#i did balance the sound though so hopefully that wont be an issue

[chaos--gremlin]

I'm sure this has been done before, but....

"Don't get ahead of us, Microsoft nerd!"

[subtlereferencetomyinterests]

A Study in the Pains of Romance as a Genre

Ao3,   MasterPost

Wow I can’t believe I haven’t written an actual logince story yet???? who am I, even?? Anyway I love them and their dynamic is perfect. 

Relationships: Logince

Warnings: Self-doubt, insecurity, misunderstandings, flirting (so much flirting oh my god), Emotional Distress, some smooches 0x0. 

Word Count: 4,334

Light, repetitive music hummed from a set of over-sized speakers, which balanced precariously on an elegant end-table across the room. To Logan’s knowledge, the sub-genre of music was colloquially known as ‘lo-fi’. The melodies weren’t very engaging, but it served its purpose as background to the task at hand well enough. Said task would be work. In theory, that is. 

On the other end of the small table/large desk, Roman stared down into a leather journal, his face wrinkled with concentration. He gnawed at the edge of his pen thoughtlessly, drumming his hands against the paper and muttering to himself unintelligibly. His hair fell into his face occasionally, only to be brushed back with a small hum of annoyance. He was clearly immersed in his project, but he wasn’t yet at the point of frustration or burn-out. Such an ideal working state was seldom seen by any other side, but Logan could be as lucky. 

The two dichotomous traits had fairly recently found that ‘two heads were better than one’, in a manner of speaking. Logan’s ideas had so often contradicted the things that Roman had planned for, a difficult issue to solve if both of them were already halfway done with their respective projects, and therefore hesitant to redo any of their hard work. If they worked together from the very beginning of an idea, however, then it was that much easier to find compromises and balance each other out along the way. The two could keep each other on task, as well as stop each other from overworking. The arrangement was purely for efficiency’s sake, of course.

…It did also serve as something of a bonding experience, if Logan was honest.

Regardless, with all that in mind, Logan had every reason to be working. And yet, there he was. Not doing that. 

His and Roman's time together, for all it’s overwhelming pros, had resulted in one glaring con for Logan: what caught his focus had nothing to do with the documents open on his laptop, but rather how his friend tapped those immaculately manicured nails on the desk. The neatly arranged planners laid out before Logan served only as a backdrop to the sight of Roman’s smirk when he thought of something clever. Spreadsheets couldn’t hold a candle to the attention-grabbing power of that smile, repugnantly sappy as it sounded. 

The obvious explanation for this distraction was that Logan, as is the wont of characters in Fan-Fiction, had become infatuated with his artistic counterpart.

The scribbling of Roman's pen stopped briefly, his eyes narrowing at his writing. Logan glanced away from him hastily, realizing just how long he’d been staring, only to hear Roman laugh heartily at his own writing, good God. 

Logan glanced back at him- his face hopefully less flushed than it felt- and quirked a brow. Roman raised his head at the same time, flashing a bright smile. 

“Read this,” he slid his journal across the table to Logan, pride etched across his features. Logan just narrowly stopped the book from careening off the edge of the table, pulling it into his line of sight. His eyes scanned the page, briefly, but he couldn't quiet his overactive mind quite enough to really understand the words. He perceived a vague impression of the humorous interaction between two of Roman’s characters, though, which was explanation enough. 

The smile and nod he offered Roman in return- while mostly uncomprehending- was sincere, and it seemed to appease the creative entity. He slid the journal back across the table, much less forcefully than his friend had, and turned back to his work* (*staring blankly at his laptop screen). 

However, the longer he stared blankly, the more acutely aware he became of the silence in the room. He realized soon enough that this was because the sound of pen and paper had not yet returned from Roman’s side of the workspace.

Still hesitant to be caught staring (it honestly wouldn't have been the first time), Logan glanced up to see what the issue was. He almost startled at the way that Roman was staring right back at him with a fiery intensity, clearly lost in deep thought.

“Roman…?” 

He blinked, startled, though his face immediately broke into a wide grin. Before Logan could ask what exactly had him so exuberant, he slammed a hand down on their shared desk and stood from his chair. 

“Alright, it's break time!”

“You want to have a break? We started only an hour and twenty-seven minutes ago,” Logan tilted his screen closer to him discreetly, not wanting Roman to see that he'd really only done about fifteen minutes’ worth of actual work.

Roman scoffed, circling around their small table and leaning his full weight against Logan's back and shoulders. Despite his stature (very, very short), he was densely muscular, and therefore staggeringly heavy. 

“Yeah, I suppose, but I'm not feeling it right now!”

“That’s ridiculous, you've been remarkably focused all day despite your usual executive dysfunction; in fact, this is quite impressive for you and I’d be loath to disrupt you.”

Logan felt a small swell of pride when he saw, from the corner of his eye, that Roman’s face flushed at the compliment.

“Okay, fine, I’ll admit that I’m killing it today- but!” Roman pushed himself forward, shoving Logan into the desk and slightly to the left in the process, and shifted the logical trait’s laptop up and away from him, “You are clearly out of it, which is also a rarity,” he gestures to the barebones paragraphs displayed on the screen.

Logan felt a rush of embarrassment, but it was quickly overpowered by relief when he realized that his friend hadn't caught onto the reason for his slacking. He twisted in his seat, fighting to push Roman off of him.

“And stopping work altogether is supposed to remedy this how?”

“Shush,” Roman moved along with Logan’s efforts to push him away, taking it one step further by dragging them both into a standing position, “We’re taking a break because I said so, and I already had something planned for us today, so you aren’t getting out of this.” 

Logan tilted his head in bemusement, too caught off-guard by the latter remark to remove Roman’s arm from around him (definitely for that reason, and not because the contact made him dizzily contented). 

“You have something planned? Why didn't you tell me?”

“Well, it was a surprise, obviously,” Roman huffed, using his grip on Logan to steer him over to his canopy bed. At his insistence, Logan sat down, his confusion only growing. 

“You… have a surprise for me?”

Roman rolled his eyes, chuckling.

“Do you need a Q-tip? Yes, as I’ve said thrice now. It’s actually been in the works for a while now, but I think it’s ready for you.”

Rather than trying to form an actual response, Logan fell back on a tried-and-true tactic: Correcting Roman.

“The use of a Q-tip to clean one’s ear can actually be quite dangerous-”

The tactic worked, as Roman’s expression went from teasing fondness to impatience almost instantly. He made quite the show of rolling his eyes, moving his head along with his irises. 

“Yeah, yeah, everybody knows and has already stopped caring about that. Do you wanna see the surprise or not, Teach?” 

Well, Logan supposed he wasn’t going to get any work done, anyway. Not with the idea of Roman making something specifically for him clattering around in his mind. 

“I must admit that you’ve piqued my interest.” 

“Good,” Roman gave him a dazzling grin and, to Logan’s surprise, sat right down beside him on the mattress. Logan nearly questioned the behavior, deciding against it when Roman let his eyes fall closed. He was once more the picture of concentration, his fingers tapping out patterns and rhythms against his knees. After a long, awkward, perfectly silent two minutes and thirty-four seconds, there was an abrupt jolt. Logan struggled to maintain his balance, eventually failing when he felt the bed beneath him move so swiftly that he could no longer make out the room around him. 

A rush of vertigo overcame him, sending him toppling backwards with a yelp. However quickly they seemed to be moving, it felt as though they really weren’t travelling at all- as though they were completely unencumbered by friction. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the movement halted.

Logan sat up, hair ruffled and feeling distinctly embarrassed at such a reaction to something he really should have expected.

Roman had shifted the appearance of his room, of course. It was something he did constantly- Logan couldn’t count the number of times he’d found the side unconsciously manifesting surfaces just as he was about to place an item on empty space. But that all paled in comparison to this. The entire room had changed, not just a few pieces of furniture.

They weren’t in a room anymore, actually; they were in a garden. A garden that sprawled out in all directions, the ends (if any existed yet) obscured by the various fountains and trees within it. The sky above was a blanket of darkness, even though it was about midday in the real world. Logan could excuse the inaccuracy, aware that it was just for the atmosphere. That, and also because it allowed him view of the stars.

They were so, so bright. The sky was like a pool of ink filled up with glitter, each flake of which a different size. But the most impressive thing was just how… subdued it was. Roman had clearly avoided cramming the sky with bright colors and unrealistic formations, opting instead to paint a believable sky, one that really could exist if given the best possible circumstances. 

Logan stood up from his spot, awestruck. In the back of his mind, he registered that the bed had swayed with his movements upon his standing. But really, it wasn’t a bed at all anymore; it was a heavily cushioned swing, strung up between two short, thin trees. Forcing his eyes to turn from the stars and take in the rest of the picturesque scene, Logan saw similar trees dotted around the little garden; they varied in height, but each was stick-thin with elegant sprawls of branches. They looked almost like the antlers of a deer.

The most prominent pieces of flora, however, were the twisting bushes of flowers all along the sides of the cobblestone paths. They were so diverse, each so perfectly detailed and created. Some had circular, squat petals, growing in little clusters. Others rose singularly from long stems, their petals thin and delicate. There was only one commonality between them. 

Blue. Every shade or hue, from shimmering chrome to cloudy cyan; it. Was all. Blue. 

Come to think of it, everything was, even if it was subtle. The stone paths between the fountains and displays were pale slate, just edging away from gray; the wood of the trees were inky and dark, tinted a harsh indigo; the lanterns hung up on lamp poles lit the scene with turquoise flames. 

Logan’s breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he forgot entirely how he’d come to be here. All he saw was this- this gift. 

“It took forever, honestly,” Roman’s insincere complaint was whisper-quiet, and yet Logan still jumped at the voice. He clearly hadn’t noticed the trait walking up to him until he was right beside him. “I had to get it just right.”

“It’s wonderful, Roman. This is perfect,” Logan didn’t try to play it down. He wasn’t sure he could, stripped of his snark at the beauty before him. A beauty made for him.

“I’m glad that you like it,” there was something painfully honest behind Roman’s words.

“What…” Logan wasn’t sure what he was going to ask. What this all was for, that would’ve been a reasonable question. There were also some ‘Why’s that he could ask: why on earth had Roman made something so amazing for him?

Logan wasn’t a self-deprecating person. When he wasn’t always positive, he at least maintained healthy self-neutrality. He was well aware of the detriments that accompanied negative self-talk and idealization, so he was careful to avoid such at all costs. On good days, he could go as far as to say that he actively enjoyed who he was. Bad days, well, they weren’t nearly as bad as they could be. 

Therefore, it followed that Logan was being entirely objective when he said that he would not be a good enough romantic partner for Roman. 

There he stood, before this gorgeous, romantic setting that Creativity had made for him, and he could do nothing but worry. Not worry that his harbored affection was unrequited, but worry that perhaps it somehow was. It was unbelievable to him, and he feared it. He feared the look that Roman sent him as he inspected the flowers, the statues, the sky, all for him. 

“Roman, this is… I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh? I’ve managed to get you speechless? That’s quite an accomplishment,” his tone was far too intimate for the teasing words. Regardless, Logan forced a scoff.

“Don’t let it go to your head. All it is is that I’m trying to appreciate your attention to detail.”

“Sure.”

There was another lapse of silence, in which Logan found himself caught up in thought.

When he’d first had the unfortunate realization that he was in love with his friend, of course he’d wanted to resolve the issue as simply as possible. It was only sensical that he inform Roman right away, to see if the feelings were reciprocated. If they were, then the better it was for both of them; if not, it was the closure needed for him to move on. 

A plan like that was easier said than done.

Logan couldn’t just say it, not in the way he would’ve preferred. That wouldn’t at all be Roman’s style, and such a confession would likely garner nothing but exasperation. It would be much smarter to try and cater to the trait’s love of all things prosey, elaborate, and romantic, if he wanted any kind of favorable results. So Logan began to do what he did best: Gather information.

Roman liked grand gestures. Roman was weak for cheesy tropes and clichés. Roman swooned over long declarations of love. The list went on and on and on. Logan found himself letting Roman choose shows to watch in their downtime together, for the express purpose of writing down the details of all the romantic plotlines that he cooed at.

It was always something giant, spectacular, and teary. But still, foolishly, Logic held onto the hope that he could replicate something of the like. The hope that he could be copacetic in this area, so far out of his expertise. 

He’d lost it soon after, of course.

“These are my favorite, you know,” Roman muttered, jolting Logan from his introspection. The side was stood by a large bush of flowers, gazing fondly at them.

“Hm?” Logan stepped over to him, still a bit dazed. 

“Blue roses,” Roman held one of the flowers reverently in his hand, “You’d think it’d be red- and those are classics- but no. I’m quite fond of these.”

Logan nodded. It took all of his self-control to keep his eyes off of his friend. 

It was meant to be a family movie night, that evening when he’d given up on this. But somehow everyone had become preoccupied, except Roman. 

They’d laughed together, debating the merits of even having a movie night at that point. In the end, they decided to do it anyway, of course. Roman chose, and all seemed well in the beginning.

Logan quickly determined that the film would have a pretty central romantic subplot, and so he had discreetly summoned his notebook to jot down anything he thought Roman would be interested in. That went perfectly well, with him scribbling down a cutesy gesture in the film every few minutes. He and Roman talked through the whole thing- as usual- and all in all the night was par for the course.

But then came the movie’s climactic end. The lead professed his undying love for the love-interest by starlight, with a speech that Logan could swear dragged on for five minutes. Accompanying this, the character had hired musicians for the occasion, procured several gifts for the object of his affection, and if that weren’t nearly enough- there were fireworks.

Logan had scoffed, rolling his eyes at the absurdity. But Roman…

Roman had stars in his eyes.

Logan had looked at him inquisitively, a bitter taste filling his mouth when Roman looked right back with the widest eyes.

‘That, that’s what I want,’ that look seemed to say. Logan gripped his pen in his hand, his eyes trying to catch on all of the details in the scene before him, but he already knew the truth. 

He could never be that. However unrealistic Roman’s wants were, they were his own, and Logan could not possibly meet them.

He threw away his notebook after that. 

“Do you know why I like them?”

Logan startled, feeling Roman press up against his side. 

“Wh- what?”

“The roses,” he reiterated, twirling the stem between his fingers, “You know why I like them?”

“I can’t say that I do,” Logan mumbled, moving to step back. When he did, he felt his back hit one of the immense marble fountains, leaving him with nowhere to go. Roman followed his movements, effectively caging him. 

“They calm me. They remind me that everything can’t always be so harsh. That sometimes you need to think things through a little more,” he wasn’t looking at the rose at all as he spoke, instead focusing his attention on Logan in front of him, which he thought was probably significant, “But they’re still roses. They’re essentially the same. They’ve still got stems and thorns and spirally petals, even though all you notice at first is the difference in color. It’s apt, I think…”

Roman leaned over him. The creative trait braced his arm on the lip of the fixture, tilting his head back to stare at Logan. Every time one of them shifted, even slightly, they’d have a brush of contact.

“And they do go so well with the red ones, don’t you think?”

Logan knew exactly what Roman was doing and he didn’t understand it one bit. He’d agonized over countless pieces of Roman’s favorite romantic media, and he knew their scene was fit for any of those movies. All except for one aspect: the supposed love interest. 

Logan was in a button-down and jeans, not a navy suit or a flowing sundress. He spoke with stilted ‘dialogue’ and misunderstood all of Roman’s romantic symbolism, hardly able to give his own beautiful soliloquies in response. He could hardly be called the ‘muse’ for this gorgeous garden gift that Roman had given him! If anything, Logan was the best friend. It was a frustrating character type to play- the nerdy and underappreciated accomplice- but Logan had become accustomed to it. Settled into it. It was what Roman’s favorite genre showed him to be, and he’d fit it well.

When Roman inched closer still, Logan found the willpower to put a hand on the trait’s chest and halt him. 

“Lo?” Roman breathed by way of question. His adoring gaze had turned confused and cautious, with a tinge of worry shining through. 

Logan felt like he was burning from the inside out, even though he knew that, physically speaking, he was perfectly fine. He couldn’t stand the contradiction he’d become, but he could stand even less that sickeningly-sweet affection Roman was mistakenly giving him. It didn’t make sense for this to be happening, and Logan needed his sense back. 

“I’m sorry,” he blurted, “Why are you doing this?” it ended up much meeker than he’d wished to say it. 

Roman essentially leapt away from him, his hands flying up with palms faced out. After taking  several strides back, he laughed awkwardly, looking nothing short of ashamed.

“Well, I seem to have misread some things, I guess! I- um- forget it, it was stupid anyways.”

Logan felt a sharp pain between his ribs at that, standing up straighter.

“No, I didn’t mean to seem, well, upset, per se- it’s just- why me? What do you stand to gain from pursuing a romantic relationship with me?” He stepped falteringly forwards after Roman, “ I just don’t… understand,” it was a wonder Logan could keep his voice calm. 

Roman’s face scrunched in an obvious lack of comprehension. He crossed his arms below his chest, words coming out slow as though he was trying to make sense of them.

“You want to know why I have feelings for you? What- what I stand to gain?” A bewildered little chuckle broke up his words on the last clause, making Logan flush embarrassedly.

“Y-es, I am far from an ideal partner for you. I know you well enough to know that.”

“And what makes you so sure, hm?” Roman’s expression was bordering on amusement, frustratingly enough; Logan didn’t see what could possibly be humorous about the situation. Everything seemed strangely painful to him.  

“Oh, please. I’m hardly a- a Prince Charming, or whatever it is you’re after. I wouldn’t be able to provide you with grand, elaborate gestures of affection. I’m not supernaturally beautiful. Face it, I’m not up to your sky-high standards at all,” Logan knew his voice was edging on frantic the longer he talked, as he tried to put an end to whatever was happening. To his surprise, Roman responded by shaking his head wildly, darting forwards and taking Logan’s hands.

“How can someone so smart be so, so dense?” He exclaimed, “You are smart, Lo- I thought that you’d caught on by now, and were just waiting for me to make a move. I mean, I was being so obvious.”

Logan, despite the warmth welling in his chest and the confusion dizzying him, managed to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at Roman. The creative trait seemed to understand what he’d said a second later, laughing in embarrassment.

“Oh, right- sorry,” he muttered, “I thought it was obvious, I suppose, with how much I kept hinting at it.”

“What on earth are you talking about? Every time you spoke about romance, it was a hyper-dramaticized version of a fantasy relationship- rambling about your hypothetical partner’s ‘Athena-like wit and humor’, or ‘innumerable acts of kindness’ you claimed they’d give you daily.”

Roman gave him a long, fond, exasperated look. 

“I guess I must think very highly of you.”

“You- you were talking about me?” 

“Of course I was,” Roman’s expression turned solemn. He lifted a hand to cup Logan’s jaw. 

“I can’t believe you thought that I deserved something better.”

“I didn’t say that,” Logan snapped, stubbornly, “I said I knew you’d want better. I never mentioned that I thought your wants were actually realistic.”

“Well, that’s true; you are quite unreal, Logan.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Logan flushed darkly. He wanted nothing more than to establish at least a little distance between himself and Roman, but his traitorous and sentimental physicality refused to allow it. 

Roman took just a moment to find humor in his embarrassment, letting a deep silence follow it. He seemed expectant. Logan was still reeling. 

“...Well?” The artistic trait prompted after a while, shifting uncomfortably.

“‘Well’ what?”

Roman gestured to himself, an awkward motion considered how he had steadily plastered against Logan. 

“This was going to be, like, my grand declaration of love to you, but we seem to have gotten a little off-track.”

“Oh,” Logan smiled apologetically, “By all means, continue.”

“Well, I can’t now. The moment’s gone!”

“If it’s any consolation, you were off to a very good start.”

Roman grinned, cupping the side of Logan’s face properly.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Good enough that you might consider being mine, mi estrella?”

“Uhm- possibly,” Logan found it increasingly hard not to shy away from the loving look directed at him, and even harder to keep his voice above a breathless stutter, “If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Roman kissed him, chaste and beautiful. Logan had hardly registered the sweet taste of sugared coffee on his lips before it was gone, left with only Roman watching him lovingly. He couldn’t help but return the look, earning him another soft kiss. That was followed by another, and another, and then they were moving to his cheeks and nose and forehead as well, and by that point he was struggling to return the affection, utterly unaware of his surroundings.

Roman let go of Logan’s hand to cup the other side of his face, grinning at the giddy laughs that Logan was failing to suppress as the (entirely invited) assault on his face continued. The barrage concluded with a drawn-out kiss pressed to the tip of Logan’s nose, and Roman finally seemed satisfied with himself.

Logan was aware of how ridiculous he must have looked, face red and giggling quite uncontrollably, but Roman was still looking at him like he was the best thing he’d ever laid eyes upon. 

“This is what I want,” he purred, as if it even needed to be said. Logan rolled his eyes, burying his face in Roman’s hair if only to escape the overwhelming emotion the situation was instilling him with. 

He struggled to catch his breath, unsure if he wanted to keep laughing or possibly cry. He was desperately out of his depth, actually, so he was rather conflicted about most things. Everything he’d thought he’d known had been turned on its head. While Logan didn’t like being wrong, that didn’t really seem like the most pertinent issue. 

But there was at least one point that seemed to have a clear answer.

“Good,” Logan murmured, nearly silent, “I want this, as well.”

Taglist: @shrimp-crockpot @glitter-skeleton-uwu @donnieluvsthings @intruxiety @thefivecalls 

[chimswae]

BTS Caretaker CH38

Summary: She may think she has Bangtan Sonyeondan wrapped around her fingers. She may think it is easy to love the members equally without hurting any soul. She may think the boys wont fall head over heels for her. She assumes it is okay to show a little love and affection towards the boys, what if she gets it all wrong? What if it only brings more complication to her already complicated life? Can she survive their charms? Will she be able to resist them? What if they just wont let her go?

- Pairing: BTS x Oc ( Yoongi x OC, Jungkook x OC)

- Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Romance, Idol!au

- Word Count: 3,422

- Author Note: I had long weekend with my ongoing workshops going on whole day :< so thats why for the late update! sorry xx appreciate someone still read this!

Previous | Next

Chapter 38

“Okay, use the emergency exit and I will ask our manager to get you. Make sure to come straight to KBS Seul, I will be waiting for you�� Yoongi rubbed his sore neck and glanced around the room to find the sign of his personal manager.

He hung up his phone and walked up to his manager with a distress face “Hyung, can we talk?” the muscular guy nodded as they both went to the corner of the room. “Yes, is everything alright? You seem a little edgy” he blinked confusedly.

“I need your help. Seul will be here so I need your help to assist her inside. Can you help me to get Seul?” Yoongi asked, hopeful yet afraid that his manager refused to fulfil his request.

He raised his brow in questioned “Seul? The caretaker lady? What is she doing here? Yoongi we are in public. Whatever things that you have with this young lady, don’t do it here. People might be suspicious to see her presence around you guys” the younger man stared at him hopefully.

“Please, she is in trouble. I can’t trust her alone, so I have to keep my eyes on her. I hope you can help me hyung. Please” taken aback by Yoongi unusual antic, his manager pressed his lips together in a deep thought. Being a manager, it was his responsibility to see the bigger picture of this issue and to ensure any of the members wouldn’t take any rash decision which could jeopardize their career.

“Fine, I will go get her. Don’t worry and focus on what you are about to do in a bit. Get ready for your stage, it is your turn soon”

Yoongi heaved a sigh of relief “Thank you hyung. Thank you” he gave the guy a soft squish on the shoulder and returned to his seat.

Jin overheard the conversation that they had and grew worried over Seul. The last time they talked was a week ago, he didn’t get to keep in touch with her ever since then. Not that he wanted to stick his nose into someone else’ affair, however he noticed Seul and Yoongi closeness these days made him think that they were officially dating each other.

Jungkook on the other hand had stopped talking about Seul which freaked him out. If he could crown Seul’s biggest fans, then it will be Jungkook. The maknae’s mood seemed a little dull than usual. Jimin had stuck to his side like glue ever since then.

Burying himself under his hoodie, Jin stared at his phone blankly dying to know the truth.

 --------------

Seul squished her eyes together, mentally blaming herself for calling Yoongi adding more burden to his already hectic day. Not that she wanted to burden him with her problem, but she had nowhere to go especially now, she had trusted Yoongi with all her heart. She would rather turn to him rather than destroying herself with her evil thoughts.

She dragged her heavy feet inside the building and made sure to keep her eyes open to catch familiar face there, like Bighit staff. Her cell phone rang. Still staring at the screen showing the live broadcast of Music Bank, she answered the call without uttering anything “Seul? Where are you?” asked the voice at the end of the line.

“Jin? I am..here at KBS” she was surprised to hear from Jin at this time when she thought they would be in stage getting ready for their performance.

“I heard..you are coming. Are you already here? Kibum hyung will be down in a minute to get you” Seul heard her name being called and quickly turned to face the owner of the voice. “Your manager is here. I will see you in a bit Jin. Good luck” she added, smiling between her words. Jin couldn’t hide that cheeky smile of his as he looked forward to seeing her after a week.

He jogged toward her, calling her name once again “Seul? Come with me, and I have to warn you beforehand that the backstage is going to be hectic and crazy. Walk close to me so you won’t get lost” he explained

She nodded her head, grateful to see BTS manager there, at least she didn’t need to walk through that unfamiliar glass door alone. The image in front of her took her breath away, she had never seen a backstage this hectic. Technically, she got a first-hand experience at BBMAS, but it was different considering the award show had a bigger space unlike this one. People had to squish themselves against the wall and the hallway could barely support two people walking side by side.

KBS really need a bigger space to cater this huge number of idols and staffs running around the hallway as if they were in a marathon. The silent man kept glancing at her to ensure the girl didn’t get stuck in between. Seul smiled as an assurance mouthing ‘I am fine’ that she was able to catch up on him.

Soft yelling from every corner could be heard as they were busy preparing their idols to stage. She bumped into a group of tall handsome men on her way and right before she wanted to apologize, they disappeared from her vicinity. Amazed with the surrounding, she pressed herself against the wall to keep her safe safe from bumping into other people.

It was dizzying to be in this crowded area, so she picked up her pace upon realizing the older man was nowhere to be seen. Grunting under her breath, Seul resumed her walk while keeping her eyes wide opened in case she walked pass Bangtan’s waiting room.

Like a little wandering lamb, Seul found herself in front of a room with a BTS signed on the door. She was relieved to be free from the suffocating scene a moment ago and knocked on the door softly. She opened the door, but to her surprise, she was greeted by unfamiliar faces inside the room.

She tilted her head in confusion and went back to read the name on the door though she was sure ‘BTS’ was written clearly on it. Confusion buzzed through her brain, deciphering every word written on the door. A hand was pulling the door opened on the other side causing her to stumble a little. Regaining her balance, she muttered a soft sorry in embarrassment.

The atmosphere inside the room thickening when all eyes were on her. Seul chewed her lips nervously “Who are you?” said a woman in a grey hoodie. She was holding a brush so Seul assumed she’s one of the stylists.

“I..am looking for Bangtan Sonyeondan. I guess this is not their room?” she gulped the lumps on her throat, easing the awkwardness in her.

“I thought Jae hyung changed BTS sunbaenim sign on the door to ours” another voice came into the picture and this time it was a man. His strong gravel voice reminded her of Taehyung. The man shoved his phone inside his pocket and rose from his seat. Holy crap, he is super tall! A very tall young man with smexy eyes. His eye makeup really gave away that sexy vampire vibe.

Taking the image in front of her, she stared at him in starstruck awe. His side profile was bloody amazing, with that sharp jawline and perfect proportion, he was one of a kind.  He tore his gaze from the mirror “I am sorry, but this is not BTS waiting room, there was a mistake. We are JBJ-“ his words were stuck in his throat.

His eyes shot opened, enormous with surprise. “Seul!” their eyes met, exchanging a meaningful look. It had been years since they last saw each other. Even though Hyunbin kept in touch with her mother, they never exchanged a single text even once for years. Occasionally, Hyunbin would keep himself update on Seul’s life through her mother and that was it. He wanted to make sure the girl was safe and sound, living her life normally.

“Hyunbin..What are you doing here?” a smile appeared on her face as she could hear low murmur from the staffs and his bandmates. Noticing Seul getting a little uncomfortable by the attention that she got, Hyunbin cleared his throat to say something “This is Seul. She is an old friend of mine” they nodded and decided to give them space for their reunion.  

“Nuna, can you give me a second? I need to talk to her” the brunette looked at him weirdly while exchanging quick glance with Kenta. The Japanese guy only chuckled in his seat, moving his shoulder in a small shrug.

He approached Seul as his arms were screaming to pull the small girl into his arm, yet he knew it better. There were many eyes in the room. Hence, he must behave himself. “Wow, I didn’t expect to run into you here” said Seul, exhaling a soft breath.

“Me too. How are you?”

“I am fine, thank you. You..look good. I heard from mother that you have become an idol now. And, yeah Hoon told me about the survival show thing” he gazed down at her still bemused of their unexpected meeting.  

“It is JBJ, I am with them now. It is a temporary group project. Oh, I am sorry for what happened to Hoon. I should have known that he was assaulted by those guys, so I could do something about it” Seul shook her head. “Don’t be sorry, you did nothing. It is in the past, Hoon is working hard now to find a suitable agency that can take him as trainee” her smile alone radiates the whole room, making his eyes shrunk into a crescent moon.

“Hoon told me, I am happy for him. By the way Seul-ah, why are you looking for BTS sunbaenim?” he inquired.

“I replace mother for the time being at least until she gets better. I am their caretaker” with a laugh she shied away and ran fingers in her hair.

He watched her with an amused smile “You work for them? That is great. I mean- to work with BTS sunbaenim, that is like a dream comes true” now Hyunbin sounded a legit fanboy to her making her giggle at his reaction.

“Are you a fan?” “Of course! BTS sunbaenim is like the best role model that I could wish for” without hesitation Hyunbin answered it in one breath. They both laughed heartily enjoying the topic of his fascination towards his lovely BTS sunbaenim.

“Seul? Seul.. Thank god you are here!” they shifted their attention to the tired looking man in his fancy stage outfit. “Jinnie, why are you here?” she exclaimed in bafflement.

“To find you, hyung said he lost you. Why are you wandering around alone? This place is huge, you could get lost” Jin nagged like a mother but turned mute as soon as he realized Hyunbin’s presence around them.

“Sunbaenim..hi” Hyunbin bowed politely with a shy smile.

The older guy returned the greetings and looked at Seul confusedly “Are you seeking for his help? Ya, Ji Seul. That is not right, he is a busy man” he frowned, and his forehead furrowed. “I am sorry Hyunbin-ssi, did she cause any trouble?” Seul gaped in disbelief.

“Yah!” Jin shot her a stern look when Seul showed her protest.

“No, sunbaenim no..Seul is an old friend of mine so we are having a little chit-chat. She is not causing any trouble”

“Oh really? How did you guys know each other?”

“It is a long story Jin. It may take hours to finish one. We have to go. Don’t you have a stage to slay? And a heart to win?”

“Whose heart?” Jin was clueless by her randomness.

“Armys’ heart you fool. Let’s go. Hyunbin-ah, lets meet soon so we can have a proper talk over a tea. See you around” she bowed, patting Jin’s back signalling him to start walking and lead the way. He watched as they left the scene hurriedly with Seul trailing behind the tall guy, most probably listening to her nag along the journey.

‘Are they dating?’ he scratched his head in trying to think of a reason for their odd behaviour.

 ----------------

“Are you saying Kwon could be your father?” Yoongi pressed his lips together processing the info that he had just received. For an odd reason, the air conditioner in his studio was not enough to cool off the rage boiled inside him.

“Fuck yes” Seul said bitterly.

Jin threw a cushion toward her direction “Language” and Seul grimaced in her seat.

“Ugh, alright Steve Rogers wannabe” she hugged RJ cushion pillow to her chest, squeezing it dear life earning a disgruntled look from the owner a.k.a the creator of RJ.

“Stop doing that, you are suffocating him”

She smirked sarcastically “I am turning him into my hostage”

Jin rolled his eyes in response and returned his attention back to Seul’s story. “Why didn’t any of you tell me about this? About him threatening you? Kwon is a dangerous man, stop working there” Yoongi nodded in agreement as he looked as furious as Jin.

“It is not that simple. He could sue me for breach of contract”

“We will pay for you” their unanimous voice surprised her. “The point here is, we are not letting him near you. He is a shameless old man. He should have gone to jail for what he did to you” Yoongi’s voice was deep, filled with hatred.

“Can you for once stop worrying about money? We could help you. And I know you may find this a little uncomfortable, let’s just say you can pay us when you have money. For now, think about your family safety”

Seul leaned back in her seat, fiddling with the hem of her pink sweatshirt “We are still not sure if he is my biological father. I..dont want to know at all” she blinked away her tears afraid if it hits the ground, it would send her to another dreary night.

Jin slipped his warm hands in hers, giving it a small squish “It is up to you. You don’t need to know if it hurts you. Because after all these years, you were doing fine without your biological father. Hoon and ahjumma love you, that is important. The family that you have now is your real family” he hummed softly.

“What should I do first?” she looked up with a glint of hope evident in her eyes.

The rapper sighed “It is about time Ji Seul. First, you need to return home and be with your mother. She is worried sick and wouldn’t stop bombarding me with messages” Jin cringed.

“Why she didn’t text me? She always put me above everyone else before you come into the picture!” the latter was salty over the fact that Mrs Hwang went to Yoongi instead of him.

Ignoring Jin meaningless argument, he continued “I will ask Sejin hyung about this. Well, Bighit owns a good team that can help you going through those process. We will think about that later. You have to head back and get a long rest”

“Get rid of those eyebags, it looks saggy”

“Don’t point it out!” she hissed at Jin spiteful remarks.

Yoongi rose and told her to head back home to get a good rest. “It is late. Get up and leave” Seul glared at him few seconds, adjusting her forms.

“See you again Jin. Good night” Jin crossed his arm disliking the way Yoongi dominates everyone here when he is the hyung.

Opening the door, he walked after her leaving sulky Jin inside the studio. He grabbed her arms stopping her from walking “You look like a walking dead. Can you return by yourself or do you need me to walk you home?” he whispered, tucking the strand of hair behind her ears.

“It is fine. I can take taxi or bus. You had a long day, thank you for sparing your busy time. I appreciate it” she stroked his wrist, exhaling a tired sigh.

“Then, text me as soon as you reach home. Be careful” he planted a soft kiss at the top of her head, pulling the girl into a tight hug.

“Yoongi…” “Stay like this for a minute, I need this” she smiled, encircling her arms around his waist tight. Burying her face in his chest, she inhaled his manly scent. Thanks to Yoongi and Jin, today seemed to be easy for her to endure after all. This is how it feels like to have trusted people by her side, she need not to worry about her insecurities. They will come to aid when she needs them.

Meanwhile, beyond the door was Namjoon doing his Vlive for the fans. As he read through the comment, Namjoon was taken aback to see the comment section were flooded with questions like;

“Who are those people at your door?”

“Namjoon oppa I think someone is in front of your door”

“OMG? DID I JUST SEE SOMEONE HUGGING THERE AGSDJAHAJS”

“THE MEMBER IS DATING? WHO WHO?”

“WHO IS THAT GIRL!”

“Eyy, don’t freak out it must be one of the members fooling around”

“I swear to god that is a girl! You can clearly see the height difference and her ponytails?! WTF?”

“Judging from the size and height, could it be Jimin??!”

“It could be Min Yoongi too”

“The height difference and the frame asuwehwdhjws FUCK! It is definitely a girl and a man!”

“Think positive guysss! Namjoon oppa go check who is at the door! I am freaking out!!!”

 His eyes sprung open reading the unusual comment and he quickly turned back to confirm it with his own eyes, whether it was only a prank by Armys. To his dismay, it wasn’t some empty words. There were two people at the door of his studio, holding onto each other sparking questions inside his head.

Namjoon bid a farewell to Armys without commenting anything about the unclear reflection came from his door, and he settled down to confront whoever outside his studio. Indeed, Armys have eyes like a hawk. This was not their first time seeing through things that they shouldn’t see.

He was moving quickly, stealthily towards the door to find Yoongi and Seul exchanging warm hugs. They pulled away upon hearing the door clicked open “Hyung? Seul?” Seul blushed softly and forced a smile across her lips.

“Joon..I am about to leave. I will see you guys soon” Namjoon couldn’t take his eyes off Seul and Yoongi however he didn’t want to scare the poor girl. He chose to keep his mouth shut ignoring the possibility that this dating rumour might make to major news headline tomorrow.

“Get back safely Seul” he waved awkwardly.

Yoongi sent her off to the elevator, “Text me alright?” he ruffled her hair along with his signature gummy smile.

“Goodnight Yoong”

 -----------------

The following day, Namjoon woke up early than he planned. He didn’t sleep a wink last night with all the worries and fear bubbled inside him. What if Armys sense something is wrong and make fuss over the issue? What he should do to stop the rumours from spreading?

He settled deeper under the warm covers, not wanting to think about what he read on Twitter and Naver. Namjoon spent his night reading fans tweet to see their theories on the enigmatic figure behind the doors. And, he was right. The keyword ‘RM VLIVE’ and ‘RM Studio Door’ were both trending on twitter and naver. Not to mention, Armys had came up with a hashtag #AskRM on twitter and was trended first worldwide for 9 hours straight.

Groaning in frustration, Namjoon sat up and rubbed his forehead. His head was pounded at the thought of this rumour circulating around the fans. He prayed that fans will stop speculating and it wouldn’t reach the press or even worse Bang PD. Fortunately, everyone seemed busy to notice this kind of trending made by fans. Lets just stay that way.

Namjoon spoke to no one about this issue even though the chances that the members to figure out truth from the internet was quite high, he planned to tell others the first thing in the morning. Today would be their last day for Love Yourself promotion before proceeding with their Wings Tour until early December. He was determined to not ruin today’s fansign and acted normal. He better not screwed it up.

     This work belongs to  Chimswae © 2021. All Rights Reserved

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Fantastic Beasts meets Star Wars

I was watching the Fantastic Beasts movies and one thing I love about those films is their use of the main character (the protagonist and Hero) being a bit different than the regular hero, and showing traits of someone with autism (he won't look other characters in the eye for long, his very specific interests of caring for animals to which he has developed specialized expertise, and his comments about how people “often don’t like him”). I, myself, love seeing heroes who aren’t your cookie cutter male alpha, punching people while making sassy remarks. I think Ben Solo/Kylo Ren kinda fits this mold too, as did Luke Skywalker. They just aren’t your usual alpha dog, they have emotions, they are real people.  

Yet, there seem to be some other trends where the writing of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the Fantastic Beasts series are concerned. 

Black and White Thinking

One is the theme of black and white thinking as being portrayed as evil. Maybe this is even more pressing today. Of course, this is coming about out of Hollywood, as Americans are experiencing more and more the pain and dangers of bipartisanship within their government. Yet on the world stage, however (as I am not American) the insidious effects of how we consume media through computer and search engine algorithms (which gather information particular to our interests and worldviews) means we rarely leave our own information bubbles or read news with which we may disagree with. This is separating us further from others more and more, forming divides and even black and white thinking (us versus them) when we are unable to tolerate or understand other people’s opinions.

In the movies, these topics are being stressed with good versus bad, us versus them and with fascist, totalitarian thinking at play. Even visually this is being represented. For instance, the main villain of Fantastic Beasts, Grindelwald, is repeatedly wearing black and white. Conversely, however, the hero Newt Scamander is shown wearing colours, blue and yellow. And this is not the first movie to make colour an important feature in expression ideas about characters:

 This is showing Grindelwalds polarized, thinking of purebloods against those who are not is black and white (read: wrong). Indeed, in the films expresses this as flawed further when it has the main protagonist, Newt, express distaste at how American wizards cut interaction with muggles out entirely and see them as lesser beings, probably commenting on racism in America and its enduring systemic ills. 

Of course, we all know that black and white is traditionally part of the Star Wars good versus bad, but even this is changing, with Rey moving into greyer garbs from her earlier whiter clothing. 

Forbidden Attachments

Also, much like Jedi were forbidden from attachments, Muggle’s can’t be with magic folk in America (its illegal even). Much like dark force users were taught to fear the dark and stay away from light jedi. There is no middle ground, just bad and good, no learning from each other or expanding, just lines which cannot be crossed. So of course, where you have a plot like this which the writers think are constrictive or wrong, you have your main characters crossing this line (in the case of Fantastic Beasts, to show its wrong and backward, and in the case of Star Wars to show its worth expanding outward and understanding the other side, forgiving and letting those who have fallen back into the fold to repent and redeem and that even they can be good nd have souls worth loving). 

In Fantastic Beasts, one of the main love stories is one between Queenie and Joseph, a witch and a muggle. Like Rey and Kylo Ren, a lightsider and darksider union (we think..but c’mon its pretty obvious they are romantic!). So both movie trilogies have 2 protagonists who are braving this divide, but finding it casts them out, or jeopardizes their union. Rey and Kylo cannot bridge there divide (nor should they with how dark kylo is right now), and in Fantastic Beasts, (***SPOILER***) the American witch Queenie, in the end of the Crimes of Grindelwald has even joined the evil cause of Grindelwald because she (misguidedly) believes they can help her relationship with the Muggle Joseph come to be allowed. 

The Evils of Repression

So above we have two themes, black and white, polarized thinking as being shown as wrong, and main characters attempting to breach these divides between two worlds/belief structures through love. 

But there is one more similarity. In the Fantastic Beasts 1st movie, there is a dark phenomenon known as an Obscurial. According to Wiki fandom, an obscurial is a young wizard or witch who developed a dark parasitical magical force, known as an obscurus, as a result of their magic being suppressed (often through abuse or fear of showing their powers). According to Dumbledore, an Obscurial can possibly be healed by replacing their feelings of alienation with a sense of belonging. 

Repression has long been seen of as something akin to evil in western film and storytelling (often you see priests in TV and movies going through this, self-flagellating, or whipping themselves for their nasty sinful thoughts – and these characters tend to be evil, think of Paul Bettany’s character in Dan Browns Da Vinci Code, or the evil guy Frollo in Hunchback of Notre Dame). 

Something Star Wars has been dealing with since the advent of the prequel trilogy is this idea of repression leading to evil. One of Anakin’s, and I argue Ben’s, troubles was with the repression of their dark natures, or even repression of just their good emotions such as love for Padme or Shmi, causing them to become unbalanced and leading them to evil. I get it, if someone told me I couldn’t love I would grow angry too, and I am pissed with the Jedi – it seems Luke was too. 

The idea that balance is necessary in the Star Wars community is pretty self-evident though, so I wont take too much time explaining this. Ben and Anakin are emotional guys, constantly told to keep it all in, only let the light out, repress your feelings and any darkness that may be felt because that’s “bad” (Yoda’s advice to Anakin when he was fearing for Padme’s death to “rejoice for her” for becoming one with the force sucked, and we are meant to be frustrated by it, because I can't believe George Lucas would expect us to agree with Yoda and believe it was OK for Padme to die and that Anakin should just move on). Indeed, to repress and deny the good and bad inside us is damaging and something we should all avoid – this is the Jungian notion of accepting and resolving yourself with your shadow self, instead of ignoring it until it explodes, much as the Obscurials do when they cant hold it in any longer and they die at a young age. 

As a side note, I was really happy to see Credence didn’t actually die at the end of the first Fantastic Beasts film, because he was obviously an abused and unloved child looking for his parents (sound familiar? Rey?). Although sadly, I’m not sure he will survive the series of films now that he has joined Grindelwald, or that the writers care enough to give this character anything more than redemption equals death scenario and not bother to give him a happy ending or find belonging and peace. 

Conclusion and how these movies should wrap up

Anyways, I guess I just thought it interesting that both films were dealing with similar themes, probably because they are issues we are dealing with in society, but they are issues society deals with all the time in one way or another at all times but perhaps we feel they are more pressing today?

The importance of these themes to these movies, however, means they should be in some way resolved at the end of each series because they aren’t going to reinforce these notions by punishing the characters who act out of the bounds of societies black and white framework. 

With Star Wars, I think there will be a better way to look at how Jedi will go about their business in dealing with the dark side (i.e. with more understanding of what it is instead of fear and rejection), and how individual Jedi will deal with the darkness inside themselves in thier own personal journies to avoid the worst. This will hopefully include some resolution on how future Jedi will deal with attachment - rather than just repressing everything and forgetting about it. I dont think this is something that is valued today in the west, because no one wants to abandon those things about human life that make it most worth living.  

On that note, I also expect the two pairs of lovers of both Star Wars and Fantastic Beasts to be reunited, in order to visually and narratively show a change and love for the other side and repair the longtime split between the groups. Its more than just a sappy ending, it’s a metaphor for how we should think about the “Other” that we are told to fear or belittle by a society that has gone too far in its black and white thinking. So, Queenie should marry Joseph even though Muggles are thought beneath wizards, and Kylo and Rey should both come towards the centre and be together and find their belonging they so desire, thereby resolving their loneliness. (However, this is a whole other question of Kylo’s redemption, etc.). But the notion that Jedis shouldn’t marry be damned! And this is the PERFECT way to show that stupid rule was dumb and resolve the very thing Anakin struggled with in some way. And, for that matter, the notion that forgiveness shouldn’t be given to those who have erred or fallen by the wayside be damned! 

No, in the end, the lesson is that black and white thinking sucks, and love and forgiveness is what matters for those who find it in their hearts, to love, and not fear the other side is what our heroes are showing us, with a multitude of colour to express the variety of people, and emotions, that life can give us. 

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March AU Madness 02

This was supposed to be a flash fill but I accidentally wrote 1700 words of bantery fluff. Eh, I had fun writing it. Hope you have fun reading it!

newspaper advice columnists who passive-aggressively diss one another in their advice au

Dear Iron Man, I’m about to go in and ask my boss for a raise. I know I deserve it, but I’m still nervous! Any tips? Thanks, Corporate Ladder-er 

Tony chuckled as he picked the reader to answer this week. As CEO of Stark Times, he so often found himself bored between proofing publications. Their paper went out twice a week, which left five days of nearly nothing to do. Well, not nothing, Tony was sure, but Pepper took care of all those minor troubles. To fill his time, and to fill a half a page in the gossip spread, Tony thought running an advice column would be fun. And oh, was it fun. Especially now that the Shield Chronicle was trying to keep up with them.

Dear Captain America, I just got a promotion! However, my new department is very different and I have a lot of new responsibilities. I want to succeed, I want to impress the department heads, but I don’t like working overtime- I want to have my own life too! This new position seems to require a lot more hours than I expected. How can I balance work and relaxation? From Unbalanced

The Captain was a poor pseudonym. It took five seconds on the Chronicle’s employee page to discover Steve Rogers had served in the army, with a rank of the same name. Tony had almost completely forgotten about Rogers; while rivals in NYU’s journalism program, they disappeared from each other’s lives after graduation. Apparently, Rogers had not forgotten about him.

 Dear Unbalanced, Work/life balance is a skill to be mastered with time. Spending all night locked in your office, forgetting to eat and ignoring people’s phone calls, is bad for your wellbeing and the health of everyone around you. On the other hand, having crazy weekends in Barbados isn’t the path to success either. Talk to your department about setting clear hours, and plan your social life around that. If work gets to be too much, they give you vacation days for a reason. Hopefully, you can find your own source of relaxation at work. I know I have. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way. Sincerely, Captain America

Four years of memories rushed back as Tony read the rival paper. Even as they competed with each other, Steve had watched out for Tony. Those late college nights often involved a midnight pizza delivery or coffee runs together. They were special moments, some of Tony’s favorites. And Steve had just throw those memories to the public without a care of who could connect the dots! Because it didn’t take a genius to remember Tony’s spring-break-week-turned-month in Barbados a few years back. He had been a new CEO and it made the front page of every paper, including the Shield Chronicle and Stark Times.

“Relaxation at work my ass.” Tony knew Rogers juggled the advice column with a busy investigative schedule, but he always knew his old rival was something of a hypocrite. At least some things don’t change. “Want to be petty, Stevie? Because two can play at that game.”

Dear Ladder-er, The key to all success is confidence. Go to your boss, be direct, and be proud of what you’ve done. Those late nights in the office are worth a lot. Whatever you do, don’t be passive aggressive about it, because it’s not clever and everyone will see right through what you’re doing. If you have something to say, say it to their face. XOXO, Iron Man

The publication went out a day later, and the following week, The Chronicle had another letter responded to.

Dear Captain America, I’m starting high school next month. My friends are all excited, but everything is changing. They wear different clothes now, listen to different music. One of my friends even dyed her hair! I don’t want to get left behind, but I like my clothes and music. If high school is anything like the movies, without my friends I’ll be eaten alive. I can’t lie to them, I’m no good at lying. How do I change who I am? From, Metamorphosis 

Dear Meta, The only answer I have for your question is: don’t. Don’t change yourself. True friends will accept you no matter what you wear or listen to. You should always be true to yourself. If not, you could end up like Iron Man over at Stark Times, he’s a shallow copy of what he thought he was supposed to be and I don’t think he’s very happy like that. You should do what makes you happy and friends will naturally follow. Sincerely, Captain America

“That bitch!” Tony throws his tablet across his office, the digital copy of the Chronicle still on the screen.

“What did Everhart say this time?” Pepper says calmly, voice carrying between the doors of their respective workplaces.

“Not her. That idiot at the Chronicle is slandering me!”

“It’s not slander if it’s not your real name.”

Tony huffs at that, but goes to pick up his tablet. Much more satisfying to throw than physical newspaper would be, especially since he wouldn’t be caught dead giving money to that sham of a reporting group. At least the tablet was sturdy.

“Alright Rogers, I can do high school drama.”

Dear Iron Man, Help!! The school musical is in three days and my co-star just quit! It can’t possibly be my fault; he was acting like a jerk while we rehearsed. Never memorized his lines, always showing up late, I couldn’t stand it!  I’ll admit, I said some harsh things, but he was mean right back! Now the director wants me to apologize to him. Should I? Thanks, Broadway Bound

Dear Broadway, Tell that little bitch-

 “Tony we can’t publish that.”

“I am the CEO, I can publish whatever I want!”

“Tony.”

“Fine.”

Dear Broadway, Apologizing is a hard thing to do, but it’s also an art form. You need this co-star for the show, and you need your director to keep you in a positive light. If something mean was said, apologizing is the right thing to do. You’ll look like the bigger person. Someone who isn’t petty is always someone successful. You wouldn’t want to end up like Captain America over at Shield Chronicle, who is incredibly petty. Someone like that is a real asshole-

“Tony, please.” 

Someone like that is a real jerk, and you’re better than that, Broadway. Break a leg! XOXO, Iron Man

The columns continue for weeks, each becoming slightly less related to the original problem of the anonymous sender. The letters coming in start to change in nature, whatever issue is presented acting as a pretty obvious front of indulging the Iron Man VS Captain America feud.

“Look man,” James Rhodes was from sales, but Rhodey was Tony’s long time coffee companion.  They walked out of the Starbucks down the street together as the lunch hour was ending. “I don’t know what your deal is with the guys at Chronicle, but our reader numbers are higher than ever since your column got stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Tony grumbles, “He’s stupid.”

 “You’re both stupid, but stupid sells so keep doing whatever you’re doing.”

Whatever Tony was doing takes an interesting twist when the papers come out at the start of the week. Both Stark Times and Shield Chronicle’s advice columns happen to feature the same letter, but with very different responses from the two papers.

I love my job. It’s stressful, but I’m good at it. I enjoy a challenge, but sometimes I can only take so much. Recently, my work partner has been acting stranger than usual. He’s always a workaholic, but there are weeks where I’m pretty sure he’s worn the same suit every day. He’s always loud and obnoxious, but I can hear him ranting even when I close my office door. He’s obsessed with this new project and I’m happy for him, but I need to keep my own sanity. Every time I try to bring it up politely with him, he doesn’t seem to pay attention. He’s a bit of a news junky, so I thought writing in to the paper could help. Also, he keeps stealing my leftovers in the office fridge and I need him to know I’m not happy about it. Regards, Red Hot Chili 

Dear Red Hot, I truly hope your coworker will read my response. His behavior is absolutely unacceptable in the workplace, no matter how brilliant or important his work may be. No matter the job, everyone needs to go home and sleep. If his behavior continues, see if you can take it higher up. But if even the CEO wont listen, I’m afraid you’ll have to tune him out. Try some good headphones and your favorite album. I recommend Mumford and Sons. Or perhaps you can move his office. This guy sounds a lot like ol’ Iron Man, and those types love a dimly lit basement to overwork themselves in. That type also has a low spice tolerance; next time, spike your chili with jalapeños. Sincerely, Captain America

Dear Chili Pepper, If this guy buys you lunch for the next week and closes his own door more often, do you think you could forgive him? XOXO, Iron Man

Pepper seemed content to dig into the chili Tony brought her as they worked late the following evening. “I expect a Louis Vuitton sized bonus this month,” She says around her fork, “They have some new pumps I was looking at.”

“Consider it done. Did you really have to write in to both papers though?” He stabs his fork into his own bowl of chili. Pepper just shrugs.

“Be lucky I’m not actually moving you to the basement.”

Tony laughs. Despite his higher position in the company, they both know she could very well have his office moved through various means. Between bites, he looks at the Chronicle again, the ink of the paper seeming to itch itself onto his skin.

“You didn’t say anything about my work being brilliant, though.”

Pepper looks up at Tony’s non-sequitur, before a fond smile crosses her face. “Well it is, but no, I didn’t.”

Dear Captain America,

Do you believe that time heals all wounds? The last time I spoke to a person in my life, we left on poor terms. This person is now coming back into my life in an admittedly strange way. He’s still the same stubborn, reckless jerk I remember, still the same funny and charming guy too. Aside from Mumford and Sons, how can start again with him? XOXO, Heart of Gold

Though the letter Tony sends to the Chronicle never gets published, his own submissions box gets a response the next day.

Dear Iron Man, How does a date sound? Sincerely, Stubborn Solider