#it’s just a phone interview and i’ll do it because it’s a good company and the pay is actually good well good for me anyway and it’s remote

[apathyfairy]

somehow i got an interview at a finance company can anyone explain the inner workings of the stock market to me like i’m 5 years old

[mymindisneverhere]

FAVORS (1)

warnings: 18+ MDNI!, sub!Terry, soft dom!black fem OC, explicit language, slight smut, a bit of a slow burn (forgive me if I missed any)

summary: Terry starts a new job at a warehouse after losing his life savings. He becomes acquainted with all of the workers except for one… the boss’ daughter.

Part One

Masterlist

“You alright over there Terry?”

“Yeah I’m good.” Terry responded.

He lifted the large boxes with ease, tossing them onto the back of the truck as they traveled down the conveyor belt. With each toss he’d let out a grunt, onlookers assumed it was from struggle but it was nothing other than frustration.

Terry had just secured a job at a local warehouse where he would load each delivery truck with boxes filled with parts for cars, motorcycles, trucks, etc. It was his only option after losing all of his life savings to a crooked police department.

Of course his experience in the Marines and his education made him a quick hire for the position. After a few weeks of orientation, training, and learning his new work schedule, he had fallen right in with the other workers who had been on the job for decades.

She watched him like hawk on the surveillance cameras, her freshly manicured tips tapping the sides of her coffee mug. She didn’t orchestrate any of the interviews or handle any of the paperwork that came with hiring people because she didn’t care to. She was solely there to do one thing and one thing only, find her next partner.

Terry had met all of the staff members on the job during his orientation. Supervisors, team leads, those with special assignments and floor workers, the same as he. There was only one person he had yet to meet, the CEOs daughter, Khloé MacArthur, the head bitch in charge.

MacArthur Motors and Parts Inc. was established in 1989 by a man named John MacArthur. There were a decent number of locations down south but his daughter only visited the ones closest to home. However Khloé visited very rarely, usually to spy on the workers and search for her new piece of meat.

She watched closely, observing his every move. Her eyes roamed from his face, admiring his naturally arched eyebrows, down to his full pink lips, his strong neck, and lastly to his chest that flexed every time he lifted a new box. The gray company shirt he wore wasn’t tight but it was no secret that when he wasn’t at work, he was in the gym religiously.

Jobs that require hard labor always had the perfect associates to fulfill her needs. Usually tall, muscular, a few tattoos and oozing masculinity. There was nothing she enjoyed more than making a big dog her bitch.

This new piece of meat she had her eyes on was nothing like she had in the past. He was pretty, no fuck that, he was beautiful. Everything about him fit perfectly in her sexual fantasy. She could see it clear as day in her mind, his big hands gripping her throat and that tight ass clenching every time he filled her up.

“Ms. MacArthur?” Olivia, the warehouse clerk and her personal assistant, called out to her, interrupting her thoughts.

“What?” Khloé snapped her head in Olivia’s direction, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

“Y-your father’s on the line ma’am, h-he wants to know if you can make it in t-time for dinner tomorrow tonight?” Olivia notified.

“I’ll pick it up.” She rolled her eyes, walking over to the phone. “Knock next time or that’s a write up!”

“Yes ma’am, I’m sorry.” Olivia stammered out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She picked up the phone and smiled.

“Yes Daddy?” She answered in her usual sweet voice. The voice she used only for her father… and her prey.

“How’s my princess doing?”

“Fine, just doing my check-ins as usual.” She responded.

“That’s my girl, always making sure the business is running smoothly.” He said. “Have you found a date for the annual banquet?”

There it was, the real reason he was calling.

“No daddy, I don’t need a date for a family banquet.” She responded in a fake tone, trying hard to mask her irritation.

“Your sisters got her husband, your brothers got his finance, all of your cousins have partners. Do you want to be the only one there without someone for the third year in a row?” He asked, hoping to hit a nerve.

Every year the MacArthur family would get together and celebrate their accomplishments and achievements for the year. Some families had family reunions, hers had family banquets. They’d dress up in gorgeous gowns and tailored tuxedos just to feast in a ballroom reserved just for them, a few business partners and close friends.

However Khloé hated them because every year they reminded her of how lonely she truly was. The dates she had brought in the past didn’t make her feel seen or loved, they just enjoyed status. Witnessing her siblings and other relatives truly love and admire their significant others had her questioning her ability to be cherished and loved by someone other than family.

A husband wasn’t necessarily the end all be all for an ambitious and independent woman like her but she wouldn’t mind having someone to come home to every night. Someone she could truly be herself with.

“I’ll have to call you later Daddy, I’m busy right now.” Khloé said, trying to end the conversation.

“Okay princess, but I will see you at dinner tomorrow… alone I’m assuming?” He was pushing her buttons again.

“Goodbye Daddy.”

She slammed the phone down onto its receiver, making the cord bounce violently. She stared down at the brand new business phone, one she had begged her father to purchase. She wanted to upgrade the phones and computers in each warehouse. Just because the buildings were old didn’t mean the technology had to be.

After a few minutes of collecting her thoughts and attempting to bring her emotions back down to zero she went back to lurking from the small office window. She was beginning to come up with the perfect plan that would involve the perfect man.

“How long were you in?” Earl, a man in his late 50s, asked Terry.

“Four years.” Terry responded, continuing to toss the boxes like they weighed nothing. “You?”

“Man I went in in ‘85, saw all that shit they wanted us to do, told ‘em they could kiss my ass.” Earl stated unapologetically.

Terry couldn’t help but to laugh at the older gentleman. His thick southern accent made what he was saying ten times funnier than it actually was.

“I understand that.” Terry said.

“But you young bucks got the heart for that type of training,” Earl said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Me, I been a old nigga all my life.”

“Oh yeah?” Terry continued his laughter.

He genuinely enjoyed Earl's company, he was one of the first few people to introduce himself to Terry. It didn’t take long for him to warm up to the older guy, seeing as though his extroverted personality made him so many friends.

The long conveyor belt had stopped, letting them know that it was time for lunch. They tossed the final boxes onto the truck and slammed the back closed before walking away from their stations.

“How long you been here?” Terry asked, placing his hands on hips.

“20 years.” Earl responded.

“That’s a long time man.”

“Who you tellin’?” Earl joked. “I remember when this company first started. I didn’t think it would last long. A business like this ran by a black man in the south? I just knew them white boys would tear this place to shreds.”

“What you think stopped them from doing that?” Terry asked.

“The same thing that’ll make anybody do something they don’t necessarily agree with-,” Earl looked over at Terry with a surprised expression “-money.”

“Olivia!” Khloé called, approaching the large desk that sat right at the front of the building. The words “MacArthur Motors and Parts Inc” plastered on the wall in big red letters.

“Ma’am?” Olivia answered, tearing her eyes from the computer screen.

“Who is the new guy?” Khloé leaned onto the desk trying to keep her voice low so the employees passing by wouldn’t hear her.

Olivia turned to the file cabinet on her right, stuffed with folders designated for each employee in alphabetical order. She scanned her slim fingers covered across the tabs before landing on his name.

“Richmond.” She said proudly. “Terry Richmond is his name.”

Khloé took the folder from her hands, flipping through each page carefully. She immediately began heading back to the office to figure out how she was gonna go about getting him.

“Ms. MacArthur, I actually need that to finish his new hire forms.”

“I’ll handle it!” Khloé yelled from down the long hallway.

“Thanks?” Olivia said in a confused tone.

The break room was becoming empty as workers began to head back to their stations. Terry kneeled down to get the water that had gotten stuck in the vending machine, putting up a bit of a fight to retrieve the beverage.

She stepped into the break room slowly, not wanting him to hear the loud click of her expensive pumps. The muscles in his back flexed as he tugged on the water. Finally getting it from the bottom of the machine, he still hadn’t noticed her standing there. She planted her feet together, standing just a few feet away from him.

“Terry, right?” Khloé asked.

He turned his head to see her feet first, his eyes trailing up her body and landing on her face. She stood there, hands behind her back, a small smile on her red colored lips. The black suit dress she wore fit her petite frame perfectly and her thick black hair pulled into a sleek ponytail topped her business attire.

“Yeah and you are?” He said looking up at her with a raised brow.

“I’m Khloé,” She answered, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He stood, his movement seemingly in slow motion as he grew taller and taller, eventually towering over her. He took her hand and shook it suspiciously. He couldn’t think of one reason why a woman like her, dressed the way she was dressed, would be in a warehouse wandering around.

“Khloé MacArthur, I’m the owner's daughter.” She said, hoping to rid him of the obvious skepticism she saw in his expression.

“Oh, Ms. MacArthur.” He said in surprise, immediately changing his expression. “My apologies, you scared me for a moment there.”

“No need to apologize. I’m usually traveling, I’m hardly ever here so I understand.” She assured him, staring into his eyes.

She held onto his hand longer than she planned to, not noticing until his eyes darted down and back to her face.

“I’m sorry-“ She said, finally letting go of his hand. “-it’s just, your eyes are so beautiful.”

Terry looked down, blushing a bit.

“Thank you.” He said, returning his eyes to hers.

“You hear that a lot, I’m sure.”

“I do.”

“When did you start? I know I haven't been here in a while but I’d definitely remember seeing your face.” Khloé asked, shifting her weight onto her left leg.

“A few weeks ago actually.” He answered.

The eye contact was almost intimidating but Khloé wasn’t a woman who folded easily, even standing in the presence of this Earthly God.

“How you liking it so far?”

“It’s good. I’m still getting used to the scheduling, a lot of coffee in my diet lately but it’s pretty cool.”

“Not an early bird, huh?”

“No ma’am.” He turned to look back at the clock on the wall and she took this quick moment to get a close up of his chest, flexing as he turned. She bit down on her bottom lip before he could notice.

“I hate to be rude Ms. MacArthur-“

“Khloé” She interrupted.

His lip folded into a slight grin. “Khloe, I have to get back on the floor, my lunch is over. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” She smiled up at him as she watched him walk away, her eyes scanning the back of his body.

“That is an ass on that man.” She whispered to herself before heading back to her side of the warehouse.

4 hours later

“Another day, another couple hundred dollars, young blood.” Earl announced, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “You got plans for tonight, you know it’s “Free shot Friday’s” down at Frankie’s?”

“Nah I’m good man, I don’t drink much.” Terry said, placing both of his arms into the straps of his backpack.

“You know Terry’s a good guy-“ John, another man shouted from behind the two of them. “-he ain’t no drinker or smoker.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, that’s why he built like a gladiator and we walkin’ around with beer bellies.” Earl joked, receiving laughs from the other men in the locker room.

Terry chuckled, placing the last of his work items into his locker before leaving the locker room. The only thing left for him to do was clock out for the evening and head home.

“I see y’all boys on Monday, y’all be safe.” And with that Terry left the locker room, heading to his truck.

He reached into his pants pocket to grab his badge and swiped it across the small box designated for clock-ins/clock-outs.

He exited the building walking to his truck, relieved to be at the end of another workday. He searched his pockets for his keys unaware of the pair of eyes that had been on him the entire time he spent in the parking lot.

She watched the TV screen closely, each quadrant displaying different areas in the building and parking lot. It had been two years since she had been with anybody but this was the first time she had this type of craving for someone.

Sure she had flings here and there but this longing was so strong, she could practically feel him inside of her already. Like his energy was pulling on hers, begging her for connection.

Khloé could still smell his scent, the mixture of cologne and sweat as if he were standing right behind her. She could still see the thick veins in his arms, permanently in her memory. She couldn’t wait to find out if he had those same veins on his dick, licking her lips at the thought of feeling him along her tongue.

*Knock Knock*

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and grateful for it.

“Come in.”

“The night shift are all clocked in and at their stations, are you ready to go Ms. MacArthur?” Olivia asked, her large purse hanging off of her shoulder.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Khloé grabbed her purse, her keys and Terry’s employee work file and headed out of the office.

She paced back and forth in her living room, biting the insides of her cheeks. Her feet sank into the white plush rug as she read over the pages for the 10th time, trying to piece this man together.

She had been looking over Terry’s file for the past hour now. She studied every page, every background check, every piece of information they had on him but unfortunately it wasn’t much.

Walking over to her computer, she wiggled the mouse and slammed herself into her large desk chair that sat against her window. The heavily lit view of downtown shined lights through her windows along with the full moon up in the sky as she began her research.

“Terrance Richmond, former Marine, Born June 7, 1994.” She whispered to herself, typing each word as she spoke.

‘He’s 30, perfect.’ She thought.

She searched his name to see if she could find him on social media.

No Twitter.

No Facebook.

No Instagram.

“Who the fuck is this man?”

She continued searching, scrolling for what seemed like hours until she stumbled across an article for a small town called “Shelby Springs”. The article titled “Ex-Marine Exposes SSPD” caused her invisible antennas to perk up.

‘Former Marine, Terrance Richmond, helps stop corruption invading Shelby Springs. After officers unlawfully seized $36,000 from Richmond, the last of his savings intended for posting bail for his late cousin, Richmond took matters into his own hands. One man gets justice for himself, his cousin and others who were wrongfully convicted.’

“So he’s some sort of hero?” She licked her lips, smirking to herself. The fact that this one man had gone to war with a police department full of cops and won made her nipples hard.

She could feel the gears in her head begin to turn as she finished reading the article. Learning about his time in the Marines and him being trained in martial arts, he was the perfect candidate for her future escapades.

Images flashed in her mind. Images of her hands against his bare chest as she rode him, the view of him looking down on her while she went down on him, him sitting back and watching while she played with herself. Each scene sent a shiver down her spine. She crossed her legs tightly rubbing her thighs together to create a pleasureful friction.

Khloé didn’t want to fully pleasure herself just yet. She knew the build up would be so worth it, she could feel it. She needed to contain her desire for an orgasm. She wanted to be sure that he was the one to give it to her.

Shutting down her computer, she closed his file and placed it on the counter next to her purse. She went into her bathroom and started the shower turning the knob to the far right to make the water cold.

After about 15 minutes of washing up and bringing her arousal back down she prepared for bed. She got into her large queen sized bed, topped with a thick white comforter and smiled to herself…

so her mission begins.

to be continued…

[muniimyg]

𐙚₊˚⊹ ceo!hoseok ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹

series m.list // taglist

🏷️ permanent taglist: @joonsjuice @pamzn @defzcl @whoa-jo @taetaecatboy @jksusawife @un06 @firesighgirl @rrosiitas @butterymin @parkinglot-nights @musicjournalsjdb @kissyfacekoo @jkslvsnella @vampcharxter @bloopkook @somehowukook @bbystarcandykoo @ddanasjk @luvismenu @remgeolli @parapiop7 @lil0u0 @crazyovayou @mggv97 @thvgukk @rpwprpwprpwprw

//

it never occurred to you that your boss is terrifying.

sure, you’re well aware of his mood swings and the endless gossip that circulates around the company, but it never feels personal to you. to be fair... you’re never the target of his outbursts.

in truth, you don’t work closely enough with him to get caught in the crossfire. but if you ever do slip, you know it’ll be brutal.

you aren’t unnoticeable to him either.

jung hoseok, your cold-hearted, demon-like boss, hasn’t given you a reason to be scared yet. you learned quickly how to navigate him after only a few months at the company. to avoid him on tuesdays because, for some reason, he’s especially grumpy. no clue why, but he just is. maybe it’s because it’s too early for dinner and too late for lunch, or maybe he just hates feeling stuck. either way, you know his habits and manage to stay in his good graces.

as the head designer of his father’s company, hoseok’s creativity has to flow constantly. his father never steps foot in the office, but his presence is still felt through the intense pressure hoseok places on himself. despite his infamous temperament, no one can say jung hoseok doesn’t meet expectations. in fact, he exceeds them every time, thanks to his relentless work ethic.

the devil works hard, but jung hoseok works harder.

“that will be all for today. you’re all dismissed.”

everyone starts gathering their belongings. just as you and your team head for the door, hoseok calls out, “oh... except for ___ and kim taehyung. please stay behind for a moment.”

taehyung, your assistant, shoots you a look.

you furrow your brows in confusion. once everyone else leaves, you both stand in front of hoseok’s desk.

“i’m thinking of opening up an internship program here. what do you think?” hoseok asks.

you nod. “it sounds like a great opportunity for those who aspire to be part of the fashion industry. especially with jung co., i’m sure we’ll have a lot of applicants.”

“exactly my thoughts, ___,” hoseok replies, smiling slightly. “which is why i like you.”

taehyung huffs, and you roll your eyes before saying, “thank you, mr. jung.”

“here’s the thing,” hoseok continues, “i trust you, ___. as head of hr, you’ll be in charge of filtering the applicants—portfolio reviews, phone interviews, and in-person interviews. taehyung can assist you, but i’m requiring you to take the lead on this.”

“no problem at all,” you assure him. “when do you want us to start?”

hoseok chuckles. “now. i’ve already had my secretary draft some advertisements and an application page. finalize them and get them live by nine tonight.”

“tonight?” taehyung blurts out, “but it’s my girlfriend’s birthday, and ___ was supposed to come—”

“no invite?” hoseok teases.

taehyung almost chokes.

hoseok holds his stare before finally blinking. “tonight. before nine,” he repeats. “regards to the celebrant.” and with that, he excuses himself, leaving you and taehyung stunned.

“tonight?” taehyung panics. “is he serious? his secretaries are always unprepared! whatever draft we get is probably just a blank page. i’m doomed. jennie's going to kill me.”

“she won't,” you tell him, sighing. “i’ll take care of it. go to her birthday. consider it my birthday gift to her.”

“really?” taehyung looks at you with wide eyes. “you sure?”

“yes. boyfriends should be there for their girlfriends birthday.”

taehyung doesn’t need to be told twice. “you’re the best, ___. i owe you big time.”

at 4 pm, taehyung bolts out the door.

by 8:49 pm, the office is mostly empty. only a few colleagues remain in a meeting room, and the custodian walks down the hall, pushing a cart. outside, the sky is dark and cloudy. rain looks like it’s about to fall any minute now.

“taehyung really left you?” hoseok’s voice suddenly cuts through the quiet as he steps into your small glass office.

you shrug, giving him a tight-lipped smile. “birthdays are special, mr. jung.”

“you know what else is special?” he asks, leaning against the doorframe.

“what?”

“hiring interns.”

you roll your eyes, and hoseok chuckles at your reaction.

“i’m almost done,” you tell him, finishing up the last few details on the application page. “i’ll send it to you in a minute.”

“how are you getting home, ___?” hoseok asks after a brief pause.

“i’ll take the bus,” you reply, still focused on your screen. “i was supposed to go to the birthday party, but i’m tired now.”

“it’s raining,” he points out. “do you have an umbrella?”

“the bus stop has a cover,” you say casually, not looking up.

“i could drive you home,” hoseok offers. “i feel bad that you’re here all alone. i thought you knew i was kidding earlier.”

“jokes usually start with ‘knock knock,’” you tease, finally glancing at him. “and they don’t usually come from scary bosses.”

“you think i’m scary?”

“see,” you smile, “now you’re funny.”

he gives a soft laugh, shaking his head. “you’re something else.”

just then, his phone buzzes. hoseok glances at it before pushing himself off the doorframe. “i have to go. i have dinner plans with my girlfriend.”

you raise an eyebrow, trying to hide the surprise in your voice. “girlfriend?”

he smirks, walking over to your desk and leaning down slightly. “yeah, she’s been waiting on me all day. good thing she’s too busy saving my ass at work to notice.”

it takes you a second, but when it hits, you roll your eyes.

“oh, shut up.”

he laughs, his smirk growing wider. “come on, i’ll drive you home. wouldn’t want my girlfriend to be mad at me twice today.”

as he reaches for your bag, he leans in and kisses you softly. the surprise catches you off guard. with a playful grin, he takes your bag and wraps his arm around your waist as you both walk out of the office.

“you know,” you start, half-jokingly scolding him, “you really should have thought twice about all the work you dumped on me tonight.”

“what can i say?” he replies, chuckling. “i’m a mean boss but a great boyfriend.”

"dump more work on me and i'll dump you."

hoseok tightens his lips and sighs. "no, don't do that... i'm sorry, babe. i'll be nicer the next time i ask you to do your job."

with that, you hit his chest. he laughs and pulls you close. together, you two make your way to his car where he opens the door and drives you home.

hoseok stays the night, over the moon to wake up and spend a lazy saturday with you.

come monday, he surprises you with a team of interns you have to interview.

hoseok [12:09pm]: i'm sorry babe hoseok [12:09pm]: my dad approved them all for an int,, i couldn't do shit abt it hoseok [12:11pm]: pls don't dump me hoseok [12:15pm]: i'm ordering ur fave lunch yn [12:17pm]: i'm dumping u after i clock out tn hoseok [12:19pm]: pls babe. no thank u :(

[innerempire]

Peter who is Tony’s personal assistant - the only personal assistant who has actually stuck through him for more than two years. Prior to Peter, all of Tony’s past PA(s) were people who had resigned within 24 hours (and left in absolute tears) because they simply couldn’t cope with the stress.

Peter deals with everything; handling the older male’s hectic schedules, enduring crazy ex-partners and slighted flings who show up here and there and hey, he’s had coffee and juice, whatever-you-name it thrown in his face. Before anything even reaches Tony’s desk, be it an interview request or social invite, it’s strictly screened by Peter first.

He works round the clock basically. It’s high stress, but the monetary compensation is….Peter thinks he might be set for life if he keeps it up for another couple of years.

“So, remember, you’ve got that in-person interview with Ms Bellford at 6 today. I’ve screened all the questions, but I’ve got Happy on standby just in case she goes off script and-“

Tony frowns, “You’re not going to be there?”

“Uh-“ Peter glances up from his new yet-to-be-released Stark Industries-issued tablet. “I requested for time off for today a month and a half ago. You signed off on it.”

Tony has that particular look on his face which tells Peter that the older male doesn’t remember doing anything of that sort.

“Tony-“ Peter really can’t cancel because this is the third time he’s rescheduling this date with a guy he’s sort of hit it off with from a dating app four months ago. “I need to turn up for my date, because my social life is non-existent as it is.”

“…you don’t count being with me as socializing? Also, a date? First time I’m hearing of it.”

“You’re my boss - I have to socialize with you.”

“Ouch.”

“And it’s the first time I’m mentioning it because the previous two dates didn’t happen. But it needs to happen today because he seems somewhat decent.” Peter hopes so, at least.

Tony leans back in his chair, “Well, I hope Mr.Decent is taking you somewhere nice.”

“Mm, whatever is “nice” in my vocab would probably be “peasant-like” in yours.” Because Tony has ridiculously fancy taste. “I think it’s some fine-dining Korean restaurant in West Village.” Peter glances at his watch. “…and if I want to make a good first impression, I really need to leave.” He gives Tony an imploring look. “Uh, would it be too much to tell you not to call me if you don’t need me?”

Tony grins at Peter, teasing, “But I always need you.”

“Not this evening, you don’t.” Peter quips. “Anyway, behave, don’t terrorize the interviewer, please. She seens genuinely interested in the company’s progress, so - best behavior, please.”

“See, that’s why you need to be there. I’m always the best version of myself when you’re around.”

“Uh huh.” Peter deadpans. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr.Stark.”

- / -

“Uh…what do you mean it’s closed? I thought we made reservations.” Peter asks his date over the phone.

“Yeah, a month ago. But someone from the restaurant called me just now and said they’re closed because of a sudden emergency.”

Peter tries not to feel too bummed. He had been looking forward to dining at the restaurant since they made plans for it.

“Oh…then, should we go elsewhere?” Peter suggests.

“Well, it’s a Friday and anywhere else nice is probably fully booked out.”

Peter wonders if this third failed attempt at a date is the Universe’s way of telling him that things with this particular person is not meant to be. Look, he’s not insanely superstitious, but surely it means something?!

“…maybe next time?”

Both of them agree on next time, but Peter thinks there’s not going to be one. He sighs as he ends the call. Well, he could just order in and spend the night actually resting, but instead, Peter finds himself re-entering the office tower and making his way up to the topmost floor and back to his own personal office (truly a perk)

“Someone’s passionate about their job. What happened to a date with Mr.Decent?” Is the first thing that Tony asks when he pops in.

Peter simply sighs, and it’s then that he realizes Tony’s tie is slightly crooked. He gets out of his chair and closes the distance between them, nimble fingers adjusting the tie to sit nicely.

“The restaurant had to close all of a sudden. Last minute emergency.”

“A well-prepared man would have made back up plans.” Tony remains still as Peter fusses over him.

“I kinda thought so too.” Peter admits, hands sweeping along the lapels of his boss’s suit jacket. “It’s weird - I’m disappointed, but I’m not that disappointed?” He shrugs his shoulders.

“Well. I, for one, am glad.”

- / -

It’s Peter’s third year of overseeing that the Stark Expo runs smoothly, but it’s still as anxiety-inducing as ever. The moment Tony ends his speech, Peter heaves a sigh of relief, knowing that the most important aspect of the expo was over. Now, the attendees would be mingling and networking and Peter could finally enjoy a glass of wine. Or two.

“Can I assume that it’s finally safe to approach you?”

Peter lets out a laugh as he accepts the glass of red wine being handed to him, “Fashionably late as always, Quentin.”

“Mm, it’s on purpose really. I don’t really need to waste twenty minutes of my time listening to Stark stroke his own ego.”

Quentin Beck was one of their biggest competitors to date, and frankly, he was smart enough that it kept Tony on his toes.

“You look great.” Quentin comes in for a hug which Peter reciprocates. “It’s the third year of you handling Stark Expo, and my third time trying my luck at poaching you for myself.”

Peter had to give it to Quentin for his persistance, “Better luck next year.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Then…how about trying my luck for something non business related? Coffee, dinner?”

Peter grins up at Quentin, “Are you asking me out?” He can’t deny that that they’ve always engaged in flirty banter whenever they meet.

“Mm hmm, and I know there’s a conflict of interest somewhere, but I truly can’t bring myself to give a fuck.”

He nearly snorts the wine up his nose, playfully swatting Quentin on the shoulder. He’s giving the thought some consideration because Quentin is smart and a looker, and he’a older too, somewhere along Tony’s age, and that’s always a plus. But he doesn’t get to dwell on it much longer when Tony comes to join them.

He doesn’t seem too pleased to see Quentin, startling Peter slightly be resting his hand against the dip of Peter’s back. As if staking his claim over his own personal assistant.

“Sorry to interrupt.” He doesn’t sound apologetic at all, and Peter’s instantly whisked away before he manages to get a word out to Quentin. “What is it? Do you need something, Mr.Stark?” Peter asks, absolutely confused once they’re quite a distance away from the crowd.

Tony eases his hold slightly around Peter’s waist,” There should really be laws about fraternizing with the enemy.”

“You’re exaggerating. You know how Quentin is.”

“Yes, and I don’t like it one bit of how he was looking at you.”

“…careful, Mr.Stark. Your jealousy’s showing.”

Peter waits for Tony to laugh, but it doesn’t come.

No way Tony Stark is jealous.

Peter doesn’t know what to do all of a sudden, not with his boss staring him down. He’s self-conscious of their proximity all of a sudden.

“Mr.Stark-“

“I don’t really take too well to sharing, both professionally and personally.”

- / -

[restlessmaknae]

crush into you // myung jaehyun

When you literally crush into Jaehyun on your way to an interview, the boy manages to spill iced coffee on your blouse. That's how you end up wearing his own blazer to the interview to cover up the spot, and the rest is history.

➳ Characters: uni student!Jaehyun x uni student!female reader/you

➳ Genre: meet cute, slice of life, uni au, fluff

➳ Words: 3k

➳ Warning: mentions of foods

➳ A/N: This story had the second most votes in my recent poll, so here it is. I'm really enjoying their comeback, so it was very easy to write a story about Jaehyun. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ❤️

➳ Taglist: @s00buwu, @dat-town

Your days were carefully planned out with written to-do lists, calendar apps filling up your phone, and multiple scenarios made up with every plan that you might have. Just like today when you were about to go to an assessment centre as part of a job interview: a 3-hour selection process with an hour of group work, an hour of one-on-one interview with the hiring manager alongside an HR specialist and an hour for individual tests. You planned out when to leave the flat, when to get on the bus, which bus to take in case you didn’t manage to get on the exact bus you wanted and when you could possibly leave your neighbourhood the latest in order to still get to the company in time.

Myung Jaehyun’s days, on the other hand, were a hot mess. He was frequently running late from classes, group work meet-ups and dance practices, high on adrenaline and energy drinks. No one blamed him because the moment he flashed a smile, it was game over for them. Taesan might have given him a bombastic side eye for such a comment, but it was rare that anyone really reprimanded Jaehyun for being a bit too hyper, a bit too all over the place and a bit of a kid at times.

So when you literally crushed into him as you turned a corner towards the company and he was running around with his iced coffee in hand, trying not to be late from a class, on his part, the collision wasn’t that unexpected.

On your part though, it totally was.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so so sorry,” the boy exclaimed first things first just at the same time as you started apologising to him, but when you felt an odd cold sensation around your abdominal area, you immediately looked down at your white blouse, your lips parting in disbelief.

“Oh nooo,” you pouted, looking at the brownish spot on your white blouse caused by his coffee, multiple scenarios crossing your head as to how to fix this. You didn’t have enough time to go back to your flat to change, you weren’t familiar with the area, so you didn’t know whether they had a clothes shop around, and you didn’t know whether trying to get the stain out would only make it worse and the spot more noticeable or not.

“Oh. My. Gosh. I’m so… very… sorry,” the stranger reacted more dramatically than you would have thought so, all wide eyes and exasperated expression tinting his otherwise boyish features, messy jet-black locks falling into his eyes. As opposed to your business casual style - white blouse with black cotton pants and high-heeled sandals -, he looked more like a sophisticated yet fashionable guy around campus with his burgundy sports shoes, leather pants, a simple white tee, a black blazer and multiple accessories crowning the look from rings on his fingers to necklaces gracing his skin. You couldn’t have looked any different at that moment.

“I’ll make it up, I promise. Are you in a hurry, are you heading somewhere?” He asked nevertheless, his puppy eyes also in contrast to his whole appearance.

“Well, yeah, I’m going for a job interview. I’ll have to be there in 15 minutes, and it’s still like a 5-minute walk from here.”

“Oh no, that’s not good,” he shook his head, and with the hand that didn’t hold the half-empty cup of the rest of his coffee, he scratched the back of his neck. He bit down on his lower lip, clearly in deep contemplation, and you were about to end this whole conversation when his actions made you freeze on the spot. In a whirlwind moment of events, he threw his cup into a nearby trash can, got a tissue out of his pocket to clean his hand that the coffee also spilled onto and slid the blazer off himself to reach it out to you. “Here, take this. It might be a bit big on you, but it will cover up the spot nicely, and I think it will go well with your outfit.”

“But…”

“Please, take it. I don’t really know what else to do right now, and you have a job interview in 15 minutes, and I’m terribly sorry, and I don’t want you to mess it up because of me. So it might be worth a try? I don’t know, I just…” The boy kept talking on and on, his voice cheery yet also filled with guilt, and seeing his puppy eyes shining with genuine care, you didn’t have the heart to say no. What could possibly go wrong about trying it on either way?

“I was about to say that it’s actually a pretty smart idea,” you pointed out as you reached out for the blazer, and the boy’s face lit up fully when you complimented him. He flashed you a wide, toothy grin, his smile pushing his lips closer to his eyes, so much that his eyes almost disappeared while he was smiling at you.

The boy even offered to hold your bag while you put the blazer on, and since it had two buttons on the bottom, it allowed you to fully cover up the spot as if it had never been there. He was right though, it was big on you, but oversized was in fashion these days, right?

“Oh my gosh, it really does fit you,” he pointed it out in a similarly excited manner as before, and you smiled back at him, forgetting for a moment why you had even been wearing his clothes. Just for a moment though, you were back to your planning self within a second.

“Thanks for your help, but I really need to go now. Would you give me your number, so I can give it back to you later on?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” he said as he fished his phone out of his pocket to exchange contacts with you. As you locked your screen after saving his number, you looked up at him, into his shining jet-black orbs, and for a moment, you didn’t know what to say. Gosh, your days were always so planned out, plan Bs and Cs tucked into your mind with every scenario that you could imagine, yet this, this was exactly the kind of thing you could not prepare yourself for. No wonder you were awfully unprepared for what to say.

Luckily, he was the one who woke up from his stupor first as he announced:

“Let me know how the interview goes. Good luck! You’ve got this!” He cheered you on as he threw his balled fists into the air, and off he went, the picture of his wide, toothy smile and his shining eyes difficult to forget even if you had more important things to concentrate on.

You agreed on meeting at a café a few days later. Those few days were enough for you to wash and dry clean the blazer, and to get a gift bag, so you could give it back to the boy (Jaehyun based on his KKT ID) in a presentable manner. You were supposed to be early for your agreed meet-up as you made your way to the café 10 minutes earlier, but you already found Jaehyun sitting at a corner table, scrolling through his phone and occasionally laughing out loud at whatever he was watching.

Jaehyun was not supposed to be early for your agreed meet-up, but given your well-prepared state the last time you had met, he started wondering where you could be at 15:15 when he had thrown himself into the café, totally panicked that you must have already been sitting there. Only to realise upon checking your messages with you that you had actually agreed on meeting at 15:30, meaning that he was actually 15 minutes early, not 15 minutes late. Not too bad for someone like him though.

So when you walked up to him and your voice dragged him out of his mindless scrolling, he flashed a wide smile at you, the one that had been engraved into your memories since your first encounter.

“Hey! Have you been waiting for a long time?” You inquired curiously as you hopped down on the chair on the opposite side of the table. Jaehyun let out a semi-embarrassed chuckle, one that made you furrow your eyebrows in question, although the smile was still playing on your lips.

“Well, that’s a funny story,” he started with a scratch on his neck before he continued with the story. “I thought… no, I was convinced that we were supposed to meet at 15:00, and so, I was fashionably late as usual. You know how I said that I’m usually late, but I’ll try my best to come on time. When I didn’t see you here at 15:15 when I got here, I checked our conversation on KKT, and it turns out we were supposed to meet at 15:30, so I was 15 minutes early.”

“Oh my gosh,” you couldn’t hold back your laughter as you were listening to his explanation, and the way he told the story made everything ten times funnier. He used wide hand gestures while speaking, and he played with his tone to deliver the parts of the story even more clearly. The boy laughed at himself too, so it didn’t feel weird laughing at his antics, something so unlike yours.

After pulling yourself together, you gave him the bag with the clean blazer, yet, he insisted that you shouldn’t have cleaned it yourself and bought a gift bag for him in which you delivered it. Hearing that, you insisted that crushing into him was partly your fault, and he did save you from having to sit though the 3-hour selection process with a visible coffee-stain on your blouse, so this was the least you could do. Plus, even though you didn’t say it out loud, you found it cute how he had asked about your interview afterwards on KKT (what position it was for, what company it was and how it went), and how delighted he had been when you had told him that you think you had done well. He had sent some encouraging memes in return (like the kid with his balled fists and a determined face), and just the thought that pretty much a stranger like him could be so happy and cheer you on eased your frazzled nerves post-interview.

You ordered your drinks while he was asking about your days and how you had been since you had last met. That’s when your phone buzzed, and seeing the company’s name on the screen that you had interviewed for, you immediately reached for it. Swiftly, you unlocked your screen and opened the message, only to let out a little bit of a squeal when you saw that you had gotten in.

“Oh my god, what is it?” Jaehyun asked, and his confusion was written all over his features when you looked up from your phone.

“I’ve got the internship! I’ve got in!”

Immediately, the boy’s features softened, and his lips pulled into a genuine, wide smile that could outdo the sun, his jet-black orbs twinkling with joy.

“Wow, congrats! That’s so cool!” He beamed, practically as excited as you, and clapped his hands enthusiastically. You could see from the corner of your eyes that you got some stares from the people nearby, but you couldn’t care less in your state. Finally, you landed an internship offer! “It’s totally the blazer’s doing though,” Jaehyun added cheekily, his smile turning into a crooked, almost cocky one.

“Yeah, totally, me and your emotional support blazer against the world,” you replied in a similarly teasing tone, and let out a laugh at the same time as the boy did. Gosh, who would have thought that you would meet him for the first time on the day you interviewed for the company, and you would meet him again when you were notified of your result?

Maybe he was really your lucky charm.

“You gotta celebrate though. Let’s order cake! I think I saw some cakes on the menu, and before you object, it’s on me,” the boy announced matter-of-factly, and grabbed a menu from a nearby empty table. You shook your head, seeing his pumped up state, since you couldn’t believe that he was so supportive of you. After all, you had barely met a week ago, and still, he acted as if you had always known each other, and it warmed your heart.

In the end, you did order some cakes (and you let Jaehyun pay for them), and while you were munching on them, you talked… and talked… and talked some more since it seemed that you could never run out of things to share. First and foremost, Jaehyun always had a story to share - mostly chaotic, yet partly cute ones -, and even if he didn’t, he always asked about your side, and it was just so easy to talk to him. Usually, you needed some time to open up to people, but he made talking to him feel so easy, so light, so comfortable.

Your favourite was when he insisted that he looked like a wolf, and pouted when you agreed with all his friends who said that he looked more like a puppy. When you added that if not a puppy, you saw him as a bunny, he perked up because that was the first time he heard about it. Never have you ever thought that a boy like him could get so specific about the animal he resembled, but you let him talk about it all he wanted to see those eyes shining so bright, to see that smile stretching so wide.

You packed up only when the waitress came by to tell you that you were nearing closing hours, and if that wasn’t a sign that you did lose track of time beside him, you had no idea what could indicate it more that beside him, you wanted to stop time, not wait for it to go by faster.

You had one crush in your whole life, and that had been when you had been 12, and the new kid had entered your class, and he had sat beside you. Said kid had turned out to be a total nutcase when he had opened his mouth, and you had officially dropped your crush 3 weeks into the new school year, and ever since then, you had never felt butterflies in your stomach, let alone declare your love for someone.

Until him.

Jaehyun had too many crushes in his life to count. His heart was just as erratic as his life, and it’s not that he was playing with others’ feelings, it’s more like he had too much love and joy to give others, but they didn’t always appreciate it. He fell in love easily, only to have his heart broken even more easily because his crushes had never liked him back.

Until you.

At first, you didn’t know if he felt the same way because he seemed so casual, you found it hard to believe that he could see you as more than a friend.

At first, he didn’t know if you felt the same way because you seemed so cool, so put together, he found it hard to believe that you could see him as more than a friend with his very different (and very chaotic) self.

Then, you started picking up on the signs: the way he showed you his dance practice routines to ask for your opinion when it was just the two of you at the dance studio he attended; the way he was ever so oblivious to the barista girl at a café because he only had eyes for you; the way he always asked about your day on KKT and sent memes to match your mood; the way he remembered every little thing - the date of your first 1-on-1 with your manager during your internship or when you would go to the dentist - despite telling you that his memory was terrible, and when he sent you photos of clothes that he thought you would like when he was shopping.

Then, he started picking up on the signs: the way you always gave him a detailed feedback on his choreographies when he asked you to even though you said you didn’t know anything about dance; the way you totally didn’t want to acknowledge that a guy was trying to flirt with you when you went to the cinema together and said that you were with Jaehyun as if to signal that there was no room for anyone else (his heart did a thing there, he couldn’t lie); the way you always knew what to say when he doubted himself or he was under the weather and sent him songs to make him feel better; the way you remembered every little thing - his favourite colour, the brand of his favourite snack and the plushies he wanted to win in the arcade game -, and how you kept bringing up his emotional support blazer because this was your little joke, this was your little thing.

No wonder this was how he confessed: buying you the exact same blazer in your size, and saying that you could think of it as your own emotional support blazer from now on or a couple item, you could choose.

And you would be foolish not to choose the latter.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think!

If you want to read more stories of mine, let it be for BOYNEXTDOOR or for other artists, consider signing up for my taglist here.

Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

[tavolgisvist]

The trial for the dissolution of The Beatles’ contractual partnership 

"And I've changed. The funny thing about it is that I think alot of my change has been helped by John Lennon. I sort of picked up on his lead. John had said, 'Look, I don't want to be that anymore. I'm going to be this.' And I thought, 'That's great.' I liked the fact he'd done it, and so I'll do it with my thing. He's given the okay. In England, if a partnership isn't rolling along and working -- like a marriage that isn't working-- then you have reasonable grounds to break it off. It's great! Good old British justice!

(Paul McCartney, Life Magazine, April 16, 1971)

‘I don’t mind being bound to them as a friend. I like that idea. I don’t mind being bound to them musically, because I like the others as musical partners. I like being in their band. But for my own sanity, we must change the business arrangements we have…’

(Paul McCartney, interview, Evening Standard, April 21-22, 1970)

From my point of view, I was getting done in. All the decisions were now three against one. And that’s not the easiest position if you’re the one: anything I wanted to do they could just say, ‘No.’ And it was just to be awkward, I thought. … I got so fed up with all this I said, ‘OK, I want to get off the label.’ Apple Records was a lovely dream, but I thought, ‘Now this is really trashy and I want to get off.’ I remember George on the phone saying to me, ‘You’ll stay on this fucking label! Hare Krishna!’ and he hung up – and I went, ‘Oh, dear me. This is really getting hairy.’

(Paul McCartney, The Beatles Anthology, 2000)

'Eventually,' McCartney recalled, 'I went and said, "I want to leave. You can all get on with Klein and everything, just let me out." Having not spoken to Lennon for several weeks, he sent him a letter that summer, pleading that the former partners 'let each other out of the trap'. As McCartney testified, Lennon 'replied with a photograph of himself and Yoko, with a balloon coming out of his mouth in which was written, "How and Why?" I replied by letter saying, "How by signing a paper which says we hereby dissolve our partnership. Why because there is no partnership." John replied on a card which said, "Get well soon. Get the other signatures and I will think about it.” Communication was at an end.’

(Peter Doggett, You Never Give Me Your Money, 2009 - P.88)

I thought, “This is crazy, no one likes me enough to just let me go, give me my little bit of the proceeds and let me split off.”

(Paul McCartney, 31 January 1974, interview with Paul Gambaccini for Rolling Stone)

A draft of an undated letter in John Lennon‘s hand that essentially bars Paul McCartney and his new manager, Lee Eastman, from accessing The Beatles’ recordings without authorization. 

THE HEAD OF Media Sound.

Please do not release hand over any Apple Record Tapes to anybody other person except either John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, or someone bearing a letter with one or more of their signituer [sic].

John Lennon, President, Apple Records George Harrison, Director

(from thebeatleaesthetic)

…Not that I didn’t see the others. I did, and kept asking them to let me out and they said, “No, Allen says there would be tax complications.” I said, “I don’t give a damn about tax considerations, let me go and I’ll worry about the tax considerations. I didn’t want to be an ABKCO-Managed Industry.” It was weird. My albums would come out saying “An ABKCO Company,” and he wasn’t even my manager. … [Growing more emotional] My back was against the wall. I’m not proud of it. But it had to be done. To him [Klein], artists are money. To me, they’re more than that.

(Paul McCartney, Jan 1974, interview with Paul Gambaccini for RollingStone)

I do think if it were just up to the four of us, if we were totally unencumbered, we would have had a dissolution - I hate these heavy terms - the day after John said he was leaving. We would have picked up our bags - these are my shoes, that's my ball, that's your ball - and gone. And I still maintain that's the only way, to actually go and do that, no matter what things are involved on a business level. But of course we aren't four fellows. We are part of a big business machine. Even though the Beatles have really stopped, the Beatle thing goes on - repackaging the albums, putting tracks together in different forms, and the video coming in. So that's why I've had to sue in the courts to dissolve the Beatles, to do on a business level what we should have done on a four-fellows level. I feel it just has to come. We used to get asked at press conferences, 'What are you going to do when the bubble bursts?' When I talked to John just the other day, he said something about, 'Well, the bubble's going to burst.' And I said, 'It has burst. That's the point. That's why I've had to do this, why l had to apply to the court. You don't think I really enjoy doing that kind of stuff. I had to do it because the bubble has burst - everywhere but on paper.' That's the only place we're tied now. <…> You see, there was a partnership contract put together years ago to hold us together as a group for 10 years. Anything anybody wanted to do - put out a record, anything - he had to get the others' permission. Because of what we were then, none of us ever looked at it when we signed it. We signed it in '67 and discovered it last year. We discovered this contract that bound us for 10 years. So it's 'Oh gosh, Oh golly, Oh heck,' you know. 'Now, boys, can we tear it up, please?' But the trouble is, the other three have been advised not to tear it up. They've been advised that if they tear it up, there will be serious, bad consequences for them. The point, though, to me was that it began to look like a three-to-one vote, which is what in fact happened at a couple of business meetings. It was three to one. That's how Allen Klein got to be the manager of Apple, which I didn't want. But they didn't need my approval." <…> I first said, 'No, we can't do that. We'll live with it.' <…> The build-up is the thing - All these things continuously happening making me feel like I'm a junior with the record company, like Klein is the boss and I'm nothing. Well, I'm a senior. I figure my opinion is as good as anyone's, especially when it's my thing. And it's emotional. You feel like you don't have any freedom. I figured I'd have to stand up for myself eventually or get pushed under. <…> So then we began to talk again about the suit, over and over. I just saw that I was not going to get out of it. From my last phone conversation with John, I think he sees it like that. He said, 'Well, how do you get out?' <…> My lawyer, John Eastman, he's a nice guy and he saw the position we were in, and he sympathized. We'd have these meetings on top of hills in Scotland, we'd go for long walks. I remember when we actually decided we had to go and file suit. We were standing on this big hill which overlooked a loch - it was quite a nice day, a bit chilly - and we'd been searching our souls. Was there any other way? And we eventually said, 'Oh, we've got to do it.' The only alternative was seven years with the partnership - going through those same channels for seven years.

(Paul McCartney, April 16th 1971, interview with Richard Merryman for Life Magazine)

John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr have accepted Paul McCartney’s decision to leave the group and will not appeal against the recent court decision to appoint a receiver to look into their affairs. Mr Morris Finer, QC, representing Apple Corps Ltd, Lennon, Harrison and Starr, reported to the Apple Court on Monday that his clients considered in the circumstances that it was in the best interests to consider means whereby McCartney could disengage himself from the partnership. His clients felt that prosecution of the Appeal would be hostile to the atmosphere best suited for negotiations – and accordingly asked for their appeal to be dismissed. McCartney’s QC, Mr Jeffrey Hirst, welcomed the suggestion to drop their appeal. The decision of the other three to allow McCartney to go his own way strengthens the likelihood that Lennon, Harrison and Starr may record together again – possibly with Klaus Voorman playing bass.

(Melody Maker – May 1, 1971)

…on “Wild Life” there’s a line that refers to “a lot of political nonsense in the air.” Later, he was talking about political nonsense, all the trouble between him and the others, between the McCartney’s and Linda’s father, John Eastman, and Allan Klein. Politics, Paul called it, and he didn’t like it. All he wanted was to be out of the whole thing, to own the copyright to his own songs, forget the Beatles, sign a piece of paper saying we’ve split up, everything’s going to be shared by four. “And John said, “Yeah, but that’s like asking us to stop the bombing in Vietnam.” We eventually decided that we were all Vietnamese, so that’s all right… “But I keep wanting to send him postcards saying ‘The war’s over if you want it’ – tell him what he’s saying. It’s just crazy, I’m sure the truth’s a whole lot more simple than it’s made out.”

(Paul McCartney, Nov 1971, interview with Steve Peacock for Sounds)

Maybe there's an answer there somewhere, but for the millionth time in these past few years I repeat, 'What about the TAX?' It's all very well, playing 'simple honest ole Paul' in Melody Maker but you know damn well we can't just sign a bit of paper. You say, 'John won't do it.' I will if you indemnify us against the tax man! Anyway, you know that after we have OUR meeting, the fucking lawyers will have to implement whatever we agree on, right? If they have some form of agreement between THEM before WE meet, it might make it even easier. It's up to you, as we've said many times, we'll meet whenever you like. Just make up your mind! <...> If you're not the aggressor (as you claim), who the hell took us to court and shit all over us in public?

(John Lennon, Dec 1971, a letter of reply to Melody Maker)

Some context:

9th September 1971 (US) and 8th October 1971 (UK) - release Imagine (with How Do You Sleep?) 13 September 1971 Stella McCartney was born (by emergency caesarean section, Paul prayed for her (and Linda) and got his daughter, wife and the name for new group). 10 (11) November - interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker, published 20th November. 4th December - Melody Maker publishes John's furious letter to Paul and Linda. In November 1971 Lennon Remembers (the interview with Jann Wenner) releases as a book.

In early 1973 Lennon, Harrison and Starr served notice that they would not be renewing Klein's management contract when it expired in March, Klein sue The Beatles, Apple, Lennon, Harrison… they sue Klein.

In 1974, Wenner received a mysterious cream-colored envelope in the mail, care of “Johann Weiner” and postmarked Los Angeles, California. Inside was a single Polaroid picture of John Lennon and Paul McCartney hanging out on a garden patio with friends: Linda McCartney, hoisting a pool stick; Keith Moon, in shorts and Roman sandals; and May Pang, Lennon’s then lover, holding McCartney’s daughter Mary on her lap. On the white strip below the image, dated “Palm Sunday 1974,” was the message “How do you sleep???!!!”

<...>

What Wenner didn’t know was that the Polaroid captured a pivotal moment in the history of the Beatles—the period when John and Paul managed a degree of détente after the acrimony of the breakup.

(Joe Hagan for Vanity Fair, September 29th, 2017)

I’m going to be an ex-Beatle for the rest of my life so I might as well enjoy it, and I’m just getting around to being able to stand back and see what happened. A couple of years ago I might have given everybody the impression I hate it all, but that was then. I was talking when I was straight out of therapy and I’d been mentally stripped bare and I just wanted to shoot my mouth off to clear it all away. Now it’s different. When I slagged off the Beatle thing in the papers, it was like divorce pangs, and me being me it was blast this and fuck that, and it was just like the old days in the Melody Maker, you know, ‘Lennon Blasts Hollies’ on the back page. You know, I’ve always had a bit of a mouth and I’ve got to live up to it. Daily Mirror: ‘Lennon beats up local DJ at Paul’s 21st birthday party’. Then we had that fight Paul and me had through the Melody Maker, but it was a period I had to go through. Now, we’ve all got it out and it’s cool. I can see The Beatles from a new point of view. Can’t remember much of what happened, little bits here and there, but I’ve started taking on interest in what went on while I was in that fish tank. It must have been incredible! I’m into collecting memorabilia as well. Elton [John] came in with these gifts, like stills from the Yellow Submarine drawings and they’re great. He gave me these four dolls. I thought, ‘Christ, what’s this, an ex-Beatle collecting Beatle dolls?’ But why not? It’s history, man, history!’ I went through a phase of hating all those years and having to smile when I didn’t want to smile, but that was the life I chose and, now I’m out of it, it’s great to look back on it, man. Great! I was thinking only recently – why haven’t I ever considered the good times instead of moaning about what we had to go through? And Paul was here and we spent two or three nights together talking about the old days and it was cool, seeing what each other remembered from Hamburg and Liverpool. So y’see, all that happened when I blew my mouth off was that it was an abscess bursting, except that mine as usual burst in public. When we did a tour as The Beatles, we hated it and loved it. There were great nights and lousy nights. One of the things about therapy I went through a few years ago is that it cleans you by forcing you to get rid of the negatives in your head. It wasn’t all that pie and cookies being a Beatle, there were highs and lows, but the trouble is people just wanted bigmouth Lennon to shout about the lows. So I made a quick trip to uncover the hidden stones of my mind, and a lot of the bats flew and some of them are going to have to stay. I’ve got perspective now, that’s a fact.

(John Lennon, interview with Ray Coleman for Melody Maker: Lennon – a night in the life, September 14th, 1974)

HOUGHTON: You seem to attack McCartney in your first couple solo albums. How do you feel about Paul McCartney now? JOHN: Uh, we’re – haha. [laughs] This is like a joke: “We’re just good friends.” We’re – we’re pretty close now, like I was telling you before. Whenever he comes to America, he comes with Linda to see me, and we go eat, and we reminisce about old times, and we really have both – evolved out of whatever feelings we had when we first split. I think we were – I think it’s a case of, we were more scared than we thought. All of us. The fact – however the split happened, being suddenly on your own after ten years was a pretty scary thing for all of us.

(John Lennon, October, 1974, interview with DJ John Houghton)

Thanksgiving 1974, November 28, John joins Elton John on a Madison Square Garden stage: Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - and I Saw Her Standing There, which John announces, 'We thought we'd do one last number so I can get out of here and be sick. This is a number of an old estranged fiancé of mine called Paul.'

December 20th 1974: the signing final Beatles dissolution papers and George's concert at Madison Square Garden.

We had a business meeting to break up The Beatles, one of the famous ones that we’d been having — we’re still having them 17 years later, actually. We all flew in to New York specially. George came off his disastrous tour, Ring of flew in and we were at the Plaza for the big final settlement meeting. John was half a mile away at the Dakota and he sent a balloon over with a note that said ‘Listen to this balloon.’ I mean, you’ve got to be pretty cool to handle that kind of stuff. George blew his cool and rang him up: ’You fucking maniac!! You take your fucking dark glasses off and come and look at us, man!!’ and gave him a whole load of that shit. Around the same time at another meeting we had it all settled, and John asked for an extra million pounds at the last minute. So of course that meeting blew up in disarray. Later, when we got a bit friendlier — and from time to time there would be these little stepping-stones of friendship in the Apple sea — I asked him why he’d actually wanted that million and he said, I just wanted cards to play with. It’s absolutely standard business practice. He wanted a couple of jacks to up your pair of nines. He was one great guy, but part of his greatness was that he wasn’t a saint.

(Paul McCartney, 1986, interview with Chris Salewicz for Q Magazine)

gifs by nikidontsurf

May Pang: Originally when they were supposed to sign it in December (of ’74), before Christmas, it was that time period of George’s Dark Horse tour; at the last minute John didn’t want to sign it because there was one clause he felt uncomfortable with and he wouldn’t come to the meeting. SG: Which clause? May Pang: Since he was the only one of the group living in America that he would be the one responsible for the taxes. It would be over a million dollars. He did not want to shoulder that burden. So he wouldn’t come out to sign it. Paul and Linda had already set up cameras to take photos of everyone signing it, and George was there because of the show, and Ringo had signed it previously in England but was on the telephone to confirm his signature. All the legal counsels for the individuals as well as legal counsels for Apple both in the US and the UK were there waiting. As time went on, poor Harold Seider bore the brunt of everyone at the hotel asking “Where’s John?” He called John and me at home and I said, “He’s not coming.” And Harold said, “What?” and I said, “He doesn’t want to shoulder this tax burden.” Harold knew that they were gonna come down on him. And John was going, “Tell them the stars aren’t right, tell them anything, I’m not doing this.” So… when Harold hung up the phone, he had to face the crowd, and you had to know there was a big crowd in there, over thirty people. He said to them, “The stars aren’t right, John’s not coming to sign the agreement.” George called us immediately, and I said “Do you want to speak to John?” and he said “No, but you can give him a message from me. I started this tour on my own and I’ll end it on my own.” If I could tell you that we could hear George screaming through the rooftops… The next day Paul and Linda came over and they said, “What’s wrong? Let’s see if we can work this out.” SG: and..? May Pang: Paul and Linda dropped by and John explained the situation to them. Then we went off to see Paul’s father-in-law Lee Eastman to sort it out, and in the end we came out with satisfaction. At the meeting Lee kept saying to John, “George will never forgive you,” and Julian called at exactly the same moment and said to me, “George just told me to tell dad and to say ‘all is forgiven, and please come to the party after the show'” and I said ok, and walked back into the room. Lee was telling John off the whole time I was on the phone, as well as Neil Aspinall who accompanied us, going on about how George was never going to forgive him. So I repeated Julian’s message out loud, that all was forgiven, and it couldn’t have been a better set up. So then John said, “Well! Looks like we have a change in plans then. We’re outta here.” And if you could see the look on Lee’s face, that I had just upstaged him.

(May Pang, 2008, interview with Shelley Germeaux for Dayrippin’)

gifs by pennielane

George and I are still good pals and we always will be, but I was supposed to sign this thing on the day of his concert. He was pretty weird because he was in the middle of that tour, and we hadn’t communicated for a while because he doesn’t live here. I’ve seen Paul a bit because he comes to New York a lot, and I’m always seeing Ringo in Los Angeles. <…> George was furious at the time because I hadn’t signed it when I was supposed to, and somehow or other I was informed that I needn’t bother to go to George’s show. I was quite relieved in the end because there wasn’t any time for rehearsal, and I didn’t want it to be a case of just John jumping up and playing a few chords. I went to see him at Nassau and it was a good show. The band was great but Ravi wasn’t there, so I didn’t see the bit where the crowd was supposed to get restless. I just saw a good tight show. George’s voice was shot but the atmosphere was good and the crowd was great. I saw George after the Garden show and we were friends again. But he was surrounded by the madhouse that’s called ‘touring’.” <…> When I did that charity at Madison Square Garden, I was still riding high on ‘Imagine’ so I was OK for material. But when I did ‘Come Together’, the house came down, which gave me an indication of what people wanted to hear. At the time I was thinking that I didn’t want to do all that Beatles—but now I feel differently. I’ve lost all that negativity about the past and I’d be happy as Larry to do ‘Help’. I’ve just changed completely in two years. I’d do ‘Hey Jude’ and the whole damn show, and I think George will eventually see that. If he doesn’t, that’s cool. That’s the way he wants to be.”

(John Lennon, interview with Chris Charlesworth for Melody Maker: Rock on! (March 8th, 1975)

Paul and Linda on George's Dark Horse Tour show at at Madison Square Garden 20th Dec 1974

George called just before his concert. 'Do you want to speak to John?' I asked. 'No.' George had heard about John's decision and he was livid. 'Just tell him I started this tour on my own and I'll end it on my own,' he snarled. Then he slammed down the phone. Later that night Paul calld, too. Unlike George, he was exceptionally even-tempered. John explained to Paul his feelings about the unfairness of the tax provision, and they both agreed that they would try to find a solution.

(May Pang, Loving John, 1983)

December 21st, 1974: John joins in on an radio interview George is recording in his hotel room and provides a suspicious explanation for the lack of meetings amongst the four former Beatles. John and George had actually just come from George's end-of-tour afterparty, where John, Paul, and George all hung out together and hugged.

In December 1974 John, May and Julian went to Orlando, Florida and went to Walt Disney World.

I met John Lennon at Disney World while working as a monorail operator. He, Julian and May Pang rode in the front of the monorail on two different occasions with me. I allowed him and Julian to operate the train. The second day John came out to the station and actually ask if I was working. He and Julian waited until I arrived in the train and again rode with me and drove the train. May Pang took a lot of pictures that day. As they left the train that day John ask if I would like to take some pictures and waited while I retrieved a camera. I have a great 8×10 of John Lennon and I together. (Cast Member Hal East)

May Pang:

Riding the Disney World monorail back to our hotel, I overheard a father tell his son he had heard a Beatle was visiting. “Which Beatle?” The father said, “George Harrison." I burst out laughing. John asked why. We then all started laughing so hard that the Dad turned around. It then registered which Beatle was at the park that day - and why we were laughing. “It’s O.K.," John jokingly said, "we all look alike.”

Photo and info from meetthebeatlesforreal

SG: So did they work out the tax thing? May Pang: Of course… It was worked out within the week. It was signed at the Polynesian Hotel at Disneyworld in Florida if you can believe that. <…> May Pang: … John putting his signature on one of the documents that he had to sign, for the dissolution of the Beatles. So I had the last photo, because the other guys had already signed it. SG: Actually signing the dissolution of the Beatles?! May Pang: Pen in hand as he’s signing his signature. Prior to that you’ll see pictures of him reviewing the contract. SG: And you thought to take a picture…? May Pang: John wanted me to take the picture. In fact he joked about it, saying “C’mon Linda, take the picture!”

(May Pang, 2008, interview with Shelley Germeaux for Dayrippin’)

Photo by May Pang, from her 'Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon'

May Pang: ...And then we came back (from Disneyworld) and we spent time with Mick (Jagger), and went out to the Hamptons, and Montauk where we picked out that house, and we saw the McCartneys, and David Bowie…

(May Pang, 2008, interview with Shelley Germeaux for Dayrippin’)

add to this

[aphroditepill]

Random request for funzies. What about a skye x actress reader where you were close friends (like Gemma) that had a falling out because of the drug thing and she’s trying to reconnect with you ?

Could I? Should I?

Skye Riley x Actress!Reader

Word Count: 1k ^_^ (1,046)

Angst + fluff

Warnings: Descriptions of Violence, Drug usage and mentions of wounds

a/n: Sorry for being inactive, i've been busy and have been doing everything but writing.. I’m so sorry if there are any errors, NOT proofread at all lmfao

This just might be split into three parts!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You hear your phone go off, it has been a long day for you. Having roughly about three interviews up and down New York City. You had just finished your laptop work and now head over to the bathroom to finish the night. While you brush your teeth, your phone vibrates against the marble of your counter.

Having the brush on your mouth, with a sigh you go over to your phone thinking it was your manager or so. Your face lights up at the words “Incoming call - Skye” She wanted to facetime you.

You’re quick to answer, still having the toothpaste all over your mouth. Skye looks at her phone and emits a laugh at your state, contagious enough you laugh as well.

“Seems like you’re having quite the night arent you?” She says.

You wash yourself before coming back into view.

“Sorry for the scene. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you could come by tomorrow during rehearsals. Gemma has some friend things going on and I could use the company.”

Skye hears you ramble through your things, you find your charger before replying to her.

“Yeah sure, I've cleared my schedule finally, what more could these people want from me? Better be getting a new spine after this film because gosh, the back pain is killing me.” You say with a groan, you were already set for the night. Skye noticed your wear, it was the same pajamas she gifted you for early halloween.

“I feel you, try doing choreography for four days straight. Not ideal for someone who already has massive headaches.” You hear Skye mumble, she was also in her room getting ready for bed.

“Alright then i’ll show up tomorrow at… 9 am. Does that sound good to you?” You ask with a yawn, Skye gives you a nod.

“Yeah of course, i’ll pick you up this time-” A loud noise interrupted Skye, you see from your phone how Skye looks up, it must’ve been him again. Your face hardens and Skye can see it.

“How many times have I had to tell you to stop-” The call had hung up. You sighed as you left your phone charging, turning off your lamp and settling rightfully on your mattress and pillows.

You disliked Paul, loathed him even. There would be times when you would catch small wounds and marks on Skye, assuming it was from previous verbal and physical fights. No matter how many times she’s tried to hide it and not show, you saw right through her.

You knew Skye for as long as you could remember, it would take much for her to get through you, and she knew it. You remember this night vividly, you’ve never seen Skye so… hostile.

You had a visit with Skye and in the midst of it an argument broke out. You knew Skye had her insane take of drugs. You never truly understood it.

Why do that? Paul being under the influence also did not help.

You still have your scar from it, a fully healed slit on your wrist, Paul had thrown a vase at Skye that day, luckily you were there and took the hit. You despised the wound, why did Skye go back to him?

The whole public press and interviews between both of them and their fake chemistry disgusted you. You reasoned with Skye various times, but you always found yourself back at square one. Stupid man, and to think he was in the same business industry as you. An actor.

Did Elizabeth even know of this? Assumed not due to her lack of parenting in this case. You rub your face in annoyance and in attempts to rub the thoughts away. Your phone goes off again, You get your phone to see a message from Skye,

“See you tomorrow.”

==============================

You rub your eyes at the sound of your alarm, it was 8:30 am. With a fat stretch you hop off your bed and begin to change and fix yourself before Skye.

Same routine as always, brush your teeth, wash your face, strangefully stare at yourself in the mirror and then change.

It was simple, baggy jeans, a slightly oversized black t-shirt and an orange jacket just in case. Fixing your hair, you apply white shoes on and have a glass of water. You already had a small backpack for your things, before you knew it, Skye had messaged you to come outside. What a start to your day.

You locked your front door and walked out, going down the elevator and waving your goodbyes at the receptionists and security, in front of you was the black SUV ready to go.

Hopping in the car you sat in the back next to Skye. Elizabeth nods at you in acknowledgement while Joshua is the complete opposite, you made sure to give him a proper interaction later on unlike most people who cross paths with him. Poor guy.

“Glad you can make it today. How was yesterday?” Skye wore a casual outfit for the rehearsal, having her long black hair tied up and having gray sweatpants and a black compression shirt on.

“It was quite a long day yesterday…also. Are you alright? Last night I-”

“Yeah yeah no worries, just a small misunderstanding.” Skye cut you off. You disliked when Skye did this, you knew better than to pry open at the walls she built, she was stubborn and you loved it. But in this case…

“Okay.” You whisper. Skye did feel bad when she dismisses you like this, but she couldn't have you involved with this. Not you too, especially after that specific night.

The drive was silent, but then there was Joshua. You had a pleasant talk with him in the car, until Elizabeth started talking about media business, Joshua joined in.

It was quite the long hour…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[kittykat-25]

Not Alone: An S.Coups story

Chapter 2

Pairing: Seungcheol x F. Reader

Genre: strangers x friends x lovers, Hurt x Comfort, found family, seventeen being the best friends and brothers.

Synopsis: After begging the famous K-pop sensation S.Coups for help in the Seoul street market your life completely flips upside down, bringing you true friendship and a chance at true love.

A/N:This story is purely fiction. It talks about harsh things such as domestic violence, suicide and anxiety. This in no way represents the artist or their families. It is all made up🫶🏻

Chapter 3

*one month later*

You walked through the shopping district feeling lighter than you had in years, though a new type of stress was gnawing at you. Trying to find clothes for a job interview, because in your fleeing you left all your nice clothes at your now exes and you didn’t have enough of an attachment to them to risk going near that apartment. As you turn into a shop you spot Yoon Jeonghan flipping through a rack. What was with you and these idols. Never in all your years have you ran into them. And now it was wherever you went. He looks over to find you frozen to the spot, not sure to speak or just walk by. He gives you a smile, “y/n right? How are you?” You smile back, “I’m good, trying to rush and find an outfit.” You saying skimming through the clothes in front of you. “Looking for something specific?” He asked coming around to your side. “I have a job interview tomorrow and have nothing to wear.” You huffed, pulling out a silky top. “Where at?” He asked casually handing you a beautiful green top. “Lavien, it’s a skincare company, to do marketing research.” You said, voice full of hope. “Where’s the boyfriend of yours?” He asked innocently, remembering the man who dragged you out of the cafe. Your heart sank, and you knew he heard your sharp inhale as his face turned to you. “We broke up.” You stated with a shrug trying to act like your heart wasn’t in your stomach. Jeonghan nodded and quickly changed the topic handing you more clothes and leading you to the dressing rooms.

You and Jeonghan walked out of the store, him paying for your new outfit much to your dismay. “Do you want to grab a coffee?” He asked, gesturing to the small cafe inside the shopping district. “Sure!” You ordered your coffee and a small snack, buying Jeonghans as a thank you. “Can I ask about the boyfriend?” He said, his eyes piercing into yours. You looked down, “y/n, you don’t have to tell me, I just-I saw how he grabbed you and the bruise on your face that day and there’s bruises on the backs of your arms.” He stated quietly. “I got out.” You whispered, more like a self reminder than an answer to the idol, one tear sliding down your cheek. Jeonghan reached towards your hand, the quick movement had you flinching. Jeonghan heart shattered at the sight, before setting his hand on the table in between you, “I am so sorry that you were in that situation.” You chuckled but it was dry and humorless, “I’m out and free and just trying to get ready for my interview tomorrow.” Jeonghan face lit up, “We’re all getting dinner tonight, why don’t you join us? I’m sure the boys won’t mind.” You shook your head, “I couldn’t, wouldn’t want to impose and I can’t imagine that would be good for your idol image.” Jeonghan laughed, “you’ve clearly heard of seventeen, when do we ever care about our idol image?” You debated it, “is it okay with everyone if I join?” You asked cautiously. “I’ll let Scoups-ssi know but it shouldn’t be a problem.” You nod, your face heating at the mention of seventeens leader; Jeonghan typing away on his phone, smirked. “Alright I told them a friend would be joining, Scoups will be happy to see you. He’s gone back to the coffee shop any chance he can get to see you.” He said nonchalantly. “W-why?” You stammered, shock taking over your face. Jeonghan patted your hand, “neither of us were fond of you walking out that door that day. Not with a bruise and not with how he grabbed you. He wanted to make sure you were alright.” You shook your head, “but you barely know me.” You couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that these men would care so much over something so little. “You don’t have to know someone well to not want them in danger. Cheol is protective as it is, but seeing you in danger twice in a week shook him.” He said running a hand through his hair, “and you? What’s your reason.” You asked. His face paled, “you remind me a lot of my sister.” was his only explanation.

Chuckling at his phone, Jeonghan shoots back a reply to his members as he walks towards the company car. They were happy to see you again, Scoups and Joshua most of all. He sent a warning reminder that you didn’t like to be touched and to limit sudden movements towards you if possible just as a precaution. Pulling up your contact now in his phone, he sent you the address of the restaurant in case you got separated while following them there. Sitting back in the car he pulls up his text with the 95ers, the hoard of questions from them about your wellbeing. He had noticed healing bruises on your arms, he was sure there were more he couldn’t see but your eyes looked more lively than they had in the coffee shop so that was a relief. He clenched his fist, the anger from that day rising back up as the memories of you flinching as your ex grabbed you. Your face shifting into his little sisters. He let out a deep sigh, looking back and seeing your car behind his. He wouldn’t fail you the way he had his sister.

Pulling up to the restaurant you took a shaky breath as Jeonghan walked towards your car, he opened the door “I’m sorry in advance for any and all questions you’re going to get.” He opened the door and followed you inside gesturing to a private room, where loud voices were streaming out. Chaotic laughter greeted him as Jeonghan opened the door, Scoups stood up and everyone fell silent. The three men who were at the coffee shop gave little waves of acknowledgment as their leader made his way to you. You froze on the spot, eyes scanning the room, turning on a heel you walked back out the door. Jeonghan and Scoups shared a puzzled look then were close behind you. Leaning on the wall across from the door you took a few deep breaths, not meeting the two men’s eyes. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want too.” Jeonghan said quietly.”I didn’t mean to push if you aren’t ready.” “No it’s not that, it’s just overwhelming to walk into a room full of seventeen members.” You mumbled. Scoups laugh eased some tension, “a fan?” He asked, eyebrow cocked as he waiting for your answer. Jeonghan smirk grew as you blushed, “I mean I’ve heard your music and have seen enough Going to recognize you.” You ran a hand through your hair, pushing off the wall. “If you get uncomfortable or want to leave at any point please tell me.” Scoups said gently as he opened the door, you nodded before walking back in the room.

The two men lead you to a chair in the center of the table, Scoups and Jeonghan on each side of you. The memebers glanced at him all smiles and he refrained from groaning. They were not helping this situation. “This is y/n, y/n these are my brothers. But I’m sure you know their names.” You glared at the leader and he winked before turning his attention back to the other members who had turned their grins at you. They went around the table and introduced themselves more for formalities before it got back to you. “Scoups-ssi told us he helped someone and went on for days about you so I’m glad we got to meet the famous y/n.” Dino chimed from the other side of his leader, the grunt of him being smacked making you laugh. Conversation flowed nicely after that, each of them telling you about themselves and giving you a chance to open up. They seemed calmer to you than what you were expecting and quieter. You looked to Scoups who immediately put all his focus on you, “are you alright?” You nodded, “are they? This seems too calm for all I’ve heard about this group.” You responded. He glanced around, “I think they’re trying not to scare you.” He whispered making you laugh. In which drew attention to you and the older mans private conversation. “What happened to your arm?” Hoshi asked, immediately getting a glare from the two men on both sides of you. In talking with Scoups you had turned and all the old bruises along the back of your arms were on display to those on your right. You looked down at the now yellowing bruises, “you don’t have to talk about it.” Joshua said from across you. You sighed and straightened your back before answering. “My ex boyfriend happened.” You stated, the silence after was unsettling, you saw a few pair of eyes shift to Jeonghan, Scoups grip on his fork getting tighter. “Was that because of us at the coffee shop?” Joshua asked, his eyes full of guilt. “He would’ve done it if he hadn’t seen me talking to you. So no it’s not your fault.” You said looking at Scoups whose eyes were a mix of rage and sadness. Jeonghans voice came from the other side, “you know it’s not your fault either right? You didn’t do anything to deserve that.” You nodded, “I know, it took a while for me to realize I needed out. But after that I packed up everything I could and left. I changed my number and got a new phone. I quit my job and disappeared from him.” DK looked like he was about to jump over the table and tackle you with a hug but Joshua spoke, “why quit your job?” You poked a piece of spinach around the plate, “we worked at the same company. I didn’t feel safe there either.” “Where are you staying now?” Someone asked. “My car currently, my friend offered her couch but she just had a baby and I don’t want impose.” You responded not making eye contact with anyone. You looked over at Scoups, he saw the pleas in your eyes. “That’s enough questions, let’s enjoy the meal and give y/n a break.” You mouthed a thank you and excused yourself, heading toward the doors for the bathroom.

The second the door shut behind you all the members turned their attention to the two oldest. “What are we going to do?” DK asked looking between the two for answers. “We have to help her, she can’t live in her car!!” He exclaimed. Joshua put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “she might not want the help.” “I’m with Dokyeom, we have to do something.” Mingyu said looking towards the door, “she’s all alone.” Scoups shook his head, “what do you expect me to do?” He asked, looking towards Jeonghan for support. His best friend’s face was pale, a distant look in his eyes. “What the point of having all that money if you can’t use it to help?” Seungkwan asked. Joshua went to cut in when the door opened back up for you to walk back in, pausing as all the members turned to you. “What?” You said walking towards your seat. “Move in with me.” Scoups said, all the members head snap towards him, yours included. “I’m sorry what?” Scoups pulled his shoulders back and turned to you, “move in with me, well it’s me and my brother but he’s rarely home. We have more space than we know what to do with. You’d have your own room and bathroom. Please.” The last word was no more than a whispered plea. “You have such busy schedules, I don’t want to impose or get you in trouble.” You said quietly, fiddling with the napkin in your hands. “Let us help you, we won’t get in trouble and we have a somewhat calm schedule currently.” Jeonghan countered, the rest of the members agreeing. You looked up at their leader and the hope in his eyes, “I promise I’ll start looking for a place as soon as I find a job.” He broken into a smile that sealed your fate.

Walking towards your car, Jeonghan and Scoups at your heels. “Can I help you?” You asked turning around to face them. “I figured I’d drive you to my house.” Scoups replied. Your body tensed up, “I’m going tonight?” You asked, trying to hide the panic in your voice. “Did you want to keep sleeping in your car?” Jeonghan asked. “I just thought I’d have time to process.” You mumbled. Scoups leaned against the car, giving Jeonghan a look. They seemed to have a whole conversation before Jeonghan said his goodbye and walked towards the company cars. “Y/n do you actually want to come stay with me?” You looked down, not meeting his eyes. “It’s hard to say no when 13 people are staring at you.” You said, voice shaky. “You can tell me no, and I will respect any decision you make.” He countered, you saw his hand reach for you. Stumbling back a step, you squeezed your eyes shut. “If you don’t want to stay with me it’s okay, I completely get it. It’s a lot and I’m sorry I put you under pressure. But let me get you a hotel room so you are somewhere safe.” His voice so gently it almost broke your heart. “I can’t afford to pay you back for that.” You replied, “you said I’d have my own room?” Scoups nodded, “and bathroom attached. The door locks, and we will never come into your room without your permission or you being there.” He finished.

You let out a deep sigh, looking up at this beautiful man, “I just don’t understand why, why are you so hell bent on helping me?” He looked back at you, “I don’t know y/n, but that day in the market you looked so scared and it was awful watching you walk away not knowing if you’d stay safe. And then the coffee shop, you had this detached look like you were breathing but not alive. And it hurt seeing that and the way he grabbed you…” his voice trailed off, watching the tears fall from your eyes. “I just want you to be safe and if that’s at my house or at a hotel it doesn’t matter. As long as you are safe.” You nodded, “to your house then.” You said moving to the passenger side of your car. Scoups smiled as he got in, “kkuma is going to love you.” You laughed, “I’m hoping so.” You rode in silence, taking in the night views before you stopped in front of a nice looking house. You glanced in the back and grabbed the duffle bag of clothes and your pillow. Scoups came around and opened your door, “need anything else?” He asked. You handed him the suit bag of clothes Jeonghan had bought you as you got out. “Nope everything else I’ll go through later. I shoved a lot in here and I’m not sure what all is here.” He nodded and lead you up the path to the front door. “Kkumaaaa, I brought a friend!” He called as he opened the door, a little white fireball came sprinting towards the man bouncing at his feet. You laughed and she turned towards you, crouching down you held your hand out for her to sniff, she ran right past it into your arms. “It’s nice to meet you Kkuma!” You said, your voice shaking as you laughed. Scoups looked down at you and his pup, your face lit up in more joy than he has seen. “Your bedroom is up here” he motioned towards the steps and you fell in line behind him. He stopped in front of a closed door, “my room is across the hall, my brothers is downstairs.” He said as he opened it, the spacious bedroom had a bed and a dresser with a small desk in front of the window. The bathrooms through that door, pointing to another closed door on the other side, the closet is in there as well.

He walked back towards the door and grabbed a small key off the top of the doorframe. “This is the only key that unlocks your bedroom door.” He said handing it to you, “you’re more than welcome to hide it somewhere that only you know. You can keep it on you and lock your door when you leave. Whatever you need to feel comfortable. I’ll get you a house key made tomorrow.” You nodded along, the cold key pressed tightly in your hand. “Thank you Scoups.” You said quietly, feeling an extra load was taken off your shoulders. He smiled and turned towards the door, “you can call me Cheol.” You smiled, as you followed him to the bedroom door, “thank you Cheol, have a good night.” He gave you an over dramatic wink before turning into his own bedroom. Your door shut and he heard the lock click into place. He smiled regardless knowing you were finally somewhere safe.

A/N: I hope you enjoy it!! This chapter is LOONNG but I just love Scoups and Jeonghan🥰

Let me know if you want to be added to the Taglist🤍

@hi-cherry @hwasddeongbyeoli @btskzfav @ateez-atiny380 @butterfliesinthenightsky @nooniena

[jbaileyfansite]

The Wall Street Journal Interview (2024)

The 36-year-old English actor Jonathan Bailey is one of Hollywood’s newest heartthrobs. From Shonda Rhimes's Regency-era courtship dramas of “Bridgerton” to the decades-long romantic-political saga of “Fellow Travelers” to the Met Gala red carpet, he has earned admirers with his goofy charm and deep looks of longing.“

Being acknowledged as a heartthrob is incredibly flattering,” Bailey said. “It’s a big compliment, not just to you as an actor but everything around you.”

It has been a life-changing few years for Bailey, a stage actor turned screen darling. After “Bridgerton” launched him to global fame, he wrote up a document with tips to help prepare his younger castmates for the attention their on-screen romances would earn. “I think it’s about how to approach the work in a way that allows you to feel yourself and grounded,” he said.

Bailey, who’s been acting since he was a child in the Royal Shakespeare Company, reprises the role of Anthony in the third season of “Bridgerton” this month. Later this year, he’ll appear as Fiyero in the film adaptation of “Wicked” with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. He lives outside of London. Here, he talks about his favorite tea, doing gymnastics and the advice he got from Sir Ian McKellen.

What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first thing you do after waking up?

I try to get up between 7 and 8. Then I try to not look at my phone, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. If it’s a good day, I drink loads of water, have a bath and then just get out because I need to get outside. I’ll go for a walk, always with my headphones. If I feel a bit excited or my brain’s sort of alive, I’ll listen to a podcast because that keeps me quite calm. If not, I’ll listen to some drums and bass. 

How do you like your coffee? 

I love tea. Earl Grey tea for me. I love coffee as well.

What do you do for exercise?

I’m currently training for a half marathon. Then I do gymnastics at a local gym with loads of lovely, brilliant people. I’m part of that community, which I’m very proud of. I do handstands.

How long can you hold a handstand for?

I’ve gotten up to a minute. 

Do you meditate or journal or otherwise practice mindfulness?

Walking outside is meditation to me. There was a Buddhist center I loved when I was living in London, and I’d go there regularly to learn the practice of meditation. I believe in taking bits and bobs that work for you. I do write stuff down in a book that I carry with me, lessen the load in the brain when I can. 

Do you have any hobbies or habits that might surprise your fans? 

Probably playing loud music and dancing around naked. 

“Fellow Travelers” follows your character, Tim, as he falls for Matt Bomer’s Hawk over the course of several decades, from 1950s McCarthyism to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. How did you get into character? 

With Tim, I felt like there was so much understanding that was in my bones already just from being me. Understanding the character who you’re playing opposite is also really good. Me and Matt, we didn’t really talk about it but we had that understanding of the experience of what these queer, gay people were experiencing.

Beyond that, I think about my forefathers and what an incredible opportunity it was to an academic, hands-on research of gay life in America. As a Brit, there was so much to learn, so the preparation was kind of nerdy in that respect. In another, it was incredibly emotional and spiritual. 

You’ve become very famous for the looks of longing that you’ve perfected. Do you practice them in the mirror?

No, unfortunately, I probably practiced them in real life all the way through my childhood. It’s funny, isn’t it? I can totally understand why people say that, but I think maybe what fascinates me most about humans is there’s always a distance between what you want and what you have and who you are and who you want to be. I mean, if I’m still longing and 92 years old, then I’m going to be very happy. 

How did you prepare to model swimwear for Orlebar Brown? Was there any part of you that was nervous? 

I had been doing gymnastics, so the swimsuit-model aspect of it required a couple of weeks of doing more handstandy stuff. But no, I was excited. 

There were some cute photos of you and Ariana Grande released from the set of “Wicked.” Do you have any favorite memories from filming? 

I went to CinemaCon and it was the launch of all of us together. I watched the trailer for the first time, I’m so glad I waited to see it in the big cinema. I just watched Cynthia [Erivo] and I was, like, God, Cynthia’s just going to blow everyone’s mind. You care so much about her in it. And Ari redefines Glinda in a really fun way, it just expands. 

There’s so much love for the original material. It was really fun and silly and great. Jon M. Chu [the director] just mines the emotion and is quite sincere about the truth of what’s going on with the characters.

What’s your most prized possession?

My headphones. If I lose them, I feel crazy. But also in 2017—I saved up and it felt incredibly frivolous—I started collecting the Yves Saint Laurent love prints, the original prints of the years that my sisters were born because there are four of us. Annoying actually, one of my sisters was born in 1982, and I don’t think there is a print for that year, so I might have to do a stickman or something. 

What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you? 

Always do theater. That was actually from Ian McKellen. It’s in my bones anyway.

Source

[ggukkiedae]

When an introverted puppy meets an extroverted cat | NCT JENO & TOMORROWXTOGETHER SERI [SELF-ON KODE]

Click Below to See the Video

(pink chats for for jeno, blue for seri, based on which color of the wall they’re sat on. fair warning, this is unedited aksjdj)

*insert teaser clips here*

jeno sits on the pink wall side this time and sighs, putting on the airpods “i really hope this isn’t a prank again”

interview jeno: zhong chenle if you come out again… i think i may develop trust issues

seri walks in, hopping slightly into her seat, airpods already on and a grin on her face

interview seri: i’m excited. i really want to grow as a person through experiences with and experiencing more people

they scan the codes to enter the chat

moeongmeong: hi

nyangi: hi! how are you today?

m: i’m okay, just a little skeptical because my friend pranked me last time i was here

n: really? what happened?

m: he pretended to be on the show with me, but he knew who i was and wasn’t wearing airpods

seri laughs

interview jeno: i’m still upset

seri: this person seems to be innocent if they fell for that

n: how old are you? you seem young

jeno snickered “should i say how old i am? should i be nice or not?… i’ll be nice”

seri stared at her phone "this person isn't answering... oh, wait"

m: i’m a millenium kid

seri’s eyes widened “this person’s older than me?”

n: you’re older than me!

n: only by one year though

jeno straightened in his seat “oh? oh no, now i feel like i have to lead the conversation… unless this is chenle again”

seri is thinking “i know a few people born in 2000… soobin oppa? did he follow me here?”

m: yah

n: what?

m: i swear if this is you from last time again

seri laughed out loud at that. “they must let their younger friends pull pranks on them, huh?”

jeno gave his phone a skeptical look "zhong chenle... this is ridiculous, am i actually being pranked by chenle again?”

n: you seem like a nice person to let someone younger than you mess with you

n: your younger friends must find it funny

n: my younger friends become babies when they’re with me

"it isn't chenle," jeno tilted his head with a curious smile, "it feels almost like this person is in an idol group, too"

m: are you perhaps an idol?

m: is that why you’re nyangi? your fans say you look like a cat?

seri looked to her right curiously “how did he figure that out so fast? or was that a lucky guess?”

jeno laughed at the momentary lack of answer, "i must be right"

interview seri: i deducted they must be an idol too. by that logic, they’re an idol who’s known to look like a puppy, right?

n: ooooh, you’re right

n: you must be an idol too, meongmeong

jeno laughed

m: right!

m: good

m: so you like music?

n: i do!

n: i’ve been doing music even before my i entered my company

jeno looked up for a while “they’re an idol…”

interview jeno: they must be someone who debuted after me, right? the only person i can think if younger than me who debuted before me is bts miya”

seri looked at naver for idols who look like puppies born in 2000, then a familiar face popped up

she snorts and shakes her head

interview seri: if this is kim seungmin, i'm walking out. he's gonna start nagging me again. that was my first thought

n: *one image attachment* (a picture of seungmin)

n: it’s you, isn’t it?

m: ???

jeno had to put his phone down for a bit while laughing

m: did you search naver?

n: i did!

m: no

m: wait

m: we shouldn’t play like that

seri was just laughing “cute! there’s no way this is seungmin! they do seem a little bit familiar though”

n: okay okay

n: i got it

n: HAHAHAHA

n: but are you a girl or a boy?

m: do you want to guess?

m: i can put my hand over the corner

seri looked at the staff “are we allowed to do that? yeah? okay”

n: go, i won’t look

jeno got up, putting his hand over the edge of the corner

seri got up as well, looking away and reaching her hand out, jumping slightly when she found jeno’s hand

jeno’s jaw dropped in shock while he let go, “it’s really not chenle, it’s a girl”

“boy hands,” seri nodded to herself, laughing

n: so you’re a millenium boy?

n: you’re an oppa, then

m: you’re a girl

m: your nails felt long, by the way

m: i have a friend that likes doing nails, i can recommend you to her

interview jeno: her nails did poke me, and they felt long and textured

interview seri: i did my nails last night! it's like a hobby, but i didn't think he'd notice them

n: *one image attached* (a picture of her nails)

n: pretty, right?

m: woah

m: they’re my favorite color

n: oh?

n: blue is my favorite color too!

jeno smiled at his phone “good, there’s common ground”

seri tilted her head, "i wonder what else we have in common"

m: do you want to exchange song recommendations?

n: sure!

seri looks at the screen, tilting her head with a smile “what is this? he sent me one of the somgs on my play list”

the song jeno sent is my favorite part by mac miller and ariana grande

jeno laughed “yah, i have this song in my playlist!”

the song seri sent is ... smile by juice wrld and the weeknd

m: lol we must have similar taste

n: i think so…

m: the song i sent…

m: was it already in your playlist, too?

n: yeah!

n: i think we’ll get along well

n: want to go out to eat after this?

jeno’s eyes widened as he read this, and he burst out laughing “what is this?”

meanwhile seri tilted her head a little “is that too straight forward? i hope not”

jeno was looking off camera towards the staff “yes? you’re telling me to say yes?”

m: will you treat?

n: since you’re the oppa…

n: shouldn’t you treat?

jeno gave an incredulous look

seri was laughing her ass off while typing

n: kidding! i offered, so i’ll pay

m: we’ll see after the reveal

m: let’s send our home screens!

seri takes one look at jeno’s black home screen and laughs

jeno pulls a face at seri’s homescreen. it’s pure white

n: we match well

m: your home screen is so bright

m: kinda like your personality

jeno cringed as soon as he sent that

seri straightened “oh?”

n: was that flirting?

n: because i can up my flirting game

m: no!

m: i wasn’t flirting!

jeno drapes himself over his chair “oh no, this person must think i’m weird!”

n: it’s okay! my friends have a habit of flirting all the time, so i’m used to it

n: let’s send baby pictures!

seri sends hers first, and jeno looks at it closely “i don’t think i can guess who this is… she looks familiar”

before jeno could send his, the chat disconnected

the two now stood on opposite ends as the staff counted down

they both looked around the corner

seri burst into laughter, turning and heading back to her chair while jeno stood there with an amused shock expression

“yah!” he called to her, “what are you doing? you’re so straightforward!”

seri was still laughing on her chair, “oppa it was you! then whoever pranked you must have been either chenle or another 00 liner!”

jeno looked down “you’re right, it was chenle”

interview jeno: i guess i shouldn’t be surprised. the way of messaging felt familiar… yah, you shouldn’t search for people in stuff like this”

jeno looked at her weirdly while pulling her to stand from the chair, “you don’t listen to juice wrld?”

“you introduced him to me,” she shrugged, “and i kinda just started”

jeno smiled at that

interview seri: i’m happy it was jeno oppa! now i guess why he just let his member prank him like that without holding a grudge or getting angry

int jeno: we found out we had a lot in common in chat, but these are things we already knew in real life

she leaned against the wall while jeno looked at her, arms crossed

“so we’re eating out today?” “yeah, i’ll pay” “oppa, i said i’ll pay!” “how can i let you pay when you paid last time?”

interview seri: it was a good conversation, honestly. it didn’t feel forced, and it wasn’t too deep or too shallow, but this oppa held my hand…”

jeno in the background of int seri: to my defence, chenle did it to me first

interview seri: oh, oppa you’ve gotten bolder because you would have never done that when we first met

jeno got up from the chair and stood next to int seri, placing an arm around her shoulders “okay, thank you for this opportunity, even if i already knew the person, it was a fun experience, bye!”

seri just looked at him and laughed while he was waving. he looked at her and gestured to the camera “say bye, seri-yah”

“bye” she’s laughing while the screen fades to blank screen

you hear them talking with their icons popping up to show who was speaking

“you know, i was going to call you after to recommend this person to you for nails” “really?” “hannah says you do her nails really well” “that’s sweet of you to think of me, oppa… can i do your nails?” “with the extensions?” “if you want? i can do plain ones or nail art on your natural nails, too!” “okay”

you can hear the sound of seri clapping while jeno chuckles

-end-

taglist: @choisoobiniscute @strwberrydinosaur @1-800-enhypennabi @caratinylyfe @sunflower-0180 @1-800-minji @one16core @kimhyejin3108 @chansols @akshverse @jkebabayy97 @stopeatread @allthings-fandoms @jammingjaem

drop an ask or a dm if you wanna be added or taken out of the taglist 🥰 requests are also open!

[pommpuriinn]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪. 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉’𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒, 𝑒𝓈𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑜 2

｡𖦹°‧ pairing ｡𖦹°‧ - idol!yeonjun x superstar!oc x idol!jungkook

｡𖦹°‧ synopsis ｡𖦹°‧ - a love triangle between Hollywood’s sweetheart, Korea’s golden maknae, and Gen Z’s IT boy. Estrella is a very busy woman never had time dating with all her photoshoots, movie offers, recording sessions, dance practices, and public appearances. As she’s doing a little world tour promotions for her latest mini album ‘You & Me’, and let’s just say that stop last a little longer and it becomes a little too interesting.

Italics = korean

Interview outfit | makeup | hair | nails

As Megan, Sana, and Daya watch their little star do her interview with the very popular Yoo Jaesuk. “She’s doing so good.” Sana whisper yelled into Daya’s ear. Sana just wants to squeeze Estrella’s cheeks and tell her she’s doing a ‘good job!’. “Shh, she’s about to start talking.” Daya shrugs Sana off of her.

“Yeah, um during 2022 I only release a mini album because I was really busy acting in movies and walking down the runways for all the brands I worked with.” Estrella answers one of the female mc question. “You were so busying how did you have time to record your songs.” Jaesuk was amazed at Estrella’s schedule. “Let me try and answer in Korean.” Everyone was excited hearing Estrella speak their native language. “Right after filming I would go to the company and spent like 4 hours r-recording and producing. Or I would record on…” Estrella looks at Megan asking for help through her eyes. Megan got the memo and mouthed the words to her.

“How cute~” the female mc cooed. “Ah, ah ok! I recorded some on my phone during the filming breaks too and yeah.” Estrella laughs at herself. “I sound like baby.” She covers her face with her hands feeling embarrassed. “No, no you speak good!” Jaesuk attempting speaking English to make Estrella feel better.

They moved on and talked about how Estrella trained like a kpop trainee and how it amazes them that a western artist trained like that. Along with asking if she could sing a bit of ‘Eleven’ because her voice sounds so heavenly. “Of course I’ll sing for you.” Estrella lightly cleared her throat before starting.

🎵but then he showed up unexpected out of blue, saying all these things that I already thought I knew,

yeah, he got the physical I want it all for real, but honestly, what I love the must is how he makes me feel🎵

The room cheered for Estrella, “thank you.” She instantly feels embarrassed again. “Woah, her voice sounds like a siren.” the female mc gasps. “I got goosebumps!” Jaesuk shows his arm. “Once again thank you for coming to Korea and you need to try my recommendations because Korean food is really the best.” The female mc plead making Estrella giggle. “I-I will.”

“We will cheer you on during your promotions and please come back Estrella-ssi.” Jaesuk smile towards Estrella making her ‘awe’ and place her hand over heart. “Thank you for making me feel welcome, and I will make sure the next we see each other my Korean will be better.” The room laugh, as the three hugged each other before signing out. Before fully heading out the two mcs and Estrella took pictures and properly said their ‘goodbyes’.

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

Fans were waiting outside the studio with their phones and huge cameras ready. The second Estrella stepped foot the fans got even closer. “Woah, woah back up everyone!” Estrella’s security place their hands outward making the fans step back. “Unnie! You’re so pretty!”

“Unnie you did well today!”

“Make sure to eat and rest a lot!”

“Pose unnie!”

Estrella tried her best to thank and listen to everyone, completing hearts, and posing her their cameras. She knew that the people with hugs canon cameras were fansites, she didn’t know if they were specifically dedicated to her. But who cares because she definitely gave them all the right poses and even more, since back at home her fansites were the paparazzis and they LOVE Estrella. Estrella is known to eat up the camera and the people live for it, especially the paparazzis.

Once getting into the car fans still tried talking to her in front of her window which she rolled down. “Um…make sure to e-eat well and…oh! Get home sa-" Estrella was trying to think what was ‘safely’ in Korean. “Ah! Safely, get home safely. Bye bye~” Estrella rolls up her window still waving ‘bye’. “I really need to study more.” Estrella huffs, as she slouches in her seat. “When we get to the hotel I’ll pull out the books.” Megan teases Estrella while petting her head. “Before we do let’s stop at a convenience store to get snacks!” Sana chimes in from the back.

The team may have went a little overboard with the snacks, but who can blame them. They don’t have any of this back at home so they must try as much as they can. “Oh! Is this the alcohol?” Estrella hit the Soju section. “Yeah, want to try some?” Megan asks, while scanning through the flavors. “We should get the fruity flavors.” Sana points. “Let’s gets these four then.” Estrella and Sana each got two bottles. “Ok let’s go before you guys empty out the store.”

As they placed everything on the cashier’s table they notice how the cashier couldn’t hold in her excitement when she saw Estrella. “Oh I’m a big fan!” The cashier spoke in English. “Really? Thank you.” Estrella smiles and gave a little bow to the cashier. “Can you sign this receipt for me please.” The cashier placed an old receipt with a pen. “Sure, what’s the name?” Estrella was making the cashier girl blush with her eye contact. “Heemin.” Heemin was now hiding her smile with her hand covering. “I also plan on going to your music bank promotions.” Heemin adds. “Oh really? I’ll make sure to look for you then.” Estrella hands back the now signed receipt. It didn’t really take long for Heemin to scan their items and bag them, and once she handed over the last bag she gave everyone a quick bow, “thank you again for the autograph!”

“No problem, I’ll see you Heemin~” Once the coast was clear Heemin did what any other fangirl would do and do their little freak out moment because they got to meet their favorite artist.

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

Back at the hotel all the girls did their night time routine and all gathered to Estrella’s room to gossip and eat their snacks. “I almost forgot! Estrella look, I’m going to tell you this now before anything happens ok?” Megan fully turned to face a confused Estrella. “There will be pretty good looking guys aka idols, and they most likely will try to talk to you but not in front of their fans. Because they will literally be crucified by their female Korean fans, not all but a good bunch. I’m not saying don’t talk to them, but just keep an eye out.”

“So don’t date any?” Daya asks. “It’s just there’s some eyes that we don’t see watching those particular idols and they mostly likely make false claims, and always make the women the bad guy.” Megan explains. “Ah, the double standards.” Sana nods. “Exactly and I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Megan holds Estrella’s hands. “Don’t worry. I understand Megan.” Estrella knows that Megan only means good by this. “Would you get love letters from idols Meg?” Sana gasps. “I mean,” Megan cockily flips her hair back and shrugs. “I got a few.” The whole group squeals at Megan’s attitude. “Shut up!” Daya jokingly pushes Megan’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t blame them though, Megan is a pretty girl and who doesn’t love pretty girls like us.” Estrella makes a point, causing the group to giggle. “Ok, ok we have to go to sleep. It may be a Saturday, but precious star over here has her first music program tomorrow in the morning.” Megan starts picking up the rappers off the floor. “Oh right. What’s it call again? Inki-inkigayo?” Sana asks while helping holding up the plastic bag for Megan to throw the trash in. Megan hums ‘yes’, “we have to run some rehearsals before the actual performances then perform about two or three times to get all the camera angles. Then do it again for ‘You & Me’ stage.”

Estrella groans and falls back on her bed, “it’s going to be so hard waking up!”

taglist»-♡→ @iveivory @jjkluver7 @lively-potter

[mingiatz]

Summary: Harin lands a job as a publicist at KQ Entertainment, thanks to her friend Hana, but working with idols—especially Seonghwa—proves more challenging than expected. Seonghwa, known for his fleeting romances, is the last person she wants to be drawn to, especially when she’s dealing with the fallout of her own toxic relationship. But as their professional and personal lives collide, unspoken tension and unresolved emotions surface.

Pairing: Park Seonghwa x OC (Harin)

Trope: Idol x Company Staff

Genre: Romance, Angst, Slow Burn, Push & Pull Dynamic

Featuring: ATEEZ (being menaces), Hana & Emilia (From previous stories), OCs

This Series will have multiple Chapters with around 4000 words. I hope you like it. Please be kind this is my first Fanfiction and English is not my first language. (I am open for constructive criticism). I will try to upload a chapter everyday.

Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |

Chapter Twelve

Seonghwa’s POV

Seonghwa had been looking forward to a rare, quiet morning.

Ateez had a free day, which meant no rehearsals, no interviews, and—most importantly—no unnecessary stress.

Or at least, that’s what he thought.

Until the front door of the dorm swung open so hard it slammed against the wall.

“PARK SEONGHWA!”

Seonghwa flinched, nearly dropping his phone as he sat up from the couch.

Wooyoung, who had been lounging nearby, grinned immediately.

“Damn, Sophie. If you wanted to see me that badly, you could’ve just called.”

Sophie ignored him completely as she stormed into the dorm, her eyes locked onto Seonghwa like a missile.

Before Seonghwa could even ask what was happening, Wooyoung dramatically placed a hand over his chest.

“So forceful. I like dominant women.”

Sophie snapped her head toward him and shushed him aggressively. “Not now, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung smirked. “You can shush me all you want, but I like a woman who takes charge.”

Sophie shot him a look. “Keep talking, and I’ll take charge of kicking your ass.”

Wooyoung blinked—then grinned even wider. “Damn. I think I’m in love.”

Seonghwa groaned. “Wooyoung, shut up.”

Hongjoong, who had just walked in with a cup of coffee, eyed the situation cautiously.

He raised an eyebrow at Sophie. “I assume you’re here for work?”

Sophie scoffed. “Please. If I were here for work, I’d be wearing my professional PR face.” She gestured to herself. “Do I look professional right now?”

Hongjoong studied her carefully. “…You look like you’re about to murder someone.”

Sophie nodded. “Exactly. And guess who the lucky guy is?”

She turned back to Seonghwa, crossing her arms.

Seonghwa exhaled slowly.

Because whatever this was about, he knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Seonghwa barely had time to process why Sophie was looking at him like she was ready to strangle him before she stepped closer, arms crossed, her glare sharp enough to cut steel.

“Do you have any idea how miserable you’ve made Harin?”

Seonghwa’s stomach twisted.

Of course, it was about her.

Before he could respond, Wooyoung leaned toward Yunho and whispered loudly, “Wow, she’s really passionate. I think I like her even more now.”

Sophie shot him a glare without even turning her head. “Wooyoung, I swear to God—”

Wooyoung smirked. “Deny it all you want, but I can feel the tension between us.”

Sophie rolled her eyes before snapping back to Seonghwa. “I don’t even know where to start with you.”

Seonghwa exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. “Sophie, I—”

She cut him off. “No. You’re going to listen.”

Wooyoung made a low whistle. “Damn, that’s hot.”

San nudged him. “Dude, you’re going to die.”

Sophie ignored them both. “Do you even realize how much of a mess Harin is because of you?"

Seonghwa swallowed hard.

Did he realize it?

Yes.

Had he been actively trying not to think about it?

Also yes.

Sophie didn’t give him time to answer. “She spent weeks trying to convince herself she was fine, but she’s not. And do you know why?”

Seonghwa clenched his jaw. “…Because of me.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Damn right, it’s because of you.”

Wooyoung snickered. “I think I just fell harder.”

Sophie turned to glare at him, and this time, she took a threatening step forward. “Wooyoung, if you don’t shut up, I will make sure your stylist ‘accidentally’ misplaces all your favorite outfits.”

Wooyoung gasped dramatically. “You wouldn’t.”

Sophie smirked. “Try me.”

San and Mingi burst into laughter, while Yeosang just shook his head in amused disbelief.

Hongjoong, who had been silent, finally cleared his throat. “Okay, but Sophie… why are you here?”

Sophie turned back to Seonghwa, expression dead serious. “Because someone needs to knock some sense into him.”

Seonghwa straightened. “I don’t—”

“Yes, you do.” Sophie’s voice was firm. “You care about Harin. Everyone knows it. Even she knows it. But instead of proving it to her, you let her walk away. What the hell are you doing, Seonghwa?”

Silence.

A tense, suffocating silence.

And then, Wooyoung—of course—chose that moment to mutter, “She’s kinda sexy when she’s mad, right?”

Sophie whipped her head toward him so fast that Wooyoung actually flinched. “Shut. Up.”

Seonghwa barely registered their banter.

Because Sophie’s words were still ringing in his ears.

What the hell was he doing?

Sophie let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I don’t care what kind of reputation you had before. I don’t care how many people you’ve been with, or how many times you told yourself you weren’t built for relationships.”

She stepped closer, her voice quieter but sharper. “You can’t fool me, Seonghwa. You can’t fool any of us. This isn’t just some meaningless thing for you.”

Seonghwa felt his throat tighten.

Because she was right.

Harin had never been just another fling.

She had never been temporary.

And maybe… that was exactly why he had been so scared.

Sophie studied him for a second before sighing. “You know, I wasn’t planning on liking you again.”

That startled him. “What?”

Sophie shrugged. “When Harin told me everything, I was ready to hate you. But then I remembered something.”

She tilted her head. “My sister trusts you.”

Seonghwa’s breath hitched.

Sophie nodded. “Emilia told me you’re one of the most loyal people she’s ever met. And trust me, my sister doesn’t trust just anyone.”

Seonghwa swallowed.

Sophie crossed her arms again. “So, tell me. Are you going to prove her right? Or are you going to let Harin think she was just another name on your list?”

Seonghwa felt something shift inside him.

Because he realized—this wasn’t just about fixing things with Harin.

This was about proving to her that he wasn’t the man she thought he was.

That he was serious.

That he was done running.

Seonghwa took a slow breath. “What do I need to do?”

Sophie finally smirked.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Wooyoung leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Damn, this is kinda hot. Sophie, if you’re still single—”

Sophie grabbed a napkin and threw it at his face. “Shut up, Wooyoung.”

Seonghwa barely noticed.

Because for the first time in weeks, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

And he wasn’t going to waste another second.

Harin’s POV

The email came early in the morning.

Harin sat at her desk, sipping a cup of coffee that had already gone cold, when her inbox pinged.

Subject: Department Transfer Confirmation

Her breath caught.

For a moment, she just stared at it.

This was it.

The official confirmation.

She had told herself that transferring to Xikers’ PR team was the best decision. That it was what she needed.

And yet…

Her fingers trembled slightly as she clicked the message.

Dear Harin,

Your request to transfer to the PR department handling Xikers has been approved. You will officially begin your transition today. Please coordinate with your new team leader for further instructions.

We appreciate all the work you have done with Ateez and look forward to your continued contributions to the company.

Best,

KQ Entertainment PR Department

Harin exhaled slowly.

It was done.

There was no turning back now.

Then why did she feel like she had just made a mistake?

She clenched her jaw and pushed the thought aside.

No.

This was the right choice.

Seonghwa had done nothing to stop her.

No apology. No explanation. No attempt to prove that she was wrong about him.

And wasn’t that the clearest answer of all?

He had let her go.

So now, she had to move on.

She straightened her back, closed her laptop, and stood.

It was time to start over.

Walking into Xikers’ PR office was like stepping into another world.

It was smaller than Ateez’s team but just as fast-paced.

People were already moving around, discussing schedules, drafting press releases, organizing upcoming promotions.

Harin barely had time to settle at her new desk before someone handed her a stack of documents.

“Here’s the media monitoring report for Xikers’ last comeback,” a team member, Jihoon, said. “We need to go through any negative press and flag potential issues.”

Harin nodded automatically. “Got it.”

“Oh, and here’s the breakdown of fan engagement analytics,” another colleague added. “We have a meeting in an hour to discuss new strategies.”

“Understood.”

Harin took the files, sat at her desk, and got to work.

She barely looked up for the next few hours.

Because that was the only way she knew how to cope.

Drown herself in work.

Lose herself in reports, statistics, emails—anything to keep her mind from wandering back to Seonghwa.

Anything to stop herself from wondering if he even cared that she was gone.

By the time she glanced at the clock, it was well past lunch.

Her inbox was overflowing, her eyes ached from staring at the screen, and her hands were sore from typing nonstop.

She hadn’t spoken to anyone outside of work matters.

Hadn’t taken a break.

Hadn’t let herself think about anything else.

But the moment she stopped, the moment she leaned back in her chair, it all came rushing in.

She had spent the last few weeks convincing herself that leaving Ateez’s team was the right decision.

That walking away from Seonghwa was the only way to protect herself.

But if that was true…

Why did it still hurt?

Why did it feel like she was waiting for something that never came?

Because deep down, she had expected something.

She had expected him to fight for her.

To show up. To say something. To do anything to prove that she had been wrong about him.

But he hadn’t.

And wasn’t that the answer?

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to take a deep breath.

It doesn’t matter anymore.

She was in a new department, with a new team, focusing on a new group.

Seonghwa was part of the past now.

And she had to stop looking back.

So she turned back to her screen, buried herself in work once more—

And ignored the ache in her chest.

 

Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |

Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and scenarios in this story are entirely fictional and not intended to reflect the real lives of the members of Ateez or any other individuals. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes.

[lilchibi-chan]

Heyy! Love ur character x idol! Reader, I was wondering if u could do Dabi x idol! Reader. And it’s a secret relationship obvi. Tyy

Hiiii!! Thank you so much for the kind words and I can definitely do this for you!

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

dabi x idol! reader secret relationship

As an idol, you have a very busy schedule. From recording to dance practice to interviews to traveling and sometimes the overall pressure from fans and even yourself, it can be stressful.

You and your group finally have some time to yourselves when you get a text.

“Hey, let’s meet at our spot.”

You get up from your bed, grab you jacket, bag and phone and head out of your room. You see a couple of your band mates in the kitchen at the table.

“I’m heading out, do you guys need or want anything,” you ask them

“Can you bring back some chicken for dinner? I’ve been craving it,” Yongji, your band mate and best friend says

“Sure! Amelie, would you like anything,” you ask

“I’m cool with chicken too,” she says

“Okay! I’ll let you know when I’m on my way back,” you say

“Have fun!,” they say in unison

You and Dabi started dating a five months ago and your group, Flora, debuted 3 months ago. Company policy is that you’re not allowed to date for the first 3 years of group activity and if you get caught, you’ll be put on probation.

You decided to keep it a secret because you JUST started dating and you didn’t want to let him go. Yes, he is rougher around the edges than other guys, but he could be very sweet when he wanted to be. He also had a certain charisma that you just couldn’t ignore. An aura that you just couldn’t get passed.

Any time you have a moment with him, you cherish it always since they can be few and far in between. You both try to call or text as much as possible since you don’t see each other much.

You made it to the meeting place first and took in the view of Seoul. Everything seemed so small from where you were. There was no stress of school, no worrying about your vocals or dance moves. It felt like you were separate from everything.

A pair of hands cover your eyes.

“Guess who,” the husky, low voice says

“Hmmm let me think…Felix from Stray Kids,” you say teasing

“Haha very funny,” he says

“I was only kidding Touya,” you say, playfully pushing him

You’re the only person he lets call him that.

He cups your face in his hands and kisses you deeply. You wrap you arms around his neck and he pulls you in closer.

He pulls away and both of your breaths are heavy.

“I missed you…so much,” he says

You both catch your breath and he lays a blanket out for both of you to sit/lay on. He brought some of your favorite snacks and some drinks and organized them on the blanket.

“I figured we could have a little picnic before you need to get back. I know they’re pretty strict with curfew,” he says

“Touya,” you say feeling touched

“We don’t get to see each other much and as proud of you as I am, I just want to make every time I see you special. You deserve that much at least,” he says looking out into the distance instead of really looking at you

“Baby, look at me,” you say

He turns his head and you pull him in by his chin and place a soft kiss on his lips.

“What was that for,” he says with a smirk on his lips

“Just to say thank you for always making me feel special,” you say and kiss him again

“It’s so weird no to see you as much after school as I used to. How’s Yongji by the way,” he says

“She’s good, still her bubbly and outgoing self. She helps me get through the struggles of this whole lifestyle. It’s nice to have someone I grew up with go through this with me,” you say

“That’s good. What about the other members,” he asks

“They’re good too. I’m surprise you care so much,” you say jokingly

“Hey, I care because it’s you. I care about you and how you’re doing and how you’re being treated. You’re…the most precious thing to me,” he says honestly

You rest your head on his shoulder and just look out over the city. He places a hand to your cheek and caresses it.

You put your hand on his and caress the back of his hand with your thumb.

He places a kiss on your forehead.

“Do you wanna eat some of the snacks now,” he asks

“Sure,” you say smiling

You spent the next couple of hours talking about classes and the shows you’ve been on and anything else that may come to mind.

“What do you wanna do next? I was thinking we could go to the park,” he says

“I would love to, but I don’t know if that’ll be safe,” you say

“C’mon, isn’t that the best part of being in a secret relationship, the risk of getting caught,” he says intriguingly

“Dabi…I don’t know,” you say honestly

“Y/N, I promise you’ll be safe. We’re gonna be in a spot that no one goes to, it’ll be fine,” he says reassuring you

“O-okay,” you say finally giving in

The whole time you’re on the way to the park, you can feel your nerves taking over. You worry about if someone’s watching you or if someone could be watching, but you’re also thinking about the thrill of sneaking around with the boy you love.

It reminds of Romeo and Juliet, of course without the problematic age difference and the unaliving. Two people from now different worlds, with different lives, trying to do what they can to make their love work.

Dabi holds out his hand as you both come to a brick wall with shrubbery covering it.

“C’mon my little bundle of nerves,” he says

“How did you-”

“Anyone could feel them radiating off of you from miles away,” he says

“Let’s go,” he says, hand still outstretched for you

You pensively grab hold, as he guides you through the shrubbery that was hiding a hole in the wall.

“This leads to the farthest part of the park, where no one ever comes and no one can see us,” he starts,“it has a giant field and the flowers are in bloom right now, so I figured it would be the perfect place for a date with you.”

When you finally make it, you’re blown away by how beautiful it is.

“Dabi…this is incredible,” you say with an awe filled voice

“I’m glad you like it,” he says with a proud smile

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find this place,” you say curiously

He pauses for a second

“I wanted to get away from home,” he says honestly

“The sun was setting, but I just couldn’t take being there, so I left and I came to the park, but there were so many people. None of them were who I wanted to be with, so I walked until I made it here. I don’t really know if no one’s ever come up here, but I’ve come at all times and no one is ever here when I am so, now this can be our place,” he says

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much,” you say sadly

“You don’t have to feel guilty or sad nor should you blame yourself. You’re following your dream and I couldn’t be more proud of you,” he says

“Yeah,but..I wish I could be there for you more,” you say honestly

“Y/N, you have a talent and it needs to be shared. You have one of the most amazing voices I’ve ever heard and you shouldn’t be caged like a bird. You need to be free to share that voice. Don’t let my problems stop you from experiencing this chance to the fullest,” he says, leaving you speechless

“Didn’t expect me to say that much, did ya,” he says, causing small giggles to escape both of you

“No I didn’t,” you say through laughs,“but thank you. I’ll continue to make you and our fans proud. I’ll work hard, but I also promise to be there for you whenever I have even a millisecond of free time.”

“I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way,” he says

You look at your phone and it reads 6:30 pm.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize the time. Ugh I should head back now. Yongji and Amelie are waiting for me,” you say

“I guess this is see you later then,” he says and you notice a sting of sadness in his voice

You kiss his right cheek, then his nose, move to his left cheek and lastly his lips. You place on them a deep and lingering kiss.

“I-I love you, Touya,” you confess honestly

“I’m not good at this kind of stuff, but I l-love y-you too,” he says nervously

“Text me when you get back in. I’ll leave after you,” he says and places a peck on your lips before you go.

As you keep walking, you look back to make sure he’s watching. To make sure he sees you and feels the love you feel for him. To see if he knows just how hard you’re going to work. To let him know that no matter how big you get, you won’t let him go. You will be there for him always.

I hope you enjoyed and as I said in my previous text post, I am so sorry for lack of writing as I have been going through so many changes irl, but I will try to set aside time when I can to write and post. Thank you so much for your request. All requests are appreciated and I do enjoy taking my time to give y’all a story that you and I are both proud of.

[aeoki]

Tri-Lights - Wheel of Fortune: Chapter 1

Location: NEW DIMENSION Office Characters: Natsume & Tsumugi

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< The next morning. >

Natsume: …………

Tsumugi: Oh, good morning, Natsume-kun. You’ve arrived quite early today.

You’re looking at sports articles on your phone? I think interviews with athletes will certainly be very helpful.

Natsume: HeY, Senpai? Could you not look at other people’s phonES?

Tsumugi: Sorry. It’s right in my field of vision at this angle.

But it’s nice that everyone is so focused. It seems Sora-kun was reading a fashion magazine in the common room yesterday too.

Natsume: OhH, Sora went to the common room after thAT?

Tsumugi: Yes. Many people who are in sports clubs come and go there, so he mentioned he wanted to use that opportunity to ask them some questions.

He returned to his room all exhausted, though. As expected of Sora-kun – it seems he had some energy left over.

Natsume: YeAH? What are you doing here, anywAY? Office woRK?

Tsumugi: I don’t always have office work, you know~ I figured I’d might as well get the ball rolling for “Switch”.

I thought I could contact the company using the office computer and ask them to send the documents for past collaborations over.

Getting information on projects involving athletes and talents apart from idols should also help with what we’re looking for.

Natsume: HmM. I guess it’s good that you seem motivated at leaST.

WeLL, we wouldn’t be in this predicament if you didn’t come up with that “proposal” after running around in circlES. You really are cursed, huH.

You’re rubbish at sports so why did you even come up with thIS?

I couldn’t say this because Sora was so positive about iT, but it’s obvious that this proposal doesn’t suit either of uS.

Tsumugi: Ahaha. It’s embarrassing to say but it was something I came up with because I was young and immature.

Natsume: Don’t tell me you were aiming to be a conventional idol who’s athletic and super liveLY?

That would never be possible even if the sky were to faLL. I’d fall into despair if there’s a world out there where you become a conventional idOL.

Tsumugi: That’s not really what I want, either, you know~ I was painfully aware that I wasn’t suited for that path when I was in “fine”.

And “Switch” being a unit that doesn’t follow those conventional trends is proof of that ♪

Natsume: Excuse mE? Are you trying to say that “fine” has what it takes but “Switch” doesN’T? Are you making fun of uS?

Tsumugi: Ehh!? That’s a false accusation! How could I have answered?

That’s a misunderstanding… What I wanted to say was that I want to be an idol who can be with our fans. That’s how I feel.

Natsume: You can say whatever you waNT.

Tsumugi: Ehh~...? Then, if that’s the case, what should I believe in?

…Oh, looks like I’ve got a reply.

It seems they have a collection of the files from previous collaborations. It may take a bit of time, but I’ll head over and fetch those copies.

Natsume: Aren’t you always busy with somethiNG? Do you even have the time to go all the way over theRE?

Tsumugi: Oh, don’t worry. I kept my schedule free for “Switch’s” activities today and I can get the office work finished while I head out as well ♪

Natsume: HmM… weLL, if that’s what you want to dO.

But don’t take too loNG. If you dO, then there would’ve been no meaning to keeping your schedule free fOR “Switch”.

Tsumugi: Yes, of course ♪

Oh, right. Natsume-kun, would you like to do a tarot reading for my little trip?

Natsume: Why woulD I?

Tsumugi: Well, you mentioned yesterday that Sora-kun asked you to do one for “Switch’s” future, right?

When I heard that, I thought I’d like one too... Just kidding~♪

Natsume: Five quadrillion yEN.

Tsumugi: There’s no way I have that much! You didn’t ask Sora-kun to pay you, right?

Natsume: Shut uP. You don’t have the right attitude for someone who’s asking for somethiNG.

The company is waiting for yOU – Why don’t you run along noW?

Tsumugi: I see. I had wanted a lucky start… but it’s because you didn’t want me to be faced with a bad outcome, right?

Alright, I’ll be back with a bunch of materials then!

Natsume: YeAH, yeAH. Off you gO.

…*Sigh* I wasted my time because of hIM.

He even said something weird like wanting to rely on a tarot readiNG. GeEZ…

…………

“The Wheel of Fortune”...

WħȺŧ Ⱥn ȺnnøɏȺnȼɇ.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[regthomas1728]

Bare with me, I’m gonna actually try writing…(written on my phone, sorry for mistakes)

***

Your humble sandwich shack was recently upgraded to a small hovel. You now do specialized drinks and sandwiches.

Of course, you also had to get better insurance when you moved into the rent to own two story building in the city.

Not just any insurance! You needed insurance to cover hero and villain damage. You live in the city that birthed the greatest heroes and deadliest villains. While the chance of being murdered is extremely low, the chances of losing a house or building due to the fights were incredibly high.

High enough, insurance companies decided to make a pretty penny on all the people of the city.

You owned a small business that was rapidly gaining popularity. To keep up with demand, you decided to capitalize on the idea of heroes and villains. You began catering to tourists and eventually became one of the reason people visited the big city.

You began naming items on your list after heroes. Sandwiches and drinks alike had catchy names such as “Spexpresso” in reference to the fastest hero and the fastest acting coffee any coffee addicts have had or the brisket sandwich called “Smoked Pixet” named after the fairy hero named Pixie.

You thought it was funny, some of the customers thought it was creative, but the real fun came in the drawn cartoons merging the heroes with their respective menu item.

You bought a couple tv’s to showcase any submitted art and attention for your sandwich joint grew.

It wasn’t until the second hero stopped in, in their hero getup, and ordered their sandwich that you realized you were at the top.

Hey! The first one might have been a fluke or an accident.

Maybe you fumbled over your words but everyone was star struck.

“Good sandwich, I’ll have to get Euro in to try the gyro.” The hero chuckled on his way out, taking another big bite of his sandwich.

The customers and you let out a big sigh—you hadn’t even realize you were holding your breath—and then the little caf filled with laughter. It didn’t die down for a week—your caf was expanding and it took so much out of you until you hired three more people. All three workers were college students and you hired them within two weeks of the second heroes visit.

A few months later, your menu had changed greatly as new heroes wanted a spot on the menu and heroes already on the menu wanted to change certain ingredients.

You catered to a fee and stood your ground with most. The heroes respected you more for that as did the customers. You still made their sandwiches the way they preferred when they came in.

It was crazy for you to think about. You knew the orders of some of the most popular heroes and they came at regular intervals to get their lunch or dinner.

Marketing heard about your setup and chose to setup times where heroes would take photos with fans. You were gaining publicity and hero agencies were jumping on the band wagon.

You politely declined interviews or let your employees sub in. You weren’t someone who liked to be on camera and even the smooth talking lava rock hero couldn’t make you budge.

He did enjoy the spicy sandwich you made in his honor.

After all the humbug settled, you found a steady rhythm. But, all good things must come to an end.

After closing shop at 10:00pm, you were on your way to the car when you heard a voice call out to you from across the lot.

You turned at the sound, startled and trying to remain calm. Just because murders didn’t happen often didn’t mean they never happened. You were desperate not to be in the three percent.

“Why haven’t you made sandwiches for villains?”

“What?”

“Villains eat to, ya know?”

Not that you hadn’t thought of it but you didn’t think it’s go over very well. Not with heroes frequenting your place.

“I’m not too sure that’s a good idea. I don’t need heroes and villains fighting at my restaurant. I have insurance but it could never be that good.”

The man stepped out of the shadows and you realized you just told the most wanted villain no.

“Work on those sandwiches and I’ll work on a compromise.”

“You sure? I could just make you a sandwich under the table…? You could stop out back and grab it to go?”

The villain, covered in shadows and red (was that blood?), shook his head and took a step back.

“No. Put our sandwiches on the menu after a weeks time.”

“It’ll take longer than that to establish a villains menu and a good advertising strategy.”

“Well…I’ll have the hero and villain compromise figured out by then. The timeline isn’t up to you. I look forward to your work.”

“You’re not going to kill me if you don’t like the sandwich, are you?”

With shadows covering his exit, all you heard was an evil laugh that reminded you despite his absurd request, he was still a villain who made up one or two percent of the kills in the city over the last ten years. Okay…maybe not that many but you knew it was a lot! You just didn’t know ALL the statistics regarding heroes and villains.

While a normal person may have brought the conversation up to one of the many visiting heroes or maybe called the police, you brought out your folder of dreams and got to work on sandwich ideas.

And sure, you told the shadow villain that it would take more than a week to get started on this idea but you may have lied. It would take no time to start the menu—no the real issue was convincing civilians and heroes to accept a few changes.

One of the changes would be making a seasonal menu. Which would not correlate with actual seasons but rather about keeping scores between favorites sandwiches and drinks.

The advertising took some time and planning, you only had a rough outline of what that would look like.

By the end of the week, you were positive you’d be getting another visit from the shadow villain but it wasn’t him who called out to you in a parking lot. It was the number one hero.

“Y/n. I’ve heard a lot about you and your sandwich shop.”

“But you haven’t tried anything? That’s a real shame.” You smiled, turning your key into the car and starting the heat. You sat in the seat with your hands in your pockets and the door open. The hero walked a bit closer but kept a respectable distance.

“I heard you got a visit a week ago from…a mutual acquaintance.”

You frowned, your brow crinkling.

“I think? I think I know who you’re talking about.”

“Do you get so many visits from villains?” There seemed to be genuine concern in the pull of his smile. “He’s requesting your restaurant be made neutral territory. No arrests, no fights.”

“Sounds like an ideal insurance policy.”

The hero grimaced but nodded.

“I’ve agreed. I’m sure it wont be much use but I’ll ask anyway. One, is he pressuring you?”

“Not really. I’ve had the idea in mind for a while.”

“I thought so. So, is there any chance you tell me who he is?”

“I don’t know him. But even if I did, I wouldn’t put myself in the middle of the most powerful villain and every hero and hero agency. I’m powerless not stupid.”

The hero seemed surprised by your response but quickly covered it with a small smile.

“Right. Well, if you need help or if any of the villains try anything, I’d feel a lot better if you had this.”

He took a step forward and held his hands out, dropping a small device in your open palm.

“If you press that button, it’ll call me directly. You don’t have to say anything when it calls—very few people have it and know to only use it in an emergency. I’ll come running.”

“Flying.” You correct lightly with a soft smile.

“Flying.”

Business returned to normal and within a month you were preparing the advertisements and informing your regular customers of the upcoming menu additions and changes.

Heroes were a bit distant at first, not excited about the change, but the number one hero quickly helped with the transition by becoming a regular customer. He visited and chatted with you every Friday.

Villains, on the other hand, were much quicker to visit and test the boundaries set by both heroes and villains.

Just when you’d had enough, the shadow villain you hadn’t seen since the night he proposed the new menu showed up.

“I believe I made myself clear! Neutral territory. No stake outs, only steak cuts!”

That earned a laugh from you, nervous chuckles from civilian patrons, and an earnest smile from a couple heroes.

“I’ll have a conversation with you after your shift. I shouldn’t have had to find out from that snotty number one hero that you were having difficulties with my crew.”

“Don’t you threaten me, Shadows.”

“Shadows?”

“I don’t know your name, sorry.”

“I’m literally the number one villain. I have a reputation that exceeds me. I’m a symbol!”

“Bit egotistical, don’t ya think?”

Luckily, he was in a playful enough mood to see the joke for what it was.

“Perhaps. I’ll take the sandwich you have undoubtedly made after me. I’m surprised I haven’t seen it in the advertisements.”

“I wanted to wait until you had tried it.”

“Naturally. Only you would make a guinea pig of me.”

You took fifteen minutes to make his sandwich and his sidekicks drink. You brought it out, a breath nestled deep in your chest clawing out but unable to until he stamped his approval on the sandwich you made with him in mind.

“How is it?” The number one hero stood directly behind the most wanted villain with a bright smile on his face.

With his mouth full, the villain rearranged it into his cheek to say: “Give me a second to savor it.”

The hero looked down, his hands on his hips as he awaited the answer you were eagerly shaking for. You were jumping with excitement as he took another bite.

“It’s a winner!!” You did a little happy dance and the few people watching cheered with you, grinning almost as madly as you were. Almost.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good. I’ll give you that. I’m not a pickle person, though.”

“I’ll tell you like I’ve told everyone else! That is a damn good sandwich and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna change it because of personal preference.”

The cheers died down, the hero shifted his weight from his front foot to his back, subtly getting in a defensive position.

“Fair enough.”

“I’ll still make you a sandwich without pickles but that’s the one going on the menu. Glad you like it.”

The villain walked out with a small smile that disappeared into the shadows along with him. That grin was the last thing you saw of him.

“I’ve never seen anyone talk to him like that.” The hero spoke with note of admiration and shock, eyebrows nearly to his forehead.

“I won’t back down to anyone.”

“I suppose that’s a good trait to have. Almost gave me a heart attack but, a good trait nevertheless.”

He ordered the same sandwich and complimented you with a wink.

“When do I get a sandwich?”

You own a sandwich shop in the heart of a superhero city. After gaining customers by making sandwiches based on heroes, you decided to try making some based on villains. Today, a villain stopped to review theirs.

[lovingdrea]

Final Project

I went with the play I wrote Don't Stop Now The deep theme that drives the show is to be patient and things will come to you when it's time. I want my production to have the feeling to hopefulness.

SET DESIGNER- Proscenium

Costume Designer:

Becka-

Tony-

PLAYWRITER:

                                     DON’T STOP NOW

Becka: [On the phone] Hi I’m Becka Roselyn, can you direct me to the hiring manager… Thank you…. Hello, I’m Becks Roselyn I recently applied for the computer tech position at your company ZumbaTech I’m calling to see if there were any updates with my application…. No okay, thank you”

Tony: Still no luck?

Becka: Will they told me my application is still being processed but other than that none. I’ve been at this for 6 months. My resume is great when I interview, I think it goes great then its always a let down in the end I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

Tony: It’s been 6 months? I know this might go in one ear and out the other, but something will come up just wait it out! A lot of these companies probably don’t have the funds to pay you well enough anyways.

Becka: I’ve been trying to be patient, but I think it’s time to apply for something like fast food. I can’t keep having you pay for all the bills.

Tony: Hey, please don’t work in fast food. Your skill set is way too advanced for that, and you don’t even have to worry about the bills for now I have it. Especially with my raise I’m sure I’ll manage.

Becka: You’re right, but I need to make money somehow. I’m 26 with barely any money of my own and student debt to pay. (Pause) I’m just going to shower and go to bed.

Tony: Becka, you just got up an hour ago and it’s 2 pm.

Becka: I can do that because I’m unemployed.

Tony: Staying in this apartment isn’t going to make you feel any better, that’s all I’m saying. I do have to leave though I’m meeting up with Genesis and Cait for Pizza. Should I bring you back a little something?

Becka: You please get me one slice of whole white. Have fun.

2 weeks pass

Becka: [On the phone] Yes, I’m still looking… No… No… No ok no more question please you’re just making me feel bad about myself…. No do does not send me money you my sister not the bank. I can do this on my own. I must go I love you by

Becka: You know how I’ve been calling ZumbaTech for the past 2 weeks.

Tony: Yes, did you say anything

Becka: Yes today. I didn’t get the job. That was the last tech company that I qualified for in the area where I must find something else.

Tony: No this is terrible and crazy. I didn’t want to tell you before, but Cait got hired at LaPone for their lead tech position she told us at our last hang out.  

Becka: You are telling this for what exactly.

Tony: Maybe she can put in a good word for you?

Becka: I applied there, and they don’t want me. Ugh this isn’t how I imagined my after-graduation life. Everyone has a stable job and goes on trips while I’m here bed rotting looking at my resume every day.

Tony: I’m sorry I know you feel behind but it’s not a race. You’ll find something just keep looking.

Becka: I already told you ZumbaTech was my last chance

Tony: I don’t believe that. You might have to travel further but you have options.

2 months passed

Tony: Dang girl you really need to take some time to yourself. Ever since you started working at Wendys you’ve been working all the time.

Becka: I have to I need to pay you back for the bills I missed and make payments on my student loans.

Tony: You don’t have to pay me back Becka. You would have done the same for me if you were in my position.

Becka: and you would do the same if you were in mine, but you’re right I’m tired all the time and I didn’t even get to put on deodorant before work yesterday I was to tired to even notice I didn’t till the smell kicked in.

Tony: This isn’t okay.

Becka: Its only night shift and 4 doubles each week it’ll be okay.

Tony: Please just take some time for yourself today

Becka gets a random call

Becka: Hello.

Mathew: Hello, I’m calling for a Becka Roselyn.

Becka: This is her.

Mathew: Hello Becka, my name is Mathew. I work with NASA and your resume was sent to me from ZumbaTech. From your resume you would be a great candidate for a classified project we are working on. Would you be able to meet me for an interview sometime next week?

Becka: [in shock] Yes, I would be happy to set that up with you. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Mathew: Great I’ll email you more information. Along with the dates and times for next weeks! I look forward to seeing you.

Becka: I look forward to seeing you as well. Again, thank you for this opportunity. Bye.

6 months passed

Tony: Everyone be quiet everyone, she’s coming.

Becka walks into her apartment

Group of friends: SURPRISE!!! Becka: AHHH omg you guys scared me. What is this for

Tony: Happy 6 months working with NASA! We all just wanted to celebrate you and your success

Becka: OMG it’s been 5 months since it felt like 2.

THEE END

Two images:

This first image I wanted the apartment to look blue to show that the Character is feeling sad, depressed, behind while still having that cozy touch to it.

The Second image is to show that Becka is always by the phone waiting on a call or calling someone.

Music:

This sound starts off slow to convey that drag that Becka feels on her wait to get a job. As the song goes on it speeds up showing that her job from Wendys is taking a lot of time and energy then the call from Mathew and ends by slowing do that shows how this is where Shes comfortable and plans on staying at her NASA job.