#i think um. on top of that. having a bunch of people reinforcing the idea that you truly are better than other ppl

[smallhatlogan]

I guess the internet hates nuanced discussions but i don't think it's remotely victim blaming to talk about how someone being rich and famous with a bunch of fans putting them on a pedestal gives that person access to victims and a shield from consequences, or how constant outpourings of love and encouragement from fandom can start to warp someone's view of themselves and what is okay for them to do.

like yeah ultimately people are responsible for their own actions AND these is not remotely the only factors going into these actions, but it's still something worth talking about

[bangtanfancamp]

Into the Garden (JJK)

∴ masterlist

∴ series masterlist (part one of 2 )

∴ pairing: Jeon Jungkook x reader

∴ word count: 5k

∴ rating: pg-13

∴ genre: fluff, romance, strangers to lovers, dinner theater au? Lol

∴ warnings: none to speak of, eventual affection? sexual tension? Probable future make out sesh

∴ summary: It’s a Friday night out with your friends— a perfect opportunity to try out that mysterious new restaurant everybody’s talking about. Always game for new things and a good time, even you never expected to stumble upon the smart, incredibly handsome waiter you meet there who knows his flowers. Who knows where the night will take you now?

∴ vibey playlist that kept me company during writing

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“God, this place is gorgeous.” You gasped.

You felt yourself go still once you’d finally managed to push the heavy wooden doors open. Was it unreasonable to wish you lived in a restaurant if it looked like this? Because it was beautiful in here. Every corner was immaculately decorated- rich, emerald velvet in the waiting area, cognac wood floors, industrial light fixtures… each element carefully designed, but aged and warm, like maybe this place had been here forever, and you’d only just noticed it.

And the plants- there were plants everywhere, on every available surface. Shades of green wrapping and weaving around iron railing. Ivy crawling up the side of the exposed brick like nature was trying to take this luxurious place back for itself. You’d never seen anything quite like it.

This place was all anyone could talk about lately, but you’d never seen it first hand until tonight. It had been your coworker’s bright idea to get a bunch of the staff together and blow off some steam here this Friday night. She’d even wiggled her way into getting the company to pay for it by calling it a “team building experience,” a.k.a “let’s all get drunk together and moan about our problems on the boss’s dime.” You’d be skipping the alcohol tonight, but this place was a million years beyond your “guac at chipotle is a treat” personal budget and there was no way you were going to miss out on a free dinner here.

So far, no regrets as you wandered across the hardwood. You hadn’t even eaten any of the food yet, but it was already your new favorite place in the city on decor alone. And on top of that, you had something else to look forward to. Apparently, the hook here — not that it really needed one— was an upscale version of dinner and a mystery. You wondered how that was supposed to fit with this whole industrial utopia theme.

You hadn’t been to a restaurant that did a show with dinner since you saw Cinderella at a children’s dinner theater in eighth grade, but the shabby, primary colored castles of your memory clashed distinctly with the elegance of this place. The gaping imbalance made you chuckle. Sherlock dinner theater and artisanal hand glazed pottery seemed like an odd mix to you, but you were intrigued nonetheless, knowing you’d have fun whether the plot was brilliant or not.

After gawking an appropriate amount of time in the foyer, you realized you should probably check in for your group since you’d arrived first. Gliding through the Garden in search of the hostess booth, you found it hidden away beneath the shade of an almost prehistorically large fiddle leaf fig tree. You smiled up at the gargantuan plant, fingers tracing the edge of a leaf. If the millennial garden of Eden interior of the place hadn’t already been an indication, this alone reinforced what a miracle worker their main gardener must be.

Every fiddle leaf fig you’d ever owned had died many a gruesome death long before it ever even reached two feet, but this one almost brushed the exposed ceiling beams. You wished you could ask whoever was in charge here for some pointers, but they’d probably smell your plant mom failures on you from a mile away and decide not to waste their time. Plants just never seemed to like you back the way you loved them… oh well. That’s what plastic is for, you supposed.

Getting back to the task at hand, you leaned up on your toes to look for assistance, quickly noticing that the station was empty. Maybe they’re busy watering the crops, you chuckled to yourself wondering if this place really was pretentious enough to grow their own inventory-they certainly could- when you were suddenly greeted by the most stunningly handsome boy you’d ever seen.

“Hello, welcome to the Garden.” The living, breathing Adonis statue could speak apparently. You tried not to stare as he smiled back at you politely, his silky curls shagging about his face as he slid behind the hostess booth. Holy crap. Did they grow him in the back too?

He was beautiful- some undiscovered demigod with broad shoulders and a jawline so strong it could cut glass. He lifted his eyebrows pleasantly, waiting to assist. “I apologize for the wait—how may I be of service this evening?”

You couldn’t help the silly grin that spilled across your face when his wide chocolate eyes smiled your way.

“Um, Hi. I need a table for, lets see… 1,2,3,4...10 people I think?” You counted unashamedly on your fingers as the host’s lips quirked into a smile. “Oh! Actually, you know what? What am I doing—do you guys take reservations? My friend Beth might have called about us earlier?”

“Let me see…” The boy’s amused doe eyes drifted over a computer screen. You fiddled with the edges of a particularly plump succulent on the counter as you waited. “Here it is. Beth party of 10. Now usually when we have a group that big, we do offer the option of one of our private rooms. You guys would have your own separate narrative from whatever the main restaurant is doing….Would you be interested in that this evening?”

“Sure! Why not—that sounds amazing!” You answered, a bit too enthusiastically admittedly, but when his face lit up at your bubbliness, you found you couldn’t be bothered to feel embarrassed. Not when a boy who looked like that was looking at you that way, all soft around the edges. Will you be there? you wondered.

“Okay, then you’ll come right this way. Oh! And you’ll need this.” Dipping into a crystal bowl behind the counter, he fished out a crisp white piece of paper and slipped it into your hand, fingers brushing over yours as he did.

Something in your belly reacted sharply to the contact. Apparently, the electric crackle affected him too. His already round eyes widened, a nervous chuckle tumbling from his lips as your cheeks blossomed a warm, soft pink.

Suddenly, a ruckus erupted behind you, crashing into the tranquil silence. You turned over your shoulder to see your friends piling in the tall front door, laughing and smiling widely at you.

Tearing his eyes away from you with a self conscious gulp, the host cleared his throat before leading you all back past fountains, lush greenery and elaborate floral installations into yet another beautiful space. This room was just as intricate as the rest of the restaurant, with its warm terra cotta-colored walls dripping with ivy and orchids, lit with the dappled light of melting pillared candles piled atop the elaborate raw wood table spanning the length of the room.

As everyone happily clamored to find a seat along the banquet table, you noticed your friend, Erik, crashing along its opposite edge. Erik had been a football player in college, some defensive position you didn’t know the title of. He was a mammoth of a man, his blonde Nordic hair making him look like an off brand, out of shapeThor.

He paid little to no attention to where he threw his weight around like a puppy who didn’t yet know his size. So when he dropped himself onto the neatly slatted bench (gosh, every detail here was dripping in aesthetics) and promptly leaned against the wall, crushing the intricate orchid display, you couldn’t help but laugh. You heard the host’s strangled gasp and giggled at the beautiful boy's wide eyes as his horror-stricken face went pale across the room. Before he seemed to realize he was even doing it, his feet began to march across the floor to say something to your friend, until his politeness overtook him and he froze a few feet away. He grumbled to himself as your friend carelessly peeled himself off of the bench, annoyed complaining about something scratchy digging into his back. The host was positively fuming as irritation ticked in his jaw, but His big brown eyes betrayed his disappointment and downright bewilderment as the bedraggled orchids limped back into place.

“No.... They’re ruined. Now what am I supposed to display?”  You heard him attempt to mutter under his breath, but his anger seemed to make his volume louder than intended. He was so flustered—it was oddly...kind of adorable. You couldn’t help but laugh. You knew your friend had meant no harm. He was a sweet guy, but generally oblivious, so things like this seemed to happen a lot. Chuckling under your breath, you couldn’t help but notice the strain in the host’s angular jawline, not to mention how good he looked with his eyebrows furrowed like that. Intense. It made you want to kiss the creases to relax him. Man, this guy was really getting to you...

Maybe it’s time to have some fun, you thought.

Leaning over the edge of the bench, you whispered surreptitiously, “Hey, maybe you should consider wheatgrass instead.” You sent a quick wink in the host’s direction, a thick cloud of giggles falling from your lips. Lashes fluttering , the poor guy seemed startled by your comment. He had been so wrapped up in blinders over his restaurant being ruined that he hadn’t realized anyone had been watching the entire interaction. For a quick second, embarrassment flashed over his features. The sudden chagrin on his face as he nervously ruffled his hair softened him. The Greek god of a man suddenly a soft, flustered boy. He looked so... sweet.

The whole scene gave you the oddest urge to pinch his cheeks and tell him how cute he was. But just as fast as it had appeared, the innocence in his wide eyes was gone, his composure swiftly resettling itself as his shoulders rolled down, his posture lifting him back up to full height. His confidence was back, and so was a lopsided smile that you decided you quite liked. “Might not be the worst idea.... certainly less overhead,” he sighed resignedly, hands hanging low on his hips as the tick in his jaw loosened, replaced instead by the beginning of a smirk.

“Much less upkeep. Less horizontal space. Equal level of pretension. I see no downsides,” you shrugged nonchalantly. You felt your own smile bloom wider the longer your gazes stayed fixed on each other. His eyes were dazzling- coffee brown and deep- as they glittered back at you. “I’ll look into it...might be a solid option. Have,” he hesitated. “Have you been here before? I don’t think I’ve seen you... I get the feeling I would have remembered you.” His face was so soft and unguarded, his pretty mouth just a bit too open as he searched his memory for a glimpse of you. You pulled your lip between your teeth as your smile threatened to grow.

“No,” you shook your head, hair bouncing around you. “It’s my first time here. First time for all of us actually. Hence, my friends lack of good graces with your horticultural displays.” you offered an apologetic shrug.

“May my orchids rest in peace,” he sighed with a shake of his head. “Not your fault though. You guys, uh, celebrating something?” He was suddenly too close for a stranger, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care.

“Oh, no. We just work in that massive upstart down the block. Kept hearing about the place, and Instagram kept hacking our feeds with ads for it so we finally caved. Figured we’d try it out. ” You waved across the table gesturing to everyone. There were all so deep in their own side conversations that no one seemed to pay any mind to you lingering oddly with the wait staff. “Glad to see the marketing is working out,” he chuckled. “Well...if it’s your first time, then you’ll need a proper guide through the story.” A glint of mischief sparkled deep in his chocolate eyes, and you felt something effervescent glitter up your spine in excitement. “I suppose we will.” With a bow from his hip and a nod, he turned on his heel with no explanation, leaving you to smile down at your menu like an idiot in his absence. Trying to read was pointless honestly. The letters might as well have been in Arabic as they swam across the page- you weren’t processing anything. Far too lost in a dreamy eyed splendor over the boy you’d just met until a bony elbow nudged its way between your ribs. “What was THAT all about?” Eileen’s eyebrows bounced with curiosity. “ I don’t know.” You answered honestly as your head shook. At this point, you were smiling so much your cheeks were beginning to hurt. “But my God, isn’t he CUTE?” You hid behind your hands. “Cute??” Eileen shoved you in the shoulder. “He’s not a corgi, y/n. He’s a grown man.” She bit her lip. “A GORGEOUS, full grown man....did you see him when he walked away? God, what a view.” You pressed your forehead into her shoulder and whimpered, “I knowww. His smile, those thighs, my god...and his butt. Did you see it? It’s better than mine.” You both fell into a fit of giggles.

“All I know is that if you don’t give him your number then he’s definitely getting mine tonight. Or anything else he’d like for that matter.” Your jaw fell open at her brazenness. “Hey! slow your roll. You can’t call dibs before I’ve even gotten his name!” you laughed.

“Then you better work fast, babe. Cuz butts like that don’t stay single for long.”  She tipped her head to the side matter of factly.

“Oh my gosh, shut up! You don’t know when he’ll come back. He might hear you.” You breathed.

“Let him. It’ll make my job easier.” She bit down seductively on her red straw. Swatting at her, you both giggled before back into the table’s office gossip.

Apparently, Elliot had shown up to the office wasted again today- either from getting trashed the night before or from getting sloshed the morning of, no one was quite sure at this point. Either way, everyone was annoyed as hell that he’d never get more than a slap on the wrist for it since his dad managed their branch. Nepotism still alive and well. Clearly.

Popping an entire potsticker in your mouth, your belly ached with laughter as Sean told you all how his assistant had accidentally walked in on two higher ups making out in the supply closet this morning and how traumatized the poor intern had been. He described in detail how the poor slob had still tried to get around them to get the extra printer paper, and what a mess the whole ordeal had been. He owed you a clean fifty bucks now.

With your keen eyes, you’d been the first person to be suspicious of them- you’d called it a solid month ago- and had put your money where your mouth was. You’d started the office pool that they were in fact a secret couple- a bet you’d clearly just won if Sean bleak expression was anything to go by. Lunch on him all week. Potstickers til i burst? Don’t mind if I do.

It had been a great evening, full of unwinding and bonding. So great, that you’d completely forgotten about the mystery element of the dinner. That is, until a crystalline voice spoke above you, snapping you to attention.

“Pardon me, everybody. But it’s time for the mystery of the evening to begin.”

Surprised, your eyes darted up to see the cute guy from earlier. He was standing right behind you. Your pulse spiked as he sent a smirk your way. What were you supposed to do with that? He was so close now that you could hear the fabric of his dress shirt rustle every time he shifted or gestured above you. With every movement, a burst of his scent surrounded you. It was something citrus, something fresh. A dizzy smile tugged at your lips as it enveloped you like a cloud. God, you wanted to bury your nose in it. You were such a sucker for a good smelling boy...

And this one was so in your personal space. Which should have been off putting, honestly. Especially since you’d barely known him for half an evening. It was a bold choice on his part, to get so close to you. It should have been a turn off. Should have. But it wasn’t. Instead, you found yourself almost vibrating with excitement at the proximity of him. Whatever this gravitational pull was around him, you were perfectly content to get pulled straight into it.

If you’d had the nerve to, he truly was close enough that if you tipped your body back just a few degrees you could’ve rested your head against his lean stomach if you’d wanted to… which, of course you did want to do… but you’d only just met him. So instead, you bit down to stifle your smile, eyes flicking over to Eileen who was just as giddy on your behalf.

God he’s so cute, you thought. Wait- is he still talking? Crap-focus, you scolded yourself, tuning back into his monologue.

“As everyone knows, we all have the same five senses. But what happens when we lose one? How does it affect our instincts? Our gut? How does it change the way we listen to each other?” he paced around the edges of the table, hands clasped behind his tailbone. It made his dress shirt bunch deliciously in all the right places, and you bit back a smile. It was getting harder and harder to hide your little infatuation.

“When each of you arrived,” he continued, “you were each given a character and a backstory- No one should know it but you- but only one of you received the card that said killer. Someone at this table has committed a murder, but who? Often, our eyes can deceive us, so as part of tonight’s story, your sight will be taken from you as you try to decipher the truth. Can you rely on your other senses, your hearing, your intuition to solve this case?” A few other waiters approached the table with baskets in hand before the room went dark- completely.

Not the “the lights are off but we can all still see” kind of dark. It was the “it's so black in here that you can feel it” kind of dark. The kind of complete nothingness you never get with the ambient glow of street lights and screens everywhere. It was heavy and consuming, the absoluteness of the suddenly inky black room.

Swirling your own fingers in front of your face, you saw absolutely nothing. Not even the glint of your own jewelry, and something fantastic bubbled up in you. This is going to be so fun. Your heart began to race in anticipation- you didn’t even know what for yet. You felt your knuckles wrap around the bench beneath you, bracing, waiting, holding your breath, wondering when the night would finally be-

Only to have your thoughts stop. Completely.

Each individual one of them halted in their tracks by the sudden contact of warm fingertips against your skin. The gentle press of a large set of hands melted into the tops of your shoulders, thumbs bracing on the back of your neck. It was him again, wasn’t it?

He squeezed once, tense and hesitant despite his obvious strength, like he wasn't sure touching you was the best idea, but he couldn’t back out now that he’d started. The delicacy of it left you buzzing. In the silence, the pads of his fingers sunk deeply into your skin, and your breath caught. You’d never been this grateful for off the shoulder clothing in your life.

“May I?” he asked, tone honeyed and sweet.

You realized he meant the blindfold you’d heard so much about before you came and nodded your head just once, tension sticking in your throat as you tried to swallow it down. It was only then that you realized he probably couldn’t see you in the darkness. You’d have to gather your wits enough to verbally respond. You hoped he wouldn’t catch the way the “yes” that left your lips was embarrassingly breathless.

You heard him hum in response, holding whatever was left of your breath as his fingertips slowly fell from the tops of your shoulders, dragging across the edges your sleeves like he was in no rush to let you go. It was a strange intimacy from a stranger, but to be honest, you didn’t want him to let go either.

Until, quick as a whisper, his warmth was gone, leaving you alone in the dark. The shift so abrupt that part of you wondered if you’d imagined the last thirty seconds. His lingering hands had fallen away so abruptly at the end. Where had he gone?

It all felt like a fever dream you’d cooked up, like your own subconscious was mocking you for wanting him so bad. For a second, you wondered if you should be concerned by how obviously attracted you were to him. Should you be ashamed by how quickly you welcomed his touch? By the way your traitorous body showed no intention of pushing him away? Maybe you should, but he didn’t give you the time to overthink it before he was beside you again.

“Jungkook.” He whispered, only loud enough for you to hear.

“What?” You breathed, face turning toward his sound in the blackness.

“That’s my name. Jungkook.” He repeated, his voice airy and soft. You hadn’t realized how beautiful his voice was until it was the only thing you had to focus on. You could feel that he was bent low, his chest just brushing the tops of your shoulders. You felt dizzy at the sensation of his warm breath ghosting over the shell of your ear as a cool satin ribbon was draped over your eyes.

“In case you were wondering.” He whispered, pulling the edges of the fabric into a soft bow as he dipped to the other side of your shoulders. “But I’ll also answer to ‘guy with the butt that’s better than yours’ if you prefer.” His breathy laugh filled your ears, and you could practically hear him smiling. “Oh god, you heard that?” the back of your hand smothered your mouth, a smile emerging even as you cringed.

“Oh absolutely. Acoustics are insane in this place. It was kind of nice though... I mean, how often do I get to hear such a pretty girl compliment me ?” You could feel the rush of blood practically crashing into your cheeks. You knew the whole world would see you blushing if the lights were on. “I’m out of witty comments for that one.” “Don’t smile. You’ll mess up the blindfold,” he warned, the endearing softness in his voice undermining his words. “I’ll try. Don’t think I can help it though.” A satisfied hum left Jungkook’s lips as he pulled away and went back to the task at hand.

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And just like that, the mystery began with Jungkook as the narrator and weaver of your tale.

Your group had been given a story set in feudal Japan. Clashing samurai, feuding houses, forbidden love- Your friends all got surprisingly into it, losing their normal voices into the adopted lilts and pitches of their newfound characters.

It really was incredible the nuances you caught when you focused on your hearing. Jin’s voice, for example, was far more nasal than you realized. He had a tendency to react dramatically any time someone pressed him for details- clearly signaling how close they were to the truth the more he tried to hide it. Lina’s expressionless monotone was nearly impossible to read on voice alone, but it made her all the more fun to try to figure out. Despite focusing on the story, you couldn’t help but notice that while Jungkook had the entire table to canvas as he narrated, he still stayed suspiciously close to your side the entire time- like he couldn’t help himself. His fingertips would brush the fabric of your blouse when he’d pass. His taut arms would graze the swing of your ponytail as he walked by. He had no mercy on the fragile hummingbird flitting with wild abandon in your chest at each of his actions. In fact, you could hear the distinct note of something that sounded an awful lot like laughter in his voice anytime he gave instructions to your character specifically. Smug son of a gun. Soon, the story unraveled as it was revealed that Jin had, in fact, been the murderer. He was jealous of Lina’s love for samurai Hoseok and had killed him in a drunken rage but tried to frame Bobby for the dishonorable act.

With the crime solved, the lights were turned back on, a fuzzy halo emerging around the edges of your vision as a staff member came behind each guest to remove their blindfold. You were unsurprised when you were met with a gentle waft of clean citrus as Jungkook appeared once again to help you with yours. The warm pads of his fingers grazed your cheeks when he removed the satin ribbon. It was so quick- it was so hard to tell if it had been on purpose- before his touch was gone again far too quickly for your liking. “I must say, you were particularly clever.” He offered softly as he stood behind you. You dropped your neck back to look up at him, eyes wide. “Anyone paying attention would have known that wasn’t Bobby’s blade work.” “Still, most people don’t catch it on their first time through the story.” He tipped his head matter of factly. “Maybe I just had a good guide,” You winked, tucking your chin back to normal when you saw a faint pink color his cheekbones. He cleared his throat before addressing the table. “You’ll find your individual checks have been placed in front of you, along with a complimentary dessert. Thank you for dining with us this evening. It has been our pleasure.”

He bowed at the waist as he gave his farewell, making his last words spoken dangerously close to your ear. Adrenaline spiked in your veins at his proximity for the thousandth time tonight. As he returned to full height, another man approached the table, this one taller, leaner than jungkook, with a smile so innocent and wide it could have belonged to a child.

“Good evening everyone! How was your experience with us tonight?” His voice. It boomed like a clap of thunder. It was oddly deep for someone who looked so young. Everyone at the table chattered with random superlatives about how amazing the night had been as the man's smile glowed brighter.

“I’m so glad to hear it!! You had a real treat tonight- guided by our finest story teller.��� Pride swelling in his eyes, the man clapped an embarrassed Jungkook on the shoulder. “Such a shame it might be the last story he tells here.” The baritone lamented. “What am I supposed to do without my partner?” The man used his other hand to clutch at his chest dramatically, face scrunched in distress, as you felt your heart free fall into your shoes.

Last story? “Calm down, Taehyung. You make it sound like I’m dying.” Jungkook rolled his eyes and swatted at the man. “You might as well be!” Taehyung huffed. “He’s leaving us tomorrow to start his new life! Off galavanting in the mountains somewhere with flowers and goats. Leaving all his old, true friends behind.” He wrapped an arm around jungkook’s shoulder, dragging him against his will into a side hug jungkook vehemently tried to escape. “Quiet down, bro. You’re making a scene.” Jungkook balked, face pale at the unwanted attention.

He’s…. leaving? Your stomach took a swan dive. No. But I just met him. How... where was he going? Your eyes fell back to the table as you steadied yourself.

You’d been so excited about where this all might go. It was hard enough to accept that you’d already gotten this attached to him. Let alone invested enough to be this disappointed…..but, you’d felt something so strong around him. The kind of glittering spark you hadn’t felt with another person in a long time, if ever.

Every time his eyes had lingered on you or his body had brushed against yours, a supernova had ignited in your chest. You’d spent the whole night going mad with the electric possibility of him- just to what? Feel like a fool for being infatuated with a stranger? Look like the naive girl you were, pining over a daydream?

This was ridiculous. You shook your head at yourself. This boy didn’t owe you anything. He was a stranger two hours ago, he’d stay a stranger when you left twenty minutes from now. But no matter how you tried to convince yourself, your poor heart still felt sick about it all. He’d just seemed so— you don’t know, special. So magnetic. And You’d thought he’d felt the same pull bringing him to you too.

Because why else would he have flirted with you half the night? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to lead you on if he knew it was going nowhere. An assumption you realized was a heck of a leap. You didn’t actually know anything about him, but somehow, something about that narrative just didn’t sit right with you. The look he’d had in his eyes each time he smiled at you tonight had seemed too sincere to be a lie. But from the way his loud friend was still talking, he made it sound like Jungkook was moving to the Alps.

So even if his sweet eyes had genuinely meant every smile tonight, was it really all for nothing? You knew the night was ending, and it was a long shot, but you’d really been holding out hope it might go somewhere beyond this. Apparently not. In an instant, he reappeared by your side, having broken free from the grip of his affectionate friend’s grasp. Jungkook dipped beside you once again as you stumbled to rearrange your now troubled features into something resembling disinterest.

“Hey, Sorry about that. But, I um, really do hope you have a great night. So your uh, your check is on the table.” His poise seemed a bit more rattled than before, but you were too glum to give it much notice.

You sent an out of focus glance in the ticket’s direction and nodded. He’d already told everyone that. Most of the table already had their debit cards out for their tickets. You didn’t know why he was bothering to mention it again when all you wanted to know was where he was going and if it was far.

“I um...didn’t get to catch your name earlier,” the smile he offered you was gentle, hopeful, as his wide brown eyes looked down at you. You felt yourself sigh withought meaning to. You’d have found the sheepish look in his eyes hopelessly adorable just a few minutes earlier, but now all it did was make your chest hurt. “Not a detail you need if you’re moving away though right?” You asked, a sadness creeping in your attempted smile. God, you weren’t fooling anyone. This was pathetic. His brows dipped at your response, confused by the shift in your demeanor. “I’m... I mean, i told you mine.” His gentle eyes tried to salvage the situation. The confidence he’d exuded all night was slipping away, a boyish vulnerability taking its place. There was no harm, you supposed. “Fair enough. It’s y/n.”  you conceded. “Y/n.” He repeated, like he was trying to make the shape a new habit for his mouth. “Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

The smile you gave him back was a limp, pitiful thing, but it was the best you could give. Half an hour ago, you definitely didn’t think him calling you pretty would have made you so sad. Compliments didn’t usually send you into a craving for solitude and halo top ice cream, but this one certainly did.

“Well, y/n, I may not be as far away as you think. Have a good night.” And with that he was gone.

Bummed, you looked over your shoulder as he disappeared into the kitchen. “Shoot. Well, that was a fast track to nowhere,” you sighed to Eileen, slouching in your seat. “I know. Bummer. Seemed like he liked you too.” Eileen commiserated. “Right? So it wasn’t just me? You could tell too?” “Oh, he was totally obvious about it! He  also gave you more ice cream than me. Shameless. Boy has no subtly.” You chuckled at her accusation, but sure enough, you did in fact have one scoop more ice cream in your jadeite bowl than the rest of your friends. This boy already knew the way to your heart.

“Still. Why act interested if you’re disappearing the next day?” You pouted. “Why show interest when he’s just a server you’ve never met before?” She asked pointedly, eyebrow arched as your eyes fell away. “People react when they feel something- and clearly you two were feeling something the entire night. His eyes didn’t leave you for a second....We don’t get to pick the timing of when we’re attracted to people, y/n. Nobody’s working with that kind of control.” Flopping onto her shoulder, you heaved a heavy sigh. “Again... you’re right. I just, I don’t know. There was just—something about him. He felt... special.” “He looked special in that outfit. Those buttons were crying.” She mockingly bit her lip as you swatted your napkin at her. “Eileen! Unhelpful! I’m aware.... I guess you just don’t always get to know where things could have gone.” You shrugged, wilting into her warmth. “I know, babe. Sorry.” She patted your head comfortingly.  You turned to your ice cream to heal the wound, accepting that beautiful Jungkook would just be a passing meeting and a quick deadend to nowhere. After polishing off your dessert, you pulled out your cash to at least leave him the memory of a good tip when your eyes caught on scribbled handwriting in the top corner of your receipt. Hey, I don’t normally do something like this, but there’s a place around the corner that stays open super late. Meet me for crappy coffee + good conversation at 11? -jungkook xxx-xxx-xxxx You choked on nothing as you processed what was going on.

“Eileen! Eileen!!” You grabbed at her sleeve. “What?? What is it?! Calm down.” She pried your clutching hands off her cropped leather jacket, brushing off any damage you’d done.

“He gave me his number!” You nearly shouted.

“What?” She almost spat out her cocktail.

“He gave me his number!!” You waved the receipt wildly in her face. “He invited me to coffee and gave me his number!!!” You squealed, shrieking at an octave usually reserved for wild piglets. “Shut up! No way!!!” “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” You rambled ecstatically. “But wait!” your face fell,“ we’re supposed to go out for drinks with everybody after.” “And? Is that a joke??? You see us every day! What are you doing talking to me?? Text him! Go meet your man, honey. I’ll cover for you.” She winked as she swung her purse over her shoulder. “Really?? I love you! I owe you!” You yelled as she made her way to the door. “Um, You really don’t, but I’ll never turn down a favor. Let me know how it goes. See you on Monday.” She waved back at you, flipping the platinum ends of her ebony hair over her shoulder. “Hey! Where’s y/n? Isn’t she coming with us,” Jin seemed to be the only one alarmed by your absence. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, dear. I’ll fill you in later.” She grabbed him by his shoulders and nudged him out the door frame. “Ooo, bulking up are we, Kim? Feeling solid these days.”

“Yes actually!” His face glowed. “I have been! But you know, muscle tone is 80% genetics anyway. You cant just make yourself handsome, you know.You have to be born this good looking to start with and work from there.”

She knew there was no quicker, sure fire way to get Jin off topic than to ask him about himself. Once that train had left the station, there was little hope if any of ever turning back.

Eileen really took one for the team there. “Call me” she mouthed back at you as they slipped off into the night. You chuckled to yourself at the scene, finally realizing the turn your own evening was about to take. You plugged his number into your phone and shot him a quick message. [10:35pm] Hey, how did you know I was always down for quality conversation? Moments later, your phone began to buzz. Jungkook [10:36pm] Just went with my gut ;)

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[zrtranscripts]

Home Front, Mission 14: Sam’s Recipe for Success

Full of Beans

~

SAM YAO: Hello, listeners! Sam here, coming live from Abel's kitchens. We're going to kick off another workout in a minute, so while I'm talking, why not do a little warming up? Dance about, or jog on the spot, something light and fun. Now I'm not usually allowed in the kitchens because of a little... incident with some marmite shortbread which I thought was a brilliant idea but Janine said was a waste of resources, especially after it caught fire in the oven.

But anyway, as some of you may know, we've had a bit of luck with the giant super horde besieging the countryside. A landslide hit the horde's east flank, scattering a huge chunk of the zoms, so we've got a little window to send runners out with supplies. Dozens of small communities were cut off by the horde, and we're sending care packages to everyone. It's been all hands on deck in the kitchens prepping the deliveries, and we're almost ready to go.

[paper rustles]

So to celebrate, today's first exercise is one I've really started to like. The instructions call it dead bug walking, but I like to think of it as happy puppy flailing. Just lie on your back with your arms and legs in the air, then walk them up and down as fast as you can for one minute, like an excited Labradoodle on its back. Ready? And go! Okay, that's 15 seconds down. Keep those paws wiggling. And that's it, halfway done. Yeah, I-I really think this is a good sign. You know, the horde weakening. A few more natural disasters and it-it could be gone. That's 15 seconds left. Yeah, not-not that we want natural disasters, obviously. Just little disasters. You know, zom-only disasters. And that's it, you're done!

Feel that Labradoodle energy. Okay, yeah, I'm gonna scoot the last crate of eggs and flour down to our dispatch runners, then I'll come right back. Meantime, I'll play some music. You can relax or keep flailing. I've borrowed Runner Seventeen’s latest good times mix, so this song should be perfect for keeping up the good vibes.

~

SAM YAO: All right, that's the last load of supplies delivered to our runners. They'll be leaving any minute. Now I tell you what, Runner Forty-Three has been baking some great treats for each package. You should see the cupcakes! It's amazing what Forty-Three can do with an egg and some scavenged Nutella.

Actually, I've been using the lockdown to work on my own baking. Yeah, well, first it was crochet until we ran out of yarn. Then it was photography, but Maxine wanted the last camera. So Forty-Three has been helping me practice recipes instead, by miming them to avoid wasting supplies. Janine made me promise not to get in the way in the kitchens today though, so I've mostly been carrying cans and crates out to the runners, which gave me the idea for our next exercise, running with cans.

So find yourself two cans or any two objects about as heavy that you can grip, and take one in each hand. But if you're not absolutely sure you've got a solid grip, put each one in a strong bag with a good handle, hold them like that. Then run on the spot, swinging your arms to get your heart pumping, okay? Yeah, let's try one minute of that. And go! Now that's 15 seconds down. Okay, 30 seconds left. Like Forty-Three always says, practice makes perfect. 15 seconds left. Actually, Forty-Three tends to say, that's weird, practice usually makes perfect. Cooking lessons could be going better, to be honest. And you're done. 60 seconds.

Time to rest, unless you want to keep running through... [device beeps] Uh, hold on one sec. Oh... okay. Um, just got an urgent message from Janine. Better take this off the air. I'm gonna cut straight to the next music break, okay? Dance along or run some more, if you fancy it. I'll be right back after this.

~

SAM YAO: Um, hello folks. Uh, I've uh... I've got some bad news. You might want to keep can running to distract you. Really wish I didn't have to say this. Apparently, we're not the only ones who decided to take advantage of the weakened horde. There was this group of runners in New Canton, vigilantes going against orders. They figured this was the perfect time to fight the zoms, rounded up a bunch of people, charged at the horde's weakened flank with guns and bombs.

Only well, the zoms got scattered by a landslide, didn't they? So loads of them were buried under rocks, which this lot charged right over. Zom hands came reaching up from the ground, scratching and pulling. Some of the vigilantes went down, some bombs went off early. Zoms got freed from the rock while the rest of the horde honed in on the noise. Basically, it was a bloody mess. And now the horde's as strong as ever. So no supplies going anywhere today.

Well, I know you must be feeling frustrated, listeners, because I am. But, but I've got another exercise that might help channel that. Yeah, uh... [paper rustles] Ah, yeah. Well, this one's pretty simple. Bicep curls. You need weights. Take your cans or whatever you were running with and if you haven't already, put them into bags, one per bag, and make sure each bag has a good handle you can hold. For heavier weights, add more cans. Then press your elbows against your flanks with your hands by your sides and your palms facing up, one hand holding each weight. Bend your elbows to bring the weights up to your shoulders and then down again, okay? Yeah, we'll do 60 seconds of that.

Ready? And go! That's it, 15 seconds down. [laughs] You know, Runner Twelve, stuck in a pub with a pinball machine? He swears this exercise helped him to top the high score. Ah, unless he was tilting it. That's it, halfway done. Concentrate on those weights. It must have been that. That would help, actually. 15 seconds left. And done. Now I hope that gave you all something else to focus on for a bit. Uh, I'm gonna play some music now, do a few curls myself. Because honestly, I've got a lot of frustration that needs channeling here.

~

SAM YAO: Uh, welcome back everyone. Yep, I've just had final confirmation from Janine. No one's going out anytime soon. [sighs] I feel sorry for those vigilantes, I really do, but how could they be so stupid, charging a super horde like that? Now they've gone and made things worse for everyone, [sighs] because they couldn't stand staying in and feeling useless, I guess. I get it. Yeah, I mean, I-I want to be doing more too, but we can't go off half-cocked, not when the stakes are this high. It's like Maxine says, right? The Z-virus is a medical problem and medical problems need patience. [laughs] I know it's a really bad pun, but it's true.

Anyway, in case anyone out there wants to reinforce their barricades now that the horde's been strengthened, we're going to do an exercise that's good for lifting furniture: squats. I bet most of you know this already. Stand with your arms at your sides and your legs hip-distance apart, then squat down like you're sitting on an invisible chair. Make sure your knees don't come out further than your feet and your bum is sticking out. And we're going to go for one minute of those. And go!

15 seconds down. Imagine you're lifting a sofa. 30 seconds down. Get that barricade reinforced. 15 seconds left. Just a couple more cabinets to lift. And done. Good job, everyone. I'm gonna play some more music for anyone who wants to keep going, but remember, you need to look after yourselves as well as your barricades, so don't be afraid to stop and rest.

~

SAM YAO: You know what, listeners? I always try and look on the bright side, but the truth is this is, um, this is getting to me. Yeah. I really thought it was going to be a good day, and then you know, wham. Janine's checked with the settlements we were going to deliver to and they've all got enough supplies to last a while longer, so... so that's something, at least.

I've uh, I've actually been secretly baking something for Janine. Banana bread based on Runner Forty-Three’s lessons. It was going to be a surprise to celebrate the deliveries. Guess them being cancelled doesn't make a difference. Come out all burned and blackened anyway, like that shortbread.

Oh boy. Ah. I think I need some cheering up here, listeners. I'm um... spiraling a bit. Tell you what. Yeah, there's this one exercise, it always looks sort of silly picturing loads of people doing it at once. Well, it'd put a smile on my face. It's called doing high knees. Just march really fast on the spot for one minute, pumping your arms and bringing your knees all the way up to your waist with each step, like something out of the Ministry of Silly Walks from Monty Python. Ready? And go!

15 seconds gone. Keep those knees up. Halfway done. Honestly, I don't miss a lot of Monty Python, but did you hear Runner Thirty-Four's radio reenactment of Holy Grail last night? I's brilliant. It was brilliant. 45 seconds, almost done. And that's one minute! Okay. That, that did make me feel better, imagining you all doing that. I couldn't help joining in towards the end, I admit it. [timer dings] Oh, and uh, yeah. That's the oven timer. Right, I'm gonna get my blackened, burned mess, listeners, but it's okay. I'm feeling more like I can cope with it now. You guys rest or keep marching to the music until I get back.

~

SAM YAO: [laughs] Right, you're not gonna believe this, listeners! I mean, I don't believe it. The banana bread, it's-it's perfect! The top is all nice and brown, and the inside's soft and spongy, and it has that delicious banana-y smell, and it's-it's just... perfect. Possibly thanks to Runner Forty-Three, who left a note on the oven saying set to 180 degrees, not 300. Guess you caught my secret project, Forty-Three. Couldn't have done it without you.

Or you, listeners. You really helped me today. I know this lockdown's tough, but we have to keep reminding ourselves the one thing we can do without going off half-cocked is just... be there, even at a distance. Be willing to help each other past dark days. And we can share the little victories that help us through, like Maxine's photos or Thirty-Four’s radio plays, or banana bread. Because if one of us scores a win, and we're all in this together, it's a win for all of us, isn't it? No matter how small it seems.

Now I'm gonna take this banana bread to Janine. She won't admit it, but it will cheer her up. And I'll put the recipe on ROFFLEnet in case you want to try it! Well, if you don't, that's okay, because exercising is a little victory too, so you're already winning today. We'll get through this, everyone, I know it. And maybe after, we can have some banana bread together. Until then, stay safe. I'll be back on air soon and I promise I'll share all my little victories and I'll cheer for all of yours.

~

[coeurdastronaute]

Either/Or: Found 5

Previously on Found

Deep in the island, the construction tape was strung all over the still-damaged parts of the research facilities. Much had already been repaired, but the rest was either too broken or took much longer. But the entire base was altered irrevocably in a way other than physically. It still bore the scars of the powerful alien escaping, and it stung with the realization of just how overwhelming and otherworldly she was.

The floor was patched, the walls were reinforced, the data was collected and fragmented videos were strung together to put a picture of the newest alien on Lex Luthor’s desk. Incessantly, he poured over the files, simultaneously marvelling and growing more and more upset with how overwhelming this threat was. He already knew Superman, studied his power and how to contain him, and though he hadn’t been able to yet, he felt an edge. This new alien though, she seemed more powerful with the unfortunate benefit of not loving humanity, as the other Kryptonian continually vowed.

In the dimly lit office near the top of the research labs, the video of the chaos of the alien waking replayed once again as Lex scoured the internet for sightings. His team was sworn to absolute secrecy, and no one mentioned the escape, but it changed the entire feeling. Beneath the normal days, an undercurrent, a hum of fear was stoked.

Alone and isolated, the owner and scientist furrowed, the cloudy features of his angular face barely moved as eyes darted back and forth, taking everything in as quickly as possible. Not much else occupied his mind lately, much to his sister’s dismay. While she still continually begged him to participate in the business she wasn’t supposed to be running. Emails piled up, phone calls were ignored, and still he sat there, day after day, obsessively plotting.

Deep in the island, in the middle of the night, Lex Luthor ignored another call from his sister, and he began to search through the newest research results from his team, preparing for the day he finally found the alien that got away. Plans were made, and he was preparing to finally rid the earth of all problems.

The phone buzzed once again, and he silenced it by throwing it against the wall in his office so that it crashed,shattering into a bunch of smaller pieces. He didn’t move another muscle, just the minimum required for that task, and back again he was on his computer.

If he’d answered the phone, he would have heard the slight edge in his sister’s voice, the annoyance at his avoiding her, at the fact that she was running everything, and he was draining resources in a way that was hard to justify, that she wanted to hear how her battery was doing in long-term and rigorous testing.

But Lex didn’t hear any of that. Instead, he poured through the rest of the footage once again, and he wrote down notes of ideas of things to kill the powerful aliens he viewed as the greatest threat to humanity, and he slowly but surely lost much of his own.

XXXXXXXXXX

“I’m so excited! This is going to be great!” Kara cheered eagerly.

The entire car trip into work, wide eyes stared at all of the city, enjoying the dim kind of dawn that was stretched and pulled apart in winter into nothing more than pale sunlight and wool clouds. It was going to be a cloudy day, but it did nothing to deter Kara from enjoying the freedom of finally accompanying Lena into work.

It took a few days of Lena having a fake illness and balking her assistant’s attempts to come over and bring supplies. It took a few days of figuring out what to do with Kara, and how to make it all work. It was a few days of Lena working very hard to not think about the new alien girl with the pretty smile and sad eyes. It was a few days of experiencing everything for the first time through a stranger’s eyes.

“It’s going to be boring, I can assure you. My job isn’t exciting.”

“We had purpose and jobs on Krypton,” Kara explained. “I know how jobs work.”

“What was yours?”

“I was a… I think the word is prostitute?”

“Excuse me?” Lena choked on her tea, nearly spilling on her shirt. She bolted at the word and wasn’t sure how to recover.

“You know, I helped with studying, and I worked with the younger ones to help them understand things,” Kara furrowed. “Is that the wrong word? Is it profiteer? Profiler?”

“Professor.”

“Yes,” she smiled and nodded, happy to resume looking at the tall buildings and all of the glass and metal that occasionally reminded her of her home. “I was a professor.”

From the other side of the car, Lena thought about the words and about the idea that Kara was a prostitute and that was distracting enough. She didn’t look at the pretty girl with the pressed slacks and button-up shirt. She couldn’t.

“What did you teach?”

“History and Sciences.”

“History of what?”

“My people,” Kara smiled sadly before catching herself. “And then I taught the young ones the history of our sciences.”

“That sounds like a noble life.”

“It was fun, and I loved it.”

The car finally slowed in front of Lena’s building, and she prepared for what her day was about to turn into. Hiding an alien in plain sight seemed like the best course of action, which was kind of crazy, but then again, her brother was actually insane, and at this point, beating crazy with crazy seemed like the best bet.

“Do you mind that your life has led you here now?” Lena asked, concerned about someone else’s happiness, which was oddly foreign for her.

“I don’t know. I can’t think about it all too much. Just today. I can live today.”

“And today you’re okay.”

“Today I’m okay.”

The driver made his way around to open the door, and Lena smiled as she gave Kara’s hand a squeeze, assuring her yet again that things would be okay, though she wasn’t sure how. Kara grinned at the contact, the tips of her ears going a bit pink.

“I’ll see you at six, Ms. Luthor,” the driver explained as she opened the door.

“Shall we?”

XXXXXXXXXX

The normal morning for Jess consisted of pre-arranging her boss’ schedule, returning emails that accumulated in the night, gathering reports, sorting internal mail, and generally running the tone of the day. Most mornings were boring in that they were quiet, starting with a stillness before the rest of the world woke up. Jess arrived first, turning on the lights to the top floor, stacking the reports just how her boss liked, surveying the multiple schedules.

For some reason, it wasn’t like most mornings.

The coffee shop was out of her favorite flavor and skim milk. The weather was stuck between warm and muggy, which did weird things to her hair. The traffic was deceptively heavy. The train was uncharacteristically full for so early in the morning. The security guard wasn’t the usual guy. A series of small irregularities snuck up on the secretary in a way that she refused to notice until it was much too late.

The elevator dinged at exactly five after nine, and Jess stood and reached for her schedule book and the coffee she prepared for her boss just a few minutes before, a safeguard against the complaints that were inevitably about to occur.

“Good morning, Ms. Luthor. How are you?”

Without really looking, Jess met Lena’s eyes and greeted her. It took a few moments for her to realize there was another body in the elevator. A beautiful body. A body attached to a pretty face, with an angular jaw and warm, melt-in-the-sun eyes.

“Um, this is my… this is an intern. Hand-selected.”

“Hand-selected?”

“Yes, hand-selected,” Lena nodded after looking at Kara for confirmation. “It’s complicated.”

“Hi. I’m Kara,” the alien grinned, over-joyed and much too awake for so early in the morning.

“Hand-selected after you took off for 2 days?” The secretary asked, somewhat ignoring the peppy newcomer.

“Yes. Those are unrelated facts.”

“Are they?”

The trio moved toward Lena’s office as she attempted to dodge the questions and start her day as normally as she could. There was really no hope of that with her assistant and the pretty girl that was now her shadow-- a gorgeous, beautiful shadow who had dimples and a jaw she wanted to cut her tongue on--

“What?” Lena furrowed and cleared her throat as she tugged at the collar around her throat, her secretary looking at her for an answer expectantly.

“You have a full day today. Perhaps I can find something for your intern to do?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. That would be… yes. Kara, you have a knack for sciences, why don’t we have Jess set you up in the archive department. You can see what we’ve given up on.”

“Just a step above the mail room.”

“The mail room sounds like fun.”

“Then go to the mailroom,” the CEO shook her head. “Don’t go far, please.”

“Yes ma’am,” Kara fake saluted and looked expectantly at the tiny secretary who came up to just above her elbow.

Jess looked at her boss, waiting to see the truth in the present situation. She just got avoiding eyes and a stern glance. She smiled and nodded before leaving the office.

With a deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, Lena flopped into her chair and braced her head in her hands before shaking it against herself. She was going to lose her mind before the day was over, she was certain.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Hi, I’m Kara. I’m from Metropolis. I am a PhD student interning here for the foreseeable future. I like movies and I love ice cream and donuts. I recently discovered that of all the genders on this planet, I am mostly attracted to one but also like one person. The sun is a beautiful star, and I think sunset is superior to sunrise. My favorite flavor of ice cream is strawberry or peanut butter surprise. My favorite cereal is Lucky Charms.”

The woman at the counter to the Archives floor stared at the newcomer and finally dropped her hand after shaking it vigorously. Just three years from retirement, Norah McLaughlin, the intrepid organizer of all things file related, the pursuer of patents, the copyright expert, the organizer of it all, the keeper of the history, stood at her desk and wondered what just walked through her door.

The perky intern waited for her to answer, smiling happily and oblivious to what all of that energy felt like on the receiving end.

“Ms. Luthor said that you have access to all of the discarded projects, and I would like to start looking at them. I have extensive training in the fields of what you might call astro-chemistry, physics, and a baseline, though probably above average, foray into biomedical studies on a number of...um, species.”

With an adjustment of her glasses, the intern smiled again after her description.

“I will leave you both to that, then,” Jess nodded. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Sure. Thank you, Jess.”

“Good luck, Ms. McLaughlin.”

The administrator remained standing there, suddenly confused as to how her day just changed from its normal, standard routine, to the whirlwind of being in charge of Lena Luthor’s personal intern.

“Where--where would you like to start?”

“I guess at the beginning,” Kara nodded, buzzing with excitement.

XXXXXXXXXX

At 1:48pm, Lena officially knew she was in trouble.

She knew it about a week beforehand when a soggy alien appeared and her brother siphoned millions into a fund to hunt and prepare for the inevitable attack, though she couldn’t particularly figure out what kind of trouble it actually was going to be. There were a handful of options, of course. The plan would implode, she wouldn’t have a plan, she wouldn’t be able to outwit her brother, or a million other ways it could go sideways.

But for a few hours, Lena allowed herself a tiny ray of hope where she got some work done and didn’t spend every moment worrying. That was almost a complete lie. She spent every other moment worrying.

“Ms. Luthor, there’s been an… incident,” Jess interrupted as Lena read over a few reports. “An incident relating to your new… intern.”

Immediately, Lena perked up at the mention of Kara. She tried to hide it with annoyance but the act of caring and worrying, they came out immediately. Jess saw it and her worst fears were confirmed.

The secretary took a seat immediately, hurrying around the chairs in front of Lena’s desk and sitting on the very edge, ready to speak quickly, and to some degree, well outside of her own area of expertise and beyond her job description.

“What happened?” Lena sighed and put down her folder.

“There seemed to be a mix up with a research lab and an old patent for flexible solar paneling sensors. There was a small fire, and a large complaint lodged by the former researcher,” she explained, looking at her notes to follow the chain of events.

Lena shook her head and clenched her jaw.

“Ms. Luthor… I don’t mean to speak out of turn--”

“But you’re going to?”

“In some weird way, I consider you more than my boss. I don’t know if friend is the right term, but I respect you,” Jess continued, softening the CEO slightly against a reproach. With Lena’s slight agreement, she felt reinvigorated. “Whatever you do in your free time is your business, but I think people are going to start to talk about your intern.”

“Oh?”

Lena felt her spine stiffen as she placed both her palms on the desk and straighted at the remark, hoping to play it off.

“I, for one, am very happy.”

“Okay…”

“And I’m sure others will be upset about it, and I can see where the legal and maybe financial backlash will come in, which is why I have to say something.”

All of the blood in her body pooled at her fingertips, or so it felt. If Jess knew, if everyone knew that she, the Luthor of the alien-hating Luthors, was harboring an alien, and a dangerous one at that, the very blood of the sworn enemy of her own blood… it was a matter of time before her brother’s retribution was paid in full.

“I’ve done a little research, and there are already whispers of this on the internet.”

“Online? Since when?” Lena balked. “Show me!”

There was an instant of hesitation before her boss’ expectant hand pushed her to handing over her tablet with the bookmarked sites ready for her perusal.

“I think Kara is a wonderful person for you to spend time with, and I like that you’ve been out of the office like a normal human. But perhaps finding your girlfriend a job at the company wasn’t the best idea--”

The words faded off as Lena sputtered out an echo of the word ‘girlfriend.’ She felt the relief wash over her instantly as she sank into her chair and looked down at the screen.

The first article was a picture of the CEO and a stranger gazing intently at each other during a rather large brunch. The speculation was loose but enough to generate clicks. The next was an eyewitness account of Lena dressing her plaything, according to the headline, and spending thousands outfitting her in designer threads.

The relief was like a drug, and Lena blushed as she saw the paparazzi pictures of the two of them, and to their credit, they did look somewhat clandestine. It was the work of a skilled lens though, she told herself, and nothing more.

She froze at the image of the two of them in the park, ice cream cones in hand, herself laughing, genuinely laughing, for the first time in a long time. Lena wasn’t sure she ever saw a picture of herself in which she looked truly happy. But there she was, pressed alarmingly close to Kara, and with a beautiful girl who smiled back at her eagerly. Jess was still talking, but it didn’t matter for exactly sixteen seconds.

The new realization that Lena was now the subject of the gossip columns and had a supposed girlfriend was a new level of frightening, and she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t rather have her brother attempting to blow up her office.

“I’m sorry I put you in this position, Jess,” she offered. “I shouldn’t have done that to the company.”

“It might have been okay if she hadn’t actually attempted to work on a project.”

“A small fire?”

“Very small. Maybe six offices are damaged. Three totaled.”

Lena shook her head and leaned back in her chair again before digging her fingertips into the corners of her eyes.

“I suppose I should take my girlfriend home for the evening then.”

“Should we expect her back in the morning?” Jess asked as she stood.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Luthor?”

“Email me all of the information on our non-profits relating to education.”

Lena grabbed her bag and shoved a few things into it before making her way to the door in record time. She paused before opening it.

“Did she figure out the failed project?”

For a few seconds Jess paused and shook her hand with the knowledge.

“They think so. Just a few things to continue testing before results are available for you to look over.”

The CEO smiled slightly before turning the knob.

“Have a good night, Jess.”

“You as well, Ms. Luthor.”

Guilty and nervous, Kara sat in the chair by the elevator and brightened slightly at the sight of Lena leaving her office.

“I should apologize. I didn’t account for differences in atmosph--”

“You figured out how to adapt solar receptors to be extra effective while simultaneously being more malleable and even integratabtle into existing structures.”

“Um, yes?”

“I need you to tell me everything,” Lena grinned and held out her hand. “And then I think we should discuss dating.”

[auburnfamilynews]

John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports

The time has come to put down on imaginary paper what type of season we think the Tigers will have this fall

This past weekend finally made it real. College football is actually back.

Yes, there have been and will continue to be some major hiccups this season but there WILL be a season and fans will get a chance to watch their beloved Auburn Tigers take the field this fall. For a year that has been most unpleasant having the ability to shut out the world for 3-4 hours and let our blood pressure rise to unhealthy levels as we watch Auburn do battle on the gridiron is a most wondrous blessing.

So with kickoff being just under two weeks away, it’s time the sages here at College & Magnolia put down in writing their expectations for this 2020 Auburn football team. This year, more than any other, feels the most unpredictable. Games that seem like obvious wins right now could turn into multi score losses if a positive tests pops up on the wrong position group. Chances are good at least one game will be disrupted, positively or negatively, for Auburn this season due to COVID-19.

But your wise contributors on this here internet street will do our best to enlighten you, our loyal readers, on proper expectations for this fall. Season prediction takes, let’s have em!

AUNerd

8-2 would be a good season for Auburn this fall. 6-4 would be a bad one. I have no idea how I would feel about 7-3 so obviously that’s exactly what will happen. I’m not sure who exactly Auburn loses to outside of Bama this season but my general guess is Auburn goes 2-2 vs Bama/UGA/LSU/A&M then drops a frustrating one to either UK or Tennessee. It wouldn’t shock me to see Auburn start 7-0 then lose their last 3 plus the bowl game to send us into another off-season of debate over whether or not Gus Malzahn should keep his job.

But also ya’ll... This year feels as chaotic as every so why not some Chaos Auburn?

Verdict: 7-3

Joshdub

The folks in Vegas (typically not dumb!) place the over/under on 6.5 wins for Auburn this year. 6.5...that seems very precarious. I have no idea if Auburn will struggle to pass protect, put Bo in lots of bad situations, and force him to make bad throws. I have no idea if Chad Morris can overcome any 2020-related obstacles and produce another juggernaut offense. But when you’re making preseason predictions, swing for the fences. Echoing Nerd: expect CHAOS AUBURN. Auburn will ruin ALL YOUR NICE THINGS (um, including a perfect season for Auburn, who will definitely lose an early game they are actually favored to win (please not to lane kiffin, please not to lane kiffin, please not to la-))

Verdict: 9-1

Ryan Sterritt

As we saw in the first week of power conference games, we may be in for some ugly football this year. I think (hope?) that lends itself to teams with established quarterback play, although replacing seven starters across the two lines of scrimmage might cause more than enough issues. Still, despite the inherent difficulty of an all-SEC schedule, things line up relatively nicely for Auburn. UGA seems to be in crisis mode with a new OC, chaos at quarterback, injuries at WR, and new starters on the OL. LSU is replacing effectively their entire starting lineup. Texas A&M is suffering a slew of withdraws, most recently leading to their top returning wideout having three (3!) catches last season.

It’s going to be a frustrating season, I think, but it’s important to remember everything these players and coaches have done to even get to this point. I think we knock off Georgia in Athens for the first time since 2005, AND we knock off the defending champion LSU. I also think Alabama has no excuse to lose a single game this year, and it would not surprise me if random COVID cases or contact tracing bites us in some other game.

Verdict: 8-2

Will McLaughlin

I see Auburn splitting the first 2 games, then see the Tigers getting on a roll. The Tennessee game is a must win for Gus this year but I can see Auburn getting to the Iron Bowl at 6-2.

Verdict: 7-3

AUChief

Only one thing is clear about the upcoming season: it’s gonna be a weird one. The fact that you are reading this article in mid-September talking about an upcoming season is only one of many indicators that it’s already weird. And so that makes predicting what will happen even harder than usual. As Auburn fans, we have learned to embrace weirdness over the years. Doesn’t it just feel like this is the kind of year Auburn can do something special? A year that only the ultimate victors won’t assign a huge asterisk to each and every opponent win? People could get sick or opt out at any point, throwing an otherwise good team into chaos.

All that said, let’s see where Auburn ends up. I think Bo Nix is going to have a whole new lease on life this year. He’s going to have an opportunity to throw a lot of high percentage passes to his TEs, and the running back situation is miles ahead of where it was last year. The only question for me is the OL, but I don’t see it being worse than the last few years. I have complete faith in our defensive staff to get the best out of the players on that side of the ball. Auburn is going to go 9-1. The loss will come to Kentucky, LSU, or Alabama. I know what you are thinking, “Kentucky?!” It’s gonna be a weird year folks, so hold onto your butts. LSU seems the least likely to me out of the three. Alabama will obviously be good. They managed to somehow avoid any opt outs. 9-1 will only be good enough to get us to the title game if the loss is to UK or LSU, so hope for one of those. Let’s assume that’s the case and say we will face Florida in the SECCG, winning 42-27. After that we’ll eventually face Clemson in the national title game.

Am I Barning hard enough for you people? Anyway, War Damn Eagle.

Verdict: 9-1

Josh Black

I am far more skeptical on this season than most here. Pre-COVID my skepticism was rooted in a simple truth that has held up for the most part in the history of this conference: It’s hard to be confident when you don’t know what you have at the line of scrimmage.

I expect the offense to show signs of legitimate progress under Chad Morris, and provide further compliment to Bo Nix’s potential, especially with more passing concepts, A TIGHT END (!), and a far more talented running back room than we’ve had the last 2 years. I also expect our offensive line to struggle mightily at different points throughout this season. It’s not for a lack of talent, but it hurts us early that we didn’t have spring to help those 5 to gel. It hurts even more than it’s hard to find 5 guys consistently with COVID, so early on communication between the guys is going to be rough.

Defensively I expect Kevin Steele and Co. to continue reinforcing the sterling reputation the Auburn Defense has earned since 2016. Questions abound for me up front though, once again, as you are going to feel the impact of losing not just the insane talent of Derrick and Marlon, but the amount of sheer snaps they had. That experience is a heavy burden for Truesdell, but what is around him are a bunch of guys who need to step up and/or grow up quick. Same holds true in the secondary, where Auburn is quietly producing 1st round NFL talent nowadays. I have zero doubt about the abilities of our back 4-5, but quality depth matters, especially at corner, and I’ll need to see it before getting my hopes elevated.

I’m going to do a breakdown of how I see this schedule going with what I think will happen, and the best case/worst case scenario:

Kentucky - Win (Do not take this team lightly, as they can come into Auburn and win. They’re extremely well coached.)

at Georgia - Loss (We can absolutely win this game as I don’t feel threatened by the quandary Georgia finds themselves in at QB (you just hate to see it), but they have arguably the best defense in the country depending on if Ohio State plays football this fall, and I think we’re going to need 21+ points to win. I don’t have a lot of confidence that happens in Athens.)

Arkansas - Win (LOL yeah no...Gus and Chad ain’t losing to Arkansas)

at South Carolina - Win (Abysmal offensive football team with a lack of talent to beat Auburn)

at Ole Miss - Win (Lane will beat someone he shouldn’t in year one, but they’ve got enough problems defensively that tell me it won’t be us.)

LSU - Win (Coin flip game prior to LSU basically deciding to take the year off. I don’t blame them. 2011 sucked for us too. Still though, they’re LSU and an obvious threat, but this is a game we should win, especially since Dave Aranda, who had our number, is gone.)

@ Miss. State - Win (Some other SBN site will tell you State is the most talented team in the conference. That site is laughably wrong.)

Tennessee - Win (Must win game for us that absolutely could go the other way. Sucks to say but Jeremy Pruitt has had our number way too often. Easily the most dangerous game on this schedule that I almost went with my gut and predicted a “Chaos Auburn” loss.)

Alabama - Loss (They’re loaded. Their schedule gets easier with every opt-out we see. Nobody outside of Clemson is beating them this year.)

Texas A&M - Win (Much like Tennessee, this is a true coin flip game for us. Beat up after the Iron Bowl means something here, as it did in the 2017 SEC Championship. Still, the day I put money on Kellen Mond or Jimbo Fisher being worth a damn without insane talent all around them is the day I go broke. We should win this game. We could lose this game.)

So I say we’re 8-2, with Kentucky, Tennessee, and A&M being games that could absolutely derail all of our hopes and dreams for something better. I do see the 2 losses I mentioned being definite. This team is going to show improvement at best, and confusion at worst. We’re a year away, basically. But I also expect 2021 to be the year where we actually enter the College Football Playoff, so I’ll take it in a year where there are more important things going on than football, especially knowing that the Georgia game and Alabama games are on the road in front of mostly nobody. To hell with both of them.

You’ve read our takes, now it’s your turn. Give us your prediction for this 2020 Auburn Tiger football team.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/9/14/21434903/c-m-roundtable-predict-auburns-2020-season-record

[dirtyfruit]

no drama or debate but someone asked why i think IB is abusive so:

(tw for rape/abuse under the cut)

Some proof iron bull is abusive (there are more, these are just the immediate things I can think of off the top of my head)

- to the inquisitor: 1. At the end of his romance, if you pick the right dialogue option, he reveals he was ordered to sleep with you to manipulate you. Your inquisitor notices Bull is acting odd and asks him if he was ordered to sleep with them as part of a job, and Bull says it wasn't "JUST a job". This means that he has intentionally been using bdsm sex to control you, and that you have been having sex under false pretenses - which is, at the very bare minimum, sexual abuse. 2. It is very clear throughout the relationship that the Inquisitor doesn't have a very good idea of how BDSM relationships work. They don't even know what a safe word is, and Bull doesn't introduce one until AFTER they have sex for the first time. Which means their first BDSM session completely lacked a safe word. This is a HUGE no-no in the BDSM community, ESPECIALLY for first-time subs, where confirmation of consent and constant attention are VITAL to make sure they aren't being seriously hurt. Although he says he wouldn't do anything the Inquisitor didn't want, he's already broken that by using sex to manipulate them to begin with, and the fact he doesn't even make sure they have a safe word before they sleep together is a HUGE red flag. Ground rules need to be established BEFORE sex, NOT after, and this is for good god damn reason. 3. Bull completely controls the Inquisitor's safe word and actively discourages them from using it by praising them when it isn’t used and breaking up with them when it is. He doesn't let them choose it, first of all, which is another no-no. The safe word is all about control, making sure there's an equal exchange of power between dom and sub, and having your dom just tell you what you're going to do to prove you consent is a warning sign that they don't value your input. A safe word is an expression of consent, and having Bull PRAISE the Inquisitor for never once using the safe word is an ENORMOUS deal. Your partner should NOT praise you for not expressing a lack of consent, especially when it can be established there were a couple times they thought about it, but they "didn't want to disappoint Bull" (I believe Cole reveals this in a dialogue, saying the Inquisitor both didn't want to disappoint Bull, and that it feels good when they don't use their safe word - which, um, is not a good sign! Especially given the following!). That shows that the Inquisitor may not have actually been consenting, but was instead performing for their partner - who didn't even give them the option of a safe word until after they'd already slept together, who is actively using them for political purposes without their knowledge VIA sex, who praises them for not using the safe word, and who entirely controlled what their safe word was. 4. Bull is not willing to pursue a relationship with the Inquisitor if the Inquisitor refuses to be his sub. Again, considering this is a job for him from the Qun, it is highly likely the reason he's so adamant that you be his sub is because he wants to use his position as dom to make you think of him as someone in control of you. This allows him to manipulate you in other ways, outside of your relationship, and makes you inclined to do things that he - and, by extension, the Qun - want you to. THIS IS EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE. If you pursue a relationship with him, he is grooming you. He even tells you he’s manipulating you! Multiple times! His name literally means “liar”! 5. When the Inquisitor and Bull are first having sex, Bull says "last chance" after pinning the Inquisitor. Um? "Last chance" to not consent???? That's not how sex works??? Considering the lack of safe word established, the lack of ground rules - this is just another speck of him disregarding the Inquisitor's consent. He comes off as caring about how you feel and whether or not you want it, but then acts like you saying yes is a contract and you can't change your mind. This is reaffirmed by him breaking up with you if you do. 6. The first thing he says after you sleep together is how he grew up learning how to manipulate people. He tells you that he was manipulating you to give you "what you need". Yikes?? Obvious yikes?? He does this with Dorian as well, which I touch on later. It’s a habit for him to manipulate people emotionally because he thinks they “need” him, and that’s ... not good lol. - to Dorian: 1. Repeatedly discusses explicit details of their sex life in public, despite Dorian begging him to stop. This is unusual behavior for Dorian, since he doesn't mind joking about sex at all with the Inquisitor, and even discusses details of their sex life on his own with Sera (this does not change, even if the Inquisitor is Adaar). With the Inquisitor, Dorian is extremely hesitant to talk about his "relationship" with Bull, and comes off as very timid and uncertain. Another odd change of behavior from how boisterous and open he normally is - this is a man who danced with the Inquisitor on a balcony at a crowded party full of royalty, for god's sake. He outright talks about how much he loves the Inquisitor just, in the middle of public places. I think there might be ONE dialogue line where Dorian is a little cheeky with Cassandra about how he's happy with the Inquisitor, but the rest of his dialogue is very comfortable and playful when it comes to his relationship. This is not the case with him and Bull, and when you factor in other parts of their "relationship" plus the fact Dorian isn't normally shy about dating 'Qunari', it starts to become clear that it's because of how Bull, specifically, makes him feel - which is, more often than not, negative.

2. Bull and Dorian have had non-consensual sex on Dorian’s part. For at least the first 3 times they had sex, Dorian was heavily intoxicated. It's unclear how drunk Bull was, but he's shown to have a much higher tolerance than humans, and given how often he brags about how well he manipulates people, and the fact he's been sexually abusive with the Inquisitor, AND his rape fantasy about Dorian ... It is possible Bull intentionally got Dorian drunk to sleep with him. Even if he didn’t, it's worth noting that Dorian states how unsure he is about he and Bull's relationship, so it's very likely he did not “consent” until he was drunk. This is reinforced by the fact he calls them sleeping together a mistake that just kept happening, which means he did NOT go drinking with Bull with the intention of sleeping with him - so even if Bull was drunk as well, it was still rape, as Dorian was not drinking with the intention of sex, and actually seems very uncomfortable with Bull's sexual "advances" before this. 3. Bull graphically describes how he would rape Dorian. Just, casually talks about how he'd rip Dorian's clothes off while he was struggling to get away and would "conquer" him, in front of a bunch of people. Dorian is horrified, and when Bull says "Oh, was that not where this was going?", he clearly says "no!". Anyone who says "well, he was just SAYING no, he didn't MEAN no" is participating in rape culture. Dorian is very obviously uncomfortable with this talk - as he should be. Imagine if some guy you barely even know or like just started talking about how he'd rip your clothes off and pin you down and "conquer" you. That guy is Bull. Dorian is not okay with it. This is clear sexual harassment, and set the tone for it coming off as if Bull wears Dorian down by being overtly, aggressively sexual to him (and getting him drunk).

4. Bull outright tries to tell Dorian that Dorian is attracted to him. He psycho-analyzes him and says because Bull is off-limits, Dorian must be attracted to him and want to fuck him. I believe this preludes the whole "then I'd rape you and you'd totally like it" talk, which ends with Dorian rejecting Bull loud and clear. This reads very much like Bull pressuring Dorian into a relationship, not something that naturally develops from an unsteady friendship - and this same tone rings throughout their other interactions (note again how uncertain Dorian is, how he says it "just sort of keeps happening", how he "doesn't know what's going on", and how he considers the first times they slept together to be mistakes - coming after an "ill-thought night of drinking", or something to that effect). This is another instance of Bull manipulating someone to “give them what they need” - even if they’ve said no and had to be drunk at least the first 3 times to let him do it. - to Cole: 1. During a series of side dialogues, Iron Bull insists he's going to "fix" Cole by having him sleep with a prostitute. Cole has made it clear he does not understand sex (says confusedly to Bull that a girl wanted Bull to take her clothes off, repeatedly comes off as very innocent when it comes to sex), and cannot possibly consent to having it. Bull is not stupid, and in fact directly interacted with Cole during one of his "I really clearly do not get what sex is" dialogues. Bull is aware Cole has no idea what a prostitute would do to him. He buys him one anyway, and then gets pissed off when Cole helped her emotionally instead of getting raped. He literally pays to try to have Cole correctively raped because he disapproved of Cole's personality. This probably stems from Qunari culture using sex to heal, but understanding the why doesn’t change what it is. Additional notes: In interviews, Weekes (Bull's writer) has stated that Bull's BDSM-style romance was inspired by the popularity of 50 Shades of Grey, with Bull playing the part of Christian (not as a 1:1, but it's part of where his being a dom came from - which ... explains a lot). He also explained that, originally, Bull was going to out Krem as trans without Krem's permission, and the only reason this was not put into the game is because Weekes' trans friends made him understand that was a shitty thing to do. Because somehow that wasn't obvious. Bull's disregard for boundaries has been written into his character from day one - fixing that particular time it showed through doesn't mean it stopped being there in every other line.

I could rewatch all the dialogue and cutscenes about him and pick out a million more examples but honestly at this point just his voice grosses me out and I’d rather forget he exists altogether.