#i think it is faster for me to scan through the transcripts but that is Not Fun so we'll see

[zombified-queer]

Season 4 is now COMPLETELY logged in my Hotelpod cw masterlist spreadsheet.

[secretsofthedarkestkind-arch]

Elena starter for @storieswrittcn​ (this may or may not have gotten away from me, Remember you said you like novella. I also took part of the ramble part one but altered it also)

We are outsiders Living inside a broken world We are outsiders And I know sometimes it can hurt But it gets better yeah we'll make it through We'll stay golden when we're black and blue We are outsiders But we're not hiding anymore This is who we really are

It had been fifteen years since she’d seen either of her brothers face to face. Fifteen years since Lee had spoken to the eldest. Fifteen years since she had thought of Mystic Falls, thought of all the ghosts that lurked within the town's shadows. Lee Salvatore had made it a habit to push anything regarding her brothers, that town, or their past to the deepest recesses of her mind. She had built life after life without them, embracing the warped gift of eternity. She hadn’t truly looked back after she’d transitioned. Finally able to become who she really was without the suffocating opinions of the church, her community, or her family.

It wasn’t an easy journey. Slow in it’s progression. Lee’s aunt had always told her she was a soul gifted before it’s proper time; her sexuality, the way she was born, her passion and skill when it came to art, her desire to see the world. None of it fit in the 1800’s. But as times changed pieces of Lee started to belong. Each change brought new opportunities, allowing Lee to start to put herself together. 

She was still an outsider, still judged--but what else would you expect living in a broken world? What didn’t fit into the neat little boxes of people’s minds, what didn’t fit the societal norm, was still given so much hate. The only difference was now there were those who fought for equality, unafraid to use their voices to promote change. Those people gave Lee hope, gave her strength. Finding those people throughout the last 145 years had shaped her.

Lee Salvatore was still an outsider, but she was also so much more. She was an artist, one with more alias’ than she could count on both hands. She was a college graduate, several degrees tucked away in a safe. She was a traveler, passports filled with stamps and a mind filled with memories she had never imagined to have. But most of all, Lee was finally able to look in the mirror and accept the person she saw; the youngest Salvatore was who she truly was. She held no more self hate. No more whispers of ghosts past haunted her. She was an outsider, but she wasn’t hiding who she really was anymore.

While Lee had taken the road of self discovery, her brothers’ hadn’t. They’d been living in a siblings quarrel, at least Damon was. Stefan suffered at every turn at their brothers hand whenever they fell into each other's orbit or Damon specifically sought him out. Lee was drugged into it whenever Damon crossed too many lines, risking their exposure to the world. 

Stefan had called her no more than seven hours ago asking for her help. There was a trail of bodies leading straight to town, ‘animal attacks’ that couldn’t be explained were catching the eye of news outlets. She hadn’t even known Stefan was back in Mystic Falls. When Lee asked him why he couldn’t just leave, he explained there was something holding him in Mystic Falls that didn’t allow him to--something that could finally give him a sense of belonging--and refused to believe the attacks were Damon. All he wanted was for Lee to be there with him, help keep the spotlight off their kind. The vampire might loathe her brothers, wanting nothing more for them to be miserable, but she wasn’t going to allow Damon to out them. 

Which is why Lee was driving down the main strip on her motorcycle. The town was busy; teens scattered across the storefronts trying to enjoy their last hours of summer vacation. She came to a stop at one of the only stoplights in town, rolling her shoulders dreading whatever was to come when she reached the boarding house. The youngest Salvatore felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand, a shiver going down her spine, every nerve ending coming to life in a way she hadn’t experienced in years. Lee let her head turn to the right, following the pull of whatever was happening.

‘What…” The lithe form of a brunette teen who was walking beside another girl was at the center of her focus. “Turn around.” Lee knew the brunette couldn’t hear her words. Her plea was answered as she turned, eyes almost searching. Those eyes, that’s what did it. “Who are you?” A horn from behind her snapped Lee out of her trance, for a nanosecond the two locked eyes. The vampire’s eyes hidden behind her aviators. The next Lee was pulling off, possibly faster than she should have been. Now she had the true answer of why Stefan refused to leave. 

----

Lee placed a few notebooks, her sketchbook, and a few pens into her satchel--the one she’d had since she was a teen; a gift from her aunt she’d never been able to part with. She glanced up at the ceiling hearing Stefan’s footsteps on the roof. A sigh left her lips, why had she agreed to this? She was roughly 160 years old and able to enroll herself in a Small Town America High School. It was ridiculous; a complete stalker move. There had to be other ways for Stefan to get to know this girl, if that’s even what he was truly hoping to do. For how Stef had explained the situation, Lee could tell he was only doing this because of Katherine.

Subconsciously her thumb started to play with the band of her daylight ring. She was thankful for the chance of life Katherine Pierce had given her but there was so much Lee wished was different. Shaking her head to break out of her thoughts she moved toward her closet to get dressed. Lee scanned through her options, To be me or be who society thinks I should be? It was a debate she hadn’t had in a long time. To make this work she couldn’t disturb the waters between her and her brothers too much. A short laugh left her lips, that was a joke. The three couldn’t be in the same room without starting something. As it was right now, it was just two of them. With that thought in mind Lee grabbed an outfit that would be her. 

Guys white wash skinny jeans that weren’t too tight to show her tuck, a grey and white hooded baseball tee that had a pocket on the left chest, her grey vans, and her black leather jacket she’s had since the 90’s. She finished the look with a black watch. One more look in the mirror and she was pocketing her phone with one hand and slipped her satchel over her shoulder with the other.

She knew Stefan would already be off. His stalker-like tendencies being on overdrive since the ‘animal attack’ last night after Lee had arrived. She ignored Zack who was in his office and headed to the garage, she wasn’t going to run to the school. There wasn’t anything wrong with arriving in style.

-------

Stefan met her in the parking lot. Lee took her helmet off and ran her fingers through her hair, glancing at her brother, her own sunglasses covering her eyes. “Why do you always insist on dressing like that?” He asked, judgement clear in his voice. 

“This is me Stefan. You know that. Let it go. You asked for my help so take me as I am or I get on this bike and leave.” She told him. Lee wasn’t going to put up with his judgement. The world had given her enough of that. Plus her brother had already had his fair share of giving her judgement when they were younger. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Lee stated, “This is definitely traveling into creeper status.” Stefan didn’t answer, just turned to walk through the crowd of students covering the lawn reconnecting after a summer away. She moved into step beside him, she knew they stood out; leather jackets, both well built and confident in their strides, the aurora of not giving a fuck rolling off them both. 

They finally found their way to the admissions office, standing shoulder to shoulder. Stefan handed over the file that was supposed to hold all they needed but Lee knew was missing more than a few things. She wondered which of the two would compel the woman. Stefan could but where all he drank was Bambi and Co blood who knew how long it would last. Lee sighs, she’s ready to make the move when something behind them stops her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, her nerves firing up again, and she felt that pull to turn around. She also could feel a warm buzz in the air, a witch.

“Hold up. Who’s this?” The first female says, the witch.

The secretary’s voice brings her back to what’s in front of her, saying exactly what she knew was coming. “Your records are incomplete. You’re both missing immunization records and we do insist on transcripts.” Lee glances at Stefan out of the corner of her eye. The last transcripts she had were college one's back in the 1980’s. She hadn’t done high school since the late 70’s and that was only to get into Yale. Their art programs the top in the country. 

Thoughts of the past make her miss her chance, Stefan is taking his sunglasses off, “Please look again,” Lee adjusts her satchel hoping Stefan can do this right. “I’m sure everything you need for both of us is there.” Lee chews the inside of her lower lip, her free hand moving to remove her sunglasses just in case. 

The secretary looks back down, “Well you’re right.” Lee tucks her sunglasses into the collar of her shirt as the woman looks back up at her brother. “So it is.” Stefan-1, Humanity-0.

“Thank you,” Stefan, ever the polite one, says. As they turn to go, Lee glances over at her brother’s schedule. Seems they have all but one class together--Lee has art and Stefan a creative writing course. That works.

“You’re welcome,’ The secretary says, her eyes landing on the two teens in the hall. “Ahh! Miss Bennett, Miss Gilbert I’m glad you’re here. Do you think you could show our two newest students around?” She stands up from behind her desk to walk around to the siblings. “This is Lee and Stefan Salvatore. I think they both have a few classes with you both.” Lee takes in who she now know as a Bennett witch, why the magic felt warm. She gives the teen a charming smile before the pull is to much, her head being forced to turn to the brunette beside her. The vampire takes her in, all she can see is someone new. Lee doesn’t see Katherine when she looks at her. “Hi,” The charming smile turning into a much softer one. “I’m Lee.” She offers her hand to the girl.

[loving-daisy]

Cry For Me | George Weasley x Reader

Masterlist | Cry For Me Masterlist 

Chapter 2 - Love or Hatred 

Words: 5.3k

Warnings: fighting, arguments, scheming, angst   

____________________

You don’t know me 

Oh great George muttered sarcastically, to no one in particular, standing up from he and Fred’s potions table to sit next to his partner but not before shoving Fred for poking his sides to tease him.

“Have fun, Georgie~!” Fred sang, earning a glare from the younger twin. As George made his place next to the Slytherin that managed to bother him every single day, he huffed. 

“Hey, Georgie, what’s up?” Y/N asked, an amusing smile plastered around her face. “The sky.” He answered, causing Icestone to feign a quiet laugh. “Well, you aren’t wrong.” 

There was a moment of silence between the partners as Snape went on with his class, muttering about what to do and what not to do. For the first time since forever, the tall ginger actually paid attention. His eyes looking at nothing but his parchment, a hand on his quill as he messily tried to write a transcript of what the potions master was blabbering. The faster we finish this potion, the faster I can get away from Icestone He thought.

After what seemed like an eternity, George stood up from his seat to gather the ingredients, leaving his partner to set up the cauldron. 

There was a bit of awkward silence between the Gryffindor and the Slytherin, too focused on working with the potion, until Y/N decided to break it. 

“I heard next week’s match would be Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Ready to lose Weasley?” She teasingly said, earning a grunt from George. 

The boy laid the Chinese Chomping Cabbage on their shared desk, an ingredient of the Skele-Gro potion, in preparation for the mentioned school game. “Lose? Even if Gryffindor loses, we all know that it would be because of Slytherin’s foul play and not our lack of skills, thank you very much.” 

Y/N raised her brows, going up in her tiptoes to reach the ginger’s ears. “I must admit you’re right though. No one can play quidditch like you.” She whispered, making the Gryffindor flustered. 

“Quit it, will you?” He deadpanned, earning wide doe eyes from the Slytherin who feigned an innocent look. “Quit what?” She asked.

George sighed, his hands resting on his hips as he turned to face the girl. “Why are you always flirting with me? Trust me, Icestone. You’re a pretty witch but I don’t see myself having a relationship with a Slytherin.” 

Silence fell over the pair’s shared potions table. There Y/N Icestone stood. Speechless, frozen, and in disbelief. The ginger took a notice in this, observing the Slytherin before coming into a reasonable conclusion. “Don’t tell me --” 

“You must be sick in the head if you think that I fancy you, Weasley.” Icestone cut off, finally giving her attention back into the cauldron sat in front of her, keeping herself busy in an attempt to brush the topic off. 

George crossed his arms. “Then why are you flirting with me? You don’t do that to Fred. You don’t do that with other guys!” 

Y/N shrugged.

____________________

The day went by nonchalantly with Y/N Icestone, the Weasley twins, and the rest of the students of the wizarding school going through their own agenda. The Weasley twins being unusually M.I.A which only means that they were planning their next mischief or they were busy practicing for the upcoming quidditch game. Most likely the latter one. Due to this, it was not until supper time at the great hall when Y/N saw the Gryffindor gingers again. 

“Hey George. Hey Fred.” Y/N said, looking at George and Fred respectively, squishing in between the twins as they made their way to the great hall.

“He’s not George, I am!” Fred exclaimed, his arms crossing causing Y/N to raise her brows, stepping closer to Fred as she had one hand around the older twin’s arm, threatening to pinch his freckled skin. 

“You can’t fool me, Weasley.” 

“But I am Fred...” George muttered, Y/N giving her signature ice cold stare towards the twins, causing them to whimper. 

“Alright, alright, I am Fred.” Fred finally says, shivers in his spine from the look the Slytherin just gave them. “You are one scary woman.” Y/N smiled innocently. 

“How do you manage to tell us apart?” George asked. “Even our own mother gets us confused.” Fred continued, both tilting their heads as a sign of confusion. 

“I just do.” She said, shrugging as if it was nothing. 

“Come on, tell us! We’re really curious, Icestone! How do you manage to do it?” George asked.

The Slytherin looked up at the younger twin, “You…” she began, raising her hand to poke the little mole residing in his neck. “...have a mole right here.” She said, causing the twin to blush. 

“But how do you manage to spot that so far away?” The older twin chimed. 

“George is a bit taller than you.” She answered the older twin. “And you happen to be more annoying. That’s why I like Georgie more.” She teasingly said, nudging the still blushing ginger at the side. 

Fred raised his brows. “Be honest Icestone, have you developed a liking for my twin? How could you! I reckon I’m the more good looking twin. You must be blind, woman!” Y/N just shrugged, a small smile on her face as she teased the twins. 

As they turned to the next hall, Icestone spotted her friend, forcing her to announce her departure. “I’ll see you tomorrow at Snape’s, Weasleys! At the match on Saturday, too!” She said before running off to Daphne Greengrass.

The notorious twins stop in their tracks, two pairs of eyes staring at the Slytherin queen who locked her arms with her friend, whispering little nothings and giving one short glance to the twins, before heading to the great hall for lunch. 

“I think I’m starting to like her, George.” The older twin stated. 

“Agree. She’s not like the other Slytherins.” 

____________________ 

The following day, as Fred and George stride the halls after finishing their Divination class, they were arguing about which twin is the better Quidditch player as their conversation started off with the upcoming match of their team versus the house of snakes. 

“George, how can YOU be the better player? I am the more good looking twin which makes ME that better player.” Fred insisted, his arms crossing against his chest as he huffed. George shook his head, his hands placing itself on his hips as he looked at his twin unamusingly. “And how does looks define how good you play quidditch?” He opposed. 

Fred raised his brows as he faced his twin. “So you agree?” 

“Agree to what?” The younger twin asked. 

“That I’m the more good looking twin?” 

“Fred —“ Before George was able to give his counter attack, he was cut off by his twin who scanned his eyes from corner to corner as if he was searching for something. 

“Hold that thought, George. Do you hear that?” Said the older twin. 

The ginger towers stopped in their tracks before looking at each other, having their non-verbal twin communication before running off to the sound of crying first years. 

As they turned into the next corner, the twins were surprised, hurt, and outraged to see Y/N Icestone standing in front of a group of Hufflepuff first years, arms crossed as her eyes sent sharp icy daggers. 

With George being a bit taller than his twin, he was able to be the faster one who stood before the Slytherin, blocking the crying Hufflepuffs away from her sight. 

“Icestone?! What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” George bellows, his eyebrows meeting at the middle of his forehead, a rather disappointed and enraged look on his face. 

The icy daggers Y/N was sending beforehand was shot towards the younger twin. Unfazed by the tone and having no energy to defend or even explain herself as she herself was burning with fury. 

“Answer me.” George orders, earning a snap from the Slytherin. 

“You do not tell me what to do, Weasley.” Y/N sternly said, her teeth gritted and her fists clenching. 

George was even more wrathful but decided to end their verbal quarrel as his eyes caught the sight of the familiar Transfiguration professor. 

“Fine. Then shove off, Icestone. Mind your own business instead of harming the poor first years.” 

Turning her heels away from the infuriated ginger, Y/N Icestone walked away, not sparing another glance towards the twins. 

George turned towards the Hufflepuffs who were now smiling brightly as the older twin made a series of funny faces towards them. George’s anger was melting down. 

“You guys alright? I’m sorry about the Slytherins. They never change. Always bullying the poor 1st years…” George started. 

“Just ignore them.” Fred insisted towards the group before standing up and fishing assorted sweets from his robes. “Cheer up, okay? Here, take this.” He said, offering the goods as it laid on his palm and the red nosed Hufflepuffs gladly taking it from him before uttering a small “Thank you” and making their way back to their house common room. 

George sighed. “You okay, mate?” Fred asked, his arm going around his twin’s shoulders. George sighed once again. “Slytherins are all the same.” 

____________________ 

After Icestone’s encounter with the twins at the hallway, she stormed off to the fields to get some peace and quiet. She figured that retrieving back to the Slytherin dungeons would be rather a hassle for her as her fairy or Lixie or even Daphne if she wasn’t so busy snogging off, would question her foul mood. Going to the library wouldn’t be an option as a lot of students spend their free time there. She would just be followed by their attention. 

Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck, she sat at the cold ground, her fiery thoughts being cooled down, frozen, and evaporating into gas, leaving her as the wind blew. 

“Surprised seeing you here.” Y/N heard a familiar voice. Quickly turning her head, she was even more surprised to see Lixie standing on its four paws behind her, a dead bird in front of him. 

“Gone hunting again, I see? Another peace offering for me. What did you do this time?” She questioned, ready to scold her cat for whatever trouble he did this time. Cats have a tendency to show their love by hunting rather intricate objects to offer to their owner. Lixie only does this when he does something unfavorable for the Slytherin. 

“This?” Lixie said, looking down at the dead crow, rolling it like a pizza dough using his right paw. “This isn’t for you.” 

“Who is it for then?” 

The blue eyed cat looked towards his side making Y/N’s follow through the direction. Leaned against the big stone, a small girl sits, her uniform stating that she was a Gryffindor. Y/N scrunched her nose, turning back to her cat with an eyebrow raised. 

“And who is that supposed to be?” 

“My friend.” He stated before picking up the black crow with his mouth and running off to the girl. The Slytherin contemplated whether or not to follow thinking that she had to deal with another student younger than her. Not to mention someone from Gryffindor. Gryffindors and Slytherins don’t really get along. Everyone knew that. 

Observing her pet, she quietly stood at the fields, watching the girl pat Lixie’s head softly and Lixie opening his mouth to talk. With curiosity getting the best of her, she looked at the encounter from a different angle, noticing the non-stop tears from the Gryffindor girl. 

Icestone felt her heart burn. Not again she thought. 

Marching towards the pair, she sat beside the Gryffindor. Purposely looking ahead to be not recognized. 

“Life hasn’t been good lately, huh? That’s just the way life is.” She began. “You’ll get through.” 

When she didn’t get a reply, she turned to face the girl, who she noticed was giving her a look of sadness. Her eyes matching her red hair that also matches her cheeks which Y/N assumes was from the cold air. 

“I’m sorry for intruding, dear. It’s just that I saw Lixie over here and I saw you.” 

Silence. 

Y/N sighed, feeling the need to explain her intentions further. “I guess we have our similarities. I also came here to be alone but I figured being alone in the cold isn’t really that healthy so I came to you. You shouldn’t be alone. So I’m here for you.” 

“You know Lixie?” The girl asked, her voice hoarse from all the crying. The first word she uttered ever since the Slytherin came. 

Y/N flashed a small smile, giving a small nod. “I do. He’s my cat.” She said, earning a shocked look from the girl. 

“Wow...my apologies for being rude. I didn’t know Lixie was yours. I mean, all that was written in his collar was his name and a little snowflake. By the way, my name is Ginny.” The Gryffindor said, her mind being distracted by what caused her gloominess as her eyes showed more liveliness, raising her hand to offer a handshake towards the 5th year. 

The Slytherin’s smile grew wider, amused by the red head for comfortably conversing with her. “Nice to meet you, Ginny. I’m Y/N.” She stated, shaking Ginny’s hand. 

With the mention of the familiar name, Ginny’s eyes grew wide. “Y/N Icestone?” She chimed, earning a raised brow from Y/N. 

“You know me?” She questioned. 

Ginny enthusiastically nodded her head, her serotonin going up as she talked to the famous Slytherin queen, causing confusion towards the mentioned 5th year. “I do. You’re always the talk on the hallways, including my brothers of course.” 

If Y/N was being honest, she was surprised by Ginny. First of all, not being able to recognize her through one look? Icestone could understand that as they are from different houses afterall and the girl must have a lot of thought as she encountered her bawling her eyes out but finally realizing that she was Y/N Icestone and not being scared of her? That’s rare. That made Y/N favor Ginny. 

“Brothers?” She asked, confusion even more evident in her mind. 

With Ginny noticing the questioning look plastered around the Slytherin’s face, she realized that the 5th year failed to recognize which family she came from. “Oh yeah my name is Ginny Weasley. I’m the sister of Fred and George. And Ron and Percy. Bill and Charlie as well.” She said. 

“Wow...you have a big family.” Y/N stated, shocked from the amount of people under the Weasley family but even more shocked that she met the twin’s little sister who was nothing like them or Ron. 

The Gryffindor shrugged. “Do you have siblings?”

The small smile Y/N gave Ginny was being offered again, shaking her head before saying “I don’t.” 

“That’s nice…” The red head muttered. 

“But it’s okay. At least I have Lixie.” Y/N stated, scratching Lixie’s head before fetching something from her pockets. 

Turning to Ginny, she offered her hand, a small bracelet with a single snowflake charm dangling from it. “Here.”

Ginny looked up at the 5th year, curiosity in her eyes. “What’s this?” She asked, earning a small chuckle from the Slytherin. “It’s a bracelet obviously.”

Ginny sheepishly smiled. “I knew that. But why are you giving it to me?” 

Y/N took a hold of the said bracelet in her hand, the other fetching Ginny’s hand before clasping the bracelet around the red head’s wrist. “This bracelet lets you talk to Lixie over here. When he says something, you’ll be able to understand him. He likes you. You can play with him.” 

Ginny took a look at her wrist. The elegant silver band sitting perfectly on her skin causing a bright smile to sit on her face. Once again, she looked up at the 5th year. “Really?”

Y/N nodded, her smile matching the red head’s. “Really.” 

____________________ 

Y/N hastily grabbed the ingredients from George’s hands as he seemed disoriented on what to place in the cauldron next. Y/N looked at the Gryffindor, a concerned look on her face. “You okay?” She asked. 

The ginger Gryffindor was surprised to see Icestone talking to him like they didn’t have a messy encounter yesterday. After the twins caught Y/N with the crying Hufflepuffs, George was simply just lost in thought. Never did he hear or caught the Slytherin girl moving like her other awful housemates to the extent of bullying poor first years.

He knew the Slytherin queen moved like a cat. Quiet and swift. Not too showy. That’s also the reason why he wasn’t aware of her existence until that incident in McGonagall’s class. So he had his doubts. Was Icestone really different like he thought she was or was she just the same?

George slowly shook his head, his train of thought departing before giving a small smile towards the Slytherin. “I’m fine. Just nervous for the match on Saturday. I’m sorry I got distracted. I haven’t really been listening to what Snape was saying earlier so--” He rambled, getting cut off by Y/N. “That’s fine, George. I can help you.” 

“Icestone...about yesterday…”

“Hush now, George. We don’t want Snape to put us in detention now don’t we?” 

“You know, for a Slytherin, you’re pretty nice towards me.” The ginger stated, causing Y/N to look up at him.

“Is that so? And what makes you think that way, Weasley?” She asked, raising a brow. George shrugged. 

“I mean, compared to other Slytherins, you’re tolerable. I lashed out at you yesterday but it seems like you’re completely fine. You don’t hold grudges. Even if me and Fred accidentally pranked you, you weren’t as furious as we thought you would be. In fact, you just turned us into cats and acted like nothing happened.” The ginger explained. 

Y/N turned her attention away from the potion that they were cooking, a shocked expression around her face as she looked up at the Gryffindor. “Accidentally pranked? You mean to say that wasn’t supposed to be for me?! Then why was it lying on my desk?”

George smiled sheepishly, fidgeting his fingers as he leaned down to whisper. “We thought that was Malfoy’s desk.” 

Y/N smirked, her eyebrows raising as an expression of amusement towards the Weasley twins. “You planned to prank Malfoy? Bloody brilliant you twins are. That would have been hilarious!” 

George froze, confusion flooding his mind as he looked at the Slytherin in disbelief. “You’re not furious that we planned on pranking Malfoy?” He asked, earning a shrug from Y/N. 

“Why would I be? It’s not like we’re close or something.” She deadpanned. 

“I mean, you are the Slytherin queen afterall. You wouldn’t be mad if your subject gets teased on? Not to mention how Malfoy is literally your prince.” 

Y/N scoffed. “Prince? Prince of annoyingness, prince of being a pain in the bum, or prince of being a whiny bloke? I tell you! He may get the title of the Slytherin prince but he definitely has no chance with me. Besides, haven’t I told you before? Those are just titles. None of it really matters to me. I must say, it is helpful sometimes though. You get the people’s respect for you.” She began. 

“Nonetheless, just make sure you don’t hurt innocent Slytherins, Weasley or else I’ll have no mercy on you.” Y/N continued, a threatening tone in her voice as she sent pointed a finger towards the ginger. 

George felt a shiver down his spine, scared by the tone used by the Slytherin at her last sentence. 

“Yes, ma’am” He muttered before silence enveloped the pair’s table as Snape examined their shared cauldron. 

Once the potions master dismissed the class, the students were quick to pack their belongings, refusing to stay a second longer in the dark classroom. Before the Slytherin queen left, she patted George’s shoulder, causing him to face her. 

“See you later, George. I’ll see you at the match on Saturday, right?” Y/N asked, her innocent eyes looking up the tall ginger’s. George nodded, a small smile plastered on his lips. 

Before he was able to speak, Y/N went on her tiptoes and kissed him on his cheeks, whispering a small “for good luck” before turning her heels to head to the dungeons, leaving George a blushing mess. 

____________________ 

Saturday came with the Slytherin and Gryffindor team, along with a few students, sitting at the great hall for breakfast which was earlier than usual given that the match between the house rivals is about to take place. A few chit chatters and the sound of clanking silverware was the only thing to be heard until the infamous Slytherin prince opened his mouth to spat on the opposing team. 

“Hey Gryffindors, don’t want to eat too much ey? Don’t want you puking on the field when they announce Slytherin as the winner.” Draco Malfoy snarled, annoying most of the Gryffindor quidditch team and earning a laugh from his own. 

“Maybe if you lessened the gel on your hair, you would actually bring a contribution to your team.” Fred clapped back, making Draco scowl. 

Just as he was about to stand up from his seat, a noise came from the doors of the great hall, turning everyone’s attention towards it. 

There Y/N Icestone stood, residing in an emerald colored coat and a white scarf, with a Siamese cat dressed in a little white sweater in her arms.

As she made her way towards the Slytherin table, all eyes were on her, watching as she entered the hall, striding as if it was her runway. Noticing this, she gave the prying eyes her famous icy look, pushing away the attention off her. As she sat across Daphne Greengrass, Lixie sat on top of the table, his blue eyes sparkling upon seeing the feast laid out in front of him. 

With the silence looming around the hall, Malfoy continued his attempt of bullying their quidditch rival. “Scared, Potter? You better watch out because I will be the one who’s gonna bring home the snitch. I--” Draco was unable to continue as a green apple was shoved in his mouth. Y/N Icestone had her wand up, pointed towards him. She was more irritated than ever. 

“Malfoy, do you ever shut up? Don’t you think it's too early for you to be behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons? Eat your breakfast, will you?” She sternly said, her arms descending as she kept her wand in her coat, finally sipping her morning herbal tea but not noticing the look the twins from the Gryffindor house was giving her. 

“Bloody hell, mate. She’s even scarier in the morning.” Fred whispered to his twin, who had a rather amused look on his face.  

____________________ 

The quidditch field slowly became full as students of Hogwarts from different houses took their place on the stands to watch the rivalry unfold. 

As both teams stood in their starting positions, George looked up the stands, smiling wide as he scanned the Gryffindors who came to support their house, cheering on his team. Looking over to the Hufflepuffs, he spotted some of his friends who were always excited whenever he and his twin managed to pull another successful prank. Moving his eyes towards the Ravenclaws, he saw how most were actually waiting for the game to start instead of catching up on a book like they usually do when their house was not playing.

Finally setting his eyes towards the Slytherins, the house had an expression of confidence, strongly believing that Gryffindor team was no match for theirs. Finding the familiar icy eyes, he spotted her sitting in the first row. Daphne Greengrass and another girl from the Slytherin house on her sides and a cat on her lap. 

As the Slytherin queen reciprocated the look the ginger was giving to her, she raised a brow, making the Gryffindor beater smile even wider. Raising her hand, she gave a small wave before discreetly mouthing “good luck”. 

____________________ 

“Angelina, watch out!” Fred called, concerned as a Slytherin player came to shove the Gryffindor chaser, disrupting the team to widen their score against the opposing team. 

Most of the Gryffindor players were starting to get enraged. The Slytherin team has been disrupting their play one after the other without the authorities calling it as foul play when it clearly was. Every time a Gryffindor chaser would score the quaffle through the hoops, a Slytherin chaser would come shoving, sometimes kicking their brooms to make them lose their balance and take a hold of the said ball. The Slytherin beaters would purposely hit the bludgers roughly, once hitting their captain, Oliver Wood in the head, making him fall off and make the Gryffindor hoops unattended for the opposing team to score. 

“Harry Potter flies through the stands in an attempt to catch the golden snitch. Will he be able to? Will Gryffindor win against the Slytherin today?!” Lee Jordan announces, being the commentator for quidditch games. 

The rest of the Gryffindor team gave their effort to do defense against the opposition of the Slytherin team as they managed to get ahead of Gryffindor's points.  

“The Slytherin seeker Draco Malfoy catches up to Harry, reaches his hands, and catches the snitch! Draco Malfoy catches the golden snitch! Slytherin wins!” Lee announces, the field erupting into cheers and shouts in different contexts. 

The teams descend down from their brooms, the Slytherin team having an annoying smirk on their faces, high fiving each other before their captain, Marcus Flint, faces the Gryffindors, the look plastered on his face not faltering.

“Good game, Gryffs.” He said, laying his hand out for a hand shake but no one accepted. “Good game?!” Fred asked in disbelief. “You cheated!” 

Flint raised both his arms in a defensive state. “Woah. Woah. Calm down Gryffs. In no way did we cheat. No need to blame your loss against ours. You should have trained your seeker better then. Good job, Malfoy.” He claimed, praising their Slytherin seeker who held out the golden snitch in a boasting manner, before retrieving back to their tent. 

George, enraged from Slytherin’s foul play, looked up the stands, seeing a crossed armed Y/N Icestone, a similar annoying smirk plastered around her face, making him even more furious.

“Icestone.”  

____________________ 

“Marcus Flint.” Y/N called, breaking the little bubble her house quidditch team was in, as she entered the team’s tent. With the captain facing towards her, the team halts their celebration as tension builds up in the atmosphere due to the seriousness in Icestone’s voice. 

Standing in front of the sweaty team, she sent a glare towards the captain before looking at each player, one by one. 

“Slytherins. I see that you’re celebrating your win against Gryffindor.” She stated, a disappointed smirk plastered on her face. 

“Yeah, did you see how Draco caught the snitch? Potter really had nothing against him.” Flint snickered, patting the young boy at the back. 

Y/N gave them a small and single nod. “Sure, you won. But do you think it’s a victorious one? Something that would bring you glory?” She scolded. 

“I thought we talked about having a fair play? Do you want me to strip off your captain title, Flint? I could easily owl my father right this instant. It would --” 

“No, no! I’m so sorry Icestone. I promise to not do it again! I’ll train my team even harder!” Flint cut off, scared of the Slytherin standing in front of him. Y/N gave a stern look towards the Slytherin team, silently threatening them as a warning to be ready for the consequences of another attempt of foul play. 

That didn't work for Malfoy, though, as the platinum blonde boy scoffed. “Wait until my father--” Before he was able to continue, the girl cut him off. “Wait until my father hears about this.” Y/N mocked. 

“What is he gonna do about it, huh? Your father has no power against mine. Remember that.” She stated, her voice full of venom. Finally turning her heels and making her way back to the comfort of her room but not before Lixie sending the team a small hiss causing them to jump. 

____________________ 

Y/N stride the halls of the wizarding school, cat in her arms, gently stroking Lixie’s head as she makes her way to find a certain Gryffindor ginger. 

Turning to the next corner, she was met by unwelcoming looks from the furious redhead twins, one of them being the certain ginger that she was looking for. Opening her mouth to speak, she was immediately cut off. 

“That was all part of your plan now, wasn’t it ice queen?” George mocked, an angry tone in his voice. Y/N kept her blank expression, continuously patting her cat’s head to calm her building nerves. 

She was shocked by the outraged looks the twins gave her but she was even more shocked to hear the tone George used on her. She understood that the twins would be mad because of the match earlier but she didn’t expect them to pour it down on her. She was lost in her thoughts. A lot of questions building up and her mind trying to conclude each and every one. Nonetheless, she kept her blank expression, showing no emotion towards the two tall gingers. 

“I certainly do not know what you are talking about, Weasley.” She answered, her icy eyes digging back at his fiery ones. 

“You must have ordered the Slytherin quidditch team to play dirty on us, huh? You must have ordered them like the queen you are! Angelina almost fell from her broom!” Fred exclaimed, causing Y/N to raise a finger at him. 

“You do not use that tone on me, Weasley. My apologies for the foul play Slytherin has brought into the table. My apologies to your team, too, on their behalf. But trust me, I was not the mastermind of this.” She sternly said, the Weasley twins unfazed by her stone cold glare. In fact, they were even more furious, if that was possible. 

“Oh yeah? Well then what was the meaning of “watch out for the main event” huh, Icestone? Don’t tell me this isn’t the main event you're pertaining to. Don’t tell me that you’re planning something else.” George said, gritting his teeth. 

“Clearly you have twisted my words, Weasley. The main event was the pie on your face. Nothing more, nothing less. As for the events that unfolded earlier, none was under my control. You know how Slytherins always play dirty on the field. Now, shove off Weasleys.” She said under her voice, pushing past the Gryffindors as her icy eyes started to melt, water threatening to fall.  

____________________ 

Later that evening, Fred and George sat at the Gryffindor tables at the great hall, bitter at the sight of the celebrating Slytherins. As George scanned his eyes towards the Slytherin tables, he was not fazed by the absence of the Slytherin queen but not until the Slytherins turned down their noise as Y/N Icestone walked in their sight, face showing no emotion. 

“Icestone! We won!” A group of Slytherin girls celebrated, following Y/N as she sat in her place, the group sitting across from her. She flashed them a small smile before grabbing her own share of supper. 

Fred gritted his teeth, his hands clenching against the fork he was holding. “Can you believe this, George?! Bloody Icestone even has the nerves to deny everything! It’s so obvious!” He ranted, strongly stating his opinion. 

George sighed. “I can tell, Fred. I guess what I thought of her was wrong. So, so wrong.” 

Silence occupied the twin’s bubble. Both focusing on stuffing their mouths full to distract them from the happy feast their rival house was doing. 

Suddenly, as if a telepathic moment occurred between the Weasley twins, they looked up at each other. A smirk plastered around the older twin’s face and two brows raised from the younger twin. 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, George?” Fred gushed. 

“I think I know what you’re thinking, Fred.” George replied. 

“Time to take the queen down.” They chanted. 

____________________ 

Before the twins entered their potions class with Snape, they stopped outside the door, looking at each other. 

“Ready, George?” 

“Ready, Fred!” 

End of Chapter 2

____________________

Taglist:  @abrunettefangirlnerd @gloryekaterina @lilypad-55449 @memekingofwwiii​  @leovaldez37

Author’s note: Chapter 2 finally posted <3 Enjoy! 

[catsandstrawberries]

Rogue Firebender

Pairing: Firebending! Jeon Jungkook x Firebending! Fem! Reader

Summary: After spending time as a fire nation general you decide to go rogue and rebel against the genicide the nation is causing against the other elements. But a mission to save an earth bending group goes wrong when your worst enemy shows up. Jeon Jungkook.

Warnings: Enemies to lovers (Enemies to sex friends?), vaginal sex, oral sex (fem receiving), spit kink, slight FemDom, Violence, some mentions of gore but nothing to bad, swear words, Jungkooks kind of an asshole.

Based on Avatar the Last Airbender

Part 2 

This wasn't my best plan.

I'd like to say I'm good at making plans, and by making plans, I mean split minute life or death decisions, but today was going downhill fast.

I didn't calculate a multitude of things that day.

I didn't calculate how absolutely frustrated I would be and how that would cloud my mind.

I didn't calculate the sheer amount of earthbending slaves the squadron had captured, and I definitely didn't calculate the firebender that would ambush me.

Jeon Jungkook.

The issue with Jungkook was that despite being the same age as me he was practically the fire lords next in line. A dog, willing to bend at the rules and orders as long as he was given a treat and praised like a good little puppy.

Jeon Jungkook was also one of the most talented firebenders I had ever met, and it was a shock to the four nations that I had escaped him for so long.

But that was their fault for underestimating me.

Shackles clanged against the ground, the sound reverberating through the mountainside as soldiers led woman, men, children all in a line towards deaths row.

I defined myself as a freedom fighter, fighting to free those enslaved by the fire nation who used them for their personal gain.

But I was more commonly known as the rogue firebender on every wanted sign in the four nations.

A small child grasped onto his mother's hand, elephant tears slipping past his eyelashes, a monkey stuffy clutched in his hand as he scanned the empty scenery.

Empty, save for me.

I had intercepted a fire nation transcript of them transferring and killing slaves, but there were three times the amount then I expected. Freeing them would be a hassle if I wanted to bring them all back to the mainland and away from fire nation reign.

I grumbled in frustration under my breath. Getting frustrated had always been an issue of mine and my mood just seemed to boil with annoyance.

Four guards led the group, four guards are easy when they don't involve innocents, but I had a sneaking suspicion these guys wouldn't play fair.

I had learned from my previous encounters that jumping up and shouting 'hey ugly!' wasn't the best way to get their attention, so I'm attempting a more solid approach.

My foot made direct impact with the soldier's face and I smirked at the harsh smack that followed.

I threw a serious of fireballs towards the three soldiers, screams, and shouts from the earthbenders filling my ears as fire soared over their heads.

I leaned back as colors of red and orange flew by me, barely evading the destructive flame. I dropped to my knees and swung my leg out to knock the solider off guard, smirking in satisfaction while they all groaned in pain on the ground.

Breaking away from the soldiers I rushed to the group of earth benders, wincing when they all recoiled back from me.

"I won't hurt you, I want to help you."

That was another issue with being a rogue firebender, nobody trusted you, even if you were saving people's lives. I was still a fire bender.

I held my hand below the chains, a small flameworking at the metal until it seared and broke in half.

"Listen, get to the checkpoint, someone will be there to help you cross back into earth kingdom territory, but you need to hurry."

They nodded as a collective and went running in the opposite direction, the little boy giving me a shy wave as he disappeared. Relief passed through my body as I watched them leave, well...until I heard his voice.

"Such a noble act, little rebel."

My body froze and a tingling feeling spread over my skin. The fire in my bones warming at the sound of his voice.

"Taking out four soldiers at once, impressive. But hears the thing, I may be one person, but even you know I'm stronger than all four of them combined."

I slowly turned around, a mop of black hair and olive skin greeting me, red eyes filled with speckles of gold gleaming my way. His fancy robes of red and black stuck to his skin, his mark of nobility. I hated him.

"If you're stronger than all of them then how come I've won every fight?"

His calm composure faltered for a moment, a snarl curling onto his face, "because you love to run."

Speaking of running...

Although I loved getting in a brawl with the attractive 21-year-old who had a jawline sharper than any cooking knife, I was exhausted.

Tracking down secret human trade routes was a lot of work, and though I made fighting four men look easy it took energy.

So for the first time in my life, I took Jungkooks advice,

I ran.

"Shit." I briefly heard him mumble followed by the harsh sound of his boots on the dirt.

I kept a strong pace ahead of Jungkook, I was more agile than him, faster than him, everything was stacked on me getting away.

Except for terrain.

Leaves and branches cut against the skin of my arms as I pushed through the multicolored forest near the edge of the mountainside.

Prickly bushes and plants caught on the fabric of my pants and rocks stung against the bareness of my feet.

Despite the not so good situation, I was smiling. Maybe I was cocky, but I was happy because I knew I was gonna win. I knew that I was faster and better then Jungkook and he would never, ever, bring me back.

But the sudden terrain no longer held flat ground but a deep drop towards a glistening pool of water. My heels dug into the ground as I skidded to a stop, my heart rapidly pounding in my ears as I looked for an escape route. Just before I could jump, a body collided against my back, and a scream escaped my lips. The two of us tumbled down towards the water, dirt sticking to our skin and rocks cutting against our bodies as we rolled and eventually hit the water.

My vision exploded with colors before briefly going black, my senses only comprehending my heavy breathing and the dragging and pulling consciousness of my mind.

Did I mention I fucking hate Jeon Jungkook?

My back stung as if hundreds of needles were being stabbed into my skin, my throat constricting as a pressure pulsed on my chest. My vision which had previously consisted of darkness suddenly sprung to life when I rolled on my side, coughing out the water that had invaded my lungs and rubbing at my red eyes.

Then I noticed him.

Hovering directly above me, his mouth glistening with water and his hands hovering over my chest. The realization suddenly dawned on me and I harshly pushed him, my hand swinging back to spew a fire attack on him only for his hand to catch my wrist. Calloused fingers tightening around my tensed arm.

"I save your life and this is what I get?" His gruff voice showed no ounce of sympathy and I fired back,

"you were the one who pushed us off that cliff, you idiot." At my words, I fully take him in, a layer of clothing is missing so now he's only in a simple black tunic and his normal fire nation general pants. His hair is dripping with water and a trail of blood leaks from a cut on his lip. I openly smirk at his wound.

"Thanks so much for trying to ruin my life, but I'm leaving."

As soon as my body puts pressure on my right ankle, a broken sob is escaping my lips and I'm collapsing back onto the pebbly surface.

Jungkook stands and watches, a blank look on his face until I collapse and his lips curl in a smirk.

"I don't think so little rebel. You're coming with me back to the fire nation."

My blood turns cold, my eyes gaping at the man who I had so expertly evaded for so long, had finally won?  

"You are a monster." I seethed, wide eyes now narrowing in on him as he kneeled down to my level, fingers harshly grabbing at my chin,

"there's a reason you're on every wanted poster in the nations. If anything, you're the monster (y/n)." I hate the way he says my name. I hate the way he looks at me as if he can control me, and as if he's won. The fire nation will never win if I have anything to say for it. So I do what any other person would do, I spit in his face.

Jungkook had another thing coming if he thought getting me back to the fire nation would be easy. I couldn't bend myself out of the situation because of the fact I couldn't walk. No walking means no running. So instead I decided to be the most annoying prisoner he ever had until I figured out a way to escape.

"Get on the stupid horse."

"It's not a horse, its an alpaca, and they have feelings unlike you so stop insulting it." Jungkook spluttered while I sat on the ground in front of the barn we had found.

Since I couldn't walk Jungkook had forcefully carried me on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes until we found civilization, and we just so happened to stumble upon an alpaca farmer willing to sell.

"I don't care what it is, get on it or your gonna be dragged back." He seethed and I held up my bound hands, nothing but a rope that I could easily burn through stopping me from escaping. Well, that and my twisted ankle.

"You expect me to get on that thing by myself? I'm incapable." I said with big eyes and a pout forming on my face.

Jungkook, ever the gentleman, picked me up suddenly and threw me onto the alpaca, an oooof breaking from my mouth at the sudden change.

"Their. Let's go."

Jungkook had, for some reason, taken a long way around, and before we could cross into fire nation territory, we would have to pass an earth bending town run by the fire nation.

The closer we got into town the more Jungkook seemed to tense. Steering the alpaca closer to him by the reigns. Jungkook gave me a glare and mumbled,

"I'll be right back." To where I have no idea. The fact he was leaving me alone was unsettling on many fronts, but I had a sneaking suspicion he was still watching me.

People walked by in waves, barely paying any attention to me who had one of Jungkooks generals robes pulled on my shoulders. If anything they refused to look at me assuming I was a fire nation general than an ally.

I hated it.

"Did you hear about what happened? They found a few of them."

A stranger spoke and without anything better to do, I listened in.

"That's horrible! What's happening to them."

"The fire nation is taking them to the town center probably for an-"

Jungkook suddenly appeared in front of me, a black hat in hand while he attempted to fit it on my head.

"Stop moving." He grumbled.

"Why do I need a hat?" I asked while he messed with strands of hair, his face inches from mine.

"Because if people recognize you they'll be a riot." I scoffed and tore my face away from him, tempted to spit in his face again.

"(Y/N)." For the first time since we've been together since the fall, he spoke earnestly, softly.

"Don't do anything stupid, I won't stop them if a guard tries to kill you." The feeling of hope that Jungkook had changed, suddenly disappeared and a frown spread on my face.

Jungkook led the alpaca in silence, bordering around the large crowds that started to form in the center of town.

"What's happening?" I asked. Jungkook disregarded my question, nothing but a silent look given to me before he responded,

"nothing."

A scream erupted from somewhere and the crowd started to murmur,

"What aren't you telling me!?" I whisper shouted above the noise.

Jungkook opens and closed his mouth, suddenly at a loss for words, and on my own accord, I scanned the crowd, searching for answers or a sign, and then I saw it.  

A small monkey stuffy and elephant tears.

"This is an execution. They're gonna kill them." I spoke breathlessly.

"People of the earth kingdom, these slaves were found on the run, and by order of the fire nation, they are to be publicly executed. Rebellion is unacceptable and anyone associated with the rebellion will be killed."

My head shot to Jungkook at the soldier's words,

"Jungkook we need to do something. They're innocent." Jungkook refused to look at me, the only answer I got from him was the head of black hair.

"Jungkook there are children about to be murdered."

"I know! But we need to ignore it!" He shouted, sounding as if he needed to convince himself rather than me.

"Ignore it? Jungkook you will never be more than anything but a dog to the fire nation. A rug the fire lord will wipe his feet on, simply because you are too blind to the injustice around you."

Hurt flashed in Jungkook gold-flecked eyes, his eyes going wide much like a puppy. I didn't dote on it and instead lit the rope tying my hands together, kicking fire towards Jungkook who barely avoided the attack.

I hopped off the Alpaca, pain shooting up my leg as my ankle throbbed against the ground. Instead of putting pressure on it, I started to hop forward, ignoring Jungkooks shouts and swears from behind me.

I pushed past the crowd, tripping over people, and racing to get to the child before the guard could.

It was my fault they were found, I couldn't let them die.

It was the boy and his mother, both hugging each other as a fire nation guard stalked around them. Taunting his prey before he would publicly burn them to a crisp.

That bastard.

I saw the flame escape his palm first, a grunt escaping my mouth as I lunged forward towards the mother and son. Sweat dripping down my skin as I caught the flame, redirecting it back towards the solider.

Murmurs spread across the crowd, a few shouts of the rogue firebender igniting the area before the general let out an annoyed shout, a flame spreading around him in a circle.

I must not have realized how much energy I used because before he even stalked towards me my legs were collapsing under me. I weakly pushed a flame toward the general stalking towards me, blocking my body in front of the duo behind me.

He ignored my weak attempt to protect them and grabbed me by the throat. I scratched at his hands while he lifted me into the air, my windpipes struggling to take in air.

"You think she can save you?!" I gasped in pain when my body slammed into the ground, fighting to gather my breath as my body blended into the dirt. My body igniting with shock at the sudden drop.

"She is nothing. Anyone who associates with her will die." From the corner of my vision, I watched him reach out towards the boy, his stance flowing backward in a sign of pre-bending. Before I could do anything a voice broke through the crowd.

"Stand down general." Jungkook appeared in the center of the ring, his hand enclosed around the wrist of the general while the boy and his mother cowered behind him. Sobs escaping their mouths.

"Major Jeon-" The general fell into a low bow.

"Sir these slaves were found running from the fire nation, punishable by execution under the fire nat-"

"I've pardoned them." I would have had a similar reaction to the general if I was able to fully move. His head whipping up and his brows furrowing in confusion.

"But-"

"I am taking the rebel to fire lord Ozai, he will need witnesses and requests to speak to the slaves themselves."

"Sir-"

"Are you defying a direct order from the fire lord?" Jungkook maintained a calm composure, an annoyed scowl on his face while the general groveled on the ground at his feet.

"Of course not sir-"

"Leave, all of you!" Jungkook shouted unemotionally to the crowd who filed out as soon as the command left his mouth, the general following after them.

Jungkook walked over to me, kneeling down and placing one of my arms over his shoulders.

"You're an idiot." He mumbled while I leaned on him for support,

"look whos talking Mr. 'I won't stop them if a guard tries to kill you'." The mother shook violently with tears as we approached them, the boy looking at us in confusion as he clutched his monkey.

"We aren't taking you to the fire nation," I spoke with earnest, Jungkook shooting me a look that I ignored.

"But you do need to leave, get as far away as you can, and don't stop until you're in Ba Sing Se." The mother fell into my arms, a difficult position considering I was still leaning on Jungkook, 'thank you's' spewing from her mouth and a combination of snot and tears wetting my shirt. When she had collected herself the little boy stepped forward, and for a moment I thought he was going to hug me. But his little arms wrapped around Jungkooks leg, a smile on his face as he peered up at him, "thank you for saving mommy, monkey and me." He snuggled his face into Jungkooks leg and I analyzed Jungkook's reaction, watching his shoulders slump and his eyes fall before he gently placed a hand on the boy's head full of blonde hair.

Once the two had successfully left, Jungkook silently forced me on his back, leading us down a random trail through the woods.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He didn't respond and only started to walk faster.

"Jungkook where are you going?"

"Shut up."

Jungkook walked ahead another mile or so before he finally placed me down in a clearing, the sun starting to set behind us.

"Jungkook?"

"Do you ever shut up?" He said as he started a fire, sitting down directly in front of me and placing my ankle onto his lap. He handed me a stick and gently prodded my mouth open, his thumb tracing the outline of my bottom lip. "Bite down on this."

I followed as he said until a strangled scream escaped my throat, my back flinging backward as Jungkook suddenly snapped my ankle back into place.

"Fuck you, Jeon!" I heaved out, crawling onto my knees and glaring up at him.

"I just saved your life." He fired back, eyes raging,

"You didn't save my life you saved yours! If I died there then you wouldn't get to bring your prize back to daddy Ozai!"

"Shut up!"

I rolled out of the way as a red and orange flame shot towards me, and without thinking I flung my body at Jungkook, the two of us falling to the ground. I threw a series of punches at him, most of them hitting his chest and one hitting him square in the jaw. Jungkook grabbed at my waist and flipped us, his fingers grabbing my wrist and pinning them against the ground.

Our chests rose and fell with exhaustion and Jungkooks face suddenly fell into the crook of my neck, his grip still strong on my wrists.

"What happened to you? You used to be the best major in the fire kingdom?" He spoke softly while my brain went haywire. My past in the fire nation was dark, I did things for them I regret. Bad things I believed to be good, but even when I started to suspect they were bad, I still did them. I used to be the best, yes, at killing people, hunting people down.

"Look at my stomach." Jungkook looked at me wide-eyed as if asking for confirmation before letting go of my hands. Peeling away the fabric against my torso only to suddenly pull it down.

"Who did that to you?"

My fingers softly played with the fabric,

"Ozai. I publicly disobeyed his orders, he wanted me to teach his son a lesson. Beat him up. I couldn't. So he burned me." I lifted the fabric over my head, Jungkook harshly looking away from me.

"Jungkook. Look at me." Jungkook slowly took me in, nothing but a bra, pants, and a scolding burn against the skin of my torso.

"The fire nation kills innocents, and he's gonna kill you too if that means he gets his way."

Jungkook looked at me with unshed tears in his eyes,

"It's all I've ever known."

"I know." My answer was automatic because I've been in Jungkook's shoes. Faced the issues and controversy in my own mind, but I no longer saw it as betraying my own nation but helping save it.

"C'mere." He mumbled, pulling me into his lap. The soft pads of his fingers tracing the outline of my scar that glowed by the light of the fire.

His hands caressed the sides of my ribs leaving ripples of touch in his wake. His eyes straying upwards to my eyes, big brown doe eyes locking onto mine as if I was the key to all of his issues. All of his pain.

"Let me touch you." Jungkook was straightforward in life, and I don't know why his words shocked me so much, but they did. The want pouring from his eyes and the warmth emitting from his body clouded my brain, clouded my mind until I whispered,

"Okay."

Jungkook leaned forward, his mouth ghosting over mine before he leaned in, connecting our plump lips to one another. Melding our moves in a dance of fire and passion. My hands traveled up towards his head, curling my fingertips around his dark hair and pulling when he knawed against my bottom lip.

He groaned under my ministrations and gave me a half-lidded look,

his hands picking at the fabric of my bra.

Getting the message I grabbed at the fabric and pulled it overhead, Jungkooks eyes widening at my breasts that bounced with the freedom. His hands traced upwards until his thumbs toyed with my nipples. A hiss passing through my lips while a smirk spread on his face.

"Look at you little rebel, getting all red and responsive under me. I'm gonna make you feel so good." He mumbled just before taking the bud in his mouth, sucking and grazing it with his teeth.

"Kook" I muttered while I watched him switch breasts, my legs twitching at the sight of him looking up at me with my nipple in his mouth.

"Take your shirt off." Jungkook gave me a wink at my command and reached for the back of his shirt, pulling it up and over his shoulders.

"Yes, commander." I paid little attention to his joke, my eyes tracing the ridges and outlines of his stomach. Admired his toned section as well as the beautiful tummy fat that had started to form.  

"I want to make you scream, little rebel." His fingers pushed down at the pants that stuck to my skin and he gently pushed me down on the ground, the dirt scratching against my bareback.

"I want to see this beautiful little pussy."

Self-consciousness suddenly passed through my body in waves and my legs crossed at the sudden chill of the night air. A red flush spreading over my face as memories of the girls Jungkook attracted through his time as a general. When we were both at the fire nation Jungkook was known for getting the prettiest girls, fucking the best girls. Was I a good fuck?

"Hey." As if Jungkook could sense my stress his hands cupped at my cheeks, his eyes locked onto mine.

"You're beautiful."

The redness of my checks only seemed to darken, and I twisted my head to the side so he wouldn't get the satisfaction of looking at me.

"Shut up and make me feel good."

I didn't hear a response from Jungkook but I felt his response. His fingers trailing down to between my legs. His other hand spreading my legs apart while he laid himself down on his stomach, fingers gently spreading my folds apart in front of him.

"So pretty." He mumbled above the ringing and embarrassment in my ears.

"Jungkoo-ok." I half groaned half moaned while he inserted his middle finger into my cunt, adding his ring finger with the help of my wetness forming around his fingers.

"You're so wet for me rebel." A wet feeling spread from my inner thigh to the edge of my folds, my body jerked at the feeling.

His fingers spread in v like motion and a broken sob escaped my mouth, an annoyed yell following when he pulled his fingers out.

"Jungk-!" I gasped as he dragged me closer to his mouth, his fingers wrapping around my hips and a quick slob of spit falling onto my clit.

"I can't wait to taste you rebel, are you gonna cum on my mouth? You better." His thumb rolled around the bud of my clit, the moisture of his spit allowing his thumb to roll in all directions.

And then his mouth was on me. His tongue licking a long strip up my pussy, encircling my folds and sticking it in my hole as if it was his fingers. My back arched under his ministrations and tears formed in the corner of my eyes,

"cum baby" Jungkook muttered against my pussy, wiggling his lips further into my cunt, glistening juices covering his lips and dripping onto his nose.

"I'm so close," I mumbled out incoherently while Jungkook added a ring finger, his mouth engulfing my bud into his mouth and sucking harshly.

My mouth fell open and my legs shock while Jungkook coerced my orgasm, my head falling back onto the ground and a broken moan responding to the juices that flew through my body. My hips grinded upwards before falling to the ground, twitching in the aftermath of my orgasm.

"I was right. You taste like heaven little rebel." Jungkook wiped at his glistening mouth and my belly couldn't help but do flips at the sight, energy shooting down to my core despite the exertion I had just been through.

"Take your pants off Kook." Jungkook smirked at me and raised an eyebrow, "I'd rather have you take them off." I glared at him but he still listened, but before we could do anything I suddenly winced at the soreness of my back. I couldn't stay like this for another round.

I flipped myself over Jungkook, his eyes widening in surprise as we switched positions.

"That's better."

My eyes traveled downwards to Jungkooks dick. It was long and curved, the girth enough for my hand to fit around it, enough to fill me up and give me relief.

I threw a leg over his hip and pumped his length twice, watching his eyes clench, and his tongue pokes against the inside of his cheek.

"As much as I'd love to get a handjob right now, I really want you to sit on my dick."

I took Jungkook advice to heart, rubbing myself against his head and finally sinking down on his dick. A moan escaping the two of us as I bottomed out on his lap.

"Fuck you're so full."

I clenched harshly against him, the new feeling of being filled sending my senses into overdrive as they tried to accommodate to him inside me.

"Fuck." Jungkook whined, his head falling backward,

"if you do that again I'm gonna nut inside you." I almost chuckled at his statement but my body was working before my brain could process, my hips lifting before pushing back down. A constant flow starting while Jungkooks hands gripped at my waist, helping me bounce against him.

"Fuck Jungkook, why do you have to be such a fucking idiot." I breathed out in between moans.

"Do we really have to do this now?" He spoke in gasps.

"Maybe if you came with me..." Jungkook thrust upwards and my hands shot to his chest to sturdy me.

"I don't want you to die (y/n)" he growled and thrust upwards once more before I caught my bearing, flipping my hair to my right shoulder and rolling my hips against his while he stuttered.

"Fuck I'm cuming." Jungkooks cum shot through me in waves, squirting into my body, just as he suddenly sat up and rubbed his thumb against my clit in harsh circles.

I grabbed at his wrist to anchor me while I sobbed at the onslaught of pleasure, my own orgasm shortly following while I collapsed onto him.

After a solid minute of the two of us catching our breath, we rolled onto the ground, our chests falling and rising in sync.

"Go rogue with me," I whispered, afraid of his reaction while his eyes downcast.

"I can't, we still have to go back. I'll help you though, I'll tell Ozai you should be commissioned back into a position of power. You can be a general again."

Hurt washed through me in waves. Hurt at how naive Jungkook is, and how conditioned he had been by the fire nation, he was the golden boy of the fire lord. How could I think he would change for me?

"I'm sorry Jungkook."

"For what?" The rock in my hand slammed against the side of his head. Hard enough for his eyes to fall shut and for him to have a horrible headache in the morning, but not hard enough for him to die.

I dressed quickly, sending Jungkook one last look before racing into the forest. I knew this wouldn't be the last time I would see him, I just hopped one day he would change, for his sake and mine.

"See you later Jungkook."

Taglist: @rebeccawoodrow​ @gee-nee​ @koochiekoo​

[chaoslordjoe]

Bloodlines AU - Misfire

The following skit you are about to read is based on a roleplay between me and my friend @darksaiyangoku involving my BlackSun offspring, Alex Belladonna. Dialogue has been tweaked to break free of me and others’ usual transcript format.

Blake guided her daughter through a killing house constructed from a spare shack outside her family’s manor. Alex had her flintlock-esque pistol at the ready scanning the room, while Blake had Gambol Shroud aimed at their 6′o clock as they both kept scanning. 

All targets eliminated on the 1st and 2nd floors. But the clock was running as the third floor had one room left. With 50 seconds to go, they had to find it.

“Who’s taking which side, mom?” Alex inquired.

“You take the 3 on the left,” Blake answered when they stopped at the door to the target room. “I take the 3 on the right.”

“Got it, got it.” Alex replied with a nod.

Shifting Gambol Shroud into it’s kusarigama form, Blake swung it across the room being careful not to hit Alex or their her own targets. With a viscous shout, she went for the kill.

Alex peaked inside, twirling her flintlock and snapping her fingers. In it spawned an orb of ghost-fire which she quickly bounced off into the door frame and inside. But the fire didn’t burn anything up, instead it was meant to blind targets which thankfully affected neither Huntress present.

------------------------

Blake was not impressed by her kid’s stunt. Sun immediately noticed when they came back appearing irritated.

“Okay...Let’s just take some space from each other, girls.” Sun offered.

“Yeah, dad.” Alex sulked, handing Sun her pistol.

Blake sighed. “I’m gonna go see mom for a bit, honey.” She told Sun.

Before Sun could ask if training really sucked that hard, their daughter went straight to her room while Blake headed to the gardens.

Inside the tiny greenhouse, Kali was busy feeding the fish. One of her favorite activities while Ghira was off on diplomatic work. Had to kill time somehow when your spouse is a politician.

Kali greeted Blake who sulked over to the bench.

“Great...” Alex moaned from her bedroom window, shutting it and putting on her cat earbuds booting up one of her RPGs on the computer.

“Hey mom.” Blake said.

“Is everything okay, dear?” Kali asked, seeing Blake shake her head. “Would you like to talk about it?” She then offered.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” The assassin answered. “Training with Alex got a little...Overwhelming.”

“Overwhelming?” The grandmother questioned.

“Well, no. It’s hard to find the right words, but the way Alex is progressing has me concerned. She’s way too comfortable using magic during combat, almost to a fault. It’s lazy and frankly, irresponsible. What if she ends up attacking one of her teammates by mistake? I got lucky, I’m not sure others would.” Blake rambled.

Sun peaked in seeing his wife in her current state of Blake-y-ness. In an attempt to break the tension he offered to check on their little girl after asking if the women needed anything.

Kali replied with some of her son-in-law’s famous banana cream pie. Going to check for leftovers, Sun then turned to Blake. She requested her husband to go fix up some tea. Soon as he left, Kali offered to go talk to Alex later on. To which Blake reassured that she could handle it.

------------------------

Last she left off, the teen was fighting a loot boss. The Belladonna scion frowned, tail flicking along with her ears being drooped as she left-clicked away at the boss’ minions thinking about how upset she made her mother.

An hour after a kitchen search for leftover pie and some tea, Sun went up to Alex’s room, knocking on the door to see her in sad sack mode.

“Ale- -”

“SHIT!” Alex exclaimed, slipping out of her chair and dropping her headset on the carpet floor. “Ohh, fuck my life. Need something, dad?” She asked Sun while attempting to ensure her ears weren’t cracked.

“Yeah. How you doing, pumpkin?” Sun cooed.

“Eh. Tell you the truth, I feel like I really screwed things up with mom.” Alex answered.

“How much did you hear?” Sun continued.

“Enough to know that my training is probably on hold.” She bitterly answered.

“You’re not in trouble, honey.” Sun corrected her. “Otherwise you probably wouldn’t be farming this boss here. Also, Fire Resistance affix. Just saying.” He then joked.

“I tried using the best fire gem I got.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I’m guessing mom wants to talk?” The girl asked.

“Well, you grandmother does.” Sun replied.

Immediately getting the memo, the young sorceress gave her father a thankful kiss on the cheek going downstairs to join Kali in the gardens.

------------------------

Seeing that the tea was ready as she poured herself a cup, Kali smiled at her granddaughter who was awkwardly staring at the floor, ears flattened.

“You wanted to see me, granny?” She asked.

“I did. Come here, sweetie.” Kali insisted, patting a seat.

While the matriarch swirled her tea, Alex’s ears seemed to flatten further expecting a scolding. Kali wasn’t always the fun grandparent, after all.

“I think mom’s angry.” The younger cat began.

“She’s not angry. Just concerned.” Kali corrected.

Shaking her head, Alex muttered something. “I can handle my Magic. I’m not- -Granny, I’m using it to- -”

“Can you repeat that?” Kali asked, cupping one of her Human ears.

“I’m using my Magic because I’m not scared of it!” The teen blurted. “Back when mom was feeling worried about if I had dad as my favorite, I overheard her talking about how it felt like she was scared of her own Semblance again!”

Although Kali was stuttered, she still offered a hug. “Oh, honey. Come here.” She said, embracing her.

“I like to show it off because I don’t want you guys to worry so much.” Alex said with her and Kali’s animal ears brushing up. “But- -I don’t know where to start with hiding it.” She admitted when they released.

“I never said anything about hiding it all.” The elder cat said. “I’m proud of having a sorceress for a granddaughter.” She admitted.

What Kali spoke of was the presence of magical beings in this post-Salem world of Remnant. In Ozpin’s ascension to the afterlife so that he could finally be at peace, he had made a deal with the deity brothers to destroy the four Relics, spilling their energies out into Remnant.

This ‘Reliquary Cascade’ had even gone so far as to bring back select magi from the old world before the collapse of the first iteration of Humanity. But in Alex’s case, she received powers of witchcraft from being near a shrine full of dark magics. 

The shrine detonated, causing her as a kitten to being stuck in a space between the spiritual and physical planes of existence on Remnant. Now, she primarily uses her powers as a means of crowd control with hexes, circles and lots of ghost-fire.

“I mean, I know the whole ‘secret society’ thing we have going on.” Alex continued, despite not being a member of it. “If I or any other magical kids show off our powers, people freak out. So I like to show it off in your company.” She then confessed with her shoulders slumping.

Showboating was one of Alex’s habits she picked up. Being a prankster like her dad, Sun, she always enjoyed a good joke or display of awesomeness. There were a lot of green fireworks on Menagerie’s day of independence.

“I get it now. We’re not saying to stop, just maybe take a step back for a bit during your training?” Kali suggested. “Your mother wants your physical prowess to be at peak condition. And your powers are wonderful, but it shouldn’t have to be your end-all-be-all style.”

“Right.” The younger cat replied. “I wanna be as badass of a swordswoman as her, if not more. I’m just not a kitten anymore, Gran. I gotta prove it. Was I lost in the moment?” She pondered.

“Maybe a little.” Kali answered with a nod.

“Clock was ticking, so I had to think of something. I don’t even have a good one in mind for blinking to a target.” She said in reference to her ability to teleport a short distance. “Did your Semblance ever scare you?” She then asked.

Kali gave a grim pause.

“...Very much.” She finally answered. “Alex...My Semblance was as dangerous as it came. You’ve heard about the myths of the Berzerks, right? The ones your Aunt Nora told you about?” Kali asked.

“You were one of ‘em.” She plainly guessed.

“Yes, and that was also my Semblance.” Her grandmother answered. Almost like a war flashback. “I was much stronger and faster but at the cost of my sanity. I would lose myself more and more every time I used it.”

“How’d you keep it together?” Alex asked.

“It took plenty of training, combined with intense meditation.” Kali said looking less horrified. “In the end, my Semblance was more focused. My sanity was kept intact and it helped me during battle.” She admitted with another smile.

“Was this before or after you met grandpa?”

“During, actually.” Kali answered, her old smile widening. “You’re not a kitten, Alex. You’re growing up to be a fine magi and Huntress. And we couldn’t be prouder of you for that.” She said, now grinning.

------------------------

Finishing her tea and giving her grandmother a quick hug, Alex ran up to Blake’s room to see her less irritated on the bed and relaxing with a book. She tried knocking on the door only to step on a squeaky floorboard.

“I know it’s you, Alex.” Blake spoke without her eyes diverting from the book.

“You got me.” She said, opening the door fully.  “I just talked with gran. How are you feeling?” The teen then asked.

Blake still didn’t remove her gaze from the book.

“A little disappointed, I won’t lie.” She scolded. “You’ve got a knack for magic and I won’t forbid you from using it, but you can’t just throw it out there willy-nilly. It’s dangerous.” She then added.

“Yeah, I...I was being a moron about it.” She admitted. “I just wanted to prove that I didn’t fear my own powers. That I coulda used it in a...Clutch moment.” Her ears flattened as she confessed her mistake. “I just wanted to see if we were cool. And if we could try again tomorrow.”

Looking up from her book and sighing, Blake sat up.

“Alex, I understand what you’re feeling and that you don’t fear your powers. That you’ve learned to embrace them.” She said, holding her daughter’s chin up. “But using them too much is another extreme. If you focus too much on your witchcraft while neglecting your other skills, they can falter. You gotta keep in mind how others could be affected if any of your spells backfire.” She concluded.

“I can’t live with the idea of them affecting you, dad, Gran, or anyone else who’s not in my crosshairs hanging over my head. I’m- -Well, I’m sorry.” Alex moped.

And then, Blake embraced her kitten. “I’m sorry too.” She replied.

Their remorseful hug lasted for a minute, with Alex pillowing the side of her head into Blake’s chest with the tension gone.

“What’s tomorrow looking like, then?” She asked.

Blake smiled.

“Another training session.” She answered.

------------------------

By the time they reached the third room of the killing house again, there were 20 seconds left. Alex noticed her targets popping up rapidly as if it were Whack-A-Grimm.

“Crap, I can’t make out which is which!” Alex exclaimed.

“Use those sticky bombs I gave you.” Blake insisted, cocking Gambol Shroud and firing.

Alex nodded, using some of her mother’s sticky grenades she borrowed. She chucked both and hit one target. Could’ve hit the second, but the buzzer blared with Blake winning the challenge.

“Argh!” Alex grunted. “Okay, mom. We’re even.” She conceded, inserting a fresh clip into her pistol.

“That wasn’t so bad, Hellcat.” Blake admitted. “Though, this is what you get for neglecting your physical condition.” She teased.

“Yep. Guess I’ll join dad and Yang in the gym next time before this.” The teen snarked.

“Well I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up a good appetite. You hungry?” ?her mother offered.

“Normally I’d ask about kahuna burgers.” She replied.

“But we’ve got salmon fillets!” Blake beamed.

“Oh fuc- -Er, hell yeah.” Alex caught herself.

“I’ll pretend you almost didn’t swear, young lady.” Blake said with a glare.

“Yes, mother.” She said. “Let’s eat!”

[voltrontranscript]

VLDS7E7: The Last Stand, Part 1

Season 7 Episode 7: The Last Stand, Part 1

Transcript by @dragonofyang

Episode Summary: The Paladins make their way back to Earth, but upon reaching out to Sam Holt, discover Earth’s distress beacon and that the Galra have invaded. We catch up with Sam and the technological developments on Earth since his return four years prior to the Paladins’ approach, and the trials Sam and Colleen face when in the heart of the Garrison.

[Google Doc]

Hunk: I can’t believe it. We’re finally back to Earth.

Keith: Well, what are we waiting for?

Pidge: I’ll see if I can get a message out to my dad. Dad, it’s me, Pidge. Do you copy? We’re back in Earth’s solar system, and heading home now.

Sam’s voice: To any beings who receive this message--

Pidge: Dad, you’re okay. How’s Mom and Matt? Is he with you?

Sam’s voice: Planet Earth has been… Most of the citizens…

Pidge: Hold on, let me try to get a clear signal.

Sam’s voice: ...have been captured.

Pidge: What? Who’s captured? Dad, what are you saying?

Sam’s voice: Those of us remaining are making our last stand. If you get this message, please get word to Voltron. We need help.

Keith: Guys, are you seeing this?

Sam’s voice: To any beings who receive this message…

Allura: Oh, no.

Sam’s voice: ...Planet Earth has been overrun by the Galra.

Lance: The Galra have invaded Earth.

Sam’s voice: Most of the citizens have been captured. Those of us remaining are making our last stand. If you get this message, please get word to Voltron. We need help.

Hunk: It’s not a reply. It’s a distress signal.

Pidge: Dad.

[Scene change to a flashback, labeled “Four years earlier…”.]

Sam: Admiral Sanda, how long have I--?

Sanda: It’s been about a week since you landed. Sorry, we’ve had you under for most of the time.

Sam: A week?

Sanda: We had to run tests. You spent years in an alien environment. Look, Sam, the joint chiefs are eager to hear what you have to tell us.

Sam: Tell the chiefs I’ll debrief when I’m ready. There’s someone I need to see first.

[Scene change to a lounge in the Galaxy Garrison.]

Colleen: Sam.

Sam: Colleen, I’ve missed you so much.

Colleen: I thought you were dead. I thought I’d never see you again.

Sam: You’re squeezing me pretty tight. Being abducted by aliens didn’t kill me, but I think you might.

Colleen: Aliens?

Sam: On the Kerberos mission. Matt, Shiro, and I were taken by hostile aliens.

Colleen: So Matt is with you?

Sam: No, but he’s alive and safe. So is Katie. They’re together. Last time I saw them, they were just outside the planet Olkarion. They saved me. There was a device on my pod, a transmitter. Where is it? I can use it to contact my children and the other Paladins, cadets.

Sanda: I’m afraid we can’t allow you to broadcast yet. We need more information before you start sending messages into deep space. Any contact with alien species needs to be run through the appropriate channels. We need to be sure you’re not putting Earth in danger, Sam.

Colleen: I don’t care about your channels. I want to talk to my children.

Sanda: And you will, soon. We just want to debrief you first.

Colleen: Tell them what you know, then we can talk to our children and get you home.

Sanda: I’m afraid we can’t allow Sam to leave the premises. We’re not prepared to tell the world about the existence of alien life just yet. Remember, everyone thinks you’re dead.

Sam: So you’re holding me like a prisoner?

Sanda: Not a prisoner. You’re free to move about within the Garrison grounds. Just until we’re ready.

Colleen: If he’s staying, I’m staying, too.

Sanda: I’m afraid you don’t have the clearance, Colleen.

Colleen: This is the only family I have left. You’ll get me the clearance.

[Scene change to a meeting room in the Galaxy Garrison.]

Iverson: Here’s what we know. Two years ago, during your Kerberos mission, our scans picked up an anomaly at your location. Minutes later, we lost contact with you and the rest of the crew. In the immediate aftermath, we intercepted a transmission.

Unnamed Galra Commander’s voice: We found these primitive scientists. I don’t think they know anything useful.

Zarkon’s voice: Take them back to the main fleet for interrogation. The Druids will find out what they know.

Sam: That last voice is Zarkon, the emperor of an advanced hostile alien race known as the Galra.

Unnamed officer: How advanced?

Unnamed officer 2: And how do you know they’re hostile?

Sam: Do you have the device I asked for? The one from my pod?

Sanda: Bring it to him.

Sam: Before I left, I downloaded as much information as I could from the Castle of Lions. For ten thousand years, Zarkon has been expanding his empire, conquering vast swaths of the universe and harnessing its quintessence in order to survive and maintain power.

Sanda: Quintessence?

Sam: It’s an energy generated by living beings.

Bearded officer: You mean certain alien beings?

Sam: No. Quintessence is within us all.

Bearded officer: Impossible. We’ve never come across anything like that.

Sam: Maybe because this is beyond the realm of what you think you know. Have you ever traveled faster than the speed of light? Have you ever seen a living creature bio-hack nature? Have you ever come face to face with an alien warlord who’s older than the entirety of human civilization? Well, I have. And I assure you, it’s all real. Following our abduction, Shiro, Matt, and I were taken by Galra scouts to the main fleet where we were interrogated. After that, we were split up. I spent the next year at a remote outpost, working alongside other captive scientists researching and creating new technologies to be used by the Galra. I later learned that Shiro and Matt had been sent to fight in the gladiator pits. Matt would’ve been killed, but Shiro, he saved my son’s life. Later, Matt was rescued from a work camp by alien rebels. He now works alongside them, fighting back against the Galra. During his time on Zarkon’s command ship, Shiro discovered that Zarkon was looking for a super weapon hidden on Earth. Shiro escaped to get the weapon first.

Iverson: That must be when Lieutenant Shirogane returned to Earth.

Sam: That’s right.

Iverson: Following Garrison protocol, we placed Lieutenant Takeshi Shirogane under mandatory quarantine, but he managed to escape with the aid of several Garrison cadets. We later found out the one known as Pidge Gunderson was your daughter, Katie Holt, who had illegally enrolled in the cadet program under an assumed identity. The following day, the Blue Lion appeared on our radars. Long-range sensors tracked the UFO to the edge of our solar system traveling at speeds we’ve never achieved. It disappeared along with the ship. That was the last activity we had until your pod arrived on Earth a month ago.

Glasses officer: So that Blue Lion, that was the super weapon?

Sam: Part of it. The super weapon is known as Voltron. It’s made up of five mechanical lions. As fate would have it, when Shiro crashed on Earth, those same Garrison students that got him out of quarantine became the pilots, or Paladins, of the five lions of Voltron. The Paladins are doing everything they can to protect the universe from the Galra. But we must begin to bolster Earth’s defenses now, or we do not stand a chance. War is coming.

Iverson: So this Zarkon, you think he’ll attack Earth?

Sam: No. Zarkon is dead, but the Galra Empire is not stopping. There are factions fighting for control and looking to dominate their own sections of the universe. Without a clear leader, things are worse than before.

Iverson: So what do we do?

Sam: We hold a conference and announce what we know to the world.

Sanda: Absolutely not.

Sam: They need to know. And if we can bring the world’s top minds together, it might mean the difference--

Sanda: If we told the world there was an imminent attack, we’d set off a global panic.

Sam: But there will be an attack.

Sanda: When? How will the attack happen? Is there a plan to stop it? None of these things have been discussed. None of these things have been thought through, and until they are, we’re not going to be responsible for sending the world into disarray.

Sam: If you would allow me to contact Katie and the Paladins right now, we could begin to answer those questions.

Sanda: Very well.

Sam: This is Sam Holt calling the Paladins of Voltron. I’m on Earth. Please respond. Pidge, this is Dad. Come in.

Colleen: Katie, it’s your mom. Are you there?

Sam: The transmission’s not being received. There might be interference. We need to keep trying.

Sanda: We can have someone send out regular transmissions around the clock until we hear from them. But in the meantime, we stay quiet.

Sam: Very well, but we should at least begin preparations.

Iverson: We already have.

[Cut to an elevator in the Galaxy Garrison.]

Iverson: We’ve been studying the ship that Shiro crash landed in for the last year, and we’ve begun research on the ship you arrived in. We thought the technology would be exactly the same, but that’s not the case.

Sam: That’s because one is Galran and the other Altean, created by two different alien species. So, did you get it airborne?

Iverson: Unfortunately, no. We got the nav system and other instruments turned on by powering them externally, but the power it would take to fly them is unsustainable.

Sam: Hmm. The crystal must have been damaged on entry if you couldn’t power it.

Sanda: Crystal?

Sam: It’s the main energy source for most alien spacecraft. If you haven’t been able to get it running, then what have you been doing with it?

Sanda: We created a simulator based on the controls so that when we figure out how to integrate the tech into our own ships, we’ll be ready to fly.

Iverson: Commander Holt, I’d like to introduce you to the best pilots to come out of the Galaxy Garrison in the last year. These are officers Griffin, Rizavi, Kinkade, and Leifsdottir. They’re young, but their ability to adapt to new flying techniques is a step above.

Griffin: On behalf of my squadron, it’s an honor to meet you, sir.

Iverson: I’ve got them running drills in the simulator five days a week. They can take just about anything you can throw at them.

Sam: Good. Now it’s time to get them out of the simulator and flying these things for real.

Rizavi: But they aren’t working, sir.

Sam: Then we better get them working.

[Scene change to outside the Galaxy Garrison.]

Griffin: No way.

Rizavi: When can we fly them, sir?

Sam: You’re gonna be flying ships much faster and much more maneuverable than this in no time.

Rizavi: Sir?

Sam: This is just an Altean shuttle pod. The engine and functions are extremely basic. If we’re going to defend the planet against the Galra, we’re going to need better ships.

[Scene change to the Galaxy Garrison meeting room.]

Sam: When I was enslaved by the Galra, I was forced to work on technologies that are a hundred times more complex than a simple pod. And after I regrouped with the Paladins, I continued learning alongside the Olkari, some of the most amazing engineers I’ve ever had the honor to work with. They taught me everything I know about integrating technologies. These are Altean schematics. We’re gonna use these to upgrade our weapons, build new ships, and create a defense for Earth. Engineers will be in charge of salvaging what they can from the pods. Repurposing parts is of the utmost importance. Our pilots must get out of the simulators and into real ships powered by crystal technology if they hope to stand a chance against Galran battle tactics. It’s gonna be a steep learning curve, but I know they’ll get it. The Garrison will become the epicenter of technological advances beyond what this world has ever seen. In the meantime, we will continue our attempts to contact Matt and the Paladins. It’s imperative that we find out what’s happening beyond our galaxy. There is a war coming, and we need to be prepared.

[Scene change to another flashback, labeled “One year later…”.]

Griffin: Sorry, guess I’m too quick.

Rizavi: Not for my micro-pulse boosters!

Sam: How’s the response time compared to the previous generation?

Rizavi: Instantaneous, sir. It’s like it knows what I wanna do before I think it.

Iverson: It’s amazing what you’ve done in just over a year.

Sam: We’ve done it together.

Unnamed female officer: Sir, you’re needed in the communications room immediately.

[Scene change to the Garrison’s communications room.]

Colleen: It’s Matt. He contacted us.

Matt: Mom, is that Dad?

Colleen: He just got here.

Sam: Matt, are you okay? I’ve been trying to contact you and Katie for months. Where are you? What’s going on?

Matt: So, you didn’t hear yet?

Sam: Hear what?

Matt: Mom, Dad, no one has seen or heard from the Paladins in the last six months.

Colleen: No…

Sam: Katie… What happened?

Matt: No one is really sure. There are rumors that Voltron fought Lotor, then they just disappeared.

Sam: So, they could still be alive.

Matt: No one knows. But, Dad, listen to me. You need to stop broadcasting from Earth. Members of the Blade of Marmora and the Voltron Coalition are being hunted. Our army has been all but wiped out. The situation is bad out here, and the last thing we need is to put Earth in danger.

Sam: But how will I get ahold of you?

Matt: I have to go. I’ll contact you when I’m safe. I love you both.

[Scene change to Admiral Sanda’s office.]

Sam: It’s time. We need to tell the rest of the world the situation.

Sanda: Sam, I’m sorry to hear about your daughter, but we can’t get off course.

Sam: If we want to finish the IGF-ATLAS, we need more resources and more manpower. The world needs to come together so that we can take the fight to the Galra.

Sanda: You’re too emotional right now and you’re not thinking straight. We’re not building ships to go fight aliens in different galaxies.

Sam: But they need us!

Sanda: The citizens of Earth need us.

Sam: And yet you refuse to tell them the truth!

Iverson: Maybe we should talk about this later.

Sanda: We can talk later, but my decision will be the same. We’re not telling the people of Earth, and we’re not fighting in someone else’s war.

[Scene change to the Holt’s private quarters.]

Colleen: They’re gonna be okay.

Sam: They will be okay because they’re strong just like their mother.

Colleen: We’ve gotta do something. We can’t just sit here while our children are in danger.

Sam: We’re doing everything we can with the limited personnel we have.

Colleen: Then we’ll get more personnel and more resources. The admiral is making decisions for the rest of the world. I say let them make decisions for themselves.

Sam: You wanna tell the world? The repercussions could be serious. They could kick us out of the Garrison.

Colleen: It’s risky, but that ship may never get done otherwise. And I’ll do whatever it takes to see my kids again.

Sam: Okay.

[Cut to Sam and Colleen walking into the communications hub.]

Sam: You’re sure you wanna do this?

Colleen: I’m sure.

Sam: Alright, I’ll be broadcasting on every channel. You ready?

Colleen: Citizens of Earth, my name is Colleen Holt. I am the wife of famed astronaut, Sam Holt, and mother of Matt Holt. Two years ago, it was believed that they died during a deep space mission. That was a lie. My husband, along with his crew, were abducted by an alien race known as the Galra, a fact that was covered up by the Galaxy Garrison.

[Cut to Admiral Sanda’s office.]

Unnamed soldier: Admiral, you need to see this. They’re broadcasting on every channel.

Colleen: A year ago, my husband returned to Earth, but the Garrison forced him to stay in hiding.

Sanda’s voice: I’m afraid we can’t allow Sam to leave the premises. We’re not prepared to tell the world about the existence of alien life just yet.

Sam: But I refuse to stay hidden any longer. We desperately need your help. Not every alien species is friendly, and Planet Earth must be protected. Here at the Garrison, we’ve been working on creating advanced ships and weaponry.

Sanda: Get the rest of the guards.

Colleen: The footage you are about to see is real.

Sam: These are the Galra. If they find Earth, they will attack, and we must be prepared.

Griffin: Huh. Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?

Colleen: But there are those that have spent years protecting us. They are the Paladins of Voltron, and they come from Earth.

Hunk: Ugh, I can’t wait to be back home. I’m not really sure when that’ll be, but when I get there, I really want Uncle Filo to make some of his amazing pork lau lau. I can almost taste it now.

Lance: Hi, Mom, hi, Dad. It’s me, Lance. I’m here in outer space somewhere. I, um, uh, don’t really know what to say. Uh, I miss you guys. I miss you guys a lot.

Pidge: Mom, I’m so sorry I left without saying goodbye. I think of you every day.

Colleen: Now is the time to come together. To protect our world, we must be united under one cause.

Sanda: Override the lock. Lock them up.

Iverson: For what?

Sanda: For divulging top secret information.

Sam: Now, now, Admiral. Don’t get emotional.

Sanda: You disregarded a direct order.

Sam: You held me at the Garrison against my will. You lied about my death. You wanna control every situation, but face it. You can’t. The world needed to know this, and now that they do, it will be better for us. Right now, the world needs a leader that’s not afraid to face facts and you’re not it.

Sanda: And you think you are?

Sam: Yes.

Sanda: Get these traitors out of here.

Iverson: Stop. If Sam goes, I go too.

Glasses officer: Admiral Sanda, calls are coming in from all over the world. Citizens want to know how they can help. It’s incredible.

Sam: It worked.

[Scene change to the desert outside of the Galaxy Garrison.]

Sam: That’s the last one.

Griffin: Think it’ll work?

Sam: Well, particle barriers are tricky, but if my calculations are right, these just might act as a perimeter. What’s that?

Griffin: I don’t know. I didn’t think we were doing any test flights today.

Sam: They’re here. Activate the particle barrier immediately.

Woman: Are you sure, sir? We haven’t run diagnostics--

Sam: Do it, now!

End.

[patchwork-panda]

If A Moment Is All We Are (9/?)

AO3 Link: HERE

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“Kidnapping...” I repeated hollowly as Kunikida nodded in affirmation. “And not just one, but four missing people...?”

I let my head drop into my hands as the information slowly sank in.

So much for starting me off easy for my first case.

“That’s... a lot of disappearances. Why haven’t I heard anything about this on the news?”

“Because the police have been asking the media to keep quiet,” Kunikida explained, “They’re still gathering information on the individual victims and their families and unfortunately, there haven’t been any leads so far. They don’t want to cause unnecessary panic.”

He returned to the computer and typed as he spoke.

“The truth is, they’re not entirely sure that this is a serial kidnapping or even the work of a single individual, although the similarities between victims suggests it is likely.”

“Right...”

I thought back to my own attempted kidnapping and snapped my fingers.

“You know, the Port Mafia tried to kidnap me... how do we know it’s not them?”

But Kunikida was already shaking his head.

“The Port Mafia doesn’t kidnap without a reason and they’re very careful. What happened with you was definitely an exception and we suspect that they were after you primarily because they deduced you were an Ability User.”

“I see...”

Kunikida opened a drawer, took out a thick manila folder and placed it on the desk in front of us. When he flipped it open, I was greeted by the sight of four smiling faces—photos of the four missing people: all were fairly attractive women in their mid-to-late twenties.

“I think it’ll be faster if I just explain...”

The first of the missing women was a twenty-eight year old grad student with curly black hair and a healthy olive complexion. She looked fairly tall and somewhat muscular and was described as being a basketball enthusiast who liked to go for jogs around the neighborhood in the evenings. She had disappeared around two months ago and was reported missing by her roommate when she’d failed to return from one such jog.

The second woman, a doe-eyed nurse, liked to play tennis on weekends and went missing exactly two weeks after the first victim. She was last seen in a shopping district several kilometers away from here. Victims number three and four, also grad students at local universities, were similarly involved in recreational sports and had also disappeared from seemingly random locations around Yokohama.

In short, all of the missing women appeared to be similar only in age, education level, and hobbies. None of the four seemed to have known each other, nor did it seem they had any friends or relations in common either.

“The clients we will be meeting with this afternoon,” Kunikida said, “are actually the parents of the first victim, Suzuki Yoshiko-san. They’ve grown impatient with the Military Police’s investigation and are asking us to help them find their daughter. We will, of course, be collaborating with the Military Police if we do uncover any evidence of foul play and turn over any pertinent evidence if they need to make an arrest.”

“Does the Agency work with the Military Police a lot?”

Kunikida rubbed the back of his neck, his brows furrowing.

“Not all the time, but it’s not unusual for us to help either them or the local police departments when there’s a particularly difficult case. Right now, it seems they have their hands full with the Port Mafia and other local criminal factions—they’ve been more active than usual in recent months, as you’ve experienced firsthand.”

I swallowed and nodded.

I shouldn’t have been too shocked that there were other criminal factions besides the Port Mafia roaming Yokohama but it really wasn’t a comforting thought.

“So, are there any leads?”

Kunikida shook his head grimly.

“Everything we have so far is in that folder. The police have already tried looking into anyone who might have a grudge against the women or their families. However, it seems all of the victims were generally very well-liked. The police haven’t found any reason for anyone to retaliate against any one of them and no ransom notes have been issued so far.”

Picking up the photos and the preliminary reports, I flipped through them and scanned the faces of the victims.

“They’re all so pretty...” I mumbled, feeling the weight of the wig on my head.

And they resembled one another enough that their disappearances didn’t seem to be random.

“We’ve managed to obtain all the interview transcripts and videos recorded by the police in relation to the case so far,” Kunikida said, “But when we meet the Suzuki family this afternoon, I think we should conduct a short interview of our own with them. Maybe we can unearth something new.”

He paused to write something down in his green notebook.

“I know this is your first client meeting, so for now, I’d like you to just sit in and observe. You’ll mostly just be assisting me but I encourage you to take notes for yourself to look at later.”

He set down the notebook and studied me.

“In case you were worried about it, I’m not planning to ask you to use your Ability on this case,” Kunikida said quietly. “At least, not right away. President Fukuzawa has requested that we keep your Ability a secret for now, in case the Port Mafia is still looking to capture you. However, if something changes and we do need you to use your Ability...”

I swallowed uneasily. I really hoped the need wouldn’t come up so soon...

“...I’m hoping you’ll rise to the challenge. Now then...”

Kunikida picked out one of the many folders standing upright on his desk and opened it so that only he could see it. He nodded to himself as he scanned through it and I suddenly had the horrible sinking feeling that I was in for another quiz.

“We have exactly one hour left in your official orientation,” he said, sounding pleased. “Just enough time for us to go over some sketch artist training manuals. If this goes well, you might even be able to do a sketch for the Suzuki family later today, should the opportunity present itself.”

He set the folder upright on the table between us so that it formed a barrier and as I looked at it, my sense of unease grew.

“I know you had a rocky start this morning,” Kunikida admitted as he pulled out a sheaf of old Polaroids from the folder and selected one, “but you seem like a hard worker. I get the feeling that you can improve and that you will.”

He shot me a pointed look.

“Starting now.”

I felt the wig drop over my eyes.

***

“Not bad, Kusunoki-kun.”

Kunikida sounded impressed.

“For someone who has never worked as an actual sketch artist before, you did very well.”

“Th-thanks...” I mumbled sheepishly as I tried discreetly to tuck my shirt back into my dress—Yosano’s shirt and dress. “That’s really nice of you to say.”

Apparently, I’d done better than expected, which came as a surprise to me, given how high Kunikida’s standards were. Then again, after everything that had happened so far (and given how Dazai barely seemed to work at all), maybe his expectations of me were so low that even sending an email correctly would’ve been considered satisfactory. Whatever the reason, Kunikida was so pleased with my performance this morning that he suggested we take our lunch downstairs at the Uzumaki Cafe. He said it was customary to take new hires to the cafe on their first official day of work but I wasn’t really sure how I felt about spending my break in the company of my formidable “mentor.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t given much of a choice.

Upon hearing that Kunikida was taking me to the downstairs cafe, Yosano had all but shoved me out the door, hissing something about Kunikida’s blood pressure being dangerously high for a man his age and that we should help him relax whenever possible. Otherwise, he might die of a Dazai-induced aneurysm before he hit forty and then President Fukuzawa would have to choose someone else to lead the Agency when he retired.

“Besides,” Yosano had whispered, pushing my stiffened form out the door, “You owe me a favor for lending you that outfit. Now go!”

So off I went. I followed Kunikida downstairs to the first floor of our building, my stomach churning so much that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep anything down, and trailed after him into the cafe.

But as soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by the smell of freshly roasted coffee, followed by a cheerful welcome call from the cafe staff. A stately-looking mustachioed man was making pour-over coffee behind a polished wooden counter and as I looked around the cafe, I saw plush green booths and decorative stained glass windows. The few people that were inside with us all looked to be completely relaxed and I could hear the soft, clear sounds of a piano streaming out from the old-fashioned phonograph sitting at the entrance.

I was going to take all my breaks here from now on.

“No, really,” Kunikida said, waving a little to flag down the waitress, a cheerful-looking woman in a black kimono and white lacy apron who perked up the instant she saw us. “You did well and a job well done and an honest effort deserves recognition and reward. While those who slack off deserve to be reprimanded and punished accordingly...”

His expression darkened considerably and I could tell immediately that he was thinking about Dazai, who had taken all of fifteen minutes to find his client’s cat and then spent the rest of the morning doodling nooses and napping at his desk. So of course, Kunikida had to judo-throw him and if I got the feeling that I wanted to avoid a similar fate in the future, I would have to remember never to piss him off...

“Right...” I muttered, self-consciously readjusting my wig as the waitress approached.

“Welcome to the Uzumaki Cafe!” the waitress chirped, tucking a stray hair back into her bun. Her brown-gray eyes flicked from me to Kunikida and back and as her eyes landed on me again, her smile seemed to brighten considerably.

“You must be a new detective! Right this way please.”

“You can tell?” I blurted out as I followed her to one of the booths in the back.

“Well, of course,” she replied, shooting me another friendly smile. “All of the detectives are regulars here. If it’s your first time here and you’re with Kunikida-san, then you must be one too.”

I smiled back a little.

“You sound like a detective yourself.”

Her smile broadened.

“Thank you! I’d like to think I picked up a thing or two from my regulars,” she said as we took our seats. “Now then, what would you like to order?”

To my surprise, the Uzumaki had no menus. The chef was known to make whatever you wanted, provided he had the ingredients for it on hand, but it had been so long since I had actual restaurant food, I had no idea what to get. I ended up copying Kunikida and got a coffee and a full bento-box style lunch set with the assurance that I could start a tab if I didn’t have enough money today. As the waitress hurried away to place our orders, I suddenly remembered what Yosano had said about Kunikida’s health and glanced at him in concern.

He frowned.

“What?”

“Um...” Fidgeting a little with the ends of my wig, I mumbled awkwardly, “Isn’t caffeine supposed to be bad for people with high blood pressure?”

Was I overstepping my bounds? Was he going to be mad?

I shrank back, bracing myself for the incoming lecture, but to my surprise, Kunikida didn’t seem angry, or even remotely offended. Instead, he just blinked at me, looking just as surprised as I felt and then pulled out his notebook and pen. As he started writing, I couldn’t help wondering if he was writing about me or if he was making notes about future caffeine intake.

“Thank you for your concern Kusunoki-kun,” he said, not looking up, “but there’s no need to worry about me. I take my breaks very seriously so please rest assured that I am completely relaxed.”

He put his notebook away just as the waitress came back with our coffees (served black) and accepted his cup with a polite nod.

If you say so, I wanted to reply, wondering if I should report this to Yosano when I saw him raise the cup to his lips and take several slow sips. But to my relief, Kunikida did honestly look like he was in a much better mood now compared to before and if I really wanted to help Yosano keep his blood pressure down, I shouldn’t say anything that might spoil it. Picking up my coffee as well, I breathed in the fragrant aroma and took in a tiny, measured sip. My eyes widened.

“This is really good!” I exclaimed, immediately taking another sip as Kunikida nodded approvingly at me from across the table.

Okay, if the coffee was this good, maybe I wouldn’t say anything to Yosano. Clearly, it was worth risking the aneurysm.

Our lunch sets arrived soon after, a beautiful array of rice, salad, chicken and pickled vegetables served in a neat black and red lacquered box and no sooner had the waitress set them down on the table in front of us that my stomach suddenly growled so loudly that it caused a few other patrons (including Kunikida) to stare at me.

“S-sorry,” I mumbled, my ears growing hot as I looked down at my food. “Itadakimasu...”

That’s right, I’d been so freaked out about hiding my hair this morning that I’d completely forgotten to eat breakfast...

“No need to apologize,” Kunikida said crisply, picking up his chopsticks and digging in as well. “This is what we’re here for. Lunch breaks are supposed to be for eating as well as relaxing as much as you can in preparation for the busier parts of your day. If you’re interested in learning how to really optimize your breaks...”

He gestured to the notebook on the table and the word “Ideal” painted in big, black strokes on its cover.

“I’d be happy to lend you some of my notes.”

I tried not to make a face.

“Thanks...?”

“Don’t mention it.”

As we ate in silence, I could feel the atmosphere growing heavy. Or maybe awkward was the right word for it. It felt really weird to be here, having lunch with the serious-looking Kunikida, who insisted that he was fully relaxed even though his crossed legs, stiff posture and overall muted speech suggested otherwise. To make conversation, I ended up asking about his notebook anyway (even though I really hadn’t wanted to).

I found out that the notebook was pretty much his entire life. All of his schedules, ideals, life goals and plans went into that little green booklet and in addition to all that, he was constantly updating his notes whenever he learned something he considered important. Most importantly, the notebook was the catalyst for his Ability, “Lone Poet.” However, there really wasn’t anything particularly special about the booklet; he just had some very specific preferences when it came to stationary. In short, Kunikida really was a notebook otaku.

I decided to let the conversation die there and paused to look around the cafe at some of the other patrons. It seemed the cafe didn’t get too busy in the middle of regular work days and most of the customers appeared to be regulars who worked either in the same building as us or within walking distance of the place. I watched a couple of young, well-dressed women walk in from off the street and take a place at the counter near us, at which point, the taller of the two immediately glanced at Kunikida and started whispering to her friend. When they turned to look at me, however, I looked away, my wig feeling scratchier than ever and my borrowed clothes bunched up in all the wrong places.

But as I hid my face behind my cup of coffee, Kunikida suddenly spoke up.

“Relax, Kusunoki-kun. You look fine.”

I nearly dropped my coffee.

“Huh?”

“You’re a member of the Armed Detective Agency,” he said, not looking up from his notebook, “That means you have qualities that set you apart that have nothing to do with how you look or dress. And, no, I’m not talking about your Ability either.”

He flipped the page.

“I know you might be feeling nervous and self-conscious right now but it’s only your first official day. Rest assured, you’re doing fine and that you have every right to be relaxed right now.”

He paused to scribble something down in the notebook.

“Besides, we’ve only got twenty more minutes left in the designated lunch hour and considering your schedule for the afternoon, you should try to take a break while you still can.”

He glanced up at me, his gray-green eyes stern, but sympathetic.

“Okay?”

Stunned, I nodded.

“Very good.”

He nodded back and went back to his notebook.

I couldn’t help but stare.

From the very beginning, I’d thought of Kunikida Doppo as a strict, workaholic hard-ass: a man who liked to follow the rules and had an understandable penchant for violence when it came to his partner, Dazai. After spending pretty much the entire morning with him and getting to talk to him about his notebook and his ideals, I thought I had him all figured out.

But I was wrong.

Kunikida might still be a tough professional above all else but it seemed he was actually a much nicer person than he had led me to believe. He did save me from Akutagawa on that very first day and despite yelling at me for my unprofessional attire this morning, he had gone on to forgive me and remained very patient throughout the rest of my orientation. He’d even suggested going to the cafe was a sort of “reward” for doing so well during the sketch artist training earlier.

Smiling a little to myself, I took a sip of my coffee.

Sure, his ideals made him strict, but maybe they were also what made him such a reliable and responsible person.

And if I really thought about it...

I glanced up at the counter, where the well-dressed girls were now whispering fervently to each other behind their hands. The taller one kept sneaking longer and longer looks over her shoulder at us, at the completely oblivious Kunikida—the tall, broad-shouldered detective who had his back turned to them and was still completely absorbed reading his notebook.

I put down my mug.

I could see why those girls were constantly stealing glances at him.

But just as the thought crossed my mind, Kunikida suddenly looked up. His gray-green eyes met mine and without understanding why, I blushed.

“Kusunoki-kun.”

“Y-yes!?”

He scowled.

“Finish your vegetables.”

He pointed at my tray, where I’d left the pickles and salad completely untouched in their compartments.

“You’re an adult. Eat like one.”

I sighed.

Trying not to make a face, I scooped up a single slice of cucumber under Kunikida’s watchful eye and hesitantly put it in my mouth. He didn’t take his eyes off me until he was completely sure that I had actually eaten it, then gestured for me to continue by keeping his finger pointed at the food.

He really was going to make sure I didn’t leave here without finishing my food...!

I sighed again, picked up another piece of cucumber and ate it.

Looks like I was wrong again. Maybe he really was just a hard-ass after all..

***

I was going to get judo-thrown.

It was supposed to be a first client meeting. I only needed to sit in and observe; it should’ve been simple enough. What I (and Kunikida probably) had really not counted on was just how much of a useless shut-in I still was.

Not only did I still have so much trouble talking that I was barely able to meet the eyes of our clients when they spoke, but when I’d gone to pour them some tea, I’d spilled a lot of it on the table before getting any in the cups. Then I’d dropped the entire teapot on the floor. Sure everyone had acted very nice about it, and Kunikida had successfully smoothed everything over for me but I could tell from the look on my mentor’s face that he was definitely disappointed.

To make things worse, we weren’t able to get any new information from this meeting and there had been nothing for me to sketch. I spent the rest of the afternoon assisting the clerks in the file room and moping about my wreck of a first day until five o’clock finally rolled around and I was released from the office at last.

Waving off Yosano’s offer to walk me back (and blatantly ignoring Dazai when he’d offered as well), I’d mumbled something about wanting to be alone for a little while and decided to take a more roundabout route back. The apartment I was staying in was going to be mine from now on (the company dorms were apparently full) and it was still fairly light out so I decided to walk around for a little while longer and explore the neighborhood on the way. Maybe a little sight-seeing would make me feel better.

I stopped walking and paused to stare into the river at my reflection, specifically at my eyes. I frowned when I noticed that I’d left without taking off the wig Yosano had lent me.

Well, at the very least, it seemed my eyes were going to look normal again from now on. I’d gotten a chance to talk to Atsushi when he’d stopped by the file room and he’d mentioned how after joining the Agency, the negative side effects of his Ability had gotten weaker over time. He’d also said that control of his Ability had gotten stronger and that he sincerely wished things would go well for me, just as it did for him.

I sighed.

Atsushi was a nice person. In fact, the people at the Agency were all nice people. What was I doing, bringing nothing but trouble to the people who’d saved me? As I continued to stare into the water, I suddenly remembered Dazai’s offer to jump from a bridge with me. I scowled.

“Never,” I snapped, glaring at my reflection as if I were glaring at Dazai himself.

If I hadn’t tried killing myself back when I was a useless shut-in, there was no way I was going to attempt it now that there were people who were looking out for me and sincerely wanted me to improve. Kunikida for one...

Shaking my head from side to side like a dog, I slapped my hands to my cheeks to gather my thoughts and turned back towards the street.

“Hm?”

Directly in front of me was a small, brightly-lit convenience store. It never really stuck out to me much before but now that I was looking at it, I realized that I had actually passed it this morning on my way to the office. A brightly colored poster in the window was advertising a new Kit-Kat flavor (strawberry daifuku!) and as soon as I spotted it, I was struck with the familiar urge to soothe my emotions with junk food. Buoyed by the thought of a nice, sugary snack, I went towards it.

“Welcome!”

A friendly clerk in a navy-blue apron greeted me as I walked into the empty store.

She had bright green eyes and long, shiny black hair tied into a ponytail and when she shifted the many boxes in her arms I noticed she was stocking the very Kit-Kats I’d just been staring at. She quickly looked from me to the boxes in her arms and grinned.

“I see you have good taste in snacks. I’ve probably eaten a full kilo of these since they first came in.”

“A full kilo?!”

She laughed as I covered my mouth, not in an unkind way but a familiar one, as if I were an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time; I was instantly put at ease.

“I’m joking,” she said as I approached the shelves, “But for real though, I need to stop eating these if I don’t want to pop out of my uniform. They go straight to my thighs.”

She made a soft grunting sound and set down the boxes. As she dusted herself off, she pointed to the pink packets nestled inside the top box and looked at me.

“How many do you want?”

“J-just two, thanks.”

“You got it.”

She took two packets out of the box, dropped them in her apron pocket and went back to stocking the shelves.

“You want anything else? I can grab it for you.”

She patted at the top shelves behind her and when I saw that, I realized she was at least a full head taller than me. I shook my head.

“Okay, then,” she said, motioning for me to follow her, “Let me ring these up for you. Come on.”

I went with her to the cash register, her long black ponytail swinging as she moved, and stood there quietly while she worked.

“Are you new to the neighborhood?” she asked casually, glancing down at me as she punched the final buttons into the register.

“Sort of,” I admitted, squinting at her name tag. “Saeki-san.”

She let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re so formal!” she said, looking amused, “You don’t have to be. I mean, you’re only a little younger than me, right?”

She placed the two packets of Kit-Kats in my hand and stepped away from the counter, grinning.

“You can call me Mei-chan. Oh! Or Big Sis!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining, “I still help coach some of the middle school kids when they want help with their serves, and they all call me Sis.”

I blinked.

“Serves?”

She nodded. I hadn’t meant to stay for a full conversation when I came in but talking to Saeki Mei was... fun. And she had a way of just pulling the details of my life out of me.

Without going into too many specifics, I ended up telling her that I lived close by and that I was working as an artist. In turn, I found out that Mei was a part-timer here and that she played for her neighborhood volleyball club in addition to mentoring the middle schoolers. She was just a charming and friendly person and I couldn’t help but notice the cheerful waves and greetings she got from the passersby outside.

I left the convenience store in a much better mood than when I’d come in and decided to stop by the next morning, to say hi again and to grab some of the bread Mei had recommended for breakfast on my way to the office.

***

“Good morning, Kusunoki-kun!” Dazai called as I settled in at my desk, his eyes drawn immediately to the plastic bag at my side. “You got me breakfast? Aw, that’s so sweet, you shouldn’t have!”

“It’s not for you,” I dead-panned, moving it out of the way before he could grab anything. “I got sesame buns for Kunikida-san and Yosano-sensei.”

Instantly wilting, Dazai put his head down on his desk and let his cheek squish against the polished wood; he looked like he had deflated.

“Aw, why does Kunikiiiida-kun get food and not me?” he whined. “I thought we were friends, Kusunoki-kun!”

“If we were friends, I would’ve let you use my first name by now,” I said, taking the bag completely off the table and away from Dazai’s sneaking fingers. “And no, that doesn’t mean you can start calling me Kyou-chan again. I got food for Yosano-sensei as thanks for letting me borrow her stuff and for Kunikida-san as thanks for taking me to the cafe yesterday...”

I hung my head.

“And also for putting up with me messing up already.”

His head still lying on the desk, Dazai observed me as I pulled up a folder and started typing on my computer.

“Kusunoki-kun,” he said, “if you really did mess up, Kunikida-kun would definitely let you know. Aw, don’t look so sad (although it is kinda cute)! Give him some credit, he really is more forgiving than he looks.”

“Is that so?” a deep, irritated voice asked.

I sat up abruptly and looked up to see Kunikida standing directly beside me. I hadn’t heard him approach and to me, it seemed the look on his face as he glared at Dazai was anything but forgiving.

“Is that what you think of me, Dazai-san?” he asked, a vein popping up on his forehead. “Is that why you’re still here chatting it up with Kusunoki-kun instead of typing up your reports like you’re supposed to?”

Dazai just grinned and rolled his head the other way so that he was no longer able to see his partner. Livid, Kunikida made a fist; just when he looked like he was about to attack Dazai again, I got up to intervene.

“Um, Kunikida-san?!”

I took a sesame bun out of my bag and shoved it at him, letting my uneven bangs hide my face as I did an awkward half bow (I’d chosen to put my hair in a tiny ponytail rather than go another day in that itchy wig).

“Here. Thanks for yesterday.”

Kunikida looked surprised. So surprised that he let Dazai sneak away and run after Atsushi out the door.

“Thanks? For...?”

“For lunch yesterday and for taking the lead during the afternoon interviews...”

And for not yelling at me.

“You didn’t have to,” Kunikida said, looking equally pleased and awkward.

I shook my head vigorously.

“No, I did. I never really got to thank you properly for saving me back at the gallery or for vouching for me when I wanted to join the Agency. It’s really thanks to you that I’m here today. So...”

I bowed more deeply.

“I’m sorry I let you down yesterday. I... I promise I’ll do better from now on. Really. And once again... Thank you so much, Kunikida-san. For everything.”

Kunikida looked flustered. For a second, I wondered if he was going to say anything at all. But then, he cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Y-you’re welcome.”

His movements oddly stiff, he took the bun from me and put it down at his desk.

“There’s no need to be so hard on yourself, Kusunoki-kun,” I thought I heard him mumble. “You’re doing fine.”

And as I looked up, I saw him take a bite of the bread. When he saw me looking, he nodded slightly.

“Thanks for the food.”

I smiled as Kunikida hurriedly looked away again. Maybe I wouldn’t be judo-thrown after all.

Not today, at least...

[allthingsfangirl101]

Her Part 2–Mitch Rapp

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Mitch's POV

I pounced my knee anxiously as I scanned the campus. Hurley and I were sitting on a bench across from NYU, waiting for Y/N to get out of class. We weren't suppose to make contact with her, just observe until NATO comes to a decision which was supposed to be any day now.

We arrived in New York late last night, but I couldn't sleep. All I could do was think about how my best friend was in danger.

I laid in bed all night, studying her picture. I stalked her on social media, trying to see what my best friend was up to. She wasn't posting pictures of herself at parties like most college students did. Instead, she posted lots of pictures of her projects and pictures she had taken.

Y/N and I haven't talked since the summer after we graduated high school. We went our separate ways when we went to college, but we promised each other we would try to stay in touch.

I wish I could say that she was the one who stopped contacting me, but that would be a bold-faced lie. I threw myself into school, purposely trying to forget everything about my old life.

That included Y/N.

Katrina had been trying for months to convince me to contact her again before that day on the beach. After Katrina and I got engaged, I was going to call Y/N but when she died, I snapped.

What if I had called Y/N after it happened? What if I had called her before it happened?

Would I be where I was? Would I be a secretive operative for the CIA? Or would I have transferred to NYU to be with Y/N?

If I had, would I be able to protect her from the people after her?

"Aren't we a little close considering Maliek already has a guy watching her?" I asked once the students started flowing out of the building we had been watching for the past 45 minutes.

"As long as we don't make contact with her, we'll be fine," he said as he scanned the crowd.

My heart stopped when I saw Y/N walking out of the building, a bag slung over her shoulder. She was listening to headphones as she turned and started heading down the sidewalk.

"That's her," Hurley said as I watched Y/N walk to the crosswalk. "Let's follow her."

I stood up and eagerly started walking towards her. I was about to cross the street when Hurley grabbed my arm. "Remember, we can't make contact with her."

He sent me a knowing look making me nod. I bit my lip as we started to follow her. I got jumpy every time a guy walked next to her, ready to react if they did something I didn't like.

As we followed her onto the subway, I caught Hurley staring at me. We quickly got on the same train, making sure to get in the next car over.

"So, you know her," he said more as a statement than a question.

"Yes, sir." I said not looking away from Y/N. I couldn't stop the smile from forming as I watched her nod her head to whatever song was playing through her headphones.

"Were you guys together?"

"No," I said before finally looking away from her. "She moved in across the street when I was eleven. About a week after she moved in, some kids were bullying her so I stood up for her. After that, we were inseparable until. . . Until we graduated high school."

"I see," he nodded, looking past me and towards Y/N. "I've seen her transcripts. She's a very smart girl."

"She is," I agreed, turning my attention back to Y/N.

"She's also very beautiful."

"Yeah, she is," I smiled. I looked at Stan to see him looking at me with a soft, knowing smile.

"I'm sure I don't have to remind you," he started.

"Don't make it personal," I finished for him with no emotion. I looked away and studied my hands. I bit my lip, glancing back over at Y/N.

"Look Rapp," I heard him sigh. I jumped up when Y/N started to exit the car. We followed behind her a few more blocks before I noticed a guy.

"Hurley," I said getting his attention. "Look." I pointed at a man in a brown leather jacket, walking behind Y/N.

"What about him?" He sighed.

"He's been following her since she got off the subway."

Hurley looked towards where I was pointing and his eyes narrowed. "He has something in his back pocket."

"A gun?" I asked, my adrenaline spiking.

"No."

We picked up our pace and started following closer. My instincts and training kicked in when I watched the man reach into his back pocket.

"Y/N!" I yelled before I could stop myself. She turned around, her eyes widening when we made eye contact. The second she recognized me, she smiled.

"Mitch?" She said with a small laugh. She started to walk towards me, but the guy had seen me too. Before I could do anything, he grabbed Y/N and started dragging her away.

"You never listen to a damn thing I say," Hurley sneered as we chased after them.

We turned the corner just in time to see the man sticking a needle into Y/N's neck. "No!" I yelled running towards him. Y/N fell to the ground unconscious as I ran over and grabbed his shoulders, picking him up and throwing him across the alleyway.

The man tried to fight back, but with the anger coursing through my veins I was stronger and faster. I had his shirt in my hand and was punching him over and over again when I felt someone's hand on my shoulder.

I turned around to see Hurley staring at me. He wasn't sending me his normal disapproving look. Instead, his eyes were soft. Almost understanding.

"Kid, I got this guy. You grab the representative's daughter."

I looked over at Y/N to see her lying on the concrete. I dropped the guy, and quickly walked over to Y/N. I reached down and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. I carefully picked her up bridal style, instantly holding her close to my chest.

[you-guys--are-losers]

Staying Objective

//Okay, so this one isn’t technically Spideychelle, but it’s going to be! I’m really excited to announce this project, one that I’ve been planning for a while. This is the first of what is going to be a series of oneshots, one that follows a the storyline hinted at in the summary! I’m not yet sure how long it’ll be, but I know it’s going to be fun, and the oneshots will be a lot easier for me to write than full-on fic chapters while I’m in the school year. Think of this first one as a prologue, of sorts! Thanks so much for all of your support. <3 You guys are one of the main reasons I write!

Also, title ideas are welcome XD//

Summary: Midtown Prep and Valleyview School for Girls: the two schools with the largest rivalry in all of Queens. Academically, the all-boys and all-girls schools have been at one another’s throats for years, with no clear pattern of victory. For new student and AcDec captain Peter Parker, the competition between the schools is much more intense than expected-- especially when it comes to Michelle Jones, the captain of the enemy decathlon team and the most unpredictable person he’s ever met.

Word Count: 1,351

Warnings: Mentions of death, an almost-swear XD

Characters: May Parker, Peter Parker

Find it on AO3`.

A Change of Scenery

It’s been three months since Uncle Ben, and still it feels like Peter is sleepwalking through a life he doesn’t recognize.

He knows it’s going to be different, of course. The move to the apartment where Aunt May grew up is out of necessity, now that Peter and May only have the one income between them for support. The change of schools, on the other hand, is May’s idea.

It happens one late night, after May has come home from a double-shift. By then, the move to the small apartment is complete. It is the home where May grew up, one that is a great deal more cramped and dingy than the space that they shared with Uncle Ben. Peter does not say a single word about this, however. He knows that May can do nothing about it, and with her touch, she has managed to make the apartment feel almost homey. Maybe they don’t have much, but it’s enough, and Peter knows that she never bargained on any of this. No matter how much she loves him, she never planned on him; she and Ben were never interested in children.

And no one could have possible planned on losing Peter’s uncle so soon.

Peter is sitting at their kitchen counter, working on a summer assignment for AP Calculus that he knows will take him less than twenty minutes to complete. He could get his work done much faster in his room, but there is a reason that Peter does his homework at the kitchen counter every night without fail. May likes to see him, to rest assured that he’s alright. And no matter what happens, Peter is determined to make sure that she knows that despite everything that might happen, he’s okay.

Peter can tell that May is watching him, but it is only when he is nearly finished with the last problem that she finally speaks up.

“Do you remember how I met your uncle?” she asks, and Peter looks up at her, surprised. He swallows and begins to set down the pencil, taking a deep breath.

“Yeah,” Peter answers slowly, peering up at May. She is sitting with her back pressed against the stove, studying him through thick-rimmed glasses as she fiddles with a damp dishrag. There is clearly something she wants to say, and maybe he doesn’t quite know what it is, but now Peter is curious. “You met him while you were in high school, right?”

“In a way, yeah,” May replies, setting down the rag and taking a deep breath as she moves to lean across the countertop. “He was a senior and I was a sophomore, and we were both in highschool, but not the same one. I actually wanted to talk to you about the school.”

Peter blinks several times, processing what she’s saying. “You want to talk to me,” Peter says slowly, and he can’t repress a grin as he finishes, “Valleyview School for Girls? ‘Cuz I’d love to go, but it seems like there’s one major problem for me in that department-”

May tosses the dishrag at him, and Peter doesn’t bother using his enhanced senses to catch the rag as it hits him in the chest. Instead, he laughs along with her and picks up the cloth, folding it and setting it on the counter beside his homework. May is smiling too, now, and Peter is a little bit pleased to have been the one who put it there.

“I don’t want to talk to you about Valleyview,” she hums, running a hand through her long hair as she shakes her head. “I actually want to talk to you about where your uncle went to school… Midtown Prep.”

Peter’s eyes widen, and he blinks a few times in surprise before he can finally respond. “Oh, okay. That’s the school that you reach when you go down the yellow line, right?”

“Yep,” May confirms, her eyes anxiously scanning his face. “Your uncle went there while I was going to Valleyview, and we met through the schools… Your dad went to Midtown, too. I’m not saying you have to go there, please don’t think I’m saying that. There’s no reason for you to switch schools since it’s not like we’ve moved districts, but I just thought that you might appreciate a change-- not that you haven’t been handling it well, I just-”

“No, no, no,” Peter interjects quickly, offering May a quick nod as his eyes widen. His mind whirs as he processes the idea. “I get what you’re saying. It might be nice to go somewhere where not everyone knows…”

He doesn’t need to finish the sentence, and May knows that. She bites her lip, nodding in agreement. “Yeah,” she murmurs, and Peter knows that he’s said exactly what she was thinking. “And they have great college prep programs, they’ve got a great relationship with several colleges in the area and their test scores are incredible nationwide. I just thought that you seemed like a good fit.”

Peter runs a hand through his hair, mind moving a mile a minute. “I mean, that all sounds great,” he confesses. “And you’re really okay with me transferring junior year? I couldn’t be valedictorian or anything. Not that I care, just…”

“Who needs to be valedictorian?” she presses, offering him a lopsided grin. “No one gives a sh- um, sorry, no one cares if you’re top of the class or not as long as you show you’ve got a work ethic. And you do, Peter. They also have a ton of programs and teams that you don’t’ have at Hillcrest, like tech groups, and a really good Academic Decathlon team.”

May steps away from the counter and to one of the drawers, and from within she pulls out a slightly wrinkled but still professional-looking pamphlet with the school’s name on the front. She hands it to Peter, and he turns it over in his hands. “You can look at that tonight,” she suggests, tilting her head slightly to the side as she takes one of his hands in hers, “and tell me what you think tomorrow morning. There’s still a week left for me to enroll you. And I don’t want you to feel pressured at all, hon. I just…”

She trails off, and Peter furrows his brow slightly as he watches her. “You just what?”

May offers him a small grin, letting out a sigh. “Maybe I’m nostalgic, but Valleyview did a lot for me, and I know that Ben and your father loved Midtown. It opened doors for them, gave them opportunities… I just want you to know those things are there for you, too, if you want them.”

Peter nods, and for some reason there is a warm, constricted feeling in his chest. “Do you really think I can get in? Their entrance exams are supposed to be-”

“-Absolutely monstrous,” May finishes, and her voice is lively. “But I have no doubt that you can do it, hon. Especially with that Stark Internship under your belt.”

Peter winces, but he quickly coughs to disguise the expression. “Right. I forgot about that,” he hums, setting the pamphlet down. Lying to May is the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do, but it’s what he has to do. Still… She cares about him, and enough to suggest this. If Peter knows one thing, it’s that he trusts May, and that he doesn’t want her to worry about him. And if acting on that motivation means he has access to better classes and tech? It’s an added bonus.

When Peter goes to bed that night, his mind is made up. It is for that reason that he wakes up the next morning with a grin on his face as he walks into the kitchen. May is trying not to seem like she’s watching him over her newspaper, so Peter allows her to do that for a moment before finally speaking.

“So, does this mean you’ll actually let me take the car to turn in my transcripts?”

[jhope-seok]

chiaroscuro | part 5

chi·a·ro·scu·ro (n.) /kyärəˈsk(y)o͝orō/: an effect of contrasted light and shadow (used in art); Italian, from chiaro light + oscuro dark

Disclaimer: All of the things mentioned in this story are all works of fiction and have been made up by me, the author.  I did not intend to make anything based on real life, and any coincidences to real life are purely coincidences.

AU/Genre: Mafia x Cop AU

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drug gangs and strip clubs

Members: Jungkook x Reader (ft. Taehyung)

Length: 2,662 words

Masterlist | <previous : next>

(A/N: IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! Sorry I made you wait like 5 months for this....life got a little bit in the way.  But I promise I’ve finally gotten my groove back and so it shouldn’t be 5 months again until the next chapter comes out).

[Me 11:09am] Would you maybe want to grab a drink sometime?

Jungkook's finger hovers over the send button, his heart racing.  Before he can overthink it he presses the send button and sets his phone down next to him on his desk.  He had been contemplating how to text you all morning, and now that it’s finally done he can't bear to see your response. He stares at his overturned phone on his desk like a snake waiting to strike at any moment.

To keep himself busy, and his mind off of all of the possible ways you could respond, he reopens the two files in front of him. The faces that stare back at him belong to the two members on the very bottom of the nearly empty whiteboard in Taehyung’s staging room, as he so calls it.

“If you ever think you have something, don’t hesitate to go to the staging room and write it down or move stuff around in there.”

“The staging room?” Jungkook had questioned.

“Yeah. You know,” Taehyung gestured behind him.  “The room with the whiteboards.”

His mind swims at the thought of all of the work ahead of him and Taehyung to bring this mysterious, unknown gang down.

He flips through the pages in the files, reading and re-reading the police reports from their arrests, and the transcripts of their interrogations. His brain clouds over trying to link the two cases together, trying to figure out how these two different dealers can be part of the same, apparently larger than life, cocaine trafficking gang.  The only thing in common that stands out to him between the two is the location they were picked up in. An area which, according to their research on their “rivals,” Min Yoongi’s gang, shouldn’t even be their territory.

He leans back in his chair, rubbing his face.  He feels defeated already and it is only his third day in the narcotics unit.  He worries to himself that he won’t be good enough for them because he can’t come up with any ideas.  To try and keep his mind flowing, he stands, stretches, and walks to the break room to refill his coffee.

As he waits for his mug to fill, and as the scent of coffee seeps into his nostrils, clearing his thoughts, he goes over the facts once more in his mind. By this point he practically has the interrogation transcripts memorized and he recites them to himself as he picks up his cup and the warmth of the mug spreads over his skin.  Then, like a lightbulb it clicks.

He rushes out of the break room, doing his best to be careful not to spill his coffee, and makes his way back to his desk. He grabs the two files off of the top of his desk without stopping and passes by Taehyung’s seat on his way into the staging room.  “Taehyung, follow me. I may have something.”

“What?” Jungkook can hear Taehyung’s surprised voice behind him.  “You have something?!  What do you mean you may have something?!”  The sound of his partner’s chair scraping the floor is piercing.  “This better be good, man.”

“Yeah, well just get your ass in here would you?” Jungkook yells over his shoulder.

“Watch your mouth, kid!” Taehyung yells after him, and Jungkook can’t help but let out a large laugh.

He sets the files down on the table between the two whiteboards and takes a large gulp of his coffee, afraid to let this energy die.  He waves Taehyung through the door frame as the other man watches him with a careful eye.  “Come on.  Sit down.  I don’t have all day.  I want to get it out before I forget it.”

“Okay, okay.  Calm down.”

“Okay. So,” Jungkook takes a deep breath, steadying himself, “I’ve been reviewing the files for the past three days, and what little information there is inside of them. And I have been losing my mind trying to figure out what the hell these dealers had in common besides where they were picked up and arrested.  Right?"

“Right…” Taehyung’s voice is leary, unsure of where Jungkook’s mind is at and where he’s headed with all of this.

“Well I read and re-read, and then read three more times, the interrogation transcripts. And something we—well you and Song—didn’t ask then, that maybe, well, you and Song wouldn’t have known to ask because you only found out after the fact—” Jungkook rambles.

“Oh my God, man!  SPIT IT OUT!” Taehyung cuts him off.

“You never asked them why they were selling where they were selling.  Right?”

“What?” Taehyung’s face scrunches up in confusion.  His eyes dart back and forth between the whiteboards and Jungkook’s face.

“From everything we’ve learned from Min Yoongi’s gang,” he gestures to the board on the left, “the area they were picked up in,” he gestures to the pictures on the bottom of the whiteboard on the right, “isn’t their territory!  So what the hell were they doing there and why were they dealing there?”

Taehyung stares at Jungkook wordlessly.  Taehyung glances over to the board on the left, and then to the files on the table next to him.

Jungkook watches carefully, trying to decipher what his partner is thinking. The room is silent as he waits for him to say something, and Jungkook swears to himself that even the mere scent of the coffee in his hands is making his blood race faster.  Taehyung sits back, tapping his fingers on the table, eyes cast upon the files before him.

Right before Jungkook’s impatience grows unbearable, Taehyung speaks up.  “You might be on to something.”

Jungkook is so ready to defend himself, he almost doesn’t hear the words coming out of his partner’s mouth.  “Wait…what?”

“You have a really good point,” Taehyung affirms, opening up the files to scan through the interrogation transcripts. “Song and I had been trying to sort through a million files to find anything that might have been related, but we never realized that the area they were picked up in wasn’t their territory.  We automatically assumed they were part of Min Yoongi’s gang.  We had no idea, and when they literally spit in our faces...I can’t believe neither of us thought of it.”  Taehyung stands shaking his finger at Jungkook.  “You’re a genius.”

Jungkook beams as Taehyung passes him, walking towards the board on Min Yoongi’s gang.  He finally feels like he’s doing something right and helping make a difference in the team. But, he still feels like there is a link missing in his mind on how to finally crack through the bottom rung of this elusive drug gang.

He turns, facing Taehyung’s back as his partner stares at the whiteboard in front of him.  “But…” Jungkook starts.

“But?” Taehyung turns to face him, eyebrows raised.  “But what?”

“But…,” Jungkook scratches his head, unsure of himself again. “How are we going to catch more than just the bottom rung individuals if we don’t even know anything about the top individuals in this gang?”  He makes a gesture to the whiteboard on the right. “Yes, knowing that they’re selling outside of their territory to possibly keep themselves hidden under the radar is a good start…but that’s not going to get us very far for very long. At the very best all it’s going to do is get us more bottom level dealers who, in the eyes of the important members, are probably worthless, if they’re telling them to sell outside of their territory.”

Taehyung nods, processing what he’s saying.  “This is true.  Very true.  Well how about this,” Taehyung offers.  “Let’s go pay our little friends,” he nods his head at the files on the table, “a little visit.”

The prison is much bleaker than Jungkook could have imagined.  He always saw prisons on TV, but since he joined the force, he had always been a traffic cop, never advancing past his desk.  So when he got to experience first hand just how awful the justice system was, he couldn’t believe it.

“We’re here to see Frank,” Taehyung says to the guard at the front desk. Taehyung had recounted to him that Frank had been a much easier case to crack during their interrogation.  Taehyung said that even while he was a little feisty he seemed to be cooperative.

He slides Frank’s picture into the tray under the screen, and turns back to Jungkook.  “You okay, kid?”

Jungkook’s attention snaps back to his partner.  “Okay, first.  We discussed this, I’m only two years younger than you.  I’m not a kid.  Second, um.  Yeah.  Sure.  I’m okay.”

“You’re gonna have to learn how to toughen up if you plan to be a part of the narcotics unit.  This is a part of our regular duties.  It’s necessary.  It sucks, but it’s necessary.”

The guard unlocks the door, and tells them that the guard on the other side will accompany them to a room where they can speak with Frank.

“Thank you,” Taehyung salutes the guard behind the window.  “Alright, kid.  Let’s do this.”

Jungkook ignores his partners remarks, his thoughts focusing on the state of the place he’s in.  He can’t help but stare at the decrepit walls and ceilings as the guard guides them through the prison.  He never expected prison to be such an awful place. He knows that prison isn’t supposed to all rainbows and sunshine, and he joined the force to stop criminals and bring people to justice, but this didn’t seem like justice to him.

As Taehyung and him sit in the bleakest room Jungkook thinks he’s ever been in, he can’t help but imagine himself having to live like this, day in and day out; to have a loved one living like this every day for years on end.  He’s brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a door opening.

The man that stands before him scoffs, “What the hell does the fuzz want with me now?  Busting my ass once wasn’t enough?”  He gives Taehyung a nasty look.

“Listen, Frank.  I didn’t come here to make things worse.  I actually need your help,” Taehyung’s voice is calm and collected.

“My help?” Frank laughs.

Taehyung hums in confirmation.

“Who’s this chump?  What happened to the other asshole you were with?”

“Watch your language, Frank,” the guard at the door says.

Frank rolls his eyes, unwavering in his stance.  He doesn’t speak again, just opens his hands and waves them at Taehyung, as if to say, ‘so?’

“Please sit, Frank.  And then I’ll explain.”

When Frank doesn’t sit Taehyung continues.  “Okay, fine.  We need your help, Frank. My new partner here,” he waves over to Jungkook, who smiles uncomfortably, unsure of what to do in this situation, “made a very good point to me today.  Do you want to know what that is?”

Frank shrugs.

“You,” Taehyung emphasizes with a point of his finger, “were selling outside of your territory.  Now, isn’t that interesting?”

Frank’s eyes widen ever so slightly and clambors sits on the bench in front of him, the chains on his handcuffs jangling.

“It seems like I finally have your attention.” The grin on Taehyung’s face is greasy and Jungkook tries to keep himself calm at having an actual drug gang member in front of him.

“Go on,” Frank speaks, his voice lowered to a whisper.

“You are going to help us, Frank. You are going to tell us why you were selling outside of your territory, and where your territory actually is.  And if you’re extra helpful, well.  Maybe I’ll see what I can do for you?” Taehyung glances over at Jungkook, checking to make sure his partner hasn’t fled the table yet.

Frank sits back, fingers tapping on the table in a rhythmic pattern, over and over.  “I ain’t no snitch.”

“Nobody said you were a snitch, Frank.  I’m not asking you to give us names.  I just need information.”

Frank seems to contemplate Taehyung’s words, weighing his options. Jungkook’s not sure what option could be better than helping them, but he doesn’t speak up, afraid to say anything in this moment.

“Alright, listen,” Frank begins. “My supplier told me that I couldn’t sell in our usual locations, that things had gotten tight with the law,” Frank scoffs; Jungkook assumes at the irony of the situation, “and so we had to start selling somewhere else.  I didn’t get much information about why but they highly suggested to us that we sell in the scum’s territory.”

“Min Yoongi,” Taehyung interrupts.

Frank glares at him.  “Yes.  However, that tactic didn’t last very long now did it?”

“When did you start selling there?” Taehyung asks.

“I had only been dealing in that area for about a month.  And let me tell you, business for newcomers wasn’t very good,” Frank’s voice is agitated. Jungkook can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for him, a man trying to do what he can to support himself and his family, and to have it end like this.

“Okay, and where were you selling before?” Taehyung continues, seemingly unperturbed by Frank’s oversharing of information.

“Strip clubs, mainly.  Apparently my supplier is in with a lot of the strip club owners in the areas.  But I guess things were getting messy and we couldn’t sell there anymore.  Needed to lay low in the eyes of the law.”

Jungkook listens intently the entire time Taehyung and Frank continue their back and forth.  He’s making mental notes of the important facts, making sure he follows up on everything back at the precinct.

When it’s all over Taehyung stands, sticking out his hand for Frank to shake.  “Thank you, Frank.  That was all I needed.  And I promise to make sure no one knows you were the one who gave us this information.”

Frank reluctantly shakes his hand.  “I ain’t no snitch.  And this never happened.  Don’t come back here because I don’t have any more information for the likes of you.”

As he steps out of the room and the door closes behind them, Taehyung sits back down, letting out a huge sigh.  “So, you shit your pants yet?”  Taehyung laughs at his own joke, and slaps Jungkook’s back.

“Not yet,” Jungkook’s voice sounds unbelievably loud to himself after listening to Frank and Taehyung go back and forth for what seemed like longer than an hour.

“Well, we have lots of new information to check out and hopefully it’ll get us new leads into cracking down on more people.  I’m a little optimistic now, aren’t you?”

Jungkook stares at his partner.  “I mean, yes?  Sure.  I’m...yeah.  Optimistic.”

“Good,” Taehyung stands again, this time making his way to the door.  “Are you hungry?  I could go for a good steak right about now.”

“Okay,” is all Jungkook can muster, his mind still spinning, unable to process all of the information it received.

Once Jungkook and Taehyung return to the precinct they set up a plan to sort through all of the cases related to drug busts and strip clubs outside of the area known to belong to Min Yoongi’s gang over the last several years. Compiling all of the cases takes several grueling hours and turns the staging room into a huge mess.  By the time they’ve finally collected all of the cases they think are connected the sun has already set and both agree to come back the next day and tackle it all then.

As Jungkook finally sinks into his desk again at the end of what seemed to be a never-ending day, he grabs his phone in front of him, realizing he’d forgotten all about it in his excitement earlier that morning and opens the message that’s been waiting for him all day.

[Y/N 11:10am] Meet me at XX at 9, tonight. Don’t be late.

He checks the time at the top of his phone screen.

7:29pm

“Fuck.”

feedback is always welcome! please feel free to leave some here!

[mgmttrust]

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[firsthandfirecracker-blog]

Written transcript of video interview HPD-08-05-89-I-WIL.

For your eyes only.

Case: HPD-07-31-89-KEA - Local teen - Possible homicide - Ongoing investigation

Date: 08-05-1989

Players: Detective Matthew Anderson - mid-thirties - Seasoned detective. Years on the job have given him a welcoming affect, unlike Det. Whitney, who just pisses people off (useful in its own right). Whitney on standby if needed Naomi Wilder - 25 - Runs local gym, inherited from late sister (see notes). Obviously cared for victim. Forthcoming during questioning in Case HPD-02-16-81-WIL. Clear she has a temper—see court report for details Larissa Kearney is here don’t ignore me i’m here i’m here i’m

Setting: A dingy but moderately sized interview room at the station with a small METAL TABLE and TWO CHAIRS. NAOMI sits in the far chair, legs crossed, picking at a nail. DET. ANDERSON enters from right with FILE in hand.

Naomi straightens up, rising to shake the Detective’s hand.

DET. ANDERSON: (affable) Thanks for being here. I know it’s inconvenient, so we’ll try to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Naomi smiles curtly.

NAOMI: Of course. Any way I can help.

Anderson opens the file and scans through its contents.

ANDERSON: You were Laris̴s̶á K͏ea̧rne̡y’s self-defense instructor for six years, is that right?

NAOMI: That’s right.

ANDERSON: How well do you believe she learned your material? Do you see any reason she was unable to fend off whoever hurt her?

NAOMI: She was one of my best students. Lar͠is҉s̸a has changed a lot since we first started training, but she rarely ever missed a class and she’s knocked me on my ass more times than I can count. I don’t doubt she could defend herself if she had to. But I… I don’t think this was about fighting.

ANDERSON: What do you mean?

NAOMI: Well, you know, she got older. She… stopped smiling. Started catching rides home with strange people more than with her brother. Like she was—coming unraveled at the edges.

ANDERSON: So, when was the last time you saw her?

NAOMI: It was right after class. She was kind of off, I guess. Look, sparring her—the girl punched like she was on fire. And she was. There was something driving her to punch harder, strike faster. I don’t know what it was, but now I wish I did.

ANDERSON: Maybe she was intending to fight someone.

NAOMI: I don’t think so. She was always intense like that, since she was a kid. Like she had something to prove. I liked it because it was a challenge, but the older she got, the more she demanded. That night, though, all the spirit had gone out of her. She was sloppy. She didn’t care. I tried not to take it personally—everyone has their off days.

ANDERSON: Who picked her up from class that night?

NAOMI: I don’t know. Her brother had been picking her up a lot more recently, and I was excited because I thought maybe they were spending more time together. But I didn’t see anyone there when she left. You can always tell because if there is, the headlights shine through the windows.

Anderson shifts in his seat, writes something down in his NOTEPAD.

ANDERSON: Did you try to give her a ride home?

NAOMI: Of course I did. But L̍̓a̢r̍̄̀ͨ̐i͗̎͑ͯ́s͏sͯ̊̋̐ͪ̀a͂͢ didn’t do that—she didn’t take favors from people, even when she needed them.

ANDERSON: I get what you mean. So, you mentioned she was “off” in class. How so?

Naomi is quiet. Her eyes flick to the CORNER of the room for but a moment.

NAOMI: ... I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. Her eyes were… glazed over, like her body was in the ring but her brain was somewhere else. And she was—high. I don’t know on what. But she always fought differently when she was high.

ANDERSON: High? Was that a regular thing for her?

NAOMI: No, it had only happened a few times, and only recently. I don’t think it was a new habit though... maybe she was just getting sloppy.

ANDERSON: That night, do you think she feared for her life?

Naomi’s back goes rigid. She looks a little more toward the CAMERA, at the corner of the room, but quickly looks back at Anderson.

NAOMI: Well… uh…

ANDERSON: Ms. Wilder?

NAOMI: Um, could I get some water? My throat is really dry.

Anderson squints at her.

ANDERSON: Alright. I’ll be right back.

As soon as Anderson’s back is turned, Naomi’s attention snaps back to the corner. Her hands tighten around the edges of her chair, white-knuckled. Her gaze seems to follow something above eye-level partway across the room, ending at the Detective’s chair.

Det. Anderson enters, holding a WATER BOTTLE.

ANDERSON: Here you go.

Naomi springs up and takes the bottle.

NAOMI: (breathlessly) Oh—thanks.

She sits, cracks open the cap and downs half the bottle in one go. Her eyes remain fixed on the same spot as before.

ANDERSON: Are you alright?

NAOMI: Yes, just… talking about that night, I see now that there were so many signs. I could have done something.

ANDERSON: Did you try to talk to her about those... signs?

NAOMI: (still visibly shaken) Look, L̢̖͍̾̓̅͊̚ͅͅa̷̬͉͕ͩͯ̆̉̀ͣ͛ṙ̷ḭ̦̙̣ͬ̓ͯ͑ͫ̌͌s͆͏̹̪̝s̆a̝̤̲̞̭̻̍͠ always made it clear that her business was her business. When she was younger, she was a lot more open about things. She would actually stay after class and we’d chat for a bit, and she seemed to really enjoy our conversations. But somewhere along the way she closed up, I guess; she stopped wanting to share anything. I did try, but she had this way of getting retribution when you’d wronged her. Like, say I asked her about something and she got upset, the next week she’d bruise my shin from a kick that was a little low. Maybe it wasn’t totally on purpose, but you could feel that petulant energy, you know?

Naomi takes another drink of water. Her back has begun to relax.

NAOMI: I guess I was worried that if I pushed too hard, she would stop coming to class.

ANDERSON: So you didn’t approach her about whatever was going on because you were worried about losing a student?

NAOMI: No. No, it’s—it’s not about the class at all. It’s about... empowering somebody. Giving them the tools they need to feel safe and confident in their daily life. I didn’t want her to lose that.

Anderson is quiet. After a moment, he jots something in his notes.

ANDERSON: Alright, we’re almost done here. I appreciate your cooperation in all this.

NAOMI: Well, thanks for doing what you’re doing. I want to find out what happened to her too. We all do.

ANDERSON: So Ms. Wilder, where were you between the hours of 5 A.M. and 6 A.M. on July the 31st of 1989?

NAOMI: I was at the gym. I was too tired to go home after Ḷ̢̢̡͇͙̘̥ͦ͋ͣ̋͊ͥ͋̍̌ͧͮͨ̽͘͜ͅä̶͉̜̭͔̤̝́͗̔͆͊̌͑̀ͅr̢̺̘̦̦̲̮̭̝̮̠̹̗̻̻͍̩̆ͭͫ͒ͣͥͫ̉͘i̧̞͙̲̰̭̱̐ͤ͐͋̎̎͊̂́ͬͪ́͘s̵̨̡̜̫̻̹͓̹͚̫̜̺̥͉̬̎͊͑̽́͠s̢͇͚̣̺̱͓̬̻̮͚͇̝̳̲̖̦ͥ̆̏ͥ̓͋͛͊͌̃̀̍̂͛ͨ͘͜a̶̡͚̝̣̲͇̽ͥ̎́͊̀͜ ’s lesson, so I crashed on the bed in the spare room. Couldn’t sleep, though, so I got up and started doing chores around the gym.

ANDERSON: I see. Is there anyone who can confirm your whereabouts?

NAOMI: I was alone, but the windows at the gym are pretty big, so anyone who was driving by around that time would have seen me in there. Also, I fixed the chest press machine and wrote it in my logbook. I’m sure several of my regulars could confirm that.

ANDERSON: Alright.

He stands and offers a hand. Naomi stands up and shakes it firmly.

ANDERSON: Thanks for your cooperation, Ms. Wilder. We’ll be in touch.

He walks over and holds the DOOR for Naomi to exit. As she does, though, her gaze follows the Detective’s chair. She gives it one last glance as the door closes.

END

[injuries-in-dust]

Out numbered, out gunned, never out fought

My first real attempt at a humans are space orcs story. Written on my mobile, so excuse any spelling errors, I have proof read and tried to correct, but some may have slipped through the cracks. Queen Krillix clicked her mandibles together in anticipation as he surveyed the situation upon his scanners. The Vespula fleet consisted of five hundred dreadnoughts, two hundred heavy support vehicles, one hundred attack fighters, and one flagship; a Nova-class heavy bomber, a type aptly nicknamed by their enemies "planet smasher". The fleet of the United Sol fleet however, was a dozen warships, half a dozen battle cruisers, and a hundred mongrels; ships which had previously cargo haulers, research vessels, and transport ships meant to carry colonists to new worlds, all of them had been stripped down and retrofitted with heavier weapons and armour. They were not ascetically pleasing but were serviceable enough. For humans. From her throne room aboard the planet-smasher "Iron Sting" (loosely translated into galactic common.) the queen extended her will to her army. The hive was not of mindless drones, her soldiers could think for themselves, their intelligence, their instincts, guided the hive to victory. But their will was the queens will and the queens will was their will. She guided them, drove them, gave them reason to live. The hive without their queen was a bunch of soldiers without a cause, without desire to do anything to eat and procreate. With billions of mouths that feed already the hive was running out of food in the handful of systems their already controlled. Expansion was the only key to their survival. So the queen drove them on, ever forward, ever outward, to new worlds and new foods. So it had passed that the hive had found this small system, with an unassuming little star. Colonised worlds and strange fleshy-bipeds running around their little homes and growing food. No armies, no defences; none that bothered the hive anyway. Not even space worthy vessels. The hive had descended and claimed this world. There had been but a paltry resistance from the bipeds. But farmers with pitchforks and lasers were no match against a single attack ship and the well trained soldiers of the Vespula when the will of the queen was behind them. There in the ashes of the settlement, the hive had learned the name of the bipeds; humans. They had come to learn the name of their world; New Earth. They came to learn the fleshy bipeds were not born to this planet but another. They were much like the hive, in their own primitive way. They dominated their homeworld and had spread. First across their own system and then, when they ran out of room, to others. Anywhere they found suitable they planet their two feet and claimed it for their own. Yet they also did something the hive did not. The humans called it Terraforming; to force a world to be suitable for your kind. The science caste had put their minds to this terraforming as a way for the hive to claim more worlds. But the process was slow, taking several hundred cycles. Dozens of queens would come and go before even one world was made suitable for the Vespula. An unnecessary waste of resources for too long a goal. Expansion of suitable planets was deemed the only true way forward. The queen acknowledged a slight kinship with the humans, despite them being fleshy bipeds of dull colouring, and the Vespula were the great insectoids of the royal black and noble yellow. Like the Vespula, they were driven as the hive was driven, by the need to grow and survive. The feeling of kinship did not make the queen stay her tarsal claw. If anything it encouraged her. These humans were not just prey, or a nuisance, they were competition. They needed worlds and food as did the hive. They had great, ever expanding numbers, as did the hive. How long before they came to battle over territory? The queen considered and decided to strike first. These humans were primitive. They had only recently discovered the means to travel faster than light. They had strange notions of peaceful exploration and learning. They took only those worlds which were not already owned by sentient beings. This was surely a hindrance. It was a weakness, if nothing else. When something stood in the way of your food you should strike it down. It was the only way to be strong. The only way for the majority to survive. No wonder they hadn't expanded too far. "Status?" The queen asked and the solder of the tactician caste responded. "Scans show no other human ships in the sector." Then this paltry number was their whole fleet. "Weapons appear to be high intensity lasers. Radiation signatures on the warships and battle cruisers indicate nuclear weaponry" Primitive. Nuclear weapons, such a barbaric people. Yet effective enough in its own way. If it were not for their shield generators the queen might have been worried. If the humans concentrated fire on one ship at a time the humans could break the shields and take down a dreadnaught or two. Such ha tactic would have even worked against the planet smashing Nova-class vessel. But during that time they would be taking fire from every other ship around them. They would surely be destroyed before any shields collapsed. As it was, all the Vespula ships had shields and the human weapons would crash against them as they tried to attack ten times their number. The Vespula would cut through this pitiful fleet with their quantum cannons and proceed through this Sol system, claiming every inhabitable planet along the way until they reached the human homeworld. Glory to the hive! The queen bent her will, her fighters felt her and obeyed as her will became their own. The weapons began charging, their ships took positions for attack. In a few more seconds the humans ships would be in range of their cannons. Then there was a voice she had not expected. "My queen." It came from a drone of the technician caste, manning the communications station. He seemed confused, this concerned the queen. "We are receiving a message from the flagship of the human fleet." Thirty seconds until the ships were in range. The queen waved a claw dismissively. "I have no patience for long speeches about how they will not be defeated how they will make their stand and-" the technician interrupted her, another unexpected thing. "My queen, the translator states only two words." The queens antennae raised upwards- the equivalent of a smile to their race. "Let me guess, 'we surrender'?" Ten seconds and the ships would be in range. "No my queen." The queen looked at him expectantly, "no?" The technician looked again at his screen, which had translated the strange language of the humans into a written transcript. "It says, 'Leeroy Jenkins.'" The queen's mandibles clicked, her antennae dropped, the signs of confusion "Leeroy Jenkins?" The ships came into range. The human ships raced at great speed. The Vespula ships fired. The human ships did not engage them?! They did not slow to attack speeds! They did not shoot. They charged onwards. Their movement was too fast. The quantum cannons missed! The targeting combat computers of the Vespula worked best on ships that had slowed to a proper attack speed. This was the speed of fleeing, but the humans were still heading toward them?! The queen was confused as were her soldiers, but their wills were found one thought, one desire; shoot the human ships. Some ships hit, but they were only glancing blows off the armour of the speedy and agile human vessels. Then a luck shot! One human vessel, a war ship, exploded as the quantum laser caught its nacelles. The other vessels raced past, igniting their fallen comrades. They didn't fire against the attack fighters, they ignored the cruisers and dreadnoughts. The puny human vessels penetrated into the very heart of the seam of hive ships. Too late the queen realised their course; they were targeting the flagship, only the flagship. HER SHIP! "All power to shields!" Half a dozen nuclear weapons were launched at once, less than 500ft from the hull. Just in time did the technician pour the auxiliary power into the shield generators. The shockwaves of the explosions made the shields rumble like a violent ocean. Radiation detectors signalled that the outside of the ship was already a hotbed of fallout. Their thick hull and shields were keeping the interior safe. A second wave of missiles were launched. A third were close behind. Before those nukes even hit their shields, the ships of the first wave were in range and launching another wave. Where was her ships? Her soldiers? Their powerful weapons? The queen already knew the answer, the hive was too afraid of the swift and agile Human ships. They couldn't fire upon them for the risk of hitting the flagship. The fourth wave of missiles impacted. Alarms signalled the collapse of the shields and radiation penetrating the outer layers of the hull. The tiny human ships were massing again, launching their fifth strike. Nuclear missiles and lasers fired simultaneously. All their fire was concentrated one one place; the bridge. *** Far and away, across the void of space. The princess Noxi was torn from her rest in her sleeping chamber. Emerging from the warmth of her cocoon she scrambled to an opening and looked to the stars. For the hive they had always been warm and inviting, promising new planets, food and resources for the glory of The Hive. Now they looked cold and frightening. Promising unknown dangers and darkness. She felt a shiver run through her thorax. Across the hive cries went up as the realisation dawned on each member of the Vespula race. Males, females, and larvae were all feeling as one the terrible loss and grief not only of so many brothers and sisters, but their beloved queen. Princess Noxi felt an ache in the back of her head. There was no stopping it. It began instinctively as soon as her mother had died. She felt the ache grow in intensity, almost searing her brain, as her connection to the hive grew and solidified. Within minutes the pain faded. Queen Noxi looked upon her hive with fresh eyes. The will of the hive was her will. Her will was the will of the hive. These Humans. Not long ago their desire had been to destroy these fleshy bipeds. They were supposed to be primitive. They were supposed to be weak. They were supposed to fall to the hive like so many had before. The soldiers in the sol system. Her soldiers now. Their fight was on hold. Their shock was fresh. They had just witnessed the death of their queen while they'd been stuck, helpless, lest they harm the queen they were trying to protect. They needed her guidance now, more than any other in the hive. They were waiting for it. Waiting for the will of their queen to guide them. Queen Noxi gave her will out to all of the hive across all their worlds, the billions of minds received her, "Run. Run from the humans." She hoped it was enough to save them.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/health/watch-michael-and-saras-third-co-host-nikki-green/

WATCH: Michael and Sara's third co-host, Nikki Green

Transcript for Michael and Sara’s third co-host, Nikki Green

co-host for the day, Nikki Greene, and we’re going to find out a bit more about nic — Nikki. Yes, and we have had fun so far, but we’re just starting. Awhile back, she sent us a heartwarming letter asking if we would consider letting her co-host our show and said it was on her bucket list. Can you tell us about that? In 2008, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, stage 2, and I went through my treatments, chemo, radiation. Lost my hair, still felt fantastic, you know, even with my bald head. I conquered that. I was stage 2, which is considered early stage, and I was cancer-free for ten years. Yes. So in early 2017, I started feeling bad. So they did the bone scan and a week later, it came back showing widespread metastatic breast cancer. Yeah. I gave myself two weeks to mourn. Two weeks, and I’m telling you. The last day of that two-week period, I snapped out of it and said, you know what? I’m going to either succumb to this diagnosis or I’m going to live with it. I chose to L Yeah. Yeah. Now we know that you wanted to be here and you made that happen because you’re fierce. What else do you love doing and what else is on the bucket list? Well, my bucket list — one thing about my bucket list — that’s what I was saying about this disease. It will have you in a depression. Not every day is a good day, but I thank god that I have great days. Not good, great. I have some great days and I thank god for that, and I thank god for my positive mindset. That is the key, you know. So I started having a positive mindset. I said, I’m going to write me a bucket list, you know, I used to be a procrastinator back in the day, but, you know, having a diagnosis like this will make you, you know, start moving faster, and start conquering some things that you thought, you know, you wanted to do back then, but you didn’t. So I wrote my bucket list. I love crocheting. That’s what I started doing. You’re into fashion. I love fashion. I have a passion for fashion. Passion for fashion. Yes. I love dressing, you know, I love dressing people. Uh-huh. A lot of people ask me, you know, can you help me, you know, dress a little bit? You know, a lot of people say, I’m a plain Jane, but I love the way you look. I said, sure, you know. I love fashion. Do you have anything that, like, scares you? Yeah. To take a cruise. Yes. Why does it scare you? I think just being — seeing that mass amount of water. It just scares me. You watched “Titanic”. That’s what I think about. Never let go. Never let go, Nikki. Never let go. I still say they both could it on that piece of wood, but, you know. You know, Nikki, you wanted to be on the show as part of to your bucket list and that happened, but we wanted to make another one of your dreams come true and Sara said, you love fashion and we have reached out to a few of our friends and Burnett New York, they would like to invite you to their fashion show this afternoon at New York fashion week. It’s New York fashion week, the show. We’re going to have a car pick up you and your whole family later today. Oh my gosh. They’re going to make sure you have the vip experience of a lifetime. You are going to New York fashion week. That means you too, boys. You too, fellas. So hopefully that crosses something else off your list and we wanted — Oh my gosh. We wanted you to enjoy it because you deserve this. Y’all have checked off two of

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

[voltrontranscript]

VLD S3E6: Tailing a Comet

Season 3 Episode 6: Tailing a Comet

Transcript by @dragonofyang

Episode summary: Now that Shiro has returned, tension rises between Shiro and Keith’s methods of leadership as the team tracks Lotor to the Ulippa System, where his generals are found trying to steal a piece of the massive teludav.

[Google Doc]

Lance: Alright, team, I’ve got my eye on the targets. I’ll cover you from up he--Hey, Keith! I had that guy!

Hunk: They’re still coming!

Lance: Well, that was awesome!

Hunk: Pidge, could you maybe hurry it up a little?

Pidge: Almost… There!

Keith: Great job, Pidge.

Pidge: That’s the last outpost in this quadrant.

Keith: Call the Blade of Marmora. Let them know this base is cleared.

[Scene change to a hallway in the Castle of Lions.]

Shiro: I don’t know. The last thing I remember was Zarkon trying to overtake the Black Lion. It told me to use my bayard. Then, just nothing. I woke up, and I was back on a Galra ship.

Keith: Well, you’d just unlocked the Black Lion’s ability to teleport. Could it have teleported you? Maybe it was trying to save you.

Shiro: By teleporting me into the hands of the Galra?

Keith: Maybe Zarkon forced it to. I mean, he was trying to control the Black Lion up until the very last moment, right?

Shiro: Yeah, maybe.

Keith: Well, if you’re feeling up to it, the rest of the team would be thrilled to see you up and around again. They need you, you know.

Shiro: Yeah, I’ll try.

Keith: Okay, we’ll be on the bridge.

Shiro: Hey, Keith?

Keith: Yeah.

Shiro: How many times are you gonna have to save me before this is over?

Keith: As many times as it takes.

Shiro: Great job out there, everyone. You’ve really turned the tide in this war. I’m glad you never lost sight of the mission while I was gone.

Lance: You’re looking better. How are you feeling?

Shiro: Good. Just trying to get rid of this weird headache.

Pidge: Guys, I think I have something here! So I downloaded intel from the Galra base we just defeated. I untied the quantum-folded encryption, and I found something on Lotor.

Lance: Do you know where he is?

Pidge: Well, not exactly, no, but the last three sightings of his command ship have been in the Va’Kar quadrant.

Shiro: Nice work, Pidge. Although, those quadrants are massive. How will we pinpoint his location?

Hunk: Hey, that comet is made from the same material as Voltron. Maybe I can scan the emission spectrum for Fraunhofer lines, like when I found the Blue Lion!

Pidge: But you know those emissions are subject to free induction decay. Those are exponential drop-offs.

Hunk: Yeah, but if you could find a way to amplify the sensors--No, there’d be way too much interference. What if, instead, we increase the SA magnitude?

Pidge: The spires of the Castle!

Hunk: Genius!

Lance: I have no idea what either of them just said.

Shiro: Let’s set a course for the Va’Kar quadrant while they get started on that detector. We need to work fast. Who knows what Lotor has planned for that comet?

[Scene change to Keith’s quarters.]

Keith: Yeah?

Lance: Hey, man. I just wanted to talk with you because… Well, because I’ve been worrying about something.

Keith: Must really be bothering you if you’re coming to talk to me.

Lance: Well, I mean, you’re the leader now, right?

Keith: I guess.

Lance: I’ve been doing some math. With Shiro back, that makes six paladins, but there are only five lions, and if I’m right, that’s one paladin too many.

Keith: Solid math.

Lance: Look, when Shiro takes over the Black Lion, you’re going to want your Red Lion back. If I get a lion, that means I’d have to take Blue from Allura, but she’s progressed a lot faster than any of us did. She might even be able to unlock powers we don’t know of.

Keith: That’s true.

Lance: So, maybe the best thing I can do for the team is step aside.

Keith: What are you talking about?

Lance: This isn’t a participation game. This is war. And you want your best soldiers on the front lines.

Keith: Stop worrying about who flies what and just focus on your missions. Things will work themselves out.

Lance: Okay. Thanks.

Keith: And Lance… Leave the math to Pidge.

[Scene change to the Castle’s bridge.]

Hunk: Thanks for hooking me into the system. I would’ve never been able to reach back there.

[Mouse squeaking]

Hunk: Sorry, I know you got all dirty. I owe you guys a little mouse shower now, okay? I’m gonna get to work on that right after we find Lotor.

Pidge: Hey, can we fire this up and see if it works?

Hunk: Uh… Maybe we didn’t adjust the polarity correctly.

Hunk: Uh, guys! I found the comet, but it’s booking it away from us! Coran? Allura? Can someone Altean come move this castle?

Allura: Well done. We’re on our way.

Hunk: Okay, we’re gaining on it.

Shiro: Make sure we stay far back enough to be undetected.

Pidge: Looks like the signal stopped in the Ulippa System. Activating long-range scanners.

Keith: That’s not Lotor’s ship.

Hunk: But the comet is in there.

Shiro: Okay, team, we need to get that--

Keith: Here’s the plan, everyone. Oh, I’m sorry. Go ahead, Shiro.

Shiro: We need to get that comet. They must be transporting it to that base. It’ll be vulnerable during the transfer. That’s the best time to strike.

Lance: Who the heck are these guys?

Shiro: I don’t think they’re moving the comet to that base. We need more information.

Keith: You’re right. You take the Black Lion. I’ll stay with Coran in the Castle and provide support.

Shiro: Keith, are you sure?

Keith: I’m sure.

Lance: Shiro, where are you? We need you right now!

Shiro: Keith, I’m gonna need you to lead this mission.

Keith: What? What is it? What’s wrong?

Shiro: The Black Lion isn’t responding to me. It looks like you’re its true paladin now.

Keith: I’m coming down.

[Scene change to security feed of the Galra base.]

Throk: This may be the worst post in the Galra Empire, but it’s my post! Victory or death!

[Scene change to outside the Galra base.]

Shiro: The most important thing is for you to get eyes on that comet. Second is figuring out who we’re dealing with.

[Scene change to inside the Galra base.]

Throk: You! Lotor sent you to finish off what he started?

[Scene change to outside the Galra base.]

Keith: Shiro, we’ve just boarded the ship. There’s no crew in sight. Moving forward with the search.

[Scene change to inside the Galra base.]

Zethrid: Let me finish him off!

Acxa: No, you know the plan!

Throk: My life doesn’t matter. All that matters is the empire!

Narti: [indistinct whispering]

Throk: Shutting down security.

[Transition to the Galra ship.]

Keith: Sounds like the fight next door is over. Let’s hurry.

[Transition to Galra base.]

Throk: Retracting roof.

[Transition to the Castle bridge.]

Shiro: Coran, give me a closer look at that. Is that...

Coran: The teludav! What, in the name of King Groggery the Infirm, is going on?

[Scene change to inside the Galra ship.]

Hunk: The comet should be in here. Like, right here.

Lance: Where’s the comet? Is it in that ship?

Hunk: I think the ship is the comet.

Allura: No, it can’t be! He’s already made a ship from the comet’s core?

Lance: Oh, this is bad.

Pidge: More like horrible.

Shiro: Guys… There’s a piece of the teludav inside the Galra base.

Lance: The one we used to wormhole Zarkon’s ship?

Allura: But they would never be able to operate it without an Altean--[gasps] Zarkon’s witch! She had Altean markings.

Hunk: Is anyone else kind of freaking out?

Lance: Yep, mark me down for one freak-out.

Keith: Lotor must be nearby. We need to find him and take him out for good.

Shiro: Team, you cannot let Lotor get that ship. You need to get back to your lions. You need Voltron!

Keith: Why take out one ship when we can stop all of this by taking out Lotor himself? We can’t let him keep outsmarting us.

Shiro: That’s exactly why we can’t risk letting Lotor have that ship. This is too important.

Allura: Keith, I want to stop Lotor just as badly as you, but Shiro has a point.

Keith: Okay, you guys go back to the lions. I’m gonna search the ship for Lotor.

Shiro: Keith, you need to stick together.

Lance: Yeah, I’m with Shiro on this one.

Allura: As am I.

Pidge: Me, too.

Hunk: Yeah, man.

Keith: Fine. Let’s move.

Allura: Huh?

Zethrid: Yah!

Lance: I gotcha, buddy!

Ezor: Huh?

Hunk: Pidge! A little help?

Zethrid: [sighs] It’s been a long time since I’ve faced a worthy opponent. I’m going to enjoy crushing you.

Keith: We don’t have time for this. We need to get to the lions.

Lance: Good idea.

Acxa: Zethrid, stop!

Zethrid: Come on! This is our chance to destroy them!

Acxa: We have what we came for. Stick to the plan.

[Scene change to outside the Galra base.]

Lance: Okay, seriously, what is going on? I mean, who were they?

Keith: I’ve met one of them before, in the weblum. She stole some of the scaultrite.

Hunk: Allura, you said they had an Altean? They must be trying to build a teludav so they can make wormholes.

Allura: If Lotor has turned the comet into a ship, we have much bigger concerns.

Pidge: I thought Lotor took over for Zarkon. Why is he attacking a Galra base?

Keith: I don’t know. That’s why we have to stop him here and now.

Shiro: We have to stop that cargo ship.

Coran: On it.

Coran: That must be the ship made from the comet.

Shiro: Then let’s be careful. Raise particle barrier. Fire Castle defenses.

Coran: A quick little bugger, isn’t it?

Shiro: I’ve never seen something that size move that fast.

Coran: That blast cut right through the particle barrier!

Shiro: Team, where are you?

Coran: We can’t take another hit like that!

[Transition to Voltron.]

Keith: Form sword!

[Transition to Sincline ship.]

Lotor: Keep Voltron engaged until the cargo ship is out of range.

Lotor: Do not be drawn in. The sword strike is his most deadly blow.

[Transition to Voltron.]

Keith: It’s too quick!

Shiro: Guys, the cargo ship is escaping with the teludav inside of it.

Keith: I thought taking down the ship made from the comet was the most important thing.

Shiro: We still can’t let Lotor get away with the teludav.

Allura: Shiro’s right. We need to destroy it.

Keith: But the comet is right here! We need to take it down!

Shiro: Keith, the cargo ship is getting away!

[Transition to Sincline.]

Lotor: We have them right where we want them. They can either defend, or go after the teludav and leave themselves vulnerable.

Hunk: Guys, the teludav’s getting away.

Lance: Keith, what should we do?

Shiro: You’re going to have to lower your shield, shoot the cargo ship, and deal with the consequences.

Keith: We can beat this ship first, and then get the cargo ship.

Shiro: There’s not enough time. You need to make a decision!

Keith: Hunk, get your bayard ready. On my cue, we’re gonna lower the shield and shoot the cargo ship. Ready?

Paladins: Ready!

Lotor: They’re going to attack the cargo ship. Prepare to fire as soon as the shield goes down.

Keith: Go!

Lotor: Fire now!

Lotor: Fire again!

Lotor: Your failure is most disappointing. Return before more Galra ships converge on your location.

Lance: So, Lotor was attacking the Galra base and trying to steal the teludav? None of this makes any sense.

Pidge: We can talk about this later. They’re getting away!

Keith: We need to go after them.

Shiro: No. Get back to the Castle. Something strange is going on here, and we need to figure it out.

[Scene change to an unspecified room of the Castle.]

Shiro: I’m sorry I had to step in back there.

Keith: I thought I had it under control.

Shiro: You need to learn to pick your battles. Sometimes, you have to make hard choices.

Keith: I’m no good at this.

Shiro: Yes, you are. It was your quick thinking that prevented Lotor from getting away with the teludav. You’re gonna get there. The Black Lion has chosen you. I’m proud of you, Keith.

[Scene change to Galra HQ.]

Throk: I can’t remember anything, except that whoever it was had the correct landing codes. I swear! You must believe me!

Haggar: I believe you, but you still must pay for your failure.

Throk: [screaming]

End.

[mrdanielblack]

The artificial future

Dan Siegler is the Head of Industry, Automotive, and Real Estate at Google. In his segment, you will learn ways to adapt your business for mobile and meet consumer expectations when it comes to using mobile. He also discusses how artificial intelligence can help you improve your consumer experience.

Topic – Inman Connect highlights

Mentor – Dan Siegler

Transcript:

Kevin:   While we were at Inman Connect in New York, I caught up with Dan Siegler from Google. Here’s that chat I had with him.

Kevin:   Dan Siegler is the Head of Real Estate at Google, and joins me to talk about mobile. Dan, thanks, and welcome to the show.

Dan:   Yeah, thanks for having me.

Kevin:   More and more users are using mobile. Do you expect that to increase? Because it’s going at a phenomenal rate now.

Dan:   It is. We do. We think it will increase, even specific to the real estate space. We did a study last year analysing query behaviour, and also serving end-market home buyers. We found 72% of home buyers now use a mobile device as part of their journey. Just in the last two years, we’ve seen home buying, home shopping, related queries on mobile devices more than double. When I say that, we’re talking about a pretty big base to begin with.

But we do think it will continue, and really fueled by now the emergence of voice search. Voice search is really the most quickly adopted technology by consumers since the smartphone. It makes it so much easier to use mobile devices because it’s so hard to type on them. As voice becomes more and more ubiquitous. Right now we’ve got about 91 million people using voice actively. We think that will continue to fuel more and more mobile query behaviour.

Kevin:   Of course, with Google Home now too, that’s sort of … is that considered mobile?

Dan:   It’s not currently considered mobile. Very limited sort of advertising opportunities for now, but you’re absolutely right to make that connection between voice now starting on mobile devices and coming to the home.

Kevin:   Because we talk about searching for real estate agents. Google Home, you ask it to tell me about the local real estate agent, the best real estate agent, that potential is there, isn’t it?

Dan:   It is. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Not hard to imagine a world where voice is the main way you’re interacting with the internet.

Kevin:   I guess acting with everything because voice activation in cars, it’s just becoming more and more … We’re just looking for devices. So the mobile sphere is more than just mobile phones and iPads. Mobile is just getting away from the desk.

Dan:   It is, sure. I think different folks define mobile different ways. At Google, on the advertising side, we think of mobile as smartphones specifically. We even break out tablets separately for now. We actually have starting grouping desktop and tablet together, and then looking at mobile separately.

Kevin:   So when you talk about mobile, you’re only talking there about phones.

Dan:   About smartphones.

Kevin:   About smartphones.

Dan:   Yeah.

Kevin:   That’s phenomenal. Is that the biggest growth sector in mobile? I mean, you’re looking at, is the phone taking over from the pad?

Dan:   It has long since taken over from desktop and the iPad. We are years beyond the point where we used to call the mobile moment, which is when query volume on mobile exceeded that of the other two types of devices combined. Your mobile device is what you have on you all the time really. Desktop and tablets tend to be more stationary devices, using them in homes.

Kevin:   We’re talking here about real estate, of course, and real estate agents. But I’m just curious to know if there is one industry that’s taking up mobile more than any other.

Dan:   It’s becoming ubiquitous, and even some of the industries that you might have thought a few years ago would never be disrupted by mobile, absolutely have been. Who would have thought a few years ago, outside of real estate, that 50% of people would be banking through their mobile devices now? Right now we’re seeing 60% of job searches being conducted through mobile devices. Things that you just wouldn’t have thought of, now it is really becoming a mobile first world.

Kevin:   Yeah. Do you think the real estate industry, and real estate agents and brokers, understand the importance of mobile, or being seen on mobile, not just the internet?

Dan:   I think the real estate industry is waking up to that. I think collectively could probably stand to act with a little bit more urgency. I think there’s a risk of only looking at competition within your space, looking at what other real estate companies and brands are doing. But I think you have to understand through the lens and perspective of the consumer, every time they have a fantastic, super assistive and helpful experience on a mobile device, regardless of the industry, they see what’s possible with that technology, and they come to expect that every time. So real estate companies, with regard to consumer expectations, they’re competing with the Ubers of the world, Airbnbs of the world, the Amazons of the world. Those that are at the vanguard are providing these amazing and helpful mobile experiences.

Kevin:   What do you see, what does Google see as the future real estate agent? How will they be working with mobile and with voice technology?

Dan:   I think there’s more technology coming that will make mobile even more helpful and more ubiquitous. What we’re thinking about now at Google, two areas that we’ll call visual-in and visual-out. Vision in general we think as sort of the next phase of search to begin with. If you think about search starting with text inputs and outputs and typing, now we’re talking about voice and how much easier that gets. We think visual is the next. So visual-in for us is about Google Lens, which essentially is a camera function that helps you scan and recognise objects in your environment, and get more information about them. Consider home décor items, for example, scanning that, and then getting information about that item, getting recommendations for similar items that you might like, et cetera. Google Lens right now can identify over a billion items, and that’s only gonna grow exponentially.

The other piece of that, what we call visual-out, also really exciting. That’s essentially augmented reality, or AR. AR we really think is just about to sort of enter the mainstream. It’s available on millions of devices now, but will really hit the mainstream. We still today probably associate AR with entertainment and those types of experiences, but ultimately the killer apps in AR will probably be ones that make life just a little bit easier.

Some early examples we’re seeing outside of the real estate space, the cosmetics company L’Oreal, familiar with them? So they acquired a company now that lets people virtually try on makeup to see how it would look before, not only before purchasing it, but they don’t even have to really try it on, and put it on their face and wash it off. They can just see. Mercedes-Benz, the car manufacturer, they’re testing now using AR, the user manual overlay. So now you’re in your car scanning the different features of the car, and the user manual information just comes up through your phone. You don’t have to open up the manual. So little things like that that make a big difference in the everyday life of consumers.

Kevin:   Let’s talk about augmented reality in real estate for a moment. Where do you see that going? What are some of the developments happening there?

Dan:   I think we’re still waiting for the industry to kind of get in front of that technology and innovate, and show us how it could be used. I think it’s not hard to sort of extrapolate off of some of the home décor and fashion uses we’re seeing now, and see how that could be impactful in a home, and looking at different features and understanding what you might want and not want in a home. But I think right now a lot of what we talk about in the real estate space, mobile specifically, video also, a lot of folks are playing catch up, trying to catch up to existing consumer expectations.

AR is really a great chance now to get in front of that, right? Because it hasn’t gone mainstream yet. So testing those tools and features, and figuring out as you were saying, “What will be those killer apps that we can provide, so that we can get in front of consumer expectations, and set the bar for others to catch up?”

Kevin:   Do you find that consumers are really pushing this technology? They’re looking for it before it’s even there. I mean, are we adopting these sorts of new technologies much faster?

Dan:   I think the younger the demographic is, the quicker they are to adopt new technologies. And as millennials now, they’re getting pretty close to the average first-time home buyer age of 32, you’ll see that technology becoming that much more important and influential, and then moving upstream into the older demographics as well. Consumers don’t necessarily know what they don’t know, and so it’s up to brands to experiment and get in front of that, and kind of show them what’s possible.

Kevin:   That was just one of the 60 interviews we did when we were at Inman Connect in New York. Now you can see those. We recorded them in video, and you can see them all right now at propertyTV.io. Check it out for yourself. We compiled them into shows, and we’ll also be featuring them individually. That website again is PropertyTV.io.

from Real Estate Uncut http://bit.ly/2N9hrfE