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royallyjoon · 5 years ago

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red light magic ii

“in my heart I have but one desire...

and that one is you,

no other will do...”

Two weeks passed by successfully. You found your classes fairly easy, all except for chemistry. Nevertheless, the professors were proud of your progress.

You chatted with your upperclassmen friends more and more in Psychology. Namjoon would steal your notebook to add little facts he remembered from past research to the gallery of notes you already took, while Hoseok would doodle smiley faces and stick figures when you were bored in class.

You found yourself leaving one side of each page blank to leave room for their additions. Between the two, they kept you entertained and educated.

They even frequently asked you about Jungkook, and you were shocked they knew him.

“He’s our dongsaeng,” Hoseok explained cheerfully. “We live together with him and five other friends.”

You nodded in understanding. “Would two of those other friends be Jimin and Taehyung?”

They paused. “Yeah, how did you know?”Namjoon asked.

You felt flustered from suddenly having both of their attention. “Jungkook introduced me to them after the freshman activities at the end of the first week of school.”

They smile and went back to their respective notebooks before the professor started chastising your trio.

After class, they waited for you to pack your bags and started walking in the same direction as you.

“Where are you guys headed? You usually have class by now, right?” You hiked your bag up higher on your shoulders. You weren’t even a month into the term, but your bag already almost weighed so much from the force of your books.

“Aww, look at that, Joonie. (Y/N) memorized our schedule.” Hoseok threw his arm around your shoulders and you squeaked.

“It’s not that I memorized it, you told me when you left on the first day of school...and common sense says it’s where you go every Tuesday...” you muttered.

“Cute...” The two thought to themselves.

“Our teacher emailed us that he wouldn’t be able to make it, so he canceled the lecture. We’re up to date on the material, anyway.” Namjoon said.

You were finding it a bit difficult to focus on what he was saying with Hoseok’s arm on your shoulders but nodded along.

“What do you usually spend this period doing?” He asked.

“I read under the willow tree by Marie Pond with another sunbae.” You said.

The boys looked at each other. “What?” You asked.

“Sleeps a lot?” Hoseok asked.

“Yeah...”

“Pale, not too tall, blue hair?”

“Yeah!”

“Yoongi hyung.” They said together.

“He’ll hate us for coming with you and being loud, but as long as you don’t mind, we’d love to tag along.”

Your mind was reeling over how small your circle of friends was but you shook your head and smiled. “Of course I don’t mind, the more the merrier.”

“What are these two idiots doing here?” Yoongi grumbled upon your arrival. He was already positioned with his bag under his head, one wire earphone in and one out.

“They’re in my Psychology class, sunbae. I heard you already knew each other.” You stated as you smoothed your skirt behind your legs. It was somewhat chilly out, but you left the house in an oversized green sweatshirt and jean skirt.

“Of course.” Yoongi rolled up his headphones and stuffed them in the outside pocket of his bag. “In sophomore year, Seokjin hyung forced me to join the Freshman Activities Board. I was trying to take a nap when these two loud ass kids came pestering me about ‘what is it like to study forensics?’”.

“You study forensics?” Your eyes widened. “What’s that like?”

Yoongi rolled his eyes as Namjoon and Hoseok burst into laughter. “There goes another one.”

He shifted around on the grass before settling in for his usual nap. “(Y/N), you know the drill. Namjoon, Hoseok, if you wake me up I will personally slaughter you.”

You giggled as you leaned against the tree. The two shifted away from Yoongi and towards you as you pulled out your chemistry textbook.

“Last minute homework? That’s so unlike you, (Y/N).” Namjoon noted. You sighed, “It isn’t last minute. Chemistry lectures are so difficult for me that I try to read ahead and get a gist of the material.”

Yoongi shifted onto one shoulder before turning his head slightly in your direction. “...If you want, I could tutor you in Chemistry. Callahan’s a softie, but most of his lectures are nonsense. I managed to pass his class with high grades.”

“You would tutor me, sunbae?” Your eyes widened a fraction. “I would love to be your student, as long as you aren’t too busy...”

Yoongi grumbled before rolling to one side and sitting up. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to do it. C’mere.” He tugged on your bag, so you switched places with Hoseok and sat with your back to the tree next to Yoongi.

The sophomores looked on with slight envy.

Yoongi took your notebook and started pointing out concepts that the professor would absolutely put on the exam. You nodded at his explanations and found that the gibberish the professor spoke about when matched with Yoongi’s words, made complete sense.

“I understand! Thank you so much, sunbae!” You grinned at Yoongi. The senior felt himself blush. “It’s no problem. We’ll keep meeting up like this every week, yes? If you need the help, don’t be afraid to ask. I find I have way too much time on my hands this semester.” Yoongi smiled back and your heart softened.

“Hyung, did (Y/N) tell you? She knows Jungkookie as well.” Hoseok cut in.

“You’ve met our maknae?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, Jungkook and I share an English class. I didn’t really expect it, considering his major but he told me his program put him there so he can become a better scriptwriter.” You beamed.

Your excitement at finding your one freshman friend outside of your roommates seemed to match Jungkook’s that Wednesday morning you walked into English. He picked up his bag and you two found seats in the middle of the room next to each other.

“(N/N)’s such a diligent worker.” Hoseok mused.

“(N/N)?” You asked.

His smile dropped. “I mean, I just thought it fit well with you, and your personality...”

You broke out into laughter. “You can call me that, it’s fine! Thank you for the nickname.”

Hoseok perked up again. “That’s good. I’m glad!”

Your cheeks burned and Yoongi waved him off, threatening to kick someone into the pond if they didn’t shut up and let him sleep.

The next morning, you woke up late. Your roommates were already gone, but they made breakfast and left you a plate. You’d have to remember to thank them when they returned.

Wednesdays were your favorite yet least favorite for the same reason: English class. Yes, you got to see Jungkook and spend time together in class. But there was one person who managed to distract and infuriate you in the hour and forty-five minute period.

Christopher Harl.

He was funny, cute, and sometimes sweet. Yet he ignored your very existence and when he did pay attention to you, it was to call you out in front of everyone.

Jungkook obviously didn’t like him. If it hadn’t been for your intervention, they probably would have fought by now. You sighed as you ate the cut-up left for you. Today would be a hassle, alright. But it was only for two hours.

You got changed into flowy, black pants with a red shirt and red sneakers. You swung your packed book bag on your back, grabbed your phone, and strolled through the door.

Upon arriving at the classroom, it dawned on you that you’d forgotten multiple things.

Your keys, for one. Your headphones (your lifeblood), for another. And most importantly, your assignment.

The teacher had assigned an essay that was worth 40% of the term grade, the first part of which is due this morning.

You hadn’t printed it out, forgetting it in your exhaustion as you’d only finished it this morning around 3. Unlike your other professors, this teacher would not accept online submission and made the students print it out.

It was now, as you stood in the doorway of the classroom on the verge of panicking that Christopher walked up behind you.

“Well, if it isn’t the slacker, (Y/N) (L/N)-”

“Shit!” Your face crumpled all at once and you accidentally turned to slam right into Christopher’s chest. He stumbled backward, grabbing your shoulders for balance.

This was the scene Jungkook turned the hall to.

All the freshman could focus on was the clear distress and panic in your eyes. You were on the verge of tears as Christopher fucking Harl had his hands on your shoulders and a sneer on his lips.

Jungkook tried. He truly had. He wanted to make you happy, and if he had to restrain from giving someone a royal ass-whooping to do that, he would.

But Christopher Harl made you cry.

That was the last straw.

Jungkook threw his bag down and raced down the hallway.

You turned your head at the sound of rapid footsteps. Jungkook was racing towards the two of you, and a crowd of incoming students gathered to watch the inevitable.

You pushed Christopher’s hands off your shoulders, rapidly wiping tears away. “Jungkook, wait! Stop!”

He made no move to a stop, and lightning-fast his fist came up and punched Christopher in the jaw.

The other boy flew, landing harshly on his back. You winced. “Jungkook!”

Your friend was about to climb on top of Christopher and show him just what he thought about his teasing, but he walked over at the sound of your exclamation. “Did he tell you something? Did he put his hands on you? Are you alright?”

Your voice was trembling. “No, I just-I’m such a dumbass, I forgot to print the essay and Yealman is such a bitch, I-she won’t give me any extra time and class is about to start-”

Jungkook exhaled. “That’s all you were worried about? Did you not get the announcement?”

You blinked tears out of your eyes. “What?”

“Yealman posted that she can’t make it to class. We’re having a sub, but she’ll collect the essays in person on Friday.”

You stood in shock.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You said at the same time as Christopher. He rose, rubbing his jaw. “I didn’t do anything to her, Jeon! Why the fuck would you punch me?”

Jungkook frowned. “You think you’re hot shit, walking around and insulting people genuinely better than you. Kiss my ass, Hurl.”

Christopher tugged Jungkook’s shoulder to make him face him. You figured it was about time for you to step in.

“Guys, stop! Jungkook, you didn’t have to punch him, you were in the wrong. Christopher-”

“What is going on here?” The presence of a new voice made all heads turn.

The most beautiful man you’d ever seen walked into your midst. He held a folder and a computer. He was simply dressed but outshone the rest.

“Hyung?” Jungkook whispered. You snapped your head back and forth between the two.

“Jungkook, this isn’t a great impression you’re making not even a month into the school year.” The Adonis in front of you claimed. “Everyone else, please usher yourselves inside the room as quickly as possible. I will be right back with your three classmates.”

“Hyung? Who is that?” You whispered to Jungkook.

The man extended his hand towards you. “Seokjin Kim, at your service. A pleasure to meet you.”

“That’s essentially what happened.” You finished explaining the matter to Mr. Kim, who was calmly perching on the desk in Professor Yealman’s office.

“So, it seems you do owe Mr. Hurl-”

“Harl, sir,” Christopher grumbled as Jungkook snickered.

“Yes, my mistake. You owe Mr. Harl an apology, Jungkook.” Mr. Kim sighed.

“I apologize for punching you when you didn’t deserve it,” Jungkook said. “I’ll be sure to do so when appropriate.”

You gently slapped his arm and Christopher bristled.

“Now, Ms. (L/N), as you have heard the essay will be collected Friday. Feel free to use my computer to print your assignment here.” Mr. Kim held out his device.

“Oh, Mr. Kim, thank you so much but it’s really okay. We have a printer back at the do-” You were about to reassure him when it occurred to you that you were currently locked out of your room, the panic from this morning ruining your entire day.

“On second thought, thank you so much.” You shyly took the laptop and waited as he entered his password.

“It’s my pleasure. We wouldn’t want you having a repeat of today on Friday morning.” Mr. Kim smiled and you nodded, not looking into his eyes.

“Hyung, what are you doing here?” Jungkook asked.

“When we’re in school, I’m Mr. Kim. And I’m here because your teacher is absent. Karu likes to call on nearby alumn for substitutes instead of other teachers.” The man said, rolling his eyes.

A couple of minutes later, your paper was fresh in your hands.

“Thank you again, Mr. Kim.” He held the door open for the three of you as you walked back to class. Jungkook pulled you aside and let the other two go down the hallway.

“What’s wrong with your dorm?” He asked, brows furrowed.

“I forgot my keys at home this morning too, with my headphones. My roommates won’t be back for a while, they all have clubs today. I don’t really have anyone else to stay with at the hall.” You muttered.

“What time does your last class end?”

“...around 4:30, why?”

“Come and meet me outside of the Elizabeth Juno Building; my last art class is there.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see!” Jungkook started walking faster to get back to the classroom. Outside of it, Christopher stood with his hand on the back of his neck. When he saw you two approaching, he glared warily at Jungkook.

The other boy gave him a look of warning as he entered the classroom. Before you could, however, Christopher stopped you.

“Is there something else you need?” You asked him.

He stood there staring at you for another minute. It was starting to get uncomfortable. But Christopher was just trying to find a way to gather his words.

When he saw you break in his arms this morning, he realized how childish he was being. And he also realized he never wanted to see you cry over school again.

“I...just wanted to say I’m sorry for the immature and unnecessary things I’ve said to you. They weren’t true, and it’s about time I grow up. I’m also sorry that you had such a stressful morning...”

Your jaw almost dropped but you held it up to avoid looking like a fish. “Um...that’s really nice of you to say, Christopher.”

“Call me Chris.”

“...Chris...thank you.” You gave him a quick smile and entered the classroom before Jungkook got suspicious.

Christopher came in right behind you and closed the door. He failed to notice two sets of eyes piercing his back the entire time it took him to return to his seat.

#yandere bts x reader #yandere bts #min yoongi #jeon jungkook #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #kim taehyung #park jimin #jung hoseok #college!au

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darkdumbass · 6 years ago

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Yo, I’m not dead, just had a thing going on on Twitter and didn’t want to post it here until it was finished.

It’s a story I wrote with the help of my followers. At certain points I used polls to give them a choice where the story would go next. It turned out pretty well and it’s pretty long so I’m putting it under the cut.

This up here is the cover. The story itself is accompanied by rather quick doodles.

Big thanks to everyone who participated.

Enjoy!

One Day Off

During his stubborn race to prove he's better than everyone else, detective Gavin Reed found himself hitting a wall. At times like these it is wiser to take a step back and take at least a little time to rechage the much needed energy.

Not that detective Reed is considered to be wise by anyone, even by himself, but he has at least that much common sense. So he's taking a day off. Which, sure enough, provides him with a decision to make. What to do? Where to go?

[Amusement park] [Edgy rock concert] [Water park] [Contemporary art gallery]

The last thing he wants is to look like a pathetic loner. He needs an accomplice. Apart from the emergency telephone number, which he can't seem to remember by heart, his empty contact list includes only four other numbers. One choice worse than the other, but he has to choose.

[Old man Anderson] [The ever perfect Connor] [RK900 terminator] [Good guy Chris]

Standing outside the club with the opening act already in progress, Gavin still can't shake the surprise of his usually reserved partner accepting the invitation to go and listen to actual music. But this feeling is nothing compared to the shock of seeing the android arrive.

"What. On Earth. Are you wearing?"

"I don't understand, detective. You told me to blend in."

"We're going to a rock concert, not starting an emo band."

"Accroding to my research--"

The baffled detective abruptly turns around and heads for the entrance, grumbling under his breath.

The duo enters the large club, undecipherable shrieking from the direction of the stage filling their ears.

"This opening band is a bunch of clowns," Gavin remarks.

"So what now?" the android asks.

Gavin looks at him with a smirk.

[Booze] [Mingle] [Best spots near the stage] [Ditch the damn clothes, RK]

"Alcohol makes everything better, right?" the detective utters an empty laugh and hastily heads towards the bar.

RK900 curiously follows. Gavin casually orders three shots of tequila.

"Three?" the android wonders.

"Just enough to get this party started." This time his laugh is genuine.

RK900's stress level slightly rises as he tries to predict all the things that could go wrong when Gavin inevitably gets drunk. What he didn't predict was a large man suddenly bumping into his partner.

Gavin stumbles and his precious drinks spill, the victims being the bar counter and the android next to him. The poor man gasps, the sight of the wasted liquid gold ruining his delicate mood. He slowly turns, facing the enormous back that is the culprit.

[Punch him] [Hurt him with words] [Let it go] [Glass him]

RK900 sees a familiar expression appear on the detective's face. Gavin grabs a nearby empty beer glass and smashes it against the back of the giant's head. As if almost nothing happened, the mountain of muscle irritatedly turns around.

"Fuck, that hurt you little shi..."

The words fade as a strong hand grasps Gavin's shirt and hurls him away. Powerless against the enormous force, his body flies into the nearest group of people. Gavin falls to the ground, taking a thin young woman down with him. Confused, he scurries back to his feet only to be greeted by a furiously looking face of who he assumes is the unlucky woman's boyfriend.

"The hell you think you doin'?" the man almost screams and throws a punch in the direction of Gavin's face.

The detective instinctively ducks. The man's fist lands on the wrong face, knocking down an innocent bystander.

Behind their backs an excited and most likely intoxicated voice roars: "Fiiiiiiight!"

A beer bottle flies over their heads, shattering in a crowd of people.

A savage fight breaks out around them, rapidly spreading through the whole club like a virus. Completely shocked, Gavin tries to comprehend the situation. Finally, when various objects start flying in different directions, he runs for safety, vaulting over the bar counter.

The quick-witted RK900 is already there, arms crossed and frowning disapprovingly at his human. Gavin isn't able to do anything more than mutter a nervous "Huh..."

"So... Do you have a plan how to handle this mess of yours?" the android asks impersonally.

[”Pff, I’ll handle it.”] [Call help] [Let’s just gtfo] [”Hey look, free booze!”]

Gavin looks around at the shelves full of alcohol.

"We stay here, have a nice free drink and wait for all this to blow over," he grins and reaches for a bottle of whisky.

RK900 sighs disappointedly. Minutes pass and people are still fighting. Every now and then the android peeks over the counter, checking for life-threatening situations.

Getting tired of the detective's pathetic fun, RK900 swiftly jumps out, moving speedily through the crowd. Gavin is left behind, too busy chugging a second bottle of hard liquor.

The android finally reaches the stage. It's empty save for some music instruments and various contraptions. He positions himself in front of the microphone overlooking the furious crowd. He pats it with one finger and the speaker emits a screechy sound. He leans his head closer.

"May I please ask you to abort all your violent activities and..." RK900 trails off when he sees his words have no impact. He clears his throat, calibrating his sound emitters. He brings the microphone closer to his mouth. In a fraction of a second the android looses his temper and roars with a booming voice: "EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The crowd freezes, people stopping mid-action resembling a paused movie. Somewhere in the distance Gavin drops a bottle.

"Thank you. Now I would kindly ask you to disperse and return to your homes or seek medical attention if need be."

The mass of people shifts as people regain composure. RK900 steps off the stage, satisfied.

But an unknown voice calls out: "Hey, where's the band?"

The android opens his mouth to answer but another voice cuts him out.

"They ran, what else do you think they did, dumbass?"

"Fuck, I paid to hear 'em and that's what I want!"

Cries of agreement echo in the hall. RK900 looks around with fresh concern. Suddenly, Gavin appears at his side, unintentionally brushing shoulders with him. The android notices a half empty bottle in his hand. He's sporting a devilish expression.

"I've got an idea," he calls into the crowd.

RK900 freezes. Whatever it is, it's going to be a disaster.

[Silence him] [Let him speak] [Drag him away] [Slap him]

---

It was a slow day at the DPD. Lieutenant Anderson spent it sitting behind his desk filling out paperwork. It's evening and he's working overtime. The sudden ringing of his phone startles him a little. He picks up and listens.

As the coversation progresses, his expression changes from tired to tired as hell. Some disturbance in the city? That isn't even supposed to be his job but it seems that he's one of the few people available. He has no other choice but to get in his car and drive to the scene.

He arrives and a number of police officers are already there, holding the perimeter. One of them fills him in on what's going on. Apparently, a concert was supposed to be held at the club. Somebody shoves a megaphone in his hands. He sighs exhaustedly and steps forward.

He faces a makeshift barricade at the entrance to the club. It's built out of various furniture and metal railing. He lazily lifts the megaphone closer to his lips.

"Uh, hello, this is the police."

At the sound of his voice, several heads peek out over the barricade. In the middle, two figures stand taller than the others. The lieutenant narrows his eyes to see clearer.

"Reed?"

"Anderson?"

"Lieutenant?"

"RK900?"

Awkward silence takes over as lieutenant Anderson tries to put two and two together.

He fails.

"The hell are you two doing here?"

Gavin straightens his back with drunken courage.

"Wha- isn't it obvious? We want music!" his voice breaks with the last word. It does nothing to help Anderson understand.

"The concert?"

"We paid for music so we want it!"

The android next to Gavin sinks to his knees.

Anderson's hand holding the megaphone drops to his hip. His other hand covers his desperate face.

"And I thought this guy couldn't get any worse..." he mumbles into his palm. He lets out a loud breath. "Time to do my work, I guess."

[Use force] [Parley] [Talk him out of it] [”RK900, do something!”]

The lieutenant lifts the megaphone again.

"RK900!"

His loud shout interrupts the android's silent prayer. His head turns towards Anderson.

"What are you doing? Tell him to knock it off!"

"I tried. He doesn't listen," RK responds.

"Well then you haven't tried hard enough."

RK gives Gavin a desperate look. The man notices his gaze and pats him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll get the band back," he mumbles with a comforting smile.

RK900 lifts an eyebrow at the lieutenant. Anderson gestures his hands encouragingly. RK looks back at his partner. The man is now using his hand on the android's shoulder to steady himself. He burps with a frown.

In one quick movement RK900 jumps behind the barricade, pulling Gavin down with him. Grabbing onto his jacket, he violently shakes the human, finally getting his full attention.

"This moronic idea of yours will never work. I need you to give this up before everybody here ends up in prison," he whispers aggressively.

Gavin's confused expression slowly transforms into a defiant one.

"We haven't spent three hours building a barricade for nothing!"

"You'll walk with your freedom unrestricted if you just use your one braincell."

"That's not enough," he retorts.

RK sighs wearily, "What would it take for you to change your mind?"

The man makes an innocent face.

"Depends. What're you offering?"

RK900 falls silent, thinking.

[”My soul”] [An offer he can’t refuse] [”Anything. Just ANYTHING”] [A night he won’t forget]

Finally, the android lets go of the detective's jacket and places his hands on the man's shoulders instead, bringing their faces closer.

"Gavin," he breathes softly, making a dramatic pause before he continues, "I'll give you a night you'll never forget."

The man stares at him dumbly. RK900 slides his hands and gently caresses the back of Gavin's neck, pulling him even closer.

"I know you better than anyone else," his voice quiets to a whisper, "Your every desire."

The detective gulps. An unintelligible mumble escapes his lips.

A playful smile lights up the android's face.

"So why don't we leave all this behind and go to your place right now?" He's practically holding the dumbfounded detective in his arms.

"Ah-hahhh," Gavin gives in.

"Perfect," RK winks and lets go of him.

After that, Gavin takes notice of very little of what happens around him, completely lost in his fantasizing mind.

Police officers swarming the barricade.

A night he'll never forget?

Old man Anderson yelling.

Desires?

Being shoved into a cab.

To his place?

At last, he comes around. Truly, the android is sitting next to him in the taxi, a tired look on his face. Their eyes meet. Gavin can't stop a dopey smile. The car stops with a jerk. Unsurprised by the man's inability to move, RK900 opens the door instead, pushing Gavin outside.

He finds himself in an unfamiliar place, completely devoid of civilization save for the faint outline of the city somewhere in the distance. He truns around, seeing the android still sitting in the cab comfortably.

"I- Uh..."

"You," RK points his finger accusingly, "will try to find some reason in that head of yours."

"Y-you said--"

"Oh," the android interrupts his mumbling, "I lied." He flashes Gavin a condescending smile.

"Not about the 'unforgettable' part though. And try not to take too long, Fowler wants us at the office tomorrow at 0600."

The car door shuts and the cab silently drives away, leaving detective Gavin Reed to his own devices.

The end.

Thank you for reading! I imagine it was easy to follow on Twitter in daily doses but only now did I realize that it’s pretty damn long! So if you made it this far, you’re my hero <3

If you’re interested in the outcome of the polls with percentage, the whole thread can be found here.

And lastly, if you want to see me ramble more, share random funny anecdotes and maybe write more stories, follow me on Twitter.

Signing off,

Your friendly neighbourhood fanartist

#detroit become human #dbh fanart #gavin reed #rk900 #reed900 #art #had a lot of fun with this #and i hope you will too

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minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong · 6 years ago

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Ephemera Chapter Fourteen

Ephemera: In art, transitory written and printed matter (receipts, notes, tickets, clippings, etc.) not originally intended to be kept or preserved.

Alternatively, things that exist or are used for only a short time.

Description: Nobody knows who Vante really is. Everything about the popular artist is shrouded in secrecy: from his face to his name to everything in between. After years of working for his art gallery, Y/N feels she may just be the closest thing he has to a friend. Between her success at work and her relationship with campus hot-shot Jeon Jungkook, Y/N’s life has never been better. But is Jungkook truly who he says he is? And who will Y/N protect now that she knows Vante’s livelihood may be on the line?

Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst

Pairing: Jungkook x (f) Reader x Taehyung

Word Count: 6.5k

Tags: Non-Idol!Au, Gang!Au, Art History Student!Reader, Film Student!Jungkook, Art Student!Taehyung

Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently

A/N: Hello you guys! I still can’t believe I’m going to see BTS in a few months, whew. If you guys will be at the Rose Bowl concert on May 4th, please let me know! I’d love to meet you guys. I hope you like this chapter! We’re slowly moving towards some resolution, but we’ve still got quite a lot of story left so don’t worry! Anyway, please don’t be shy and send feedback, critique, questions, theories, and comments my way. I’ll be sure to respond to all asks I receive within a day of receiving them! Links will be added later, so for now check my masterlist to find previous chapters!

And again, if you want to follow my Twitter, my username is @/plzpunchmebts. I’m super active over there and hopefully in the future I’ll do some livestreams/chats with you all! And concert videos!!

- Mercury

Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

Masterlist

Weekly updates: Sunday, 1PM (PST)

Jin squared his eyes with mine, cocking a single brow as he scanned me. It was clear from the set of his jaw that he wasn’t convinced, and when he crossed his arms and leaned back a half-step I knew I’d have more convincing to do. Jungkook simply stared slack-jawed, looking not quite at me but through me at something else, and the only tell that he was even breathing was the arhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

I sighed, leaning over my lap to untie my ankles and rubbed those too. “Did you hear me?” I asked, meeting Seokjin’s eyes as I bent at the waist.

He cleared his throat and nodded. “Heard it,” he said, then cocked his head to the side. “Didn’t believe it though.”

With a nod, I pushed myself to my unsteady feet, using the back of the chair to keep me stable and upright. “I get it,” I said, eyeing him. “Since I’m friends with Taehyung.”

Seokjin shrugged. “Well, yeah,” he said.

I glanced at Yoongi, still focused on his laptop, and realized twice over that he really wasn’t concerned about Seokjin. Whether this was due to Jin’s obvious naivety or his usually gentle temperament, I wasn’t sure. But I knew that the immediate danger wasn’t in front of me.

And that meant that, after all, I could become the danger if I wanted.

I coughed a little, rubbing my sore cheek. “He screwed me over.”

“How?” asked Seokjin.

Jungkook, scanning me, stepped forward. “At the charity event,” he offered, eyeing me like he was uncertain about whether or not to proceed. I simply nodded. “He used her to get to me.”

“And you used her to get to him, so what’s the point?” Seokjin asked with a scowl. “Listen, sweetie, if you’re gonna go after every person who’s used you you’re gonna have a long list. Even just people in this building.”

I shook my head. “It’s different,” I said, letting just a fraction of my real hurt leak into my voice, threading through my words like veins. “Because he was the one who wasn’t supposed to betray me.” I lifted my eyes severely, meeting Jin’s and not so much as blinking as he thought.

I set my jaw, clenched my lips shut, and watched him, crossing my arms and trying to impart every ounce of sincerity I had into my gaze alone. Seokjin’s furrowed brows relaxed by fractions as the seconds ticked on in silence. Jungkook, standing beside him, wouldn’t look away from me. I wasn’t yet sure what I’d do about him. Recruiting him was likely out of the question for many reasons, but did I have to deceive him?

Could I not try to rely on him just a little?

I swallowed hard. Of course not. He’d lied to me from the beginning, and only when he’d been caught did he begin begging for a chance to explain himself. Seeing him now, despite knowing all this, my heart felt like something was squeezing it from the inside. And that alone was enough to convince me not to tell him the truth. Not for now, at least.

At least…that’s what I told myself.

Seokjin finally yielded with a sigh and let his head dangle a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright,” he said.

Jungkook’s back went stiff and he looked towards his roommate. “Wait, really?” he asked.

Seokjin nodded with a shrug and held out his hand to me. “If I find out you’re double-crossing me, I’ll kill you,” he said, without even a microscopic change in his expression.

A chill crept up my spine because I knew he meant it. It wasn’t worth it. Not really. Nara was smart and could easily get a better job on her own. Not to mention she was working on her major anyway. Only a few more years of shitty work until she could find herself some gainful employment. It was a massive risk to sabotage a gang leader’s master plan, and the reward was comparatively small. I loved Nara with my whole heart, but not to the point of foolishness.

Still, I reached out my hand and clenched Seokjin’s, shaking it twice.

Because I’d realized something as he’d evaluated me like a specimen under a microscope. Maybe I’d realized it a long time ago, when I’d first discovered his involvement at the boys’ apartment.

I wasn’t just doing this for Nara. Not really, anyway. Perhaps it had never really been about her at all.

Looking into his calculating, dark eyes, my head aching with each heartbeat from where it had struck the wall, I felt the inescapable urge to ruin him.

Jungkook spun me around by the crook of my elbow and I turned to face him. It had been about an hour since Seokjin had beckoned me toward the front of the warehouse and down some stairs into a quiet basement, lavishly furnished despite the ground floor’s relative squalor. We’d discussed the particulars of my involvement and — perhaps luckily for me — because of the nature of the business, no contracts were required on either end. Just a handshake and a threat.

But rage had been wakening in me for a while now, and I’d finally given the flames the air they needed to breathe and grow.

Jungkook and I now faced each other with equally wide eyes in the dark night, my body sore and my eyes dry from the lack of sleep. I was sure I looked a mess, and the vain part of me longed to adjust my appearance, splash some water on my dirty face, clean the crusted blood off my knees. But Jungkook and I were past that now, weren’t we? Past the formalities of ego and image.

He sighed and scanned me. “You going to the station like that?” he asked, like he’d read my mind.

I swallowed hard and shrugged. “I guess,” I said, glancing down at my phone, which Seokjin had so graciously returned to me during our tense meeting, and sighed at the time. “Might have to call a taxi instead.”

Jungkook sighed and, without a word, simply let his hand slip into mine and led the way down the unkempt street toward his car, parked by the curb. “Jungkook, I can get home myself-,”

“I know,” he said, eyeing me over his shoulder. “But I’m feeling crazy right now, so I’m not doing it for you.”

I felt flush, and not wanting to risk speaking again and revealing my lingering feelings, I simply sighed and shrugged as he opened the passenger door for me. I ducked inside the car and eased back against the car’s upholstery. So familiar. Even his car smelled like him. Sweet, slightly fruity. Shampoo?

He opened the door and started the engine right away, cranking the heat and turning all the vents toward me. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, eyes forward. I noticed he was a little sallow, eyes dull and shoulders slumped with fatigue. I opened my mouth to ask if he’d been sleeping, but shut it just as quickly and glanced out the window to my side, sighing into the glass and fogging the cityscape like a vignette.

“I could kill him,” said Jungkook, knuckles bone-white.

I eyed him, but he wouldn’t look my way. “Huh?” I asked.

“Seokjin.”

I set my lips thin and glanced down at my lap, lacing and unlacing my fingers. “Don’t do that,” I said.

He clenched his jaw, his bone straining against the skin. My heart kicked up. “He shouldn’t have touched you.”

“Would you be saying that if it was anyone else?” I asked, but cursed myself for sounding so interested, so probing. I sighed and rubbed my chilly thighs. May as well push while I’m at it. “If it was another innocent person.”

“We don’t deal with innocent people,” he said, shaking his head.

I hummed. “You sure?”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, like the tension had finally become to much and he’d snapped. He slid his dark eyes toward me and a chill ran through me. Not the bad kind, but the kind I didn’t hate all the way. I swallowed and averted my eyes. “You don’t approve of any of this. I know you didn’t have a change of heart.”

I shrugged. “Like I said, Taehyung hurt me. In a different way than you did,” I said, then sighed. “Maybe it’s worse because it’s him.”

“Why…?” asked Jungkook, voice softer now as he turned on the radio to play gently in the dark cab of the car.

“Because he’s been watching me for two years,” I said, leaning my head back on the headrest. “Because he knows better than anyone that playing me is the worst thing he could’ve done.”

“You’re really mad?”

I nodded.

“Mad enough to ruin his relationship with one of his best friends?”

I set my lips thin and said nothing, just crossed my arms and glanced back out the fogged window.

He sighed. “Listen…you don’t have to tell me,” he said, and at this my body stiffened a little and I eyed him sidelong. He was still looking right ahead like he couldn’t bring himself to look my way. “I don’t have any right to press you to be honest with me.”

I watched my laps, legs shaking. Probably a delayed reaction to the adrenaline, or maybe the chill that even the heaters couldn’t fix. “You’re right,” I said.

He nodded. “I’m not telling you to tell me the truth just…tell me if you’re lying or not,” he said, glancing at me with knit brows and straight lips. “Because I can’t get my hopes up right now.”

Disarmed, I stared at him with wide eyes and parted lips. “I…”

He sighed and looked back toward the road. “I’m trying to be okay with never seeing you again. With you hating me forever,” he said, then shook his head and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “But with you here…is it wrong for me to hope that maybe you’re here for me? That you really left that Taehyung guy behind?”

I inhaled sharply, my heart racing and my skin hot. Such a direct question: it left me breathless. “I…I mean, I…”

“No, right?” he asked with a sigh. “I was stupid, huh? You’d never betray that guy.”

“Jungkook-,” I said, reaching out to grab his forearm but stopping a few centimeters away from his skin.

He noticed, glancing down at my outstretched fingers before meeting my eyes with a sad smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna tell Jin. Or anyone, for that matter.” He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “After what he did tonight, I can’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”

“Really?” I asked, timid.

He glanced at me and nodded. “He knows how much I care about you. And he knows you’ve done nothing wrong to get mixed up in all this. How can I trust someone like that?”

“Do you wanna get out?” I asked, turned toward him halfway, imploring him with my gaze.

It was stupid. So stupid it was almost painful. But I longed more than anything else to have him as my ally again, to have someone as my ally. Someone who I trusted enough to share delicate information with, someone I knew would watch out for me no matter what.

No…

Not just someone, I longed for him.

His skin tinged pink and he cleared his throat, avoiding my eyes and watching the road. “After tonight?” he said, rubbing his neck with his right hand. “Yeah.”

“You mean it?”

“Mhm.”

“Jungkook…,” I began, finally grabbing on to his forearm and holding it tightly, trying desperately to impart even a fraction of my need into my fingertips. He jumped like he’d been shocked by an electric jolt and stared at me with round eyes. “Can I trust you?”

“I…of course,” he said, slowly guiding the car off to the curb, idling on the side of the road as he parked and turned to me properly. There was a severity in his eyes that caught me off guard. “I know my word doesn’t mean much to you, but I mean it with my whole entire body. I won’t ever do anything to hurt you ever again.”

Again…

I scowled. What a stupid qualifier. “You already know I’m not here to trade secrets with Kim Seokjin.”

Jungkook nodded, scanning me. “Yeah. Of course.”

“So there’s no use lying,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Namjoon offered Nara a job at his company in exchange for proof of who’s been attacking him. I don’t know what he’ll do once he gets it. Suing, retaliation…I really don’t know what he’s capable of, but…”

“For Nara’s sake…?” asked Jungkook with furrowed brows.

I nodded. “Y-Yeah,” I said, but cursed the uncertain waver in my voice.

He cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. “I was gonna scold you about being too kind, but that reaction was weird.”

I stiffened and glanced away, toward the dashboard, and shrugged. “I dunno what you’re talking about.”

He smirked and leaned toward me, eyeing me. “Y/N, are you looking to get revenge?” he asked.

I flushed and shoved him away, crossing my arms. “Forget I said anything. Just take me home and don’t bother me at the warehouse.”

He laughed and raised his brows. “Really? My Y/N, trying to get even with a shady dirty business leader?”

I pulled my knees to my chest, pouting, and looked away. “Seriously, just drop it.”

He chuckled once more and peered at me with a knowing smile. “Huh,” he said, nodding once. “Seems there are still things I don’t know about you.”

“Of course there are,” I said, sighing. “We were only dating for a few months and it was fake.”

He cleared his throat. “Well…uh…Jin and Yoongi did some background digging on you, so…I know quite a bit, actually. Like, interests and stuff.”

I turned to him, cheeks flaring, and smacked his knee. “What? You guys collected data on me?”

He laughed, nodding. “Yeah! What’d you expect?”

I flushed and crossed my arms again, sulking in my seat as Jungkook eased the car back into the light flow of traffic. “Whatever.”

“I’ll help.”

I sat up straight and stared at him in profile. “What?” I asked, searching his features for any indication of insincerity.

I found only a gentle smile and eyes focused on the road. “Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Tonight kinda helped me realize that this business isn’t for me. You’d think after everything else, I’d have realized it but…seeing you get hurt…I dunno, it crossed a line for me.”

“It did?”

“Yeah.”

I swallowed hard and stared at him. Wasn't it okay to trust him a little bit? Even though I knew it might bite me, even though I figured it was probably a mistake…wasn’t it okay? He seemed so genuine, smiling and tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, humming along to the pop song on the quiet radio.

“How’d you know to go to the warehouse?” I asked, settling back into my seat with a sigh.

He hummed. “Common sense.”

“So you knew he was keeping me hostage?”

Jungkook shook his head. “He told me today and tried to justify it, but right away I knew it wasn’t okay. I wanted to go to you immediately, but he held me back and we fought a little,” he said, pulling down the collar of his shirt to reveal a myriad of fresh bruises blooming on his skin from his neck down his chest. The closer I looked, the more I realized he was littered with bruises, even on his face. “After a while, he decided he needed to restrain me so he put me in the bathroom at the apartment.”

“He locked you up?!” I asked, shocked.

He laughed and nodded. “Yeah. I guess he was gonna try and use me as bait to extort you for information, and if I came blazing in he knew I’d ruin it.”

“So he locked you in the bathroom?” I shook my head and covered my lips with my fingers.

He smirked at me and shrugged. “After about an hour of trying to find another way out, I eventually just broke down the door,” he said, like it was nothing.

“Jungkook!” I shouted, gaping.

“What? I wasn’t just gonna leave you there!” he yelled back, but he was playful while I was horrified.

“Your landlord’s gonna kill you,” I mumbled, rubbing my jaw.

He smiled. “It was worth it.”

“Hm?”

He chuckled and I noticed that warm blush in his cheeks. “Because I’m here with you now.”

My heart leapt and my stomach dropped like I’d crested the top of a very big hill on a very fast rollercoaster. I swallowed hard and played with my hands, rubbing the palms together and twirling them over one another, trying to ignore the heat in my cheeks.

“It…it’s not wrong…,” I murmured, watching my hands as I smoothed the palms against my thighs, avoiding looking directly at Jungkook.

I saw him glance at me out of my peripheral. “Hm?” he asked.

“For you to hope a little,” I said, glancing up at him almost like a nervous kid. His eyes were wide, lips parted, irises flashing back and forth between my own. I chewed on my cheek and let my gaze drop once more to my lap. “It’s not wrong.”

A quiet enveloped us that I couldn’t quite describe. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more, having thoroughly embarrassed myself and wiped out my burgeoning street credit in one fell swoop.

But eventually, I heard him release a few breathy chuckles and watched as he lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck, exhaling with a smile. His eyes darted around, not looking at one thing out the windshield too long, and his smile was unwavering, cute front teeth visible.

“Ah,” he said finally with a nod, not looking my way. “Alright then.”

“You’re going to what?!”

I shrugged and stirred my tea with the small spoon Mr. Kim had slid to me with the platter. “I’m gonna get evidence of Seokjin’s involvement and ruin his life.”

Nara sputtered a cough and widened her eyes at me. “Y-You-you can’t just, like, do that!” she said, emphatic as she waved her hands around.

I eyed her. Her complexion was brighter today, eyes clear and free of dark circles. “You’re sleeping better?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, a little bit. For some reason, the boss stopped scheduling me for late shifts,” she said, spitting it out quickly like she was only saying it out of obligation to me. “Anyway, that’s not the point!” she groaned and gripped the bridge of her nose. Mr. Kim continued working without so much as a second glance our way. “The point is you shouldn’t be getting any more involved than you already are.”

“Regardless,” I said with a shrug. “There’s a benefit besides just personal vendetta.”

She opened one eye and peeked at me through her long lashes. “Hm?”

“How would you like to work for Ori Technologies?” I asked, seeing if she’d take the bait.

She hesitated for a moment, clenching and unclenching her jaw, and ran her fingers through her silver hair, the roots growing in black at the top. “I mean…in a perfect world, that’d be awesome.”

“And what if me doing this got you a job there?” I asked, lowering my voice so no eavesdroppers could catch my words.

She inhaled sharply and looked me dead in the eye. She scanned me, perhaps searching for something in my expression, but after a few moments she simply sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest with a scowl.

“I’d say thanks but no thanks,” she said, nodding her head. “I want it bad, but not at the expense of my best friend’s safety.”

I opened my mouth to rebut, but Mr. Kim leaned over the bar to stare at the two of us, severe eyes set squarely our way. “Gettin’ busy,” he remarked, eyeing the guests as they filed in.

Taking notice of my surroundings for the first time since I’d arrived at the coffee shop, I glanced around. Indeed, customers were filling up the quiet space rather quickly. Milling about in the courtyard admiring the perennial plants or taking up residence at one of the several mismatched tables, guests seemed to be everywhere.

“Any idea why?” I asked, peering over Nara’s head to get a good look at the rest of the shop, still just as packed as the front.

Mr. Kim nodded. “Seems someone endorsed us,” he said, taking a sly glance at me.

I stiffened, pointing to my chest. “Me?” I asked.

He shook his head. “That Taehyung kid,” he said. “Comes by a lot these days and just sits in the corner drawing on a tablet.”

My mouth felt dry. There was so much I was keeping from Taehyung, and yet he still came by this place? Why did I feel so guilty when he was the one who planted the initial seed of dishonesty between us? I crossed my arms and shrugged, watching the steam rise from my teacup.

“So they’re here to see Vante,” said Nara with a knowing nod. “Weird.”

“Well, I won’t turn away paying customers,” said Mr. Kim with a hearty laugh. “Just a bit understaffed.” He looked back at us like he was trying to send us a message with his eyes alone.

Message received.

I took a big sip of my tea and stood to my feet, wandering back around the bar to join Mr. Kim among the coffee machines. “Where are the aprons?” I asked, giving him a smile.

He returned it and jerked his head back towards the kitchen. “Grab one for Nara too,” he said, turning a frown towards his daughter who sat, puzzled, completely still.

Before I took my leave into the kitchen, Mr. Kim glanced back at me and smiled in that fatherly way that made me homesick. His eyes squinted a little, revealing deep crow’s feet, and there was a fondness there that never failed to catch me off guard.

“Looks like Y/N’s nunchi has improved,” he said with a chuckle before returning to the espresso he had brewing.

My back went rigid before a small smile overtook me and I rubbed the back of my neck, turning on my heel into the kitchen.

I guided a coffee cup onto the corner of one of the waiting tables, bowing my head as the patrons thanked me, before turning back toward the bar and gabbing yet another. Such was the rhythm of this sort of work. Back and forth like a tide or something. Every now and again when Mr. Kim would get swamped — usually during university exam season — Nara and I would help out around the shop. But it’d been quite a while since the two of us had worked this way, and with so many new customers needing attention we couldn’t so much as spare a moment to crack a joke or nudge each other with our elbows passing by.

I approached one of the outdoor tables and found an older couple sitting in the sunlight, chatting easily. My arm was aching from the weight of the tray, and I furrowed my brow when I paused to look at its contents. I hadn’t taken their order, likely Nara had while I was off doing something else, but as I looked down at my serving tray I noticed a vast array of food and drink. Puzzled, I walked closer and began unloading the tray one item at a time. A slice of persimmon cake, sautéed pine mushrooms, two chestnut cookies, a caramel latte, roasted sweet potatoes, two cups of green tea, and pumpkin porridge.

“Thank you,” said the woman with a motherly smile. Quickly, I bowed and turned to take my leave, but the woman called after me. “Wait!” she said, and I heard her metal chair scrape against the floor.

I turned around, anticipating a scolding. “Yes, Ma’am?”

“You’re that girl, aren’t you? Y/N?” she asked.

For the first time, I took a proper look at her and noticed to my shock that she was vaguely familiar. Alcohol had dulled my memory, but hearing her voice was enough to conjure an image. Her beside her husband, the two of them chuckling as they sat at a bar in an ornate ballroom.

I snapped my fingers, resting my tray on my hip, and nodded. “Ah! Mrs. Hayoon,” I said, grinning.

The man finally turned to face me and his eyes went wide. Again, the warm rush of familiarity gripped me and I gave him a bow. “Ah! That young girl from the gala!” he laughed, voice as booming as before, and rubbed his strong jaw. “My, isn’t this a surprise.”

I chuckled and rubbed my forearm. “Yes,” I said, a blush rising in my cheeks as I remembered that strange drunken encounter. “What brings you out here?”

“Our son gave this place high praise, so we figured we’d stop by,” said Hayoon with a soft smile.

I nodded. Perhaps he was a fan of Vante. “It’s a really nice shop,” I said with a grin and a thumbs-up.

Hayoon laughed and rested her chin in her hand. “It’s very good to see you again, Y/N,” she said.

It was strange. What would a rich couple like them think of me anyway? To be so happy to meet me again… I smiled. “Well, I’d better get back to serving…,” I began, hinting at an early exit from the conversation.

The man, Jaesun if I remembered correctly, waved his hand a few times with a huff, dismissing my concerns. “No, no. There’s lots for us to discuss anyway,” he said, then patted the extra seat between the couple twice. “Sit, sit!”

I stiffened and glanced over my shoulder at Nara running around like a woman possessed trying to tend to all of the guests. “Ah, we’re actually swamped. I don’t think I can-,”

“We’ll pay your hourly, so give us an hour,” said Jaesun with a laugh as Hayoon furrowed her brow at him, disapproving. The air of the courtyard was beginning to grow quiet, watching our exchange in the peaceful afternoon sun.

I chuckled. “Ah, no. I-I don’t work here or anything,” I said, waving my hand. “I’m just helping out.” I met eyes with a few onlooking patrons over my shoulder, trying to let them know through slight bows that everything was fine.

Jaesun hummed and rubbed his chin, pensive. Quickly, I returned my full attention to him and found him imploring me from below. “Well, when will you be finished?” he asked, eyeing me from his seat.

I glanced away. Those eyes were familiar in a way I couldn’t quite name. “I guess…whenever the rush is over?” I asked.

He laughed and nodded. “Well, how about we come back here tomorrow and we’ll treat you to some steak,” he said, adjusting the sleeves of his sweater as he took a sip of tea.

I shook my head. “Oh! No, Sir, that’s alright. I wouldn’t feel right letting you-,”

“Nonsense,” he said. “We wanted to get to know you anyway.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Hayoon silenced me, grinning as she sipped her own tea, lashes dusting the high apples of her cheeks. Still, people watched us from about the courtyard. “We’ve been trying to find you since the gala.”

I stiffened. Why on earth would they do something like that? I cleared my throat. “Ah, well I’m really flattered, but I don’t think I can accept. I don’t want to take advantage-,”

“If someone’s offering something to you, then they mean it,” said Jaesun with a curt cough, nodding his head once. Hayoon covered a chuckle with her teacup. “No need to turn people down when they wanna do something for you.”

I swallowed hard. How did these people not see this was strange? A foggy memory resurfaced of the two of them comparing me to someone. Hwayoung? Could that perhaps be a daughter of theirs? I scanned them, idling just beside their table, and tried to discern anything from their faces alone. Weathered and greying, the two looked like any other middle-aged couple in Korea. They didn’t seem the type to be overtly generous this way, but they also didn’t seem the type to seek a surrogate daughter while their’s was missing.

“Y/N! I need your help in here!” called Nara, practically begging, from inside the shop.

I clamped my mouth shut and looked back toward the couple. “Um…I guess I’ll meet you here tomorrow then,” I said, feeling not only Nara’s eyes but the eyes of numerous patrons boring into my back with every second I wasted in indecision.

I was curious anyway.

Hayoon smiled and gave my hand a pat from her seat. “Good, good,” she said, urging me back to work with the flick of her wrist. “We’ll wait right here.”

I nodded and bowed, turning on my heel and rushing back toward where Nara stood in the doorway.

“Wanna stay over with me tonight?” asked Nara as the two of us wandered toward the sidewalk outside Nunchi, sunset ushering us into the empty street. She eyed me from the side, crossing her arms. “Someone in my family ought to repay you for your help today anyway.”

I chuckled. “I’m fine, Nara. Don’t worry,” I said, then sighed. “I won’t do anything reckless on my own.”

“Hard to believe,” she said. She kicked the sidewalk with the tip of her Doc Martens boot and sighed. “You’re doing all sorts of things lately. Feels like you’re getting kinda far away.”

I stiffened, turning to her. “Huh?” I asked.

She sighed and shook her head, turning to me with a smile. “Forget it. I’m just worried about you.”

I felt my expression go sour, worry running through me. Was I being a negligent friend? Pushing Nara away? I wrung my hands and panicked, unplaced guilt running through me.

She laughed and gave my shoulder a light shove. “Forget it, alright? It’s nothing,” she said.

I lifted my eyes and grabbed her hand tightly in mine. “I’ll stay over with you,” I said with a severe nod.

She laughed, trying to free her hand from my grip, and leaned away from me. “God, don’t be so serious!” she shouted, wiggling her arm.

I shook my head. “Let’s go.” I led her by the unwilling hand toward the subway station.

Nara and I sat beside one another on the couch, Hyun perched between us with his head propped on one paw. I leaned into the cushions with a yawn, Train to Busan playing gently on the TV. Nara hadn’t said much, and I remembered that night I’d come over after the gala. How she’d simply let me sit in my silence.

This time, however, I felt stronger.

And for her sake, I was the one who broke the comfortable quiet. “You have more to say, don’t you?” I asked, snuggling into my blanket. “Our conversation got cut off back at Nunchi.��

She glanced at me before shoving her hand into the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. The living room was entirely dark save for the glow of the television, but even in the low light I could see the trouble in her eyes.

“I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in danger for me,” she said, then sighed. “Even though I know it’s not just for me. It…just feels kinda bad knowing I’m part of the reason.”

I nodded. “I understand,” I said, then sighed and remembered the swelling hope in Jungkook’s eyes. Frustrated by the thought, I shook my head and ran my fingers through Hyun’s fur. “But…after everything that’s happened…I guess maybe I’m sick of watching people get away with bad things.”

Nara stilled beside me, popcorn half-chewed in her mouth. “That’s kind of out of character…”

“I know,” I said.

Nara was quiet for a beat too long and I looked at her, desperate for some sort of consolation. Instead, she gave me a glance before quickly looking away. “I’m just…not so used to this side of you.”

“Do you dislike it?” I asked quietly, almost timid.

She shook her head. “Just new.”

Was she right? Was I going too far for something that didn’t even matter that much? In the grand scheme of things, getting myself further involved with all of this was likely a mistake. I’d probably regret it. But…something in my gut told me I had to do it. Because, in the end, I might regret not doing it more.

If man makes himself a worm he must not complain when he is trodden on.

The old quote returned to me in a surge of memory and I inhaled sharply. Taehyung had said that. He’d said that, he’d given me the necklace, given me strength. He’d seen this something in me before I had.

But was this something worth compromising my oldest and deepest friendship?

I glanced at Nara, troubled, and a storm brewed in my chest. How long had I been living this way? Terrified of being left behind, being forgotten? So fearful to take a single step out of line that instead of moving at all I stayed still? How long had I allowed my fear of people abandoning me to make me abandon myself?

Nara was a dear friend. Dearer than any other.

But in the end, the one I had to face when I looked in the mirror was me. And the only person I knew I’d always have was myself.

So the only person I had to answer to was me.

“I’m sorry,” I said, twirling a tuft of Hyun’s white hair into a spiral between my fingertips.

She sighed. “Remember when we were kids and Hyuna convinced everyone to leave their classroom duties to you? How you just…did it?”

The memory struck a discordant note with me and, with a scowl, I buried my chin in the plush blankets. “Mhm.”

“You’re different now,” she said with a small nod. “I don’t think you’d do it now.”

I watched the TV without really watching, just listening to the rhythm of my own heartbeat as the two of us sat side-by-side. “You still don’t approve.”

She sighed. “No,” she said, then eyed me. “But I get the feeling that that won’t stop you.”

I met her eyes. A charge of energy passed between us, like we finally understood one another after a long time of silence. I nodded. “Probably not.”

Finally, she cracked a smile, easing back against the couch with a chuckle and a knowing nod. She returned her attention to the movie. “That’s what makes you different now.”

It was one in the morning when I got a frantic phone call. Drowsy after having fallen asleep leaning against Hyun’s pillowy side, I strained at the sound of my cell buzzing on the floor beside one of Nara’s mismatched socks. As far as I remembered, I’d fallen asleep first but with the TV still playing, I saw Nara was now passed out, snoring slightly as a little bit of drool dried on her cheek. She groaned a little as I moved away from her side, her head lolling back against the couch cushion, her laptop still open on the coffee table. When had she brought that thing out to the living room?

Groaning, I leaned down and grabbed the phone, pressing it to my ear without so much as opening my eyes properly for fear of the TV light burning my sensitive retinas. “Hello?” I mumbled.

“Y/N!”

My face scrunched up and I rolled back onto the couch, resting my head on Hyun’s back once more. “Jungkook?” I asked. There was no mistaking his voice, the honey-sweet but somehow mischievous tone. I hummed a little, still half-asleep, and pressed the phone closer to my ear. “It’s nice to hear your voice.”

“I…,” he began, then cleared his throat. “Y/N, are you playing around with me?”

I stiffened, my senses slowly returning, and sat upright. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and shook my head. “What? What do you mean by that?”

He sighed, clearly frustrated, and took a moment before speaking. “Are you saying that because you genuinely don’t know or because you’re playing dumb?”

“If I was playing dumb why would I tell you?” I asked, then shook my head. “Anyway, no. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He was quiet. “Really?” he asked, voice softer now, gentler.

“Really,” I repeated, feeling my cheeks flush at the tenderness that had taken over the empty space between us.

He exhaled slowly. “It must be a misunderstanding then,” he said. “Sorry about it. I didn’t mean to wake you up or anything.”

“What’s a misunderstanding?”

“Huh? Oh…well, just…there’s this article that came out, like, an hour ago and-,”

“Article?” I asked, shaking my head. I fell onto the floor and crossed my legs, tapping the space bar on Nara’s computer. “What article?”

“Uh…just talking about this ‘mystery girl’ and Vante,” he said, then scoffed. “The state of journalism in Korea really is shameful.”

I furrowed my brow as the computer slowly roused to life. “Mystery girl? Me again?”

He cleared his throat. “Um…yeah, looks like it,” he said, then sighed. “I didn’t wanna ask or anything, but that first article with you and that Taehyung guy…was it-,”

“Wasn’t true,” I said, then paused and shook my head. “I mean, yeah I did give him a hug, but it wasn’t like that.”

“You hugged him?” asked Jungkook quietly.

I snapped my mouth shut and keyed in Nara’s password: hyunnie101. “I…yeah. It was…really complicated,” I said. Like I was confessing something to a lover…

Wasn’t I though?

I shook my head, disgruntled, and opened up a web browser, surprised to see she’d left her last session open to view. “I mean, I’m not really the jealous type, but…I don’t really like it when the girl I like is hugging other guys, you know? Not that you can’t! You can do whatever you want. But I just-,”

“Jungkook, hold on,” I said, stunned as I looked at the open browser.

“Huh? Oh, yeah of course,” he said, supplementing the silence with a laugh.

There, in full color, was a photo of me standing beside Hayoon and Jaesun’s table at the coffee shop, my serving tray carefully obscured by my right thigh and my face blurred by a tasteful pixelated square. The two of them beamed up at me as I apparently spoke without looking their way. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how that couple could possibly be related to Taehyung. Confused, I scrolled up to the top of the browser. Why hadn’t Nara woken me up to tell me about this? Was she really mad at me?

“Shit…,” I mumbled as I saw the title.

Vante’s Mystery Girl Meets the Parents?! Seoul’s New Mysterious ‘It’ Couple Is Getting Serious!

#jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook fanfic #taehyung fanfic #taehyung fluff #taehyung angst #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #bts reactions #bts reader insert #taehyung fanfiction #bts series

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whatimconsuming · 4 years ago

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The Untold Story of the NFT Boom

For decades, digital artists got little respect. Then Bitcoin emerged in 2009, proving that with blockchain code you could make digital items that were all but impossible to copy. The first artistic experiments in that vein were made by the New York-based fine artist Kevin McCoy, who became intrigued by Bitcoin and its blockchain soon after its debut. He wondered if it could show the way toward a new revenue stream for creators. McCoy was especially excited by the prospect of decentralization — the blockchain could enable an artist to sell works to fans directly, without the need for an iTunes-like intermediary. In 2014, McCoy, collaborating with the entrepreneur Anil Dash, created an experimental crypto token for a piece of his own digital art. They called it “monetized graphics.” The next year, McCoy opened a small start-up that let artists create and sell tokens of their work. He was met, mostly, with blank stares. “It was a tough grasp for people,” McCoy says. In the spring of 2017, the concept took on new life. Matt Hall and John Watkinson, two programmers in Brooklyn, created a set of collectible characters, little pixelated heads of punk-rock-looking creatures that they called CryptoPunks. (They’re fond of “wacky projects,” Hall told me.) They were unaware of McCoy and Dash’s earlier experiment. But they knew about Ether, then a new cryptocurrency that ran on a platform called Ethereum. That platform had a simple programming language that enabled coders to create new financial products with Ether as their currency. Hall and Watkinson used that language to issue an NFT for each CryptoPunk, figuring that people would be tickled by the idea of possessing little pixelated heads, perhaps trading them like baseball cards. Hall and Watkinson created 10,000 CryptoPunks and put NFTs of each of them on a website where anyone could claim one for free and transfer it to an Ethereum wallet. They decided to give away 9,000 Punks and keep the other 1,000 for themselves.

Few were claimed right away. Then, several weeks later, the website Mashable published a story proclaiming that CryptoPunks “could change how we think about digital art.” A frantic subculture was born: Visitors swamped the CryptoPunks site — and “within 24 hours they were gone,” Hall told me. Owners began reselling the NFTs to new collectors, for hundreds of dollars at first, then tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Later that year, another NFT collectibles site called CryptoKitties appeared, where people bought and traded NFTs of digital cats. By the end of 2017, some individual Kitties and Punks were selling for as much as $170,000.

The boom in Kitties and Punks inspired John Crain, a founder of SuperRare. At the time, Crain was working for a cryptocurrency incubator. Crain, who owned some CryptoPunks, imagined a marketplace for digital artworks much as McCoy had years before. If digital culture could be owned and traded, an entire new market could emerge, he told me — one with high-earning artists but also, he hoped, a “long tail” whereby even obscure artists, with only a few fans, could make a bit of money. Cryptoart could offer artists a better deal, he figured: Historically, galleries take about 50 percent of the first sale, while SuperRare would take only 15 percent. On top of that, cryptoartists would get a cut of resales, something generally unheard-of in the traditional art world. Crain and his co-founders wrote the code for their NFTs so that artists automatically get 10 percent of the sale price every time an owner resells their work. He began reaching out to digital artists who posted their work to Tumblr or Giphy, a repository of animated GIFs. A few of them began using SuperRare to create NFTs for their work. What sales there were went for small sums. One artist, Coldie, began listing his work in April 2018, and his early sales were for perhaps $100 each. In the spring of 2020, the market for cryptoart began to heat up, when Coldie sold a piece for $1,000. Artists and collectors called him “King Coldie.” By the middle of 2020, prices were soaring. Another record-setter was Matt Kane, a former painter who had become disillusioned with traditional galleries and spent the late 2000s and early 2010s teaching himself coding and web development. He wrote custom software to help him make intricate digital paintings. In May 2019, he released his first works on SuperRare, a series based on the grief he felt after a friend’s suicide. His early NFT sales were meager; one collector bought an artwork for $85 and sold it the next week for a profit of $59. For some crypto investors, it’s clear, buying cryptoart gives them something artsy to talk about in a field dominated by otherwise numbingly technical conversations. In the old days, people hung their $40 million Picassos on their mansion walls. Because NFTs are just data, though, cryptoart collectors are mostly staring at screens (if they’re even looking at their holdings). Sometimes these are very high-tech screens. Collectors have created virtual-reality galleries so they can strap on their goggles and behold their art on a virtual wall and invite friends to join them for viewing parties. Other collectors eschew this sort of display; they simply pull up their art on their iPhones or computer browsers, the way they use Instagram. Indeed, several people told me that they appreciate digital art for space-saving reasons. There’s one aspect to NFT culture that can seem utterly bewildering to outsiders: Someone who buys an artwork NFT owns only the NFT. The NFT typically contains data that corresponds to information about the artwork, including the creator, the title and a link to an online copy of it. But the visible part of the art, the JPEG or animated GIF, the thing you look at? That is just a digital file hosted somewhere online, with the NFT commonly pointing to it. (If that site hosting the art goes down, the NFT no longer even points to anything.) Anyone can go to SuperRare or another NFT art site, right-click to copy the file, and then post it to Instagram or Facebook, say, or make it the background on a phone. So what, precisely, do the collectors think they’re getting when they buy an NFT? Many say they’re acquiring proof of their ties to the artwork and to the creator. They can assert bragging rights, as it were. As for the pixels themselves — well, no one cares if other people can see them, too. “I can hang a really nice print of the ‘Mona Lisa’ on my wall and that doesn’t mean I have the ‘Mona Lisa,’” Goltra told me. All the collectors I spoke to professed to be happy if the artworks they owned were copied widely around the internet: Millions of people staring at a piece of

digital art make it more valuable for the person who owns it. Vignesh Sundaresan and Anand Venkateswaran. They are the founders of Metapurse, a fund that collects NFTs. They bought his $69 million NFT, and back during Beeple’s weekend December sale, they had created several pseudonymous accounts that bought 20 of his NFT “Everydays,” worth $2.2 million together. Sundaresan and Venkateswaran had a plan for Beeple’s art. For the first purchase — the 20 Everydays — they bought plots in three online 3-D worlds and hired a team of designers to build virtual museums in each, filling them with Beeple’s art. Sundaresan and I met virtually inside one of the museums, where we wandered around as gamelike avatars, stopping at pieces like one that showed Tom Hanks punching a coronavirus. “The gallery’s public,” Sundaresan said, free for anyone. But the museums were only the beginning of their plan. The other part was to turn Beeple’s work into a new cryptocurrency, essentially. In January, they took the 20 Beeple “Everydays” NFTs they had bought for $2.2 million and created a new set of NFT tokens, 10 million in total, called B20. Those tokens represent fractional ownership in that Beeple work. They paid 10 percent of the tokens to the designers who built the virtual museums, he said, gave 2 percent to Beeple and kept 50 percent for themselves. Some of the remainder would be put up for sale. “The idea here was to take the art and share the ownership with a lot of people,” Sundaresan said, as our avatars floated up and over the museum. Those B20 tokens may have already generated — on paper, anyway — a hefty return. In late January, Sundaresan and Venkateswaran held a virtual party in their online museums to introduce their new token. In short order, they sold 2.6 million tokens, raising close to $1 million. On March 10, the value of a B20 token peaked at slightly above $27; by May 7, it had fallen to just over $2. Assuming they still have their five million tokens, their share is worth about $10 million.

#nft

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droneseco · 4 years ago

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Lanq PCDock Monitor Stand Tries to Do So Much, but Fails at Nearly Everything

Lanq PCDock

5.00 / 10

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Samsung got me. On paper, the company's Galaxy A51 appears to have everything you could want out of a $400 smartphone. A big, pretty screen. A multitude of cameras. A 4,000mAh battery. A flagship-inspired design, and a headphone jack. As an avid -- some might say rabid -- fan of ambitious midrange smartphones, I was ready for the A51 to take its place alongside other modestly priced standouts like the Pixel 3a XL and the iPhone SE. It never did.That’s not to say the Galaxy A51 is a bad phone. Samsung got a lot right here, and over a week of testing, I found it perfectly pleasant at times. Sadly, all the things the company handled well couldn't fully offset some janky, inconsistent performance: This is a $400 device that sometimes runs like a $250 one. I don’t think that's enough to make the A51 a bad smartphone, but it does make it a bad deal. Excellent design Big and beautiful AMOLED screen Flexible multi-camera system Laggy performance Camera quality is largely unremarkable Mediocre battery life Samsung’s Galaxy A51 packs a great screen, a handful of cameras, and a big battery -- what more could you ask from a mid-range smartphone? Well, more consistent performance, for one. Despite using a reasonably powerful chipset, the A51 is often plagued by slow app launches and laggy animations, to the point when it sometimes feels like a device that costs much less. Battery life wasn’t as good as we had hoped for, either. While Samsung got a lot right with the Galaxy A51, it never feels as consistently nice to use as some of truly great devices available in its price range.

Be the first to review the Galaxy A51 LTE? Your ratings help us make the buyer’s guide better for everyone. Write a review Key specs ConfigurationsThe Galaxy A51 I've been testing is a Verizon Wireless model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. (Disclaimer: Verizon is Engadget's parent company, but it has no influence over what we say.) Sprint and AT&T also offer this version of the A51, and no matter which carrier you choose, they'll all sell you the phone outright for $399. That doesn't sound too steep, but it's worth noting that the phone can be had for less when purchased unlocked, especially if you live outside the United States. If you're serious about owning an A51, scouting out a good deal is a must: This isn't worth $400.

Chris Velazco/Engadget Image credit: Chris Velazco/Engadget Flagship styleIf there's one thing Samsung deserves credit for, it's that the A51 in no way looks like a $400 phone. With a surprisingly trim frame; an eye-catching, light-refracting finish; and some incredibly small bezels, this midrange model could easily pass for a phone that costs twice as much. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best-looking midrange smartphone out there. Just keep in mind that thanks to its display, the A51 might be a nonstarter for people with smaller hands -- it's thin but still plenty large.Of course, since this phone costs a fraction of what a flagship does, Samsung had to be judicious about balancing style and substance. Consider Samsung's choice of materials: Wrapping a phone in glass quickly makes its price tag jump, so the company used what it calls "Glasstic" for the A51's body. As the name suggests, that just means this phone has a plastic frame that sort of feels like glass if you don't scrutinize it too much. The Galaxy A51 also lacks an IP-rating for water and dust resistance, which is very common for phones in this price range. (Note: If you Google "A51 water resistance," you might see a search result from Verizon claiming the A51 is rated IP68 -- it absolutely is not.)

Chris Velazco/Engadget The rest of the phone's design is fairly standard. There's a USB-C port that supports 15W fast charging and a combination nanoSIM/microSD card tray on the phone's right side that you can use to augment the standard 128GB of storage. If you're a music fan, you'll also appreciate the proper headphone jack Samsung squeezed into the A51, since its single speaker is pretty awful. What helps elevate the A51's design is its spacious, 6.5-inch, Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen. It's one of Samsung's Infinity-O displays which, if you're allergic to marketing BS, means there's a tiny hole cut out of the panel to accommodate a 32-megapixel front camera. It’s remarkably small and would be easy enough to overlook were it not for the shiny metallic ring surrounding it -- it's almost like Samsung wants you to keep looking at it. Thankfully, the rest of the screen is typical Samsung: Deep blacks, punchy colors, and great viewing angles considering the price. Its max brightness feels a little anemic so outdoor use can be a little tricky at times, but the display is very well-suited to binging on YouTube videos while you're sheltering at home.The screen is very often the most expensive component in a smartphone, and I'm glad that Samsung went with the display it did here. It's not just easy on the eyes; it’s a great rebuttal to devices like the iPhone SE that rely on dated designs to keep costs down. Visually, the A51 is a stunner, but as my parents always used to tell me, looks aren't everything.

Chris Velazco/Engadget Image credit: Chris Velazco/Engadget In use The frustration here begins when you go to unlock the phone. There's an optical fingerprint sensor under the display, and it's... not great. When it does work, it usually takes a while to actually recognize my thumb. Too often, though, the sensor just didn't work. Normally, you'd see a bit of green whooshing around your finger to let you know the sensor was analyzing your print, but that didn't always appear. Repeated screen cleanings didn't fix the issue, and neither did re-enrolling my fingers. For your sanity, maybe just set up a PIN or an unlock pattern instead.Once I made it in, a bigger issue became obvious pretty quickly -- the A51 is noticeably laggy at times. Switching between apps frequently felt choppy, as did thumbing through pages of apps, and even just popping back out to the home screen. You know, the stuff you do every day.To be clear, this doesn’t happen constantly, and I didn’t have much to complain about when the phone was firing on all cylinders. If you're the kind of person who just wants to watch videos and maybe send a few emails to the family, you might not even notice this momentary lag. But if you're a fan of smooth, consistent performance, be prepared for some disappointment -- stuttering animations and delayed app launches are never too far away, and it gets old pretty quickly. Gallery: Samsung Galaxy A51 review photos | 13 Photos

Exactly why the A51 runs the way it does isn't wholly clear, but part of the issue probably lies with Samsung's choice of chipset. Rather than use a Qualcomm Snapdragon like most US-bound Android phones, the company ran with its in-house Exynos 9611. From what I can tell, there's not much difference between this sliver of silicon and the Exynos 9610 Samsung started using in late 2018 -- some of the CPU cores are marginally faster and it supports a wider variety of rear cameras, but that's really it. That Samsung would splurge on a great screen and use a minor refresh of a chip that was announced a little over two years ago tells you a lot about its priorities. The funny thing is, this chipset is no slouch. It falls somewhere between the $250 Moto G Power (with a Snapdragon 665 chipset) and the $470 Pixel 3 XL (with a Snapdragon 670), which is exactly what you'd expect considering how much these phones cost. The A51 benchmarks pretty well, too -- it’s nowhere near flagship level, but well in line with other US-bound devices we’ve seen in this price range. That being the case, it seems more likely that this inconsistent performance is due to a lack of software optimization that could theoretically be fixed in a future update. (For what it’s worth, Samsung wouldn’t confirm that any such updates were in the works.)In fairness to Samsung, people contemplating a $400 smartphone probably know not to expect best-in-class performance. The bigger issue here is that it’s still a considerable sum to drop on a smartphone, and the A51's balance of performance and price just doesn’t feel right.

Chris Velazco/Engadget The Moto G Power -- a phone that costs $150 less with an older chipset -- manages to run a little more consistently. And the Pixel 3a XL? Forget about it. The difference in smoothness and the overall quality of experience between these devices skews heavily in the Pixel's favor. It’s also worth noting that all three of these phones have 4GB of RAM, so it’s not like Motorola or Google had more resources to work with here. And if you’re not married to Android, there's always the iPhone SE. It's a $400 arrow aimed at Samsung's heart and runs just as well as Apple’s most expensive smartphones. Whether it's because of a heavy touch with software, poor memory management, or something else entirely, this questionable performance makes the A51 hard to recommend for the price. I had hoped that epic battery life would've sweetened the deal here, but it doesn’t. Despite packing a pretty sizable 4,000mAh (along with a mid-range chipset and a screen that only runs at 1080p), the Galaxy A51 is only good for about one full day of use. That's not awful by any stretch, but when other mid-range phones -- like the Moto G Power -- have battery lives measured in days instead of hours, the A51 can't help but feel a little disappointing.

Chris Velazco/Engadget Image credit: Chris Velazco/Engadget Plenty of camerasAt this point, the one thing that could redeem the A51 is truly excellent camera performance. Calling the phone's trio of rear cameras "excellent" would be a stretch, but in most cases, they're good enough.And that's right, I said "trio" although there are four lenses on the A51's rear. Most of the time you'll wind up using the 48-megapixel standard wide camera which, like most other phones with pixel-rich sensors, produces smaller 12-megapixel stills by default. As usual for a Samsung phone, the results feature lots of vivid colors, though pixel-peepers will notice a surprising lack of fine details upon zooming in. That’s despite Samsung’s typical -- and almost stylized -- image processing, too. Big surprise, right? Like nearly every Samsung camera before it, this one seems tuned to deliver images that look slightly nicer than reality. These are great photos to post on Instagram, but maybe not for printing and mounting on your wall. Unfortunately, even the decently wide f/2.0 aperture doesn't help the A51's main camera much in low light -- colors tend to look a little washed out, and details get smeared into oblivion. Gallery: Samsung Galaxy A51 camera samples | 24 Photos

Meanwhile, the 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It captures a 123-degree field of view with minimal barrel distortion around the edges, and its colors are even poppier and more saturated than what you'd get out of the main camera. If you're walking around and shooting photos on a clear day, those pale blue skies will turn out a little more neon than you'd expect. Since this camera is mainly meant to capture lots of attractive, well-lit space, it's no surprise that it struggles more than the main camera does in low light.Rather than a telephoto camera (which was almost certainly too expensive for a phone like this), the A51's third sensor is a 5-megapixel affair for macro photos. I've wondered in the past who spends their time bopping around and looking for very small things to take photos of, but ever since testing the OnePlus 8 Pro, I've become one of those people. It's too bad, then, that this never produced the sort of crisp, super-tight images I was hoping for. That's partially because the camera's image processing seems to iron out some of those minute details, but also because the narrow depth of field means getting everything framed up just right can take some work.And that last lens? It's for a 5-megapixel depth sensor that Samsung uses to capture data for more bokeh-filled portraits. It does its job well. I've seen more than a few phones struggle with accurately separating the subject from its background, but the A51 handles the task without much fuss. Ultimately, no matter which camera you spend the most time with, be prepared for good -- not great -- results. If getting the best overall photo is your biggest concern, you'd still be much better off with one of Google's Pixel 3As or the iPhone SE. Samsung's real edge here doesn't lay in the quality of its images so much as the flexibility that multiple cameras provide.

Chris Velazco/Engadget Wrap-upWith the Galaxy A51, Samsung tried to bring some flagship style and features to an affordable smartphone. It wasn't completely successful, but the effort is appreciated. More than anything, what Samsung really got wrong here (in the US, at least) is the phone's price. If the Galaxy A51 cost closer to $300, as it does in certain overseas markets, Samsung's strange blend of style and stymied performance would be a lot easier to swallow. As it stands, though, the A51 never feels as consistently smooth as some of the truly great devices you can get for around $400 now. Sure, the Pixel 3a XL and the iPhone SE lack the A51’s panache, but they’re just nicer to use. And hey -- if you’re really itching for a Samsung phone and have some latitude in your budget, the slightly more powerful Galaxy A71 might be a better choice. If you can find a sweet deal -- or don't mind trading an older phone in -- the Galaxy A51 isn't a bad option. Anyone who doesn't need a phone now though should wait until Google releases its new mid-range Pixel and decide. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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starlytenightmaren · 5 years ago

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15 Weird Hobbies That'll Make You Better At Concrete Decorative Paint

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tourguideexpert-blog-blog · 6 years ago

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Japan on a budget: readers travel tips

New Post has been published on https://travelqia.com/trending/japan-on-a-budget-readers-travel-tips/

Japan on a budget: readers travel tips

The perception that Japan is an expensive destination is challenged by our tipsters, who find 70p sushi delivered by robot, cheap internal flights, all-you-can-drink-deals and friendly hostels

Winning tip: Art and yurts, Naoshima

Naoshima, the jewel of Japans art islands and an easy one-hour train journey from Kyoto or Osaka, has museums ranging from a gallery hotel to art installations. Free buses take you around the art locations and to an amazing art-filled sento bathhouse (4.40), complete with full-size elephant sculptures overlooking the baths. Staying in the Benesse Foundations hotels is very pricey (from 250) but there is a fantastic alternative a very short walk from the key art sites and beautiful: Tsutsuji-sos yurts (25-30 per person per night). They are private, traditional Mongolian tents with proper beds. Pat Kirby

E-bikes in Takayama

Photograph: Hanah

A tour on e-bikes of the Japanese Alps countryside around Takayama with Daisuke, the tour guide, for just 42 per head, was the highlight of our holiday. We started from JR Hida-Hagiwara station and took in historic villages to start with then a hidden valley off the tourist trail, the e-bikes making light work of the hills. There were surprises along the way such as a traditional Japanese lunch (included in the price) and coffee on the river in the middle of nowhere, and all for a reasonable price. The 26km/six-hour route and its views were incredible. Hanah

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Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print, and the best entry each week (as chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet) wins a 200 voucher from hotels.com. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage

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Friendly hostel, Nagano

Photograph: 1166 backpackers Nagano

One of the best hostels Ive stayed in was 1166 Backpackers in Nagano, run by a lovely woman named Orie who makes everyone feel at home. She runs regular events in the hostel communal areas, such as sake tasting. Beds are about 20 a night. Its in the Monzen district of Nagano, within easily walking distance of Zenkoji temple. Its well-placed for day trips to nearby amazing Matsumoto Castle or Snow Monkey Park. Samuel Parker

Alpine honeymoon bliss

Oshi Ryokan, Nagano

To get a complete contrast from city life, I suggest a stay at the Oshi Ryokan in Naganos Japanese Alps. Mr Oshi (a Shinto priest who looks after the nearby temples) will take you to the temple at the crack of dawn an incredible experience. Mrs Oshi also cooked us what was probably the most amazing meal we had in Japan each dish was a work of art and it was so special having the experience in their home, rather than a restaurant. We were on our honeymoon and the lovely couple even offered to let us try on their own wedding kimonos and take photos. Double from 65 B&B, about 120 with dinner, oshiryokan.com/en-gb Lucie Johnson

Subtropical beaches, Yaeyama Islands

Kabira bay, Ishigaki island. Photograph: Ippei Naoi/Getty Images

For a 25 return flight from Naha (on Okinawa) to Ishigaki, you can experience the subtropical climate and unspoilt beaches of Japans Yaeyama Islands. Stay at Shiraho Friends House (12 a night in shared gender-specific rooms). Almost every review of this hostel praises its owner, Hiro; he really is amazingly helpful without being overbearing. The island is great for swimming and leisurely walks along the palm groves. In the evening you can head to a bar, see night-blooming flowers, or go to a free viewing at the observatory. Isabella Dmochowska

Day trip from Tokyo

At the foot of 600-metre Mount Takao, a great day hike within the Tokyo city bounds, is the tucked-away Keio Takaosan Onsen. With a mix of indoor and outdoor (rotenburo) baths of various water temperatures, it is the perfect place to restore sore muscles, with all the vibe of a mountain ryokan (traditional inn) for a fraction of the price:6.70 for adults and no time limit. You just need to bring your own towel. The onsen is next to Takaosanguchi station on the Keio line. Sarah Liang

Campervan savings

You can save thousands of yen by hiring a campervan from japancampers.com. Its near Narita airport, and runs a pick-up service from Narita station, so you can be mobile within a few hours of arriving. The campers start at 6,000 a day (40), less than youd pay for a hotel room, and come with camping equipment. The staff are helpful, bilingual and just a phone call away if you run into difficulties. It is perfectly legal to sleep in your van anywhere you stop, giving you the freedom to roam around the worlds safest country, and the Japanese baths (sentos) are on hand for your daily scrub. Dom

All you can eat and drink, Tokyo

An izakaya in Tokyo. Photograph: Alamy

Instead of drinking in western-style bars, which can be very expensive, go to a typical izakaya such as Kin no Kura in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where Id suggest a nomihodai option all you can drink for a set time and set price. Pay around 17 for 2-3 hours of uninterrupted drinking! Order from a tablet on the table, and the server will announce briskly: Hai dozo! (Go ahead). Its a great, social place too ideal for playing card games. The range of drinks include beer on tap, highballs and sake. You can also get a tabehodai (all you can eat option in izakayas). 1-16-6 Kabukicho Darren

Excellent hostel, Tokyo

Kaisu Hostel

The Kaisu Hostel (6-13-5 Akasaka) in Minato is a short walk from Roppongi but quiet enough to have a good nights sleep in its shared rooms with pods. Its spotless like almost all Japanese hotels and serves great beer in the stylish bar area; and at around 20 a night it was great value. It has a female-only shared room too, with 10 pods. Its a short walk to an izakaya called Motsusen (lunch 3.40, dinner 19 and all-you-can-drink menu, 9-2 Kabutocho) where you can rub shoulders with salarymen and eat until you cant move. Ben

Bathtime, Tokyo

Photograph: Karen Kasmauski/Getty Images

I accidentally miscalculated how much cash to bring (my hotel gave price per night rather than the total of all three nights and I was careless in checking) and on my last day in Tokyo I was broke … I took myself to a sento for the afternoon for the equivalent of 3. I spent a couple of hours in there, sheltering from the 38C heat, getting clean after a sweaty day stomping the streets and having a cultural experience at the same time. It was one of the highlights of my Japan trip because, as well as being a sucker for a spa, it was great to feel SO comfortable strutting about naked because nobody bats an eyelid. Best three quid I ever spent. Gaby

Conveyor belt sushi chain

Photograph: Alamy

If you want to try conveyor belt sushi, Genki Sushi, with branches from Hokkaido down to Kyushu, is a great choice. Most of its dishes only cost 70p and you can order your food via multilingual touch screens. If youre with kids, they are going to love being able to order their own food, as well as the little robot trains that deliver your order to your seat. We visited the Shibuya branch in Tokyo and it was wonderful, but later on we saw the dinner queue stretching into the street, so best get there early. Bori Kiss

Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to find a range of fantastic trips

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. The links are powered by Skimlinks. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that Skimlinks cookies will be set. More information.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

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lifeisaboxofcereal · 8 years ago

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No clue who this is addressed to, nor what the purpose of this is/will be, but feeling exasperated that nothing helps me feel better, how about I give venting via writing a shot.

Here’s the deal. I’ve been involved with this guy for about 5+ years. Lets call him owl. Its the first thing I looked at in my apartment trying to come up with a code name instead of publishing this guys name who any of you reading most likely already know his name via any of my fb posts in the last 5 years. I met him my freshman year at UD. Ballroom dance team. To this day I dont even know if I can explain what drew me to him. He was cocky and confident, cheeky, and cute. He danced. He was a Marine. He seemed so out of my league as a dorky, naive, super awkward freshman that didn’t know anything about college culture. I learned quick that a few dates does not mean we’re dating, and that he was a man of many many ladies. I learned quick that he did not really take my feelings into consideration but I would put them aside and accept any interactions or affections that were given. We had a connection and I had fun with him. I just wanted to go with it.

I went with it for all four years of college. Always waiting for when he’d finally be ready to commit. Or see how much I do for him. How I’m always there, good times and bad. Even when he really really pisses me off. Waiting for him to see that I was his best friend the way I saw that he was mine. Waiting for him to stop messing up with me, appreciate me, cherish me, want to show me off.

I’m gonna be honest, that never came. Not in college. I didnt date anyone else. I didnt get involved with anyone else more than a few months, and those involvements were usually the product of me and owl being in one of our phases where we were on the outs and he was not talking to me. but once we were good again sure enough I’d lose interest in whoever it was that I was entertaining in that time. I regret a lot of that. Not giving others real chances, because they actually deserved them and wanted them.

But with him it was always like a game, like a chase, never ending, suspenseful, thrilling, exciting, passionate, never a boring moment. Always keeping me guessing. I hated it but I loved it. He didn’t respect me, and he didnt respect my feelings, but still I stuck around. It’s only now that I’m seeing that I had slowly been losing respect for myself, so what incentive would he have for respecting me when I was being a hypocrite? Our dynamic was one of push and pull. There were the times he’d pull me in and never want to let me go, and then without warning he would push me away and leave me feeling abandoned and confused as to what I did to deserve it.

He hurt me a lot. Never physically. Never. Never forced himself on me, I never once was physically scared of him. But emotionally. Every year there was at least one incident. One big fight that seemed like the be all end all. That would leave me in my dorm crying with my roommate wondering how he could be so cold and harsh towards me after everything I’ve done and everything we’ve shared. Always wishing that he would miss me and realize everything and change. It was a clear cycle, and I’m not stupid, I was very cognizant of it, but idk, i liked it and i was still waiting. What I had with him was so different and special I couldnt let it, or him, go.

Last year, October, we had a big falling out. That was really the be all end all. I knew because, and as stupid as this is or sounds, in all of our fights we had never unfriended each other on facebook or done something as extreme or defining as that. We always left doors open. But with this, he burned all bridges. He made a facebook status about me. He wanted all of my things out of his place. He 100% snapped. It was over, he broke things off and our 4 years of being together but not really together, was over.

I spent the next 5 months in therapy and trying to keep busy with friends and classes and trying to find myself again. So much of my identity was dependent on him and associated with him. All of my memories included him. Even dance reminded me of him. I was so lost. And missed him so much but had motivation to work on myself and for once be comfortable and happy with being on my own. I remember one particular session with my therapist in which she told me that if I still have hope that we will reconcile one day, I need to completely let go of what we had. Put it to rest, let it go, mourn it, and leave it in the past, because there was too much to be fixed and too much wreckage to salvage anything. That if we were to ever reconcile it would have to be a completely clean slate. Free of the past transgressions. So that night I blocked him. I blocked his number, his facebook. his snapchat, everything. It was hard and scary but I did it in hopes that thats what I needed to do even if temporarily and symbolically leave our 4 years together in the past.

2 days later was Valentines day. I was supposed to go to a devils game with a friend and she cancelled last minute because she was sick. I reached out to everyone in my phone to try to find someone to go with me because I did not want to spend valentines day in bed thinking about him and missing him. Nobody could come to the game. I was offered a shift at work and almost took it but someone hopped on it before I could. So i was left with chinese food and netflix. I let myself cry and be upset, and feel the hurt remembering our past valentines days together. And then my mom came to my room and let me know that jake was coming to the house. shit i said his name. whatever. she let me know that he asked permission to come and clear the air, and that he would be there in 40 minutes.

He was there in 30, and we sat down, with my best friend as a third party, and we talked for 5 hours. About everything. Anything. All the grievances we had with each other. What we realized. What we regretted. And he told me that he loved me. That he needs me in his life, and said all of the things that I had waited 4 years for. I kept thinking about how right my therapist was, about letting go and letting them come to you, about starting fresh, about leaving the past in the past.

The months that followed were the epitome of a honeymoon phase. My god. we were finally doing things right. He was showing me off, appreciating me, never wanted to let me go, it was everything. I dont think I’ve ever been so happy. We were so in love with each other, so excited, couldn’t wait more than 2 weeks to visit each other again. We moved in together. We made an apartment a home together. We started new jobs and set goals. We motivated each other, supported each other, and wholeheartedly loved each other. I finally felt like I was in a functional and healthy relationship. I felt so loved every single day and I finally understood what people meant about that unbelievable feeling of being in love with someone who was just as in love with you. We did and learned so much together. We had setbacks, and tiffs here and there, but we worked through each one.

Theres a lot in between then and now, but I don’t think it’s worth getting into or explaining. All I can say is that I don’t know how we went from that, to this. Not speaking. Not looking at each other. An apartment that was once so full of love and laughter now only has silence and tension.

He has problems. And to be honest. I’ve always known that but never wanted to accept it. I have problems too because I am very compliant. The relationship became emotionally abusive. I am mentally abused. And he has left me hating myself when I dont even know who I am. I don’t regret staying with him. I don’t regret getting back with him last year. I dont regret anything. All i’ve done is love and give as much as I possibly can. Im not angry. More than anything, i’m disappointed.

I thought he was it. Actually. I know he is. If he were to get the help that he needed. But in a normal relationship, when there is an issue, you don’t feel that your partner becomes a completely different person. That’s not normal. And right now, I don’t know who he is. For the past 2 weeks I have been wishing I could just snap him out of it. Grab him by the shoulders and shake him. Show him a photo of us and see him come back to me. I have written heartfelt letter after heartfelt letter. Debating giving one to him in hopes of softening him up and coming out of this haze of anger and hatred hes in right now. But thats not normal. I shouldnt have to snap him out of anything. I shouldnt have to wish he’d come back. I shouldnt have to plead and beg for him to remember our good times to soften up. None of it is normal. He dissociates. And when i look at his eyes hes not there. I know this sounds dramatic but it’s true. It’s scary, it’s hurtful, it worries me, but it’s true. He completely detaches, and it’s as though he never knew me. As though we never shared a single experience together. And nothing I do can bring him out of that place. As I write this, I feel like I’m writing or remembering someone that died. And thats because essentially, that is how I feel. the man i spent the past year with loving and learning and GROWING died. He’s gone and I dont know why or where he is. And i’m left with this fraction of myself that doesn’t know how to cope with any of it.

He’s not good for me. Its not worth it. I deserve better. I’m going to be so much happier without him. These are all words that an infinite number of friends or loved ones can say to me but the fucked up part of all of it is that I don’t want better, I want him. I know that I will never be able to fully let him go. It’ll never be fully over. And i will always love him. I care about him more than I care about myself. Which is a big part of the problem.

I don’t know where to go from here. Or how to cope. I don’t know what to do. All i know is that I miss him with every fiber of my being. I can’t open my phone gallery because the last photos I took were with him and I can’t look at them. I made a new facebook to run away from it all. Nothing I do makes me feel better. Friends. Work. Gym. Margaritas. Movies. Its all a distraction from missing the person who made me smile ear to ear every morning, and exhale peacefully every night. Even now as I write this, hes walking around the apartment and its as though Im a ghost. He doesnt see me. Acknowledge me. Notice me. And while I used to see him and feel overwhelming love, I now just feel hated. Complete hatred. As though I ruined his life, when all I ever tried to do was make his life better.

So friends, that is my story. I don’t know how it’ll end but I can tell you for sure that I will never be able to hate him or be angry with him. And I will always love him. What comes next for me, I have no idea. I thought writing all of this out would maybe help me have some sort of epiphany but no epiphany came.Sometimes I wish I could have my mind wiped clean of all of this so I wouldnt have to deal with this pain. But I cant. So this is going to suck. For a long while. I’m going to be upset for a long while. I hope at the end of this I can find myself and be a version of myself that has value and pride. I want to be the Bren that loves herself, respects herself, values herself, and is proud of herself. The bren that marched on washington for womens rights in the world needs to march for her rights in her life. More than anything though, I hope he finds himself. I hope he does what he needs to do. I only ever wanted him to be happy. Even if it was at my expense.

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thebunnyventures · 7 years ago

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Over a week later, and this adventure is coming to a close. If you want to check out the other installments of this series, you can check this post. We’re starting this off after lunch–with my stomach, heart, and soul being full with burger and fries. After we ate, we drove over to we went to Balboa Park, and this was where we spent much of our day. 😁

It was pretty overwhelming when we arrived. There are so many things to check out in the area that I think you could even spend two days and not have checked everything out. We didn’t want to spend a lot though, so we checked out the free attractions (which did mean not going inside some interesting places). 😞

The first thing I took a photo of was this vintage car that was just parked outside the San Diego Air & Space Museum. I’m a sucker for vintage things, and this beauty immediately caught my eye. 😍

In Balboa park there is this place called the International Cottages, and each one shows the culture of a different country around the world. We didn’t go to all the cottages, but we did go to the following: Germany, Philippines/France, England, and China. Each cottage is manned by natives of that particular country, and some offer local snacks or experiences (the Chinese cottage had someone doing calligraphy for people–it was really cool. 😲

After the cottages, we walked around until we encountered this museum–the Timken Museum of Art. It wasn’t too big a museum, but the photos below only represent a fraction of the pieces. As you can see, I gravitate toward the more scenic paintings, although all of them were quite beautiful. My phone memory was pretty small at the time so I had to be picky. 😅

After the museum, we went to this botanical garden, and I pretty much went wild. Throughout this trip, I’ve taken photographs of the different landscapes I’ve seen. Nature fascinates me, and this place made me so happy, I had to take a lot of pictures. I also saw a cute little bunny hopping about the plants and that added to my happiness. 😁

After that, we just ended up walking around the whole park. The weather was great, and the structures and foliage were beautiful. I’m not quite sure how much time we spent just walking around, but I took quite a number of pictures. These are what I saw there, and the black little bunny there was the little cutie that I got to cuddle for a bit for a polaroid shot. It was a really nice day. 😄

So that was the end of my touristy trip. The next day was spent with family at the mall, watching Beauty and the Beast, and at home just chilling and packing to go back to Illinois. I had an incredible time in California, and I’m definitely going to go back someday–maybe even stay for a while. It was great meeting up with family (some I’ve never met before, others I haven’t seen in years), and getting to explore a new place. 😄

That’s it for this trip, but not this photo journal. There’s one more post–the one where I show you my mementos of this trip. Thank you for sticking by me this far. My most sincere apologies for the sporadic posts in this series. 😞

’til next time,

🐰❤️

Cali galleries: Balboa park. Over a week later, and this adventure is coming to a close. If you want to check out the other installments of this series, you can check…

#Balboa Park #California #Gallery #San Diego #Travel #Trip #Vacation #Wanderlust

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gertrudejnieves · 4 years ago

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bizVideo Review + OTO Info + Bonus & My Honest Opinion

bizVideo Review –

The World’s First Business Video Production Marketing Tool To Harness The True Power Of Video Marketing

Introduction

Investing in video marketing?

Are you already using a tool to make your videos?

What do you do for videos like that?

Do you have more leads, opt-ins, subscribers and sales of your video campaigns than you can handle? If not, then with those videos you need to start creating successful campaigns.

Why not you invest all the time, energy and money on videos? Make them the stars of your campaigns on bizVideo so they can begin delivering the results you need to grow your business.

You made your videos, now it’s time to make your video marketing.

bizVideo Review – The Product Overview

Product Name bizVideo Product Creator Ajay Sagar Launch Date & Time [2020-Sep-16] @ 03:00 EDT Price $67 to $150 Bonus Yes, Good Bonuses Available Refund Period 30-Days Official Site https://bizapps4me.com/ Product Type Video Software Skill All Levels Recommended Highly Recommended

What Exactly Is bizVideo?

“BizVideo” is a groundbreaking platform that solves the real-world problems that video marketing is facing. You can convert T-Shirts, Jackets, Mugs and hundreds of promotional items into immersive video campaigns using bizVideo. For the first time, you can sell your online video campaign with offline items such as posters, mailers, jackets and coffee mugs.

Example: Recently, a vendor has sent me a very good promotional coffee mug. I took a video from their website, set up a campaign for them, and put the QR code campaign on their mug. Then I scanned the link to my mobile phone and watched the video campaign. I converted their static promotional item into a video campaign in less than 10 minutes.

The bizVideo campaign includes a video, promo text, call-to – action, sharing buttons, media picture, media text, your signature information, and a contact form. Depending on how many campaigns you buy, you can create and run those campaigns at the same time. However, there is no limit to the videos or any other element (up to your maximum storage capacity) of the campaign. Any part of the plan can be changed at any time and as many times as you want. The viewers are still going to see the new.

9.6 Total Score

Excellent Software!

Turn T-shirts, TV ads, blogs, email, texts, social media, brochures, web pages, mailers and more into interactive video campaigns. Use any video to capture and identify leads, build lists and close sales. bizVideo transforms videos into marketing. Simply insert your bizVideo QR code into your TV ad. Invite your audience to scan the code and they will see your bizVideo campaign. Your campaign video can be any length you want. You only pay for a 30 second spot and add your campaign video of any length.

QUALITY

9.5

FEATURES

9.5

EASY TO USE

9.6

WORTH FOR MONEY

9.6

RESPONSE TO CUSTOMERS

9.8

PROS

never seen before technology

24/7 email support

online help built in

video tutorials included

CONS

It is not a regular JvZoo type of product. It’s a premium one with subscription.

User Rating: Be the first one!

Features of bizVideo

[+] bizVideo’s Coherent Campaign Interface [+] Use any video (YouTube, pre-recorded, record on the fly from your cell phone) [+] Access video campaigns on any device (cell phone, laptop, desktop, tablet etc.) [+] Real time capture of contact data on screen [+] All campaign content is reusable – maintained in your bizVideo galleries [+] Link to order forms, store fronts or any web page for direct sales [+] Mobile ready – view campaigns on any device [+] Build entire campaigns from your cell [+] Your contact info automatically added to your campaign [+] Simple copy/paste social media posting [+] Unlimited concurrent videos – you can update as often as you like [+] Acquire viewers’ contact data at anytime, even while video is playing [+] Acquire names, email addresses, phone and inquiry of interested buyers [+] No links, no clicks, no distractions, your viewer stays focused [+] Track leads on your phone, tablet and laptop in real time [+] Automated List building for each campaign in real time [+] Automatic list segmentation [+] List is fully opted in [+] Call on the go feature makes your leads available on your cell phone (and other devices) in real time [+] One touch dialing or texting for following up [+] Quick response (in less than 1 minute) [+] Text messaging and text chat [+] One link and one QR Code. Print QR Codes on business cards and flyers and never need to reprint [+] Viewers will always see the latest content [+] Update any element of your campaign at any time [+] Linking of campaigns with your bizVideo partners (power team) [+] Embed a link to your promos, sales pages, landing pages, websites, events etc. [+] Built-in SEO with geo location [+] Built in share buttons for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter [+] Simple copy and paste social media posting and check mark under bizVideo [+] Actionable analytics, measure viewer engagement [+] Real time stats for views and leads easily viewed on dashboard [+] Built in CRM [+] Make notes as you talk to your clients and retrieve them later [+] Fully compatible with bizMail, bizMail+, bizLead, and bizEvent for marketing & events

About The Creators

Founded in Virginia, Pixl Inc. (dba bizApps) has a rich and diverse background in developing software and IT solutions. From multi-million dollar federal contracts to commercial services, bizApps has been providing customised solutions to businesses for over 25 years.

About five years ago, bizApps turned its attention to developing cloud-based marketing solutions. In 2017, bizApps introduced the first of its bizApps marketing tools line. The latest product to be rolled out, bizVideo, joins the line of integrated marketing products including bizMail, bizMail+, bizPage, bizClean, bizLead and more.

By 2020, bizApps will begin to roll out a full line of bizApps marketing tools across multiple affiliate networks and through direct sales to businesses.

bizVideo App Review – How Does It Work?

The strength of video is its potential to capture and hold the attention of peoples. But your video can not capture your email addresses or their names. For your bizVideo campaign, inviting your prospects to share their contact data and collecting that data is a job.

[+] CAPTURE PROSPECT CONTACT DATA

BizVideo aligns the invitation form to the video on the same screen. No need to connect to a different web page or screen. There are no links, there are no clicks to enter a question, or reply. You never risk not getting back to your campaign, and they never have to quit. Your viewers can share their contact details at any time, including during playing of your video.

[+] BUILT IN CRM

After they submit their contact data or query, the bizVideo built in CRM takes over. Every new lead is added to the “My Call List” BizVideo will automatically build your mailing list for you, and each lead will be selected for you. This means My Call List is ready to be used as My Email List.

You can access My Call List from a tablet , laptop or cell phone. Using bizVideo’s “Call On Go” features, you can send them a text message or give them a call. It’s all going to happen in real time so you can actually call them before they even finish watching your video.

Quick response is the key to opening a dialogue and establishing a relationship. In fact, you have a 400 percent better chance of qualifying for a lead if you contact them within five minutes. Speedy ‘s response is how you can nurture your leads and close more sales.

[+] EASY TO USE

It couldn’t be easier to launch your bizVideo campaign. You can record a video, build and launch your campaign using your phone. You can update your video at any time, in real time.

BizVideo is the first marketing tool to harness the true power of video marketing.

bizVideo campaigns are accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime on any device.

What bizVideo Can Do For You?

[+] Build your own campaigns to generate high-quality sales leads and grow your business. Each lead is your own, not shared or sold to four other people. Every lead is a motivated buyer. Every lead clearly wants and/or needs your product or service. These are the leads that you can convert to sales.

[+] Increase your direct sales by linking your order form or front-end store to your campaign. To get the order while they’re excited, please place your order form link right below your video. You make it easy for them to buy at their peak interest point.

[+] Make money to build bizVideo campaigns for clients. Companies spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to build video marketing campaigns with less than half of the bizVideo coverage. You can offer them more channels and add them to offline sources at a fraction of that cost. It’s a very profitable win.

[+] Too many videos are left to languish on a website with little or no traffic. Very little traffic means very few views, and that means very few results.

[+] Most small businesses are putting their new video in a single email blast. Small scale one and finished email marketing simply can not produce the views needed for a successful campaign.

[+] It’s common practise these days to post your new video on your Facebook page. But how many people are going to see it there? According to Facebook, the average account has only 338 followers. So, just posting your video on Facebook isn’t going to produce thousands of views.

[+] You need to talk about YouTube if you’re talking about video marketing. Everyone seems to be posting their videos on YouTube. But on average, most YouTube channels generate only 50-150 views per month. Even if all of those views were the same video, it’s not enough to build your business.

Who “bizVideo” is For?

BizVideo combines your campaign building platform with a multi-channel delivery and tracking system including data capture, CRM, and more (see table above). To build a product with all of the features and capabilities of bizVideo, you would need to hire a team of:

[+] Marketing product designers [+] Systems architects [+] Programmers [+] Testing engineers [+] UI designers [+] Wrap programmers [+] Procure development hardware systems [+] Procure platform hosting

and a lot more…

Top 8 Reasons Why You Need To Buy bizVideo

REASON #1: BIZVIDEO BRINGS MARKETING TO VIDEO

A lot of products are there to help you create your video. But when it is finished what do you do with your video? Video can’t market itself, after all. All those manufacturing products end where MARKETING begins video. The problem is your video is not being able to market itself magically. To get your video out there where people can see it you have to create a marketing campaign. BizVideo can put your campaign to millions of worldwide screens. Getting your video seen is your video marketing campaign’s first job Nothing gets more people viewing your video than bizVideo.

REASON #2: USE ANY VIDEO

Video can not grab anybody’s attention unless they watch. If there are no viewers, video can not drive traffic, or generate leads. Video is powerless when no-one ever sees it.

REASON #3: USE ALL OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Why limit your campaign to a single social media platform, if you can use all of them? Go ahead and post your campaigns on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram, LinkedIn, Snap, TikTok and more on bizVideo. BizVideo is an agnostic platform so your campaigns work on all social media platforms.

REASON #4: REACH OUT BEYOND THE VIRTUAL WORLD

We all live in the physical world but in the virtual world, we work and we play. So why not extend your video marketing to both? You can place your bizVideo campaign anywhere on the Internet, on any channel online. But then bizVideo bridges the gap and allows you to expand your physical world marketing. They can use physical collateral such as a brochure, sign or T shirt to access your campaign. No other marketing product, like bizVideo, can do this.

REASON #5: MAKE CHANGES ANY TIME

Imagine that, in your video campaign, you invite people to an event. You posted your campaign on Facebook, submitted your list by e-mail and put it on your website. But then something happens, and the event needs to be rescheduled to a different date. With the evergreen ties of bizVideo this is by no means a concern. You simply change the date in your post, update your campaign, and now everybody is seeing your content updated. They see the new date when they open the text, when they look at your facebook posting and when they click on the link in your website. You can alter any aspect of your campaign with bizVideo, and you never have to replicate or republish any links to campaigns.

REASON #6: CAPTURE VIEWERS’ CONTACT DATA

A video can’t collect the data from the audience by itself, but bizVideo can. It’s so quick and straight-in built. No special formatting or player media required. No special mobile Applications or Extensions. No links to other website. Capture is built right into any campaign on bizVideo.

REASON #7: GET HIGH QUALITY LEADS

Every lead from bizVideo is of high quality, chosen as lead. You know they saw your ad, and they were inspired to share their contact details with you. There are certain leads of the highest quality. There are leads you should convert from.

REASON #8: FOLLOW UP LEADS FAST

If you respond to the lead within one hour, your chance of turning a lead to a sale is seven times higher. * bizVideo makes it easy to response in seconds. Get them while hot.

bizVideo Review – The Pricing & Evaluation

bizVideo FE (Price $69.95 – $149.85)

[+] Additional 750 views** makes a total of 1000 views [+] Additional 1 campaign** makes a total of 2 campaigns [+] Additional 5 GB Storage** makes unlimited video gallery*** [+] unlimited media image gallery*** [+] unlimited promo text storage [+] unlimited social media postings [+] unlimited use of online and offline (QR Code) campaign links [+] store up to 250,000 opt in prospect records [+] unlimited campaign changes/updates [+] unlimited software (bizVideo) enhancements and updates [+] 1 campaign** [+] 500 views per month (1500 total)** [+] 5 GB storage** [+] Duration 3 month [+] Technical support [+] Online help and tutorials [+] *** subject to storage limits [+] a total of 10 GB storage

OTO #1: bizVideo Double Punch (Price $40)

Double Punch lets you run two campaigns instead of one at your Simple account. You can capture the opt-ins twice with two campaigns, and build your list twice as easy. But you won’t pay the price twice, because you get a 35 percent discount from Double Hit.

Also, Double Punch adds 750 more views, meaning 1,000 potential prospects will watch your video this month! Double Punch adds 5 GB of storage, so all the video, sales copy, links and media images you need can be stored easily.

[+] Additional 750 views** makes a total of 1000 views [+] Additional 1 campaign** makes a total of 2 campaigns [+] Additional 5 GB Storage** makes a total of 10 GB storage

OTO #2: bizVideo Delux (Price $20)

If you post your campaign on social media, add it to your website or blog page and email it to a few hundred people, you can surpass the 250 views in your Simple account. But the Deluxe OTO adds 500 more views to ensure you ‘re not losing a single lead or opting in. These additional views also indicate that 750 new prospects will watch your video campaign in the next 30 days. With Deluxe you get all this and still save 35 percent. Deluxe also doubles 5 GB of storage or additional memory. For just 20 dollars you can store loads of videos, more sales copies, more media images, and links.

OTO #3: bizVideo Triple Punch (Price $144)

Your bizVideo Advantage account supports a single initiative, kind of like a one-screen movie theatre. Triple Punch provides funding to two campaigns. Three promotions are going to deliver a lot of views and you don’t want to run out. But Triple Punch adds more than 2000 views. In twelve weeks, there could be 7500 new prospects watching your campaigns.

All those campaigns also need storage so Triple Punch adds another 5 GB of memory. Sufficient for you to store video hours, loads of photos and everything else you need for your campaigns on bizVideo. All that marketing power is well worth the standard $390 price. But you get all these extra’s for three months with Triple Hit, and pay only $195.

OTO #4: bizVideo Elite (Price $77)

If you are converting your Advantage account into an Elite Advantage account, you can run two campaigns at once. Two promotions can generate leads twice, and double your opt-in so you can close sales twice. Elite adds another 1000 views to your Advantage account, too. That means that in the next three months 4,500 new prospects will view your campaigns. All these bonuses to the campaign are well worth the standard price of $180. Yet you double your selling power with Elite with a 57 per cent discount.

Good & Bad

Good

Generate and identify highest quality leads and sell them to others

Capitalize on their peak interest and link to your web site

Use bizVideo to get new subscribers, they can subscribe right in your campaign

Design, build and run video marketing campaigns for marketing coaches, consultants and marketing agencies

Sell bizVideo to your customers

Maximum exposure delivers maximum results

More People See Your Campaign when it’s on More Channels and Sources

Bad

Subscription based product

Limited time special offer

bizVideo Review – My Opinion

Would you like to focus attention of your prospect on your video? Or do you think you’ll produce better results by tempting them with images of flying turtles, rainbow unicorns and the goods of your competitors?

If your viewers remain focused on your video, we believe you can get better marketing results. Thus they developed the Cohesive Campaign Interface of bizVideo to ensure that no other videos are in sight. Your audience remains focused on your message and the video.

Once your video captures their interest, you want to capitalise on that interest. In fact, their most important point of interest is when they watch your video. So the BizVideo Coherant Campaign Interface allows them to share their contact information, make a comment or submit a question at any time. Even while your video is still being played!

If your prospect has to link to another screen to access your contact form, it may never come back. Why do you take the risk? The bizVideo contact form is right on your video screen. They don’t have to click anywhere to share.

There are no taps, no links and no distractions available with bizVideo. Just your initiative on video and your invitation to share and ask. To optimise your response rate you capitalise on their peak point of interest.

That is how the real power of video marketing can be harnessed.

bizVideo Bonus From Vendor

BONUS #1: AUTOMATIC LIST BUILDING

Inputting prospect data manually is time consuming and prone to errors. You don’t want to risk it now, after all that work to get the lead. BizVideo adds each new lead to your list automatically. All the leads are chosen to make your list clean and ready for you to start building your business.

BONUS #2: AUTOMATIC LIST SEGMENTATION

BizVideo sorts new leads automatically by programme. This automated sorting enables the creation of campaigns that target particular segments of the audience. Marketing segmentation has been shown to increase ROI by 15 percent or more, and is incorporated into your bizVideo account.

BONUS #3: SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

Search Engines are automatically designed for bizVideo campaigns. Tags are built in for Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn as well as the geo position. Your SEO on video marketing is done for you. What you save more than pay for bizVideo in the SEO expenses.

BONUS #4: MY CALL LIST (CRM)

You can always keep on top of new leads with this Call List, which leads you to call back, what details they asked, which campaign captured their attention, review callback reminders and much more. Everything that you need to turn into customers and sales is new leads.

BONUS #5: CALL ON THE GO

As nobody responds in time *, up to 64 percent of all Internet leads are lost. That means you can boost your conversion rate by calling them or quickly sending them a text up to 64 per cent. My Call List contains all the information you need about your leads. Call On The Go makes a slice of cake to follow them up with. You can contact any lead, right from your phone, with Call On The Go.

BONUS #6: DIRECT SALES MADE SIMPLE

Direct sales can be only one click away using bizVideo. Insert your order form link into your campaign and start direct sales driving. Keep them focused, keep them involved and make buying simple just one click away with an order.

Special “bizVideo” Bonus From Me

How You Can Claim My Custom Bonuses?

STEP 1: “CLICK HERE” or click on any one of the buttons advertised on this page and it will take you to the official sales page.

STEP 2: Order the product from official website.

STEP 3: Send me you purchase receipt to below email id. You will get your bonuses within 24 hours.

([email protected])

In case if you see a message like below, check my name (Partha) and affiliate id (#764589) and approve the change.

from SPS Reviews https://spsreviews.com/bizvideo-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bizvideo-review from SPS Reviews https://spsreviews.tumblr.com/post/629425664363233280

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jerometbean · 4 years ago

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bizVideo Review + OTO Info + Bonus & My Honest Opinion

bizVideo Review –

The World’s First Business Video Production Marketing Tool To Harness The True Power Of Video Marketing

Introduction

Investing in video marketing?

Are you already using a tool to make your videos?

What do you do for videos like that?

Do you have more leads, opt-ins, subscribers and sales of your video campaigns than you can handle? If not, then with those videos you need to start creating successful campaigns.

Why not you invest all the time, energy and money on videos? Make them the stars of your campaigns on bizVideo so they can begin delivering the results you need to grow your business.

You made your videos, now it’s time to make your video marketing.

bizVideo Review – The Product Overview

Product NamebizVideoProduct CreatorAjay SagarLaunch Date & Time[2020-Sep-16] @ 03:00 EDTPrice$67 to $150BonusYes, Good Bonuses AvailableRefund Period30-DaysOfficial Sitehttps://bizapps4me.com/Product TypeVideo SoftwareSkillAll LevelsRecommendedHighly Recommended

What Exactly Is bizVideo?

9.6 Total Score

Excellent Software!

QUALITY

9.5

FEATURES

9.5

EASY TO USE

9.6

WORTH FOR MONEY

9.6

RESPONSE TO CUSTOMERS

9.8

PROS

never seen before technology

24/7 email support

online help built in

video tutorials included

CONS

It is not a regular JvZoo type of product. It's a premium one with subscription.

User Rating: Be the first one!

Features of bizVideo

About The Creators

By 2020, bizApps will begin to roll out a full line of bizApps marketing tools across multiple affiliate networks and through direct sales to businesses.

bizVideo App Review – How Does It Work?

[+] CAPTURE PROSPECT CONTACT DATA

[+] BUILT IN CRM

[+] EASY TO USE

It couldn’t be easier to launch your bizVideo campaign. You can record a video, build and launch your campaign using your phone. You can update your video at any time, in real time.

BizVideo is the first marketing tool to harness the true power of video marketing.

bizVideo campaigns are accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime on any device.

What bizVideo Can Do For You?

[+] Too many videos are left to languish on a website with little or no traffic. Very little traffic means very few views, and that means very few results.

[+] Most small businesses are putting their new video in a single email blast. Small scale one and finished email marketing simply can not produce the views needed for a successful campaign.

Who “bizVideo” is For?

and a lot more…

Top 8 Reasons Why You Need To Buy bizVideo

REASON #1: BIZVIDEO BRINGS MARKETING TO VIDEO

REASON #2: USE ANY VIDEO

Video can not grab anybody’s attention unless they watch. If there are no viewers, video can not drive traffic, or generate leads. Video is powerless when no-one ever sees it.

REASON #3: USE ALL OF SOCIAL MEDIA

REASON #4: REACH OUT BEYOND THE VIRTUAL WORLD

REASON #5: MAKE CHANGES ANY TIME

REASON #6: CAPTURE VIEWERS’ CONTACT DATA

REASON #7: GET HIGH QUALITY LEADS

REASON #8: FOLLOW UP LEADS FAST

If you respond to the lead within one hour, your chance of turning a lead to a sale is seven times higher. * bizVideo makes it easy to response in seconds. Get them while hot.

bizVideo Review – The Pricing & Evaluation

bizVideo FE (Price $69.95 – $149.85)

OTO #1: bizVideo Double Punch (Price $40)

[+] Additional 750 views** makes a total of 1000 views [+] Additional 1 campaign** makes a total of 2 campaigns [+] Additional 5 GB Storage** makes a total of 10 GB storage

OTO #2: bizVideo Delux (Price $20)

OTO #3: bizVideo Triple Punch (Price $144)

OTO #4: bizVideo Elite (Price $77)

Good & Bad

Good

Generate and identify highest quality leads and sell them to others

Capitalize on their peak interest and link to your web site

Use bizVideo to get new subscribers, they can subscribe right in your campaign

Design, build and run video marketing campaigns for marketing coaches, consultants and marketing agencies

Sell bizVideo to your customers

Maximum exposure delivers maximum results

More People See Your Campaign when it’s on More Channels and Sources

Bad

Subscription based product

Limited time special offer

bizVideo Review – My Opinion

That is how the real power of video marketing can be harnessed.

bizVideo Bonus From Vendor

BONUS #1: AUTOMATIC LIST BUILDING

BONUS #2: AUTOMATIC LIST SEGMENTATION

BONUS #3: SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

BONUS #4: MY CALL LIST (CRM)

BONUS #5: CALL ON THE GO

BONUS #6: DIRECT SALES MADE SIMPLE

Special “bizVideo” Bonus From Me

How You Can Claim My Custom Bonuses?

STEP 1: “CLICK HERE” or click on any one of the buttons advertised on this page and it will take you to the official sales page.

STEP 2: Order the product from official website.

STEP 3: Send me you purchase receipt to below email id. You will get your bonuses within 24 hours.

([email protected])

In case if you see a message like below, check my name (Partha) and affiliate id (#764589) and approve the change.

source https://spsreviews.com/bizvideo-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bizvideo-review from SPS Reviews https://spsreviewscom1.blogspot.com/2020/09/bizvideo-review-oto-info-bonus-my.html

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