#it’s like a bus but it looks cooler! isn’t that cool guys? only in downtown Toronto though everyone else can get fucked I guess

[garset-grocery]

I don’t usually make vent posts like this but I need to scream into the void about this right now and my friends don’t want to hear it anymore.

Tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment about an hour’s drive away. Unfortunately, I don’t have a car because I just paid for school and insurance would tear me apart.

Outside my building is a train track that goes right up to the edge of the property. It’s hidden by a fence, but every time a train goes past it’s like a continuous rolling clap of thunder that you feel in your inner ear. Naturally, one would assume that there would be a train station in town. One would be dead wrong. There isn’t a train station for miles in any direction, and the only way in and out of town is through the highway.

Looking up bus routes on google maps shows me several with the same rough timing: SEVEN HOURS. Somehow, taking the bus is more time than it would take to bike all the way there (six hours). Even with all the stops a bus makes, you would assume that once it got on the highway there wouldn’t be much of a difference. But if it takes me FOURTEEN HOURS to see the only doctor that does HRT nearby, then that’s simply not viable. I have free time, but not that much. Not that much.

Of course, I could take an Uber. At this point it seems like the best option. Pay hundreds of dollars for a drive that would normally cost <$100 for gas, while stranding a complete stranger in an entirely different town. An Uber driver once told me that if they drove out of a certain area, they would have to drive all the way back to it before they could pick up more riders, which wastes their time and their money. If I order an Uber, I’m asking two separate strangers to make a two hour round trip drive in which they’re only allowed one rider at a time. Just an absolute dogshit thing to do to another person.

I live in Ontario, which is supposed to be Canada’s number one industrial powerhouse. We have the highest population of any province in the country, mostly in one dense area along the US border. Every year the government spends millions of dollars to maintain the roads and highways connecting all these places. And not one, NOT ONE train station in my whole fucking town? You’re telling me there’s enough money for the roads and highways and all the streetlights and fuel for transport trucks and construction. But it’s just not in the budget to lay down some fucking tracks and make commuting without a car fast and affordable? Really?

I guess if everyone just buys a car then that’s good for oil companies and insurance companies and car companies and… you know, all the people that get rich off covering everything in pavement and waiting for people to die. But for people like me who don’t have a car and need to get somewhere an hour away? Well, I guess we can just go fuck ourselves. It’s our fault for not having enough money to buy our own personal 3000 pound death machine.

Look. I get it. People like driving their little metal boxes around. It’s fun. Whatever. But human beings have been laying railroads (not like that) for literally hundreds of years. The industry my country loves so much was built on railroads. We KNOW that trains work, we KNOW that they’re fast and easy and they get people places on time, and we KNOW that they can transport WAY more people than a highway while taking up way less space. SO WHY THE FUCK IS THERE NO TRAIN STATION IN MY TOWN. WHY IS THE ROAD THE ONLY OPTION. WHY AM I STUCK USING BUSES AND RIDESHARING AND SHITTY HALF-MEASURES TO GET AROUND THIS OBVIOUS GAPING HOLE IN OUR PROVINCE’S AWFUL INFRASTRUCTURE. STOP ADDING MORE LANES TO THE GOD DAMN HIGHWAYS AND GIVE US A WORKING TRANSIT SYSTEM. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.

[wooziscollarbones]

Diamond Supernova; Pt 1

in which hansol learns that mingyu’s ideas are stupid

Pairing: Vernon/S.Coups/Woozi Rating: PG-13/NC-17 Length: Multichapter Warnings: Language Part: One/? Stars shine brightest right before they explode.In which S.Coups is a pretty popular undergound rapper and Hansol learns that your idols aren’t always what you expect. Through the whirlwind of misadventures that come with being a part of S.Coup’s entourage, Hansol only knows one constant: S.Coup’s producer and best friend, Woozi. AO3 Version Pro | Pt 1 | 

Hansol is dumb. He’s not stupid, he’s actually pretty intelligent when it comes to learning new things and skills, he even speaks two languages fluently. But when it comes to the basic knowledge of self-preservation that’s supposed to keep him out of sketchy situations: Hansol is really really dumb. Which is why he’s currently being jostled through a crowd of bodies that reek of alcohol and smoke and too much perfume as Mingyu leads them to the employee’s only section of a sketchy nightclub downtown that didn’t even ID them as they walked in. 

 The security standing by the door smiles as they approach, pulling Mingyu into a friendly half-hug and letting them pass by. Hansol’s ears are ringing from the sudden change in volume when the door shuts behind them. The hallway they’re in is short, the door to their left giant and metal, most likely leading to a walk in cooler, whereas the two on their right are a dark wood similar to the door they came in. Mingyu takes the steps to the second door and stops before turning to meet Hansol’s eyes. 

 “Listen, I’ve known these guys for a while and I’ve gotta warn you, Coups is a little wild, but he’s cool. Wonwoo is quiet, but I promise he doesn’t hate you, he just doesn’t know how to talk to people. But Woozi...” The elder’s hands come up to rest on Hansol’s shoulders and squeeze lightly. “Woozi is the devil. I’m warning you now, at the smallest sign of weakness that demon man will jump under your skin and make you regret every minor sin you’ve ever committed in your entire life. He’s gonna be the one to open the door, I guarantee it, just remember what I’ve told you.” 

 Hansol gulps, regretting every decision he’s made that led him to this point and once again curses the lack of self-preservation instincts that left him too dumb to run the second Mingyu looked at him with that Cheshire cat grin at the bus stop. 

 Mingyu goes to knock and he almost reaches up to grab Mingyu’s arm, to tell him that he changed his mind and he doesn’t want to meet S.Coups, but he’s not fast enough and too soon Mingyu’s knuckles are rapping against the wood and the door is swinging open.

 The man in the doorway isn’t what Hansol was expecting. The way Mingyu had described him has Hansol picturing a dragon in human form, towering over him and ready to breathe fire at him just for existing. He is absolutely not expecting to be looking down at a man with shaggy blond hair and dimples in his cheeks when he smirks up at Mingyu, wearing a black sweatshirt that looks at least two sizes too big for him. 

 He’s pretty, Hansol thinks briefly. Really pretty actually, with sharp eyes lined in kohl, full lips blotted red in the center, and a black lace choker resting against his adam’s apple. 

 “Hansol, this is the one I was telling you about, Lee Jihoon, AKA Woozi,” Mingyu says by way of introduction. 

 Jihoon barely glances in his direction, instead pinning his eyes firmly on Mingyu, and when he speaks his voice is light and airy but sends a shiver down Hansol’s spine because nevermind this guy actually is scary. “Mingyu, why are you always here? You’re like a stain on my favorite t-shirt that I just can’t seem to get out.” The venom in his voice doesn’t match the almost serene smile on the man’s face and Hansol is convinced that he must be insane. 

 “Ah, Jihoon hyung, I’m on your favorite t-shirt? Not just any shirt, but your favorite?” 

 Jihoon looks like he might actually swing on Mingyu for a full ten seconds before he laughs finally and all of the tension leaves Hansol’s body. “Get your ass in here, Gyu.” 

 The room they enter is most likely the employee break room, judging by the row of metal lockers on the wall closest to them and the mini-fridge set up at the end of them. There’s a small coffee table with a laptop and two faded couches, one of which has a red haired man in a sleeveless black top and jeans sitting on it. 

 Jihoon plops down on the unoccupied couch next to the door, pulling the coffee table closer to him and immediately clacking away at the laptop keys. 

 “I thought you weren’t gonna show tonight,” the other man says as Mingyu falls into the spot beside him. 

 Mingyu grins at him, throwing an arm out over his shoulders. “Ahh come on Won, when was the last time I missed one of your shows?” Hansol doesn’t hear what the other man replies, only sees the corners of his mouth quirk up as he leans in to speak quietly into Mingyu’s ear. Mingyu catches his eye and sits up a little straighter. “Oh, Hansol, this is Jeon Wonwoo, AKA Mr. Beanie.” 

 “Nice to meet you.” Wonwoo gives him a small smile and a wave before returning his attention to Mingyu, leaving Hansol to fidget awkwardly next to the couch where Jihoon sits. 

 He leans over a bit to peak at the screen after a few minutes, seeing a word document open on one-half of the screen and an audio program open on the other. 

 “Hey kid, if you’re gonna be nosey, at least grab me a soda and sit down so you’re not hovering over me while I’m trying to work.”

 Jihoon’s voice startles him and Hansol can feel the tips of his ears heating as he nods. The mini-fridge has a few water bottles and a couple of Cokes. He takes one and makes his way over to the couch, setting the soda down on the table and taking a seat as far away from Jihoon as he can on the small sofa. 

 “What are you doing?” Hansol ask quietly, watching as Jihoon’s rearranges files on the audio window before clicking back over to edit the word doc.

 Jihoon’s fingers never stop as he replies. “Working on a guide track for a song I wrote.”

 Hansol can’t keep the awe out of his voice as he leans a little closer to the laptop. “You write music? That’s so cool.” 

 Jihoon pauses and looks at the younger man. He looks like he’s about to say something when the door to the room bursts open, slamming back into the door frame with a bang loud enough to make Hansol jump in his seat. 

 “Mother fucker.” 

 Everyone looks at the doorway where a very pissed off looking S.Coups is standing, running a hand through his dark locks and groaning. 

 “What’s up, Cheol?” Jihoon says as he and Wonwoo stand. 

 “The fucker doesn’t wanna pay us what he said he would. Fucker’s like ‘Oh there aren’t as many people as we were expecting so how about we drop it down two hundred.’”

 “What does he mean there aren’t as many people as we were expecting? This place hasn’t been this packed in weeks.” Jihoon’s arms are crossed over his chest and his jaw is visibly clenched. He looks pissed and for a second Hansol can imagine why Mingyu said Jihoon was scary because he can definitely imagine the blond throttling someone with the look in his eyes. 

 “I’m tempted to tell him to go fuck himself and dip; this shit is ridiculous.” Seungcheol walks over to the fridge and pops open a water bottle, downing half of its contents before he finally seems to notice the two other people in the room. “Who’s the kid?” 

 Hansol goes to introduce himself only to be cut off by Jihoon. “You can’t not do the show now, Cheol. It’s bad business for the people that you guys did bring out tonight.” 

 “I know that, fuck, but this shit is still annoying as fuck.” Seungcheol sighs, having apparently completely forgotten about Hansol once more as he makes his way back towards the door. “I’m gonna go take a piss and get a beer before we start. I’ll see y’all out there.” 

 Hansol sinks further into the couch as the door shuts behind Seungcheol and Jihoon comes back over to grab his laptop. “We better head out too, Wonwoo. I’ve still gotta get set up at the booth before you guys go on.”

 “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Wonwoo stretches his arms over his head before turning to Mingyu. “You coming over after the show, Gyu?” 

 Mingyu grins. “Of course. Break a leg out there.” 

 Wonwoo is the first to leave. Mingyu follows after him as Hansol stands and Jihoon packs his laptop into a messenger bag he’d had laid next to the couch. 

 He feels like he should say something as he heads for the door, but he’s just so awkward and Jihoon doesn’t seem like the friendliest person in the world, so he just settles for stumbling over a ‘nice to meet you’ as he opens the door. 

 The door closes on Jihoon’s quiet “See ya, kid.”