathing in and out. The engine sounds pushed away the crowd’s noise. The red light suddenly switched green, and I quickly lifted my left foot off the ground, concentrating on the perfect timing of the gearing, bending over a little to adjust with the speed. From the outside it looks like three bikes quickly reach the finish line, but when you are the driver, it feels like the longest minutes of your life.

At the beginning the three of us were head-to-head, then I was the one who was leading. I could feel the victory coursing through my bloodstream already. But suddenly, I heard a puffing noise from my engine, and it stopped without any warning. My bike started to slow, the thoughts of winning long forgotten.

'Shit, shit, no, no, no, no, no!' I mumbled to myself. I could barely stop; my bike was still resonating.

The two other racers quickly passed by me, leaving me with my broken bike. I glanced forward and saw San reaching the finish line first. I was so fucking close. I hit my bike angrily, and got off it to push it over to the side. This is the worst feeling ever, when you are so close that you can already feel the win, but then something out of your control happens and it’s not your fault, you can’t do anything about it, you’re only left with cursing the world, asking, 'Why me?'

I could feel something was faulty with my bike, but I didn't think it was this bad. I heard someone running my way. It was Yunho, and when he reached me, he leaned his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

"Fuck, what happened?" He asked straightening up, still breathing quickly from running.

"I don't know, the engine just stopped working." I kicked my bike. I loved Toothless, but when it did things like this, I felt like I was going to throw it out.

Yunho came closer to my bike, to try and see what the problem was. He crouched down to take a closer look as I stood next to him, using the flash of my phone to help him see better. I heard an engine slowing down next to us. Of course it was San, he took his black helmet off, smiling at me deviously.

"Daddy's money wasn't enough for a normal motor? It’s called karma, princess.” He said with a death glare, smirking annoyingly. “This is because you fucking pushed me into the pool."

Why the hell did he enjoy spitting out words that made no sense at all?

I could feel my blood boiling, my biggest desire at the moment being the want to punch that confident smile off his annoying face. I was so close doing it, I swear to God, I was ready to punch him hard, but that little sanity I was clinging on to did not let it happen. I always had problems controlling my anger. But slowly, I learned to handle it. I learned how to manage these feelings, so I just let it bounce off of me.

"Next time I’m going to push you into the sea, if you don’t stop being an asshole. Go, celebrate your fucking win, you really deserve it." I said, staring at him with deadly eyes.

"Your wish is my command, Princess." He saluted with a smirk, and then placed his helmet back on, driving away with his annoyingly loud engine. I scoffed as I watched him roll away.

"I think I'm going to call my dad, there's no hope in fixing it." I sighed. I'm going to get into so much trouble now. I was forbidden from racing, my dad won't be happy, I'm sure. But it is what it is. At least the cops didn't show up this time.

I called my dad and told him what happened. I was nervous of how he would react. To my surprise, his first question was about my well-being. He said he was coming.

While I was waiting alone for my dad—I told Yunho that he could since my dad was coming— Hongjoong stopped by my side, taking his helmet off. His blonde hair fell into his face as he ruffled his hair. He was damn handsome, he looked so soft, the opposite of his nickname.

"Everything alright?" He asked, his eyes full of understanding.

"Not really, my engine is broken, so yeah…" I said with a sad smile.

"Can I help you with anything?" He looked at me as if he really understood what I was feeling right now.

"No, thank you, I'm waiting for my dad to pick us up." I pointed at my bike.

"Okay, such a shame this happened. It was a good race." He smiled at me and then reached his fist towards me.

"Yeah, it could’ve be a good one." I fist bumped him, smiling.

"Next time perhaps then." He winked at me sweetly, "If you need any help, I'mma be around." He put his helmet back on.

"Okay, thank you." I smiled at him sincerely.

He rolled away quickly, leaving me there with my thoughts. Now, that's what I'm talking about. Why aren't there more people like him on Earth? He looks like an angel, not like the devil I suppose he is—on track. I was intrigued, I wanted to get to know him better. San could really learn a thing or two from him.

  My dad arrived after a few minutes and we quietly placed my bike up on the trailer. As we were headed home, silence settled around us. I could feel he was pissed.

"I'm sorry." I said, looking straight ahead at the road, not wanting to see his disappointed expression.

"What did you think?" He started, "That you would race and I wouldn’t ever find out about it? It's a little town, Y/N, you already know how fast rumors spread here."

He glanced at me for a second.

"I know, I didn’t think, I just miss racing." Tears appeared in my eyes. "Please don't tell mom. She will send me to Azkaban after this."

Call it a defense mechanism, a trauma response, but I had always been like this…joking in serious situations.

I glanced at him and saw a very small smile appear on his lips, "I won't tell her, but it was very bold of you to race again. You can't do that, you know it, it'll have consequences."

He lectured me.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you for not telling mom." I said, relief spreading through my body.

"But you're still punished. You have to help me in the car service after school." He said glancing at me with a serious look.

"Okay, and maybe we could fix my bike too?" I said, glancing at him with a smile.

My father smiled back, "Maybe after we fixed some cars, we could check it out next week."

I clapped happily, "Thank you!"

The rest of the ride until we got home was quiet, I was happy my father was this understanding. I thought as soon as he finds it out, he'll send me back to mom, passing me between each other like I was a tennis ball. But to my surprise, it was the opposite, and I really didn't mind working in the car service. At least we could spend some more time together. I hoped we could fix our relationship, alongside with the cars, of course.

  My days went by and they all were quite the same. I attended my classes at university, then my whole afternoon went by fixing cars with my father. He managed to teach me a lot of things about cars, even though my world was all about motorbikes I was always interested in cars too. I was planning on buying a car, but I needed to put that aspiration aside for a while. My priority was fixing my bike so I could finally ride it.

We checked out my bike and we found out that my engine was overheated, and that's why it shut down. An engine upgrade was needed, and we changed the turbo as well while we were at it. It was going to be even more powerful than before; I was so excited to finally try it out. On some days, Yunho and Mingi would come by the car service to check on me, and they even started helping me out in fixing my bike. We started getting closer, we laughed a lot in between the late-night repairing.

Yunho and Mingi invited me to watch their races, which were going to be held today. I had never been to races like this one before, so I happily accepted the invitation. I could finally try my bike out as I was headed to the race. It felt so good riding it again after a while. I felt like I could breathe again. I think I had gotten addicted to this feeling.

The race was held at the race track of the town, in the afternoon. The sun was slowly going down as I rode my bike, painting my black bike and helmet with the shade of dark orange.

When I arrived to the track, there were lots of people being excited about the race. It was a drag race again, but with cars this time. I looked around and I saw different types of cars, each looking very sick and unique. I started to feel excited as I was rolling down between the cars, searching for Yunho's parked car.

Then, I suddenly recognized someone with a blonde hair. He noticed me and started walking towards me with a smile. I stopped and took off my helmet.

"Fixed your bike, huh?" Hongjoong approached me with a genuine smile.

"Yeah, finally." I pet my bike with a smile.

"I'm glad, we shall try it out some day." He said with his white teeth flashing.

"We shall." I smiled back at him. I would wholeheartedly race with him again.

"Are you racing?" I asked with a frown.

"No, I came to watch, I won't betray my beast." He laughed sweetly. I swear to God, his laugh was like music to my ears, "You came to watch too?"

"Yeah, I've never been to races like this one before." I said, feeling excited.

"We can watch it together; I know the best place where we can watch it from." Hongjoong offered with a sweet smile.

"Okay." I accepted his offer quite easily, "But first, I want to wish Yunho and Mingi good luck."

"Come, you can put your bike down there, I’ll show you where they are." He pointed towards my right, where I could park my bike.

I pushed my bike to the designated area, and brought my helmet with myself. I did not want to leave my treasure there. Hongjoong lead the way to where Yunho's blue GT-R was parked, next to Mingi's orange Supra. These two cars next to each other looked so good. I was very tempted to take a picture of them.

I approached Yunho and hugged him from behind, surprising him. He laughed, "You came, finally."

"I would never miss it." I smiled looking up at him. He was wearing his racing suit with colors that matched his car. His hair was lazily brushed over his forehead, almost reaching his eyes.

I hugged Mingi too, the top part of his orange racing suit lazily hung around his waist, a white T-shirt underneath. This orange clothing suit him very well, highlighting his blonde buzz cut. They looked handsome. What is it today, everyone is looking so good?!

"I'm going to be in the crowd, watching you guys, good luck. Fighting!" I smiled and hugged them both again. Hongjoong also wished them good luck, resorting to giving them high-fives.

"Thanks, we'll try." Yunho said laughing.

We then walked to the spot Hongjoong mentioned before. It was really a good one, we could see everything from here. The crowd started to cheer as the first cars appeared on the track. It was a 2v2. Yunho was the first one, competing against a Mitsubishi Lancer. It was going to be hard to beat that car, but Yunho did not disappoint, and he won with a lot of advantage. Every minute counted here; they were measuring the time up until you crossed the finish line. Time mattered here as it could beat your opponent.

After a lot of quick races, the sun went down, street lamps were lighting the track up, the crowd cheering loudly. We laughed a lot with Hongjoong, and he explained the rules of the races we were witnessing. I finally felt happy after a long time, I loved the atmosphere here.

That is until someone sat next to me.

"Now you’re into cars too? Tell your stepdad to send you a car, a broken one perhaps." San said, looking at me with those fucking annoying sharp eyes of his.

Every time he appears, my mood is fucked, "I will, now leave me the fuck alone."

I had said not looking at him.

San laughed, "Not until we're racing with equal chances."

"Oh, so now you admit it wasn't a fair win for you?" I looked at him with a glare.

"No, I would've won anyways. I just wanted to see how much you could push. But your bike said, nah. I bet it'll fall apart again." He said, leaning closer to me.

My blood started boiling, it was one thing if I was the one saying shit about Toothless, but him spitting out these words about my bike were not allowed. Ever. San was provoking me, and I knew it, I fucking knew it, yet…

"Come, I'll fucking beat you this time." I looked at him with blazing eyes, starring at him sharply.

He stood up smiling, "It'll be my pleasure, princess."

He put his right hand on his heart and bowed.

Oh, how I would hit him in the face, I had nightmares about that fucking confident smile.

I stood up, Hongjoong grabbed my hands to make me look at him, "It's not the best time going out there, Y/N."

He said with concern in his voice.

"I don't care, I want to wipe that confident smile off his face." I was long gone, there was no chance of anyone convincing me doing otherwise.

Hongjoong stood up, looking at me with concern, "But please be careful, call me if anything happens."

He held my hands, he really looked concerned.

"Don't worry, savior. I'll keep her safe." San glared at Hongjoong with the deadliest stare I've ever seen.

Hongjoong stepped closer to San, letting go of my hands. "If anything happens to her because you’re a fucking idiot and your ass is just itchy, you'll regret it, I promise."

Hongjoong stared back at San, and in this moment, he really looked like the Devil. I stood between them as they were eyeing each other, glaring with their noses flared.

Whoa, whoa, hold on a second, what was happening right now—

"Okay, guys, stop! Let's not waste any more time and get this shit over." I looked at San, losing my patience.

He winked at me and then smiled, his dimples appearing. Did I just notice he has dimples?

He did not wear his usual black leather jacket tonight; it was a leather jacket with some red on its sleeves and on the waist with white lines. On the front there was a writing 'SUZUKI', referring to his motorbike being the same brand. I’m not going to lie; he looked hot as fuck.

We walked over to our bikes, which were parked next to each other. I sat on my bike.

"So where are we going? You know this town." I looked over to my left side to meet San's gaze.

"There's a freeway not far from here. There’ll be traffic, but it’s more exciting that way." He smirked.

I started my engine and reached my hand out, motioning to him to show me the way. We both placed our helmets on, and then it was game on from there on. There was no turning back anymore.

I followed San, turning on unknown streets, it was barely a five-minute ride. We stopped where the freeway began.

"The winner is who gets to the end of the freeway first. It's not that long." He told me through his helmet, being on my left side.

I just nodded, it was late into the evening, but the cars ahead of us were countless. It was a three-lane road, people might’ve been going home from work, because there were a lot of cars. We lined up at the side of the road, in front of the red light. San pointed at that, signaling that if it turns green, we start. I started to reeve the engine, my legs in starting position with my eyes focused on the road ahead of me, counting the cars, and analyzing how could I pass by them. Adrenaline crawled through me; my skin covered in goosebumps. I have never felt like this before, I was so hyped about winning this. I had to win this.

The red light suddenly changed to green, and I quickly lifted my foot off the ground, bending over my bike and shifting up. We slid through the cars like the river runs through the rocks. We were two quick arrows passing by the cars, wheezing from left to right. At first, we were head-to-head, but I got lucky and I could pass by a big truck very quickly. San wasn't that lucky, he stayed behind a little. We arrived to a tunnel; sudden strong light hit my eyes. Traffic was lesser here, so, San quickly caught up with me. The sound of our engines were so loud that its echo bounced of the tunnel’s walls. It was like music, the two-engine sound melting into each other. I'm not going to lie, I was enjoying it so much as I have never felt like this before, it was the definition of freedom. I quickly glanced at San and he lifted his arms, giving me a thumps up, then quickly passed by me. But I did not let that happen, I went after him. We arrived to the end of the tunnel, sudden darkness hitting me now, my eyes needed a few minutes to adopt to the dark again. As cars were in front of us, I quickly took the chance to go in between two cars, and I was leading again. Until I suddenly saw red and blue lights flashing from behind.

Shit, shit, no, not again—

It felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest, it was beating so fast. I can't get caught again, no way. I started to panic, and suddenly all strength escaped my body as I started to slow down. I couldn’t think straight as all thoughts left my mind seeing those colors again, getting flashbacks of that night. The lights, then being pushed straight into the cop’s hands, my friends running away, leaving me alone. San was suddenly next to me.

"Hey, Y/N, don't slow down, we need to lose them! I know a shortcut, follow me!" He yelled over the sounds of our engines and through his helmet, as I suddenly was back from the flashback as I looked behind me, seeing as the cops getting closer and closer.

I just nodded, suddenly feeling my strength coming back to me. There's no way they will catch me again. I quickly followed after San, passing by the cars, the police still following us, getting closer. San turned right onto a street, then left. We went through alleys and little streets, where only a bike would fit. I had no idea where were we, but I didn't care, because it seemed like San's plan was working and the red and blue lights were now far away from us. Suddenly, San turned left and went inside an abandoned factory's court. He quickly stopped and turned off the engine, signaling for me to do the same. I rolled next to him, and switched the key to turn off the engine. I glanced behind my back, I didn't see any signs of the police, but I still felt like I couldn’t breathe. I took off my helmet quickly, starting to inhale and exhale quickly.

"Fuck." I ran my fingers through my hair stressed, pulling it away from my face.

"Come, let's go inside, bring your bike too." San said, getting off his bike as he started pushing it towards the building.

As I got off my bike, I was shaking, the adrenaline was still in my blood. We brought our bikes inside and I needed to sit quickly. I sat down, pressing my back against my bike, lifting my knees up to my chest.

"I think they're gone." San sat down, doing the same as me.

He glanced over me, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I said, still not looking at him.

"Are you really that scared of the cops?" I could hear it in his voice that he was smiling.

"San, this is really not the time where you can say shit like that." I glanced over at him. I guess he saw my expression, because his face changed.

"Sorry, I didn’t—" We lifted our heads up as we heard the siren sounds. The red and blue lights lit the walls of the factory, and my heart dropped to my stomach.

"Shit, shit, they are coming here." I stood up, San did too. But suddenly, I heard the sirens getting further and further away. I let out the big breath I was holding this whole time.

"They just passed by, idiots." San laughed.

I glanced over at him in disbelief, and sat down again next to my bike.

San mirrored me, "We need to wait a little, though, so they will give up searching for us."

"You were in these kinds of situations a lot, huh?" I asked San, staring ahead into the darkness.

"Kinda, that's why I knew what to do." He said sighing. Quiet fell over us as we both were thinking, probably not about the same things as he spoke up, "But I don't get it. What did you do that you got almost arrested? Did you crash your bike and kill someone?”

He looked at me frowning. I scoffed at him; I really couldn’t believe he was like this.

"You don't know anything about me, so please stop assuming things when you don't know shit." I stared at him angrily, "It's making me feel sick, San. I'm so fucking tired of your comments, what did I do to you for you to behave like this with me?"

I asked him, looking his way then at my hands, "I was just fucking racing because I love to do so. Why is that so bad? Don’t you do the same thing, San? I’ve got arrested because my friends left me there, so I was blamed for that whole mess, on my own. So, please, ask before you talk shit."

There was a minute of silence, "Fuck, I didn't know, Y/N. I don't fucking know why I'm an asshole with you. It is so easy to piss you off."

I glanced at him; he was staring ahead as he ran his fingers through his raven black hair.

"And you are enjoying this?" I scoffed at him in disbelief.

"Of course I don’t, it’s just—" He turned my way, "Lately I did it just because I wanted to race against you and I thought if I provoke you, then you'll come. I know it sounds stupid, but don't say you didn't like it."

He seemed nervous a little. Choi San being nervous, interesting.

"I did enjoy it, San. But what the hell, why couldn't you just ask me nicely if I wanted to come with you? I would've, if you weren't such an asshole.” I looked at him, “And our bickering or whatever did not start here.”

"Yeah…I know." He looked down at his hands, "When we were kids you suddenly just got cold and pushed me away like I was some garbage. I was a little kid, it hurt."

He admitted. I didn’t recognize this San, this softer, nicer, side of him was strange to me.

"I was a little kid too. Kids are mean, you just had a weak heart." I said to him, "That does not mean you have to be an asshole your whole life, because I mistreated you when we were fucking kids. This is it, San. You need to adapt to some situations; you have to let go of foolish things at times."

I looked at him seriously.

"Forgive me for being such an asshole, you did not deserve it. I just tried to blame other people for my weaknesses." He admitted, and for a second, he looked vulnerable. But it vanished away quickly.

And suddenly we started sharing about our lives, the cops long forgotten, things that we didn't know about the other. I could see the side of him, which he rarely let anyone see. He could be really goofy, we laughed together, trying to recall the ridiculous situations we were in when we were just kids.

"And just so you know, I bought my bike, not someone else. I worked for it, for years. I took shift after shift, because I wanted something. You know…it hurt when you said those things to me." I suddenly felt like I had to tell him how much he stabbed a knife into my heart that day.

"Fuck this, this whole situation is ridiculous." He scoffed, his voice getting weaker. "I'm so fucked up. I'm so fucking tired of adapting to what people expect of me. I did this my whole life."

I looked at him as he buried his face into his palms.

Silence fell over the chilly air as San seemed to be on edge, while he quietly sniffed. I couldn’t believe that San was crying. It came out of the blue; I did not understand the cause of it.

Suddenly, I slipped next to him. I just wanted to hug him, he looked so broken. So, I went closer to him, still sitting on the ground, and hugged him tightly as he scooted closer to me and buried his face into my neck.

"It's okay, San. Sometimes life can be too much. Just let it out." I stroked his back patiently. I felt some tears falling onto my neck.

 I couldn’t believe I was hugging Choi San right now, but I have always been like this. I don't care if he harmed me, if he needs a shoulder to cry on in his most vulnerable moment, then I’m going to be there for him because no one deserves to be alone in these moments.

"I'm so tired, I'm sick of this pain…" He mumbled into my neck, sobbing a bit, "After my mom died—"

"Your mom died?" I lifted his head from my neck, cupping his face with my hands. I looked at him with round eyes. I didn't know his mother died; I was shocked.

"Yeah, right after you moved away..." He said, looking into my eyes with his puffy ones. He seemed empty, he seemed like he wasn't feeling anything at all, "She had cancer, she…She struggled a lot…and I was alone, I needed someone to be there for me, I tried…I really tried." He said, his voice getting quieter.

I did not want to believe what I just heard, his mom was an angel, everyone liked her when she stepped on the stage alongside with the town’s major. They looked like true leaders. I always looked up to her, and now she’s gone.

"Oh my God, I didn't know, San. I'm sorry for your loss.” I blinked away my own tears as I wiped away his, “If I would've known—"

I felt a bit overwhelmed.

Suddenly his expression changed, it seemed like he had realized what he had done in the last few minutes. He locked his feelings away, again. He thought he showed too much of his weaker, softer, side and suddenly, he started closing off, just like I used to do. The old San was coming back. He pushed my hands away from his face aggressively, not looking at me.

"Whatever, I don't need your pity." He stared ahead, and leaned back against his bike, lifting his knees up to his chest.

I scoffed, "What did I do now?”

I blinked at him, not understanding the sudden mood change, “Okay, you can't be helped. I tried, I really tried to be nice with you, but you are impossible."

I stood up, "I think the cops are long gone, let's get the fuck out of here." I pushed my bike outside not waiting for San. I sat on my bike, starting the engine. San arrived next to me, with his bike.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." He looked at me with sincerity, but I did not fall for it.

"Yeah, me too, have a good night." I said with a disappointed look and I put my helmet on to drive away quickly. I just needed to get as far away as possible from him.

  Weeks passed since that night. I tried to avoid San as much as I could. I just couldn't face him; I was so tired of his games. There were a few occasions when he tried to talk to me, but I just ignored him. It's not that I don't understand him, I do, I know what he's been through…at least I can imagine. That night, I tried to see his good side, but he did not let me in. And it hurt, because I knew he needed someone, and I would've been by his side. But he suddenly decided to push me away. He closed himself off, stayed in the dark, not allowing me to light his path for a way out. I really felt hopeful for a second that he could change, that he would lower his walls and let me in. But no, he'll just never change, so I gave up on hoping. At least I thought so, but these past days I just couldn't get him out of my mind. When I closed my eyes, I saw him as he smiled at me in for that few minutes when we were freely talking about ourselves. I'm not going to lie, I liked that side of San, it was so pure. And I would've never thought I was going to say such things about Choi San. But he made me feel strange things.

It was late into the night when I was still in the car service. A car needed to be fixed by tomorrow and I told my dad he could rest, he has worked all day long and I could see he was really tired, so I wanted to fix this car by tomorrow. The weather seemed like it would rain soon, lighting striking every few minutes.

Suddenly, I heard an engine sound from outside. I frowned, who it is this late? I opened up the garage door and I found myself facing a soaked San, getting off his Suzuki, staring at me the whole time. His clothes were starting to soak through, the raindrops falling off from his leather jacket. It had started pouring badly; I haven’t even realized it. My heart was beating fast. He took off his helmet, his hair immediately getting wet. San ran his fingers through his hair.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him without any emotion.

"I just want to talk to you, Y/N. Please, let me take you to a place." He looked at me with pleading eyes.

"In this weather, San, seriously?" I pointed out, still standing under the garage, safe from the pouring rain.

"It'll stop in a few minutes." He said his, black clothes soaked now, waterdrops falling off his face. 

"How do you know? Are you a weather expert now too?" I asked frowning. I was just as hostile as he once was towards me.

He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair again. "I deserved that. Just like the pool."

He looked at me again. I could see a lot of regret in his eyes.

"That night, I closed myself off because your face reminded me of all the people who pitied me back then, when she died. I was only 11 years old, and I got sick of seeing those faces, it always reminded me of her death."

He started to tear up, his voice getting weak again, "Please, Y/N, forgive me. I know I fucked up everything, I just—you—you drive me crazy and I can't behave around you. I feel like when I'm near you I’ll lose my mind, like I’m not myself anymore. I said a lot of shitty things to you, and I judged you a lot even though I didn't know anything about you. I want to change that, I want to know you better, Y/N. I want to let you in, I'll do that if you also want it, but I hope you won't be scared of what you'll see."

I saw as teardrops fell down on his face, but the rain immediately washed it away, his voice cracking from the flow of emotions.

My heart wanted to jump out of my chest. I didn't except him to say things like these to me, "I'm not scared, San, to see your dark side. I never was, and I never will be."

Tears started to appear in my eyes, to my surprise, "You said some hurtful things to me, but I get it, I really do. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but I was just so shocked, I didn't know…I didn't know, San."

I started to sob, tears falling from my face.

"I know, I know, baby." He stepped closer to me as he reached out for my hands pulling me out into the rain, into his chest. I cried into his chest as he rubbed my back up and down, my clothes and my hair soaked. I should’ve been the one comforting him, but in the end, I was the one sobbing like a little girl into his chest.

We stood in the heavy rain; our clothes wet, my hair sticking to my forehead yet he still hugged me like he never wanted to let me go. Caressing my back, he kissed the top of my head. I tried to inhale and exhale, so I could finally speak.

"I forgive you, and also I'm sorry." I whispered to him, lifting my head up from his chest.

He didn't let me go, his left hand was on my waist and he reached his right hand up to my cheeks to wipe off my tears, but they were wet again with tears and raindrops. "It's okay, don't cry, please, because then I'll cry too."

He smiled at me with the sincerity I've never seen before. His eyes were saying so much, it hurt. He finally let me in, allowed me to see his real self.

I laughed at that, and he followed suit, laughing together at this predicament, "Look at us, soaked like wet rats."

He smiled at me, never taking his sharp eyes off me.

Then suddenly his expression became serious, he stared at me as if I was his treasure, wanting to bury me, so no one could take me away, "I want to know you better, I want to know everything about you. What you like, what you don't, what is your favorite color, what do you like to eat, what you did while you were gone from here, what does it feel like to ride your bike…I want to know you, and never let you go."

He said, his hand still on my cheek, accompanied by his other one.

I smiled at him. I felt so happy at that exact moment, I didn't care if I was soaked, I only saw him, "Me too."

I said quietly.

He leaned closer to me, his lips almost touching mine, "Can I kiss you?"

He whispered against my lips sweetly.

Chills ran through my body. I never wanted anything more than him kissing me. I just nodded; words long forgotten. He closed the distance between us, and when our lips finally met, there was a loud thunder rumbling the world, lighting flashing around us and rain pouring from above, washing away our past where we said a lot of stupid things to each other. We could start with a clear page, melting our futures together. Our lips never stopped moving, it felt like heaven and hell met with each other as our lips moved against the other’s, just like when we were racing, both of us tried to win the other over. I welcomed San's darkness wholeheartedly and tried to scare it away with my light.

Then suddenly the rain stopped, and we separated from each other, looking up at the sky. The clouds were gone and the full moon was shining so brightly it looked like it was almost daylight.

I chuckled looking up, "You should apply to be a weatherman."

San was gazing at me so lovingly I felt like I was going to melt right there, "See? Now you can come with me, I want to show you something."

He held my hands.

"Okay, I should bring my bike then." I smiled at him, feeling as happiness crawled into my chest.

"It would be more proper if I was the one taking you there, but I want to race you." He held my waist and pecked my lips a few times. I still needed to get used to this San. I really liked it.

"I'm going to beat you." I scrunched my nose cutely.

"Okay, princess, but first, go change. I don't want you to catch a cold." He caressed my cheekbones.

"I'll bring you some clothes of dad’s, you'll catch a cold too otherwise." I kissed him quickly and then went inside the house, smiling like a fool, to grab some dry clothes.

  It was the middle of the night, but two engine sounds cut through the late-night life. We were going up on winding roads, forests covering both sides of the road. I was laughing beneath my helmet as San goofed around, slowing down and then speeding again. I think I have never felt more happier than right now. It was pure freedom going through these curvy roads, racing against each other. But in the end, it was just the two of us sharing our passion, riding our motorbikes, the moon shining upon us brightly, guiding our roads, showing our future ahead of us.

I finally knew I belonged somewhere, to someone. It was my hometown, and Choi San.

[dreamwatch]

Written for @corrodedcoffinfest

Prompt: Pride | Word Count: 1031 | Rating: M | CW: Alcohol/drug abuse, driving under the influence, car accident | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Steddie | Tags: Eddie Munson, Gareth Stranger Things, past Steddie, Eddie is a very bad boy, possibly downright unlikeable, ambiguous ending

“Eddie, don’t.”

“Come on, man.” 

“Don’t be stupid, Eddie!”

He’s not listening, not tonight. Tonight he has a calling from on high. Tonight he has places to be, a person to see. A person to touch.

Tonight he’s driving

He climbs into the car, his beautiful Ferrari bought with the spoils of fame. There are three cars in his garage, but this is the fastest. This is the one he wants to be in tonight. It’s a racer, meant for speed, a rocket ship of possibilities. 

There are voices behind him, the band arguing amongst themselves. Maybe they’re shouting at him, but he’s not listening. He’s only had a two or three vodkas, and coke doesn’t have the same effect on him as it used to, back when he was a kid and all this was new to them. The pills were nothing, just something to keep him awake, something to chill him out. But he’s older now and those things aren’t new anymore. Booze and drugs are supplements, part of the regime, part of his five a day. It’s fine. It doesn’t mean anything.

It’s Gareth that follows him, climbing in beside him a second before Eddie turns the key in the ignition and the car roars to life.

“Eddie, what the fuck are you doing, man? Come back inside.”

“Get out.”

“I’m not—”

“Get out!”

Gareth buckles his seat belt tight and glares at him.

“Fine,” Eddie spits at him. “Fuck you then.”

He revs the engine repeatedly, the vibration like electricity through his body. It only goads him on. He slams his foot to the pedal and the car streaks out of his garage and onto the streets.

The city is magical at night, blinding lights, a stratospheric glimmer of colour. He knows if he was walking out on the road it would be quiet, there’d be no sound, just the occasional car speeding past on the empty streets, just like he is now. There’s music in the car, a blasting thump of drums and bass and he feels his foot drop on the accelerator; he doesn’t look at the speedometer because he doesn’t care. Part of him wishes he’d taken the bike, his black Yamaha that barely gets ridden anymore, then Gareth would still be back at the house with Jeff and Matt and their girlfriends, and not with him shouting for him to slow down. 

“—wait till tomorrow. Nothing will have changed. Let’s just go back, you can talk to him tomorrow, okay?”

Eddie doesn’t like to be ignored, doesn’t like his calls going unanswered. So no, actually, it won’t wait. He wants him tonight. Deserves to have Steve tonight.

“Eddie, slow down.”

“No.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Eddie! It’s red!”

It’s a challenge, him against the stop light, him against the cross traffic. The road is empty, he knows it will be fine, Gareth just worries too much. He always has. Cocky until he’s not, that’s Gareth. If nothing else it will be a good lesson for him. Eddie didn’t want him here so he can consider this his punishment. 

Eddie floors the gas pedal, the engine butter smooth as it gives him the speed he wants, and he howls out of the open window as he flies through the stop light, laughing into the hot summer night.

Gareth is heaving in deep breaths beside him and it only makes him laugh more, he can barely hear himself over the sound of the engine and the music. 

The Ferrari speeds over the freeway and he feels like he’s flying. He feels like he’s free, and when the fuck was the last time he felt like that? His face is everywhere, his every second accounted for, every moment of his life planned. Stand here, wear this, do what we tell you, say what we tell you. He just needs a moment to fly.

Gareth is on the phone, but the engine noise and music drown out whatever he’s saying. Eddie doesn’t really care. He can call Jeff, he can call Wayne, fuck, call the cops for all he cares. What are they going to do? He’s Eddie fucking Munson.

He lifts his foot of the gas just a little, just enough so that when he floors it again he can feel it. It’s like warp speed, he’s Han Solo and Gareth is Chewbacca and the laughter fires through him again, the utter absurdity of it all. He loves his life.

He hates everything.

When he checks on Gareth he looks like he’s going to be sick, and there’s no fucking way he’s going to be sick in his Ferrari, so he lays off the gas. Gareth hangs his head out of his own window, the wind blowing his hair back. It’s warm out tonight, it just makes everything headier. Makes his need feel deeper.

He needs Steve. It’s in his head now, can’t sleep, can’t sleep, can’t sleep, can’t be without Steve. That there, that’s the heart of it, he doesn’t know how to be without him. Can’t get his head around him leaving, can’t comprehend why he’d walk out on this. They had everything, Eddie gave him everything, and he threw it back at him. Like, how fucking dare he work, go out on the road, make money for them? They were fine, they had a system, it worked for him, it worked for Steve, he’d have said if didn’t. It was Robin getting in Steve’s head again, telling him this wasn’t normal, ‘it’s not a relationship if you’re never together, Steve’, and when did she become such a meddling cunt? 

He drops his foot on the accelerator.

It’s not instant. The streaks of light are lining the road, leading him to heaven, and then it’s the light polluted sky he sees, the distant glimmer of weak stars filling the windscreen. He thinks Gareth is screaming beside him, but Eddie’s not scared. He feels like he’s floating, feels the hot night air whip around him, feels the dizzying spin of the car, his own fairground ride in the sky. The strips of white lining the asphalt rise up to meet him. 

He never feels the hit.

Yes it's essentially Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, but this prompt was fighting me so hard and I've spent days trying to make another story work and it just wasn't. Then this came on, and yes I may have looped it for half an hour while I wrote, but I competed the prompt!

@the-unforgivenn

[mosessumney]

On 10 Years of Mid-City Island

I was painstakingly self-conscious in the beginning of my career. I’d grown up accustomed to writing in a vacuum, in my childhood bedroom, in my dorm room, hiding my songbook inside my mattress or at the bottom of a drawer. I always thought I’d get to make my first recordings in total obscurity, clumsily clanging around.

But months before I began recording my first EP, things blew up.

After a few shows and 2 bedroom recordings, seemingly everyone from the Los Angeles music scene was suddenly peering into my window, waiting to see what my first offering would be, hoping for commodifiable gloss. I was wined and dined and unrefined.

But I didn’t want to record the “R&B record” that would make me famous. I wanted to make something experimental akin to the early recordings I loved – Linda Perhacs’ Parallelograms; Sufjan Stevens’s A Sun Came; the scratchy musings of Cody ChestnuTT and Milton Nascimento; the kitchen candor of Jessica Pratt. Instead I was often shipped to fancy producers’ and execs’ home studios and offices, forced to listen to them preach about how I was a star-in-waiting. I didn’t want to be a star. I wanted to be honest.

But secretly, I did feel like a star. Gaseous and infinite, distant and intangible, shining bright in the middle of a constellation, unable to touch the celestial bodies around me. I scribed “Man on the Moon” on a red guitar I bought on sale from a shuttering music store.

In one of these producer meetings, I journeyed to the top of a mountain to meet TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek. He gave me a four-track recorder and told me to say “f*ck off” to everyone trying to sign or produce me. He told me to find my own voice or others would find it for me. He taught me how to record myself to tape, sparking an affinity for analogue processes. I “borrowed” the tape recorder, promising I would come back when I had found my sound. It sits now on the topmost shelf in my home studio. I guess I’m still searching.

Mid-City, Los Angeles was more of a concept than a place. Seemingly nobody had ever heard of it, and yet it was the geographic center of the city. Living there felt analogous to my disposition as a “rising” Angeleno – highly visible and invisible at the same time. It was an urban island and the sun beat its concrete ceaselessly. I sat on my bedroom floor and wrote “Plastic,” listening to Amy Winehouse demos and thinking about how we let our stars fall as long as they entertain us on the way down.

I recorded these misgivings straight to cassette on that Yamaha MT4X, feeling like a historian tracing my own origins. I loved that it sounded older than it was. I felt older than I was. I decided then that I would press it to vinyl in 10 years. I couldn’t afford to make vinyl records anyway. Instead, I backpacked little cassette tapes I would sign and sell at shows.

I realized early on that being visible (but not necessarily seen) was just gonna be a part of my story. How blessed I was to push through it with clear vision – and now I’m forced to stop and reflect. 10 years later, I’m still thinking 10 years ahead. Ask me about now in 10 years. Shoot, ask me in 20.

- M

______________________________________________________________

"Mid-City Island," our limited-edition 10 year anniversary black vinyl, is available to pre-order now: mosessumney.bandcamp.com/album/mid-city-island

[citruscitrushope]

@kerizaret your wish is my command >:3

So basically this au is an attempt to be somewhat close to the Torpe play as I can (unlike my other Dazzling au where it just uses the designs from the cards). WxS are an unnamed band that performs in a small vaguely British city, Rui as their leader. The Virtual Singers are shape-shifting beings that can appear in different forms to help out the different groups, such as secretly being the animals that helped Torpe have someone to listen to him play. The characters are all somewhat older than their canon counterparts (~22-23), purely so they can do things such as have jobs and live alone.

Tsukasa Torpe-Tenma is the "protagonist" of this story, the most recent addition to Rui's band after proving himself as a capable pianist. He's somewhat shy and uncertain, yet spirited, and he can be somewhat grumpy at times. Before joining the band, he played piano at the town's tavern often, and he still does from time to time. He has a few peculiar magical abilities, such as light manipulation and the ability to talk to animals, though he hasn't quite realized that these things are abnormal. He lives at the edge of town with his two younger siblings: Saki, a conductor on a mysterious magical railroad, and Toya, a singer and florist. Most people simply call him "Torpe" outside of his siblings and people who have known him since he was a child.

Rui "Danchou" Kamishiro is the leader of the band, who plays the flute and is the main one that gets them venues to perform at and writes the songs they play. He had initially given up performing after his music was seen as too "weird" but meeting Emu revitalized his dream to be a part of a band. He's kind and compassionate, the crossroads between a dreamer and a realist. He's somewhat teasing at times, but it's all in good fun to make others smile. He enjoys writing in his spare time as well. Most people call him Danchou (director/bandleader) outside of a few people who knew him before he took on that role.

Emu Otori is the co-founder of the band alongside Danchou, who plays various percussion instruments for them. She'd always wanted to make people happy with music, as her family owns a large corporation that manufactures instruments (think something like Yamaha but old). She came across Danchou performing when he thought no one was around and found herself drawn to him and his music, deciding that she wanted to start a band with him. She's cheerful and optimistic, always willing to try new things to make others happy. Despite her corporate background, she's creative and passionate, always willing to stand up for her dreams. She lives in a large house outside of town with her family, but occasionally stays with one of the others to stay closer to them.

Nene Kusanagi is an accordion player for the band, recruited by Danchou when Emu encouraged him to start a band with her. She used to perform often, but freezing up while with the first band she was in led her to give up performing. Danchou and Emu managed to encourage her to try again, thus she joined the band, marking the last edition until Torpe. She's quiet and somewhat sharp-tongued, but she greatly cares about others deep down, and is incredibly passionate about music. She also dabbles in writing her own music sometimes, but much less so than Danchou. She is Danchou's childhood friend, and one of the only people who calls him Rui.

The two Virtual Singers that the band, mainly Torpe, interact with are Hatsune Miku and "Fuuga Kaito", the bartenders of the tavern that also occasionally play music (Miku plays the harmonica, Kaito the trumpet). They are incredibly supportive of the band and their goals, and often end up helping them in subtle ways. Outside of the forms they take on when with the band, they also occasionally shapeshift into animals that help Torpe out from time to time, no matter how annoying they may seem to him.

All of the other units exist in this world as well, each represented by a different card set, I might make posts about them as well if people want them.

Leo/need: Live with Memories

MORE MORE JUMP!: Cast a Spell on You! + Re-tie Friendship

Vivid BAD SQUAD: The Vivid Old Tale (before joining them Toya used his colofes design)

Nightcord at 25:00: Insatiable Pale Color + Colofes

[gyuzoh]

“UNKNOWN RIDER” JEON WONWOO—°

summary: you ride at late hours of the night through south korea’s biggest city, often accompanied by a male with a deep husky voice, who you’ve never seen the face of. “hey, you dropped your polaroid”

playlist: idfc (blackbear), nvrmnd (soulbysel), 6 in the morning (yvng jin)

warnings: swearing, mentions of smoking/vaping, sex and drugs.

next (coming soon)

prologue.

your long black hair blew in the wind, the cold air brushing against the bare skin of your arms, and the city lights guiding your way through the busy city.

music was blasting from your airpods, the visor of your helmet protecting your eyes drying out from the wind. cruising through the city alone was the most relaxing feeling.

it was as if though you were riding away from all your personal issues, the burden of upholding the family expectations, the stress of failing university, and the immense frustration of your drug dealing boyfriend.

you pull up to a nearby gas station as your fuel ran low, putting down the kickstand and hopping off, you’re shocked by a deep, husky voice. “you gotta dress for the slide, not for the ride.”

turning your head to face the male two meters to your left, you make eye contact with him, taking notice of his monolids that glanced at you up and down. the black shoei helmet of his was equipped, but you had a hunch that without it— this man who was judging you, is drop dead gorgeous.

“i don’t go fast enough to slide,” you respond, removing your gloves, then pulling off your own helmet and placing it on the seat of your yamaha r3.

you open your gas tank, filling it up as the male makes his way toward you, the scent of sandalwood and peaches overwhelm your nostrils, making you scrunch your nose. the unnamed male checking out your ride intensely.

whilst waiting for your fuel to fill, you take your sweet time observing the broad shouldered stranger in front of you, who was clad in all black, a zip-up hoodie worn over what you could tell was protective gear.

“you’re right, not fast enough,” he mutters, looking up at you from observing your bike, “but still better safe than sorry.”

he wasn’t wrong, the outfit you were wearing tonight was not slide safe at all. black tights and a black tight fit cropped tee, but you were in a rush to leave home, wanting to get away from all the toxicity, forgetting to bring even a jumper to protect you from the autumn breeze.

you scan the barcode of the station, paying with your phone, then shutting your gas tank, plopping yourself onto the seat of your bike.

going home wasn’t an option right now, especially not after what you had witnessed just an hour prior.

you held your helmet in your small hands, licking your chapped lips before speaking to the male that towered over you, who was still standing beside you. “you wanna cruise?”

he stares at you intently for a few seconds, then unzips his jacket, throwing it at you and walking to his own bike. kawasaki ninja. he flips the ignition on his bike, signalling for you to do the same.

“you think you can catch up?” he taunts, a smirk finds its way onto your face. you rush to put on his jacket and flip your own ignition on.

“it’s on.”

both you and the stranger speed past the slow moving cars, splitting lanes dangerously. not a word has been said since the two of you left the gas station half an hour ago, but the silence between youse was comforting.

you were constantly behind him, catching up every few minutes, just to be left behind again as he picked up his speed slightly.

your cruise with the stranger ends at daecheon beach, the two of you both equipping your kickstands and unmounting your bikes.

just as previous at the gas station, your remove your helmet, him keeping his on. “you kept up,” he says, a chuckle following suit as he takes a few small steps your way.

you roll your eyes at his teasing, pushing strands of hair that was blowing in the opposite direction out of your face. “only barely, you kept leaving me behind.”

you notice how his eyes crinkled as he smiled, how thick his well kept brows were, and how tall his nose is. you wanted a peek at this strangers face, and you wanted it now.

your slim fingers reach out, grazing against the clasp of his helmet, your eyes noticing that his were half-lidded, his lashes short. “can i?”

the taller figure nods his head, leaning down slightly with his head lowered for you, ready for you to remove the expensive head gear. his large hands held onto your waist, pulling your slim body closer to his. the smell of peaches once again entering your nose.

as you’re about to lift his helmet off his head, the ringing of your phone splits through the silence, pulling the two of you apart from one another, snapping you back to reality. your rummage your belt bag for your phone, glancing at the screen.

shit, it’s already past midnight. the contact name read your boyfriends name, min yoongi.

you struggle to remove your gloves, sliding your finger delicately across the screen, answering the phone call. “where are you?”

the anger in his tone was evident, and the way he asked sent a chill down your spine, though maybe it was the fact you were underdressed for the weather.

“i’m at daecheon,” you answer, your hand making its way to your lips, perfect whites now gnawing at your nails in anxiousness, “with jennie.”

you didn’t know why you lied, you could’ve just said you were alone, but for some reason you felt as if though you needed to keep this spontaneous cruise with the stranger who stood before you, a secret.

“you have an hour, i need you to do a drop for me.”

the call ends abruptly, and you pull the phone away from your ear, watching the screen of your device turn black. you lift your head up to notice the stranger getting back on his bike, kicking the stand up and revving his engine.

it was late, and yoongi’s was a 45 minute ride, so you needed to leave now. but, you enjoyed this man’s presence, his mysterious allure.

you call out to him, “can i meet you tomorrow?”, the boy looks at you intently for the second time tonight, evidently thinking.

he replies, “11pm, here.” his large hands push down the visor of his helmet and he speeds off into the dimly lit streets of the city.

leaving you with his hoodie, and a polaroid hidden deep in its pocket.

[drtroad]

links : statistics. wanted plots. tags. pinterest.

・｡  [ cindy kimberly .  cis woman .  she/her ] - ingrid arroyo  was  blasting  espresso by sabrina carpenter  on  the  sidewalk  in  austin today .  according  to  other  atx  residents  , the  twenty -six  year  old  nail technician has been  given  a  reputation  of  being airheaded ,  but also  ebullient .  [ hand me down guitar in a pale pink case, years old travel case full of keepsakes, evergrowing collection of gold jewelry with her initals  ] 

quick stats

introducing ingrid alma arroyo

known as. ingrid.

birthdate. 25 june.

zodiac big three. cancer sun, pisces moon, virgo rising.

sexuality. bisexual.

hometown. austin, texas.

residence. lives in her childhood home with her mother and her grandma.

occupation. officially, at-home nail tech and occasional disney princess for hire (her specialty's include encanto's isabela and princess jasmine). unofficially, aspiring singer-songwriter.

education. manicurist license, high school diploma.

inspiration(s). jane villanueva (jane the virgin), charlotte york (sex and the city), molly gunn (uptown girls), cher horowitz (clueless).

history

tw mentions of abuse and cancer

born and raised in austin!

ingrid doesn't remember much about her father and doesn't really care too. her mother, lucia, had an incredibly tumultuous relationship with him that eventually culminated in her serving four years in jail and losing custody of ingrid in the process. when she was sent away, ingrid went to live with her grandma. ingrid was six then.

her grandma, fernanda, is supa dupa catholic so ingrid grew up regularly attending church services. she eventually joined the choir, which was where she fell in love with all things music! she was seven when she begged her grandma to teach her piano on their yamaha, and eight when she pleaded for a guitar for christmas. she was gifted a pink ukulele that year (and eventually graduated to her deceased grandpa's guitar when she was old enough to treat it with care).

ingrid's ten when her mother's released and moves back in, under the condition that she attend therapy / anger management meetings and do some community service. things are tense at first, but aren't so bad after that. ingrid remembers her childhood pretty fondly! her adolescence saw her passing her classes with flying colors, and getting involved with school plays.

while she can be a bit ditzy, ingrid's booksmart enough to land a scholarship that covered everything but housing for a university in new york. nevermind that though, she had some money saved up from the slew of fast food jobs she had in high school, and had no doubt she could come up with the rest as she went (which she eventually did as a disney princess for hire). besides, her heart had yearned for the big city since she was twelve, when her family flew out there to see a play on broadway- it was the only vacation they ever took. if her family wouldn't allow her to pursue music as a degree (and they wouldn't, ingrid had already asked a million times over), then at least she could be in the vicinity of where a tiny ingrid once fell even deeper in love with it. before she knew it, the three of them are on a three-day roadtrip to syracuse to drop her off for school.

fernanda falls ill with cancer in ingrid's sophomore year. it only takes a semester for her to drop out of school and move back home. take up two jobs to help her mother with the medical bills. over the course of a couple years, fernanda recovers just fine. still, ingrid's much too anxious to be that far away if it ever happened again, so she stays in austin.

the whole ordeal shook her up a bit, reminded ingrid just how fleeting life can be. it's after her grandma enters remission that she decides to pursue a career in music (under the condition that she has a "real job" (fernanda's words)). it all happens really quickly.

at twenty-one, she saved enough to enroll in cosmetology school for her manicurist's license so she could start doing nails at home in the spare room. still does party princess gigs if she needs the extra money and/or if family friends are begging her to, but her real hustle is reserved for her music career! catch ingrid arroyo live at anywhere that will take her- and i mean, literally anywhere- or spamming your insta and tiktok feed with new sets she's just done and/or countless covers of all your favorite pop and indie girlies.

personality

immature, endlessly optimistic, meticulous, ebullient, sentimental

immature. she can come off as such because she has endless amounts of optimism and a tendency to say ... come se dice .. Stupid Shit ("do you know what time it is?" "a watch doesn't really go with this outfit, daddy" / "how am i supposed to know where anything is on this map if it's not labeled?" / "who cares if he's a jerk? he's hot!"). her grandma was a stickler for good grades but it only made ingrid veryvery good at committing things with memory in order to regurgitate it out an hour later.

ebullient. very friendly, always a ball of energy!! default state is bouncing off the walls.

meticulous. love's in the details! she can be a little vain but she's a real stickler when it comes to her appearance. prides herself on the littlest makeup trick or an extra gem on her nails that "really brings the whole thing together". this trait is especially apparent in her songwriting too!! veryvery self-critical when it comes to that.

sentimental. saves everything from movie tickets to all the receipts from really good days she's had and handwritten notes. veryveryvery sensitive! tenderhearted! falls in love with people all the time, is seldom able to really commit to them.

wanted plots

you can find them linked at the top of this post!

psd credit

brewing by jessource.

[doamarierose-honoka]

SUMMARY

▪️Sega Genesis delivered vibrant graphics and memorable games, including the action-packed Revenge of Shinobi in 1989.

▪️Featuring ninjas, cyborgs, and demons, Shinobi showcased the Genesis power with challenging gameplay and iconic characters.

▪️ Unauthorized appearances of Spider-Man, Batman, Rambo, Terminator, and Godzilla added unexpected fun to Shinobi , with revisions later made.

When it came to bringing hard-hitting arcade action to players' homes in the 80s, few consoles delivered the way the Sega Genesis did. With 16 bits of power displaying vibrant graphics, bass-boosted music courtesy of the Yamaha YM2612 sound chip, and an impressive library of games, the Genesis was a gaming force to be reckoned with. Not only did the Genesis deliver tons of licensed games straight into players' hands, but it also brought many of Sega’s own arcade hits home, too. From Golden Axe to Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog to Altered Beast, the Sega Genesis was simply stacked with blockbuster hits.

Chief among these series was Shinobi, a series of action platformers that helped define the Genesis as an action game powerhouse. Ninjas, cyborgs, demons, and more exploded off screens, demanding zenlike skills to master and survive. So, when players got hold of 1989’s The Revenge of Shinobi, a direct sequel to the original 1987 arcade title, it seemed like a dream come true when they discovered that Marvel’s Spider-Man and DC’s Batman were included in the game, as well. The problem with that, however, was that they (among other licensed characters) weren’t supposed to be in the game at all and were, in fact, very much unauthorized in their appearances.

Sega's Shinobi Is Classic Arcade Ninja Action From Beginning To End

Every Game in the Shinobi Series:

Title: Shinobi

Platform: Arcade

Year Release: 1983

Title: The Revenge of Shinobi

Platform: Genesis

Year Release: 1989

Title: Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Platform: Arcade/Genesis

Year Release: 1989

Title: The Cyber Shinobi

Platform: Master System

Year Release: 1990

Title: The G. G. Shinobi

Platform: Game Gear

Year Release: 1991

Title: The G. G. Shinobi II: The Silent Fury

Platform: Game Gear

Year Release: 1992

Title: Shinobi III: Return of the Master Ninja

Platform: Genesis

Year Release: 1993

Title: Shinobi Legions

Platform: Sega Saturn

Year Release: 1995

Title: Shinobi

Platform: PS2

Year Release: 2002

Title: Nightshade

Platform: PS2

Year Release: 2003

Title: Shinobi 3D

Platform: 3DS

Year Release: 2011

Sega’s Shinobi is one of the company’s longest-running and most beloved series of all time. Debuting in 1987, the very first Shinobi game was an arcade-only adventure that put players in the shoes of Joe Musashi, a ninja dedicated to defeating the evil Zeed organization. Blending precision platforming with plenty of action, Shinobi was a tremendously challenging but incredibly popular hit. Two years later, Shinobi received two different sequels, 1989’s Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi and The Revenge of Shinobi. While Shadow Dancer starred an enigmatic unnamed ninja and his faithful canine companion, The Revenge of Shinobi served as a direct sequel to the original arcade game.

Joe Mushashi took up his blade once again to battle the evil Zeed organization, now known as Neo Zeed. To make matters worse, Neo Zeed kidnapped Joe’s bride, Naoko. Fueled by the lethal combination of duty and vengeance, Joe embarked on a truly harrowing quest to save the world and his bride. The Revenge of Shinobi is often considered to be one of the best action titles on the Genesis and for good reason.

Armed with kunai and devastatingly powerful Ninjutsu spells, Joe battled his way through multiple cities across the world, military bases, and Neo Zeed’s mazelike base. With stellar graphics and gameplay, plus an unforgettable soundtrack thanks to the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, The Revenge of Shinobi still stands as a Genesis classic. With such a stacked legacy to its name and an immense pedigree behind it, it only becomes even stranger to see the likes of Spider-Man and Batman randomly appear in the game.

Marvel's Spider-Man And DC's Batman Make Prominent, But Completely Unofficial Appearances

Despite being two of the most famous superheroes of all time, Spider-Man and Batman do not occur as heroes in The Revenge of Shinobi. Instead, the two heroes are actually enemies that Joe Musashi must battle. Specifically, Spider-Man and Batman can be found as the bosses for the sixth level, Chinatown. The battle begins with Spider-Man crawling across the ceiling, shooting webs at Joe. When enough damage is dealt to Spider-Man, he transforms into Batman, who proceeds to fly around and swoop at Joe.

On one hand, it’s an incredibly cool moment to randomly discover the two superheroes in the very last place anyone would expect to see them. On the other hand, it’s a moment that raises the massive question of why the two heroes made their random appearance in a Shinobi game of all places. The answer, very simply, was a lack of communication.

The director of The Revenge of Shinobi, Noriyoshi Ohba, designed the Genesis game to be the ultimate showcase of the console’s hardware capabilities. During development, he sketched a number of enemies he wanted to incorporate into the game. When he handed them to the game’s character designer, Ohba thought his sketches would be modified enough that his obvious depictions of Spider-Man and Batman would be altered. Unfortunately, they weren’t, and the two famous superheroes found themselves thrust into the world of Shinobi. The inclusion of these characters wasn’t intended to be a brazen act of copyright infringement or laziness, but simply due to a little miscommunication between developers. Ultimately, their presence made an already fantastic game even more memorable.

As If Spider-Man And Batman Weren't Enough, Rambo, The Terminator, And Even Godzilla Make Cameo's As Well

Now, as if seeing Spider-Man and Batman in the game wasn’t cool enough, fans were treated to three more completely random licensed characters in The Revenge of Shinobi. The first of these surprise characters can be found in the third level, The Military Base. As Joe battles his way through waves of fierce armed resistance, he encounters an enemy that looks remarkably similar to a popular 80s action hero. With dark military pants, a black tank top, and an iconic red bandanna, Joe found himself face-to-face with Sylvester Stallone’s classic character, John Rambo.

The next character players must battle against is the boss of the fourth level, Detroit. A sinister humanoid robot attacks Joe, a robot that looks incredibly similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger's terrifying future assassin, the Terminator. As 1984's The Terminator and 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part 2 were cultural phenomenons upon their release, it's easy to see why Ohba would quickly sketch characters that so closely resembled the action stars. But it's the final cameo that is the most obvious and one that is impossible to miss. The seventh and penultimate level in the game, New York, places Joe atop multiple boats.

After battling his way into the Neo Zeed container ship, Joe comes face to face with none other than the mighty kaiju himself, Godzilla. There is absolutely no way any player can miss the reference as to who and what Godzilla is in the game. As the end-stage boss, Godzilla attacks with his iconic breath (though it's flames and not his usual radioactive breath). Why and how Neo Zeed managed to capture and sneak Godzilla onto a container ship will always remain a mystery, but it definitely serves as one of the most memorable moments in the entire game.

The Revenge Of Shinobi's Licensed Cameos Could Never Happen Today But Are Still Really Cool And Memorable Accidents

As none of the special cameo characters were ever meant to actually be in The Revenge of Shinobi, four more versions of the game were released to rectify the accidental inclusions. In 1989, Software Revision 1.00 was released that altered enemy colors and specifically explained that Spider-Man and Batman were actually an enemy known as “Metamorpher.” Software Revision 1.01, also in 1989, officially includes Spider-Man in the game, though Batman becomes a generic winged demon monster with Rambo losing his hair, as well. 1990’s Software Revision 1.02 added a new copyright screen to include the license for Spider-Man. 1990’s Software Revision 1.03 changes Godzilla into a giant skeletal robot dinosaur.

2009 and 2012’s Software Revision 1.04 removed the license for Spider-Man and instead dressed him in a pink palette swap. This final revision also alters Joe’s face on the title screen to no longer resemble the actor Sonny Chiba from his role in the TV show Shadow Warriors. Nowadays, it would be impossible for such accidental character inclusions to ever happen in a video game. The legal fallout alone is a deterrent of the highest order to ensure that these kinds of mistakes don’t happen. And if they do happen, a single patch is all that’s needed to rectify the issue instantly and permanently.

Even though multiple reworked versions of the game were subsequently released, there are still physical copies of The Revenge of Shinobi that have the original unaltered characters. The Shinobi series is still alive today with a brand-new entry announced by Sega in the works. Fans shouldn’t hold their breath at the possibility of seeing Joe Musashi fight Godzilla or Batman again, but it’s amazing that one of Sega’s OG arcade franchises is still going strong. For Sega fans who have never played Shinobi before, tracking down a copy of Revenge of Shinobi is a must (even if Spider-Man and Batman might not be in it.)

[burlveneer-music]

Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes - jazz-prog-art-chamber-pop, perfectly balanced and perpetually interesting; like Ava Luna meets Stereolab

Ma Clément: co-writing, singing Thom Gill: electric guitar Logan Kane: electric bass, upright bass Zach Phillips: co-writing, editing, Hohner Clavinet E7, Yamaha C7 grand piano, Octave-Plateau Voyetra-8, ARP String Ensemble Daniel Rossi: percussion André Sacalxot: alto saxophone, flute Gaspard Sicx: drums Chris Weisman: Reuben Cox rubber-bridge guitar, Danelectro sitar guitar, strat and Yamaha C7 grand piano on "Kayfabe" recorded "live in triplicate" at the Outlier Inn in August 2023 engineered, mixed and mastered by Steve Vealey all songs written February-June 2023 by ZP and MC in Brooklyn NY and Brussels BE except Love Weapon (by Blanche Blanche Blanche, ZP and Sarah Smith 2011), Toute Suite (ZP 2018), and Haut Contre Bas (music by ZP 2009, lyrics by MC 2023) special thanks to Richard Foreman for allowing us to sample "City Archives" (1978) for "Would You Rather?" artwork and design by Leomi Sadler

[ystk-archive]

[morkitten]

what is your favourite synthesizer?

maybe this is a more apt question to someone who's a composer that actually has and works with synths... I don't make music myself, I just like to listen to it... and I just love how a lot of japanese music from the 90s and 80s used synths unashamedly, excitedly, due to the influence and pride they have of their pioneers, like Yellow Magic Orchestra. Those old synths have a really interesting sound to them, and I hate how the culture mostly left those things behind and panned them as tacky, as just a cheap way to imitate real instruments, when there's a whole world of unique sounds you can get from old synths.

I don't really have a favorite synthesizer, because I don't really know or work with them enough to be able to declare such a thing, but one of my favorite synth "sounds" is 5 minutes and 7 seconds into this video: The Yamaha DX7's Electric Piano factory patch. It's such a deliciously warm, sentimental sound. Sounds like love and longing and bright city lights seen from a window of a comfortable hotel room.

[mendelpalace]

SimCity.wave in equal parts a celebration of world building and the iconic game SimCity 2000 as well as a homage to FM synthesis. The EP features four reimaginings of the original game soundtrack. From the Artist: "FM synth sounds from the (equally iconic) Yamaha DX7 and DX21 seemed fitting as a lot people would have heard the music through a Soundblaster type soundcard with a Yamaha FM synth chip. The source material for this EP however was sampled from the Sega Saturn port which has a particularly lush rendition of the soundtrack. I decided to make the EP after setting up my Saturn (hadn't touched it for a decade) during the first lockdown in March and playing the Saturn port of Sim City, which reminded me this was possibly my favourite game ever. Anyway I had a lot of fun making this!"

[ztremx]

The Bvalanches - Avalanches B-sides (1997/2002))

"UNDER THE SEA , turn the music up"

A collection of b-side tracks from El Producto (1997), the single EPs for Since I Left You (Electricity, SILY, Frontier Psychiatrist), the Japan-exclusive 'At Last Alone' (2002), and other rarities posted on the Avalanches' Youtube page, with a bunch of transitions and exclusive pieces made by myself. It's kind of a revamped version of the B-side collection also on YT called "This Is More". The tracklist is very similar, but I try to make the differences worthwhile, especially since I made this as a response to "This Is More" feeling a little.. lacking in cohesion, I guess. Hope this is at least a good enough try for some! Tracklist:

1 ) Intro 0:00

2 ) Undersea Community 0:27

3 ) Rock City 4:22

4 ) Talking To A Stranger 8:12

5 ) Slow Walking 12:40

6 ) Thank You Caroline 16:30

7 ) Information 20:22

8 ) Yamaha Superstar 23:54

9 ) Ray of Zdarlight 26:02

10) Let's Cheer 30:41 1

1) Rollin' High 32:37

12) Everyday 37:25

[bleedingpeanutbutter]

Love letter to the bass guitar.

In my mind I have a distinct recollection of falling in love with the bass guitar. When I was a kid my parents would take me to the mall every few weeks and I would spend my time in this music store marveling at all the electric guitars. This was the early 90's, hair metal was still a thing so there was all kinds of over the top guitar designs. Not knowing anything about guitars I would walk up to the hanging guitars that I had to look up and see, put my cheek right on the body of the instrument, pluck the strings and feel the vibrations. I remember loving how the vibrations of the "four" string guitars felt. I could not have been more than eleven or twelve at the time. It became my habit when I got to the mall for a while, to go in and play the four string electric guitars that were hanging on the wall with my faced pressed up against them.

I remember asking my parents if I could start with a "four" string guitar and then once I learned that I would graduate to a six string one. I'm not 100% sure they understood what I was asking, "I would even get an amp later" I would say. Just get me a guitar I could call my own. Sadly it was just not in the budget. When I was very little I had taken some piano lessons but it just never stuck with me. At some point I stopped asking and never really thought about it for a few years. But by fourteen I was glued to my Walkman and absorbing any music I could get my hands on. It would be my bike, my Walkman and the Summer sun for days on end while I explored the city to the soundtrack of my choosing. Sometimes with my friends, sometimes solo. Being glued to music would never change the rest of my life.

Late that next year, when I was fifteen the youth pastor (Steve) of the church I grew up in made me an offer. He knew a guy that owned a music store and would give me free bass lessons in the hopes that I would get hooked and become a customer later on and he needed a bass player in the church praise band so I was in a band before I had really even picked up a bass. Steve just said he knew I loved music so much and maybe I should try playing it. I tentatively said ok. I remember almost ditching my first lesson because it all seemed so overwhelming. Sean, the owner of the local music shop patiently taught me the bass. I would go to the practice rooms in the smelly old basement and play bass for a few hours after school everyday. Sean would come down in between helping customers and give me pointers. He was very generous and let me play on any bass I wanted in the store.

I remember my first "gig" playing for the youth group at church. No doubt that I messed up quite a lot but what a rush. It was addictive to be sure. After that I starting learning my favorite songs and growing as a new musician. Eventually I bought my first bass, and old Yamaha with this crazy paint job. It was $275 dollars and I paid it off in three chunks with the money I made working as a dishwasher. To this day I still gig with that bass as my spare, even though it was been completely rebuilt multiple times and I have owned many other basses over the years.

Then I started my first band with some of my friends and played in that band from the age sixteen to twenty two. I got offers to play in other bands and took some of them. In late high school and early college I took loads of music theory classes and ending up studying with Berklee College of music. This took me on an amazing journey of learning audio engineering/production and working at Sweetwater sound, as well as writing music for videos and other artists.

I have had the good fortune of meeting so many wonderful artists and musicians, been able to be a part of creating fulfilling art, all through being a bass player. Some days I reflect on all the different bands I have had the honor of playing in over the years and what a blast it all is. How crazy that what started as one guy needing a bass player in the praise band changed the entire course of my whole life. Changed the friendships I would have had, my education and career. Playing bass has and I'm sure will continue to lead me down all kinds of interesting roads. Maybe I would have found the Bass on my own one day? Who knows.

When I am playing live, I still love feeling that same vibration that I felt in the tiny little music store as a kid. I love being the bridge between the melody and rhythm section and feeling the groove and power of it all. Playing music is a strange thing in its own right as there is always something new to master. Some technique just out of reach that you work for and eventually conquer. A more fulling journey I can not think of. Thanks to everyone who I have met on this path!